DISCLAIMER: I did not transcribe this myself, though I could. I had a machine do it, and then the machine threw up afterwards -- but I did go through and add some bullety points while Jamie shot off her mouth. It's a total word salad, but one has only to skim through and see the number of ways she yawns and yawps and contradicts herself ... and does not take a breath, so there is very little punctuation. Again it's a run-on slog and the AI program chose to only use periods to end 70-some sentences because of all the run-on "like ... you know ... and ... but" instances as she ran with it -- with NO BOUNDARIES WHATSOVER. I did take out the kids' names, and I did search-and-replace all instances of "to" with "tuh" because that IS how they talk!
ENJOY -- and I use that word lightly:
AND SO IT BEGINS WITH Doug wishing Happy Mother's Day … and immediately Jamie corrects him, "Well, not really Mother's Day …" since they are recording after Mother's Day. Got get those Doug corrections in toot sweet, lest he thinks he has a mind of his own.
They note they tend to be "a little late on things," but they are "trying to get better about that." Doug says they had a fantastic Mother's Day, and he asked her if she had a good time. She said she had a great time. Doug wrote Happy Mother's Day on some cards and the kids drew on them. He gave her an eyelash waxing and noted probably a bad idea. She said it wasn't that she wasn't thrilled as she did mention that pregnancy makes her eyebrows bushy, but she was scared, maybe just mentioned she'd need to tweeze, but oh, well, yes, she likes his gift.
Jamie noted that it was "just the four of us" and of course, the babies in her belly, and that was fine with her – until her son's birthday of course, when she noted that their entire families suck!
So onto her son's birthdays and THESE GEMS AND THOUGHTS: I think it's just pregnancy hormones, but honestly, like, I just, I just can't, like, I don't know why, like, I guess, like, you know, ever since I was little, I've always really, really wanted family, like, so badly, like, I wanted just, like, deep connections with people who truly love me, and I truly love them, and we just really, truly support each other, and just, I don't know, I think, like, just pregnancy hormones made me think about it, but, like, yesterday for Son's birthday, and just family members who just completely forgot, and they just don't care, and I'm like, is it me? Is it him?
Like, and I don't want my son tuh grow, like, he doesn't know, and he'll never know, because I'll make sure, I mean, I spent every second, that boy had no second tuh think yesterday, like, I picked him up from school, and I took him tuh the library, because that's where he wanted tuh go, and then we, like, you know, we really love surprises in this family, if that's not clear by now, and so Daughter and I surprised him with a splash pad, like, we went tuh the splash pad for the first time, and we never do things like that on a school night, and so, and then he got tuh go pick out a cake that he wanted, and then Doug had dinner already at home, and then also we had decorations in his bedroom, which I was, like, hoping tuh have for the morning, but then Doug was, like, at, like, midnight, when we're, like, thinking about starting tuh blow up the balloons, Doug is like, Jamie, let's just surprise him tomorrow after school.

(Notice she takes no breath … and also they were super-last minute when it came tuh getting ready for his birthday, versus, what we have all mentioned, that isn't so when it's a gender reveal or a party or pickleball or something FOR HER.)
HERE, DOUG ASKS … "WHY, ARE WE GONNA DO THIS NOW?" AND THIS WAS PRETTY MUCH THE LAST EFFORT HE MADE tuh STOP HER BECAUSE SHE WENT ON WITH: Yeah, because it was so late, but I was like, I just have, like, this vision that I just wanted for him, because, you know, I'm just trying tuh give them the childhood that, like, I would have wanted, that any little kid would want, and really all that involves is truly just two loving parents who are there, and, like, that's really all that really involves, but if I can go a little extra, you know, and surprise him, and I, then I want to, you know, and so, you know.
DOUG NOTES THAT HE DOESN'T THINK THEY KNOW ANY DIFFERENT, AND HE CONTINUES WITH: I don't think they really know any different, you know, and I know, I know it's, it's tough, and I think, especially with, like, little kids, you know, they, they won't necessarily feel the impact and that want, you know, and, and I know that you do, and it, it hurts me that, you know, you would, you would want people tuh care enough to, tuh reach out, and I think, you know, for, for me, I, that's, I don't really set my expectations or, or give those expectations tuh son and daughter.
JAMIE BLASTS BACK, SUPER-DEFENSIVELY: Oh, I do not either, though. I do not at all. I don't say a thing tuh them about anything, because, you know, sometimes people miss their – you know, and that happens sometimes, but when it's, like, over, and over, and over again, and, like, it's just so obvious, and, and people ask us why we moved tuh Florida, and don't we want tuh be near family, and, you know, tuh be very honest, this is why.
Like, we, you know, I, we would fly up there tuh try tuh prove, like, hey, listen, we're not just trying tuh leave, though. Like, we, we, I want that family connection so badly with your family, with my family, and it's just, you know, unfortunately, it's, people are in different stages of life. I try tuh make excuses, like, for them, and, you know, for us, and it's probably not personal, but the point of the matter is, is that whether it's not personal, and people are busy, and whatever the case may be, we don't have that family connection.
We just don't, and I'm, I try tuh nurture it, and, um, you know, and we do with some family members, and then just others, you know, you just, it's just. Well, you can't help but be disappointed. Yeah, and, like, I guess my heart hurts, because I want our son, and our daughter, and our children tuh have just so many people who love them, and want tuh be around them, and who will encourage them, and support them, and.
DOUG NOTES THAT HE THINKS FAMILY KNOW ALL OF THIS AND THAT THEY, THE KIDS KNOW HOW MUCH LOVE THEY HAVE FOR THEM, AND ALL THE EFFORTS THEY PUT FORTH, AND HERE HE SAYS, "Especially you," AND THAT ALL OF THIS IS WHAT MATTERS MOST.
JAMIE'S REBUTTAL: Yeah, I know, but Doug, what I'm trying tuh say is that, like, what I would want for them is them tuh have many people who love them, and, like, you know, like, I always wanted, you know, it's not even a secret, like, way back, I'm married at first, like, the one thing I wanted was tuh marry into a family, like, a big loving family that would welcome me as their own, and, and I'm really thankful for your family, and, yeah, but, like, I just feel like, like, I want that for our kids. Like, I wanted them tuh have people who loved them, who wanted tuh come around them.
Like, my, my siblings and I really didn't have many aunts or uncles or grandparents who, I mean, you know, it's kind of, it's so long, because, like, there are some people who were there, but it was, like, toxic, and aye, aye, aye, it's just, you know, it's just, at the end of the day, I'm pregnant, and it's just hormones, and I know our kids feel nothing but loved, but it's just really evident, like, on a birthday or holidays, like, people who, who actually, like, family who actually truly cares for us, and, like, all I've ever wanted was just our, like, I, I don't know why I care about these people caring about me, when, like, they don't care, and it's okay, and that's, that's, it's okay.
Like, it, I'm trying so hard tuh just be, like, accept it, girl. Like, you know, you can't force family tuh love you.
JAMIE TRIES TO DIFFUSE THE TIMEBOMB SITUATION THAT IS HIS WIFE, CLEARLY GOING OFF ON EVERYBODY BY SAYING HE KNOWS THAT SHE DOESN'T WANT THIS FOR THEM BUT THAT THEY, THE KIDS, DON'T EVEN NOW ABOUT ALL OF THIS RIGHT NOW.
JAMIE'S REBUTTAL: Well, I know they don't, and so, at the end of the day, I was, like, sitting in bed crying earlier, and I was, like, what is wrong with me, because I know my son had a great birthday yesterday. Like, I made sure of it.
DOUG NOTES SHE "KILLED IT, YESTERDAY."
JAMIE BLASTS ON: At the end of the day, I think, like, it's a personal thing, because it's, like, they don't care about me, and therefore, they don't care about my son, and that hurts, you know? Like, it's just hurtful, and not, because I care about them, and I love them, and I've tried so hard tuh be part of them, and, and try to, like, I've tried changing my ways. I've tried tuh adapt tuh be more like them.
I've tried all these different things. At the end of the day, nothing I do, like, I may as well just be myself, and, and, because if I have tried tuh be like them, they don't like me. If I try tuh be myself, they don't like me.
Like, no matter what, like, I don't feel like, I feel like they're, I'm just kind of judged by them in the way that I live my life, and anyways, it's fine, but.
DOUG COUNTERS IT WITH THE FACT THAT JAMIE GOES "ABOVE AND BEYOND FOR EVERYBODY," AND THAT IT'S TOUGH THAT SHE "WANTS OR EXPECTS THAT IN RETURN," BUT NOTES THAT THIS IS ALSO MAYBE WHERE THE "BOUNDARIES" LIE … cool, they now have a title for the podcast!
JAMIE CONTINUES tuh BLAST: Well, no, of course, and this is exactly why I'm also crying happy tears, because for so long, I just really tried tuh nurture, like, a true, like, true family, and deep connection, and like, try tuh be, like, really close, and, and it's like, well, if you're the only person nurturing that, you're bound tuh get hurt. It's bound, it's not going tuh happen ever, because it has tuh be a two-way street, and so, unfortunately, like, I started putting up boundaries, and I knew it was going tuh hurt, and like, here it is. It's, it's hurting, you know, like, and then inevitably, they'll be like, you know, you moved tuh Florida, but even when we didn't live in Florida, let's be honest, like, we didn't see family very often, unless, like, it was, it just, unless it was us going places, and then even when we moved here, I would fly up there.
I flew up, we were flying up there, like, once a month. It was so expensive. It was so taxing, but I just wanted to, tuh kind of prove, hey, listen, like, but, you know, I'm so glad we moved here, because at the end of the day, you know, even if we never even find our own people, like, our focus is on our core family, like, we had zero distractions for Son yesterday, like, his birthday was the hundred, like, and it's just, that feels good, because normally, we wouldn't have that. Yeah, normally, I would be cleaning the house, trying tuh prep for people tuh come over, who I would have called 10 times, make sure they remember that he's coming, and it's like, or that his birthday is coming, and it's like, it's just, you know, this is such a vulnerable, I don't even know if I want tuh share any of this, because it's just so personal, but.
DOUG NOTES THAT ALL REFLECTS MORE ABOUT OTHERS AND NOT AN ATTACK ON JAMIE.
AND YET JAMIE CONTINUES TO DEFLECT AND ATTACK: No, I don't think it is either, but it's just very evident where people, like, if people care about us and our family, I don't think they actually, that's the thing, is they don't, like, and so, they're not thinking about it one way or the other, it doesn't even matter tuh them, and that's what hurts, because I wish that they cared about us the way that we cared about them, but they don't, and so, that's why I'm trying tuh have the boundaries tuh be like, find people who will care about you then, or just focus on your own family, and if people wonder why I want so many kids, well, there you go. People constantly say, why don't you love the two you have?
Oh, of course I do, and I'll tell you what, I want tuh have 10 more, because I want tuh raise them in a way where we love each other, we're always there for each other, we don't forget. It's just silly little milestones, it's not about presents, it's not about anything other than just love, and remembrance, and just, like, celebrating each other, and I am going tuh raise my kids tuh just really love each other, and tuh know that their parents love them, but God forbid, one of us are taken, and then, then it's like, I think about things like that, and I'm like, who do they have if they don't have us? Like, seriously, and that scares the crap out of me, because there are very few people who even remember, like, and tuh me, it's just a birthday, I know, it doesn't really matter, but like, that's of significance tuh that child, and people just don't care, like, they just, our fam, so many of our family members just don't care. Well, we make, we make it, and then I'm like, am I making a mountain out of a molehill, but like, and am I?
DOUG ALSO THINKS ABOUT THEM "DEPARTING EARLY" AND WHAT HAPPENS tuh THEM.
JAMIE BUSTS BACK IN, AND STARTS tuh TALK ABOUT "ESTATE PLANNING," WHICH SORT OF MADE ME SIDEYE BECAUSE SHE GOES ON tuh TALK ABOUT THE KIDS AND WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO THEM, AS IF THEY WERE PART OF THE "ESTATE," BUT I GUESS SINCE THEY ARE THE MONEYMAKERS SHE THINKS OF IT MORE IN THAT WAY THAN GUARDIANSHIP PAPERWORK … AND SO SHE CONTINUES: Well, when you think about estate planning, and then who you're leaving your kids to, and I'm like, who can I leave my kids to, who are really going tuh love them, and the people right now didn't even call tuh wish him happy birthday, they didn't even call tuh wish him a happy birthday, they didn't send a gift, and it's not even about the gift, but it's about the thought, who do we have in our life, Doug? I don't think it's, you know, I ask if I think I'm making a mountain out of a molehill, but then I, like, I almost, like, talk, like, convince myself that, no, I'm not, like, I'm really trying tuh make sure that our kids are taken, like, loved and taken care of, and sure, we've got it out, down pat, but what happens, like, then what?
And like, I'm not gonna go down that rabbit hole, and I'm sure this is all pregnancy hormones, and I'm just exhausted and tired, so, but I just think about these things, and then, and then people wonder why I am so thankful for our followers, for those of you listening tuh the podcast, and those of you who follow us on Instagram and YouTube, and who are just excited for us, because a lot of our own family members aren't, like, it's just wild, and so, yeah, and so thank you for those of you listening, and for those of you who comment, and just, you know, just are excited to, like, like, tuh be part of our family, like, because we have forever been looking for that, and, like, our family's just not that interested, and we could try, and try, and try.
DOUG: Out of sight, out of mind.
JAMIE BINGOS!!!!! THAT THOUGHT AND CONTINUES: Yeah, it's, and it's fine, but I'll tell you what, I genuinely do appreciate every single five-star review, every single, like, nudge that you just, every single moment that you take out of your life just tuh be like, hey, what's up with Jamie, you know, and that's why I try tuh do giveaways, and I try to, you know, like, read your five-star reviews, and I try tuh show you that I genuinely care about you, too, because I really think that it is a two-way street with everything in life, like, so whether it's, you know, family, it's friends, it's working, it's, we're colleagues, like, if someone is showing you a lot of, you know, any support, or encouragement, or care, like, then that's the person that you should then go show love, support, and encouragement, and care to, whether they're family or not, and unfortunately, if family doesn't seem tuh show you that, well, then you do have tuh set up boundaries, and it hurts, like, h-e-l-l, because then you'll start to, when you stop reaching out as much, well, then you'll start seeing that your relationship becomes even more distant, but you can't constantly break your back tuh try tuh make relationships.
DOUG NOTES THAT THEY EITHER STEP UP OR DON'T, AND THAT’S WHERE IT LANDS.
JAMIE CONTINUES: Yeah, but from what, from my experience, from what we've experienced, you know, no one really steps up, and it's pretty evident when you start, when you realize you have tuh make a boundary with a person, like, just know in your heart that it's gonna hurt, like, you know, and I'm sure that we're, I'm not the only person going through this, and that's, I think, why it's important tuh share, is that, you know, because it's hard tuh share these things.
It's embarrassing. It's, I feel, it's almost, like, belittling. It's like, like, you know, it's like you're, you're sharing that you're rejected, essentially.
Who wants tuh share that? Like, who wants tuh admit that? But the truth is, is that we all have been there, and so I think that the biggest way tuh heal, and what I've learned is, of course, tuh find, to, like, lean in on the people who don't, like, desert you, betray you, talk behind your back.
I mean, that's the thing, is people who also, who are there, but they're really, like, kind of a snake in disguise, and, like, it's, like, like, they, it seems like they're there for you, but then behind, but you're walking on eggshells around them, because you know that they're saying things behind your back, and that's not, that's not healthy either, and so what I've really tried tuh do is really just focus on people that have really just been loving and nurturing, and the more people are loving and nurturing tuh me, whether they're family or not, the more I will lead, like, reach into them, and...
DOUG BUSTS IN TO TAKE A "QUICK PAUSE" FOR AN AD, IRONICALLY ABOUT INVESTING AND GOOD FINANCIAL HYGEINE.
JAMIE GETS RIGHT BACK TO IT: Of course, holidays and birthdays are tough because like you want like my mom like I mean forget it but like I love her and she's doing the best she can but like you know it's like I don't know I guess it's because I'm pregnant and then like when you become a mom and you just think about this relationship and it's like I just have always wanted that relationship with my mom and of course I know real like logically it's not gonna happen but anyways it's um it's just hard but anyways what I was trying tuh say tuh you though listening is like if you're going through this type of situation like just know that you're doing the right thing by kind of putting the boundaries up and then kind of you know you got tuh focus on gratitude more than anything else and so I consistently try tuh remind myself tuh be thankful that I am alive I'm able tuh be there for my kids my son has no idea who remembered and who forgot his birthday but of course he knows who he talked tuh but like you know I, I know that he had the most spectacular day yesterday and I made darn well sure of it and it literally cost me like zero dollars tuh it's not like it has tuh be expensive it wasn't extravagant we went tuh the library which is free and then we went tuh a free splash pad that's in our city and slash playground yeah, yeah and he had a great time so it's like people it's because the other thing people say well if you can afford tuh give them that it's like it doesn't you can find ways tuh live tuh like really bless your family and your kids without having tuh spend boatloads of money um but the biggest message and takeaway of this all and I guess of like I we never planned on sharing any of this we were planning on sharing about mother's day and
DOUG DOESN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT tuh SAY, BUT SHE NEEDS tuh KNOW HOW PROUD HE IS OF HER, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH …
SHE THANKS HIM QUICKLY AND THEN GETS ON WITH HIS always getting by my side and like when I'm thankful for you when I started you know going tuh therapy and, and I mean forever ago I'm telling you forever ago when we were first married and I first started going tuh a therapist outside of married at first sight she told me she looked me in the eyes and she said Jamie like they might be family but they're not your people and you gotta go find your people and I didn't want tuh believe her I didn't want I literally just said you know thanks but no thanks essentially and I'm gonna try my best tuh turn this family into mine because I want this connection and I want this and I wish I could have saved myself all those years by just listening tuh her and you know finding my own people who, who do love and support me for who I am who I don't have tuh like I can just don't have tuh walk on eggshells I don't have tuh try tuh be anybody else I can just be myself and they'll see like the good in that and they'll like it you know and, and not everyone's for everyone and that's okay and I just try tuh remind myself that but anyways um yeah you've always stood by my side so thank you I see you I'll always be by your side I just like sometimes doubt like if like you know like, like, like what have I done like am I a bad person like did I like what have I done this has nothing
DOUG NOTES THAT THEY'D FIND PEOPLE "DOWN HERE" IN FLORIDA, AND THAT THEY BOTH KNEW IT WOULD NOT HAPPEN OVERNIGHT, THAT REALLY MEANINGFUL BONDS TAKE TIME, BUT THEY ARE IN THE BEST POSSIBLE POSITION TO BUILD A COMMUNITY AND MAKE STRONG FRIENDS THEY CONSIDER TO BE FAMILY, AMAZING PEOPLE, AND THERE ARE KIDS TOO, AND THEY CAN WATCH EVERYONE GROW UP TOGETHER … AND HE THINKS, "That's kind of the point of, of moving tuh Florida find community find our people and also find out you know who would be there with us and for us and …"
JAMIE BLASTS BACK: It has nothing tuh do with you or who you are well the truth is, is obviously it does because these people don't enjoy being around me so then therefore they don't enjoy remembering our kids and or me whatever I guess I think I'm just really hormonal and emotional but I guess I just feel incredibly rejected and like I've done something wrong but I also know at the same exact breath that this has been happening for years and years and years where I've really
DOUG NOTES JAMIE HAS "TRIED SO HARD" AND THAT IT'S NOTHING THAT SHE DID.
JAMIE BLATHERS BACK THAT IT'S NOT REALLY THAT THEY'VE DONE ANYTHING WRONG, BUT … we just don't jive and I guess you know we have different we're different people and we can't force it yeah and so there's very little control that we have over it other than us being us yeah and so but you know but I guess this is like the healing part that everyone talks about with boundaries that's so painful like it's so painful because when you want something so bad and like I think it's like wired in me because it's family and like I really want tuh support family and love family and be there for them and but then it's like but it's just not there in return and you could just spend your whole life searching for it and or you could kind of put up a boundary and, and stop allowing that tuh continue tuh hurt you and find people who are genuinely happy tuh be around you and so needless tuh say for those of you listening if - if you're in this boat with someone whether it's parents siblings aunts uncles cousins I don't know or even long-time friends who you think are quote-unquote friends but you know things change or who knows I mean it's so darn hurtful but I really believe at the end of the day that I mean I was I spent years and years and years trying my darnedest and now I'm like if I, If I could give like an inkling of that effort tuh someone who gives an inkling of the effort back tuh me like the just the joy and happiness that could come from that or just like the stability and also like I did try changing myself tuh kind of be more like them tuh have more in common with them and it just I can tell you right now if you're trying tuh do that that's not gonna work either like it's hard unfortunately you just gotta be yourself in this world you gotta love with your whole heart and, and be selfless you know you can't expect people tuh just care about you if you don't care about them of course you gotta show up for people you gotta really like put yourself out there for them but if you consistently do that and you're not getting any of it in return you gotta change your path and it's the hardest thing in the world tuh do but you know tuh be very, very honest like going tuh bed with Doug last night after Son's birthday and like just everything that went down and whatnot I was just like and this is why we live in Florida this is why we moved here because this this served our core family more so than trying tuh fit a round peg into a square everyone else's schedule and everybody else's lives it's just you know and it's and I'm incredibly thankful tuh your sister and tuh your mom and your dad of course because they did reach out and that's just really, really kind like they called and they just show that they really care and that really means the whole wide world tuh me and like regardless of what they think of me like they love our kids and that's really all that
DOUG NOTES WHAT MATTERS IS-AND MAYBE THEY NEED TO BELIEVE IN SOME KIND OF "HIGHER PURPOSE," BUT HE DOESN'T CONSIDER IT ALL "WASTED TIME OR ENERGY," AND THAT IT MAYBE HAPPENED THE WAY IT'S SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN AND FOR JAMIE TO GIVE …
AND SHE CUTS HIM OFF TO SAY THAT THIS MESSAGE CAN help others. I've really kind of like avoided being this vulnerable lately because I feel like there are some people who just really don't like me and it's been brought tuh my attention and just no matter what I do they really don't like me and I guess like everybody has quote-unquote haters but it hurts my heart a little bit and I don't know but, but the truth is, is like just like I said before what I learned in this the certain boundaries that I've talked about before is that you really can't change who you are in the hopes that people will start tuh approve of you because they're never like the people who just choose that they don't like you and they just choose tuh find your faults will always like they will always see your faults and they will always yeah there's no convincing them otherwise and that's and if you're listening tuh this like this is the truth for all of us is that when you're looking for the good in life you're gonna find the good and you can focus on that and try tuh get like more of that and garner more of that but if you're focused on the negative whether it's in life or with your spouse or with a friend or at the workplace you're gonna find that and so if so sometimes if you've you know if you see that you're consistently feeling like you have quote-unquote bad luck or that this person's being wrong tuh you or they're not caring about you will try tuh think about the good that they do and, and, and so truly like for me with these whole boundary things like I've tried just I tried tuh kind of I've already tried that with some of these family members that just don't seem tuh care and um and, and so that's and then that's when the hurt comes is you know when you realize oh yeah you're actually all right and you are onto something and for whatever reason their life isn't aligning with yours and it's and that's okay but it doesn't mean it's not gonna hurt a little bit for the person who like wants it tuh be there but that's when you go out and find someone who wants tuh align their life with you or maybe their life already aligns and they just and you can serve each other you can love each other you can be there for each other and whether it's blood related or not like that will serve you better in life and so that's kind of where I think Doug and I are right now um but also for, for you listening if, if you're just finding yourself in this situation too just try tuh make sure you're not just trying tuh find the fault in someone because you don't want tuh get caught in that rabbit hole and there are people out there who just want tuh find the negative and then there are people out there who cut that down like don't allow that tuh happen tuh yourself because you will be miserable your whole life hating on someone else and just constantly finding their faults and constantly complaining about them is never going tuh bring you true happiness it really isn't and so think about you know yourself and like what you can do differently and try tuh bring the positive and so yeah I haven't been as vulnerable lately because it's been hard tuh be very honest tuh just share like my heart and then people are just going tuh attack me for it you know I'm sure but um but my goal in sharing this if we end up sharing this is that it helps the one person out there or I'm sure several really who are in the same exact boat who are you know trying tuh keep a friend that they've had forever but that friend's just not there or trying tuh maintain a relationship with one of your parents or your siblings or it shouldn't be hard it shouldn't be and you shouldn't have tuh change who you are and if you do then that's really just not the right person for you and, and you can talk tuh them about it of course and then if they're just combative, at the end of the day, I just say the best advice is find a therapist, and this book called Boundaries, and it's a little religious, and also a little kind of like, whoa, but I'm telling you, Chapter One, just give it – if you don’t' like it after that, don't even try, but like Chapter One, I was like, wow, I can see so much of myself in this, and I can see how could change, and I've got tuh promise you that it's been hurt along the way, but I have – we have, and our family has more positive days now than stressful, trying tuh like pull people in who don't really want tuh be there, trying tuh help them remember because they're gonna forget, like it's just – like yesterday was like the least stressful day ever, and we didn't have one person coming tuh our – or even Mother's Day, it was just us four, and you know, before I had kids, and I think – I saw someone else write this, but like before I had kids, I looked at the world as like everyone I encountered, and how can I be helpful tuh them, and that – like, but now it's like my world is my husband and my children. My world is within my four walls, and how do I love them and support them the best that I possible can, tuh help them become good – eventually like good husbands, a good wife, good mothers, good fathers, and good, good family members, and so …
DOUG IS SO PROUD OF HER AND THINKS SHE SHOULD ALSO BE PROUD OF HERSELF BECAUSE OF "HOW MUCH YOU HAVE GROWN FROM PEOPLE STARTING TO COMMENT ON SOCIAL MEDIA, AND YOU TRYING TO BRING THEM BACK OVER TO YOUR SIDE TO RECOGNIZING THE TOXICITY OF IT, AND SETTING BOUNDARIES." HE HAS TO TELL HER THAT IN THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS, SHE HAS "SPREAD MORE POSITIVITY, IN MY MIND, THAN ANYBODY, FOCUSING ON BEING THANKFUL AND GRATEFUL," AND A MESSAGE SHE IS PASSING ONTO THE KIDS WHO ARE REALLY STARTING tuh THINK ABOUT IT AND FOCUS ON IT, AND IT'S "DRIVEN BY YOU."
MORE RASPY WHINY TEARY VOICE: Oh, Gosh, Doug's that's the nicest comment that I could have ever received because I really want that for them … yeah, because I – because we could all fall into that where you see the negative and you just kind of focus on that, and I'm trying so hard not to, and tuh just – you know, pray more, and even meditate, and that has nothing tuh do with prayer, but like just rewire my brain tuh like the positive things and finding the positive and helping others, also because – honestly, and I want tuh raise my kid where they are not seeing the negative, they're seeing the positive in situations because life, regardless of who loves you, how much money you have, what home you live in, what car you drive, life is so much better when you're able tuh see the positive and you're able to, like lean into that more, and you're able tuh then attract people who are like that, and the Negative Nellies are just going tuh always be there talking their smack about you, and that's fine, but like, if you can find the positive, you can focus on that, and you're going tuh have such a happier life, and the Negative Nellies, unfortunately, like I still pray for them, I still hope for them, because it's sad – like they're not living a happy life. You can't be a hater tuh all these people and be happy. It's sad.
DOUG THINKS THEY ARE "living proof of it, because once we started tuh focus on happy, once we started focusing on being thankful and grateful, the people that we attracted are the people that we would want tuh be with … didn't happen overnight, but as soon as we started tuh rethink that, and really try tuh be positive and do positive things, and our prayers and with the kids and being thankful and finding good, and gratitude, you know, we attracted people into our lives that, you know, are going tuh be there – I mean, I feel these are now lifelong friends, and you know, all of that was attracted, and there has got tuh be something tuh that."
THE END, THEY MUST GO PICK UP THEIR DAUGHTER BUT ONLY AFTER THE FIVE-STAR REVIEW AND THEN "SEE YOU NEXT WEEK!"
DELUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUSIONAL – THE BOTH OF THEM! And according to the AI program Jamie talks more than 90 percent of the time, and Dud, hardly ever.

