I am NOT the Original Poster. That is u/Competitive_Cat_4999. She posted in AmItheAsshole.

Do NOT comment on Original Posts. See rule 7.

Mood Spoiler: Happy ending
Original Post: May 3, 2024
I (27F) have a friend (25F) that just got married last Saturday. My friend is South Asian (not Indian) and she decided to wear a red traditional dress for her wedding. I asked what the dress code were, and she said that she genuinely just wanted her guests to look at their best. She also said that there isn’t a forbidden/frowned upon colour to wear as in Christian wedding in Europe. So I decided to go with a white cream dress (see in the link).
Anyways, I went to her wedding and had a good time. My friend said she really liked my dress. But while I was there, her other friends that are not south Asian, i.e. they are white, black and Hispanic and all Christian. They went up to me and started with small talk and one of the girls spilled pop all over me. I asked her what she just did and she said that I shouldn’t have come to a wedding with a white dress. AITA?
My dress (similar)
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/db/15/7e/db157e4c605b2baf3912dbe4632caa89.jpg
Relevant Comments:
Commenter: The diagonal slash across the chest is a fashion staple. It's why saris will always be in style. But agreed the dress is lovely. Easy to dress up or down too.

OOP: That was actually the look I was going for. I have worn the dress before to my friend’s sister’s baby shower (and they asked for formal dresses) and my friend said that it reminded her of a saari. So I thought that I should wear it to her wedding as it’s a mix of south Asian and western but still within my comfort zone.

Commenter: NTA because you had checked with the bride, but it’s still a poor choice for a wedding where a lot of the guests are used to “no white” being a hard rule. It’s going to cause a stir, get you judged and risk exactly the kind of drama you got. The friends are definitely a-holes because they didn’t check with the bride if she was upset and went vigilante instead, but you still made an unwise dress choice. You’re not at fault in any way though, they are the ones who started drama and ruined your dress

OOP: I wanted to point out that the only non south Asians were me, the ones that spilled the drink on me and the grooms friends. We were a total of 10 non-south Asians and the total number of guests were 270.

OOP answers some clarifying questions:
Information needed

Where was the wedding?

- The wedding was held in Newark, NJ

Was anyone else wearing white? Did anyone else get stuff on them?

- No white western dresses, but people wore white south Asian dresses like lehengas, saaris etc. They didn’t get anything spilled on.

When you talked to the bride was anyone else present?? And did the bride clarify colors to anyone else or just you?

- The bride and I are from Norway and her husband is from the US (he's south asian too). While she and I were getting ready for the wedding and the plane ride, I asked her those questions, and she answered them. It was just me and her plus her sister. She didn’t clarify the colours to anyone else because everyone else is south Asian and according to her sister at the time, you didn’t need clarification for the colour as nobody cares for the colour you wear in South asian weddings.

Did you let those ladies know that you did talk to the bride?? And ask for them to pay for getting it cleaned

- The girls didn’t know, however they are pretty aware that me and the bride are extremely close.
OOP is voted NTA
Update Post: May 6, 2024 (3 days later)
Hi everyone!
So, time for an update. I told my friend about the situation after I posted because I didn’t want her to be angry right afteduring her special day. But first let me explain what happened after she spilled soda on my dress. I went to the bride’s sister and explained everything and told her not to tell the bride. The sister and I went to the home of the bride and groom (she has the bride’s key and they live near the reception building) because my luggage was there and I changed. Luckly I had a dress, unfortunately it wasn’t a long gown but a short knee length dress. The bride noticed when I went back, and I lied and told her that the other dress wasn’t comfortable, and we went on with the party.
Then I sat down with the bride. I told her and she became so pissed and told me she never wanted to see those people again. We messaged the girl and the bride told her to pay up for the cleaning and the girl surprisingly paid the full amount. She had thought the bride wanted to stay friends but after she sent the money to the bride via venmo my friend blocked her and the others. She apologized and I told her it wasn’t her fault. I’m staying another week here and it feels a lot better with having told her everything. Thank you all for the replies on my other story.

I (30M) am talking to this girl (35F) let’s just call her Dee. We’ve been talking for a 2 months now and things have gotten pretty serious. The reason why we don’t have a label or anything yet is as of a week ago we had a conversation of exclusivity and how we have been talking long enough and I wanted to make it official. She took pause with this and said this in quote.. “I don’t know why people put a label on these things”. I’m not sure why but I agreed and said yeah, we can be exclusive in our own way.
Me being a relationship type of guy, I found this weird and off. Then I asked her if she has an issue with relationships. After that question she tired to switch the subject and talk about something else. The next evening we were on the phone again and I wanted to continue our conversation from the previous night. She wasn’t any of it and she hung up on me. At this point, I’m feeling something is off.
The next day, I was hanging out with a friend I haven’t seen in a while, we’ll call him C, and I told him about our situation. I was surprised to find out that he actually knew who I was talking to the next question he asked me made me question everything. He asked C - “I didn’t know you were talking to Dee, when did she get divorced?”.
Me - “wtf are you talking about bro? She told me she was never married and that she just hasn’t found the right guy for that yet”
C - “well she fucking lied to you cause the last time I saw her was on her wedding day, my ex gf was friends with her”
Hearing all this I had to confront her on the issue, but first I wanted to do my own background check on her to see if it was true. I found her old Facebook and I saw a wedding photos and 2 kids (which I also had no idea about). So I asked her to meet for coffee and I told her everything I knew and the fact she needed didn’t tell me was a big red flag to me. She got super defensive at first and also told me that I had no idea what I was talking about. After a little bit, she calmed down and told me everything. And the worst part of it is, she legally married still cause her “husband” still pays for everything for her and if they split up, that would stop happening, and they still live in the same house. She never invited me to her place which should’ve been a red flag but I stupidly ignored that. She also told me that there is a mutual understanding between her husband and herself on dating and such, that it’s more like an open relationship. They fell out of love but she couldn’t get a job and watch the kids so her husband came up with an agreement.
You would think that this is the end of it, but I was still feeling off about everything. I asked her if she can text or call her husband so I can confirm on the agreement so I’m not stepping on anybody’s toes. She told me that’s not necessary, she came up with an excuse like he’s on a business trip or some shit and given to what happened already I really couldn’t believe that. So I left it as it is saying I need to think about things going forward. That night, I felt compelled to message her “husband”, so I found his info on Facebook and sent him an FB message. He responded fast and told me that they are still married but they used to have an open relationship a couple years ago but they soon found their way back to each other and put an end to that. The reasoning for their opening the relationship was because she was a serial cheater and he though this would be the best way to keep the household not broken and still have the mom and dad around for the kids. He started feeling off about the open relationship and he put an end to it. I was fucking shocked hearing this. I am currently an AP and I never thought I would be in this position. Btw he was home and never on a trip
Sitting at home, I thought of every single aspect of us talking and being together that seemed sketchy and how I could’ve found this out sooner. I got a call from her, and she was really laying on me, cursing me out, telling me that I ruined the agreement between them and that he was filing for divorce, cutting her off, and he told her she needed to find somewhere to live cause he was kicking her out that night. She told me that she demands that she lives with me since I had a part in ruining her life for her and her kids. I told her that if she never lied about any of this stuff, I would’ve never had to dig out more detail about it and I told her about what her husband said from her past and that serial cheating and she hung up after that.
It’s been about four days since that day and she’s calling me from different numbers and her friends having been showing up to my job and places I usually go. One of her guy friends wanted to pick a fight with my at Dunkin when I was trying to get my coffee before work. He waited until I showed up there. I didn’t entertain any of it and now I’m just stuck with all these texts, fb messages and calls from people I don’t know dragging my name through the mud around my town. Retaliation I’m thinking about posting everything up online about her serial cheating and the fake agreement she had about her husband just to clear my name. I’m not sure why people are taking their side about it, but these past four days there’s been enough harassment for me to just wanna move out of town. I tried to contact the police, and the police in my town are correct and won’t do shit about it unless anything physical happens. Even when I told them about my confrontation at Dunkin, they said I should’ve created a police report after that, which they’re probably right. Before anybody says I should’ve just fought him, I did 8 years of Karate in 2 years of mixed martial arts, I could’ve easily taken him, but I’m not a fighter, I only use it for self-defense, and he hasn’t laid a hand on me so I had no reason to use what I know.
Right now as I’m sitting down typing this, I’ve probably gotten six different calls from different numbers (fuck you google voice). And some text saying that if I don’t fix this, it’s gonna end up real bad for me. What do you think I should do? What are my next steps I could take? my friends have my back, but I had no idea this woman’s friends where that popular in town. She’s making a lies saying that her husband and her had an agreement and I ruined it for them and now she’s gonna be thrown out on the street because of it. I’m surprised her husband hasn’t been having my back, but he doesn’t really use social media much and he’s a busy guy at work so I’m not surprised everything that’s happening surprised everything that’s happening hasn’t even crossed his path yet. Or he just doesn’t wanna get involved. What’s done is done and he’s leaving it there, or maybe he just hates me for destroying his marriage which I had no idea about. AITA for all of this. I’ll update in the comments if anything happens next.
Update 1: I just got a message back from her husband, told me that he doesn't really go on social media (fb) much since hes super busy and now he has to take care of two kids by himself since his wife is no longer living there. He went into a bit of detail about their past, mostly about the serial cheating. From what he tells me, she has cheated maybe 8 times since theyve been married, and 2 times before they got married. He told me that he was an idiot for sticking around but he loved her and he thought that maybe she would move past this phase. Which is why they opened up the relationship so she can get out of her system. It ended up making things worse so he put his foot down and then she started secretly doing it (aka my situation). He told me that she's going to get nothing in the divorce, and he's going to prove that shes an unfit mother and try to get full custody. He also said that he will make sure that they stop contacting me and there's nothing I have to worry about anymore. He apologized that it took so long for him to get back to me but he also asked if I can send him all the numbers they called from and all the messages I've received so he can use it as proof of her cheating. So i guess it all worked out. I started typing this whole situation last night. But I'm happy that it's "allegedly" going to be resolved.
Update 2: whoever said to make sure you get all the information you can and do not leave it all to her “husband” was right. After he said he’s going to take care of it I got blasted with calls and texts, I answered one call thinking it was a client for my job cause the number looked familiar, and it was her, curious to what she would say I heard what bullshit she was trying to spill and she told me she wanted to ruin my life cause I ruined hers. I responded with “you ruined your own life trying to live a double life”. She also added that.. I’m not sure what the mods rules are here.. but she wants to accuse me of things I didn’t do.. sexually if you catch my drift. After that I hung up and I messaged her husband and told him what she told me and what she plans on accusing me for and he assured me that she won’t get far on that alone, especially since I have messages proving her and her posse we’re harassing me plus He told me that he has evidence of her cheating that goes back while ago up to recent. So it’s gonna be hard for a judge to take her side given the constant trail of lies and manipulation through text he has backed up. We only had sex once and she initiated it and I have texts to the day after telling me how good it was and how she wanted me. Doesn’t sound like I did what she’s trying to accuse me of right? I don’t think she’s gonna actually do anything but given what’s already happened so far I wouldn’t be surprised if she tries accusing me of other things. I’m planning on getting new number which is going to be a bitch since my job in sales and support Got me a lot of clients who have my number. Getting in touch with all of them giving them my new number is going to be a hassle. A little bright spot of all this is my I think I’m getting a promotion at work. I just hope one of these asshats don’t show up at my job and make me look bad. I am almost certain she has no idea where I work. I work pretty distance from my town in NJ and As far as I know this witch of a women and her friends don’t have reliable enough cars to take them all the way to my job. I’m pretty sure the car that she was driving was one of her husband’s car that he let her use, because when I met up with her husband he was driving the same car. A little thing to add to is when her husband showed up, I met her kids and they are great kids, I don’t understand how someone can ruin their life and the beautiful home they have when they have kids. Terrible fucking mom I tell you.
Update 3: I’m pretty sure this is gonna be my last update because she just gave me all the ammo to ruin her life. It’s 4:47 AM as I’m typing this and I get a message request on Facebook messenger. Not knowing who this person is and why they sent me video, out of my curiosity I clicked on the video and it was that crazy bitch sucking a dude dick POV style to try to get me jealous I assume. At first, I thought the video was old, until I noticed that her wrist tattoo is something she got while we were talking, so I’m gonna take a guess saying that it’s happening in real time. A little bit later, I’m gonna relay this video to her husband so we can use this as proof in court of her cheating so he can get everything in the divorce. She might have to pay child support as well. I am honestly sitting here in disbelief that someone can be this stupid and send someone evidence of them cheating since she’s still legally married… it feels like she’s trying to get caught and fucked in court… but I think it’s over now, I’m pretty sure she’s doing cocaine too, I know she told me some of her friends do it, I’ve always stayed away from drugs and shit like that, But I’m pretty sure one of her friends sells it, I could possibly call in an anonymous that the friend she’s staying with has coke with intent to sell. Probably give an ordinary cop a promotion lol but bye for now guys, appreciate the awesome comments and I don’t think I’m going to be posting up another update since no matter what she does now, she’s fucked to oblivion because she’s an idiot.

Shortly before 9:00 pm on October 10, 1933, Joe Groff, a Chesterton, Indiana farmer, was engrossed in a game of hearts with his neighbors when a thunderous explosion overhead shattered the tranquility of the quiet evening. Startled by the deafening sound, Joe and his companions scrambled towards a window, their gazes drawn upwards to witness the horrifying spectacle of a burning airplane disintegrating in the night sky, showering the ground below with fiery debris.
The earth shuddered as the flaming wreckage slammed into the ground. Joe and his friends raced towards the crash site, driven by the desperate hope of finding survivors. But as they drew closer, the inferno's fury pushed them back. Fred Rhode, another nearby farmer, who had also witnessed the crash, arrived to find a scene of utter devastation. Twisted fragments of the fuselage littered the field, and lying within the smoldering remains was , “a decapitated woman, her body charred, and her limbs reduced to smoldering stumps.”
"We were startled by a terrific explosion. We ran outside. We saw the plane burning in air, about 1,000 feet up. It was falling like a rock, flames shooting out on all sides. It came down faster and faster. We could hear the motor running. The plane zigzagged as if in a tail spin. Then it hit the ground with a roar and a sound I hope to never hear again. Flames shot up at least 200 feet. I heard what I thought were people crying out. We tried to throw water on the flames, but couldn’t get near enough to do any good. We had to stand on, helpless." -Joe Groff
The aircraft was identified as United Airlines Flight 23, a ten seat, twin-engine Boeing 247, bound for Chicago, Illinois. The ill-fated flight had originated in Newark, New Jersey, and made a routine refueling stop in Cleveland, Ohio. There, a pilot change occurred, and two additional passengers joined the manifest, bringing the total onboard to seven.
Now piloting the aircraft was 25-year-old Harold “Hal” Tarrant, a two year veteran of United Airlines, and his co-pilot, 28-year-old A.T. Ruby, a graduate of the University of Illinois. Hal was the son of a wealthy Illinois merchant. Recently engaged, his fiancé, Bessie, was waiting for him at the terminal in Chicago.
Also aboard was 25-year-old stewardess Alice Scribner. Alice was the daughter of a former Wisconsin state legislator. After graduating from college, she became a teacher, and later a nurse at Bellin Memorial Hospital in Wisconsin. Meeting United’s height and weight restrictions at the time, less than 123 pounds and not any taller than 5 feet 2 inches, she had joined the airline only recently. Her fiancé, Evan Terp, was also waiting for her at the airport in Chicago.
25-year-old Dorothy M. Dwyer was flying to meet her fiancée in Reno, Nevada. She was supposed to be on an earlier flight, but missed it due to a flat tire on the way to the airport in Newark. 44-year-old Emil Smith, a former army officer and grocery store owner, had also boarded in Newark, heading back home to Chicago.
Warren Burris, a radio operator for United, was one of two additional passengers picked up in Cleveland. Warren was being shuttled to Chicago to crew another flight. Also added to the manifest in Cleveland was 28-year-old Frederick Schoendorff, manager of a company that made refrigerators in Chicago.
Hal's routine radio transmission at 8:39 p.m. Central Time suggested normalcy; despite the slight drizzle over North Liberty, Indiana, the flight seemed on course. Yet, twenty minutes later, when his next scheduled check-in was due, silence echoed across the airwaves. An hour later, the airline’s station manager received a brief teletype message confirming their worst fears; Flight 23 had crashed.
Meanwhile, in Chesterton, fire crews, police, and local volunteers converged, their desperate attempts to quell the raging inferno a futile battle against the wreckage's relentless flames. As the fire burned into the night, a grim reality settled in; there were no survivors.
Evidence suggested a midair explosion had ripped the aircraft in two, sending the main fuselage, housing both the passenger cabin and cockpit, plummeting to the ground, inverted, at an estimated 150 miles per hour. Meanwhile, the severed tail section, just forward of the lavatory, fell about one-half mile from the scene of the crash, nearly entirely intact.
The bodies of Hal and his co-pilot, A.T. Ruby, were found near the airplane’s mangled cockpit. The bodies of stewardess Alice Scribner, and passengers Dorothy Dwyer and Fred Schendorf, were found nearby, amongst the wreckage of the cabin. The bodies of Emil Smith and Warren Burris weren’t found until the following morning, in the weeds about half a mile from the main section of the plane, near the tail section.
At first, it appeared to be a tragic accident; A fuel leak, possibly. Structural failure also was suggested. Some believed the plane had been struck by lightning, and there was even a theory it had been hit by a meteorite. Mounting evidence of foul play, however, led to an FBI investigation, headed by Melvin Purvis, the head of the Chicago office who would later gain fame as the G-man who “gunned down John Dillinger.”
A full-scale investigation promptly unfolded, hampered initially by the disturbing reality of looted wreckage. Drawn by morbid curiosity, onlookers from miles around had pilfered souvenirs from the crash site, hindering initial efforts. For example, the propeller of one engine was missing a blade, and investigators never found it. Decades later, in a 1999 interview as part of a project conducted by the Westchester Public Library in Chesterton, local resident Howard Johnson finally disclosed what happened to it:
“Donald Slont, who later ran Flannery’s Tavern, was on the local fire department. Of course, the fire truck went out there immediately when the alarm was sent out. When they picked up their stuff from the fire truck to come home after they had done everything that they could, one of the propellers was lying on the ground. It had broken off. Don was one of these guys that just laid his hands on anything that he could see, and he grabbed it,” Johnson recalled. “When they were investigating the thing, they couldn’t find that propeller so they thought the propeller had come off and that’s what made it crash. And here Donald had it all the time. I think it had red, white and blue stripes around it so that when the propeller turned, it looked like a circle of red, white and blue.” -Howard Johnson
United Airlines sold the remaining majority of the wreckage to a Hobart, Indiana junk dealer for $75. He hauled it away just days after the crash. However, despite the missing pieces, amidst the remaining debris agents stumbled upon several unsettling clues; Shrapnel holes were found on the inner-side of the remains of the rear lavatory door. Airline blankets stored in a cubby in the lavatory also bore the same holes.
In a bombshell development on October 14th, the FBI, after consulting with the Crime Detection Laboratory at the Northwestern University in Chicago, announced the cause of the crash was a “high-powered onboard explosive containing nitroglycerin, dynamite of high percentage strength, TNT, or some similar substance."
The meticulous examination of the wreckage pinpointed the blast zone towards the rear of the aircraft, most likely originating in the lavatory or the blanket compartment. “The investigation centered upon a piece of blanket, part of the plane’s equipment, and several pieces of the metal surface of the plane. Both had been pierced many times by small bits of metal. Only a high explosive could produce a force great enough to force metal through metal.“ This revelation transformed what was initially seen as an accident, into a confirmed act of sabotage.
In the wake of the news, a swift search for the culprit was launched, and the FBI quickly zeroed in on passenger Emil Smith. Emil, who boarded the aircraft in Newark, reportedly purchased life insurance just one day prior to the flight. The two dollar purchase promised a payout of ten thousand dollars should Emil’s plane crash. Additionally, eyewitness accounts noted him carrying several peculiar items onto the plane, including a firearm and a brown paper sack he stashed in the overhead compartment.
A thorough investigation into Emil’s background, however, revealed a seemingly normal life. The 44-year-old Army veteran, who served in Hawaii during World War I, resided with his aunt, Anna Reidl, on Argyle Street in Chicago. Previously, he co-owned and operated a grocery store with Anna until its sale in 1930. Financially secure after the sale, Smith enjoyed a leisure lifestyle filled with hunting, fishing, and attending baseball games. Anna described him as a quiet individual who often joined her in the evenings for pinochle games.
Emil’s aunt told investigators he had flown to New York City for the World Series games on October 3rd and 4th, residing at the Roosevelt Hotel on 45th Street and Madison Avenue. While his stay at the hotel was confirmed, investigators couldn't verify his attendance at the games. His activities during his remaining days in the city were also equally unclear. On October 9th, Emil purchased his plane ticket and flight insurance directly from his hotel desk. His final known movement prior to boarding the aircraft occurred at 2:10 p.m. on October 10. Emil sent a telegram to Anna reading, “Leaving New York today by plane. Everything O.K.”
During a later examination of the wreckage, Emil’s brown paper sack was recovered from among the airplane debris. The contents of the sack were never disclosed, but authorities determined it posed no threat. As a result, Emil was cleared of any involvement in the incident.
The following months saw a flurry of investigative theories, including potential "mob involvement" due to the recent travel of Joseph Keenan, an Assistant Attorney General tasked with investigating organized crime, on United Airlines just days before the crash. However, this theory was swiftly dismissed as implausible.
Pilot dissatisfaction was also explored. A United vice president relayed an indirect threat regarding potential aircraft damage if "scab" pilots were used during a labor dispute. Additionally, the brother of co-pilot A.T. Ruby reported ongoing issues with certain union members. However, after interviews with the alleged source of these threats, and confirmation that labor tensions had subsided by the time of the crash, no evidence of employee sabotage was ever found.
Also interviewed was J.J. Lavin, an American employed by the Chinese Consulate who facilitated wheat shipments from the U.S. to China. Lavin drew suspicion when FBI agents learned he was originally scheduled to be aboard the crashed flight, but had rebooked to a later one. He was reported to have made comments about a bomb causing the crash, supposedly before such information became public. Lavin denied these claims to investigators, though he acknowledged the possibility of such discussions while under the influence of alcohol. He was later eliminated as a suspect.
The investigation continued for two years. Then, on September 20, 1935, FBI director J. Edgar Hoover, declared “all undeveloped leads in this case have been exhausted, and the investigation has not developed any facts which would justify presenting this matter to the United States Attorney. Therefore, this case is being closed.”
The crash of Flight 23 is known as the first proven act of air sabotage in the history of commercial aviation. In addition, the death of Alice Scribner was the first instance of a stewardess dying as a result of an airline crash. When Alice’s younger sister, Velma Scribner, walked down the aisle in 1940, she wore a “handmade peasant frock that had been imported from Paris. Described as eggshell in color, with a bodice smocked at the neckline, it was trimmed with embroidery on the sleeves and front.” The dress had been intended as Alice’s wedding gown.
In 2017, the FBI declassified 324 documents related to the investigation. Unfortunately no new leads were developed. Whoever was responsible for the crash, and their motive, remains a mystery.
Sources
Photos- https://imgur.com/a/PzaAk4z
https://simpleflying.com/united-air-lines-trip-23-cabin-crew-perspective/
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/80-years-later-plane-bombing-remains-a-mystery/1964534/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Air_Lines_Trip_23
https://www.historynet.com/what-happened-to-ual-flight-23/
https://www.chicagomag.com/city-life/september-2011/united-flight-23-to-chicago-the-first-airline-terrorism/
https://www.nj.com/inside-jersey/2013/09/the_mysterious_crash_of_united_23.html

