My college roommate from undergrad is graduating in the top 1% from her M7 program. I’m so so happy for her because I think she’s incredible. She stays humble and seems to enjoy spending time with me even though my career has been beyond lackluster.
I’ve had chronic health issues for the past 7 years that have made it difficult for me to travel and get around. About a year ago, I quit my job in equity research (had been at the firm for only 10 months) for a back office operations role (95% remote) so that I could focus on my health. The ER job partially caused my health issues to flare up.
While I have great WLB, I’m mostly remote, and my pay is decent at $100k, I feel extremely stagnant in my role. There are few opportunities for promotions and there is zero training. Also, the caliber of the colleagues I work with now is nowhere near what I’m used to. Before my equity research role, I’d been at a Big 4 accounting firm for 2.5 years and a FDLP role for 1 year.
I’m hoping my health issues will clear up before I’m 30, but that’s out of my control. Should I even consider getting an MBA after 30?
I went to a pretty highly ranked undergrad program and feel like a loser at work for being in the back office. I’m the only one in my department who’s studying for the CFA (I failed the last level last year and am taking it again in 2 months).

Hi! This is going to be a long one/rant and story because I really don’t know who to talk to about this in real life because I’m not in therapy and I’m so embarrassed to be feeling this way knowing I made all the choices to be here and people are already flying in from out of state to come to our wedding. Also I’m diagnosed adhd incase any of yall are wondering what’s wrong with me once I tell you all the decisions I made to get here. I am getting married in three months and have a son who is 15 months old. My now fiance 28m and I 27f met whenever we were thirteen years old in middle school and started a tumultuous up and down / on and off again relationship. We were together all the way up until junior year in high school and we broke up. I come from a broken home and he does not. Looking back I realize how much of me staying with him and trying to keep his attention stemmed from my abandonment issues that I must have had from my own parents. After we broke up he joined a gang in my local hometown and I was still in love with him so I decided to still be involved with him even though I was not in a relationship with him. I ended up losing my virginity to him while we were not together just because I wanted to be with him and we said we were friends with benefits but really I was just in love with him and thought by doing that maybe he would want to be with me again but he didn’t and continued to sleep with other girls and do drugs. I also started doing drugs like Xanax and smoking to fit in with him and be cool. I ended up getting a horrible tattoo because one of the other girls he was also seeing had a bunch of tattoos. I dropped out of my high school college courses and ended up going to jail for marijuana in high school and got kicked out of cheer and softball. I ended up on probation and having to be drug tested for a year. Within that year after being heart broken and realizing nothing I did would make him change into who he was before he got involved in our local gang or make him want to be with me… I ended up enrolling in college and getting accepted to a university where I would move about two hours away from our home town to live on campus and study to be a nurse. While on probation, so I couldn’t really party or anything in college which was good (even though I was never really addicted to anything and it wouldn’t be that hard for me) I wanted to save money for a car so I ended up getting a job at the hooters next to my college and was in college full time and working at hooters. My sister happened to go to that same college before I did and live in that town with her ex bf and they would give me rides to and from work back to campus. Low and behold after about two semesters of me being in college and finally feeling like I was moving on from him, he came back messaging me and telling me he missed me and wanted to be with me again. I was stupid and so excited that I agreed and asked him to come see me at college where he would stay for the weekend and we would have an amazing time. I felt so good about myself doing what I was doing and being able to show my growth. Despite all that he was still able to convince me to leave school and come back to be with him and live with him and go to the college near our hometown and work at the hooters near our hometown. I had already felt like I didn’t want to be a nurse at the time because my sister who was a nurse told me you could never leave the state as a nurse if you get your license there (which she didn’t know at the time that you could) and I knew I didn’t want to stay where I was from and wanted to eventually travel. So I decided to leave and move back with him in his bedroom at his parents house where I would work at the hooters close to our home town and never enroll in the college. He would eventually break up with me while I was at work one day even though I was living with him and since I didn’t have a car he continued to take me back in forth from work and I continued to live with him and continued to be in love with him while he committed to the fact that he didn’t want to be in a relationship but wanted to marry me one day and just wasn’t ready for anything right now and still wanted to have sex with me which I did. From working at hooters I had auditioned for the calendar and ended up being really liked by the photographer and started doing some modeling from that which was super exciting for me because I always was interested in that and the pictures we took would blow up and I started getting well known in my area for modeling even though they were just pictures and I wasn’t making any money off of it. Eventually a guy came into hooters telling me about working as an exotic dancer and how much they could make and I still needed a car really badly and was desperate to get out of my ex’s (now fiance) house. So I told him I would be waitressing and that I heard the waitresses make good money there and asked him to give me a ride there one day and so he started giving me a ride everyday. The money was so good to me and the most money I had ever seen. I ended up staying in a hotel closer to the club I worked at and sometimes he would come stay with me and I would just uber to work. Eventually I had gotten a car which I was so happy about. A couple of weeks after I got a car I ended up getting sucked into human trafficking with a friend where I would live in a house with multiple girls for 6 months and go to work at the club every day of the week except Saturday and Sundays. I wasn’t doing anything extra just dancing but the money was going to some random guy. It’s crazy I know. I was stupid and young and my family were not concerned for me at all or involved in my life. unfortunately my friend is just now leaving that situation. I got out without anything no car or nothing and had nowhere to go so back to my exes I went where I decided I was going to buy a cash car again and I worked everyday like I was used to saved money and got a car. Moved to my sisters and stayed with her for a little where i decided I didn’t want to dance anymore and I got a job as a bottle service girl and then waitressing at another waitress. I continued modeling because it made me happy and I never told anyone the truth about the deep things that were happening in my life except for my now fiance. So nobody had no idea about me dancing or the human trafficking or anything. Everyone just knew I modeled. I ended up getting an apartment with some friends and One day I got the urge to go to California randomly and at my waitressing job I was handed $800 and I took it as a sign and booked a flight the next day. Where I went by myself my first time ever on a flight with no plans at all. The day I got there I got asked to be in a commercial two days later. My roommate and her friends flew out there to get me and she ended up being able to be in the commercial with me which ended up on tbs but I had to go back home to my apartment and responsibilities and couldn’t leave my roommate stranded. Even though months later we would end up getting in an argument and I’d move out and move back with my ex (now fiance) where I would continue to work and model (for free) and went back to the club to dance and then my sister ended up going to California for a travel nursing assignment and her and her bf broke up and she asked me to move with her. I had nothing else here, my ex was still saying he didn’t want to be in a relationship, he was consistently sleeping with other girls while we lived together and expected relationship things from me. I was paying for everything for him. I paid for him while he was in school for audio engineer, his gas, lunch, school clothes, shopping, I helped him open his own studio and bought his equipment and Mac for it, even though his parents were very involved in his life. I got all his family bday gifts and Christmas gifts every year. He was honestly just using me but I was so in love and blind. He encouraged me to go to California too so I had nothing else there for me, if he had told me to stay and he wanted to be with me I would’ve. I flew out on my 21st birthday and met my sister and Vegas where we would have such a great time and my ex spent that day hanging out with a girl that tried to fight me and didn’t even tell me happy birthday, I was crying in the bathroom in Vegas until my sister shook me and told me to get it together we’re in Vegas. I was so heart broken to be leaving him but he didn’t care. I got to LA and I instantly started modeling on day one I booked a photo shoot where I met a guy that reminded me of my ex (I know) but we instantly clicked and he was 7 years older than me. We ended up talking for a little bit and pursuing something even though I wasn’t ready emotionally but he didn’t really care and I was kind of star struck a little because he was a music producer for a very famous musician and he was very persistent but that’s another story. I ended up booking a music video as a main girl for my ex’s (now fiance) favorite artist. When it came out it was crazy because I felt like the universe and God was just blessing me for leaving that situation and I knew he would see it because he was so obsessed with that artist and it shook up the whole small town I was from. After that I booked a lot of cool jobs like Sephora and worked with a lot of companies, and did some music videos for other super famous artists, and walked in fashion shows and modeled for clothing brands etc. I was working all the time as an extra to pay my bills and I was meeting cool people. I was always getting invited to celebrities parties and just having such a fun time. I decided to start getting into acting instead and started going to acting school where a lot of well known celebrities also went to and I started having meetings with very popular directors and I was being mentored by famous directors and another person that created an tv entertainment channel that I won’t say here also mentored me a lot and got me a lot of meetings with these people and would go to dinners and stuff etc with a list celebrities. I truly was living the life. And coming from where I can it was almost a dream. I had gotten in a relationship my first year there with that other guy I mentioned who ended up being super possessive of me but he treated me like a queen in the sense of paying for everything, giving me a safe space to tell my feelings, open up, the sex was amazing, he would take me on trips, took me out of the country for the first time. We ended up not working out due to lifestyle differences and just being at two different places and wanting different things. He wanted to move out of the country and have a farm and I wasn’t ready to do that as I wanted to focus on my career. (But I would die to move out of the country on a farm now ironically and he is doing just that now like he said he would haha) anyway, I ended up having my own studio apartment by myself that I loved so much and was so proud of. My sister had moved to Montana and it took a lot for me to get my apartment like staying in a house with other girls for a little to sleeping in my car and at a spa for a couple days. When I would fly home or drive home to see my family I would always see my ex, everytime. We kept a friendship and sometimes I would still help him out if needed, he was interning at a church through his school for audio engineering and recording people at his studio in our hometown. By this time I was going to New York and Miami also sometimes and doing work there. I wasn’t as stressed about bills anymore. I was seeing guys every now and then but not at all interested in a relationship, my heart was still healing from the past and both my exes but mainly my first (now fiance). I was super focused on my career and optimistic, I was used to the grind and in no way ever thinking of quitting. It just wasn’t an option because I knew I would make it wherever that would be because to me that is all I had for me and all I ever knew I wanted and the only thing that saved me. Skip to around October 2019 I had found out about a girl my ex was seeing and it crushed me. He was doing with her just like he was with me though. Just “friends with benefits” I was living in my apartment in LA still and my uncle that helped raise me was getting really sick back home and put on hospice so I decided to take a trip back to see him. I would go to restaurants in my state and near my home town and people would ask to take pictures with me, and at the little ceasars drive through someone asked if I was me and stuff it was crazy because I hadn’t been home in awhile and I felt like what I was doing was finally paying off and people were recognizing me. It was surreal. I ended up going to see my ex. I had such a fear of losing him to this other girl for some reason. I was so scared he would get her pregnant or get in a serious relationship since I was gone so far away and I would never be with him, I would end up sleeping with him again and the girl found out and drove by his house mad and cussing me out and throwing stuff at me. We ended up getting in a fight which is so embarrassing and beneath me. I ended up crying to him that I wanted to be with him and don’t know why he never wanted to be with me which at this time he honestly was not even in my playing field anymore. He told me if I wanted to be with him I had to move back to my hometown.. my heart dropped to my stomach and I knew it wasn’t what I was supposed to do but I said okay… all because this is what I had wanted all those years. I decided to stay where the next two years all I would think about everyday was I was making the wrong decision and needed to go back to my life. My hometown had nothing for me.. COVID hit a couple months after me being there and we were terrified. We ended up getting everything out of my apartment and moving into a house around the corner from his parents. I had to tell him how I liked to communicate now without yelling and stuff which I learned from the boyfriend I had in LA and that I wasn’t going to put up with that disrespect but he never listened. Eventually everything went back to normal. I ended up going back to the club again dancing because I didn’t want to go backward and model here. He never wanted me to go back to LA even for a little bit even though that’s where my career and heart was so I had no idea what to do with my life. I started waitressing as well and getting back on my adhd meds. People started pressuring us to get pregnant and we tried for a year and 6 months. The month I found out I was pregnant before I knew, I quit my job and decided I was going to move back and get my life back. Two days later I found out I was pregnant…. Finally after trying for over a year. Our relationship was toxic just like the past he always yelled, I could never talk to him about my feelings without him saying I was trying to fight, he spit in my face once, threatened me, put his hands on me, he would tell me he was going to take my baby away from me as soon as I had it. I started asking him about getting married while I was pregnant and the proposal wasn’t even that. He got mad at me for asking one day and walked in the room and handed me the ring. It didn’t fit because I was pregnant & it was $27 (not that that matters but the proposal sucked).. he drained both my bank accounts and they closed it, charged my credit card up and put me in debt, he has not let me do anything I want to do like school or anything. He is so bad with money. He has an action figure addiction and at one point was spending 3k on action figures every month and turned one of the rooms in our house into a collection room so I had to take everything out of my closet and put my sons crib in there for the first year of his life. we have good times and I feel comfortable with him. He knows everything about me but he doesn’t respect me and sometimes I feel like he is intimidated by me. The sex isn’t good at all we always just ask “do you want to have sex” he never gives oral or foreplay, I never get pleasure. He’s an amazing dad though and loves his son. We have the most sweet and beautiful little boy now who I love so much and he loves him also. He’s very attentive to his son. But I still feel unheard. I can’t talk about my feelings. If I do it doesn’t matter, it doesn’t change anything. He is so defensive and we never communicate for a solution it’s always just pointing fingers. I have started yelling again because I’m so used to it now and I hate it because I grew up like that and I finally grew out of it until I got back with him and recently started again and now he throws it in my face and knows I begged him not to do it forever but he never stopped and now I am too. I’ve asked him to take me to the movies and he hasn’t still. I just ask for more romance and stuff but it just feels like I have a roommate. I have nothing now. I had my car and we traded it in for a new car that he wanted. I always dreamed of the next car I’d get once I paid it off but he got it & it’s in his name now so I paid it off for nothing. I’m driving around his dream car. I’ve been planning our wedding since I birthed our son and everything is going good. Money is tight. He works at the church now full time and makes about 45k a year or so, my son has been waiting to start daycare for awhile so I have been home with him. I’ve tried starting jobs multiple times but he is against it unless it’s super fast money like going to the club which I am so repulsed by and absolutely hate it now. I tried going back to college but my old college won’t release my transcripts for fasfa because I owe them money. I started cosmetology school a few months ago which he was all for but two months in freaked out and him and his mom guilt tripped me that we can’t handle this right now and he was having a hard time doing the night time routine for the baby while I was at school so I had to leave and now owe that’s school for my kit unless I enroll again in 128 days. I also miss modeling so much and sometimes think I can start again but it’s been five years. My body is so different too after a baby. Everything I want is a no go. Especially moving out of our hometown. He says he wants to but I don’t think he does. We are constantly at his moms and dads and they tell us all the time we aren’t moving anywhere which is really hard for me as this place is super toxic for my soul. Anytime I get money he spends it. Anytime I save money he spends it. Even if it does go towards our bills. His action figure habit is almost nonexistent now and he has grown a lot in the past few months from that since I demanded my son have his own bedroom after his first bday and all his figures are in boxes now and told him he could turn the shed into his man cave. He says we can’t save because we have nothing to save after bills but I believe in saving anything even $5 a paycheck. It’s doable. I grew up poor so this is nothing to me but after living the lifestyle I lived in LA and going out with guys that respected me and cherished me it’s hard. I know nobody is perfect but we are about to get married and I’m scared… I have nothing though anymore. I’ve threatened to leave a couple times and he says he will take me to court and take my baby. I’m scared he might. I don’t want my son to be angry like him or not respect women how he does. In public he’s a saint. He also has a very supportive family that it’s almost toxic. They all blame me for his anger issues and say I make him that way. But he’s been punching walls since I met him in 8th grade. I know it’s not because of me. But I have nobody else and nowhere else to go. No money. No car. I’m at the bottom again where I was before. Only difference is now I have a son. And we are getting married in three months and I can’t call it off. I am older now and looking back on my life I realize he maybe truly never loved me and I was just so desperate for love. I got myself here nobody else. I accepted everything, even when my gut told me not to. ( he is not just horrible, he’s a great person just with some bad qualities like everyone but I’m tired of feeling stuck with someone that never truly wanted me and doesn’t care to grow in some ways or show me )
Please help.. what do I do?

I have accidentally discovered the ultimate plot hole in Naruto. Now don't get me wrong, this is literally my favorite anime(it was the first one i watched so first love). Now to really get into:
throughout the show we are slowly revealed madara's/black zetsu's ultimate plan. which is basically(from zetu's perspective) revive madara and have him become the 10 tails Jinchuriki so that kaguya can come back. Now from Madara's perspective he is just trying to unleash the infinite tsukuyomi.
Now that that's out of the way here's the big kicker: Nagato is completely unnecessary. This is why: Madara is capable of defying the reanimation jutsu, he needs all the tailed beast in order to become the 10 tails jinchuriki, and obito is capable of hosting rinnegan and on top of that he's already under madara's thumb. So why does he need nagato? Nagato only had rinnegan because madara put them there. So why not give them to obito instead? Another Uchiha clan member who has a very high likely hood to be able to use it.
So here is the alternate plan(for madara) and it is very simple:

1. give rinnegan to obito
2. die
3. obito gets orochimaru to reanimate him(it really wouldn't be hard)
4. madara then defies the reanimation
5. Madara captures all the tailed beast(if he can control the nine tails it stands to reason he can control all the others. That combined with the fact that he is literally the baddest dude to ever live(up to that point) he ould have little to no trouble capturing them.
6. put the tailed beast into the Gedo statue(i'm sure they could do it without nagato)
7. Obito then revives madara with Rinne Rebirth(bc he needs a real body)
8. Obito then gives madara the rinnegan(since madara is revived with no eyes because obito has his, I'm pretty certain madara might at least suspect this and instruct obito to get another set of sharigan for after the fact.\
9. madara uses infinite Tsukuyomi
   after this zetsu would obviously enact his follow up plan.
   

​
To be clear if they did this the show would be absolute ass and i know that. Just and intersting little tid bit.

I have ideas that I'm willing to sell for small percentages of profit to save the consumer a buck or two, but as you know, starving, disabled artists can't really monetize their creativity and are often not made for organizing organizations. I've fleshed out the concept all across the internet before I posted this and I have fleshed them out so don't try and steal them even through a game of telephone or I will defend my financial well-being.
Firstly, as a bargain of 1% of net profits in perpetuity for the rest of my life and the lives of my heirs.
A stream chat box advertising company with a concept I call intimate advertising. One can listen to the jokes, make funny quips while advertising a product or service and become friends with the viewers of each show (with a base unit of 30 viewers) on every premier of every video and every stream across the internet, available as advertising in chat replays as well.
I get that not every person enjoys math, but I enjoy math having to do with business.
3 20 second intervals every minute
60 seconds in an hour
180
180 divided by 0.1 (10 cents)
$18
Every hour even at the absolute minimum would give the streamer 7.25 and the commentator 7.25 while splitting the remaining spoils evenly between the platform (let's say with twitch) and the company
But, here's the kicker:
.25
180
$45
and it can go up from there all the way to $2.00, but you would get less business with each interval up.
2.00
180
360
150 for the streamer, 150 for the commentator, 30 to the platform, thirty to the company.
It's an industry that could employ millions of people in incredibly high-paying jobs working only 7 hours a day. 7 hours at $150 an hour would mean that these employees would make $1,000 US, much like Henry Ford did, which would reduce turn-over and enable them to buy the product as well, as the main advertising will be for micro-multinationals that sell on platforms like Amazon, Alibaba and E-bay.
According to a cybernetic person ("AI" overview)
69.5% of employees would be happier if they had deeper connections with work colleagues.
Your friends will be fellow viewers reacting to everything like a real friend and may actually extend to real online friendships.
22.5 billion hours of streams are watched on streams every year.
Times 30 (per hour)
Divided by 30 (per 30 users)
22.5 (twitch)
365 (youtube)
387.5 (combined)
Divided by 30 (all)
387.5
387.5 billion dollars in gross (before taxes and expenses) profits and probably something comparable to Amazon or Apple's profits after all expenses are paid.
Anyone who wants this can DM me. All I ask for is 1% of its total net profits in per year every year for the rest of my life.

Hi everyone, I love decks that generate lots of value and are low CMC. Ivy spoke to me when I first saw the card and was eager to build this deck. I mainly only play with my group of friends who run creature heavy and fast decks, and this is where I struggle with Ivy especially in closing out the game. I would love if you could check out my deck and see if there are any cuts/additions you would recommend.
Looking only to spend another $20-40.
I've moved away from too much mutating/cloning since I found that quite clunky, and want to focus on cheap enchantments and cantrip spells. I realize there are some high CMC cards such as [[Vesuvan Diplomacy]], [[Irenicus's Vile Duplication]], [[Sawtusk Demolisher]] and am iffy on these, haven't tested them enough yet. I'm also running a low amount of lands but this has been fine for me since so much card draw. Main issue is just pumping Ivy enough to get the lethal by turn 5/6. Really struggling with that.
Metagame is primarily very good creature based decks such as Arcedes, and Lathril. I just need to be faster than these decks since there is no way I think [[Ivy, Gleeful Spellthief]] can last past turn 6/7 due to minimal numbers of creatures. We also don't allow any fast mana or infinite combos.
Thanks in advance!!
https://www.moxfield.com/decks/AcJAHO99pk216OyvU7FRmA

This question above gets asked pretty often here on Reddit and most responses are something along the lines of “You should have been training this whole time”, or “you’re already out of time”. And while it is important to train leading up to your race, I think that these 7 things can make or break your race day. So here is a better answer than Reddit users saying it’s too late.

1. Sleep
2. Eat Carbs and Protein
3. No New Foods, Be Hydrated
4. Make a Race Plan
5. Moderate Intensity Running/ Workouts
6. Injury Recovery
7. Understand your strengths

Sleep: A Lack of sleep while racing can cause faster fatigue, clumsiness, and may lead to possible injury. This doesn’t just go for the night before the race (and let’s assume you are like me and treat race day as Christmas Morning and can’t wait for it to start), but it goes for the week leading up to it. Most of us need 8hrs of sleep a night to be fully rested. Make it a goal to get 6 of 7 nights with an adequate amount of sleep.
Carbs and Protein: The food you consume has a high effect on your mood and how you feel when you exercise. Spartan Races take a lot of calories. On average, I burn 2500 calories for the beast. This past Trifecta weekend at big bear I burnt 5700 just from the 3 races! Eat Carbs for longer lasting energy and eat protein for muscle recovery leading up got the race or workout intensive days. I start eating more at the beginning of the week to compensate the loss.
No New Foods, Be Hydrated: This is a big one. Don’t change what you normally do when it comes to food before the race. No Brazilian Steak house with random meats wrapped in bacon the night before (I cannot confirm or deny I did this for SoCal this year). Likewise Breakfast on Race Day shouldn’t be anything new. What you eat should be true and tried with your body and workout habits. For me, Oatmeal, Bananas, and Plane Waffles sit well in my stomach as I am running. Drink Water! Heat Exhaustion is real especially now during the summer events. I drink a decent amount before and during the race to perform at my best.
Make a Race Plan: There are a lot of first timers that come to the races. There are many factors that may make your spartan race less than ideal. I plan what time I will leave, what time I’ll get there, stretching, and warming up before the race. In addition to that, I spend some time to plan out how I will run the race, what kind of pace I want to have, whether this specific race for time or for running with friends, what obstacles I failed last time and how I will change my strategy this time to be successful, and I even think about the obstacles that I do get that I want to be more efficient at. All these things allow for the best race day. Lockers, Bag Check, VIP Parking, transportation, and Hotels are all also important, you don’t want to accidentally stay 2 hours away from the venue because you forgot to look at the address. (Anyone do this at San Jose?)
Moderate Intensity Workouts: There are some that run spartan races that don’t prepare, think they really need to start doing something, and over do it. I’ve been a victim of my poor planning as well. I once had a race where I realized I had 2 weeks left to train (from not training the least bit). I wanted to do something so I started cranking out new PRs and distances, got sick, and then ran a race with being wiped from the sickness days prior. Trust me, you should keep your running and training more moderate the week of, no PRs, no new most miles ran, nada. If you wear a sport watch I’d say you should stay right in Zone 3 or 4 for your workouts and that will allow your body to be warmed up for the race on the weekend.
Injury Recovery: This is a big one. If you have injuries before the race plan for them. (You may ask why race when being injured and I tell you I am a Spartan, AROO!) If your knee hurts from running the past month get a knee brace. (Although the long term solution is to probably build up to running more mile or correct your form). If you pulled a muscle in your arm, plan on skipping the monkey bars or plan to take your time on certain obstacles. The biggest thing with this is paying attention to your body when it’s previously been injured and making adjustments as needed. Remember, transferring your race to a future venue is an option.
Understand your strengths: And I would add understand your weaknesses. This applies both to the running and obstacles. Part of this also ties into race planning. If you know you’ve barely hit the gym, but have spent most time running, I’d say try to get your legs to be used more in the obstacles. Don’t muscle up the wall but either hook your leg up on them or use the walk up the wall method. I ski a lot so downhills are my place to shine. Observing what other Spartans do on course is also a good way to learn better Techniques for your physical build. Open waves are also allowed to ask for help from other Spartans so keep that as an open option.
Good luck at your next race! Aroo!