Occupation of Southern California, L.A. County: Former Lands, realms and kingdoms of Mewni Treaty
Preamble:
In recognition of the unique circumstances prevailing within the occupation zone located in Los Angeles County, formerly known as the Land of Mewni, this treaty aims to establish guidelines for the governance and administration of the said area, ensuring the protection of the rights and interests of its inhabitants.
Article 1: Freedom of Movement
1.1. All individuals residing within the occupation zone shall have the right to freedom of movement within the designated area.
1.2. Citizens of the occupation zone shall be granted unrestricted access to exit and entry, subject to applicable laws and regulations.
1.3. Non-citizens seeking to leave the occupation zone must obtain a valid pass from the relevant authorities.
1.4. Exceptions to the freedom of movement may be imposed for reasons of security or public safety, as determined by the governing body of the occupation zone.
Article 2: Education and Mobility
2.1. Residents of the occupation zone shall have access to educational opportunities without discrimination, irrespective of their citizenship status.
2.2. Individuals who have acquired sufficient education and skills shall be eligible for exemptions from certain restrictions on movement, as determined by the educational authorities of the occupation zone.
2.3. The governing body of the occupation zone shall facilitate programs and initiatives aimed at enhancing educational attainment and skill development among its residents.
Article 3: Representation, Governance, and Cooperation
3.1. Each kingdom or district within the occupation zone shall be entitled to representation in the governing council, ensuring equitable participation in decision-making processes.
3.2. The kingdoms within the occupation zone shall cooperate with each other and with the governing body to maintain peace, stability, and prosperity in the region.
3.3. Garrison of troops may be stationed within the occupation zone to uphold law and order, subject to the approval and supervision of the governing body.
Article 4: Martial Law and Establishment of Government
4.1. Martial law shall be declared in the occupation zone effective 2019, granting the governing body necessary authority to maintain security and public order.
4.2. During the period of martial law, the governing body shall work towards establishing a functioning government structure representative of the interests of the inhabitants.
4.3. Once the period of martial law has ended, the governing body shall proceed to establish a permanent government in accordance with the principles of democracy, rule of law, and human rights.
Article 5: Implementation and Review
5.1. The provisions of this treaty shall be implemented and enforced by the competent authorities of the occupation zone.
5.2. Regular reviews and assessments shall be conducted to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of this treaty, with necessary amendments made as required.
5.3. Disputes arising from the interpretation or implementation of this treaty shall be resolved through peaceful means, including negotiation, mediation, or arbitration.
Conclusion:
In witness whereof, the undersigned, duly authorized representatives of the participating parties, have signed this treaty on [date], in Los Angeles, in the English, Waterbubble, Demon Tongue, and Low Mewman languages, all texts being equally authentic.
[Signatures]

Hey everyone I'm 21 F from Madhya Pradesh, I come from a middle class family. I have two members in my family my mom and younger brother. Dad passed away when I was 17. I had a gap between my two front teeth (a condition called mid line diastema). People used to mock me for my gap, I used to feel conscious smiling for pictures. I always wished for a beautiful smile, my teeth were white and healthy, the only concern was the gap.
My dentsist told me that it can be treated through any of the three options ,braces, filling and crowns. He told me that braces would take three years for the result and that the composite filling would break if I eat and for crowns he said that it would last 15 years and then to be replaced.
I agreed for crowns as I did not want braces as it would have affected my other teeth as well. Also my dentist had told me that by capping/ crowning these teeth the diastema won't increase.
My dentist did not inform me that crowning healthy teeth may compromise it's strength and life and there is future possibilities of the development of infection or decay or the teeth needing root canal.
He said that he is just gonna trim them. He gave me anaesthesia and shaved my teeth so much that the outer layer (enamel) of the teeth was all gone. I felt so bad for my teeth but still I thought that maybe this is the part of the process.
After that he took impression of my mouth for zirconia crown. He did not take any x ray prior the treatment or post the treatment.
The dentist was recommended to me by my bestfriend who herself had a bridge placed from the same dentist. She recommended me the dentist.
After I got my teeth trimmed, next day she called me and told me not to get treatment done from him as he is not good. I felt so baad and angry at her but because the treatment had already begun and my teeth. were already trimmed so I no option to go back.
My dentist place a zirconia bridge(two crowns joined on my front teeth) for first week it used to pain a lot. I was not happy with the pain but still I beared it got my bite adjusted. I started having TMJ issues after that. My other teeth used to hurt as well due to the crowns so I decided to consult another dentist.
when I consulted another dentist she told me About the risks of the treatment I had undergone. Till now I was unaware of the risks. She told me that as my bridge is placed without any prior root canal it is prone to be lost in next 6-7 years. I cried so much.
My upper lip now looks raised as I had overbite but instead of suggesting me to correct my bite first he persuaded me for crowns.
After this I posted a negative review calling the dentist scam, he called me and threatened me to remove the review.Also he defends himself by saying that he did the treatment I wished for. I have realised now that the dentist has surely did this for money.
Ever since then I am worried about my teeth, they still hurt so much. I don't smile anymore. My intention was never to harm these teeth. I curse myself everyday now for having this done to my teeth. I cry so much. My appetite has reduced. I'm scared that I'm going to loose these teeth early in next 10 years. I'm too young to loose these teeth. I now have no courage left.
I know that I'm not the only one struggling with physical ailments and there are many other unfortunate people who are suffering more than me. But to accept the fact that I have made such a major mistake that is going to have such serious consequences is unbearable to me. How can I live with blaming myself everyday? I have lost faith not only in the world but myself as I feel that I am good for nothing and anyone can trick. I worry for myself as how am I gonna survive in this world? I wish if my dad was here to protect me than this would have never happened.
I have lost faith in the only bestfriend I have as she recommended me the same dentist and also encouraged me for getting the treatment done even when she herself has undergone the similar treatment six months before I got mine, and is facing the same problems. Now she says that she never knew that these problems were gonna occur to me aswell.
I have no one to share my pain as I know whoever I share with is going to blame me for getting the treatment done. But no one is ever going to understand the pain I'm going through. Now I'm also worried what if this causes any problem in me getting married. For any girl her beauty matters but I myself have ruined mine. I am all alone into this can't share with mom as she herself gets worried. I can't trouble her more. I don't know how am I going to live with these teeth for my entire life.
I would appreciate your honest views on my situation, I know I'm stupid and naive. I hate myself for this stupidity.