I've been lurking on this page for months trying to prep for my WDW trip from this past Sunday to tomorrow. My honest assessment of a first time trip to WDW with an 11 and 8 year old. Unless you comfortably have 10k (not including airfare) then it is not worth it. I know there are people who are going to run down all the ways I overspent and made mistakes but I am not trying to be a WDW expert, I just wanted a nice trip with my kids. It felt like unless you are a Disney pro, it is set up to make you lose as much $ as possible. I initially booked a trip in March 2020 (lol) with the idea that I'd use fastpass. I am leaving this trip with such a bad taste in my mouth because of their new system.
Pros: customer service is unbeatable, almost everyone is so friendly and helpful. During a night time event my daughter couldn't see and twisted her foot, being in the little mermaid rooms the amount of walking with her foot was becoming impossible. I called to see if they could move us closer to transportation, with the same type of room but just a building closer. Stephanie was a lifesaver and gave us a free upgrade to a suite in cars, I cannot be more appreciative of her.
Cons: I know this isn't a cheap vacation, my package with the dining plan was approx. 7k. I do not think this was worth that amount at all. Especially when there were so many issues, for that amount I would expect a lot more. 1. Rides: I've been to multiple other amusement parks - six flags, universal, coney Island etc and I've never had a single ride breakdown on me. We got stuck on 4 separate rides mid-ride. Then there were the rides that we'd be on line for just to hear that it's down with no idea when I'd be back up (Test track). 2. Genie+: I hate that I have to be glued to my phone and even then it's not helpful. I paid every single day for this and then they squeeze more $ out of me because of lightening lanes. What is the point of only having the option to do a virtual que (Guardians of the galaxy) and then still wait for an hour. The added payments for lightening lanes ultimately really upset me as a cash scam, just squeezing every drop of blood out of people. 3. Early entry - this is partially a complaint about people but also their system. They can't control other guests but the number of times my kids got bumped or almost run over by parents with strollers (I could write paragraphs on selfish parents putting their babies and toddler through this for themselves b/c they aren't going to remember a thing or parents shoving their preteens into strollers) or people in scooters zooming around was crazy, especially during early entry. Then one of the "perks" of being a resort guest is early entry a whole 30 minutes before open, which on a day like today where we tried to rope drop Test track but it ended up shutting down ended up being useless. 4. Number of rides - Honestly sometimes the parks felt like shopping malls with restaurants with a few rides sprinkled in. 5. Random annoyances: wifi being out randomly and the pools not having enough umbrellas despite being in Florida.
My honest opinion - unless your kids are very Disney specific fans it is not worth it. I think booking a waterpark near an amusement park would have been better for half the cost like a great wolf lodge near a Six flags or NJ has a mall with an indoor Nickelodeon water park and amusement park. Or if you do want to go, I thought I was prepared but you'll need to be a drill sargent and mathematician to actually make it worth the cost.

ETA: I FORGOT AMERICAN CLASSIC. Dishonor on me, dishonor on my cow, etc.
American Classic is April 27! Streaming on FlipNow, so you’ll have to pay for it. Juniors at 9:45am (US Central) and seniors at 1:45pm.

Quick update on Pac Rims

Video of Sunday’s competitions was posted on the Colombian fed’s Facebook AFTER each competition. They were not streamed live. I don’t know if this will be standard procedure but I assume it will.
USAG posted the schedule here.
Unfortunately you can’t skip forward on Facebook so I will try to come back here and add direct links that you can actually navigate in. Here’s the ones that are posted so far:

• RG Senior hoop and ball QF
• TRA Senior individual QF
• TRA Junior individual QF
• RG Junior clubs and ribbon QF
• RG Senior clubs and ribbon QF
• TRA Junior final
• TRA Senior final
• RG JunioSenior apparatus finals

Live scoring is on Consugisoft, except for trampoline. I have no idea where that is. USAG shared screenshots of tramp results yesterday that had the SportTech logo on them, but SportTech does not have anything on their website. (And yes, I am examining my life choices now that I’ve realized I recognize live scoring logos…)

MAG Euros

This year is a team event, so senior AA medals will be given out based on the qualifying round. Additionally, there is an Olympic berth at stake. The top AAer who is 1) not from a country that qualified a team/a country that has already maxed out its individual spots, and 2) not already qualified as an individual, will gain an individual Olympic spot during the qualifying round. The following countries/individuals are out of contention for this spot:

Country	Individual
GBR	DOLGOPYAT Artem (ISR)
GER	DAVTYAN Artur (ARM)
ITA	MESZAROS Krisztofer (HUN)
SUI	VAN DEN KEYBUS Luka (BEL)
ESP	MUNTEAN Andrei Vasile (ROU)
TUR	MC CLENAGHAN Rhys (IRL)
NED	PETROUNIAS Eleftherios (GRE)
UKR	PENEV Kevin (BUL)
BEL†	KUAVITA Noah (BEL)
	SRBIC Tin (CRO)
	BENOVIC Aurel (CRO)
	DAVTYAN Vahagh (ARM)
	AIT SAID Samir (FRA)
	TVOROGAL Robert (LTU)

†BEL has maxed out its individual berths for MAG.
Schedule
All times are local. Rimini is in Central European Summer Time, 6 hours ahead of US Eastern. (Check your time zone difference here.) See the charts at the end for who’s in what subdivision.

Event	Day	Time
Senior QF/AA	Wed, 24 Apr	10am-8:45pm
Junior QF/TF	Thurs, 25 Apr	10am-8:20pm
Senior EF Part 1	Fri, 26 Apr	6-8:22pm
Junior EF	Sat, 27 Apr	10am-12:42pm
Senior EF Part 2	Sat, 27 Apr	4:30-7pm
Junior AA	Sun, 28 Apr	10am-12:37pm
Senior TF	Sun, 28 Apr	3:30-6pm

How to watch/where to find results:

• Senior streaming on Eurovision Sports
• Junior streaming on GymTV (This stream is NOT FREE because European Gymnastics hates fun — it will cost €8.)
• Live scoring

Senior QF subdivisions

Sub	Start time	Countries
1	10am	NOR, SWE, ROU, BEL
		ISL, NED, HUN, SLO
2	2pm	GRE, ARM, GEO, AUT
		FIN, CRO, CZE, CYP
		UKR, FRA, BUL, AZE
3	5:45pm	IRL, SUI, ALB, POL
		LAT, GBR, POR, GER
		SRB, SLO, ESP, LTU
		TUR, ISR, ITA

Junior QF subdivisions

Sub	Start time	Countries
1	10am	ISR, SLO, HUN, ROU
		ALB, IRL
2	2pm	AZE, SWE, ESP, SUI
		ITA, POR, SVK, FRA
		GER, CRO, CZE, UKR
3	5:30	LTU, GRE, GBR, POL
		CYP, FIN, AUT, NED
		BEL, TUR, ARM, NOR, BUL

Quick personal note: the next two weeks are incredibly busy for me. I will do my best but I may not be able to answer questions or make corrections here promptly.

Saw a recent bride do a post wedding two cents- this sub helped me find several vendors and i want to give some feedback!!!!
For context this was a 200 person Sunday kosher wedding at Liberty Warehouse. It was an insanely expensive wedding lol. Some things were outrageous that i wish i had asked to negotiate but i planned the whole thing myself so hindsight is 2020!
The venue was about $52,000… each person after 150 guests was an extra $150 per person. This is obviously insanely expensive but their service was UNBELIEVABLE. The whole day was seamless. I can’t do it justice how quick, professional, prepared, and just amazing everyone on the staff. Bridal attendants, waiter captains, the director were all truly top tier professionals. Alexandra, my bridal attendant was an absolute stand out angel. They know how to run a seamless event. Several vendors even mentioned they love to do events here because Liberty takes care of it all. My and the grooms families felt the this as well as several guests commented. Drinks refilled before they could be set down, napkins fluffed. 11/10
Catering we used Above and Beyond kosher catering. Total was about 44k for cocktail hour, tisch, 3 course meal, tasting and cake. Can’t recommend them enough. Jill, the owner was an absolute gem and gave us the most reasonable price per plate for kosher caterers and best tasting. Soooo many guests complemented the quality of food. We opted for short rib and chicken duet (my mom insisted lol). We also had amazing sushi and NY deli stations. 11/10
Lighting unfortunately doesn’t come with the venue. We used Pegasus Production, the only lighting company Liberty uses. They claim it’s because everyone wants custom and do different things which is true but annoying lol. We paid about $9,000 ish for mainly fairy lights just over the dance floor and whatever else was recommend (pin lighting over the tables, highlighting stations). On the day of, someone from Pegasus asked me if it’s okay to leave up the lights from last nights wedding- they had paid an extra $4,000 for fairy lights over the whole room. Obviously we said YES, we wanted the fairy lights over the whole room but the price was just outrageous. We got lucky but maybe it’s a hack to get married Sunday. 10/10
Band we used Hank Lane music and hired the band Brooklyn Sound, an 8 piece band. They were like $12,000. They were SO FUN and guests also loved them. Great engagement, super talented singers and went with my vibe of song choices. Many of the older guests complained they were too loud but it was a band, what do you want. 10/10
Florist we used Olga from Snowdrop Flowers. I actually found her from this sub! SHE WAS AMAZING!!!! Gorgeous and beautiful work at the most reasonable price. We paid about $7,700 for a gorgeous baby’s breath chuppah (it blew me away), 20 low table arrangements, sweetheart table, many candles down our aisle and on windows. Super flexible at the last minute with a misunderstanding and was super gracious as well to my MIL who overpaid by a couple hundred dollars haha. I had a “recommended” florist from the Liberty Warehouse quote us $16,000 and then $12,000 for someone else’s florals that could be repurposed, yikes. 11/10
Hair I used FaceTime beauty. Total cost for me and 5 bridesmaids/moms and 2 kids was about $2,000. They were very nice and pleasant to work with. Unfortunately they canceled my hair trial at 10AM when it was scheduled for like 4pm. The stylist was sick which of course, life happens, but still frustrating. They also had no weekend availability. When we rescheduled they emailed me like an hour before saying they were running more than an hour late bc someone else came late. Again not their fault but frustrating. Everyone was on time and good on the actual wedding day which matters most. My hair was a little more voluminous than I showed in pics and it didn’t really last until the end of the reception buuuut I was dancing and sweating. I felt beautiful! 9/10
For makeup I used Kayla Strachan Beauty based out New Jersey. It cost about $1,600 for me and 7 bridesmaids/moms and 2 kids. I had to travel to NJ for the trial and she did a great job, it was flawless! The day of was amazing, Kayla was so sweet and calming. She stayed through photos for touch ups which was so worth it. She was an absolutely dream to work with and a total sweetie. She wasn’t shy about helping with my hair or dress when needed which was so appreciated. My makeup lasted perfectly through the night and I felt amazing. 11/10
For photobooth we used www.classicphotobooth.net. Their website looks terrible but the pictures were exactly what I was looking for- vintage photobooth. It was about $2,700. It feels like everyone does glam booth and this still made everyone look hawt while being cool. They were very professional and loved the pics! 10/10
Photographer we used Joseph Lin Photography. He had actually photographed my sister’s wedding 6 years ago I knew I wanted him. He gives great overall advice on flow of the night or different photo ops. His amazing work speaks for itself. He also included an engagement shoot since we traveled a little upstate to him. Super expensive at $9,400 in total. 10/10!!
Videographer I went kind of rogue and couldn’t decide on someone. All the videos look the same to me lol. I went with Treehouse Creative who is based in Miami but he had two local videographers shoot. Not always super responsive to emails but they were having portal issues and everything day of went smoothly. They did seem a little tentative maaaybe inexperienced but maybe that’s just a personality trait, they were super friendly and I’m sure the video will be great, about $4,000. 9/10
I think this mostly covers it…. best of luck to everyone planning!!!

Can someone with actual real knowledge comment on how Dina bought a $16 million home in Montecito? I don't dispute the wealth of any other housewives. Houses for $2, $3 even $5 million, I can get how they might leverage their earnings and smart investing into something like that. But $16? This is crazy money. And while I know Dave (her husband) does well, $16 mil in Montecito puts them in the same wealth/earning category as Oprah, Ellen, Katy Perry and Price Harry and Duchess Meghan. I own a home in CA. Taxes alone on this house would be over $250K annually. Insurance, security, housekeeping, landscaping, etc is through the roof in CA, esp in Montecity. Again, I get that he does well but to buy a $16 million house is a different category than your average NJ wealthy person. I know a lot of them; people who work on wall st in huge hedge fund jobs, people with big businesses. Even they don't have $16 million homes. Dina probably had some money from her divorce from Tommy but the Manzo family isn't THAT wealthy. Her $1 mil wedding to Tommy didn't actually cost her that (it was at the brownstone lol). This obviously isn't the biggest question in my life but it's been nagging at me for some time. Anyone with tea on Dave? I've read his wikipedia page and I'm still not that convinced. I'm genuinely curious.

