Very fast proxies

a community for people who like to run - very fast

2012.07.04 03:31 reddzeppelin a community for people who like to run - very fast

New sprinters please read the Resource list and FAQ! If you enjoy running really fast, this is the place for you. We are a community composed of coaches and athletes in high school, college, and post-collegiate. We discuss of race tactics, programming concepts, training advice, research in the field as it relates to sprinting, and news around the professional scene.
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2016.01.12 22:16 Bootleg Magic

A place for discussion of a popular collectible card game without the permission or approval of Wizards of the Coast or Hasbro. Alternatives for paper online play, High-quality proxies, Non-sanctioned competition, and more.
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2022.12.07 03:50 Wilnyl A game about running very fast

A game about running very fast
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2024.05.14 20:36 LordXamon Mod guide for vanilla players, now updated for 1.5 [draft]

Let me share my 3000h of modded wisdom with you, my fellow vanilla comrades. My attempt here is to provide you with as many as possible improvements to the base game while keeping the style, balance, and content as vanilla as possible. As they say, when it works the best is when you don't realize it is there. I guarantee you that after playing a few dozen hours with these, you will no longer be able to tell what's vanilla and what's not.
I decided to cut my recommendations onto different types of lists, so it's easier for you. The most purists players can stick with QoL only. Or, even if you're a psychopath purist who doesn't any QoL improvement, you can still use the performance list.
Please, note that a lot of these mods come with options, to tune up your experience. It is recommended you give them a look.
Dependencies:
Performance
Quality of life
Minor changes
Mayor changes
Atmospheric changes
Bonus: comics! And the occasional animation, check the profiles of u/daleksdeservevictory , u/AzulCrescent , u/AetherealVanguard , u/Senseless0 , u/ATTF , u/Aelanna , srgrafo, u/Fonzawa , u/Ivancmedia , u/zyll3 , u/meto30 , u/AeolysScribbles , u/cavalier753 , u/GABESTFY , u/VectorData , u/arxian , u/Nguyenanh2132 , u/sorrowful_dance , u/meto30 , u/-desdinova- , u/truffli
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2024.05.14 12:40 Specialist_Bake6514 Vapiano P3: Italian Food Made in Germany

Vapiano P3: Italian Food Made in Germany
The kitchen is on fire. Welcome to the final part of the Vapiano story where the tables are turning. In the first two episodes we followed Mark Korzilius' journey from setbacks to founding Vapiano, a groundbreaking restaurant concept, highlighting its fresh ingredients, dynamic atmosphere, and data-driven operations that drove rapid success. While achieving initial profitability and garnering attention from industry giants like McDonald's, Vapiano's global expansion has led to stellar revenue growth. However, it has also resulted in the emergence of numerous side projects (or distractions), operational challenges, increased costs, significant investments, and a notable accumulation of debt. This underscores the prioritization of top-line growth over profitable growth. We will continue on this thread and see how the story ends, but I would encourage you to read part one and two for better context. Vapiano P1: Italian Food Made in Germany (substack.com). Let's dig in.
Before Going Public
We are now in 2015 and the year is a disaster for Vapiano's PR department. Employee time stamps are being manipulated, endless overtime for employees and high turnover in managerial roles are reported; mice in the kitchen and even rotten food allegedly found.
The company is confronted with allegations of exceeding working hours among trainees in an article published by Welt am Sonntag, while the same outlet accuses Vapiano of manipulating punch times. The auditing firm PwC is commissioned to investigate the allegations and finds that there is no systematic approach but rather misconduct by individual employees, a mistake that’s being corrected. Internal however, investigations into stamp times are carried out regularly now and beyond its obvious reputational impact, this sucks up valuable management time and attention.
In the summer of 2015 CEO, co-founder and investor Gregor Gerlach, who has been running the group since 2011 is stepping down and Jochen Halfmann is taking over. A new Vapiano People Program with an App is being developed with the aim to better interact with customers that will incorporate innovate features such as mobile pay. The German website sees a launch of new magazine to further promote the brand and there is now a full inhouse blogger and Instagram team being installed. In October the company buys seven restaurants from original co-founder, former co-investor and ex-president previously responsible for internation expansion Kent Hahne (2x Bonn, 3x Cologne, 1x Koblenz and one in Cologne that’s under construction). This package of Vapiano restaurants is very successful and generates net sales of more than 20 million euros in 2014. Hahne opened his first Vapiano restaurant in Cologne in August 2006 and in 2015 with his company apeiron AG, Hahne operates six L'Osteria franchise restaurants, a direct Vapiano competitor, and two self-owned restaurants GinYuu.
Then in November of 2015, the next public relations bomb goes off with allegations regarding the company's quality standards. The company immediately investigates the issue through internal and external specialists but finds no evidence of any quality issues. Nevertheless, knowing that the group is now being closely watched, the company’s already in place hygiene standards are being reinforced. Additional audits and inspections are performed nationally. Further, all Vapianos worldwide are being audited twice by the partners SGS Institut Fresenius and SAI Global. Auditing software is purchased to simplify the implementation of the audits and the resulting measures. Apart from the external examinations, there is a food sampling plan in place being performed continuously. Again, all of this sucks up costs, management time and attention. With all these tumultuous developments the company’s growth engine is undeterred. Revenue grows by a whopping 50 million euros to 202 million euros, an increase of 33%. Impressive. While average spent per customer increases in all countries, the number of customers per day in Germany decreases by 3.3% partially due to the negative press towards the end of the year. Five own, four JV and 19 new franchise restaurants are added that year to the group, the total number of own managed restaurants grows to 51, there are 31 JVs and 84 franchises which bringing the total to 166 Vapiano restaurants. Global restaurant sales are now above 400 million euros.
But while revenue grows by an astronomical 50 million euros, operating profits, alarmingly, shrink again. Gross margins are staying perfectly healthy above 75% but operating costs keep growing disproportionately fast. The Company’s outstanding debt jumps by almost 30 million, close to 85 million euros by the end of the year. With operating profits at 9.5 million euros, alarm bells should be going off right now.
In Q4 of 2015, new CEO Jochen Halfmann introduces Strategy 2020. The new strategy includes five essential points. One, profitable growth in the newly defined core markets of Germany and Austria as well as in the UK, Netherlands, France and USA. Two, operational excellence through strict “best practice” management. Three, further development and digitalization of the concept considering guest feedback. Four, greater focus on long-term employee retention and five, building a modern and sustainable IT landscape. Sound’s good on paper but let’s see how things pan out.
Vapiano's investments (capital expenditures) that year are primarily directed towards new restaurant openings, renovations of existing establishments, and share acquisitions in other Vapiano restaurants from franchisees or JV partners. A significant portion of funds is allocated to the digitalization of the guest experience, including the development of a new app scheduled for market release in 2016 and the implementation of a time recording system across all group restaurants. The world's first standalone Vapiano restaurant with a delivery service that year is built in Fürth, Germany. The company keeps expanding its presence in both inner-city locations and international markets, such as Shanghai, China.
To finance all of this, the group has its own operating cash flow which comes in at 18 million while capital expenditures are 26 million euros plus 14 million for acquisitions. The funding gab is filled with 26 million euros of new debt and a seven-million-euro equity raise. At that end of the year and after the equity raise Gregor Gerlach (through his AP Leipzig GmbH & Co. KG entity) holds 30.1%, Hans-Joachim and Gisa Sander through their Exchange Bio GmbH hold 25.5% and the Tchibo heirs, Herz through their Mayfair Beteiligungsfonds II GmbH & Co. KG hold 44,4%.
But for the first time the restaurant’s concept that was so successful to date is being questioned. Some customers are starting to mislike the operational flow of the concept itself. If you want pasta, you must queue for pasta. If you want pizza you stand in a different queue. A small side salad, yet another queue. "You spend more time carrying trays than an actress in Berlin-Mitte. The audience in the pasta limbo can only consist of people who have worked for an insurance company for a long time and, like Stockholm syndrome, they can no longer get away from the industrial canteen feeling," writes TV host Beisenherz provocatively. While overly harsh in his assessment he's not entirely wrong judging by customers venting their frustrations in forums and social media channels. It isn’t uncommon for those who ordered pizza to have already finished eating while there is little movement in the pasta queue. Long term that doesn't go down well, QSRs competitors like L’Osteria are handling this process differently, with much success.
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Tipping Point

Where are now in the year 2016 and things start to deteriorate visibility. Perhaps not for the leman’s eye but any business minded observer can see that there are problems under the hood. Yes, revenue grows yet another whopping 50 million to almost 250 million euros but half of that growth, comes from acquisitions of restaurants that the group didn’t already own 100%, which is now being fully consolidated within the group’s accounts. Here is a concrete example. In the past, Vapiano SE, the group’s top holding company held an indirect 50% stake in a French subgroup via the subsidiary VAP Restaurants SA, based in Luxembourg, and included this as an associated company in the Vapiano SE consolidated financial statements using the equity method. Due to the acquisition of additional shares in September of 2016, Vapiano SE's indirect share in the French subgroup increased to 75%. This means that Vapiano SE takes control of the French subgroup, which is therefore included in the group’s financial statements as part of the full consolidation. The revenue from the acquired subsidiary now recorded in the consolidated income statement amounts to 12.8 million euros. While that’s great for the top line, the loss of the fully consolidated entity equates to 0.2 million euros. Yes, you are buying revenue, but there are losses attached to them, not profits. A similar case is the Swedish entity that runs eight restaurants with revenue of 11.5 million euros but has losses of 235 thousand euros. So much for Strategy 2020 and “profitable” growth.
That year the group’s operating profits are absolutely tanking, halving to 3.5 million euros. Operating profits are now a mere 1,4% of revenue. Remember original founder Mark Korzilius who talked about operating margins of 25% to 28% at the restaurant level? Yes, there are overhead costs for the organization that sits above the chain of restaurants, but operating margins that low indicates a course correction is needed. What’s telling is that in the annual report, in the management discussion section, the company starts talking about EBITDA as a proxy measure of profitability, rather than operating profit or net income. This wasn’t the case in the years before. Is this window dressing for an upcoming IPO? EBITDA is short for earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization. How can you measure profitability of a restaurant chain that absolutely and unequivocally needs capital investment to maintain its restaurant operations, the very source of cash generation, by simply excluding this maintenance charge (depreciation in the income statement)? Vapiano’s own annual report talks about the fact that existing restaurants must be rejuvenated from time to time and that new interior designs have to be implemented every few years. These things wear and tear, they go out of style, kitchen equipment breaks and needs replacement. This business absolutely needs maintenance capital expenditure, why anyone talks of profits before these maintenance costs is beyond me. Fun fact: in the previous annual report EBITDA is mentioned seven times, mostly around restaurant acquisitions and financing, not however as a profit indication for the group. In the new annual report, EBITDA is mentioned 28 times. Maybe it’s just me but belated Charlie Munger liked to call EBITDA: bullsh*t earnings. When in doubt I stick with Charlie. Interestingly, EBITDA for Vapiano keeps growing while operating and net profits keep falling.
Operating cashflow for the group that year is about 21 million euros, but capital expenditure is 30 million and acquisitions for subsidiaries another 20 million. To finance these expenditures another 28 million euros of debt and 16 million of equity is raised. Net debt rises above 130 million euro. The operating cashflow of the group before any capital expenditures is 21 million euros. I am not sure free cash flow would be significantly positive after maintenance capex is paid out; it’s not broken out so we can’t be sure. Granted, I am not on the ground during this time, and I am not in the board room, I am simply reading what’s in front of me, but to me this is starting to look like a distressed situation. Regardless, the following year the company goes public.

IPO

Where are now in the year 2017 and its Vapiano’s first year as public company. The company’s annual report reads the following “Sales revenue, like-for-like growth (LfL) and the earnings figures EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA are used as the most important financial performance indicators for controlling operational business activities.” The very same report however also says: “The majority of the group's investments regularly go towards opening new restaurant locations and modernizing existing restaurants. The latter are differentiated into regular replacement investments that occur during ongoing operations (Maintenance CAPEX) and fundamental investments in the renovation of a restaurant (Remodeling CAPEX). On average, a restaurant remodeling takes place nine years after opening.” It says it right there in their own report; every nine years a remodeling is taking place. Remodeling and updating is not cost free, so why exclude depreciation charges which reflect capital expenditures? I understand that perhaps you would want to strip out one-off opening costs, that’s fine and fair, but don’t go overboard.
The number of restaurants increases by 26 (previous year: 13) to a total of 205. The increase consists of 27 new openings and one closure. Group revenue grows to an astonishing 325 million euros but here comes the shocker, operating profits turn negative to 25 million. Fine, strip out foreign exchange losses of 3 million, IPO costs of 5.8 million and new opening costs of 6.1 million and you still have 10 million euros of operational losses. All the while the debt load of almost 130 million hasn’t materially changed, so those operating losses are before a six-million-euro interest payment. 184 million euros are raised through the IPO of which 85 million go to the company. This money is earmarked for further expansion as the group has ambitions to almost double the footprint to 330 restaurants by the end of 2020. The company is currently not profitable on an operating basis, and still wants to expand aggressively? I don’t get it. The remaining 100 million euros of the IPO money raised is distributed to co-founder Gregor Gerlach and Wella heirs Hans-Joachim and Gisa Sander. The family office of the former Tchibo owners Günter and Daniela Herz with a 44% stake, don’t sell a single share. After the IPO, 32% of all the company’s shares are now in free float.
One year later, in 2018, things get even worse. Revenue grows to 371 million, but operating losses mount to 85 million euros, that’s before interest expenses of 9 million. Even the beloved EBITDA figure turns negative, meaning the operating business before any expansionary or even maintenance capital expenditures is loss making. All regions are experiencing significant deterioration in their earnings profiles. Like for like sales are down 1% across the board. That’s revenue, not profitability. The question naturally arises: is the Group approaching its natural saturation point here or this operational by nature? The operating cash flow is now 9 million while financing cost are close to 7 million. That leaves 2 million for maintenance capital for 74 own restaurants and 76 joint ventures ones. Describing this as financially tight, would be an understatement.
Things are not looking good at this point. Yet the company still grows restaurants by 26 new sites. 64 million euros are spent on acquisitions, new openings, and maintenance costs, financed through a 20 million-euro equity raise and 72 million of new debt. The Company now has net debt outstanding of over 160 million euros. After the equity raise and by the end of the year 2018, Mayfair owns 47.4%, VAP Leipzig, Gregor Gerlach’s entity owns 18.9% and the Sander couple own 15.5% of the company. Yes, the Sanders and Gerlach may have taken 100 million euros off the table, but they still have substantial skin in the game. Plus, Mayfair hasn’t sold a single share and instead injects more money into the company through the equity round. The stock has now fallen from its IPO price of 23 euros per share to under 6 euros by the end of 2018. Something must be done here. And indeed, there is pivot in strategy and a hard push for change. At last, the management team abandons its aggressive growth plan and curtails new openings significantly. Additionally, the team wants to run a thorough analysis of weak locations to then either discontinue or sell sites. In Europe, the operating focus will be put on corporate restaurants and joint ventures in major cities to ensure the ideal size and location to match the respective demographic target group. Outside of Europe, the franchising business is being expanded and at the same time a consolidation of the existing corporate and joint venture markets is being sought. All future investments will be reviewed to achieve higher rates of returns on new openings. Investments are also being made in the renovation of older restaurants. The goal in the future is to also open smaller formats, like Mini-Vapianos (less than 400 square meters) or Freestander at prominent transportation hubs outside city centers (currently in Fürth and Toulouse) to cater to individual location requirements, and to enter new partnerships. I am not sure why management hasn’t stopped all expansion altogether, bringing the ship in order first, getting profitable, clean up, all hands-on deck before considering any further expansions whatsoever. But again, it’s easy to comment from the sidelines; maybe they saw white spaces that would be covered by competing concepts if they weren’t moving fast and aggressively enough. Although pushing internationally means competing with local players such as Jamie's Italian, Prezzo, Pizza Express, Wagamama, Nando's and many more which brings in its own dynamic.
Management also aims to enhance guest satisfaction. This involves refining operational processes, reorganizing the support center, and refocusing on the core offering: providing fresh and high-quality Italian food at affordable prices for a broad audience. The group also aims to reduce waiting times, especially during lunch, while also improving the evening atmosphere. There is even what I would call an evolution, away from Vapiano’s original concept, reorientating the customer journey. The ordering flow is being changed, offering guests synchronized preparations of all dishes while eliminating wait times at the cooking stations. The open show kitchen remains, staying true to original mantra of freshness and transparency but now guests can choose their preferred method of ordering through a mobile app, using a digital order point (kiosk), or by personally placing an order with a waiter. Guests can still freely choose their table and are then informed about the complete preparation of their order through a pager or their smartphone. This is a substantial deviation from the original concept, but a needed one. The group is also exploring and implementing the expansion of take-away and home delivery services but only at suitable locations, not universally across new openings. I am not sure why home delivery is even a priority here; it adds operational complexity. It’s better to clean up shop first and get back to the basics before adding new complexities. To be fair management does try to simplify. There are 49 different permanent dishes on the menu and additional 10 seasonal ones. Customers can choose from eleven different types of pasta. There is simply too much choice, and it makes orders complicated. The company announced to slim the menu down to its most popular and typical Vapiano dishes. There’s no need for an Asian salad at an Italian restaurant. "We have to go back to the roots, i.e. classic, honest Italian cuisine" says COO Everke. Regardless, in November of 2018, the supervisory board pulls the plug on CEO Jochen Halfmann and replaces him with Cornelius Everke. Everke himself has just become COO five months ago. Since 2017 he was responsible for international expansion. From 2011 to 2017 that role was filled by Mario Bauer – put a pin in that name, he’ll play a key role in the groups fate later. Then nine months later, in the middle of 2019, Cornelius Everke quits. He essentially concludes that his skillset and experience in the areas of internation expansion is no longer needed in the foreseeable future. To put it differently: Vapiano has moved from a growth story and has become a restructuring case, and other skills are required for that job. In June of 2019 Everke says the following “(we’ve) made a bit of a mistake when it came to foreign expansion”. No sh#t. Vapiano postpones the presentation of the 2018 annual financial statements three times in the spring of 2019, citing negotiations over an urgently needed loan of 30 million euros. It’s not until the end of May that a binding loan commitment comes through from the financing banks and major shareholders.
We are now in August of 2019 and the corona pandemic is just around the corner. Supervisory board chief Vanessa Hall takes over as interim-CEO and things are unravelling. Visitor numbers are declining; originally, it was planned to sell the US business but halfway through the year the buyer cannot come up with the money. But not all restaurants are performing poorly. The group's poor figures contrast starkly as an example with the experiences of the Swiss-German franchisee, who runs six restaurants. The Sodano family in Switzerland pays Vapiano a royalty of 6% of sales for the use of the brand. Enrico Sodano explains in an interview that they operate largely autonomously from the licensor. If an “accident” were to occur, he could immediately replace the Vapiano sign with Sodano, he says. The family concluded the rents and contracts with employees and suppliers independently. The Sodano family have six locations in Bern, Basel and Zurich, around one million guests every year and 350 employees. Things are going well on the ground. The delivery service they’ve built is offering them a second income stream. Expansion into Winterthur, St. Gallen and Lucerne are being planned; small locations with 150 to 250 square meters and an attached delivery service. Originally, Vapiano restaurants used to be huge but for such a large restaurant to be profitable, 800 to 1,000 guests per day are needed. That’s possible in medium-sized cities, but not in smaller towns which is why the Vapiano group now also supports smaller formats. Back to our corporate drama. The 2019 annual report would be the last report the group files. By the end 2019 the outstanding debt of the company is at an astronomical 450 million euros. Revenue has grown by another 7%, produced by four net new openings through two JVs and two franchise restaurants but operating losses come in at 317 million euros. That sound like an absolute shocker at first but depreciation and amortization charges are 345 million, so that operating cash flow is actually positive but unfortunately capital expenditures and interest payments are so large that they are eating up all of the company’s operating cash flow. Then in the beginning of 2020 Corona hits with full force and the world shuts down. As a result of the measures to prevent further spreading of the virus, the group is forced to cease all global business operations (except in Sweden). While all these shutdowns are happening, the group is the middle of negotiating with its lending banks and main shareholders. There are additional financing needs for restructuring measures, even without a pandemic happening in the background. The situation is so dire that the company starts pleading to the German government to roll out the package of financial help more quickly. Unfortunately, it’s to no end. The rapid closure of restaurants and the resulting lack of operating cash inflows in conjunction with the additional financing requirements, lead to the company’s final knockout punch. In April of 2020, the Vapiano group officially files for insolvency proceedings. The end of an era.

