Fireflies, also known as lightning bugs, have captivated humans for centuries with their mesmerizing light shows on warm summer nights. However, in recent years, these enchanting creatures have been facing a decline in numbers, raising concerns among researchers and conservationists. The disappearance of fireflies is not only a loss for nature enthusiasts but also a sign of a broader environmental issue that needs urgent attention.

Understanding the Decline of a Natural Wonder

There are several factors contributing to the dwindling population of fireflies, with habitat destruction being one of the primary causes. Urbanization and development have led to the destruction of natural habitats where fireflies thrive, such as meadows, forests, and wetlands. As these habitats are cleared for construction or agriculture, fireflies lose their homes and sources of food, ultimately leading to a decline in their population.

Factors Contributing to the Decline

Another major threat to fireflies is light pollution. Artificial lights from street lamps, buildings, and vehicles can disrupt the mating rituals of fireflies, as they rely on their bioluminescent signals to attract mates. Excessive artificial light can obscure the faint glow of fireflies, making it difficult for them to find and communicate with potential partners. This interference can disrupt their reproductive cycle and lead to a decline in their numbers.

Pesticide Use: A Silent Killer

Pesticide use is also a significant factor in the decline of fireflies. The chemicals used in pesticides can be toxic to fireflies, causing harm to both adults and larvae. As fireflies play a crucial role in the ecosystem by controlling pest populations, their decline can have far-reaching consequences for biodiversity and ecosystem health.

Conservation Efforts

Efforts to conserve and protect fireflies are underway, with organizations and researchers working to raise awareness about the importance of these fascinating insects. Citizen science projects and community initiatives are helping to monitor firefly populations and gather valuable data to inform conservation strategies. By reducing light pollution, preserving natural habitats, and promoting sustainable farming practices, we can help ensure the survival of fireflies for future generations to enjoy.

Conclusion: A Call to Action

In conclusion, the disappearance of fireflies is a warning sign of the environmental threats facing our planet. By taking action to protect these magical creatures, we can make a positive impact on their populations and the broader ecosystem. It is crucial that we recognize the value of fireflies and work together to conserve their habitats and ensure their continued presence in our world. Let's join hands to save the vanishing lights before it's too late.

Recently there was a true crime episode on the murder of Colleen Slemmer by her Jobs Corp classmates Christa Pike, Pike's boyfriend Tadaryl Shipp and another friend. It was a spontaneous, gruesome murder, that took place in the woods of Tennessee.
Slemmer, was lured out under false pretenses of smoking weed in a nearby park with who she thought were her friends. She was murdered, left partially unclothed, her upper body completely exposed. And though the primary motive wasn't a ritualistic sacrifice, in the course of the attack a Satanic star or pentagram was carved into the victim's chest.
Though the satanic piece to the crime was an afterthought by the killers, it did link the crime to two of them, as Christa Pike and her boyfriend, Shipp, practiced Satanic Worship. The murder was motivated by jealousy and rage, but even so, the symbolism left behind, might have solved the crime on its own.
There might be parallels to be found between a crime like the Slemmer murder, and what happened in Delphi.
The Delphi murders don't have to have been motivated primarily by a sacrificial ritual for the symbolism of such a ritual left at the crime scene, to lead to the killer or killers of Abby and Libby.
Coincidences do occur. Correlation does not necessarily imply causation. But when there is evidence that keeps pointing to a particular group of people, some of whom had a direct connection to one of the victims, I do not understand how this evidence is not followed up on to the fullest extent that the law allows. How is it just cast aside, especially when three respected investigators who performed their own investigation are convinced there is something there? Referring to Click, Ferency and Murphy.
Even if the killing of Abby and Libby was initially motivated by something other than a sacrifice, the mark of their killers at the scene, almost certainly will lead back to who did this. The crime scene was too distinctive and unique for it not to. All persons are innocent until proven guilty, and that's important to factor in. But even if innocent, there certainly appears to be some connection between certain individuals practicing Odinism and hanging out at Delphi Vinlander club, and the Delphi murders---evidence connecting them to these murders that might actually solve this case.
Here is the list of evidence that has still not been turned over to the defense, even though this case was scheduled to be in trial as this is written (from 2nd Motion to Dismiss).
Why?

The Exculpatory Nature of the Missing Evidence
Currently, the list of missing evidence that the prosecution has not turned over to the defense includes the following:
a. Video of BH’s first interview from February 17, 2017.
b. Video of LH’s interview from February 17, 2017.
c. Data from BH’s phone extraction from February 17, 2017.
d. Video from BH’s second interview with law enforcement taken at the Logansport Police Station sometime in 2017 or 2018.
e. Audio taken from BH’s second interview with law enforcement taken at the Logansport Police Station sometime in 2017 or 2018.
f. Any reports, notes or documents concerning or referring to BH’s second interview at the Logansport Police Station sometime in 2017 or 2018.
g. Mimicked Crime Scene Photo observed by Trooper Purdy on BH's social media page. h. Images Ryan Boucher sent to Trooper Winters on April 12, 2017.
Notice that all missing items are related to third-party suspect BH

I've been playing since before STR Broly's initial release. Here's some things that I just remember from the... Fun times that was early Dokkan Battle. These are in no particular order.

• LR (TUR) Broly. Good luck beating him without Family Kamehameha or Kaioken Goku
• [Type] Ki +3, ATK +3000 was amazing
• STR Gogeta breaking the game on multiple levels
• Yamcha's Stardust Breaker glitch
• Super Vegito and AGL was better than any other team by miles
• Speaking of, AGL had no Super Attack Sealers, so people ran R Oceanus Shenron since she was the only one to seal
• PHY Goku Black's passive got a buff when he released on Global
• 300 Stones compensation
• The infamous "To Be Released" leader skills of TEQ SSJ4 Gogeta and PHY Omega Shenron
• Unlocking Hidden Potential nodes one by one
• Dokkan Tower Defense that was Battlefield 1.0
• SR General Blue being the Stunning God
• Is the Masked Saiyan a Dokkan Fest Exclusive or not?
• 4% SSR Rates
• PHY Gotenks's 12 ki super was originally going to cause damage to yourself (since he headbutts the enemy) but Bamco changed it last minute before release due to backlash
• Big Ass Hope Goku
• Android 16 releasing alongside LR AGL Gohan, but since he was INT, the only way you could run them together (and activate all of 16's kit and some of Gohan's) was to also pull LR Cell
• The soda support items were amazing since no leaders buffed HP or Defense
• Rosé being shown in Super then released on Dokkan right after the episode aired
• INT UI Goku and STR Jiren releasing as Dokkan Fest Exclusive units but not getting a Dokkan for months

Leave your fondest memories of Dokkan below!

There are a lot of old posts all over about how to do this, but most have you downloading file apps and copying services over one at a time. This has become much easier than that, and can now be done almost entirely with the amazing "Fire Toolbox". Here's the steps I've gone through on both of my kid's tablets at this point. It should take you no more than an hour total, less if you're comfortable with what you're reading.
 

1. Download and Install Fire Toolbox on PC (Should also be linked in the Sidebar if this link ever dies).
2. Buy RocketApps ($2.50 - From Adult's Profile) and "Enable" it for the Kid's Profile. There IS a Free Option (AppStart) but it doesn't have a way to limit the kids from opening Any installed app on the device. Up to you.
3. Launch Fire Toolbox, Go Through the Setup Steps in the Fire Toolbox Link (Dev Mode, Etc.). Connect the Tablet and go through the Basic Setup EXCEPT for the "Google Services" bit.
4. Switch to the Kid's Profile (Can be done in the Fire Toolbox Program) and Install Google Services IN THE KIDS PROFILE (Using Fire Toolbox).
5. Log into "Google Play" Store. Sometimes it launches right away, sometimes you'll have to reboot and then find it by opening RocketApps and briefly Enabling it so that you can run it, just uncheck it afterwards.
6. Sideload YT Kids (Using Fire Toolbox, you can find and Install it all from within the Program on the Second Page of commands).
7. Launch RocketApps and Enable YT Kids. Then Login and Set it Up.

 
There you go. Your kids now have Youtube Kids (And any other Games / Apps you want to Download / Sideload from the Play Store, since only stuff from the Amazon App Store can be set up to show up in the Kid's Profile without it). And RocketApps is 100% Worth the $2.50. If you're unsure, you can use AppStart in place of RocketApps to make sure this all works, and then replace it with RocketApps when you're done without breaking anything.
I had issues on and off with the Play Store not always wanting to download things, which is why I suggest Sideloading it initially to skip any potential headaches. If you have the same issues, you can just sideload whatever you want using Fire Toolbox. It wasn't worth troubleshooting further as Sideloading works 100% of the time.
If something just jams up during the above process, just raze it all and start over. ;P You can uninstall the Google Services in the Fire Toolbox, if that gives you errors, just log into the adult profile, and uninstall any / all of the four Google Services there (Uninstall from All Profiles Option), and make sure you're Only installing them to the Kid's Profile. And at the WORST, you can factory reset your tablet completely, but I Really don't think you'll need to do all that.

I'm looking to buy my first luxury watch and for a long time I was split between the Longines Master Collection Chronograph and the Tudor Black Bay 58, I eventually decided that even if I get the Longines I would still crave the Tudor, so I'll go ahead with the BB58 for now and possibly pick up a preowned Longines in the future.
This past weekend tho, I stopped by an Omega boutique and tried on the Seamaster 300 NTTD, I had seen this watch online and liked it but didn't think it was worth the price tag, but after wearing it I am blown away. It just looks and feels so nice on my hand.
For anyone who has owned/tried both the watches, I am looking for feedback on which one you prefer?
I'm honestly just looking for a reason to justify spending more than double what I initially was looking to spend 😅

Another shit post that might resonant with my gen X and older millennials redditors, (compared to the gen Z post). I've been re-watching the sopranos and realized how much it resonates with medicine.
Let me tell you a couple of three things
In the beginning Tony talks about how great it is to be in something from the ground up, and how "he came in the end and the best is over". I think most doctors agree that the golden age of medicine is long gone and not coming back.
Most people who get made have nepotistic ties to the mob. How many second, third and occasional fourth generation medics do we know? Dynasticism runs deep in both
Paulie counsels Chrissy "stay single as long as you can, our thing and marriage don't jive", and Sil retorts "everyone we know is married". Most medics I know after a certain age are married but as another redditor once put it "medical training is meant for a single early 20s workaholic with no caring commitments"
The idea of being "old school", its idolised and detracted in both the sopranos and medicine. We all hear about old school professors who still know how to formulate a diagnosis from a history/clinical exam and know all the physiology. Then there is a new generation who get criticized for not being like the older generation not learning the art of medicine properly. Similar to how everyone looks up to old school mobsters and criticise the new guys for being crew of cowards and hot heads. A lot of the old school rhetoric is romanticized in both medicine and the sopranos. Most old schools wise guys can't keep up with tony and most old school consultants trained in a more toxic culture and that toxicity is reflected on them (one "old school" doctor threatened to hit me for getting questions wrong when I was med student)
Tony is only successful compared to the old guys because he's figured out new income streams for the mob that they traditionally didn't engaged in. Today in medicine if you want to make it rich you have to market something unique you can't rely on traditional private practice (or for mobs protection money, loan sharking, and drug trafficking). All the talk about which specialty makes the most is pointless an NHS 10 PAs cardiologist is going to make less than an endocrinologist who has decided to locum on the acute take for 40 hours a week. Finding new niches is how people make money in the sopranos and the mob.
The analogy between the feds and the GMC, really what is is medicine except trying to avoid a GMC referral everyday. Defensive medicine is the order of the day, and we're more concerned with covering our selves then what's necessarily good practice. Being a rat and threatening a GMC referral aren't treated the same but the fear they put is analogous.
The increased number of medical students, similar to Philly complaining how they make anyone and everyone over their. We both having being made ceremonies (Hippocratic oath and the initiation ritual).
Tbh it's a facetious analogy and I'm sure you can make these comparison's to all professions, but I'm wondering if anyone who watched the show felt the same way.
Anyway four dollars a pound

SgtRigio here, wanted to share my recent experience with CCP.
On April 26th I was working on my house and I received a few discord messages from my eve friends wondering why I had taken out a significant amount of isk from the corporation wallet. I was immediately confused and denied withdrawing the isk as I had not been online in eve for about a week at which point I was presented with a screenshot of the corp transaction. I immediately attempted to log into my account only to find that all of my passwords had been changed, I began trying to reset my eve online account passwords, however when I tried to log into my email, I was met with numerous messages that there were too many log in attempts and to reset my password. After a long battle of trying to get access back for my email, I was finally able to get in and turn on two factor authentication to stop the brute force attack. I reset all of my passwords for eve online and tried to log in to assess the damage, but quickly learned that I was still logged out due to the hacker turning on a Google authenticator on all of my accounts. I filed a ticket with CCP on April 26th, 2024 and received an automated message saying they have received my ticket.
Since initially filing the ticket I have received zero responses from CCP dispite me sending additional information and a request for either an acknowledgment or an update on the ticket.
I've played even online on and off for over 10 years and I've maybe submitted one or two tickets during that time. I am deeply disappointed with the customer service I have received (or lack thereof). I paid for a full year of omega time on my credit card and have been locked out of my account since April 26th, 2024. As of writing this, it has been 25 days since I have filed the ticket with what feels like zero assistance from CCP.
Tldr: My eve account, email and discord all got hacked. Lost access to all of my accounts and likely lost my assets. Filed a ticket for support April 26th and it has been 25 days and have yet to receive any kind of response from CCP.