Good morning and Happy Easter...
But more importantly, Happy WrestleMania week! We are finally here for what has the makings to be one of the most spectacular cards the company has produced in their history.
As I've learned, few things are as over-the-top, spectacular, and magical as WrestleMania. It is a rare sight, where entertainment and sport collide for one truly epic night for fans to celebrate, developing core personal memories that many will hold with them for the rest of their lives.
I've had a lot of fortunate moments that I've had so far. From my excitement to purchase my first WrestleMania (20), to holding college house parties and looking on collectively in horror as Brock ended the streak. But my favorite one that I will always hold close was when I worked at Mount Sinai and got to WrestleMania 35 with the "Uno Master"
The "Uno Master", was a 9-year-old boy diagnosed with Leukemia. He was transferred to Sinai in December of 2018, and it was evident of two things:

1. He could kick your ass in Uno
2. He is a big WWE fan

It wasn't long before staff members were caught competing against him, fighting valiantly, but ultimately coming up short. It wasn't long before we formed a staff-patient relationship and were competing against each other each time I delivered a prize to him for winning on one of our CCTV shows we would air for the children. Thanks to these experiences, I became a worthy competitor of "The Uno Master", and developed my persona as "The Wild Card".
While we were playing a round, I asked him what he thought of the WrestleMania 35 card and Kofi's push. It was then that he told me that he had never seen a WrestleMania before, and just like HBK taking a punch, I was gobsmacked.
"The Uno Master" had never seen a WrestleMania?!... Well it was time to put an end to that.
Since I had already planned on watching 35 by myself, I thought, "Why not give him a 'Mania Moment' that he will never forget?" So I purchased a free subscription to the WWE Network during WrestleMania week and brought my Apple TV over for him to watch any WM archive he wanted. And then, when my shift ended, we'd chill and watch together. We would also curate our TV programming for the day to center around WM 35 and add to the excitement of the occasion, creating a bingo show dedicated to the WWE, and an Art/Educational show teaching children Spanish words while letting them color along.
When the day came, it was as if someone brought a candy store to his medical room. Each time I came to see him between shows, he was watching another famous WrestleMania match from years prior.
Then, once the shift had concluded, I went straight to his room to watch the 5 and 1/2 event (Seriously. It was a great idea making WrestleMania two nights). We laughed, gave elbows during epic wins, placed bets on who would win, and cheered in excitement for all of the action. Especially KofiMania. Once the night had concluded, I had to, unfortunately, make do with what was in the TV studio since the WrestleMania ran so long, the trains back to NJ were no longer running. But despite the lack of comfortable sleep on two couches, I still felt pretty rested and happy at how much he enjoyed the event...
I was hoping for a possible sequel, but life is not a pro-wrestling event, and unfortunately "The Uno Master" passed away only 5 months later due to the disease.
I still think about this WrestleMania a lot, and not just because of the insane end time at 12:35 on a Sunday night (smarky moment)...
If you are a person who loves or has loved this industry at any point, then WrestleMania is THE pinnacle of what memory-making is all about. It connects us and creates an unforgettable moment that you and your close friends, family, partners, and hell, even strangers, will take with you for the rest of your life. No matter how young or old.
I am very fortunate in that I am going to have my own "Mania Moment" this year by going with my brother, who is also a longtime wrestling fan, from Thursday-Sunday, and then pretty much retiring from attending events until I possibly have a future WWE champ of my own. And I'm certain there are many others too.
For those that enjoy this bizarre and magical world of sports & entertainment. I hope you get to have your "Mania Moment" too this week.
Happy WrestleMania week to everyone as excited as I am for it to finally be here.
And RIP Uno Master. If there is a life after, I hope you have been enjoying the best views of WrestleMania
https://preview.redd.it/b45a4b0i7orc1.jpg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=90ba1438a0527cb71009868e9673d3a0ddf997ef
https://preview.redd.it/vd6o2fms7orc1.jpg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a8982cba28d9efea3a74122d9eeaec22d26e0536

All Chapters of Alien-Nation
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Nevermind

I heard a scream- and I jerked awake. The sound was cut off abruptly with a harsh clapping noise, followed by the barest hint of a whimper. A series of long confused moments passed as I struggled to piece together where we were, and remember what this dire situation was. A Shil'vati Marine Captain. My pistol skittering away across asphalt. A squad car. My hand, chained to the wall. The scream.
The noises started again. Nate was being beaten. I'd sat through enough interrogations to know one when I heard it, and now it was my turn on this side of the table.
I thought I could make out the word 'no' in Shil'vati, the sound distorting amidst the crumbling brick walls and dirt-strewn floors as he repeated it over and over again. The Shil' broke under torture easily, we'd learned that early on. It's how we'd gained a confession of Ministriva's crimes, after all. I'd staked my life on it, even. That didn't mean the Shil' were averse to torture, however. Rumors about Interior 'interrogation' chambers squirreled away deep inside their offices weren't uncommon. And even if whatever trustworthy or simply expendable women the Shil' had put in charge of this operation weren't experts, there was only so much damage and pain a person could take before they gave in. So, how long would it be until Nate cracked?
What did he know? Had he seen me putting on my mask at Talay? Or had Jordan - the implacable Gray Mask - told him something after basketball practice one day? Did he somehow piece something together? If we were lucky, he wouldn't know anything at all, and just tell her whatever he thought would make her stop hitting him.
Unfortunately, that probably just meant leading her right to me, whether he knew anything or not.
I managed to raise my head, imagining for a moment that the dizziness was like getting my bell rung in a sparring match, though this time it lingered on and on, for such a lengthy stretch I wasn't sure if I'd passed out again. I blinked my eyes, and for a moment I could smell the spring pollen, and see the thin stream of light stabbing through a chunk of broken warehouse roof as the summer sun beaming through the canopy at Camp Death. And there was Larry, stepping forward to help me back up- only the vision ended, and the hand I had outstretched toward him was grasping nothing but dust in the air. I was left blinking my eyes open, alone in the dingy room.
I've led us all to ruin, haven't I?
Nate would be just one more person I'd failed, along with everyone else.
I was still failing them, even now. That Marine captain, Goshen, would walk in here any minute and beat me until every secret I had spilled out onto my lap. My life as Elias was over now, it was certain. Even if what they had for now was circumstantial, I knew that if they just looked closely enough then evidence and facts would quickly pile up to condemn me. Hell, I'd feared for years that my classmates would rat me out to the Shil' just to get rid of me, tell them things they knew weren't even true as long as it meant I was dragged out of Mrs. Wormwood's homeroom. A new form of swatting for a "brave new world".
Torture was torture, and I knew I would hold out for as long as I could, but how long could that really be? Any way I looked at it, the Shil'vati had more time than I did. They were operating far outside their normal procedures, and I knew with a certainty I would never see the inside of a Shil' courthouse. They would never allow me a public trial, and a chance to plead humanity's case to the wider galaxy.
I had a bitter thought, the realization that if I did manage to resist long enough, they might just break out the mind wiper, or some other horror they kept in their back pocket for situations like this. They had supposedly, 'controversially', abolished the device's use in Delaware, and for a moment it struck me that perhaps that's why I'd been brought to Pennsylvania. I quickly dismissed the thought, operations like these were kept small for a reason. Whatever happened here, whatever acts they committed and whatever information they got out of me, none of it would ever reach the ears of the public. The galaxy was a big place, with lots of space to hide inconvenient truths, and the tools to extract them.
I was dead no matter what if I didn't get out of here, and the pain of that realization swelled in my chest.
I imagined them scraping away any resistance my mind might put up, layers of my mental fortress removed piecemeal with a surgeon's dexterity until cruel purple hands could pluck away at my secrets at their leisure. And when my mind was scraped bare and bereft of any further scrap of useful information with which to damn my insurgency further, those same hands would dispose of me without a second thought.
If they or their human lackeys were able to do that, then Vaughn and the others would certainly be caught if I allowed it to get that far. No one would be able to hide behind their civilian identities and mundane lives anymore. There was a world of difference between being one suspect out of tens of thousands of students in northern Delaware, and the Shil'vati actively hunting you by face and name.
Whatever their feelings toward me, I couldn't compound the sins of my failures by giving them up, and dooming them to the same fate as me. Though, I suppose their fates would come much quicker, with less time for contemplation. A quick interrogation, and then immediate summary execution for the adults, with a quiet laser blast to the back of the head in some Shil'vati cargo container for the minors. One sealed metal box among the millions and millions coming into and going out of the spaceports every month, bound for some distant corner of black, inky cosmos. Or perhaps just thrown out over the middle of the Atlantic, whichever was easier.
Nate was already cracking- strings of trade Shil' were drifting down the damp brick corridor, quiet and half-muttered. Confessions, admissions of guilt, and I was sure, incriminations as well. That meant I probably didn't have long.
What tools did I have at my disposal?
My belt. My wallet, and the three or four dollars inside it. The old metal shop chair underneath me, that I was fairly certain wasn't bolted into the ground. Perhaps my shoelaces.
It was all very bleak. Violence had failed me. Overwhelming that Marine captain would be impossible as I currently was. My chances of outrunning any of them weren't much better, with how my legs had given out earlier. Even my mind was off, torn into ragged, frayed pieces that I couldn't quite piece back together.
What did I have left? Was escape even possible?
This was a small operation. The Shil'vati clearly wanted this done quietly. If I was recognized as Elias, then maybe I could try and play them against each other by claiming Goshen had gone rogue. That would've been my play, and they'd smartly taken it from me. Maybe I could sneak away, if I was quiet enough. And if I left Nate behind. Even in my current state I couldn't deny what that would mean for him. How much time would he really be able to buy me?
I looked at the shackle, following its just-too-long chain to the pipe on the wall. Even if I could break the thick links or snap the water pipe off of the brickwork, doing so would make noise. Noise enough to summon Goshen, or some other unseen warden, and I felt taking on yet another Shil' might very well kill me.
Could I just slip out of them?
The old SERE manual in dad's library hadn't said anything about handcuffs. It was painful, as every movement had been since waking up on G-Man's kitchen floor, but I tried twisting my wrist out anyway, using every bit of force and leverage I had. Compressing my thumb did nothing, and I couldn't squeeze my hand out of the loop. A momentary lapse of attention caused my grip to fail, sending my hand and the alien restraint clattering loudly against the metal table in front of me. I froze up, and thought I heard a lull in the 'exchange' down the hall, but didn't hear any footsteps coming my way. A few moments passed, and I once again heard the sounds of interrogation.
I kept trying- and got nowhere. I couldn't get the leverage, couldn't find the right angle, and all I managed to achieve was peeling a layer of skin off my wrist and getting drops of my blood on the shirt Vaughn had 'lent' me. I swallowed a curse.
We had handymen, auto mechanics, outlaw bikers, and even a doctor masquerading as a nurse, but we never had a single stage magician to show me how that handcuff trick worked. I'd expected that thought would have brought me a quiet laugh, or at least a smile, but none came. I settled instead for a grim frown, and continued working at the handcuffs.
Maybe I could brute force it, just break the bone? I would have to break my thumb, maybe the little finger on my hand, too. Could I even do that without screaming out in pain?
I doubted it, and failure would bring Goshen or some other Shil' running.
I let the chain run slack through my fingers. What else was there for me to do then, except wait for them?
When they were done with me, I was sure they'd either kill me or wipe my mind.
The death of the body, or the death of the soul.
I'd told Natalie which I'd prefer.
Was I a liar? Did I have the guts? My breathing quickened, I tried to stop it but I couldn't.
Hyperventilation, the word drifted through my mind. I'd never experienced it before.
I wanted to scream, bury my head under a blanket and beg for none of this to be real, like this bad dream, this nightmare, wasn't what my life had become. It was terrible, so terrible. My mind, my whole self would be scraped apart. I would be undone, unmade. Destroyed. Or they'd just kill me, if I were lucky.
The end result was the same.
Again, I wanted to scream, but I knew deep down, no one was coming to help. Not my family, who'd already fled and left me behind. Not my friends, most of whom were dead, and those still breathing were scattered or tricked or cajoled into marooning me to my fate. Not Natalie, who I'd chased away.
I asked myself again, did I have the guts?
No, I didn't.
I was a coward.
It was cowardice on two fronts. I was afraid to die, but also afraid to live. Afraid to face her, and face the consequences- worst of all would be the disappointment on the faces of those who I, in some way, loved. Natalie. Amilita. The thought gave me pause, and my hands traced down to my waist, finding leather.
No one wanted to die. Death itself was never the coward's way out, despite what some said. Such people who claimed that never could explain why those inmates on death row jammed up the process with endless appeals and petitions, for no other gain than a few extra weeks or months before the inevitable.
All species feared death, even the Shil', even humanity, for all our bravery. Bravery I'd seen first hand just a day ago, at Camp Death.
I'd often thought that for me, for my insurgency, it was inevitable. Just a question of when. When would I slip up, when would one of my men give me up under torture, when would the Shil' get tired of bleeding into our soil, and decide to throw the entire state into internment camps, disarmed and forsaken, and my insurgency whittled down into its component parts behind a 20 foot tall barbed wire fence.
The Soviets had done it with success during the cold war, and the Shil' weren't stupid, they would know what had worked in the past would still work now.
Did I want to die under the hands of some ranking Shil'vati Interior agent dressed in silks and gold braid, or did I want to die on my own terms? Looking at it now, in some ways it seemed like it would have been better if I'd taken my stand at Camp Death, and stared Azraea down as the world detonated around us.
No. At least this way, it can carry on. My men weren't dead yet. The insurgency wasn't dead yet.
We'd always stayed one step ahead of the occupation. We'd been willing to do anything to prevail, no matter how unthinkable. Those who confined themselves to the spirit only of what they thought was possible rather than what victory demanded of them were destined to fail. That was the difference between accepting defeat, and seizing every opportunity. If victory demanded a successful army carry an artillery piece up a cliff with nothing more than rope and their bare hands, then that's what they would do. If victory demanded they march across the alps, then that is simply what had to be done.
Now it demanded something different.
You picked a cell-based structure for this reason. You planned for this potentiality all along. Others have faced your choice, or at least something similar. Through their sacrifices, you've made it as far as you did. Now your card's come. Are you the weak link?
I'd given all but one last thing.
My fingers unclasped my belt, and I slid it free.
I'm sorry, Dad.

The Snake and the Bandit

The house was a surprisingly middle-class affair, though it had an enormous, four-panel detached garage. Then again, suburbs these days sold for a premium as compared to the new Shil'vati units, even with the ever-looming threat of demolition for neighborhoods. The payout the Shil'vati offered was generous enough, and some people just plain didn't seem to want to live in the city.
Vaughn idly wondered if in Sam's case, it was to keep eyes off all the sketchy people he met with. Like those marching up the man's driveway right now.
The group marched up the concrete pathway to the front door, and Vaughn had a passing moment of thinking he should knock and call out 'trick-or-treat'.
"Clearing out?" Vaughn called out. "You didn't attend the meeting."
"What meeting?" He answered gruffly. "You have three seconds to get off my step. We've got no business, you and I."
"Oh come on, that's no way to greet your leader," Vaughn chided the older man.
Sam the Man Hog Harley took a second longer than Vaughn preferred to reach his decision, before the lock 'clicked' open, revealing the man himself with arms crossed and bandana hastily tied across the lower half of his face.
The motorcyclist seemed unhappy to see them, to say the least- at least the half of it that wasn't covered in tape and gauze.
"You look like shit."
"The orbital strike landed close enough, got some bits of glass in my face. The medical staff finally got around to seeing me this morning for it," he sighed, his eyes sharpening for just a moment. "So, I take it that I missed something."
"Now it's me who doesn't know what you're talking about."
"Drop the modulator, you're not fooling me, Vendetta."
"How'd you know?"
"Just a feeling. Spent enough time around the both of you, and you're just the sort of weed that would crawl up through the cracks."
Vaughn enjoyed wearing the masks. He didn't have to play pretend with his facial expressions. Sam had a read on him- what of it? Would others? Vaughn doubted it. People had a penchant for picking up subtle cues and nuances in person that never translated to film, or any other medium.
"They're celebrating tonight. They think that Emperor is dead. I say we put that notion out of their minds."
"And is he?"
A moment's exchanged look, but Vaughn for once wasn't sure what he'd accidentally conveyed.
"He's-"
"Deposed. I've seen enough changeovers in gangs." He muttered something under his breath, and it sounded decidedly unhappy about this development. That stung Vaughn, but he consoled himself that Sam hadn't seen him in action yet. "Exactly what is your plan?"
Sudden suspicion hit Vaughn. "Are you wearing a wire?"
Sam only laughed, and raised his shirt, but also taking a cautious half-step back from the teen. "No wire."
"They could have something else on him," Vaughn cautioned.
"They say trust's a two-way street, and right now, neither of us trusts the other."
This wasn't the way things were supposed to go. Vaughn had the mask now. He had the core group of followers. Why did he have to start over? He wanted to stand on these things, but felt leaning on the new followers he'd cajoled into joining him were too shaky for now. He needed the win, the successful strike. Then they'd follow without questioning him. Just like they'd done for Elias.
"You work for Emperor," Vaughn said plainly.
"Not for you," Sam crossed his arms. "Been thinking, it was a close call. Why involve myself in anything dangerous at this point in my life?" It was a careful phrasing that kept him safe just in case Vaughn was the one wearing a wire. He scratched at his bandage.
"Might be that the network wasn't online, Go ahead, try and use the blue box, now that the power's back on."
Sam obligingly tested his cell phone, and then grunted, seemingly satisfied. "Figured you all were dead, frankly," Sam grumbled. "I'd been up all night and day trying to ferry equipment up to you, get prisoners free, break their lines- and that was before the sky fell.Didn't hear any more transmissions after that." At last, he dropped the pretense. Maybe one of the others had given him some signal, though that just made Vaughn feel all the worse.
"Not a bad assumption, we almost were. And with those injuries, I bet you weren't thinking about checking your phone," Radio supplied. "Up 'til this morning it wasn't even working in most places. It's easier to turn the network off than back on."
Sam grunted another acknowledgement, seemingly preferring not to vocalize whenever possible. Worse, Radio was trying to take Sam's side- just like how the votes switched to tally up against Vaughn at the library, back when discussing what to do with the Prisoners. Vaughn looked over his shoulder to silence Radio, staring into the fearsome visage of his old costume, and feeling disgusted at how it made Radio seem scary in a way he didn't deserve to be. A rebuke was in order, but he couldn't figure out which one to deliver right now while still staying focused on his objective. He'd have to let it go until a later time.
"Did anyone else make it out?" G-Man asked, being unusually talkative.
"You're the first I've seen," Sam said sadly. He looked past Vaughn. "Lost all your kit, huh?"
"We need more of it," Vaughn circled around to his original point. Maybe now they could get somewhere.
Sam seemed to consider things for a few moments. "Alright. Before I commit to anything, where's Emperor? And by that, I mean Little Emperor."
Vaughn wasn't sure for a second if he meant that he was somehow 'Emperor Junior' or 'Lesser Emperor,' and bristled, before the old nickname for Elias clicked. Vaughn leaned in. "He's not in charge anymore."
"Yeah, I got that much," Sam snorted, as if Vaughn were dense, waving his hand and gesturing at Radio, in Vendetta's getup, jammer still strapped to his back. "I need to know. Is he dead?" Sam didn't seem to care for keeping the information quiet anymore, or to be interested in playing along with the pretense that Vaughn was Elias. This was unfortunate, because Vaughn needed that illusion in order for this gambit to work. For not the first time, Vaughn considered snagging his old costume off of Radio. Now he looked positively like a child trying on his father's clothes, swimming in the old jacket and pants drawn tight by the belt, and trying to stuff G-Man in the outfit. But no, that would defeat the purpose, wouldn't it? He'd just have to make sure the sleeves were rolled.
"Just...taking a little break is all."
Sam seemed to weigh the situation, like he could go either way. "We've got some stock left over, already paid for," he finally landed on his decision. "Explosives that never made it to Camp Death. Some guns and other goodies."
George seemed to fidget, and Vaughn tried to prompt the quiet boy to speak. When he wasn't forthcoming, Vaughn did his best to fill in for him. "They wouldn't have made a difference then." Besides, they'd had plenty for the Governess-General's final sendoff.
"You sure we paid for it?" G-Man finally asked. "Yeah, well, I've been thinking of retiring anyway. I've done things, you know? Things that I...it's not this that was the problem. More the-" Sam waved a hand. "- Other stuff I've done. But doing that is what makes me what I am and- well, it's either retirement for me, or a change in my line of work. Either way, right now all this stuff is to me is just evidence that I don't need laying around. So, yeah. Consider it yours, you just have to take all of it."
Vaughn's eyes narrowed, and he hated the way the mask pressed hard against his cheeks. An ever-present reminder that he wasn't made for it. But he'd get used to it. "A change how?"
"Oh, I'll still be moving supplies, just in a way I haven't figured out yet. No more moving people, though. No more corpses."
Vaughn nodded. "Been thinking about that. Might off the POWs. Especially since you're not going to do it." Sam bristled and Vaughn inwardly cursed his forgetfulness on which way Sam had voted. How to twist this around into something useful? "I'll put it to a vote again."
The other two behind him shuffled uncomfortably, and he knew he'd crossed a line somehow, and they hadn't been assuaged. Whatever. They'd have to go to Warehouse Base, then, instead of Bancroft, just so they wouldn't panic at what he might do. Sam's arms crossed again. "You do this mission, and we're done. I don't want anything to do with you or your future plans. We clear?"
"One strike is all I'll need." Then he'd hopefully find someone better, with fewer qualms, and who took a smaller cut. "You've gotten soft and fat off our margins."
"The fat was there to begin with. Too much Dogfish."
Vaughn blinked. What the hell was a 'dogfish'? While he'd searched his memory, Sam had taken it as his leave, fishing out a key and tossing it to G-Man, who caught it from the air, examining it, before starting to the garage. Vaughn was tempted to pull a pistol and tie off the loose end. Sorely tempted. Had Vaughn made the visit alone, it was exactly what he'd have done. But no, appearances had to be maintained, no matter how necessary some things were, and he didn't trust Radio to not rabbit the moment he was alone.
"We have our equipment," he rasped through Emperor's mask. That would be enough. The spark in the new night to burst all the kindling the Shil'vati had spread throughout the state. Enough for a new conflagration, with him at its head.
"We'll raze the dream of unity, and dance on the ashes of their failed utopia."
Hey all, next chapter should be coming out in about 24h!
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Originally I made a post about the show not being that good. But once I let it settle down in my brain I can't stop seeking more Sopranos content. Theory videos and interviews! I guess the show does have a lingering effect to me and it seems like I did actually enjoy it!Their is this feeling of emptiness that I can't shake since seeing the last episode, I've only seen the final scene twice and do not wish to revisit it. Not because It's a bad scene at all, but because of the implications of what comes after and the fact that death may just be a cut to black like depicted. One moment you are there having dinner with your family, the next nothing. It is the the blankness, the erasing of your own existence that makes my stomach curl. The sad part is you probably don't even know your dead just asleep, or maybe you don't even know your you or you had family or anything. Your life can suddenly end and you have no control over it.Throughout the season we see how people die and how the mob community just moves on dividing jobs up and trying to get their piece and not actually mourning. While we see the widow and the family in utter shambles. We see how disrespectful these people are and I can only imagine how it would be at Tony's funeral. Of course if the whole family wasn't whacked. We'd see Carmela finally a member of the widow club, at least she was left with a-lot of money and has enough education to start her own career, but it would be interesting to see the fallout of this. I predict AJ would finally grow some balls and may want to follow in his dads footsteps, or just completely fall apart. Meadow would probably lose all her connections and free passes in her career. The funeral would be so interesting we would actually get to see who really cared and who didn't.I'm curious on how the NJ crew would be, who would be the new head of the family. Who would get the Bing. Also how gentrification plays out in the neighborhood. The schemes that these people concoct seemed like were coming to an end with envelopes becoming thinner and thinner. Would they survive? Or would they kill each other for the remaining profitable ventures.I guess my conclusion is that they had so much more material to continue and I think they should've. However, the ending was brilliant and I commend the writing staff, I may do a second watch to dive into these characters more.