New Beginnings

Because of the pandemic, the majority of the group's subsidiaries in Austria, the Netherlands, Denmark, the United States, Sweden, and China also file for insolvency or seek liquidation. The US business never gets sold in the end and is wound down. In the summer of 2020, significant group divestments occur, including the sale of 75% shares in the group's French subsidiaries, shares in franchisor companies, Australian subsidiaries, German subsidiaries, associated companies, self-managed restaurants in Germany, and insolvency-related sales in the Netherlands, Great Britain, and Sweden. The buyer of the Vapiano brand and one of these bundles of Vapiano restaurants is company named Love & Food Restaurant Holding, a consortium led by Mario C. Bauer – a name I told you to remember. Bauer was a former Vapiano board member and led the national and international expansion, opening 200 sites in 33 countries from 2011 to 2017 until he was succeeded by Cornelius Everke. Bauer didn’t feel comfortable with the IPO at the time but clearly has a lot of managerial and entrepreneurial talent.
The buyer consortium is an absolute A-Team comprised of European QSR top league hitters, including the founder of the Pret A Manger chain Sinclair Beecham; Henry McGovern, the founder and Ex-CEO of the giant international restaurant and foodservice operator AmRest; the Van der Valk Family that runs hotels and Vapiano restaurants in the Netherlands, and co-founder and ex-CEO Gregor Gerlach. The acquisition value is 15 million euros and entails 30 Vapiano restaurants in Germany, albeit that’s just the purchase price which comes on top of any capital investment needed to refresh and return the sites to its former glory. Nevertheless, just as a thought experiment, if you can get each site to 2 million euros of revenue and 400,000 euros in operating profit on average, which wouldn’t be an overly aggressively assumption given the company’s history, you’ve got yourself a package that can deliver restaurant-level operating profits of 12 million euros or more. It’s not disclosed how much capex was needed to refresh the operations, just that fact that the overall investment plus purchase price was a middle double-digit million-euro figure. Stil, it probably was a decent purchase. The same consortium buys Vapiano’s French business for 25 million euros just two weeks prior. After the transaction concludes, the master franchise is given to Delf Neumann and his Gastro & Soul GmbH. Neumann is an experienced operator, and he is ambitious to revitalise the brand with new services and products. For example, instead of pizza, the restaurants will be serving pinsa - a flatbread made from sourdough, wheat and rice flour, topped similarly to a pizza. It targets a more health-oriented customer base looking for a less calory heavy option. The menu overall is expanded by including a variety of vegan and vegetarian dishes.
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Today Neumann’s Gastro & Soul GmbH operates 18 Vapianos on its own account and has 29 franchise sites, amongst other brands. By the year 2021, Vapiano operates 191 restaurants in 34 countries. This is around 50 fewer sites than before the bankruptcy. The number of branches is particularly thinned out in Germany – from 80 to 55. Nevertheless, Vapiano's home country remains by far the largest market, followed by France with 35 restaurants and Austria with 15 locations. “We have shrunk ourselves to health,” says Bauer in the aftermath and there is no further shrinking planned. Quite the opposite, the smell of expansion is in the air again – pun intended. Not as aggressively as before and with a new menu and ordering process.
Overall, the team around Bauer is filled with industry experts with knowledge and networks gained over decades who have a great track record, a long-term view, and the staying power to let Vapiano breath and finds its way back to success. The pressure of being a public company with all the associated quarterly, half-year and yearly disincentives have been removed. The menu is changed and extended with new types of pasta and sauces with significantly more vegetarian and vegan dishes available. Guests can order with restaurant staff, at terminals or on their phones and there are barcodes attached to the tables identify the respective seat. The food is brought to your table, all at the same time if you are in a group, no more annoyances with waiting in line. There is a plan for smaller, 350 square meter locations, with half the number of guests and significantly fewer staff and less set-up costs required to make the economics work. Locations that capitalize on remote work and increased demand for local lunch options, higher population density with shorter delivery routes and therefore cost-effective in house delivery services are targeted. And Bauer is testing the concept of ghost kitchens, which operate without a dining room or service staff, focusing solely on preparing food for delivery services, which for obvious reasons have a very different operational set up and footprint. Original founder Mark Korzilius however is not entirely convinced. He is not a fan of the pinsa for instance and he considers Vapiano's pizza as its cash cow, flagship product and believes that the core Vapiano proposition of Pizza, Pasta, Bar that has given the company its original success is being diluted. He instead admires the competitor L'Osteria, saying they’ve done a better job by focusing on Italian classics, especially the impressively large pizzas that sticks out beyond the plate is leaving every customer in awe. The guys who run L’Osteria are the same guys who have built Vapiano with him in the first place. Bauer on the other hand, like a true business leader, remains undeterred, stating that he is frequently asked whether Vapiano's restart was bold or foolish. He believes in entrepreneurship, franchising, in his experienced fellow partners and importantly the Vapiano concept. By the year 2024 you can find over 140 Vapiano branded restaurant in 27 countries across the globe, including locations far away from its birthplace like Australia, USA, Columbia, Chile, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia. And why not? Italian food is, and will remain to be, incredibly popular. Vapiano offers fresh and tasty food at affordable prices in a good atmosphere. This combination of attributes should attract a lot of customers. It certainly has in the past.
For more stories: WIP Thomas Weitzendoerfer Substack
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2024.05.13 15:31 GroundbreakingParty9 Sand, Spice, and Sovereignty: A Dune Book Review

I realized that I posted this in the fantasy subreddit, but I also wanted to engage with the Dune community. I'll acknowledge that the recent movie adaptations has influenced my perspective, I've tried to approach this review with a focus on highlighting the strengths of both the film and the novel. I love both and believe that they both do things extremely well that the others may lack. Just wanted to share that caveat before you began.
Greetings, fellow cosmic voyagers, celestial wanderers, and aficionados of intergalactic intrigue! Today, I am excited to discuss Frank Herbert’s monumental masterpiece, Dune. Much like many of you, I suspect, I was excited to dive into this due to the incredible adaptations that have since been released. If we were to gauge the influence of Dune, it is nothing short of a seismic force within the science fiction realm. It stands as the cornerstone of the genre, akin to what Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings represents for the fantasy genre, or so I’ve been told by those who love this book. Dune isn’t merely a novel; it is a story that spawned a myriad of artistic endeavors from Stargate to Star Trek, and quite obviously Star Wars. Its imprint extends upon characters like Ned Stark, thrust into the maelstrom of the unknown, surrounded by adversaries, at the behest of his liege. I wouldn’t be surprised if George R.R. Martin was inspired by Duke Leto Atreides. So, the question is does Dune endure as a timeless classic, or has its acclaim been inflated? Well, let’s discuss! Fear not, dear travelers, for I shall refrain from divulging any major plot spoilers for those yet to tread Herbert’s world. And for those who have only watched the recent adaptations and are curious, I shall offer my perspective on that as well. Remember as always, the TLDR section at the end will provide a more concise review. Without further ado, let’s check out the blurb.
Set on the desert planet Arrakis, Dune is the story of the boy Paul Atreides, heir to a noble family tasked with ruling an inhospitable world where the only thing of value is the “spice” melange, a drug capable of extending life and enhancing consciousness. Coveted across the known universe, melange is a prize worth killing for...When House Atreides is betrayed, the destruction of Paul’s family will set the boy on a journey toward a destiny greater than he could ever have imagined. And as he evolves into the mysterious man known as Muad’Dib, he will bring to fruition humankind’s most ancient and unattainable dream.
General Overview & Background - The mystery of life isn't a problem to solve, but a reality to experience.
Honestly, this isn’t my first attempt at reading Dune. Back when I was younger, I stumbled upon it in the local library. I vividly recall my stepdad, who saw the original movie, said, “Oh man, this is a story about giant sandworms on a desert planet. I think you will like this.” At 14 years old that sounded awesome! I checked it out, but alas, I struggled through just a couple of chapters before surrendering. As with many things in life, reading is a journey that allows us to revisit a book when the time aligns just right. Dune proved to be precisely that for me.
Fast forward to recent times, I found myself immersed by the spectacle of Part Two in theaters. I honestly forgot I was watching a movie. As the credits rolled, I knew without a doubt that I had to delve deeper into the source material. So, when I saw that Amazon offered a deal on the first six books in the series, I knew it was time to try again.
Dune, released in 1965 and comprises six novels. However, it’s worth noting that Herbert’s son has expanded the universe with a plethora of additional novels totaling to 23 with more on the way I believe (someone can correct me on this if I am wrong). Yet, for folks like me, the allure primarily lies in the first book and by proxy the original six. It’s a sentiment I’ve seen from my friends who have read the series to start with the first six, and then, if you desire, explore the rest. Though I can’t personally vouch for the subsequent volumes, I have heard Frank Herbert’s books are better than his sons’. However, I can say that this book holds up, but it also has some flaws that are worth discussing. No book is perfect right?
Plot & Prose - Deep in the human unconscious is a pervasive need for a logical universe that makes sense. But the real universe is always one step beyond logic.
Dune’s narrative is about a grand power struggle among the illustrious Great Houses in a distant future. Herbert intricately weaves a tale around a bitter feud between the Harkonnens and the noble Atreides family when the Emperor transfers control over the desert planet Arrakis from the former to the latter. At the story’s heart lies the young Paul Atreides, heralded as a prophet by the Freman and viewed as a mistake by the Bene Gesserit. It’s remarkable how Dune has spawned numerous adaptations, given its deliberate pacing and occasional meandering. Indeed, a fair chunk of the narrative is set with characters wandering the desert. There are “plots within plots,” as the characters indicate throughout the story and much of the “excitement” is centered around the political maneuverings of House Harkonnen, House Atreides, and the Emperor.
If my explanation seems a tad disjointed, it’s a reflection of the story’s complex narrative, which is hard to discuss without outright spoiling it. Yet, as I immersed myself in Dune’s pages, I couldn’t help but wonder how this movie had as many adaptations as it had. And Denis Villaneuve’s adaptation, remaining largely faithful to the source material while infusing it with vigor, stands as a testament to him as a director. However, don’t mistake the deliberate pacing for boring; I did find myself engrossed in it even when it slowed way down. It is set in the far future with space as a backdrop but much of the story is centered around Arrakis and that’s it. While that’s nitpicky, it is something to consider if you are expecting epic space battles and journeys through the cosmos this first book isn't that. It's setting up the larger series narrative as a whole.
Regarding the film adaptation, Dune: Part One for the most part faithfully adapts the initial half of the book, with minor deviations. Part Two, however, diverges more significantly from the book’s latter half, a choice I respect because it still captures the themes and tones of the story. Herbert’s writing style reminds me of religious texts like the Bible or Quran, which are two of the main inspirations in the novels exploration of themes surrounding faith and prophecy. The films also mitigate some of the pacing issues within the book, which suffers from abrupt time jumps that felt jarring to me.
The writing has its quirks, as I mentioned. At times, it feels repetitive, and Herbert’s approach to detail can be inconsistent. I found that my ability to visualize the narrative was greatly aided by the vivid imagery from the movie. I suspect that my younger self struggled partly due to difficulties in visualizing certain elements. For those yet to experience the movies, this might present a similar challenge. It’s a minor gripe, but one that I observed for myself.
Dune has some messages on environmental exploitation, conservation, and religion influencing and at times interfering with culture. However, it’s also filled with ideas that should remain in the time from which it comes from in its depictions of homosexuality and its treatment of some female characters. It’s something worth considering, a reminder to us that while certain ideas may transcend their era, others remain tethered to it.
Dune is worthy of being read, albeit with the caveat of approaching it with contextual awareness. Its uniqueness is undeniable, and I now understand why this work holds such esteemed regard.
**World-Building & Characters – “**Grave this on your memory, lad: A world is supported by four things..." she held up four big-knuckled fingers. "...the learning of the wise, the justice of the great, the prayers of the righteous and the valor of the brave. But all of these things are as nothing..." She closed her fingers into a fist. "...without a ruler who knows the art of ruling. Make that the science of your tradition!”
Though firmly set in the distant future with its spacefaring journeys, futuristic weaponry, and colossal sandworms, Dune maintains a surprisingly grounded and even fantastical feel to it. Combat involves a mix of shield technology and blades. While projectile weapons are present, their use against shields is prohibited as they risk triggering a catastrophic overload, akin to setting off a mini nuke. Within this futuristic setting, the mystical Bene Gesserit wield their power known as the Voice, manipulating and commanding those who fall under its sway. Prophecies, deities, prophets, and mythical creatures (have I mentioned the sandworms?!) They all coexist seamlessly in this universe.
What captivates me most about Dune is the intricate world meticulously crafted by Herbet. He plunges the reader headlong into this story, gradually unveiling hidden layers of its history as the story unfolds. It’s this lore that ensnared my imagination as I watched this movie, where even the most outlandish elements find coherence within its framework. To me, that’s the hallmark of exceptional world-building – where even the most outlandish ideas become plausible within the foundation of the author’s creation.
If I were to offer a solitary critique of this world-building endeavor, it would be the sandworms. While their presence is palpable and their cultural and religious significance to the Fremen and the ecology of Arrakis undeniable, I wished for more insight into their nature. But that’s a very minor nitpick.
If I were to pinpoint a particular weakness in this book, it would be the characterization. Paul Atreides, for instance, struck me as more compelling in the movie than in the book itself. I anticipated a deeper emotional depth, as depicted on screen, but in the book, he comes across more subdued. While this could be intentional, I found his early volatility, notably during his encounter with the Reverend Mother, gradually giving way to a more robotic demeanor. This transformation is explained due to his Mentat training, yet it leaves him feeling somewhat one-dimensional – a chosen one proficient in combat with peculiar abilities.
Don’t get me wrong, I admire Paul’s internal struggle as he grapples with the weight of his destiny to save Arrakis and its inhabitants while seeking vengeance for his family. However, I couldn’t shake the feeling that the character had more room to breathe in the movie portrayal, offering a more rounded character. Perhaps this was a deliberate choice; one could argue that Paul is a conflicted character who must suppress his emotions to harness his precognitive abilities effectively. Nonetheless, the film I felt provided a richer exploration that I felt wasn’t as captured in the book.
While the movie may have provided a boost to Paul’s character, I found Jessica to be more interesting in the book. While I admire Jessica’s portrayal in the film, I found the book delved deeper into her character. She is a formidable fighter, surpassing even the Fremen. Endowed with Bene Gesserit training, Jessica grapples with inner conflict, a facet that resonates more strongly in the book. Unlike the movie portrayal, where she appears to push Paul towards his destiny as the Lisan al-Gaib, in the book, she harbors a sense of fear towards him. Her apprehension stems from witnessing his transformation as the book goes on while also harboring a deep, deep love for him. I enjoyed reading her inner struggles more in the book, even though I love how she is portrayed in the movie.
On the other hand, the depiction of the Baron Harkonnen raises concerns. While Herbert intended to portray him as repugnant and vile, his characterization as the sole gay character in the book presents a troubling aspect that should be addressed. While a gay villain can offer nuanced storytelling, Herbert’s portrayal veers into troubling territory by associating his villainy with traits like obesity, depravity, pedophilia, and incestuous desires. Particularly unsettling is the implication of sexual assault against young male slaves resembling Paul. The movie showed us that you can make this character vile and disturbing without highlighting those other troubling aspects.
The transformation of Chani between the book and the movie stands out as a significant departure. Personally, I found the portrayal of Chani in the movie more compelling. She exudes greater agency, moving beyond a mere love interest for Paul. However, in the book, her role seems more limited, primarily serving as Paul’s romantic counterpart, with her significance diminishing at the conclusion. The agency bestowed upon her in the movie represents a welcome change though.
Conclusion & TLDR - It is impossible to live in the past, difficult to live in the present and a waste to live in the future.
Dune, despite its imperfections, stands as a cornerstone of science fiction. However, I acknowledge that it may not appeal to everyone. The aspects I highlighted should be taken into consideration, particularly the intricacies of its plot and writing style, which may pose challenges for some readers. Personally, my fascination with the universe depicted in the movies fueled my desire to read the book, and I eagerly anticipate continuing with Frank Herbert’s novels. For me, Dune served as a gateway to hard science fiction, a departure from my ventures into realms of strictly Star Wars novels. It introduced me to the wonderfully bizarre elements that influenced works like Star Wars, and ignited a desire to explore a genre I haven’t tapped into further. Despite its weird writing style and occasional pacing issues, I firmly believe beneath its quirks lies a narrative worthy of its acclaim. The cinematic adaptation enriched my experience by providing visual cues and offering an alternative interpretation of the story. I eagerly anticipate checking out other classics, such as Hyperion and Foundation. I am excited as well to eventually complete the rest of this series.
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2024.05.13 13:31 omepiet Both the N01 and BASF4 tapes contain some tracks that likely share a history with TMS. This narrows down the broadcast window.

