I've read the rules of this sub and think this question fits.
Tldr: do non-white non-high control communities laugh loudly together? Alone? Not just, a polite laugh. A spirited, "raucous" laugh. Bothering people, crying yourself laughing. I wasn't allowed that growing up.
I've noticed especially watching comedians particularly famous in black communities, (background I was raised Mormon and white. I have educated myself but you're always ignorant.) such as Gary Owen, Katt williams that I've been exposed to recently, the laughter is lively. Spirited. I've also noticed while watching Maya Angelou read Still I Rise that laughter is very important to the reading of the poem, both as the reader and an audience participant. Even in a reading by Nikki Minaj at an A&E event that seems quite rich and California, she and the audience knew to laugh at the right time, though a completely different level of spiritedness.
My family is pretty stringent on laughter. My father has a booming laugh but my mother and sister are always shushing him and complaining about the volume. Meanwhile, they have all inherited my grandfather's sneeze, which involves near screaming when you let the sneeze out. I don't see why throwing my back out sneezing is any worse than laughing loudly.
Angelou - https://youtu.be/qviM_GnJbOM Minaj - https://youtu.be/WDfuJIBpXPM
Why do you laugh the way you do? (Regardless of background) Is there cultural context to laughter? Was there a significant impact by Angelou's poem on black communities? I found the concept of laughter and joy as resistance to be very powerful, and I wonder if it was employed or passed down.
White people feel like, polite at shows sometimes? I personally have difficulty regulating my volume and yeah I'd appreciate it if someone lmk I was talking WAY too loud but my girlfriend and family shushes me like. All the time, just for laughing. I see this less among some of the younger audiences I watch, Stavros Halkias and Nate Jackson's crowd work, people seem to let loose a little more. Did I just grow up in a cult so I'm weird lol?

Hello all. Really hoping someone may have some advice for me. I’m using an alt account as my main account is known. This is a bit of an unusual situation, so please bear with me. Please, if you don’t have anything constructive, don’t comment. I do not need judgement.
I have been a volunteer firefighter for 14 years and am also a full-time paid paramedic. Previously, I was a live-in with my department. For those unfamiliar, some volunteer fire departments provide living quarters in exchange for running calls. 3 years ago, after a huge fight with my girlfriend, I attempted to take my own life with a firearm while at the firehouse. Obviously I was unsuccessful. I was subsequently suspended indefinitely, requiring me to move out. I have since gotten a significant amount of psychiatric help.
I would like to start running calls again; however, I am meeting resistance at every turn from one or two individuals. I have submitted multiple requests to have my suspension overturned, escalating the request each time. Every time, I have been denied. The most recent appeal was to the township's fire board. This board advises the township commissioners on matters related to the fire department. Our department operates somewhat atypically from other companies I am familiar with. We have several fire companies, all of which operate under an umbrella entity of the township. I am still a member of the fire company and am allowed in the firehouse; however, I am not permitted to run calls, as the suspension comes from the umbrella entity.
I fully recognize the severity of my actions and the impact that they had on others. I am not trying to be flippant about the situation; however, I feel that I have served my punishment. More importantly, the other members of the department feel the same way. They want me back and they want me running calls. They have all told me that they feel that it is excessive at this point to not let me return. The agency I work for covers this township for EMS and one of the assistant chiefs of the fire department told me, “As far as I’m concerned, if you’re good enough to run EMS in this township, you’re good enough to run fire calls”. I believe that I am being held up by one or two individuals in positions of authority who did not like me long before this incident occurred. I just want to get back on the rigs and run calls.
Is there any type of legal remedy for me? Would it be worth contacting an employment attorney? My thought is that the next step is to go directly to the township commissioners and try to get them to overturn the suspension as it was technically issued with their authority (through the fire board). I am reluctant to do this, as this could bring a certain level of publicity to the situation that I would like to avoid.
It is worth noting that, at no point did I make any threats, verbal or physical against anyone other than myself. I did not commit any crimes other than, at most, disorderly conduct (PA does not have a specific brandishing law and simple assault requires intent), which is a misdemeanor. My firearms are legally owned and I hold a valid concealed carry permit.

Take this feedback with a grain of salt, I'm in the level 70's and usually play on 5-7 (with occasional forays into 8/9 when the team is willing). I consider 7 to be casual difficult (sometimes things go to hell, but usually have smooth runs, while Impossible/Helldive is usually full chaotic).
The game is amazing and based on past history, I think Pilestedt will keep the ship righted regardless of the doom n gloom on Reddit.
This is focused on a few things for the TLDR'ers:

• Sound Problems
• Use Lore/Storytelling for Weapon Balancing
• Lean into Themes for the Warbonds
• Crew Served Weapons
• Environmental (Firenados)
• Booster Balancing

​
I love this game, reddit gives it such a negative light though recently.
​
Sound Problems
Please do something about silent bots and bugs that weigh 2 tons sneaking up on you silently. Stalkers and Hunters, I can understand. If you make a cloaking bot, I can understand that too. Hulks and Devastators should not be absolutely silent.
​
Weapon Balancing into the Storytelling
Please keep all this in the Story. Doesn't matter whether its Sony, new content or Balancing. Go all in on the storytelling. Eruptor, crossbow,
Example: Purifier isn't great. Create the story:

It was found that the supplier responsible for fabricating the PLAS-101 Purifier Hyperchordium Charging Module was infiltrated by Automaton sympathizers several months ago contaminating the supply line for replacement parts. As the weapon has been in use in larger quantities and questionable replacement parts are now more common, the Purifier is under performing in the eyes of the front line and brass. The only other supplier for these parts is located in the foundries on Menkent, currently occupied by the Automaton menace. Liberate the planet and restore the supply line.

If something is over performing like the Quasar, then integrate it into Lore in the same way.

The Overabundium veins and stockpiles built into the LAS-99 Quasar's crystal focusing matrix have run out. Fortunately, R&D has managed to create an artificial crystal but its ability to focus and disperse heat between shots is greatly degraded.

Then you could have planets where Overabundium deposits are found (Ore Survey missions for example) and any missions on that planet will have faster cooldown times.

An Overabundium vein has been located on Fenrir II. While not enough to replace the current sythetic crystal matrix in the LAS-99 Quasar, it has been decided that Fenrir II will receive priority utilization of this natural resource for its campaign.

​
Lean into Themes for the Warbonds
Keep going with the themed warbonds like Cutting Edge. Polar Patriots missed it for a few reasons.

• The incendiary impact grenade could have used the ice floweplant effect to freeze enemies for x time in a narrow sphere making it a viable alternative to the stun grenade.
• Purifier charging could slow enemies down (with longer slowdown on higher charge). Then it wouldn't need all these damage discussion as it would be a support weapon (a more invested version of the Pummeler PDW).
• Tenderizer could have several burst modes 2, 4, 6 rounds with minimal recoil on the burst. (Change magazine size to 36). This would give it a better purpose than standard Liberator for ammo conservation/dps selection. Bugs, I might want the 2 round burst. Bots I might want the 4 or 6 round burst.

The formula is already good for warbonds:

• 3 Armors with new passive
• 3 Cosmetic Helmets
• 3 Super Credits
• 3 Capes
• 3 Banner Cards
• 3 Victory Poses/Emotes
• 3 Primaries
• 1 New Booster
• 1 Secondary
• 1 Grenade

Each year have the October warbond be special for Liberty day (5 pages instead of 3).
Crew Served Weapons
Please allow anyone to service as weapon crew from that weapon person's backpack. (They can pull from their own pack first if they have the same weapon pack.)
​
Environmental (Firenados)
Please tweak the frequency of Firenados or lower the duration they swarm on the map. Getting 4-5 storms a mission and it takes 2+ minutes for them (and their lingering flames) to finally dissipate means that a good portion of the mission is spent avoiding these terrors. If they came down, moved around for 30s and went away with the current frequency, it wouldn't be as bad.
​
Booster Balancing
Most of the boosters are ok but there's two (good and bad) that could use a little tweaking/reworking.
Hellpod Space Optimization
This has become an essential item that nearly every squad has to take. Change it to a resupply buff that gives an extra 2 resupply (6) from a resupply stratagem instead of 4. (Take out the pedestal and some spaces between the resupply boxes and looks like you could fit an extra 1 on each side.)
Put the original benefit in the armor:

• Med-Kit armor (+2 starting/max stims).
• Engineering armor (+2 starting/max grenades), you start with 4 stims/grenades instead of 2.
• Rifleman (new) armor that gives +2 starting/max primary/secondary magazines (or 20% more ammo for single reload weapons like SenatoPunisher).

​
Super Destroyer Bridge Upgrade > Hellpod Supply Optimization
For the original 'max ammo/nades/stims' of the Hellpod Space Optimization, make that the next upgrade in Bridge Super Destroyer show a welding guy soldering a supply box to the hellpod. You can pick up the resupply manually when you land. (aka All your reinforces come with a supply box.)
​
Flexible Reinforcement Budget
Allow this to regenerate Reinforcements overtime during the entire mission. 1 reinforcement every 8 minutes (you can regenerate even if you're not at 0 reinforcements) and keep the -10% reinforcement time if you reach 0. This keeps it useful throughout the mission rather than when everything is already almost lost.

Every business seeks a competitive advantage that accelerates profits and total shareholder returns.
Some businesses create long-term shareholder value across the short, medium and long-term horizons.
Few businesses optimise and maximise high-value exits - selling their business at the right time for maximum goodwill. The core question for directors and shareholders is your business's endgame strategy.
Selling a business for small and medium businesses is often emotional - but for others, they are strategic chess players - with one aim - the buyer pays a premium for their business.
Day-to-day optimising operations - margin improvement - revenue operations, and maximising net profits are vital day-to-day hand-to-hand combat for every business.
This Advanced Growth Framework study of 25,000 businesses globally, representing 98% of the global market capitalisations, found that buying-selling, mergers and acquisitions in industries are predictable well in advance. A.T. Kearney's endgame analysis provides significant insights.

Four Stages of Industry Development

Stage I: Opening

• Characteristics: Involves newly deregulated industries, startups, and spin-off industries.
• Catalysts: New technologies, regulations, ideas, and consumer needs.
• Market Concentration: Little to no market concentration at this point.

Stage II: Scale

• Characteristics: Major players begin to emerge and size becomes important, leading to consolidation.
• Market Dynamics: Niche players begin to feel pressure; concentration rates can be as high as 45% in some industries.

Stage III: Focus

• Characteristics: Successful players aggressively outgrow their competition.
• Strategies: Companies focus on extending their core business and streamline their supply and value chains, eliminating secondary business units.

Stage IV: Balance & Alliance

• Characteristics: Consolidation rates reach up to 90%, with a few players dominating each industry.
• Market Control: Large companies form alliances and dominate the landscape, controlling 70% of the market. The remaining 30% of the market can be occupied by any number of businesses.
• Expansion Strategy: Companies often look for new Opening-stage industries to expand into due to challenges in growth at this stage.

Combined Market Share of Top 3 Players:

• Stage I: 41%
• Stage II: 42%
• Stage III: 50%
• Stage IV: 70%

If your business knows in advance how, when and what to do to strengthen the value to maximise its final sale price - it can optimise its asset management to time and sell at the highest point.
Making it through the four stages is primarily a game of speed; the fastest business wins. The core strategic question is to determine can your business be a leader and survivor or if the wiser course is to be acquired or even opt-out and sell.

