Amidst this rise of Y2K nostalgia I do think it's fair to address this rising talking point
We should keep in mind that contextually speaking mid 80s to Y2K was a Golden Age for Videogames, with Golden Age being a period marked by rapid advancements (from Rudimental 2D to quite objective 3D [ergo a car is a car not a textured box like in GT(1997) ] ) and a plethora of foundational achievements were made, for instance most gaming genres were born in that period.
While so called survivorship bias and nostalgia can warp people perceptions a fair bit, still, I can somewhat accede to people thinking games were better then than now, though I personally would not agree with the opposite.
Having played many games from that era I can safely say that if we put graphics aside for a minute, accessibility / quality of life is arguably where most of the improvements/refinements have taken place since then, and it was done not so recently (in the 00s), furthermore they can be easily remedied with emulators:

1. CONTROL SCHEMES : controls can just be remapped in an emulator, sure, if the controls were digital in origin, they might feel limited due to their 8-way nature, however, most of the unintuitive-ness is gone
2. SAVING AND LOADING : Many older games lacked convenient save systems, sometimes even a pause menu with a retry mission option, making retries time consuming, they might even be lacking in terms of checkpoints, especially before an arguably tough/out of the box section, easily solved using emulator's quicksave features

While Such things can significantly impact a game in terms of rhythm, momentum and fairness of the challenge (occasionally), they are arguably quite ancillary, proven by the fact that they can be mitigated quite easily on an emulator, plenty of games from that era feature arguably quite solid core mechanics, albeit with substandard quality of life / accessibility, if compared to now.
Mind you there were also exceptional games with none of these issues, like, for instance Spyro The Dragon.
Comparatively if we look at the state of modern Games/Gaming, a few things/trends can be noticed, (and I am going to put the monetisation and patching arguments aside):

1. Mc Donaldisation : it's a lot of food/content for the money! leading often times to bloated games with a lot to do, a myriad of side activities with a substantially flattened difficulty curve cause the developer does not know in which order the player will tackle them; the result can be seen as similar to playing a screen in Streets Or Rage 2 with shuffled enemy placements, 20 times over,
2. Bureaucratisation: it all comes down to quantifying everything such that a long list of boxes to be ticked can be given to players, a phenomenon most likely marked by the increased presence and authority of finance and management over designers and engineers, the end result of such a phenomenon can be for instance, seen in many open world games. This design mentality shift into a preordained list of activities which are easily defined and replicable, emphasises the impression that the seller wants to give to the buyer: It is indeed a lot of food/content for the money!
3. Standardisation and Expansion : Starting from debatably Y2K times, game development shifted away from making games for people who play them into arguably making games also appetible to people who don't, this phenomenon may have many facets however, easily apparent is the:
4. forced Cinema-ification: this can be a very long topic, summarising, the trend seems to have made games and their mechanics subordinate to story telling, a panorama in which writers may have not effectively realised what are they writing for, case in point is how the writing in apparently cream of the crop AAA action/FPS games do not seem to take into account that gameplay in which a protagonist mass murders a horde of bad guys™ is not really to conducive to profound themes nor is it plausible or relatable to physical reality and real life experiences, resulting in:
5. Mechanical Uncanny Valley: Modern Games look so dazzlingly close to physical reality visually meanwhile functioning as surreally as games from 20 years ago, a logical disconnection in which what you see doesn’t really match how it feels to play.

Conclusion: game design has not really advanced all that much from 20 years ago or so, graphics may now greatly approximate physical reality compared to then, and games might be far more accessible (no tinkering like old school PC gaming) than they were on average, however :
Games Back then had a relatable fixed length, they overwhelmingly started and finished, the end result appeared aware of being a game, with developers focusing on how the game functioned rather than how to solidify a game loop out of pre-existing game design building blocks, such that the experience and the game could be stretched, preferably ad infinitum.