Hey. I'm that guy that got obsessed with tape speeds. :) And I have some real results. Lots of ifs and buts, but the TLDR version is this: two tracks on side B of N01 share an origin with TMS. They are No Chance You'll Pay by Private Lives, and Torch by Soft Cell. Though not recorded from the same radio station (these are from Hilversum 3) they are likely copied over from the same part of the same origin tape, and therefore likely recorded around the same time.
For the BASF4 tape things are less clear cut, but on that one Hot Water by Level 42, and The More You Live by A Flock of Seagulls may share their origin tape with TMS. With an even lesser degree of certainty the tracks surrounding TMS on side A may also: Twilight Zone by Golden Earring, Wot by Captain Sensible, and The Dominatrix Sleeps Tonight by Dominatrix.
If this is all true, TMS was likely broadcast late August or early September 1984. And I am confident enough about the N01 tracks to state that TMS at the very least was not broadcast before July 1984, since the album containing No Chance You'll Pay was only released in the second week of July.
There is lots to unpack here, but it all starts with u/marijn1412's post about phase differences. From his measurements (collected in a sheet here) for all Darius' tapes of which we have digital copies, for tracks with known broadcast dates, I noticed that tracks from the same date and preserved on the same tape tend to have the same phase difference. I noticed the same thing for tracks on N01 side A, for which u/marijn1412 shared his measurements in a comment.
Then I went looking for more characteristics that any tracks might share as well. My first thought was 10kHz dip frequency, but we only have those for NDR tracks. What should have been obvious, but I only came to think of later, was that we use the dip frequency offset as a proxy for tape speed offset in the first place, so for non-NDR tracks I could simply compare the tape speed to known released versions of tracks. I then also did that for those NDR-tracks that I hadn't done it before, to get a more precisely idea how narrowly tape speed offset and 10kHz dip offset match. After that I got carried away and also measured the 14kHz dip frequencies for tracks in which I could detect one (albeit very faint sometimes). Here is a table with some of the results:
tape track speed dip freq 14kHz dip % dip freq adjusted Δ phase in ms possible broadcast dates
N01 side A Nik Kershaw - The Riddle 101.19% 10,062.70 100.41% 9,943.97 -0.9 Nov 15, 17, 20, 22, 23, 24, 28, Dec 11, 15, 16, 22, 27, 1984
The Psychedelic Furs - Heartbeat 100.38% 10,023.70 100.29% 9,986.15 0 1984-12-02
[snippet] Miquel Brown - Black Leather 10,027.70 0 1984-12-02
Sad Lovers & Giants – Clint 99.27% -0.9 ?, album relase week of Nov 11, 1984
Sad Lovers & Giants – Alice (Isn't Playing) 99.30% -0.9 ?, album relase week of Nov 11, 1984
Sad Lovers & Giants – 3 Lines 99.06% -0.9 ?, album relase week of Nov 11, 1984
TMS ? 9,951.70 -0.18 ?
Screaming Dead - Serenade of Suicide 99.57% 9,950.40 99.56% 9,993.87 -0.14 1984-09-28
Sean Heyden - Party Boy 101.34% 10,066.80 100.62% 9,933.98 0 Nov 28, Dec 13, 31, 1984
Death In June - She Said Destroy 99.75% 9,847.40 9,872.08 -0.2 1984-09-28
The Gun Club - Watermelon Man 98.57% 9,847.40 9,990.16 -0.2 1984-09-28
The Gun Club - Eternally is Here 98.39% 9,859.50 98.34% 10,021.34 -0.2 1984-09-28
[snippet] The Cult - Go West 9,841.30 -0.2 1984-09-28
The Teardrop Explodes - Treason 98.43% -0.16 ?, single release 1981
XTC - You're the Wish You Are I Had 102.72% -0.2 ?, album release 1984-10-15
N01 side B The Barracudas - I Can't Pretend 100.50% -0.45 ?, album 1981, single 1982
Private Lives - No Chance You'll Pay 99.34% -0.18 ?, album release week of July 7, 1984
Soft Cell - Torch 99.41% -0.18 ?, commercial release 1982
Heaven 17 - And That's No Lie (maxi) 98.83% 9,887.10 10,003.74 -0.25 Sep 21, 22, Oct 4, Dec 28, 1984
The Icicle Works - Hollow Horse 99.18% -0.25 ?, single release Sep 25, 1984
Blue Murder - Gone With The Wind 98.81% -0.25 ?, album release Aug 1984
Tears For Fears - Shout 99.40% -0.23 ?, single release Nov 23, 1984
Lloyd Cole and The Commotions - Charlotte Street 100.30% -0.23 ?, album release Oct 12, 1984
Blaine L. Reininger - Birthday Song 97.51% 9,814.40 10,064.71 -0.27 ?, album 1984, other album track on NDR May 21, 1984
The Barracudas - I Ain't No Miracle Worker 99.16% 9,916.00 10,000.00 -0.23 Jul 23, 1984
Simple Minds - Someone Somewhere 98.80% -0.05 ?, single release 1982
BASF 4 side A Heaven 17 - Sunset Now (Extended) 100.60% 10,083.60 100.65% 10,023.06 -0.05 Sep 22, 1984, Oct 1, 1984
Depeche Mode - Master & Servant (Extended) 100.14% 10,082.90 100.78% 10,068.80 -0.05 Oct 2, 4, 6, 12, 13, 20, 27, 1984
Malcolm McLaren - One Fine Day/Madame Butterfly 102.41% 10,078.90 100.55% 9,842.00 -0.05 Sep 7, Nov 14, Dec 3, 1984
Simple Minds - Up on the Catwalk (Extended) 100.76% 10,081.60 100.84% 10,005.95 -0.11 Mar 22, 24, 31, Apr 7, 1984
Corey Hart - Sunglasses at Night 100.12% 10,083.00 100.55% 10,070.91 -0.05 Aug 9, 21, 24, Sep 2, 26, Oct 1, 5, 6, 22, 27, Nov 9, 1984
Ray Parker Jr. - Ghostbusters (Extended) 101.84% 9,938.20 100.55% 9,758.35 0.14 Sep 8, 23, 1984
Golden Earring - Twilight Zone 100.79% 10,042.50 100.87% 9,964.18 0 Sep 3, 1984
TMS ? 10,160.30 0 ?
Captain Sensible - Wot 101.01% 10,031.10 100.59% 9,930.80 0 Sep 4, 1984
Dominatrix - The Dominatrix Sleeps Tonight 99.82% 10,060.00 101.34% 10,078.14 0 May 16, 1984
BASF 4 side B The Legendary Pink Dots - Love Puppets 102.35% 10,160.30 100.81% 9,927.02 0.09 1984-09-17
Level 42 - Hot water 101.39% 10,070.80 101.44% 9,932.83 0 Aug 30, Sep 23, Oct 10, 13, 15, 1984
A Flock of Seagulls - The More You Live, The More You Love 101.37% 10,112.50 101.13% 9,975.83 0 Aug 17, 22, 27, Sep 1, 1984
Silent Running - Young hearts 101.85% 10,270.70 102.01% 10,084.14 0.09 Aug 25, Sep 20, Oct 9, 1984
Private Lives - Living in the world 101.25% 10,134.00 101.36% 10,009.38 -0.09 ?, commercial release (UK) Jan 16, 1984
David Bowie - Neighborhood threat 101.34% 10,134.70 101.32% 10,000.89 -0.09 ?, album release Sep 29, 1984
XTC - Seagulls screaming kiss her, kiss her 101.52% -0.07 1984-10-18
XTC - This world over 100.11% -0.07 1984-10-18
XTC - I remember the sun 100.11% -0.07 1984-10-18
The Cure - A forest 100.09% -0.07 1984-10-18
The Cure - Charlotte sometimes - -0.07 1984-10-18
First of all: on average the dip, after correcting for tape speed, is very close to 10kHz: 9979 Hz, for the tracks measured here, but as you can see there are some deviations. Some of these might be explained by some tracks being actually broadcast fast or slow (or the track versions that I measured against not exactly matching with what was broadcast; it was sometimes hard to find matching versions), but there are indications that the dip frequency was wandering a bit off every now and then, also within tracks.
That caveat out of the way, if we now look at the two tracks on N01 that match TMS's phase difference of -0.18 ms, we see speeds of 99.34% and 99.41% (relative to known release version). This matches very closely to TMS's speed of 99.52% as derived from its dip frequency. That is too much of a coincidence for me, especially considering that tape speeds for recordings that we know to be from the same date match very closely for tape speed. That leads me to conclude that the two tracks originate from the same tape as TMS and were recorded around the same time.
Sadly we don't know when these two tracks were broadcast. What we do know is that one of them is a track from an album of which the release was announced in UK magazine Music Week of July 7th 1984. The other one is a single from 1982.
For BASF4 things are a bit more murky. TMS's phase difference there is 0, the default we would expect from a recording. I'm less confident that tracks sharing that necessarily share the same origin, but the tracks on side B, Hot Water and The More You Live do match TMS fairly closely for tape speed, and each other even more in that respect. This would give lead to the speculation that they were recorded around the same time, which looking at the protocols, would indicate August 30 and September 1, respectively. Two other tracks with phase difference 0 on side A have known broadcast dates of September 3 and 4, while the third one is lacking in the protocols (apart from showing up crossed out on the May 16th protocol; note that more NDR tracks are on the tapes that we haven't found in the protocols). These tracks are also further off from TMS in terms of tape speed, so here I am hesitant to make any bold claims.
I'll continue my research. There are lots of more parameters to look at.
For now, we should try if we can find dates close together at which both No Chance You'll Pay and Torch where played on Hilversum 3, prioritising late August and early September 1984. I don't immediately see an obvious avenue for how to pursue that. One other thing to keep in mind is that the dates for which we have tracks with non-matching phase differences and tape speeds can now tentatively be excluded.
Special thanks to u/marijn1412 who set me off on the hunt.
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2024.05.13 04:59 GroundbreakingParty9 Dune Book 1 of the Dune Series by Frank Herbet Review

Greetings, fellow cosmic voyagers, celestial wanderers, and aficionados of intergalactic intrigue! Today, I am excited to discuss Frank Herbert’s monumental masterpiece, Dune. Much like many of you, I suspect, I was excited to dive into this due to the incredible adaptations that have since been released. If we were to gauge the influence of Dune, it is nothing short of a seismic force within the science fiction realm. It stands as the cornerstone of the genre, akin to what Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings represents for the fantasy genre, or so I’ve been told by those who love this book. Dune isn’t merely a novel; it is a story that spawned a myriad of artistic endeavors from Stargate to Star Trek, and quite obviously Star Wars. Its imprint extends upon characters like Ned Stark, thrust into the maelstrom of the unknown, surrounded by adversaries, at the behest of his liege. I wouldn’t be surprised if George R.R. Martin was inspired by Duke Leto Atreides. So, the question is does Dune endure as a timeless classic, or has its acclaim been inflated? Well, let’s discuss! Fear not, dear travelers, for I shall refrain from divulging any major plot spoilers for those yet to tread Herbert’s world. And for those who have only watched the recent adaptations and are curious, I shall offer my perspective on that as well. Remember as always, the TLDR section at the end will provide a more concise review. Without further ado, let’s check out the blurb.
Set on the desert planet Arrakis, Dune is the story of the boy Paul Atreides, heir to a noble family tasked with ruling an inhospitable world where the only thing of value is the “spice” melange, a drug capable of extending life and enhancing consciousness. Coveted across the known universe, melange is a prize worth killing for...When House Atreides is betrayed, the destruction of Paul’s family will set the boy on a journey toward a destiny greater than he could ever have imagined. And as he evolves into the mysterious man known as Muad’Dib, he will bring to fruition humankind’s most ancient and unattainable dream.
General Overview & Background - The mystery of life isn't a problem to solve, but a reality to experience.
Honestly, this isn’t my first attempt at reading Dune. Back when I was younger, I stumbled upon it in the local library. I vividly recall my stepdad, who saw the original movie, said, “Oh man, this is a story about giant sandworms on a desert planet. I think you will like this.” At 14 years old that sounded awesome! I checked it out, but alas, I struggled through just a couple of chapters before surrendering. As with many things in life, reading is a journey that allows us to revisit a book when the time aligns just right. Dune proved to be precisely that for me.
Fast forward to recent times, I found myself immersed by the spectacle of Part Two in theaters. I honestly forgot I was watching a movie. As the credits rolled, I knew without a doubt that I had to delve deeper into the source material. So, when I saw that Amazon offered a deal on the first six books in the series, I knew it was time to try again.
Dune, released in 1965 and comprises six novels. However, it’s worth noting that Herbert’s son has expanded the universe with a plethora of additional novels totaling to 23 with more on the way I believe (someone can correct me on this if I am wrong). Yet, for folks like me, the allure primarily lies in the first book and by proxy the original six. It’s a sentiment I’ve seen from my friends who have read the series to start with the first six, and then, if you desire, explore the rest. Though I can’t personally vouch for the subsequent volumes, I have heard Frank Herbert’s books are better than his sons’. However, I can truly say that this book holds up, but it also has some flaws that are worth discussing. No book is perfect right?
Plot & Prose - Deep in the human unconscious is a pervasive need for a logical universe that makes sense. But the real universe is always one step beyond logic.
Dune’s narrative is about a grand power struggle among the illustrious Great Houses in a distant future. Herbert intricately weaves a tale around a bitter feud between the Harkonnens and the noble Atreides family when the Emperor transfers control over the desert planet Arrakis from the former to the latter. At the story’s heart lies the young Paul Atreides, heralded as a prophet by the Freman and viewed as a mistake by the Bene Gesserit. It’s remarkable how Dune has spawned numerous adaptations, given its deliberate pacing and occasional meandering. Indeed, a fair chunk of the narrative is set with characters wandering the desert. There are “plots within plots,” as the characters indicate throughout the story and much of the “excitement” is centered around the political maneuverings of House Harkonnen, House Atreides, and the Emperor.
If my explanation seems a tad disjointed, it’s a reflection of the story’s complex narrative, which is hard to discuss without outright spoiling it. Yet, as I immersed myself in Dune’s pages, I couldn’t help but wonder how this movie had as many adaptations as it had. And Denis Villaneuve’s adaptation, remaining largely faithful to the source material while infusing it with vigor, stands as a testament to him as a director. However, don’t mistake the deliberate pacing for boring; I did find myself engrossed in it even when it slowed way down. It is set in the far future with space as a backdrop but much of the story is centered around Arrakis and that’s it. While that’s nitpicky, it is something to consider if you are expecting epic space battles and journeys through the cosmos.
Regarding the film adaptation, Dune: Part One faithfully adapts the initial half of the book, with minor deviations. Part Two, however, diverges more significantly from the book’s latter half, a choice I respect because it still captures the themes and tones of the story. Herbert’s writing style reminds me of religious texts like the Bible or Quran, which are two of the main inspirations in the novels exploration of themes surrounding faith and prophecy. The films also mitigate some of the pacing issues within the book, which suffers from abrupt time jumps that felt jarring to me.
The writing has its quirks, as I mentioned. At times, it feels repetitive, and Herbert’s approach to detail can be inconsistent. I found that my ability to visualize the narrative was greatly aided by the vivid imagery from the movie. I suspect that my younger self struggled partly due to difficulties in visualizing certain elements. For those yet to experience the movies, this might present a similar challenge. It’s a minor gripe, but one that I observed for myself.
Dune has some progressive messages on environmental exploitation, conservation, and religion influencing and at times interfering with culture. However, it’s also filled with ideas that should remain in the time from which it comes from in its depictions of homosexuality and its depiction of women. It’s something worth considering, a reminder to us that while certain ideas may transcend their era, others remain tethered to it.
Dune is worthy of being read, albeit with the caveat of approaching it with contextual awareness. Its uniqueness is undeniable, and I now understand why this work holds such esteemed regard.
World-Building & Characters – “Grave this on your memory, lad: A world is supported by four things..." she held up four big-knuckled fingers. "...the learning of the wise, the justice of the great, the prayers of the righteous and the valor of the brave. But all of these things are as nothing..." She closed her fingers into a fist. "...without a ruler who knows the art of ruling. Make that the science of your tradition!”
Though firmly set in the distant future with its spacefaring journeys, futuristic weaponry, and colossal sandworms, Dune maintains a surprisingly grounded and even fantastical feel to it. Combat involves a mix of shield technology and blades. While projectile weapons are present, their use against shields is prohibited as they risk triggering a catastrophic overload, akin to setting off a mini nuke. Within this futuristic setting, the mystical Bene Gesserit wield their power known as the Voice, manipulating and commanding those who fall under its sway. Prophecies, deities, prophets, and mythical creatures (have I mentioned the sandworms?!) They all coexist seamlessly in this universe.
What captivates me most about Dune is the intricate world meticulously crafted by Herbet. He plunges the reader headlong into this story, gradually unveiling hidden layers of its history as the story unfolds. It’s this lore that ensnared my imagination as I watched this movie, where even the most outlandish elements find coherence within its framework. To me, that’s the hallmark of exceptional world-building – where even the most outlandish ideas become plausible within the foundation of the author’s creation.
If I were to offer a solitary critique of this world-building endeavor, it would be the sandworms. While their presence is palpable and their cultural and religious significance to the Fremen and the ecology of Arrakis undeniable, I wished for more insight into their nature. But that’s a very minor nitpick.
If I were to pinpoint a particular weakness in this book, it would be the characterization. Paul Atreides, for instance, struck me as more compelling in the movie than in the book itself. I anticipated a deeper emotional depth, as depicted on screen, but in the book, he comes across more subdued. While this could be intentional, I found his early volatility, notably during his encounter with the Reverend Mother, gradually giving way to a more robotic demeanor. This transformation is explained due to his Mentat training, yet it leaves him feeling somewhat one-dimensional – a chosen one proficient in combat with peculiar abilities.
Don’t get me wrong, I admire Paul’s internal struggle as he grapples with the weight of his destiny to save Arrakis and its inhabitants while seeking vengeance for his family. However, I couldn’t shake the feeling that the character had more room to breathe in the movie portrayal, offering a more rounded character. Perhaps this was a deliberate choice; one could argue that Paul is a conflicted character who must suppress his emotions to harness his precognitive abilities effectively. Nonetheless, the film I felt provided a richer exploration that I felt wasn’t as captured in the book.
While the movie may have provided a boost to Paul’s character, I found Jessica to be more interesting in the book. While I admire Jessica’s portrayal in the film, I found the book delved deeper into her character. She is a formidable fighter, surpassing even the Fremen. Endowed with Bene Gesserit training, Jessica grapples with inner conflict, a facet that resonates more strongly in the book. Unlike the movie portrayal, where she appears to push Paul towards his destiny as the Lisan al-Gaib, in the book, she harbors a sense of fear towards him. Her apprehension stems from witnessing his transformation as the book goes on while also harboring a deep, deep love for him. I enjoyed reading her inner struggles more in the book, even though I love how she is portrayed in the movie.
On the other hand, the depiction of the Baron Harkonnen raises concerns. While Herbert intended to portray him as repugnant and vile, his characterization as the sole gay character in the book presents a troubling aspect that should be addressed. While a gay villain can offer nuanced storytelling, Herbert’s portrayal veers into troubling territory by associating his villainy with traits like obesity, depravity, pedophilia, and incestuous desires. Particularly unsettling is the implication of sexual assault against young male slaves resembling Paul. The movie showed us that you can make this character vile and disturbing without highlighting those other troubling aspects.
The transformation of Chani between the book and the movie stands out as a significant departure. Personally, I found the portrayal of Chani in the movie more compelling. She exudes greater agency, moving beyond a mere love interest for Paul. However, in the book, her role seems more limited, primarily serving as Paul’s romantic counterpart, with her significance diminishing at the conclusion. The agency bestowed upon her in the movie represents a welcome change though.
Conclusion & TLDR - It is impossible to live in the past, difficult to live in the present and a waste to live in the future.
Dune, despite its imperfections, stands as a cornerstone of science fiction. However, I acknowledge that it may not appeal to everyone. The aspects I highlighted should be taken into consideration, particularly the intricacies of its plot and writing style, which may pose challenges for some readers. Personally, my fascination with the universe depicted in the movies fueled my desire to read the book, and I eagerly anticipate continuing with Frank Herbert’s novels. For me, Dune served as a gateway to hard science fiction, a departure from my ventures into realms of strictly Star Wars novels. It introduced me to the wonderfully bizarre elements that influenced works like Star Wars, and ignited a desire to explore a genre I haven’t tapped into further. Despite its weird writing style and occasional pacing issues, I firmly believe beneath its quirks lies a narrative worthy of its acclaim. The cinematic adaptation enriched my experience by providing visual cues and offering an alternative interpretation of the story. I eagerly anticipate checking out other classics, such as Hyperion and Foundation. I am excited as well to eventually complete the rest of this series.
submitted by GroundbreakingParty9 to Fantasy [link] [comments]

