I really don't want to be labelled a shiller here so I want to preface this a little bit and make this post purely informative rather than sensational. I have no connection with the development team or the community besides an interest. I only found out about this a couple of weeks ago but have been researching it quite a bit and want to share what I found for anyone who is interested.
I know every single day there's a new coin that comes out that everyone is trying to hype and get investors. I'm not encouraging anyone here to buy Kaspa or anything like this - you can't invest in it anyway it's already been launched it was a fair launch either way. I'm only posting because I think what the team at Kaspa has come up with is genuinely super cool and for anyone interested, and that it's worth exploring, doing your own research, getting to know the idea, the implementation, etc and see if it's something you think it's cool as well. For all I know it can tank tomorrow and I'm in no way claiming it's going to make you a millionaire, so do not invest in it.
This is strictly informative.
I also want to say that although I've done a fair amount of research on this coin, it's possible I might be getting some things wrong so please correct me so take everything I say with a grain of salt and confirm for yourself.
So Kaspa is essentially a community project (if you go on the discord you can cast your vote for the direction its going in), and has no business model. It was researched and primarily by Yonatan Sompolinsky (Postdoc CS at Harvard University), Shai Wyborski (Ph.D candidate at HUJI/BGU, quantum cryptography), and a few others.
It basically uses a DAG protocol, which stands for directed acyclic graph. You can think of a DAG as a block-web rather than a block-chain. The DAG has a central backbone that is chain-like, but blocks can branch out from the backbone, and can "depend" on multiple parent blocks - rather than just one. In a blockchain, each block has one parent. In a BlockDAG, each block can have multiple parents. As I understand, DAGs were generally considered a problem as they are almost a pictorial representation of what you don't want. A web of blocks that may not be in agreement with each other. In fact with BTC and other Blockchains, the whole point is to remove any "web-like" structure (orphan blocks) to have just one solid backbone with nothing sticking out of it, making it a chain.
However, at the same time, BlockDAGs solve a lot of issues. They allow for super fast and cheap transactions, and scale with ease. For example, Kaspa for example is capable of securely doing one block per second right now, and can theoretically go higher. I'm not sure how this compares to other DAG coins, but this basically means instant (and cheap) transfers. Which is pretty neat.
There have been attempts to use BlockDAGs in the past, and these BlockDAGs have been vulnerable to attacks. Not all BlockDAGs are the same. The team at Kaspa have been working on a specific protocol they call GhostDAG for what I believe to be nearly a decade. In fact, I think one of Yonatan Sompolinsky's related papers was cited in the original Ethereum whitepaper. Anyway, GhostDAG is a way of creating a secure way to order the blocks in such away that it protects against potential attacks and double spending. It uses a clever way of ranking parent blocks in the web in terms of their trustworthiness.
What I personally find intriguing is that the security of the protocol was actually mathematically proven by them, and you can read about this proof in the whitepaper. It boils down to a "k" value, where basically you choose how secure you want it at the expense of performance. Right now "k" is set to 18, which basically means 18 "parallel" blocks are allowed at any one time. I believe this equates to protection against a 47.5% attack, but don't quote me on that. It gives ample room for fast transactions. In the future, they are working on something DAGKnight protocol, that would theoretically allow for "k" to scale dynamically with change in network latency times, basically auto-optimising what would otherwise be a constant parameter.
There are some other issues that they have ways of solving. For example DAGs can be quite heavy storage-wise, as they branch out, taking up lots of room on a hard drive. But the team have come up with a way of pruning old blocks to make it lighter. I'm not totally sure how that works as I haven't looked into it too much, but this whole thing is explained in detail in the second half of this GhostDAG 101 video. This is a great video but it's 2 hours and quite technical. If you like that stuff, please watch it.
What does this mean practically?
From what I understand, BTC offers a very high amount of security, but it's expensive and takes ages to send money. This makes it impractical for quick transactions, which you might say is why pizza shops don't accept BTC generally. But it's trustworthy due to being proof of work. Nobody wants to spend an extra few dollars for a pizza and also wait 10 minutes - 3 hours for it to go through. So people generally use BTC to "hold value" and move it in large chunks when needed. When we are looking for quick transactions, we generally resort to level 2's or a proof of stake, which is apparently less secure than proof of work.
The ideal is to have a fast, secure, a scalable level 1, and it seems Kaspa has come up with a contender for such a thing. Something that it is the same echelon in terms of security of BTC, but also something you can use easily in daily transactions. If you think of the "ideal" currency, it's decentralised, scalable, cheap to use, fast, and secure. It would seem that before Kaspa, all the coins had some variation of all of these aspects but not all of them.
On that note, if anyone knows another coin that meets all these criteria, please post it below.
Again, don't take my word for this. I'm not asking you to buy Kaspa or anything. If you find this interesting, just do a little research. I thought it was super cool to learn about this technology, and I hope it picks up in the future. If you look up Kaspa, you might find a lot of people saying "LFG!!!" or "to the moon!!!" because they are only looking to get rich off this. That's not the point of this post, I'm looking to grow the awareness of a coin I think has real life utility in the future, and IMO has a solid team behind it with good intentions and good values.
Thanks for reading!

Intro: You’re in the middle of something pretty damn important when your girlfriend walks in. What does she want this time?
Summary: Speaker asks Listener a question, which leads into a long discussion.
Go ahead and monetize, it's fine. Word count is about 1700.
If you fill this or plan to fill this, please notify me. Please don't make edits without asking first.
Line breaks represent the listener talking or space where no one talks and should be short pauses, words within {brackets} represent the speaker’s tone or sfx. At ellipses, the speaker trails off, and at dashes, she is either cut off abruptly by the listener or by herself.
Author’s Note: So, before another long, emotional note ensues, let me just say: this is why I shouldn’t be allowed to write. This script right here. Back to the subject at hand, though, holy hell! I’ve hit a year! Yup, one year to the day since I posted my first script, and damn, what a journey it’s been. 43 scripts, which doesn’t sound like many but felt it, 198 fills at the time of this posting (so damn close!), a ton of friends made and fun projects worked on, and all of the chaos. I can’t bring myself to regret a second of it. For anyone reading this, thank you! Even if you choose to ignore this script and pass it by, just by reading this, you’ve become one of the people who makes this whole hobby of mine so rewarding. I’m genuinely, sincerely grateful for this little world I’ve found and all the fun I’ve had in it. To celebrate making it to a year, I think I’ll finally start working on some much-requested Part 2s. (Might even get back to Fangs, hopefully?) As always, to anyone who might see this, have a wonderful day, and keep kicking ass at whatever it is you need to do. You got this, buddy! (And now my Writer character, who I brought out in celebration and to EDUCATE y’all unwashed masses, shall go back into her little box until I hit another milestone. Don’t worry, she likes it in there.
​
​
If you want to read this somewhere other than Reddit, it's also here.
All right, honey, question for you:
Wha- yes, of course it’s important! Come on, do you really think I’d interrupt your… whatever this is for something less than absolutely crucial?
Well, I’m not. I really need to know your answer.
Right, here we go: Lamia. Smash or pass?
Yes I’m serious! This is necessary. I have to know whether you would bang a snake girl or not.
Don’t ask why, just answer the question.
No, no, I promise, this isn’t some kind of test or relationship trap. Believe me, I know you wouldn’t cheat on me with a lamia. And I’m not gonna judge you for it, I’ll be answering too.
{sigh} We’ve already gone over this. Just because I’m straight doesn’t mean I can’t get women. And at the very least, I have opinions on monsters.
Umm… Nooooo? I… haven’t spent excessive amounts of time contemplating the fuckability of different monster girls? That’s totally not a thing I would do- anyway, let’s just move on. I already asked you the question, I’m going to require an answer.
Uh-uh, no. You don’t get clarifying questions. Personality doesn’t matter, there are no extenuating circumstances. Just smash. Or pass.
Yeaaahhhh, that’s what I thought! Nice.
Oh, yeah, in a heartbeat, smash. I mean, was that even a question? Come on, she can coil you up…
Shush, you, there’s no need to bring that up now. Next question: arachne.
Did you really think I’d stop at one? We’re making a list.
Yes, we must. My apologies about your whatever this is, but it’s now a whatever this was.
Yes, thank you, I was planning that one. Took me a whole ten minutes to come up with it, I think I’m going to be using it a lot.
Yup! We are. Arachne, smash or pass. Remember to consider, she could tie you up…
Really? A pass on that? Your loss, I’m taking the smash.
Oh, I see how it is. You’d rather trap the spider in her own web? Interesting… Okay, so, since we disagreed, I’m putting her in B tier.
Yes, obviously I’m assembling a tier list. Again, was that even a question? I need to soapbox the objectively correct opinions into people, but I want some kind of visual aid to help me do so. Hence, tierlist. I thought I’d get your input because your opinions usually aren’t terrible, even if they’re not always as right as mine.
Shut up and take the compliment, don’t make me regret including you.
Hey! No! No turning this wholesome! We are being horny today, come on. Monster. Girl. Tier. List. Lamia obviously goes in S tier, because of course she does. Arachne in B tier, because I like her and you would like her without the tying up bit, correct?
Fantastic. Next: mermaid.
Really? You would?
I think you’ve been watching too many Disney movies, honey.
…Or reading too many Xanth books, okay. But like… no. She’d smell like dead fish.
Well, I never thought I’d hear the phrase “make the mermaid take a shower.” Congratulations, I think you just invented a new sentence.
You’re gonna want her high tier, aren’t you?
All right, how about this: since she can be made to smell better, she’s not instantly relegated to the bottom tiers, but since her default state is “smells like fish” and in a vacuum - which is how this is supposed to be considered - that’s what you’d be stuck with, she goes in C tier? Sound reasonable?
Hmm… okay, I like the thought, but no, having gills doesn’t mean that she doesn’t need to breathe, only that she can breathe in water. While on land, she’d still require just as much oxygen as a human. Maybe a little more, to support her particular… physiology.
Don’t look at me like that, as far as you know I’m talking about the tail.
Shut it. We’re agreed, mermaid in C. Next one is pretty obvious. Neko, Inu, Kitsune. I’m lumping these together because they’re basically the same, anyway.
Yeah, I figured. They’re just generically bangable, yeah? Couldn’t not go in A tier. Nothing much to say, there. Let’s move on to harpies. I’m gonna say it: smash.
No, no, think about it. She’s got wings, the feathers are gonna be soft, she’s probably pretty athletic from flying around all day, she doesn’t have a beak or anything crazy, I’m not seeing the downside here.
Okay, I’m hearing a lot about birds, but harpies aren’t birds. They’re bird girls. Surely the human half would win out over some of the more… grotesque avian instincts. She’d be clean.
That’s… all right, look, mermaid went in C tier, and that debate was basically the same. C for harpy?
Fantastic, I can live with it also. Maybe we’ll come back, but for now, how about centaur? Now, personally, I’d be willing to try, but I can understand why you might be… somewhat reluctant.
I- ooh, yeah. Either way that goes, it’s not so good for you. I’m guessing you want D tier?
All right, F feels a little excessive. Consider the human half.
Look, I know you’re thinking about it. There’s gotta be some way to make it work, right?
Really? Adamant on that? Well, I’m putting her in D tier anyway. Still not great, but at least I’m willing to try.
Oh, shush, it’s my tier list. You get input when you’re not wrong.
Uh, excuse me, we’ve established that my opinions are the objectively correct ones here. On to dragon girls!
Umm… yes? Dragon in human form, with just a few draconic features. Horns, probably wings, a few patches of scales-
Damn, that was forceful. S tier, then?
I’m gonna have to agree. She’s a dragon. We should all aspire to be Donkey.
I mean, I’m sure there’s a lot of reasons that sums up, I’m just not taking the time to elaborate on them at the moment. “She’s a dragon” is enough for me.
I concur. Now, what haven’t we gone though… Hmm, lamia, arachne, mermaid, neko, inu, kitsune, harpy, centaur, dragon…
Ooh, that’s a good one! Succubus. Well, not sure she exactly counts as a monster girl, but close enough. And all right, since you asked first, I think I’m gonna say pass.
Excuse me, I happen to like my soul where it is. It might be beat-up and dingy, but it’s mine, dammit.
Okay, no, obviously if she didn’t take my soul, automatic S tier. I mean, come on, an actual demon of lust? Hell, yeah- literally! But she probably takes my soul. Most versions of succubi I’ve read about do this thing.
We’re not talking about the books I read, we’re talking about the monster. And look, I assume you like your soul, too?
As I thought. So how about a compromise? Since she’s a conditional smash, B tier?
C is what we went with for the previous compromises, yeah, but come on. I don’t need my soul that badly.
Wonderful! B it is. In the vein of succubus, how about a vampire?
How dare you. Imagine relegating a Dark Lady, Mistress of the Night, all-powerful vampire Queen to “spicy human.”
No, I know you’re not wrong! That’s the worst part!
Look, A tier, that’s my final offer. Take it or leave it.
Good, then.
God, what’s left? I feel like we’ve run through a lot. Oh! We did vampire, we have to do werewolf, yeah? Smash or pass.
As I figured. No matter how the shapeshifting works, she always at least has a human form, and I’d bet quite a lot that headpats and “good girl” carry over.
Well I know I’d like ‘em, whichever form I was in, if that helps.
Hey hey hey, calm down there. We need to finish this list without any werewolf-related distractions, come on.
I told you, I require a visual aid! For soapboxing! So I’ll have to write all this down… later. Eh, I’ll do it later. I probably won’t forget. Now, what other kinds of monster are there? Slime? Have we done slime?
Ah, perfect.
…I’m gonna say no, not an acidic one. I would’ve thought that’d be obvious, but I understand why you felt you had to ask. Nothing melty, just slime.
Really? Still that low? You don’t think it’d feel good at all?
Okay, so it’d be a little messy. Whatever! It couldn’t be that bad to clean up.
…Why do you know that.
No no no, why do you know how hard this situation would be to… sanitize? Inquiring minds want to know. I’m very curious.
All right… but we’re coming back to that later. I will find out what secrets you’re keeping from me about sticky things.
Of course I will. But later. A lot of things, later. So, D tier? You sure?
All right, fair enough. I had some other ideas, but nothing super relevant in that context. In that kind of vein, though… eldritch.
No, no, consider: tentacles.
You’re not considering hard enough. Tentacles.
Keep thinking about it, it’ll grow on you.
I- all right, yes, my mind might collapse into madness, but that’s supposed to happen anyway if it’s good enough, right?
{laughing} All right, all right, kidding! Put that down!
Menacing me with a pillow is rude, I hope you know. So I take it you’re not a fan of insanity?
Yeah… I suppose if you can’t enjoy it, there’s no point.
Really? F tier?
Okay, I can see that. I suppose we needed something in there, anyway. And that’s pretty good, fourteen monsters and only one in F? Sounds pretty objectively correct to me.
This is the only time Princess Bride quotes aren’t applicable, honey. Don’t you dare.
…You said it. You weren’t supposed to say it.
Take it back, I absolutely know what I’m talking about! Do I need to soapbox you first? I’ll harangue if I have to. Are you prepared for that, you unwashed mass, you?
Hey hey hey! That was not the time for a dirty joke, I- ohhhh. Okay. I’ll admit, that’s clever. Never do it again, but it was clever.
Wait, wha- what now?
Uh, lamia and dragon were the only two, I think, why?
Whaddya mean, “make me feel like one of them,” I’m not particularly reptilian?
I- wait, what? I’m not sure I count as S tier…
Wait, how could you- OH-