Brilliant and not so brilliant games have been both released back then and recently, however the landscape in the golden age was often fresh and inventive albeit recurrently rough around the edges (sometimes even its very core), and now is mostly safe and derivative., albeit the result often being well ironed out.
I have tried to be as succinct as possible, yet this is hardly exhaustive. On a side note, the multiplayer sphere has changed quite a bit, but I’ll leave that topic to someone else.

AAMCAS video seems to be very unclear and I do not want to have resubmit to verify again.
My school does not lump AP credits together. Each of our AP tests count for one or more classes. For example my AP Calculus BC credit earned me three 2 credit calc classes, whereas my AP Bio just earned me one 4 credit class (Biol 1). There is no indication on transcript of the exam that counted for that class nor the exam score; just credit that came from AP is listed under a column labeled “advanced placement.”
Since my grades are not lumped together should I just write the name exactly as it appears in the transcript. Or should I add “AP credit:” before the course title like they do in that video. Does it really even matter, seems like a very nitpicky thing to turn back an application over as long as the AP designation box is checked?

Next Patreon Ko-fi Discord
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The cave was dark, its luminescent crystals having long since faded, the shattered shards sprinkling onto the stone floors as inert fragments. Once intricate brickwork was now rubble and crumbled debris, their murals and etchings now lost to deterioration. Countless tunnels and subterranean floors had filled in over time, reducing the monument of his efforts to but a solitary room nested within an unremarkable hole in the hillside, far beyond the township he called home. Or so he assumed, anyway. There was no way of knowing where he was, nor if said home even existed anymore, though he was doubtful it did. It had been far too long since he entered this promise-turned-prison, and he had no more heart to ache.
An ashen glow of sunlight penetrated the pitiful, dreary depths he was once prideful of. The luminance fought against the haze of dust and miasma, but never quite brought its warmth inside, teasing him. He’d forgotten what it felt like to stand in that brightness. To experience the gentle breeze and soft rustle of leaves. Admittedly, the touch of nature’s blessing was one he never often experienced, making for those sparse moments of sunkissed relaxation to be amongst the first memories to dissipate. There were things he still recalled, of course—the days before a single well-intentioned decision changed everything.
The days before he knew only regret.
Altier could still picture the modest farmland that his brothers and father worked on, and how he watched from behind the moss-laden shutters of his room, a frail smile worn on his emaciated face. His two siblings were well and hearty; they quickly grew up to be strong men, becoming apprentices under the village’s herbalist and leatherworker respectively. One would always help their father tend to the crops while the other was off gaining the experience required to take over the storefronts of their eventual occupation.
Their father would regularly be seen wiping the sweat off his brow and wearing a proud grin whenever his young men came back to ramble about what they learned, even if the elder man never understood much of it. That hardly mattered to him; knowing his boys were happy was enough for him to listen with rapt attention, and he repeated their words to his spouse, pretending to know why what he talked about was impressive. The matron of the family always winked Altier’s way when his father would start his usual boasting, letting her adorable fool of a partner take pride in their children for wrapping their heads around whatever he couldn’t. She loved him anyway, calling him playful names with a serene and adoring smile. The sound of her laughter at her husband’s antics could warm even the coldest of winters.
She cared for Altier when she wasn’t busy tidying the home his father built with his own two hands, the structure degrading over time, yet cared for all the same. She would heat the iron stove they had saved up for, her enchanting singing softly reaching those who listened. His father purchased it from a promising blacksmith just to spare his poor wife the trouble of maintaining a fireplace; it cost them years of being frugal, but the delight she showed at no longer needing to bear the direct heat when preparing meals made it worth every coin.
Altier still blamed himself for wasting her time with his needs, but his main regret was the toll his birth took on the angel of a woman. Her constitution wasn’t the best even before his addition, and although she was far from crippled by it, the thin woman couldn’t quite hide the struggles it caused. She never explicitly said why she was so weak, but he assumed she didn’t want him to shoulder the blame for something she decided herself. He pretended not to.