2024.05.12 06:41 3chut4 Sonoff TX Ultimate Touch Panel Issues

Hello Reddit.
I bought a bunch of Sonoff TX Ultimate a few months ago (T5-1C-120, and T5-2C-120) These are the US version (rectangular, not square)
I flashed them all with ESPHome and I'm finding the touch panels very irresponsive. I have to constantly tap the panel multiple time to register that I want to turn a light on or off. The integration with HA and Google works fine. I have reviewed my code multiple times trying to find any reason as to why is this happening, but I haven't been able to find anything.
Here's the code I used for my T5-2C-120 in the ensuit:
# Built using: # https://gist.github.com/wolph/42024a983e4dfb0bc1dcbe6882979d21 substitutions: name: 'ensuit-switch' brightness_on: 25% brightness_nightlight: 25% esphome: name: $name platform: ESP32 board: esp32dev # on_boot: # priority: -100.0 # then: # - button.press: light_relays includes: - touch_panel.hpp - touch_panel.cpp # Enable logging logger: # level: DEBUG # Enable Home Assistant API api: encryption: key: "################################" ota: password: "#############################" wifi: ssid: !secret wifi_ssid password: !secret wifi_password # Enable fallback hotspot (captive portal) in case wifi connection fails ap: ssid: "Ensuit-Switch Fallback Hotspot" password: "##################" ## Enable Bluetooth Proxy #esp32_ble_tracker: # scan_parameters: # interval: 1100ms # window: 1100ms # active: true #bluetooth_proxy: # active: true # Home Assistant Light State #text_sensor: # - platform: homeassistant # name: "Hallway Light" # id: hallway_light # entity_id: light.hallway_light # on_value: # button.press: light_relays # # - platform: homeassistant # id: toilet_light # entity_id: light.toilet_light # on_value: # button.press: light_relays # # - platform: homeassistant # id: night_mode # entity_id: input_boolean.gone_to_bed uart: id: uart_bus tx_pin: 19 rx_pin: 22 baud_rate: 115200 #button: # - platform: template # name: light relays # id: light_relays # on_press: # - if: # condition: # switch.is_on: relay1_front_room # then: # - light.turn_on: # id: light.switch_leds # brightness: ${brightness_nightlight} # red: 100% # green: 4% # blue: 18% # transition_length: 500ms # else: # - light.turn_on: # id: rgb_light # brightness: ${brightness_nightlight} # red: 100% # green: 86% # blue: 35% # transition_length: 500s # - if: # condition: # switch.is_off: relay1_front_room # then: # - light.turn_on: # id: rgb_light # brightness: ${brightness_on} # red: 100% # green: 86% # blue: 35% # transition_length: 500ms # else: # - light.turn_on: # id: rgb_light # brightness: ${brightness_nightlight} # red: 100% # green: 86% # blue: 35% # transition_length: 500s binary_sensor: - platform: custom lambda: - auto touch_panel = new touch_panel::TouchPanel(id(uart_bus)); App.register_component(touch_panel); return { touch_panel->left, touch_panel->right, touch_panel->dragged_up, touch_panel->dragged_down, touch_panel->two_finger, }; # touch_panel->middle, binary_sensors: - id: button_left name: "Left Button" on_press: - switch.toggle: relay1_ensuit_light # - switch.turn_on: haptics # - delay: 500ms # - button.press: light_relays # - id: button_middle # name: "Middle Button" # on_press: # - switch.toggle: relay1_front_room # - switch.turn_on: haptics # - delay: 500ms # - button.press: light_relays - id: button_right name: "Right Button" on_press: - switch.toggle: relay2_ensuit_extractor # - switch.turn_on: haptics # - delay: 500ms # - button.press: light_relays - id: button_two_finger name: "Two Fingers" - id: button_dragged_up name: "Dragged Up" - id: button_dragged_down name: "Dragged Down" # Switch Relays switch: - platform: gpio name: "relay left ensuit light" pin: GPIO18 id: relay1_ensuit_light restore_mode: ALWAYS_OFF # on_turn_on: # button.press: light_relays # on_turn_off: # button.press: light_relays # - platform: gpio # name: "relay middle living room" # pin: GPIO17 # id: relay2_living_room # restore_mode: ALWAYS_OFF # on_turn_on: # button.press: light_relays # on_turn_off: # button.press: light_relays - platform: gpio name: "relay right ensuit extractor" pin: GPIO17 id: relay2_ensuit_extractor restore_mode: ALWAYS_OFF # on_turn_on: # button.press: light_relays # on_turn_off: # button.press: light_relays #- platform: gpio # name: "relay right living room" # pin: GPIO23 # id: relay4_living_room # on_turn_on: # button.press: light_relays # on_turn_off: # button.press: light_relays # - platform: gpio # name: "sound amplifier power" # pin: GPIO26 # id: pa_sw - platform: gpio name: "touch panel power" pin: number: GPIO5 inverted: true id: ca51_pow restore_mode: RESTORE_DEFAULT_ON # - platform: gpio # pin: GPIO21 # name: "Haptics" # id: "haptics" # restore_mode: ALWAYS_OFF # on_turn_on: # - delay: 400ms # - switch.turn_off: haptics # Light light: - platform: neopixelbus type: GRB variant: WS2812 pin: GPIO13 num_leds: 1 name: "NeoPixel 13" internal: true - platform: neopixelbus type: GRB variant: WS2812 # pin: GPIO20 pin: GPIO33 num_leds: 32 name: "Ambience Nightlight" id: rgb_light effects: - addressable_rainbow: name: 'rainbow fast' speed: 50 - pulse: - pulse: name: "Fast Pulse" transition_length: 0.5s update_interval: 0.5s - pulse: name: "Slow Pulse" # transition_length: 1s # defaults to 1s update_interval: 2s - addressable_scan: - addressable_scan: name: Scan Effect With Custom Values move_interval: 100ms scan_width: 3 - addressable_twinkle: - addressable_twinkle: name: Twinkle Effect With Custom Values twinkle_probability: 5% progress_interval: 4ms - addressable_random_twinkle: - addressable_random_twinkle: name: Random Twinkle Effect With Custom Values twinkle_probability: 20% progress_interval: 32ms - addressable_fireworks: - addressable_fireworks: name: Fireworks Effect With Custom Values update_interval: 32ms spark_probability: 10% use_random_color: false fade_out_rate: 120 - addressable_flicker: - addressable_flicker: name: Flicker Effect With Custom Values update_interval: 16ms intensity: 5% - platform: partition id: light_top_left name: "light top left ensuit" segments: - id: rgb_light from: 0 to: 3 - platform: partition id: light_top_left_extra_LED name: "light top left ensuit extra LED" segments: - id: rgb_light from: 31 to: 31 - platform: partition id: light_top_right name: "light top right ensuit" segments: - id: rgb_light from: 4 to: 8 - platform: partition id: light_right_top name: "light right top ensuit" segments: - id: rgb_light from: 9 to: 11 - platform: partition id: light_right_bottom name: "light right bottom ensuit" segments: - id: rgb_light from: 12 to: 14 - platform: partition id: light_bottom_left name: "light bottom left ensuit" segments: - id: rgb_light from: 20 to: 24 - platform: partition id: light_bottom_right name: "light bottom right ensuit" segments: - id: rgb_light from: 15 to: 19 - platform: partition id: light_left_top name: "light left top ensuit" segments: - id: rgb_light from: 28 to: 30 - platform: partition id: light_left_bottom name: "light left bottom ensuit" segments: - id: rgb_light from: 25 to: 27 # I2S audio component i2s_audio: i2s_bclk_pin: GPIO2 # BCK i2s_lrclk_pin: GPIO4 # WS # Player component for I2S media_player: - platform: i2s_audio name: Speaker dac_type: external mode: mono i2s_dout_pin: GPIO15 i2s_comm_fmt: lsb mute_pin: number: GPIO26 inverted: true
Is there any YAML guru around here that could let me know what may be wrong with my code to cause the touch panel to behave so poorly?
THANKS in advance!
submitted by 3chut4 to Esphome [link] [comments]

2024.05.12 06:39 3chut4 Sonoff TX Ultimate Touch Panel Issues

Hello Reddit.
I bought a bunch of Sonoff TX Ultimate a few months ago (T5-1C-120, and T5-2C-120) These are the US version (rectangular, not square)
I flashed them all with ESPHome and I'm finding the touch panels very irresponsive. I have to constantly tap the panel multiple time to register that I want to turn a light on or off. The integration with HA and Google works fine. I have reviewed my code multiple times trying to find any reason as to why is this happening, but I haven't been able to find anything.
Here's the code I used for my T5-2C-120 in the ensuit:
# Built using: # https://gist.github.com/wolph/42024a983e4dfb0bc1dcbe6882979d21 substitutions: name: 'ensuit-switch' brightness_on: 25% brightness_nightlight: 25% esphome: name: $name platform: ESP32 board: esp32dev # on_boot: # priority: -100.0 # then: # - button.press: light_relays includes: - touch_panel.hpp - touch_panel.cpp # Enable logging logger: # level: DEBUG # Enable Home Assistant API api: encryption: key: "################################" ota: password: "#############################" wifi: ssid: !secret wifi_ssid password: !secret wifi_password # Enable fallback hotspot (captive portal) in case wifi connection fails ap: ssid: "Ensuit-Switch Fallback Hotspot" password: "##################" ## Enable Bluetooth Proxy #esp32_ble_tracker: # scan_parameters: # interval: 1100ms # window: 1100ms # active: true #bluetooth_proxy: # active: true # Home Assistant Light State #text_sensor: # - platform: homeassistant # name: "Hallway Light" # id: hallway_light # entity_id: light.hallway_light # on_value: # button.press: light_relays # # - platform: homeassistant # id: toilet_light # entity_id: light.toilet_light # on_value: # button.press: light_relays # # - platform: homeassistant # id: night_mode # entity_id: input_boolean.gone_to_bed uart: id: uart_bus tx_pin: 19 rx_pin: 22 baud_rate: 115200 #button: # - platform: template # name: light relays # id: light_relays # on_press: # - if: # condition: # switch.is_on: relay1_front_room # then: # - light.turn_on: # id: light.switch_leds # brightness: ${brightness_nightlight} # red: 100% # green: 4% # blue: 18% # transition_length: 500ms # else: # - light.turn_on: # id: rgb_light # brightness: ${brightness_nightlight} # red: 100% # green: 86% # blue: 35% # transition_length: 500s # - if: # condition: # switch.is_off: relay1_front_room # then: # - light.turn_on: # id: rgb_light # brightness: ${brightness_on} # red: 100% # green: 86% # blue: 35% # transition_length: 500ms # else: # - light.turn_on: # id: rgb_light # brightness: ${brightness_nightlight} # red: 100% # green: 86% # blue: 35% # transition_length: 500s binary_sensor: - platform: custom lambda: - auto touch_panel = new touch_panel::TouchPanel(id(uart_bus)); App.register_component(touch_panel); return { touch_panel->left, touch_panel->right, touch_panel->dragged_up, touch_panel->dragged_down, touch_panel->two_finger, }; # touch_panel->middle, binary_sensors: - id: button_left name: "Left Button" on_press: - switch.toggle: relay1_ensuit_light # - switch.turn_on: haptics # - delay: 500ms # - button.press: light_relays # - id: button_middle # name: "Middle Button" # on_press: # - switch.toggle: relay1_front_room # - switch.turn_on: haptics # - delay: 500ms # - button.press: light_relays - id: button_right name: "Right Button" on_press: - switch.toggle: relay2_ensuit_extractor # - switch.turn_on: haptics # - delay: 500ms # - button.press: light_relays - id: button_two_finger name: "Two Fingers" - id: button_dragged_up name: "Dragged Up" - id: button_dragged_down name: "Dragged Down" # Switch Relays switch: - platform: gpio name: "relay left ensuit light" pin: GPIO18 id: relay1_ensuit_light restore_mode: ALWAYS_OFF # on_turn_on: # button.press: light_relays # on_turn_off: # button.press: light_relays # - platform: gpio # name: "relay middle living room" # pin: GPIO17 # id: relay2_living_room # restore_mode: ALWAYS_OFF # on_turn_on: # button.press: light_relays # on_turn_off: # button.press: light_relays - platform: gpio name: "relay right ensuit extractor" pin: GPIO17 id: relay2_ensuit_extractor restore_mode: ALWAYS_OFF # on_turn_on: # button.press: light_relays # on_turn_off: # button.press: light_relays #- platform: gpio # name: "relay right living room" # pin: GPIO23 # id: relay4_living_room # on_turn_on: # button.press: light_relays # on_turn_off: # button.press: light_relays # - platform: gpio # name: "sound amplifier power" # pin: GPIO26 # id: pa_sw - platform: gpio name: "touch panel power" pin: number: GPIO5 inverted: true id: ca51_pow restore_mode: RESTORE_DEFAULT_ON # - platform: gpio # pin: GPIO21 # name: "Haptics" # id: "haptics" # restore_mode: ALWAYS_OFF # on_turn_on: # - delay: 400ms # - switch.turn_off: haptics # Light light: - platform: neopixelbus type: GRB variant: WS2812 pin: GPIO13 num_leds: 1 name: "NeoPixel 13" internal: true - platform: neopixelbus type: GRB variant: WS2812 # pin: GPIO20 pin: GPIO33 num_leds: 32 name: "Ambience Nightlight" id: rgb_light effects: - addressable_rainbow: name: 'rainbow fast' speed: 50 - pulse: - pulse: name: "Fast Pulse" transition_length: 0.5s update_interval: 0.5s - pulse: name: "Slow Pulse" # transition_length: 1s # defaults to 1s update_interval: 2s - addressable_scan: - addressable_scan: name: Scan Effect With Custom Values move_interval: 100ms scan_width: 3 - addressable_twinkle: - addressable_twinkle: name: Twinkle Effect With Custom Values twinkle_probability: 5% progress_interval: 4ms - addressable_random_twinkle: - addressable_random_twinkle: name: Random Twinkle Effect With Custom Values twinkle_probability: 20% progress_interval: 32ms - addressable_fireworks: - addressable_fireworks: name: Fireworks Effect With Custom Values update_interval: 32ms spark_probability: 10% use_random_color: false fade_out_rate: 120 - addressable_flicker: - addressable_flicker: name: Flicker Effect With Custom Values update_interval: 16ms intensity: 5% - platform: partition id: light_top_left name: "light top left ensuit" segments: - id: rgb_light from: 0 to: 3 - platform: partition id: light_top_left_extra_LED name: "light top left ensuit extra LED" segments: - id: rgb_light from: 31 to: 31 - platform: partition id: light_top_right name: "light top right ensuit" segments: - id: rgb_light from: 4 to: 8 - platform: partition id: light_right_top name: "light right top ensuit" segments: - id: rgb_light from: 9 to: 11 - platform: partition id: light_right_bottom name: "light right bottom ensuit" segments: - id: rgb_light from: 12 to: 14 - platform: partition id: light_bottom_left name: "light bottom left ensuit" segments: - id: rgb_light from: 20 to: 24 - platform: partition id: light_bottom_right name: "light bottom right ensuit" segments: - id: rgb_light from: 15 to: 19 - platform: partition id: light_left_top name: "light left top ensuit" segments: - id: rgb_light from: 28 to: 30 - platform: partition id: light_left_bottom name: "light left bottom ensuit" segments: - id: rgb_light from: 25 to: 27 # I2S audio component i2s_audio: i2s_bclk_pin: GPIO2 # BCK i2s_lrclk_pin: GPIO4 # WS # Player component for I2S media_player: - platform: i2s_audio name: Speaker dac_type: external mode: mono i2s_dout_pin: GPIO15 i2s_comm_fmt: lsb mute_pin: number: GPIO26 inverted: true
Is there any YAML guru around here that could let me know what may be wrong with my code to cause the touch panel to behave so poorly?
THANKS in advance!
submitted by 3chut4 to homeassistant [link] [comments]

2024.05.12 05:53 Throwawaygarbageboi Personal ranking of every CoTM 2 subweapon and character

Preamble:

I ranked subjects on universal usability, so if they have a very important role in one mode or gameplay style but are borderline unusable in the rest, they can still have a decent ranking. This is all my opinion, and I'd like to hear yours since there are several things on this list that I'm contentious on, and despite having completed this game I still have a decent bit to learn.

Ranking:

D Tier

  1. Dagger - Infinite range is no longer unique to Miriam and Soul Vision was mega buffed, eliminating the competition.
  2. Hand Grenade - Has almost zero use cases. Just barely edges out Dagger in terms of WP/dmg efficiency but gets swamped by everything else. Too expensive to be a regular weapon and too weak to be a DPS powerhouse.

C Tier

  1. Partisan - Easily the best coverage of any upwards style sub, but otherwise very underwhelming. Hitting with one partisan does less than 1 damage per WP, and hitting with both does less than 2. It's best unique use is blocking Gremory's orbs in a solo run due to it's infinite pierce, but Drake Cannon can do that, too. Otherwise, it can come in clutch for hitting important targets high up, but almost every other character has a subweapon that does the same thing but cheaper, faster, and stronger.

C+ Tier

  1. Impact Lance - Has only a few use cases throughout the entire game, but is very good when those use cases occur. One is to skip the vertical platforming sections in level 8 during the locusts swarms on episode 1 and solo runs. Another few are the final bosses in episodes 1/solo, and the final episode. She can use it during both fights to get above the bosses final phases and pogo on them for a long time. The flaws include it's bad hitbox, slow speed, and liability against the bosses as both have attacks that will knock her off them and deal major damage. The shortcuts it can take are nice but are far from exclusive to Dominique (Robert can canon-jump, Alfred can create platforms from frozen entities, and Gebel can fly)
  2. Ball and Chain - This is where weapons start to get genuinely good. The larger screens in the game mean the formerly good-enough range on this weapon doesn't quite cut it anymore, and while it has good raw power and decent efficiency, it's pretty slow and precise for what it does. The real crux of this weapon is the fact it takes up space for other sub weapons for Zangetsu, who (unlike other characters) has other sub weapons that are so good they completely outclass this one even considering it's unique function. Also it's completely worthless on Ultimate Zangetsu unlike his other subs.
  3. Rising Wind - This weapon is incredibly strange to rank. It's not bad by any means - fundamentally it's actually pretty amazing. It's efficient, cheap, powerful, and has almost screen wide range. However, being somewhat slow, inaccurate, and lacking coverage aren't it's biggest problem's (although they are considerable) - it's competition. It is HARD outclassed by other options on Dominique - not just other sub weapons, but her regular attacks. Someone like Zangetsu or Alfred would potentially give up one of their existing subs for that, but Dominique has anti-air combat baked into her character due to her upward stabs. It's not a spot Dominique can afford to waste, either due to her other amazing subs.
  4. Electro Crawler - Completely annihilates the ending of stage 6 (one of the hardest parts of the game if left uncountered) and chunks bosses above her, but like impact lance is a little too situational and outclassed by her default kit. Is incredible for a solo run, but ranges from great to useless everywhere else.
  5. Sickle - Unlike Daggers, this is a piercing weapon with half-decent power, especially on multi-hit. Its pseudo-infinite range blends well with its piece as it can cut through projectiles like archer barrages and ninja shurikens, allowing Miriam to either camp back and keep throwing or kite the projectiles to finish the enemy off herself. Its main issue is raw efficiency and consistency - If it only hits once (which isn't uncommon due to the necessity to use it defensively from fullscreen as it's too slow to use up close) it's incredibly inefficient with its WP/dmg ratio, especially if you can't catch it on return. That, combined with its overall middling power and lack of any solo shortcut usage keeps it from being any higher.
  6. Explosive Chain - It's a small boost to Ball and Chain, but it makes a world of difference. It's efficiency is definitely higher up on the list of weapons but again it's outclassed not just by other options but the possibility of Ultimate Zangetsu's charge slash (or even the ever-presence of helm splitter in Soul Eraser and Daizangetsuto runs). The extra range allows it to hit enemies it couldn't before (both with and without jumping) but it still retains the slowness. Like Dominique, it's also a sub-slot on a character that absolutely can not afford to waste it.
  7. Soul Vision - The arguable best sub weapon for Solo Alfred runs - completely useless everywhere else. It increases range, it's safe on usage, it increases DPS, enemies will target it instead of Alfred, it can collect multiple power ups (which are absolutely essential for solo Alfred runs), and it makes you use your normal attack which regenerates WP, making it essentially free. It absolutely carries Alfred solo runs - but that alone doesn't warrant a higher placement.

B Tier

  1. Healing Fruit - Inefficient for what it is, but what it is (is) incredible. It's best used for focusing on a single, essential character's health regeneration as focusing on multiple is too expensive. It can also be used in both normal and solo runs as a pogo-boost as the fruit is bounce-able for a short moment after spawning, allowing for certain power ups to be acquired. Very good.
  2. Demon Essence - Does great damage boosting on paper, but the only things it would be useful on are big enemies (which will die before the damage boost really cumulates) or bosses (which won't stay still/vulnerable long enough to allow for several melee attacks anyway). Also much worse on anybody that isn't Zangetsu since they attack so slow that it won't get the chance to rack up damage.
  3. Rapier - The best upwards focused sub weapon in my opinion. It has the coverage of Robert, the cheapness and power of Zangetsu, and the speed of Dominique. It can create just enough room to walk at the end of stage 6 and has enough range to kill all of the heads on the wall of boss 6 in a single throw - do it twice (which costs nothing due to the WP drops) and the boss is toast. That's not to mention it's so fast and powerful (if all 3 daggers hit) that it's essentially a superior main DPS option to any normal attack by any normal character.
  4. Axe - It was the undisputed second (arguably first) best subweapon in the first game, but it doesn't hold up as well this time around. Not only was it nerfed in damage, but the environment of this game is a lot less friendly to it. Bosses have a lot more health so using it as your primary DPS is too expensive to one-cycle, and it's now outclassed by Drake Canon for that role against things like the 5th Boss. Good news is that she can unlock Hachi exclusive shortcuts since it pierces armor, and it (+ frostcalibur) is still arguably the second best way to beat bosses despite the nerfs, so it's still very powerful. Voltaic Ray absolutely outclasses it even with frostcalibur.
  5. Magic Charm - The second most efficient sub in the entire game. Does great damage, puts enemies in hitlag, and even blocks low projectiles. It's slow and has pitiful range on the ground, but is overall strong nonetheless.

A Tier

  1. Drake Canon - Slaughters boss 5, slaughters every normal enemy (besides stage 7 mechs, but those die in 1-2 hits afterwards), is decent burst DPS against every boss besides 6, and can even be used as a second mid-air jump. That last part sounds innocuous, but can allow for multiple powers the be acquired that some other characters can't get, and is essential for Solo mode. Plus, it can allow for shortcuts to be taken that Robert and other characters aren't supposed to be able to access, and it can even theoretically clutch up as a last-resort double jump if you mess up platforming.
  2. Void Charm - Essentially a catch-all subweapon. It's only weakness (although it is a massive one) is that every route's final boss is basically immune to it. Every enemy and most other bosses dread it, however.
  3. Frostcalibur - Kills every unarmored enemy in one hit, can stunlock bosses to death with Axe, and can be used for platforming with sickle. It's heavily reliant on Drake Canon or Axe to beat bosses and is almost useless in a solo run, so it's too limited and situational for S Tier.

S Tier

  1. Devil Essence - Zangetsu's jump attack becomes the best source of targeted, inexpensive DPS in the game. It's only limit is it's range making it dangerous to use against bosses like Gremory and Beelzebub, and the fact you need to keep using it instead of having a one and done attack, but it's practically nuclear otherwise.
  2. Rapid Scarf - Beats almost every boss (besides the final one in the final episode and the 5th one), beats every normal enemy, and is less expensive than Drake Cannon despite hitting harder. Also unlimited range ftw.
  3. Resurrection Anthem - It can heal up to 56 HP and revive 6 characters if used correctly. It also costs 0 WP and essentially gives you as many as 6 more tries on any boss. It's slow, rare, and is almost useless on a solo run, but otherwise gamebreaking. If it could be used more than once, even if it cost ALL of your WP, it would be the best in the game. It's a lot weaker on legendary difficulty since you can't lose a single character, but if you spread your damage across everyone it still has a good use case.
  4. Flame Sphere - It's damage was nuked into the ground but it's utility remains intact. There's at least two or three ssections in every stage that become cakewalks with this, and legendary mode ghosts are a nightmare without it. It's a little expensive but still FAR more affordable over time than Invincible Iron. Both the Sarcophagus Boss and Gremory are also hard countered by this subweapon, to the point where this dude (https://youtu.be/u8-4aTJuJS8?si=yPkBHkfn55OmQbhJ&t=87m) beat Gremory with Solo Alfred, the worst solo character, in ONE TRY. Just have someone to handle other bosses and the game is essentially won. Outside solo runs it's absolutely game breaking. (Edit: I counted, and assuming we count clones as separate enemies since they appear in different stages and have slightly different behaviors, there are over SEVENTY enemies and hazards that Alfred checks, counters, or is straight up immune to with this, not even counting things like the boulders and possibly tail lasers [I need to test] from boss 5, the fire rain from boss 3, the ice spikes and enemy spawns from boss 4, the slam gas/projectiles/enemy spawners, from boss 2, the everything of boss 6, and Gremory's f$&#+ orbs.)