Intro: You’re in the middle of something pretty damn important when your girlfriend walks in. What does she want this time?
Summary: Speaker asks Listener a question, which leads into a long discussion.
Go ahead and monetize, it's fine. Word count is about 1700.
If you fill this or plan to fill this, please notify me. Please don't make edits without asking first.
Line breaks represent the listener talking or space where no one talks and should be short pauses, words within {brackets} represent the speaker’s tone or sfx. At ellipses, the speaker trails off, and at dashes, she is either cut off abruptly by the listener or by herself.
Author’s Note: So, before another long, emotional note ensues, let me just say: this is why I shouldn’t be allowed to write. This script right here. Back to the subject at hand, though, holy hell! I’ve hit a year! Yup, one year to the day since I posted my first script, and damn, what a journey it’s been. 43 scripts, which doesn’t sound like many but felt it, 198 fills at the time of this posting (so damn close!), a ton of friends made and fun projects worked on, and all of the chaos. I can’t bring myself to regret a second of it. For anyone reading this, thank you! Even if you choose to ignore this script and pass it by, just by reading this, you’ve become one of the people who makes this whole hobby of mine so rewarding. I’m genuinely, sincerely grateful for this little world I’ve found and all the fun I’ve had in it. To celebrate making it to a year, I think I’ll finally start working on some much-requested Part 2s. (Might even get back to Fangs, hopefully?) As always, to anyone who might see this, have a wonderful day, and keep kicking ass at whatever it is you need to do. You got this, buddy! (And now my Writer character, who I brought out in celebration and to EDUCATE y’all unwashed masses, shall go back into her little box until I hit another milestone. Don’t worry, she likes it in there.)
If you want to read this somewhere other than Reddit, it's also here.
All right, honey, question for you:
Wha- yes, of course it’s important! Come on, do you really think I’d interrupt your… whatever this is for something less than absolutely crucial?
Well, I’m not. I really need to know your answer.
Right, here we go: Lamia. Smash or pass?
Yes I’m serious! This is necessary. I have to know whether you would bang a snake girl or not.
Don’t ask why, just answer the question.
No, no, I promise, this isn’t some kind of test or relationship trap. Believe me, I know you wouldn’t cheat on me with a lamia. And I’m not gonna judge you for it, I’ll be answering too.
{sigh} We’ve already gone over this. Just because I’m straight doesn’t mean I can’t get women. And at the very least, I have opinions on monsters.
Umm… Nooooo? I… haven’t spent excessive amounts of time contemplating the fuckability of different monster girls? That’s totally not a thing I would do- anyway, let’s just move on. I already asked you the question, I’m going to require an answer.
Uh-uh, no. You don’t get clarifying questions. Personality doesn’t matter, there are no extenuating circumstances. Just smash. Or pass.
Yeaaahhhh, that’s what I thought! Nice.
Oh, yeah, in a heartbeat, smash. I mean, was that even a question? Come on, she can coil you up…
Shush, you, there’s no need to bring that up now. Next question: arachne.
Did you really think I’d stop at one? We’re making a list.
Yes, we must. My apologies about your whatever this is, but it’s now a whatever this was.
Yes, thank you, I was planning that one. Took me a whole ten minutes to come up with it, I think I’m going to be using it a lot.
Yup! We are. Arachne, smash or pass. Remember to consider, she could tie you up…
Really? A pass on that? Your loss, I’m taking the smash.
Oh, I see how it is. You’d rather trap the spider in her own web? Interesting… Okay, so, since we disagreed, I’m putting her in B tier.
Yes, obviously I’m assembling a tier list. Again, was that even a question? I need to soapbox the objectively correct opinions into people, but I want some kind of visual aid to help me do so. Hence, tierlist. I thought I’d get your input because your opinions usually aren’t terrible, even if they’re not always as right as mine.
Shut up and take the compliment, don’t make me regret including you.
Hey! No! No turning this wholesome! We are being horny today, come on. Monster. Girl. Tier. List. Lamia obviously goes in S tier, because of course she does. Arachne in B tier, because I like her and you would like her without the tying up bit, correct?
Fantastic. Next: mermaid.
Really? You would?
I think you’ve been watching too many Disney movies, honey.
…Or reading too many Xanth books, okay. But like… no. She’d smell like dead fish.
Well, I never thought I’d hear the phrase “make the mermaid take a shower.” Congratulations, I think you just invented a new sentence.
You’re gonna want her high tier, aren’t you?
All right, how about this: since she can be made to smell better, she’s not instantly relegated to the bottom tiers, but since her default state is “smells like fish” and in a vacuum - which is how this is supposed to be considered - that’s what you’d be stuck with, she goes in C tier? Sound reasonable?
Hmm… okay, I like the thought, but no, having gills doesn’t mean that she doesn’t need to breathe, only that she can breathe in water. While on land, she’d still require just as much oxygen as a human. Maybe a little more, to support her particular… physiology.
Don’t look at me like that, as far as you know I’m talking about the tail.
Shut it. We’re agreed, mermaid in C. Next one is pretty obvious. Neko, Inu, Kitsune. I’m lumping these together because they’re basically the same, anyway.
Yeah, I figured. They’re just generically bangable, yeah? Couldn’t not go in A tier. Nothing much to say, there. Let’s move on to harpies. I’m gonna say it: smash.
No, no, think about it. She’s got wings, the feathers are gonna be soft, she’s probably pretty athletic from flying around all day, she doesn’t have a beak or anything crazy, I’m not seeing the downside here.
Okay, I’m hearing a lot about birds, but harpies aren’t birds. They’re bird girls. Surely the human half would win out over some of the more… grotesque avian instincts. She’d be clean.
That’s… all right, look, mermaid went in C tier, and that debate was basically the same. C for harpy?
Fantastic, I can live with it also. Maybe we’ll come back, but for now, how about centaur? Now, personally, I’d be willing to try, but I can understand why you might be… somewhat reluctant.
I- ooh, yeah. Either way that goes, it’s not so good for you. I’m guessing you want D tier?
All right, F feels a little excessive. Consider the human half.
Look, I know you’re thinking about it. There’s gotta be some way to make it work, right?
Really? Adamant on that? Well, I’m putting her in D tier anyway. Still not great, but at least I’m willing to try.
Oh, shush, it’s my tier list. You get input when you’re not wrong.
Uh, excuse me, we’ve established that my opinions are the objectively correct ones here. On to dragon girls!
Umm… yes? Dragon in human form, with just a few draconic features. Horns, probably wings, a few patches of scales-
Damn, that was forceful. S tier, then?
I’m gonna have to agree. She’s a dragon. We should all aspire to be Donkey.
I mean, I’m sure there’s a lot of reasons that sums up, I’m just not taking the time to elaborate on them at the moment. “She’s a dragon” is enough for me.
I concur. Now, what haven’t we gone though… Hmm, lamia, arachne, mermaid, neko, inu, kitsune, harpy, centaur, dragon…
Ooh, that’s a good one! Succubus. Well, not sure she exactly counts as a monster girl, but close enough. And all right, since you asked first, I think I’m gonna say pass.
Excuse me, I happen to like my soul where it is. It might be beat-up and dingy, but it’s mine, dammit.
Okay, no, obviously if she didn’t take my soul, automatic S tier. I mean, come on, an actual demon of lust? Hell, yeah- literally! But she probably takes my soul. Most versions of succubi I’ve read about do this thing.
We’re not talking about the books I read, we’re talking about the monster. And look, I assume you like your soul, too?
As I thought. So how about a compromise? Since she’s a conditional smash, B tier?
C is what we went with for the previous compromises, yeah, but come on. I don’t need my soul that badly.
Wonderful! B it is. In the vein of succubus, how about a vampire?
How dare you. Imagine relegating a Dark Lady, Mistress of the Night, all-powerful vampire Queen to “spicy human.”
No, I know you’re not wrong! That’s the worst part!
Look, A tier, that’s my final offer. Take it or leave it.
Good, then.
God, what’s left? I feel like we’ve run through a lot. Oh! We did vampire, we have to do werewolf, yeah? Smash or pass.
As I figured. No matter how the shapeshifting works, she always at least has a human form, and I’d bet quite a lot that headpats and “good girl” carry over.
Well I know I’d like ‘em, whichever form I was in, if that helps.
Hey hey hey, calm down there. We need to finish this list without any werewolf-related distractions, come on.
I told you, I require a visual aid! For soapboxing! So I’ll have to write all this down… later. Eh, I’ll do it later. I probably won’t forget. Now, what other kinds of monster are there? Slime? Have we done slime?
Ah, perfect.
…I’m gonna say no, not an acidic one. I would’ve thought that’d be obvious, but I understand why you felt you had to ask. Nothing melty, just slime.
Really? Still that low? You don’t think it’d feel good at all?
Okay, so it’d be a little messy. Whatever! It couldn’t be that bad to clean up.
…Why do you know that.
No no no, why do you know how hard this situation would be to… sanitize? Inquiring minds want to know. I’m very curious.
All right… but we’re coming back to that later. I will find out what secrets you’re keeping from me about sticky things.
Of course I will. But later. A lot of things, later. So, D tier? You sure?
All right, fair enough. I had some other ideas, but nothing super relevant in that context. In that kind of vein, though… eldritch.
No, no, consider: tentacles.
You’re not considering hard enough. Tentacles.
Keep thinking about it, it’ll grow on you.
I- all right, yes, my mind might collapse into madness, but that’s supposed to happen anyway if it’s good enough, right?
{laughing} All right, all right, kidding! Put that down!
Menacing me with a pillow is rude, I hope you know. So I take it you’re not a fan of insanity?
Yeah… I suppose if you can’t enjoy it, there’s no point.
Really? F tier?
Okay, I can see that. I suppose we needed something in there, anyway. And that’s pretty good, fourteen monsters and only one in F? Sounds pretty objectively correct to me.
This is the only time Princess Bride quotes aren’t applicable, honey. Don’t you dare.
…You said it. You weren’t supposed to say it.
Take it back, I absolutely know what I’m talking about! Do I need to soapbox you first? I’ll harangue if I have to. Are you prepared for that, you unwashed mass, you?
Hey hey hey! That was not the time for a dirty joke, I- ohhhh. Okay. I’ll admit, that’s clever. Never do it again, but it was clever.
Wait, wha- what now?
Uh, lamia and dragon were the only two, I think, why?
Whaddya mean, “make me feel like one of them,” I’m not particularly reptilian?
I- wait, what? I’m not sure I count as S tier…
Wait, how could you- OH-

I’ve been thinking about some of the best British sitcoms, and "Gimme Gimme Gimme" always comes to mind as a standout. For those who might not be familiar, it's a British sitcom that aired from 1999 to 2001, created by Jonathan Harvey and starring Kathy Burke and James Dreyfus. Here’s why I believe it remains a timeless comedy classic:

1. Iconic Characters: Linda La Hughes (Kathy Burke) and Tom Farrell (James Dreyfus) are two of the most memorable characters in British TV history. Linda’s outrageous, unfiltered behavior and Tom’s desperate quest for acting fame create a dynamic that’s both hilarious and oddly endearing. Their chemistry is undeniable and drives the show’s humor.
   
2. Sharp Writing: Jonathan Harvey's writing is razor-sharp, filled with quick wit and hilarious one-liners. The dialogue is fast-paced and clever, making every episode a joy to watch. The humor is unapologetically bold and often risqué, which adds to its charm.
   
3. Unconventional Premise: The show’s premise is refreshingly different. It revolves around two mismatched flatmates, each with their own delusions of grandeur and often self-inflicted miseries. The plotlines are wonderfully absurd, yet relatable in their depiction of friendship and the pursuit of dreams.
   
4. Bold Humor: “Gimme Gimme Gimme” doesn’t shy away from pushing boundaries. The humor is daring and often politically incorrect, which, while not for everyone, makes it a standout in the realm of sitcoms. It’s a show that takes risks and isn’t afraid to be outrageous.
   
5. Cultural Impact: For a sitcom that only lasted three series, it left a significant impact on British pop culture. Quotes from the show are still remembered and referenced today in my daily life . The show’s distinct style and humor have inspired many contemporary comedies.
   
6. Nostalgic Value For those of us who grew up watching it, “Gimme Gimme Gimme” holds a nostalgic charm. It’s a window into late 90s/early 2000s culture, fashion, and humor. Rewatching it feels like revisiting an old friend.
   
7. Perfectly Cast: Kathy Burke and James Dreyfus are perfectly cast in their roles. Burke’s comedic timing and fearless performance as Linda is a masterclass in character acting. Dreyfus’s portrayal of the flamboyant and often clueless Tom complements Linda’s character perfectly, creating a dynamic that’s endlessly entertaining.
   

If you haven’t seen “Gimme Gimme Gimme,” I highly recommend giving it a watch. And if you have, what are your favorite moments from the show? Let’s reminisce and celebrate this gem of a sitcom!

I'm sure you're all sick of this topic, but I want to take a different approach and discuss it from a different angle by looking at Spike's actions, particularly towards women, and specifically those he's romantically or sexually involved with, pre-Seeing Red, because I think it's an important aspect of the debate not talked about enough. I've seen a lot of people talk about how much they hate that scene because it intentionally butchered Spike's character, but I respectfully disagree.
In School Hard when Joyce protects Buffy with an axe, he screams 'Women!' with rage, implying a dislike for the gender. Echoed later in Crush, when he once more screams at Buffy, Drusilla, and Harmony, 'What the bleeding hell is wrong with you bloody women? What the hell does it take? Why do you bitches torture me?'. He obviously also chains Buffy and Dru up, threatens to kill them or have one kill the other, and has a shrine of Buffy with photographs, her clothing, etc in this very same episode.
Then there's the Buffybot which is essentially a sex slave who he posessively tells 'You're mine, Buffy' (that sense of ownership over her is therefore present as early as mid S5) and has sex with in public which is already a huge violation. Of course there's the incessant stalking of Buffy throughout early S5, plus his groping of her in Triangle when she falls and tries to get back up to help the victims of Olaf.
In The Initiative, Spike intends to bite Willow but fails. This encounter is played for laughs, with an impotence joke that is admittedly both clever and funny. But if you look closely, the scene is explicitly nonconsensual and framed a lot like a rape attempt. The way he turns the music up so nobody will hear her scream, throwing her down on the bed as she wrestles to get away, nevermind how vampire biting is a sexual metaphor (or just vampirism itself as inherently sexual) in the show.
In Dead Things, he forces Buffy to have sex with him on the balcony and look down on her friends having fun, telling her she 'belongs in the dark' with him. In Wrecked when she wants to leave and check on Dawn after staying out all night, he forces her to stay by holding her in a headlock and prattling off insults until she, once more, gives in.
Every time Buffy says 'no', it somehow turns into a 'yes'. He regularly coerces her into staying or sleeping with him. There are obviously times Buffy is the one to initiate, and I'm not saying that she's completely innocent in their relationship (though her behaviour is understandable considering how depressed and traumatised she is), but every other instance is of Spike wanting sex and her saying no/pushing him away until she gives in. He cannot, and does not, take no for an answer. Repeatedly. In Touched, Buffy says to Spike 'you really have a problem with that word don't you?', and she's right. The only reason he doesn't go through with the rape is because Buffy stops him.
The rejection of Cecily. Nowhere near as terrible as his other behaviour with women, but it's obvious he harbours resentment for her. I know it's intended to garner sympathy for him, but it just shows that he can't handle rejection well nor can he take a hint. He felt he deserved her simply by virtue of desiring her, and the fact she doesn't return his love emasculates him. The same can be said in his pursuit of Buffy.
His entire relationship with Harmony who doesn't have a soul either, but whom he abuses repeatedly. She even says 'I don't know why I let you treat me this way'. He uses her for sex, but doesn't like Buffy doing the same to him. He 'loves syphillis more than her'. Yes, there are moments like the breadbox game or whatever where they seem on good terms, but most of the time he treats her like shit. Even him making her dress up as Buffy while they have sex is icky.
Without getting into the semantics of the soul, Spike obviously treated the women in his life horrendously, both emotionally and physically. He's a misogynistic prick for the bulk of the show's run. Liking Joyce or protecting Dawn does not erase that fact. Their womanhood is not what makes him feel that way towards them, and they are the only two outliers in his treatment of women throughout pretty much all of his other interactions with the opposite sex.
So whether you wish the scene existed or not, it absolutely was in character for S6 Spike. It's a horrible, unnecessarily long scene that I wish had never happened either for a multitude of reasons, but it would be illogical to act like the attempted rape was left-field when the entire show up to this point reminds you that Spike is an evil, obsessive creep who equates sex with violence (look at his relationship with Dru! His plan to get her back in Lover's Walk is to 'tie her up and torture her until she loves me again').
This isn't me saying you have to dislike Spike or Spuffy, just that regardless of how you feel about him as a character or that ship, when you look at his relationships with/attitude towards women, the actions of Seeing Red, as abhorrent as they were, make nothing but sense and it never changed anything that we didn't already know about the core of his character at that point in the series. To quote Spike himself, 'And you're what, shocked and disappointed? I'm evil!'
EDIT: The misogyny of Spike is often overlooked, and that's why I wanted to bring it up. People rightfully call out the sexism perpertuated by the likes of Xander, Riley, Warren, etc. but Spike's name is rarely, if ever, brought up despite being one of his most consistent characteristics. Perhaps it's because he's souless until S7 and so his being a demon is what explains his misogynistic tendencies for most, but I think it's something William possessed too albeit in a far less violent way. Whether or not he had a soul, these are things that Spike did on screen from the moment we met him until the beginning of S7 (and even in the second episode, Beneath You, in an attempt to throw her off the scent, he taunts Buffy about the assault - it's still something he's capable of, regardless of his guilt) and therefore 'in character'. If he treats women this way for the 4-5 seasons that precede Seeing Red, that's surely a pattern of behaviour, no?
I love Spike in the earlier seasons, but it's things like the aforementioned that make him less likeable to me as the series goes on. I do however think Spike is an incredibly complex character, and one that James makes fascinating to watch, but this is a more unsavoury aspect of that complex character and something I believe worthy of acknowledgment to fully understand and appreciate him, as well as his growth/arc.

In Nikken's Threefold World, which is "the world of unenlightened beings who transmigrate within the Six Paths" [Hell, Hunger, Animality, Anger, Humanity and Heaven] ... the 2nd chapter describes the structure of Nikken's World of Hunger.

Table of Contents

1. The Takanos
2. Temple Gucci
3. A Diligent and Useful Priest
4. Seeya, Shiba ... Or, How To Keep Your Temple
5. Who Are These Guys ?
6. Definition of Hunger (Gaki)
7. Getting Some Help
8. The Survivor Gita

1. The Takanos

It is well known that Nichiren Shoshu high priest Nikken Abe has acquired the name of Abe through legal proceedings, because his mother, the tonsured (bald) Nichiren Shoshu nun Myoshu Ama was originally named Suma Hikosaka, and he was born as the out-of-wedlock progeny of Nikkai Abe, the 60th High Priest.
What is less well-known ... is that sly Suma played a trick on the old man Nikkai. She simply could not get pregnant from the dried up old prune, so she had another priest boy-friend on the side, by the name of Hogen Takano (later renamed as Nichijin). The resemblance between natural father and son, and lack of resemblance between the two Abes is very obvious.
So it's no surprise that Taishin Takano, the latest edition of the Takano clan became the "American Nikken", and has held court at the center of NST activities at Myohoji Temple in Los Angeles.
This is even though Taishin Takano's parents had still been in the SGI. Takano is the king of Gakkai-haters ... maybe because of their courageous resistance to Nikkenism.

2. Temple Gucci

Taishin Takano's wife at court in L.A. is from a famous Temple family, so of course she's a big shopper. She has always shown up in her latest Gucci coat, sporting a Luis Vuitton bag, and looking very decked-out reflecting the posh of Rodeo Drive.
This is in the pattern of the high priest's wife Masako Abe, who has been known as "the Japanese Imelda Marcos".
This makes Taishin Takano's wife, the "American Masako Abe". A perfect Brahmin wife.
In the American church tradition, the parish priest's wife (even the Bishop's wife) would always wear a cheaper coat and clothes than the richer parish wives, so as not to offend those churchgoers whose contributions were critical to supporting the church in its activities. You simply would not attack people's sense of charity lightly !!!
This sensible church tradition is not followed in Nichiren Shoshu or in any of the danto (temple-follower) Buddhist religions, where they have spread to the United States. This Brahminist cultural phenomenon is startling: where the believers support an upper class of priests and their families and their pets, while suffering in squalor and denying their own children.
This is the same as the Nembutsu tradition of Japan, where up to 70% of Japanese Buddhists have believed in a Pure Land after death, and that praying at and supporting Amida Buddha's Temple with gobs of cash will allow priestly prayers to reach their suffering departed relatives in the Western Kingdom where Amida rules, and also gain their own entrance to the Pure Land after their dreadful, suffering life and hastened departure.
They are willing to suffer this disparity of fortune, because the priesthood is a higher caste of human being, and therefore entitled to a richer and more superior life. They will bow and scrape and take better care of the priest's lodgings than their own home, and of the priest family's pets than their own children.
What is surprising is that in America, the land of opportunity and clothe coats for parson's wives, that this kind of subjugation of a hard-working underclass by a parasitic priesthood can persist !!!
And it does, right in the heart of Los Angeles at Myohoji Temple for the Takanos. America IS the land of opportunity for priests of the Asian danto tradition. [As well as crime families, like The Sopranos. Is there a difference? Yes, the Sopranos deliver on their promises.]