I figured I'd continue this sort of thing with the next weapon class down the list.
Historically, straight-bladed, one-handed or hand-and-a-half swords were sidearms. Either as a backup weapon on the battlefield or as personal defense/a status symbol for everyday carry. I think the devs did a good job of capturing that in game. As a class, straight swords are rarely if ever an outright bad choice, but in any specific circumstance they'll fall well behind a more specialized option. Once you have access to bigger, flashier, or more impressive options they tend to fall by the wayside. But if your main breaks or is the wrong choice for a fight, it's comforting to know that you always have something that's basically OK to fall back on.
One thing that's not historically accurate is the power stance. I actually enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. The damage output was pretty impressive and the specific way you swing both of them seems to have a more generous hitbox than one alone. Would I recommend doing it yourself? Well, definitely with Blue Flame and maybe with a couple others.
There are 18 straight swords in this game so let's get into individual details.
Shortsword
The main thing you notice using this is it's short. Deep insight, I know. Thing is, this is Dark Souls 2 and weapon hitboxes are at least vaguely the same size as the model. At times you can really feel the lack of reach when you find yourself whiffing attacks more than is healthy. The second thing you notice about the Shortsword is it isn't very strong. Straight swords don't have a whole lot of variance in their damage, but the Shortsword is definitely on the lower end of the scale and the above average counter damage can only do so much to cover for it. The third thing you notice is that the moveset is bloody fantastic. I'm always going to value a straight sword with a thrusting attack over one that only slashes. Thrust is just plain a better damage type than slash, it improves performance in tight spaces, and it gives your attacks more forward momentum to keep up aggression (and make up for short reach). It also may just be me, but it feels like the thrusting heavy attacks are better than slashing against NPC invaders too.
Longsword
It's only the second entry on the list and my thrust attack bias is rearing its head again. The 2 handed strong attack of the Longsword is just plain good. Between the damage and the stagger, there's parts of the game where I treat it more like a thrusting sword than a straight sword. There are a few other swords that have the same attack, but the Longsword is the strongest of the bunch (though it's only in the middle of the pack for the overall weapon class). The free fire infused one you can get is fine enough for the price. It performs about as well on average as the base model but it has some advantages against fire weak or slash resistant enemies and some glaring disadvantages once you hit a water or fire level. It's a lot more useful in vanilla where the Dull Ember is a lot harder to get. One last thing: I'd be remiss if I didn't bring up the Longsword's performance in PVP. I don't know nearly enough about that aspect of the game to really talk about it, but something about the specific intersection of reach, stagger, moveset, and requirements means this gets an S rank in a LOT of tier lists.
Broken Straight Sword
Something has to be the worst option, and it's the broken sword's thankless duty to fulfill this role. It's pitifully short, pathetically weak, and disappointingly fragile. It exists mostly to give players a clearly visible bottom of the barrel to compare other weapons to. One thing it does have going for itself is the lowest stamina costs of literally any weapon which is at least something. Poison or Mundane infusion can even make it borderline usable for the masochists out there.
Broadsword
One thing I've noticed about DS2's weapon design is that the first weapon you find in a specific class gets treated as the "default" and most others will be variants of it in some way. The Broadsword fits that mold here and that's not a bad place to be. It's got a decent moveset, decent damage, and it's decently easy to get and use. The thing is that being the archetype for the Basically OK weapon class means that you don't stand out at all. Its damage is a little above average, but it's reach is a little below and it's still well in the middle of the pack for both. All other stats and its moveset are completely standard. There's nothing wrong with using it, as long as you don't need to stab anything that is, but you'll find plenty of better options down the line.
Foot Soldier Sword
Lightweight, extremely low requirements, good reach, decent base damage for infusions, and an excellent moveset. If it weren't for the incredibly low durability this would be one of the best swords in the game. As it stands, well, it can make a decent emergency backup option as long as you don't need to rely on it too much.
Heide Knight Sword
This got done dirty in the Scholar version. First by being shifted from a guaranteed drop to a rare drop, and second when they made infusion much easier to unlock and devalued pre-infused and natural elemental weapons. It's still a Basically OK weapon but it's been knocked down to niche use rather than a staple. I'd say the best use case is someone who wants to use Faith from the start (for instance, helping a friend with a dedicated support build in co-op) and wants at least some payoff in damage before late game. I used it as my left hand weapon in power stance for quite a lot of the game since I wasn't planning to buff that hand anyway and it pulled its weight. That said, there's a reason I didn't use it in the right hand. I'm not a big fan of the one handed moveset. It's not bad per se but the underhanded swings just feel less powerful and I'm not sure why the strong attacks are borrowed from the Royal Dirk.
Varangian Sword
These first 7 swords are available pretty much at the start of the game, with varying levels of effort, so I'm loosely grouping them together as the "starter pack." Out of these, the Varangian Sword is the most viable as a main weapon rather than simply a backup. Broadsword moveset, Longsword length, and noticeably higher damage output than any of the other 6. Durability is something you have to keep in mind, and it can be especially bad for newer players who aren't as experienced with making it last, but for me it was mostly a non-issue.
Blue Flame
You know, when Elden Ring came out and there wasn't a single melee weapon that doubled as a casting tool I was a little confused. But then looking at the ones that appeared in DS2 and 3 and I start to think that the Blue Flame being actually pretty good as both a weapon and a casting tool was some sort of fluke. It's not really the best at either, as a staff it's a bit slow and only about third place in damage and as a sword it's Basically OK most of the time but suffers from the frequency of magic resistant enemies. But it lets me double buff easily in power stance and when you do, it's a blast to use. Now there is the question of infusion. Both Raw and Magic are basically direct upgrades in different ways. Raw works best if you plan to use it primarily as a sword since while it does improve the magic damage, it doesn't do so by a lot. Magic greatly improves spell damage, but is worse than base as a melee weapon, in no small part because it drops the physical damage down to "might as well not exist" level. Personally I think Raw is the better deal overall, especially since you have the option to apply Aromatic Ooze for an even better boost to spell damage than any spell buff, but I can see situations where more powerful spells could tip the balance in your favor. Also a heads up when you use this, due to some quirks in the buff formulas, Great Magic Weapon is only a few points weaker than Crystal on this weapon.
Red Rust Sword
This is an axe. Normally I would be fine with that since I fucking love the standard axe moveset for reasons I can't fully articulate, but this is not a particularly strong axe either. In fact at 40 Strength it's noticeably weaker than the Battle Axe even before you factor in the complete lack of counter damage. And the Battle Axe upgrades with normal titanite. And that;s not even touching on the Bandit Axe. Though granted it is at least strong for a straight sword if you count it as one. The one unique thing about the Red Rust Sword is its power stance performance (as you might have guessed from the person you get it from). It has straight sword compatibility and moveset priority but axe power stance moveset. This means you can pair it with some things that you normally can't pair with axes (daggers, thrusting swords, greatswords, spears, and lances specifically) and putting it in the left hand means it's less likely to override the moveset if you don't care for the axe power stance (and I don't).
Sun Sword
So the thing about weapons in DS2 with noticeably higher scaling than others in their class is they almost always have much lower base damage. This means that high stats are a requirement for use rather than a reward. Said scaling in this case is also a textbook example of DS2's misleading letter grades. The game tells you A/A but doesn't tell you that means 80%/45%. The other semi-unique feature, the one-handed stab, is not nearly as impressive or effective to me as the Longsword's two-handed one. And farming it is a complete pain in the ass even with the best luck boosts and a good plan. But let's take a step back from negativity and look at what this sword really wants you to do. It incentivizes physical stats and one handed use, which to me suggests one of two routes. Sword and board, especially since it comes with its own shield, but I've never felt that that's a particularly interesting playstyle. Or you can use it as the right hand in power stance, and that's where I think it shines. Again, having the option to use thrust damage when needed is very helpful, and the Sun Sword is one of the better options for this specific niche.
Drakekeeper's Sword
This just barely avoids being a direct upgrade to the Broadsword by having no counter damage. Above average reach and stagger, good damage, and high durability make this a very strong if not particularly flashy or dynamic choice. Just a pity that it's found almost at the end of the game.
Black Dragon Sword
Until you get very high stats, this is the strongest straight sword in the game. Both with a Raw infusion when compared to the physical options and with elemental infusions. And unlike the other strongest options, there's no traditional downside to balance it. High durability, Broadsword moveset, average reach, average weight, and no notable stat deficiencies. The real downside, aside from it being a pain to farm, is the opportunity cost of spending your boss upgrade material on something that is only the best of the Basically OK.
Yellow Quartz Longsword
Imagine a Longsword with a Broadsword moveset, worse damage, half the durability, and a bunch of crud smeared on the blade. Preorder weapons had a couple of hits and a bunch of misses. This one's a miss.
Possessed Armor Sword
This one has a few unique things going for it. The least remarkable thing is the above average reach, nice as it is. The moveset borrows a bit from axes and greatswords for a few attacks, and it works pretty decently. But the real draw is in the self-buff. L2 gives you 25 seconds of boosted fire damage at the cost of durability (much like the Watcher and Defender Greatswords). As for how well all of that works in practice, well it's not great but it's not really bad either. The buff doesn't add all that much damage, and fire is in many ways the worst damage type, but as long as you keep an eye on the durability and are not using it on things that resist it, it's Basically OK.
Ashen Warrior Sword
This sword has the same moveset as the Shortsword, with thrusting strong attacks when both one and two handed, so it makes a good first impression. And unlike the Shortsword it has decent reach so it's even better. The cracks start to show when you see the durability, though even then it's not a dealbreaker for me. That comes when you see the damage output and realize it traded actual real damage for bleed. Heartbreaking.
Puzzling Stone Sword
This weapon is unique top to bottom. The light attacks are already a pretty unique combination before you get into the weird extendo whip sword strong attacks. It's even got some weirdly high Dex scaling. Thing is, even with that scaling it's always on the lower end of damage for straight swords. And taking advantage of the extended reach with the strong attacks means dealing even less damage since they're way out of the sword's sweet spot. Still, as a rollcatcher or zoning tool it's pretty effective. Just ask Fencer Sharron.
Fume Sword
This is the longest straight sword by a decent margin, and acts even longer with those thrusting attacks. It has dark scaling, but no requirements in those stats and can be buffed with resin so it works just fine in physical builds. It also has above average counter damage. I think like the Sun Sword, this works best one handed with either a shield or another weapon, just like how its previous owner used it.
Ivory Straight Sword
It's a lightsaber. It deals pure physical Strike damage. It requires 40 Dex. It has no scaling. It weighs 0.5 pounds. It does not benefit from Flynn's Ring at all. It has 250 durability. It breaks after 25 swings no matter what you hit. It deals the least amount of poise damage of any weapon. It has the slowest attacks and the highest stamina costs of any straight sword. The 2 handed strong attack can deal 4 digit damage. Using that attack costs as much stamina as drawing a Twin-Headed Greatbow. I'm about 70% sure it can headshot. It's cool looking and unique. It sucks so bad. If you're intrigued by this thing's design and want to try to make the most of it, there's two different routes you can take to make it work. 1. Treat it like some sort of weird fucked up pocket great hammer and exclusively use the 2HR2. 2. Go play Elden Ring and build around the Carian Knight Sword or Coded Sword instead.

Sorry for the long post. I'm in need of some guidance...
Split from abusive husband last June. Since then he has been having our 3 children sleep over 2 nights every week. Today I have seen on a shared email address a drafted letter from his solicitors to have 50/50 shared custody - obviously attempting to get out of paying maintenance!
So up until 6 weeks ago our children would sleep over with him 2 nights a week (eldest refused as he's 15 and can make his own mind up).. originally I had a voice note from our youngest whilst he was in his care (11years old, autistic with severe allergies). This vn displayed my son having an allergic reaction - wheezing, tight chest and sore throat! My husband refused to answer my 6 phone calls.. I then sent him a text 'answer your ******* phone... is *** OK?' To which he rung me back stating 'yes he's ok I'm lying in bed with him now.. he's just a bit wheezy and has an itchy throat (prime examples of anaphylaxis)' I said on the phone to him 'he is probably having a reaction.. do you know how to administor an epi pen!?' To which he replied 'no haven't got a clue'. This all happened whilst I had gone away for the weekend and had no way of getting back in time...
The following weekend my ex 'moved' into his new flat (he's renting a place for the boys but lives with his new piece).. all 3 boys were excited to stay over in dadi's new flat. Long behold I had the dreaded phonecall not only off my eldest (15) but also off the middle child (13) balling their eyes out to come home because; 1. There was water pouring through the ceilings! 2. Daddy wasn't there and that they'd been left with Nanny (paternal grandmother) who was not capable of looking after them due to her previously 'attempting' to commit suicide after WE (myself and husband) had called her out on leaving our then 4, 3 and 1 year old to fend for themselves all day out on the streets! 3. There was no fridge or beds for them all.. just a dart board without darts!
That night I had to go pick my children up.. to which my husband and his mother slagged me off to our children. The following day I allowed the youngest to stay with his dad - the eldest 2 refused to see him.
When the youngest got home to me the next day, he disclosed that he was left in the flat for hours by himself and didnt know where his father was. This is a highly functioning autistic child with severe allergies! My friend happened to drive past the ex's flat that evening and noticed my husbands friend standing outside. When I questioned my youngest about this, stating 'oh it must have been nice to see ***** yesterday!?' He replied with 'oh yeah, the door bell rang so I ran down stairs to answer it, and ***** was there asking where Dadi was. But I couldn't tell him because I hadn't seen Dadi for a few hours!'
That week I sent the father of my children a list of what I expect of him inordered for him to have the boys over night again; 1. Sort your life out (I'm under the impression that he's on drugs - he's racked up 26k of debt since leaving, but all debt collectors letters still come to the 'family' home) 2. He makes the flat safe for our children (damp and leak). 3. He doesn't go against my wishes with his mother looking after them. 4. Our youngest actually has a bed to sleep in - he's been on a blow up bed since last summer, eventhough I have provided a double bed for the children. 5. He puts our children 1st - He now acts dad of the Year to his latest supply and her 3 children constantly sending them money (bank statements Still come here). 6. Pays back the £600odd that he owes me (he told me to go ahead and order the boys trainers and clothes and he would pay me back his share the following day).. nope a month I've had to wait for it, eventhough he knew I didn't have food or electric in the house for the boys that week, but he could pay £20 for his 'secret' phone to talk to his new piece!
The youngest has spent 7/8hours with his dad every Sunday during the day since.. the eldest 2 still refuse to see him. The only thing I have stopped is over night visits due to the welfare and concerns I have surrounding our children - eldest 2 are in therapy because of his abuse and manipulation tactics!
The last 6 weeks have been nothing but hell..I'm a single mum on UC, caring for my mother, bringing up my 3 boys and paying all the bills including the mortgage (his name is still on it). I have put maintenance up to £200 a week based off his £800 a week main income - he is also working 2 nights on top of this a week (the 2 nights he should have his own children).
Today I saw a drafted letter on our shared email address from the solicitors of my husband. In this email, it states that I have been aggressive toward their client and I'm withholding the children having contact with their dad unless he pays maintenance. Their dad rings and texts them every day.. the only thing I have stopped is over night visits - its down to them if they want to reply or not.
The letter also states that I should include the ex on a family app so that he knows what's going on with the children.. why do I have to organise a calender for him when he's included on spond and WhatsApp groups for the boys sports?
I have tried my best to encourage my children to see their dad.. I am under womens aid for abusive and sexual violence.
That's all I want is for the children to have a healthy relationship with their dad.. but still he tries to manipulate and control me through the children.
I am monitoring all texts between my children and their dad - he still tries his best to make me out as the bad guy, eventhough the eldest 2 can finally see what he's like.
So my questions are.. can the courts force the children to see their dad? What can I do to stop him from having 50/50 access? Am I being unreasonable with my list of what I expect of him with the children's welfare?

I've been dealing with the same thing since mid-2020.
In late 2019 I was punched in the head 10 times. About 4 months later I started getting these symptoms and they nearly killed me at one point.
Bumps on my feet that came only in pairs. They were itchy, filled with fluid and became red if popped. Usually between my toes. Popping these things made my symptoms worse. The bumps stopped in 2023.
For six weeks I had congestive heart failure. If I layed on my back it was like I wasn't getting air. I could barely even hold my breath to drink water or I'd feel panic.
Severe insomnia. For one week in like may 2020 I didn't sleep for a week straight. That combined with the breathing problem, I thought I was going to actually die one night. I had insomnia for 6 weeks. It came back in 2020-2023, though, but without the breathing issue. I've never had this resolved, I still don't know what caused this.
The sensation of an annoying feather touching my skin, all over the place, moving around but I usually have to smack it but then it moves. This was much worse in 2020-2022.
These symptoms also come with neurological defects. I get this feeling of being dehydrated, my mouth is dry and my tongue feels towards the back of my throat. However, my body isn't actually dehydrated. Doctors ask "are you drinking water?" and in the same sentence tell me "you're not dehydrated." Well, I guess that means I'm drinking water then, huh? Nick Cage face.
When symptoms come on it feels like waking up with a hangover after getting 4 hours of sleep even if I get 8 hours.
A large sense of unwellness and anxiety. Thoughts turn pretty negative or stupid.
Hypertension in the sense it feels like I'm being choked at my throat.
In the past month I've had a chest x ray, CT scan, blood work and A1C done. They found nothing wrong with me. I'm overweight but otherwise healthy.
I told the triage nurse at the hospital that I think I have Addison's. She asked what my symptoms were. As I'm reading my symptoms from my phone she laughs and interrupts me with "are you just reading off the symptoms of Addison's to me?" And I say no, I've been getting these cluster of symptoms once a month for 3 years. She suggested I go home and wait for the CT result even though I was symptomatic when I got the CT that day.
I don't handle stress that well. I exercise daily, I don't drink or do drugs or smoke. I don't even drink soda. I'm not on any meds. I'm 36m.
I've blamed this on everything else. At one point I thought I was allergic to my dog or my girlfriend. I thought it was fungal. None of those make sense. Several doctors at a walk-in told me it was high blood pressure. Then they realized my BP is normal at home but super high when not. Then they said it was my glucose. Then they realized I'm not even at risk for being a pre-diabetic.
Nobody is listening to me. Does this sound like Addison's? If it does I'll be able to go to the ER and tell them look, someone with Addison's is telling me this is Addison's.
It'd be great to fully sleep again. In 2019 I'd sleep 8 hours straight. Now... 5-7 hours at most, waking every 1-2 hours.

I've read people's opinion on it and why it makes sense vs the one's who don't like it. Watched gameplay from different people. played multiple games with this rework trying out different strategys. No matter what is going on it's just awful to play. I genuinely don't see why they did this and most of the people who like it can't even explain why. Most just like it because it's a (new) support because it's a support without caring about the character. Others want it to happen whether because they hate going against Moji or the low pickrate excuse even though kinnesa and strix exist. So like the other actual Moji mains or people who know how she operates and her history. I'm going to explain everything wrong with this rework and why it shouldn't happen.
 

Spit & Sparkle

\ \ I have multiple problems with this change. Let's start with the fact that sparkle now self slows you for 20% when used. It used to be 10% which was one of the main issues that we wanted to be removed but kept it now it's at 20%. So now Moji has a ball and chain on her and anyone with extra speed will outrun Moji's heals and damage. Thought supports was supposed to stay with the team. Not have a hard time keeping up with them. No wonder Moji she tells Po-Li to go faster. In order to do it you have to stop healing, then heal, and do it again which means you have less healing. Unless of course they're glued to the point which won't happen in most cases since people have to constantly move in different areas because of what's happening.
Also when it comes to attacking and running away you might as well stay still. Where are you going while being self slowed for 20% while having a big hurtbox? Everyone in this sub just forgot about her big hurtbox which makes Fighting even more of a issue. Even if you use morning breath which takes off 4% of self slow. You still have the big hurtbox issue and less options for better cards which most of them suck that I'll slightly explain later as well. Self slow should be gone in general. It should have never stayed especially when they decided to remove it for everyone else.
Second issue is her damage. There was a reason why she did 1,000 damage and not 450. Not only that but they removed her ability to mark enemies by default. You can with a talent but I'll get to that later. Spit does the main damage and now sparkle does limited tickle damage which also means you're wasting your heals. Who thought this made sense in the slightest. You have to use that in order to kill your enemies faster. When your done you have to wait for it to refill to attack the next enemy coming when no one else comes to help making you helpless. Or you somehow kill the enemy because it's hard to do unless low health. You have to use the rest of it to heal your team which you won't have enough of. This is painful to use.
Third issue is it has heal ammo like IO that runs out quick. Yes you can mark your team but it still isn't enough and doesn't fix the main problems. Her main healing is short range. Name one healer in the game that has a short range in healing. They also have to manually heal with sparkle which other manual healers especially auto or assisted aim healers can do way better. God forbid if they have to come back into battle and try to heal a low health teammate with spit which you will miss multiple times. So what's the point of healing with this character. Moving on to Magic Shield
 

Magic Shield

 
This ability doesn't do much for her team or herself and she should have kept magic barrier. This ability feels like a worse version of Torvalds removed talent alternating current. Instead of delaying your death by 1.5 seconds you delay it by one attack and take the next few shots before being able to run away. The only possible use of it is a niche build and team where you run with a flank while having the card harmonious. With the card you are basically a walking dispenser that shoots with the flank you will hug through most of the game. We already have enough niche things that can be pretty boring and are hardly used. Torvalds had multiple of those. Moji doesn't need it too.
 

Scamper

\ \ You can now run indefinitely with it. They removed bunny hopping but then they brought it back when they realized that she was a literal bunny. When they brought it back though they nerfed the speed and the bunny hops. It's so noticeable that it's not any different from the scamper ability when it comes to speed. The only good thing about it is when you do the advanced tech when trying to spray. That is until that 20% self slow puts a ball and chain on you. This doesn't fix her main issues and they made it worse beilieve it or not. Here's there reason on doing it.
Due to changes to how Scamper functions, Bunny Hopping will be weaker at base than it was prior. In order to feel similar to how it did on Moji prior, you'll want high levels of both Boop and Morning Breath to allow those same flings across spaces.
This is completely wrong because when did we ever had a card that decreases self slow. Your really trying to tell me that Moji players, grandmaster Moji players, and bot Moji didn't know anything about it??? Guess it was hidden in the game the whole time. Plus it doesn't even change the speed of bunny hopping because you nerfed it and nothing in her cards effects it. So in order to maintain any kind of speed I have to put points into morning breath which is pretty a forced have too in game. Also who uses boop to increase the speed after using scamper. No one used it because bunny hopping was way better than that because you're able to move while attacking and defending yourself. Anyone running it was basically throwing without knowing. Not even maxing out scoot will save you. Your just delaying your death with that maxed out 20% damage reduction and giving them more ult. Seriously if using regular scamper made you die when trying to escape. What's making it indefinitely going to do?
 