Or, as they say in the military - will your business be the king of the shits or shit of the kings?

Four Stages

• First-mover advantage: First-to-market companies frequently establish their product as the industry standard. They are the first to reach customers and leave a lasting impression, leading to accelerating brand recognition and loyalty. They control resources, such as locating strategically, establishing premium contracts with key suppliers, or hiring the most talented employees.
• Be faster advantage: Economies of scale can be achieved rapidly by acquisition-focused competitors. One of the primary benefits of internal economies of scale is lower costs, which allow businesses to improve their price competitiveness. Economies of scale lead to higher profits, a higher return on capital invested, and a foundation for business growth. As it grows, a company becomes more solid and less vulnerable to external threats, such as hostile takeover bids. It is one of the essential benefits of economies of scale for industries because it increases the share price of the company as well as its ability to raise new financing.
• Defence advantage: A company's defensive strategies to thwart a hostile takeover can have a significant impact on its shareholders, including, in some cases, a drop in shareholder value. Being acquired or awaiting new developments and reacting may be the best approach.
• Change the game: Globalisation, new technologies, increased transparency, and privacy legislation changes all deliver a constant feeling of continuous disruption. Those businesses that thrive now do so by being faster, detecting and responding to new growth opportunities daily and embedding new products and services faster than their competitors can.

Big Leadership Changes

• Different leaders suit different stages of growth.
• Empirical evidence identifies that deal-maker skills and bold leadership traits suit stages 1 and 2.
• Stage 3 and 4 CEOs are shrewd chess players and portfolio managers.
• Many businesses entering stage 4 deploy a spin-off growth strategy from their core business.
• The spin-off business typically launches new industries or sub-industries, creating new opportunities for the spun-off business to fuel future growth.

The board aims to better match your leadership team skills for the correct growth stages.

How can a business survive and thrive during the industry's evolution stages?

The answer from the research of 25,000 businesses is it must acquire or merge other businesses —it cannot solely rely on its organic growth.

• There is no optimal or maximum company size— survival requires every business to grow continuously.
• Mergers are inevitable if a business wants to outgrow its competition - a must to maximise value for the future.
• There are few to almost no protectable niche markets of size— almost all industries are now global.
• Learning how to integrate an acquisition or merger partner successfully is a core competence of successful businesses. Build the skill sets early. (i.e.to, arrive at a top 3 company)
• For a merger or acquisition to be successful, it should advance the resulting entity further along the curve.

Business history tells us that, in any (almost every) industry, consolidation will happen.
Future industry leaders belong to those who can master external ( M+A) inorganic growth.
What is your business's growth plan?
Regardless of industry, there are always economies of scale - professional services -merging accounting firms to reduce the transaction cost and increase shareholder value.

In the realm of herbal supplements, Ginkgo biloba and Bacopa monnieri stand out as two of the most revered and researched plants. Both have a storied history in traditional medicine and are celebrated for their ability to enhance cognitive functions. But how do they differ, and which might be more beneficial for your specific health needs? In this blog, we'll explore the unique benefits and uses of each, helping you make an informed choice.

Origins and Traditional Use

Ginkgo Biloba: Known as one of the oldest living tree species, Ginkgo biloba has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years. It is highly valued for its therapeutic properties, particularly in improving blood circulation and treating blood disorders.
Bacopa Monnieri: Commonly known as Brahmi, Bacopa monnieri is a staple herb in Ayurvedic medicine in India. It has been used for centuries primarily to enhance memory, reduce anxiety, and treat epilepsy.

Cognitive Enhancement

Ginkgo Biloba: Ginkgo is well-known for its ability to improve blood flow to the brain, which can help enhance memory and cognitive speed. It’s particularly popular among the elderly as it is thought to aid in the treatment of dementia and Alzheimer's disease by combating neuronal damage.
Bacopa Monnieri: Bacopa, on the other hand, is praised for its direct impact on brain health. It is believed to improve cognitive processing, memory, and attention span. Bacopa works by increasing certain brain chemicals involved in thinking, learning, and memory, and it has been shown to help retain information better.

Stress and Anxiety

Ginkgo Biloba: While Ginkgo does help in managing stress and anxiety by improving cerebral blood flow, its effects in this area are generally considered secondary to its circulatory benefits.
Bacopa Monnieri: Bacopa excels in reducing stress and anxiety. It acts as an adaptogen, meaning it helps the body resist the physical and chemical effects of stress. This makes it extremely beneficial not just for mental clarity but also for overall emotional well-being.

Antioxidant Properties

Ginkgo Biloba: Ginkgo contains high levels of flavonoids and terpenoids, known for their strong antioxidant effects. These compounds help combat the damage caused by free radicals, contributing to the prevention of heart disease and cancer.
Bacopa Monnieri: Bacopa also has antioxidant properties that protect against cellular damage from free radicals. Its effects are particularly potent in the brain, protecting it from aging and environmental toxins.

Conclusion

Choosing between Ginkgo biloba and Bacopa monnieri largely depends on your specific health goals. If your primary concern is improving memory and protecting against neurodegenerative diseases, Ginkgo could be more beneficial. However, if you're looking for a supplement to enhance both cognitive function and emotional stability, Bacopa might be the better choice.
Both herbs offer significant health benefits and have their own unique strengths. Consulting with a healthcare provider before starting any new supplement regimen is wise, as they can provide guidance based on your individual health needs and conditions.
In the realm of herbal supplements, Ginkgo biloba and Bacopa monnieri stand out as two of the most revered and researched plants. Both have a storied history in traditional medicine and are celebrated for their ability to enhance cognitive functions. But how do they differ, and which might be more beneficial for your specific health needs? In this blog, we'll explore the unique benefits and uses of each, helping you make an informed choice.

Origins and Traditional Use

Ginkgo Biloba: Known as one of the oldest living tree species, Ginkgo biloba has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years. It is highly valued for its therapeutic properties, particularly in improving blood circulation and treating blood disorders.
Bacopa Monnieri: Commonly known as Brahmi, Bacopa monnieri is a staple herb in Ayurvedic medicine in India. It has been used for centuries primarily to enhance memory, reduce anxiety, and treat epilepsy.

Cognitive Enhancement

Ginkgo Biloba: Ginkgo is well-known for its ability to improve blood flow to the brain, which can help enhance memory and cognitive speed. It’s particularly popular among the elderly as it is thought to aid in the treatment of dementia and Alzheimer's disease by combating neuronal damage.
Bacopa Monnieri: Bacopa, on the other hand, is praised for its direct impact on brain health. It is believed to improve cognitive processing, memory, and attention span. Bacopa works by increasing certain brain chemicals involved in thinking, learning, and memory, and it has been shown to help retain information better.

Stress and Anxiety

Ginkgo Biloba: While Ginkgo does help in managing stress and anxiety by improving cerebral blood flow, its effects in this area are generally considered secondary to its circulatory benefits.
Bacopa Monnieri: Bacopa excels in reducing stress and anxiety. It acts as an adaptogen, meaning it helps the body resist the physical and chemical effects of stress. This makes it extremely beneficial not just for mental clarity but also for overall emotional well-being.

Antioxidant Properties

Ginkgo Biloba: Ginkgo contains high levels of flavonoids and terpenoids, known for their strong antioxidant effects. These compounds help combat the damage caused by free radicals, contributing to the prevention of heart disease and cancer.
Bacopa Monnieri: Bacopa also has antioxidant properties that protect against cellular damage from free radicals. Its effects are particularly potent in the brain, protecting it from aging and environmental toxins.

Conclusion

Choosing between Ginkgo biloba and Bacopa monnieri largely depends on your specific health goals. If your primary concern is improving memory and protecting against neurodegenerative diseases, Ginkgo could be more beneficial. However, if you're looking for a supplement to enhance both cognitive function and emotional stability, Bacopa might be the better choice.
Both herbs offer significant health benefits and have their own unique strengths. Consulting with a healthcare provider before starting any new supplement regimen is wise, as they can provide guidance based on your individual health needs and conditions.
https://nutridom.ca/products/ginkgo5000-120-vcaps?_pos=2&_psq=gin&_ss=e&_v=1.0
https://nutridom.ca/products/nutridom-bacopa-monnieri-10x-extract-300mg-3-000mg-qce-45-bacosides-60-capsules?_pos=1&_psq=bacop&_ss=e&_v=1.0

I was scrolling through the sub's top posts to see if any other secrets had been discovered and I was surprised to find one of the top posts was saying they preferred WoL's systems to SoL. No disrespect to that poster or the devs, but I just wanted to make a quick post about why I feel EXACTLY opposite.
For both WoL and SoL, the fun of the game is the humor, not the mechanics. They are silly, they're fun, they've got neat puzzles and ridiculous dialogue and outlandish items. The gameplay, imo, is just there to give structure to the writing. The puzzles are decent, the combat is serviceable, and that's all they need to be, honestly.
However, WoL's systems felt like a chore, act 3 (regions G and H) have an enormous amount of extremely dull backtracking, and 2 of the 3 main story arcs (the cows and El Vibrato) are EXTREMELY missable. SoL fixed nearly all of this.
First of all, the combat mechanics in SoL just work better. They're still not great, but WoL was the most "make the numbers go bigger" game in the history of "make the numbers go bigger" games. Elemental attacks had nearly no impact on gameplay, sleaze and stench are used extremely sparingly, it almost felt senseless to even include them. Combine that with M-stats serving as both offense and defense, and every fight is just a competition of "is my M-stat big enough, or do I need to make my M-stat more bigger?" This isn't a critique of WoL really--like I said, it was serviceable, and what mattered was that summoning a bean golem wearing a mobster hat was funny. But the switch from a %-age based damage resistance armor system to a numbers based damage threshold armor system, the actual incorporation of different damage types, and the (low) hard caps on M-stats made the combat much more tactical. Now, you actually have to consider the damage type of your weapon. You can look at which enemies are going to attack which allies and consider who you want to attack, and with what.
Likewise, having equipment slots be more specialized in their function was a great choice. Rings provide special effects or buffs to combat abilities, hats and accessories provide specific stat buffs, shoes are ordered from the Ministry of Silly Walks. Now, instead of choosing to use melee or pistol based on which of your enemy's stats are lower (muscle or moxie), you use the weapon that is best for your character's stats, and you can uses special items to transform other weapons into melee/ranged/magic weapons if you like, which is funny (just add gun parts to a baseball bat, simple as!).
And the skill checks are great, they did the right thing replacing a single speech skill with "a speech skill, and also your 3 M-stats."
Backtracking is way less tedious because shadow enemies in previous chapters get harder as the game progresses AND there's more content in each region worth visiting everyday (cats, stores, fishing, the odd boon here and there). In WoL, there is an El Vibrato monolith in Shaggy Dog cave that is revealed only when you get an object in region H. Who is going back to Shaggy Dog Cave after you've been to region H? Who is going back to the snake pit, where there is a time portal, after you've been to region H? The only way to see that late game content is to revisit sites you have no reason to revisit after the game has already effectively ended, with nothing but fights which you can easily oneshot to pad out your journey through empty sites you've already seen.
Finally, imo the puzzles are better in SoL. I was surprised how many people didn't like the Longerfellow puzzle--the game gives you the hint about the Cabin Boy Standard Format in the basement, and the cabin boy's name is left in a note on the outhouse. It was a good, clever little puzzle imo. I really like the puzzle from the house of the dolls as well, it was satisfying to solve the last "she does everything twice" by figuring out the names of all the different dolls. The only puzzle I thought was kind of ridiculous was Mudhenge, and even there SoL gives you a pretty strong hint by saying "A phrase so nice, you've heard it twice," strongly hinting that there's some significance to the code you've received. Meanwhile, WoL has the Military Cemetery INSANE puzzle, the impossible "fivepiles" solution at the West Pole, and even a puzzle at Reboot Hill that I thought was pretty tricky and definitely required a pencil and paper, as well as both safecrackin' and lockpickin'. Oh yeah, and since you can only start with either Safecrackin' or Lockpickin' (not both), that's even more tedious backtracking once you buy the other skillbook at Breadwood. Just to open some safes or locked doors! At least in SoL, the locations of Shadow gates mostly make sense, they're mostly in locations that make you say "huh, I wonder if a shadow gate opens there--yep, it does."
And the companions and familiars are better too. Being able to mix and match mid playthrough is just so nice, and the vignettes are silly and fun.
Again, this isn't to throw shade at WoL. I was just surprised because when I picked up SoL, I was expecting the mechanics to feel as slapdash as the did in WoL, and I was surprised by just how much better they were. My first thought was "oh, neat, they actually made the game side of the game much better, not just the humor." So I was surprised to see the top post here expressing the opposite opinion. I thought WoL was fun as an adventure, but not that great as a game, and SoL just feels like a step up in every way.
Finally, just because I saw some people say it felt unfinished--I kind of agree. I've run into a couple weird bugs, almost all of them in The Big Moist, that just feel like they should have been patched out (Inspector Legrade came back to life in my first playthrough???). It's a shame because The Big Moist's quests are my favorite in the game. But compared with the ending of WoL, which ramps up to Frisco, lingers on for a weirdly long time after Frisco without much interesting gameplay to pad it out (backtracking...), and whose cow quest is extremely missable, SoL is just so many miles ahead.'