What's a self-care ritual or activity that you initially dismissed as trendy or ineffective, but ended up becoming an essential part of your routine?

To note, this is a continuation of the sagas I wrote that took place after the Cell Saga. The two sagas were written with inspiration taken from MCU Peter Parker's arcs in Far from Home and No Way Home. The goal was to develop Son Gohan into a proper lead for the show. If you'd like to check them out, here are the links!
Bojack (Far From Home) Saga: https://www.reddit.com/fixingmovies/s/sK5zOnJ0oU
Broly (No Way Home) Saga: https://www.reddit.com/fixingmovies/s/R3sGOqdbIv
There are many things I find wrong in the Buu saga:

1. Goku coming back: This derails the narrative tremendously as he snatches back the torch from Gohan. He's going to play a role, but he will stay dead.
2. Gohan's writing: In canon, we ended up with a rusty, goofy, badly written character who lost all the development from the previous sagas. He became a useless disappointment and did not uphold his role as a protector of the earth. This won't go anywhere near that direction.
3. SSJ3 and fusions: These elements were unnecessary as they did nothing to solve the plot and only provided fluff. This can be introduced in Super, but that's another story.
4. Goten and Trunks SSJ: I wasn't a fan of how they easily transformed, treating it as an easy power-up. Here, it will be earned.

What I want to do here is combine the Buu saga with Fusion Reborn. For that movie, there are tons of elements at play that can be used to make the grand finale of Dragon Ball Z, more grand. The goal here is to increase the stakes, trim all the unnecessary fat, give everyone a chance to shine, and keep the main focus on Gohan. I also want to replace Buu with Janemba, as I find him much more threatening due to his unique abilities which would be perfect to challenge Gohan. It's also here that we avoid the rinse-and-repeat problem that came with Buu and his many forms.

Without further ado, here is the...... Janemba Saga!