I don't have a problem, and I'm not looking for advice, I just wanted to share a beautiful ending.
I got married when I was 18 to my high school sweetheart. Stupid, but unfortunately I didn't have anyone to support me or warn me or make me understand I didn't have to do it.
I'm from the Bible belt, and my parents really didn't want me leaving for college in another state (ie learn there is more to life than this horrible place.)
So they begged and finaigled and coerced me into going to college locally, and they would pay for an apartment for me and my boyfriend, if we got married. Because who could withstand the scandal of me shacking up with my bf...eyeroll...? NJ thy
So, finally, I just gave in. Now let me explain, for those of you who do not have religious trauma from being beat to death your whole childhood with evangelical bs...eventually they just wear you down and you don't care anymore.
I told them I didn't care about having a wedding, I just wanted to go to the courthouse, no, no, this upset the cousins, so I agreed to let them do whatever.
So my mom and her friends and relatives plan it, we get married. I had been 18 for 5 days. :(
We move into a small off campus apartment, and immediately things change. Within a day and a half, he's completely stopped acknowledging me. Wouldn't even answer if I asked him a question.
He spent the bulk of our honeymoon time sitting at a computer desk, downloading porn. (It was 2001 so that was still a thing you had to do.)
So I was married, whole ass married, all the way, legally married, and 2 days in discovering that this was very, very wrong.
And the thing about situations like this where everyone around you is wrapped up in this church nonsense, is you have no one to talk to about it. I had no one to support me. If I had left, I would've had no where to go.
Also, I had never seen a happy married couple. And I cannot stress the importance of this enough, but for those of us raised by boomers, I think you will understand. I didn't actually know there were married people who were happy and enjoyed each other's company.
My parents, also married at 18, spent their waking hours fighting. And when they weren't fighting, my grandparents were fighting. But by God they all stayed married, even though they hated each other.
These were my only examples of married life, other than tv.
With no support, completely naive, and not a single person to talk to, I just got on with it.
I'm not going to go into detail about our absolute nightmare of a marriage, let's just say, after our 4th child was born and he just stopped coming home from work in the evenings, I knew I was strong enough to do this.
Also, I had to have a hysterectomy due to PCOS. That shit changed my life. Amazing.
I started making plans. I enrolled back in college when the baby was about 9 months. I had quite a few credits I'd picked up here and there.
I got a job. A good one. My mom retired from her job, finally, and told me she would babysit, so I could afford to work.
And I just started being a married single mom. Y'all know how it is. As long as I let him use my body as a receptacle once a day, he left me the fuck alone.
And I know he was just forcing me to have sex with him to feel power over me, because I knew he had to be sleeping with someone else, as much as he was gone.
But anyway. Long story short, I finally got him packed up and parked his shit outside.
And I'm not going to go into all the soul sucking battles that resulted. Let's just say he was a narcissist, completely textbook, and he did everything you're thinking. Stalk me, come to my job, harass me, threaten me, call me a couple hundred times a day. Absolute nightmare.
But I kept me and the kids safe. There was a light at the end of the tunnel.
but
I say this, just to give you an idea of what was happening...5 days after I kicked him out, he publicly stepped out with his new girlfriend, and they were both posting on social media.
And I'm saying this sarcastically...it was obvious she was not new. This was not a new relationship, lol.
It was so pathetic I was embarrassed for him. Ugh. His mom even called me seriously upset and embarrassed by it. Asking me if I knew? Yeah, obviously. Remember when you asked me why I kicked him out a few says ago? Things clearing up?
Oh, did I mention he was a high school teacher? Yeah. Everything you're thinking is absolutely true. But when her dad is a deputy, they keep it quiet and from never hitting the papers.
Now she had graduated by then. She was still 18 though. So, whatever.
I weathered the storm and all of his absolute insane bs. Courtdates, being sued for made up things, still with the stalking and harassment, begging for me to let him move back home, etc. He even asked me for sex once, from the other side of the door I had him locked out of. Bro, I won't even let you in the house, you think I'm going to let you in my pants? Repulsive. Anyway...
Now, I did, in one awkward interaction at a pick up, tell her that she needed to get away from him. She was 18, she had her whole life ahead of her, I would even help her, please don't be in a relationship with this man, he would change her.
She acted like you would think. Eyerolls and condescension. Thinks she's the one. But she was an 18 year old victim who had been groomed.
What could I do? I warned her, she didn't listen. I felt sorry for her, but I did my part.
In time, I meet my 2nd husband. He's wonderful. Did the work and shows my kids a loving example every day.
This also really set me back because being treated well is a sure way to make someone realize just how badly they have been treated in the past.
We started healing, and stuck it out through all the visitation sham, about a year, year and a half. He didn't want the kids, didn't care about them, didn't even like them. He just took them to irritate me. Anything he could do to hurt me, he did.
But I digress.
About two years in, approximately, his gf got pregnant and they had a baby. Thankfully, he stopped demanding the visitations that he clearly didn't want, citing the baby, and we were all so relieved. Oh my gosh. It was so good.
They did continue to go sporadically for a couple years, maybe once every 2 or 3 months, for a weekend. They loved their little brother and enjoyed playing with him, thought he was the best.
And I want to add in here, I didn't talk shit about him around them when they were little. Never. I didn't say shit about his gf, just oh that's awesome maybe you guys can paint your nails and she knows some cool things to teach you. I bought gifts for the baby, I even gave him the things we had used, swing, things like that, so they wouldn't have to buy them.
If there are any divorced dads out there, please save your "bitter baby mama you probably taught them to hate him" bs.
Anything my kids feel towards him, he earned in person.
Now, after exes child was born, he got a vasectomy. I dont know any details, and I only know this because I said something to my oldest one day about when was he getting another little brother or sister, and he said he wasn't, his uncle and his dad had rode together to the clinic and had vasectomies. They'd been joking about it at their grandparents.
Life goes on. We made it through covid, I'm talking it's been 11 years since all this. I've got 2 adults, a 17 yr old, and a 14 yr old.
They don't deal with their father or his wife. They all tried to video chat, call, and FaceTime their little brother to keep a relationship with him, but due to their dad pushing contact on them, they had to stop.
And what I mean by that is, my kids all had phones. The ex would call them and they wouldn't answer, seeing it was him, so he would use his little boy's iPad to call them. They would answer, thinking it was their brother, and then there he would be.
He wouldn't stop putting them in situations like that, forcing himself on them (just like he used to do with me) and they just stopped answering.
And it broke their hearts. Especially my 2 oldest, who have went through a lot of guilt and tears over having to cut ties with their little bro. Lots of sadness and guilt, anger at ex for making them choose.
we discussed them reaching out to ex step mom (in a couple weeks when things settle down) and asking to reconnect with little brother and explain the circumstances about how and why they stepped back
Now here we are in the present.
A few weeks ago, we were taking my daughter and her roommate back to the college dorms, and she's flipping through fb.
She squeals the squeal of someone with hot tea, and says new wife changed her relationship status to divorced.
Now idk if any of y'all have ever met a teenage girl with the internet, but in 4 minutes she had a full history pieced together like she was on Criminal Minds, and we found out everything. Identified the new man, I'D his family, saw the new baby and knew what they had for dinner.
It had just happened, a few days before that, wife had packed up their son, took him to the hospital, and gave birth to another man's baby.
New dude took her and both boys back to his house and that was the end of it.
Liiiiiiiiilkkkkkkkeeeeee what?
I knew this would happen. I knew it would. About age 27-29, as a woman, you're in your full glory. I did the same exact thing, when I got to 28 I KNEW I was able to leave that man and make it on my own. I finally had the strength and confidence.
I had always said, right before she turns 30, she will leave him. Whether it be growing in maturity or just being sick of the mistreatment, it will happen.
So congrats to ol girl for coming out of whatever spell he worked on you and finding your strength, I'm proud of you, and also congrats on that new baby.
I've never felt any ill will towards her, at all, not even once. And I could have, she was not friendly to my children. I'm sure she's a b*itch, but I have always given her the benefit of the doubt and blamed it on the situation.
And speaking of their age difference, one of the best things about this is what a difference 11 years made on her vs what it did to him. Where she was an immature girl, now she's a full, beautiful, experienced, sexy woman.
I remember being that age, I felt perfect, my body was rocking, everything worked and nothing hurt. Men wanted me and I knew it. It was awesome. She's absolutely entered her era.
11 years on him? Bro is completely bald, cue ball bald. I'm sure he shaves it or he'd have one of those 2 inch lines of hair wrapping around his head.
And thinking about this always makes me feel good...he got downright fat.
Now don't take me wrong, I'm fat. I've always been plus size, and I'm perfectly real about that.
But, when I say he got fat, I mean he got FAT. Easily doubled in size. His shoulders are so big idk how he makes it through a door without turning sideways. It really accentuates the baldness lol
He's gonna have trouble recruiting the next wife, I'm afraid :)
And I also want to add, in true narcissist fashion, he did his best to keep her close as long as he could, so he could control the narrative.
His aunt randomly sent me a message, not that I asked or ever even speak to her, she just likes spreading gossip enthusiastically, and said "SHE had a baby by some other man and it's just awful! I hate this for ex! Waaaaah"
Weird take that you expect me to be sympathetic to his plight, ma'am, but I'll be polite.
Which, it didn't surprise me at all that they're talking like they didn't know she was pregnant.
Of course he would have kept it secret from his family. He needed to keep playing happy family as long as possible. Say she's at work, act like everything is fine. She's not around to say anything different.
Them knowing she was pregnant would have meant they knew she was cheating and there were big problems. And that looks bad, makes him look like a failure.
But her just leaving the house one morning (to them) out of the blue and giving BIRTH to a surprise baby and then leaving with a strange man?!? Shocking, dramatic, AND makes him look like a victim, which is his main goal. Gotta spin that story to remain a victim. Always.
Narcissists are SO PREDICTABLE.
Anyway :)
Long story short, my emotionally abusive, cheating, pervy, creepy, controlling, child grooming, obnoxious ex husband got majorly CUCKED and I just had to somehow let more people know about it :)

Hi Reddit,
I'm looking for some help with a dental billing matter currently impacting my credit score as my former dentist put a bill I shouldn't have had to pay into collections. I'm trying to fix my credit now, and I want to know how I can have an investigation started on the billing practices of a dental practice in NJ.
Background:
For context, separate childhood trauma's resulted in both of my front teeth being fractured, over the years resulting in multiple root canals and multiple crown replacements.
Situation:
Late in 2020, during my employment with a Fortune 250 Life Insurance, Annuities, and Retirement Planning Services company prominent in my area, I began a series of procedures for dental with the aforementioned dental office for a crown replacement and a dental implant implantation on teeth 8 and 9. This required an extraction on tooth 8, and a flipper during the healing period post-extraction as well. I had permanent crowns on both front teeth in the time leading up to this, and one of the original crowns came off, breaking off a portion of the original underlying tooth. Upon my appointment to get this fixed, the dentist determined that there was not enough margin between the remaining tooth and the gumline, and told me they would have to do an extraction and implantation for an effective long term result.
The reason I am writing this is because last year I received a bill in the mail (billing date 1/19/2023) and via email (Fri, Jan 27, 7:07 AM) from the dental practice in the amount of $3994.40 for these same procedures above, after nearly two years of not having heard from them at all, and having maintained a zero balance. They would not have completed these procedures had I not remitted payment prior to or on the date of service.
· I called the dental practice to inquire about where this new balance came from with them as to where this balance is coming from after almost a full 18 months of not having any balance, nor having been contacted by the office during that same period of time regarding any balance. The office manager then shared with me that what I was given were estimates only, and not a "pre-determination" and as such was liable to change, as if I am supposed to know the difference as a patient. I was given "estimates" which I was then forced to sign by the dental practice agreeing to pay. (have copies)
· Then I contacted my former employer via phone, who told me that my former employer submitted to them a request for information that the dental practice then failed to provide.
· I called the dental practice back and they adjusted down my balance from $3994.40, to $1886.20. I told them I am not paying them another dime.
· I called back my former employer and spoke to someone yesterday (2/7/2023) who was entirely helpful, and even offered to call them on my behalf, to see what happened here. They wouldn't share with him any information. Now red flags are going off. They're denying an insurance agency patient information and trying to enforce a bogus $1886.20 bill. This agent for my former employer (who's name I didn't think to write down but wish I could remember) called me back to tell me this and advised me to collect my entire patient record from the dental practice including claim dates, invoices, signed "estimates", and claim numbers.
I have a copy of my entire patient record from the dental practice including a single patient ledger with claim service dates, descriptions, charges, payments, and balances. It also includes signed estimates, which I used to allocate funds to my FSA knowing that these procedures were coming up in the 2021 year, and budgeted exactly what I needed to my FSA for that year, specifically to pay for this procedure. Had I been told I would owe more, I would have paid more into my FSA. That was not the case though.
Requested Actions:
Someone here is at fault, and it is not me as the customer who upheld their end of this series of agreements. I paid what I was told to pay. I paid what I signed and agreed to pay. I should not have to pay out of my pocket because two commercial entities could not effectively do their jobs and communicate with one another regarding payments made on my behalf.
This couldn't have come at a worse time for me. I was unemployed for 11 months in 2023, and attempting to plan a wedding. The last thing I needed was a $1886.20 out of pocket expense. Now I'm almost at my wedding day, finally working again, and I see this bill as the only collections account on my credit history and I need to find a resolution.
So far I have filed a complaint with the NJ Department of Consumer Affairs - Dentistry Unit, and filed a dispute on the collections account for a major creditor. I have documentation and receipts showing I was paid in full before this phony charge was added 18 months after the DoS. Do I have any other recourse?
Thank you all for the advice.

Interview with the founder of boitas.com, a Y-Combinator startup from W’21 batch, a B2B e-Commerce platform for SMBs in Latin America.
Boitas.com raised $2M in the pre-seed round from top firms (YC, Magma Partners, Wollef, HMC, and other Angels).
Full interview here:

Could you please tell us who you are and what your startup is?