In the dynamic world of e-commerce, dropshipping has emerged as a popular business model due to its low entry barriers and minimal upfront investment. Entrepreneurs can sell products directly to customers without holding any inventory, with suppliers handling storage, packaging, and shipping. However, the success of a dropshipping business hinges significantly on choosing the right dropshipping network. For more info you can visit Stelvel EOOD company website. Here's how you can make an informed decision to partner with the best dropshipping network for your business needs.

Understand What a Dropshipping Network Offers

A dropshipping network connects sellers with suppliers who dropship products. These networks can simplify the process of finding and partnering with reliable suppliers, and often provide a platform that facilitates product selection, order processing, and inventory management. Understanding the features and services of different networks is crucial as it directly impacts your business operations.

1. Evaluate the Product Range

Your choice of network should align with the type of products you want to sell. Look for networks that offer a wide range of products that fit your niche and target market. The quality of products available is also paramount, as it affects customer satisfaction and return rates. It’s beneficial to choose a network that provides detailed product descriptions and high-quality images.

2. Consider Supplier Quality and Reliability

The reliability of suppliers within the network is crucial. A good dropshipping network will only partner with suppliers who have a track record of fulfilling orders accurately and on time. Check the network’s vetting process for suppliers and read reviews from other users about their experiences. You might also want to test the suppliers by ordering a few products yourself to check for delivery times, product quality, and packaging.

3. Look at Technological Integration

A network’s technology should seamlessly integrate with your e-commerce platform. This includes real-time inventory updates, automated order processing, and tracking information. Effective integration reduces the chances of selling products that are out of stock and enhances customer service by providing timely updates.

4. Assess Costs and Membership Fees

Most dropshipping networks charge a fee, which can be a flat monthly rate, a percentage of sales, or per-order fees. Understand all costs involved and analyze how they fit into your budget and pricing strategy. Consider networks that offer different levels of membership depending on your sales volume and business needs, as this can provide more flexibility and scalability.

5. Check for Scalability

As your business grows, your needs will change. The dropshipping network should be able to scale with your business, offering more products, additional suppliers, or enhanced services as your order volume increases. Networks that can scale easily will support your growth without requiring frequent changes in partners.

6. Review Marketing Support

Some dropshipping networks provide marketing tools and support, which can be invaluable for driving sales. This might include customizable product data for creating attractive listings, promotional materials, and SEO advice. A network that supports your marketing efforts can significantly enhance your business’s visibility and sales potential.

7. Analyze Customer Service and Support

Good customer service from the network is essential, especially when issues arise. You’ll want a network that offers timely and helpful support. Check the availability and responsiveness of their customer service team. Being able to rely on quick support can make a significant difference in managing the day-to-day operations of your business.

8. Read Reviews and Gather Feedback

Lastly, research the network extensively. Read reviews, join forums, and talk to other entrepreneurs who use the network. Their experiences can provide insights into the reliability and effectiveness of the network and highlight potential problems you might encounter.

Conclusion

Choosing the right dropshipping network is a critical decision that can determine the trajectory of your e-commerce business. By thoroughly researching and comparing the offerings of different networks, you can find a partner that not only meets your current needs but also supports your business as it evolves and grows. With the right network, dropshipping can be a highly profitable and rewarding venture.

Hi! My name is Estevan and I live in France. For my end-of-studies project, I wrote a small article about the situation of women in Colombia. My mother is Colombian and I felt it was important to discuss this in various places like Reddit.
This text has been translated using the internet, so there is a good chance of language mistakes. Sorry about that!
Colombia, a dynamic nation in South America, has been at the forefront of significant changes in women's political participation in recent years. However, behind these advancements, deeply rooted challenges persist that threaten to compromise gender equality in the political sphere and society at large. In this exploration, we will examine the progress made and the obstacles Colombian women face in their quest for equal political participation, while also analyzing the complexities of the struggle for gender equality in everyday life. From combating forced marriages to the persistent threat of femicides, this journey will lead us to understand the complex intersection between politics, culture, and gender justice in Colombia in a condensed manner.
The Fight Against Femicides
Femicides remain an alarming issue in Colombia, with a significant number of women and girls falling victim to gender-based violence. Although measures have been taken to strengthen legislation and increase penalties for perpetrators of these crimes, the culture of machismo and impunity remain major obstacles in the fight against this extreme form of gender-based violence. It is essential to address sexist attitudes and behaviors that perpetuate this violence, as well as to ensure women's access to resources and support services to prevent and respond to gender-based violence. In 2023, there were 401 femicides in Colombia, compared to 103 femicides in France. This abnormally high number proves the sad and significant presence of persecution against women in Colombia.
Advances and Challenges in Women's Political Participation in Colombia
In recent years, Colombia has seen a significant increase in women's political participation. Various measures have been implemented, such as gender quotas and incentive programs, aimed at increasing their representation in political positions, which has allowed the number of women in politics to rise to 30% compared to 11.5% in 1991. However, significant challenges persist, hindering their full participation in the political sphere. Among these challenges are gender stereotypes entrenched in Colombian society and cultural barriers that hinder women's access to decision-making spaces. Additionally, the lack of institutional support and resistance from certain political sectors remain significant obstacles to gender equality in Colombian politics.
The Fight for Gender Equality in Colombia: Beyond Wage Inequalities
Gender equality remains a priority on the Colombian agenda, and significant progress has been made in areas such as education and employment, where women earn 5% less than men for the same position. However, entrenched challenges persist in sexist practices that affect women's daily lives. In many cases, these practices are perpetrated by men and manifest through discriminatory behaviors and patriarchal attitudes. From condescending comments to the unequal distribution of domestic tasks, these actions reflect the persistence of gender inequalities in Colombian society.
To complement this article, I was able to discuss with a Colombian woman about some social aspects of the situation of women in Colombia;
How would you describe the participation of women in current Colombian society?
The participation of women in Colombian society has experienced remarkable growth in recent years. They hold increasingly prominent positions in various sectors, especially in politics, like Marta Ruiz, Vice President of Colombia, but also in the economy, education, and culture. However, challenges persist in our quest for gender equality and full participation at all levels of society.
In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges facing women in Colombia today?
The main challenges facing women in Colombia include gender-based violence, workplace discrimination, lack of access to education and health, which are complex issues for both women and men. We also face cultural and social barriers that perpetuate gender inequality, but lack of respect for women is the most common. For example, when I tried to build a house and reported defects in the workers' work, I was told that I couldn't understand because it was a man's job. Although this has improved over time and young people understand feminist causes better, there is still much to be done if we want to live without discrimination.
How has gender equality evolved in your personal experience and in your environment?
In my personal experience and in my environment, I have seen significant advances in gender equality, especially in the fields of education and employment. However, there is still much to be done to combat gender-based violence and disparities in terms of power and political representation. The situation has improved over time, but it is still difficult for every woman. It is necessary to understand that the street is like a jungle and that these behaviors must be faced to improve the situation and educate young people.
What is your opinion on the representation of women in Colombian politics?
Although there has been progress in the representation of women in Colombian politics, we are still far from achieving gender parity. Women face additional obstacles, such as lack of funding and entrenched sexism in political culture. It is crucial to take concrete measures to promote women's participation in politics and ensure that our voices are heard and respected. In addition to the role of Marta Ruiz as Vice President of Colombia, Colombian women are increasingly standing out on the national and local political scene. Figures such as Claudia López, the first woman elected mayor of Bogotá in 2019, illustrate this empowerment. López, formerly a senator and recognized activist for transparency and the fight against corruption, embodies a significant change in Colombian politics.
How does gender-based violence affect women in Colombia and what measures do you believe are necessary to address this issue?
Gender-based violence is a serious problem affecting many women in Colombia. It is necessary to implement effective measures to prevent and combat gender-based violence, including effectively enforcing existing laws, strengthening support services for victims, and promoting gender equality at all levels of society. Authorities should be firmer against these behaviors, but the Colombian police is sorely lacking in awareness in this area and here the state has a role to play in this fight also in terms of education on future generations.
How do cultural expectations and traditions influence the lives of Colombian women in terms of marriage, motherhood, and family roles?
Things like traditions and social expectations can really impact our lives, especially when it comes to marriage, motherhood, and family roles. Often, women are expected to take on the bulk of the work at home and with children, which can really hinder our opportunities in terms of education and career. We really need to question these preconceived ideas about gender and push for equal rights and opportunities for everyone, men and women. We need to make people understand that there are other ways to do things, other possibilities to explore.
What is your perception of the accessibility of education for women in Colombia and its impact on personal and professional development?
Access to education for women in Colombia has improved in recent years, but there are still hurdles, especially in remote areas. Education is super important for women to fully develop, professionally and personally, and contribute to the country. But the cost of school is a real concern for many kids, girls, and boys, and it deprives them of a complete and satisfactory education.
Thank you for taking the time to read my article!

1a) Final Emperor [Predecessor’s Determination] is a G.Sword tank.

Passive	Description
1) Time of Decisive Battle.	[Start of battle] Recovers own BP (+3). [Start of turn] Has oneself enter a taunt stance (medium effect/4 turn(s)). Puts all other surviving allies into a stealth stance (small effect/2 turn(s)). Increases all own status ailments resistances (45?). Recovers own HP (very small effect). Recovers own BP (+2).
2) Emperor’s Fortress.	[When attacking] Grants oneself Defense Up 10% (Max: 10 times per battle). Increases all surviving allies’ END/WIL 15%. Recovers own BP (+1). [When being attacked] Grants oneself Heat Up 15% (Max: 10 times per battle). Increases all surviving allies’ STDEX/INT 15%. Recovers own BP (+1).
3) Latent Bloom: Ironwall.	Attack’s damage increases by 20%. Grants oneself Defense Up 15% at start of turn (Max 5 times per battle).