Hey everyone I'm 21 F from India, I come from a middle class family. I have two members in my family my mom and younger brother. Dad passed away when I was 17. I had a gap between my two front teeth (a condition called mid line diastema). People used to mock me for my gap, I used to feel conscious smiling for pictures. I always wished for a beautiful smile, my teeth were white and healthy, the only concern was the gap.
My dentsist told me that it can be treated through any of the three options ,braces, filling and crowns. He told me that braces would take three years for the result and that the composite filling would break if I eat and for crowns he said that it would last 15 years and then to be replaced.
I agreed for crowns as I did not want braces as it would have affected my other teeth as well. Also my dentist had told me that by capping/ crowning these teeth the diastema won't increase.
My dentist did not inform me that crowning healthy teeth may compromise it's strength and life and there is future possibilities of the development of infection or decay or the teeth needing root canal.
He said that he is just gonna trim them. He gave me anaesthesia and shaved my teeth so much that the outer layer (enamel) of the teeth was all gone. I felt so bad for my teeth but still I thought that maybe this is the part of the process.
After that he took impression of my mouth for zirconia crown. He did not take any x ray prior the treatment or post the treatment.
The dentist was recommended to me by my bestfriend who herself had a bridge placed from the same dentist. She recommended me the dentist.
After I got my teeth trimmed, next day she called me and told me not to get treatment done from him as he is not good. I felt so baad and angry at her but because the treatment had already begun and my teeth. were already trimmed so I no option to go back.
My dentist placed a zirconia bridge(two crowns joined on my front teeth) for first week it used to pain a lot. I was not happy with the pain but still I beared it got my bite adjusted. I started having TMJ issues after that. My other teeth used to hurt as well due to the crowns so I decided to consult another dentist.
when I consulted another dentist she told me About the risks of the treatment I had undergone. Till now I was unaware of the risks. She told me that as my bridge is placed without any prior root canal it is prone to be lost in next 6-7 years. I cried so much.
My upper lip now looks raised as I had overbite but instead of suggesting me to correct my bite first he persuaded me for crowns.
After this I posted a negative review calling the dentist scam, he called me and threatened me to remove the review.Also he defends himself by saying that he did the treatment I wished for. I have realised now that the dentist has surely did this for money.
Ever since then I am worried about my teeth, they still hurt so much. I don't smile anymore. My intention was never to harm these teeth. I curse myself everyday now for having this done to my teeth. I cry so much. My appetite has reduced. I'm scared that I'm going to loose these teeth early in next 10 years. I'm too young to loose these teeth. I now have no courage left.
I know that I'm not the only one struggling with physical ailments and there are many other unfortunate people who are suffering more than me. But to accept the fact that I have made such a major mistake that is going to have such serious consequences is unbearable to me. How can I live with blaming myself everyday? I have lost faith not only in the world but myself as I feel that I am good for nothing and anyone can trick. I worry for myself as how am I gonna survive in this world? I wish if my dad was here to protect me than this would have never happened.
I have lost faith in the only bestfriend I have as she recommended me the same dentist and also encouraged me for getting the treatment done even when she herself has undergone the similar treatment six months before I got mine, and is facing the same problems. Now she says that she never knew that these problems were gonna occur to me aswell.
I have no one to share my pain as I know whoever I share with is going to blame me for getting the treatment done. But no one is ever going to understand the pain I'm going through. Now I'm also worried what if this causes any problem in me getting married. For any girl her beauty matters but I myself have ruined mine. I am all alone into this can't share with mom as she herself gets worried. I can't trouble her more. I don't know how am I going to live with these teeth for my entire life.
I would appreciate your honest views on my situation, I know I'm stupid and naive. I hate myself for this stupidity.

Article originally posted here: https://mavericktrading.com/pros-and-cons-of-being-a-professional-trade
Pros and Cons of Being a Professional Trader
Becoming a professional trader is a dream for many finance enthusiasts. The allure of high earnings, the thrill of the markets, and the prestige of working in the financial industry are just a few reasons why trading is such an attractive career path. However, in every profession, it’s not all positive and we think everyone thinking of starting a career as a professional trader should weigh the pros and cons of being a professional trader. In this article, we’ll explore four primary ways to start your journey as a professional trader: working for a Wall Street institution, joining a private hedge fund, trading for a family office, and becoming a proprietary trader. We’ll weigh the pros and cons of each path, and ultimately, highlight why becoming a proprietary trader may be the fastest and easiest route to success.
Before diving into the specifics, let’s discuss the Pros and Cons of being a professional trader in several different trading roles:

1. High Earnings Potential: Professional traders have the potential to earn substantial incomes, especially those who excel in their roles.
2. Dynamic Work Environment: Trading is fast-paced and constantly evolving, providing a stimulating and engaging work environment.
3. Intellectual Challenge: The financial markets are complex and require sharp analytical skills, making trading intellectually rewarding.
4. Flexibility and Independence: Many trading roles offer significant autonomy, allowing traders to develop their own strategies and make independent decisions.

Trader for a Wall Street Institution
Pros: – Structured Learning Environment: Large financial institutions often provide extensive training programs for new traders. – Access to Resources: Traders at major banks have access to cutting-edge technology, research, and market data. – Networking Opportunities: Working at a prestigious firm can help you build a strong professional network. – Job Security: Large institutions typically offer more job security compared to smaller firms.
Cons: – High Pressure: The competitive environment can be stressful, with high expectations and long working hours. – Limited Autonomy: Traders may have less freedom to develop and implement their own strategies. – Bureaucracy: Large organizations can be slow to adapt, and navigating internal politics can be challenging.
Trader for a Private Hedge Fund
Pros: – Potential for High Earnings: Hedge funds often offer lucrative compensation packages, including performance-based bonuses. – Innovative Environment: Hedge funds are known for their innovative strategies and willingness to take on risk. – Smaller Teams: Working in a smaller team can lead to greater visibility and faster career progression.
Cons: – High Risk: The high-risk nature of hedge fund trading can lead to significant losses. – Job Security: Job security can be lower, especially during periods of poor performance. – Intense Competition: The hedge fund industry is highly competitive, with many skilled traders vying for limited positions.
Trader for a Family Office
Pros: – Stable Environment: Family offices tend to be more stable and less pressured compared to other trading environments. – Personalized Approach: Traders can work closely with the family members and tailor strategies to their specific needs and goals. – Long-Term Focus: Family offices often take a long-term approach to investments, which can reduce short-term stress.
Cons: – Limited Resources: Family offices may not have access to the same level of resources as larger institutions or hedge funds. – Lower Compensation: Earnings potential may be lower compared to hedge funds or proprietary trading firms. – Narrow Focus: The investment strategies may be more conservative and less diverse.
Trader for a Proprietary Trading Firm
Pros: – High Earnings Potential: Successful proprietary traders can earn significant profits, with compensation often tied directly to performance. – Autonomy: Proprietary traders have the freedom to develop and execute their own strategies. – Access to Capital: These firms provide traders with the capital they need to trade, reducing personal financial risk. – Merit-Based Progression: Advancement is typically based on performance, allowing talented traders to rise quickly.
Cons: – High Pressure: The performance-based nature of the job can be stressful, with significant pressure to generate profits. – Risk of Loss: Proprietary trading involves high risk, and traders must be prepared for the possibility of significant losses. – Lack of Job Security: Traders who consistently underperform may face termination.
Why Proprietary Trading is the Fastest and Easiest Path. Check out our article on choosing the best proprietary trading firm for you: https://mavericktrading.com/what-is-the-best-prop-firm/

1. Low Barriers to Entry: Many proprietary trading firms do not require extensive experience or advanced degrees. They often provide training for new traders.
2. Direct Focus on Trading: Proprietary trading firms are solely focused on trading, providing a concentrated and supportive environment for new traders.
3. Performance-Based Rewards: Traders are directly rewarded for their performance, creating a clear and motivating path to high earnings.
4. Access to Capital: These firms provide the necessary capital, allowing traders to start trading without significant personal financial investment.

Becoming a professional trader is a challenging but rewarding career path. An aspiring trader can only focus on all the positive aspects of being a professional trader but they should also sincerely consider they cons of being a professional trader. Whether you choose to work for a Wall Street institution, a private hedge fund, a family office, or a proprietary trading firm, each path offers unique opportunities and challenges. However, for those seeking the fastest and easiest route to success, becoming a proprietary trader stands out as the best option. With lower barriers to entry, a focused environment, and performance-based rewards, proprietary trading firms offer an ideal starting point for aspiring traders.
Any other professional traders want to add any pros or cons?