SS Tier

  1. Immortal Metamorphosis - Skips every platforming section. Also gets ~80% of all upgrades by itself. It's only limit is that Flame Wheel in acquirable in every run that Gebel is except solo, but that doesn't heal it's user, bypass strong enemies, and sometimes cheat death on hit, so this is still viable. Extremely niche in boss rush, but almost imperative everywhere else.
  2. Voltaic Ray - Skips every boss (outside solo runs), and bosses are (IMO) the hardest part of this game.
  3. Invincible Iron - Skips every platforming section AND boss!

Characters Ranked

C Tier

  1. Base Zangetsu - He can't collect a single power up on his own, he can't heal, he can't skip platforming sections, he doesn't have the good boss killers, his DPS options aren't always viable to use and are outclassed, his range is bad, he doesn't get bonus WP like Alfred, Gebel, or Hachi, and he doesn't have any platforming advantages or even good range, regardless of subweapon. He has solid fundamentals, but he's outclassed everywhere else.
  2. Robert - He's cool AF, but he literally doesn't have a single unique-to-him upgrade, and actually misses out on a lot of secrets (health and point bags) because he can't break walls. His range is amazing, but his damage and subweapon costs (minus the Scarf, and possibly Drake Cannon for upgrades) are the worst in the game. He's pretty good all around even in solo mode, but he's an honest character in a game where boss nukes, flight, invulnerability, and mass revival are things. An honest character in a dishonest game.

B Tier (interchangeable)

7/6. Upgraded Zangetsu - He's a walking nuke, and really hard to rank since he's the only character without anything resembling a solo mode dedicated to him (since the final episode and/or legendary difficulty sort of count for Ultimate Zangetsu). I feel he's still held back by his lack of versatility and upgrades, but he'd be A Tier if he could collect any of them. He hits harder than any other character (that isn't a secret bonus), but still has a hard time with things like platforming and bosses like stage 6's, episode 1's finale, the normal final episode final boss, and Gremory's hard version. He's the opposite of characters like Miram, Hachi, and Dominique: He has 1 trick, and that trick is killing everything that gets close to him. He is mostly bad at everything else.
6/7. Miriam - She's a genuinely good character all around, but she also suffers from "fair character" syndrome. She's arguably even stronger than she was in the first game, but this game isn't designed around her like the last one was, so she's worse off overall. Bosses take WAY more damage to kill in this game than in the first and her axe was actually nerfed in damage slightly. Furthermore, since this game requires a lot more upwards attacking in platforming areas for ghosts, frogs, hanging mouth spitters, floating head ceiling spawners, etc. she's going to be using a lot more WP on her upwards throwing dagger, which hurts her longevity and consistency. Everything near the end of every run also hits a decent bit harder, so her formerly "close 2nd best" HP isn't quite so insurmountable (or 2nd best) anymore. Despite ALL of this, she's still pretty good. She can't 1 cycle every boss, facetank everything, effortlessly beat platforming sections, or have the unique trait of infinite range (with subweapons) anymore, but she's still strong enough to get plenty of power ups for solo and final runs and is more than than strong enough to fall back on in group modes if a top tier dies.

A Tier

  1. Gebel - He gets all but 4 power ups on his own, self heals, and skips every platforming section. He's redundant with Alfred's fire shield and Hachi's invulnerability being nearly as good at platforming and he's the worst character in boss rush mode, but otherwise he has a strong role in just about every other mode.
  2. Dominique - The game is designed around her. She has subweapons for every situation, and even if they're not always the best, she's also one of the few characters inherently strong enough to, with enough skill, handle every situation on her own. She's essentially a 7 in every situation, but she also has the completely unique ability to do a full party heal and resurrection, which is a 10/10 trait only she has. She has a use case in every mode, and a strong one at that. Her biggest downside is her solo power ceiling, but that's only a single mode and even then she's versatile enough to get by most situations and grab most power ups. She wouldn't likely be as powerful (relatively, since she'd be the same character) in the first game since it's not designed around her (with things like less characters to heal, not being able to slide, there being almost nothing to bounce off of or super jump to, etc) - it's like a reverse Miriam situation.

S- Tier:

  1. Alfred - He essentially gets to choose between Hachi's invincibility for 1/10 the cost or skipping every single boss in the entire game. He's the worst character solo, but (IMO) top 2 everywhere else. If his subweapons didn't carry over to other characters he'd easily be the worst, but all you have to do is pop off a subweapon then switch to another character and suddenly any situation you have to deal with is solved. He'd be #1 if he could carry 2 subs at once even though he sucks solo, but his boss vs. platforming and bad solo mode inconsistencies keeps him from being a true top tier. Also pseudo-infinite WP ftw.

S+ Tier

  1. Hachi - A master of all trades. He has the best health, pierces enemy armor, the easiest (although less objectively good than Gebel and Ulti-getsu's) platforming, bonus WP from lanterns, he can get several power ups, squash low enemies, and has a get out of jail free card in every situation. His only weaknesses are his big hurtbox and his low attack speed(and by proxy DPS sorta), which aren't issues with patience and pattern knowledge. He's one of 2 characters that's good in every single game mode, regardless of difficulty or allies.

SS Tier

  1. Ultimate Zangetsu - He's the only character so strong that he doesn't even need subweapons, unlike Hachi, Gebel, and Alfred who are good specifically because of their subs. He has some of the best platforming, the best speed (and arguably survivability, since he dodges better due to his dash, so it makes up for his lower health than Hachi, and he kills most things before they threaten him so he doesn't need invincibility), the best range, and the best damage. He's great solo because he's the strongest character and ridiculously versatile, he's great in main playthroughs because he's so strong without subs that other characters don't have to waste WP helping him, and he's even great in boss rush because his unrivaled mobility and damage allow him to dodge stuff and hit bosses in situations when nobody else even comes close. Even in the shoot em' up section of the final episode, he comes pre-packaged with the ability to get every other character's ship weapons. He is truly the Akuma of this game: De-centralized, high skill with high reward, extremely versatile, and purposefully overpowered.
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2024.05.12 00:00 Bonjonsie The Jonsie Burrows: Help Wanted 2 Part 7

He spins around right 'round, baby, right 'round. Like a record, baby, right round, 'round, 'round
Previous part: 6.
Like always, I've missed some sort of controversy happening in the FNAF community. But this time I had something to say about it as it relates to the lore side of things!
A week ago... Before Scott came and revealed that The Talbert Files were all fake and he had never seen nor written them. I was late to the party this time but next to I'll be on time!
But to boil down what I said, The Talbert Files has outdated information and is unusable to us theorists. Do not use anything in this book to make a point in the current story of the games.
Oh and of course, this controversy came from Twitter or X or whatever. If these past few games have told me anything, it's that being connected to a network for any long periods of time is very bad for your mental health and safety~
And basically, that was the gist of what would've been probably the longest intro ever.
For those new to this series or who have lost which part or place they're on, check out The Jonsie Burrows: Help Wanted 2: Tables of contents to find where you want to go! If you haven't seen any of my stuff before then...
Hello, this is something you might have missed in Help Wanted 2.
Previously Post Interesting things:
  1. Our main character, HW Jeremy, Cassie's dad, is already wearing the Security Mask before we even start the game. This means Glitchtrap has access to his mind and body. As for what that entails...
  2. Help Wanted 2's AMask-on version of the FNAF6 Pizzaria might be based on Micheal's canonical look for it near the end of Pizzaria Simulator.
  3. After completing each minigame, a party hat, plate, and cup will appear on the table next to you. Whose party are we attending as a guest?
  4. The protagonist of Help Wanted 2 is HW Jeremy, discovered through the color blue items which are prominent in the game and used for his name and shirt in Ruin. Jeremy was a former employee of Circus Baby's Entertainment and Rental and may have been present during the events of Sister Location.
  5. In the First Aid minigame of Help Wanted 2, the "GET WELL SOON!" drawings depict Baby's life as seen through Vanny's eyes, hinting towards the game's secret ending. These drawings also reveal that Baby's data card from Sister Location was inside Helpy in Pizzeria Simulator and survived the fire. As a result, her programming was eventually absorbed into the Pizzaplex's Network, leading to her appearance in Help Wanted 2.
  6. Glitchtrap may have collected the souls and memories of the original dead kids into the Pizzaplex's Network and in this game, Jeremy is going into Glitchtrap's memories.
  7. Help Wanted 2's Fizz Faz minigame's location is the same but different location in Security Breach. They both have identical objects placed in the exact place as each other, giving evidence to the fact that Jeremy is physically moving to certain locations in the Pizzaplex when clicking on the minigames.
  8. Helpi in this game is indeed Glitchtrap in disguise. Unlike Ruin, Helpi is not his own entity in this game because we're not connected to the V.A.N.N.I. network due to being in the FNAF6 pizzeria. The V.A.N.N.I. network only covers the entire Pizzaplex but doesn't go past the door to the underground in Roxy Raceway. Glitchtrap has a preference for using proxies and decoys to communicate with the unsuspected to get them to do what he wants.
Now back to our unregularly scheduled series!
​
"The carousel is broken. Fix it!" That was what greeted you in the void along with a pictograph of a carousel. It sounded very simple but you knew better now.
"Fix all the broken fuses, then replace any broken switches and turn on the power."
"Repair the circuit board. Don't forget to solder in new wires with the soldering gun." Were the rest of the instructions given to you for this task, hovered over the "START" button but before you pressed it, a new sound reverberated in the void.
There was always a noise, a certain ambiance in this place of darkness. Whether it be the sound of blowing air or some distant jingle, there was always something to occupy the ears. But this was different.
It was like the noise of someone pulling a wire along a corner very fast, like the sound of something struggling to play out of a static radio, a blare of a machine in motion that started malfunctioning. Whatever description one wanted to use, it didn't change the fact that it was getting increasingly louder.
But before you hear more of it or even figure out what it was. Your hand betrayed you and completed the motion of pressing the "START" button. Whisking you off to your next destination over the cover of darkness.
​
Okay, that's it! I've got to find this ambiance in the Help Wanted 2 soundtrack! It's driving me nuts! Alright, I've got good news and bad news. The good news is that I found the exact track that plays in the void! It's called Main Menu Ambiance or as its file name refers to it, ambience_main_menu. The bad news is that this sound I'm hearing is not there.
This means one of two things, this track has a different variant of it somewhere in the soundtrack, or the sound belongs to some animatronic or creature in the game.
Personally, I hoping for the former as that's much, much easier to find as the latter requires me to rip open the game for the sound. What makes this even more difficult is that it might be randomized to play while in the void and pretty much everyone doesn't stay in the void any longer than to read the instructions, claim their prizes from the claws, or press the "RESTART" button in the "GAME OVER" void.
(Although I haven't gone over the "GAME OVER" void yet in this series, I have heard it play in there too on my searching through other people's playthroughs of the game.)
Time to go back to searching for this mysterious sound.
I can't find it. I've searched YouTube but there aren't a lot of people uploading the entire soundtrack to this game and the one who has doesn't have it listed in their playlist of 769 videos. Oh, joy! It looks like we have our first Help Wanted 2 mystery! What a coincidence considering my last post.
So for now, I'm going to leave the research for this until I write out Help Wanted 2 Mysteries: The Mysterious Sound in the Void. But to leave you all hanging and confused about what exactly I'm hearing, I'll give you the timestamp of the walkthrough I heard it from right here.
Now, let's see what awaits us at the Carousel.
"Attention, This Carousel is out of service and will require repairs before we open tomorrow."
The Daycare Attendant, Sun, spoke from somewhere close by in this new environment you found yourself in. You were standing inside a Carousel in a dark room, the only light source seemed to be a light from above as you faced an open panel on the central pillar in the middle of it. Inside the panel, live currents of electricity crackled and popped as they ran across and through yellow wires into two out of six fuses that the wire ran through.
The fuses were in two vertical parallel rows, and the yellow wire ran in and out of one row and went back through in the next until the very last row where it came out of the last bulb and disappeared into the side of the panel. Judging by how the two fuses were lit as the electric current went through and the other four were unlit with no visible electric current going through them, you bet a greasy pizza that you'll need to replace those four fuses.
"That is the end of my instruction. If I had been programmed with the knowledge to fix it, it would have already been done." That would've been nice, but you think they would've just gotten another broken carousel for you to fix.
During your listening to his speech, you figure that "Sun" was only just a recording as his voice had a sort of radio-like quality to it that sounded much like it was recorded at an earlier date.
To your left was a stand with three hatches opened, showing off items within them while what looked to be colorful wires sat on a small divot in the stand.
To your right, was an interesting set of items that seemed very out of place to you. There was a small rectangular haystack that sat on the right side of the pillar, with a skinny pumpkin and an oil lantern. What are they doing here? (What indeed, but perhaps there's a clue around here.)
A brief look around showed you that the area outside the carousel was blindingly dark, but grabbing the flashlight that sat on the tool cabinet-like stand on your left and flicking it on, revealed what was hidden in the darkness.
Further from you, were the carousel seats that took after the appearances of some of the classic Freddy's animatronics. You see with the help of your flashlight, you see a classic (FNAF1) Bonnie seat, a classic (FNAF1) Chica seat, a classic (FNAF1) Mr. Cupcake, Toy Freddy, and Toy Foxy? Weird, you've usually seen Toy Foxy in their mangle variant rather than their fixed state.
(Despite the darkness and the unmangled form of this white foxy, you can actually tell which of the closely resembling Foxys it represents. While Scott did make Funtime Foxy, (From Sister Location, not FNAF World) very similar to Mangle/Toy Foxy. He did make them slightly distinct from each other in the coloring department besides their different structures.
The official model of Funtime Foxy(Sister location) actually has dark pink cheeks while Mangle/Toy Foxy has rosy-red cheeks just like the rest of their Toy companions. So this carousel is really repping FNAF 2-era, I wonder why...)
You thought you saw balloons at the edge of your flashlight, but before you could verify it, something spoke close by from where you were standing.
"The merry-go-round broke down." The slightly hoarse, raspy voice ended with a snicker as you struggled to find the source of it. Something was definitely in the dark room with you. (Hey Moon!)
You the source continued to elude you before you gave up and focused on the problem in front of you. Waisting time to find the voice was a fool's game, your best bet was to quickly fix this problem within the panel before the voice became a problem for you.
Still, you felt that you knew that voice.
Out you pulled the broken fuses and set them on the side, in went the new fuses you took from the hatch in the stand one by one as they came out of the hatch. Once you put the final new fuses, the pillar in front began to spin, and dozens of mini yellow lightbulbs lit up on its side.
Lights in the distance flickered on and music from the carousel started playing. (Carousel: Doomsday Ride Phase 1.) The pillar came to a stop on its next side but the outer ring full of rides of the carousel continued to spin clockwise around you. It's there where you spotted the one behind the voice and finally put a name to the foggy figure in your memory, Moon, the Daycare Attendant's other personality.
And the most difficult one to deal with. But you knew how to deter this side of him, you thought as you pointed your flashlight at his face as he rode a Bonnie seat in the outer ring of the carousel.
"What makes you so special?"
You heard him say as he started to shake his head from the brightness of the light, but you handled your flashlight well to keep the light on his face before he fell off the Bonnie seat with a frustrated and agony-filled growl from overexposure.
​
And there it is! The most important line in this game! This line is a hint at the hidden ongoings within Help Wanted 2, a hint towards our mysterious protagonist's identity, and a hint that things are not what they seem in this game.
Or at least that's the excitement I would've felt when we finally got to this line in the game if I hadn't already spoiled everything during the Circus Baby and Helpi discoveries in the First Aid minigames!
Now, I really don't have much to say regarding the "What makes you so special?" line or any new thoughts about it. Maybe that'll change in the future, but for now, let's focus on another unexpected return in the form of the villainous side of the Daycare Attendant.
Yep, that's right. Just like Circus Baby, this is the actual Moon from Security Breach and Ruin! Unlike Circus Baby though, we have a precedent from Ruin for the Daycare Attendant to be able to appear in the Network, which this "game" is connected to, even in the FNAF6 pizzeria.
Honestly, I probably wouldn't I gotten that far in uncovering as much as did in Help Wanted 2 if I hadn't discovered that little hidden tidbit about Sun and Moon's network switched mechanic thing they have going on.
But for those who don't remember or don't know what I'm talking about you can read where I first talked about it in the fourth section of my "Roxy's true purpose" post. But to summarize it for those who don't want to click the link and go more in-depth about it for those who do, one of the oddest and unexplained moments that occurs in Ruin, is Sun talking to Cassie in the AR world while Moon speaking in the real world.
Back then, It always puzzled me when Sun said "Not me! The other me!" when approached by Cassie with the mask on to reboot him. And afterward, when the Daycare Attendant has been rebooted into Eclipse, Cassie could hear Sun say "thank you" in the real world after Eclipse left her outside of the daycare, even though he should've been gone with the reboot.
But the missing pieces to figure out this Daycare Attendant puzzle come in three, the Security Mask, the Faz-Wrench, and the Network. It is very important to remember what the first two actually do in Ruin and to not forget how the AR world exists.
The Security Mask lets you view the Pizzaplex through Augmented Reality, a digitally altered perception of reality influenced and dictated by Fazbear Entertainment (and Glitchtrap) and by the sub-network of the main network of the Pizzaplex.
That mask also has another function it, which is hinted in the name of its sub-network, V.A.N.N.I. or Virtual Augmented Neural Network Integration Unit. The Security Mask, with your consent under normal circumstances I presume, implants your brain with an occipital transponder. This implant allows you to retain some visual perks of V.A.N.N.I. like Helpi the onboard assistant who could still show up to assist you without the mask.
But this implant is a double-edged sword in truth. This implant is permanently attached to your brain and is constantly feeding information from and to your brain to the network. The Pizzaplex's Network holds a lot of information, like guest profiles for those who enter the Pizzaplex, the security system that safeguards and watches over everything, the various data collection regarding each location within the Pizzaplex, and is connected to every single animatronic/bot within the Pizzaplex.
The Network is a valuable tool for the employees and Fazbear Entertainment, providing plentiful assistance in various tasks. However, the situation regarding the implant would not have been grave had there not been a sinister entity lurking within the network. Glitchtrap now has complete access to a person's brain without their knowledge, posing a significant unknown threat to those who have it.
If you want to know what Glitchtrap is capable of doing to someone implanted with the occipital transponder, just read my Security Mask and Cassie being controlled post.
This leaves us with the unassuming Faz-Wrench, a tool that almost goes unnoticed by practically everyone. But like any tool, it will shine best when used for its purpose. That is besides being used as a simple tool for the simple conduit puzzle, it's a powerful tool to connect, activate, and deactivate everything connected to the Network.
So applying everything I've said to the Daycare Attendant situation in Ruin, then you can figure out many secret things about him that were unsaid.
  1. When one of the Daycare Attendant's personalities is dominant or in the foreground, the subservient one will still be active in the background and is still aware of what's happening around him. Yes, this means that Sun knows about Vanny, Moon, and Glitchtrap, and what happens to Moon's victims. I still wouldn't label him a villain, just complacent, because he still hasn't hurt or harmed anyone even with all the information we've gained from the books and games.
  2. If Cassie had used the Faz-Wrench while wearing the mask, she would have deactivated the Sun persona and disconnected the Daycare Attendant from the Network. This might've led to him completely shutting down and deactivating as The Daycare Attendant is connected to a lot of things within the network. If not, it would just leave Moon as the dominant personality. (For those thinking this would be a good thing for the villains, remember that Moon would still be severely sensitive to light and useless in any lit environments. Eclipse was the best option for villains regarding the Daycare Attendant.)
  3. The Daycare Attendant is active in the Network at all times when functional. In fact, I believe that the Sun and Moon weren't exactly removed from the Daycare Attendant's data once Eclipse was made the dominant personality from the reboot as the fact that Sun can still communicate with Cassie even after Eclipse takes over backs this up. I'll even go as far as to say that Sun and Moon are still around but can only interact with anyone through the network.
This brings us back to Help Wanted 2's carousel minigame and Moon's presence within it. If you had no doubt guess with all the information above about how Moon here, is actually Moon, then let me spell it out for those struggle to make sense of what I'm saying.
The Moon that's appearing here is the same Moon we first met in Security Breach. As for how? The Daycare Attendant is much more connected to the Network than all other animatronics as he is the only one who can actually talk to someone through it rather than playing past voice lines as we see from the other Glamrocks in the AR world.
And it's here in Help Wanted 2 that it's revealed that he's fully conscious enough to travel through the networks and sub-networks and interact with anyone and anything integrated into it, i.e. Vanny, Cassie, Jeremy, and Glitchtrap.
Oh, and as for why he has a physical body here, this is just a digital form created by whatever program that "Help Wanted 2" is in-universe as Ruin showed us through the M.X.E.S. Entity and M.X.E.S. program that digital entities can appear to have a physical form through their programs and can be viewed the Security Mask.
If Moon didn't the "Help Wanted 2" program to help create a digital body, he would most likely appear as a motionless digital creation like that Giant endo in Fazbear Theator or probably wouldn't even have a form and be like an invisible ghost that you can only hear. (That sounds like a great idea for an enemy in a future game. Steel Wool if you're reading this, I have no ownership over this idea, so it's free to use!)
However, I don't think before the reboot into Eclipse, that both Sun and Moon could be in the Network at the same time. One of them has to occupy their physical body while the other waits for their turn in the network.
In Ruin, Moon was occupying the body most of the time while Sun was stuck and talking to Cassie through the network, and at no point did we hear Moon talking through it.
So since Help Wanted 2 is a prequel to Ruin and in turn pre-Eclipse. The opposite must be happening here with the Daycare Attendant in regards to who occupies the body and whose in the Network, because from what I remember from the entire game, Sun gives not a single hint that he's the real one rather than a simple digital recreation.
This means that during the entirety of Help Wanted 2, Sun is presently occupying the Daycare Attendant's body while Moon is present in the Network and interacting with/observing Jeremy while following Glitchtrap's, and secretly Vanny's, orders.
Which then begs the question, is this Moon in the carousel minigame the same one in the Arts and Crafts and Foxy Log Ride minigames? Or to rephrase it, are the other minigames' Moons just digital recreations?
I'm not sure, but it's something to look out for in the future when we get to those minigames. But for now, I'm going to hold off on making any Moon "Prove it!" post until we cover those minigames. Now, let's finish this minigame.
​
The Pillar had stopped to show a new panel for you to solve that had three dial knobs and a missing one from top to bottom, alternating from side to side with three wires running through all of them.
Already having an idea of what to do, you quickly turn the first two dial knobs and watch electricity flow through them. But when you got to the third one it came off as soon as you touched it, falling to the ground and out of sight.
Oh no! What could you do now?! Panic started to creep in as Moon's laughter reached your ears. This time sounding a lot closer than before. Quickly looking around for both Moon and another way to fix the panel, you spotted a spare dial knob in one of three hatches on the stand beside you. Grabbing it and another for the knob-less fourth one, you speedily attached them and turned them for the electric current to go through all of them.
Snatching up your flashlight, you desperately searched for Moon as more of the carousel ride became alive with more moving seats, more lights, and more energetic music to accompany it. FF(Carousel: Doomsday Ride Phase 2.)
You even saw more of the seats that were obscure in the darkness before. There was a Toy Bonnie seat, a Toy Chica seat, a Classic (FNAF1) Freddy seat, and finally balloons in a barrel seat which is where you found Moon ridding before you flashed your light at him, causing him to scream and fall off it.
(Hmm... No FNAF1 Foxy. Oh! And just to clarify, I'm referring to these seats as 'classic' because they are likely modeled after the original withered animatronics, rather than the restored ones we met in FNAF1.")
Returning to face the new problem panel on a different side of the pillar, you were met with a circuit board with frayed wires, with a small display screen on top of it and a big red button underneath it. There was also some kind of blue gun beneath all of that, in a holster built into this side of the central pillar.
Luckily, it seems that someone thought to help you out on what you were supposed to do here as there was a clipboard board hanging on the side of the pillar with a paper attached to it. The paper titled "SOLDERING INSTRUCTIONS" was exactly as the title said, showing what you want to do with the circuit board.
It didn't look like you could use the one on the pillar, so you took it off and grabbed a new one that you spotted in the third hatch and put that on the pillar swiftly. You grabbed a couple of wires that were sitting on the stand and pulled out what you previously thought was a blue gun that was actually the smoldering gun and quickly went to work as Moon ominously snickered from somewhere very close around you.
"Naughty Naughty."
One, two. Only two wires you managed to solder onto the circuit board before you pushed your luck to your breaking point and grabbed the flashlight in one smooth motion as turned around and looked for Moon. The goodness you found him immediately, the bad news is he's just one seat away from where you're standing.
Acting quickly before he could move close and bring death along with him, you flashed your light at him, sending him over the seat in agony. Not even bothering to see him completely go over the seat, you finished soldering the last wire and smacked the big red button underneath it.
And loud alarm sounded throughout the area as the pillar stayed put this time, but the closest seats around you started to spin with the rest of the carousel and the music became jumbled. (Carousel: Doomsday Ride Phase 3.) A timer lit up and started counting down from 1 minute on the screen above the circuit board along with the following words: Time Until Reset.
Let like you need to survive until the reset happens as there is nothing else for you to fix. So grabbing your flashlight again, you prepared yourself as could be to last 1 minute of Moon's onslaught. During this terrifying minute, sparks shot out from beneath the ceiling of the carousel as all the lights inside it turned all. But if Moon wasn't enough to deal with, a fire appeared at the farthest end of the area you were in as the lights flickered off and on while the carousel continued to dangerously spark from different places on the machine.
(Hmm... Could this be the event that gave the Daycare Attendant his Ruined appearance?! This actually might be it!)
As machinery grind and screeched, the fire multiplied, the sparks became numerous, and Moon was relentless, but eventually... The carousel came to a stop after you repelled Moon with your light once again as another alarm sound rang out. Turning around you saw the timer was at zero, meaning your work here was finally done. The last thing you heard was another Sun recording shouting "Ho, ho!" before darkness whisked you away and dropped you into the "GAME WON!" void.
Immediately, under the usual children's congratulations scream, your ears picked up that mysterious sound you heard earlier. The unknown sound, similar to that of an old radio distortion, lingered in the void until it faded away, leaving the usual ambiance of the void.
(What. Is. IT?!)
With no answer for the mysterious sound and no way to discover it, you pushed its existence to the back of your mind and pressed the claw machine button to claim your hard-earned prize. But before you grabbed your capsules out of the machine you heard a new sound... (What?)
It sounded like middle c on a Xylophone, maybe a bit deeper than that. It repeated itself in a quick 1, 2, beat in the same pitch then repeated itself an octave higher in the same pattern before disappearing.
(Am I being prank? Maybe there's something wrong with the video I'm watching, I don't remember hearing this anywhere else. Then again, the other YouTubers I'm watching talk a lot or just quickly move on when in the void. This requires further investigation. Okay, I've just checked a completely different Youtuber and found that, yes, this is a real sound in the game and not an edit. If you would like to hear this, I timestamped it here. It goes by very quick, so listen closely.
But on the sound itself. I don't why but I'm getting Daycare vibes from this. I might need to take another look at that place in Ruin and maybe even Security Breach for some kind of clue. After all, we do find Jeremy's shirt in the Daycare for some reason...)
The prize this time was a Carousel Toy which was fitting to you as you pressed the "RETURN TO HUB" button and were blinded by darkness and found yourself back at the restaurant. A quick survey of around you, showed that nothing has changed, except for something new sitting on the red-clothed table next to Mystic Hippo. It was your carousel toy that you've won.
You picked it up and gave it a once over, noticing Classic Freddy, Bonnie, and Freddy as the only seats to it and that it had a Sun & Moon theme appearance. (Not the Daycare Attendant but the actual Sun & Moon.)
You sat the toy back down, glanced at Mystic Hippo, and then returned to the computer in the middle of the room. (I'm still not sure about Mystic Hippo but I go over that at a later date.) You clicked the Ticket Booth folder and found that the last two files were unlocked for it. Captn. Foxy's Log Ride and another glitched and broken file.
What? I thought that there was another Carousel minigame! Well, I guess I'll talk about some of the other stuff I was going to research for now, instead of later. First, let's talk about the carousel itself, I can only remember one game that had a carousel in it and that's FNAF 2. And that's before I saw that the seats were making references to it too.
However, looking through all the locations in that game reveals that while there is a carousel in it, it's hilariously skinny compared to the one here. That's not even going into how it looks completely different. In fact, I think it might be a non-functional prop. So that's a dead-end.
And finally the haystack and the pumpkin, not much to say about it besides being another hint to this FALL FEST thing going on in the new era games. Now, the lantern on the other hand was something that stood out to me as there were a couple of lanterns that stood out to me in Ruin. The one in Vanny's room and the one in Roxy Raceway pt 2. Unfortunately, neither of them was a match for the lantern in the carousel minigame.
This leaves us with one last place to look for a match, Help Wanted: Dreadbear DLC. Oh? I think we might've found something! In the hub world for the DLC, the lamppost lanterns have a remarkably similar design to the lantern in Help Wanted 2. Of course, the Dreadbear lamppost lanterns are too far away to truly know if they're truly one and the same, but maybe we can find something else in this DLC.
I know exactly the one more place we can check to find a lantern, the secret basement containing the Vanny you unlock in the Corn Maze minigame. And "Ding, ding, ding ding!" We have a match! Now what it means for the carousel minigame is unknown to me at this date in time.
Possibly, there's a connection here to the Dreadbear DLC. Maybe this "game" was also a DLC to the original Help Wanted in-universe. Or maybe this scenario happened around the sametime as Dreadbear DLC depicts its FALL FEST in, 1983.
But like I said, I need to sit on this and see if I can find some other connections. Other than that, scoping through the Dreadbear DLC has given me some thoughts about certain things. I'll discuss it in the next part, so let's wrap this up.
So it's the only one available to do, you clicked on Capt. Foxy's Log Ride and saw what its pop-up window had to show you. "Set sail for adventure with Capt. Foxy! Pillage and plunder a town of Wild West landlubbers!"
What a mashup of settings were your thoughts before you clicked on TUTORIAL and were whisked away again by darkness and found yourself in the void.
Well, that unexpectedly took a while. But heads up, I'm going to be a bit busy with work so the next part is going to be slower to complete. Yet there are lots of interesting things going on here in this one to tie you all over, including a brand-new mystery for all of us to solve! Just goes to show that Help Wanted 2 just seems to have even more things for us to discover!
submitted by Bonjonsie to fivenightsatfreddys [link] [comments]