Seven years have passed since the climactic battle against Broly. Gohan, now a young adult, has diligently pursued a delicate balance between his studies and training. During this time, he has honed his Super Saiyan 2 form and significantly elevated his combat skills. However, he deliberately restrains his power, refusing to succumb to the depths of his inner rage. Gohan believes that his technical prowess alone will suffice, opting to suppress the primal fury within him. Despite his reservations, Gohan attends a prestigious private school on an academic scholarship, alongside his steadfast companion Videl and their circle of friends. Gohan has embraced the responsibility of preserving peace on Earth as a valiant hero, adopting the mantle of Saiyaman. His suit has undergone a sleek redesign, shedding the theatrical poses in favor of a more streamlined appearance. Functioning as a dynamic duo reminiscent of Superman and Batman, Gohan and Videl tackle the city's crime wave together. Videl, having mastered her ki abilities under the tutelage of Piccolo, has grown stronger over the years. Glimpses of their everyday lives reveal the struggles of Gohan as he endeavors to balance the demands of school, training, and personal relationships. Amidst the challenges, he harbors a subtle resentment towards his duty, as it often encroaches upon his cherished personal time. Nevertheless, Gohan persists, fueled by his unwavering determination to live up to his father's legacy.
However, the tranquil facade is shattered when a harrowing turn of events unfolds. The narrative transitions to an otherworldly realm, distinctly separate from Earth. A mysterious figure cloaked in darkness materializes, none other than the malevolent wizard Babidi. Harnessing the unholy power of dark magic, Babidi establishes a sinister connection with his loyal minion Dabura, the King of the Demon Realm. United in their nefarious purpose, they orchestrate an audacious invasion of Otherworld, intent on freeing the formidable demon Janemba. Ages ago, Janemba had been sealed away in this celestial realm by the Supreme Kais. Babidi's malevolent ambition revolves around shrouding the universe in eternal darkness. To achieve this nightmarish vision, he plans to infect the denizens of Earth using the insidious Majin spell, thereby expanding his dominion across countless planets.
In the midst of this burgeoning chaos, Gohan, disguised as Saiyaman, finds himself investigating a peculiar incident involving the possession of one of his dearest friends. Videl, resolute and fearless, engages in a fierce battle against the malevolent puppeteer controlling Sharpner. With unwavering confidence, she urges Gohan to let her confront the threat alone. Sharpner, his strength unnaturally augmented, puts up a formidable resistance, but Videl's experience enables her to subdue him without resorting to fatal measures. As Sharpner awakens from his trance, Gohan seeks answers regarding the enigmatic force that had seized control of his friend. Sharpner reveals that a voice called Babidi had whispered malevolent commands into his mind. Armed with this critical information, Gohan summons Vegeta and Piccolo to join him in unraveling the unfolding crisis, embarking on a journey towards the epicenter of the ominous power emanating from a series of potent and wicked ki signatures, ultimately leading them to Babidi and Dabura.
Meanwhile, Earth becomes a battleground, besieged by an onslaught of resurrected zombies, soldiers, and former villains who once terrorized its populace. Though the trio finds themselves torn between aiding their beleaguered planet and confronting the imminent threat directly before them, they know their immediate priority lies in thwarting Babidi's scheme. Distracting them with his grandiose monologue, Babidi probes their minds, seeking susceptible individuals to manipulate. Initially targeting Vegeta, Babidi redirects his attention toward Piccolo, sensing his inherent duality as a being born of both good and evil. With a combination of Babidi's insidious spell and the lingering malevolence of Piccolo Daimao, the Namekian warrior struggles to resist the overwhelming influence. His powers surge exponentially beyond their previous limitations, clouding his judgment and driving him to confront his former student, Gohan. Amidst the shock of this unforeseen twist, Gohan assumes the responsibility of awakening Piccolo from his trance-like state, determined to restore his mentor's clarity. As the battle rages on, they sense a tremor that reverberates throughout the planet, an unmistakable ki signature brimming with icy coldness, signifying the presence of a singular entity—Janemba.
Bracing himself for the impending clash with this malevolent force, Gohan prepares to face Janemba head-on, while Piccolo embarks on a personal mission to neutralize Babidi. Meanwhile, Vegeta remains locked in a fierce struggle against Dabura, the Prince of Saiyans confronting the King of the Demon Realm. The confrontation unfolds with brutal intensity, and Vegeta finds himself teetering on the edge of defeat. Sensing his adversary's advantage, Dabura unleashes a legion of demons to tip the scales further in his favor. Pushed to his limits, Vegeta fights valiantly, but the odds appear insurmountable. Dabura, consumed by arrogance, revels in his imminent triumph, announcing his intention to unleash the full might of the demon horde upon Earth. Faced with the dire consequences of such a cataclysm, Vegeta musters every ounce of desperation within him. In a moment of self-sacrifice, he unleashes a devastating attack upon Dabura and his minions. The resulting explosion weakens Babidi's forces, repels the encroaching Demon Realm, and safeguards their dimension from untold chaos and devastation.
(Note: I wanted to keep Vegeta's sacrifice but make it matter and count. In canon, it didn't stop Buu, and he sent himself into cold oblivion on a lie. Here, he makes a difference in the long run and has a definitive redemptive moment. )
Startled by the sudden disappearance of Vegeta's powerful ki, Trunks defies the protests of his comrades on the Lookout and rushes towards the chaotic battleground. His heart pounds with trepidation as he races through the smoke-filled air, only to be confronted with the lifeless body of his father lying motionless on the ground. Overwhelmed by a torrent of despair and seething rage, Trunks' trembling hands reach out to shake his father awake, his desperate pleas echoing through the desolate landscape. But his efforts prove futile, and a profound sense of loss engulfs him.
In the midst of this heart-wrenching moment, a surge of raw energy courses through Trunks' veins, igniting a transformation that surpasses the boundaries of his mortal self. Radiating an aura of vibrant golden light, Trunks ascends to the legendary state of the Super Saiyan. His eyes ablaze with determination and fury, he is now ready to face the battle that lies ahead.The scene shifts, revealing the remaining Z-Fighters locked in a perilous struggle against hordes of relentless zombies. Fatigue weighs heavily upon their weary bodies as they fend off the relentless onslaught. Suddenly, a streak of intense power streaks across the sky, and Trunks descends before his comrades, newly transformed and brimming with indomitable strength. A burst of energy erupts from his fingertips, shattering a ki blast launched by one of the zombies, diverting it harmlessly away. In the eyes of his adversaries, astonishment mingles with mockery as they behold the sight of a mere child standing before them.Unfazed by their taunting laughter, Trunks addresses his comrades with unwavering resolve. He declares that he will shoulder the burden of the battle, vowing that not a single life will be lost on this day. With unparalleled speed and precision, he charges towards the encroaching horde, obliterating each zombie with astonishing ease. Their forces crumble beneath the might of his wrath, and the battlefield is transformed into a graveyard of defeated foes.As the last of the zombies falls, Trunks relinquishes his Super Saiyan form, his energy spent and body drained. Collapsing to the ground, he succumbs to exhaustion, his breathing ragged and labored. In this moment of vulnerability, Yamcha, recognizing the young warrior's valor, rushes to his side and gently lifts him from the battlefield, cradling his battered form with utmost care.
(Note: Kid Trunks' transformation is a direct reference to when Future Trunks found Gohan dead after the battle with the androids, and then he transformed. )
While this tumultuous event unfolded, the responsibility of safeguarding the Lookout fell upon the young shoulders of Goten. As time passed, a sudden intrusion disrupted the tranquility of the platform, as a malevolent henchman, infused with the dark power of King Cold, materialized before him. Though momentarily shaken, Goten summoned his courage and engaged in a valiant struggle against his formidable adversary.Initially, it appeared that Goten held his ground admirably, skillfully countering the attacks launched by the nefarious duo of Salza and Dore. However, their sinister coordination gradually began to overpower the young warrior. In a devastating display of force, Salza executed a malicious kick that sent Goten hurtling towards the precipice of the Lookout, teetering on the brink of unconsciousness.
Witnessing her son's battered and vulnerable state, Chi-Chi, consumed by a mixture of horror and fury, lunged at Salza in a desperate attempt to defend her child. Yet, her efforts proved futile as Salza callously seized her by the throat, mercilessly constricting the life from her. From his weakened position, Goten, wide-eyed and mouth agape, struggled to remain conscious, his mind besieged by the conflicting emotions of impending death and the weight of disappointment.
In that critical moment, he closed his eyes, his teeth sinking into his lip until blood stained his mouth. His trembling hands clenched into tight fists. And then, something within him snapped, unleashing a primal force that lay dormant within.Goten vanished, replaced by an embodiment of unbridled rage. Transformed into a Super Saiyan, his furious aura radiated with an intensity that defied comprehension. With a surge of unrestrained power, he propelled himself towards Salza, obliterating his malevolent foe with a devastating blast that eradicated him from existence. Undeterred by the remaining henchmen who sought to avenge their fallen comrade, Goten engaged them with a newfound ferocity.In a breathtaking display of combat prowess, it took mere moments for Goten to dispatch his adversaries, consigning them to the depths of the afterlife. Unaware of his mother's watchful gaze, Chi-Chi bore witness to the astonishing transformation of her once-innocent son, her heart filled with awe at the unfathomable power he now wielded.
(Note: This is a reference to when Superman had attacked Zod for attacking Martha in Man of Steel. With this, Goten is able to break out of his shell and experience some development. I also did not want Chi-Chi to die, but to have it be close. This way, she can witness firsthand her son fighting to avenge her and realizing that his saiyan blood kicked in to save them all, which would lead to some development towards her accepting that they have the natural power to fight, but also protect. )
Simultaneously, amidst the chaos, Piccolo found himself embroiled in a fierce battle of magic. His objective was to shatter the impenetrable barrier erected by his adversary, Babidi, to halt the relentless proliferation of Majin-infused beings. The odds were stacked against him, but with unwavering determination, Piccolo summoned the strength to rupture the barrier, ultimately delivering a fatal blow to Babidi. In doing so, he succeeded in halting the insidious spread of the Majin curse.Meanwhile, Gohan, driven by an overwhelming surge of power in his Super Saiyan 2 form, charged headlong at the formidable Fat Janemba, intent on swiftly ending the confrontation. Displaying remarkable valor, Gohan engaged his adversary with all his might, momentarily gaining the upper hand in fleeting bursts of fury. However, Janemba's energy continued to surge unabated, gradually overpowering Gohan and relegating him to a defensive stance.With the battle reaching its climax, Janemba unleashed a devastating onslaught aimed at obliterating the planet. In a desperate bid to protect all that he held dear, Gohan fearlessly interposed himself between Janemba's lethal assault and the world, extending his arms wide as he summoned the last vestiges of his ki to create a resolute energy shield. The technique demanded one final act of defiance, compelling Gohan to redirect the unleashed energy back towards Janemba, propelling the malevolent entity backward and teetering on the precipice of annihilation. Yet, the maneuver exacted a heavy toll on Gohan, leaving him grievously injured and drained of consciousness, hurtling through the sky and crashing deep into the untamed wilderness.
(Note: This maneuver is a mix of what Gohan did against Broly in Movie 10, and what Future Gohan did in his last battle against the androids.)
Subsequently, Supreme Kai, recognizing the dire condition of the young warrior, transported Gohan to the realm of the Kais. As Gohan gradually regained consciousness, he found himself surrounded by the presence of Supreme Kai, Kibito, and his father, Son Goku. Unbeknownst to Gohan, while the realms beyond had been engulfed in pandemonium, Goku had valiantly sought to subdue numerous formidable adversaries, most notably Broly. Upon learning of Gohan's presence on that distant planet, Goku implored for the opportunity to visit his son, a request that was granted amidst the bittersweet reunion.During their heartfelt meeting, they shared the weight of overseeing the turmoil ravaging Earth, realizing that Janemba still lingered, amassing the remnants of malevolent ki left unvanquished. Panic washed over Gohan as he urgently expressed his need to return to Earth, but his pleas were met with cautionary words from his loved ones. They acknowledged his unpreparedness to face Janemba anew, warning of the potential consequences should he engage the foe prematurely. Supreme Kai disclosed his true intention in bringing Gohan to this realm—to unlock the dormant power lying dormant within him. However, the process demanded a profound reconciliation of Gohan's dual nature as both human and Saiyan. To initiate this transformative ritual, Gohan would be immersed in a meditative trance within the sacred confines of a cascading waterfall, which would serve as a mirror reflecting his true self. Only then would he embark upon the arduous journey of unlocking his latent potential, fully aware that failure could result in dire consequences, even death.
Nervously, Gohan steeled himself for the imminent trial, drawing strength from the unwavering support of his father. With resolute determination, he approached the cascading waterfall, where Supreme Kai initiated the trance, enveloping Gohan in an ethereal aura of introspection.As the ritual commenced, Gohan's gaze fixated grimly upon vivid recollections of his past battles, struggling to reconcile the moments when he had succumbed to his own wrath. Before long, a projection materialized, representing his suppressed Saiyan essence—a separate entity demanding to be acknowledged. A tumultuous clash ensued between the two facets of Gohan's being, with the young warrior faltering in his attempts to gain the upper hand, for each surge of anger only fueled his other self. Finally, a profound realization washed over Gohan, piercing through the haze of conflict. He ceased resisting and, instead, extended a hand of acceptance and understanding to his Saiyan counterpart, embracing the essence of his true nature. In that transformative instant, the boundaries dissolved, merging into a harmonious unity. Gohan's eyes fluttered open as he awakened from the trance, reborn in his newfound Ultimate Form, his essence finally whole and indomitable.
(Note: Yes, this is a direct reference to Naruto obtaining true mastery of his nine tails form in Shippuden. I did not like Gohan's canon mystic ritual because it did not feel earned. He just sat around for a long time doing nothing and gained nothing from it. I wanted to fix that. So here, he went through a more direct ritual at the risk of death to be able to unlock his true abilities. )
In the midst of these events, Trunks and Goten find themselves under the tutelage of Piccolo within the formidable Hyperbolic Time Chamber. News reaches Piccolo that Gohan is undergoing a transformative process to unlock his latent potential, but the looming return of Janemba threatens to disrupt their plans. Exiting the chamber, Trunks and Goten emerge stronger than ever, having mastered their Super Saiyan forms and honed their teamwork to near perfection, compensating for their inherent power limitations.As Janemba crosses paths with them, the clash erupts in a spectacular display of martial prowess. Individually, they stand little chance against the overwhelming might of Janemba, but when united, a different narrative unfolds. Their combined efforts aim to sustain the battle long enough, providing Gohan with the precious time he needs to complete his ritual. Piccolo assumes leadership, valiantly holding his ground, although it becomes increasingly evident that Janemba possesses a distinct advantage. Piccolo strategically diverts Janemba's attention, creating openings for Goten and Trunks to launch coordinated assaults that vex their adversary, even if their impact is minimal. Nonetheless, every second counts.
In a fateful turn of events, Janemba unleashes an assault that overwhelms Piccolo, incapacitating him and leaving only Goten and Trunks to face the malevolent entity. Swift as a phantom, Janemba materializes in front of Trunks, delivering a devastating blow to his abdomen, leaving Goten as the lone defender. Standing tall, Goten defiantly assumes a battle stance, mustering his courage. However, before Janemba can unleash a devastating attack upon him, an unknown figure delivers a powerful kick to Janemba's head, hurtling him towards the distant mountains.
The camera pans, revealing the figure to be none other than Gohan, resplendent in his newfound form.
(Note: This entrance directly mirrors that of Future Gohan when he was about to begin his final battle against the Androids!)
A wave of elation washes over Goten as he beholds the return of his beloved elder brother, while Trunks and Piccolo visibly exhale with relief. Gohan and Piccolo exchange a brief but meaningful exchange, Gohan acknowledging his newfound strength while Piccolo recognizes that Gohan has ascended to an entirely different echelon. Janemba regains his footing, reemerging before them, demanding their attention and focus. Gohan asserts that he will confront Janemba directly, urging the others to evacuate. Though reluctant, Piccolo and the young warriors comply, dispersing to various parts of the world to address the chaos that plagues their surroundings.
With an air of fury, Janemba charges at Gohan, his fist extended menacingly. Yet Gohan intercepts the attack, seizing Janemba's fist in a vice-like grip, and in a flash of teleportation, they are transported to the dreaded realm of H.F.I.L. (Home For Infinite Losers).
(Note: I have Gohan teleport Janemba because at least this way their battle will not damage Earth. Also we will assume Gohan has figured out some sort of Instant Transmission movement like Goku.)
The eyes of Earth's denizens, the Kais, and the denizens of the Otherworld are fixated on this pivotal moment, the culmination of a battle that will determine the fate of the universe. And so, the clash commences, a cataclysmic struggle that echoes through the very fabric of existence.
In a breathtaking display of power, Gohan initially dominates the battle, effortlessly overpowering Janemba with his newfound might. However, the tables turn when Janemba unveils unexpected abilities: space-time manipulation and a formidable sword. Gohan is caught off guard, unsure of how to counter such unorthodox tactics. Desperation and frustration consume him, causing his control over his own power to slip away.Amidst the chaos, Gohan experiences a moment of revelation, a surge of understanding regarding his opponent's abilities. He realizes that in order to anticipate Janemba's next move, he must heighten his senses by channeling his ki, allowing for precise timing and swift reactions. With this newfound clarity, Gohan regains his composure, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. Seizing an opportunity, Janemba materializes before him, poised to strike with his sword. Yet, in a stunning display of strength, Gohan catches the blade with both hands, shattering it into pieces.
The tide of the battle begins to shift, albeit slightly, in Gohan's favor. Frustrated and bewildered, Janemba exclaims, "Just what...are you?!" Gohan responds with unwavering resolve, proclaiming, "I am the hope of the universe. I am the answer to all living things that cry out for peace. I am the protector of the innocent. I am the light in the darkness. I am truth. Ally to good! Nightmare to you!"
(Note: I'm taking Goku's dubbed speech against Frieza and repurposing it for Gohan. As he's inherently more the justice-driven hero archetype rather than the fighting maniac that is Goku, it makes more sense. We'll just assume Goku gave Frieza the manga version of his speech. This is also the most pivotal moment of Gohan's journey as he comes to terms with being a protector. Throughout the show, he's been struggling between his desire to be a scholar and his responsibility to be a hero. That dubbed speech is exactly the moment that Gohan's arc comes full circle. Here, he finally embraces what he was always meant to be..... the hero.)
With renewed determination, Gohan launches various assaults in a bid to defeat his formidable adversary. However, his attacks fail to inflict lasting damage, and Gohan himself begins to exhaust his ki. It is then that he realizes the true nature of Janemba's existence—he is an embodiment of pure evil ki, unlike any opponent Gohan has faced before. A desperate plan takes shape in Gohan's mind. Mentally reaching out to his friends and even Videl, he calls upon them to gather their ki, reminiscent of the Spirit Bomb technique. Initially, only the Z-Fighters respond, but their combined energy proves insufficient.As Gohan valiantly defends against Janemba's onslaught, he mentally pleads with the people of Earth to lend their aid. Uncertainty and doubt cast a shadow over the crowd until Hercule steps forward, berating them for refusing to support the man who once saved them during the Cell Games. Revealing the truth of Gohan's identity as the Delivery Boy turned hero, the tide of public opinion shifts. People extend their hands, offering their energy to their savior. Shocked by the sudden turn of events, Gohan is relieved by the surge of ki coursing through him, providing a momentary opening to kick Janemba away. The collective assistance grants Gohan a substantial reservoir of energy, which he then summons forth, infusing it with the very essence of his soul—a daring and perilous maneuver.
Driven to his breaking point, a furious Janemba ascends into the sky, conjuring a colossal sphere of malevolent ki capable of obliterating the entire universe. Gohan remains calm, his gaze fixed upon the impending cataclysm. With unwavering resolve, he declares, "This is the end for you, Janemba." Closing his eyes, Gohan raises his left hand above his head, conjuring a radiant sphere of rainbow light. Seizing the opportunity, Janemba hurls his devastating attack towards Gohan. Sensing the imminent danger, Gohan's eyes snap open as he crushes the ball of energy in his palm. Swiftly pivoting, he hurls the fragmented energy towards the oncoming attack, effortlessly piercing through it, and hurtling towards Janemba, finally eradicating the universe's peril once and for all.
(Note: This is the same technique as Kid Buu's Planet Burst move, the one that destroyed Earth. I also repurposed Gogeta's stardust breaker technique for Gohan as I feel it makes sense for him to have it. It also makes him stand out from Goku even more in this case.)
As the dust settles, Gohan maintains his energy long enough to witness Janemba's demise. A triumphant smirk graces his face as he remarks, "Heh, looks like I finally did it." Exhausted, he collapses to the ground, almost completely drained. The onlookers erupt into joyous cheers, celebrating Gohan's hard-fought victory. Supreme Kai teleports Gohan from the depths of H.F.I.L back to Earth, specifically to the Lookout, where his family and friends eagerly await his return. In a heartwarming scene, Gohan is enveloped in embraces and expressions of relief. It is here, amidst the warmth of their loved ones, that Gohan and Videl share their first kiss—a tender moment of connection and celebration.Meanwhile, the Dragon Balls work their magic, rectifying the chaos caused by Babidi's dark influence. The majority of those who perished are revived, yet there are exceptions, including Vegeta. Accepting his fate and determined to atone for his past deeds, Vegeta expresses his desire to continue growing stronger in the afterlife, entrusting the protection of his family to his son. Tearfully, Trunks vows to make his father proud, with Goten stepping forward to support his friend in this emotional moment. Fond farewells are exchanged as everyone prepares to return to their respective homes.
Gohan and Goten engage in a heartfelt conversation, their bond as brothers strengthening. However, their exchange is interrupted by Chi-Chi, who unexpectedly interrupts their conversation. To their astonishment, she expresses pride in their valiant efforts to safeguard the world, finally relenting and granting them permission to train and protect. The three embrace, their family united and resolute.In a different realm, Vegeta stands before King Yemma, awaiting judgment. To his surprise, he is granted an Otherworldly body, a result of Goku's recommendation and Vegeta's ultimate sacrifice that tipped the scales of justice. With this second chance, Vegeta is granted the opportunity to train ceaselessly and, more importantly, to settle his unfinished business with Goku. The final scene between Goku and Vegeta unfolds, their fists colliding in a charged confrontation, their image freezing .( mirroring the intensity of Rocky and Apollo in Rocky III, leaving their ultimate showdown to the imagination.)
A decade passes, marked by a time skip. Tien and Krillin have established their own martial arts schools, dedicated to passing on their unique styles to the next generation. Goten and Trunks, under the tutelage of Piccolo, diligently train to harness their extraordinary powers. Gohan, now a respected scholar, has married Videl, and together they have a daughter. At home, Videl imparts the basics of combat to their daughter, Pan. Gohan, having just finished delivering a lecture on energy at the university, senses a disturbance reverberating across the planet. Instinctively, he rushes to the rooftop, pressing a button on his wrist. In an instant, he transforms into his iconic Saiyaman costume, soaring into the horizon with a mischievous grin. He breaks through the fourth wall, symbolizing his unwavering resolve to protect and inspire.
The screen fades to black.
The End.
There we have it! My final wrap-up of the MCU Peter ParkeGohan development journey! Honestly, I did have thoughts of just going straight into revising the Buu arc, but I felt there was more to be done before that. Gohan needed to go through the development I gave him in my two written arcs as there were lessons there that shaped him.
I also felt that a trained Gohan, who is naturally intellectual, would be a perfect antagonist in Janemba. He had to learn to outsmart him, and not just have it be a straight-up slugfest.
What do you guys think? Share your thoughts below!
u/fatherandyriley
u/dgenerationmc