Unfortunately, such a frailty was carried on to their youngest son, yet done so in the worst of fashions. Ever since Altier was but a babe, he struggled with even the simplest of tasks, his body brittle and his lungs temperamental. A gaunt, bedridden figure showed his pale flesh clinging to nigh useless musculature, with sunken cheeks and eyes shadowed by omnipresent illness. The doctors that visited their village only did so twice a year, and being seen by them cost a proportional sum. Yet his parents wasted their coin every fall and spring, hopeful that their child would be cured. They told him that it was subsidized by the crown when he asked how they could afford it, assuring him that it wasn’t making his family financially suffer. He kept quiet and smiled, hiding the fact that he could see the effects of their dwindling coffers.
The answer never changed. ‘Mana deficiency,’ the learned man had called it, recommending that the corpse of a boy channel energy from rare stones to ease his ailment. The doctor even offered to procure an appropriately attuned gem himself, which Altier’s parents latched onto, evaporating their meagre savings and relegating the hopes of hiring help for the fields to being but a dream. The first element, Nature, was what most people held some affinity for, and even if his alignment was dismal, a concentrated stone would curb the worst of his symptoms.
The light green gemstone failed to so much as warm within his palms.
His doting mother and strong-willed father were undiscouraged. In fact, they were delighted; they voiced enthusiastic speculation on what affinity their troubled boy might have, seeing as how something considered ‘common’ was unsuitable. Altier was of a different mind, seeing the blinds of optimism veiling the impending downfall of reality. The pair couldn’t fathom anything but excellence from their offspring, and although they never forced unrealistic expectations upon their young, they were ignorant of just how crushing that faith could be.
They never saw how strained his smile became as gem after gem lay inert in his hands, while their excitement only grew, though that too came to an end. Altier’s hopes of recovery vanished when his father was the one to break the news; the doctors had no more stones to give. They had tried them all, and anything more potent was well outside their means. He was promised that the search for a solution would continue, neglecting the fact that they had already borrowed funds from most of the village to afford what they already found.
His father held him in a tight embrace that night, reassuring the stock-still boy. Altier never noticed how his eyes had gone wide at the information. He didn’t even feel the rivulets of tears pouring down his sickly skin. No, he simply remained frozen as he connected the dots as to why his mother wasn’t the one delivering the news.
She wouldn’t be able to hide the fear in her eyes.
Though beleaguered he might be, Altier was not so ignorant as to forget the one gemstone they never tried—the only affinity that had yet to be tested, and never would be.
Decay.
Reviled by the church and woven into the concepts of death and entropy, Decay was what stalked heroes in tales of old. Decay was what bled from graveyards and followed the monstrous attacks that left bustling townships as little more than crumbled ruins. Decay was powered by pain, suffering, and bloodshed, using the gathered energies to bring forth yet more horrid atrocities.
And he was one of the accursed few who manifested an affinity with such a voracious element. It fed off his own vitality, consuming him to fuel its demands. He would never be healthy as long as he stayed quiet and kind; every ounce of growth would be combated by ever-increasing requirements. Eventually, the pittance he supplied might not be enough, and therein lie the fear he remembered in his mother’s visage.
He would be killed by his own affinity…or kill to provide for it.
Unwilling, unintentional death would be stripped from the cloth of others’ survival.
The bedridden young man became further withdrawn after that, turning away visitation to immerse himself in daydreaming. They still loved him, and they were sure to remind him constantly, yet he couldn’t help but notice that even the most assertive interaction never brought them closer than the doorway. He smiled regardless, escaping into books read by candlelight. The stories made his isolation less painful.