FIRST CHAPTER
PREVIOUS CHAPTER
This product is a fanfic of the Sexy Space Babes/Between Worlds product of u/Bluefishcake and one I highly suggest you read. It was created with permission, but give the OG works some love.
Imgr gallery of Comissioned and Fan Artworks
I'm Back Bitches! Again!
//////////
Junior Systems Engineer First Class Che’keero knelt before a semi-sparking control panel and sighed. She, and a large band of her fellow Engineers with Marine support, had boarded the pirate frigate with the singular goal of ensuring that the pirates didn’t scuttle their floating hulk and doom the slaves aboard to a, if they were lucky, a swift death in space.
The problem, of course, came with the pirate’s maintenance schedules and decisions to forgo certain… safety measures when it came to repair.
Like the panel before her. Usually a perfectly functional control system for the reverse-magnetic bulkhead doors that ensured void seals in power outages, some pirate at some point in their dumb, dumb life decided to fix the panel blowing a fuse… by ripping the fuse out and replacing it with a high density power cable. Which meant the entire thing was one massive shock hazard and actively sparking as the reactors deep in the ship flickered and surged due to damage.
Che’keero swore as an arc of electricity flashed towards her face after a tool that was not supposed to be magnetized, cheap dick WaDepth requisitions, caught a magnetic field, fusing the entire system shut and turning the formerly barely functional control system into nothing but pretty, decorative wiring and cheap solder. She punched the now utterly unfunctional control box and toggled on her radio. “Three-Two to Three-Lead, this door’s fried. You’ll need to bring in the cutters if we want to get to the rest of the ship. Might as well also bring in an inflatable airlock, I’m not liking how some of the metal strain sensors are flashing at me.”
A semi-synthetic voice replied back to Che’keero, “Three-Lead copies. I’ll be over there shortly with the stuff. Double check those sensors, I’m not getting the same readings, so let’s make sure something isn’t blocking errors from reaching me.”
“Copy that Three-Lead, Three-Two ou-” Something tapped against the back of her helmet and Junior Systems Engineer First Class Che’keero mentally swore.
“Now, now, lassie, how about you sit right there and don’t move.” A nasally, unfamiliar voice called out to her while tapping what a camera she set up to watch her back revealed to be a laser pistol to Che’keero’s helmet. “I think that you’re going to be our new best friend and way off this dead end ship.”
Che’keero paused, letting the situation settle in her mind, “Wait, what? Are… are you taking me hostage?”
“Yes!” The pirate replied.
“Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why are you taking me hostage? This won’t work, none of the shuttles are jump capable and if you try anything, you’ll just end up jumped by marines. They specifically train to deal with pirates taking their engineers hostage. If you want to survive, you should just surrender and take the penal colony when it’s offered.” Che’keero mentioned, shrugging and continuing her inspection of the door.
The pirate seemed baffled at the sheer nonchalance of this response, the pistol slowly falling to merely point at her upper back instead of her head, “You… you really aren’t taking this seriously. I’m a pirate! I’ve killed people! I’ve killed boys, and you’re just sitting there like this doesn’t mean anything!”
“I mean… I wouldn’t say that.” Che’keero replied.
“THEN WHAT DO YOU MEAN!” The pirate screamed, the pistol moving away from Che’keero’s body by a fraction of an inch during an angry gesture.
It was at that point, a ceramic alloyed, carbon steel blade punched clean through the back of the pirate’s suit, slicing through their central nervous system and striking with enough force to shatter the faceplate of said pirate’s helmet on the way out. Muscles twitching, the laser pistol fired off randomly, missing Che’keero and slagging a chunk of bulkhead.
“I’m just buying time,” Che’keero replied cheekily.
“You really need to remember to check your cameras,” The semi-synthetic voice of Ventures Forth Bravely Into Great Unknowns commented as the ex-pirate fell to the ground and blue blood dripped from the long blade sprouting from her right arm and a toolbox hanging from her left hand. “This isn’t the first time you have been flanked, and this one wasn’t during training.”
“Look, I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.” Che’keero replied a bit testily.
“I’m sorry…” Ventures Forth prodded.
“I’m sorry, Ma’am.”
“Much better. Right, now what do we see in this- yeah you were right on it being fried.” Ventures Forth gently shoved the Junior Systems Engineer aside and took her place at the control panel. “Do a sweep of the strain systems. I don’t want this section of the ship breaking apart. Feel free to call up our hull patches. We’ve got plenty to share and this might have to be a lifeboat.”
“Aye, ma’am aye,” Che’keero replied with a crisp salute before rushing off to her duty.
Deeper inside the ship, Ventures Forth could hear laser fire, clashing of metal on metal, and cries for help.
The pirate ship was doomed, it was shattered and broken, but it was not destroyed. Not yet. \
And if she had her way, Ventures Forth Bravely Into Great Unknowns would keep it that way.
//////////
Roshal stood still as her steward continued to clean the dark blue and rapidly congealing blood off her armored form. “Comms,” She called out, “Do we have any contact with the shuttle we sent to the station?”
“Negative, ma’am.” The comm officer replied. She wasn’t the same one that was present when Roshal left to fend off the boarders. At the unspoken question, the woman continued “Communication’s Mate Second Class Lev’tal, ma’am. My superior got a concussion when the pirate ship rocked our ship during boarding. Strap snapped, prior damage. I took over.”
Roshal nodded approvingly, “Good initiative. Send a message to the station, see if we can’t rai-”
“Ma’am! Contact!” One of her sensor techs called out, “Belay that, two contacts. First contact, nav point 782 spinward, possible bogey, cruiser weight. Unknown movements. Second contact, nav point 102 coreward, aerospace assets inbound. Small flight. Hard to determine numbers due to damage. No less than two, no more than five.”
“Focus on getting a hard contact on that possible cruiser. Weapons, what is the status of our anti-aerospace.” Roshal demanded, holding her sword arm out for the steward to scrub at a particularly clotted chunk of blood splattered over her wrist.
The weapons officer shook her head, “If we’re lucky, then we’ve got 20% coverage on half our sides. If we’re very lucky, I might be able to bump that number up to 35%. Not going to quote doctrine, but that’s not nearly enough to fend off a flight of Aerospace assets on a strike run, and that’s assuming they don’t hit us on an unprotected flank.”
Roshal nodded once more, “Sound general quarters and get weapons and tactical back online. Tell the damage control parties to not be distracted and focus on critical systems first. Engine room, report. Can you give me maneuvering thrust?”
The nearby ship phone chimed in with a staticy hiss, “Negative, ma’am. The shot we made with the spinal mount tripped breakers up and down the reactor room. This isn’t an engine problem, we need to make sure our reactor doesn’t blow up when we siphon power. Before you ask, emergency power is still flowing and none of their circuits tripped, but that means we’re down to life support, basic systems, and dockyard thrusters. It will take at least 20 to get the reactor in a safe state. If you want 10, send the chaplain down so we have someone praying for good luck. The fact most of our structural engineers are doing an EVA boarding to ensure the pirate ship next to us doesn’t go critical and render the entire exercise moot isn’t helping matters at all.” The engine room replied Roshal bit down a bit of annoyance at the snark, but engineers were always a finicky sort with authority. They were the first to remind uptight officers that while the Captain’s word may be iron law, it was their work that truly moved the ship.
“Confirmed, engine room.” Roshal instead replied. “Chaplains will be arriving shortly. Do what you can and inform me when you’re three minutes out from full power.”
The engine room didn’t even bother replying, just sending over the affirmative light as they got to work. Roshal approved of that. Sometimes, you just had to insult someone in order to get it working right.
“Captain, we have confirmation on contact. He’s an Alliance Karcharidon class Heavy Cruiser on intercept course. Energy readings are spiking… they’re charging their guns, ma’am!”
“Issue a hostile challenge and give me a firing solution with any gun still functional.”
“No response, ma’am. Hostile Karcharidon is increasing speed. Hard contact in 15 minutes.”
Roshal snarled, emotion breaking through her mask. “Of course, the pirates had one more vessel. Helm, fire our maneuvering thrusters, use the pirate hulk as cover. Weapons, get whoever’s left of our Interceptor flight to engage the enemy. Comms, get me in contact with the merchant fleet, tell them to evacuate. We’ll provide cover.”
“Aye ma’am.” The Communications Mate Second Class said with a shiver in her voice. “Sending-”
“Update on Aerospace assets!” Her sensor tech called out.
“Deliver!” Roshal demanded, cutting off the comms officer with a slice of her hand.
“Weapons fire. Definitely less than four contacts. Seems to be two grou- negative, only two contacts remaining- weaponsfire- one contac- IFF received, oh goddesses, IT’S RUNOFF THREE! FRIENDLY AEROSPACE INBOUND!”
//////////
Milk gripped her crash harness hard as Cookie slammed the Interceptor’s fusion torch clean past its safe thrust marker and into the red as g forces crushed her chest. “Last target down.” She reported after Cookie’s final laser burst hit something critical inside the final Aerospace fighter’s frame. “That’s 20 for 20. All enemy bogeys down. All standard munitions are in the black. Static drive is 48%, dump core ejected. All we’ve got left is our ASM and front laser.”
Cookie flashed back an affirmative signal.
“We going for that cruiser?”
Another affirmative.
“Well, I’m braced and ready on the release. Ready.”
“Ready.” Cookie spoke, his voice horse.
It’s funny what people think when their lives are on the line. Because charging towards a fresh enemy Heavy Cruiser, nothing but a single anti-shipping missile worth a damn, no allied support but the faint glimmer in IFF screens of their fellow flight doing the same… all Aoibhinn McDermott could think of was a poem she had read at least a decade ago or more at the Naval Academy.
Half a league, half a league,
Half a league onward,
All in the Valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
//////////
Ventures Forth Bravely Into Great Unknowns could do nothing but furiously swear as the basic sensor system her engineering team had restored on the thoroughly ventilated secondary command bridge of the pirate hulk revealed an enemy Heavy Cruiser bearing down upon their homeship.
“Weapons are trashed. We cored their reactor, anyway.” One of the tangential engineers reported, “Other teams are calling in. Things are worse where they are. We’ve found the slaves, though, luckily it was one of the few airtight bays. Also, have some more captives, but that really doesn’t matter right now.”
“No shit.” Ventures Forth replied, “Can we do anything?”
The engineer looked back to her, visor depolarizing so the Gearschilde can look into the black and yellow eyes of her Shil coworker.
“Pray.” The woman replied simply.
Ventures Forth Bravely Into Great Unknowns did just that.
//////////
Low chanting filled the engine bay as a small group of priests stood around the engine praying to whichever god that would listen to allow them one more shot. One more fight.
Around them, black handed engineers scurried, ripping out blown fuses and replacing them with soldered in high strength wire. A final measure of desperation. Sparks flew as engineers swore and chaplains prayed, power still remaining in circuits needing to be bled out before bypasses could be installed, turning every bit of solder and every ripped out fuse into a deadly gamble.
Already, someone was lying on the ground, no longer twitching.
They didn’t have time to check on their fallen comrade, the work was too important.
A clock ticked down. Four minutes elapsed.
//////////
Lieutenant Commander Cenywyn swore as she watched Runoff 2 die.
Their single Interceptor had mistimed a maneuver and had been caught dead in the middle of an Anti-Aerospace array, shredded in an instant. The only consolation she could take was that, seeing as the first shot went clean through the cockpit, they didn’t even notice they died.
“Runoff 4, stay in formation.” She ordered over the radio, “We’ll lead you in for the run.”
“Yes ma’am.” The hesitant voice of Junior Flight Lieutenant Griogill replied. She swallowed, “We’re- we’re ready when you are.”
“No fear, Lieutenant,” Cenywyn called back to the child she was leading to her death. “We’re pilots in the Imperial Patrol. We do our duty. No fear.”
A clock ticked down. Six minutes elapsed.
//////////
“Talk to me!” The last remaining senior engineer in the reactor bay called out to anyone who was able to reply.
Someone, she didn’t even bother looking to see who, called back “We’ve bypassed 60% of the fuses. Should be able to give ourselves a burst of combat power. No more than 10 minutes of it before the entire system overheats and we either die, or the reactor shuts off.”
“Any chance we can get more than 10 minutes?”
“Not before that Heavy Cruiser delivers us straight to the stars.”
“Fuck it, good enough.” She slammed her fist on the ship phone’s dialing button resting near the console the engineer had just ripped the last safety override out of. “Captain. We’ve got your power. You give us the word, and we’ll give you ten minutes.”
//////////
Roshal breathed in, breathed out, and nodded. 10 minutes of combat power before the entire ship shut down into uselessness. She’d done more with less. She couldn’t remember when, but she had. Luckily, this was a Patrol Carrier instead of a standard ship, so it was more than capable of combat maneuvers with nothing but RCS thrusters. That should give her some time.
Movement, movement was going to be the key.
“Comms, tell the engineering crews on the hulk that they are ordered to figure out anything that could draw the attention of the Heavy Cruiser,” She began, “Systems, break our mooring lines. We’re going to have to split from the hulk. Helm, prepare for maneuvers. RCS only. We are going to have to do this carefully. Engineroom, prepare for power activation, but hold until my command.”
This needs to be perfect, Roshal thought, A single mistimed action ruins it all.
A clock ticked down. Ten minutes elapsed. The Karcharidon had entered maximum weapon’s range.
//////////
He of Slender Tail shivered where he stood. The secondary command bridge was silent as Roshal began giving orders to fight. This was… this was insane.
They were in a ruined ship with nothing but a merchant fleet beginning to flee and a three thirds dead pirate hulk on their side against a fresh Karcharidon class Heavy Cruiser.
They couldn’t win.
This was suicide.
They would die here.
\ So why didn’t He of Slender Tail feel afraid?
He stood at his post, a secondary bridge console where he would relay orders to other departments, freeing up the other Watchkeeper to collate those orders, there was nothing he could do to help win this impossible battle, and yet…
And yet he felt heat blossoming inside his chest with every single order delivered.
“Mooring teamsss, you are to cut your linesss immediately.” He relayed to a crew of Shil scurrying around the ruined bulkheads, “Damage control, prepare for electrical firesss and arcsss.” He commanded, switching between teams instantly.
He didn’t feel fear. He could see his Watchkeeper shiver every time the sensors reported the enemy contact was still closing, but he didn’t feel the same.
What he felt… was indignation.
How dare this pirate scum threaten his vessel, his crew. How dare they ambush this valiant ship after they had fought so hard to win. How dare they.
He let his fangs fold out as he spat the next order, “Anti-Aerossspace teamsss, prepare your batteriesss for grouped fire. Gunnery calculationsss are on their way.”
How dare they stand up to him.
A clock ticked down. 12 minutes elapsed. Weapons fire.
//////////
Roshal swayed slightly as she could feel the ship beneath her feet move. Movement is life in naval warfare, movement is death. “Right RCS fire, bring us clear of the hulk. Bow thrusters, up twenty.”
“Aye, ma’am, aye, right standard and bow up twenty.” The Helmswoman replied.
“Confirmed. Next maneuver, give us rear thrust-”
“Torpedo!” The sensor operator called out in a shrill voice, “Two marks on intercept course! Range, twelve K and closing fast!”
“Decorum!” Roshal snapped at the panicking sensor technician. “Comms, order Runoff flight to divert and intercept those torpedoes. Rear RCS to full, give us momentum.”
Roshal turned away from the bridge as affirmations were shouted, and the ship began to move, “Engineering, prepare to activate combat power on my mark and prepare for hard maneuvers. Mark in five.”
//////////
Griogill swallowed bile and tried not to feel too thankful that the enemy vessel had fired torpedoes at their home ship. Being diverted from an attack run had a much higher chance of survival than striking through an AA bubble.
“Runoff 4 engaging far torpedo. Moving in for intercept. Bre’kas, give me lock.”
Griogill’s backseater muttered something, and a target lock appeared on the far torpedo as Runoff 1, their previous Drill Sergeants, dashed by in a hard burn and blazed away at their own target.
“Right. We can do this. We can do this. No fear.” The rookie muttered as the sight of her friends in Runoff 3 being turned to vapor echoed in her mind. “I can do this.”
The target locked. She fired. The torpedo detonated.
A clock ticked down.
//////////
“Mark in four.”
//////////
The Heavy Cruiser loomed closer as the comparatively tiny Patrol Carrier spat its defiance in the form of two Interceptors dancing between the stars.
As a pair of torpedoes detonated, four more were launched, the anti-shipping weapons built for this specific purpose. Destroying disabled vessels.
And so the last two remaining Interceptors on CAP dove into the fray, risking themselves against an ever approaching AA bubble in order to save their ship.
A clock ticked down.
//////////
“Mark in three.”
//////////
All Cookie could do was stare and push his meager aerospace fighter further on its nuclear thrusters as shimmering dots of torpedoes lanced out from the Heavy Cruiser attacking his new home.
He pushed his hand forward and felt the throttle once more push back against him, the lever pushed all the way past safe thrust and into the further setting on his console.
The Interceptor was fast. It didn’t feel fast enough.
And so he spoke the words he spoke once before, back when he’d had to listen to his backseater’s screams of pain and the rush of wind after shrapnel pierced his fuselage, and the hospital was so, so far away.
Father, I pray that you will not hide your face from me. Whenever I pray, Lord please hear me and answer me speedily in Jesus' name. God, I pray that you will grant me speed through your help.
A clock ticked down.
//////////
“Mark in two.”
//////////
The Heavy Cruiser shifted, engine flaring and it began to close the range. A single disabled ship on emergency RCS thrusters and a pair of Aerospace fighters was nothing it would have to deal with.
It fired a third spread of torpedoes.
A clock ticked down.
//////////
They took the bait. Roshal thought with a vicious grin.
“Mark in one.” She paused, “Execute.”
In an instant, power flowed through the ship, emergency lights flickered off as the burning red boarding lights returned their fiery glow. The entire ship shook as the main thruster came back online, and capacitors began to charge for maneuvers.
“Hard burn, full thrusters, right, on my mark.” Roshal watched as the Heavy Cruiser began to react to her movements, the enemy ship was alive, you needed to roll to broadsides to begin bombardment, come on come on…
Roshal watched as a torpedo flickered out of existence, Runoff 4 gaining another kill.
Come on, dammit, you don’t get put in charge of a Heavy Cruiser without- THERE!
The Heavy Cruiser flinched, turning her bow away from the no longer stricken vessel, preparing for broadside.
The Captain’s grin showed more teeth than smile. “Execute! Full right thrust!”
“Full right thrust! Aye ma’am aye!” Her helmswoman called out as maneuvering thrusters dead cold roared to life and physically threw the vessel to the side, causing everyone not strapped in on the bridge to rock as a barrage of fire flew past their former location, manual targeting systems in play since the automatic systems would still be getting warmed up.
“Full thrust forward, prepare to divert all power to secondary weapons. Weapons, give me a firing solution.” Roshal commanded, hand raised and pointed at the enemy’s display as if she were commanding from a tall ship.
A chant of “Aye ma’am aye” flowed out across the bridge as the weaponsmistress was silent before calling out. “Port side is up to 45% secondary fires and 32% point defense. That’ll be our best bet.”
Roshal nodded. “Make it so. Target their main weapons. Helm, get us that facing.”
“Ma’am. We’re getting a call from Runoff 3. They are entering the AO and are asking for a target.”
Roshal smiled, “Weapons, shift target. Aim for the anti-aerospace systems. Let’s give Runoff 3 the opening they need.”
A clock ticked down.
//////////
“Cookie, we’ve got a targeting path.” Milk called forward. “Putting it up on your HUD.”
“One second… I’ve got it. Moving to comply. Did the Captain give us a plan?” her front seater replied, causing her stomach to do funny things as the Aerospace Fighter maneuvered while under high thrust.
“Something like that. She asked for a munitions report and specifically about our anti-shipping weapon.”
Cookie paused.
“Ah.” He finally said.
“Yeah.” She replied.
“Well, let’s hope they’re able to open us up to a window of opportunity. Or this will be a short charge.”
“Not our place to question why.”
“Just our place to do and die.”
Time to target… three minutes.
Into the valley of Death, rode the six hundred.
A clock ticked down.
//////////
Two vessels, three Aerospace fighters, one chance.
Six minutes of power remained. All actors took their places on the stage.
One hundred kilometers, close enough to check the weld quality of hull seams, the two ships danced across from each other. Maneuvering.
Five minutes of power remained.
The Karcharidon Heavy Cruiser rolled itself trying to keep the vulnerable top deck away from the Patrol Carrier’s presumably still working main gun as Roshal’s vessel jumped to the side. Thrusters roared.
Four minutes of power remained.
Runoff 1 and 4 shot towards their formerly separated comrade, forming up behind them in a wedge. The trio climbed towards the sun as their captain continued to chase and harass the Karcharidon.
Three minutes of power remained.
Roshal spoke. The lances of her vessel fired. Laser blasts carved across the hull of the enemy ship as it rolled.
The rolling ceased. A helmswoman swore as a full broadside caught the Patrol Carrier in the flank. The port hangar pod was ruined, armor shattered and all inside exposed to hard vacuum. Those who could scream died the fastest. The Interceptors had their opening.
Two minutes of power remained.
Silent wings swept through vacuum as three Interceptors began their dive, their formerly speedy arrowhead shape giving way to an inverted t as their wings swept out for stability, the ASF dove and dove and dove.
Five Kilometers away.
The range was too wide. They had one shot. It had to be perfect.
One minute of power remained.
The Into Harm’s Way spat its defiance into the world, limited power drained to give her pilots a seconds more of time.
30 seconds of power remained.
Three Kilometers.
Hard Lock! Milk shouted from the back seat of Runoff 3. Cookie was silent. The range was still too wide.
15 seconds of power remained.
Two Kilometers.
The Karcharidon seemingly began to roll before the Patrol Carrier once more fired, its last remaining weapons spouting their defiance against the world. Deep in engineering, systems began to blow, wires that replaced fuses sparked power and delicate circuit boards shorted out into useless scrap.
The lights went out.
No power remained.
Roshal, in her head, began to count down as lances of light began to sweep across her ship. Damage control did what they could, but the beams began to cut like an overly enthusiastic shipbreaker.
Five.
One Kilometer.
Four.
Cookie’s thumb depressed the firing stud as the Interceptor screamed at him.
Three.
The ASF launched its deadly payload.
Two.
Three Interceptors pulled back hard on their sticks to avoid colliding with the deck.
One.
The thruster of the anti-shipping missile roared as it rocketed the point blank aerospace distance to target.
Impact.
The armor piercing tip of the missile punched into the upper deck plating of the Heavy Cruiser, classified alloys allowing it to pierce into the armored plating just enough to allow the shaped charge to open up a hole as momentum kept the weapon moving.
Within the frame of a single second, the warhead of the missile had entered the ship and, before the alarms even had time to sound, detonated.
A new sun appeared in the void for a split second as a plasma-fusion warhead detonated inside the Karcharidon heavy cruiser’s hull.
//////////
Roshal allowed herself to breathe a sigh of relief inside her head as the emergency power lights flickered overhead and the gravity ever so slightly lightened. What was left of their sensor arrays showed the enemy vessel powering down. “Engineering. Good work, your 10 minutes were just what she needed.” She called out, picking up the ship phone.
There was no answer from engineering.
She signed externally before pointing at one of the marines guarding the bridge, “Find a crewmate in a void suit. I have need of runners.” The marine clasped a fist to her chest before leaving to execute her captain’s commands. “Comms, do we have any contact with the engineering teams on the pirate hulk?”
The Comms officer held up a hand, Roshal waited, “No, ma’am. We aren’t getting- wait. We’ve got visual on flashing lights from the hull. Apparently, something shorted, so they’re having to rebuild broadcast arrays. They can receive just fine, though.”
“Good, once we can maneuver, bring us broadside of them. What’s the status of the merchant fleet?”
Navigation spoke up now, “Still heading for the Jump Point. Should we send the recall order?”
“Not yet, we are still unsure if the area is safe. If we have any sensors remaining, begin sca-”
The mentioned sensor technician interrupted Captain Roshal, “Ma’am, new contact, signature unknown. Just jumped in from outside the starlane!”
“Give me details. Course, range, and speed?” She demanded.
“Signal confused, can’t get a lock!” Navigation called out, “Can’t tell if confusion’s from them or us.”
Not another one… Roshal sighed, “All forces prepa-”
“Ma’am, we’re being hailed.” Communications called out.
“On squawk.”
“This is Captain Al’yosha Cal’rada of Her Imperial Majesty’s Ship Spear of the Knyaginya, responding to Merchant vessel distress calls. Imperial Patrol Carrier, are you in need of assistance at this time?”
Roshal recognized the voice. A junior officer from her days in the Navy and a fellow Sevastutavan. The memory of the fresh faced girl when she’d joined her as an Ensign straight of the Naval Academy flashed before her eyes. “Captain Cal’rada. Your timing is impeccable as always.”
“Admiral?” Roshal could hear the shock in her old protege’s voice.
“That’s Captain, now, Al’yosha. I require your aid in ensuring the disabled vessel still glowing from an ASM strike remains disabled along with Search and Rescue teams for our sister Carrier.
“Whatever you want, you’ll have it, Admiral_… Helm! All ahead flank and plot course to intercept. Launch gunships and prepare to deploy Bluejackets. We’ll test our _Orcas’ teeth today!”
The line cut out a moment later than it should have, and Roshal nodded in approval.
“Captain, I still don’t have a read on new contact. What is it?” Sensors asked.
“A Drep’na inspired vision, come to life.” Roshal watched, feeling an odd sort of parental pride as Al’yosha’s experimental warship began closing the distance towards the Karcharidon at breakneck speeds. “A swift sailing vessel and ten carriage guns…” Roshal murmured the line from an old Vaasconian poem from the ancient Age of Sail. She had heard Cal’rada had succeeded in petitioning the Navy to build her dream-ship, burning every favor and passing out favors to any and everyone to see the program through. Now, there she was, standing on the bridge bearing down on a ship twice her size, but if the rumors were true, only half her guns.
“Ma’am, contact is still not resolving, but IFF confirms Imperial Navy designation. An Akula Class Attack Transport. I’ve… I’ve never even heard of this class.”
“Perhaps we shall hear of them more in the future. Fortune favors the active.”
“Contact is disgorging multiple signals, moving at speeds consistent with aerospace assets.”
“That is our signal we may disengage. Comms, inform the merchant fleet that the area is secure and to begin refueling procedures. Helm, get us alongside the pirate hulk, we have people to recover. Marine, get me a runner to the MP’s, we shall need the port hangar prepared for an old tradition the Navy has regarding pirate prisoners…” Roshal commanded. The fight was over, it was time to begin the cleanup.
//////////
So… that took a while. Sorry about that.
Turns out when a combination of writer’s block, decision paralysis and LIFE hits you over the head, it becomes a touch difficult to get your shit together long enough to write something down.
On the plus side, we are out of the “unplanned bits” and right back into the parts I have brainstormed, so I won’t be staring at a screen trying to think how to make things connect as much anymore. On the other hand, that means we are now entering the epilogue of book 1 of Top Lasgun.
Don’t worry, the story isn’t ending, I’ve got “three” books plotted out in my head, so we’ll see how that shakes out, but for the most part, this is where I start wrapping up plot threads, laying down threads for what comes next, and all that other good stuff.
So yeah, next chapter is going to involve everyone wrapping up what happened here, some fun little Military Justice, and potentially a bunch of plot. Also, I’m planning on starting a “rewrite”/edited version of this to go up on AO3, so keep an eye out for that. Early installment weirdness is a bitch and I’m not proud of what the older stuff looked like.
Well, I hope you have a wonderful morning, afternoon or evening whenever you read this and I will see you next chapter.
[NEXT CHAPTER]