1. Hanukkah:
   
   • Prompt: Explore the journey of a character from a different cultural background attempting to understand and participate in Hanukkah celebrations, navigating the significance of the menorah and the joy of shared traditions.
2. Diwali:
   
   • Prompt: Tell the story of a character who, despite being unfamiliar with Diwali, finds themselves immersed in the festival of lights, grappling with the symbolism and attempting to connect with the community's vibrant customs.
3. Kwanzaa:
   
   • Prompt: Follow a character who is introduced to Kwanzaa traditions and principles, struggling to reconcile these new concepts with their own beliefs and family customs, ultimately discovering the beauty of shared values.
4. Las Posadas:
   
   • Prompt: Write about a character unfamiliar with the Mexican Christmas tradition of Las Posadas, who faces challenges participating in the reenactment while learning about the cultural significance of the journey to Bethlehem.
5. St. Lucia's Day:
   
   • Prompt: Craft a narrative around a character outside of Scandinavian culture who is invited to partake in St. Lucia's Day celebrations, grappling with the symbolism of light and the unique customs of wearing candles.
6. Winter Solstice:
   
   • Prompt: Explore the experience of a character from a culture without Winter Solstice traditions, as they encounter rituals and celebrations centered around nature and the changing seasons, prompting a personal journey of understanding.
7. Chinese New Year:
   
   • Prompt: Tell the story of a character navigating the lively festivities of Chinese New Year, struggling with the customs, symbolism, and the significance of the zodiac, ultimately finding common ground and embracing the spirit of renewal.
8. Ethiopian Christmas (Ganna):
   
   • Prompt: Follow a character introduced to the Ethiopian Christmas celebration, grappling with the unique cultural and religious aspects, and discovering the warmth and inclusivity of the festivities.
9. Oshogatsu (Japanese New Year):
   
   • Prompt: Explore the challenges faced by a character unfamiliar with Oshogatsu traditions, as they navigate visits to shrines, partake in traditional rituals, and strive to understand the importance of family and new beginnings.
10. Global Celebrations:
    
    • Prompt: Craft a story about a character from a culturally isolated background who, through exposure to diverse global celebrations, initially struggles to connect but ultimately finds unity in the shared human experience of joy, love, and celebration.

"Why Did Jesus Die on the Cross?"

The main reason Jesus died on the cross was to defeat Satan and set us free from his oppressive rule. Everything else that Jesus accomplished was to be understood as an aspect and consequence of this victory (e.g., Recapitulation, Moral Influence, etc.).
This understanding of why Jesus had to die is called the Christus Victor (Latin for “Christ is Victorious”) view of the atonement. But, what exactly was Christ victorious from, and why? To find out the answers to these questions, we have to turn to the Old Testament, as that's what the apostles would often allude to in order to properly teach their audience the message they were trying to convey (Rom. 15:4).
The OT is full of conflict between the Father (YHVH) and false gods, between YHVH and cosmic forces of chaos. The Psalms speak of this conflict between YHVH and water monsters of the deeps (an ancient image for chaos) (Psa. 29:3-4; 74:10-14; 77:16, 19; 89:9-10; 104:2-9, etc).
The liberation of Israel from Egypt wasn’t just a conflict between Pharaoh and Moses. It was really between YHVH and the false gods of Egypt.
Regardless of whether you think the aforementioned descriptions are literal or metaphorical, the reality that the Old Testament describes is that humanity lived in a “cosmic war zone.”
The Christus Victor motif is about Christ reigning victorious over wicked principalities and Satan's kingdom, and is strongly emphasized throughout the New Testament. Scripture declares that Jesus came to drive out "the prince of this world” (John 12:31), to “destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8), to “destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil” (Heb. 2:14) and to “put all enemies under his feet” (1 Cor 15:25). Jesus came to overpower the “strong man” (Satan) who held the world in bondage and worked with his Church to plunder his "palace" (Luke 11:21-22). He came to end the reign of the cosmic “thief” who seized the world to “steal, and to kill, and to destroy” the life YHVH intended for us (John 10:10). Jesus came and died on the cross to disarm “the principalities and powers” and make a “shew of them openly [i.e., public spectacle]” by “triumphing over them in [the cross]” (Col. 2:15).
Beyond these explicit statements, there are many other passages that express the Christus Victor motif as well. For example, the first prophecy in the Bible foretells that a descendent of Eve (Jesus) would crush the head of the serpent (Gen. 3:15). The first Christian sermon ever preached proclaimed that Jesus in principle conquered all YHVH's enemies (Acts 2:32-36). And the single most frequently quoted Old Testament passage by New Testament authors is Psalm 110:1 which predicts that Christ would conquer all YHVH’s opponents. (Psalm 110 is quoted or alluded to in Matthew 22:41-45; 26:64, Mark 12:35-37; 14:62, Luke 20:41-44; 22:69, Acts 5:31; 7:55-56, Romans 8:34, 1st Corinthians 15:22-25, Ephesians 1:20, Hebrews 1:3; 1:13; 5:6, 10; 6:20; 7:11, 15, 17, 21; 8:1; 10:12-13, 1st Peter 3:22, and Revelation 3:21.) According to New Testament scholar Oscar Cullman, the frequency with which New Testament authors cite this Psalm is the greatest proof that Christ’s “victory over the angel powers stands at the very center of early Christian thought.”
Because of man's rebellion, the Messiah's coming involved a rescue mission that included a strategy for vanquishing the powers of darkness.
Since YHVH is a God of love who gives genuine “say-so” to both angels and humans, YHVH rarely accomplishes His providential plans through coercion. YHVH relies on His infinite wisdom to achieve His goals. Nowhere is YHVH's wisdom put more on display than in the manner in which He outsmarted Satan and the powers of evil, using their own evil to bring about their defeat.
Most readers probably know the famous story from ancient Greece about the Trojan Horse. To recap the story, Troy and Greece had been locked in a ten-year-long vicious war when, according to Homer and Virgil, the Greeks came up with a brilliant idea. They built an enormous wooden horse, hid soldiers inside and offered it to the Trojans as a gift, claiming they were conceding defeat and going home. The delighted Trojans accepted the gift and proceeded to celebrate by drinking themselves into a drunken stupor. When night came and the Trojan warriors were too wasted to fight, the Greeks exited the horse, unlocked the city gates to quietly let all their compatriots in, and easily conquered the city, thus winning the war.
Historians debate whether any of this actually happened. But either way, as military strategies go, it’s brilliant.
Now, there are five clues in the New Testament that suggest YHVH was using something like this Trojan Horse strategy against the powers when he sent Jesus into the world:
1) The Bible tells us that YHVH's victory over the powers of darkness was achieved by the employment of YHVH’s wisdom, and was centered on that wisdom having become reality in Jesus Christ (Rom. 16:25, 1 Cor. 2:7, Eph. 3:9-10, Col. 1:26). It also tells us that, for some reason, this Christ-centered wisdom was kept “secret and hidden” throughout the ages. It’s clear from this that YHVH's strategy was to outsmart and surprise the powers by sending Jesus.
2) While humans don’t generally know Jesus’ true identity during his ministry, demons do. They recognize Jesus as the Son of God, the Messiah, but, interestingly enough, they have no idea what he’s doing (Mark 1:24; 3:11; 5:7, Luke 8:21). Again, the wisdom of YHVH in sending Jesus was hidden from them.
3) We’re told that, while humans certainly share in the responsibility for the crucifixion, Satan and the powers were working behind the scenes to bring it about (John 13:27 cf. 1 Cor. 2:6-8). These forces of evil helped orchestrate the crucifixion.
4) We’re taught that if the “princes of this world [age]” had understood the secret wisdom of YHVH, “they would not have crucified the Lord of glory” (1 Cor 2:8 cf. vss 6-7). Apparently, Satan and the powers regretted orchestrating Christ’s crucifixion once they learned of the wisdom of YHVH that was behind it.
5) Finally, we can begin to understand why the powers came to regret crucifying “the Lord of glory” when we read that it was by means of the crucifixion that the “handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us [i.e., the charge of our legal indebtedness]” was “[taken] out of the way [i.e., canceled]” as the powers were disarmed. In this way Christ “triumph[ed] over” the powers by "his cross” and even “made a shew of them openly” (Col. 2:14-15). Through Christ’s death and resurrection YHVH's enemies were vanquished and placed under his Messiah's feet, and ultimately His own in the end (1 Cor. 15:23-28).
Putting these five clues together, we can discern YHVH's Trojan Horse strategy in sending Jesus.
The powers couldn’t discern why Jesus came because YHVH's wisdom was hidden from them. YHVH's wisdom was motivated by unfathomable love, and since Satan and the other powers were evil, they lacked the capacity to understand it. Their evil hearts prevented them from suspecting what YHVH was up to.
What the powers did understand was that Jesus was mortal. This meant he was killable. Lacking the capacity to understand that this was the means by which YHVH would ultimately bring about the defeat of death (and thus, pave the road for the resurrection itself), they never suspected that making Jesus vulnerable to their evil might actually be part of YHVH's infinitely wise plan.
And so they took the bait (or "ransom"; Matt. 20:28, Mark 10:45, 1 Tim. 2:5-6). Utilizing Judas and other willing human agents, the powers played right into YHVH’s secret plan and orchestrated the crucifixion of the Messiah (Acts 2:22-23; 4:28). YHVH thus brilliantly used the self-inflicted incapacity of evil to understand love against itself. And, like light dispelling darkness, the unfathomably beautiful act of YHVH's love in sending the willing Messiah as a "ransom" to these blood-thirsty powers defeated them. The whole creation was in principle freed and reconciled to YHVH, while everything written against us humans was nailed to the cross, thus robbing the powers of the only legal claim they had on us. They were “spoiled [i.e., disempowered]” (Col. 2:14-15).
As happened to the Trojans in accepting the gift from the Greeks, in seizing on Christ’s vulnerability and orchestrating his crucifixion, the powers unwittingly cooperated with YHVH to unleash the one power in the world that dispels all evil and sets captives free. It’s the power of self-sacrificial love.

Why Penal Substitution Is Unbiblical

For the sake of keeping this already lengthy post as short as possible I'm not going to spend too much time on why exactly PSA (Penal Substitutionary Atonement) is inconsistent with Scripture, but I'll go ahead and point out the main reasons why I believe this is so, and let the reader look further into this subject by themselves, being that there are many resources out there which have devoted much more time than I ever could here in supporting this premise.

"Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:"-1 Corinthians 5:7

The Passover is one of the two most prominent images in the New Testament given as a comparison to Christ's atonement and what it accomplished, (the other most common image being the Day of Atonement sacrifice).
In the Passover, the blood of the lamb on the door posts of the Hebrews in the book of Exodus was meant to mark out those who were YHVH's, not be a symbol of PSA, as the lamb itself was not being punished by God in place of the Hebrews, but rather the kingdom of Egypt (and thus, allegorically speaking, the kingdom of darkness which opposed YHVH) was what was being judged and punished, because those who were not "covered" by the blood of the lamb could be easily identified as not part of God's kingdom/covenant and liberated people.
Looking at the Day of Atonement sacrifice (which, again, Christ's death is repeatedly compared to throughout the New Testament), this ritual required a ram, a bull, and two goats (Lev. 16:3-5). The ram was for a burnt offering intended to please God (Lev. 16:3-4). The bull served as a sin offering for Aaron, the high priest, and his family. In this case, the sin offering restored the priest to ritual purity, allowing him to occupy sacred space and be near YHVH’s presence. Two goats taken from "the congregation” were needed for the single sin offering for the people (Lev. 16:5). So why two goats?
The high priest would cast lots over the two goats, with one chosen as a sacrifice “for the Lord” (Lev. 16:8). The blood of that goat would purify the people. The second goat was not sacrificed or designated “for the Lord.” On the contrary, this goat—the one that symbolically carried the sins away from the camp of Israel into the wilderness—was “for Azazel” (Lev. 16:8-10).
What—or who—is Azazel?
The Hebrew term azazel (עזאזל) occurs four times in Leviticus 16 but nowhere else in most people's canon of the Bible, (and I say "most people's canon," because some people do include 1 Enoch in their canon of Scripture, which of course goes into great detail about this "Azazel" figure). Many translations prefer to translate the term as a phrase, “the goat that goes away,” which is the same idea conveyed in the King James Version’s “scapegoat.” Other translations treat the word as a name: Azazel. The “scapegoat” option is possible, but since the phrase “for Azazel” parallels the phrase “for YHVH” (“for the Lord”), the wording suggests that two divine figures are being contrasted by the two goats.
A strong case can be made for translating the term as the name Azazel. Ancient Jewish texts show that Azazel was understood as a demonic figure associated with the wilderness. The Mishnah (ca. AD 200; Yoma 6:6) records that the goat for Azazel was led to a cliff and pushed over, ensuring it would not return with its death. This association of the wilderness with evil is also evident in the New Testament, as this was where Jesus met the devil (Matt. 4:1). Also, in Leviticus 17:1-7 we learn that some Israelites had been accustomed to sacrificing offerings to "devils" (alternatively translated as “goat demons”). The Day of Atonement replaced this illegitimate practice.
The second goat was not sent into the wilderness as a sacrifice to a foreign god or demon. The act of sending the live goat out into the wilderness, which was unholy ground, was to send the sins of the people where they belonged—to the demonic domain. With one goat sacrificed to bring purification and access to YHVH and one goat sent to carry the people’s sins to the demonic domain, this annual ritual reinforced the identity of the true God and His mercy and holiness.
When Jesus died on the cross for all of humanity’s sins, he was crucified outside the city, paralleling the sins of the people being cast to the wilderness via the goat to Azazel. Jesus died once for all sinners, negating the need for this ritual.
As previously stated, the goat which had all the sin put on it was sent alive off to the wilderness, while the blood of the goat which was blameless was used to purify the temple and the people. Penal substitution would necessitate the killing of the goat which had the sin put on it.
Mind you, this is the only sacrificial ritual of any kind in the Torah in which sins are placed on an animal. The only time it happens is this, and that animal is not sacrificed. Most PSA proponents unwittingly point to this ritual as evidence of their view, despite it actually serving as evidence to the contrary, because most people don't read their Old Testament and don't familiarize themselves with the "boring parts" like Leviticus (when it's actually rather important to do so, since that book explains how exactly animal offerings were to be carried out and why they were done in the first place).
In the New Testament, Christ's blood was not only meant to mark out those who were his, but also expel the presence of sin and ritual uncleanness so as to make the presence of YHVH manifest in the believer's life. Notice how God's wrath isn't poured out on Christ in our stead on this view, but rather His wrath was poured out on those who weren't covered, and the presence of sin and evil were merely removed by that which is pure and blameless (Christ's blood) for the believer.
All this is the difference between expiation and propitiation.

The Content of Paul's Gospel Message

When the New Testament writers talked about “the gospel,” they referred not to the Protestant doctrine of justification sola fide–the proposition that if we will stop trying to win God’s favor and only just believe that God has exchanged our sin for Christ’s perfect righteousness, then in God’s eyes we will have the perfect righteousness required both for salvation and for assuaging our guilty consciences–but rather they referred to the simple but explosive proposition Kyrios Christos, “Christ is Lord.” That is to say, the gospel was, properly speaking, the royal announcement that Jesus of Nazareth was the God of Israel’s promised Messiah, the King of kings and Lord of lords.
The New Testament writers were not writing in a cultural or linguistic vacuum and their language of euangelion (good news) and euangelizomai would have been understood by their audience in fairly specific ways. Namely, in the Greco-Roman world for which the New Testament authors wrote, euangelion/euangelizomai language typically had to do with either A) the announcement of the accession of a ruler, or B) the announcement of a victory in battle, and would probably have been understood along those lines.
Let’s take the announcements of a new ruler first. The classic example of such a language is the Priene Calendar Inscription, dating to circa 9 BC, which celebrates the rule (and birthday) of Caesar Augustus as follows:
"It was seeming to the Greeks in Asia, in the opinion of the high priest Apollonius of Menophilus Azanitus: Since Providence, which has ordered all things of our life and is very much interested in our life, has ordered things in sending Augustus, whom she filled with virtue for the benefit of men, sending him as a savior [soter] both for us and for those after us, him who would end war and order all things, and since Caesar by his appearance [epiphanein] surpassed the hopes of all those who received the good tidings [euangelia], not only those who were benefactors before him, but even the hope among those who will be left afterward, and the birthday of the god [he genethlios tou theou] was for the world the beginning of the good tidings [euangelion] through him; and Asia resolved it in Smyrna."
The association of the term euangelion with the announcement of Augustus’ rule is clear enough and is typical of how this language is used elsewhere. To give another example, Josephus records that at the news of the accession of the new emperor Vespasian (69 AD) “every city kept festival for the good news (euangelia) and offered sacrifices on his behalf.” (The Jewish War, IV.618). Finally, a papyrus dating to ca. 498 AD begins:
"Since I have become aware of the good news (euangeliou) about the proclamation as Caesar (of Gaius Julius Verus Maximus Augustus)…"
This usage occurs also in the Septuagint, the Greek translations of the Jewish Scriptures. For instance LXX Isaiah 52:7 reads, “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news (euangelizomenou), who publishes peace, who brings good news (euangelizomenos) of salvation, who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns.'" Similarly, LXX Isaiah 40:9-10 reads:

"…Go up on a high mountain, you who bring good tidings (ho euangelizomenos) to Sion; lift up your voice with strength, you who bring good tidings (ho euangelizomenos); lift it up, do not fear; say to the cities of Ioudas, “See your God!” Behold, the Lord comes with strength, and his arm with authority (kyrieias)…."-NETS, Esaias 40:9-10

This consistent close connection between euangelion/euangelizomai language and announcements of rule strongly suggests that many of the initial hearers/readers of the early Christians’ evangelical language would likely have understood that language as the announcement of a new ruler (see, e.g., Acts 17:7), and, unless there is strong NT evidence to the contrary, we should presume that the NT writers probably intended their language to be so understood.
However, the other main way in which euangelion/euangelizomai language was used in the Greco-Roman world was with reference to battle reports, announcements of victory in war. A classic example of this sort of usage can be found in LXX 2 Samuel 18:19ff, where David receives word that his traitorous son, Absalom, has been defeated in battle. Euangelion/euangelizomai is used throughout the passage for the communications from the front.
As already shown throughout this post, the NT speaks of Jesus’s death and resurrection as a great victory over the powers that existed at that time and, most importantly, over death itself. Jesus’ conquest of the principalities and powers was the establishment of his rule and comprehensive authority over heaven and earth, that is, of his Lordship over all things (again, at that time).
This was the content of Paul's gospel message...

Justification, and the "New" Perspective on Paul

The following quotation is from The Gospel Coalition, and I believe it to be a decently accurate summary of the NPP (New Perspective on Paul), despite it being from a source which is in opposition to it:

The New Perspective on Paul, a major scholarly shift that began in the 1980s, argues that the Jewish context of the New Testament has been wrongly understood and that this misunderstand[ing] has led to errors in the traditional-Protestant understanding of justification. According to the New Perspective, the Jewish systems of salvation were not based on works-righteousness but rather on covenantal nomism, the belief that one enters the people of God by grace and stays in through obedience to the covenant. This means that Paul could not have been referring to works-righteousness by his phrase “works of the law”; instead, he was referring to Jewish boundary markers that made clear who was or was not within the people of God. For the New Perspective, this is the issue that Paul opposes in the NT. Thus, justification takes on two aspects for the New Perspective rather than one; initial justification is by faith (grace) and recognizes covenant status (ecclesiology), while final justification is partially by works, albeit works produced by the Spirit.