Skill	BP/LP	Power	Spell Weapon	Damage Type	Description
1)	(1 - 0BP when fully awakened).	E	G.Sword	Direct Single Foe Slash+Sun attack.	Recovers user’s HP (small effect).
2) Holy Shield.	(7 - 5BP when fully awakened).	D	G.Sword	Fast Direct Single Foe Slash+Sun attack.	[Use Limit: 1 time per battle]. Grants user Damage Block for 2 turns, Defense Up 20%.
3) Radiant Saber.	(16 - 13BP when fully awakened).	SS	G.Sword	Fast Direct Single Foe Slash+Sun attack.	After attacking, the user enters a defensive counter stance for 2 turns. Counterattack: Double Dark Blade (Uses skill rank of Radiant Saber)

Final Emperor is the priority of this banner and arguably the strongest counter style to be released in the game now.
One of the main cons was the high BP cost of his Skill 3 – Radiant Saber, but with the buff to him gaining BP (+1) when being attacked, it will help to allow him to use it every turn.
He will be useful in Remembrance Battles and the upcoming Super Boss fight with Seven Heroes.
Pretty much a standalone style.
2a) Azami [Don’t Forget I’m a Ninja] is a M.Arts jammer.

Passive	Description
1) Shinobi’s Haste.	[Start of turn] Increases own STAGI (15%). Recovers own BP (+1). [When landing an attack with an Attack type skill/spell] Activates Sakura Heavy Kicks* 50% chance to activate Whirlwind Kick+. 25% chance to activate Ninjutsu Bushin Kicks. (Each activates using skill Rank 1). * Sakura Heavy Kicks – B powered Indirect Column of Foes Blunt attack. When the attack hits, there is a chance to reduce target's INT (10%).
2) Voltage Force II.	[Start of turn]. Grants oneself Heat Up (20%) (Max times: 5 times per battle). [End of turn] Recovers own BP (+2).
3) Latent Bloom: Attack.	Damage taken reduced by 25%. Grants oneself Heat Up 15% at start of turn (Max 5 times per battle)

Skill	BP/LP	Power	Spell Weapon	Damage Type	Description
1) Circle Kick.	(3 - 2BP when fully awakened).	D	M.Arts	Indirect Column of Foes Blunt attack.	When the attack hits, there is a chance to reduce target's INT (10% - 15% at max rank 99).
2) Ninja Teaching.	(9 - 7BP when fully awakened).		M.Arts	Support All Allies.	[Use Limit: 1 time per battle]. Grants all surviving allies Enervate III (END), Enervate III (INT) and Breath of Spirit* (Effect: permanent in battle). *Breath of Spirit – [Start of turn] 37% chance to recover own HP (small effect) and recovers own BP (+1).
3) Ninjutsu Bushin Kicks.	(13 - 10BP when fully awakened).	SS	M.Arts	Fast Indirect Column of Foes Blunt attack.	When the attack hits, grants targets Morale Down 25% for 3 turns. When the attack hits, there is a chance to reduce target's INT (10% - 15% at max rank 99).

Azami is a nice jammedebuffer but is RNG based. Her own damage mitigation is also on the lower end.
Inherit Ninja Lesson from Fuyo to allow party to have a chance to also debuff DEX & STR.
3a) Kong Ming [The Strongest Spell?] is a Sun+Heat Staff attacker.

Passive	Description
1) The Flaming Strategist.	[Start of battle]. Grants oneself BP Cost Reduction (Reduction: 12/ For 1 turn). Grants oneself Elemental Enhance (Heat) (50%) (Max times: 3 times per battle). Grants oneself Enhance Sorcery (50%).
2) Burning Aura.	When attacking with heat attacks, damage increases 20%. When attacking with heat attacks, recovers own BP (+2). When attacked by an attack that would cause Resist, damage taken will be reduced 20%.
3) Weak Point Assault VI	Weak attacks' damage increases 40%. Start of round, grants self Weak Attack Enhancement 50%* for 1 turn.

Skill	BP/LP	Power	Spell Weapon	Damage Type	Description
1) Air Slash+.	(2 - 1BP when fully awakened).	D	Heat	Indirect Column of Foes Heat+Slash attack.	[Critical: Floating].
2) Crimson Sunflare	(15 - 12BP when fully awakened).	S	Heat	Indirect All Foes Heat+Sun attack.
3) Vertical Flare.	(15 - 12BP when fully awakened).	C	Heat	Column of Foes Heat+Sun attack.	Attack (3 times).

Kong Ming is simple Heat+Sun farmer.
4a) Shahrazad [The Prey Appeared] is a Bow attacker.

Passive	Description
1) Nomadic Pride.	[When being attacked directly]. Counterattacks with Beast Slayer+. (Activates using skill Rank 1). [End of turn] Increase own OD gauge 25. [After activating an OD attack*] Green Wind Bow Quad will be activated. (Activates using skill Rank 1).
2) Like the Wind.	[Start of battle] Grants all surviving allies Wind’s Blessings* (Effect permanent in battle) Recovers own BP (+2). * Wind’s Blessings – [Start of turn] Grants oneself Action Order Up (large effect) for 1 turn. Grants oneself After Actions Defense Boost 30% for 1 turn. Increases own AGI 15%. [End of turn] Recovers own BP (+2).
3) Hybrid Voltage IV (DEX/AGI)	[Start of turn] Increases own DEX/AGI 25%. Grants oneself Heat Up 20% (Max times: 5 times per battle).

Skill	BP/LP	Power	Spell Weapon	Damage Type	Description
1) Stepping Arrow.	(1 - 0BP when fully awakened).	D	Bow	Indirect Single Foe Pierce attack.	Before attacking, increases’ user’s DEX (15% - 25% at max rank 99).
2)	(4 - 3BP when fully awakened).		Bow	Support Self Fast.	Grants user Nomadic Pride for 3 turns. Grants user Defense Boost 15% for 3 turns.
3) Green Wind Bow Quad.	(15 - 12BP when fully awakened).	C	Bow	Indirect Single Foe Pierce attack.	Attacks random enemies (4 times) Grants user Pierce Attack Boost (20% - 25% at max rank 99) for 1 turn with each attack.

Shahrazad is basically built for Remembrance Battles. Provides good DPS and some party mitigation, though Therese in the current banner is still probably the better deal for Bows.
1b) Final Empress [No Matter the Enemy] is a G.Sword support.

Passive	Description
1) Glory Empress.	[Start of battle] Recovers own BP (+3). Grants all surviving allies Elemental Enhance (Sun) (50%) [Start of turn] Grants all surviving allies Emperor’s Wave* 1 time for 1 turn. \* Emperor’s Wave – [When landing a Sun attack] Activates the following (Max times: 1 time) · Recovers own BP (+3). · Grants all surviving allies Defense Boost 10% for 1 turn [At the end of every 5 turns counting from the start of battle] Restores the use limit of Light of the Sun by 1 (Number of uses will not exceed the use limit at start of battle). [When recovery actions are made] Recovers own BP (+5). Grants oneself Defense Boost 25% for 3 turns.
2)	[Start of turn] Grants oneself Defense Up 15% (Max: 5 times per battle). [End of turn] Recovers own HP (very small effect). Recovers own BP (+2).
3) Latent Bloom: Attack.	Damage taken reduced by 25%. Grants oneself Heat Up 15% at start of turn (Max 5 times per battle).

Skill	BP/LP	Power	Spell Weapon	Damage Type	Description
1) Celestial Slash.	(4 - 3BP when fully awakened).	D	G.Sword	Direct Single Foe Slash+Sun attack.	Recovers all surviving allies' HP (very small effect). Grants all surviving allies Action Order Up (small effect/3 turns)
2) Light of the Sun	(7 - 5BP when fully awakened).		Sun	Recovery Fast All Allies.	[Use Limit: 2 times per battle] Recovers target's HP. Grants the target Evasion (1 time) for 1 turn
3) Moon Sparkle Saber.	(16 - 13BP when fully awakened).	SSS	G.Sword	Fast Direct Single Foe Slash+Sun attack.	Grants all surviving allies Defense Boost 35% for 3 turns.

Final Empress is the star of her banner. She will be the main component to the Sun Element party, having synergy with styles like Leon & Final Emperor.
One of her highlights, is the strategic use of Light of the Sun in high difficulty Boss fights, since she can recover a use limit at end of every 5 turns.
Inheritance options includes Karatsu Wisteria Blade and Imperial Shield.
2b) Hannibal [Victory at Hand] is a Spear attacker.

Passive	Description
1)	[Start of battle] Recovers own BP (+2). [When attacking] Grants all surviving allies Attack Boost 20% for 2 turns (50% chance) Grants all surviving allies Defense Boost 10% for 2 turns (50% chance)
2)	[When landing an attack with an Attack type skill/spell] Rising Dragon will be activated (Activates using skill Rank 1). [On every 3 turns counting from the start of battle, when landing an attack with an Attack type skill/spell] Dragon Spear Cross will be activated (Activates using skill Rank 1).
3) Intrinsic Spear IV.	When attacking with spears, attack damage increases 20%. When attacked by an attack that would cause Resist, reduces damage taken by 40%. When attacked by an attack that would cause Resist, 37% to evade enemy’s attack.

Skill	BP/LP	Power	Spell Weapon	Damage Type	Description
1) Glitter Shell+.	(1 - 0BP when fully awakened).	E	Spear	Direct Single Foe Pierce attack.	Grants the user Guard Up 25% for 2 turns.
2) Aerial Sting.	(15 - 12BP when fully awakened).	A	Spear	Indirect Single Foe Pierce+Sun attack.	Attacks random enemies (3 times) (Only the first attack will activate user's abilities.)
3) Flying Twin Dragons.	(15 - 12BP when fully awakened).	A	Spear	Fast Direct Single Foe Pierce attack.	[Use Limit: 1 time per battle] Before attacking, grants user Impact of Enlightenment (STR)* (Effect permanent in battle). *Impact of Enlightenment (STR) – [When the attack hits] Recovers own HP (very small effect). Recovers own BP (+1). Grants oneself Attack Boost 10% for 2 turns. Increase own STR 5%.

Hannibal can used to help clear the Megalith Dragon Remembrance Battle for Spears, though his Passive 1 is RNG based.
Can inherit Dragon Spear Cross from his previous style for an additional chance to activate his Passive 1.
3b) Georg [Something to Protect] is a Sword tank.

Passive	Description
1) Things to Protect.	[When being attacked] Grants all surviving allies Defense Boost 10% for 1 turn. Grants all surviving allies Slash Defense Boost 10% for 1 turn. Grants all surviving allies Blunt Defense Boost 10% for 1 turn. Grants all surviving allies Pierce Defense Boost 10% for 1 turn. [When landing an attack with an Attack type skill/spell] Activates Attack & Defend+ (Each activates using skill Rank 1).
2) Super Scrum Guard.	When being attacked, reduce damage taken by 30%. [When all allies are still surviving] Increases attack damage for all allies 10%. Reduces damage for all allies (30%).
3) Ironwall Defense VII.	When attacked, damage will be reduced 50%.