2023 Rookie Rankings
2022 Rookie Rankings
2021 Rookie Rankings
2020 Rookie Rankings

Superflex Rankings (Half & Full PPR)

Rank	Player	Tier	Position	Team
1.01	Caleb Williams	1	QB	CHI
1.02	Marvin Harrison Jr.	1	WR	ARI
1.03	Jayden Daniels	2	QB	WAS
1.04	Malik Nabers	2	WR	NYG
1.05	Rome Odunze	3	WR	CHI
1.06	JJ McCarthy	3	QB	MIN
1.07	Drake Maye	3	QB	NE
1.08	Brock Bowers	4	TE	LVR
1.09	Xavier Worthy	5	WR	KC
1.10	Bo Nix	5	QB	DEN
1.11	Brian Thomas Jr.	5	WR	JAX
1.12	Michael Penix Jr.	5	QB	ATL
2.01	Jonathon Brooks	5	RB	CAR
2.02	Xavier Legette	6	WR	CAR
2.03	Trey Benson	6	RB	ARI
2.04	Ladd McConkey	6	WR	LAC
2.05	Ricky Pearsall	6	WR	SF
2.06	Keon Coleman	6	WR	BUF
2.07	Roman Wilson	7	WR	PIT
2.08	Jermaine Burton	7	WR	CIN
2.09	Malachi Corley	7	WR	NYJ
2.10	Adonai Mitchell	7	WR	IND
2.11	MarShawn Lloyd	7	RB	GB
2.12	Ben Sinnott	7	TE	WAS
3.01	Ja'Lynn Polk	7	WR	NE
3.02	Ray Davis	8	RB	BUF
3.03	Blake Corum	8	RB	LAR
3.04	Jaylen Wright	8	RB	MIA
3.05	Javon Baker	8	WR	NE
3.06	Troy Franklin	8	WR	DEN
3.07	Tyrone Tracy Jr.	8	RB	NYG
3.08	Ja'Tavion Sanders	8	TE	CAR
3.09	Jalen McMillan	8	WR	TB
3.10	Kimani Vidal	9	RB	LAC
3.11	Devontez Walker	9	WR	BAL
3.12	Braelon Allen	9	RB	NYJ
4.01	Rasheen Ali	9	RB	BAL
4.02	Luke McCaffrey	9	WR	WAS
4.03	Jacob Cowing	9	WR	SF
4.04	Malik Washington	9	WR	MIA
4.05	Dylan Laube	9	RB	LVR
4.06	Bucky Irving	9	RB	TB
4.07	Jared Wiley	9	TE	KC
4.08	Theo Johnson	9	TE	NYG
4.09	Jamari Thrash	9	WR	CLE
4.10	Brenden Rice	9	WR	LAC
4.11	Will Shipley	9	RB	PHI
4.12	Keilan Robinson	9	RB	JAX
UDFA	Anthony Gould	X	WR	IND
UDFA	Tanner McLachlan	X	TE	CIN
UDFA	Cade Stover	X	TE	HOU
UDFA	Jordan Travis	X	QB	NYJ
UDFA	Spencer Rattler	X	QB	NO
UDFA	Audric Estime	X	RB	DEN
UDFA	Isaac Guerendo	X	RB	SF
UDFA	Tip Reiman	X	TE	ARI
UDFA	Erick All	X	TE	CIN
UDFA	AJ Barner	X	TE	SEA
UDFA	Ainias Smith	X	WR	PHI
UDFA	Bub Means	X	WR	NO
UDFA	Jaheim Bell	X	TE	NE
UDFA	Cornelius Johnson	X	WR	TEN
UDFA	Blake Watson	X	RB	DEN
UDFA	Michael Wiley	X	RB	WAS
UDFA	Dillon Johnson	X	RB	TEN
UDFA	Frank Gore Jr.	X	RB	BUF

​

Notes:

Marvin Harrison Jr.: Marv might be one of the safest draft selections in a long time. With prototypical size to be a top receiving option and landing in a promising situation, he's primed for success. He's entering a barren receiving room, and is paired with the talented Kyler Murray at QB. Harrison's precise routes maintain speed throughout the entirety of his route. His quick feet and sharp breaks allow him to easily separate from defenders. His excellent body control translates into stunning contested catches. However, he's not without flaws. Marv lacks twitch and offers very little yards after catch ability, both of which are traits I look for in receivers. He occasionally shows low effort, especially when he knows a play isn't coming to him. Lastly, he tends to avoid contact and will look to go out of bounds rather than fight for extra yards. This is not a hot take, but I would not hesitate to select him at 1.01 if my QB situation was secure.
Malik Nabers: Malik Nabers has exceptional athleticism and is a playmaker with the ball in his hands. Nabers has a sturdy build and impressive contact balance – he's a threat to turn any reception into a house call. Like Marv, he's walking into a situation where he'll dominate targets without much competition. However, unlike Marv, he won't benefit from a star QB like Kyler Murray; instead, he'll rely on Daniel Jones or Tommy DeVito. While Nabers checks all of the analystical boxes, there are some notable concerns. He lacks refinement in his route running, evident in instances where he struggles to maintain footing, leading to incompletions and interceptions (FSU, Alabama, and Florida). Additionally, his decision-making raises red flags, highlighted by a 2023 arrest for illegally concealing a firearm while on Bourbon Street in New Orleans.
Rome Odunze: Rome Odunze is a big-bodied receiver that has prototypical size and speed. He has exceptional hands and elite body control that allow him to consistently pull in contested catches. Rome is already building a rapport with fellow rookie Caleb Williams, and they should have a strong connection for years to come. However, his year one fantasy impact may be limited by a rookie QB and a competitive receiver room.
Xavier Legette: Xavier Legette's analytical profile is the reddest of red flags. Legette has an 8th percentile breakout age, and only one year of high-end college production despite minimal competition for targets. That being said, I loved his tape and am willing to take the risk on him. Standing at 6'1" and 221 lbs, Legette looks like a man amongst boys on the field. Boasting both size and impressive 4.39 speed, he has all the physical tools to be a game-changer. While not overly twitchy, he has a knack for making plays in open space. With strong hands and great body control, he excels at making contested catches. I understand the concerns with his analytical profile and the Panthers' situation, but I think Legette is a great value in rookie drafts.
Trey Benson: Benson's explosive burst makes him a constant home run threat, capable of breaking off big runs. He has a sturdy frame with exceptional contact balance that allows him to churn out extra yards through contact. His immediate fantasy expectations should be tempered, as he will likely be in a timeshare or backing up James Conner for the 2024 season.
Roman Wilson: Roman Wilson is a dynamic slot receiver with explosive burst and reliable hands. Despite joining a run-heavy offense, he's poised to have an immediate path to targets.
Jermaine Burton: Jermaine Burton is a confident, assertive receiver, with polished route running and excellent hands—he didn't drop a single pass in 2023. While he lacks explosiveness after the catch and his character concerns have drawn attention, his talent and landing spot make him worth the gamble in rookie drafts.
Malachi Corley: Malachi Corley is a twitchy playmaker, with solid speed, and remarkable contact balance, which makes him one of the best yards-after-catch receivers in this draft class. Corley could improve as a route runner, tends to struggle in contested catch situations, faced weaker competition in college, and had targets schemed open for him. Despite these knocks against him he has considerable upside.
Adonai Mitchell: Adonai Mitchell is a size-speed receiver that still has some work to do to bring it all together. Notably, he struggles as a natural hands catcher, often double-clutching the ball. He offers no YAC ability and doesn't look comfortable with the ball in his hands.
Ben Sinnott: Ben Sinnott was my TE2 pre-combine—I absolutely loved everything on his tape. Watching his tape reminded me of a young George Kittle. His athleticism and twitchiness are top-tier, paired with aggression that shows up every play. Sinnott eagerly embraces blocking assignments and his coaches consistently find ways to get the ball in his hands. He secured second-round draft capital, landed on a team with an exciting rookie QB, and has minimal competition in the tight end room. Sinnott is setup for immediate success.
Ray Davis: Ray Davis has a thick build and low center of gravity which gives him exceptional contact balance. With fluid hips, solid burst, and consistently fighting for extra yardage, he projects to be the thunder to James Cook's lightning.
Javon Baker: Javon Baker is a former 4 star recruit that had offers from multiple major programs, before ultimately deciding to attend Alabama. After two seasons at Alabama he transferred to UCF, where he broke out. Baker is a crisp route runner, has great body control, and is twitchy with loose hips. He plays with attitude and tenacity and is a big play waiting to happen. When I watched his tape I instantly saw shades of Stefon Diggs—he is a player that I desperately want on my dynasty rosters.
Kimani Vidal: Kimani Vidal was a pre-draft sleeper I had my eye on—but I had concerns about his potential draft capital and landing spot making him irrelevant. Luckily, he was drafted by a team without a clear lead back, that projects to run the ball a lot. Vidal has great initial burst and twitchiness. His impressive college production and solid pass-catching skills makes him a great candidate for a late-round dart throw at running back.
Rasheen Ali: Rasheen Ali is a human highlight reel on the field—with incredible agility, explosive initial burst, and reliable hands, he's a versatile threat. Standing at 5'11" and weighing 206 lbs, he has the ideal size to shoulder a lead back role. However, his path to significant playing time is blocked by Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson. Ali is an excellent addition to the end of a roster or taxi squad, with huge upside when opportunities arise due to injuries.
Keilan Robinson: Keilan Robinson is an exciting running back prospect, that had multiple offers from major programs before ultimately committing to Alabama, and later transferring to Texas. Despite being 5'8" and 191 lbs, he plays much larger than his size suggests. Robinson has explosive burst, speed on demand, and great lateral agility—he absolutely explodes on tape. I think he is an interesting late-round dart throw or a priority UDFA pickup.
Updated: 5/16/2024

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Looking for Books with morality systems that are not 21st century contempory morals but still have a moral center, that in some ways poke at the ideas of our society, and have their own flaws and strengths.
Good example is Jo Walton's Thessaly Trilogy, where they have some things which our society would be shocked at, like infant exposure and one day "marriages" at the festivals of Hera starting at 16, but with the infrastucture to take care of the kids born and without shame. Yet they are also working hard to create their idea of an ideal world, generally more committed to the collective good and at times point out the limits of present day morality, for example, they recognise and accept the sentience of AI much faster than we would, and find the capitalist space travelers morally lacking by judging each other by wealth.
Dune is another one, where the Bene Gesserit have created an alt shamanistic tech and training program, while Leto the 2nd's reign, in spite of attrocities,may be justified because it is preventing human extinction.
The things could be simple, like a frontier setting where a seventeen year old has a stake and is thinking of getting married and is fully an adult because the "sort of" requirement of four years of college of our world doesn't exist. Maybe a society where most people are neurodivergent and it is outstripping a 'normal' society in some way. Maybe a post appocalyptic settingsmora values are shaped in reaction of our present consumer culture. Maybe a setting where hallucenigens are regularly used in mental health treatment because of a shamanistic strain in an otherwise modern or futuristic society.
Could be anything. I prefer fantasy because it is rarer. One final thing, I want it to not to be original takes, not a regurgitation of present culture war debates. I'm looking books which go "Gee, I hadn't thought of that before," and you spend the next week really thinking about it and look at your world with new eyes.