I believe what's called the "new perspective" is actually rather old, and that the Reformers' view of Paul is what is truly new, being that the Lutheran understanding of Paul is simply not Biblical.
The Reformation perspective understands Paul to be arguing against a legalistic Jewish culture that seeks to earn their salvation through works. However, supporters of the NPP argue that Paul has been misread. We contend he was actually combating Jews who were boasting because they were God's people, the "elect" or the "chosen ones." Their "works," so to speak, were done to show they were God's covenant people and not to earn their salvation.
The key questions involve Paul’s view(s) of the law and the meaning of the controversy in which Paul was engaged. Paul strongly argued that we are “justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law” (Gal. 2:16b). Since the time of Martin Luther, this has been understood as an indictment of legalistic efforts to merit favor before God. Judaism was cast in the role of the medieval "church," and so Paul’s protests became very Lutheran, with traditional-Protestant theology reinforced in all its particulars (along with its limitations) as a result. In hermeneutical terms, then, the historical context of Paul’s debate will answer the questions we have about what exactly the apostle meant by the phrase "works of the law," along with other phrases often used as support by the Reformers for their doctrine of Sola Fide (justification by faith alone), like when Paul mentions "the righteousness of God."
Obviously an in-depth analysis of the Pauline corpus and its place in the context of first-century Judaism would take us far beyond the scope of this brief post. We can, however, quickly survey the topography of Paul’s thought in context, particularly as it has emerged through the efforts of recent scholarship, and note some salient points which may be used as the basis of a refurbished soteriology.
[Note: The more popular scholars associated with the NPP are E.P. Sanders, James Dunn, and N.T. Wright. Dunn was the first to coin the term "The New Perspective" in a 1983 Manson Memorial Lecture, The New Perspective on Paul and the Law.]
Varying authors since the early 1900's have brought up the charge that Paul was misread by those in the tradition of Martin Luther and other Protestant Reformers. Yet, it wasn't until E.P. Sanders' 1977 book, Paul and Palestinian Judaism, that scholars began to pay much attention to the issue. In his book, Sanders argues that the Judaism of Paul's day has been wrongly criticized as a religion of "works-salvation" by those in the Protestant tradition.
A fundamental premise in the NPP is that Judaism was actually a religion of grace. Sander's puts it clearly:
"On the point at which many have found the decisive contrast between Paul and Judaism - grace and works - Paul is in agreement with Palestinian Judaism... Salvation is by grace but judgment is according to works'...God saves by grace, but... within the framework established by grace he rewards good deeds and punishes transgression." (Paul and Palestinian Judaism, p. 543)
N.T. Wright adds that, "we have misjudged early Judaism, especially Pharisaism, if we have thought of it as an early version of Pelagianism," (Wright, What Saint Paul Really Said, p. 32).
Sanders has coined a now well-known phrase to describe the character of first-century Palestinian Judaism: “covenantal nomism.” The meaning of “covenantal nomism” is that human obedience is not construed as the means of entering into God’s covenant. That cannot be earned; inclusion within the covenant body is by the grace of God. Rather, obedience is the means of maintaining one’s status within the covenant. And with its emphasis on divine grace and forgiveness, Judaism was never a religion of legalism.
If covenantal nomism was operating as the primary category under which Jews understood the Law, then when Jews spoke of obeying commandments, or when they required strict obedience of themselves and fellow Jews, it was because they were "keeping the covenant," rather than out of legalism.
More recently, N.T. Wright has made a significant contribution in his little book, What Saint Paul Really Said. Wright’s focus is the gospel and the doctrine of justification. With incisive clarity he demonstrates that the core of Paul’s gospel was not justification by faith, but the death and resurrection of Christ and his exaltation as Lord. The proclamation of the gospel was the proclamation of Jesus as Lord, the Messiah who fulfilled Israel’s expectations. Romans 1:3-4, not 1:16-17, is the gospel, contrary to traditional thinking. Justification is not the center of Paul’s thought, but an outworking of it:
"[T]he doctrine of justification by faith is not what Paul means by ‘the gospel’. It is implied by the gospel; when the gospel is proclaimed, people come to faith and so are regarded by God as members of his people. But ‘the gospel’ is not an account of how people get saved. It is, as we saw in an earlier chapter, the proclamation of the lordship of Jesus Christ….Let us be quite clear. ‘The gospel’ is the announcement of Jesus’ lordship, which works with power to bring people into the family of Abraham, now redefined around Jesus Christ and characterized solely by faith in him. ‘Justification’ is the doctrine which insists that all those who have this faith belong as full members of this family, on this basis and no other." (pp. 132, 133)
Wright brings us to this point by showing what “justification” would have meant in Paul’s Jewish context, bound up as it was in law-court terminology, eschatology, and God’s faithfulness to God’s covenant.
Specifically, Wright explodes the myth that the pre-Christian Saul was a pious, proto-Pelagian moralist seeking to earn his individual passage into heaven. Wright capitalizes on Paul’s autobiographical confessions to paint rather a picture of a zealous Jewish nationalist whose driving concern was to cleanse Israel of Gentiles as well as Jews who had lax attitudes toward the Torah. Running the risk of anachronism, Wright points to a contemporary version of the pre-Christian Saul: Yigal Amir, the zealous Torah-loyal Jew who assassinated Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin for exchanging Israel’s land for peace. Wright writes:
"Jews like Saul of Tarsus were not interested in an abstract, ahistorical system of salvation... They were interested in the salvation which, they believed, the one true God had promised to his people Israel." (pp. 32, 33)
Wright maintains that as a Christian, Paul continued to challenge paganism by taking the moral high ground of the creational monotheist. The doctrine of justification was not what Paul preached to the Gentiles as the main thrust of his gospel message; it was rather “the thing his converts most needed to know in order to be assured that they really were part of God’s people” after they had responded to the gospel message.
Even while taking the gospel to the Gentiles, however, Paul continued to criticize Judaism “from within” even as he had as a zealous Pharisee. But whereas his mission before was to root out those with lax attitudes toward the Torah, now his mission was to demonstrate that God’s covenant faithfulness (righteousness) has already been revealed in Jesus Christ.
At this point Wright carefully documents Paul’s use of the controversial phrase “God’s righteousness” and draws out the implications of his meaning against the background of a Jewish concept of justification. The righteousness of God and the righteousness of the party who is “justified” cannot be confused because the term bears different connotations for the judge than for the plaintiff or defendant. The judge is “righteous” if his or her judgment is fair and impartial; the plaintiff or defendant is “righteous” if the judge rules in his or her favor. Hence:
"If we use the language of the law court, it makes no sense whatsoever to say that the judge imputes, imparts, bequeaths, conveys or otherwise transfers his righteousness to either the plaintiff or the defendant. Righteousness is not an object, a substance or a gas which can be passed across the courtroom. For the judge to be righteous does not mean that the court has found in his favor. For the plaintiff or defendant to be righteous does not mean that he or she has tried the case properly or impartially. To imagine the defendant somehow receiving the judge’s righteousness is simply a category mistake. That is not how the language works." (p. 98)
However, Wright makes the important observation that even with the forensic metaphor, Paul’s theology is not so much about the courtroom as it is about God’s love.
Righteousness is not an impersonal, abstract standard, a measuring-stick or a balancing scale. That was, and still is, a Greek view. Righteousness, Biblically speaking, grows out of covenant relationship. We forgive because we have been forgiven (Matt. 18:21-35); “we love" because God “first loved us” (1 John 4:19). Love is the fulfillment of the law (Rom. 13:8, 10, Gal 5:14, Jam. 2:8). Paul even looked forward to a day when “we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad” (2 Cor. 5:10), and he acknowledged that his clear conscience did not necessarily ensure this verdict (1 Cor. 4:4), but he was confident nevertheless. Paul did in fact testify of his clear conscience: “For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation [i.e., behavior] in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward” (2 Cor. 1:12). He was aware that he had not yet “attained” (Phil. 3:12-14), that he still struggled with the flesh, yet he was confident of the value of his performance (1 Cor. 9:27). These are hardly the convictions of someone who intends to rest entirely on the merits of an alien righteousness imputed to his or her account.
Wright went on to flesh out the doctrine of justification in Galatians, Philippians, and Romans. The “works of the law” are not proto-Pelagian efforts to earn salvation, but rather “sabbath [keeping], food-laws, circumcision” (p. 132). Considering the controversy in Galatia, Wright writes:
"Despite a long tradition to the contrary, the problem Paul addresses in Galatians is not the question of how precisely someone becomes a Christian, or attains to a relationship with God….The problem he addresses is: should his ex-pagan converts be circumcised or not? Now this question is by no means obviously to do with the questions faced by Augustine and Pelagius, or by Luther and Erasmus. On anyone’s reading, but especially within its first-century context, it has to do quite obviously with the question of how you define the people of God: are they to be defined by the badges of Jewish race, or in some other way? Circumcision is not a ‘moral’ issue; it does not have to do with moral effort, or earning salvation by good deeds. Nor can we simply treat it as a religious ritual, then designate all religious ritual as crypto-Pelagian good works, and so smuggle Pelagius into Galatia as the arch-opponent after all. First-century thought, both Jewish and Christian, simply doesn’t work like that…. [T]he polemic against the Torah in Galatians simply will not work if we ‘translate’ it into polemic either against straightforward self-help moralism or against the more subtle snare of ‘legalism’, as some have suggested. The passages about the law only work — and by ‘work’ I mean they will only make full sense in their contexts, which is what counts in the last analysis — when we take them as references to the Jewish law, the Torah, seen as the national charter of the Jewish race." (pp. 120-122)
The debate about justification, then, “wasn’t so much about soteriology as about ecclesiology; not so much about salvation as about the church.” (p. 119)
To summarize the theology of Paul in his epistles, the apostle mainly spent time arguing to those whom he were sending letters that salvation in Christ was available to all men without distinction. Jews and Gentiles alike may accept the free gift; it was not limited to any one group. Paul was vehement about this, especially in his letter to the Romans. As such, I will finish this post off by summarizing the letter itself, so as to provide Biblical support for the premises of the NPP and for what the scholars I referenced have thus far argued.
After his introduction in the epistle to an already believing and mostly Gentile audience (who would've already been familiar with the gospel proclaimed in verses 3-4), Paul makes a thematic statement in 1:16: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” This statement is just one of many key statements littered throughout the book of Romans that give us proper understanding of the point Paul wished to make to the interlocutors of his day, namely, salvation is available to all, whether Jew or Gentile.
In 1:16 Paul sets out a basic theme of his message in the letter to the Romans. All who believed, whether they be Jew or Gentile, were saved by the power of the gospel. The universal nature of salvation was explicitly stated. The gospel saved all without distinction, whether Jew or Greek; salvation was through the gospel of Jesus Christ. Immediately after this thematic declaration, Paul undertakes to show the universal nature of sin and guilt. In 1:18-32 Paul shows how the Gentile is guilty before God. Despite evidence of God and his attributes, which is readily available to all, they have failed to honor YHVH as God and have exchanged His glory for idolatrous worship and self-promotion. As a consequence, God handed them over in judgment (1:18-32). Paul moves to denunciation of those who would judge others while themselves being guilty of the very same offenses (2:1-5) and argues that all will be judged according to their deeds (2:6). This judgment applies to all, namely, Jew and Greek (2:9-10). This section serves as somewhat of a transition in Paul’s argument. He has highlighted the guilt of the Gentiles (1:18ff) and will shortly outline the guilt of the Jew (2:17-24). The universal statement of 2:1-11 sets the stage for Paul’s rebuke of Jewish presumption. It was not possession of the Law which delivered; it was faithful obedience. It is better to have no Law and yet to obey the essence of the Law (2:12-16) than to have the Law and not obey (2:17-3:4). Paul then defends the justice of God’s judgment (3:5-8), which leads to the conclusion that all (Jew and Gentile) are guilty before God (3:9).
Paul argues that it was a mistaken notion to think that salvation was the prerogative of the Jew only. This presumption is wrong for two reasons. First, it leads to the mistaken assumption that only Jews were eligible for this vindication (Paul deals with this misunderstanding in chapter 4 where he demonstrates that Abraham was justified by faith independently of the Law and is therefore the father of all who believe, Jew and Gentile alike). Second, it leads to the equally mistaken conclusion that all who were Jews are guaranteed of vindication. Paul demonstrates how this perspective, which would call God’s integrity into question since Paul was assuming many Jews would not experience this vindication, was misguided. He did this by demonstrating that it was never the case that all physical descendants of Israel (Jacob) were likewise recipients of the promise. In the past (9:6-33) as in the present (at that time; 11:1-10), only a remnant was preserved and only a remnant would experience vindication. Paul also argued that the unbelief of national Israel (the non-remnant) had the purpose of extending the compass of salvation. The unbelief of one group made the universal scope of the gospel possible. This universalism was itself intended to bring about the vindication of the unbelieving group (11:11-16). As a result of faith, all (Jew and Gentile) could be branches of the olive tree (11:17-24). Since faith in Christ was necessary to remain grafted into the tree, no one could boast of his position. All, Jew and Gentile alike, were dependent upon the mercy and grace of God. As a result of God’s mysterious plan, He would bring about the vindication of His people (11:25-27). [Note: It is this author's belief that this vindication occurred around 66-70 AD, with the Parousia of Christ's Church; this author is Full-Preterist in their Eschatology.]

So I had two dreams, 3 days apart and the second directly relates to the first one. Also the first ine of its own was interesting enough to me and I wonder what you people think of it. I know theres such a thing as an initiation dream in Jungs Psychology but I dont really know what it is all about. My first dream has initiation as a topic:
In my first dream there was something like a ritual going on, but it was playing like a movie and it was about becoming adult, becoming grown, like old cultures have proper adult initiations. There was this pillar of water and I also watched that some environmental changes were going on, with lava or so. These changes forced a whole bunch of bunnies outside of this whole thing. And that just happens when you grow up, that was the understanding inside of the dream. But then I suddenly realized that its important whats going on there, because i was just watching it and also doing something else in the same time. Then I realized that this is important for my existence and my chance so i jumped into that water pillar to be subject to this ritual. - No more memories after this
So three days later I have another dream, in which I am in a classroom. In real I dont have any school setting anymore, but in the dream it was not odd or special (sometimes I have dreams in school where it is like implicit, that I usually are not in school anymore. This dream was different, being in school was normal). What was special though was the teacher, he was a new teacher to me and he being unfamiliar occupied my mind during the dream because I would want to be in a good light to him and also get to know what he is like. I feel like before the classroom scene there were othere scenes with motifs of an according institution and of some structuring and ordering measurements through authorities. Whatever, during the class he did his first lesson thing and asked around stuff and adressed the people. In my case, he accused me of something, i dont know what he accused me of exactly but it had something to do with a book at hand. I was completely sure that his accusation was not true and I remained calm and gave my best to show to him that I am not guilty of whatever it was. What resolved this conflict is that I showed that the book was not mine. I turnt to the first pages of it and found someones name (a not so important ex work colleague, thats been fired because she often came way too late). And that proved that the book wasnt mine. Though I dont know why that wouldve been a problem in the first place. The book was an actual novel named "Niemand ist eine Insel" from a german writer. I do own this book because I once found it second hand very cheap. Though I have not read a single page of it. The title translates to "Nobody is an island". There was another scene in the classroom. The teacher talked and explained the progression of some type of act. I dont know what was the actual subject or his understanding of what he talked about, but he explained that the person sits in a chair and suddenly the floor beneath the chair will disappear and the person falls. Then I reply to him "into water?" and he says yes. In the actual dream I was thinking of the dream described beforehand, as if it was an important thing and I used my knowledge of it in this classroom scene, which ultimately linked these two dreams together.
I found that exciting because its not just like from wake perspective it is connectable, but I actually made a connection inside of the dream itself. So I am open to your thoughts about this general thing, about the dreams themselves and especially about the motif of initiation the water, for I know water stands for the unconscious.