Skill	BP/LP	Power	Spell Weapon	Damage Type	Description
1) Brusque Slice+.	(2 - 1BP when fully awakened).	C	Sword	Direct Single Foe Slash attack.	The user enters a taunt stance (small effect) for 4 turns. Grants the user Guard Up 12% for 3 turns.
2) Attack & Defend+.	(8 - 6BP when fully awakened).	A	Sword	Direct Single Foe Slash attack.	Grants the user Guard Up 25% for 2 turns. Grants all surviving allies Defense Boost 15% for 2 turn.
3) Holy Guardian.	(13 - 10BP when fully awakened).		Sword	Support Self.	[Use Limit: 1 time per battle]. Grants user Knowledge of Protection II* (Effect permanent in battle). Has oneself enter a taunt stance (medium effect) (Effect permanent in battle). * Knowledge of Protection II – [When an ally is being attacked] Takes an ally's place in being attacked, and reduces the damage (high chance). [When being attacked] Increases all surviving allies’ DEX/INT 15%.

Being a Sword cover tank in current meta, I do not see how one can fit Georg into a party, unless one is just starting out and do not have much options.
Even in the current Remembrance Battles, having a cover tank will often screw up the fight, and for similar styles like Fake Robin, that is because we do not have other better options in S.Sword pool……
4b) Tambora [Time to Put My Frill Up!] is an Axe tank.

Passive	Description
1) Salamander’s Pride.	[Start of round] Grants oneself Max BP Increase (Increase: 10/5 turns) [When attacking] Recovers own BP (50% chance/+10) [When Ignition Drive hits] Grants oneself Elemental Enhance (Slash) 50%, Elemental Enhance (Heat) 50%. (Max limit: 3 times in battle)
2)	Start of battle. recovers own BP (+3). Start of turn increases own STEND/DEX/AGI/INT/WIL/LOV/CHA 15%.
3) Intrinsic Axe IV.	When attacking with axes, attack damage increases 20%. When attacked by an attack that would cause Resist, reduces damage taken by 40%. When attacked by an attack that would cause Resist, 37% to evade enemy’s attack.

Skill	BP/LP	Power	Spell Weapon	Damage Type	Description
1)	(1 - 0BP when fully awakened).	E	Axe	Direct Single Foe Slash+Blunt attack.	E powered Direct Single Foe Slash+Blunt attack.
2) Blaze Enchantment.	(4 - 3BP when fully awakened).		Heat	Support Self.	[Use Limit: 1 time per battle]. Grants user Flame Cloaked Axe* (Effect permanent in battle). * Cloaked Axe – [When Ignition Drive hits] Activates Ignition Drive (50% chance) (Activates using skill Rank 1)
3) Ignition Drive.	(16 - 13BP when fully awakened).	SSSS	Axe	Direct Single Foe Slash+Heat attack.	Before attacking, grants user Attack Boost (20% - 25% at max rank 99) for 1 turn.

Tambora is really about trying to activate his Skill 3 – Ignition Drive over and over again lol. Theoretically, Tambora can help to clear the current Remembrance Battle?
More of a fun to have style.
Overall, Final Emperor’s banner provides slightly higher value. Final Emperor, Final Empress and Azami were used to clear Seven Heroes in JP version, when this Super Boss was first released, but if one is not aiming to clear on release, then can hold and see what comes next.
(Note**I apologize in advance if there are any errors. Please point them out in the comments and I will amend accordingly)
(My YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9z27AwCtB8en_aFEVJ7plQ)

Basically, there have been tests on seeing whether non-Newtonian fluids, such as shear thickening fluid, could create body armor that is more resistant to bullets and the damage they cause. The way these fluids or fabrics work is that they are flexible when dealing with low velocity objects but harden upon impact with high velocity or highly forceful objects. As such, it is a form of flexible body armor that, ideally, can be flexible as well as light when moving around but harden and mitigate bullets. Basically a sort of body armor version of Dune personal shields (but which can stop melee weapons as well).
But what would that look like if it was fully produced? I ask because I'm engaging in a world-building project and I would like to figure out the aesthetics. Thanks for the help!

Okay so I had an idea for a fanfic which i wanna write, on which I would like feedback. First time writing and posting here, so apologies for any rule-violations. Here is the write-up I did to work out the concept, would love the feedback on the ideas contained within.
Basically the premise is very simple: The Lannisters fight on. Loren I escapes the Field of Fire with a small bodyguard. Evading the patrols of the exhausted Targaryen patrols, Balerion and Meraxys,[1] he arrives in Silverhill. Loren surveys his options and decides to gamble a continuation of the war, sending out feelers towards the Reach, the North and Dorne to build a grand coalition to halt the expanding Targaryens through a joint alliance. More interestingly, some ships of the Golden Lion are sailing across the Narrow Sea, to gain new allies. For the immediate future, Loren is building up his forces. House Lannister and the Westerlands had committed only a first wave mobilisation to the Field of Fire, convinced it was enough. Casterly Rock thus still has vast reserves of men, money and steel, but is in a precarious position. Its nobility, both Knights and Lords have suffered heavy losses in the field. Its men-at-arms suffered similarly, but the castles of the West are still garrisoned and already preparations to resist the Targaryens and retrain its armies are under way. The West is hunkering down and rebuilding its strength for a second round, if they get the time.[2]
In the centre of Westeros, the Targaryens are victorious. Where once the united armies of two kingdoms opposed them, now only ash and bones litter the fields. Four Kingdoms have been subjugated and the Targaryens seem to be on the cusp of total victory. However, beneath the glory of victory, there are many problems. The Field of Fire was closer than most realised at the time, or later. The charge of the Kings of the West had shattered Aegon’s army before his dragons turned the tide. Loses among the infantry and knights were heavy. Even the dragons and dragon riders did not emerge unscathed, Visenya suffering a nasty wound to the shoulder. An unlucky strike eliminated Lord Mooton, the nominal commander, creating confusion which allowed Loren to escape.[3] With his escape, the Targaryen victory is incomplete. Their armies are also in a perilous condition, but victorious. The combined Riverlander and what would become Crownlander armies have lost a thousand men, mainly among their men-at-arms. Their means are not exhausted: the Tully’s mainly are raising new forces near Riverrun, but the conquest was bloody across both regions and, even before the war, there are limits to their resources. In the East the Arryns are raising their forces and coming from the Vale, and the armies of the Stormlords are slowly rebuild from the Last Storm. However, both regions are recently conquered and not exactly enthusiastic subjects to fight for their new overlords.
The first priority for them will be securing the Reach and trying to subjugate the Lannisters. The Targaryen victory at the newly dubbed Field of Fire has shattered the unity of the largest kingdom in Westeros. House Gardener is extinct. Houses Peake, Crane, Rowen and Fossoway lost their lords on the Field of Fire.[4] In addition, House Footly, Fossoway and Blackbar have their lords or heirs taken captive by the victorious Targaryens.[[5]](#_ftn5) However, the Reach is not done. In the south, House Hightower remains uncommitted, while the Houses Florent, Tarly and the new lord Peake are rallying new forces south of Highgarden, with Oakheart consolidating some remnants of the Field of Fire east of Goldengrove. However, all eyes now are on Highgarden, where the steward of House Gardener, Harlan Tyrell, sits. Which way will he lead the capital of the Reach and will the disunited houses of the Reach follow this "upjumped steward" or chose their own paths.
However, other problems are arising for the kingdom of the Dragon. In the South the Dornish have mobilised their armies in the passes. Apart from raiding the Stormlands, their 30.000 spears are uncommitted and fresh. House Martell has many options and uncertainty. The big question remains how much of a threat the seemingly invincible Targaryens are to Dornish independence? However, allying against them does not only mean having to face the fearful dragonflames which just shattered the Reach, but also joining with their historical enemies the Marcher Lords. Princess Meria Martell might choose to keep her armies at home and let the Andals fight it out among themselves. After all, Dorne has neither bowed, bent or been broken…..yet.
Other players face difficult choices. As the Field of Fire was fought, the Northern muster finishes at Moat Cailin. Now thirty thousand Northmen are crossing the Neck, preparing to join the fray. However, their intentions are unclear. Torrhen is leading the largest Northern army in generations and seems clearly on the warpath. In contrast to some Dornish, Torrhen has no illusions that his kingdoms might be left alone by the Targaryens. His spymaster and bastard brother, Brandon Snow, had closely observed the progress of the Targaryens and updated him constantly. Now at Greywater watch, he receives the first rapports of the Field of Fire.[6] Stark has the option to try and smash the Arryns, using the chaos to make gains on his traditional rivals and strengthen his position by seizing strategic positions. In general, Torrhen remains focussed on the bigger picture: how can he guarantee the survival and best future for the North, with his lords and retainers split on the issue.
The Iron Islands might be the only region in Westeros where the Targaryens are not the primary focus. With the death of Harren the Black and the extinction of House Hoare the Crown of the Isles has no bearer and not even the illusion of a line of succession. Combined with their loses against Aegon and when the Riverlands rose against them, the Iron Islands have little strengthen left and squander most of their remaining power to infighting. House Volmark, House Greyjoy, Drowned priest Lodos and two branches of house Goodbrother are all claiming the crown and the civil war is vicious. For now, no clear victor is emerging and the Iron Islands remain turned inwards, but the mainlanders have not forgotten the threat the Ironborn represent and even now, both House Lannister and House Targaryen have send secret ambassadors to talk to the fighting powers.
Finally in Essos, the Free cities are concerned. The memory of the Valyrian Freehold has not yet disappeared, for good and for ill. For now, Volantis power has been shattered during the century of Blood and the Eldest Daughter of Valyria is licking its wounds, but still holds significant lands in what would soon become the Disputed Lands. Lys and Myr are still recovering from war and Volente occupation and form a loose alliance with the new naval power of Tyrosh, which is beginning to flex its maritime muscle in the Narrow Sea, including against the now unprotected Velaryon trade networks. Further north, Pentos is no friend of the Targaryens or fan of dragons, but has not turned hostile, contending itself with trade and banking. That can not be said from the last Free City here, Braavos. It held a long animosity and does not trust the Targaryens at all. Many factions in the republic have claimed that the last surviving family of Dragonlords will rebuild the Freehold and forms thus an hereditary foe. Braavos ships have already supported the Arryns against the Targaryen fleet, but its main strength has stayed on the sidelines, as has its financial power. Braavos however is still developing and not yet the maritime titan it has the potential to be. It thus has to be careful, since it can only commit its resources once. Investing in infrastructure and naval ships might be wise, but the ongoing war on Westeros might provide opportunities to strike against this last ancestral foe.[7]
[1] With Visenya wounded Vhagar has no rider.
[2] Okay so this is my theory on the Field of Fire: the West and the Reach were arrogant. Considering the vast armies both regions would raise later, 40.000 men is a very low number for their combined armies. My theory is that Loren and Mern basically took their men-at-arms and whoever they could mobilise and move quickly, having not expected the Riverlands to fall this soon. This would result in a higher proportion of knights, the semi-professional soldiers, and less of the infantry. It would explain the high number of casualties among the household of House Gardener and also the shattering impact of the first attack, being noted as more devastating than most knightly charges in Westeros. This means both kingdoms can mobilise more, but will have now fewer knights than normal and the Reach especially lacks leadership. Also, the 100 Targaryen casualties look like later propaganda to me. No way the infantry took so few losses from a retreat from charging heavy cavalry.
[3] My point of divergence: the death of Lord Mooton, the commander on the ground, throws the Targaryen army into more chaos and ensures they dont organise patrols in time to catch Loren, as they would do in canon.
[4] Only Peake is attested in the sources we do have, but I always felt that those were too few casualties for a dragon attack on the assembled nobility of the Reach.
[5] Also added by me.
[6] Brandon Snow as spy master makes sense to me considering his role in canon.
[7] These dynamics are never in the books, but feel realistic to me. In canon these opportunities to do something were not there, with the rapid Targaryen conquest of almost the entire continent except pirates in the Sisters and Iron Islands and the kingdom furthest from Braavos and Tyrosh, namely Dorne.