It's always good to share experiences with other founders. I believe young founders can learn a lot from these interviews, from failures, from successes. It's great to have the space.
Boitas.com has experienced many pivots, a topic we'd like to discuss, as founders often fear changing their business models. Initially, we might start with a promising idea, only to realize that our product does not align with market needs. Failure to achieve product-market fit can stem from a lack of willingness to pay or a narrowly defined target market. These aspects are crucial to consider in product development.
Understanding that pivoting towards a greater opportunity is acceptable is also essential. In our case, drawing from my background, I opted to establish a B2B marketplace utilizing a forward stock approach. My decade-long experience in China, developing thousands of products—ranging from auto parts and furniture to oil, gas, and electronic goods—has been instrumental. I observed that supermarkets or importers often return unsold products to warehouses, where they lack digital visibility. This overstock, challenging to sell directly to consumers due to the time-consuming nature of individual sales, often remains unsold.
For instance, consider this scenario: you import 10,000 Yeti water jugs to Mexico and attempt to sell them to Walmart. If Walmart sells 8,000 and returns 2,000, you're left with an overstock of 2,000 units occupying warehouse space. Selling these individually to consumers is inefficient, as it would take an excessive amount of time. This realization led us to establish a marketplace for selling overstocked items at below-cost prices to businesses. Thus, we created Mexico's first overstock wholesale marketplace.
And we were doing great. We launched in August, and when we launched, it took us four months to reach $250,000 in sales in GMV, which was great. We were profitable, making money, it was amazing because we were cheaper than bringing products from China that are already in Mexico. Without the hassle of delivering, you have a lot of people willing to put their products there because there was nothing like it.
When we got into YC, they asked the right questions. As far as I remember, when we talked to the partners, they asked us, "Okay, Raul, this is a great business, a good marketplace. But how can you scale this to a $100 million business?"
The hard part about marketplaces is this: You need to balance demand and supply. When you cannot support the supply because you depend on the overstock of different importers, the product is not really scalable. That was the first challenge we faced. We were going to do a B2B marketplace, and we understood that the supply could not be sustained or stable. We were not able to grow it. And this scares off a lot of investors.
If you are not able to survive, then you will never grow to a $100 million marketplace. There's also this perspective that if you do the same idea in the US, maybe it would work out. Maybe if you do this in Spain, it won't work. So, the market has a good influence on the business model. It's something to consider. We were doing this in Mexico and Latin America. So, that was our first challenge. To be able to support the demand, we needed to have a stable supply, right?
So, we decided to explore ideas. Okay, what can we explore? In which industries can we try? There are five or six most important metrics in B2B marketplaces. That's it. Those are the unit economics, the most important metrics the founder should focus on.
The first one is CAC (Cost of Acquisition) - how much it costs you to acquire a customer. The second one is AOV (Average Order Value). The third one is the margin that you can get when selling a product. Then there is the frequency. How often will this customer pay? And then, the size of the market. When you have more data, you can measure the lifetime value (LTV). With these six metrics, you're able to decide if your startup can succeed in that particular industry or not.
We tried exploring eight different industries for six months. Beauty, hardware tools. We tried dentists, restaurants. We explored all these different SMEs that we know have frequent consumption, and a good AOV (that we didn't know), and we understood what the demand was. In some cases, it was big enough. In other cases, it was small. After that we tried to base our decisions on data, that’s how we started understanding which ones made sense for us to explore.
First, we went to the barber shops. In Mexico, there are only 68,000 of them. They buy once a month, and their AOV is only $50. It costs $20 to acquire a customer, but the purchase frequency is low. The AOV is very low. The CAC is high. So, it didn't make sense to launch in this industry. There are not so many barbershops, in the end.
Then we tried beauty, and what we realized was that normally, beauty companies, in this case, the brands, spend a lot of time and money educating the customers. If we wanted to get into it, we needed to spend a lot of money and time as well. We understood that the brands already put a lot of effort, put a lot of money into educating the final customers. Beauty salons, nail salons, hairdressers, and all these consumers need support. We decided that we didn’t want to spend a lot of money on something we didn't understand. Besides, they were asking for brands. We didn't have them.
Then, we started exploring a different industry, hardware shops. It's a huge business because every hardware store has a lot of products. AOVs are high, but you need to have more than 100,000 SKUs in some cases. Let’s say there's one little knot. You need a bolt, and then you need many different sizes for the bolt, resulting in a lot of SKUs. So, if you're not experienced in this industry, it's really difficult to enter. Then, you have to become a distributor of the importer or brand owner, and then it's another kind of skill that you need to have.
We kept exploring lots of industries. Once we reached restaurants, we understood that it was a huge opportunity, the biggest one for us. Why? Because we understood that they needed the product to be able to run their business. So, it was a critical supply product. We realized that we can create models to predict consumption because normally, their supply needs are pretty stable. We were able to predict consumption based on the type of restaurants and based on the location.
It is remarkable that we discovered certain regions in Mexico boast an impressive 50 Japanese restaurants, each offering around 10 staple products such as rice, soy sauce, salmon, tuna, and pho. These items are consistently in demand, providing an opportunity to predict consumption patterns. Typically, these restaurants procure the same products at the same time, allowing for the creation of technology to forecast consumption trends. Leveraging this insight, businesses can optimize their wholesale purchases, thereby reducing costs.
It's akin to a group buying model, and what appealed to us was the consistently high Average Order Values (AOVs), occurring 2 to 3 times a week. This system saved considerable time and effort for restaurant owners or procurement personnel, who would otherwise spend 5 to 10 days a week sourcing supplies from places like Sam's Club or local markets.
This efficiency not only translated to time savings but also financial benefits for the restaurant owners. Recognizing the potential, we decided to focus on the restaurant industry. As we delved deeper into this sector and fine-tuned our business model, we realized that while profit margins may not be initially high, achieving a certain volume enables purchasing from Certified Providers (CPs), subsequently leading to increased margins.
The next steps involved establishing warehouses and implementing last-mile delivery to ensure a high level of service. Consolidating orders required sourcing products from different CPs, facilitating the delivery of multiple items in a single order.
Things were progressing well, prompting us to secure funding. Armed with a clear roadmap for our tech product's growth and customer acquisition, we navigated successfully until 2022. Unfortunately, that year posed a challenge as we found it difficult to raise capital. The market took a downturn, and investors who were once active suddenly withdrew. Despite having a substantial team, we faced the harsh reality of not being able to fund our planned roadmap, sustain the team, or fulfill deliveries.
This situation underscores a crucial lesson for any founder, especially in the creation of a marketplace, in our case, B2B. It's important to have a comprehensive understanding of the financial requirements to run and grow the business, as well as sufficient funding for the future. In our optimism during 2021, we hesitated to dilute our ownership due to high valuations, expecting a similar scenario in 2022. However, the market dynamics shifted drastically, catching us off guard. What was once a scenario where investors were eager to invest in our company turned into a challenging period of being unable to secure capital. It was indeed a tough experience.

Can we say that in the case of B2B marketplaces, the two most important things for sustained growth are unit economics and solving the chicken-and-egg problem, the liquidity problem of marketplaces?

Yes, I agree. However, I believe that, in addition, a robust go-to-market strategy is crucial. This is often overlooked by founders, given the inherent difficulty in acquiring customers for a marketplace.
Consider the example of a TikTok campaign targeting the restaurant business. Despite achieving moderate views on a TikTok video, it remains a challenge to reach the decision-makers responsible for procurement. It's crucial to identify effective ways to engage these decision-makers who influence purchasing.
Sometimes, resorting to traditional methods, such as employing salespeople, becomes necessary, or at the very least, understanding and implementing small, effective hacks.
Take, for instance, the existence of restaurant unions in each state in Mexico. Engaging with the presidents of these unions, delivering a compelling presentation on cost-saving measures, and offering free seminars can attract a significant audience interested in optimizing their restaurant operations. Subsequently, you can pitch and sell your product.
It's crucial to identify these creative strategies and employ them to capture a wider audience. This principle holds true across various industries and is contingent on understanding the specific market dynamics. In the U.S., for instance, reaching customers online might be comparatively easier.
It's surprising to note that, in some cases, a substantial number of customers can be found on Facebook marketplaces and groups, making these platforms integral to your business channel.
Therefore, integrating technology into your sales channels is key. This approach not only enhances reach but also contributes to a better conversion rate.

How did you approach your initial customers?

Once we settled on the restaurant industry as our focus, our initial step was to map out all the restaurants in each area.
Starting with Monterrey in Mexico, we used Google Maps to drop pins on every restaurant in the region. Our goal was to identify the most concentrated areas of restaurants in specific zones.
From this mapping exercise, we pinpointed three areas as particularly promising. We then deployed individuals to visit these locations and engage with restaurant owners. We set up a simple check-in system to ensure better control and track conversion metrics. For instance, we monitored how frequently business owners were present during visits. If a business owner wasn't there, the person could move on to visit multiple restaurants in one day.
From our visits, we found that 50% of the time, business owners were absent. Within that 50%, 10% weren't interested in our services, while the remaining 50% were open to receiving a quotation.
Understanding this timing and the conversion funnel provided valuable insights. For those not interested, we delved into the reasons. Some were content with their current suppliers, offering us information about potential competitors.
Occasionally, procurement personnel, rather than the owners, were present. They sometimes expressed reluctance, noting that interfacing with suppliers was their responsibility. They were afraid that boitas.com would take their jobs away.
To better tailor our approach, we thought of strategies such as attending events where restaurant owners congregated. By sponsoring these gatherings, we could connect with 100 decision-makers in one place, engaging them face-to-face and experimenting with different approaches. These small hacks were at the core of our outreach.

So hiring somebody to just knock on the doors versus your own version of doing things doesn't scale, right?

Yes, door-to-door sales don’t scale. But it was the best way for us to get a good understanding of their businesses and the industry.
You need to design products that avoid causing friction for users. Friction, in this context, refers to the barrier between technology and the user that negatively impacts their experience. In our case, the initial feedback from visits was positive. We discovered that users preferred to place orders not through a B2B marketplace but via WhatsApp.
Therefore, we adapted our approach to align with user preferences. We incorporated a chat button on WhatsApp, enabling users to place orders seamlessly. This approach not only saved them time but also streamlined the process for us.
The rationale behind this shift was recognizing that users desire simplicity. The conventional process of navigating a marketplace, creating an account, and managing invoices was seen as cumbersome. Understanding this, we developed a product that aligns with the user's preference, where the sales channel or ordering channel is WhatsApp. This doesn't negate the possibility of integrating it with a marketplace; rather, it's about catering to user habits, ultimately boosting customer engagement and frequency.
In Latin America, platforms like WhatsApp hold significant importance due to their widespread use.

You can initially develop a stand-alone product for either the supply or demand side of the market. Then, as you gain traction, transitioning to a marketplace becomes feasible, akin to how OpenTable and Eventbrite started. Initially, they crafted something highly specific for the supply side, eventually building a product on top of that as they gained traction.

That's why feedback is really important. That’s why went with the traditional door-to-door approach, it's better to talk to your users in person. You need to make their lives easy. Otherwise, they won't be willing to pay.

In your case, was it more difficult to hack supply or hack demand?

I believe that in any marketplace, if you approach someone and say, "I'll help you sell more," they'll likely respond positively. That offer is always on the table. The crucial part is to focus on the person paying for the service or goods.
Concentrate on that person, and address their issues. Supply, I think, is the straightforward aspect. Everyone wants assistance in selling more—brands, distributors, wholesalers—everyone is interested. I've observed many founders concentrating on the supply side and becoming concerned. There's a notable case study, diapers.com, where they sold products online, generated demand, and then bought from Walmart, even at a loss per transaction. That's okay. The key is to discern patterns, identify your customers, understand the price they're willing to pay, and then move to wholesale. In their case, they initially bought from Walmart, and as they amassed volume, they eventually became a distributor.

What were the main bottlenecks in launching and scaling the marketplace?

Think about it—whether you're the CEO or anyone else, raising capital is tough.
And you know what else is tough? Building the product correctly. At the start, it's about finding the right balance between developing the product, getting commercial design involved, and having everyone in the cloud on board. That's why, in my opinion, the most crucial thing when designing a product is having everyone work together.
Here's the catch—you might not realize it, but oftentimes the tech team just focuses on their part without grasping the customers' feelings. We learned this the hard way initially.
So, what did we do? We decided to bring the CTO into the mix with the sales team. We had him sell products, face rejections in busy restaurants, and even pack orders in the warehouse every day. This way, he got a firsthand understanding of what the sales team goes through day in and day out. It took us a while to figure this out because, you see, technology isn't always deeply involved in the sales process, and they may not directly talk to customers.
Once they understood this connection, building became easier. But let me tell you, one of our early challenges was building something that wasn't really needed, and that was tough.

Would you say that it's important to keep the team physically together in one place?

No, I don't think everyone needs to be physically together. For instance, our CTO was in Mexico City, and we were in Monterrey, and it worked fine. We kept communication lines open. What's crucial, especially in the initial stages of building a product, is having the team frequently collaborate and share experiences. This helps them grasp the real problem they're solving, making the process much smoother. But it doesn't mean everyone has to be in the same location.
A hybrid model works well.
Meeting in person is beneficial, especially when you're not familiar with your team. We faced this challenge with many developers scattered around the world. As a CEO, having those initial meetings with your core team is important. It's a chance to know them, understand their families, and build relationships. In Latin America, relationships are built on trust and commitment—it's more than just a company.

What was your MVP?

The initial iteration of our product was essentially a complete marketplace.
When you say MVP, are you referring to the first version of the product or the pre-product? In our case, it was the entire marketplace.
This was our initial creation, and we didn't shy away from coding. In fact, we utilized WooCommerce for our e-commerce structure. It had a setup where suppliers could sign in, and users could log in. Before venturing into Y Combinator or anything else, our MVP was built on WooCommerce (Wordpress). We invested around $4,000 into it, providing an easy way to test and see what would happen. And you know what? We did really well.

Why did you apply to YC?

We've observed Y Combinator companies achieving remarkable feats and decided to apply. It's not just about being inspired; it goes beyond that.
The mentorship is great, the network is valuable, and you're surrounded by very smart individuals. There's a diverse mix of people from various backgrounds working on fantastic ideas.
Engaging in conversations with them yields a lot of valuable feedback. It's a good community because everyone is ready to help. This fosters the sharing of knowledge and approaches, with a multitude of amazing people exchanging ideas.
Being a part of this provides access to opportunities, contributing to the development of a better company, and having good investors... the Y Combinator experience is amazing.

So, as far as I understand you, you got in on your first try, right?

Yeah, we did. Went into the Winter '21 batch.

Would anything change about your startup without YC?

You know, there are many things you can change in how you approach technology. Instead of rushing to invest or building an elaborate product, integrating a huge CRM, or spending on marketing, it's crucial to figure out what product you're creating and for whom. Even if you only have 10 or 20 users, you should aim to build a product that people genuinely love. That's a key principle at Y Combinator: "Build products that people love."
Otherwise, you're just under pressure. Sometimes, there's a constant push for growth, and the pressure can feel overwhelming. Growth is often associated with spending money, but I don't believe it's sensible because, in the long run, you might run out of funds before building a product people love. So, it's better to try to understand your users as early as possible.
Invest time in understanding what problem your solution solves. Ensure people love it and have a clearly defined customer base. Gradual growth will follow, especially in the beginning. Once you establish a certain base, you can employ growth hacks and other strategies. However, initially, I think it's crucial to spend more time understanding the problem you're solving and ensuring your initial users love your product.
Achieving product-market fit might sound cliché, but I believe it's genuinely important. If you're not reaching product-market fit, it's okay to pivot. It's okay to try different things.

What is PMF?

There are numerous definitions out there, and one of them is about meeting demand.
Product-market fit, I believe, is something you feel. It becomes evident when you observe the same customers returning. In the world of B2B, you begin to notice that customers are returning, expressing happiness, and providing feedback. It's a great experience.
You start noticing that they come back due to their satisfaction with the product or service you're offering. Once you hit that point of exponential growth, people start referring you, and others organically seek to understand your product-market fit.
Do you recall 10 or 15 years ago when Apple users passionately discussed their MacBooks? It was always like a religion. They acted as salespeople because they were genuinely happy users, recommending the product everywhere they went.
So, when people start referring to your product without expecting a referral fee, that's when you've truly reached product-market fit.
The primary reason this project couldn't proceed was the lack of funding and the changing market conditions—a downturn. It wasn't about our business model or PMF. Once we clarified the business model we aimed to follow the key factor, one of the crucial steps for us, was securing funding. Unfortunately, we couldn't.

What was your roadmap at that time?

One crucial thing, especially in the restaurant supply business, is fragmentation. Many suppliers, lots of problems, and often bad service. Having a single supplier helps restaurants save a lot of money. Typically, a restaurant might start by ordering just one type of product, like meat or compostable glasses. As you provide good service, they begin ordering more and more products. It works well, and when you track customer behavior over time, you see growth.
For us, the key was acquiring more customers to generate enough volume and make the service financially sustainable. Our goal was to achieve a break-even point without relying on external capital. So, instead of expanding rapidly to many cities, we focused on one city first. We aimed to establish a solid business model that makes money, and then raise capital to expand to other cities.
Learning from our first city, we realized it took about 6 months to open a new warehouse. Reaching a certain volume was crucial. Our strategy was to reach that volume initially, and then use the profits to open the next warehouse. The plan was to stabilize each business before expanding. We focused on increasing the AOV per customer and retaining them, emphasizing good service and providing tools for their needs.

In your case, what were the key expense drivers as you started scaling?

The CAC was good. We weren't worried about spending money to get customers because all the metrics, such as frequencies and AOVs made sense economically. The challenge was optimizing the cost of assets.
Imagine you have a warehouse that can handle 5,000 orders a month. If you're only processing 1,000 you're losing money each time. It's not until you hit around 2,500 that you can optimize and break even, reaching the point where operational costs are covered. So, with every order, you're incurring losses until you reach that threshold. And the same goes for the last mile of delivery. If a truck can handle, let's say, 10 or 20 orders. Initially, you create efficient routes, but you need enough orders to lower the cost.
These two factors are crucial: the cost of serving an order and the cost of delivery.

Is there any way to make your startup less fragile and sensitive to downturns in investments?

I believe, that when delving into technology, if I were to start anew, my emphasis would be on the technology itself, eliminating all capital expenditures.
I wouldn't invest in warehouses, and skip the planning for last-mile delivery—no physical assets. I'd opt for an extremely asset-light model. The primary focus would be on the technology.
When thinking about the technological approach, always keep in mind what problem you're solving. From my perspective, for any customer, you need to address three things: help them sell more, help them save money, or enhance their efficiency in what they're doing tenfold.
If you align with one of these aspects, I believe selling your product will be much easier. I would maintain that focus throughout the development of technology products.

How did Y Combinator change you?