2024.05.11 15:01 Plankton_Etn Nodes and clients

The Electroneum Smart Chain is a distributed network of computers running software (known as nodes) that can verify blocks and transaction data. You need an application, known as a client, on your computer to “run” a node.
Prerequisites
You should understand the concept of a peer-to-peer network and the basics of the EVM before diving deeper and running your own instance of an Electroneum Smart Chain client. Take a look at our Introduction to the Electroneum Smart Chain.
What are nodes and clients?
“Node” refers to a running piece of client software. A client is an implementation of Electroneum Smart Chain that verifies all transactions in each block, keeping the network secure and the data accurate.
You can see a real-time view of the Ethereum network by looking at this map of nodes.
Node types
If you want to run your own node, you should understand that there are different types of node that consume data differently. In fact, clients can run 3 different types of node - light, full and archive. There are also options of different sync strategies which enables faster synchronisation time. Synchronisation refers to how quickly it can get the most up-to-date information on the Electroneum Smart Chain’s state.
Full node
Light node
Instead of downloading every block, light nodes download block headers. These headers only contain summary information about the contents of the blocks. Any other information required by the light node gets requested from a full node. The light node can then independently verify the data they receive against the state roots in the block headers. Light nodes enable users to participate in the Electroneum network without the powerful hardware or high bandwidth required to run full nodes. Eventually, light nodes might run on mobile phones or embedded devices. The light nodes do not participate in consensus (i.e. they cannot be validators), but they can access the Electroneum blockchain with the same functionality as a full node.
The execution client Etn-sc includes a light sync option. However, a light Etn-sc node relies upon full nodes serving light node data. Few full nodes opt to serve light node data, meaning light nodes often fail to find peers.
There are also potential routes to providing light client data over the gossip network. This is advantageous because the gossip network could support a network of light nodes without requiring full nodes to serve requests.
The Electroneum Smart Chain does not support a large population of light nodes yet, but light node support is an area expected to develop rapidly in the near future.
Archive node
Syncing clients in any mode other than archive will result in pruned blockchain data. This means, there is no archive of all historical states but the full node is able to build them on demand.
Why should I run an Electroneum node?
Running a node allows you to trustlessly and privately use the Electroneum Smart Chain while supporting the ecosystem.
Benefits to you
Running your own node enables you to use Electroneum in a truly private, self-sufficient and trustless manner. You don’t need to trust the network because you can verify the data yourself with your client. “Don’t trust, verify” is a popular blockchain mantra.
Network benefits
A diverse set of nodes is important for Electroneum’s health, security and operational resiliency.
If you run a full node, the whole Electroneum network benefits from it.
Running your own node
Interested in running your own Electroneum Smart Chain client?
If you’re more of a technical user, learn how to spin up your own node with the command line!
Alternatives
If somebody runs an Electroneum node with a public API in your community, you can point your light wallets (like MetaMask) to a community node via Custom RPC and gain more privacy than with some random trusted third party. To clarify what we mean by privacy, there are a few ways of proxying your requests to the network in order to send transactions: A) Run your own node and send your requests through that B) Open up metamask and connect it to a node ran by a member of the public who does not require you to do kyc and simply leaves the node open to anonymous connection (besides ip address) to help out people who don’t have their own node aka good samaritan C) You send your requests via some third party who has a node but requires a signup / kyc/ personal info etc Herein we are referring to option B.
This also means that if you run a client, you can share it altruistically with your friends who might need it.
The Etn-sc client
The Etn-sc client is the official client for the Electroneum Smart Chain, inspired by Geth and maintained by the Electroneum Team.
Synchronisation modes
To follow and verify current data in the network, the Electroneum client needs to sync with the latest network state. This is done by downloading data from peers, cryptographically verifying their integrity, and building a local blockchain database.
Synchronisation modes represent different approaches to this process with various trade-offs.
Overview of strategies
General overview of synchronisation approaches used in Mainnet ready clients:
Full sync
Full sync downloads all blocks (including headers, transactions, and receipts) and generates the state of the blockchain incrementally by executing every block from genesis.
Fast sync
Fast sync downloads all blocks (including headers, transactions, and receipts), verifies all headers, downloads the state and verifies it against the headers.
Light sync
Light client mode downloads all block headers, block data, and verifies some randomly. Only syncs tip of the chain from the trusted checkpoint.
More on Light clients
Snap sync
Implemented by Etn-sc. Using dynamic snapshots served by peers retrieves all the account and storage data without downloading intermediate trie nodes and then reconstructs the Merkle trie locally.
Setup in client
Clients offer rich configuration options to suit your needs. Apart from the synchronisation algorithm, you can also set pruning of different kinds of old data. Pruning enables deleting outdated data, e.g. removing state trie nodes that are unreachable from recent blocks.
Pay attention to the client’s documentation or help page to find out which sync mode is the default. You can define the preferred type of sync when you get set up, like so:
Setting up light sync in ETN-SC
etn-sc --syncmode "full"
For further details, check out the tutorial on running Etn-sc in light mode.
Hardware
Hardware requirements generally are not that high since the node just needs to stay synced. Don’t confuse it with mining, which requires much more computing power. Sync time and performance do improve with more powerful hardware however. Depending on your needs and wants, Electroneum can be run on your computer, home server, single-board computers or virtual private servers in the cloud.
Requirements
Before installing the client, please ensure your computer has enough resources to run it. Minimum and recommended requirements can be found below, however the key part is the disk space. Syncing the Electroneum blockchain is very input/output intensive. It is best to have a solid-state drive (SSD). To run an Electroneum client on HDD, you will need at least 8GB of RAM to use as a cache.
Minimum requirements
Recommended specifications
Related topics
submitted by Plankton_Etn to Electroneum [link] [comments]

2024.05.11 04:41 Moocao123 Clover Q1 2024 earnings analysis - Earnings call/10Q release 05/07/24

Clover Q1 2024 earnings analysis - Earnings call/10Q release 05/07/24
Greetings Healthcare company investors,
As we are now Friday after market close, and even after hours markets are closed, I thought now would be the best time to review the Clover Health earnings call on 05/07/24 and take a look at the company's performance. As Clover health is fully MA dependent, no specific focus is necessary (unlike for other companies). As our subreddit initially had a large influx of Clover Health investors, I am sure this segment will be of particular interest. As usual, our disclaimers:
*** Both RainyFriedTofu and Moocao123 has positions in Clover Health. The information provided is not meant as financial advice, please be advised of the potential bias and decide whether the information provided is within your risk consideration. **
*** This is not financial advice, nor is there any financial advice within. Shout-out to the AMC/GME apes for having me to write this ***
*** Please do not utilize this content without author authorization ***
Earnings call discussion: Will skip since RainyFriedTofu has devoted a significant post prior to today, please refer to his DD as I do not believe I can add any additional value within the earnings call discussion segment.
Earnings results:
https://preview.redd.it/tbbnky8ynpzc1.png?width=1709&format=png&auto=webp&s=039b7081a37f78e37c3828e42dc00114638a23b8
Yellow: these sections are projected as is, meaning it was not multiplied as 4x of quarterly numbers. This acts as an underestimate.
Blue: since the number is negative, there is no issue with cash runway anymore. What is the significance: the business is self sufficient. The net loss can be explained by stock based compensation, please see cash flow section within 10Q for further details.
Purple: This is the "profit margin" per member. The calculation is done by insurance revenue/member - insurance cost/member. ALHC also defined their "profit margin" in the same manner, but I have instead used it as a per member.
Orange: This section signifies that Clover is reaching a ceiling in marginal efficiency using CA to improve margins. Further BPS reduction will be difficult (although at MCR of 77.60%, I am not sure what else you can ask for).
  1. Clover has achieved best in segment MCR, and definitely within the MA space. This isn't even close. You may review all other company DD provided within this subreddit, but I can assure you right now no one has achieved an MCR < 80% other than Clover, and a significant number of payors have instead reported MA MCR > 90%. Oscar does not count. Oscar's business plan is more like a pirate raiding poor people's pocketbook than an insurance company. It puts UNH to shame, which tells you how much certain investors love them and why both Rainy and I detest Oscar.
  2. Clover Health is now free cash flow (FCF) positive, as indicated by its Cash on Hand (+23 million), shareholder equity (+6 million), and adjusted EBITDA (+6.8 million). Q1 usually is worse off than Q2, and Q3/Q4 usually has higher MCR due to seasonal variation. It is therefore likely that Clover will indeed reach its intended adjusted EBITDA goal of + 10-30 million dollars by FY 2024. It is impossible for Clover to be bankrupt based on current operations.
  3. Clover health IS being priced as if it is a bankrupt company, with 05/10/24 Market Cap to Cash on hand ratio of 0.91, and a ratio of 0.68 when Clover Health stock price was at $0.62.
  4. Any additional revenue will boost Clover to profit. I am estimating Clover Health to be at -$77 million dollars away from breakeven as a business, and this includes stock based compensation.
  5. Clover health probably has the best profit margin/member within the business, although specific numbers cannot be obtained amongst all the payors within the segment as a plurality reports as a consolidated basis. Nevertheless, we can use ALHC as a proxy, for further information please access my DD on ALHC. We believe the industry segment reflects more along ALHC than Clover Health numbers:
    1. Clover Health is estimated to have a profit margin/member of 3.85 thousands by 24Q1 numbers, projected to yearly.
    2. ALHC is estimated to have a profit margin/member of 1.17 thousands by 24Q1 numbers, projected to yearly.
    3. This is the power of AI in healthcare, and it has a differentiating factor which has a dollar value association.
  6. Clover health is CMS V28 ready, which allows for Clover to be the more agile player with the new regulations. Although CMS V28 impacted all players, and we see a little of that impacting Clover Health as well as revenue - cost margins have shrunk, we believe Clover has achieved adequate revenue to cost margin differential for FY 2024 and will continue to do so FY 2025. I do not believe other payers have done so.
  7. Clover Health therefore has a basis on selling its software as a service line (SaaS), as it has demonstrated appropriate cost containment, is CMS V28 ready, and can deploy other features for early diagnosis and treatment algorithms as per earnings call discussion. We hope other features may include integration of Abridge (which EPIC is already partnering with and is being deployed in Emory), and other clinical decision making tools that can help providers.
  8. Based on current stock price movement, we again reinforce our DD after 23Q4: If market shorts attempt to distort Clover Market cap, it will happen within Q1 and Q2 of 2024. Assuming Andrew's projection is continued beyond Q2 2024, and/or SaaS announcement is made, and projected revenue is announced, expect market shorts to retreat. So far this is proceeding as it had been predicted, this DD was initially written in March right after ER and is marching beautifully in its thesis.
  9. Andrew had demonstrated free cash flow positivity by 24Q1, which is entirely unexpected on how fast this occured. This means the business is viable without further cash infusion, which will herald the business as fully self sufficient. This should further batter any short positions, as +FCF means that market makers will need to reassign peg value away from bankruptcy ratio of 1:1. The only leg left standing for market shorts would be the discussion of a reverse split, which is entirely within their control and not within Clover Health's control.
  10. The purpose of Clover Health only considering minor 2025 growth based on 24Q1 projections would be to maintain +FCF and to prevent market shorts from gaining further ground. It is inconceivable that ALHC, which looks to have a worse MCR, a worse profit margin per member, a worse adjusted EBITDA per member, a worse cash runway, and a worse cash on hand status compared to Clover Health, is trading at a multiple of 5.39 to cash on hand compared to Clover's 0.91. I believe there is sufficient proof that Clover Health can make the claim that excessive market influences are making an impact on the company's operational decision. This is the reason for the stock buyback. Unlike what is discussed in the other subreddit, we do not believe this is a result of Clover Health's status as a SPAC, but is instead related to its status as a meme stock in 2021.
I would also like to reiterate again what our subreddit stands for: We do not provide financial advice, nor do we intend to do so.
Never trust the internet for your information, and cross reference every single piece of information. Your money is your nest egg, let no one tell you what to do, or allow yourself to be led by unverified information. If you are uncomfortable with single stock investments, please inquire with a financial advisor and consider index funds. Never utilize financial instruments you do not understand or have very little experience with, and if anything, use Buffett's rule. I consider Taleb to be also a good guide, but I realize most people don't know who he is. I humbly suggest you to only utilize investment methods you can reasonably understand, as I have already known individuals who have lost considerable wealth on the basis of financial instruments.
Thank you for taking the time to read through this long post, and I hope you clovtards cloverites degenerates educated healthcare sector investors have learned something from my musings.
Sincerely
Moocao
** Edit to include Oscar, in case anyone asks about that degenerate of a company. It abandoned California like a pimp ditching his call girl who got found with an STD, and it will abandon its Cigna+ members for probably similar reasons as well (sick people need healthcare, who would have thought). It gained ~ 50% increased ACA commercial patients in 2024 but will probably have such limited healthcare coverage that people will complain and quit their insurance plans by next year. When you take money and don't pay claims, your MCR would look awesome. What a concept. **
​
submitted by Moocao123 to Healthcare_Anon [link] [comments]

2024.05.10 15:54 dlauer We’ve created a Verified GME Holder Community. The time has finally come! You asked, and we are delivering. Urvin.finance is launching to the public, AMA!