Assault Rifles

• Pretty much all AR’s need reworking but AH have acknowledged this or at least the CEO has. Make them all med pen weapons bar liberator (keep this gun as the reminder of how you started, should be the weakest primary but still good for up to diff 5), make them slower firing but really hurt armoured units to distinguish them from smg’s. Speaking of…

Submachine Guns

- Pummeler: this is in a good spot imo, baseline weapon powerful, fun but obvious limitations. - Knight: the one gun I have no idea what to do with TBH - Defender: seems fine too, maybe make it hit even a bit harder than the pummeler as it doesn’t stagger. That’s the trade off. Buffing damage obviously takes into account if AR's are buffed to above where SMG's are right now.

Shotguns

- Punisher: baseline, feels fun to use with obvious limitations, hits hard and has good range, staggers like it should. - Slugger: given the slug nature compared to the other shotguns it should be the most powerful single target shotgun, needs stagger back defo. Fun with a mouse and key but hard to use effectively with controller even before the nerf. - Breaker: restore the mag size to launch number, that’d make it baseline again - Breaker incendiary: baseline, great gun right now super fun - Breaker Spray and Pray: I’ve honestly had no need to use this weapon over incendiary.

Marksman rifles

• Not really my playstyle, good for weakpoints maybe but my aim isn't the best so maybe better damage to non weakpoints too. That or lean into the weak point strength with unique sights that highlight weak points specially, maybe even see through fog and blizzard/sand storms.

Explosive

- Eruptor: This gun felt really fun and I reckon baseline at launch bar too many mags which may be an actually good nerf balance wise, I never knew about any exploits myself until after nerf but using this with a stalwart had me smiling. Defo keep its bug nest, fabricator clearing ability. Restore its glory! - Crossbow: this puzzled me and was the breaking point for me personally regarding AH’s approach to balance because I thought it needed a buff to compete with the eruptor yet it was nerfed. Should do big damage, basically one shot single med pen targets or spewers on direct hits. Treat more like a specialised grenade launcher with support stalwart as primary, less splash than grenades but great for chargers asses and stripping legs. Increase power and lower velocity I think, make it a skill based weapon. Have it close holes and fabricators and open crates. - Jar 5 dominator: baseline honestly, needs more patience than other shotguns when using to shine due to handling but it does. Let it open crates atleast.
- Punisher Plasma: I need to try it out more but I hear good things post buff, could be baseline. Should atleast open crates but maybe not close holes and fabricators idk - Blitzer: so close to baseline, maybe the arc inconsistencies and the upgrade to chained target applying to it also could get it there. - Scythe: all I can say is with a controller, it’s no fun, hear mixed opinions with mouse and key - Sickle: honestly on cold planets, baseline choice and the ammo debuff doesn’t hurt it there. Outside cold planets it gets tricky but I think that should be it’s unique selling point. - Scorcher: right now, pretty much there baseline wise. - Purifier: Dead on arrival, could be as much fun as launch eruptor if reworked in an interesting way.

Secondary Weapons

- Peacemaker: with a laser sight compared to redeemer I think it’s fair to stay, mainly for ballistic shield builds it has use but also like the liberator reminds you where you started. - Redeemer: single shot, this gun still beats the new verdict IMO for DPS. Baseline on that alone. Fun to spray in a pinch but mag count balances it. Lacks laser sight for First Person Ballistic Shield tho which is a shame. - Senator: Good baseline now it has a speed loader, not a fan of the sights or reticle though but thats me. Also hard to use in First Person with ballistic shield. -Dagger: Like the scythe maybe with mouse and key, better aim, its great for weakpoints on bots but i don't have any fun with it myself. - Verdict: More mags and the laser sight could make it a good Ballistic Shield gun if using in First Person but I also feel just adding med pen armour would just tip it to a baseline choice.

Grenades

• My only beef here is now the Thermite grenade, it doesn't stick most of the time and like others have said, if it lowered armour pen needed for that area after its explosion it'd be a very cool strategy for big targets, soften them up then unload an MG into the area.

Armour Passives

Rather than individual armours I wanna talk about the passives and what new ones could replace the abundance of identical ones.
- Democracy Protects: 50% less chance of getting killed by lethal damage and prevents bleeding from chest haemorrhages. First part is interesting but second part never really noticed myself, fine but perhaps could just be 50% less chance of getting killed by lethal damage and 25% chance for limbs to not break*.* Making this a 'Luck' Style armour.
- Engineering Kit: Reduces recoil while crouching or laying down by 30% and increases grenade capacity by 2. At the moment apparently this effects all recoil regardless of crouching or laying down, which honestly should remain. make it Reduces recoil by 30% and increases grenade capacity by 2. Baseline!
- Extra Padding: Increases Armor Rating. A baseline for new players.
- Fortified: Reduces recoil while crouching or laying down by 30% while granting 50% resistance to explosions. I would change to perhaps Reduce Flinching effect by 30% when crouching or prone while granting 50% resistance to explosions.
- Med Kit: Increases Stim capacity by 2 and increases their duration by two seconds. Baseline, very good passive buffs.
- Servo-Assisted: Increases grenade throwing range by 30% and adds 50% bonus to limb health. Instead of Limb Health, I think the whole passive should be Increases grenade throwing range by 30% and support weapons reloads by 15%
- Scout: Markers placed on maps scan the area every two seconds, reduces enemy detection by 30% Honestly our go to armour right now, baseline, whether because it's working as intended or not.
- Electrical Conduit: 95 percent resistance to arc damage. Almost there honestly but I think adding a secondary would make it more fun, like 95% resistance to arc damage and increase Fire rate of arc based weaponry by 10%

Suggestions for other passives for existing/ future armours

- Feel the Burn: Take 80% less Fire Damage from all sources, movement speed increased while on fire by 20% I could see some intentional self immolation to quickly speed grab samples, finish artillery loading in fire tornados or make an escape from a large group, also a good counter to the Hulk Scorcher. Risk vs Reward.
- Artic Explorer: Reduce movement penalty in deep snow and during blizzard hazards by 50%. More Traction on Ice. I considered maybe giving a reduce detection buff instead but I'd rather just have a scout armour with polar colours.
- Geologist: Samples appear marked on the main map when in 50 metre proximity and sample outlines can be seen through terrain at 25 metres. Shows outlines of dropped sample containers too within 25 metres. When ya hunting specifically for samples this would be a handy set for one diver to bring. Like with scout the marking on map doesn't apply squad wide and would show as blinking dots representing their rarity, green/orange/purple. Could also have a hidden buff that audibly warns being in a meteor shower impact zone.
- Flexible Shoulder Pads: Increase solo reload speed for backpack weapons by 30% and increase melee damage by 50% The main draw here is obviously the first buff, it wouldn't affect non backpack support weapons like the railgun or AMR (The Servo-Assisted reload buff I suggested covers those but less of a buff) but Spear, Airburst, Autocannon, Recoilless etc.
- Analyst: Highlights mission critical objects of interest in 50m proximity through terrain. Enemies and patrols temporarily show as red outlines through terrain when pinged. This is similar to the Geologist perks but instead of samples showing through terrain, terminals/ssd's/launch codes, artillery warheads, valve icons show from further away. Enemies also pulse three times (per 1.5 seconds) allowing you or perhaps even your whole team to get a better view. Extra hidden buff, see outlines of team mates when dropping in.
What do you guys think? It’s pretty clear now that trying to do this monthly content is just not working out, more issues than wins overall not to mention the longer this goes on the more intimidating it is for new players coming in having to spend thousands of super credits to just access the bonds and if they shortcut with real money are gonna feel let down with the lacklustre feeling of weapons and uninteresting new armour as they are now.
The latest war bond seems to be ignoring the last balance update numbers before it, which gives the impression things are too rushed as they are now. so the tenderiser (which doesn't even match the trailer colour wise) and purifier are pretty much dead on arrival. The Verdict feels underpowered with light pen now the senator has a speed loader etc
If this goes on we’re just gonna get more new weapons and armour that seem superfluous and often worse than existing launch weapons with more on the way before existing ones are properly fixed. Bear in mind a lot of players aren’t grinding for these bonds but again paying for them.
I think instead (if possible with Sony terms) the next 3 month gap between bonds should really work over issues with some existing armours and weapons, with interesting effects and unique elements that let them stand out. I think it would be easier holding back new content and releasing it in a massive dump too because the heavy users will unlock them immediately and bring to attention any issues needing a quick fix before the rest of the player base get their first impression spoiled.
The arc resistance to armour was the only real interesting post launch armour passive and it didn't even cover all Weights. Each war bond if remaining as monthly at the very least should introduce a new fun passive effect. Like others have said the Polar Bond giving an armour passive specific to snow planets with a secondary buff to run on ice without slipping would have been a lot more interesting.
The focus of balance now should be no nerfs, only buffs. The best weapons right now are the only fun ones to use ATM, none feel overpowered so make them the baseline.

Hi all, not sure where to best ask this question on Reddit. Hoping this NHS group can answer or point me in the right direction!
I own and operate an NHS partner company, we supply temporary staff across England, Wales and Scotland, we are a Tier 1 supplier and have been a partner since 2015 on all National Clinical Frameworks.
The mission and purpose of the company is to eradicate profiteering agencies supplying staff to the NHS either at exterminate rates on the suppliers chain or off-framework which means out of contract.
That being said, to achieve the mission I needed to invest several million pounds in developing technology to achieve this (happy to explain to anyone curious about business in general!)
So I sought investment from the private market, Family Offices/VC's etc. BUT something didn't and still doesn't feel right, building a company in a public sector is good if it economically impacts the market for the better but that also results in profits and ultimately a value company, I don't feel totally comfortable with operating this model and the workforce of the NHS not co-owning part of this business.
SO... my question, would anyone know where I can open a conversation to explore how this could be possible and seeing who would be interested in co-owning the company with me? Imagine it as me democratising my own company!
I would love to hear anyones thoughts (apologies if it is not appropriate for this community!)