Bon Appetite

\ \ This one really amazes me because they actually put part of yummy into base kit that we asked for halve what. Except there is no ult percentage and gives 50% of maximum health instead of 1000hp and ignores anti-healing. Problem is. This ult is now basically worse than pips ult and atlas setback. They changed everything else but the ultimate in order to keep the old Moji play style that is pretty much dead. They clearly want her to be glued to her team and with this ultimate you make them have to run to the opponent to eat it. The main use now for it is to use it for defence which is horrible because it's so easy to predict it. Most characters can either block, CC immune, dodge, and other things to ignore being ulted. Even with the cancels it won't work. You had a better chance of using it because you can attack regularly, use the magic barrier combo, and other methods to make people take the ultimate. Without magic barrier she less uses for her ultimate. It's now a long charging ability and is terrible. Now for the talents.
 

Spit Shine

\ \ Spit now heals them for 350 and increases their Movement Speed by 20% for 2s. Why is this reworked Moji's only true support talent. This talents fine until you realize that it's also goes against Moji and the team. Let me explain. Remember how Moji has 20% self slow when she fires. Well now that the team is moving at 120% now you're basically moving at 60% and they're outrunning you. Some characters can move even faster and you will basically be at a speed of 40%-60%. So if you felt forced using morning breath you will using this talent and have to make it 5 points. Even with morning breath maxed out. You will be moving at 60%-80% and will be forced to use scamper and may get attacked by a enemy and can't run or hurt them enough. You're just a bad assist healer with some use that is not enough.
 

Jubilation

\ \ Reworked to "Magic Marks are now instead applied to enemies. Detonating at least 7 stacks of Magic Mark deals bonus damage, up to a total of 800". I'm aware that she is a support but they still don't know why she did 1,000 damage in the first place. With this talent you no longer have the ability to use the secondary to heal people. This talent will bring these types of players.
The ones who like old Moji and then realizing that they changed so much that flank Moji is not possible. Instead they may go damage and heal from time to time. Another one is that someone uses it for defence while mainly healing the team and forcing two supports to play in the match. The last one is someone you will see more often is someone not able to play Moji or the talent well. Youthought grohk going damage and seris flanking on the same team was bad. Get ready for her to join the team. Your going to ask them so who is going main support and who will play tank and it's television static. The seris will stand around too much and do a bunch of questionable things. Grohk only has some heals because they were there when they played damage. The Moji is struggling to do anything with it. The seris will plug and the bad grohk player will say something crazy before leaving a millisecond later.
No matter what you do with the talent based on your skill. Nothing just works for reworked Moji including the cards. The damaged worked because she had magic barrier and damage combos with it. Without it she can't do anything when she's is in danger including running away with the giant hurtbox.
 

Realm Runner

\ \ When entering Scamper, leave a magical dust cloud behind that applies a lingering heal for 600 over 3s. Dust cloud lasts 4s.
Moji mains have been wanting toot I mean realm runner in base kit for awhile because it's not a real talent. It's a better version of scurry and when it's in base kit then she would actually be able to use the other two talents and do better without ruining gameplay for anyone. Instead they kept it as a talent to play the old Moji. What old Moji...you got rid of almost everything Moji who is basically just a echo champion at this rate. You turned a forced talent into a throw talent.
The dust cloud we wanted back is just a sparkly circle on the ground that people won't be able to see. Plus is like back then where the team can see it and no one else. Otherwise people will know where she is and take her down. Why.
 

Cards

\ \ None of the cards have any synergy with each other at all. You're basically forced to use morning especially with the healing talent at 3-5. Since default ammunition for sparkle is terrible you will definitely need 3-5 points for symbiotic. Dense woods never needed any points above 1 and was a decent filler card for old Moji. However since this is reworked Moji. Don't think it's worth using since you will try to be around the team constantly and should already be enough. Now we have 5-9 points for ourselves so what can we do. Uhhhh. Well damn.
Oh I didn't mention this earlier but remember how spit shine and Moji's 20% self slow makes the team run away from her. Well the card natures blessing gives allies 5% extra speed when they get hit by spray for 3 seconds. So you can max this out at 25%. Instead of being 40-60% slower than faster teammates being healed with there speed cards and abilitys. 60% slower when trying to healer teammates without anything making them move faster besides you. This is how fast you will be moving compared to them.
You will be moving at 15% at worst to 55% when trying to heal teammates while trying to heal them as they really outrun your heals. With morning breath maxed out you will mainly be moving at 35%-75% while healing. No one has tested this character at all.
Anyway you can look at the cards and get some ideas as we move on to the long time Moji bugs. So for the people who been playing Moji or about to with support Moji. Get ready to deal with these long time annoying bugs.
 

Weapons/Armor

\ \ Fluffy
Increase your maximum Health by {5050}.
Peppy
Generate {0.40.4}% Ultimate Charge when triggering a max stack Magic Mark.
Symbiotic
Increase your Sparkle capacity by {66}%.
Will-o-the-Wisp
Increase your Movement Speed by {55}% for 4s after getting an Elimination.
 

Sparkle

\ \ Dense Woods
Increase the duration of your Magic Marks by {0.80.8}s.
Greater Good
When an ally receives max Magic Marks, they gain a {2020} Health Shield while marked.
Morning Breath
Reworked to "Decrease self-slow of Sparkle by 2020%"
Nature’s Blessing
Allies gain {55}% Movement Speed for 3s after being hit by Familiar Spray.
 

Magic Shield

\ \ Cozy
Magic Shield Heals allies for {66} every 0.25s while its being channeled.
Glimmer
Reduce Magic Shield’s Cooldown by {0.10.1}s when detonating a max stack Magic Mark.
Harmonious
Regenerate {31}% Sparkle and Ammo for affected allies every 0.25s while channeling Magic Barrier.
Shimmering
Allies affected by Magic Barrier gain {33}% Crowd Control resistance for 4s.
 

Scamper

\ \ Boop
Increase your Movement Speed by {88}% for 2s after using Scamper.
Scoot
Reduce the damage you take during Scamper by {44}%.
Scurry
Heal for {2020} every 0.3s during Scamper.
Wobbles
Gain {1010}% Slow resistance while using Scamper.
 

The Bugs

\ \ It isn't a paladins games without mentioning the bugs. Here's what to expect when playing her so you don't get confused.
If a seris or Kasumi is on the team and attack the same enemy as you. Your marks will reset back to zero everytime they attack. Now can this somehow happen when trying to heal the same teammates. No idea but anything goes with paladins.
If you mark a enemy, shoot spit at them and die. Despite the mark being there the game will for some reason make you do zero mark damage.
A enemys hurtbox when turned into a cookie is really weird. You can touch them multiple times and still won't be eaten until they finally do. Sometimes they may turn back to normal even though you clearly deserved it. Last part hasn't happened to me and I hope it doesn't. What's even weirder is that even though you can't eat them from the front from time to time. Even when they're literally on your head and jumping around. You can definitely eat them from behind with no misses. Why has this not been fixed.
When being ulted by furia that's supposed to give 30% extra damage. You will instead receive 9% extra damage. I don't think this happens to no one else besides maybe jenos too.
These bugs are still relevant for reworked Moji. The other ones are not there like snack attack so I won't mention them. I even have videos for these bugs too. Don't think because these videos are old it means that it no longer happens. The horse bug is old and that has been going on for years including other things.
https://www.reddit.com/Paladins/comments/tvfhlg/a_video_of_multiple_moji_bugs_happening_ill/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=mweb3x&utm_name=mweb3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
https://www.reddit.com/Paladins/comments/z33w1x/yeah_that_makes_sense/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=mweb3x&utm_name=mweb3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
 

Conclusion

\ \ I know they want to do something with her but I don't buy it that they did this because they cared about Moji. Moji hardly got any changes for years and I mean rarely a update to anything about her even though we're telling them what to do and then they rework them. They did thid because they didn't have funds for a echo champion since that was mentioned in the exact same post when talking about changing moji. Paladins has a history of someone who works on the game saying they will do this or mention a thing. Whether or not people like it or not which most of them we didn't like. They will still do it like echo champions.
This is the wrong way to go about it and no warning was ever given. To people who think well people ask for support/tank in the past. Those people now see that Moji is actually better than how people depicted her in late season 2. Plus those people no longer play the game and had a whole different idea when paladins was different back then. It's one thing to say I want a support. It's another when it comes to a type of support and what they have but everyone can't explain it because they simply hate Moji based on the comments. There are some characters I hate going against and when there character gets gutted I don't cheer in excitement. I would hate that to happen to my favorite characters. I simply want a certain thing nerf if it's clearly too much but without ruining them. I only suggest a rework or change to a certain thing if nothing else can work and is something people can agree on that benefits everyone.
These changes don't benefit anyone including the ideas since no one asked for these specific things. I would just revert it and actually listen to Moji mains needs to make her a better character. Not just Moji but every character. Especially the non human characters because they stay ignore them including people wanting ruckus Aerial Assault in base kit. Rather you guys fix the actual issues than do stuff like this. Including finishing unfinished maps instead of a unnecessary map rework making them worse to play on and never fixed.
That's all I have to say. Please let me know your thoughts on this. Actually have a real opinion and thoughts and not repeat the same thing over and over without making a actual point or I'm ignoring it.

Hello again velo, It's me. The guy that rides uphill in Japan. On my last post I mentioned some differences in racing in Japan saying it was for another post. Well, there appeared to be some interest in me making that post. As I mentioned then... I tend to ramble. I'm an English teacher at a small high school which leaves me with a lot of free time. I enjoy spending that time researching anything from training methodology to obscure Japanese history. I decided to use some of that time to write about road racing in Japan and it turned into... well, whatever this is. It's (sort of) a guide to racing your bike over here. I've organized it into sections, so feel free to read it all or skip through them. At the end I've attached racing adjacent notes as well as a small bio.
If this post is not appropriate for this subreddit, I understand. And while I don't want to self-promote I spend most of my time reading about Japan not only because I live here, but also because my wife and I host a podcast. We mostly ramble about our lives here as foreigners. It's mostly cultural, but as long time competetive cyclists we often talk about bikes too. We host a website where I write random articles, which is where this is ultimately hosted, with photos. If you're curious you can google my username and find us.
I tried to think about things I've learned along the way and put it into writing for anyone in the future that might move to Japan and have an interest in racing. If you have any questions or see any information gaps, feel free to ask! In September we'll be moving to the Netherlands... so maybe I'll have to do this all over again then. Anyway, without further rambling, here it is.
Race License
There are actually quite a lot of road events throughout the country. However, many are marketed towards recreational cyclists. Going as far as incorporating anti-competition clauses in their rules. So what do you do if you want to race? For starters, you’ll head to the Japan Cycling Federation’s website and register for a license. It’s in Japanese, but with the magic of Google Translate it shouldn’t be too hard to navigate. This is also for those currently residing in Japan. I think otherwise you would need an international license issued from your country’s governing body.
While on their website you can check the calendar of events that are scheduled. But, it’s not as simple as where I am from (USA) where once you have a license you can register yourself for almost any event and just show up.
Race Organizers
In most cases while the JCF is the licensing body, they are not the event coordinator. Events are hosted by a number of different governing bodies within the country. There’s the Japan Intercollegiate Cycling Federation (JICF), Japan Cycling League (JCL), prefectural federations such as the Yamaguchi Cycling Federation and finally the Japan Bicyclist Club Federation (JBCF). There are a lot of Js, Cs and Fs in the acronym lexicon over here. In this post I’ll be focusing on the JBCF because it was sold to me as Japan’s premier race organizer and the highest level of racing in Japan. It also seems to have the most robust calendar of events.
Declaration of my bias and shortcoming: The JBCF is the only organizer I’ve had any meaningful experience with. No, they’re not paying me. However I have won a cool towel, a coffee cup and some bar tape at their events. Actually I’ve given them quite a bit of money…
Teams
So you’ve got your JCF license and like me you’ve decided to participate in the JBCF. What’s next? Register for a JBCF account, sign up for events, race your bike? Almost. You do need to register for an account. After that, you need to find a team. That’s right, you need to be registered with a JBCF team to participate in races. This was a surprise to me and also a barrier to entry at first. As a new resident of Japan I didn’t know anyone here let alone a team that would let a random foreigner join.
How’d I do it then? Well, the first team I joined was through a friend of a friend of a friend. My second and current team I ended up getting to know because I took a bunch of KOMs around my new home. I guess Strava KOMs are worth something after all. If you’re looking for a team you could start by asking local shops, they often have a club organization that you can sign up for. If you’re desperate you can also make your own team. It used to only require two people, but I think they increased that to three or four.
Costs
I’m writing this in May of 2024, so the costs will be current as of that month. The USD to JPY conversion is sitting around 1 USD = 155 JPY.
Your first cost will be the JCF license fee. In my case, an elite rider over 23 years old, it was 5,000y for an e-license and 6,300y for the physical one. My first year I used the e-license, but my second year I paid for the physical one as a cool souvenir.
Beyond the license. You’ll need a team kit (bibs & jersey) and you may also be required to pay the athlete registration fee. To join my E1 team in 2024 I paid 43,000 yen. That included one team kit and the registration fee plus some small accessories (gloves, bottle, etc.). In E1 I paid all my own entry fees, which were approximately 8,500y per race.
My JPT experience was a special case. I paid roughly $1,200 (usd). But I received two kits (jerseys & bibs), a speed suit (SS skinsuit), windbreaker, vest, socks, etc. I also had the benefit of the “pro” treatment at races with lots of assistance. Was it a cold rainy day? I could ask for embro and they’d oil me up with a little massage. Needed a bike wash, snacks, or a trainer to warm up on? All provided. And all of my entry fees were covered. I never paid those out of pocket. It was a really cool experience and honestly I think I got my money's worth just in the races that I attended, let alone all the extras. Plus the team was above and beyond hospitable. A really great bunch of people.
Categories
Once you’re on a team you’re good to go! So which category should you race in? The JBCF has 5 big categories: Japan Pro Tour (JPT), Japan Elite Tour (JET), Japan Feminin Tour (F), Japan Youth Tour (Y1 & Y2), and the Japan Masters Tour (M). JET is further broken down into E1, E2 & E3. The general idea is male riders start as E3 and through results they work their way up to E1. If they’re highly motivated they’ll target a placement on a JPT Team.
Unfortunately for the women, I believe there is only one lump “Female” category. But in one of my most recent races a woman lined up with us for our race start. So that may be an option. For the Youth there’s U19 & U17. Masters is similar to the women’s category and I believe there is simply one “Masters” event, without age ranges.
Using what I know (USA Cycling Categories) I’ll try to make a comparison. E3 is your Cat 4/5 or Novice rank. E2 is around Cat 3/4 and E1 is roughly one big P/1/2/3 field. JPT is something like the US’s Domestic Elite field. Some JPT teams (and even some E1 teams) are UCI Continental teams. Although, honestly, some JPT riders are probably equivalent to strong Cat 3s.
In America I raced as a Cat 2 on the road, albeit I was a pretty weak 2. My first year in Japan I raced JPT and was able to hang in the peloton and finish events. My second year I raced as an E1, where I was very competitive and able to fight for podium finishes. That’s my experience and my basis for the above comparisons.
Events
Once you’ve got all the above figured out, it’s time to finally race! The JBCF organizes the following events: Road, Criterium, Hill Climb, Time Trial and Track. Criterium, Time Trial & Track are pretty similar to what you’d find anywhere else in the world. So for this post I’ll really just focus on Road and Hill Climb.
It’s worth noting that except for track, all of these events take place on public roads. But, unlike the USA, it seems the general rule in Japan is that for a race to be a “race” the roads need to be closed to traffic. Sounds great, right? Right! Or, mostly. Japan is a beautiful country with incredible scenery and fantastic road riding. Unfortunately, the JBCF uses very little of this. I think to minimize inconveniencing locals, cut costs, and make their lives easier, most of these events will take place on already closed circuits or around agricultural land (where no one lives or drives anyway). In practice they are “public” roads, but they only need to shut down one or two entrances to close off the entire loop.
Many “road” events are just very long short circuit races. A popular venue that hosts multiple races throughout the season is the Gunma Cycle Sports Center. This is a defunct cycling theme park built in the 1980s with a paved 6 km circuit. Some of the races in the higher categories can be up to 150 km! That’s 25 laps! And, they’ll be pulling riders. When I was racing JPT it was often a big accomplishment just to finish a race. It was a common occurrence for a break to get established with the big teams represented and the rest of the field to sit up, inevitably getting pulled before being lapped. It’s not uncommon for well over half of the field to DNF early on in these longer races. Sometimes to add a little spice to your life, they’ll run the course in the opposite direction one weekend.
So, I’m biased, but that style of “road racing” wasn’t for me. That’s what led me to the Hill Climb. At first, I thought it was just an uphill TT. But, it's a mass start! The last one I did was Mt. Ontake HC which was a 17.7km race gaining 1,150 meters in elevation finishing at an altitude just under 2,200m. I finished in 51 minutes. It’s more like an uphill criterium. You might explode, but you won’t get pulled. It’s also, of course, point to point.
Good things to know about a Hill Climb are the controlled descent and luggage delivery. When you finish you’ll be waiting at the top of the climb for all other riders and categories to finish. Sometimes this means you’re waiting for an hour or more! Thankfully the morning of the race you can give a bag to the organizers and they will deliver it to the top of the mountain. This is a great way to make sure you have extra layers and snacks waiting for you. Just make sure it’s packed in a bag that you can then easily carry with you on the descent.
Be extra mindful of the forecast. At Ontake in 2024 we started at the base of the mountain in temperatures around 16 celsius. At the summit it was 7 degrees and it started to rain! Thankfully I had a teammate who had driven to the top (you must register your vehicle) and he gave me a lift back down. If you’re riding down, the descent will be done in waves which are chaperoned and controlled by officials on motorcycles.
Registering
I can only tell you my experience and I’m not certain that this is how it always works. When I was in the JPT, I never paid for an event. Each team could send six riders and the team manager made a selection based on which riders requested to go to which event, they would then register you to go. In my E1 team I haven’t run into any rider maximums (we only have a few E1 riders), and I pay for each event. I still tell the team’s manager which event I want to travel to, they register me, but then I pay them back.
The Day Of
The JBCF events have been very organized. The week before they will release a list of registered riders along with a technical guide. The technical guide will include information about the course, where to park, where to check in, how to pin your numbers and more. It’s only in Japanese. Google Translate will be your best friend. Or if you’re lucky you may have a teammate that can speak some English and help you out.
Usually the check in process begins a couple of hours before the start time. You’ll go to license control and pick up your numbers and timing chip. If you’re doing a hill climb and need to, this is also the period of time you drop off your luggage to be taken to the summit. Get kitted & pinned up, then go to the “vehicle control”. They will check your bike against a jig, kind of like what the UCI might use, as well as check the weight (take your bottles off the bike when you hand it to them) and make sure your numbers are pinned correctly. A keen eyed inspector may even look at your helmet to make sure it has the JCF certification sticker. You could possibly be told to change helmets if yours doesn’t have the sticker. When they tell you that everything is OK, you’ll go to the table and sign the box with your name.
There are also meetings that will be happening. But, you shouldn’t have to worry about that. If the team manager can’t be present they will send an “attendant”. This person is responsible for going to the meetings and reporting back to the riders.
Podiums & Prizes
Look how far you’ve come. After all that you’re headed to the podium, which in many events will be six deep. What should you expect? Maybe a cool trophy or a medal? It’s even better. How about a formal certificate signed and stamped by the JBCF President! That’s right, you’ll be receiving an A4 sheet of paper. And yes, when they hand it to you they’ll turn it to face you, use both hands to hand it over and bow. And yes, you should receive it with both hands and bow in return. I plan to frame and hang mine like some kind of college diploma. You’ll probably receive a prize as well. Something like what I mentioned earlier in this post, a towel, cup, umbrella, etc.
Where’s the money? If you want to hold a giant cheque with a big number (because it’s in yen) you’ll need to be racing in the top category, JPT. In this category the podium is only three deep. One time in a race I had a teammate finish 3rd and win some money. I never saw any of it, which was fair as I didn’t really contribute to his result. And I never podiumed myself. So I’m not sure how the payout actually works. Did he get to keep it all? Did the team take it? Who knows. I hope he kept it all, he’s a great guy.
Other Notes
Gachinko Cycle TV & Photo Galleries. Almost all JBCF events are live streamed & archived on YouTube! There’s a company called Gachinko Cycle TV that provides coverage. This includes camera motos as well as stationary cameras. A lot of photographers also come to the events and a photo gallery is posted on the JBCF website after the events take place.
Events & Categories. Not every event will be run for every category. A motivator for me to move from JPT to E1 was that not every hill climb has a JPT category, but they all seem to have E1. My first time racing at Ontake I was in the “Open” category and not eligible for any points or placement.
Outlier events. There are some events like the Niseko Classic (Gran Fondo World Championship Qualifier) and the Tour of Okinawa. These are one off events which are not part of the JBCF or any other federation I mentioned above. But, they are “real” road races on closed roads. There are also plenty of “cookie” rides. But be aware, like mentioned earlier, many of these explicitly say you shouldn’t come and try to ride for a certain time. I think it’s related to what I’ve been told about races having to take place on closed roads. These cookie rides likely have no traffic control. And instead of a cookie, you might get a bag of dry rice to cook later. Happened to me once.
The Hill Climb might be Japan’s most accessible event. There are actually quite a few of them around the country outside of the JBCF and they can be registered for on SportsEntry - I don’t think you need a JCF license.
What about other disciplines? I’ll toss this in here at the end because I think it’s worth mentioning. If you’re not racing Track, Cyclocross or Road… you’re not going to be doing much racing. Mountain biking is still very much in its infancy here in Japan. Despite its incredible landscape, there’s a shocking lack of good mountain biking. My wife and I moved here from Western North Carolina and she’s a former Age Group XC National Champion as well as podium finisher in events like the Pisgah Stage Race and Collegiate Nationals in STXC, XC & Omnium. So believe me, we have tried to find some good mountain biking here and it’s rough.
There are some lift-access downhill courses and we actually went to one for a “gravel” race which my wife won. This was held on what was essentially a non-technical STXC course. Disappointing is a bit of an understatement. There IS Grinduro Japan… but it’s insanely expensive and again, not really a race.
This honestly has had a big impact on our decision to ultimately move away from Japan. But, keep an eye out for developments in places like: https://www.minamialpsmtb.com/ https://namba.ngo/ https://www.nsd-hakuba.jp/iwatake_mtb_park/en/
Cyclocross has a big following in Japan and the calendar appears to be full of events throughout the season. If we were staying long term, I’d be buying a cross bike. Unfortunately I don’t have one, so I never got into that scene while living here.
Although this is mostly about racing in Japan, if you come here to race you’ll also (hopefully) be riding your bike for fun. Please be aware some laws work differently here. Although I’ve never personally run into trouble I’ve been told things like: bikes MUST use the crosswalk if turning across traffic (no turning like a car turns) & that bikes CANNOT exceed 30 km/h (a bike shop owner told me this). My wife and I have often talked about this as well… while in the USA drivers can be malicious towards cyclists, Japanese drivers are often blissfully ignorant towards them. Always ride defensively. Drivers will make eye contact with you and proceed to pull out in front of you expecting you to either not be traveling with speed or to stop for them. Even in “polite” Japan, the Car is King. I’ve had far more close calls with drivers here than I had in America. Having said that, it’s still a wonderful country to explore by bike.
Who Am I?
If you read all of this, thanks! I hope that you learned a little bit about road racing in Japan. But, who am I? I’m an American from Western North Carolina, now living in Japan. Ishikawa Prefecture to be specific. I’ve been a cyclist since 2011 when I bought my first road bike. In America I’m a Cat 2 on the road and an XC MTB Cat 1 with extensive experience training for and racing in a variety of disciplines. Road riding and racing is my true love and I honestly only got into MTB to hang out with my girlfriend. I guess it was worth it because the only National Championship medals I have are from Team Relay & Team Omnium. Oh, we ended up getting married too. So that was cool. I also got into the gravel craze thanks to the plethora of racing options in the South East. I’ve stood on multiple podiums with the internet’s favorite privateer, Dylan Johnson. And I’ve dabbled in bikepacking, bike touring & ultra endurance riding. Really, I’m just a guy that thinks about bikes too much.