Altier lived vicariously through tales of knights combating orcs and goblins, suave merchants persuading harpies and lamia to relinquish their collections, and impeccable heroes who stood atop slain menacing dragons. It was a pastime of his that arose when his father acquired an old storybook from a roaming trader; he would turn the final page, then try to guess where fact ended and fiction reigned supreme. He had heard of the many monsters while eavesdropping from his window, but they all were either settled in distant lands or subdued by the army before they became a problem. A peaceful township like his benefited greatly from being so far from the uninhabited wastes beyond the kingdom’s borders, yet also came with its detriments—the lack of apothecaries was a notable one.
He was surprised when he heard the hushed whispers from beyond his room, the earthen pathways of their village set alight by curious voices. Men, women, and children alike gathered in front of their homes and workplaces to watch as soldiers of the king’s army politely marched through the streets, stopping in front of the humble abode belonging to a family of five.
At first, he feared that the financial toll of his condition had hindered his parents from paying due tax, earning the crown’s ire. But no, they came with a proposition; one of the king’s aides had received a letter from a doctor providing someone with elemental stones, and the news of a decay affinity was apparently quite intriguing to them.
He listened to parents refusing to part with their son, yet he also heard his brothers citing just how miserable their youngest was, begging their father not to imprison a child inside the cage of good intentions. It was hard to place both arguments inside the same frame, but it was clear that everyone still cared for him in spite of his affinity. The talking turned to shouting, then flipped to sharpened silence when the stairs creaked beneath his feet, drawing attention to the thin form of his weakened body. He took advantage of the guilty looks and curious new faces to ask what the offer was.
The crown’s minister of magic wanted to hire him—an absurd thought, but one he confirmed by having them repeat it twice. Decay seemed to be an exceedingly rare affinity, and was sparsely documented outside its occasional mention in yarns tumbling past the lips of horribly scarred and inebriated adventurers. He was wanted for study, and after receiving clarification that the process wouldn’t be harmful, he almost considered it. Why wouldn’t he? As much as his family tried, they were terrified of what he might become or do. He was tired of placing a burden upon them, never being able to help with the farm or clean around the house, and he was disgusted with how much more difficult his parent’s life was just by his existence. Of course, his mother and father had countless gripes they brought to light when they saw his contemplative expression, but the knight at the table placed down the final counterpoint.
A writ of promised compensation and a pouch of coin clinked against the aging furniture. The king himself had signed the document, and although neither of his parents received much education, they were both able to read the amount. As long as Altier continued to work, the crown would pay a portion of his earnings directly to his family. The house could get desperately needed repairs, the fields would see new farmhands, and his mother could hire help. They could have everything Altier had taken from them since his birth…and all he had to do was say yes.
So he did.
He ignored the protests, gathered his things, then hugged his parents and siblings farewell the next morning, promising to send them letters on how he was whenever he could. They were less than thrilled—hearing from him once a season at best wasn’t preferable—but they eventually wished him well when he explained that he hoped to control his affinity. His mother wept upon realizing he was aware of her concern over all those years. He cried when she told him that it pained her to remain so distant. The fear for her own life was something she didn’t feel at all; she just didn’t want him to blame himself if something happened that he couldn’t control.
“I brought you into this world to be loved,” she whispered into his ear as she held him, her voice damp and cracking, yet filled with familial affection. “I knew what it would cost me when I learned I was pregnant again; I just didn’t consider how you could think it was your fault. I would never forgive myself if you suffered because of something I decided. Death is too kind a punishment for what it would do to you.”
It took a while, but he did manage to collect himself enough to walk with his escort to the village’s limits, one of the soldiers helping him stay upright without an order or word of protest. They brought him to a carriage, then set off for the mainland, the view of his home shrinking until it was a mere speck in the distance. He could almost still see his parents’ faces filled with pride and sorrow, awestruck by his selflessness yet torn by his departure. His brothers had kept their facade of confidence and a jovial demeanour, but their concern bled through strained smiles. He fell asleep to the sounds of horses and the crackle of rocks against wooden wheels.