I just recently finished Ghosts of Saltmarsh from 1-13 on a straight (no multi-class) Reborn Aberrant Mind Sorcerer and thought some might find my experiences useful when deciding on whether to play one or not. I'll toss my final spell list below as that's one of the more important things in differentiating sorcerers and other full casters from one another, but feel free to skip as I talk about the notable options below.
Cantrips:

• Fire Bolt
• Minor Illusion
• Light
• Mage Hand
• Mind Sliver (Psionic)
• Prestidigitation
• Mending

Level 1 Spells:

• Absorb Elements
• Mage Armor
• Shield
• Disguise Self (Shadow Touched)
• Dissonant Whispers (Psionic)
• Hex (Psionic)

Level 2 Spells:

• Scorching Ray
• Web
• Invisibility (Shadow Touched)
• Tasha’s Mind Whip (Psionic)
• Suggestion (Psionic)

Level 3 Spells:

• Fireball
• Fear
• Enemies Abound (Psionic)
• Sending (Psionic)

Level 4 Spells:

• Dimension Door
• Polymorph
• Evard’s Black Tentacles (Psionic)
• Summon Aberration (Psionic)

Level 5 Spells:

• Wall of Stone
• Synaptic Static
• Modify Memory (Psionic)
• Telekinesis (Psionic)

Level 6 Spells:

• Disintegrate

Level 7 Spells:

• Teleport

Metamagics:

• Careful Spell
• Twinned Spell
• Heightened Spell

How it handled

The Good

• Dissonant Whispers is crazy good. It's not great damage on its own, but using it to trigger opportunity attacks and saving allies from damage was clutch in a lot of occasions. It'll even get you out of a grapple which worked out for me a couple of times. I used it almost as often as Shield.
• Tasha's Mind Whip is situational, but that situation comes up a fair amount. It's an easyish to land spell that does ok damage, but can cost certain enemies a turn assuming your allies don't just run up to that particular enemy instead of targeting something else for the round. No, I'm not bitter that that happened repeatedly. Still, it's a good control/blast when you're concentrating on something else and Twinning it was something that happened often.
• Fireball almost feels like it's not worth mentioning, similar to how I won't go into just normally good spells like Web. I'm tossing it out here though because it sometimes gets a bad reputation from optimizers beyond level 8 or so where the damage impact drops off. What I'll say is that while the impact of a single Fireball does drop off, you do get a whole lot more spells slots to drop them with and multiple Fireballs stack up the damage fast. And you can make your allies auto succeed on saving throws. My Shield Master Fighter and Rogue got a lot of Fireballs dropped on their heads that they didn't even have to roll to save on thanks to Careful Spell.
• Dimension Door. OMG Dimension Door. This has officially entered my "If you can take Dimension Door, you take Dimension Door." status. The Warlock and I got into a really bad spot, completely surrounded by big enemies. I was low on initiative, but we survived long enough for my turn to come around and then... everything was just fine. The final fight I popped 3 Dimension Doors that allowed the Druid and I to catch the escaping underwater big bad, get myself eaten by them, retrieve the exploded remains of our digested Warlock from inside of it, and Dimension door back out with an armful of his guts so that we could resurrect him. Our Sun Beaming Giant Octopus Druid caught him because he took the time to eat me and was able to finish him off.
• Evard's Black Tentacles came up a few times, and with that encounter that Dimension Door got the Warlock and I out of a bad situation, I was able to turn around and drop that on the horde of enemies coming back at us. The auto damage adds up over time, the restrained condition is amazing, and it got us through what would otherwise have been a really bad fight as one player didn't show and 2 PC's got chain stunned. It does damage, it locks down enemies, it makes them easier to hit, and makes them have a hard time hitting you. Especially in tighter quarters this was a game changer.
• Summon Aberration was the go-to I-just-need-to-deal-damage-over-multiple-encounters spell. Lasts an hour, can do range, and upcasts amazingly well. A must have.
• Telekinesis was one I almost got rid of when I was mapping out my spell list initially. I am crazy glad I didn't. The key thing is that it's not a Saving Throw for the enemies. It's an ability check. That means that legendary resistances don't mean squat. In one fight against two major bad things, I basically force choked one to the ceiling where it couldn't do anything while the rest of the team worked down the first, then they just ranged down the one that couldn't escape my mind grapple. In the final fight I held one of the big bads stationary inside of a Blade Barrier, and a big part of why the remaining bads ran was because once my turn came again I was going to mentally grapple them and do the same. This is a really big answer to the question of how to deal with Legendary Resistances.

The Mid

• Fear + Careful Spell is really good... when the opportunity comes up. When it did it changed combats and even straight up ended an encounter with 10 corrupt guards who all failed the saving throw. I was surprised to note that the opportunities weren't as many as you'd think. Having enemies run away isn't always the best thing for you, even if you can freely cast it over your allies. Many times Concentration was used on something else which was just better or more flexible for the situation. I was still glad to have it in my pocket though.
• Enemies Abound, Twin Cast, was awesome when it came up. It's most useful when there are 4-5 biggish enemies in a good enough position to where the two you target will most likely attack the others. Being able to turn 2 against the others is a tide turner that you need Twinned Spell to accomplish. The mid part is that that perfect situation doesn't come up as often as I'd thought it might. It was huge and memorable when it did, and I'd take it again, but I didn't get to use it as much as I'd have thought. I could see it coming up more actually in a campaign that was a little more Role Play heavy.
• Wall of Stone oddly never really came up as the go-to move to separate enemies. Instead I used it to bury a portal to hell under a 5' thick slab of stone and halted the retreat of a bad guy. So utility wise it was amazing as we didn't otherwise have answers to those problems. It was just that the normal use case scenarios didn't really come up or I had better options. Would still absolutely take it again, maybe even over a Force Wall as the utility of being able to make it permanent was clutch.
• Disintegrate I got late so I didn't have a ton of opportunities to use it, but as a Sorcerer I had two things over anyone else using this. In the fight where I force choked one of two big bads to the ceiling, I'd first gone in heavy and Twin Cast Disintegrate on both of them hitting for over 70 damage which was major in that fight. I also had the ability to impose disadvantage on a check against a single target. Lastly, just knowing I had the ability to obliterate a 10' cube (or 20' with Twin) of anything was a comfort even though the situation didn't come up. I originally just looked at it as a damage spell, but having that destructive utility was really nice.

The Disappointing

• Hex + Scorching Ray was supposed to be my big boss nova option. Takes a round to set up, but upcasting Scorching Ray for 3d6 extra damage per upcast seemed like a solid option. Unfortunately chunks of the campaign were underwater where fire wasn't great, and when bosses did show up my concentration was generally tied up on other options and they didn't have enough health that it was worth transitioning over to this combo. The couple of times I tried it I missed on some bolts so it wasn't as impactful as I'd hoped. I never really got to showcase this and it took 2 spells selections and would cost a round. I might try it again in a campaign where water didn't make it a bad option, but I could easily see myself looking for a different damage option too.
• I had such dreams around Modify Memory on this build. Free Subtle spell by casting with sorcery points instead of a spell slot, then Heightened Spell to impose disadvantage on the saving throw. Sadly, by the time I got it, the opportunity just never came up. I still think it has amazing potential behind it, but my DM for this campaign is more RP light.

Thoughts on the subclass

I like to spread myself out to experience different subclasses, but Aberrant Mind is one I'd absolutely try to play again, especially in a more RP heavy campaign (ideally in one without so much underwater and psychic resistance). It's just that good. It's got a lot of solid options that can be used creatively in different ways, and a good enough mix of Concentration and non-Concentration spells with some that last a good while that I'd run low but not be out of spell slots at the end of most adventuring days which is a good balance to hit.
With regard to the Metamagic/Sorcery points... I picked my metamagics carefully based around the spell selections I was planning on. Careful Spell, even though it didn't stop all damage, was still useful. It made dropping Fireballs and Synaptic Static on the party a solution worth entertaining and highly valuable in a lot of circumstances. For Fear it made the spell usable in a lot of extra situations. Twin Spell is every bit as good as it looks on the tin. Twinning Dissonant Whispers for 1 sorcery point is massive value.
Being able to trade in sorcery points for spells kept me able to keep the cost of casting Shield reasonable, and in the late game I was getting back high level spells when they were most important (triple Dimension Dooring in one fight). Being able to cast some spells for straight sorcery points as a subclass feature got used a lot and was a great savings on both sorcery points and spell slots. It also let me subtle cast psionic spells for free as well as adding another metamagic into them. It helped that I had a Bloodwell Vial to get 5 points back on a short rest.
I'll say that coming from classes that were more specialized in single target damage (or could at least do well with it), I did at times feel the lack of it here. Hex + Scorching Ray were supposed to fill that requirement but it just didn't play out like I'd hoped. I had moments of it, like twinning (and landing) Disintegrate, and the Summon Aberration spell eventually helped, but I wasn't ever really even in competition for star of the show for single target damage and that was new for me. All of the utility, control, and AoE blasting made up for it though.
My one real complaint is how stingy the game is with Metamagics. Going through most of the game with just 2, fun as they were, felt very meh. I had to choose the absolute top options for my spell list, which meant that more niche options were never in real consideration. Being able to Transmute my spells or hit them with Distant metamagic on occasion would have felt great, still used my resources, and not broken the game. Sorcerers should definitely get 2 more at level 6 or 7, then 2 instead of 1 at level 10 to really make them masters of their magic.
Finally, I'll say that while other classes excelled in combats that were chained back to back or more medium encounters, I really felt that this build shined the most when things were at their worst. I had answers to problems that no one else did and creative use of those solutions kept us from TPKs and even rescued (the dead body of) one of our teammates who otherwise would have lost their character at the apex of the campaign. I may not have always been the highest DPR contributor of a fight (although I did hit that mark on occasion), but I pulled asses out of bad situations regularly and changed how a lot of fights played out.

https://youtu.be/331rhOPcN8k
Learning objectives: develop skills in understanding vocabulary in context, reading for specific information, making inferences, and giving a personal reaction to a reading.
Do you believe pets reflect the personalities of their owners, or do they develop their own unique traits?
What's the most unexpected or amusing behavior your pet has ever exhibited?"
If your pet could suddenly talk for one day, what's the first question you'd ask them?
Before reading the passage, reflect on your own experiences with pets or animals. Consider the role they play in your life and the emotions they evoke. Share a brief anecdote or memory about a pet or animal that has had a significant impact on you.
What's the funniest thing your pet has ever done?
What do you think are some of the biggest joys and challenges of having pets?
Are there any specific pet breeds or species that you've always been fascinated by or curious about? Why?
The Unbreakable Bond
A Reflection on the Furry Family
In the ethereal backdrop of time, in a home saturated with affection and an unbreakable union, your loyal four-legged companion has traversed a journey brimming with moments that will never fade. Together, you've shared adventures that defy oblivion, laughter that resonates through eternity, and a bond that transcends all adversities. With each walk, with each playful moment, with every instance of care, the connection between you has strengthened, weaving a tapestry of love and loyalty.
Yet now, as he faces the challenges of health fragility, yearning for human warmth and support like never before, the harsh reality looms. Will the affection you shared be replaced by the coldness of a cage? Will the care and dedication be relegated to the solitude of imprisonment?
Don't let the mere word "hospitalization" obscure the truth inherent in abandonment and desolation. Don't let financial greed or automated indifference dictate your choices. Your pet is more than just a mere pet; he is a beloved member of your family, an intrinsic part of your existence. He deserves all the love and affection, especially in the most arduous times.
Love him tirelessly. Stand by his side, offering the comfort and security he longs for. Don't let the prison (disguised as 'hospitalization') overshadow the freedom and warmth of the home he has always known. Honor the bond you've built together and let love be the foundation that sustains you, even in the darkest of times.
May this story lead us to reflect on the importance of cherishing the presence of our furry friends, granting them the love and dedication they so abundantly deserve. May it inspire us to reject the idea of abandonment, opting instead for the path of empathy and solicitude. After all, true love knows no bounds and transcends beyond time and circumstances.
P.S. This story serves as a poignant reminder to readers to remain vigilant against the unchecked greed of veterinary clinics that prioritize profit over the well-being of our beloved companions during their moments of fragility, agony, and pain. Let us advocate for ethical and compassionate care for all animals, ensuring that they receive the love and support they deserve in their time of need.
VOCABULARY
Ethereal Extremely delicate and light in a way that seems not to be of this world.
Defy To resist or challenge the concept of forgetting or being overlooked.
Oblivion The state of being forgotten or ignored.
Harsh Severe or unkind, often referring to a difficult reality or circumstance.
Looms To appear imminent or threatening, often in a large or overwhelming manner.
Greed Excessive desire for wealth or possessions, particularly when prioritized over the well-being of others.
Fragility The quality of being delicate or easily broken.
Adversities Difficulties or misfortune.
Unbridled Not controlled or restrained.
Solitude The state or situation of being alone.
Desolation A state of complete emptiness or destruction.
Abundantly In large quantities; plentifully.
Solicitude Care or concern for someone's well-being.
A Answer the following questions.