3. A Diligent and Useful Priest

Taishin Takano, wanting to extend his domain Northward, has sought to bring the rich territory of the San Francisco Bay Area under his control, this includes Marin County in the North, Silicon Valley to the South, the Peninsula, the vast East Bay region and the jewel in the center, San Francisco.
This incredibly wealthy area is supported in Nichiren Shoshu by Myoshinji Temple, in the East Bay.
Since 1999, the priest for Myoshinji had been Cho'on Shiba. He had, according to the members, been careful and attentive, insofar as he could be with a responsibility stretching through Washington to Alaska.
Shiba remained loyal to Nikken in the late 1980's and early 1990's, when assigned to Myohoji in Los Angeles. At that time, the Chief priest of Myohoji was Gen'ei Kudo, who left Nichiren Shoshu and became the leader of the Association for the Reformation of Nichiren Shoshu in 1992.
Remaining to face the criticism and shame at the hands of the new chief priest Takano at Myohoji, at the time of Kudo's attack on Nikken in 1992, must have been painful austerity. But Shiba did not give in and remained loyal.
Seven years later in 1999 Cho'on Shiba became Myoshinji's chief priest. It would appear that his loyalty had paid off.
Cho'on Shiba appeared to be the kind of priest that made members want to stay and support Nichiren Shoshu.
Truth was, however, that he was deceptive and sneaky in his practices, like all Nichiren Shoshu priests. Even though he was quite fluent in English when he arrived, he feigned that he could neither speak nor understand English.
This allowed the members to speak freely around him, without concern of being understood.
Of course, he understood and took note of every utterance, including who said what and whom they were talking to.
Did your priest when he initially arrived, or does your new priest appear to have struggles with English? Are there translators or English readers there at the welcome speeches? Be careful what you say when they are around, because this is a standard modus operandi for new and visiting Nichiren Shoshu priests.
In the following posting from Loree, Shiba (at Myohoji at that time) expresses the liberal attitude ... in appearance not your typical rigid authoritarian or distantly superior priest. He appears to express the world of Humanity, of concern for his parishioners ...
Green Gables ([loree.......@aol.comphilia](mailto:loree3924205677@aol.comphilia))
"Re: Food and Sex, are there any rules in Nichiren Shoshu?"

Myohoji Temple has a question and answer period sometimes after the Sunday morning gongyo. A young lady asked the priest about the guidelines for sexual activity in NST. the priest said there were no rules but if parents wanted to come and discuss it he would be happy to discuss it with them, he also said as a father he had a natural concern for his own children. He said that sexual relationships were usually okay if no one gets hurt..so he did NOT say that it was NOT permissible outside of marriage. He didn't get into the question about extramarital affairs, but that is a question for next time. His basic guideline was that no one should be hurt.

I can understand his ducking the question on extramarital affairs, a clever priest wouldn't want to drive away anyone by saying outright that some behavior is wrong. He is appearing to be nice.

Another member asked whether as Buddhists we should eat meat and he explained at length that both animal and vegetable both have the ten worlds so by choosing only one we are making a distinction. In addition he said that the animals nourish us so that we both can attain Buddhahood. He especially said that we should enjoy our food and we can chant daimoku before eating too like we do at Taisekiji.

A poison plant has ten worlds as well, and that is a specious argument. But he is appearing to be nice.

Last week I asked my priest whether it was possible to be reborn as an animal and he said that is possible for the same reasons stated above. So watch out when you are eating those carrots from hell and don't get sick.

greenie
Ummm, no comment. He is still appearing to be nice.
In another story about Shiba, Patrik observes that there is wagoso (unity following the priest) present at Myoshin-ji Temple.
Patrik A. Patterson:

Of course in Nichiren Shoshu my observation has been the priests and the members working in unity.
I remember being at Myoshinji last year and talking with one our kanji (member representitives) and Rev Shiba, and Rev Shiba was talking about his ideas for expanding our temple, because it is getting small for our growing congregation.

He has big plans for Myoshinji. He really wants to grow the Temple.
Here is a piece reposted by Craig on the Myoshinji website he maintained, where he posts the glorious results of Cho'on Shiba's Myoshinji campaign...
Craig Bratcher quoting Shiba:

On the Occasion of the 750th Anniversary Tozan By Reverend Cho-on Shiba
...
4,321 Hokkeko believers from 36 countries around the world attended the first tozan pilgrimage in October. There were 631 participants from the United States. Of these participants, 191 were from Myoshin-ji Temple. There are 78 believers currently on the second commemorative tozan pilgrimage from Myoshin-ji Temple.
There were 191 believers from Myoshinji temple who attended the first tozan pilgrimage, and this was a record for the most tozan participants from our temple at one time.

So, Cho'on Shiba's Myoshinji sent 191 out of 631 participants in the U.S. contingent to the 750th Aniversary Tozan. That's 30% of the first wave to Nikken's do-or-die Tozan from the United States, coming from just Shiba's Myoshinji Temple. [Such dedication!!! Will that be rewarded?]
I wonder how much of the remaining 70% came from the much larger Myohoji Temple? It couldn't have been larger than 30%, since Hawaii is in there as well. Uh-Oh. I wonder if that made The Takanos jealous?
Now, you would think that having that much success from one of six Temples in the United States, and a smaller one at that ... would gain Cho'on Shiba and Myoshinji Temple some consideration from the Head Temple?

4. Seeya, Shiba ... Or, How To Keep Your Temple

I'll repeat the comment from above ... Seven years later in 1999 Cho'on Shiba became Myoshinji's chief priest. It would appear that his loyalty had paid off.
But appearances are deceiving. Takano recognized in Cho'on Shiba a hard working and dedicated person, who could be used to build up Myoshinji, which could then be passed off to a highly connected crony of Nikken, to increase Takano's prestige and power, by creating connections. [Did he never study the daimyo and the Shogunate? A debt owed is a dangerous thing ... for those less-connected who have the well-connected in their debt. Never do a favor to the powerful.]
Shiba's Mistake: This is the mistaken belief that making yourself indispensably useful to the evil masters, will bring benefits and safety to the slave. The truth is otherwise.
____________ Sidebar _____________________________________________________________________________________
In the movie "Schindler's List" a Jewish inmate in a Nazi concentration camp approaches Amon Goeth, the camp commandant, demanding to be heard. She points out errors in the architecture of the construction of the building that will make it fail to function correctly later. She mentions that she was a construction supervisor with architectural training, and that she desired to make herself of use to the Germans. She is clearly oblivious to the true nature of this particular evil.
Goeth orders her to be shot. She is forced to kneel, complaining that he is making a mistake, and she can be useful. At the end, she says that this is insane (which for her is clearly true). The guard shoots her through the head (destroying this thought). Then Goeth orders that the changes she listed be made to the structure, exactly according to her intent.
This is what is known as the "cold joke" which undermines the humanity of all who hear it, by extermination of compassion. Remember this point, as it occurs again, further on.
Let's call this: "The Myth of the Useful Slave."
Slaves are dispensable at the whim of their masters. Period.
There is an interesting comparison to be made generally between:

• Nazi concentration camps with Guards and Commanders.
• Plantations in the Ante-Bellum South with Overseers and Owners.
• Slanderous Buddhist Temples (especially Nichiren Shoshu Temples) with assistant and chief priests.

Which of these is worse? I know, for myself, that one is profoundly worse than the other two.
____________ End Sidebar _________________________________________________________________________________
Shiba's big Tozan victory was later recognized by a BIG meeting. With lots of important visiting priests who have smelled chum in the water. Fresh blood. More text from Craig Bratcher's Myoshinji website ...

Myoshinji Temple World General Meeting, December 8, 2002 (this is text from a web photo album of what transpired that day, no longer online ...)

Some of the captions to note, accompanied by my commentary:

The visiting priests entering the Gohonzon room of Myoshinji Temple to begin the commemorative ceremony

The circling sharks settle in to feast.

Reverend Cho'on Shiba, Chief Priest of Myoshinji Temple, approaching the alter to make offerings to Gohonzon.

Very pretty altar. The unconnected priest is offering his life to the more highly-connected priests. "An unfortunate selection of ancestors.", they surmise.

Reverend Nisshi Obayashi, Director of the Nichiren Shoshu Overseas Bureau, presenting his address

The jaws of the largest shark distend as he darts in for the first slashing BITE. The waters turn red, then yellow about the poor, foolish, unknowing, and now fatally stricken priest.

Reverend Nitto Ohmura, Chief of the Nichiren Shoshu Study Department, presenting his address

Ohmura thinks: "There must be something in the Gosho about submitting to evil authority, mustn't there be ???... Let me see ... Oh, re-interpreting the Gosho correctly is such a lot of work, what a bother. Some other time."

Reverend Taishin Takano, Nichiren Shoshu Temple President, presenting his address

Takano thinks: "This is my address, and is where to send the Gokuyo offerings in the future, so parishioners, don't forget !!!"

Reverend Cho'on Shiba, Chief Priest of Myoshinji Temple, offering words of appreciation

This is a much smaller picture. As if he is receding into the distance already. "And a little severed hand sinks into the swirling waters..."

396 People attended the 750th Anniversary Commemorative Ceremonies

Quite a large crowd for a Nichiren Shoshu gathering.
Get a clue, priests of no consequence:

• If you want to keep your temple for another week, don't have big turnouts when the powerful, well-connected visitors show up.
• Don't send large numbers on tozan.
• Don't report the large donations.
• Get the koto on your side and hide the money ...
• Anywhere.
• Above all, do not tempt the dragon in taisekiji with a tasty morsel.
• He has an enormous appetite. And don"t post pictures of all of the fun you are having with the members on the web.
• Just take your temple to the other side (Soka Gakkai), before it gets rolled up into the High Priest's extended family business.

Which is clearly what will happen with every single Nichiren Shoshu Temple in every country. They will all ultimately be run personally by someone from the six Brahmin families in the First Rank (Abe, Takano, Ishii, Hayase, Kimura and Imano).
Then the families will start the final battle for dominance: one by one, they will be edged out until a single Survivor family is left, as the ultimate winner of the Survivor Gita.
So, Shiba's big triumphant meeting was followed in 13 months by ... the transfer ceremony. Shiba is going to work for Obayashi [the biggest visiting shark, above] as a secretary in the Nichiren Shoshu Overseas Bureau. Also from the website:

Jan 21, 2004 -
The Ceremony conducted January 21, 2004, upon the reassignment of Reverend Cho'on Shiba. Reverend Shiba was the 3rd Chief Priest of Myoshinji Temple.

Past tense. Was. Man, that was fast. These guys don't waste any time. If Shiba had known, there might have been enough time to grab the Temple and join the Reform movement.

The Gongyo ceremony preceding the formal transfer of the Chief Priest's duties from Reverend Shiba to Reverend Takano.

Now it's Takano's Temple to give away. He has an astonishing plan, to make a move that works if the First Rank families win, if the Nichijyun Fujimoto-Obayashi alliance of the Overseas Bureau wins, or if there is open rebellion against Nikken's successor.

Reverend Takano, the Nichiren Shoshu Temple President, accepting his temporary appointment until Reverend Kimura is officially appointed in March 2004.

1. Kimura is one of Nikken's six families in the First Rank. This satisfies the insatiable greed of the Brahmins in the First Rank.
2. It undermines Shiba's family, and he is Nobody. If a tree falls in the forest, and Nobody is around, is there a sound? Nobody knows. Nobody notices.
3. This is such an overt move, it is sure to strike fear into the hearts of those in the big and wealthy overseas temples, who are in Second Rank clans (Kshatriya - Proxy-Ruler and Warrior caste), or Third Rank clans (Vaishya - Merchant, Farmer caste). Takano knows this, as does Obayashi and Nichijyun Fujimoto. This plays into their hands, as it raises the twin demons of hostile resentment and fear in those unconnected priests, outside the Brahmin enclave.

Win. Win. Win. Taishin Takano must be hugging himself in delight.

Reverend Ishibashi, Chief of Internal Affairs for the Overseas Department, between Reverend Takahashi and Reverend Shiba. Although Reverend Shiba had a sad face for the camera, it is believed he was actually looking forward to his new position with the Bureau of Foreign Affairs.

This comment, actually public in the website, about Shiba looking sad? It is a textbook example of the "cold joke", which removes one's compassion. It is designed to get all website readers and viewers of it to gloat. Gloating on anyone's suffering is the behavior of the Devil King of the Sixth Heaven, in each and every case.

Reverend Shiba's family performing Gongyo in the temple lobby during the Transfer Ceremony.

His family doing Gongyo IN THE LOBBY. Man, do they look tiny and forlorn. Well ... off they go. It's not too late to join with Gen'ei Kudo and the Reform movement. You've dug a deep hole, Shiba, but you can get out. The exit door is a phone. Just dial it.
Cho'on Shiba was elevated to a great height by the priesthood, and given an opportunity to show what he could do, be all that he could be. In the end his reward for all that effort went to those who were better connected than he.
He was in the Second Rank, a Kshatriya warrior, placed high in the order of names at any gathering of priests.
Now Shiba has slipped into obscurity, and he has joined the Fourth Rank of Shudra ... the Laborers of little consequence and no hope for the future.

5. Who Are These Guys?

Well, Shogu Kimura is well-connected. He has correctly executed his selection of ancestors, unlike Cho'on Shiba, who has chosen obscurity and isolation from power.
You make your bed, and then you sleep in it. That is, unless you can kick someone else out of their carefully-made bed.
In Shogu Kimura's case he has selected a brother, named Shinryu Kimura, who has married the oldest daughter of Yuriko Abe and Gijun Hayase, who is the grand-daughter of high priest Nikken Abe. Excellent work, Shogu !!!

Kimura's installation:
Myoshinji Temple's Fourth Chief Priest
Transfer Ceremony
March 7th, 2004
(San Francisco, California, United States of America)
On March 7th, 2004, at San Francisco's Myoshinji Temple, Rev. Shogu Kimura's Transfer Ceremony was conducted solemnly and successfully. The former Chief Priest Rev. Cho'on Shiba recently became a Chief Secretary of the Overseas Bureau, and Rev. Kimura was transferred to take his place.

Some events went unmentioned here. As in the "Silence of the Lambs", when Clarice of the FBI visits the site of Buffalo Bill's first victim, she remembers Hannibal Lecter's words about "simplicity" and "we covet what we see".
First, they see what Shiba has built, then they covet what Shiba has built, and then they remove him, to take what Shiba has built.
Dai-Rokuten-No-Mao, the Devil King of the Sixth Heaven (another famous Brahmin) is the function which gloats in enjoyment while enjoying the fruits of the labor of others, making sure that those others are crushed in the process.

The day before the ceremony, at 11:00 am, Myoshinji's affairs were passed from the NST president, Rev. Takano to Rev. Kimura, and the next day, March 7th, at 11:00 am, the Transfer Ceremony was held.
From Japan, Hoshoji Temple's Chief Priest, Rev. Eijyun Ishii, as well as several other relative priests attended this ceremony. From the U.S.A., the NST President and Los Angeles' Myohoji Temple Chief Priest, Reverend Taishin Takano, as well as some representative priests attended. Myoshinji Temple's Koto, as well as a large number of this temple's believers also attended to celebrate and welcome the new Chief Priest.

Eijyun Ishii, brother of Shinryo Ishii (the number-one "Uchideshi" who married Nikken's "Osage Watashi": Natsuko), is the BIC for this ceremony: Brahmin-In-Charge representing Nikken. "Let's Get This Party Started" is the motto for the day.

Rev. Kimura sincerely conducted Kenzen (the offering of rice), Dokkyo (the ceremonial recitation of the Lotus Sutra) and Shodai (chanting Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo). Rev. Takano then gave his congratulatory speech, and officially introduced Myoshinji Temple's new Chief Priest, Rev. Shogu Kimura. Next, Rev. Ishii, and the Myoshinji Temple Koto, also shared congratulatory speeches. Lastly, Rev. Kimura addressed all participants in Japanese and English, asking them to sincerely and respectfully share his appreciation and determination.

Definitely, congratulations are in order. Shiba has built up a real cash-cow operation here, and the Koto runs it smoothly and automatically. It's like ... Nirvana for our brightest Brahmin boy, Shogu Kimura.
And it's a well-earned reward, received from Shiba. Shiba's begrudging the gift ... only improves the savory taste in Shogu's mouth.

After an intermission, a commemorative photo was taken in the Main Hall, smoothly completing the Transfer Ceremony.

Bbbbut ... where's Shiba? Guess he didn't feel like having fun.
You really ought to show up at your own wake, since the funeral's over and a party's a party. No sense of humor !!!
The participating priests from Japan: Rev. Eijyun Ishii, Rev. Jido Kimura [father], Rev. Kido Harada, Rev. Shinryu Kimura [brother], Rev. Shomyo Oba, Rev. Shoshun Sato, and Rev. Yuo Kimura. The participating priests from NST and other countries: Rev. Taishin Takano, Rev. Doko Sato, Rev. Yuzui Murata, Rev. Shokun Takahashi, and Rev. Shingaku Kato.
Notice the large crowd of priests in attendance. They really show up in droves, when one of the Ishii brothers is in town.
The Ishii boys have unlimited cash, and know how to have a good time. There will be fun, girls and booze overflowing !!!
And always remember the words of the high priest Nikken Abe to Eijyun Ishii's brother Shinryo:

At the National Teacher's guidance meeting held on 26 May 1994, Nikken attempted to protect Shinryo from the criticism of [a priest] Nikken said, "If someone asked you whether you have visited a red-light town while you were young, just answer "Yes, I did." If someone asked whether you have bought a land, just answer "Yes, I did." Don't worry about such trivial matters!"
Yeah, worry about the party matters. Babes and booze are non-trivial issues, as the high priest will tell you anytime !!!