Some time passed without much of note occurring. Altier was examined by kind people of a town that was still rather far from the city, but no one had specifically said he was going there, so he wasn’t sure why he didn’t think to ask. Nevertheless, his affinity was documented using tools he couldn’t identify, and the answers he got for his inquiries passed straight through his ears. He was worried his lack of education would irritate the obviously more well-off researchers, yet the soft-spoken academics didn’t dislike him for his ignorance. They tried explaining things to him in ways he could understand, but switched to more general conversation when he was still struggling to comprehend. It was fine, though; he enjoyed the company.
Despite the long wait for a reply, the first letter he got back from his parents was a reassurance he didn’t know he needed. They had received their first payment since he left, and the pages were scrawled edge to edge with their praises, worries, heard gossip, and a single mention of his brother courting a woman. Altier wrote how glad he was that they were well, told them of all the interesting sights, his disappointment at not being in the capital proper, and how kind everyone was. He chuckled to himself after handing the letter off to be delivered, a last minute thought having him jot down a request for his mother to tease the nascent couple in his stead. He wondered if the next reply would include a relationship or not.
Things took a turn after a year. His eldest brother was still seeing his sweetheart, while the middle sibling had yet to have anyone catch his eye, his sights set on his work with the herbalist. Their mother mentioned how she suspected he was interested in the older woman in charge of providing salves and poultice for the village’s ill, and although she was hoping for him to find someone his own age, she put his happiness over having grandchildren. Their father was just as supportive, putting down his own sloppily written query on how their ‘brave boy’ was doing in romantic endeavours.
Altier smiled as he read, updating his family on how he had been moved to a more isolated region since their last correspondence, and thus wasn’t really able to meet anyone he could see himself with. He insisted he was fine, scattering well-wishes and the like while he avoided speaking of events he had promised not to mention. The response came off as somewhat stiff, but he was sure they would understand. All that really mattered was that they were happy and healthy.
His profession as a research subject came to an end, in a way. After collecting what information they could, there was a period where no one bothered to visit the Decay-afflicted young man. He dwelled within his humble accommodations in the middle of a forest, but he didn’t press when the people assigned to deliver food refused to answer where he was. It was fine; he had new books brought to him regularly, and knowing that his family was being taken care of by his ‘work’ was enough to dissuade him from complaining. He stayed quiet even as he got sicker and sicker, some nights spent shivering next to the fireplace with the most recent letter being held by trembling hands. The look of contentment on his face was genuine despite the insufferable pain.
Someone did eventually visit his little hovel in the woods. A man who introduced himself as a ‘Technician’ entered, accepted some simple tea, and made polite conversation for a while. It was a pleasant experience for someone who had grown used to solitude. Once they had both finished their drink, the Technician called for an aide to bring in an unexpectedly opulent box. The gold trim parted to reveal a strange orb—a ‘core’ the man called it, though he was reticent on what it was or did. All Altier was told was to spend the night’s rest with it in his hands, and by the morning, he would no longer suffer from his affinity.
“There is still much for us to learn, Altier,” the Technician promised, putting the younger man’s worries to rest. “Tomorrow, you will be stronger than ever. I would wager your parents will be ecstatic once you tell them.”
“W-what are we studying next?” Altier stuttered out, feeling the weight of the strange stone as it was laid into his unsure grasp. It was no larger than an apple, yet the smooth obsidian sphere somehow dragged him downward by the heart, the flawless surface captivating his attention in a way he both liked and despised. Light bent as he inspected the object, almost avoiding its very presence. He settled it on his lap after a moment, conflicted about how he would be healed by something the very world seemed to reject.
“We,” the newcomer started, flourishing an arm towards Altier, “are going to prepare. With your help, we can create the heroes from those stories you so love.”
It was a bitter memory in retrospect, yet the sickly boy at that table was entranced by what was promised to him. His soul would be captured by the orb, and he would be given the ability to make a Dungeon—the very same he read about hundreds of times. His body would be taken care of, suspended until he returned to it, which he was assured would be whenever he wanted.