(continuation of part 3)
Since Fatal Calling is all about Cloud facing his past and his origins, Tifa’s musical theme is most appropriate for the ending cutscene. For all of these reasons, Tifa’s theme is absolutely appropriate for the conclusion of Fatal Calling. It makes a lot of sense then that once Cloud has finished revisiting the past and vanishes with the crystal to find his Promised Land, Tifa’s theme stops and Aerith’s theme begins.
There’s a lot to be said about Sephiroth in Fatal Calling. Sephiroth feeds off of despair, and deems Palamecia’s suffering inadequate: he seeks a much greater source of power than this realm. He states that Palamecia isn’t “the world that was promised to [him]”, referencing his desire to become the god of his core world of FFVII:

“Sephiroth: Melding with the planet, I will cease to exist as I am now only to be reborn as a ‘god’ to rule over every soul” (FFVII OG, disk 1, chapter 25).

Sephiroth’s line “Now, let us return [Cloud]. Back to the Promised Land” reveals he wants to return to their shared core world of FFVII, like we established in our review of the Remake timelines theory (see section “I. a) vii.”). Sephiroth wants to go back to FFVII and modify the OG timeline to achieve his evil goals. This is his ideal scenario, his place of complete happiness: his desired Promised Land. Fatal Calling is setting up Sephiroth’s plans for Remake. In fact, the after-credits scene wherein Sephiroth stands in Nibelheim as it burns confirms his return to the FFVII OG timeline.
However, he isn’t the only one returning. Now that Cloud has revisited his past in Fatal Calling, he’s ready to reach his Promised Land. After Sephiroth’s after-credits scene, the OG FFVII title and logo turn into the FFVII Remake title and logo, indicating a shift: we are now officially in the Remakeera or world. Cloud and Sephiroth disappeared at the end of Fatal Calling, and now the game is telling us where they’ve gone. Combined with Hamaguchi’s recommendation that players complete the collaboration event before playing Remake, I think this is a solid indication that the Cloud and Sephiroth we see in this collaboration event are those we encounter in the Remake world. Once the switch to Remake occurs, Aerith’s theme returns. This communicates that she is indeed —as we’ve proven countless times already— Cloud’s Promised Land. But it also conveys her importance to the story of Remake. Scenario writer Nojima confirmed this:

“Aerith's the most important character in the remake so we paid special attention to her lines” (FFVII Remake Ultimania, section 08 “Secrets”, “Development Staff Interviews, Part 2: Tetsuya Nomura, Yoshinori Kitase, Kazushige Nojima”, page 744).

Aerith was already important to OG, so what could’ve motivated Nojima to state her importance to Remake? Could it be that she’s even more important in the latter than she was in the former? In what way?
That was the collaboration! Before we move on from MFF x FFVII Remake entirely though, let’s glean some more relevant information from some of the collaboration’s promotional material and special features.
III. e) iii. Promotional Material and Special Features
Two particular pieces of promotional material for this collaboration stick out to me as extremely relevant. The first is a promotion for a new summons batch in the Mobius FF game, created in honor of the collaboration.
MFF x FFVII Remake Summons Batch Cloud Promo
The summons batch contains three FFVII Remake-themed cards, including a Cloud card. As you can see, this promo reads “Who awaits in the Promised Land?” under Cloud’s picture.
The second is a promotion of an Aerith and summons and an Aerith Job Card (in MFF, Job Cards allow a character to embody an archetype or another character, giving them certain physical traits, clothing, weapons and abilities):
MFF x FFVII Remake Aerith Summons and Job Card Promo
I couldn’t find this picture in English, but the text relevant to us translates to:

“Midgar's Flower Vendor Summons
‘I'm searching for you. I want to meet… you.’
The witch protects the planet, imbues it with power, and leads to the Promised Land.”

A few things here. First, Aerith is referenced by name, and we see a picture of her in her famous praying pose. Secondly, both Cloud and Aerith’s images are attached to the notion of the Promised Land. Cloud’s card asks who awaits there, and Aerith’s evokes a guiding role, as though in response. Thirdly, both Cloud and Aerith are attached to the notion of searching: Cloud searches for the Promised Land and whomever awaits there, and Aerith searches for Cloud’s true self. Speaking of which, the promo also includes parts of Aerith’s famous gondola date quote from OG:

“Aeris: I'm searching for you.
Cloud: …?
Aeris: I want to meet you.
Cloud: But I'm right here.
Aeris: I know, I know... what I mean is... I want to meet... you” (disk 1 chapter 24).

In case you’re wondering about the lady in Aerith’s clothes on the left-hand side, that’s Meia, a character in MFF. She is the “witch” being referred to in the promotional material. She’s often called the Azure Witch. Meia is wearing Aerith’s clothes because a Meia-type Job Card called “Flower Girl of Midgar” was created in honor of the MFF x FFVII Remake collaboration:
MFF x FFVII Remake \"Flower Girl of Midgar\" Job Card
There’s even an Aerith outfit you can have Echo wear, and it appears with Wol’s Cloud outfit in the promotional picture:
MFF x FFVII Remake Echo's Aerith Outfit and Wol's Cloud Outfit
To be fair, Tifa also appears in one of these summons promos. However, unlike Aerith’s, her appearance doesn’t reference the Promised Land or her version of the gondola date. She is not presented in connection to Cloud at all. On top of that, while the Aerith and Cloud outfits are promoted together, Tifa is paired with Vincent in the promotional image:
MFF x FFVII Remake Summons Promo Tifa and Vincent
This is hardly indicative of Cloti content in the event collaboration or in Remake.
III. e) iv. Cloud’s Promised Land
All in all, the collaboration tells the story of Cloud searching for his Promised Land, just as post-OG Cloud has been shown doing for years and years of canon SE content. Cloud is searching for Aerith in the MFF x FFVII Remake collaboration, just like he was in FFT and DFF, and just like he was shown doing in the 30th FF Anniversary Exposition. This is nothing new. However, the collaboration informs us that this mission to be reunited with Aerith is what leads Cloud to enter the world of Remake.
Echo noted that people obtain the Promised Land they deserve rather than the one they want. What does Cloud deserve? I believe the answer is: another chance at saving Aerith.
Cloud needs to start over, from the top. He needs to go back to the very moment he and Avalanche arrived at mako reactor 1 to bomb it. He needs to return to the beginning of the OG game. He needs a redo, a fix-it, another shot at happiness; a remake.

IV. The Hidden Plot Point: Mission Theory

a) Thesis
Here lies the heart of my theory. My dear Cleriths, Sephiroth isn’t the only one who travelled back in time to undo destiny and create a reality where things go his way: Remake is also —I would even say primarily— Cloud’s chance to free Aerith from her fate, save her life and secure his shot at happiness with her. That’s why he experiences MOTFs in Remake: he’s done FFVII before and now he’s back, although with only fragments of his memories from OG, to save Aerith. That’s why his triggers all involve Aerith: he doesn’t consciously remember anything from OG, but his grief over Aerith is so strong that it rises from his subconsciousness at the slightest trigger.
In Remake, Cloud remembers some but not all elements of the OG timeline (MOTFs), and it appears he only remembers the most important things: all his MOTFs revolve around Aerith and her fate. Our theory explains why Aerith triggers Cloud’s MOTFs in Remake quite perfectly: he traveled back in time to prevent Aerith’s death from happening. Remake Cloud remembers Aerith because, well, he knows her from OG. Post-OG Cloud has returned to the past to save Aerith, resulting in Remake. This is why seeing her in Remake triggers visions and memories of things that haven’t happened yet in Remake, but have already happened to post-OG Cloud. He recognizes her face on Loveless in Remake because seeing her face again is the whole reason he entered Remake in the first place. His visions of her death when they meet once more at the church, the spike of anxiety and grief as he watches her walk away from him, the constriction in his chest when she talks about doing everything in her power to help the planet… all of it, it’s all his memories of OG being jogged by things related to her death. What he’s forgotten from the OG timeline emerges in flashes of pain, images, memory and emotion. Remember that the language the devs used to describe these instances where Cloud reacts to Aerith in this way is always about “remembering” or “recognizing”; Cloud has to have seen Aerith, known Aerith, loved Aerith, lost Aerith and felt the pain of living without Aerith before in order to recognize and remember these feelings. Think about it: this is the only thing that can explain Cloud’s extremely selective MOTFs and the fact that he has MOTFs at all.
The Remake trilogy is all about Cloud and Sephiroth stepping into the ring one more time, both ready to risk it all to get what they lost in the OG timeline. Sephiroth is hungry for destruction and godhood, while Cloud stands determined to save the love of his life. Fighting for their respective goals, the fated enemies enter a new battle in Remake, one to end the war, both needing to win this time after losing so horribly in OG. Now, it’s all or nothing. Sephiroth vying for the planet, and Cloud reaching out for Aerith.
Cloud’s back with a quest, one he can’t fail— it’s the most secret and important plot point of all. I call this the “Mission Theory”.
IV. b) Mission Theory Logistics
There are a few things that remain vague, so I’m going to use this section of the analysis to speculate on the logistics of my theory. We know very little about the hows of the timeline and multiverse shenanigans, so I’m going to hypothesize. However, this analysis is about the whys: so if you’re not interested in mechanical speculation on the logistics of time travel and multiverses, you can totally disregard this section and skip to section “V.”.
IV. b) i. Cloud the Time-Traveler?
It’s unclear whether Remake is the result of post-OG Cloud going back in time to try his hand at the OG timeline again, or the result of post-OG Cloud somehow informing OG Cloud that he must save Aerith this time around. It’s vague in the same way that we aren’t sure if Remake Aerith is post-OG Aerith or if she’s been informed by post-OG Aerith via her connection to the Lifestream as a Cetra. Though it doesn’t much matter how Cloud has memories of Aerith’s death in Remake, I personally think that Remake Cloud is a time-traveling post-OG Cloud. My explanation as to why might be a little confusing, so again, feel free to skip to section “V.”.
One must be able to communicate with the Lifestream in order to obtain knowledge of the future. This access can only be granted to the Cetra or to the souls of the deceased that compose the Lifestream itself. Since Cloud is not a Cetra, he cannot commune with the Lifestream while he is alive, meaning a deceased post-OG Cloud would not have been able to communicate his memories of the OG plot-line with a living OG Cloud. Therefore, the only way Remake Cloud could have knowledge of the future (manifested as MOTFs) would be that Remake Cloud is inhabited by his post-OG consciousness. Effectively, this is time-traveling.
Then comes the question of how Cloud was able to time-travel at all. I have what I consider a pretty solid hypothesis. The most interesting thing about the realm of Palamecia is that every FF character that’s ever appeared in the realm for a cameo died in their core world beforehand (spoilers for FFI, FFV, FFVI, FFX, FFXII, FFXIII, FFXV incoming). These characters include Tidus (FFX), Lightning (FFXIII), Garland (FFI), Sephiroth (FFVII), Gilgamesh (FFV), Vargas (FFVI), Gabranth (FFXII) and Ultros (FFXV). My interpretation of Palamecia serves at least partly as a directory for deceased souls that can’t simply fade. For instance, FFX’s Tidus actually came back to life to be with his love>! Yuna !! FFX!<. Of course, MFF x>! FFX !!FFX!< and FFX-2, just like MFF x FFVII Remake came out between FFVII OG and FFVII. And similarly to Fatal Calling, the ending cutscene of MFF x>! FFX !!Next thing you know, FFX-2 comes out and shows Tidus returning to Yuna and their core world in an optional cutscene.!< The MFF x>! FFX !! Tidus !Remake.
IV. b) ii. Post-OG Cloud’s Amnesia
If we consider that Remake Cloud is a time-travelling post-OG Cloud who’s returned to the start of the OG timeline, we encounter another logistical problem: why doesn’t Cloud remember everything or most things from the OG plot-line in Remake, like Sephiroth and Remake Aerith do? After all, aren’t the three of them in the same time-travelling boat? Why isn’t Cloud as lucid on the matter as the two others? Didn’t the post-OG Cloud in Fatal Calling face his past and origins? Shouldn’t that mean Cloud would remember all that stuff in Remake from the start?
In OG, the true Cloud’s memories are repressed by both his false persona and Jenova. The latter’s memetic abilities are able to block Cloud’s memories of the past from emerging and conflicting with his SOLDIER persona. For instance, in both OG and Remake, Cloud is unable to hear Aerith tell him Zack’s name in Evergreen Park: Jenova blocks it out. I think this is a similar situation: post-OG Cloud’s consciousness carries memories things that Jenova doesn’t want Cloud to know, so she pushes down on them. On top of that, after travelling through different worlds and back through the Lifestream for who knows how long, post-OG Cloud’s consciousness must be quite weak. We know how good Cloud is at repressing, so it makes total sense to me that post-OG Cloud’s consciousness would be trapped or suppressed somewhere deep in Remake Cloud’s subconsciousness. After all, it’s not like this whole time-travelling-consciousness thing is normal for a mind to experience. It’s no wonder Remake Cloud doesn’t consciously remember how things go in OG. However, post-OG Cloud’s love and grief for Aerith are so strong that memories related to her can occasionally pierce through to his Remake consciousness and Jenova’s barriers, resulting in his MOTFs. His pain and love for her are definitely permanent and strong enough:

“A young woman descended from the Ancients who will forever be engraved in [Cloud’s] heart” (Dirge of Cerberus, Japanese manual, Aerith’s character description).
“I believe for those who formerly traveled with her as comrades and for the viewers, each carries their own feelings and love for Aerith. In this story, Cloud also carries his own undying feelings for Aerith, even to this very day… Its relation with the church scene is… Yup. I’ll leave this part to your imagination. (laughs)” (Nomura interview on Advent Children “Designer’s Note” in *Famitsu PS2!*magazine, October 24th issue).