6. Definition of Hungry Spirits (gaki)

From the SGI Dictionary:
http://www.nichirenlibrary.org/en/dic/Content/H/84
hungry spirits ［餓鬼］ (Skt preta; Jpn gaki): Also, hungry ghosts. Spirits who suffer from hunger and thirst as karmic retribution for their greed, selfishness, and jealousy while they were alive. Buddhist scriptures describe hungry spirits as beings with throats as small as needles and distended bellies. The realm of hungry spirits is said to be located five hundred yojanas beneath the earth, above the realm of hell. In that realm, food and drink turn into flames and torment the inhabitants. The realm of hungry spirits is one of the three or the four evil paths. From the standpoint of the doctrine of the Ten Worlds and their mutual possession, it represents a potential state or condition of life in which one is tormented by relentless craving. Hungry spirits are called preta in Sanskrit, which in ancient India meant the spirits of the dead. In China and Japan, the story of Maudgalyāyana's saving his mother from the realm of hungry spirits is well known. See also service for deceased ancestors.

7. Getting Some Help

If you are a Nichiren Shoshu Priest, or a Hokkeko member from anywhere in the world, and are thinking about switching to the SGI call (310) 260-8900 or contact the Headquarters at SGI Plaza.
Tell them that you are a Nichiren Shoshu Priest or Hokkeko member, and wish to speak to someone about the SGI, and what to do.

8. The Survivor Gita

Nikken, the self-appointed Usurper King of the Rats at Taisekiji, has been replaced by Nichinyo, who is an angry member of the elite, due to too many blows to the head in fights. A little punchy, he rules from weakness, since Nikken publicly had plans for his son to take over.
One thing that is known for certain: There will be a new Rat King. And then there will be another.
Another thing that is known for certain: All the alliances will change, and more than once. Anyone that has watched Survivor knows this.
Rule Number Zero:
The War of the Rodents can only be won by ... King Rat.
More to come ... These questions will be answered !!!

My dad's an ER doctor, and said that in a rare handful of hospitals he worked at in the past they kept a list of funny or particularly clever quotes from staff written down. I loved hearing some of those quotes as a kid, and it seemed like it was a good way for them to gain new perspectives (best case scenario; i.e., "We've tried everything that we know works, and it didn't, this is actually the best time to try experimental bullshit." - a quote from an ER doctor right before performing some life-saving "experimental bullshit.") or share good reframes for avoiding burnout (worst case scenario; "In my experience, a patient's odds of survival are inversely proportional to their value in society, so this guy's gonna be fine." - A quote from a burn unit nurse talking about a patient who set himself on fire in the course of attempting to commit a felony.) I've wondered for a while what that would look like at a therapy clinic, but since our work so rarely includes observation by other therapists many of us will have clever turns-of-phrase/jokes/explanations/experiences that just never get seen or heard. What are some of yours?
I'll give some of my better ones:
"If you wanted anger management techniques so you'd never feel angry again you should have let me know right away, I could have disappointed you so much sooner." (Adolescent patient seeking anger management treatment and worried it wasn't working because they had gotten upset with their mom earlier that day.)
"You're literally paying me to make you cry, this is the highlight of my day! I'm gonna brag about this in supervision later, not only do you not need to apologize, I should be thanking you for this." (I made a patient I knew well cry in session.)
"When do I get to tell Scooby Doo and the gang to go home? I think you just solved the mystery." (I use this one sometimes when patients I have rapport with have a "light bulb" moment.)
"ACAB also means that little voice in your head that criticizes everything you do." (Said to a patient who was extremely politically active and also extremely self-critical.)
"There's a little guy that sits somewhere in the middle of your brain, in a little poorly-lit almond shaped room, whose only job is to scream and panic when anything happens or anyone talks to you, and that's the guy who is running your life right now." (Trying to explain GAD to a geriatric patient.)

We have a legacy membership we inherited from our parents who purchased it in the eighties…even though we travel in the camper we hardly use the thousand trails membership-we’re more national forest/state park people…seems as though we missed a deadline and an upgrade certificate was never used somewhere in the transfer process years ago. Our salesman discovered there’s no electronic signature saying we declined to upgrade way back when so we qualify for a super duper discount on their new program….first off was this truly a discovery or just a clever sales pitch to legacy owners? … Second-what’s everyone’s opinion of their three tiers of membership?the EC -10 that was pitched to me has a lot of Percs we don’t have now and access to getaway cabins and tiny homes so we don’t need the RV every trip-this is what my in-laws used it for later in life….the adventure level seems more than I’d use…thirdly…can someone point out a master list that shows the 407 properties they claim to allow you access to?….price I was quoted for EC-10 was $8900 with $2500 down and zero interest on the balance at $135/month yearly payment locked at $685/year …will I get my moneys worth? That depends if I use it I know that but I think the biggest question is am I crazy to turn down this upgrade that realistically one of my younger relatives could inherit from me and be using it fifty years from now?

Need the best funny Tinder bio? For guys, a good Tinder bio has to be funny, clever, and simple. If you’re a techie, choose a good, funny Tinder bio that’s a little geeky or nerdy. If you’re a gym rat, try something sports-related. Ultimately, the best Tinder bios for men reflect the personality of the man behind them.
The following potential Tinder bios are certifiably funny, clever, simple, and they’re not over-used. Feel free to swipe one and edit it however you like.
Winning Tinder Bios You Can Copy-and-Paste:
Clever
I would like to give thanks to the brave men and women who died a long time ago tasting which plants were edible and which plants were not.
Pick any number. Multiply it by two. Now add 12 to it. Divide it by 3. Now change it to 10. That’s how many seconds you just wasted.
How come Dora calls herself an “explorer” but travels exclusively through mapped territories?
Just remember, if the world didn’t suck, we’d all fall off.
“I don’t know why people dislike jury duty. I think being able to play god with others’ lives sounds fun!”
– How I got out of jury duty
“Great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, small minds discuss people” is a quote that discusses people.
How many different animals did we have to jump on the backs of before we discovered horses were cool with it?
Somewhere in this world, someone is pulling on a door that says “PUSH.”
Geek/Nerd/Techie
Dear NASA, Your mom thought I was big enough. – Pluto
There’s no killer app I haven’t run / At Pascal, well, I’m number 1 / Do vector calculus just for fun / I ain’t got a gat but I got a soldering gun
(reference to Weird Al’s “White & Nerdy”)
Multilingual: English, binary, C++, JavaScript.
Turning ☕ into code.
Schrodinger’s Cat walks into a bar… and doesn’t.
Jock/Sports Fan/Gym Rat
I can do a pushup with you on my back.
Let’s go clubbing so you can see this protein shake. :)
If you win three games of Twister in a row you’re automatically a yoga instructor.
I was dropped as a baby (into a pool of awesomeness and bad-assery).
Any pizza is a personal pizza if you try hard and believe in yourself.
[TEAM NAME]: boo! hiss! [TEAM NAME]: we good
I prefer the out of doors.
Pop Culture
What did Jay-Z call his girlfriend before getting married? Feyoncè.
If there is one person that’s gonna put an N’Sync song on at your house party, It’s Gonna Be Me.
… But Seriously: 99.9% of Tinder Success Is About Your Pics
💣 Tinder Bio + 😍 Tinder Pics = Tinder Matches & Dates 💋
Before you waste your Tinder matches on the wrong photos, be sure to run them through the Match Artist.
The Match Artist tells you exactly how your Tinder pics are coming across to women (or men).

User blocked me so making a post! Here's a kick-off quote from the thread:

If a carnivore or keto person starts talking about "remission" you know they are talking bullshit and they do not understand the meaning of that word.

The irony.
For the record for those reading this, u/PlaystationTenchu commonly will critique others on a topic they themselves have a poor understanding of. In this case, they have looked up remission and think they understand it when in fact they don't.
Firstly, "remission" is the reduction of symptoms of a disease. "Partial remission" is when the disease has not fully gone away, and "complete remission" is the disappearance of all signs and symptoms of the disease. A disease is considered "cured" when it is believed that there is virtually no chance of symptom relapse. With many diseases, it is difficult to differentiate between prolonged "complete remission" and "cure", and all of this terminology is contextual to the specific disease.
The stipulation that signs of disease must be absent for 5 years in order to consider remission complete is NOT a definition that there is consensus on in the medical community. However, the 5-year timeframe is one in which, for certain diseases like cancer, many doctors will consider - at their own individual discretion - a patient to be "cured" if relapse does not occur.
I could list a dozen other things that this user misunderstands, gets corrected on, and then proceeds to double down on. It's easy to spot how this user over and over again does not fully read or understand the very sources they themselves cite, as you'll see in their exchange with u/Emberashn in the post with and others in other posts. They'll link to a bunch of studies and articles they don't even understand (and frankly, are not competent enough to analyze the validity of) and then eventually, they'll leave the conversation (and sometimes block the user, as they did me) stating that they don't have the time or desire to argue with those that have been "ketoduped."
On the topic of competency, another constant failing of this user, and many users on this sub, is a lack of understanding of scientific epistemology and reasoning. They themselves are "duped" into fallacious beliefs about the ability of epidemiological and Mendelian Randomization studies to infer on cause and effect, the ability of statistical "corrections" to address confounding, and the equating of absence of evidence as evidence of absence.
One of the most egregious sins is constantly appealing to authority and the opinion articles written by those authorities. If abc organization says this process is scientific then it is, regardless of if it is actually in accordance with the underpinning epistemology of science. If organization xyz says something is bad (or doesn't say anything about it) then that means all the science has been done correctly and we can rest assured that there's 100% no evidence for a thing being good in any context. The science is settled. Cased closed.
Above all else, understand that this is NOT a science sub - if it were there would be good-faith discussion of the scientific method and the discrepancy that exists among legitimate scientists regarding the epistemology and execution of science. I would be able to come in here and discuss issues with nutritional epidemiology, Mendelian Randomization, statistical "corrections", various biases and conflicts of interests in studies, various logical fallacies, etc. - you know, fucking science - without being accused of shilling and coping.
This is a sub for the express purpose of cultivating the belief that keto is bad, those who think it's not are duped, those who promote it are grifters and shills, and that any arguments, even the most scientifically sound ones, made in favor of keto or criticizing of the studies and reasoning against keto is actually pseudoscientific cope.
Edit: there's some fuckery going on and comments have been removed / I've been blocked.
Here's my reply to u/Dopamine_ADD_ict :
I like most of what you said about studies, evidence, and consensus, and I like your 3 bullet points at the end. Good read, thank you!
I absolutely love this passage, and I think it speaks to a huge philosophical schism that exists.

I will acknowledge, these studies are not perfect. However, that does not mean they have no value. My academic background is in statistics. I could cast doubt on any study and talk a lot about all of the ways in which the conclusion would be wrong. However, I still think these tools are the best tool available for inferring long term health effects.

You're right that there is evidence against keto in certain contexts, and that should be analyzed properly - scientifically - against contextual evidence for keto. The issue is that one MUST understand the foundations of science what is actual, scientific evidence and how to scientifically weigh that evidence against other evidence and converge findings into a bigger picture.
The absolute foundation of science is the philosophical stance that we can never know anything with 100% certainty. What we aim to do is combine reason and experimentation to create a data set that has enough data (evidence) of sufficient quality and quantity (addressing bias / confounding) to answer enough questions (ex.: Bradford Hill Criteria) to increase our confidence in a hypothesis being true, particularly compared to alternative hypothesis, to "prove" a hypothesis and consider it as "fact."
One of the biggest fallacies this sub has is the belief that nutritional epidemiology is quality evidence that has power to infer cause and effect. You mentioned that these studies aren't perfect, but let's actually spell it out - the issue with nutritional epidemiology is that, unlike epidemiology for infectious disease (the field in which epidemiology was first developed), the chronic diseases and outcomes studied do not have a singular disease agent nor a relatively straightforward pathology like infectious diseases. Because of this multi-factored nature, it is often very difficult to suss out exactly how all of the relevant factors interplay to produce outcomes.
Because epidemiology is much more feasible, affordable, and moral than controlling all aspects of a person's life from birth to death - the thing that would offer us the MOST confidence in these matters , it is an attractive alternative to proper experiments. There have been attempts by very smart and very clever people to address the inherent confounding issues in epidemiology, but the fact of the matter is that any attempt at statistically manipulating epidemiological data to remove confounding - to see how things would have gone should a properly designed experimental study had been performed - is a guess, and often a guess made with an implicit or explicit desire to achieve a certain outcome.
You are right that these guesses have utility - they are great at forming hypothesis for actual experiments and they are good for helping reason things out. However, the belief that these guesses are rigorous evidence is nonsense. The fact that there are methods to verify that these guesses are consistent does not mean they are accurate. Yet, people think that shit is "known for sure" and "settled." They want to talk about "preponderance of evidence" and the Bradford Hill Criteria without even understanding the basics of science. If they understood those basics and the failings of epidemiology, they would understand that this stuff is far from settled.
There is a viewpoint that we are "owed" answers by studies. People will say, "Well, this is the best data we have so we have to draw conclusions on x, y, and z on what we have." Bullshit. We aren't owed anything, and if the above outlined scientific process has not been scientifically undertaken and scientifically satisfied, then the scientific response is "We have these guesses about diet and disease, but we really don't have strong enough data to have strong confidence either way."
Instead, we have opinion and policy on diet, climate, and an whole host of areas that is considered tried and tested and confirmed, and any naysayers are slapped with every derogatory and dismissive label under the Sun. The people in this sub, if they could have their way, would have keto scientists, doctors, and other proponents strung up and publicly ridiculed because they see themselves as the good guys who know the "truth" and are fighting against these evil, evil detractors who are putting people's lives at risk all for fame and fortune. They don't see their own shortcomings of knowledge and understanding.
They'll downplay of the mountain of evidence, gathered over a century, of positive health outcomes that have demonstrated to be unique to nutritional ketosis - not elimination diets, not subbing out this food or compound for this other one - but straight up nutritional ketosis, however it's achieved. People like Playstation want to nitpick about the definition of remission when the scientific FACT is that people get better from various diseases on keto.
They won't accept living, breathing humans right in front of them as evidence that SOMETHING unique is going on and instead think that being scientific means requiring a consensus statement from ABC organization based on X number of meta-analysis. If certain people don't present certain opinions then to them then it's not true, and if those people present an opinion that something isn't true, they accept their opinion because they unscientifically believe that the science must have been done correctly. They don't understand science and couldn't tell proper scientific methodology from their own asshole.
The correct, scientific response to discrepancies among data sets, especially if a large part of those data sets are GUESSES, is to say "Wow, that's interesting. We should investigate this further to suss out what's going on, and in the meantime see how we can use these findings to help people while mitigating the possible negatives that are hinted at in our guesses." Instead, people like Playstation and the rest of this sub will look at evidence right in front of their faces and find some way to deny it ("nah, those people aren't actually healing. If they we're then they would be able to eat anything under the sun and not relapse") or explain it away ("it's not the ketosis, it's actually x, y , and z.")
It's disgusting and pisses me the fuck off, and anyone who points at my strong emotion in this matter is a clown. This shit matters - not only to the millions of individuals suffering from conditions that keto could help them improve, in many cases such as with metal health issues giving them back their FUCKING LIVES, but also to all of humanity. It's important that humanity works together to get this shit right. All of the people in this sub and elsewhere who see science as a zero-sum game or see science as it is currently practiced as a holy religion that cannot be questioned instead of as an endeavor full of ongoing changes, revisions, and improvements that all of humanity should cooperate in have a perverted view of what science is and should be and they can all fuck right off.
So, reeling this rant back in - I know you asked for 1 to 3 topics, but the topic here is what science is, how it should operate, and those do don't understand it acting like they know and running their mouths. If I had to hone in on one thing it would be that poorly-designed, poorly-executed, ideologically statistically "corrected" garbage, especially when the odds ratios and other measures of correlation are relatively MINUSCULE, is NOT scientific evidence - it is a guess, and considering it as anything other than a guess is PSEUDOSCIENCE.
Here's my response to u/playstationtenchu:

But you have never looked at the totality of the evidence and you ignore the Bradford Hill criteria.
The most exhaustive meta-analyses and reviews we have to date are not compatible with your keto pseudoscience.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25406801/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28446499/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6134288/
https://aacrjournals.org/cebp/article-abstract/33/3/400/734666/Genome-Wide-Gene-Environment-Interaction-Analyses

Folks, this is a perfect example of what I'm talking about.
Theses studies have a ton of issues, but we don't even need to go into that because these studies have nothing to do with nutritional ketosis, which has always been and will always be simply consuming a low enough amount of carbohydrates to induce ketosis.
The fact that many higher-carbohydrate foods like fruits and legumes (which, by the way, can be consumed by some individuals in small amounts without being knocked out of ketosis) are ASSOCIATED with better health markers and outcomes compared to other foods has absolutely fuck all to do with keto.
This is a simple, simple thread of logic and reason that you can't even follow, so how are you going to tell me about the logic of determining if a hypothesis meets the Bradford Hill Criteria?
Jesus fucking christ.

The science is settled about which foods increase chronic disease risk. You are basically denying reality by denying this evidence. It's like denying the evidence for the Big Bang or biological evolution. Irrational.
https://academic.oup.com/nutritionreviews/article/72/12/741/1840412
The most exhaustive review ever published looked at 304 systematic reviews from 1950 - 2013. We know that plant-foods decrease chronic risk whilst red meat increases risk. Nothing you say is going to change this fact. Since that review was published we have another 10 years of research showing the same thing.

Holy shit, you just keep giving me gold - another great example of how you either didn't read the full study you linked or didn't understand it. I'm leaning towards the former because the authors EXPLICITLY state that the science is NOT SETTLED.