I feel that YC gives you a personal connection with really smart people. You kind of feel that you're not the smartest in the room, and that's cool; it keeps you humble. Everyone, even those building satellites, self-driving cars, or rockets, is down-to-earth. It's amazing what people are achieving in the world.
It's an eye-opening experience, offering confidence and a network where you can ask questions. No question is considered dumb, providing a lot of support. You can talk to people who've been through it, like creating a B2B marketplace—some succeeded, some failed. It makes the startup journey less lonely.
For me, it changed my life. Now, whenever I think of building new companies, I know who to ask and where to ask.
YC gives you a broader perspective. It doesn't let you be afraid of building something bigger. When you see others doing great things, you realize you have the same capacity. You can do it, and it opens up possibilities.
Marketplaces are hard. Choose a niche, focus on that niche, understand what you're solving, and I think that's it. Don't over-build products.
Don't spend a lot creating a product that people will never use because it's over-engineered, and overproduced. And actually try to talk to your users. Never assume that you understand them. Most importantly, there's a book written by one of YC's founders called "The Mom Test."
I think this is a book that is really helpful. It helps you understand how people face a problem or solve the current problem and then helps you understand how to approach it. So happy to share our story, and great talking to you. I hope it helps.
​
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Hi there!
I’m Alex Saavedra, AKA Alex Eyeball.
A few weeks ago it came to my attention that people were being scammed on bootleg CD versions of Eyeball's "Bullets". I feel awful that's happening to people so I put an alert for "Bullets" on my eBay. I figured I could semi-patrol what comes up and if it's a boot, I could report it and try to intervene before anyone spent their money on it. (Which I have a few times but eBay is awful at helping people.)
Eventually a listing came up with what appeared to be an authentic Eyeball era Bullets t-shirt, that even dropped my full name in the description. Of course that piqued my interest so I looked into the seller and spoke with them. It turns out the Ebay seller was actually the same person who I not so long ago traded about 75% of the MCR stuff I had laying around my office and in storage.
Story time...
Somewhat recently an unplanned and incredibly ironic trade offer came through my IG DM’s. Somebody I didn’t know personally but knew of through their reputation in the collector’s community started chatting with me about our mutual love for Harry Houdini, oddities, and other assorted weird nerd stuff. I’ve been collecting, trading, and selling “oddities” since I was a young teenager and I’m always searching for pieces to add to my ever growing nerd hoard. Since I’m active in those communities most people are aware of my day job with Eyeball (we have been back since 2020 with new artists!), and a lot of them know I love to trade. (Shameless self plug… If anyone reading this ever comes across some weird stuff they want to sell or trade please get at me!)
We exchanged a couple of pleasant messages that eventually moved over to a really fun and friendly phone call. We then struck up a trade.
I ended up trading my previously mentioned MCR stuff for a pair of authentic Harry Houdini stage used handcuffs, some original Houdini promotional pieces and four of Houdini’s actual restraint lock keys. I already had a groowing Houdini collection that I started when I was around 14 so I (calmly) jumped at the opportunity to be the new caretaker of some really special pieces of Houdini’s history.
So flash forward to now…
The eBay seller leslye_atl89 acquired a TON of stuff. (CD’s, vinyl, posters, t-shirts, stickers, photos, laminates, etc). So I can absolutely confirm that eBay seller: leslye_atl89 is in fact selling AUTHENTIC early MCR items. They may sell on other platforms too but I’m unsure.
Now onto the t-shirt history portion of my recitation:
The major bulk of all the Eyeball band t-shirts were printed on tag-less blanks. There was a place in Paterson NJ that printed them for us. When we did bulk printing on their tag-less t-shirts we got a major discount. We did MOST of our Eyeball band shirts this way back then. When we picked them up each size was in their own box which is how we differentiated them. Then we'd either leave them flat in the t-shirt boxes for storage or we'd roll them, masking tape them, and mark the size/style on the tape with a sharpie. This was usually done in preparation for a tour or to save time and space on the shelves in the office where mail orders were processed.
Here is where it gets a little tricky...If we needed shirts in a rush we had to go to a different printer. This would happen if the bands' ran out of shirts on tour or if a retailer ordered bulk and they wanted them quickly. (The place that printed on blanks for us would take like three to four weeks to print so if unplanned orders came up we'd have to pay the extra money with a different silk screening company) The printer we would use when we needed them quickly printed on Fruit Of the Loom "Best...".
The TRUE Eyeball shirts that would come directly from Eyeball’s mail order and from the band during those early days of touring DID NOT HAVE TAGS. You read that correctly. The EARLIEST MCR t-shirts had NO TAGS.
The thought of them being tag-less causing an issue in the future had never crossed our minds. We had high hopes but no idea just how big a phenomenon MCR would become and the thought that people would eventually seek out the early stuff to collect was never planned. We were just young people making things as cool as we could with the lowest budget we could. We really didn't have much money in those early days so we tried to save every dollar possible. It seems silly now in hindsight knowing all that’s been accomplished. (:
My first hand opinion is that the tagless shirts are THE MOST authentic of the MCR Bullets era t-shirts.
The tagged Fruit Of the Loom ones are cool (and of course “authentic” as well) but those could have come from anywhere. Hot Topic, record stores, etc.
Eventually during the later part of the Bullets tours and early Three Cheers tours we had to use the Fruit Of the Loom printer because it was easier to have the printer drop-ship directly to the venues for the band to restock. This is when the tagged t-shirts became became common.
I am in no way trying to gatekeep, but to me the tagged ones are the more common versions. They could have been purchased at almost any mall or record store that carried shirts. They weren’t from an earlier live performance and we certainly didn’t sell many tagged shirts through Eyeball mail orders.
I’m not in any way knocking the tagged shirts or the people that love them. I guess I just know those as the later variations. Most of our earliest supporters have the tag-less versions of all our bands t-shirts.
I hope some of this is helpful and at least a little interesting to a few of you.
Thank you for still caring so much about something we created over twenty years ago. It’s a beautiful thing to see.
I’ll babysit this post for a bit but I’m not much of a Reddit person. If anyone has any questions that I may miss here on Reddit, I can be reached pretty easily through my IG which is neweyedentity.
xoxo
Alex Eyeball

Update for 2/15/2024:
https://medium.com/the-reckless-muse/bens-pocket-movie-reviews-year-5-6456ca07e4ff?sk=1acbc7a7e2fa0f6e7f40e75828c0b200
You Hurt My Feelings (2023)→ (75) In what may be the least “A24” movie that has the A24 intro (however, it is distribution only), You Hurt My Feelings is a grounded story concerning New Yorkers of the upper-professional class and their many neuroses. The main conflict arises when Beth (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) overhears her husband, Don (Tobias Menzies), disclose to a mutual friend (Arian Moayed) that he doesn’t much care for Beth’s new novel. It’s these small, but devastating moments, that consume this class of people who question their interest in their work (Michaela Watkins as an interior designer), their ability to perform (Moayed as an actor), or the acuity of their intelligence itself (Menzies as a psychologist). There are references to childhood abuse (Beth’s memoir was popular with its focus on verbal abuse — a distinction made throughout the movie), but the story adroitly refuses to contrive any unnecessary conflict. Even the denouement feels like something you’d see walking down whatever brown-stone-laden street on which the confrontation takes place. Menzies, whom I mostly know from Rome and Game of Thrones, is exquisite as a professional egghead, seeming to reprise his role from the latter as a man with power but whom no one really respects. And yet, to Beth, his wife, his opinion matters above everyone else’s. The RT (94) from the critics is far too high ((64) from the audience is a little closer to reality), but You Hurt My Feelings has enough funny moments and realistic intrigue to make it a solid, tight movie.
Beau is Afraid (2023)→ (44) This movie violates the Eighth Amendment. A mollifiable protag (Joaquin Phoenix) without agency who is literally hunted, demeaned, and prosecuted is not a work of art, but a purgative for someone with deep-seated mommy issues. The urban hellscape in which Beau (Phoenix) lives is the most grounded aspect of this movie, as it resembles the violent bedlam of so many American cities. It’s a perverse world and Beau is just trying to get home to his mother (Patti Lupone). There’s so little that is enjoyable or thought-provoking about Beau’s adventure, which contains multitudes of unnecessary symbolism and surreal experiences. You pull the escape hatch for a side quest and actually get one, and somehow, it’s more boring and uninteresting than the main story. As the audience, we’re never provided with a totem. I actually asked myself, “Is this movie f*cking with me?” But don’t worry, right when you think there might be potential for layers to pile nicely into some sort of coherent message or climax, we get a giant penis monster. I wanted to avoid the term “Kafkaesque” in this review, but my God, there’s a literal surreal trial derivative of Kafka’s The Trial that made me want to use my one free pass of smashing my TV screen (everybody gets one in life) that I had been saving for a Mets game. Joaquin Phoenix is my favorite actor, but if I heard him say “what?” in that trembling, wounded animal voice one more time I was going to DNF this crap. Beau is Afraid makes me sad because Ari Aster is the white knight of high-brow horror. Nathan Lane, Patti Lupone, Stephen McKinley Henderson, and Amy Ryan are all excellent actors. And yet, put it all together and we get torture porn akin to Hostel. I f*cking hated this movie.
Dicks: The Musical (2023)→ (48) If you want to see twin brothers (Josh Sharp & Aaron Jackson) spit into each other’s mouths before 69ing and sealing their nascent love before God (Bowen Yang) while angry Conservatives protest their incestuous marriage until they all break out in song to “God is a Faggot,” then this is the movie for you. Dicks: The Musical is the kind of show (originally an Off-Broadway play) that would’ve been edgy in 2004. In 2024, it’s tedious and nonsensical, with the actors possessing a disposition that reads “I can’t believe we’re actually doing this.” — In a blooper at the end credits, Sharp actually says such before the incestuous gay sex scene. Megan Mullally’s accent is painful and she breaks character at least once, seemingly shocked that she’s being paid to act in such a ridiculous movie. Nathan Lane is good because Nathan Lane is good in everything, and one of the few funny moments comes when he feeds his “Sewer Boys”. I’m not sure who decided that Megan Thee Stallion is an actor because she isn’t. Replace her with Cardi B. Of course, if the movie actually wanted to be provocative, they’d have Muslims protesting the wedding which definitely should be protested. Of course, they go with the typical “Southern Conservative” and “Catholic Nun” imagery. Lastly, I can guarantee that the ultimate number, “God is a Faggot,” draws more flak from the Progressive-Left for the title and lyrics than from the Religious-Right for the truth of the matter asserted. That’s the 2020s. Maybe this show would be funny on a black-box stage in the East Village after seven drinks at Midnight. On a television in my living room, this show sucks.
Nyad (2023)→ (74) Nyad avoids (most of) the typical clichés that accompany athlete biopics. At two hours and a singular minute, it is well-paced and, as someone who knew nothing about Diana Nyad’s (Annette Bening) story, provided a plot with scintillations and concerns — if she couldn’t do it at 30, how would she do it in her 60s? Annette Bening plays the protagonist as someone monomaniacally driven and pretty shitty to those around her, even if she couldn’t accomplish the feat without their assistance. If swimming in shark and box jellyfish-infested waters from Havana to Key West isn’t enough, Nyad recounts sexual abuse she endured as a teen when a jellyfish smashes her in the face. Unfortunately, the film suffers from this common trope wherein the remarkable, death-defying stunt isn’t enough and we must include adolescent trauma. Her story is uplifting, even if the authorities at be have questioned the legitimacy of her accomplishments. Jodie Foster, as her long-time friend and coach, and Bening have the chemistry you’d expect from that sort of lengthy, even beleaguered, relationship. While I don’t think it will win anything at the Oscars, its nominations (Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress) got me to watch and review it and I can definitely recommend Nyad for not diverting from the core of what an athlete biopic should be.
Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret (2023)→ (73) Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret feels like a throwback. Of course, the novel is over 50 years old, but oftentimes adaptations of older properties are revamped with salacious details and contemporary political discourse. Instead, the coming-of-age story remains true to form and concerns itself with losing friends after a move (from NYC to the wretched Northern NJ suburbs), changes to adolescent bodies, and boys. Abby Ryder Forston as the titular Margaret is inquisitive and precocious, but not shielded from the powers of jealousy and peer pressure that consume this age group. She’s the new kid on the block to endearing parents, Barbara (Rachel McAdams) and Herb (Bennie Safdie), but possesses a special connection to her doting Jewish grandmother, Sylvia, played by the exquisite Kathy Bates. This is a family drama without the glumness and pessimism that has seemingly pervaded “suburban” stories since the 1990s. In her new fictional hometown, teachers (Echo Kellum) are inspiring, not conduits for indoctrination, and parents don’t resent each other the moment they are faced with challenges and actually seem to care about, well, parenting. That doesn’t mean the story isn’t devoid of conflict. Margaret and Co. (Elle Graham, Katherine Mallan Kupferer, Amari Alexis Price) spread rumors and deceive one another, causing each other unseen stress and anxiety. Through it all, Margaret is seeking religion in her “divided” house — not that either parent, Christian and Jewish, is forcing their religion on Margaret (Barbara has left her church), the movie doesn’t take snide swipes at either faith or religion in general, but allows our protag to explore it for herself. The RT (99/95) is a testament to the story’s relatability and wholesomeness, not so much a groundbreaking, invigorating “must-see”. Nevertheless, a childless 33-year-old man can enjoy it, but it likely connects better with parents and teens alike.

Here is every trade possibility I can imagine with a ranking of how likely I think it is to happen. For this purpose, Forsberg, O'Reilly, Josi and all our ELCs are untouchable. Basically everyone else is listed.
5/5 -
Tyson Barrie - He wants out, we want him out. The only issue is his salary. If Trotz retains half his cap, he's only at $2.25m and an expiring UFA. A good deadline pickup for a team like Pittsburgh that needs some juice on the power play. I wouldn't expect more than a 3rd or 4th for him, but with retention it could climb higher.
4/5 - Fabbro or Carrier - While I think Fabbro has been fantastic for us this year, rumor is that Trotz doesn't see his play style as a long term fit under Bruno. Carrier also is a great trade for any team looking for a puck-moving 2D who can also play support for your top line defender. Tampa and Vancouver are both looking for D support. I'd expect a prospect and a 2nd in return.
3/5 - Saros - Obviously the easiest trade we could make. The question is if Trotz wants to pull the trigger. New Jersey and LA are desperate for good goaltending and Saros is starting to heat up. NJ in particular would be a great fit, as they play a similar style to Bruno, and he could slot in much quicker. Both have amazing prospect pools and lots of picks. We're talking Byfield and at least a first. (This is a good time to say that Askarov doesn't matter for this trade - we'd likely get a goalie back in return.)
Sissons - Great pick up for a team that needs a versatile 3rd line center with plenty of grit. At only 2 years left at $2.8m, this is a Nick Bonino level trade that could help take a team to the promised land.
Trenin - He's having a down year but he's got grit and he drops gloves. Good addition for a team that is looking for Jam.
2/5 Lankinin - I think Preds fans would rather trade him, but I just don't see any team who wants to rent a backup goalie for a few months. He's not quality enough to be a Cup winning goalie and all he would do is win you 6-7 more games between the deadline and April. He's not the difference between the playoffs and a cup, which is what teams are hoping for.
McCarron / Sherwood / Smith / Jankowski / Gurionov - See above. We've got grinders in spades. The question is who would want one.
McDonagh - Any team would want McDonagh on their back line. But McDonagh has a full NTC and likely doesn't want to move. But maybe if a contender like Vancouver wants him? Who knows - maybe he feels another cup calling.
Novak - A Tanner Jeannot esque trade could be in the cards for the versatile 26 year old. However, he's really shown that he can be a difference maker and I think Trotz keeps him as part of the "rebuild."
1/5 Schenn - Had to include him on the list but his salary plus term mean he's a rock on this team.
Wildcards Askarov - some say Trotz would rather move him than Saros. If so, expect an equal level prospect back in return. Or perhaps someone like Zegras who fits our timeline better. Tomasino - If Trotz wants to give up on prospects this quick, a Glass/Nolan type trade could be in the cards.

Hi everyone,
It's the time of year when M3s start looking at away rotations! Knowing what to do and how to think about them can be hard, so I wanted to share my experience. I hope to get a discussion going in the comments (feel free to add or disagree). Please remember that this is only my experience (current M4), and others may disagree or have done things differently. I had a lot of help throughout the process, so I'm hoping to give back!
-----------
Table of Contents:

• The Three (Main) Goals of An Away Rotation
• Timeline for VSLO Application
• When to do your Away Rotations
• Which Programs to Apply to and How Do Signals Affect it
• How Many Programs to Apply to
• A Word on Connections
• What to Do with your Offer

Aways are a rare opportunity for another program to get to know you and see how you fit in with their staff, residents, and attendings. Data from the ENT match showed that applicants were more likely to receive an interview where they completed an away rotation (86.2% vs. 21.5%) and more likely to match there (14.9% vs. 0.8%).
So, what is the best strategy for maximizing your chances of getting an away rotation at a place where you’d love to be for residency?
Note: the APD published guidelines for away rotations for the 2023-24 application cycle:

• TL;DR: Limit yourself to two aways at most if you have a home institution. Possibly more if you do not. Discuss with your home dermatology residency advisor.

The Three (Main) Goals of An Away Rotation:

There are three main reasons to do an away rotation (I’ll discuss two):

1. Get a letter of recommendation for ERAS
2. Increase the chances of an interview at that program
3. Learn more about a program/location of interest to you

Letter(s) of Recommendation:

• Getting consistent exposure to attendings at your home dermatology program can be difficult. You want your letters to be meaningful, specific, and full of earned praise.
• Most people want 2-3 dermatology letters for ERAS, so a letter from an away can be a big boost. An away rotation presents a chance for (at least) one more letter and shows that you thrive in multiple settings.
• If you’d like a letter during your away, meet with the program director or attendings at the beginning and set it as a goal for the rotation. This helps them look for key traits to highlight and anecdotes to use. (This is especially important if you don’t have a home dermatology program.)

Increase Chances of an Interview:

• An away rotation is an audition to see how you would fit in as a resident. It is much more insightful than a half-day interview for program directors, staff, and residents to learn who you are.
• As highlighted above, applicants are more likely to interview and match at a place they did an away. Programs would rather take someone they know versus someone they don’t. Residency requires spending every day together for years, so having a good away rotation shows that residents and attendings like working alongside you.

Timeline for VSLO:

January-February: Prepare!

• Create a new professional email to use only for VSLO and ERAS applications.
• Complete your profile on VSLO.
• Gather the necessary information (Step 1 & 2 scores, transcript request, CV, immunizations, background check, annual physical exam, and drug test).
• Research your list of programs on VSLO and save the electives that fit your schedule on the ‘Saved Electives’ tab in VSLO - this will send notifications to your email when applications open.
• Ask friends and connections about places they liked/enjoyed. Review host institution requirements. Pay the AAMC fee 🫠.

March: Apply!