So you see, Remake Cloud’s mind is a little more complicated than OG Cloud’s mind. Everything is still the same in Remake as in OG, but with the added complication that his future self is hidden in his subconscious mind, probably trying to get out.
There is actually pretty good evidence of this. I’m sure you’re aware that whenever Jenova is trying to hide something from Cloud or altering his memory and/or perception, the screen glitches green with an audio cue (34:15-34:29, 1:15:30-1:15:41 and 1:17:14-1:17:29). Guess what? These Jenova audiovisual cues also occur during the MOTFs (ie: MOTF 3 2:58-3:07 and MOTF 4 0:29-0:42). Whenever post-OG Cloud’s consciousness encounters anything that reminds it of losing Aerith, the strength of its pain helps it push memories of Aerith to the surface so that RemakeCloud can consciously see them. Remake Cloud then experiences sensations and/or visions, all from his future self’s memories as they rise to the surface, propelled by grief. Jenova can’t allow Remake Cloud to fully recover his post-OG memory, so in order to shut down the process, its cells jump in to repress the MOTFs: this results in the classic Jenova audiovisual cues. The only time Jenova doesn’t bother to fight against a MOTF is the sixth, as it is quite weak: no visions occur, only a tight sensation in his chest.
IV. b) iii. Eclipse Contact and Cloud’s Memories of Reactor 1
There is one problem I have trouble decoding. In Eclipse Contact, Cloud tells Wol and Echo that the last thing he remembers is the run-up to his arrival at mako reactor 1 (FFVII OG, disk 1, chapter 1). Recall that usually, people summoned to Palamecia have no memories of their world of origin and lives before that point at all. So then why is it that upon being summoned to Palamecia, Cloud recalls the events that took place right before the start of the OG game? This strikes me as highly relevant since this is the exact point in time where post-OG Cloud’s consciousness needs to be transported to in order for Remake to begin, but I haven’t been able to figure out a solid hypothesis on what it could mean. My best guess is that this is the devs’ way of signalling to us that the events of the MFF x FFVII Remake collaboration occur before the very beginning of post-OG Cloud’s second try at the OG timeline (Remake).
Now that I’ve shown you how I’ve come to form my Mission Theory and we’ve done some pesky housekeeping, let’s connect some dots, shall we? It’s time to really get into it and see if any of my wild speculation tracks with content from the Remake trilogy so far.
V. Musical Evidence
What about the music of the game? Any hints there? Let’s try to see if we can find support for the Mission Theory in the music made for the Remake trilogy thus far!
As a preface to my musical evidence analysis, I want to insist on something: the story guys tell the soundtrack guys everything. In a high-quality production such as Remake, people who make music for audiovisual media are told everything in advance. They need to know the secrets of every little scene, because their job is to depict whatever is happening through music.
Therefore, if the Mission Theory is true, then there has to be musical evidence for it.
V. a) Preface: The Basics of the FFVII OST
There’s a lot of evidence in the music of the Remake trilogy that we have to address, but before we get into it, I do have to give you the basics of the FFVII soundscape! For the easiest experience, I suggest you keep a tab open for every link I provide for you until the music analysis is over, because we will be hopping from one musical theme to another and then back again.
V. a) i. The World Theme: Cloud’s Troubled Identity
The world theme of FFVII is a perfect example of how musicians working on an OST have to know the secrets of a story as they compose for it. On top of representing the FFVII world as a whole, it doubles as Cloud’s character theme… except that isn’t exactly right. You see, this piece does indeed contain Cloud’s true theme, but Sephiroth and Jenova’s musical motifs also contaminate it. This, of course, symbolizes how Cloud experiences identity sabotage because of these two antagonists. The result is that globally, the world theme does indeed represent Cloud’s character, but it isn’t exclusively Cloud’s in the same way that Cloud’s mind isn’t exclusively his. It’s brilliant storytelling through musical motifs, and evidently requires Uematsu to know in advance that Sephiroth manipulates Cloud’s identity in the story.
For future reference, let’s isolate Cloud’s true theme from Jenova and Sephiroth’s influence.
V. a) i. 1) Sephiroth: Dissonance and Semi-Tone Motif
I’m sure you know Sephiroth’s infamous theme: “One-Winged Angel”. The first motif we need to know is Sephiroth’s threatening, repetitive dissonance motif, which plays all throughout the piece (plays solo at 0:00 to 0:04). The second motif is what I call the semi-tone motif. “One-Winged Angel” has a ton of minor 2nd intervals, which is what we call the relationship between two notes that are only a semi-tone apart. You might recognize the minor 2nd interval in the foreboding Jaws theme. Just like in Jaws, the minor 2nd interval or semi-tone is commonly used to indicate an impending, life-threatening danger, a monster, predator, evil, or insanity; suits Sephiroth quite nicely!
V. a) i. 2) Jenova: Parasite Motif
The track “J-E-N-O-V-A” contains many competing melodies and has generated many variations of those melodies —almost like clones— that all represent aspects of the alien’s character. The main Jenova motif is simply a descending, two-octaves-long, arpeggiated mb6 chord (eight notes total). I’ve played it for you here. Sometimes, this motif is altered to form variations. For instance, in “Listen to the Cries of the Planet”, a variation of Jenova’s main motif is created by changing the order of the notes and reducing the number of notes to only six (0:00-0:03), however, it remains an arpeggiated mb6 chord. Regardless of the alteration, if you hear an arpeggiated mb6 chord, it means Jenova is creeping close by or that its influence is at work.
The variation of the mb6 arpeggiated chord that concerns us alters Jenova’s main theme so it ascends from the tonic to the b6 note and descends back to the tonic, then ending on the lower dominant for a total of eight notes. I’ve played it for you here. I call this variation the “parasite motif”, because it is often heard when Cloud is being controlled by Jenova. For instance, it plays when Cloud loses himself and becomes unusually violent in Rebirth’s chapter 13 (17:25-18:34), signalling to us that Jenova is in control. It is also the main motif of the track “Who… Am I?”, which evidently symbolizes Jenova’s fuelling of Cloud’s identity crisis— though here, the parasite motif is shortened to its six first notes.
V. a) i. 3) Cloud’s True Self
Now that we can recognize Sephiroth and Jenova’s motifs, let’s return to the world theme to isolate Cloud’s true self. Cloud’s true theme can be heard from 0:51 to 3:48. It consists of a section A (0:51-1:54), followed by a section B (1:54-2:41), and then returns to section A (2:41-3:48).
After Cloud’s true theme concludes however, it seems he experiences a psychic interference: doubt and confusion weave through the world theme (3:48-4:09), representing an instability in his identity. I call this interruption of Cloud’s true theme the “interference section”. It symbolizes a moment of psychic interference or weakness within Cloud that Sephiroth and Jenova take advantage of to take control of Cloud.
The end of the interference section introduces Jenova’s parasite motif. It slithers in (4:09), later joined by Sephiroth’s dissonance motif (4:16): Cloud’s mind and identity are being hijacked by the two antagonists in service of their evil plans.
They torment Cloud, dominating his mind until he manages to free himself: section A of Cloud’s true theme begins playing again (6:06), closing the loop of the theme.
Based on this musical storytelling, if you already knew the character motifs going into OG, you might’ve suspected something odd was going on with Cloud’s identity, and that Jenova and Sephiroth were involved. All this to say that whatever music is playing at any given time can give us hints as to what is going on. That’s the power and significance of a good soundtrack. Trust me when I say that with Uematsu and his team, we’re in excellent hands. And remember: the story guys tell the soundtrack guys everything.
V. a) ii. Aerith’s Theme
Another base we have to cover before checking out the Remake soundtrack is Aerith’s theme. I’m sure everyone here is familiar with it, but I insist that you refresh your memory. It consists of a section A (0:00-0:34), a section B (0:34-1:13) and a section C (1:13-2:00), concluding with a repeat of section A.
V. a) iii. Motifs and Timing in FFVII OSTs
I’m going to analyze pieces in great detail, which people who haven’t studied or paid attention to soundtracks may find strange. To prevent anyone from making the mistake of thinking that I’m reading too much into things, I want to emphasize that the music that plays during the Remaketrilogy’s cutscenes is carefully timed, composed and arranged to match the events in the cutscenes, as they are provided in advance to the musicians. Composers pay lots of attention to whatever is going on onscreen so they can include the corresponding musical motifs as accompaniment at the exact right moments, always striving to get the timing perfect. I’m not exaggerating the effort and minutia involved in soundtrack composition and arrangement. Here are just a few sound staff comments from the “Material 4: Soundtrack” section of the FFVII Remake Material Ultimania to prove it:

“[To] make sure players really feel the weight of the moment, we worked hard on getting the tempo and the entry timing of each instrument exactly right. In particular, that big ‘boom’ that sounds almost like a meteor crashing down was fine-tuned to match the timing of the logo's appearance. I remember this was a real sticking point for us, because if the boom's timing was even slightly off, the effect would be completely different. We […] had to sequence [each and every sound] to play at exactly the right moment” (Shotaro Shima on track “Midgar, City of Mako”, page 229).

&

“I was originally told to keep this piece to under two minutes, but it ended up being over six minutes long, in order to match the flow of the cutscene. I arranged the track while watching the latest CG visuals that had been rendered for the scene” (Naoyuki Honzawa on track “Smash ‘Em, Rip ‘Em”, page 309).

&

“This is the track that plays during the tour of Shinra’s different divisions. The movie shown in the Visual Entertainment Hall describes the history of the Ancients (0:25 onward in the soundtrack version), and I wanted to create a musical link to them as well, so I made use of the chord progression from ‘Aerith’s Theme’ [D(I)-Am(Vm)-D(I).] [This simple sequence of moving from major to minor and back again creates a really mysterious air. Then, during the section where the movie recounts the history of the construction of the Shinra Building (1:47 onward in the soundtrack version), I quoted a section of the Shinra theme” (Yasunori Nishiki on track “Stewards of the Planet”, page 313).

V. b) The Remake OST
Now that you’re ready, it’s time to verify the Mission Theory’s validity with Remake’s music.
V. b) i. MOTF 6 Music
We were able to explain Remake Cloud’s MOTFs with the Mission Theory, and it just so happens that the music that plays during the scene of MOTF 6 is unique to Remake. This gives us the perfect opportunity: we should analyze the piece that plays as it occurs to evaluate the legitimacy of our theory on the Remake trilogy, using all the motifs we uncovered in section “V. a)”.
First, a refresher on the scene and on our theory’s interpretation of it. The party is gathered in Aerith and Ifalna’s old room at Shinra HQ. Here is how the scene is described by the VA script notes:

“The Whispers once again close in [on Aerith], but Aerith refuses to stop speaking this time.
Aerith: Listen to me. […] Shinra isn’t the enemy. They were the ones who set things in motion, but our true foe is someone else.
At that moment, the spectacle of Meteor they saw in the Visual Entertainment Hall comes into Cloud and the others’ heads.
Aerith: Somehow, some way, I want to help— all of you… the planet…
For some reason, Cloud feels his chest constrict tightly” (FFVII Remake Material Ultimania Plus, VA script notes, “Aerith Speaks”).

Indeed, right after Aerith says she wants to help the planet any way she can, Cloud looks down at his chest with a frown and a quiet grunt (7:46-7:54). According to the Mission Theory, this tightness in Cloud’s chest can be explained as an emergence of post-OG Cloud’s grief, triggered by the slightest allusion to Aerith’s sacrifice.
The piece that plays during this scene is called “Aerith’s Theme - The Cetra”. It is one of many variations of Aerith’s iconic theme arranged for Remake. However, Cloud’s theme is just as prominent in the piece— if not, more.
V. b) i. 1) The Fate Motif
Before we interpret “Aerith’s Theme - The Cetra”, I need to introduce you to one more motif that crops up in the piece. There is a windy motif that appears (from 1:45 onwards) and it is unaccounted for, despite how it’s clearly meant to represent something. I’ve become certain that this wind noise symbolizes fate, and I’ll tell you why.
In the MOTF 6 scene, just after Nanaki explains how he gained knowledge of the Whispers via contact with Aerith (7:23), they emerge and begin swirling aggressively around Aerith (7:26). Her hair and dress blow and ripple in the resulting wind. From this very moment onward “Aerith’s Theme - The Cetra” (3:00), a string section (bowed instruments in the violin family) that deliberately emphasizes the airy sound of the bow crossing the strings enters, creating a windy effect that adds to the already present wind noise (that started at 1:45). As the Whispers progressively become even more aggressive onscreen, both the wind SFX of the cutscene and the wind noise in the piece get louder and louder. Because of the timing of its appearance and crescendo in the cutscene, I’m certain the wind noise is meant to represent the restrictive flow of fate; it only makes sense, given that destiny is a current —or a wind— that cannot be broken, and Aerith is like a helpless petal in fate’s carefully planned storm. Of course, it’s also quite significant that the Whispers make a windy noise as they fly. You can hear it every time they’re onscreen, like when they first appear to Cloud in chapter 2 of Remake (17:45-18:20), or when the White Whispers hold Cloud back from chasing after Aerith during Rebirth’s Sleeping Forest scene in chapter 14 (28:43-29:45). You can also hear the wind sounds in other Whisper-related tracks, such as “Whorl of Whispers” (clearly audible at 2:50-3:05), as well as “A Death Not Ordained by Fate” (clearly audible at 2:56-3:18). Therefore, I’ll call these wind noises the “fate motif”.
V. b) ii. 2) Interpreting “Aerith’s Theme - The Cetra”
In part 1 of “Aerith’s Theme - The Cetra” (0:00-1:45), Aerith’s theme and Cloud’s true theme play simultaneously, their respective phrases fitting perfectly together, interweaving peacefully and softly. It sounds like the two of them are chatting, dancing bashfully yet contently and in perfect sync, glad to be exactly where they’re meant to be as their themes sing together in harmony (soft piano). Part 1 of this piece is about Cloud and Aerith becoming important to one another as they discover their soulmate bond.
Unfortunately that contentment doesn’t last. In part 2 (1:45-3:00), Cloud experiences a moment of psychic vulnerability (world theme’s interference section). Fate lurks (fate motif enters quietly). His instability forces our couple’s sweet dance to a halt, and Aerith’s theme must retreat as Cloud’s confusion takes center stage. Sephiroth torments and taunts him (semi-tone played by strings, 2:03-2:10), taking advantage of Cloud’s psychic interference to plunge him into darkness (world theme’s interference section ends, low cello enters, 2:18): Cloud temporarily becomes a darker version of himself as evil corrupts him (piano plays section A phrases 1 and 2 of Cloud’s true theme in minor, 2:18-2:53). Jenova finally reveals itself and promptly exits, releasing Cloud’s mind from its grasp (seven first notes of parasite motif played twice on piano 2:53-3:00). Cloud is free, but the damage has been done: his dance with Aerith has long been interrupted, and she is gone. Part 2 of “Aerith’s Theme - The Cetra” is about Cloud being manipulated in service of Sephiroth and Jenova’s evil plan, interrupting his interaction with Aerith.
Part 3 (3:00-3:33) kicks off the mechanisms of a tragic fate (strings section joins fate motif, 3:00). Both anxious that she’s disappeared from his side and terrified of the darkness he just discovered inside him (in part 2), Cloud fearfully calls out for Aerith (phrase 1 of Cloud’s true theme’s section A, timid and hesitant piano, 3:04-3:15). Before his psychic interference began (start of part 2), Cloud’s voice was accompanied by Aerith’s as they grew closer and closer (their character themes mingling in part 1)… but now, Aerith isn’t answering his call, and he cannot find her (Aerith’s theme doesn’t to join Cloud’s anymore).
Anxious, Cloud tries calling out for Aerith a second time (section A phrase 2 of Cloud’s true theme’s, 3:19-3:31), searching for her in the hopes that they can continue their dance, but even now, Aerith does not respond. She’s gone (Aerith’s theme remains absent). Destiny keeps Aerith away from Cloud (fate motif gently crescendos). Part 3 of “Aerith’s Theme - The Cetra” is about Cloud’s separation from Aerith, his search for her, and the fear and anxiousness he feels when he realizes he cannot find her.
And then, part 4 begins with a sweet, gentle voice, calling out from the blackened horizon: it’s Aerith (section B phrase 1 of Aerith’s theme, soft piano, 3:33-3:45). Cloud finally hears her respond to his pleas: he’s found her. Fate begins howling in protest, doubling its efforts to keep Cloud and Aerith apart (fate motif crescendos noticeably in reaction to Aerith’s theme, 3:45). You can just picture Cloud running toward Aerith, struggling against the current of destiny to try and close the distance between them. Aerith tries calling out for Cloud a second time, (section B phrase 2 of Aerith’s theme, 3:40-3:43), but the Whispers only swirl around her more ferociously, taking her away in the uncompromising current of fate (fate motif continues to crescendo). Aerith tries again (section B phrase 1 of Aerith’s theme, 3:47-3:49). It sounds like she’s saying “Cloud, I’m over here, come find me!”
Fate doesn’t take too kindly to her defying it. Cloud and Aerith are not supposed to be together; it can’t be, it won’t. She’s destined to die to save the planet, and he’s destined to remain hollow forevermore. I can picture Cloud breaking into a sprint at the sound of her voice, running countercurrent to the flow of destiny— but the winds are so loud, fate’s demands are so strong, and the Whispers are shrieking in defense of destiny now. Aerith’s voice emerges for the fourth time (first three notes of section B phrase 3 of Aerith’s theme, 3:54 to 3:56). Fate screams louder, louder (steep crescendo of fate motif, 3:59-4:02). In a desperate hail Mary, Aerith shouts out one more time, as though throwing her hand out toward Cloud’s extended fingers (section C phrase 1 of Aerith’s theme, louder and more insistent, cutting through the fate motif as it crescendos sharply, 4:00-4:06). Part 4 of “Aerith’s Theme - The Cetra” is about Cloud and Aerith desperately trying to defy fate in order to be together. And then, it all stops: fate has seemingly quieted Aerith (4:04-4:08)…
Part 5 (4:08-4:27) begins with Cloud jumping, launching himself off the ground with all his strength (Cloud’s true theme section A phrase 2, first 5 notes, melody starting on the note E5 and ascending) as Aerith plummets toward the ground in a fatal fall (Aerith’s theme section C phrase 1, melody starting on the note E6 and descending, the last note altered)— he successfully catches her in mid-air (both Cloud’s ascending melody and Aerith’s descending melody meet in the middle of the octave, first uniting on B5, and then ending on A5). I’ve recreated the melodies for you here so you can hear this reunion more clearly. If you consider that the airy strings in this piece represent fate, which I do, the fact that they follow Cloud and Aerith’s themes in part 5 signifies that they are now in control of their own destinies, and successfully making it their fate to reunite.
To be completely frank, I did not realize until right now writing this that Cloud unites with Aerith in part 5, even though his theme is right there. I’m so excited to share this part with you.
We hear Aerith once more, her voice quietly trailing off into the silence (phrase 4 of section C of Aerith’s theme) with no conclusion (phrase 5 normally follows phrase 4 to conclude Aerith’s theme, but is absent here). Part 5 of “Aerith’s Theme - The Cetra” suggests that Cloud will save Aerith and that the couple will change their fate, but also conveys an uncertain and open-ended quality.
(continued in