We’ve created a Verified GME Holder Community. The time has finally come! You asked, and we are delivering. Urvin.finance is launching to the public, AMA!
As some of you may know, many members of our (small but mighty) team at Urvin are from this community - many of our investors too. Many of you started your journey in this sub. Some have been here since inception, and others have joined us along the way, but everyone has echoed the same desire: to build a place that marries professional-quality data with social communities, leveling the playing field for the individual investor… without the big subscription price of commercial services. And while I’m extremely proud of the quality of the data we provide, today I’m here to talk to you about communities. To be more specific, Verified Shareholder Communities (VSC). We soft-launched the full site publicly on May 1st; and along with it, the VSC.
We wanted to build a platform that provides the checks-and-balances that a thriving community needs, while creating unprecedented value for individual investors. From community governance to access restriction, there’s a very delicate balance for how to run ticker-focused communities with determination, fostering collaboration while not alienating any legitimate investors/members. Reddit’s “positions or GTFO” isn’t the easiest notion to refine. But you have to build a verification system to ensure you’re not talking to a sea of bots.
So, we’ve been in Beta developing the VSC and general community framework. We’ve floated the idea to different issuers interested in a more direct relationship with their shareholders like our recent webinar with the Shareholder Services Association, and the product has proven even more intriguing (and beautiful!) than the original vision. Aside from the recurring praise of the design aesthetic, issuers are repeatedly impressed with the groundbreaking VSC we’ve developed. And now, we want U to take it to the next level with us.
To give a quick overview; Verified Shareholder Communities are made possible via connected portfolios. You can connect your broker account via our partners (currently SnapTrade and Mesh - we’re working on adding others right now) to your Urvin account which unlocks VSCs for your connected stocks. We've heard a lot of concerns about privacy and security - we take it very seriously. These partners use OAuth flows in our connections with them to ensure that neither we, nor they, can see your credentials. If you want to read more about their security, you can do so on Mesh’s and SnapTrade’s websites.
This connectivity is easy, free, secure, and supports most major brokerages. So you gain access to a personalized experience on the site even beyond communities. This allows us to verify that you’re (i) an actual person and (ii) that you hold a set of stocks while also allowing you to remain anonymous, but verified, in the community. That brings up a few frequently asked questions;
  • So, doesn’t this reveal the share count?
    • For non-DRS holdings, yes. We also support IRAs and retirement accounts, which cannot, generally speaking, DRS, (aside from forming an LLC. I believe there are some great guides here on how to do that.) So we can provide a share count for every issuer with connected accounts outside of DRS. Theoretically speaking, this would expose an oversold float, should that exist. And you wouldn’t even need DRS numbers, (although it’s awesome when companies like Gamestop report them). You don’t need to have every share linked - just more than what exists.
  • What about DRS/Computershare?
    • The moment that Computershare can support it, we will add it! Unfortunately, they simply don't support any tech solution for this at this time. That is certainly a feature we hope to add in the future.
    • Thanks to the magic of Reddit, we learned yesterday that there is a way to connect to CS! We are working on it as fast as we can, and will roll it out soon. We've also heard you that you want share counts displayed separately if the shares are in CS, and we'll figure out the best way to do that to preserve privacy while creating the most transparency we can.
  • Do I have to connect a portfolio when I create an account on Urvin?
    • No! Portfolio connection is only required for access to a VSC. While we encourage connection for a more personalized experience across the site, you can engage in non-verified communities freely and access our data with just a verified email address. There’s no cost.
  • Can you see details of my portfolio when I connect?
    • We cannot see any of your authentication information or credentials - all of that is managed securely by our partners. On the Urvin side, we can see the positions that you hold - and the resulting VSC membership. This information is shared privately via the 3rd party connections with SnapTrade/Mesh, and your broker. That data is encrypted in-flight and at-rest, and only accessible by our employees on a need-to-know basis.
    • Membership is fully automated when you connect your brokerage account. So the system will automatically add you to any related ticker communities you hold in the connected account. You have the opportunity at any time to opt out of VSC community membership - and can rejoin at any time, as long as the associated holdings are in your connected account.
  • Are Verified Shareholder Communities directly tied to the issuer?
    • At this stage, not as a whole. We do have some issuers on site that are leaning into the vision and taking the reins of their communities, providing a direct line to their shareholders. These are Official VSCs, and will be highlighted as such. The ultimate goal is to have a mix of official and unofficial/peer-to-peer verified communities.
  • What happens if I sell the securities from my connected portfolio, am I still a member of the VSC?
    • No. The system cross-references your holdings and VSC membership regularly and your access will be automatically revoked from the associated VSC upon sale.
  • Does this cost me money?
    • NO! Right now we do not monetize the site, and our plan is to keep most current features free, as well adding to it over time with more and more premium data sets and advanced tools. Our long-term monetization plan is via issuers and by disrupting Broadridge - we really don’t like how they stand between companies and shareholders in virtually every way, and we think we’ve built a much much better way to connect the companies and investors.
We’ve also partnered with Proxymity to help facilitate proxy voting across issuers. Streamlining that process helps keep investors engaged directly with their issuers on the topics that matter most. This community has seen the power retail holds when campaigning for proxy voting. And Urvin has the tools to harness that power and participate in a meaningful way.
And of course, we’re powering all of this with professional-quality data unlike anywhere else. Here’s a sneak peek:
Light Mode
Dark Mode
Insider Activity and Institutional Holdings
GME Verified Shareholder Community
I’m sure you will have more great questions, and I’m happy to answer them! I truly think we’ve built something that will help this community expand their toolkits, thus increasing their power and presence as an individual investor.
The community here helped inspire this product, and it’s time for us to finally open our doors and show you what we've built. Thank you all for being a part of this journey with us. It’s only the beginning! We will see you at urvin.finance 💪
submitted by dlauer to GME [link] [comments]

2024.05.09 20:56 Cupy_ I am an engineer in NYC seeking career advice in hopes of transitioning to a more lucrative career, preferentially in technical sales or business development but I am open to suggestions.

Hello Reddit,

I graduated as a materials engineer in 2019 and started off in a major defense company as a Materials and Failure Analysis Engineer. Due to the pandemic, I was laid off after 1 year. 1.5 years later, I landed a Development Engineer position in a sensor company specializing in aerospace manufacturing. I’ve been here 2.5 years, with a current salary of ~$77,000. I live in NYC and I do not want to leave. Financially, it’s been tough; I’m barely making ends meet, so I am posting because I am at a career crossroad and am hoping to get advice.

Compared to my coworkers, my position is very demanding. I handle experiments throughout the production lifetime of our units (while other engineers here typically have a singular focus), conduct failure analysis, material characterization, basic coding, drafting, 3D design and some 3d printing. I've conducted research aimed at boosting production efficiency and isolated and addressed redundancies and flaws in our processes. I was hired at 72k, a month before a handful of program managers, all fresh out of college mechanical engineers, each starting at 75k. Their roles are far less demanding—essentially overseeing minimal tasks and having lots of downtime in managing client relations, which contrasts sharply with my constant, hands-on work. For instance, a new program manager named Katie spent her initial months mostly reading books while waiting for work to come in. I run around all day while she sits and reads fantasy novels.

We have had two salary adjustments in the past 2.5 years- the first was a 4% cost of living adjustment at the 1 year mark that was applied to all workers at the company. Despite my broad responsibilities, I remained the lowest paid engineer- behind even fresh graduates. I attempted to negotiate an actual raise by leveraging not only my workload and my superior knowledge of our product and processes, but by pointing out my monthly deliverables, dozens of authored internal reports, proposals, highlighted my design work, hands-on machine shop work, as well as my unique engagement with different departments to accomplish tasks without oversight of management. I underscored my ambition and my loyalty and argued that I was more valuable than the entry level hiring pay that I was receiving. No change. Our second salary adjustment came 8 months later- everyone got a 4% bump. Frankly, its insulting, what is my incentive to work as hard as I do if I can expect exactly the same as everyone else?

Before my career in engineering, I spent a decade as a waiter and bartender, earning ~ $90,000 a year. I was the "face", interacting directly with clients and generally enjoying my time. The move to engineering was like moving from the front of the house—visible, interactive, and well-compensated—to the back of the house, essential yet out of sight, heavily loaded with tasks but undercompensated and underappreciated. This shift has been demoralizing and financially disappointing, a ~20k salary decrease to work harder, longer hours, miserable all day and limited interactions to the same handful of people who are great, but have no real-life experience outside of the school to corporate career pipeline, giving me little mental stimulation outside of just engineering work. My significant life experience, my negotiation skills, my sales skills, my social intuition, good looks (it shouldn’t matter but it so often does) and my ability to confidently interact with just about anyone, are all qualities that are useless here but would undoubtedly serve me well in other job, in another field. I’m frustrated seeing all of my friends in “easier” fields making more than I do. I feel that I am just being foolish by devoting myself to this career when the people around me work less, think less, do less math, and make way more money, while working remote. It seems like a shift to technical sales, SaaS, computing infrastructure or client relation management may be better suited for my abilities and goals. Thus, I've been exploring positions in sales and business development, areas I believe could better leverage my skills for a more lucrative career, however, my attempts to pivot have been challenging without direct experience in these roles.

I'm seeking advice on how best to navigate this potential career shift. How can I effectively transition from engineering to a role with one that provides me with real opportunities in the business world? I feel that sales is the best route for me, but only because I cant think of any other way to apply my skillset. I want to wear the suit, to negotiate, to be involved in logistics. I want to manage rich clients, or successful OEM’s, to get legitimate bonuses and stock options, to travel, or take important phone calls, to represent my company, or my team, and push forward deals, to impress my bosses and earn more than those who put in less effort. I want to be involved with the business side, the sales side, the growth side- to become a front of house person outside of the hospitality industry.
Can anyone provide advice or insights for me?

Tl;dr
I'm a materials engineer (3.5 years experience) currently working in aerospace manufacturing, facing career dissatisfaction due to low pay and high workload compared to less demanding engineering roles within the same company. Despite my broader and more difficult role, I make less money and have less modes of advancement here. Attempts to negotiate a fair salary have been met with vague promises and bureaucratic delays, and even with recent company-wide salary adjustments, I remain one of the lowest-paid engineers, increasing my frustration and prompting me to consider a career shift. Looking for new engineering roles seems like it would be more of the same. I'm interested in leveraging my technical expertise and client-facing experience in more lucrative fields like sales or in business development. I have previously worked in fast paced, upscale hospitality environments as a bartender and waiter. I stand out from other engineers in terms of my strong interpersonal skills gained from a decade worth of client facing interactions and am knowledgeable on topics outside of just math and science, which I believe could translate well into a business or sales environment. I'm contemplating a transition to roles that would allow me to manage relationships, clients, negotiate deals, and possibly work in technical sales or business development- to have a seat at the table, to work with real money and people with money, and to bust my ass to become one of them. At this point, I don't even need it to be ethical- my job is a proxy for weapons manufacturing, at this point, whatever. I am seeking advice on how to effectively move from engineering to a more lucrative business role, contemplating positions in technical sales, SaaS, or client management to achieve what feels like a more rewarding path. I am open to suggestions beyond this, perhaps in fields or positions I haven’t considered.
submitted by Cupy_ to careeradvice [link] [comments]

2024.05.09 20:54 Cupy_ I am an engineer in NYC seeking career advice in hopes of transitioning to a more lucrative career, preferentially in technical sales or business development but I am open to suggestions.

Hello Reddit,

I graduated as a materials engineer in 2019 and started off in a major defense company as a Materials and Failure Analysis Engineer. Due to the pandemic, I was laid off after 1 year. 1.5 years later, I landed a Development Engineer position in a sensor company specializing in aerospace manufacturing. I’ve been here 2.5 years, with a current salary of ~$77,000. I live in NYC and I do not want to leave. Financially, it’s been tough; I’m barely making ends meet, so I am posting because I am at a career crossroad and am hoping to get advice.

Compared to my coworkers, my position is very demanding. I handle experiments throughout the production lifetime of our units (while other engineers here typically have a singular focus), conduct failure analysis, material characterization, basic coding, drafting, 3D design and some 3d printing. I've conducted research aimed at boosting production efficiency and isolated and addressed redundancies and flaws in our processes. I was hired at 72k, a month before a handful of program managers, all fresh out of college mechanical engineers, each starting at 75k. Their roles are far less demanding—essentially overseeing minimal tasks and having lots of downtime in managing client relations, which contrasts sharply with my constant, hands-on work. For instance, a new program manager named Katie spent her initial months mostly reading books while waiting for work to come in. I run around all day while she sits and reads fantasy novels.

We have had two salary adjustments in the past 2.5 years- the first was a 4% cost of living adjustment at the 1 year mark that was applied to all workers at the company. Despite my broad responsibilities, I remained the lowest paid engineer- behind even fresh graduates. I attempted to negotiate an actual raise by leveraging not only my workload and my superior knowledge of our product and processes, but by pointing out my monthly deliverables, dozens of authored internal reports, proposals, highlighted my design work, hands-on machine shop work, as well as my unique engagement with different departments to accomplish tasks without oversight of management. I underscored my ambition and my loyalty and argued that I was more valuable than the entry level hiring pay that I was receiving. No change. Our second salary adjustment came 8 months later- everyone got a 4% bump. Frankly, its insulting, what is my incentive to work as hard as I do if I can expect exactly the same as everyone else?

Before my career in engineering, I spent a decade as a waiter and bartender, earning ~ $90,000 a year. I was the "face", interacting directly with clients and generally enjoying my time. The move to engineering was like moving from the front of the house—visible, interactive, and well-compensated—to the back of the house, essential yet out of sight, heavily loaded with tasks but undercompensated and underappreciated. This shift has been demoralizing and financially disappointing, a ~20k salary decrease to work harder, longer hours, miserable all day and limited interactions to the same handful of people who are great, but have no real-life experience outside of the school to corporate career pipeline, giving me little mental stimulation outside of just engineering work. My significant life experience, my negotiation skills, my sales skills, my social intuition, good looks (it shouldn’t matter but it so often does) and my ability to confidently interact with just about anyone, are all qualities that are useless here but would undoubtedly serve me well in other job, in another field. I’m frustrated seeing all of my friends in “easier” fields making more than I do. I feel that I am just being foolish by devoting myself to this career when the people around me work less, think less, do less math, and make way more money, while working remote. It seems like a shift to technical sales, SaaS, computing infrastructure or client relation management may be better suited for my abilities and goals. Thus, I've been exploring positions in sales and business development, areas I believe could better leverage my skills for a more lucrative career, however, my attempts to pivot have been challenging without direct experience in these roles.

I'm seeking advice on how best to navigate this potential career shift. How can I effectively transition from engineering to a role with one that provides me with real opportunities in the business world? I feel that sales is the best route for me, but only because I cant think of any other way to apply my skillset. I want to wear the suit, to negotiate, to be involved in logistics. I want to manage rich clients, or successful OEM’s, to get legitimate bonuses and stock options, to travel, or take important phone calls, to represent my company, or my team, and push forward deals, to impress my bosses and earn more than those who put in less effort. I want to be involved with the business side, the sales side, the growth side- to become a front of house person outside of the hospitality industry.
Can anyone provide advice or insights for me?

Tl;dr
I'm a materials engineer (3.5 years experience) currently working in aerospace manufacturing, facing career dissatisfaction due to low pay and high workload compared to less demanding engineering roles within the same company. Despite my broader and more difficult role, I make less money and have less modes of advancement here. Attempts to negotiate a fair salary have been met with vague promises and bureaucratic delays, and even with recent company-wide salary adjustments, I remain one of the lowest-paid engineers, increasing my frustration and prompting me to consider a career shift. Looking for new engineering roles seems like it would be more of the same. I'm interested in leveraging my technical expertise and client-facing experience in more lucrative fields like sales or in business development. I have previously worked in fast paced, upscale hospitality environments as a bartender and waiter. I stand out from other engineers in terms of my strong interpersonal skills gained from a decade worth of client facing interactions and am knowledgeable on topics outside of just math and science, which I believe could translate well into a business or sales environment. I'm contemplating a transition to roles that would allow me to manage relationships, clients, negotiate deals, and possibly work in technical sales or business development- to have a seat at the table, to work with real money and people with money, and to bust my ass to become one of them. At this point, I don't even need it to be ethical- my job is a proxy for weapons manufacturing, at this point, whatever. I am seeking advice on how to effectively move from engineering to a more lucrative business role, contemplating positions in technical sales, SaaS, or client management to achieve what feels like a more rewarding path. I am open to suggestions beyond this, perhaps in fields or positions I haven’t considered.
submitted by Cupy_ to findapath [link] [comments]

2024.05.07 22:15 Eylas [Advice] Supporting disabled brother from abroad with PIP/DVLA/whatever applicable.