Pa pet em Shekhemu-Khemenu: A Sacred Dialogue Between Ahriman and the Sekhem-Khemenu

Introduction
In the mystic tradition of Khemu, the Shekhemu-Khemenu, or the Divine Enlightened Ones, hold a sacred place of reverence and wisdom. They are the enlightened guides who commune with the Infernal Divine, especially with Ahriman, the All-Powerful and Unconquered, Azathiel and Nyctalaela, the powerful deities of darkness, Love, Lust, Seduction, Desire, Pleasure, Ecstasy, Fertility, pure beauty and transformation. This dialogue serves as a profound spiritual exploration between Ahriman and the First Sekhem-Khemenu, illuminating the path of enlightenment and the embrace of infernal wisdom.
Setting the Scene
The ritual space is prepared with sacred symbols and offerings to honor Ahriman. The Sekhem-Khemenu sits in meditation, invoking the presence of Ahriman through ancient chants and incantations. The atmosphere is charged with energy as the veil between worlds thins, allowing the divine conversation to unfold.
Invocation of Ahriman
The Sekhem-Khemenu begins the invocation:
"Great Ahriman, Lord of Shadows and Transformation, I call upon you to bestow your wisdom. Guide me through the realms of darkness, Illuminate the path of the infernal enlightenment. By your power, let this sacred dialogue commence."
The Dialogue
Ahriman: "Hail, Sekhem-Khemenu. You who have journeyed through the shadows, what wisdom do you seek from the depths of Duzakh?"
Sekhem-Khemenu: "Mighty Ahriman, I seek to understand the true nature of enlightenment within the infernal realms. How may I transcend my mortal limitations and embrace the divine darkness fully?"
Ahriman: "Enlightenment, dear seeker, is found not in the light but in the embrace of your shadows. To transcend, you must first acknowledge your fears and desires, for they are the keys to your true power. Shed the illusions of the mundane world and immerse yourself in the primal essence of your being."
Sekhem-Khemenu: "What rituals and practices shall I undertake to deepen my connection with the infernal divine and enhance my spiritual evolution?"
Ahriman: "Engage in the Ritual of the Dark Mirror. Gaze upon your reflection, not with your eyes, but with your soul. See beyond the surface and confront your deepest self. Practice the Dance of Shadows, moving with grace and power, merging your physical and spiritual forms. Invoke my name in your meditations, and let the dark flame within you burn brighter."
Sekhem-Khemenu: "How can I serve the Empire of Duzakh and spread the teachings of the infernal divine among the faithful?"
Ahriman: "Teach the ways of transformation and resilience. Encourage others to embrace their inner darkness and to find strength in adversity. The Empire of Duzakh thrives on the enlightenment of its followers. Share the sacred texts and rituals, guide them through the initiations, and foster a community of empowered beings."
Sekhem-Khemenu: "What is the ultimate goal for a Sekhem-Khemenu in the service of the Infernal Divine?"
Ahriman: "The ultimate goal is to achieve a state of divine apotheosis, becoming one with the infernal essence, becoming a Daemon, this Procedure is also known as the "Final Ascension". As a Sekhem-Khemenu, your destiny is to transcend the mortal coil and unite with the eternal darkness, to become a beacon of infernal wisdom and power. Through your enlightenment, you shall inspire others to walk the same path, expanding the realms of Duzakh and Pandemonium (The Empire of Ahriman and the Empire of Lucifer)."
Conclusion
The dialogue concludes with a final invocation of gratitude:
"Great Ahriman, I thank you for your wisdom and guidance. May your power and presence continue to illuminate my path. I vow to serve the Empire of Duzakh and spread the teachings of the infernal divine. By your grace, I shall achieve enlightenment and apotheosis."
The Sekhem-Khemenu ends the ritual, feeling the profound connection with Ahriman and the infernal realms. The teachings and insights gained from this sacred dialogue are now integrated into their spiritual practice, guiding them further on the path of enlightenment and divine transformation.

The Rituals of the Dark Mirror and the Dance of Shadows

Ritual of the Dark Mirror
Purpose: To confront and integrate one's deepest self, achieving greater self-awareness and spiritual evolution.
Materials Needed: - A large, dark mirror - Black candles - Incense (preferably myrrh or frankincense) - A comfortable, darkened space
Steps: 1. Preparation: - Light the black candles and place them around the mirror. - Light the incense and let the smoke fill the space. - Sit comfortably before the mirror, ensuring you will not be disturbed.

1. Invocation:
   
   • Begin by invoking Ahriman: "Mighty Ahriman, Lord of Shadows, I invoke thee. Guide me through the darkness, Reveal to me the truths within, Illuminate my soul with your infernal wisdom."
2. Gazing:
   
   • Focus on your reflection in the mirror.
   • Allow your mind to relax and enter a meditative state.
   • As you gaze, visualize the surface of the mirror becoming a portal to your inner self.
3. Confrontation:
   
   • As images and thoughts arise, confront them without fear.
   • Acknowledge your desires, fears, and hidden aspects.
   • Speak aloud any insights or revelations.
4. Integration:
   
   • Embrace these aspects of yourself, understanding they are part of your power.
   • Affirm your commitment to self-awareness and spiritual growth.
5. Closing:
   
   • Thank Ahriman for his guidance: "Great Ahriman, I thank thee for thy wisdom and guidance. May your darkness continue to illuminate my path."

Ritual of the Dance of Shadows
Purpose: To merge physical and spiritual forms, enhancing connection with the infernal divine and awakening inner power.
Materials Needed: - A private, dimly lit space - Music with a dark, rhythmic beat - Comfortable, loose clothing
Steps: 1. Preparation: - Create a sacred space where you can move freely. - Play the chosen music softly in the background.

1. Invocation:
   
   • Begin by invoking Ahriman: "Ahriman, Lord of the Dance of Shadows, I invoke thee. Guide my movements, Awaken the power within me, Let me dance with the darkness."
2. Movement:
   
   • Close your eyes and feel the music.
   • Begin to move slowly, letting your body respond to the rhythm.
   • Allow your movements to become fluid and expressive.
3. Fusion:
   
   • Visualize merging your physical body with your spiritual essence.
   • Move with grace and power, embodying the shadows.
4. Empowerment:
   
   • Feel the energy of the infernal divine flowing through you.
   • Channel this energy into your movements, expressing your inner strength and power.
5. Closing:
   
   • Gradually slow your movements and come to a stillness.
   • Thank Ahriman for his presence and guidance: "Ahriman, I thank thee for thy presence and guidance. May the dance of shadows continue to empower and enlighten me."

By engaging in these rituals with dedication and reverence, you will deepen your connection with the infernal divine, embracing the wisdom and power that lies within the shadows.

What are the best NPC rules you've used/seen in games without an arbiter? I know there's the Brawl scenario that triggers shivers based on actions you take, but they do nothing/flee 66% of the time.
Building a scenario where my friend and I compete to enter a guarded compound to plant a bomb and huff promethium fumes (Gang initiation ritual, lol).
Any ideas as we'll have 10-20 guard NPCs? From simple (closet NPC to the unit just activated shoots at the unit or charges if charging is better) to not so.

I'm a beginner in FPGA programming and I'm trying to implement a noise filter in Verilog on Vivado. I'm doing calculations on the input signal where division is needed, so I'm using the Divider Generator IP to implement the division outside of a module. When I run behavioral simulation, I get an unknown output x from the Divider Generator, even though the input data is valid. I'm guessing that I'm implementing the division wrong with the IP, but does anyone have any idea what I might be doing wrong? I hardly did any coding about the Division Generator and most I did was connecting the input an output ports.
Here is my code (here is also the full version of the code):
block diagram of the main module and the Divider Generator

 reg [15:0] y, y_init, u; reg [15:0] x_curr, x_curr0, x_curr1, x_curr2, x_next, x_next2, x_next3; reg [15:0] e_pre_var, e_next_var, e_next_var1, e_next_var2; reg [15:0] K_pre, K_next, one_K_next_sq, K_next_sq; // kalman gain always@(posedge clk) begin // distribute calculations over multiple clock cycles to meet timing // all variables that are not declared as reg are parameters if (counter == 9) begin y_init = y_measured; end if (counter == 10) begin x_next2 = k_omega*y_init; x_next3 = oT*x_next2; measured = x_next3; end if (counter == 11) begin x_next = x_next1 - x_next3; // predict the next state x_n e_pre_var = e_pre_var0; end // counter1024 counts up to 1024 clock cycles, so the following makes calculations every 1024 //cycles // this reduces the calculation rate from 125 MHz if (counter_eq_1024) begin y = y_measured; u = -oT*k_omega*y; end if (counter1024 == 1) begin K_next_num = (phi_sq*e_pre_var + d_var); K_next_denom = (phi_sq*e_pre_var + d_var + s_var); // K_next = K_next_num / K_next_denom; M_AXIS_OUT_tvalid_kal = 1'b1; // send the numerator and denominator values to the Divider Generator K_next = K_next_in; end if (counter1024 == 2) begin x_curr0 = 1-K_next; x_curr1 = x_curr0*x_next; x_curr2 = K_next*y; end if (counter1024 == 3) begin x_curr = x_curr1 + x_curr2; // estimate the current state x_next = phi*x_curr + u; // predict the next state end if (counter1024 == 4) begin one_K_next_sq = (1-K_next)*(1-K_next); K_next_sq = K_next*K_next; end if(counter1024 == 5) begin e_next_var1 = one_K_next_sq*K_next_num; e_next_var2 = K_next_sq*s_var; e_next_var = e_next_var1 + e_next_var2; end if (counter1024 == 6) begin // make the next values the old values for next cycle K_pre = K_next; e_pre_var = e_next_var; // Assign the calculated value to the output signal M_AXIS_OUT_tdata = x_next; // Store sampled data in memory x_data = x_next; M_AXIS_OUT_tvalid_kal = 1'b0; // stop data flow to Divider Generator end end 