There is a consensus in the medical community that complete remission is defined as disappearance of all signs and symptoms of a chronic disease in a period of 5 years or more. This definition is well accepted for cancer. It's now accepted for Crohn's and in the last 2 years it has been agreed by many for diabetes. There is no international consensus on the definition of remission in diabetes but the 5 year criteria has now been agreed by many. So what I am saying is accurate. Let's be realistic the 5 year criteria is sensible. Why would you even dispute that? And no, doctors will not use the term "cure".
Most modern literature is no longer using "partial remission". It's problematic especially for diabetes. I am only interested in complete remission. I have never referred to "partial remission", it will become an obsolete term. Imagine having diabetes and your doctor telling you have some "partial remission". Most wouldn't use that terminology. They are phasing it out of the literature.
There isn't any evidence keto diets have put any chronic disease into complete remission. And don't pretend otherwise.
Yes the science is settled about which foods increase diet-related chronic disease risk. We have over 60 years of epidemiological research, we have consistent data and the Bradford Hill criteria which you ignore. Any future data is unlikely to change what we know. It's all settled. This is not to say we know everything but what we do know is very unlikely to change.
We know red meat increases cancer risk, we know whole grains decrease risk. All of the medical guidelines are correct and are based on strong evidence that are heavily independently reviewed. There is no conspiracy.
Everything I post is factual and supported by all of the leading health and medical organizations and societies. The American Heart Association, British Dietetic Association, American Cancer Society, National Lipid Association European Society of Cardiology. But sure all of these organizations with 1000s and 1000s of leading cardiologists and review teams are wrong but you are correct. You haven't really thought your conspiracy theory position through. It's irrational.

Your original statement was a blanket statement that, as it was written, was WRONG. What you've written here is (more) correct - that this definition is in use in many disease specialties, and in many of those specialties the definition is generally agreed upon. In other specialties the definition is gaining adoption.
The point I made was that you stated "they do not understand the meaning of that word" when, by the definition of remission still being used in many specialties, they do in fact understand the meaning of the word and are in fact using the correct term if they are referring to the relevant diseases. This does not mean that there aren't people misusing the term - and I agree that those people should be called out.
As for the rest of your response:
The fact that you think that nutritional epidemiological studies can inform on risk, which is a cause-and-effect statement, is the smoking gun that you do not understand scientific epistemology and reasoning. It doesn't matter who says it can - it can't, and they are wrong. There are a gajillion examples of people, teams, organizations, countries, HUGE fucking numbers of human beings thinking that something is correct or reviewed/verified or true and have been WRONG, WRONG, WRONG. Appealing to authorities is NOT science. Appealing to consensus is NOT science. The ONLY thing that is scientific is proper review of proper evidence.
You can list every fucking organization on the planet Earth and tell me that we have 80 million data points gathered over the past 80 million years - it doesn't matter if they are not performing studies and drawing conclusion in accordance with the underpinning epistemology and reason of science. You can't even get to discussing the Bradford Hill Criteria, let alone test a hypothesis against it, if you don't understand the fundamentals of science, which you have demonstrated that you DON'T and are unwilling to be corrected on.

Working on the second draft of a novel about a woman in her early 20s, a painter by training, who (like myself) has Cerebral Palsy. In my worst moments of imposter syndrome, I wonder whether I can adequately capture her lived experience, as a man with Cerebral Palsy. That’s only an aside to introduce the quote that floated back into my sleep deprived brain from an article in the New York Review of Books last year:
“Some have argued that the shape of a narrative maps onto the rhythm of a male orgasm—think “rising action,” think “climax.” Others have suggested in turn that the female orgasm—multiple, polymorphous—would model a different style.” — Namwali Serpell
Given that the 3 Act Structure as we’ve come to know it was developed by Mr. “…the character should be good… Even a woman is "good"… although it may be said that a woman is an inferior thing… A character may be manly, but it is not appropriate for a woman to be manly or clever”, I am wondering what people think of Serpell’s idea, and—how would you define such an alternative model?

Working my way through Epitaph now and it just steuck me how eerily similar the how much the Covenant emulated the Forerunner Ecumene without even realizing it. It reminded me of a quote: "ahistory doesn't repeat, but it does rhyme."
First, the Forerunners:
In the formation of the Forerunner Ecumene, the brilliant and advanced Forerunners created a truly egalitarian society of different rates, each serving a specific and important purpose in the society to ensure the upholding af their religious tenant of the 'Mantle of Responisbility.' This theology would teach that the Forerunners had inherited the Mantle from their creators, the enigmatic and deific Precursors, and that it was the Forerunners duty to safeguard the galaxy and ensure that all life flourished and grew. This would prove to be a lie, as the Forerunners had actually betrayed and rebelled against the Precursors, ultimately committing genocide upon their creators after it was learned that the Forerunners were being passed over for inheritance of the Mantle, apparently having failed the Precuror's test.
But, as millions of years passed, the duty of the Ecumene turned to politicking as more and more rates were absorbed into the Builder rate, creating a society of heirarchy and preference. Eventually, the ambition of the Builders proved too great, their pride and lust for power leads them, notably the Master Builder Faber, to begin using draconian measures and scheming betrayals to secure a permanent and absolute control. Though the Builder's partners-turned-rivals, the Warrior Servants, would prove pivotal in the war against Humanity, the arrival of the Flood would signal the Builder Rates ultimate betrayal of the Warrior Servants to achieve total control of the Ecumene. This would ultimately backfire, as the resulting loss of capable military genius would lead to the Flood's overwhelming of the Forerunner's domain. The Ecumene would finally come to a quiet bitter end on the Lesser Ark, far from the galaxy they had once ruled and had destroyed.
Now to compare:
In the formation of the Covenant, the clever and ambitious San Shy'umm partnered with the warlike and stalwart Sangheili and formed a theocratic society founded around the religious tenants of the godhood of the Forerunners and the promise of a 'Great Journey.' This theology would teach that all those in the Covenant should walk the same path of righteousness to achieve the same godhood. This would prove to be a lie, as the Forerunners had not ascended to godhood but instead had annihilated themselves in an effort to save the galaxy from the threat of an extra-galatic parasite called the Flood.
But, as centuries pass, the zealotry of the Covenant turns to politicking as more and more races are absorbed into the theocracy, creating a hierarchy of importance and preference. Eventually, the ambition of the San Shy'umm proves too great, their pride and lust for power leads them, most notably the Prophets, to begin using draconian measures and scheming betrayals to secure a permanent and absolute control. Though the San Shy'umm's partners-turned-rivals, the Sangheili, proved pivotal in the war against Humanity, the arrival of the Flood would trigger the greatest betrayal of the Sangheili to achieve total control of the Covenant. This would ultimately backfire, as the resulting loss of military genius in wake of the Great Schism would lead to the Flood's overwhelming of the Covenant's capital, the gargantuan space-station, High Charity. The Covenant would finally come to a quiet bitter end on the Ark, far from the galaxy that they had sought to conquer and ultimately escape from.

There is so much realism and immersion in the game, it felt sort of jarring that you couldn't pay for the services of the prostitutes when you first get around them in the saloon in Valentine.
It's not like there isn't sexuality in the game. When you're drunk looking for Lenny you open the door and see a woman riding a guy. That one couple that seduces you at the pig farm. The handy in the bathtubs. The peeping Tom stuff...
They didn't have to make it all graphic, but they could have worked in some interactions that felt right. Instead, you get all these incredibly rendered NPC prostitutes soliciting you all the time, but it goes nowhere.
Edit: I'm not upset about the absence of sex options in the game. I'm just saying it felt abrupt when interactions with prostitutes couldn't continue past them talking to you.
They could have made it where there were some clever dialogue options to work out the deal. Then they could have just shown them go into a room or in some alley or something, shown some time passing by, and then had them have some more dialogue.
It just feels like a missed opportunity to make the game more realistic, and imagine the great quotes they could have had Arthur say that we missed out on!

STILL FUN! Welcome back. Now here’s my tier breakdown of each of the 8 PIQ prompts and advice on if/how to answer them.
F-Tier (Unusable)
8. Beyond what has already been shared in your application, what do you believe makes you stand out as a strong candidate for admissions to the University of California?
I've attempted this prompt on three occasions with three students but never submitted it. The first two were back in my first year when I didn’t know what I was doing. In each case, I was hoping to use this prompt similarly to how I use the additional info box on the Common App—as a way to explain away issues or gas up a certain project or whatever.
The problem is the UC Application already has an additional info section.
Here's a College Essay Guy article on it. Don't read his other UC stuff tho mine's better grrrr.
https://www.collegeessayguy.com/blog/UC-application-additional-comments-examples
Said box is kind of buried within the UC application portal, and I guarantee the majority of applicants (and acceptances) never touch it.
And while I am a big, big, big fan of the Common App Additional Info section for reasons that I'll write about another time, for the UCs it all feels a little weird. UCs already don't ask for LoRs/do nearly as much background checking on your personal life. This seems to be half because they're too busy and half for reasons that tend not to affect the average Berkeley EES gunner quite as often:
https://dailybruin.com/2017/08/07/uc-job-applications-to-no-longer-require-disclosure-of-past-convictions
All this is to say that PIQ 8 is basically an additional info box, on a form that already has an additional info box, for an organization that doesn't seem to want your additional info that much.
I'm sure there are other ways you could answer this prompt. And like, I'm sure it could be fine. But I've been doing this a long time, and am yet to find a story a student wishes to tell that couldn't fit into one of the other seven prompts. This one is a meme and sucks. Just ignore it.
C-Tier (I'm not mad just disappointed)
There are no E or D tiers. That's because there are no other UC prompts I think aren't ever worth doing. But the following two I have major beef with.
5. Describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to overcome this challenge. How has this challenge affected your academic achievement?
Yo. Want me to make this prompt A-Tier? At worst High-B? It's very simple.
5. Describe a significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to overcome this challenge. What takeaways have you gained from this experience?
All I've done is change "the most" to "a" and made the back half more generalized because not all challenges affect your academic achievement. I’d also be fine with:
The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
This, of course, being the #2 option for the Common App Personal Statement, which I’m 100% fine with.
Hell if that's too much, this would also be totally fine.
Describe a significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to overcome this challenge.
That solves two logistical problems that this prompt represents. And I sorely hope this piece passes the desk of someone at UC Admissions because it's valuable feedback on how they could make their application better for both students and readers.
The first problem is that "most significant challenge" is an unbelievable burden to ask of a teenager who just wants to get into college. It is my belief that the UCs want you to answer every PIQ question like you're answering a job interview question. And I like that! No quotes. No metaphors. Just take the prompt and answer it accurately and articulately.
But part of that is answering the question honestly and authentically. So, UC admissions, you don't want some flowy monologue because you want to learn about the student? And if you catch wind that they're trying to hustle you with their responses, that's no good, right? Well, this prompt places certain students in a very tricky situation.
Billy wants to attend UCLA for math. Billy looks at PIQ 5 and immediately thinks about the time his school's bus system shut down, so he developed a car-pool app to get him and his friends to class on time. The problem is that he A) doesn't really know how to tie that back to academic achievement without stretching and B) Billy doesn't want to lie. That absolutely isn't his most significant challenge. His most significant challenge was when his alcoholic father went to prison for assaulting his mother, and he had to testify at the trial. And he really didn't take many steps to overcome that it still haunts him. And also, very little of this experience affected his academic achievement.
So, I tell Billy it's fine, and we're 100% gonna go with the carpool story because it's fun and this prompt doesn't need to be taken literally, and also we can kind of just throw a bone to the academic achievement part they don't care.
(Actually, no. I say that to make my main man, Bill feel better, only to stare at prompt again, feel uneasy about the whole thing, and have us pivot that same bus story to a different PIQ, probably 2 or 4 in which it still fits fine.)
Am I right? This is how I handle this question, and how I recommend you students tackle it as well. Remember, "significant" is still very much there. Like whatever happened needs to rank on the "oh ya that sounds hard" scale. But it doesn't even need to be a negative thing. Building College With Mattie was a hell of a significant challenge. It doesn't mean it was a bad thing. But it also wasn't my most significant challenge that was being suicidally ill and addicted to opiates for most of my 20s.
But I know I'm playing with fire every time I take a student down this road. There is no other PIQ prompt that requires me to tell a student we can and should lie. And that’s why I tend to avoid this prompt entirely, more often than not. The fact is that for the vast majority of 17-year-olds on Earth, the most significant challenge they have faced is not something I recommend writing about at all.
And if your most significant challenge either isn't so dark or you find it important enough to write about then I give my support. But even then, you still need to get that needle into a dark enough zone or else you might be arbitrarily punished for “not taking the prompt seriously.”
I KNOW FOR A FACT that all this chaos results in a lot of kids who just wants to get into Davis seeing 5 and being like "Okay, that's what they want" and then being forced to recollect and share with a stranger legitimate trauma for reasons that are anything but cathartic. Especially if they don't get in. It’s bullshit, guys. Chance the fucking prompt.
Maybe this never reaches UC brass, but if you find this and you do UC seasonal reading or whatever, how do you handle reading PIQ 5s all day? Is it like an inside sour spot with your co-workers? I imagine you've read some dark PIQ 5 answers, and I won't speak to how much that made you want/not want to accept, but isn't that hard on you as a reader? As a human? Second-hand trauma is a very real phenomenon observed by internet moderators to the point that Facebook now makes mods sign agreements that they understand the risks of their work. Were you ever briefed or prepared for the type of content you’re exposed to?
https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-57088382.amp
Could you ask your bosses to rewrite the prompt to be *a* significant challenge? You don’t have to mention it’s the idea of some weirdo consultant you read online. Just bring up the issue. I guarantee it will cut down on a whole lot of problems in the future.
4. Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced.
Um, this is a much more boring version of the prior rant. My problem with this prompt is semantic: this is two separate questions.
So, I tend to take the question at its wording and completely ignore the section that doesn't apply. Thus making our options:
Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity
OR
Describe how you worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced
And I'm 95% okay with that. My only worry is that some hardo reader will be like "GRRR WE WANT THE QUESTION ANSWERED IN FULL!" Bro, you literally told me to pick one so I did.
But even using that metric, both of these new prompts are still C, mayyybe B tier. The problem is they both then become a weaker version of another promoter. 4A is now just a crappy version of the upcoming "Academic Subject" PIQ6 and 4B is just a crappy version of PIQ 5!
…This is getting silly. I only recommend using 4A. And yes it will just be a crappy version of another prompt you already used, but that's okay, in a pinch. I've actually warmed to it this year after finding a strategy for it that goes pretty well. Wheras PIQ 6 asks you to write about an academic interest in length, 4A can instead be used to talk about a specific academic experience (related to your applied major) that meant a lot to you. Both, if done correctly, should lead to a similar takeaway of "homie sure loves this major."
Fair warning! What you must avoid at all costs is the dreaded "field trip essay." This is a trap that most essays on research, internships, and other "shiny" ECs fall into. Your essay can't just be a blow-by-blow recap of all the things you saw and experienced at an event. At best that becomes an extracurricular sheet retread, and at worst you remove all agency from your contribution to the work itself. The event itself is not the one applying to college, so talking about how awesome it was won't help you.
The key to fixing this is making sure the actual academic experience is shrunk down into a nice tight paragraph or two. And then you spend the crux of the writing after extrapolating what you learned from that experience. You need to open the topic up to a more generalized view of the content and how your time there shifted it. So like you can write 100 words about how awesome it was to shadow that Doctor. But the 250 after need to be about how your views on the importance of pre-screening to prevent infectious diseases is imperative to public health, and how you have/will go about making that a priority. Got it?
4B? I…I actually never do 4B. I guess it's because I tend to promote an application that presents learning as such a magical, inspiring adventure in and of itself that there really isn't any time things went bad. Well okay, there are, but I never want to use limited application essay space writing about the time the magic carpet ride got held up. JUST EXPLAIN THE RIDE!
Now we have five PIQs left, and I have significantly fewer rants in me about any of them. Instead, I have actual advice because these are the ones my students actually do lol.
B-Tier (Viable, but only at an angle)
2. Every person has a creative side, and it can be expressed in many ways: problem solving, original and innovative thinking, and artistically, to name a few. Describe how you express your creative side.
I like explaining how to do this one because it makes me feel clever.
I will almost never take an artist, or singer, or writer, or pianist down this path. Especially if they are applying for that major. Now, I'm still having that opera singer write about singing opera, but not here. Can you parse why?
It's because writing about how a creative endeavor helps you express your creative side is inherently uncreative.
I mean, I could get away with it. But also I'm a professional writer and can get away with a lot of things. I'd probably write about how I never take notes, or journal, or outline a damn thing. Instead, I sit down randomly and type off 800-3,000 words: the vast majority never gets published. I know something I wrote is good enough specifically because I get it to a finish line at all. My writing only becomes real once I publish and see the response, as that's the one way I may test my creativity as opposed to assuming it.
And that would be the 12th-most interesting way I imagine I could write about why I love writing.
I guess that this being a prompt about *creativity* is what makes me so stringent that you can't come off as basic. If your creative hobby is how you unwind, or express yourself, or learn about yourself, that's super awesome.
But… those inherent benefits of being creative are kinda obvious and repetitive. Further, many other PIQs allow you to bring up your creative endeavor in a more entertaining light. What is your greatest talent or skill? It's Painting? Sick! Explain why you kill-crush it at painting. You in some artist community? Better tell me how you improve that artist community. And hell, feel free to get a paragraph into either of those essays about how painting allows you to express your creative side, if that's important to you. But don't burn an entire PIQ on it.
So who does write here? Well, it's kids who are applying math, or poli-sci, or computer science. Kids who work at food banks, normal banks, or any other non-creative environment.
I then ask them, "Okay, how do you express your creativity?"
And the responses come in three flavors:

1. They don't
2. They do via some hobby they never planned to write about
3. They do via a non-traditional extracurricular that one wouldn't inherently expect to be creative