1. What kind of connection does the passage emphasize between the pet and its owner?

A) A connection based on fear and control.
B) A bond of love and loyalty that strengthens over time.
C) A relationship marked by indifference and neglect.

1. Why does the passage caution against the word "hospitalization"?

A) Because it suggests the pet needs medical attention.
B) Because it may lead to financial strain.
C) Because it may mask the reality of abandonment and isolation.

1. What is the main message conveyed in the passage?

A) Pets should be kept in cages for their safety.
B) Owners should prioritize their pet's well-being and not let greed dictate their decisions.
C) Pets are disposable and can be replaced easily.
B Check ✅ True or False. The passage suggests that pets should be treated as disposable and easily replaceable.

1. ⬜ True ⬜ FalseThe author encourages readers to prioritize their pet's well-being over financial considerations.
2. ⬜ True ⬜ False According to the passage, the word "hospitalization" may hide the truth of abandonment and isolation.
3. ⬜ True ⬜ False The passage implies that pets are solely responsible for their own well-being and do not require human care and affection.
4. ⬜ True ⬜ False The main message conveyed in the passage is that financial greed should dictate decisions regarding a pet's care.

This is my current Top 8, and why I think the Spurs would or wouldn’t draft each of them:
Zaccharie Risacher
Why?
We need shooting, and we need defense, and he probably brings the best combination of those things in this draft.
Why not?
He doesn't bring much playmaking, which is arguably the biggest need of ours. I am pretty confident we can fill that need elsewhere, but it is a concern.
He also had a really cold stretch about a month ago, it's hard to say how real that was.
Stephon Castle
Why?
Rim protectors like Wemby benefit a lot from defenders that can at least put up resistance on the perimeter, Gobert on the Jazz vs on the Timberwolves, and the Bucks with and without Jrue Holiday being pretty clear recent examples. Castle is a special defender who can guard multiple position, and he's got great feel for the game on both ends, making him a good connective player who should fit in extremely well.
Why not?
His shot is a major question mark. He moves well off ball to hide this, but college teams still tried to sag off of him, he will need to improve his shot a lot to be a good NBA player.
Reed Sheppard
Why?
Sheppard is a special shooter, converting 52% of his 3s last season. That's...absurd. His advanced stats show he leverages his gravity to generate advantages really well, he's a smart player who has impact beyond the stats.
Why not?
He is a 6'3 guard who probably can't play PG on offense since he isn't a great on-ball playmaker or facilitator, but also can't play next to another small guard. He's a smart defender with good hands, but still a really weak on-ball defender.
Nikola Topic
Why?
Arguably the best playmaker in the draft, which is probably our biggest need. He also has things that show he can improve the rest of his game, specifically good 3PA and FT% numbers suggesting he can eventually become a good shooter, and good size for a PG suggesting he can eventually become a passable defender.
Why not?
He is currently a reeeeally bad defender, and perimeter defense was a major concern last year. His 3 point shot is also bad right now and needs to improve a lot for it to not be a liability. He also struggles a bit at creating advantage against really good defenders, that's probably just a byproduct of being a teenager in a professional league, but it's a yellow flag.
Alexander Sarr
Why?
Good luck ever scoring in the paint when you have both Sarr and Wemby in there. He has enough mobility to guard most 4s, and might be able to shoot well enough to space the floor (this is still a little iffy by put definitely has intriguing upside).
Why not?
He's almost definitely going Top 2, so he's likely not available. If he is...something went wrong. Also, he's not #1 on my Spurs' board just because he is best in spots Wemby already fills, so he's pretty redundant.
Rob Dillingham
Why?
Probably the best overall offensive player in the draft. Solid 3-level scorer, can play on or off ball, and is definitely a good passer, even if he's not elite.
Why not?
Probably the worst defensive prospect in the lottery, and that's saying something. He's small, can't navigate screens, often gets lost, he's just bad at pretty much everything, and some of those problems aren't fixable. His defense clearly limits his ceiling.
Ron Holland
Why?
He was the #1 prospect coming into this season. A great combination of size, athleticism, and skill that is hard to find. He had a rough season in the G League, but much of that can be attributed to him being asked to be a primary playmaker when his skillset would look much better as a wing. In a system that doesn't ask him to do too much, and gives him time to keep working on things like his defense and shot making (both of which showed flashes but weren't consistent), he could live up to his earlier hype.
Why not?
The G League exposed a lot of his weaknesses. Most notably, he shot just 28% from 3. That needs to get better for him to function as a real NBA player.
Cody Williams
Why?
Highest ceiling left on the board imo. Great physical tools for a forward, before his injury he looked like a Top 5 Pick with his defense and interior scoring.
Why not?
After his injury, he looked shook. We'd need to check how much he's recovered from that. He's also a really questionable shooter, rarely taking the shot unless he's wide open. This makes him a really iffy fit next to Sochan if he can't fix that.

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Technical Analysis of SoundHound AI, Inc. (Ticker: SOUN)
SoundHound AI, Inc. experienced a significant price movement in its recent trading session dated May 10, 2024, where it closed at $5.09, representing a 7.16% increase. The stock reached a high of $5.97 during the session, suggesting volatility, with a corresponding Relative Strength Index (RSI) of 70 indicating that it may be entering the overbought territory. Despite the daily high, the stock did not break its immediate resistance level at $5.75.
The technical indicators show mixed signals; the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) is currently negative at -0.22 despite the recent bullish price movements. However, the 50-day moving average at $5.394 is currently higher than the 200-day moving average at $3.02, suggesting that the medium-term trend has been positive.
Given these factors, the immediate outlook for the next trading day, May 13, 2024, might lean towards cautious optimism, but the elevated RSI suggests potential for a pullback or consolidation. Over the upcoming week, much will depend on whether the stock can sustain its recent gains and break past the $5.75 resistance level.
Fundamental Analysis and Market Sentiment
Fundamentally, SoundHound AI confronts challenges, reflected in its negative earnings per share (EPS) of -$0.40 and a negative price-to-earnings (PE) ratio of -13.27, indicating that the stock is currently not profitable. The market capitalization of approximately $1.62 billion categorizes it as a mid-cap company, which could appeal to investors looking for growth potential in the AI sector.
Recent news impacting SoundHound AI's market perception includes the CEO's optimistic commentary on the company's performance, reinforcing investor confidence. The broader excitement around AI technology, as indicated in news articles, suggests a positive sentiment around companies like SoundHound AI that are directly involved in developing AI technologies.
Analyst consensus leans towards a 'Buy', with expectations set around a target median price of $7.20. However, it is vital to note the significant gap between the current price and both the year high of $10.25 and the median target.
Intrinsic Value and Investment Potential
While short-term technical indicators show some bullish signals, the intrinsic value based on fundamental analysis appears uncertain due to negative profitability. SoundHound AI's long-term investment appeal would likely hinge on its ability to capitalize on its technological innovations and turn these into viable revenue streams. The August 13, 2024 earnings announcement might offer critical insights into the company’s fiscal health and directional momentum.
Overall Stock Evaluation
Considering the mix of optimistic market sentiment, challenging fundamentals, and current technical position, SoundHound AI, Inc. is categorized as a 'Hold'. The stock shows potential for growth driven by the booming interest in AI technologies but is currently plagued by profitability issues. Investors should monitor future earnings reports and any significant corporate developments closely before increasing their positions.
The week ahead promises to test the resilience of recent price gains, and investors would do well to [...]
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You are fighting against an opponent who possesses powers beyond scientific understanding who can shapeshift into anybody even your relatives and using very persuasive wordings to really make you believe its one of them, so you don't know who your actual target is, plus they do not have a physical body, so you are dealing with something supernatural.

You	Them
Human (Prone to injury)	God tier (Immortal)
Weapon type: Physical (guns, explosives, etc.)	Weapon type: Telepathic / Supernatural
Resistances: It varies	Resistances: Everything

While you only have an arsenal of firearms, sidearms, explosives or missles that only inflict physical damage, they possess the following attributes:

Weaknesses: None, immune to everything you throw at it.

Abilities	Resistances
Rip out your heart (literally) resulting in instant death, so fighting them is hard even with a gun.	Artillery rounds will not do anything, as again they can control its trajectory.
Amputating limbs to let the soldier bleed out, how can you hold a firearm when they cut your hands and feet, meaning you cannot stand.	Explosives do not work too, as they have a forcefield that can withstand such impact, even a nuke will not kill them.
If they get shot in the head by a fighter or about to die, they create clones of themselves.	Tranqulizers will not work, as they are immune to falling asleep, missiles will not work too.
Shapeshift and morph into anybody, so distinguishing from friend or foe is going to be difficult, also possessing mind control.	They can negate night vision, by making the lightining brighter at night to the point of blinding those equipped with NVGs.
Superhuman strength to break all materials, even the toughest metals.	They cannot be chained up, as they can just push everybody back with strong inertia.
Can disable all electronic signals rendering everything relying on power useless, so there is no satellite weapons.	No matter how many rounds of ammunition you use, they will just repel it back against you as they are supernatural.
They can negate all types of damage, bullets, explosions, slashes, arrows, sedation, and etc.	Military tactics will not do anything, as you can't even see the opponent at all.

The opponent attacks from afar without any direct contact with you, you cannot see them at all, using any device for visual aid remains ineffective. Drones, Tanks or any military hardware will not do anything to kill them, so if you decide to use any of them, do not expect them to die instantly, as mentioned they can disable anything electronic, using a nuclear warhead will not kill them, again they will just remain unscathed.
Resorting to using any relgious artifact against them will not do anything, as they are not affiliated with any faith to start off with. They follow up with an attack that causes everything to crush as if you are being squished under a hydraulic press but stronger, despite being inside a tank, fighter jet, aircraft carrier or building, they will all just be crushed with absolute gravity. Flying or ascending upwards into space is impossible or difficult as the gravity is too strong to withstand.
It is you versus an invisible opponent who is basically strong as god (or a demon) that no matter if you used, explosives, missiles, nukes, bullets, or any form of weaponry, it won't die. Basically any trajectory will just phase through, not hitting anything. (Think of the invisible man but he cannot die since he is god and a ghostly apparition, that is basically the type of threat you are dealing with.)