I recently posted an analysis of input lag on the 4KP, and I'm back with more accurate data. I'm also using this post to share some info on two popular after-market replacement buttons. Read on if you're interested, skip if not, but I did the work for myself anyway, so I thought I'd share with you all.
This is specifically going to be a look at aftermarket button options and then at total input lag for a selection of native tables. I'll be focusing on OTG lag and tweaking VPX/FX settings next time.

What's New?

Just as a quick TLDR from my last post, I'm trying a bunch of stuff to try and minize total input lag as much as possible, mainly for OTG use. My input lag measuring methodology was: high speed camera method, using iOS app "Is it Snappy?," tagging the input frame as the frame where the button was fully pressed in, and the output frame as the frame where flipper movement was first seen. So basically an imprecise start frame and a precise final frame.
Well, turns out we can have a precise first frame as well. I put together a quick breadboard circuit setup (details at the very end of this post) that adds in an LED light to indicate the precise moment when the button was actuated.

Solenoid LEDs

It turns out you don't even need a breadboard or electronics skills to get much more accurate, consistent, input lag measurements than I was getting by eyeballing the button. If you have your solenoids turned on, then there will be a pair of red LEDs on one of the controller boards that light up every time you push the flipper button. To be clear, these are solenoid lights, so they won't trigger if you have your solenoids turned off. Just remove the control deck, hit the flipper button, and the lights will be easy to spot. Now the caveat here is that these lights do trigger ~4-8ms (1-2 frames at 240fps) after the breadboard light (and thus after actuation), so you should build that additional lag amount in to your measurements if you use this method.

Aftermarket Button Options

Imgur Album
One big point of discussion around input lag (maybe more on YT than here) has been the flipper buttons. Are the stock buttons bad? Which aftermarket option is best? Do these completely fix flipper lag as some videos have claimed? Does any of this really matter?
The answer to the last one is: "Kind of. Maybe." I have three buttons that I've been playing with. The stock clicky button, the popular "gold leaf" button, and the much-praised "leaf" button. I sourced these from the usual eBay sellers.
Button Characteristics
I used a digital caliper to measure some key numbers for these buttons. Total travel distance is the distance that the button is capable of traveling, from unpushed to bottomed out. The actuation point is the distance into the button press that the button completes the circuit and sends the flip signal to the machine. This is all as accurate as I could get, but there's always some literal wiggle room when taking measurements like this.

Button	Actuation Point	Total Travel Distance
Stock	~1.75mm	~3.7mm
Gold Leaf	~1.75mm	~3.7mm
Leaf	~1mm	~3mm

Stock button:
There is a Baolian/Bao-Lian brand black clicky mechanical switch inside the button, with silver-colored contacts. It has low push resistance overall that increases leading up to the click, and peaks at the click, with low post-click resistance. See the album for a dissambled white stock button and a look at the Baolian switch.
Honestly, I don't like the stock button because it's clicky, and pinball flipper buttons shouldn't be clicky.
Oh, and the click happens 2mm into the button push, so it clicks actually after it actuates.
Gold leaf button:
Essentially identical to the stock button in terms of basic push characteristics, but there's no click, and the contacts are gold-colored instead of silver-colored. There is a Baolian grey linear switch inside the button. They are quiet and smooth, with a low push resistance that is consistent throughout the push.
I'm not sure if the contacts are just gold-colored, or if they're actually gold plated. Even if they are truly gold plated, that isn't going to make a meaningful impact on response time or lag. This button and the stock button have exactly the same actuation point and total travel distance.
The lack of a click makes these an easy winner for me over the stock buttons. I like them, and they make for an easy drop-in replacement for the stock buttons.
Leaf button:
Uses an actual old-school leaf switch mechanism, so this also has no click. See the Imgur album for a demonstration video. It has a much higher push resistance than either of the other two, and it comes in two stages. A lighter pre-actuation stage, and then a heavier post-actuation stage as you transition from pushing one contact arm to pushing both arms. It's actually surprisingly tough to bottom out compared to the low-effort bottom out on the others. It does make a small amount of noise due to various parts rubbing together and bending, but I'd say not really loud enough to hear when installed.
The leaf button has shorter pre-actuation travel than the other options, so it wins for "speed" by ~.75mm. How much that actually matters in terms of perceived lag is very much up for debate, but I expect it's a small impact.
Personally, I'm not a big fan of the extra resistance these buttons have. My sweet spot is the gold leaf button.
Input Lag Impact:
Actuation is actuation. Your button choice doesn't affect lag once the button has been actuated, so if you want to do absolutely everything you can to minimize perceived input lag, go with the leaf switches. I'm sure you can claw back a few milliseconds, but it probably won't make much difference overall, and it definitely won't solve the lag problem altogether as certain YouTube videos suggest. The real lag isn't happening between 1mm and 1.75mm of the button press.
There has long been a related discussion in MechanicalKeyboards, with "normal" switches compared against "speed" switches that have a shorter actuation distance, and the consensus there is that the shorter throw "speed" switches don't actually improve your gaming performance in a meaningful way. I expect it's not that different here.
If you want the button that feels most authentic to modern physical pinball machines, go with the gold leaf buttons. That's what I'll probably stick with.

More Accurate Input Lag Data for Native Tables

Here I'm looking at a variety of stock/native tables, with a deeper dive into OTG coming later. One last quick note - I hate how the total lag measures seem to vary over time, but they do. In the past, I've captured total input lag times for Dino Dynasty as low as about 50ms, but I didn't capture anything that low this time.
Software version 2.16.6. Measurements taken using my breadboard LED indicator for the most accurate possible results. The individual measurement error is ±~6ms, and I've gathered anywhere from 5 to 15 measurements for each table, and I threw in the 95% confidence interval data for any stats heads out there.

Table	Type	Average Total Input Lag (ms)	95% CI (ms)
Dinosaur Dynasty	Magic Pixel	72.5	± 3.27
Ice Age	Magic Pixel	68.4	± 7.33
Attack from Mars (with effects)	Zen	139.5	± 5.46
Attack from Mars (no effects)	Zen	135.0	± 7.33
Star Trek Deep Space 9	Zen	145.3	± 7.33
Star Trek Discovery	Zen	137.5	± 7.33
Star Trek Kelvin Timeline	Zen	138.9	± 7.33
Tee'd off	Gottlieb	54.2	± 7.33
Space Invaders	Taito	69.2	± 7.33

I'm personally looking at ~100ms of total input lag as the benchmark for maximum acceptable lag, and below ~50ms total lag as the ideal range.
There's nothing shocking here. I just wanted to provide more accurate data. The Magic Pixel tables get a passing score, as do the native Gottlieb and Taito tables. Zen, of course, is still the problem. It's interesting how small of an improvement I got from disabling the table effects on Attack from Mars.
That's it! Thanks for reading and I hope this was interesting for at least one of you.
Breadboard Setup
A red LED in series with 50k ohms worth of resistors, with wires going to the button terminals, putting the whole setup in parallel with the button. The buttons are NC (normally closed) buttons, so the led light will be on by default and turn off when the button is actuated. The system is also very sensitive, reading even small drops in voltage as a button press. 50k ohms was the magic number where the system finally worked. Anything below that and the system was interpreting the voltage drop caused by the mere presence of the LED circuit as a button press due.

To preface this, this took me not even 3 hours, with dinner, slacking, and watching some vtuber clips inbetween. You can save the tryharding remarks.
I analyzed threads in the DPS, tank, and healer sections of the EN official forums from April 1, 2022 to now, to gauge job design feedback and the traffic. Yes, April 1st 2022 is around infamous 6.1 patch, this is mainly about Kaiten. It always was. Metrics are thread counts, views, and number of replies.
My point was to calculate metrics and gauge what was most talked about in EW in regards to job design feedback. Obviously, this isn't perfect, it doesn't tell you any nuances, and it doesn't filter out all the shitposting that's happening on OF, but I would say it's better than nothing. If things are talked about, then there's probably a good reason for it.
I categorized threads into topics about individual jobs and into "others" category. For example, thread called "Give me Hissatsu: Kaiten or give me Hissatsu: Seppuku" would be SAM thread, "Elemental Mastery needs to unlock much earlier" would be SMN, and "From Meleewalker to Meleetrail" would belong to others category. I was only using name of title to determine what was it about, I ain't going through 1300+ threads. This also means that I counted thread "I was almost in the mood to play FF14 again" as others category, even though this thread talks about Kaiten.
Obviously there will be some mistakes, few miscategorizations, and some might not agree with the process. In which case, I can confirm that if you have basic knowledge in python and can use chatGPT, you can make something like this too in a reasonable time, so just do it yourself, the way you want it.
Anyways, here are the results sorted alphabetically. First number is sum of given metric for the job in all related threads, second is comparison of this for all threads in the section, last number is same as second but it ignores the threads in the "others" category:
DPS

Job: BLM Threads: 24 3.18 % of all 4.29 % excl. other category Views: 114234 2.47 % of all 3.74 % excl. other category Replies: 597 2.63 % of all 3.94 % excl. other category Job: BLU Threads: 17 2.25 % of all 3.04 % excl. other category Views: 56406 1.22 % of all 1.85 % excl. other category Replies: 136 0.60 % of all 0.90 % excl. other category Job: BRD Threads: 28 3.71 % of all 5.01 % excl. other category Views: 131472 2.85 % of all 4.30 % excl. other category Replies: 516 2.27 % of all 3.40 % excl. other category Job: DNC Threads: 13 1.72 % of all 2.33 % excl. other category Views: 45631 0.99 % of all 1.49 % excl. other category Replies: 254 1.12 % of all 1.68 % excl. other category Job: DRG Threads: 28 3.71 % of all 5.01 % excl. other category Views: 194937 4.22 % of all 6.38 % excl. other category Replies: 972 4.28 % of all 6.41 % excl. other category Job: MCH Threads: 49 6.50 % of all 8.77 % excl. other category Views: 365662 7.92 % of all 11.96 % excl. other category Replies: 1520 6.69 % of all 10.03 % excl. other category Job: MNK Threads: 34 4.51 % of all 6.08 % excl. other category Views: 132969 2.88 % of all 4.35 % excl. other category Replies: 418 1.84 % of all 2.76 % excl. other category Job: NIN Threads: 50 6.63 % of all 8.94 % excl. other category Views: 199611 4.32 % of all 6.53 % excl. other category Replies: 1017 4.47 % of all 6.71 % excl. other category Job: PCT Threads: 9 1.19 % of all 1.61 % excl. other category Views: 35712 0.77 % of all 1.17 % excl. other category Replies: 242 1.06 % of all 1.60 % excl. other category Job: RDM Threads: 13 1.72 % of all 2.33 % excl. other category Views: 124548 2.70 % of all 4.07 % excl. other category Replies: 614 2.70 % of all 4.05 % excl. other category Job: RPR Threads: 21 2.79 % of all 3.76 % excl. other category Views: 181924 3.94 % of all 5.95 % excl. other category Replies: 663 2.92 % of all 4.37 % excl. other category Job: SAM Threads: 200 26.53 % of all 35.78 % excl. other category Views: 984175 21.32 % of all 32.20 % excl. other category Replies: 5462 24.03 % of all 36.02 % excl. other category Job: SMN Threads: 69 9.15 % of all 12.34 % excl. other category Views: 468395 10.15 % of all 15.32 % excl. other category Replies: 2591 11.40 % of all 17.09 % excl. other category Job: VPR Threads: 4 0.53 % of all 0.72 % excl. other category Views: 20898 0.45 % of all 0.68 % excl. other category Replies: 160 0.70 % of all 1.06 % excl. other category Others in DPS section, threads that don't focus on individual jobs: Threads: 195 25.86 % of all Views: 1559504 33.78 % of all Replies: 7572 33.31 % of all 

Tanks

Job: DRK Threads: 27 12.68 % of all 21.60 % excl. other category Views: 922897 28.87 % of all 55.96 % excl. other category Replies: 5251 37.63 % of all 57.95 % excl. other category (DRK has megathread with 765K views and 4K replies) Job: GNB Threads: 13 6.10 % of all 10.40 % excl. other category Views: 43674 1.37 % of all 2.65 % excl. other category Replies: 236 1.69 % of all 2.60 % excl. other category Job: PLD Threads: 57 26.76 % of all 45.60 % excl. other category Views: 500659 15.66 % of all 30.36 % excl. other category Replies: 2449 17.55 % of all 27.02 % excl. other category Job: WAR Threads: 28 13.15 % of all 22.40 % excl. other category Views: 181953 5.69 % of all 11.03 % excl. other category Replies: 1126 8.07 % of all 12.43 % excl. other category Others in tank section, threads that don't focus on individual jobs: Threads: 88 41.31 % of all Views: 1547409 48.41 % of all Replies: 4892 35.06 % of all 

Healers

Job: AST Threads: 52 13.07 % of all 26.67 % excl. other category Views: 292441 8.38 % of all 30.74 % excl. other category Replies: 1728 8.62 % of all 32.86 % excl. other category Job: SCH Threads: 72 18.09 % of all 36.92 % excl. other category Views: 347459 9.95 % of all 36.53 % excl. other category Replies: 1913 9.54 % of all 36.38 % excl. other category Job: SGE Threads: 39 9.80 % of all 20.00 % excl. other category Views: 171477 4.91 % of all 18.03 % excl. other category Replies: 865 4.31 % of all 16.45 % excl. other category Job: WHM Threads: 32 8.04 % of all 16.41 % excl. other category Views: 139875 4.01 % of all 14.70 % excl. other category Replies: 752 3.75 % of all 14.30 % excl. other category Others in healer section, threads that don't focus on individual jobs: Threads: 203 51.01 % of all Views: 2539981 72.75 % of all Replies: 14790 73.77 % of all 

Some more ranting from me:
Other than massive wave of SAM mains that have stormed OF because of 6.1 changes, you can definitely see other interesting stuff which you can discuss, but I'll focus on my beloved Kaiten. Yes, I understand that OF is terrible place and doesn't represent majority of playerbase (nothing does), but devs keep telling us to give our feedback specifically in there.
So what should we take away from this? SAM was by far most talked about job in EW, it was 1/3 of talks for all 12 DPS jobs (14 if you include VPR and PCT). SMN was second, and it wasn't even half of that. It's most talked about job even if you include healers and tanks. People simply dislike removal of Kaiten, Tenka Gokken changes, and other things that happened in 6.1, it's that simple. Those changes received such a weird justification, Yoshi himself was fumbling in 6.1 patch notes reading stream and came up with like 3 other nonsensical excuses.
It's not button bloat, since EW added a goddamn Shoha 2, other than that, there are another 2 ST/AoE pairs that have no reason to be separated and it always made perfect sense to put Iki and Ogi on the same button. It's not action bloat, at best it reduces actions in burst from like 25 to 24 depending how you pool Kenki, and then some actions in filler, but it's not like there's some high octane gameplay in filler. It's not about distinct buttons either, since you often need to use gap closer to spend that last drip of Kenki before you leave burst. Future proofing excuse doesn't work either, since it seems like that after more than 2 years, we are only getting oGCD finisher of Ogi. The "X before every Y is bad design" doesn't apply either, with new addition to DT, we get the "X after every Y" finisher.
It doesn't make sense, they asked for feedback, and as you can see, they received insane amount of it, yet they have yet to acknowledge it. If they won't budge after all of this, there's no point in trying anything else.
Acting upon feedback means that you keep in touch with community and you consider and implement changes that community wants. Of course not all feedback is good, but if there's plenty of people that want something, at least give proper reason why you don't think it's good. Communication is a key.
Acting upon feedback doesn't mean that you wait until some player says something you want to hear, then you implement it and claim that you acted upon feedback.
TL;DR: Why bother with giving feedback when they ignore even such an outstanding amount of it.

This is my first post after following this board since my BF journey began almost 5 months ago. Can I get a virtual high-five & validation for overcoming a ton of obstacles to be able to EBF my first child?:
During my third trimester, a midwife told me I would have difficulty breastfeeding because of "the shape of my breasts" and the fact that I had not gone up a cup size during my pregnancy.
Then, after having to be suddenly induced early term for gestational hypertension, my baby spent a week in the nicu. We missed the golden hour, and his first feeding was donor milk through a feeding tube. I was instructed to pump every 2-3 hours to bring in my milk supply.
As if that all wasn't traumatic enough, a day after he came home from the nicu, I had to be admitted to the hospital for postpartum preeclampsia. I remember being so exhausted physically and emotionally in the hospital bed, not wanting to pump round the clock, and calling the hospital lactation hotline to find out how to have my milk supply dry up, because it all felt so overwhelming. Somehow, I kept pumping, and I think latching my baby when my husband brought him to the hospital to see me, at 8 and 9 days old, gave me the drive to keep going.
Once finally home, I learned that because my baby was initially bottle fed in the hospital, his demand for milk was greater than my milk supply at the time. Fast forward through 7 weeks of triple feeding, supplementing with formula while working to get my milk supply up, and having no clue if I'd be able to EBF, I was finally able to just nurse him without him being immediately hungry after. My milk supply came in full force around week 7 to 8, and I haven't looked back since. My LO has also been sleeping through the night since 3 months old.
The reason I'm seeking validation in this reddit community? Because despite all that I went through, it seems society and loved ones don't really know how difficult it can be to breastfeed, let alone wanting to discuss it. I also have a MIL (who did not breastfeed), who is constantly asking me when we'll be introdudcing solids, looking at my baby and saying, "because then I'll be able to feed you." ....
I'd also love to know your why... how many months in are you, and why do you keep going? Breastfeeding has been magical for me, and it has also been tiring. It has bonded me to my baby, especially after we were initially separated, and it grounds me throughout the day as I navigate this scary new world of motherhood. At the same time, it has been so all-encompassing in a way I didn't expect... having to hydrate and eat a lot of food around the clock, being confined with the baby, etc. I keep going because I know this is best for my baby, and because this is only one moment in time. I'd love to hear your why, as a way to inspire me as I keep moving forward.