Hey folks, thank you for taking the time to read this.
There is a tldr at the beginning and further context below it. To be clear, in this context I am not asking for any legal advice, just how I should navigate the new system, what I should look for in terms of PIP and any places I can go to get him to login, see what he should be receiving, etc.
Short post/context:
What I'm trying to achieve:
Note: I have a trusted person in the UK who is helping me with this as a proxy, I will prepare a package of paperwork/checks and they will help him do it. He's also coming to visit later this year, where I will try help further if I can.
Thank you so much!
There is more elements I will try to implement, but they're outside of the scope of benefits advice (legal proxy for contract sign offs, helping him budget and accrue savings, etc.)
Longer post / context:
I'm currently living abroad and my brother is living in Wales. For context, we had a pretty rough/harsh upbringing alongside and we are both disabled. I have AuDHD (originally diagnosed with high functioning, I believe this is now categorised as level 1), cPTSD and a few other fun things.
My brother has autism (level 2) with intellectual disabilities, he spent several years in hospital due to life threatening conditions and has a lower level of education as a result (started later, found it hard to catch up due to his disabilities). During our youth and due to our background, he was taken into care and we were separated. He had support from both professionals, carers and some of my family members who were able to support him. He's doing well in the context of everything we went through, has a job and can live (somewhat) independently.
Over the years I've been able to mostly get a handle on my life and my own issues enough to basically step back in and to try help him where I can from the position I'm in. As I've been getting more involved I've learned a few frustrating and upsetting things and I'm now trying to find the best way to help him as quickly as possible.
In short, he was and has been taken advantage of financially, my other siblings have asked him to sign as a guarantor for loans and then defaulted on them, which I was unaware of until recently. I'm going to try and take this debt off him by proving he couldn't legally sign it as he does not understand the terms of the contract. He cannot understand any of the elements of a financial contract, he can do basic arithmetic but he cannot do maths at a higher level. But he has an innate desire to want to help anyone who is in trouble and has no innate understanding of someone taking advantage of him, he's also very easy to pressure into a decision due to a lot of these factors.
There is also a possibility that his existing carers have not properly informed him of his disability payments and a very low (I hope) that they have received payments, but not forwarded them to him. In which case it will eventually end up becoming a much bigger headache when I have to approach the police.
I have had previous experience with DLA and older benefits (late 00s) when I was managing the household we lived in, but after that, I ended up moving out of the UK and have been abroad since. Meaning I'm much less familiar now with the benefit situation and I'm coming here in hopes someone may point me in the right direction on where to start, what he may be eligible for and any other advice. Because after reading for about 2 hours, I'm a bit more confused (it feels) than when I started off.
Thank you again for reading this far if you got here and for your time and advice!
Edit note: Typo changed from 'DVLA' to 'DLA'.
submitted by Eylas to BenefitsAdviceUK [link] [comments]

2024.05.07 18:51 Fun_Ant8992 1000 point help

Hi all,
I’m looking at playing a 1000pt game against a friend tomorrow, it will be our twelfth game, and I get royally destroyed every time.
He runs with Gloomspite Gits, and tends to take:
-40 unit stack of stabbas, - a unit or 2 of Boingrot Bounderz, - some squid herd (sometimes double reinforced), - gobbapalooza - and a loon boss/ loon boss with giant cave squig.
Sometimes he swaps something out for squig hoppers too.
My main issues with combating this army are:
I’m honestly just looking for help in tactics to finally beat him once and for all.
If it helps, what I usually take is something along the lines of:
I understand after February that this is now 1010 point.
My current collection also includes: - 1 x Arkanuat company - 1 x Endrinmaster - 2 x Bjorgan Thundrik + Profiteers (Sometimes proxied for second set or thunderers or Aether Khemist) - 1 x endrinriggers - 1 x skywardens
Any help would be very much appreciated, may the wind never falter in your sails.
submitted by Fun_Ant8992 to KharadronOverlords [link] [comments]

2024.05.06 20:49 UnluckyTwist2235 Stop TikTok ban without Trump or Biden! Ditch them both on Android & IPhone!

Stop TikTok ban without Trump or Biden! Ditch them both on Android & IPhone!
Over 700 million people use TikTok outside the U.S, the ban is simply an attack on your freedom of speech AMERICA!
I just want to share with everyone a little information I know, because I think it's absolutely ridiculous that people like Trump are going to use a vague promise to save Tick Tock to lure in voters and I believe it's just wrong for the Biden Administration to use the platform to Gain votes but yet in the same breath be voting to have app banned. (bunch of co-opting users) the Republicans and the Democrats have failed the American people categorically. That's not to say that some Democratic Representative like Summer Lee who won running a pro-Palestinian anti-war campaign and crushed the competition. Support anti-war candidates like Jill Stein of the Green party, the People Planet Peace campaign! & Cornel West the Independent, for Truth Justice & Love! Both are gaining in popularity as RFJ Jr has greatly. He would be on top if he was ANTI-WAR. At the very least that he's foreign policy is about diplomacy. RFK Jr must be clear he is anti-Israel ironclad influence & control of congress.
There are two prongs to discourage you from believing that if a ban on tiktok the company is unable to dive fast and then congress bands the app any alternative means to continue using the app is too difficult. Too expensive. To complicated. Worth voting for the wrong person... Not worth fighting for, I don't agree so here we go.
1.Tiktok can/will survive and you can still have the latest updates If Tick Tock is indeed banned from the US, do not fear. Well if you have an Android you're in better shape than Apple users. Banning tiktok just means disappear from the Apple Store or Google Play. Sticking with Android here tiktok from the Play Store isn't a big deal at all when you think about it. There a websites like apkmirror apkpure favorite of mine uptodo.n app stores you can access to download updated versions of the apps you love without the Play Store. Research check it out it's true. With access to your phone storage you're able to install apps online or offline with or without the Play Store. All you need is the saved APK file.
So for summary tiktok will be able to update its software in case there's any bugs or glitches or an update to the algorithm that means attending to. They will be able to still make their APK file available online accessible to all in fact simply because the default Play Store with a whole bunch of ads I might add, two steps easier to install and significant hurdle. If the tick tock ban is one where they strong arm and bully your internet service provider well that just means you'll have to go one step further and use a VPN in order to continue using tiktok. Remember they can ban it from the Play Store but if there want to be complete jerks they can also strong arm and bully your internet service provider who have banded together in the past to fight such controls but might not be able to this time and just in case they are all you simply need to do again is get yourself a VPN. It's probably why is this day and age now that they just passed the bill for fisa to release by on everyone in America.
2.FREE NO PAYMENT. & paid if you choosebto but not needed So you're wondering I don't have much cash how can I use a VPN. Do recommend if you do have the money to spending the paid VPN services that are out there I've used express and for Nord. However there are plenty that are sometimes open source or if you know how to use proxies or even a free and accessible why is to use mod apks. Be quiet literally type in any type of app you want with the words mod and APK probably not so much in Google lately but another search engines. Highway recommend filtering it set the results are within the past year. Apklights or moddroidapk weren't too bad. God isn't too bad either the mod or the premium versions depending on which are basically nose different from the default version with advertisement. A lot of the times Ahmad just means they've removed the advertisement from the app. Things like subscriptions typically aren't able to be modified. Out there that I have access downloaded use no problem you have to think of the websites like how you would streaming sites. There's always a pop-up that you have to click out of maybe once or twice before the actual click here click next to continue button redirect the page to the download APK page.
3.iphone users unsure Because I'm not a iPhone user this method is untested but I'm pretty sure that if you were able to purchase a VPN service use your iTunes to download and install tiktok.... I'm not sure. Method tested and successful only with Android.
Trump, Biden, the Democratic & Republican UNIPARTY, the not so Progressives, those who will view for them out of fear & ritual, the Zionist extremist, Corporate Monopolies, Billionaire Bigots. Those who have weaponized antisemitism, religion, & conservative values. Individuals preaching intolerance, supremacy & hate. supporters of the racists, the homophobes, the Transphobes, the Islamophobes, the pro-war military & anti-Black mask incarceration industrial complex.
It is clear they are all on the same team and agree not to put people first but to put themselves first... Vote for Change.
https://www.cornelwest2024.com/
https://www.jillstein2024.com/
Dictated by speech to text
submitted by UnluckyTwist2235 to InMyOpinion_OnMyMind [link] [comments]

2024.05.06 20:46 UnluckyTwist2235 Stop TikTok ban without Trump or Biden! Ditch them both on Android & IPhone!

I just want to share with everyone a little information I know, because I think it's absolutely ridiculous that people like Trump are going to use a vague promise to save Tick Tock to lure in voters and I believe it's just wrong for the Biden Administration to use the platform to Gain votes but yet in the same breath be voting to have app banned. (bunch of co-opting users) the Republicans and the Democrats have failed the American people categorically. That's not to say that some Democratic Representative like Summer Lee who won running a pro-Palestinian anti-war campaign and crushed the competition. Support anti-war candidates like Jill Stein of the Green party, the People Planet Peace campaign! & Cornel West the Independent, for Truth Justice & Love! Both are gaining in popularity as RFJ Jr has greatly. He would be on top if he was ANTI-WAR. At the very least that he's foreign policy is about diplomacy. RFK Jr must be clear he is anti-Israel ironclad influence & control of congress.
There are two prongs to discourage you from believing that if a ban on tiktok the company is unable to dive fast and then congress bands the app any alternative means to continue using the app is too difficult. Too expensive. To complicated. Worth voting for the wrong person... Not worth fighting for, I don't agree so here we go.
1.Tiktok can/will survive and you can still have the latest updates If Tick Tock is indeed banned from the US, do not fear. Well if you have an Android you're in better shape than Apple users. Banning tiktok just means disappear from the Apple Store or Google Play. Sticking with Android here tiktok from the Play Store isn't a big deal at all when you think about it. There a websites like apkmirror apkpure favorite of mine uptodo.n app stores you can access to download updated versions of the apps you love without the Play Store. Research check it out it's true. With access to your phone storage you're able to install apps online or offline with or without the Play Store. All you need is the saved APK file.
So for summary tiktok will be able to update its software in case there's any bugs or glitches or an update to the algorithm that means attending to. They will be able to still make their APK file available online accessible to all in fact simply because the default Play Store with a whole bunch of ads I might add, two steps easier to install and significant hurdle. If the tick tock ban is one where they strong arm and bully your internet service provider well that just means you'll have to go one step further and use a VPN in order to continue using tiktok. Remember they can ban it from the Play Store but if there want to be complete jerks they can also strong arm and bully your internet service provider who have banded together in the past to fight such controls but might not be able to this time and just in case they are all you simply need to do again is get yourself a VPN. It's probably why is this day and age now that they just passed the bill for fisa to release by on everyone in America.
2.FREE NO PAYMENT. & paid if you choosebto but not needed So you're wondering I don't have much cash how can I use a VPN. Do recommend if you do have the money to spending the paid VPN services that are out there I've used express and for Nord. However there are plenty that are sometimes open source or if you know how to use proxies or even a free and accessible why is to use mod apks. Be quiet literally type in any type of app you want with the words mod and APK probably not so much in Google lately but another search engines. Highway recommend filtering it set the results are within the past year. Apklights or moddroidapk weren't too bad. God isn't too bad either the mod or the premium versions depending on which are basically nose different from the default version with advertisement. A lot of the times Ahmad just means they've removed the advertisement from the app. Things like subscriptions typically aren't able to be modified. Out there that I have access downloaded use no problem you have to think of the websites like how you would streaming sites. There's always a pop-up that you have to click out of maybe once or twice before the actual click here click next to continue button redirect the page to the download APK page.
3.iphone users unsure Because I'm not a iPhone user this method is untested but I'm pretty sure that if you were able to purchase a VPN service use your iTunes to download and install tiktok.... I'm not sure. Method tested and successful only with Android.
Trump, Biden, the Democratic & Republican UNIPARTY, the not so Progressives, those who will view for them out of fear & ritual, the Zionist extremist, Corporate Monopolies, Billionaire Bigots. Those who have weaponized antisemitism, religion, & conservative values. Individuals preaching intolerance, supremacy & hate. supporters of the racists, the homophobes, the Transphobes, the Islamophobes, the pro-war military & anti-Black mask incarceration industrial complex.
It is clear they are all on the same team and agree not to put people first but to put themselves first... Vote for Change.
https://www.cornelwest2024.com/
https://www.jillstein2024.com/
Dictated by speech to text
submitted by UnluckyTwist2235 to Tiktokhelp [link] [comments]

2024.05.06 12:21 Alternative_Device71 I forgot how badly Degrassi jumped the shark

I forgot how badly Degrassi jumped the shark
Season 13 and 14 on rewatch to my surprise, wasn’t as horrible as I remembered after the first time years ago, I guess it was the shock of it all going to crap so fast….that doesn’t make them good tho
They ruined Eli and Clare so much it hurts, they recovered by the end but they shouldn’t have been messed with in the first place, they been through more than enough, especially Clare…I mean Drew? Seriously? Break EClare up for that? And the frustrating thing is that like Toby and Liberty, I’m not against it, it’s the fact it happened out of the proxy of another couple and I thought they learned from that mistake…but drama for drama’s sake I guess
Imogen was just annoying with nothing to do and her relationship with Jack was just embarrassing, going from a high level relationship with Fiona to…Jack, it’s like Imogen wanted validation or something and I just couldn’t understand why she went so hard for someone totally opposite of her so much, wasn’t she a senior anyways in season 12? Why was she still there till 14?
Not feeling the new characters like that but they kinda grew on me…a bit, only characters like Miles, Zig and Zoe had my attention cuz they have richer storylines, tho Zoe…she’s attractive but very unlikable as a person, she zigzagges too much and clearly her trauma didn’t humble her at all, I mean how dim and narcissistic you have to be to create a porn network based off “taking control?????? Logic escapes me, and speaking of zigzagging…Zig is a weaker character but he has some charisma and that’s mostly the actor saving him, tho I did feel bad he had to deal with Vince (whom should at most, be under probation, but that’s probably why he made Zig and Tiny do his biding) I like him and Maya together and it was well built up /Frankie started out mid but shot up well in 14, I was glad to see her stand up for herself in morals as the season went on, as any normal kid is supposed to do, but what made her stand out was her personality vs her 2 brothers being who they are and while she is very naive, she has tenacity..not amazing per say but good character development nonetheless/ Miles is the best written character out of all of them, he reminds me heavily of Harry Osborn from Spider-Man and his dad is the worst just like Norman Osborn, constantly trying to impress and get love from a father that only wants to manipulate him and shun him with every turn, Miles actor is great and makes you root for him, and his turmoil was interesting dealing with him being bi and his family affairs
Drew….why….why writers? WHY???? Other posts have talked more detail on him, but I gotta say he’s been fkd 12 ways to New Year’s, Adam dies (very stupidly and cliche, but I’m aware of Jordan’s exit), Bianca leaves him, dates Zoe and gets accused of assault, gets with Clare and gets hit on by Miles mom…lol the actual hell???, and then Becky and then they break up and never get back together for whatever reasons…damn I don’t know who had it worse with the hate writing, him or Clare, I will say as much as I HATE Dranica breaking up cuz they’re endgame couple…I did like him with Becky out of all the rebounds cuz they had great chemistry, not better but different, same with Clare too but stupidly executed, I found out that Drew and Becky’s actors worked together again after the show and then I understood why I liked them together….then the writers had to fk that up too….least he got to graduate cuz dude sure deserved it
Becky had good growth from stupid Christian girl to naive girl with potential for the future, I wonder why as much as her and Imogen have been paired up as much as they did, why not make them a couple? Anyway, her standing up for Zoe and against her brother was impressive and brave and I believe that was the start of her development, tho her and Jonah…no no..nononononononoooooo…they’re cringe together and not a fan of Becky’s singing, I’ve grown to like her and will miss her some
Ali and Dallas coming together was built up great but not without trial, don’t know why after everything Ali would regress back to her season 8-10 self with French boy onion dip for, but the physical abuse storyline was better dealt with in past seasons cuz it made sense Fiona and Teri would fall for guys like that cuz of how reserved they were, Ali isn’t and would sooner shoot a guy in the nuts than get hurt by a guy, so I hated that storyline a lot, since then she wasn’t really engaged in the seasons, I’m glad she graduated and got a guy she could trust/ Dallas sticking up for Ali on dude was inspired but unrealistic considering he got deported, on other ways Dallas has proven himself to be there for others but it took a minute to get there, I appreciate his bro relationship with Drew but I highly suspect his role was upped to replace Adam as a sibling figure, but either way he’s a great character
Jenna and Connor were so invincible and unimportant it’s laughable, but I noticed how her, Ali and Clare formed a genuine friendship after starting out fake and Jenna really grew up and became humble/ Conner being accepted by his closest friends and even younger grade kids was a great turnout for him when he started off an outcast, not only did he become more confident in his passions but he got one of the hottest girls in school…I’m proud of my boi
Characters like Grace, Tiny, Shay, Winston, Lola, Hunter and Tristan are uninteresting and one note, I don’t care about them, but I’ll hold off on Maya for now cuz something is brewing I didn’t see with her before
Simpson leaving was really cheap and forced, basically like a reverse mirror Raditch, dudes been around since forever and he doesn’t get a graceful exit? Yeah yeah “opportunities opened cuz of doors” yada yada, still hate it (I’m also aware of why Stephan wasn’t there much towards the end) least he saw the last of the class graduate
These 2 seasons tested my patience but most of it got excused cuz of the likability of the middle-ending class characters with a few exceptions from the newest characters, but I think it’s safe to stick with what I said before…season 12 is the last season of Degrassi, particularly Las Vegas for personal reasons…I rate both season 6/10
submitted by Alternative_Device71 to Degrassi [link] [comments]

2024.05.06 08:56 DC-Legend2 ExpressVPN APK MOD (Premium, Unlimited Trial) v11.44.0

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submitted by DC-Legend2 to Modifiedmods [link] [comments]

2024.05.04 05:37 LegacyNewb S33 Feel Flimsy?

Decided to finally pull the trigger and use MPC to print my cube. After reading countless threads, I decided that it was worth it to spend the extra $20 to get S33 over the S30. Let me start off and say that I was shocked by how fast I got my order. It took 2 weeks from check out to delivered at my house which was 7 days faster than the original estimated delivery date. Additionally, the quality is very solid! The darker cards definitely look better than the lighter ones but regardless, I’m impressed.
Now on to the negative. I went with the S33 because I thought they’d feel closer to real MTG cards. Sadly they feel pretty flimsy to me. I was only going to single sleeve my cube but even in single sleeves, they feel flimsy. So I guess I’ll be double sleeving proxies in order to hopefully get that “true” MTG card feel.
Are S30s even more flimsy? I just can’t imagine how bad S30s must feel if S33s are supposed to be the better option. Is there a chance I was given S30s by accident? I suppose I’d never truly know.
At the end of the day, I think double sleeving them will make them feel sturdier and overall I’m satisfied with the result. You can’t really argue getting a 360 card cube and 200 unglued basics for a “low” price of $200 vs the $10k to get real cards. Plus you run that risk of a drafter potentially swiping one of your cards but that’s an entirely different topic.
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2024.05.02 07:30 Muted_Competition383 the invasion of gaza

when l first heard about gaza attacking israel, l thought to myself, man, these guys are stupid. they are only provoking israel, and israel will just harshly punish gaza, which they have. l though to myself, gaza is not going to get their land back by attacking israel. even by december, it was not clear how the gaza/israel conflict would play out. as of december 2023, jews were very much fighting to get public support through propaganda. they would portray themselves as the victim by posting pictures captured israelis. fast fwd half a year later, and things are becoming more clear. the attack on israel was never about israel, or palestine. like most battles, this battle was one that involved much bigger powers. big powers like america, china, and russia all have a stake in this battle. today, it is more obvious how china, and russia have alot to gain from israel's beligerence. the gaza conflict has created several problems for the west. by attacking israel, and provoking a response from israel, theyve united the muslim world. not only that, many young western liberals seem to have sided with palestine. the protests have given many head aches to the western ruling class. not only has the gaza/israel conflict created a divide amongst western civilians, it's also created a divide in the american oligarky, as western oligarks have very different opinions on how to deal with the palestine question. in this way, the gaza conflict has created a wedge within the western oligarky in addition to the wedges that already exist. this wedge is something the west certainly did not need, however, this wedge is very beneficial to china, iran, and russia. any wedge, divisions, and headaches for the west is good news, for china. years ago, l wondered why the west was trying to bait china into war, and this is one of the reasons why. war can be used to turn people against a country in the way that people have turned against israel. if china were to attack taiwan province, filipines, india, or vietnam, the western media could easily paint china the way that israel is being portrayed today. whats funny is that the west was trying to bait china into a war, but instead, a major western pupet was baited war. the unpopularity of israel today, is what the west had hoped would happen to china. but in that way, china is one step ahead of the west. the attack on israel had little to do with israel, but was more designed to bring chaos, and divisions to the west which it has done according to the mass protests at columbia, ucla, ut, and nyu. some people say that gaza is an iranian proxy, but let's look at who backs iran. china. iran alone would never be able to back gaza by themselves. when the chinese and iranians signed their agreeement, it was unclear how it would play out. today, it is a little more clear. The Iran–China 25-year Cooperation Program or Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between I.R. Iran, China is a 25-year cooperation agreement on the further development of Iran–China relations signed in Tehran by the Chinese and Iranian foreign ministers on 27 March 2021; Under a draft of the 25-year agreement (signed on 24 June 2020 in Beijing) China is to invest US$400 billion in Iran's economy over that time period in exchange for a steady and heavily-discounted supply of oil from Iran.the agreement includes up to $280 billion towards developing Iran's oil, gas and petrochemicals sectors and another investment of $120 billion towards upgrading Iran's transportation and manufacturing infrastructure. According to Iranian authorities, reviving the Chinese One Belt One Road Initiative is also part of the agreement. It would likely to impossible for Iran to back Gaza without China's support, therefore it is plausible to conclude that the Gaza provokations had to have the blessing of China, just as the Ukrainian military operation had to also
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