1 is most common. And that's fine! We move right along. 2 comes up a fair amount: usually stuff like origami or collecting things. These tend to peter out if/when it becomes obvious they don't actually care that much about said hobby, it's just all they got. 3 is also rare, and usually involves the most digging and reconceptualization, but when it does it can be quite effective.
There's a reason this is B-Tier. It's kind of a difficult nut to crack. But when it hits, it can be pretty neat. A few winners that come to mind are the kid who wrote about building custom headphones and the aesthetic detail choices that accompany the boring tech parts. Another was a girl who wrote about her love of hiking as a way to clear her head and think about science problems that she wanted to solve.
Solid topics, right? But they're rare. And also not that solid. I do still absolutely recommend you take a lap thinking about this one through the lens I've provided. I think the stronger advice is from above that traditionally creative people should use a different prompt to explain their creativity than this one. Just more juice from the squeeze.
1. Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes or contributed to group efforts over time.
I mentioned above that UC readers will (presumably) read the four essays you submit in the numerical order that they're offered. I also mentioned not worrying about it, but I'll admit here I always do at least a little bit of consultant voodoo in making sure that the pacing of the four essays flows nicely. Meaning we save the most emotional response for the last or second-to-last PIQ. We similarly try and have the earliest PIQ read with a little bit of extra flair to it, almost like a single off an album!
And that brings us to PIQ1 here. I think it's a good fair question! But we run into a somewhat similar problem to the creativity prompt above.
Just writing about how you led one time is boring. And extra problematic is that this is PIQ response 1, and you're then expecting your reader to stick around once you get to the cool essays you actually care about.
The UCs want you to answer the questions authentically and logically, but they also want something worth reading. My advice here is different than the prompt above. You do not need to think of a time you weren't actually a leader because that's clever. If you led some shit, that's cool write about it and how you led it.
But! Do not fall into the trap of thinking that's all this is really supposed to be. I guess if you read through the essay and realize that the only takeaway is "you did, in fact, lead. And you did, in fact, contribute to group efforts over time." then that's not good enough.
I think the problem is the prompt. "Describe an example of your leadership experience" very much implies they want a full run-down of some club or event. They do not! Instead, try out, "Tell a story exemplifying your leadership experience."
And I guess we still get into weird meta-land because they still very much want you to tell that story like you are answering a job interview question. It's the difference between:
In tenth grade, I became president of my youth soccer team. As a leader, I signed new members and signed us up for tournaments. I also made it so more students came to practice every day. Thanks to my efforts we won the…
And
In tenth grade, I became president of my youth soccer team. The team was talented, but players would miss practice a lot. I couldn't force them to come every day because the team itself was voluntary, but I still needed to get them there so the team could improve.
And
Ryan wasn't at practice again. The third time this week. I felt sweat on my brow as I reached to my trusty notebook to cross out his name in red ink.
I promise I'm neither trying to confuse nor overwhelm you with all this info. Those are all absolutely ways to, theoretically, respond to this prompt. But option B is what I think the PIQs ask for, which is good because it's also the option of the three that isn't bad.
So don't be afraid of this prompt if it makes sense to you. The question itself does not require too much gaming. It's more that you make sure to use that prompt to write an actual essay instead of a glorified Extracurricular entry.
I actually might move this to D-Tier because I remembered another rant. This prompt is different in that instead of asking you to answer some question, it is actively instructing you to display a specific college-approved characteristic. The creative one also kind of does. I think I would similarly dislike a prompt that asked you to “Describe a time you displayed empathy” or “Describe a time you demonstrated perseverance." These PIQs and every other college essay are, at their core, asking you to display your traits/values/ya know that you will contribute at their school. But this prompt does it in such a direct, on-the-nose way that it itself becomes limiting.
A Tier (You should do these they’re good and fun)
3. what would you say is your greatest talent or skill? how have you developed and demonstrated that talent over time?
Now we’re cooking! If you can’t think of any credible answers for this prompt, I’m sorry that’s kind of a self-own.
Here are some ways I’ve taken students through it.

1. We just flex. Are you, like, really good at something? Like won big competitions, or run a business, or have a dedicated bench reserved for you at Carnegie Hall? There is absolutely nothing wrong with dropping that in here and just celebrating how and why you are so damn good.

And be proud of yourself! This is not the time to play faux-humble and act like that solar death ray you built ain’t no thang. Now, don’t come off cocky or arrogant, but a nice line between passionate, engaged, dedicated, and proud of what you’ve achieved is gonna read really nice.
This is also a great spot to EC Profile. Feel free to bring up just how much money your non-profit raised, and how many stray cats you were able to provide food for. Mention how the mayor personally commended you and even throw in a quote from his recommendation.
But that should find its way in around content that goes into why your skill means so much to you and the way you engage with it that makes you different. This essay should be fun have fun answering it.
2) We use it to write about an EC that they’re super into but…well they’re not elite at it, aren’t majoring in it, and I tend not to see it as a huge boost to their overall acceptance chances—because not all ECs are created equal. This is mostly band, marching band, sports, debate, MUN, and maybe like an academic club that itself isn’t that impressive. But I’m not a total jerk, and if something matters to my student we get it in here. Often these essays are big on personality and passion, as opposed to self-praise. Lot of mini-stories about the debate bus getting lost in Tijuana and having a special handshake with every other violinist. That kind of stuff.
3) We go a little ironic with it and bring up something that they are “great” at, but like who cares. These almost always begin with the item + "!" As it’s own paragraph.
“Beating my brother in Charades!”
“Paintball!”
“Digging holes!”
Then we’re off, kinda like example two, with a fun, high-energy piece that’s really more about how/why they love something than actually expecting to get into UCLA because you kick ass at counting how many dead bugs splatter on your windshield.
4) We go soft skills. “Being there for my friends.” “Keeping my brother out of trouble.” “Making teachers laugh.”
Okay, we made 7,500 words in, and for the first time, I hope you went “oooh. I like this idea.” Because this fourth option is really strong and has led to a lot of great content. In this version, the prompt becomes a modified version of the upcoming community essay. But this one is more flexible, and I think lends itself more to describing your personal strengths and mindset, vs #7, which demands more evidence of your help.
I’m even thinking back to that leadership prompt, but how bout instead of writing about your time as leader at lil-kid robot camp for 1, you instead start this bad boy with a “Getting little kids up and dressed in time for breakfast”? That open can then very naturally lead into a similar overview of your time as camp leader, only you now have a fun angle + infinite flexibility on where you go with it. Damn. PIQ 3 is so spicy. Love PIQ 3.
7. what have you done to make your school or your community a better place?
The good news here is you kinda just want to answer the prompt. And you are doing yourself a real disservice if you skip this one. It turns out that the University of California very much wishes to know how you have contributed to your school or community. I mean, every school does, but I can’t think of any other program except Princeton rn that places a larger emphasis on your charitable and selfless deeds than this series of prestigious Universities run by Bay Area Liberal Elites.
I guess my advice is don’t overthink it. Here is a rough flow chart on what to cover. Have you:

1. Organized and/or led a large-scale service effort that achieved demonstrated impact? You should write about it! Provide equal space to profile the work you’ve done and then also your motivations and experiences throughout your time working. I almost always have students at least get a paragraph in here that brings the reader down to the ground floor. Yes, your major role may have been fundraising, but what was it like being able to deliver those camping supplies to homeless vets? What did you chat about, and how did that make you feel? I hope I’m not throwing you for a loop here; this essay should kind of write itself, provided you’ve put in the work.
2. Are you involved in one or several service groups? Write about them here. Often it’s several, and a fun strategy can be to compare and contrast the way you handle different situations. If you both teach music to inner-city children and work at the food bank, how is your mindset similar or different between them? Similar seems to work better, if only in a “we’re all human" kind of way.
3. Did you volunteer? Or…help anyone? I do a ton of lil-kid tutoring essays with students, primarily because, for whatever reason, I have a lot of perspective on the fine art of academically and morally supporting someone ~10 years younger than me whom I adore and want to see get everything they deserve in life. Go figure.

This can kind of just be an essay about whatever work you did and the relationships you made along the way. Such a topic also probably fits other prompts, but if you don’t have anything grander to profile + understand that you really need to answer this one, this is a fine spot.
4) You also can be flexible with what a community is. I remember a good one was, “I share my pens with people.” And then the essay was about her pen collection and how she has happy pens and scared pens and everyone gets a certain pen and she got into Berkeley so there.
All I’m saying is this prompt can be flexible, if need be. But unless you have a really great angle to take it (LIKE PENS), you’re better off playing it straight with one of the EC-centric avenues listed above.
I really, really don’t want this section to come off as cynical. Helping people is cool, and you should be proud of whatever work you’ve done. There’s no crazy meta-strat, except that you very, very, very want to answer this one. Write the essay you want to write here, and if it makes you feel something meaningful while writing it, that energy will come across in the final product.
But do answer this one. If you want to get into college, that is.
S-Tier (Must haves and must have in a certain way)
We finish this tier list off with THE GOAT
6. think about an academic subject that inspires you. describe how you have furthered this interest inside and/or outside of the classroom.
I went back and looked at the UC section for all four full years of student files I’ve worked on. I then ignored 2019 because I had no idea what I was doing that first year.
Of the three remaining years, I have had two (2) students ever apply to the UCs without answering this prompt. One because we only finished three essays, period and I don’t even know if he applied. The others are because we basically just repurposed PIQ4 to tell the same story. In every other case we have hit this essay with both barrels. And that’s not changing anytime soon. Do six.
But what makes this prompt so important isn't just that you need to do it; there's very much a way in which you want to tackle it.
Okay, so when you apply to the UCs you have to pick a major.
Right, so that major is probably gonna be the same for all the different schools. Or if not, there’s going to be a certain school/major option that you are most holding out hope for. Yes? Makes sense.
Great. That major is now an academic subject that inspires you and you have furthered inside and/or outside of the classroom.
I usually have students write this PIQ response twice. The first time is right at the beginning. That response is a straightforward and almost literal response to the prompt. Hell, I can give you a quick-and-dirty outline to parrot:

• How student was first Introduced to subject
• Reason for fascination/enjoyment
• Deep dive into specific aspect of subject that most interests them
• Discussion of how they personally worked to better understand the subject matter
• Discussion of related EC that increased their knowledge
• (Optional) Discussion of additional EC that increased their knowledge
• Conclusion reaffirming their passion w/ vague specifics on the type of advanced research/learning they wish to tackle in college

Such a PIQ draft will prove invaluable both because this is the essay you pretty much need to be submitting and also because organizing and analyzing your academic history as it relates to your future major now will make it much easier to write about that journey at length in the many application essays to come.
I guess I’m spoiling my big huge strategy for college admissions as a whole, but a spoiler is that if you’re applying math to college, I think it’s really God damn important that you explain how and why you like math so much, the academic and life experiences that have informed such a bold claim, at least a guesstimation regarding where you’d like to take this passion in the future, and, if applicable, how the school you’re applying to will prove the next logical step on your grand journey. That’s FLL, baby.
And then the second draft of this essential, no-doubt, gotta have it PIQ response? Well, that comes quite a bit later. Like, usually once we return in November. That newer, more successful draft will usually contain a lot of the same core EC material and general theming, but usually be contained within a deeper, more satisfying narrative explaining why they like the subject so damn much in the first place. Such sugary coating usually forms naturally as I get to know my students better and help them discover who they are and why they do what they do. It’s kind of my job.

• Mattie

STILL FUN! Welcome back. Now here’s my tier breakdown of each of the 8 PIQ prompts and advice on if/how to answer them.
F-Tier (Unusable)
8. Beyond what has already been shared in your application, what do you believe makes you stand out as a strong candidate for admissions to the University of California?
I've attempted this prompt on three occasions with three students but never submitted it. The first two were back in my first year when I didn’t know what I was doing. In each case, I was hoping to use this prompt similarly to how I use the additional info box on the Common App—as a way to explain away issues or gas up a certain project or whatever.
The problem is the UC Application already has an additional info section.
Here's a College Essay Guy article on it. Don't read his other UC stuff tho mine's better grrrr.
https://www.collegeessayguy.com/blog/UC-application-additional-comments-examples
Said box is kind of buried within the UC application portal, and I guarantee the majority of applicants (and acceptances) never touch it.
And while I am a big, big, big fan of the Common App Additional Info section for reasons that I'll write about another time, for the UCs it all feels a little weird. UCs already don't ask for LoRs/do nearly as much background checking on your personal life. This seems to be half because they're too busy and half for reasons that tend not to affect the average Berkeley EES gunner quite as often:
https://dailybruin.com/2017/08/07/uc-job-applications-to-no-longer-require-disclosure-of-past-convictions
All this is to say that PIQ 8 is basically an additional info box, on a form that already has an additional info box, for an organization that doesn't seem to want your additional info that much.
I'm sure there are other ways you could answer this prompt. And like, I'm sure it could be fine. But I've been doing this a long time, and am yet to find a story a student wishes to tell that couldn't fit into one of the other seven prompts. This one is a meme and sucks. Just ignore it.
C-Tier (I'm not mad just disappointed)
There are no E or D tiers. That's because there are no other UC prompts I think aren't ever worth doing. But the following two I have major beef with.
5. Describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to overcome this challenge. How has this challenge affected your academic achievement?
Yo. Want me to make this prompt A-Tier? At worst High-B? It's very simple.
5. Describe a significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to overcome this challenge. What takeaways have you gained from this experience?
All I've done is change "the most" to "a" and made the back half more generalized because not all challenges affect your academic achievement. I’d also be fine with:
The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
This, of course, being the #2 option for the Common App Personal Statement, which I’m 100% fine with.
Hell if that's too much, this would also be totally fine.
Describe a significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to overcome this challenge.
That solves two logistical problems that this prompt represents. And I sorely hope this piece passes the desk of someone at UC Admissions because it's valuable feedback on how they could make their application better for both students and readers.
The first problem is that "most significant challenge" is an unbelievable burden to ask of a teenager who just wants to get into college. It is my belief that the UCs want you to answer every PIQ question like you're answering a job interview question. And I like that! No quotes. No metaphors. Just take the prompt and answer it accurately and articulately.
But part of that is answering the question honestly and authentically. So, UC admissions, you don't want some flowy monologue because you want to learn about the student? And if you catch wind that they're trying to hustle you with their responses, that's no good, right? Well, this prompt places certain students in a very tricky situation.
Billy wants to attend UCLA for math. Billy looks at PIQ 5 and immediately thinks about the time his school's bus system shut down, so he developed a car-pool app to get him and his friends to class on time. The problem is that he A) doesn't really know how to tie that back to academic achievement without stretching and B) Billy doesn't want to lie. That absolutely isn't his most significant challenge. His most significant challenge was when his alcoholic father went to prison for assaulting his mother, and he had to testify at the trial. And he really didn't take many steps to overcome that it still haunts him. And also, very little of this experience affected his academic achievement.
So, I tell Billy it's fine, and we're 100% gonna go with the carpool story because it's fun and this prompt doesn't need to be taken literally, and also we can kind of just throw a bone to the academic achievement part they don't care.
(Actually, no. I say that to make my main man, Bill feel better, only to stare at prompt again, feel uneasy about the whole thing, and have us pivot that same bus story to a different PIQ, probably 2 or 4 in which it still fits fine.)
Am I right? This is how I handle this question, and how I recommend you students tackle it as well. Remember, "significant" is still very much there. Like whatever happened needs to rank on the "oh ya that sounds hard" scale. But it doesn't even need to be a negative thing. Building College With Mattie was a hell of a significant challenge. It doesn't mean it was a bad thing. But it also wasn't my most significant challenge that was being suicidally ill and addicted to opiates for most of my 20s.
But I know I'm playing with fire every time I take a student down this road. There is no other PIQ prompt that requires me to tell a student we can and should lie. And that’s why I tend to avoid this prompt entirely, more often than not. The fact is that for the vast majority of 17-year-olds on Earth, the most significant challenge they have faced is not something I recommend writing about at all.
And if your most significant challenge either isn't so dark or you find it important enough to write about then I give my support. But even then, you still need to get that needle into a dark enough zone or else you might be arbitrarily punished for “not taking the prompt seriously.”
I KNOW FOR A FACT that all this chaos results in a lot of kids who just wants to get into Davis seeing 5 and being like "Okay, that's what they want" and then being forced to recollect and share with a stranger legitimate trauma for reasons that are anything but cathartic. Especially if they don't get in. It’s bullshit, guys. Chance the fucking prompt.
Maybe this never reaches UC brass, but if you find this and you do UC seasonal reading or whatever, how do you handle reading PIQ 5s all day? Is it like an inside sour spot with your co-workers? I imagine you've read some dark PIQ 5 answers, and I won't speak to how much that made you want/not want to accept, but isn't that hard on you as a reader? As a human? Second-hand trauma is a very real phenomenon observed by internet moderators to the point that Facebook now makes mods sign agreements that they understand the risks of their work. Were you ever briefed or prepared for the type of content you’re exposed to?
https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-57088382.amp
Could you ask your bosses to rewrite the prompt to be *a* significant challenge? You don’t have to mention it’s the idea of some weirdo consultant you read online. Just bring up the issue. I guarantee it will cut down on a whole lot of problems in the future.
4. Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced.
Um, this is a much more boring version of the prior rant. My problem with this prompt is semantic: this is two separate questions.
So, I tend to take the question at its wording and completely ignore the section that doesn't apply. Thus making our options:
Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity
OR
Describe how you worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced
And I'm 95% okay with that. My only worry is that some hardo reader will be like "GRRR WE WANT THE QUESTION ANSWERED IN FULL!" Bro, you literally told me to pick one so I did.
But even using that metric, both of these new prompts are still C, mayyybe B tier. The problem is they both then become a weaker version of another promoter. 4A is now just a crappy version of the upcoming "Academic Subject" PIQ6 and 4B is just a crappy version of PIQ 5!
…This is getting silly. I only recommend using 4A. And yes it will just be a crappy version of another prompt you already used, but that's okay, in a pinch. I've actually warmed to it this year after finding a strategy for it that goes pretty well. Wheras PIQ 6 asks you to write about an academic interest in length, 4A can instead be used to talk about a specific academic experience (related to your applied major) that meant a lot to you. Both, if done correctly, should lead to a similar takeaway of "homie sure loves this major."
Fair warning! What you must avoid at all costs is the dreaded "field trip essay." This is a trap that most essays on research, internships, and other "shiny" ECs fall into. Your essay can't just be a blow-by-blow recap of all the things you saw and experienced at an event. At best that becomes an extracurricular sheet retread, and at worst you remove all agency from your contribution to the work itself. The event itself is not the one applying to college, so talking about how awesome it was won't help you.
The key to fixing this is making sure the actual academic experience is shrunk down into a nice tight paragraph or two. And then you spend the crux of the writing after extrapolating what you learned from that experience. You need to open the topic up to a more generalized view of the content and how your time there shifted it. So like you can write 100 words about how awesome it was to shadow that Doctor. But the 250 after need to be about how your views on the importance of pre-screening to prevent infectious diseases is imperative to public health, and how you have/will go about making that a priority. Got it?
4B? I…I actually never do 4B. I guess it's because I tend to promote an application that presents learning as such a magical, inspiring adventure in and of itself that there really isn't any time things went bad. Well okay, there are, but I never want to use limited application essay space writing about the time the magic carpet ride got held up. JUST EXPLAIN THE RIDE!
Now we have five PIQs left, and I have significantly fewer rants in me about any of them. Instead, I have actual advice because these are the ones my students actually do lol.
B-Tier (Viable, but only at an angle)
2. Every person has a creative side, and it can be expressed in many ways: problem solving, original and innovative thinking, and artistically, to name a few. Describe how you express your creative side.
I like explaining how to do this one because it makes me feel clever.
I will almost never take an artist, or singer, or writer, or pianist down this path. Especially if they are applying for that major. Now, I'm still having that opera singer write about singing opera, but not here. Can you parse why?
It's because writing about how a creative endeavor helps you express your creative side is inherently uncreative.
I mean, I could get away with it. But also I'm a professional writer and can get away with a lot of things. I'd probably write about how I never take notes, or journal, or outline a damn thing. Instead, I sit down randomly and type off 800-3,000 words: the vast majority never gets published. I know something I wrote is good enough specifically because I get it to a finish line at all. My writing only becomes real once I publish and see the response, as that's the one way I may test my creativity as opposed to assuming it.
And that would be the 12th-most interesting way I imagine I could write about why I love writing.
I guess that this being a prompt about *creativity* is what makes me so stringent that you can't come off as basic. If your creative hobby is how you unwind, or express yourself, or learn about yourself, that's super awesome.
But… those inherent benefits of being creative are kinda obvious and repetitive. Further, many other PIQs allow you to bring up your creative endeavor in a more entertaining light. What is your greatest talent or skill? It's Painting? Sick! Explain why you kill-crush it at painting. You in some artist community? Better tell me how you improve that artist community. And hell, feel free to get a paragraph into either of those essays about how painting allows you to express your creative side, if that's important to you. But don't burn an entire PIQ on it.
So who does write here? Well, it's kids who are applying math, or poli-sci, or computer science. Kids who work at food banks, normal banks, or any other non-creative environment.
I then ask them, "Okay, how do you express your creativity?"
And the responses come in three flavors:

1. They don't
2. They do via some hobby they never planned to write about
3. They do via a non-traditional extracurricular that one wouldn't inherently expect to be creative

1 is most common. And that's fine! We move right along. 2 comes up a fair amount: usually stuff like origami or collecting things. These tend to peter out if/when it becomes obvious they don't actually care that much about said hobby, it's just all they got. 3 is also rare, and usually involves the most digging and reconceptualization, but when it does it can be quite effective.
There's a reason this is B-Tier. It's kind of a difficult nut to crack. But when it hits, it can be pretty neat. A few winners that come to mind are the kid who wrote about building custom headphones and the aesthetic detail choices that accompany the boring tech parts. Another was a girl who wrote about her love of hiking as a way to clear her head and think about science problems that she wanted to solve.
Solid topics, right? But they're rare. And also not that solid. I do still absolutely recommend you take a lap thinking about this one through the lens I've provided. I think the stronger advice is from above that traditionally creative people should use a different prompt to explain their creativity than this one. Just more juice from the squeeze.
1. Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes or contributed to group efforts over time.
I mentioned above that UC readers will (presumably) read the four essays you submit in the numerical order that they're offered. I also mentioned not worrying about it, but I'll admit here I always do at least a little bit of consultant voodoo in making sure that the pacing of the four essays flows nicely. Meaning we save the most emotional response for the last or second-to-last PIQ. We similarly try and have the earliest PIQ read with a little bit of extra flair to it, almost like a single off an album!
And that brings us to PIQ1 here. I think it's a good fair question! But we run into a somewhat similar problem to the creativity prompt above.
Just writing about how you led one time is boring. And extra problematic is that this is PIQ response 1, and you're then expecting your reader to stick around once you get to the cool essays you actually care about.
The UCs want you to answer the questions authentically and logically, but they also want something worth reading. My advice here is different than the prompt above. You do not need to think of a time you weren't actually a leader because that's clever. If you led some shit, that's cool write about it and how you led it.
But! Do not fall into the trap of thinking that's all this is really supposed to be. I guess if you read through the essay and realize that the only takeaway is "you did, in fact, lead. And you did, in fact, contribute to group efforts over time." then that's not good enough.
I think the problem is the prompt. "Describe an example of your leadership experience" very much implies they want a full run-down of some club or event. They do not! Instead, try out, "Tell a story exemplifying your leadership experience."
And I guess we still get into weird meta-land because they still very much want you to tell that story like you are answering a job interview question. It's the difference between:
In tenth grade, I became president of my youth soccer team. As a leader, I signed new members and signed us up for tournaments. I also made it so more students came to practice every day. Thanks to my efforts we won the…
And
In tenth grade, I became president of my youth soccer team. The team was talented, but players would miss practice a lot. I couldn't force them to come every day because the team itself was voluntary, but I still needed to get them there so the team could improve.
And
Ryan wasn't at practice again. The third time this week. I felt sweat on my brow as I reached to my trusty notebook to cross out his name in red ink.
I promise I'm neither trying to confuse nor overwhelm you with all this info. Those are all absolutely ways to, theoretically, respond to this prompt. But option B is what I think the PIQs ask for, which is good because it's also the option of the three that isn't bad.
So don't be afraid of this prompt if it makes sense to you. The question itself does not require too much gaming. It's more that you make sure to use that prompt to write an actual essay instead of a glorified Extracurricular entry.
I actually might move this to D-Tier because I remembered another rant. This prompt is different in that instead of asking you to answer some question, it is actively instructing you to display a specific college-approved characteristic. The creative one also kind of does. I think I would similarly dislike a prompt that asked you to “Describe a time you displayed empathy” or “Describe a time you demonstrated perseverance." These PIQs and every other college essay are, at their core, asking you to display your traits/values/ya know that you will contribute at their school. But this prompt does it in such a direct, on-the-nose way that it itself becomes limiting.
A Tier (You should do these they’re good and fun)
3. what would you say is your greatest talent or skill? how have you developed and demonstrated that talent over time?
Now we’re cooking! If you can’t think of any credible answers for this prompt, I’m sorry that’s kind of a self-own.
Here are some ways I’ve taken students through it.
1) We just flex. Are you, like, really good at something? Like won big competitions, or run a business, or have a dedicated bench reserved for you at Carnegie Hall? There is absolutely nothing wrong with dropping that in here and just celebrating how and why you are so damn good.
And be proud of yourself! This is not the time to play faux-humble and act like that solar death ray you built ain’t no thang. Now, don’t come off cocky or arrogant, but a nice line between passionate, engaged, dedicated, and proud of what you’ve achieved is gonna read really nice.
This is also a great spot to EC Profile. Feel free to bring up just how much money your non-profit raised, and how many stray cats you were able to provide food for. Mention how the mayor personally commended you and even throw in a quote from his recommendation.
But that should find its way in around content that goes into why your skill means so much to you and the way you engage with it that makes you different. This essay should be fun have fun answering it.
2) We use it to write about an EC that they’re super into but…well they’re not elite at it, aren’t majoring in it, and I tend not to see it as a huge boost to their overall acceptance chances—because not all ECs are created equal. This is mostly band, marching band, sports, debate, MUN, and maybe like an academic club that itself isn’t that impressive. But I’m not a total jerk, and if something matters to my student we get it in here. Often these essays are big on personality and passion, as opposed to self-praise. Lot of mini-stories about the debate bus getting lost in Tijuana and having a special handshake with every other violinist. That kind of stuff.
3) We go a little ironic with it and bring up something that they are “great” at, but like who cares. These almost always begin with the item + "!" As it’s own paragraph.
“Beating my brother in Charades!”
“Paintball!”
“Digging holes!”
Then we’re off, kinda like example two, with a fun, high-energy piece that’s really more about how/why they love something than actually expecting to get into UCLA because you kick ass at counting how many dead bugs splatter on your windshield.
4) We go soft skills. “Being there for my friends.” “Keeping my brother out of trouble.” “Making teachers laugh.”
Okay, we made 7,500 words in, and for the first time, I hope you went “oooh. I like this idea.” Because this fourth option is really strong and has led to a lot of great content. In this version, the prompt becomes a modified version of the upcoming community essay. But this one is more flexible, and I think lends itself more to describing your personal strengths and mindset, vs #7, which demands more evidence of your help.
I’m even thinking back to that leadership prompt, but how bout instead of writing about your time as leader at lil-kid robot camp for 1, you instead start this bad boy with a “Getting little kids up and dressed in time for breakfast”? That open can then very naturally lead into a similar overview of your time as camp leader, only you now have a fun angle + infinite flexibility on where you go with it. Damn. PIQ 3 is so spicy. Love PIQ 3.
7. what have you done to make your school or your community a better place?
The good news here is you kinda just want to answer the prompt. And you are doing yourself a real disservice if you skip this one. It turns out that the University of California very much wishes to know how you have contributed to your school or community. I mean, every school does, but I can’t think of any other program except Princeton rn that places a larger emphasis on your charitable and selfless deeds than this series of prestigious Universities run by Bay Area Liberal Elites.
I guess my advice is don’t overthink it. Here is a rough flow chart on what to cover. Have you:

1. Organized and/or led a large-scale service effort that achieved demonstrated impact? You should write about it! Provide equal space to profile the work you’ve done and then also your motivations and experiences throughout your time working. I almost always have students at least get a paragraph in here that brings the reader down to the ground floor. Yes, your major role may have been fundraising, but what was it like being able to deliver those camping supplies to homeless vets? What did you chat about, and how did that make you feel? I hope I’m not throwing you for a loop here; this essay should kind of write itself, provided you’ve put in the work.
2. Are you involved in one or several service groups? Write about them here. Often it’s several, and a fun strategy can be to compare and contrast the way you handle different situations. If you both teach music to inner-city children and work at the food bank, how is your mindset similar or different between them? Similar seems to work better, if only in a “we’re all human" kind of way.
3. Did you volunteer? Or…help anyone? I do a ton of lil-kid tutoring essays with students, primarily because, for whatever reason, I have a lot of perspective on the fine art of academically and morally supporting someone ~10 years younger than me whom I adore and want to see get everything they deserve in life. Go figure.

This can kind of just be an essay about whatever work you did and the relationships you made along the way. Such a topic also probably fits other prompts, but if you don’t have anything grander to profile + understand that you really need to answer this one, this is a fine spot.
4) You also can be flexible with what a community is. I remember a good one was, “I share my pens with people.” And then the essay was about her pen collection and how she has happy pens and scared pens and everyone gets a certain pen and she got into Berkeley so there.
All I’m saying is this prompt can be flexible, if need be. But unless you have a really great angle to take it (LIKE PENS), you’re better off playing it straight with one of the EC-centric avenues listed above.
I really, really don’t want this section to come off as cynical. Helping people is cool, and you should be proud of whatever work you’ve done. There’s no crazy meta-strat, except that you very, very, very want to answer this one. Write the essay you want to write here, and if it makes you feel something meaningful while writing it, that energy will come across in the final product.
But do answer this one. If you want to get into college, that is.
S-Tier (Must haves and must have in a certain way)
We finish this tier list off with THE GOAT
6. think about an academic subject that inspires you. describe how you have furthered this interest inside and/or outside of the classroom.
I went back and looked at the UC section for all four full years of student files I’ve worked on. I then ignored 2019 because I had no idea what I was doing that first year.
Of the three remaining years, I have had two (2) students ever apply to the UCs without answering this prompt. One because we only finished three essays, period and I don’t even know if he applied. The others are because we basically just repurposed PIQ4 to tell the same story. In every other case we have hit this essay with both barrels. And that’s not changing anytime soon. Do six.
But what makes this prompt so important isn't just that you need to do it; there's very much a way in which you want to tackle it.
Okay, so when you apply to the UCs you have to pick a major.
Right, so that major is probably gonna be the same for all the different schools. Or if not, there’s going to be a certain school/major option that you are most holding out hope for. Yes? Makes sense.
Great. That major is now an academic subject that inspires you and you have furthered inside and/or outside of the classroom.
I usually have students write this PIQ response twice. The first time is right at the beginning. That response is a straightforward and almost literal response to the prompt. Hell, I can give you a quick-and-dirty outline to parrot:

• How student was first Introduced to subject
• Reason for fascination/enjoyment
• Deep dive into specific aspect of subject that most interests them
• Discussion of how they personally worked to better understand the subject matter
• Discussion of related EC that increased their knowledge
• (Optional) Discussion of additional EC that increased their knowledge
• Conclusion reaffirming their passion w/ vague specifics on the type of advanced research/learning they wish to tackle in college

Such a PIQ draft will prove invaluable both because this is the essay you pretty much need to be submitting and also because organizing and analyzing your academic history as it relates to your future major now will make it much easier to write about that journey at length in the many application essays to come.
I guess I’m spoiling my big huge strategy for college admissions as a whole, but a spoiler is that if you’re applying math to college, I think it’s really God damn important that you explain how and why you like math so much, the academic and life experiences that have informed such a bold claim, at least a guesstimation regarding where you’d like to take this passion in the future, and, if applicable, how the school you’re applying to will prove the next logical step on your grand journey. That’s FLL, baby.
And then the second draft of this essential, no-doubt, gotta have it PIQ response? Well, that comes quite a bit later. Like, usually once we return in November. That newer, more successful draft will usually contain a lot of the same core EC material and general theming, but usually be contained within a deeper, more satisfying narrative explaining why they like the subject so damn much in the first place. Such sugary coating usually forms naturally as I get to know my students better and help them discover who they are and why they do what they do. It’s kind of my job.

• Mattie

Let me tell you there are still 3.5 months left, I have seen lot of posts regarding is it still possible or not - YES IT IS POSSIBLE. You need to study a minimum of 9 - 12 hours strictly daily and you may make your plan according to your convenience but just study law daily even if it is for 1 hour
MY STORY - I had exactly 9 months to study CA Foundation and wasted approx 5.5 months procrastinating. Started to study in last 3.5 months, completed the syllabus by doing selective study in almost all the papers in 2.5 months and did revision in the last month and scored 262/400 and 52 in Law+BCR (Specifically mentioned marks of Law since majority of the CA Foundation students fail because of securing marks below 40 in law) Also to mention I caught viral infection during my accountancy exam from the exam centre and was down with extreme fever during the remaining exams, I was on pills and I would sit in the exams by visiting the doctor in the morning before exam and get 1 injection for fever All this story just to tell you the mistaks to be avoided - THIS PROCASTINATION - Please get rid of it
Now for self study I will highly highly recommend you these playlists - Just blindly blindly follow this playlist, I guarantee this to you that you'll not face any problem in your preparation
Just follow these playlists and guidance for respective subjects as follows :-
ACCOUNTS - Complete the playlist and understand the concept properly and then practice questions from entire module including illustrations (You may skip 1-2 chapters of less weightage or 1 chapter of high weightage like NPO since it is somewhat tricky and was not in 12th syllabus) - In each written exam you have to skip 1 question fully and from NPO only 1 question appears from the exam - You can skip this and attempt the remainder - This is what I did
Trust me when I say this that for accounts - 70 - 80% of the paper is from ICAI Module with values changed (EXACT SAME QUESTION)
LAW - You might think at some point during your preparation that lectures are irrelevant but along with the learning part you must also understand the concept to write the answer in the exam. Just read the chapters from the module - No need to mug up - Just learn the keywords and only definitions you have to mug up
No need to learn the sections and case laws- Learn important case laws and only those sections which you feel are important or easy to learn since, in exams if your entire answer is correct but you quote the wrong section for the explanation you get a 0
Do writing practice of case studies as there is a particular format in which you have to write answers for Law i.e in the order - Provision Analysis Conclusion, and you can master this only with enough practice
MATHS - Watch lectures, you may face some difficulty if you are from non-maths background (Not opted for maths in class 11 and 12) but if you study from the teacher I am suggesting - You'll not face any problem in maths provided you practice on your own too
Practice the entire module of maths too (Including illustrations) but there is this one exercise in each chapter of maths idk Set C ig, which contains very high level questions of the chapter --- Just skip that exercise and illustrations related to that exercise
Also for maths - Module is not enough since the questions in the exam are twisted to test conceptual understanding of the student - For this you'll have to practice PYQ's along with the module - I'll give the link for the lectures of PYQ also
In my attempt (Dec 23) majority questions were from PYQ due to which I could easily score 60 marks although I could revise only half the syllabus during the prep leaves because of my fever. Doing PYQ's are mandatory not an option
ECONOMICS - Initially, during my attempt and before that Eco was of 60 marks and rest was BCK which was comparatively easy but since, now entire eco is of 100 marks and syllabus includes Indian Eco also the difficulty level has somewhat increased, Initially EcoBCK used to be the easiest of all the papers So for economics just watch lectures make notes and read and understand the entire module (Reading module is mandatory)
Note - You may feel like this is too much - Ye to saara hi syllabus karne bol raha hai -- Let me tell you ICAI is clever, it may ask tough question from easy chapters and then you'll feel that not skipping stuff was better
Chapters that I skipped (HONESTLY) Accounts - Skipped NPO -- Covered remaining chapters thoroughly Law - 3.5 units of Contract act and Full LLP - Let me tell you for law, I had BCR as support to pass this paper 2 but you don't have this privilege, so choose wisely what to skip Maths - Correlation and Regression, Theoretical Distributions, Derivatives & Integration, Linear Inequalities Economics - Skipped nothing
All playlists -> ACCOUNTS - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgBVpg4bJSabobCmn2Q8eBlsfyIDzgN3T
LAW - Try CTC Classes YT Channel but would recommend you that you purchase lectures for Law if you can spend 3k - Purchase lectures from AVJ Academy Laxmi Nagar (Google Drive classes) Watch Arjun Chhabra sir's marathons for revision !!
MATHS - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgBVpg4bJSaa5grMhHYfl8MRYz7sfbBiy
ECONOMICS - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgBVpg4bJSabYwcUQE1A_7__NeggoQxTE Don't follow his notes - Just understand the concept and read module!!
MATHS PYQ :- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3tXDENgnkpKSsg_35VeBElSgrp1pcv1o https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3tXDENgnkpLjWpTcVEsw8u7LKhrzNAI0 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3tXDENgnkpITT9vfuhq1Mq1zpEt-HB1Z
All of the above links are of those teachers from whom I have actually studied !