Prices FIRM - CashApp/Venmo/PayPal Friends & Family
Disney/Marvel titles are split codes. Only redeem what you pay for. Thank you.
12 Years a Slave (2013) (MA/HD) $3.25
13 Hours: Secret Soldiers of Benghazi (2016) (Vudu/4K) $5.50 (Vudu/HD) $1.75 (iTunes/4K) $3
2 Guns (2013) (MA/HD) $4.75 (iTunes/HD) $3.50
22 Jump Street (2014) (MA/4K) $7 (MA/HD) $4.25
355, The (2022) (MA/HD) $5.50
47 Meters Down (2017) (iTunes/HD) $4.25
47 Meters Down: Uncaged (2019) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/4K) $4.75
65 (2023) (MA/4K) $6.75 (MA/HD) $5
A Hologram for the King (2016) (Vudu/HD) $5
A Man Called Otto (2022) (MA/HD) $5.75
A Most Wanted Man (2014) (Vudu/HD) $3.50
A Vigilante (2018) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $5.50
Ad Astra (2019) (MA/4K) $6.75 (MA/HD) $4.25
Adventures of Tintin (2011) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $4
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (2014) (MA/HD) $4.75
Alien Collection 1-6 (MA/HD) $18
Alien: Covenant (2017) (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $2.25
Aliens (1986) (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $6
All Eyez on Me (2017) (Vudu/HD) $2.50 (iTunes/HD) $1.75
All The Money In The World (2017) (MA/HD) $3.75
Aloha (2015) (MA/HD) $2.50
Alvin and the Chipmunks 2: The Squeakquel (2009) (MA/HD) $5.50
Ambulance (2022) (MA/HD) $3.75
American Hustle (2013) (MA/HD) $3.75
Amsterdam (2022) (MA/HD) $4.75
Anastasia (1997) (MA/HD) $6
Anna (2019) (Vudu/4K) (iTunes/4K) $4.25
Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018) (MA/4K) $7.50 (iTunes/4K) $6 (GP/HD) $3
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023) (MA/HD) $6.50
Antz (1998) (MA/HD) $5.50
Apocalypse Now (Theatrical, Redux & Final Cut) (Vudu/4K) $6.50
Apollo 11 (2019) (MA/HD) $5.50
Arnold Schwarzenegger 6-Movie (Vudu/HD) $13.50
As Good As It Gets (1997) (MA/4K) $6.50
Asteroid City (2023) (MA/HD) $6
Atomic Blonde (2017) (MA/4K) $4.75 (iTunes/4K) $3.50 (MA/HD) $2.25
Avengers: Endgame (2019) (MA/4K) $4.50 (MA/HD) $3.75 (GP/HD) $1
Avengers: Infinity War (2018) (MA/4K) $5 (MA/HD) $3.75 (GP/HD) $1
Awkward Moment (2014) (MA/HD) $4.75
Babylon (2022) (Vudu/4K) (iTunes/4K) $7.50
Babylon 5: The Road Home (2023) (MA/HD) $3.50
Back to the Future (1985) (MA/HD) $4
Bad Boys for Life (2020) (MA/4K) $5 (MA/HD) $3.25
Bad Guys, The (2022) (MA/4K) $7 (MA/HD) $4
Bad Moms (2016) (MA/HD) $3.25 (iTunes/HD) $2.25
Bad Times at The El Royale (2018) (MA/HD) $5.25
Bambi (1942) (MA/HD) $5.75 (GP/HD) $4.25
Bambi II (2006) (MA/HD) $5.75
Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar (2021) (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $4.75
Barbie (2023) (MA/HD) $5.50
Batman, The (2022) (MA/4K) $3.50
Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham (2022) (MA/4K) $6.50 (MA/HD) $5.50
Battle of the Sexes (2017) (MA/HD) $4
Battleship (2012) (MA/4K) $4 (MA/HD) $1.75 (iTunes/4K) $3
Beast (2022) (MA/HD) $5.50
Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971) (MA/HD) $5 (GP/HD) $3.50
Ben-Hur (2016) (Vudu/HD) $2.50
Between Worlds (2018) (Vudu/HD) $5
Beverly Hills Cop (1984) (Vudu/4K) (iTunes/4K) $4.25
Beyond the Reach (2015) (Vudu/HD) $5.25
Big George Foreman (2023) (MA/HD) $5.50
Birds of Prey (2020) (MA/4K) $3 (MA/HD) $1.50
Birth of the Dragon (2017) (MA/HD) (iTunes/HD) $4.25
Black Adam (2022) (MA/4K) $6.50
Black Adam (2022) (MA/HD) $2.50
Black Panther (2018) (MA/4K) $6 (MA/HD) $4.25 (GP/HD) $1.75
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) (MA/4K) $6.50 (MA/HD) $3.75 (GP/HD) $2.75
Black Widow (2021) (MA/4K) $6.25 (MA/HD) $4.50 (GP/HD) $3
Blacklight (2022) (MA/HD) $3.75
Blindspotting (2018) (Vudu/4K) $4.75 (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $4.50
Bloodshot (2020) (MA/4K) $7 (MA/HD) $3.50
Blue Beetle (2023) (MA/HD) $6.50
Blumhouse's The Craft: Legacy (2020) (MA/HD) $7
Bob's Burgers Movie (2022) (MA/HD) $3.25 (GP/HD) $2.75
Book Club: The Next Chapter (2023) (MA/HD) $5.25
Book of Henry (2017) (MA/HD) (iTunes/HD) $5.50
Book of Life (2014) (MA/HD) (iTunes/HD) $2.50
Boss Baby (2017) & Family Business (2021) (MA/HD) $5.50
Boss Baby (2017) (MA/HD) $1.25
Bourne Collection 1-5 (MA/4K) $25 (iTunes/4K) $18 (MA/HD) $14
Breach (2020) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $5.25
Breakfast Club (1985) (MA/HD) (iTunes/HD) $5.25
Breaking In (Unrated) (2018) (MA/HD) $4.75
Breakthrough (2019) (MA/4K) $6
Brian Banks (2019) (MA/HD) $3.50
Bridesmaids (2011) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $3.50
Bridge of Spies (2015) (MA/HD) $5 (GP/HD) $3.50
Brooklyn (2015) (MA/HD) (iTunes/4K) $5.25
Bullet Train (2022) (MA/4K) $5 (MA/HD) $3.50
Buttons: A Christmas Tale (2018) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $4.50
Call Me by Your Name (2017) (MA/HD) $5
Call of the Wild (2020) (MA/4K) $6.50 (MA/HD) $1.50 (GP/HD) $1.25
Candyman (2020) (MA/HD) $4.75
Captain America: Civil War (2016) (MA/4K) $7 (MA/HD) $4.75 (GP/HD) $2.25
Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) (MA/4K) $8 (MA/HD) $6 (GP/HD) $4.50
Captain Phillips (2013) (MA/HD) $4.50
Card Counter, The (2021) (MA/HD) $4.75
Carrie (2013) (Vudu/HD) $5.50
Case for Christ, The (2017) (MA/HD) (iTunes/HD) $4.50
Celebrating Mickey (2018) (MA/HD) $5.25
Central Intelligence (Unrated) (MA/4K) $6.50
Charlie's Angels (2000) (MA/4K) $6.50
Charlie's Angels (2019) (MA/4K) $6.50
Child's Play (2019) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $6.50
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968) (Vudu/HD) $6.75
Christopher Robin (2018) (MA/HD) $4.75 (GP/HD) $3.50
Cinderella (1950) (MA/4K) $7 (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $5.75 (GP/HD) $3.75
Cinderella 'Camila Cabello' (2021) (MA/HD) $4.50
Cinderella II: Dreams Come True (2002) (MA/HD) $6.50 (GP/HD) $5
Cinderella III: A Twist in Time (2007) (MA/HD) $6.50 (GP/HD) $5
Clerks III (2022) (Vudu/4K) (iTunes/4K) $5.50
Clifford the Big Red Dog (2021) (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $3.50
Cocaine Bear (2023) (MA/4K) $7 (MA/HD) $5.25
Collateral (2004) (Vudu/4K) (iTunes/4K) $7.50
Commuter (2018) (Vudu/4K) $5.75 (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $2.25
Concussion (2015) (MA/HD) $2.75
Contractor (2022) (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $4.25
Counselor (2013) (MA/HD) $3.25
Countdown (2019) (Vudu/4K) $5.75
Creed III (2023) (Vudu/4K) $6 (Vudu/HD) $2.50
Croods (2013) (MA/HD) $3
Cruella (2021) (MA/4K) $5.50 (MA/HD) $3.50 (GP/HD) $2.50
Da Vinci Code (2006) (MA/4K) $6.50
Daddy's Home 2 (2017) (Vudu/4K) $4.25 (iTunes/4K) $2 (Vudu/HD) $2.25
Dances With Wolves (1990) (Vudu/HD) $6
Dark Waters (2019) (MA/HD) $5.75
Dawn of The Planet of The Apes (2014) (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $3.75
DC League of Super-Pets (2022) (MA/4K) $7
Dead Man Down (2013) (MA/HD) $4.50
Deadpool (2016) (MA/4K) $6 (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $1.75
Death on the Nile (2022) (MA/HD) $5 (GP/HD) $3.50
Death Wish (2018) (Vudu/HD) $2.25
Dentist Collection 1-2 (1996-1998) (Vudu/HD) $5
Detective Knight: Independence (2022) (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $5.75
Detective Knight: Redemption (2022) (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $5.75
Detroit (2017) (iTunes/4K) Ports to MA $4.50
Devil's Due (2014) (MA/HD) $3
Devotion (2022) (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $5.75
Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2010) (MA/HD) $4.25
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul (2017) (MA/HD) $2
Die Hard (1988) (MA/4K) $6.75 (MA/HD) $4
Disaster Artist, The (2017) (Vudu/HD) $5.50
Django Unchained (2012) (Vudu/HD) $2.50
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022) (MA/HD) $2.75 (GP/HD) $2
Dolittle (2020) (MA/HD) $3.25
Don't Breathe (2016) (MA/HD) $5
Downsizing (2017) (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $1.25
Downton Abbey: A New Era (2022) (MA/HD) $3.75
Dr. No (1962) (Vudu/HD) $6.75
Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) (iTunes/4K) $5.25 (MA/HD) $5
Draft Day (2014) (Vudu/HD) $3.25 (iTunes/HD) $2.50
Dredd (2012) (Vudu/4K) $6.50 (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $3.25
Drive (2011) (MA/HD) $5
Duff, The (2015) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $2.50
Dumb Money (2023) (MA/HD) $5.50
Earth Girls Are Easy (1988) (Vudu/HD) $5
Easter Sunday (2022) (MA/HD) $6.75
Elemental (2023) (MA/HD) $5.75
Elvis (2022) (MA/4K) $5.75
English Patient (1996) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $4.75
Epic (2013) (MA/HD) $2.25 (iTunes/SD) $1.25
Equalizer 3 (2023) (MA/HD) $5.75
Escape from L.A (1996) (Vudu/4K) (iTunes/4K) $5.50
Escape from Planet Earth (2013) (Vudu/HD) $4.25
Eternals (2021) (MA/4K) $6.75 (MA/HD) $4.25 (GP/HD) $2.75
Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) (Vudu/4K) $6.50
Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn (1987) (Vudu/HD) $4.75
Evil Dead Rise (2023) (MA/4K) $7 (MA/HD) $4.75
Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014) (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $3.50
Exorcist: Believer (2023) (MA/4K) $7.50 (MA/HD) $6.50
Expendables 1-3 (Vudu/4K) $15 (Vudu/HD) $4.50
Extreme Prejudice (1987) (Vudu/HD) $5
F9: The Fast Saga + Director's Cut (2021) (MA/4K) $6.75 (MA/HD) $4.75
Fabelmans (2022) (MA/HD) $5.50
Fahrenheit 451 (2018) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $4.50 (GP/HD) $3
Fall (2022) (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $6
Fantasia (1940) (MA/HD) $6.50 (GP/HD) $5
Fantasia 2000 (2000) (MA/HD) $6.50 (GP/HD) $5
Fast & Furious Collection 1-8 (MA/4K) $23 1-9 (MA/HD) $10
Fast X (2023) (MA/4K) $6.50 (MA/HD) $5.50
Father Stu (2022) (MA/HD) $5.25
Fatman (2020) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $5.50
Fault in Our Stars (2014) (MA/HD) $1.50
Fences (2016) (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $1.75
Five Nights at Freddy's (2023) (MA/HD) $6.50
Flash, The (2023) (MA/4K) $6.75 (MA/HD) $5
Footloose (2011) (Vudu/HD) $5 (iTunes/HD) $3.50
Forrest Gump (1994) (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $5.50
Fox and the Hound (1981) (MA/HD) $6.25 (GP/HD) $4.75
Foxcatcher (2014) (MA/HD) $3.75
Frank & Lola (2016) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $4.50
Frozen (2013) (MA/4K) $5.50 (MA/HD) $3.50 (GP/HD) $1.50
Fury (2014) (MA/4K) $6.25 (MA/HD) $3.25
Future World (2018) (Vudu/HD) $4
G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013) (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $3.75
Gangs of New York (2002) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $5.25
Garfield (2004) (MA/HD) $6.50
Gate, The (1987) (Vudu/SD) $3.75
Ghostbusters (1984) (MA/4K) $7 (MA/HD) $3.50
Gifted (2017) (MA/HD) $4.50
Girl with All the Gifts, The (2016) (Vudu/HD) $5
Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011) (MA/HD) $6
Godfather Part II (1974) (Vudu/4K) (iTunes/4K) $6.50
Godfather Trilogy (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $14
Gods of Egypt (2016) (Vudu/HD) $2
Goosebumps (2015) (MA/HD) $4.75
Grace Unplugged (2013) (Vudu/HD) $5.25
Gran Turismo (2023) (MA/HD) $5.50
Green Knight (2021) (Vudu/4K) $5.25
Grey, The (2012) (MA/HD) (iTunes/HD) $3.50
Grizzly Man (2005) (Vudu/HD) $5
Groundhog Day (1993) (MA/4K) $6.50
Grown Ups 2 (2013) (MA/HD) $5
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) (MA/HD) $4.25 (GP/HD) $1.25
Half Brothers (2020) (MA/HD) $5.75
Halloween Ends (2022) (MA/4K) $6.50 (MA/HD) $4.25
Hateful Eight (2015) (Vudu/HD) $2
Heat: Director's Definitive Edition (1995) (MA/4K) $5.75 (MA/HD) $4.75
Heaven is for Real (2014) (MA/HD) $2.50
Hercules (2014) (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $1.50
Here Comes the Boom (2012) (MA/HD) $4
Hereditary (2018) (Vudu/HD) $3.50
Hitman (Unrated) (2007) (MA/HD) $6
Hitman's Bodyguard (2017) (Vudu/4K) $5.75 (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $4.25
Holiday Inn (1942) (MA/HD) (iTunes/HD) $3.75
Holiday, The (2006) (MA/4K) $6.50
Holmes And Watson (2018) (MA/HD) $3.50
Hook (1991) (MA/4K) $6.50
Hop (2011) (MA/HD) (iTunes/HD) $3
Hot Fuzz (2007) (MA/HD) $3.50 (iTunes/4K) $4
House of 1,000 Corpses (2003), Devil's Rejects (2005), 3 From Hell (2019) (Vudu/HD) $6
How High (2001) (MA/HD) $6.50
Howard the Duck (1986) (MA/4K) $7
Humans, The (2021) (Vudu/HD) $6.25
Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996) (MA/HD) $6.50 (GP/HD) $5
Hunger Games Collection 1-4 (Vudu/HD) $6
Hunt, The (2019) (MA/HD) $5.50
Hurricane Heist (2018) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/4K) $3.50
I, Tonya (2017) (MA/HD) $5
Ice Age (2002) (MA/HD) $4.25
Ice Age Collection 1-5 (MA/SD) $16
Identity Thief (2013) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $3.50
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023) (MA/HD) $6
Indiana Jones Collection 1-4 (Vudu/4K) $24 (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $20
Indivisible (2018) (MA/HD) $5
Inferno (2016) (MA/HD) $3
Infinite (2021) (Vudu/4K) $5.50 (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $4.50
Inside Out (2015) (MA/4K) $5.75 (iTunes/4K) $4 (GP/HD) $1.50
Insidious: The Last Key (2018) (MA/HD) $5.50
Insidious: The Red Door (2023) (MA/HD) $5.25
Instructions Not Included (2013) (Vudu/HD) $3.75
Insurgent (2015) (Vudu/4K) (iTunes/4K) $4 (Vudu/HD) $3.50
Interview, The (2014) (MA/HD) $3.25
Iron Man (2008) (MA/4K) $7.25 (iTunes/4K) $7 (GP/HD) $3
Iron Man 3 (2013) (iTunes/4K) $3 (MA/HD) $2.25 (GP/HD) $1.50
Iron Man and Hulk: Heroes United (2013) (MA/HD) $5 (GP/HD) $4
Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (2016) (Vudu/4K) $5.25 (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $2.75
Jacob's Ladder (1990) (Vudu/HD) $3.50
Jason Bourne (2016) (MA/4K) $5.25 (iTunes/4K) $3.50 (MA/HD) $3
Jaws (1975) (MA/4K) $5.75 (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $4.50
Jaws (1975) Jaws 2 (1978) Jaws 3 (1983) Jaws: The Revenge (1987) (MA/HD) $15.50
Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $5.50
Jerry Maguire (1996) (MA/4K) $6.50
Jigsaw (2017) (Vudu/4K) $4.75 (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $2
Jingle All the Way (1996) (MA/HD) $6
Joy (2015) (MA/HD) (iTunes/4K) $5
Jungle Book 2 (2003) (MA/HD) $6.50
Jungle Cruise (2021) (MA/4K) $5.50 (MA/HD) $3.75 (GP/HD) $3
Jurassic Park: The Lost World (1997) (MA/4K) $6.50 (iTunes/4K) $3.50 (MA/HD) $2.75
Jurassic World Collection 1-6 (MA/HD) $11
Jurassic World: Dominion + Extended Cut (2022) (MA/4K) $6.50 (MA/HD) $3.75
Justice League: War World (2023) (MA/HD) $5.50
Kandahar (2023) (MA/4K) $7
Karate Kid (1984) (MA/4K) $6.50
Kick-Ass (2010) (Vudu/4K) (iTunes/4K) $5.25
Kid, The (2019) (Vudu/4K) (iTunes/4K) $4.75
Killerman (2019) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $3.75
Kimi (2022) (MA/4K) $6.75
King's Man (2021) (MA/HD) $4.50 (GP/HD) $3.50
Knives Out (2019) (Vudu/4K) (iTunes/4K) $5
Krampus (2015) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $4.75
Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp’s Adventure (2001) (MA/HD) $7 (GP/HD) $5.50
Last Duel, The (2021) (MA/HD) $5.25 (GP/HD) $4
Last Full Measure (2020) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $5.25
Last Vegas (2013) (MA/HD) $3
Last Voyage of the Demeter (2023) (MA/4K) $7.50 (MA/HD) $7
Last Witch Hunter (2015) (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $1.50
Last Word (2017) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $4.75
Leap! (2017) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $3.25
Life (2017) (MA/4K) $6.50 (MA/HD) $2.50
Lighthouse (Vudu/HD) $5.75
Lightyear (2022) (MA/4K) $4.75 (MA/HD) $2.50 (GP/HD) $1.75
Lilo & Stitch (2002) & Stitch Has a Glitch (2005) (MA/HD) $9.50 (GP/HD) $5.50
Lion King (1994) (MA/4K) $7 (MA/HD) $4.50 (GP/HD) $2.75
Lion King 2: Simba's Pride (1998) (MA/HD) $6.25
Little Mermaid (1989) (MA/4K) $7 (iTunes/4K) $5 (GP/HD) $3.25
Little Monsters (1989) (Vudu/HD) $5.50
Little Women (2019) (MA/HD) $5.50
Lone Ranger (2013) (MA/HD) $4.50 (GP/HD) $2.50
Lone Survivor (2013) (MA/4K) $6.25 (iTunes/4K) $2 (MA/HD) $1.50
Looper (2012) (MA/HD) $2.75
Lords of Salem, The (2012) (Vudu/HD) $4.75
Lost City, The (2022) (Vudu/4K) $5.50 (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $5
Love Actually (2003) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $5
Lovebirds (2020) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $5.25
Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile (2022) (MA/HD) $4.25
M3GAN + Unrated (2023) (MA/HD) $5.50
Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977) (MA/HD) $6.50
Marksman, The (2021) (MA/HD) $5
Marlowe (2023) (MA/HD) $6.50
Martian - Extended Cut (2015) (MA/4K) $7.75 (MA/HD) $5.25
Martian (Theatrical) (2015) (MA/4K) $7 (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $3
Mary Queen of Scots (2018) (MA/HD) $6
Maze Runner (2014) (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $5.25
Meg 2: The Trench (2023) (MA/4K) $6.50 (MA/HD) $5
Memory (2022) (MA/HD) $4
Men (2022) (Vudu/HD) $5
Men in Black Collection 1-3 (MA/HD) $14.50
Men Who Stare at Goats (2009) (Vudu/HD) $4.75
Menu (2022) (MA/HD) $5.50
Mickey & Friends 10 Classic Shorts - Volume 2 (2023) (MA/HD) $6.25 (GP/HD) $5
Mickey & Minnie 10 Classic Shorts - Volume 1 (2023) (MA/HD) $5.25 (GP/HD) $3.75
Mickey's Christmas Carol (1983) (MA/HD) $6 (GP/HD) $4.50
Midnight Meat Train (Unrated Director's Cut) (2008) (Vudu/HD) $5
Midsommar (2019) (Vudu/HD) $5.50
Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates (2016) (MA/HD) (iTunes/4K) $3.75
Million Dollar Arm (2014) (MA/HD) $4 (GP/HD) $3
Minions (2015) (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $2.50
Minions: The Rise of Gru (2022) & Minions (2015) (MA/HD) $7.25
Minions: The Rise of Gru (2022) (MA/4K) $6.50 (MA/HD) $5
Moonfall (2022) (Vudu/4K) (iTunes/4K) $4.75
Morbius (2022) (MA/4K) $5 (MA/HD) $3
Mortal Engines (2018) (MA/4K) $6.50 (MA/HD) $3.50
Mortal Instruments: City of Bones (2014) (MA/HD) $3.25
Mortal Kombat Legends: Cage Match (2023) (MA/4K) $6.75 (MA/HD) $5.50
Mother! (2017) (Vudu/HD) $3.25
Motherless Brooklyn (2019) (MA/HD) $3.75
Mud (2013) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $3
Mulan (1998) (MA/4K) $6.75 (MA/HD) $5 (GP/HD) $3
Mummy, The (2017) (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $2.75
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 (2016) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $3.75
My Fair Lady (1964) (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $5.50
My Girl (1991) & 2 (1994) (MA/SD) $6.50
Natural, The (1984) (MA/4K) $6
Never Grow Old (2019) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $4.50
New Mutants (2020) (MA/4K) $6.75 (MA/HD) $5 (GP/HD) $3.25
Night at the Museum 3-Movie (MA/HD) $11.50 (MA/SD) $8
No Country For Old Men (2007) (Vudu/HD) $5.50
No Hard Feelings (2023) (MA/HD) $5.50
No Time to Die (2021) (iTunes/4K) $3.50
Noah (2014) (Vudu/HD) $1.75 (iTunes/HD) $1.50
Nope (2022) (MA/HD) $5
Nope (2022), Get Out (2017) & Us (2019) (MA/HD) $9
Northman (2022) (MA/4K) $6.75 (MA/HD) $3.75
Notting Hill (1999) (MA/HD) (iTunes/HD) $3.75
Nun 2 (2023) (MA/HD) $6
Oblivion (2013) (MA/4K) $7 (iTunes/4K) $3.50 (MA/HD) $2
Old (2021) (MA/4K) $7 (MA/HD) $4.25
Oliver! (1968) (MA/4K) $6.50
Olympus Has Fallen (2013) (MA/HD) $5
Once Upon A Time... In Hollywood (2019) (MA/4K) $6.75 (MA/HD) $4.25
Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre (2023) (Vudu/4K) $7
Oppenheimer (2023) (MA/HD) $7
Other Guys, The (2010) (MA/4K) $6.50
Other Woman (2014) $4.25
Ouija (2014) (MA/HD) (iTunes/HD) $2.50
Outfit (2022) (MA/HD) $7
Over the Hedge (2006) (MA/HD) $6.50
Oz the Great and Powerful (2013) (MA/HD) $2 (GP/HD) $1
Pacific Rim Uprising (2018) (MA/4K) $7 (MA/HD) $4.25
ParaNorman (2012) (iTunes/HD) $5
Parasite (2019) (MA/4K) $6.50 (MA/HD) $4.50
Patriot Games (1992) (Vudu/4K) (iTunes/4K) $5
Patriots Day (2017) (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $2.50
Paul (2011) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $4.25
PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie (2023) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/4K) $6.50
Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank (2022) (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $5.25
Peppermint (2018) (iTunes/HD) $2
Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters (2013) (MA/HD) $2.25
Pet Sematary (2019) (Vudu/4K) $4 (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $2.50
Pete’s Dragon (2016) (MA/HD) $6 (GP/HD) $4.25
Peter Pan (1953) (MA/HD) $6 (GP/HD) $4.50
Peter Rabbit 2 (2021) (MA/HD) $4
Philadelphia (1993) (MA/4K) $6.50
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017) (MA/4K) $7 (MA/HD) $2.75 (GP/HD) $1.50
Pitch Perfect Collection 1-3 (MA/HD) $11.50
Plane (2023) (Vudu/4K) (iTunes/4K) $6.50
Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/4K) $5
Planet of the Apes 1-3 (Newer) (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $10
Pocahontas (1995) (MA/HD) $6.25
Poms (2019) (iTunes/HD) $2.50
Pope's Exorcist (2023) (MA/HD) $5.75
Power Rangers (2017) (iTunes/4K) $3 (Vudu/HD) $2.50
Predator (2018) (MA/4K) $5.75 (MA/HD) $3.50
Prey for the Devil (2022) (Vudu/4K) (iTunes/4K) $6.50
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (2016) (MA/HD) $6
Prince of Egypt (2002) (MA/HD) $5.50
Purge, The (2013) (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $2.75
Puss in Boots (2011) & The Last Wish (2022) (MA/HD) $10.50
Puss in Boots (2011) (MA/4K) $6.50 (MA/HD) $5.50
Quantum of Solace (2008) (Vudu/HD) $5.75
R.I.P.D. (2013) (MA/4K) $6.50 (MA/HD) (iTunes/HD) $3
Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985) (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $5.50
Rampage (2018) (MA/4K) $6.50
Ratatouille (2007) (MA/HD) (iTunes/4K) $7.50
Rebel Without a Cause (1955) (MA/4K) $7
Red Dawn (2012) (Vudu/HD) $5.25 (iTunes/SD) $2
Red Sparrow (2018) (MA/HD) $3.75
Reservoir Dogs (1992) (Vudu/4K) (iTunes/4K) $5
Revenant, The (2015) (MA/4K) $5 (iTunes/4K) $3.75
Rhythm Section (2020) (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $4
Ricki And The Flash (2015) (MA/HD) $4.50
Riddick Collection 1-3 (Unrated) (MA/HD) $13.50
Rio 2 (2014) (MA/HD) $2
Rise of the Guardians (2012) (MA/HD) $3
Robin Hood (2010) (MA/4K) $6
Rock the Kasbah (2015) (MA/HD) $6.50
Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) (MA/HD) $5.25
Rudy (Director's Cut) (1993) (MA/4K) $6.50
Rumble (2022) (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $5.50
Russell Madness (2015) (MA/HD) $3.75
Saint Maud (2020) (Vudu/HD) $5.75
Same Kind of Different as Me (2017) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $2
Savages (2012) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $2.25
Saw Collection 1-7 (Vudu/HD) $9.75
Scary Movie Collection 1-3 (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $13.50
Scoob (2020) (MA/4K) $3.25
Scream 5 (2022) (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $5
Scream 6 (2023) (Vudu/4K) $7 (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $6.50
Scream Collection 1-3 (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $13.50
Secret Headquarters (2022) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/4K) $5.50
Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (2012) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $4.50
Selma (2015) (Vudu/HD) $2.75 (iTunes/HD) $2.25
Semper Fi (2019) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $4.25
Seriously Red (2022) (Vudu/HD) $6
Shape of Water (2017) (MA/HD) $3.25
Shaun the Sheep Movie (2015) (Vudu/HD) $3.75
Sicario: Day of the Soldado (2018) (MA/4K) $7 (MA/HD) $3.75
Sick (2023) (MA/4K) $6.75
Silent Night, Deadly Night: 3-Film Collection (1989-1991) (Vudu/HD) $5.50
Sixteen Candles (1984) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $4.25
Skyscraper (2018) (MA/4K) $5 (MA/HD) $1.75
Sleepy Hollow (1999) (Vudu/4K) (iTunes/4K) $6.75
Smile (2022) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/4K) $6.25
Smokey and the Bandit (1977) (MA/4K) $6 (MA/HD) $4.50
Smokin' Aces (2007) (MA/4K) $6 (iTunes/4K) $5.50
Smurfs: The Lost Village (2017) (MA/HD) $3
Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs (1937) (MA/HD) $6 (GP/HD) $3.75
Social Network (2010) (MA/4K) $6.50
Sonic the Hedgehog (2020) (Vudu/4K) $6.25 (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $4
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022) (Vudu/4K) $6 (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $4.50
Soul (2020) (MA/4K) $6 (MA/HD) $3.75 (GP/HD) $2.25
Sound of Music (1965) (MA/HD) $5.50
Space Between Us, The (2017) (MA/HD) (iTunes/HD) $4.50
Spectacular Now (2013) (Vudu/HD) $3.50
Spell (2020) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/4K) $5
Spider-Man Collection 1-8 (MA/HD) $26
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023) (MA/HD) $5.50
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) (MA/4K) $6.25 (MA/HD) $3.50
Spirit Untamed: The Movie (2021) (MA/HD) $5.50
Star Trek Beyond (2016) (Vudu/HD) $1.75 (iTunes/4K) $3.25
Star Trek Collection 1-3 (Vudu/HD) $9.50 (iTunes/4K) $13.50
Starship Troopers (1997) (MA/4K) $6.50
Still Alice (2015) (MA/HD) $3.25
Straight Outta Compton (Unrated Director’s Cut) (2015) (MA/HD) (iTunes/HD) $2.50
Strange World (2022) (MA/HD) $5 (GP/HD) $4.25
Studio 666 (2022) (MA/4K) $7 (MA/HD) $6.25
Suburbicon (2017) (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $3.25
Super Mario Bros Movie (2023) (MA/4K) $7.25 (MA/HD) $5.50
Super Troopers (2002) (MA/HD) $5.50
Superman: Red Son (2020) (MA/HD) $3.50
SW: A New Hope (1977) (MA/4K) $7 (GP/HD) $3.50
SW: Empire Strikes Back (1980) (MA/4K) $7 (GP/HD) $3.50
SW: Rise of Skywalker (2019) (MA/4K) $6 (iTunes/4K) $4.75 (GP/HD) $2.25
Sword in the Stone (1963) (MA/HD) $5.75 (GP/HD) $3.25
T2 Trainspotting (2017) (MA/HD) $7
Talk to Me (2023) (Vudu/4K) $6.50
Tar (2022) (MA/HD) $5.75
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023) (Vudu/4K) $7.50 (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $6.50
Thanksgiving (2023) (MA/4K) $6.50 (MA/HD) $5.50
Think Like a Man (2012) & Too (2014) (MA/HD) $8.50
Thor (2011) (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $7 (GP/HD) $3.50
Thor: Love and Thunder (2022) (MA/4K) $6.75 (MA/HD) $3.25 (GP/HD) $2
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017) (MA/HD) $3.50
Ticket to Paradise (2022) (MA/HD) $5.75
Till (2022) (iTunes/4K) $6.50
Titanic (1997) (Vudu/4K) $6.50 (Vudu/HD) $4.75 (iTunes/4K) $6
TMNT Out of the Shadows (2016) (iTunes/4K) $4
To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) (MA/4K) $5.75 (iTunes/4K) $4.50
Tomorrowland (2015) (MA/HD) $5.50 (GP/HD) $3.50
Top Gun: Maverick (2022) (Vudu/4K) $5.50 (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $5.25
Total Recall (1990) (Vudu/4K) $5 (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $4.75
Toy Story 1-4 (MA/4K) $23 (iTunes/4K) $21 (GP/HD) $11.50
Transformers 1-5 (Vudu/4K) $25 (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $23
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (2023) (Vudu/4K) $7 (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $6
Trauma Center (2019) (iTunes/4K) $3.25
Trolls (2016) (MA/HD) $1.25
Trolls Band Together (2023) (MA/HD) $6.50
Trolls Collection 1-2 (MA/HD) $5.75
True Story (2015) (MA/HD) $5.25
Tully (2018) (MA/HD) $5
Turbo (2013) (MA/HD) $2.50 (iTunes/SD) $1
Turning Red (2022) (MA/HD) $3.75 (GP/HD) $2.50
Turning, The (2020) (MA/HD) $5.25
Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022) (Vudu/4K) (iTunes/4K) $6.75
Uncharted (2022) (MA/4K) $5.25 (MA/HD) $3.25
Uncle Drew (2018) (Vudu/4K) $6 (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $3
Under the Skin (2014) (Vudu/HD) $4.75
Underwater (2020) (MA/HD) $5.50
Underworld: Blood Wars (2016) (MA/HD) $2.25
Unfinished Business (2015) (MA/HD) $4.50
Unhinged (2020) (Vudu/HD) $4.50
Usual Suspects, The (1995) (Vudu/HD) $6
Vertigo (1958) (MA/HD) $4.75
Victor Frankenstein (2015) (MA/HD) (iTunes/4K) $5.50
Violent Night (2022) (MA/HD) $5.75
Visit (2015) (MA/HD) $4.50
Vivo (2021) (MA/HD) $4
Vow, The (2012) (MA/HD) $3.25
Voyagers (2021) (Vudu/4K) (iTunes/4K) $6.25
Walking with Dinosaurs (2013) (MA/HD) (iTunes/HD) $2.50
Warcraft (2016) (MA/4K) $4.50 (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $2.25
Watch, The (2012) (MA/HD) $4
Weird Science (2008) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $5.75
Whale, The (2022) (Vudu/HD) $5.75
When the Bough Breaks (2016) (MA/HD) $4.50
Where the Crawdads Sing (2022) (MA/HD) $3.75
Whiplash (2014) (MA/4K) $6.50 (MA/HD) $5.50
White Christmas (1954) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $5.50
White House Down (2013) (MA/HD) $3.25
Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody (2022) (MA/HD) $4.75
Widows (2018) (MA/4K) $6.50 (MA/HD) $2
Witch, The (2016) (Vudu/HD) $3.50
Wolverine (Unrated) (2013) (MA/HD) $3.25
Woman King (2022) (MA/4K) $5.75 (MA/HD) $4
Wonder Park (2019) (Vudu/HD) $3.50 (iTunes/4K) $2.25
Wonder Woman: Bloodlines (2019) (MA/HD) $3
World War Z (2013) (Vudu/HD) $3.25 (iTunes/4K) $4.50
X (2022), Hereditary (2018), Witch, The (2016), Green Room (2015), It Comes at Night (2017) (Vudu/HD) $13.50
X-Men (2000), X2 (2003), X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) (MA/HD) $12
X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) (MA/HD) $7
X-Men: Dark Phoenix (2019) (MA/HD) $6
X-Men: Apocalypse (2016) (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $2.25
X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) (MA/HD) $7.50
xXx: The Return of Xander Cage (2017) (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $1.25
Yesterday (2019) (MA/4K) $7 (MA/HD) $4.75
Zombieland (2009) (MA/4K) $7.25
Zombieland: Double Tap (2019) (MA/4K) $7.25 (MA/HD) $5.25
Zookeeper's Wife, The (2017) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $4
Zootopia (2016) (MA/4K) $7.25 (iTunes/4K) $5 (MA/HD) $4.50 (GP/HD) $3.25