• Unlike ERAS, away applications open at different times and are rolling. I saved a list of electives on VSLO for each month that fit my schedule. (e.g. May - Program A, B, C or June - Program D, E, F).
• Applying as early as possible seems to be the key. Programs look at every application, but in my experience, many places fill up on a first-come, first-serve basis. So, if there’s a program you’d like to rotate at (and interview later), be ready to drop your application the moment it opens.
• Keep notifications for your new ERAS email turned on for your phone. VSLO emails you when an application opens for your ‘saved electives.’
• Now, you wait. The timeline for hearing back from programs varies; offers are typically sent chronologically. You’ll usually hear from your May applications earlier than your September ones.

May-October: Away we go!

• Receive acceptances on VSLO. Decide which one(s) to accept. Decline conflicts early and respectfully (more on this later).
• Complete further requirements, and then get ready for your away! After an offer is sent, many programs will require additional medical and other documentation.
• Consider immediately figuring out your housing and transportation situation. This can be tricky and expensive if you cannot stay with family or friends. Airbnb/VRBO offers discounted rates for long stays, but it can be thousands of dollars depending on the location for housing and a rental car if needed.
• Don’t forget to ask about the dress code, rotation requirements (e.g. presentations), and clinic locations. To get credit at your home institution, you will probably fill out and send back evaluation forms.
• Brush up a little on your bread-and-butter dermatology to feel prepared and less anxious on the first day.
• If you have any important conflicts (e.g., weddings, medical appointments, etc), let the programs know as soon as possible so they can adjust your schedule accordingly.

When to Do Your Away Rotations:

The trickiest part about away rotations is often scheduling.
Your medical school’s calendar may not match up perfectly with that of the other schools. This causes overlap between different rotations. Students can schedule online courses around their away to ensure it doesn’t interfere. For example, if your home institution says that your away can only happen during period X (say, May 1 - May 31), but it is actually scheduled for May 7 - June 7, be sure to plan for these curricular conflicts.
When to do your away depends on your goal(s):

• If you want a letter of recommendation, then doing your away before July is preferable. This gives your writer sufficient time to complete their letter.
• If you are only shooting for an interview and program exposure (not a letter, too), then you can do an away as late as October.

I am unaware of any data about the ‘perfect time’ to do an away. Still, I would suggest aiming for August or September, as you may benefit from any recency bias and clearer memories of your rotation compared to the May or June rotators. If you plan to do two aways, do your preferred away second, as you’ll have recently done a dermatology rotation for your first away and will feel more prepared to answer questions and help in the clinic.

Which Programs to Apply to and How Signals Affect it:

As mentioned above, your away rotation choice is often determined by your schedule. If Program A only offers aways in June, but you can only do an away in July, it’s time to pick another program. That being said, there are some other key considerations.
Aways are a prolonged audition for residency. So, go to a program that you think you would want to match at. This will help you determine if it’s the right fit and help test out the geographic location, too - maybe you'll find out that you love big cities or would rather live in a small town. It is helpful for both your professional and personal life.
Away rotation selection is now further complicated by the introduction of signals. This year (2023-24), dermatology applicants were given three gold signals and twenty-five silver signals. Your home and away institutions are eligible for these signals, making your choice of aways even more important. The overwhelming likelihood is that your away rotations will be your gold signals. So, doing an away at a program that does not excite you can be problematic not only because you are using one of your precious two away slots but also because it will take up one of your three precious gold signals. (Post to come on signaling, but they seem important so far - see Sheriff of Sodium’s post).
So, based on what you know about programs now, prioritize doing an away at places that are most likely at the top of your rank list if you had to make it right now. (I should caveat that being reasonable and self-reflective about your competitiveness is important. If you struggled with clinical grades, Step 2, and have minimal extracurriculars, then an away rotation at a top 5 program may not move the needle too much. You can always ask your advisors or current residents for an honest take on your application and how it can improve).

How Many Programs to Apply to:

I have no data, just personal experience on this one.
But I would apply to no more than three-four programs per period and no more than eight-ten overall, as it always feels tricky and difficult to tactfully turn down an away offer. This will allow other students to rotate. Remember - you can only do two aways, and applying as soon as it opens gives you the best chance to land an away offer.
So be prepared and understand that offer decisions are based on many known and unknown factors - just like residency interviews. Try to focus on what is in your control.

A Word on Connections:

If you have connections within the field, this is a good time to ask around.
Someone might suggest a program that fits you well or provide important information about programs of interest. I highly recommend asking your home residents about other programs they liked and might have considered if they didn’t end up at your home institution. Again, be respectful and kind, and ask tactfully. People remember what it’s like to be in this process and are (almost) always happy to help.

Don’t Forget to Accept or (Respectfully) Decline Your Offer:

Don’t forget to accept your VSLO offer and complete the requirements. And more importantly, if you have two acceptances for the same period, quickly and respectfully decline an invitation. There is a fear that programs keep track of applicants who turn down their away offers. I don’t know if this is true (I doubt it), but it’s always better to err on the side of professionalism and respect.

Lastly, Take Care of Yourself:

And lastly, an away offer may or may not indicate a future residency interview offer. Take each step in the process as it comes and prepare as well as you can to write your best ERAS application. Make the best decision with what you know, and let the chips fall where they may.
Best of luck!
EDIT: Weird formatting & duplications.

Meanwhile, brilliant investigative reporter that he was, Bolson continued his onslaught. Three weeks after the initial article, The Post published a follow up that confirmed the rumors in the initial story that my servitude was not restricted to my ex-wife and former subordinate, but that I also provided maid service at the wedding of my 22-year-old daughter and son-in-law. This revelation was accompanied by another photograph: one of Ryan feeding Amanda a piece of wedding cake, with me standing a few feet to their right, holding two glasses of champagne on a serving tray. It was a full body shot of me, my stockinged legs pressed together, my head held erect above my choker, the attentive expression of a servant upon my face.
The story contained more non-objective commentary by Bolson (“Could anything possibly be more humiliating than serving as a maid at the wedding of your ex-wife to the man she left you for—your former subordinate, no less? We wouldn’t have thought so, until we confirmed that the former master of the universe also served as a maid at his very own daughter’s wedding two weeks later. Ouch!”, and other similar gems).
The article went on to discuss at least three occasions when I was seen caddying and washing golf carts at my former country club, as well as testimony from an anonymous source that Jason put me through humiliating personal training sessions, me clad in tights with he in boots and riding breeches, riding crop in hand. The details on the latter were sketchy and sounded more like a second hand account. The emergence of a photo from Amanda‘s and Ryan’s wedding did not cause me to abandon the theory that the first leak likely came from someone at my old law firm. By this point, however, I was sure that the paper was paying good money for additional photos, so it was to be expected that more and more would surface.
The floodgates were now open.
Given the futility of fighting it, legally or otherwise, Jason, Lauren, my daughter, and Ryan instead decided to “own” it, so to speak. Lauren’s friend, Marilyn York (who you may recall was present at the garden party last summer along with her husband, Joe), is an independent public relations consultant. Marilyn began lining up a few strategic media outlets, mostly online, to get the story out in a way that was the most flattering to the four of them, if not necessarily to me.
Over time, Lauren and Amanda came to be depicted as feminist heroes—two strong, beautiful women who refused to passively accept the card they had been dealt of an overbearing, neglectful, and misogynistic husband and father. They had taken matters into their own hands, in part by marrying strong, loving men who supported them in bringing the miscreant to heel and showing him the error of his ways. And what poetic justice: the older, powerful, privileged, misogynistic white male was now a maid to those who had been the primary victims of his abuse.
Much later, after Jason’s book, documentary and podcast had all been released, I actually read an article in a respected publication make the argument, using me as the model, that Harvey Weinstein should be released from prison and instead have his assets divided evenly between all of the women he assaulted and that he should be forced to rotate between his victims as their sissy maid til his dying day. Far better him in that role, the piece argued, than the underprivileged, often minority women who are typically employed as maids in our society. Never mind that I never did anything remotely as bad as what Weinstein was convicted of. We live in a post truth world. Everyone is now entitled to their own truth. And the truth for many was that I had gotten what I deserved, and that others like me should suffer a similar fate. The article even argued that applying this approach more broadly would help reduce overcrowding in prisons. Sheer madness. Or was it?
Around this same time, a right wing blogger who had simply looked up my and Jason’s contrasting political campaign contributions, sung Jason’s praises for putting that “libtard cuck” in his place—and suggested that all liberal men should be forced to become sissy maids for conservative alpha men and the liberal men’s former wives or girlfriends who had seen the light and now knew what a real man was. That was his truth.
But I’m getting ahead of myself.
Two months after the article was published, the American Bar Association’s annual litigation conference took place at the Harvard Club in Manhattan. As a proud graduate of Harvard Law, I used to be a regular presence at the club. In addition, as one of the most prominent litigators in the country, I used to hold court at the annual ABA conference. This year, Jason brought me along with him to the conference. Dressed in very short navy blue shorts, knee socks a navy blazer and tie, I was positioned in the foyer of my old club as the elderly shoe shine boy. I spent hours polishing and buffing the shoes of the lawyers, both men and women, who used to admire me—or at least pretended to, because of my status—as they sat on their elevated chairs staring down at me with amused derision. At one point there were five people in line, waiting their turn. Many asked if I would also be serving as their waitress at the luncheon or cleaning their guest rooms in my uniform.
Another month later, Jason told me he wanted to talk to me privately. When he told me to pour us both a glass of bourbon and sit down on the chair across from him, my anxiety went through the roof.
“Jenkins, tomorrow, I’m sending you for a week to work at the home of Elliot Larson in Alpine, NJ. I will drive you there. As you know, he has become my most important client, so I expect you to be on your best behavior. His house is 25,000 square feet, so you had better pack at least two working uniforms and two serving uniforms.”
“Sir, you are delivering me into the hands of the man who I helped send to prison. He lost hundreds of millions of dollars when the sale of his company fell through because of me.”
“Don’t worry, Jenkins. Larson has a clear understanding of the limitations of what he can and cannot do to you. He has given me his word to respect them. Also, I will come by and check on you mid week.”
“He is not allowed to physically punish me, sir?”
“Of course he is, Jenkins. But no permanent marks, nothing that could require medical attention. You know, the usual limitations. No scatophilia. No penetration. He certainly doesn’t want to go to prison again. You will be fine.”
I downed my glass of bourbon. “I don’t think I can do it, sir.”
“Have your bag packed tomorrow at 7 AM. If you are in your maid’s uniform, you will go to Larson’s house and return next Sunday. If you are in your jeans, you can go wherever you like, but you’ll never return here. Either way you will be leaving here in the morning. The choice is yours. See, Jenkins, you still do have free will.”
“Yes, sir.”
I had an agonizing night.
When Jason found me standing in the foyer at 6:30 AM with my suitcase and wearing a black and white formal serving uniform, sheer stockings and heels, he grabbed his keys and said matter-of-factly, “Let’s go.”

Not making fun of an old man w/ cancer; it's more about standard military responses. https://www.duffelblog.com/p/secretary-austin-awarded-new-sick-call-ranger-tab

Secretary Austin awarded new “Sick Call Ranger” tab

Spec 4: "No phase recycles, my man just went straight through."

Kay Too Ess Ohhhhh January 13, 2024

WALTER REED MEDICAL CENTER…SORRY, SAN JUAN, PUERTO…UH NOPE, ZOOM MEETING ID 394297…F*CK IT, WHO KNOWS—In a private ceremony at an undisclosed location President Biden presented Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin with a new award created especially for him: the Sick Call Ranger tab.
“We all know soldiers love their tabs, and this week Lloyd went so far beyond the standard that I felt compelled to create a new honor just for the occasion,” stated Biden. “With a background of crumpled Kleenexes and a border of embroidered gold bricks, the Sick Call Ranger tab will only be awarded to those who demonstrate superlative skill in shamming their duties. Lloyd’s set the bar high as the first recipient of this honor.”***
Further questions arose when it emerged that Secretary Austin was assigned as the duty supernut over New Year’s weekend but, as the weekend approached, became increasingly hard to track down.
“I write the duty schedule for senior DoD staff and I swear to God, the SecDef skates every weekend,” noted Sergeant Major Troy Black, Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs. “A grandkid’s wedding, lap band surgery, therapeutic hot yoga—he is more full of shit than a Dunkin’s toilet after Florida Man had one too many sweet black pepper bacon croissants. I finally guilted him into supernut when I said it was him or General Smith. I told him since Bethesda had just cleared General Smith hot for rack ops he could be the one to tell CMC why he had to spend his first free weekend with Mrs. Smith sitting sober by his phone.”
Yet when the weekend duty brief rolled around, Austin was nowhere to be found. Sergeant Major Black contacted the Secretary’s aide-de-camp, who said he’d seen the Secretary go to medical but lost track of him after that. The duty medic confirmed that she had signed Austin in, but was unaware that the medical officer had given the SecDef SIQ. Regardless, the duty medic said she had notified Austin’s chain of command and assumed the issue was resolved.***
As of this writing, it was confirmed that Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks was still performing Austin’s duties from a location code-named the Puertogon, which has excellent wi-fi. She was last seen in a local bar with “Margaritaville” playing softly in the background, whispering “replicate this” into her laptop microphone as she approved drone strikes.
H/T to Brasidas and Dirk Diggler for contributing to this piece.

​

Link
Note: I have removed tracking data that has not been updated for 2 weeks. I think there is value in keeping data for a week or two but at a certain point they start to lose their value and should not be treated the same as more recent tracking data.
Mean Girls (2024) Average Thursday Comp $3.42M

• abracadabra1998 ($2.96M THU, This had a really awesome final week, and a similar 1-day growth rate to other comps despite being in a shorter ~21 hour window. So I'll go with a final prediction of $3.2M +/-0.3M. With EA I am feeling very good about it crossing 4 Million.)
  
• DAJK (Awful awful weather today and throughout the weekend, getting hit with snowstorm tonight, and I’ve talked to a couple of the GMs at different theaters in the area, the weather is definitely crippling sales.)
  
• dallas ($3.35M THU, Overall, really good pace for this film.)
  
• keysersoze123 (Not convinced its making 3m previews without early BO. its ATP is still lower than blockbuster movies. It will probably need to double this number or under index big time at MTC1. I would probably go for 3.3m with early shows or 2.7m without. Friday sales are robust and so should hit high 20s by Sunday. Probably looking at 33m ish by MLK end.)
  
• Porthos ($3.20M THU, Downright putrid walkups today locally. Could be a combo case of EA sales burning off demand + fan rush + key targeted demo actually is working/unavailable for Thursdays (and the ones who were available were partially siphoned off on Wed). Or could be first signs of WOM that this is a stealth musical/reaction to RT score being in the low 70s. Either way, not a strong finish to say the least. EA will probably salvage the numbers somewhat. Gonna split the difference between BOSS and Wonka and say 3.6m +/-. 4m.)
  
• TheFlatLannister ($3.11M using Night Swim comp, Mean girls slowed down drastically here. Meh final day growth, however walkups are strong so far. Going with $3.1M Thursday + whatever it made during EA. So overall $3.8M.)
  
• vafrow ($3.8M THU, Decent final day, but, the real story is just how distorted this is across the individual locations. The busiest location by far is my local theatre, which is an older smaller theatre that has limited hours and only one showtime. It's one showing has sold 72 seats, likely driven by large group sales.)
  

The Beekeeper Average Thursday Comp: $1.37M

• abracadabra1998 ($1.68M THU, Solid final week. Let's go with Thursday previews at $1.5 Million, +/- 0.2.)
  
• DAJK (picking up. No idea what it grossed last weekend, but I could see 1.4-1.5 today. So 2M?)
  
• dallas ($0.89M THU, Good pace. Continues to increase against Aquaman. I still feel confident in my earlier prediction of $1.2M +/- $0.3M.)
  
• el sid ($1.55M, 3.6M true Friday. Disappointing jumps but quite good reviews. Low to mid-teens (3-day) would be my guess.)
  
• keysersoze123 (probably looking at 1m ish previews(minus early shows) or around 2m with early shows plus low double digits OW.)
  
• TwoMisFits (Next TMobile $5 off Atom deal will be for the Beekeeper.)
  

The Book of Clarence

• abracadabra1998 ($85k THU, $100k THU Prediction)
  
• DAJK (I don’t think Clarence has sold a single ticket here today.)
  
• el sid (Maybe 3-5M OW (3-day)?)
  

Soul

• cannastop (I don't see any evidence that anyone has bought tickets to these movies quite yet, outside of the El Capitan in Hollywood. Doesn't seem like they're going to do significant business, even with a Fandango offer for Inside Out 2 tickets. I would not be surprised if they simply do not report box office numbers.)
  
• filmlover (near me it's sold a grand total of zero tickets.)
  
• justwatching (Neither the local Cinemark nor the Emagine up the road have presold a single ticket. Does not appear they expected much either as both have it playing in their tiniest auditoriums (30-40 seats).)
  

Oppenheimer

• LonePirate (The regular IMAX re-release of Oppenheimer is still very light for pre-sales this weekend; but the 70mm IMAX showings like this one at Lincoln Square in NYC and others like the one at the AMC Metreon in SF are selling plenty of tickets.)

Presale Tracking Posts:
December 19
December 23
December 25
December 30
January 6
January 9

"Long before you appeared on the scene, I was here. I build Metropolis up from an ordinary 'town' into the most powerful city in the world. Enjoy the public's little infatuation with their new mascot while you can. Fame is fleeting...but Lex Luthor is forever."
Wealth. Notoriety. Power. After getting his abusive father out of the picture and travelling from Smallville to Metropolis, Lex Luthor achieved all those things. And so he would've stayed, through both legal and illicit means (the latter never being traceable to him, of course), if not for an alien making the people of Metropolis believe a man could fly. Be it for humiliating him by making him spend a night in jail after refusing to be put on his payroll, or his mere existence as some all-powerful alien seemingly doing nothing but stopping humanity from learning how to fend for themselves spitting in the face of everything Lex believed in, Luthor would quickly come to loathe Superman entirely. Over the following years, while Superman would try and stand for truth, justice, and the American way, Lex Luthor would always be watching him from the top of his tower, plotting ways to bring him down.

Legend

All feats are tagged with the title and issue they appeared in, where applicable.