Short version:
Had to send my refurbished laptop in for repairs. Once it was received I got this voice mail along with an invoice for $510.

"Hi, Chris, my name is Amit. I am calling you from Dell Technologies in regards of dispatch number XXXXXXXXX. This is a follow-up call that we have received one of your systems at Dell for repair. We have diagnosed this system and identified spinach in the system. Due to the spinach, the system will not repair under warranty. I will send you the quote. You may use this quote to pay online. In case of any concerns, you may call at 800-288-4410 or refer to our email. We work Monday through Friday 10 PM to 7 PM central standard time. Please allow us 24 hours to cater any of your requests. Your satisfaction is important for us. Thank you for choosing Dell Technologies. Have a good day.

Long version:
Got a refurbished Dell XPS 9500 a year or two ago. Paid extra for four years of coverage, because, refurbished. Suddenly had a problem with the cord not charging. Other cords worked fine, so clearly an issue with the cord. Put in a service request over chat. While chatting they asked if there were any other issues with the computer, I replied that some of the keyboard keys would stick or not register and that the trackpad would sometimes not respond, as if it was pushed down and wouldn't come back up. Really all I needed was a new cord, but they asked.
Dell said they were sending out a repairman. Not just sending a cord? OK, fine, if I can get the other problems fixed why not, I have a backup computer. Got a notification they were going to send out a local person to fix the computer, and that a keyboard and trackpad were going to be sent.
Repair guy, nice guy named Mustafa, came out and I reviewed the problems. He took the computer apart, nosed around, said, "OK, I don't have the parts, but I'm going to order a keyboard and trackpad and, oh yes, a new power cord." I said, "You don't have the parts already?" He said, "No, I have to order them."
Shrug. OK, whatever. So we set up a second appointment. He gets the parts. He presents me with a new power cord. Works fine. I try the old one, nothing; I try the new one, works fine. Pretty clear case of power cord being bad.
Basically the problem I reported is fixed at this point. But we have the new keyboard and trackpad, so he takes apart the computer.
Note that at no point up to now has anyone mentioned spinach. (This will be important later.)
He replaces the trackpad and keyboard, a five-minute job for him, and as he is putting it back together, he looks at the cable that connects the battery to the motherboard and basically says, "Uh-oh." I say, "What?" and he says, "This connector broke. I'm not sure if the battery will charge now." He shows me the connector. To me it looks like the tiniest piece of plastic broke off, but all the pins seem perfectly intact and able to make contact. He says, "These things are so delicate, this happens often."
So I, being very clever, say, "....OK?" In his defense, he seemed to be quite careful with everything, and the components are so tiny I don't doubt this can easily happen. He puts everything back together so we can see where we are. Computer starts up, shows that it is charging, and we are relieved. Smiles all around, he packs up his stuff and leaves.
As I established, I'm quite clever, but somehow it didn't occur to me to restart the computer and see if the power still worked or to actually, you know, test the new trackpad and keyboard before he left. Instead I good-naturedly assumed everything was fine now. So there are apparently limits to my cleverness. (I'm as shocked as you are.)
Well, later that day, I decide to actually, you know, use the computer. Start it up, it's not charging. Get the login screen, get past the Windows Hello. A notification of some sort is up on the screen. Click to dismiss it—nothing happens. Hit ESC to dismiss it—nothing happens.
Also the battery isn't charging. I try various things to try to troubleshoot but nothing helps, and then the computer's battery dies.
So I call the tech. Long story shorter, so the battery cable is apparently broken, like the tech said, and the keyboard/trackpad are either also broken or unplugged. Long story even shorter, we end up deciding to send it back to Dell to the depot to repair it because they have all the parts there and apparently there is a limit on the number of thing the tech can do per repair? I don't know. So I send it back.
A week or so later I get the following voice mail from my good friend Amit, apparently calling from a deserted island off Sri Lanka based on the call quality. He gives me some helpful information.

"Hi, Chris, my name is Amit. I am calling you from Dell Technologies in regards of dispatch number XXXXXXXXX. This is a follow-up call that we have received one of your systems at Dell for repair. We have diagnosed this system and identified spinach in the system. Due to the spinach, the system will not repair under warranty. I will send you the quote. You may use this quote to pay online. In case of any concerns, you may call at 800-288-4410 or refer to our email. We work Monday through Friday 10 PM to 7 PM central standard time. Please allow us 24 hours to cater any of your requests. Your satisfaction is important for us. Thank you for choosing Dell Technologies. Have a good day.

All I really needed was a power cord.
I will update later, but they seem unwilling to budge. What's the best way to get my computer back repaired and under warranty? Other than small-claims court, which is the next step I can think of.

The Silverblood Promise is James Logan's debut and was one the books I was most excited to get my hands on this year. It was a fairy big release as well, the limited edition of the book by Broken Binding sold out in the first few days of it's pre-order window. It's already at almost a thousand reviews and a respectable 4.1 stars on Goodreads after a bit more than a month. The biggest reason as to why I was so interested in this release was this quote which was featured prominently on most of the marketing material I saw:
‘A fast-paced carnival of setbacks and skullduggery that reminds me of…me! Charming from the first twist to the last’ -Scott Lynch
The book was also compared to Scott Lynch's works by M.J. Kuhn (author and one half of the SFF Addict Podcast) and Peter McLean (author of the fantastic War for the Rose Throne series) in their blurbs. I will admit to being a massive Scott Lynch fan, and as all fans of his I am desperate for new content. I saw these comparisons and dared to hope that this novel would strike a similar cord in me. Instead, it left me extremely confused and frustrated.
Before I get into what I disliked, I want to take the time to say that I do not think James Logan is a terrible writer. The prose was more than decent and the dialogue was snappy. The worldbuilding was very good, the world felt a lot bigger than the one city we spent the vast majority of the time in due to some very well inserted lines about mysterious ghost ships, ancient civilizations and battles fought in years past, to name a few.
The best part, however, was the first chapter The Lady of Last Chances. (Not to be confused with Adrian Tchaikovsky's City of Last Chances) In this chapter, you meet the protagonist Lukan. He shows himself to be quick on his feet, charming and ruthless, and he does not hesitate to kill. There are also multiple hints about the past that he has been running from, his drinking problem and his talent at swordplay. That sounds a lot more like a Prince Jalan (from Mark Lawrence's Red Queen's War) than a Locke Lamora to me, but that's far from a dealbreaker. I love a good morally grey charming nobleman.
And this is where I should've stopped. Because none of that ever mattered in the book.
This is not a joke or an exaggeration, the protagonist then spends the entire novel:
-Revealing his real name and identity to almost everyone he meets and never facing any consequence for it. We actually do not meet a single person who even knows who he is.
-Losing every single fight he gets in where he doesn't have a significant advantage and/or help from a third party. He gets into one real duel the entire book and he loses hard, and refuses to fight any time he's in a losing situation.
-Facing consequences for being a drunkard. This is played for laughs a few times during the book but he never has the shakes or anything of the like, the only time it's relevant is when he goes around trying to convince guards that there is a conspiracy but it wouldn't have worked even if he hadn't been reeking of alcohol.
To call Lukan charming is also a big stretch, he spends the entire novel failing upwards.
He is given a perfect costume to infiltrate a prison? Fucks it up midway through and ends up having to jump out of a tower into the sea. The jump is actually done entirely offpage too, I thought that might be a clever way to misdirect the reader but nope.
He has to pass a magical test of fortitude? He's the second eliminated out of four contestants because he chose wrongly and passed out.
He is imprisoned underground and needs to escape? The guards somehow forgot to move him to another cell so he gets a cellmate with a teleporter. She also happens to be the best thief in the city and instrumental to every encounter going forward from that point on. I wish this was a joke.
I could go on an on but there's no point, it all amounts to the protagonist being utterly incompetent and just getting away with it and always managing to bounce back either by sheer luck or circumstances.
Some more niche complaints:
Remember when the protagonist, in the opening chapter, brutally murdered someone instead of giving up the coins he had just won at cards? Well apparently he forgot about it himself because he says word for word to Flea later on that "It's easy to wish death on someone, but much harder to actually deliver it to them"
A lot of the violence in this book leaves people unconscious and nobody ever suffers lasting damage from that. There's one specific egregious example in the final fight where the main villain is about to die, Lukan asks one of the magical dudes to not kill him and the magical dude "hurls Marquetta across the hall. The Lord Protector's cry was cut short as he slammed into the base of a pillar and crumpled on the floor". Lukan without checking if the guy's alive or anything says "Yeah, that'll do". No man that won't do he's probably fucking dead, holy shit. You can't just go around hitting people violently on the head and having them wake up without brain damage!
This isn't really a bad thing but it made the story more predictable, but every single female character is super competent. That's not to say that all the male characters are incompetent (although a lot of them are) but I can't remember a single female character that wasn't. It even applies to the villains, the male henchman loses by losing his range advantage to an eleven year old girl, whereas the female henchman is an elite swordswoman who loses by getting shot (also by said eleven years old girl). Speaking of which, the only times we have a protagonist who goes in and out and execute the plan properly and without any fuck up are the two chapters where we are in the female sidekicks POV.
TLDR: The book is set up with a very grim and edgy introduction and has some very dark moments, including a few brutal deaths, but it also spends the vast majority of it's runtime being a happy-ever-after fantasy version of Kick-Ass including the eleven years old pseudo-protagonist who does all the heavy lifting. Either fully commit to being a black comedy and lose some of the doom and gloom and the whining or commit to being dark fantasy à la Lies of Locke Lamora and lose some of the unseriousness, because the whiplash between both genres is brutal.

So I saw some posts recently with lists of characters and what quote best describes them or is their most memorable etc. Well. I can't find them on a brief peruse but I just read a quote and thought it was the perfect essence of the character saying it.
"I will hurt you for this. I don't know how yet, but give me time. A day will come when you think yourself safe and happy and suddenly your joy will turn to ashes in your mouth, and you'll know the debt is paid." - Tyrion of house Lannister
How perfect is that? The first part, he was a clever man. He didn't tend to act rashly, one of his qualities. Give him time. Oh and you know it will be good when he's mulled it over for however long.
Cersei, who he said it to, certainly didn't have a wonderful rest of her life.
Take your pick there.
I give you tywin on the toilet.
Allegedly joffrey but we know he didn't actually do that.
No really, cersei, he really didn't. Was that fucking BOSS Olenna. Anyway. I digress.
Varys and dany both felt his knife in their backs. He takes no shit, does Tyrion. You might think he's taking your shit, only thing man is doing is taking notes.
So yeah. What do you think?

I've seen some folks in this subreddit say there's no reason to start promoting yourself or your book if you don't have anything published yet. They contend that no one will take a chance on an unknown author without a published novel.
Let me disavow of that notion: it's complete and utter hogwash. Let me say that again for the folks in the back: IT'S BULLSHIT.
Market. And. Promote. Your. Fucking. Books. Early. And. Often.
I'm going to preface this by saying I'm a Senior Product Marketing Manager by day and author by night, so I know what I'm talking about when it comes to promoting and launching a new product.
Your book needs and deserves a marketing effort in the run up to your debut novel launch. And any books after that need a launch plan.
The folks who say that "no one will take a chance on an unknown author" rarely back it up with metrics that proves this opinion.
So let me share some of my pre- and post-launch book metrics with you.
IMPORTANT NOTE: I'm writing sapphic epic fantasy, so I'm writing into a smaller market niche than many of you. This comes with some pros and cons...the cons being, it's a small market niche. My books won't largely appeal to straight women or your typical male fantasy consumer. The pros are...the sapphic book/author community is very organized and hungry for content and supportive of one another. I have bought about 10 sapphic SFF indie books just by networking with authors alone, so yes, other authors are also your target buyer persona. ESPECIALLY indie authors who, for the most part, are happy to share success. A rising tide lifts all boats.
I started promoting myself and growing my social media platforms at the beginning of March for my debut book release at the end of April. I hit TT, IG, Threads, and FB as my main SM channels. Note: I believe I started a month or two later than I should have, but it's just how things worked out.
My social media/audience metrics 2 months before my end-of-April launch (I started my promotion/engagement the beginning of March):

• 530 NL subs (I suspect about half of those could be bots...I will clean up my list as I release more NLs and evaluate open rates)
• 300 IG followers
• 0 TT followers
• 0 Threads followers

My social media/audience metrics growth since:

• ~930 NL subs...100 in June alone (4 days!) due to Pride Bookfunnel promos
• ~530 IG followers...I participated in two giveaways post-release to gain followers along with organic growth; IG growth is SLOW, so be aware of that
• ~1000+ TT followers...growth is slow after 1000
• ~1300+ Threads followers...an amazing platform to network with other authors and slowly reach readers as Authorthreads and Bookthreads start to bleed into one another

Now, let's talk turkey. What about actual book sales?
Launch day metrics:

• ~15 or so reviews on Goodreads, 0 on Amazon (obvi)
• 46 e-book preorders on Amazon

My metrics since launch at the end of April:

• ~170 orders between amazon and Ingram
• Closing in on 50K page reads this week; getting about 1k page reads a day
• 14 pre-orders for book 2 coming this summer, and 9 for book 3 coming this fall as of today
• ~70 reviews on Goodreads, ~60 on Amazon

So, what's worked?
SOCIAL MEDIA ENGAGEMENT - Yes, this is important for indie authors, not only to network with other authors, but to find and engage with your target audience. Without asking, I have people highlighting, reviewing, or mentioning my book on IG, Threads, and FB (I haven't figured out TT and only post, so little to no engagement there). The key here is to BE AUTHENTIC and talk to people. Like, comment, follow. Be personable, create a rapport, and find your readers and fellow authors. Most authors realize that books are not in competition with one another...we're just in competition with ever-expanding TBRs.
IDENTIFYING A BUYER PERSONA AND FINDING THEM WHERE THEY LIVE - You HAVE to know who you wrote your book for and how to speak to them where they "live" online. For me, I found a massive audience for sapphic books on FB and used clever, authentic promotions to solicit ARC readers and buyers on their promo days. I've found a similar sapphic authoreadereviewer tribe on IG/Threads who are more than happy to highlight queer books. I am trying to bleed into other audiences, such as women who like romantic fantasy (note: I'm NOT marketing my series as romantasy) and male fantasy fans who can dig female-forward novels, so we'll see how that goes. But I'm going to focus and target sapphic women first and foremost instead of spreading my messaging/targeting too thin. Know what your product is and who wants it and speak directly to them.
READER MAGNET/BOOKFUNNEL - should you use Bookfunnel? Fuck yes. In Jan/Feb of this year, another author told me to get my ass in gear, create a reader magnet, then start doing the newsletter promos on Bookfunnel. So, I buckled down, wrote a 7k short story that takes place 3 years before my debut novel, got Miblart to make me a quick throw-away cover, and that's all she wrote...I've consistently added 100+ subs to my NL each month since. I participate in about 3 NL and 3 sales promos per month with one NL send a month except for special occasions like book launch day and my Happy Pride! NL.
SCATTERSHOT BOOK MARKETING - I'm a product marketing manager...for high tech. I DON'T know book marketing, but what I do know is how to use Canva and how to write engaging copy. I have a pretty good/witty sense of humor, so I will do some standard book marketing (book quotes, page flip videos, cover reveals, trope maps), but I'll also get fucking irreverent with my marketing. I will take a popular fantasy trope/feature and do something to subvert it or juxtapose it, suggesting what I offer instead in my books that are a differentiator. Or I'll do some really over-the-top ad copy with bright, punchy fonts or artwork. I also created a tagline for my books and my author brand, which I stick on everything. I'm marketing MYSELF as much as my books. You like fantasy with a little verve, you come to me. Or at least, that's what I'm trying to instill with my brand. My point is, I'm playing around with my marketing strategy, mixing in some fun stuff, to see what resonates and I'm having a BLAST doing it because it essentially is a creative exercise.
The next points are luxury/niche, so YMMV:
GET AMAZING ARTWORK - this is a luxury since I spend $$$ with my cover artist, but my covers and character art are amazing. I reuse my character art and covers to build trope maps, create promos, and whatever graphics I need to catch the eye. If your covers aren't good, do whatever you can to save up some coin to even get a pre-made one. DO NOT USE AI. I just watched readers DOGPILE an author who used AI in her ad for her book. Not the cover, mind you, her AD. The lesson being...do not use AI; readers know. And creatives support creatives.
HAVING A WELL-EDITED/PROOFED BOOK - I spent $$$ on both of these, engaging a line/copy editor and a proof reader and my readers can tell. The common sense is in indie publishing you spend your money on covers and editing and that's the facts. But not everyone can afford a professional edit...so invest a little in Pro-Writing Aid and fine tooth comb your shit.
Caveats to the above methods:
Your genre and target buyereader persona may engage or read differently. I made a choice to be in KU because fantasy does well there, as does romance, erotica, and I hear thrillers. But other genres may benefit from going wide...do your research!
Money and time is a big factor to how you produce and market your book. Figure out what you can afford and how to use your time. I have a good day job, so I funnel my "fun" money into writing. Others have to be more judicious about how they spend their book budget. Also, SM engagement / posting takes TIME. What I did was spend a weekend creating a bunch of SM backgrounds for book quotes and just created a shit ton of ready-made quotes. I'll use a couple a week then mix in some more creative/disruptive marketing or I'll highlight another author's book. I post everyday. IG is my "main" platform, so I re-use the same daily post on TT and FB. But I create graphics in Canva and take a little time on my copy for each post, with an eye towards keywords and music that matches the mood. If the sound is trending, all the better.
I realize this is A LOT and likely overwhelming, but you don't have to go whole hog like I did. I was very anxious about if I wrote myself into a small, no-revenue niche, so I did everything I could to give my books a fighting chance by relying on my professional background and just plowing forward, regardless of if a post got a like or I got an order for my book. The metrics wax and wane...your buys and reads will dip...then for no reason, they'll pick up.
This is a looooooooooong game, folks, so buckle in and build repeatable processes that serve your book marketing strategy. Experiment too! Be creative in how you promote your books!