I had no plans on writing a longer post than anything I wrote this whole semester at college, but there's a TLDR if you want at the bottom.
I recognize that largely this is no longer the place to post suggestions, but I figure there's no harm in sparking thoughts in other people. Inspired by what I thought of while replying to the earlier post about memory beasts being obtainable through maps.

Personal Experience recently

I'll preface this with the fact that in all my 5,104.5 hours, I have never once actually attempted to use the Harvest beasts, even though I (for every league except the last and the current) ran my memories and captured the beasts. I'll admit to using them each once or twice, to see how they work as well as test if I could get incredibly lucky, but after comparing the outcome to the cost, I decided it is not worth it for a user of my general wealth.
That's a problem I've encountered a lot more increasingly lately as I've been taking it slower and slower, but especially this league has been bad. While a lot of the early/majorly important stuff have been getting easier to obtain (specifically with the introduction of the Black Morrigan), the more mid through entry late-game stuff has been increasing in price. 9d per attempt at veiled boots, priced out of best in slot farming unless you drop a MB/HH in the first 2-5 attempts, 10.5d for a divination scarab to HOPEFULLY get a full Mageblood/Mirror Shard in under 9 maps. It has never been worth it as a (level 100 most leagues, multiple characters, usually total worth of around of a mirror) somewhat laid back player in my eyes to actually USE a 10d drop. Sure I could drop a full mageblood in a map, but I also could not. Sure I could get lucky with my first pair of boots and get MS/Chilled, or I could get it on the 15th attempt, spending 100d+ on what used to be a relatively cheap process. The boots are around a 20% chance to get a specific mod, a charge ring, or an explode bow is astronomically small, and the odds of them dropping has been reduced time and time again. If I wanted to make a bow myself, I'd have to not only imprint and roll the implicits I want (3-5d per attempt pre-project, 10d per attempt now) with extremely unlikely odds, but Id even likely want to get a 3 implicit bow considering the massive investment, which I would ALSO need to roll an exorbitant amount of harvest "synth an item." This is no longer something that is feasible for someone who drops a mirror, even if they have all the required knowledge already. A year ago today if I dropped a mirror, I could go for attempting to make myself a stupidly nice bow, and sure it likely wouldn't be mirror tier, but I would've at least thought about trying. Whether it is a falsehood in the first place, or because of the insane cost of crafting high tier items, hat sentiment is now gone.
I'll be the first to accept that this is a problem for the 5%, and not the majority nor the 1%. I've considered myself a 5% player, though maybe some of you would say I'm a 1% and the mirror crafters are the 0.1%, but that's not the point. I am nowhere near the point of being comfortable rolling Exceptional IchoEmber for the 1.5% damage boost after finishing my Orbs of Conflict. I settle for 1-2 good mods on one Elevated/Awakened item rather than making 5-10 and using the best while selling the remaining. I'm okay with "only" a 130% adorned, and non-synth implicit jewels. I play the game for fun, and that's it. Fun to me is optimizing/improving without being meticulous; would I like to one day have a mirror tier item on every slot in a character, maybe, but I don't think I ever will.
That's a lot of text just to say "I'm not rich (in game) and the game is getting less and less accessible to my wealth bracket" but it makes me think a lot about why the game is feeling less approachable as time goes on, and maybe this is it. This also doesn't even address the Einhar Beast portion of the post.

Continue Revitalizing Einhar to Revive mid-tier crafting

I would not by any means consider myself to be "a crafter" but I have always crafted my own gear because I enjoy to do so, and enjoy learning the mechanics. Would a super high mirror tier crafter have more accurate input? Most likely. But we are not mirror tier crafters. We don't have mirror shops, or stream on twitch, and we are still baffled with some of the items the people who TRULY understand crafting can make in this game. We browse the reddit, and we likely have a knowledge difference similar to that of a Professor and a Student.
And that's okay.
What isn't okay in my opinion is that the last thing that I feel like was truly introduced as a "new" crafting mechanic rather than easier access to another mechanic is Eldrich implicits. Sure vivid vultures are in the game, but I have never had the money to even think about them. I've never synthesized my own item since Harvest league because it's cheaper to buy one or 2 mod synth items, and I've never used a watcher eye reroll beast. Even though Eldrich orbs (chaos etc.) are rather expensive due to the extreme value they provide, there is a limit to what they can be used for. Nobody would rather have an Eldrich Dmg per power charge/Mana res efficiency helmet than a Synth 92% res multi/+1 power charge, and that would mean that for the VERY end game Eldrich orbs often cannot be used, and thus do not cost unreasonable amounts.
My idea for Einhar Beasts is to make the memory beasts available through mapping, but a similar and/or weaker variant.
What this looks like to me is a keystone for Bestiary behind Natural Selection (More likely for less common) that allows you to obtain beasts through other mechanics, while also specc'd into those mechanics, something like: "Unnatural Optimization" or some play on the former's name, that has "Allows artificial production of Beasts from other League Mechanics."
This could be a couple things, my original thought was for the Adolescent Vivid Vulture: Reroll a Synthesis Implicit Modifier on an item with 2 or fewer Synthesis Implicit Modifiers. This could be gated behind an Atlas Passive along the lines of "There is a 50% chance when upgrading a Harvest Crop to Unique it would instead become an Adolescent Beast." Or maybe 50% chance to be accompanied by? I'm not a numbers guy and I don't enjoy running current Harvest, so I don't know the impact either would have. This would essentially open up mid tier beast crafting without damaging the current insanely high tier crafting we have, aside from potentially making it (barely) easier to approach. An Incursion Beast that "Randomly Removes or Adds 3% Quality to an Uncorrupted Gem" Or maybe the same for gem level. Takes out the "Nothing happened", but also can't obtain double corrupt, basically an upgraded Vaal Orb Something fun like a Vaal Side Area Beast "Adds a COMPLETELY random corrupted implicit to an item." so maybe you get +1 Arrows on your body armor, maybe you get Resolute Technique on your +attack crit body armor. An Ultimatum Beast that "Adds 15% quality to an uncorrupted item, and randomizes the quality." A Breach Beast that "Creates a random non-atlas armor with a single Breach modifier" or "Turns a Breach Unique into a random iLvl 75 armor with one related modifier" to also add some value to breach itself rather than just as a source of monsters. An Expedition Beast that "Sets all modifiers on an uninfluenced item to Tier 3." (Expedition doesn't need anything more imo, it's in a very comfortable place with Rog early, then the others later) A Legion Beast that summons a Highly Experienced General? Idk this is the one that doesn't make sense, but with exp issues now Legion is essentially just a source of incubators, which is alright but doesn't FEEL good.
Maybe you would need some other lines in Unnatural Optimization to include "The Scarabs glinting with gold shudder" and you just need a scarab, Bestiary, and then that mechanic; or maybe you don't. Maybe it just adds modifiers to give ways to engage with content you enjoy outside of "Hey kid, I heard you like quant."
Returned as finishing the TLDR: Maybe even just throw all these beasts into Einhar encounters in Kirac missions? It gates their spawn rate and forces them to be rare, but also allows for some amount of "targeting" by being able to select "Capture the Artificial ____ Beast" as your mission instead of "Complete the ____ encounter"

Why EinhaBeasts?

Well, the dude's cool. Only person on his level was Z̵̢̢̫̬̈́̏̿a̵͍͔̪̚ṅ̶͍͖̟͊͐á̷̞͐̓͊̕ but she got stolen from us. I also wouldn't mind Einhar revealing he can just teleport through space and time on a whim to join me and Alva to hunt for treasure or to tag along and help kill Chayula.
Also, a lot of the issue I take with this game (that largely has/is been/being fixed) is that content often requires you to Do X so you can have fun with Y. Find Contracts so you can run Heist, get Sulphite so you can run Delve. There is also "farm Delirium and you can run Simulacrums." The difference being that you don't NEED simulacrums to have fun with the content. Compared to clicking 3 or 4 rocks is the Delve "content" in maps, and opening a strongbox while hearing Huck's voice lines is Heist's "Content" in maps. Delirium IS the content, Simulacrums are a separate optional location, and many don't even run them.
In truth I LOVE the implementation of Beasts: they are a miniboss in the content they belong. In maps you will find all types of tough, boss-like versions of monsters you have seen, that aren't necessarily just "same mob but in yellow." They summon waves of monsters, or effects, or have generally neat interactions that stir up the monotony of mapping (AND STILL CAN BE BYPASSED WITH ENOUGH DAMAGE) without feeling like it is pulling you away from mapping. It adds to the content it is found in, and even more seamlessly than Essence/Strongboxes because there is no interaction to start them.
You could enter a Breach and all of a sudden see a Red Beast spawn in a similar fashion to a Breach Lord, or see a Beast Marker in Expedition and say, "Okay, miniboss time let's not make him too hard." Maybe wave 11-13 in Ultimatums have a chance to spawn a single Beast that you need to kill in a time limit, or that stingy prick Merchant in your Incursions could have a chance to be replaced with a Beast you can capture.
You might actually enter that Vaal Side Area for once? Even if only to check if the boss has been replaced with a Beast and then leave.

TL;DR

Here we are, you made it. Thanks for reading if you did make it through, and thanks for checking this out if you didn't.
1. I play the game a lot, and have a lot of time, and I'm rather wealthy as a result; but I don't optimize and I play for fun so not THAT wealthy. 2. We have seen a lot of expansion of crafting mechanics (Awesome!) for early, middle, and high end, but lately we have been losing access to only mid-tier crafting (Not awesome!) which widens the gap 3. Items are always priced off of optimal use (10d scarabs, Hinekora's lock, vivid vultures, etc.) rather than casual use. 4. Because Items are priced based on the best use, it leads to many feeling uncomfortable using the items THEY FOUND themselves, because they would likely be able to just sell it for more value 5. Implement mid-tier Beast Crafts (inconvenience fee included via Menagerie) to add lesser versions of Harvest Beasts and similar for many league mechanics. Examples located right before "Why Einhar" 6. Beasts are very non-intrusive in the content they are, and serve to enhance the content similar to a Deli boss, medium challenge for medium reward, skip/remove when you are past medium rewards 7. Einhar cool, thanks for reading, enjoy the farming stupid beast

As the title says, I’ve reached out to several schools who said they are still accepting applications (some the deadlines have passed, some they have no) but from what I’m reading on here even February and March applications are considered late. Will I be seriously considered? Do I need to blow the median out of the water to be considered at these schools? Or is there usually space since most of the schools I’m applying to aren’t ranked very high.
Right now I’m applying to CUA’s part time day program and it’s the one I’m most interested in. My grad work was all on CUA campus, I like it there, love the library, I live nearby, and the fact that I can do part time during the day is what sold me. I’m also planning to apply for online programs at Dayton, case western, southwestern, northern Ohio, maybe CSU. I’ll probably apply for GULC’s evening program but i can’t imagine I’d be considered this late without anything amazing. I was going to send my application over before LSATs because evening program is test optional. The evening schedule would honestly be difficult since I have young kids but if I did get in might be worth trying to workout a new child care schedule with my ex to make things work.
I was planning on starting fall 2025, and the VA is footing the entire bill. I was just accepted into this program in (applied once in the fall, denied, then re-applied and accepted) and now that I’m in, I have to start within a year. If I don’t, I have to re-apply and risk not being accepted for the program / funding.
So I’m going to try and go to law school. If not they’ll pay for another degree- but law is really what I’m interested in.
3.7gpa undergrad majored in history and psych (this was over a decade ago) president of psychology honor society and ROTC scholarship. (This far out from graduation seems silly to also list things like fraternity, mission trips, volunteer work, etc when I have so much more recent life experience - but should those things be include?
3.8 gpa MTS degree (theology) 1.5 years PhD work in theology. Never started dissertation. Reading comprehension in Latin, Attic Greek, Spanish, Italian.
7 years total teaching experience (social studies, Latin, and theology), 5.5 years high school.
Certified strength coach, also ran my own training business on the side during Covid and after for a bit. Not sure if that helps on the resume but won’t look bad.
Should have one strong academic letter from PhD program which was over 5 years ago - he is going to write one this weekend - and already have a strong letter form my principal (which I wrote for him and he edited a bit). Waiting to hear back from a second professor but last class I took with him was fall 2018 and they just started their summer vacation I might not hear back from him in time).
Signed up for LSAT in June. I had to convince LSAC just to let me register late (successful in that at least). My verbal GRE after undergrad was 164 (score no longer valid), and that was before learning Greek and Latin. My reading comprehension has always been very strong. I’m good at looking for flaws in logic in arguments since had to do that enough in grad school (besides theology I studied both the ancient and modern philosophers). The logic games I just started learning today - I can do them slowly but think I’ll be able to get them down quick by using the strategies from 7sage.
I’m gonna write my personal statement this weekend, ordered transcripts yesterday so I should have everything besides LSAT scores ready when transcripts come in which is hopefully by June 1.
I see a lot of people talk about “softs.” I think mine are good. How I do on the lsat I’m sure will be a big determining factor. Going to do a diagnostic tomorrow.
I’m only looking at part time programs right now because I have a full minivan’s amount of young kids who need their dad in their life as much as possible because of some unfortunate life circumstances.