Physicals

Strength

• Was given the body of a man in his finest condition after making a deal with Neron^MoT#2
• Boots a bust across a room^WF#3
• Punches the Joker off his feet^SR#6
• Kicks the Joker away a distance^WF#3
• Throws a man across a room^SF
• Catches a man's punch^MoT#11
• Shatters a glass in his hand^BG#23

Durability

• Was given the body of a man in his finest condition after making a deal with Neron^MoT#2
• Takes a wooden plank to the face and continues fighting^Adv#552
• Thrown out of a window by Superboy^Adventure#6
• Slapped through the air across a room by Vandal Savage^AC#896
• Endures several hits from a foe that toppled a helicopter with his bare hands and could snap bones just by Luthor deflecting his blows by rolling with the impacts^Nem#4
• Falls a distance onto ice^87#224
• Seemingly catches a bullet, though as this was an incident arranged by him it's unclear if this was a real bullet^Adv#575
• Has been inoculated against an odourless nerve gas^SB#5

Speed

• Was given the body of a man in his finest condition after making a deal with Neron^MoT#2
• Dodges the Joker's kick^SR#6
• Catches a man's punch^MoT#11
• Avoids an energy beam^MoT#11
• Seemingly catches a bullet, though as this was an incident arranged by him it's unclear if this was a real bullet^Adv#575

Skill

• Takes down two special agents at once^Nem#3
• Survives several hits from someone considerably stronger and faster than him by rolling with the impacts^Nem#4
• Wins a celebrity racquetball tournament^Nem#1
• After being captured in the White House by Zod, escapes using a teleporter without being noticed until Lois Lane disrupts the decoy hologram he placed^AC#804

Kryptonite Venom

Towards the end of his presidency, Lex Luthor injected himself^SB#4 with Venom laced with liquid kryptonite.^SB#6

• Catches a punch from a nerve gas-afflicted Nightwing^SB#5
• Thrown back into a wall by Superman^SB#5
• Falls a significant distance in his depowered war suit, with LexCorp Towers coming down immediately after, and later crawls out of the wreckage^SB#6

Everyman Project

After founding the Everyman Project, Lex used its resources to give him Exo-Genes, artificially giving him Superman-like powers.
Strength

• Breaks a desk in two with a punch^52#40
• Backhands an unarmoured Steel through a wall^52#40
• Throws about a teenager^52#39
• Shoves the hilt of Steel's hammer through the unarmoured man's torso^52#40

Durability

• Hammered into the floor by Steel without injury^52#40
• Has Steel's artificial hand explode on him^52#40
• No-sells an energy beam which just hit another person through a wall^52#39

Abilities

• Can shoot heat beams from his eyes, and has x-ray vision^52#40
  • Uses the x-ray vision to see the injuries to a person's skeleton and organs^52#40
• Can fly^52#40

Other

• The Exo-Genes from the Everyman Project can be briefly negated by a close-range electrical pulse, making Lex a regular human again^52#40
  • Lex uses a small device to deactivate the powers of affected people for a large distance around^52#35

Equipment

Warsuit

Strength

• Is stronger than Deathstroke^AC#892
• Breaks Deathstroke's sword in his hands^AC#892
• Breaks Brainiac's neck^AC#899
• Draws blood from Superman^SB#6
• Takes down Supergirl with several punches, making her bleed^SG#3
  • As Luthor's suit contains kryptonite, it's unclear how much of the above two feats is strength and how much of is from weakening the Kryptonians

Durability - Shields
This section only includes feats where shields were explicitly active to block a hit.

• Protects Luthor's head from a kick from Deathstroke^AC#892
• Blocks an attack from Larfleeze^AC#898
• Takes a punch from Superman^SB#6
• Blocks a blast from Starfire^TT#25
• Blocks Supergirl's heat vision^SG#3
• Hit by Superman's heat vision^SB#6
• Allows Luthor to survive in space^AC#899

Durability - No Shields

• Slammed into stone, breaking it^SG#4
• Punched by a fist construct from Larfleeze^AC#898
• After the shields were worn down by Superman, takes a punch to the chest, an uppercut which wrecks the breastplate, before being punched through a skyscraper^SB#6
• Thrown a huge distance through space and into the Justice League's moon base^SG#4
• Falls a significant distance in his depowered war suit, with LexCorp Towers coming down immediately after, and later crawls out of the wreckage^SB#6
• Resist small arms fire, presumably energy shots from the sound effect^AC#890
• Potentially hit away by an attack by Larfleeze that breaks stone ground^AC#898
• His arm is unaffected by heat vision and freezing breath from a black kryptonite-spawned Supergirl, though this weakens the armour enough to be crushed^SG#4

Speed

• Is as fast as Deathstrone when his mind's been altered to attack Lex^AC#892
• Catches a batarang^JL#13
• Catches Deathstroke's sword^AC#892
• Flies away at great speed^SG#4

Weaponry - Beams

• Fires green energy beams from its hands^SB#6
  • Badly hurts two members of the Titans^TT#25
  • Breaks the floor of a building^JL#14
• Pierces through Starfire with a blue beam from his hand^SG#3
• Pierces through a person's torso with a beam^FC#6
• Shoots a large and far-reaching purple beam which seemingly defeats three robots^87#224
• Sends Larfleeze through a truck^AC#898
• Hits Firestorm with a beam which sends him through a wall and neutralizes his powers^Wed
• Shoots a green beam from its chest logo^TT#20

Weaponry - Ranged

• Holds four types of kryptonite in its fist: Green to incapacitate Kryptonians, red to induce 'erratic and unpredictable behaviour' in them, blue to incapacitate Bizarro, and black, which reveals a Kryptonian's true self
  • Can project the light from these to attack^SG#3
  • When used on Supergirl, black kryptonite causes a more hostile variant of her to split apart with different coloured clothes^SG#3
• Shoots a projectile from its arm to kill a man, possibly a bullet^AC#898
• Launches missiles from its arm^TT#20
  • Travel a notable distance^TT#20
• Downs a foe with a sonic disruptor^Out#25

Weaponry - Melee

• Creates a shield which blasts Supergirl back after blocking her heat vision^SG#3
• Electrifies the suit to shock anyone grappling him^SG#4
• Retractable arm blade^SB#6
• A spike with a kryptonite tip, allowing him to pierce through Supergirl^SG#4

Other

• Can levitate^TT#20 and fly^SG#4
• In an altered timeline, releases several observation drones and connects with a computer to cross reference its files with his own^T#47
• Holds a holographic communicator^IC#3
• Has defences to protect against Brainiac's micro armour burrowers^AC#899
• A later model is portable, and wraps around Lex in time for him to catch Deathstroke's sword^AC#892

Kryptonian War Suit

A mech suit captured from Superman and modified so that Lex Luthor could use it.
Physicals

• Smashes through the giant Brainiac 13^AC#763
• Hits the top of a skyscraper, damaging it^L2000
• Takes explosive blasts^AC#763

Abilities

• Fires energy beams from across it^AC#763
  • A beam from its hand potentially sends it back into the top of a building with its recoil^L2000
• Releases cables from its hands^AC#763
• Has a interstitial medium disruptor, acting as a powerful EMP to everything with electrical circuitry unless they have kryptonian shielding^AC#763
• Can harvest, convert, and redirect energy from inside Brainiac 13 as an attack^AC#763

Other

• Is telepathically controlled from the inside^Steel#98

Anti-Kryptonian Weaponry

• Has access to different kinds of kryptonite: Green to drain Superman's powers and kill him with extended exposure, red to cause 'random and bizarre' actions for under 48 hours, blue to induce green kryptonite-like effects on Bizarro, and yellow to nullify Superman's ability to absorb yellow sunlight, rendering him an ordinary person^AC#Annual10
  • While Lex claims in the above scan that the effects of yellow kryptonite is permanent, Metallo later states it's just a temporary power removal^AC#Annual11
• Created and used a gun that uses a nuclear solar fusion engine to fire 'miniature red suns' to weaken and burn a Kryptonian, and radiation guns that mimics the wavelength of green kryptonite enough to be able to pierce a Kryptonian's skin^AC#Annual11
  • The first weapon set fire to a Kryptonian, and a following radiation pistol shot pierced through their skull^AC#Annual11
• A kryptonite knife^JL#15
• Spheres containing kryptonite dust, which Lex bursts to clog up the lungs of a nearby Kryptonian^AC#Annual11
• A kryptonite ring^87#2
  • Due to an unknown side effect of its radiation, wearing it^AC#600 for years straight led to this hand needing to be amputated^87#19

Other Equipment

Weaponry

• Has wielded a regular pistol^87#131
• A plasma pistol^MoS#73
• Compressed sonar wave pistols, which disorientate and incapacitate 'anything with ears' while underwater^SC#6

Wearable

• Sunglasses which show him video footage of Metropolis while on a yacht^AC#724
• Night vision contact lenses, allowing him to see when all visible light in an area had been turned into infrared^JLA#15
• Neural inhibitors which shield the wearer from detection by telepaths while worn on the temples^SC#6
• His cufflink blows up a small piece of LexCorp tech which Superman brought from a payload near another planet^SB#74
• A watch which seemingly causes a roulette ball to land on a certain number^Steel#53

Prosthetic Hand

• When his hand was amputated, replaced it with a mechanical prosthetic^87#19
• Cracks nuts^WF#1
• Breaks a model plane^87#25
• Crushes a toy^WF#1
• Breaks a mobile phone^WF2#8
• Sends a signal to activates special bionic circuitry he had implanted in Brainiac^87#25

Other

• Has access to teleportation technology, which can take other people with him^J#3
  • Uses this to teleport a short distance, dodging a lasso^TT#Annual1
• Lex uses a small device to deactivate the powers of people given Exo-Genes by the Everyman Project for a large distance around^52#35
• Uses a null field generator which negates any attempt to record a conversation, as well as prevents Superman from hearing them^87#182
• Presumably through a piece of gum that he chews, creates a force field around him^SS#29
  • This force field can be brought down and brought back up to encompass other people, and withstands a large explosion which propels them through a bridge tunnel and into a building^SS#29
• Has used robot duplicates accurate enough to fool the likes of Brainiac on multiple occasions^NK#3

Other

Intelligence

Mechanical

• Designed an aircraft which he claims could weather any natural storm^Haven#8
• Allows his war suit to fire a beam to nullify Firestorm's powers after reading a scientific paper explaining how they work^Wed
• Rigs scavenged alien technology on an abandoned planet into several defensive traps^SR#5
• As a teen, instantly improved a milking machine Johnathan Kent was trying to fix to make it twice as efficient, though it was loud enough to scare the cows^Birth#7
• As a teen, converts a coal burner into a more effective electric heat pump in four minutes^SBSF
• Modifies a metal detector to react to extra-terrestrial matter^Birth#8
• Modifies the material the Metal Men are made of to replicate the properties of kryptonite, although the replication isn't perfect^AC#599
• Using scavenged alien technology on an abandoned planet alongside assisted by other villains, creates a teleporter to send him and a multitude of other villains back to Earth, powered by several other villains chosen as sacrifices^SR#7
  • This planet was four thousand lightyears from Earth^Cat#75
  • The teleporter was rigged so that Lex could blow it up as he left through it^SR#7
• As a teenager, creates a wormhole generator powered by kryptonite in his bedroom^Birth#8

Scheming

• Arranged for his parents to die in a car accident and for the mechanic to falsify his report so he could get the life insurance he placed on them^UB
  • In an alternate telling where Clark Kent saves his father as he crashes, still causes his death without suspicion, claiming it was due to his weak heart^SO#2
• Got himself shot on a campaign trail, causing his popularity to increase^87#163
• Helped rebuild a ruined Gotham City to put him in a position to forge ownership titles in his name for almost three quarters of the city, with the vast majority of former owners being dead or unable to legally challenge LexCorp, letting him 'buy' all the property for 0.4% market value^Sha#94
• Makes a contract with Mr. Mxyzptlk before immediately breaking it, causing him to rage quit and leave his dimension^87#31
• When a Lex Luthor from another universe cultivated a team of villains, anonymously recruits a small team of six to maximize the amount of other villains they'd have experience against to take them down, all while manipulating them to work more effectively together^VU#6
• As his body was dying from kryptonite radiation poisoning, faked his death before having his brain removed and placed in a younger clone of himself, taking back control of LexCorp as his own son^AC#678
• While being attacked by a Kryptonian-like being trying to kill him, signals his men to expose him to synthesized kryptonite before using the visual distortion to pull him through Superman-created holes in the street to be observed elsewhere, leading to Superman believing he was instead pulled back to his own time^MoT#11
• Evades Grodd by sending a man in advance with several key pieces of information and drugs that would skew Grodd's judgement when his brain was eaten, sneaking into his base alongside a 'captured' android, and allowed Grodd to be distracted by an android acting in his own image^AC#893

Deduction

• Knows the planet he's been sent to is four thousand lightyears from Earth based on the position of the stars^Cat#75
• Tells a student cut a class from mud being on his shoes, another as the person leaving anonymous love notes based on when they appear and his class schedule, another keyed a car by noticing him hiding the used key when the victim came into class, and that two teachers spent a night together under the guise of an 'education seminar' by one of them wearing a men's shirt and trying to pass it off as a blouse^Birth#8
• Cold reads two agents, telling that one had a violent father from his speech pattern, he wet the bed until he was fourteen from how he walked, and that his partner has harboured an intense hatred for him since the academy^AC#755
• Reliably predicts where a roulette ball will land after observing the dealer^Steel#53

Languages

• Speaks Chinese^MoS#5
• Speaks Japanese^Adv#453
• Figures out the basics an alien language shortly after coming across it and discovering it used a 43 character alphabet^Cat#75

Other

• Said to be one of the smartest men on Earth^CD#32
• Flies a jet^AC#660
• Gives an inferior American football team's coach frequent advice throughout a game, allowing them to blow out a vastly superior team^Birth#8
• Presumably is the one who programmed a virus that, when put into the LexCorp mainframe, would wipe the digital identity of everyone in Metropolis clean^Adv#600
• With their complete medical files, quickly creates a serum that instantly cures a woman's degenerative condition, as well as another solution which instantly returns it^Adventure#6

Influence

Wealth

• Is one of the two or three wealthiest men in the world, and as of '87 had part ownership of virtually every major business based in Metropolis^Who
  • He later became the richest man in the world as of 1997^87#120 with this still being the case as of his 2000 inauguration^SB#65
• Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen estimated Lex earned $150 a second^FAS#2
• Buys a theatre's booking office to get tickets for an opera that sold out two years ago^Adv#575
• Buys out the Daily Planet^StP
• Before Superman's arrival, owned 78% of Metropolis^SO#4

As President

• Lex Luthor became the president in the 2000 U.S. election^AC#774
• Installs anti-Superman measures, such as having the entire White House repainted with lead paint by New Years Eve, before he officially moves in
  • Installed a device that trapped Superman and Doomsday inside panels and bathe them with artificial kryptonite^87#175
• Has the Contessa's secret Siberian base discovered and air striked^PL
• Threatens Batman with dedicating every department under his command towards discovering and destroying the identities behind the Batfamily^L2000
• Had an agency compile the weaknesses of nearly every hero on the planet, which included Plastic Man's melting point^WW#175

Other

• Before Superman's arrival, people would gather outside LexCorp tower each day in hope of being the one chosen by Lex to help out with their dream^SO#3
  • A short time after Superman's appearance, nobody shows up for the 'LexCorp Lottery'^SO#6
• Has a significant portion of congress in his pocket, one way or another^Bat#573
• Had a house bought and outfitted as a backdoor to all of LexCorp's systems by someone so distantly related to the company it's completely unknowable to anyone but him^Nem#3
• Sells guns to Metropolis slums to destabilize the city to his benefit^87#131
• LexCorp is said to own ninety percent of a state^87#9
• If Superman had left Earth around the turn of the millennium, LexCorp would become the de facto world leader within fifteen years^Steel#109

Superman Hatred

Beliefs

• When Metropolis threw him a parade for helping prevent Dominus from taking over the world, he is still dissatisfied due to his perception that Superman had raised the stakes and become 'king of the world', reaching levels of supremacy he hadn't^80#2
• During an incident where a criminal's holograms made every witness have a different perception of a monster attack and Superman's fighting of it, Lex saw Superman as a merciless monster slaughtering a defenceless creature^80#3
• When a specially designed supercomputer determines that Superman and Clark Kent are the same, refuses to believe it as he couldn't conceive someone with Superman's power pretending to be human^87#2
  • He is later able to believe it when shown photographic evidence of Superman's ship crashing on the Kent residence^87#178

Actions

• Got genuine joy out of telling Superman that his homeworld was destroyed^Birth#9
• Makes a hobby out of watching Superman get beat up^MoT#4
• Wouldn't say no to kicking Superman's dog^Adventure#6
• Claims Superman taking up his time by existing on Earth stops him from stopping famine or curing cancer^TT#25
  • When Superman wasn't around for a year, he shifts the goalposts and says it was Superman's fault for making the people of Metropolis hate him for that period^39#653
• Ran for presidency out of anger over Superman's popularity^PL
• Every LexCorp employee has a clause in their contract saying that any attempt to help Superman would result in immediate termination, with a follow up claim that they will actively try to impede any attempts for said employee to get hired in the future^39#679
• When Superman died, throttled a person to death just to prove that no one could stop him anymore^87#77
• Cured a person's degenerative condition a few seconds before returning it, just to try and persuade Superboy into killing Superman^Action#6
• After gaining near if not omnipotent power, Lex's first actions are to expose Superman to some of his worst memories before trying to kill him. After being informed that he can do anything so long as it's not negative, he immediately tries to kill Superman again, stripping power from him^AC#900

Other

• As president, his hatred influences the actions of Uncle Sam, causing him to attack Superman and say things that go against the spirit of America until Superman snaps him out of it^87#178

Orange Lantern

During the Blackest Night event, seven members of different Lantern Corps deputized a member of Earth for 24 hours to fight against the Black Lanterns. The Orange Lantern ring, powered by avarice, enlisted Lex Luthor.^BN#6

• Creates a warsuit construct on him which can fire beams from its hands^GL#50
• Releases a shockwave around him, knocking away multiple Lantern Corp members^BN#7
• Anyone killed by an Orange Lantern can be summoned as a construct to serve them, with Lex creating a wave of such minions to try and hold back Black Lantern Superman^GL#51
  • Uses multiple minions to try and steal the rings off of surrounding Lanterns^BN#7
• Wielding this ring had lingering effects on Luthor's mindset, making him desire instant gratification for a while afterwards^AC#890
  • Led him to fire a man while saying to his face that he'd ensure he never worked in the industry again, and then order his assassination a few days later for the brief feeling of powerlessness he felt when the man lashed out^AC#890

Other

• When held in the lasso of truth, admits that he really wants to be Superman^BN#7
• Arranged a series of global disasters to keep Superman away from Metropolis for ninety minutes^Az#9
• Once got put into detention for stealing forty cakes. That's as many as four tens. And that's terrible.^39#709
• When being controlled by a giant eye creature from Meggadon, breaks himself free after being goaded by Kyle Rayner insulting his intelligence^JLA#38
• In an illusion induced by Mister Mind in such a way that he believes what he sees is real, quickly starts doubting the illusion, before he (probably) changed the setting, became conscious, and forces Mister Mind to face him. Afterwards, he's capable of taking control of his motor functions in the real world to punt Mister Mind off a building^AC#891
• Puts people in positions that will torment them for the rest of their lives just for fun^87#9

"You did it. You actually did it. It's a miracle." "Miracles don't exist. But Lex Luthor does."