That assurance came with a stipulation, however. Were he to decide that he was done, he would lose his new abilities, return to his old form, and be sent on his way, fully healed. But—and there was always a ‘but’—his parents would no longer receive compensation. The king had been withholding from implementing a tax increase in his village, and once the reason for it was no longer employed, then the other ministers would place immeasurable pressure until he capitulated. Altier’s whole world before leaving would fall under the demands. The Technician wore a sombre, sympathetic gaze as he expressed how difficult things would be for the boy’s parents.
Stupid, gullible Altier agreed, thanking the stranger for the opportunity. He went to bed with hope in his heart and wonder on his tongue.
[Initializing…]
[User identified: Altier
Affinity: Decay
Status: Deteriorating (Insufficient mana supply)
Inherent Ability: Avatar of Decay]
[Error: Insufficient Mana. System will acquire the excess from suitable sources as dictated by the User.
Error: User is unable to designate a suitable source.
Searching based on default requirements…Source found.
Converting source to Mana…Success.
Synchronizing…Success.
Updating libraries…Success.
Implementing framework…Success.
Establishing Domain…Failure. Insufficient Mana. Insufficient Authority.
Modifying criteria…Success.
Establishing Domain…Success.]
[Dungeon established! Generating assignment…Success.]
[Priority assignment: Prevent the End—324:450:3247:345:34:12]
[Priority assignment: Prevent the End—324:450:3247:345:34:11]
[Priority assignment: Prevent the End—324:450:3247:345:34:10]
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When he awoke, it wasn’t to the small room where books threatened to take over every available surface, but to a claustrophobic darkness that crushed him as much as left him weightless. He had been warned that the experience would be disorienting, so he clenched the jaw he learned was no longer there, took a breath that could no longer be taken, and waited like he was supposed to.
Thankfully, the Technician was a man of his word, and he came back shortly after Altier had managed to figure out the basics of…well, of whatever he was turned into. He found a way to ‘see’ the world around him, though ignoring the sense of vertigo that came with having sight of everything at once was difficult. There was text that he could summon or dismiss at will, but it only really displayed a countdown he wasn’t familiar with. Truth be told, he wasn’t quite sure what to think of things back then, but he remembered feeling relieved when the Technician brought droves of researchers.
The first thing he noticed with his new senses was that he was underground. The second was that he didn’t know how to talk without a mouth. Apparently, his new company had a list of expected inquiries, and they set out to answer as many questions as he might have.
Someone explained that they had already moved his body to a secure area, and in order to make use of his nascent abilities, his new form was taken to a suitable location. It made sense to him; if he was supposed to be a place where soldiers trained to fight monsters and get stronger, then they needed it somewhere hidden away from people who might accidentally wander in. Guards were apparently placed outside the entrance, but when he tried to separate his focus from the polished black orb, his sight grew dim and indistinct. They mentioned that sort of thing was expected, and once they placed him on a pedestal, he would be able to ‘feel’ his Domain more clearly.
He learned over time what a Domain was and how to use it, guided by the researchers and the occasional soldier or knight who stopped by to see how Altier was performing. He summoned his first creature using his stockpile of mana, though the spider wasn’t very threatening. Apparently, the pool of his new resource incremented passively based on how large he was, and would strengthen his abilities, but it also required an upkeep to maintain. He could get more by analyzing new materials, objects, or whatever else he hadn’t seen before, and he gained a larger amount by absorbing something—after inspecting it, ideally. Beginning as a single room, neither the upkeep nor income was particularly exciting, but the researchers also had a solution to that: Invaders.
‘Invader’ was a term that referred to any creature that entered his Domain, and although he gained mana during their occupation, they were also a threat to the core. His imminent concern for his safety was abated by the Technician quickly assuring him that, in the unlikely event that the core was destroyed, he would be transferred back to his body without any ill effects, but it would also bring an end to the agreement that prevented his family from being crushed by financial demands. He quietly reiterated the point until it stuck, then waited through the explanation until he had most of his questions answered.