In today's digital age, where information is the currency of competitive advantage, protecting sensitive data has become paramount for businesses. One area often overlooked is the vulnerability of discussions held in meeting rooms. Without proper safeguards, confidential strategies and proprietary information discussed within these spaces are at risk of being intercepted through electronic eavesdropping techniques. To mitigate this threat, the implementation of signal blockers in meeting rooms has become not just a precautionary measure but a necessity for safeguarding sensitive company strategies.
Meeting rooms serve as the breeding ground for innovation, collaboration, and decision-making within organizations. However, they are also prime targets for espionage activities. Sophisticated surveillance devices, including hidden cameras and audio bugs, can be deployed covertly to capture conversations and compromise confidential information. Moreover, with the proliferation of wireless communication technologies, such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, the risk of unauthorized access to discussions has escalated, making traditional security measures inadequate.
Signal blockers, also known as signal jammers or RF (Radio Frequency) blockers, offer an effective solution to this growing threat. By emitting radio waves across relevant frequencies, signal blockers disrupt wireless transmissions within their vicinity, rendering listening devices and communication tools inoperable. This proactive approach ensures that sensitive discussions remain confined to the intended participants, shielding critical business strategies from prying ears and potential corporate espionage.
The need for signal blockers in meeting rooms extends beyond protecting against external threats. Insider threats, whether intentional or unintentional, pose a significant risk to data security. Employees or contractors with access to sensitive information may inadvertently leak confidential details during discussions, unaware of the potential consequences. Signal blockers act as a fail-safe mechanism, preventing inadvertent data leaks by blocking outgoing signals from personal devices within the meeting room, thereby reinforcing data confidentiality protocols.
Furthermore, regulatory compliance mandates, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in Europe and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) in the United States, impose strict requirements for safeguarding sensitive data. Failure to comply with these regulations can result in severe penalties and reputational damage for organizations. Implementing signal blockers demonstrates a commitment to data privacy and regulatory adherence, enhancing corporate governance and mitigating legal risks associated with data breaches.
Despite the clear benefits of signal blockers, their deployment must be accompanied by appropriate policies and procedures to ensure ethical usage and regulatory compliance. Organizations should establish clear guidelines outlining the circumstances under which signal blockers are activated, ensuring transparency and accountability in their implementation. Additionally, employee awareness and training programs are essential to educate staff about the importance of protecting sensitive information and the proper use of signal-blocking technology.
In conclusion, the necessity of using signal blockers in meeting rooms cannot be overstated in today's data-driven business environment. By safeguarding sensitive company strategies from electronic eavesdropping and inadvertent data leaks, signal blockers play a crucial role in preserving data confidentiality, regulatory compliance, and corporate reputation. As organizations strive to maintain a competitive edge in an increasingly interconnected world, investing in robust security measures, including signal-blocking technology, is imperative to secure the foundation of trust and integrity upon which business success depends. For businesses seeking effective signal-blocking solutions tailored to their specific needs, reputable providers like JammerX.com offer a range of options designed to enhance data security and protect sensitive information during critical meetings and discussions.

In today's interconnected world, the internet is integral to our daily lives. From communication and education to shopping and entertainment, we rely heavily on digital platforms. However, the convenience of the internet comes with significant risks. Cyber threats are more prevalent and sophisticated than ever before, making online safety a critical concern. This article explores why online safety is paramount and provides comprehensive tips to help you protect yourself and your data.

Why Online Safety is Important

1. Personal Information Protection
   • Identity Theft: Cybercriminals can steal personal information such as names, addresses, social security numbers, and credit card details. This information can be used to commit identity theft, leading to financial loss and legal complications. Identity theft can also cause long-term damage to your credit score, making it difficult to obtain loans, mortgages, or even employment.
   • Privacy Invasion: Sensitive personal details, if compromised, can lead to unwanted exposure and privacy violations. This can have severe emotional and psychological impacts. Privacy invasion can also lead to harassment or stalking, creating a threatening environment for victims.
2. Preventing Financial Loss
   • Phishing Scams: These scams trick individuals into revealing financial information by posing as legitimate entities. Falling victim to phishing can result in unauthorized transactions and drained bank accounts. Phishing scams can also compromise your email and social media accounts, leading to further exploitation.
   • Ransomware: Cybercriminals use ransomware to encrypt your data and demand a ransom for its release. Paying the ransom does not guarantee data recovery and often leads to further exploitation. Businesses can face significant operational disruptions and financial loss due to ransomware attacks, impacting their ability to serve customers and maintain trust.
3. Securing Sensitive Data
   • Business Information: For businesses, safeguarding sensitive data such as customer information, intellectual property, and strategic plans is crucial. A data breach can result in substantial financial losses, legal consequences, and reputational damage. Companies must comply with data protection regulations like GDPR and CCPA, which mandate strict data handling and reporting practices.
   • Compliance and Regulations: Many industries are subject to strict data protection regulations. Failure to comply can result in hefty fines and legal action. Ensuring compliance with regulations not only protects data but also enhances customer trust and loyalty.
4. Maintaining Online Reputation
   • Social Media Safety: Your online profiles are part of your digital identity. A compromised account can lead to reputational damage, both personally and professionally, as malicious actors can post harmful content or send fraudulent messages. Social media accounts are often targeted for their high visibility and potential to spread misinformation.
   • Professional Integrity: For professionals, maintaining a clean online presence is crucial for career growth. Employers and colleagues often review social media profiles to gauge character and professionalism. An online reputation tarnished by cyber incidents can hinder career advancements and job opportunities.
5. Avoiding Malware and Viruses
   • System Integrity: Malicious software can corrupt files, steal information, and degrade system performance. Ensuring your devices are protected helps maintain their integrity and functionality. Malware can also create backdoors for attackers to continuously exploit your system, leading to recurring security issues.
   • Data Security: Malware can give attackers access to sensitive data stored on your devices, leading to data breaches and information theft. This can include personal photos, documents, and confidential business information, all of which can be exploited for financial gain or blackmail.
6. Safe Communication
   • Encryption: Secure online communication is vital to protect private conversations and sensitive information from being intercepted by malicious actors. Encrypted communication ensures that only the intended recipient can access the message content. Encryption tools like Signal and WhatsApp provide end-to-end encryption for messaging, ensuring privacy.
   • Awareness: Being aware of potential communication threats, such as spoofed emails and fake profiles, can prevent you from falling prey to social engineering attacks. Educating yourself and others on recognizing these threats is essential for maintaining secure communication channels.

Comprehensive Tips for Staying Safe Online

1. Use Strong, Unique Passwords
   • Password Complexity: Create complex passwords that include a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. Avoid using easily guessable information such as birthdays or common words. Strong passwords reduce the likelihood of brute-force attacks.
   • Password Management: Use a password manager to generate and store unique passwords for each of your accounts. This ensures that you do not reuse passwords, which can be a significant security risk. Password managers also help you keep track of your login credentials securely.
2. Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)
   • Extra Layer of Security: Two-factor authentication (2FA) adds an additional layer of security by requiring a second form of verification, such as a text message code or authentication app, in addition to your password. 2FA significantly enhances account security, even if your password is compromised.
   • Account Protection: Enabling 2FA on your accounts can significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access. Popular services like Google, Facebook, and banking apps offer 2FA options, which should be enabled for all sensitive accounts.
3. Be Cautious with Emails and Links
   • Email Verification: Be wary of emails from unknown senders and avoid clicking on suspicious links or downloading attachments from untrusted sources. Verify the sender's email address and look for signs of phishing, such as misspellings or urgent requests for personal information. Phishing emails often create a sense of urgency to trick recipients into taking immediate action.
   • URL Inspection: Hover over links to see the actual URL before clicking. Ensure that the URL is legitimate and not a cleverly disguised phishing site. Secure websites typically use HTTPS, indicating a secure connection.
4. Keep Software Updated
   • Regular Updates: Regularly update your operating system, browsers, and software applications. Updates often include security patches that protect against newly discovered vulnerabilities. Outdated software is a common target for cyberattacks due to unpatched security flaws.
   • Automatic Updates: Enable automatic updates where possible to ensure that you receive the latest security patches without delay. This is especially important for antivirus software and operating systems, which frequently release critical security updates.
5. Use Antivirus and Anti-Malware Programs
   • Protection Tools: Install and maintain reliable antivirus and anti-malware software to detect and remove harmful threats from your devices. Regularly scan your system to ensure it is free from malware. These tools provide real-time protection against a wide range of threats.
   • Real-Time Protection: Use real-time protection features to continuously monitor your system for suspicious activity. Real-time protection helps prevent malware from executing and spreading on your device.
6. Secure Your Home Network
   • Wi-Fi Security: Protect your Wi-Fi network with a strong password and use WPA3 encryption for added security. Avoid using default passwords and SSIDs that can be easily guessed. A secure Wi-Fi network prevents unauthorized access and protects data transmitted over the network.
   • VPN Use: Consider using a virtual private network (VPN) to encrypt your internet connection, especially when using public Wi-Fi. A VPN masks your IP address and secures your online activities from prying eyes. VPNs are particularly useful for protecting sensitive information while traveling or accessing unsecured networks.
7. Monitor Your Accounts
   • Account Activity: Regularly check your bank statements, credit reports, and online accounts for any unusual activity. Early detection of unauthorized activity can prevent further damage. Set up account alerts to receive notifications of suspicious transactions or login attempts.
   • Alert Systems: Set up account alerts to notify you of suspicious transactions or login attempts. Many financial institutions and online services offer customizable alert options to keep you informed of account activity.
8. Educate Yourself and Others
   • Stay Informed: Stay informed about the latest online threats and security practices. Follow reputable sources for cybersecurity news and updates. Cybersecurity is an evolving field, and staying current with trends and threats is crucial for maintaining safety.
   • Community Awareness: Share your knowledge with family, friends, and colleagues to promote a safer online environment for everyone. Encourage them to adopt good security habits and practices. Hosting workshops or informational sessions can be an effective way to spread awareness.
9. Backup Your Data
   • Regular Backups: Regularly back up your important data to an external hard drive or cloud storage service. This ensures that you can recover your information in case of a cyberattack or system failure. Regular backups protect against data loss from ransomware attacks or hardware failures.
   • Backup Encryption: Encrypt your backups to protect them from unauthorized access. Encrypted backups ensure that even if backup media is lost or stolen, the data remains secure.
10. Be Skeptical of Free Offers

• Suspicious Offers: Be wary of free offers, contests, and downloads that seem too good to be true. Cybercriminals often use these tactics to distribute malware or collect personal information. Free software or services may contain adware or spyware that compromises your security.
• Trusted Sources: Only download software and applications from reputable sources and official websites. Avoid third-party download sites that may bundle legitimate software with malicious programs.

Conclusion

In an increasingly digital world, online safety is more important than ever. Protecting personal and sensitive information from cyber threats requires vigilance and proactive measures. By following the comprehensive tips provided, you can enhance your online security and enjoy the benefits of the internet with greater peace of mind. Stay safe, stay informed, and make online safety a priority.
Being safe online is not just a personal responsibility but a collective one. By practicing good cybersecurity habits, you contribute to a safer digital environment for everyone. Remember, the cost of negligence can be high, but with the right precautions, you can

Hello, google merchant center suspended all of our product listings and paid ads
Does anyone have experience resolving this error "Google Merchant Center, Website or online store needs improvement" ?
We have our shop set to:

• Website is verified in GMC
• Products have been successfully imported in GMC
• Out of stock items are not published to google merchant center
• Out of stock items are removed from search and main page
• Items without a product photo is not published to google merchant center
• Products are schema compliant
• We have a TOS, Contact page, shipping policy, warranty return and refund policies, billing terms and conditions as well as a contact button on every product page. In the footer is information about our business.

Our only issue is with shipping as we need to manually calculate this as we do not prepack all of our items. So we have set a high flat rate for international orders.
If you have some spare time to maybe spot something that we might have missed on the website, it would be much appreciated

• http://shop.eolsystem.com/

Example products:

• https://shop.eolsystem.com/AIR-AP2802I-E-K9-Ref
• https://shop.eolsystem.com/cisco-catalyst-9120ax-access-point-internal-antennas-wi-fi-6-4x4-4-mimo-e-domain/

Just last week everything was up and running but today google decided to suspend us.
As usual its not possible to get in touch with any real human at google to resolve this.
Just a constant uphill battle with Google.

Website or online store needs improvement

Limits visibility of all products in.
During the review you requested on May 16, 2024, Google found this still to be an issue. Before you request another review, make sure you meet the requirements.
There was a problem identified with your website. Update your entire website to provide a useful and transparent shopping experience for customers.
Make sure your website meets the following requirements

• Your website should have a domain name that matches the uploaded domain name
• Your entire website shouldn’t have any broken links
• Your website shouldn’t contain any placeholder images or text
• The product details and categories should match those that you provide in your product data
• Your website shouldn’t contain generic information and shouldn’t miss crucial information about products

Email:

Hi there,
During our policy review we still found an issue on your account: that requires your attention. As a result, your product listings and/or Shopping ads will continue to have limited visibility.
According to our findings, your website is missing some basic requirements to ensure customers have a seamless shopping experience. Learn more about our editorial and technical requirements to ensure your account and products are active with full functionality.
How to fix
Read our policies to learn what we don't allow and check the below “What to do” section
Fix any other open policy violation in your account.
Request a review of your account.
If your Merchant Center account is still within the warning period, it will automatically be reviewed again at the end of the warning period. If your account is affected and you've taken action to resolve the issue, request a Merchant Center account review.
If you participate in a third-party program, request a review there or fill out this form.*
What to do
Review the domain name you entered in Google Merchant Center to make sure it's accurate.
Make sure there are no broken links on your website.
Make sure there are no placeholder images or text on your website.
Make sure that the product details and categories on your website match those in your product data.
Make sure that the information on your website is complete and specific to your store and products. For example, your return and/or refund page must be accurate and specific to your business, and not just a generic page.
Make sure that your website contains complete and reliable information about your business.
Make sure that you maintain a verified phone number and business address on your website.
Learn more about how to fix this policy issue
When to fix
We recommend you take immediate action resolving all reported account issues. Currently, the status of your account per program is the following:
Free listings: Your product listings already have limited visibility.
Shopping ads: Your Shopping ads are not displayed.
We want you and your business to be successful and get the most out of your product listings and/or ads. If you believe our findings are an error or you’ve fixed the issues, we want to help. Use the “Request review” button in Diagnostics page of your Merchant Center account to request an account reevaluation. You can also contact us if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
The Google Merchant Center Team
Related links
Free Listings policy: Editorial & technical requirements
Shopping ads policy: Editorial & professional requirements
Learn more about the “Request review” button and the appeals process
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