16-minute read.

pro-West party leader says they met PM Pashinyan and discussed a referendum to solidify Armenia's shift to EU

KHZMALYAN (European Party of Armenia): The referendum is our suggestion and demand. We presented it to Pashinyan and expect a response within a reasonable timeframe. We advised making a public statement soon. A referendum would also make Pashinyan's job easier by allowing the people's will to decide Armenia's direction.
REPORTER: How did Pashinyan respond?
KHZMALYAN: He suggested the meeting be held in a closed format so I can't reveal all details. We hope that our voice, our offer, our demand, was heard. If we do not receive a positive response, we will take measures by employing the same methods currently used by anti-European forces [the ongoing protests led by pro-Russian ex-regime]. We will take to the streets and demand a referendum for Eurointegration if necessary.
REPORTER: How long are you ready to wait before taking action?
KHZMALYAN: A few months. Georgia will hold parliamentary elections in October, and Moldova will hold a similar Eurointegration referendum - also in October. The U.S. will hold presidential elections in November which will be important for Armenia's future. Even if the worst scenario unfolds in all three countries, Armenia must stand firm and not take a step back. Armenia could become the leader in democracy in all of Eastern Europe if you consider the situation in Georgia, Hungary, and Slovakia [pro-Russia populist leader]. Armenia could receive an unprecedented level of assistance from Europe under those circumstances.
REPORTER: Did Pashinyan say he plans to leave CSTO?
KHZMALYAN: We did not demand specific dates but we urged him to complete all these processes this year, preferably by November.
REPORTER: Did Pashinyan agree?
KHZMALYAN: The participants of the meeting are under the impression that we were able to present convincing arguments but time will show what actions he takes. The government functions very poorly but nevertheless, they are doing something, they are taking steps.
REPORTER: On May 9, Bagrat Galstanyan gave Pashinyan 1 hour to resign but it's May 21 and he is still here. Why wasn't the opposition able to remove him?
KHZMALYAN: The 3 former presidents and their surrogate forces, backed by 30 years of power, were unable to bring forward a figurehead, a single ideology, that could win the hearts of the people. They used various political technologies, they switched between black and white robes, and they extended the 1 hour to 7 days, but none of that helped because the Armenian people hate them more than they hate Nikol Pashinyan.
REPORTER: You used to be a lot harsher on Pashinyan but something appears to have changed in your tone after your recent meeting with him. What is the reason?
KHZMALYAN: We were able to present our demands and the timelines to accomplish them. Unlike the archbishop and the former regimes surrounding him, we did not give "one hour" for Pashinyan to accept our demands; we did not make ultimatums. We believe the current government is carrying out and will carry out the will of the people to overcome the status of a Russian colony and join the ranks of free nations. We did and do see steps [taken by the government] towards this; we cannot ignore this. We saw the Strassbourg, but also Moscow. We saw the [April 5 meeting in] Brussels, but also [the recent meeting between FMs in] Almaty. We are told this is an attempt to "balance" and we understand where they are coming from, but our factions speak on behalf of over 60% of Armenians who view Russia's policies as deadly for Armenia. We expect concrete actions and we have formed a platform to continue this work; there will be petitions and other actions from us. We are ready to assist Pashinyan, who may be constrained due to ongoing negotiations, by being the public voice and saying the things he cannot say. We will continue to work, to pressure, to influence, to demand. Our meetings also continue abroad. We will press on until we reach our goal - the Eurointegration of Armenia. //
Several prominent Western-oriented political parties recently formed an alliance to promote Armenia's Eurointegration.
video,

Pashinyan appoints a ruling party member as a deputy head of the newly formed Foreign Intelligence Service - the Armenian "CIA"

After the 2020 war, Pashinyan said Armenia will need a modern intel agency to gather information and analyze foreign threats, while the NSS -- described as historically a "pro-Russian" agency by many -- will focus on internal matters.
source,

Pashinyan met the deputy head of the United States CIA to discuss bilateral, international, and regional issues

A delegation led by David Cohen is in Yerevan. Cohen also met NatSec Armen Grigoryan.
source, source,

Armenia's Investigative Committee chief hosted U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs

Qyaramyan and Yoder discussed bilateral cooperation, the recent retraining for Armenian agents and technical assistance, cooperation between law enforcement agencies of Armenia and the United States, anti-narcotrafficking, and the fight against gender-based violence.
Yoder also met Armenia's Interior Minister Ghazaryan to discuss the ongoing police reforms and formation of new divisions, the fight against narco-trafficking, technical assistance for rescuers, and retraining courses. Yoder emphasized effective cooperation, noting that the achievements within the framework of sectorial reforms are exceptional. The US wants to expand the agenda of cooperation.
source, source,

Armenian army officers continue to take part in NATO exercises titled Regex 2024 held in Moldova

GOOGLE TRANSLATE: The exercise is organized with the support of the NATO Joint Forces Command in Naples, Italy, and aims to train the military according to Western standards for planning and conducting exercises, crisis management, strengthening and assessing the level of interoperability of forces in a multinational environment.
We remind you that the exercise "Regex 2024" consists of several workshops during the current year. The first workshop took place between February 16 and March 1, and the second between 22 − April 26, 2024. //
source, source,

NATO and Armenia strengthen cooperation in defense education

Armenia's defense ministry representatives recently visited NATO headquarters to discuss NATO’s Defence Education Enhancement Programme (DEEP) for Armenia.
NATO: The DEEP programme is an excellent tool to support Armenian military education system reforms and strengthen the country’s cooperation with NATO.
ARMENIA: With the support of DEEP experts we implemented major changes in all levels of our educational curriculum at Military Academy, starting from cadets up to the most senior levels. It helped us to establish cooperation with many international partner institutions.
source,

Armenia is an emerging destination for UK and global investors: Armenia's Ambassador to London Business Matters

👔 Armenia is committed to building a knowledge-based, export-oriented, and inclusive economy.
👔 Armenia is diversifying its growing economy with pioneering sectors, creating ample investment opportunities.
👔 Armenia’s investment legislation grants equal treatment to foreign investors
👔 There are no restrictions on remittances and repatriation of profits, free exchange of foreign currencies and no limitations on staff recruitment
👔 The country’s favorable business climate and ‘open-door’ policy is also reflected in international reputable rankings where Armenia is ranked one of the highest in the region.
👔 Although Armenia has a relatively modest internal market, it offers different models of economic cooperation and serves as a gateway to major world markets
👔 Armenia has maintained a high level of cooperation with the EU through CEPA
👔 Armenia and UK will soon have a CEPA-like agreement
full article, source,

Turkey modernizes an Azerbaijani Su-25ML jet with guided bombs and Teber missiles

It uses KGK laser guidance for missiles and increases the reach to 110 km.
source,

Pashinyan's Chief of Staff hosted the French Ambassador to discuss defense, economy, infrastructure, and humanitarian topics

... also the upcoming events dedicated to the 100th anniversary of Charles Aznavour.
source,

Parliament Speakers of Armenia and Ukraine discuss the situation in the South Caucasus and Ukraine

source,

Q&A with ruling party MP Vahagn Alexanyan about the ongoing protests led by pro-Russian opposition

REPORTER: You continue to criticize the "holy movement"...
ALEXANYAN: The what now?
REPORTER: ... the "holy movement", by calling it a "pagan" movement. What is the ruling party's stance and do you discuss this internally?
ALEXANYAN: Of course we do, although I don't think Kocharyan's decision to name this movement "holy" is helping them. It's comical.
REPORTER: Do you have proof that Bagrat srbazan is [tied with Kocharyan]?
ALEXANYAN: Bagrat Galstanyan is surrounded by the entire political team of Robert Koharyan, he was a member of Kocharyan's 2022 protests and gave similar speeches he gives today, he received a praise from Russian propagandists, and he was named by a Russian propagandist Aram Gabrielyanov as a potential candidate for a new protest movement just a few months prior to these events, so it's beyond reasonable doubt that Bagrat Galstanyan is part of Kocharyan's team.
REPORTER: You were earlier accusing Galstanyan of being a Russian agent, and now Kocharyan's agent?
ALEXANYAN: Same thing.
REPORTER: The opposition gathered many thousands of supporters on May 9. What does the size of the crowd indicate?
ALEXANYAN: It was similar to Kocharyan's final rally before the 2021 elections. And?
REPORTER: The opposition created a video of "Pashinyan's lies" and broken promises. Will you respond?
ALEXANYAN: The clip itself is a lie and manipulation. For example, one of the supposed lies was Pashinyan's promise of an amnesty for overdue fines and penalties. You are a journalist, you tell me, was there an amnesty or not?
REPORTER: Pashinyan had also said that POWs could wait "just a few more months" and that he wouldn't "sacrifice Armenia's sovereignty" in exchange for bringing them back sooner. Why aren't they back?
ALEXANYAN: Dozens of POWs returned home in December, and efforts continue to bring back the rest. Literally 1-2 days before the POWs' return, the opposition claimed that the POWs were "forgotten" by the government. "Ոչ մի բան չեք անում:"
REPORTER: What about the Nagorno-Karabakh leadership?
ALEXANYAN: There are efforts to return them as well.
REPORTER: Why did the police form a wall to block entry to village Kirants [for nonresidents]?
ALEXANYAN: I think the NSS said they had to take action to prevent interference with the border work. From what I can tell, the protest leader himself went there yesterday and returned only 15 minutes later so there wasn't a big desire to stay there apparently.
REPORTER: They plan to hold a big rally on May 26 where they might nominate Bagrat srbazan as the PM's candidate to replace Pashinyan.
ALEXANYAN: Why not go straight for [alleged narco baron] Mihran Poghosyan [who publicly praised the protests]?
REPORTER: There appears to be a consensus around Bagrat srbazan after a meeting between several forces.
ALEXANYAN: Consensus minus one, where "minus one" is the people. Or to be more precise, "minus two", because the Constitution also prohibits Bagrat from serving as a prime minister. Congratulations on an initiative that's dead on arrival. It's absurd. They suggested replacing the Constitution to allow a dual citizen to serve as PM. Okay... To get Canadian citizenship you have to take an oath to serve the best interests of Canada. To allow dual citizens to serve as PM in Armenia we have to accept for the PM to have loyalty towards another state. The alternative is for the candidate [Bagrat] to admit that his word [oath to Canada] wasn't worth a dime. Երևի մատերը խաչ արած ա երդվել։
REPORTER: But don't you think you are manipulating because Galstanyan received Canadian citizenship just to be able to serve in the church in Canada? He didn't go there to live or conduct business.
ALEXANYAN: It doesn't matter why he went to Canada. He is a citizen of Canada and took an oath. Even religious leaders with dual citizenship cannot become prime ministers. I don't have an issue with him being a dual citizen, but it limits his office options. He still hasn't renounced his Canadian citizenship even after all these talks about a possible nomination.
REPORTER: Galstanyan said he is ready to renounce it as soon as there is a need for it.
ALEXANYAN: In other words, he seeks "guarantees" that he will be the candidate in order to renounce it?
full,source, source,

opposition churchman Bagrat Galstanyan demands the Armenian government compensate the damage done to the church during USSR and "return" the properties "legally belonging" to the church

This was said as a response to the critics of the church leadership who accused the church of turning into a political party and suggested taxing the church like a business.
BAGRAT: We have 19th-century churches that were forcefully confiscated and turned into ruins. The properties of the Armenian church must be returned to the church. The area of Moscow Cinema belongs to the church, half of the Katoghike Church was demolished and belongs to the church, and part of the items in Matenadaran were taken away from the church. Instead of threatening us with taxes, they must think about how they plan to return our properties, fully renovated and ready for service.
source,

the church is actually paying taxes but they do have some exemptions

The church paid $1 million in income taxes last year.
There are tax exemptions to import certain goods deemed for charity. They also don't pay property tax, and taxes on income generated from the sales of ceremonial accessories. The latter two are the frequent targets of church critics.
source,

Armenia's Constitutional Court has a vacant seat. Pro-Russian opposition criticizes Pashinyan's ruling party for favoring a "George Soros-linked" judge who worked for U.S. State Department.

A Serj-era judge is leaving the Constitutional Court after receiving a job offer elsewhere so one seat is vacant. It is the judiciary's turn to nominate a CC judge, so hundreds of judges recently held a meeting and voted for Judge Balayan as their candidate. Balayan's father was a CC judge during Kocharyan's tenure. He was accused in the Wikileaks report of having inappropriate deals with President Kocharyan. Pashinyan's ruling party did not vote to approve Balayan. This led to a second gathering of hundreds of judges where they voted to nominate Judge Khachaturyan as their candidate. The parliament summoned him for Q&A on Tuesday.
SPEAKER: We invite the representative of the judiciary to present their nominee for CC.
JUDICIARY REP: 267 judges voted. Judge Davit Khachaturyan, a member of the Criminal Chamber of the Court of Cassation, won the majority votes.
2000-2005: [blah blah blah]
2003-2006: Legislative Assistance Project Manager at Southern Caucasus Anti-Drug (SCAD) Program, sponsored by European Union and implemented by United Nations Development Program
2006: Program Assistant at U.S. Embassy in Armenia, Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL)
2007-2013: U.S. Embassy in Armenia, U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Legal Specialist
2014: Academy of Justice of the Republic of Armenian-Russian, Vice-Rector and Lecturer
2015-2016: Council of Europe Office in Yerevan, Program “Strengthening Health Care and Human Rights Protection in Prisons in Armenia”, Legal Expert
2016: EU project “Development and Strategic Studies”, Expert on Judiciary and Human Rights field reforms
2015-2017: EU project “ENP Progress Reports and Assessment Reports on Armenia´s Compliance with GSP+ obligations”. Expert on Rule of Law/Justice.
2013–2020: Law Faculty of Yerevan State University. Lecturer. Development and teaching of courses for the Master Program: “European Standards for the human rights protection in criminal proceedings”, and “Professional Skills of a Lawyer”
etc.
OPPOSITION MP: The ruling faction earlier chose not to confirm the appointment of Judge Davit Balayan; they obviously prefer Davit Khachaturyan. Can you explain why you didn't mention that Khachaturyan served on the board of directors and later as the president of the board at George Soros's Armenia-based Open Society Foundations? How will this record impact his work at CC?
JUDICIARY REP: I presented parts of his professional activities available on the court's public platforms. You can ask the candidate directly.
OPPOSITION MP: The Soros Foundation publicly listed him as a member so I don't understand why it's being hidden now. In your opinion, how will his work at the Soros Foundation affect his impartiality?
JUDICIARY REP: The majority of judges chose him and it's up to Parliament whether to confirm or reject.
RULING MP: Was the voting held in a closed session or can you see how each judge voted?
JUDICIARY REP: It's a closed format. My duty here is to present the candidate. [basically, leave me alone I'm just doing my job]
RULING MP: Why not make the court voting and internal discussions more transparent for the public to see so we will have fewer conspiracy theories on why one judge was preferred over the other?
JUDICIARY REP: I share the view that it needs to be as public as possible but the majority of judges voted to keep the session closed to the press.
RULING MP: Just because the discussions and the vote were behind closed doors that doesn't mean it was anti-democratic, but still, it's better to publicize the process. We hope to see a change in this approach.
JUDICIARY REP: The ballot casting will always be secret and I think that's the right approach in order to allow judges to express themselves without constraints, but I agree that the discussions and speeches should be public. Either way whatever we discuss behind closed doors always reaches the press so in practice there isn't really a major transparency issue there.
CANDIDATE KHACHATURYAN: First, every part of my biography has always been public and part of public discussions. Second, I have always voted in favor of making internal discussions open to the press; it's the best way to avoid incorrect assumptions. Full speech here.
OPPOSITION MP: Congratulations. The ruling party intends to approve your candidacy just as they voted for you in the past for other positions. In all of those instances, you didn't mention your work at the Сорос Foundation. Now, a very interesting coincidence [drumroll... are you guys ready for this bombshell?], during the same time while you worked at Сорос foundation, in 2006-2013, you were also a U.S. Embassy employee [got 'em]. //
Nikol Pashinyan has resigned.
Tavush stretches all the way to Russia.
Bagrat srbazan becomes the Supreme Leader of Historical Soil & Water and the Generalissimos of Slow-Melting Candles... and of course removes the speed cameras from highways.
OPPOSITION MP (continues): With this biography, how do we know you are not an agent of foreign influence?
CANDIDATE KHACHATURYAN: I was not an "employee" at the Soros Foundations. Other famous figures have served on the Board [mentions a famous doctor]. Everyone who was part of the Board had duties but it was not really an "employment". As for my simultaneous work with the U.S. Justice Department, there was no conflict with my membership or presidency at the Board because the latter was fully a public activity and we were only given a symbolic sum to compensate for our expenses; we are talking about less than $100/mo. I will let you be the judge regarding an agent of influence. There is a lot that's missing from my biography that was read here [lists some boring constitutional research work, etc.].
OPPOSITION MP: You keep being "promoted" by the ruling party without having the chance to finish your terms. The longest job you've ever held was at the Сорос Foundation - 8 years. The brother of the head of the Anti-Corruption Committee, who is about to join the CC, cannot be impartial. Again, what guarantees can you present that you are not a [Western] agent?
CANDIDATE KHACHATURYAN: Your expectation for guarantees stems from the assumption that the [Open Society Foundations] were engaged in activities other than the ones they were actually engaged in. I won't present any "guarantees" because there is no "threat" to begin with. As I've said, that part of my biography has always been discussed publicly and the activities were public and covered by the press.
RULING MP: In your speech you spoke about the judiciary in the U.S. and brought examples. The U.S. doesn't have a Constitutional Court. Don't you think we should also merge the Constitutional and [Cassations Court] with the upcoming referendum to have one Supreme Court with corresponding chambers?
CANDIDATE KHACHATURYAN: I support having one unified body like in the U.S., or clarifying the duties to prevent each body from interfering with the other. Lengthy answer.
OPPOSITION MP: A person [in Kirants] received permission [from USSR] to build a house and live in it. Then the [Armenian] government told him there was a mistake [after the clarification of borders]. Some 50 years after this incident, what would your verdict be in this case?
CANDIDATE KHACHATURYAN: I understand the context. This issue is the task of the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister and we cannot interfere in each other's institutions. I assume there will be a peace agreement eventually that will be sent to the Constitutional Court for examination, therefore I will refrain from making prejudgments now in order to be allowed to take part in future processes.
full video, source, source,

anti-corruption: Armenian authorities conclude that luxury Dubai property belonging to former regime MP's relative was not obtained illegally by him therefore will not be seized as part of an asset forfeiture case

Mher Sedrakyan (Tokhmakhi Mher) is a Serj-era MP whose family is going through an asset forfeiture case worth ֏7.5 billion ($19.3 million) that includes 22 real estate properties, cars, and company shares registered under his name and the names of immediate family members.
Additionally, investigative journalists recently found a luxury property in Dubai registered under the ex-MP's relative. Authorities have concluded that he is not the true ownebeneficiary of this Dubai apartment, therefore it won't be seized.
source,

the army concludes exercises for commanders

Context in May 14 news digest. The defense ministry says they have noted improvements and deficiencies and will take steps to correct them.
source,

Defense Minister Papikyan visited the frontlines and the newly built fortifications: PHOTO

The army continues to dig, asphalt, and build.
source,

Armenia's Foreign Minister met the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency during an international forum

ROSSI: Effective cooperation has been established between Armenia and the IAEA. We discussed several issues on the bilateral agenda, oncology and radiation medicine, safety, and reliable operation of the Armenian NPP.
MIRZOYAN: We plan to extend the lifespan of Metsamor NPP until 2036 while exploring new opportunities.
source,

Armenian lawyers went on strike on Tuesday to protest a bill that would move them from a turnover tax-based system to a VAT-based taxation

Context on the gray economy and why the government wants to gradually abolish the turnover tax system in May 2 news digest.
A group of lawyers said on Tuesday that their 5% turnover tax [for annual turnover under ֏119M] will become 10% this year, and in 2025 they will be required to switch to a 20% VAT/18% profit tax. The cost of legal services for many clients could increase by over 38%, they warned.
The Ombudsman and the Justice Ministry reportedly oppose this bill by the Finance Ministry.
source, source, source, source,

video shows the new payment terminals in Yerevan subway station

They plan to replace all gates next month. The Soviet-era tokens (zheton) are being replaced with QR codes, an app, and later - bank cards.
All stations will have payment terminals to purchase QR tickets. It prints out a paper with QR. Telcell's app lets you buy a ticket and instantly get a QR on the phone's screen.
Seniors who can't use "high-tech" can approach the token sellers and get a QR paper instead of a token.
video,

Yerevan will host an exhibition on Charles Aznavour’s 100th anniversary

Hundreds of rare artifacts will present the life and legacy of the legendary artist.
Location: National Museum-Institute of Architecture
Date: May 22-July 22
source,

Germany wants to purchase an Armenian man

Dortmund Borussia is interested in the services of Armenian national Edward Spertsyan as a replacement for departing Marco Reus.
During this season, midfielder Spertsyan has played 32 matches, scored 11 goals, and made 7 assists. His ass is worth €18 million.
source,

Not a true story!
Hi my name is Yuki and I have a brother and his name is Duri and he is a basketball team and this is how made a bond with his basketball team ok well umm so from the beginning when i was 11 ok i’m going to school I said you mean we are going to school said Duri yeah yeah whatever let’s go to school don’t act like you are the oldest remember so what if you are one year older it means that i am the more responsible child no just cause you are the oldest does not mean that you are the more responsible child oh yes it does no it does not oh really who takes care of you who takes care of the house fine you win but .…never mind let’s not get distracted Yuki said ok whatever at school I wonder what Yuki was about to say I was to scared to say that I was getting bullied can I go to bathroom yes you may Duri thank you Duri wash’s his face oh hey Duri you are working with Jey sweet hey Duri over here hey bro what’s up with the mood nothing just some weird stuff happened ok let’s work on the project later oh hi Jey hey Yuki how are you? good you? Perfect and what is up with Duri hi what are you talking about just a funny video yeah it super funny whatever let’s go get lunch ok but what is lunch today fries or chips btw they are in a private school ok thank you for telling me your welcome hello am i not here do you think that you are not here? No cause you are talking to me so then what does that mean? That i am here exactly Jey yeah yeah whatever I’m sorry can we go to the cafeteria please yes let’s go I’m hungry me too I hate waiting in line it’s always long I know right ok thank god that I’m not the only one think’s that oh yeah you and Duri have a basketball game today yeah we do at 4:48 pm you remember of course I do and it ends at 6:00 pm wow that’s a long game isn't well I’m coming to it we want us to win this game Yeah we will do our best for everyone
At the game ok you can do this I know you can ok everybody follow my lead yes sir! Captain am I going to be on the court yes you are going to be on it right now okay I’ll be right there come on guys is everybody where they are supposed to be Yes! Ok then let’s start calm down Jey pull yourself together you got yourself into this and there is no pulling back Rowan oh it’s Rowan he’s also Duri’s friend he is a first year in basketball and Duri is a second year so he is almost in high school PASS TO ME ROWAN Duri and Jey are both 12 and they are second years in basketball so they really good at it and practice everyday plus there’s going to be new characters in a bit don’t mess this up PASS THE BALL TO ME here we GO COME ON JEY I KNOW YOU CAN MAKE US WIN! I...made it YES you did amazing out there Jey thank you captain your welcome well we need to go now we will anyways meet her out there yeah true I’m coming after they went to the locker room man my legs hurt don’t blame you same here so are we going Celebrate Yes but we need one more person to celebrate And who is that going to be My sister she can be a little mean Her name is Yuki she'll introduce herself to you I am excited to meet her I bet you she's also excited to meet youI'm shy so I don't think I will talk to her that much come on man she is not going to kill you you all know that I do NOT talk to a lot of people but she is kind to people SO don’t need to be scared from her OH YES I DO NEED TO JEY NO YOU DO NOT HEY STOP IT THE BOTH OF YOU NOW what’s taking them so long I wonder if they will like me or hate me well I’m going to need introduce myself
Hi Jasmine Hi Yuki, how are you today?Good and bad Why?A girl made fun of me man I just wish that the world could be better you know yeah I do a lot so much that you would not Believe It Hey sis hey Duri this is my team team this my sister Yuki Hi Yuki Hi let me introduce myself I’m Yuki and I’m one year younger than Duri and I CAN be mean to the people WHO are mean to me so you don’t need to be scared from me and I want to introduce my friend Jasmine hi I’m Pleased to meet you all I am Yuki's friend and we have been friends for 4 years 4 years wow you guys must Know a lot about each other By the way I have a question when did you meet by the way I would like to know well I was doing a race with some other kids and Jasmine asked if she could join and I tripped in the middle of the race and she helped me up and all the other kids left me cuz they want to win the race and she helped me and I thanked her and We became friends And look at us now Those kids were Sad when they figured out that she fell and that they didn't bother to help her and they were a bit angry at themselves and then I told them to stay away from her cuz if you don't be nice to her then just get out of here
And that is a true story you could just ask me her brother for 11 years And Yuki has favor to ask you guys I would like to know why you join the basketball team My name is Lev And I joined the basketball team cuz it was my passion and I liked it when I was a child so that's why I Joined the basketball team I am Tyga I joined the basketball team cuz my brother used to do it and he taught me how to do it and it kind of was fun for me and he taught me he's really cool tricks and he just made it way more funner and easier to learn so I was happy cuz he taught me a lot of things So that's why I joined the basketball team I am Liam and I joined the basketball team cuz I joined multiple other sports and they were just kind of boring to me and I just didn't do basketball so I tried it out basketball cuz I thought it would be fun and nice to join basketball and would be a nice passion to do cuz I haven't tried it yet and I tried it I was bad at the beginning very bad and five months later I started shooting and I was very good at defense so that's why I joined Hi my name is Lucas and I joined the basketball team cuz my story is kind of like Liam's I used to play soccer and then I got kicked out cuz I was very bad at it and I was very good at using my hands so I decided to join the basketball team I hated the fact that I was terrible at the beginning and I was bare8ly good at using the hands for shooting and it was just like that for a few months I don't know how much it was I don't remember and I met Duri and the others and they taught me a bit how to shoot and I'm here now I’m Rowan I joined the basketball team cuz I wanted to play it with Duri And the others plus they taught me a lot of new tricks that's our stories thank you for sharing your stories guys but we sould go to the restaurant yeah we sould go.
after they went to restaurant and celebrated man I’m stuffed same don’t blame ya time to go back home seriously it’s 5:00 PM you kidding man but it was nice meeting you all today I had so much fun with you guys I hope we can do this again sometime later yeah I will try to get some free time I’m off friday let me check yeah i’m off friday what about you guys i’m also off friday I think everyone is off yeah I think so to so we meet again friday after school ok sure why not can I invite Jasmine ummm sure why not I think it will be more fun the more the merrier when they all go home I’m home where were you? You said that you were going to a basketball game we had to two games you went to celebrate didn’t you SO YOU DIDN’T EVEN COME TO MY BASKETBALL GAME hey wait I’m sorry my boss didn’t let me come to it LEAVE ME ALONE ok I will sometime later hi welcome who did she bring now hey Rowan can we come in …..fine come in. why did you guys come well friends are always there for you right come on you know we are there in the right time you can say no but you know it’s true yeah I know it’s true but how did you know that i’m upset your mom told us oh ok well thank you guys for coming to comfort me I really appreciate it your always welcome Rowan.
Well bye see you guys friday at 7:00 AM bye see ya friday GOOD MORNING DURI AHHH WHAT THE HECK omg why so Early in the morning it’s 7:00 a.m. just go back to bed and that's a no cuz it's Friday stupid did you forget we have to go to Train for basketball with the others Oh my God but why so early in the morning it's literally 7:00 a.m. can you stop being annoying I'm not being annoying you are because you're out of bed and wash your freaking face and then we Gotta Go the basketball court for training I was ready to go to Tell mom she whoop Out of bed if you don't want that to happen then get out of bed and wash our face I have the most annoying sister in the world okay fine but just go get ready in then I will get ready right after you cuz I don't take 5 hours to get ready I don't take 5 hours to get ready for your information I don't okay but you do you with that messy hair look at it it's like a freaking tornado My hair is not a tornado talk about yours in the morning Can you just get dressed please we Gotta Go Fine just leave the room ok 30 minutes later Okay I'm done finally okay now let's go because I don't have time for this and waiting for you to get done I was done 10 minutes ago Is there a problem yeah we're 10 minutes late cuz of you You hate it so much there's the door Oh ok let's go She doesn't understand a single thing Don't forget it's from 7:00 till 1:00 pm At the basketball court hey Yuki hey Duri hi hey oh you guys are here Hello I got invied to help you guys train WHAT! Yup you do know that it is hard to do all of this by myself
After everyone got to the basketball court, Ok everyone listen up Yuki and Jasmine is going to tell you guys have to work on. Ok so Lev,Liam and Rowan have to work on offense Tyga,Lucas,,Jey and Duri have to work on defense ok get to work. After training for 6 hours You will be doing this training for 3 months. WHAT ONE DAY WAS ENOUGH Look around Yuki the courts floor IS FILLED WITH SWEAT AND IS NOT JUST THE FLOOR BUT ALSO US you wanna get better right ? Yeah but this intense TO intense Liam said then went to get his water yeah Tyga said gasping for air can you at least make it 4 hours fine you want 4 hours you will get 4 hoursTHANK YOU a bit of the pain is gone nice i guess you guys still have to do this for 3 months my legs are in so much pain see you guys tomorrow at 7:00 hey Yuki can I to you yeah give me a sec…. Ok what is it? You have a bruise on your head what no i don’t tell me are you getting bullied……. Y-yes but please don't tell Duri ok but I can help you how? After telling her his plan WHAT YOU WANT BE MY FAKE BOY- shhh you do know that Duri will kill you yes here it’s my number I’ll tell you the rest on text ok after they all went home hey hi so your plan is to be MY fake boyfriend yes that's my plan do you realize how Duri is going to kill you when he finds out that YOU are my boyfriend well fake boyfriend yes i do so how about you keep this a secret just between you and me huh even if we do don’t you think that he might find out? I don’t know how to answer that of course you don’t why would you huh oh right you don’t know anything! Can you stop being so mean NO i will meet you tomorrow at school ok fine see you tomorrow see you at school the next day so what do you say? I say that I don’t agree with any of this but I was forced to do this so ….I-I will be…your..your girl-friend ok a deal is a deal so you know if you tell Duri I will die so how about you not tell him please with whip cream and a cherry on top ugh fine I won't tell him thank you or you can tell him you just have to tell him why yeah he will still kill you either way hey whatcha talking about AHHHHH OMG WHAT ARE YOU A GHOST OMG LEV ? sorry Lev said in a sorry tone YOU BETTER BE what's with the mood I’m not a morning person oh that makes a lot of sense anyway Rowan Duri wants to see you why to be exact Rowan said with a nervous tone yeah why Yuki said worrying i don't know he didn’t say why well i'll go with him okay Lev said before he left do you think he found out no he wasn't in the room at the time you sure YES MY GOD just how am i not dead bro you're going to be fine