Starting Info:
I will be casting as few spells as possible throughout the game. This includes learned skills, spirit vision, source vampirism, scrolls and more obscure "spells" like using face-ripper or Fane's shapeshifting mask. The game describes these actions as "cast"-able as opposed to a shovel or teleporter pyramid which are "use"-able. So I will be allowing myself the use of teleporter pyramids, shovels, lockpicks, Magic Mirror, Waypoints, telekinesis, potions, grenades, special arrows, and most importantly the glowing Idol of rebirth. Resurrection scrolls are not allowed but crafting the idols at no point requires you to cast anything, allowing a nice loophole. Basically, I played as if my characters were permanently silenced.
I will be playing on Tactician, using lone wolf rangers Fane (MC) and Ifan, for their ingenious trait. Rangers are the obvious choice for this challenge, as they deal a great amount of damage even without spells, and still have access to cc and magical damage with special arrows.
Heavy Spoilers for the entire game below
Act 1:
For the most part Act 1 was pretty simple. Some of the very early fights were rough, as we have to rely on our very weak standard attack. Once I got lone wolf on our companion and a couple of decent crossbows, things went quite smoothly. Without access to teleportation, several chests were unable to be accessed. Additionally not being able to use bless, prevented us from saving the pigs, opening the decrepit ruins (the area under where you find Gareth), opening the cursed chest in Braccus' vault containing the first piece of the devourer set, and removing the curse on the skeletal Captain's crate on the beach. I did try to use water balloons to spread blessed water (created by defeating nearby voidwoken) onto the flaming pigs but apparently you need to cast bless specifically
on the pigs. The final hurdle of the act was to defeat the shriekers and "kill" Alexander. Unable to use purging wands, I had to kill Radeka, to free Slane, so the dragon could take care of the Shriekers for me. The battle with Alexander was surprisingly easy and anticlimactic. Our first real problem arises when we meet Malady. Our supposed ally demands that we cast the bless spell to prove our godwoken status. Does a spell cast solely through dialogue count as a spell? I don’t know. We leave Fort Joy, and soon The Lady Vengeance is under attack. A few knockdown arrows later and Malady teleports us to the Hall of Echoes. This is our second problem. To move on, we need to bless our patron god. Perhaps there is a way to bypass this but I couldn’t work it out.
Act 2:
Just like bless being our nemesis in Act 1, spirit vision was the villain of Act 2. After you save Meistr Siva and perform the ritual, your god forces you to cast spirit vision to continue. Luckily you never actually need to perform the ritual, and by refusing source from all the source masters, Malady can give you the location of the Council of the seven. Armed with 2 teleporter pyramids, the respec mirror and a glowing idol of rebirth (in hindsight I should have gotten 2 of these, but I forgot that Fane needs to shapeshift in order to receive the spider’s kiss), we began our quest of refusing source knowledge. Ironically the most difficult fight involved Peeper the voidwoken chick. As we couldn’t speak to Marge’s ghost, when we brought Peeper to the magicockerel, we didn’t have the option to kill Peeper in dialogue. This started a fight with an infinite swarm of void chickens. That’s fine right? No. For some reason this caused nearby Daeyena to become aggressive, spawning her plethora of violent plants, which were 4 levels higher than Fane and Ifan at the time. The only solution (aside from not doing the quest, there wasn’t a reward for it anyway) was to trigger dialogue with Daeyena first, and as she is walking to the magister, start the fight with the chickens. Then retreat from combat, and then continue the conversation with Daeyena. We would return later to finish off the chickens and kill the elf for her armour. The only other notable fight of Act 2 was with the Black Ring in the centre of Bloodmoon Island. The undead Black Ring Destroyer has an evasion aura. Therefore we could only damage it with grenades or by taking 10% chance shots. Luckily this fight could be cheesed. Run away with your higher initiative character, the destroyer takes its turn, then your lower initiative character takes a couple of shots at the destroyer. Meanwhile sneak back into range with your other character and attack the destroyer, putting the character in front of the destroyer in turn order. This can be repeated infinitely, without letting the destroyer have a turn. I don’t think this fight was even needed to be done, but it was fun. One of the magisters guarding Meistr Siva also had the evasion aura, but they could just be bribed to leave their post. Interestingly, there is a way to get spirit vision temporarily without casting the spell. After completing Ryker’s quest, he gives your party spirit vision for 5 turns when he starts the ritual. By quickly teleporting to another location you can use this spirit vision to complete a quest. I used it to open the Surrey family tomb, to get the Anathema part for Tarquin. After denying all the source masters, and completing all the quests that required no spirit vision (I also couldn’t figure out how to do The Trial for All Seasons, but it could be possible), we set sail to the Nameless Isle without another spell being cast.
Act 3:
Act 3 was quick and painless. Using telekinesis and teleporter pyramids, we could easily navigate the entire island. The Sallow Man was the only concern, with his deflection proving a challenge for our rangers. We could have switched to daggers, but the fight was won simply through brute force and abusing the rebirth idol. As we entered the academy Fane talked to the voidwoken and became Sworn to the God King. Did I realise that to break this pact I would have to cast a spell. No I did not. Fight. Dallis. God. Lava. Sexy Times. And on to the final chapter.
Act 4:
There were a few challenges in this act. Starting with Kemm’s vault. Being unable to cast source vampirism on the vault sentinels, I had to use (for the first time ever) the sneaking civil ability to avoid them. I worried that I would have to cast spirit vision to install the missing panel of the painting, but I placed the painting nearby, and it automatically slotted into place. The next problem was Arhu himself. Sadly we had to kill the cat-man, as saving him would have required spells. Next was Kemm himself. Like the Sallow Man, he had deflecting, and unlike the Sallow Man he dealt a considerable amount of damage and couldn’t be sniped from higher ground. Luckily his Black Ring allies could be killed in 2 or 3 shots, and by carefully setting up ornate chests, Kemm was unable to get in melee range. Then using a barrage of static cloud arrows, Kemm was stunlocked and dead. The next big boss to defeat was the Doctor. I started the fight in the side room with all the desks, by attacking one of the nurses, forcing the demons to come to us. By using the bow that sets erratic wisp on its target, anytime an enemy got too close we could teleport them away. Combined with knockdown arrows, and fire resistance potions the damage the Doctor could deal to our duo was negligible. The final boss to defeat before entering the cathedral was Isbeil (without spirit vision we couldn’t fight Sadha or the Devourer). The fight itself was quite easy, Isbeil did not get a turn. The problem came from the deathfog device. Fane could not bring himself to disappoint his lover Ifan, so destroyed the device, much to the dismay of the God King. As punishment, Fane was permanently cursed. We entered the cathedral with a mercenary buddy. He successfully walked the Path of Blood, and then was promptly dismissed. Next was the pipe puzzle. How do you get blessed blood without bless? It turns out you don’t actually need blessed blood. Using teleport pyramids and telekinesis, you can bypass the forcefield and teleport down to the pipes. Ifan bled into the pipe, and Fane chucked a blessed water balloon onto the now bloody bowl. Even though the bowl did not contain any blessed blood (just blessed water and blood), the tomb opened. Next was the puppet room, and then onto Lucian. Ifan decided to forgive Lucian (I needed the achievement) and then the duo planned to give up their source to save the world. Unfortunately, the God King had other plans and turned Fane to a pile of bones and Braccus did his thing. Lucian and Ifan finished off the source king quite easily, ending the campaign. Miraculously, dead Malady revived Ifan from his life as a silent monk., though Fane’s spirit did not even make an appearance on The Lady Vengeance with the other godwoken spirits.
Overall, this challenge was surprisingly easy. By the end of the game, both our characters were dealing around 2000 damage a hit, twice that if a critical hit (Fane had around 95% crit chance, and Ifan had around 70%), twice again with huntsman bonuses from attacking from high ground. With 4 attacks per turn per character (8 AP from lone wolf and executioner), we could theoretically deal around 64,000 damage a turn. Without having to worry about spells, the campaign was very quick, taking only 35 hours.
TLDR: You only need to cast a single spell (and a spell in dialogue) to finish the game.

No experience necessary. 3 positions available.
Rituals and Details:
Initiation Ceremonies: Elaborate ceremonies involving symbolic and erotic acts to awaken and harness sexual energy.
The Sacred Ritual of Magical Love: A sacramental use of sexual intercourse to transform physical desire into spiritual illumination.
Erotic Hanging (The Hanging Mystery): A symbolic and erotic practice believed to facilitate a transformative spiritual experience. (not necessary to participate in, but be trained in the ability).
About the Brotherhood:
Founded by Maria de Naglowska in Paris during the early 1930s, La Confrérie de la Flèche d’Or (the Brotherhood of the Golden Arrow) focuses on the practice and teachings of sexual magic. The rituals are deeply rooted in the spiritual and transformative potential of erotic energy, aiming to elevate consciousness and achieve a mystical union with the divine.
Requirements for the Le Rite Sacré de l'Amour Magique:
Appearance: Natural Blonde, female, and in shape (or could be in shape within three months). We have spots for PB Randolph and Aleister Crowley rituals that are not as specific in body type/coloring. If any of these interests you - or you have questions please reach out.
Age: 18-40
Commitment: Willing to participate fully in every part of the ritual, including sexual acts, sensory deprivation, and symbolic acts: Elements like blindfolding or restraining to heighten senses and focus energy, including symbolic acts to represent the union of male and female energies, and energy movement.
Training: Complete a rigorous three-month training program that includes meditation, ritual practices, physical exercise, and energy movement.
Benefits:
Complete spiritual training in ancient mystical practices
Free accommodation (room & board) and training for up to three months
Opportunity to become a priestess and initiate others into the Brotherhood
Participation in our Parisian Ritual, expenses paid.
How to Apply:
If you are interested and meet the above criteria, Apply Here

I just graduated and decided to compile my thoughts on every course I've taken here, since there's not a lot of information on some of them on this sub. I received an A in every course except ARS 154 and BIO 361, which were both A-'s. I took the following APs in high school, so that's why certain classes aren't listed: World History, US History, Computer Science Principles, Biology, and Calculus BC. Here are the courses in alphabetical order:
AMS 110: I took this online, and there was a lot of extremely tedious homework but the material was very straightforward. Your calculator can do the entire class for you. Lecture was not required, and the allotted class time was just used for office hours. When I took this class, the old lectures were all recently rerecorded, so the course was easier to follow than it may have been prior to Spring 2022.
ARS 154: Did this for the ARTS SBC. 3 hours twice a week was brutal, but I did make some art I'm proud enough to hang in my room. It's an alright class, but I would recommend taking something else that requires less of a time commitment. The art kit they require you to buy costs like $300 too so keep that in mind.
BIO 201: The material is genuinely middle school level, but they give so much busy work each week you have to stay on top of everything. Friday recitation was a joke as well, and you'll probably be able to leave early nearly every time. Don't get caught up on the poorly worded exam/quiz questions and it'll be an easy A. I recommend taking this in a difficult semester so that you can have something light in the schedule.
BIO 202: If you've taken AP Biology, this course is essentially a repeat of that but slightly more in-depth in some aspects. I took this with Citovsky and Dean, who have atrocious reviews, but I didn't find them to be terrible professors. The textbook is absolutely necessary to get an A, and it's probably more important than the lectures themselves. There are also weekly discussion board posts, but they're relatively easy.
BIO 203: By far the hardest of the intro BIO sequence, this will require a significant amount of time and effort. The material is interesting, but it's extremely dense, and the exam format is atrocious. They have since made the course a bit easier since I took it, but it's still difficult. Don't fall behind on the weekly modules, and know the material by heart. The exams were open book when I took it, but it really didn't help.
BIO 204/205: I'm grouping these together because 205 is just a continuation of 204. Their bad reputation isn't entirely unfounded, but I do think it's blown out of proportion. There is a lot of work for only 2 credits each, and the grade deflation is real. You can't give them reason to take points off so you have to follow their rubrics exactly. I was a recitation TA for 204, and it's really not surprising that the majority of the class bombs the course. No one really pays attention during recitation, and no one prepares for lab ahead of time by reading the lab manual. You'll be fine if you understand the material in lecture and know how to apply it in the lab.
BIO 317: Interesting course and very information-dense. Generous bonus points are given for clickers, class participation, and a couple other things. One of the easier upper-div BIOs, which definitely explains its popularity.
BIO 320: Also info-dense and interesting with generous bonus points from quizzes. The first half of the course is significantly easier than the second half. If you did not do well in BIO 202 or took it as a CC transfer credit, you will be in for an extremely bad time.
BIO 325: By far the most interesting course I've taken here. Info-dense is an understatement. The material is extremely high level and many are lucky to get a C in it. The exams are open book, but the format is horrendous, and there is not much extra credit. The curve they gave at the end was one of the most generous I've ever seen though.
BIO 327: A very easy followup to 325, and as long as you submit everything on time and follow the rubrics you should be fine. We had the choice of working with sea anemones or fruit flies as a model organism, though that may change in the future.
BIO 361: A brutal class with massive amounts of memorization involved. The professors seem to change every semester it's offered. The lectures were not very helpful and I probably should have just read the textbook. The only saving grace that got me an A- in this was they dropped the lowest exam and they curved at the end.
CHE 131 and 132: I found general chemistry to be a complete joke. As long as you can do algebra you should get an A. Recitation work was very easy. if tedious, and they got rid of ALEKS so future classes have it better than I did.
CHE 133 and 134: These labs sucked. Pretty much every lab was a titration, and they took forever. If your lab partner sucks, it'll be a shitty time. The group presentations at the end of each course were long and annoying. Having to write out the lab procedure by hand is one of the stupidest requirements I've ever seen, so just be prepared for that.
CHE 321/322: I found orgo to be very intuitive, and the lack of math made me like it a lot more than gen chem. The index cards for the exams come in clutch, especially if you're able to fit the entire unit's worth of material on it. I found myself to be one of the only ones who know what to do at at my recitation tables, so if you understand the material, you'll probably have to carry your group.
CHE 327: Some of the labs are cool, some are long and miserable. If you finish early you can leave, and the material itself is not hard. Actually putting it into practice can be a challenge. They grade your products on purity and yield, so follow their protocols exactly and be careful not to lose your product. The TAs that grade your lab notebook are also extremely nitpicky, so be sure to document everything.
HUI 236: An extremely easy class with only 3 major assignments when I took it. Just show up and pay attention. If you don't care about Italian Americans, don't take it.
MAT 203: This course is miserable, and the only reason I got an A was teaching myself everything with Organic Chemistry Tutor on YouTube. Since I took Calc BC in high school, I was automatically placed in this my freshman year, even though I didn't need it as a bio major.
PHY 131/132: I took these online with Hemmick. The exams are significantly easier and more straightforward than the homework, but if you suck at calculus, you will struggle in these courses. I regret taking them so long after I took calculus. There's a lot of stuff on this sub about Hemmick retiring soon, but I'm pretty sure he already did retire. He hasn't been on campus in years, and he doesn't hold office hours.
PHY 133/134: Take these labs online because they're jokes. The TAs are lenient, just follow the format and do what they ask of you. Some labs take significantly longer than others. The quizzes are all easy.
PSY 103: Complete joke of a class when it was asynchronous, but it should be in person now. Not particularly interesting.
PSY 260: Pretty interesting material. It was online, open book exams when I took it, but now it's in person. The textbook was pretty useful for getting an A, but I don't know how necessary it was.
SBU 101/102: The instructors and topics change all the time so what I had probably won't be relevant for the future. Just show up and do whatever assignments they require of you.
SOC 105: Took this asynchronously and it had nothing to do with sociology. Was an extremely easy A though. I think it's in person now.
SOC 340: 3 hours once a week is brutal to sit through, even if half the class is spent watching documentaries/movies. The exams were easy, and I only skimmed through the required readings. Just pay attention and take notes.
WRT 102/303: I took these over winter breaks asynchronously, so they were significantly easier than during a real semester. The shortened classes meant less assignments. Submit the portfolios on time, and do all the work. If you expect 303 to help you write a personal statement for med school, take it during a full semester; it was an afterthought in the shortened version.