My girlfriend and I were together for two years, part of it was long distance. We were previously good friends for 5 years, then she was the one that caught feelings and pursued me first. During our relationship she always told me things like “I’m the one”, we talked about how we would get married and grow old together, she made so many promises that she was 100% sure of me and that she’d never leave. She would say things like “we’ve known each other in every lifetime”. We got together even though I was leaving for a masters study, she said she thought she’d never do long distance again but for me it was worth it, bc she was 100% sure I’m the guy she wants. I left a week after we got together, and I was gone for about a year. During that time we visited once a month, it was always great. I eventually moved back and we spent another year together in person. I’m sorry if this post is too long.
She ended things about a month ago. During the breakup she gave me very vague answers so I couldn’t get the closure I needed. I decided to reach out a week after the breakup to ask why she did it, and what she said killed me inside.
She said that she knew we were compatible and I’m an amazing person but felt like she was settling for me, and she didn’t want to live her life like that when she thinks she can find something better. She said she believes in that soulmate connection with one person when you know deep inside you that this is “it”, and she didn’t feel like that with me, she didn’t think I was “it”. But we did say to each other during the relationship that this was “it”, she told me so many times that I’m the one, so I don’t know how a flip just switched in her brain. She also said she realized she didn’t love me in the way “real love” is, and maybe she just loved the idea of me. She said she always felt the need to be accepted and loved by people and I made her feel like that. She said when you truly love someone you’d sacrifice things for them, and she wouldn’t sacrifice things for me. She said she was forcing herself to be comfortable around me, and it wasn’t the type of comfort that it should be with “the one”.
How the fuck does it take you two years to realize you don’t love someone in the way “real love” is? Especially after all the emotional intimacy we shared. How could you be uncomfortable with me? I was her first kiss, her first hand hold, she said she was saving those things for the right person and she did them with me. Why would she feel like shes settling for me when she’s the one that pursued me first? She went all out to “get me” and be in a relationship with me. Am I really the type of guy that gets settled for? That hurts like hell. She said she was having all these thoughts during the last 4 months of the relationship. But literally a month ago, I felt that she’s been a bit cold, and I asked if everything was okay. She said “nothings wrong, I’ve been really stressed with school/work. But nothings wrong with us, maybe something’s just wrong with me with all the stress. But we’re good, that doesn’t mean I don’t love you or that I’d ever give up on us, I’d never do that. Don’t worry I still love you and I’ll always be here.” She said that word for word. So she was lying to me? Why would you lie instead of communicating openly? If she had told me she was having those thoughts it would’ve been easier for me, but she gave me that reassurance and then blindsided me a month later. I told her it’s normal to lose feelings in a relationship after a while, that eventually that initial spark or honeymoon phase ends, and that’s when the real relationship starts and you work on building a life together. Love eventually becomes a choice and not just a feeling. But she said she wouldn’t lose feelings with the right person. Now I’m the wrong person when she literally told me a million times that we were always meant for each other. I told her I think she’ll end up being disappointed when she realizes there is no “one” person that gives you that magical feeling for life, you eventually reach a point where you have to choose that person everyday. Relationships are hard and most of them end up losing that initial spark, but it’s an opportunity for a new kind of love to blossom, a love based off commitment and loyalty to each other. That’s the only way a relationship can last forever. And during our relationship we even acknowledged that fact together and we told each other that if the feelings fade we will always choose each other no matter what happens. It makes no sense to me. And if she actually lost feelings and fell out of love, that’s fine. But to say she never loved me in the way “real love” is, that makes no sense to me and it’s killing me inside. Have I just been blind and stupid the entire relationship? How does it take TWO YEARS to realize that? She said to me, “maybe you can choose someone and settle for them and learn to love them, but I believe there’s one person out there that is meant for me and when I find them I will know it deep inside me.” Yea, I believed that too. I believed it because I thought it was you. Just because I chose you doesn’t mean I’m settling for you or learning to love you. I thought you were meant for me. It’s so ridiculous I don’t understand, she used to be so sure that I was the one, she knew it deep inside her that I was. And now she’s saying that when she finds it, she’ll know. Well you knew it with me and now you don’t.
Part of me understands why she lost feelings, we didn’t really have a strong base. We were together for only a week before I left for a year. I feel like it wasn’t enough time for the physical attraction to build up and to get to know each other in person. By the time we visited each other, a lot of time had passed and the spark wasn’t the same as the beginning, it was kinda awkward at first. We got into a serious committed relationship talking about future marriage, before we ever hugged each other. She was scared to kiss me, maybe that’s why she said she was forcing herself to be comfortable. But eventually we kissed and it was great. During the visits it felt like everything was going great and that our relationship was getting stronger. I didn’t think that she was uncomfortable. I feel like if we had done all the intimate things in the beginning, we would have a base to build off of and the spark would be alive.
Also I keep blaming myself and wondering what I did wrong. I’m just certain that it’s my fault, that I made her lose attraction. Maybe I wasn’t manly enough or attractive enough. Maybe I was too boring or uninteresting or too “stable”. Being in love with someone basically means you have to be sexually attracted to them first, that’s what separates family love from romantic love. Maybe I didn’t do enough to keep her attracted to me, so she felt like she lost feelings. It was really hard with the distance. I tried, I really tried. I would always flirt and tease her, I tried not to let the relationship feel like it was a platonic friendship over time. I was always confident and “manly” with her, I stood my ground when she did things I didn’t like, I wasn’t needy. We sexted and video called all the time. I always planned amazing dates. I tried to keep the fun alive. I don’t know what else I could’ve done to keep her attracted. I truly feel like if we had been in person the whole time, it would’ve worked and she would’ve still been attracted to me. It’s just different when you’re there physically. But we both knew this, we acknowledged that it was gonna be hard and the feelings may fade, but we said we’d always choose each other no matter what. Maybe it was inevitable with the distance, but at the end she said it wasn’t because of the distance, she believes with the right person the distance wouldn’t matter. So I just wasn’t the right person for her, I was for a while, but I let her lose attraction for me. Your view on love and attraction may differ, but I learned that it’s the guy’s responsibility to keep a woman attracted, it’s about how he acts and behaves that keeps her attracted. So it’s my fault she lost attraction, it’s something I did. For example when I look back at the first visit, a mistake I made was asking to kiss her instead of just going for it. She said no, maybe because I came off as unconfident and that turned her off. I was so nervous during the first visit because there was so much expectation built up inside my head. Maybe that prevented me from being able to genuinely enjoy myself around her and attract her. Eventually though, we got comfortable with each other and we kissed and it was great. I felt the spark was there. I don’t think she met someone else, I asked her and she said no. Yea maybe she could’ve lied, but i know her and I don’t think she would do that. She said “you know me, I would never allow myself to do that while I’m in a relationship. The reasons are solely because I don’t feel in love with you anymore.”
We hit a little rut near the end because we were both very busy, but I didn’t think it was concerning because she always gave reassurance and made it seem like everything is fine. It feels like shit hearing that someone was settling for me. Why wasn’t I enough? I keep looking back and thinking what I could’ve done different to keep her attracted. I keep nitpicking at myself and feeling insecure about the way I am. She was so sure of me in the beginning so I must’ve done something along the way to make her lose feelings. She let me tear my walls down and trust her fully, then she left. It feels like I’m not worthy of love because she saw something in me and decided she didn’t want me. What hurts the most is that to me, she was “it”, to me she was the one. And she said that to me too and I believed her. I felt that she truly meant it when she said that. She would tell me she was always attracted to me and had feelings during our friendship but she “locked them in a box” because she was too afraid. She even told me that I was a walking green flag and that I was perfect and I did nothing wrong. It hurts to know she thinks that yet she still decided she didn’t want me. It kills to know that one day she’ll get married, he’ll get to hold her and kiss her and have a family, and it won’t be with me. I can’t stand the thought of her being intimate with someone else. And it’s the thought that, whoever she ends up with, will be better than me in a way. She will love him more than she loved me. He will make her feel what I couldn’t make her feel. And I’m blaming myself so much that I couldn’t make her feel like that anymore. I’m grieving the future that we both planned together. I feel so betrayed, I feel like shit. Most of all I just really miss her, we knew each other for 7 years and now we’re just strangers again.
I’ve been hurt before, I’ve had a few breakups, but this one hurts the most. I don’t know what it is about this girl that makes me feel like I’ll never find anyone better. I know that time heals everything but I feel like this has damaged me on a deep level, I feel like I can’t let my walls down again. I don’t want to love again and risk getting hurt. I can’t invest myself fully into someone if I’m always afraid they’re going to blindside me. I know a breakup shouldn’t define your self worth, but it’s just the idea that the person I loved doesn’t see herself spending her life with me anymore, that makes me feel really bad. It’s the thought that she saw something in me that made her decide she doesn’t love me. She analyzed our relationship and thought “I want someone better”. The thought that it’s my fault, that it’s something I did. I didn’t have enough “game”. I couldn’t keep her attraction high. I can’t stand the idea of her getting married one day and finding her “it”. Of course I want her to be happy but I’d be lying if I said that doesn’t kill me inside.
Nobody is perfect but she was close to it. She’s such a rare breed, she had everything I wanted in a woman and it’s so hard to come by. I wish I had a reason to hate her but she’s genuinely an amazing person. She did nothing bad to me, we barely fought and when we did it was very gentle. Our entire relationship was pretty much perfect up until the end. I’ve never been with someone that was this compatible with me. She’s the kindest human, she’s intelligent, she’s very mature, she’s beautiful inside and out, she’s very warm and gentle. And the fact that she’s such a sweet and genuine person makes it way harder. If she had cheated or something I think this would’ve been easier on me, because I’d see her as a bad person. But she’s not a bad person. It hurts way more knowing that she was feeling like she wanted to end things, but at the same time she was trying to convince herself to love me, because she didn’t want to hurt me. She didn’t want to break her promises, she was trying so hard not to, but in the end she couldn’t lie to herself anymore. Why do I have to feel like someone has to convince themselves to love me? Why does someone have to force themselves to believe I’m the one? Why can’t anyone ever just truly believe it with their entire soul, that they want to be with me. When I asked for reassurance and she told me she still loved me and would never give up, she was trying to convince herself because she didn’t want to hurt me. It was all lies. Every “I love you” in the last 4 months was a lie. I feel like such an idiot that I was sitting there for the past 4 months thinking that everything was going great. She was just faking her affection the whole time. Imagine hearing that someone was forcing themselves to love you. No one was forcing you! The exit door has always been open, no one forced her to stay, no one forced her to pursue me in the first place. I told her many times that I just want truth and transparency in our relationship, yet she hid all of those things. She said she hid them because she cared about me and didn’t want to hurt me, and she was trying to make it work. But if she truly cared for me, she would know that I deserve honesty, I deserve to know the truth even if it hurts. I don’t deserve to live in a lie. If she cared for me she would let me go find someone who truly loves me, instead of just pretending to love me. By lying, she was only caring about herself, to relieve herself of the guilt. The breakup would’ve been way smoother if she just told the truth from the start, but now I feel like an idiot who sat there for 4 months thinking that everything was going well, when in reality it wasn’t.
There’s so many things I loved about her. I loved the way she cries during every movie, she thinks she’s too sensitive but I think it’s beautiful to feel your emotions that deeply. I loved the way her face lights up when she smiles. I loved how she would call me just to tell me silly little things about her day. I loved her curiosity and wonder for the universe. I loved how she would run into my arms when she saw me. She just understood me, and I understood her. I can’t hate her, I wish I could, but I just love her with all my heart. I don’t think I’ll ever stop. Even when 20 years pass and I’m over this and we’re both married to other people, I will still love her and wish the best for her. I miss her so much, I miss talking to her. I know we can't be friends, but I really wish I could still have her in my life. But I shouldn't wish that I guess, because she decided she wants to live her life without me in it. I can’t believe she could decide to lose me forever when she always said she could never live without me.
The worst part is, I reacted to the break up very emotionally. I showed how hurt I was, I wrote a long paragraph, and I brought up all the promises she made. That was a mistake, it probably killed any ounce of attraction she had left. If there was any chance of her coming back or realizing it was a mistake, I destroyed that chance. I made it look like I can’t live without her. I didn’t beg for her back at all, but I kept pushing for answers and explanations. I asked her what I did wrong and stuff, and that made me look super desperate. I should’ve just accepted the break up immediately and cut off all communication. Maybe then she would’ve thought about it, she would wonder why I wasn’t upset and have second thoughts about her decision. It would make me look more attractive in her eyes. But no I ruined it forever. Now all I want to do is salvage some respect, to make her see me as a valuable person. Not as someone who can’t live without her. Deep down I really want her to have a change of heart, I want her to feel re-attracted somehow, after having some time and space away from the situation. But I ruined her image of me. Now I’m looking back and analyzing every little thing about our relationship and wondering what I should’ve done better. I realized I made a lot of mistakes, which at the time I didn’t think were mistakes, but now looking back it’s probably my fault she lost attraction. I didn’t do enough.
I told myself during the relationship that “everything is temporary, don’t get too attached, life can change at any moment”. I know those things because I’ve learned my lessons from the past, but this is still killing me. I know almost everyone has been heartbroken, I’m nothing special, every human has been through this before. I just need to hear that it wasn’t my fault or that I’ll find someone better eventually. I’m blaming myself a lot right now and I keep thinking that she wouldn’t have left if I had been attractive enough. I generally consider myself a confident person but this has set me back a lot, it’s ruining my self esteem. Maybe I have attachment issues that I need to work on. I know that time will heal this, but right now I can’t imagine myself finding someone that’s better. I feel like the idea of “the one” has been ruined for me. I want to believe it, but I don’t think I do anymore. Even if I find another person who I think is the one, there’s always the possibility that they will change their mind. There’s always a chance that all of their words and actions were just lies. A lot of people get into relationships because they love the idea of being in love, not because they are actually in love with the person.
Thank you for reading this far, I know it’s a long post. I needed somewhere to vent, I don’t have many people to talk to. When I cry, I cry alone. And during the act of crying I start to hate myself for being such a bitch. I know it’s perfectly okay to cry and feel your emotions but it’s hard to escape the conditioning that I’m used to. I have friends and family but, I can’t express my emotions the way I did in this post. People have their own lives and worries and they don’t want to deal with someone’s silly heartbreak I guess.
TL;DR - my gf and I broke up a month ago, she said she was settling for me and that I wasn’t the “one”, even though she made promises and assured me that she wouldn’t leave. I keep blaming myself and wondering what I did wrong.

30F
Running history
Ran cross country in high school. 4K PR 17:29 (7:02/mile), 3 mile PR 22:03 (7:21/mile). I didn't do any training in the off season.
Annoyingly, I never actually raced a 5K during high school cross country. We did one three mile race each year, the rest of our races were 4K's.
Started running again April 2023 to train for a sprint triathlon.
Mileage by Month Graph
https://imgur.com/a/TRItqf8
Race results

Month	Race Type	Time	Weather	Notes
April 2023	5K	24:59 (8:02/mile average)	30 degrees, 17 mph NW wind, 86% humidity	Negative splits. Felt good, didn't take this too seriously.
June 2023	3 miles	23:01 (7:40/mile average)	70 degrees, 7 mph S wind, 56% humidity	Positive splits. Very hard, didn't feel great.
August 2023	5k, part of a sprint triathlon	23:23 (7:31/mile average)	70 degrees, cloudy, 3 mph wind NW, 73% humidity	Negative splits. Hard but felt good. Garmin measured this course as short. Garmin 5K time is 23:53 (I kept running after crossing the finish).
November 2023	5 mile trail	42:27 (8:29/mile average)	39 degrees, 14 mph SSE wind, 65% humidity	Positive splits. Very hard. Garmin recorded this as 5.20 miles. Took three week off from training in September due to a vacation.

May 2024 Goal 5K
After the November five miler, I settled on a new goal: beat my high school running performance. I decided to define this as running a 5K at a pace equivalent to my three mile PR in high school. This equals a 5K time of 22:35.
In December, I added kettlebell strength training twice a week. I upped my mileage and ran six days a week. Generally, I ran three easy six mile days, one easy 8 mile, one easy long run between 10-14 miles, and two workouts a week. The workouts were usually one hill, and the other was usually tempo or intervals. Generally my typical easy running pace was anywhere from 9:20-10:30/mile. I probably ran some intervals and hills too hard. I also didn't dedicate enough time to warm ups or cool downs.Garmin VO2 max increased to 52 in December and 53 in March. Finally, I signed up for a May 2024 5K race.
Last 11 weeks of weekly mileage: 44, 45, 47, 46, 20 (vacation), 42, 41, 38, 28, 29 (vacation half this week), 18 (vacation half this week).
I mostly avoided injury. There was a week I did two hard workouts on consecutive days, and that left my knee hurting for about a week, but thankfully I recovered. I also occasionally struggled with a side stitch/pain on my right side.
Lessons learned: it got really hard to prioritize running and workouts during vacation, and as the weather got nicer in my area I started to get busier too. I think my training peaked too early and tapered off too strongly.
I did get a Garmin 5K PR of 23:26 on a 4/30 training run which left me feeling confident. The workout was 5 1K's with two minute rest in between, and I ran the 1K's at the following paces: 7:11, 7:07, 7:00, 6:55, 6:42. However, a different workout the next week left me demoralized after it was much harder than I anticipated.
Race Day
The few days leading up to the race, I was quite nervous. A big concern of mine was peeing my pants. This happened during my high school three mile PR. At that time I was also on my period, so I was hoping to write off the experience as a weird one off related to menstruation. I was also quite worried about getting a debilitating side stitch, as that happened during one of my last few training runs. I focused on drinking a lot of water in the few days leading up to the race, as I theorized the side stitch came on due to dehydration. I slept well the week of the race.
Race day weather: 65 degrees, 12 mph SSE wind, 73% humidity.
Woke up at 6:30 AM and ate some bites of sweet potato and a smoothie made from tart cherries, beets, and cocoa. Listened to the Kendrick-Drake diss tracks to pump me up. I leisurely biked the three miles to the start of the race. I ran 3/4 of a mile for a warm up and did some dynamic movements to warm up. Used the porta potty twice, including just minutes before the race. Had to cut through nearly a thousand people to get near the start. Race started at 8:45 AM.
I decided to aim for a pace of 7:08 and see how that felt. I chose this pace mostly based on the 5 1000 meter workout I did a few weeks before. I ended the first mile at 7:07. It felt hard but manageable. Same for the second mile, where I ended at 7:08.
However, I fell apart a bit during the third mile. I really slowed down for about 2 minutes and 15 seconds, bottoming out at a pace of 8:15 per mile. Seeing that really demoralized me. My breathing was labored, and I started to feel a pain on my right side and general stomach discomfort. I was able to bring up my pace for a minute, but then I had another slower minute. During this time, there were two runners ahead of me. I think one was coaching the other - and she started to encourage me too. I sped up to run with them and stayed with them for a few minutes. I ran past some friends who were cheering me on, and I couldn't even manage a smile or to notice their sign. I ended the third mile with a split of 7:28. My husband was following along via bike and he could tell I really struggled in that third mile. He said it looked like I wasn't breathing and he could hear me gasping for air.
I didn't think it was possible, but once my watch buzzed for the third mile, I surged. Maybe it was desperation for the race to be over. My pace the last .10 of the mile was 6:34. I started to feel something strange in the pelvic region, but kept my pace.
Time: 22:34
Once I crossed the finish line, I peed. Couldn't control it at all. It felt like it was more than a leakage, but it also didn't dribble down my leg.
I felt terrible for a good 10-15 minutes. had to lay down. Really wanted to just sit on a toilet, but since my only option was the porta potty, I declined. Suddenly though, I felt better. I regained my strength, cheered on a friend who was finishing a longer race, and went on to have a busy Saturday complete with another 17 miles of (leisurely) biking.
Soreness was minimal. Saturday I swore that was my last race.
Now I'm thinking, how do I get below 22 minutes? I think I'll aim for a fall race and try using a Pfitzinger plan.
but first - I shall find a pelvic floor PT.