Sadly, the Altier back then didn’t know what questions to ask.
Once he worked out how to summon and manage the most basic of creatures, his guides urged him to build and expand, which took some getting used to. A single room became a hub of connections, and despite the advice given, he metaphorically banged his head against the wall that was trying to close off his core. It just didn’t work; any walls would refuse to be built, containers would topple before they fell over him, and everything else he tried ended just as unspectacularly. Something would always be able to reach him if they had the desire to.
Eventually, he was put through mock ‘invasions’ where fresh trainees fought his creatures, reached the core, then stopped to place a hand on it before leaving, taking some of his mana as a reward. He didn’t understand how it worked, but he learned that people could ‘absorb’ some experience to fuel their affinity if they touched him. The more experienced he became, the more that invaders received, and the more experience he got from defending his core from increasingly powerful invaders. It was a cycle he could comprehend, and it put to rest the lingering fear that someone would try to break his core.
There was also something of an exchange going on; coloured motes were left behind on the core’s surface, then slowly absorbed. Each time it happened, he gained a little more insight on how to integrate new things into his dungeon—first a small pool of water, then a fire, then other things that seemed fairly removed from the concept of ‘Decay.’ As soon as a researcher noticed what was going on, the Technician encouraged Altier to specialize in a particular element, since that was apparently more efficient. With a few more long-winded explanations, he had figured out how to hide anything that wasn’t related to Decay within his ‘menu,’ and focused on making himself as strong as he could.
Mock invasions became a regular occurrence, each one taking place after he had the chance to patch holes in his strategy or adjust rooms. He discovered that expanding downwards was an option, but doing so meant that he needed a ‘Boss’ to precede the stairs. The selection unsettled and excited him. A skeleton was what ended up guarding the way deeper into his Domain, and at the insistence of his guides, he left the new creature…monster…? He left his new creation as it was and set about expanding the second floor. Thankfully, the task went smoother since he knew what to do, and soon enough, he was the proud owner of ten floors. Every boss focused on testing what the knights and soldiers knew about fighting and teamwork, and every floor down grew harder and harder to contest.
Altier’s first ‘victory’ was gained when his ‘invaders’ surrendered on the ninth floor. He had been proud of that; they weren’t expecting him to branch into using animal as well as humanoid skeletons. A well-placed Ox made short work of their forces, but stopped before doing more than bashing them around. The thrill of defending his core was incomparable. He also gained access to some more cosmetic options for his existing structures, including the ability to write on a sign if he so wished—though doing so was prohibitively expensive. He didn’t care; a sign was put near the entrance within seconds, asking if someone would mind letting him know when letters arrived from his parents, and to write his reply to send back.
To his relief, it wasn’t much longer before a letter did arrive. He was delighted to hear that all was well, yet sad when he wasn’t able to attend his brother’s wedding. It was a simple affair, true, but he would have liked to go. He asked the person who was kind enough to read it out for him to pen his response, then got back to improving his Domain. His family was doing well, and if being the best dungeon he could be would ensure their happiness lasted as long as possible, then he would be just that.
Ten floors became twenty. Twenty became forty. He hit one-hundred floors after constant effort, happily using signs to ‘talk’ through short phrases with the nicer groups of ‘invaders’, while he mostly ignored the rest. It was too hard to keep track of everyone after a while, but he was supposed to be a training ground, so he kept up doing what he was supposed to, mentally smiling when someone he was keeping tabs on managed to overcome a challenge they were struggling with. Some got stuck on certain floors, unable to adapt to new creatures, while others had a hard time traversing the increasingly long voyage to his core. He made small recovery rooms for a party that thanked him for the challenge, filling basins with food and water, then instructed his creatures not to bother anyone inside.
Surprisingly, the group accepted his offer of rest with gratitude that seemed excessive. They spoke to the walls, regaling him of their various journeys and the humorous events spread throughout. He enjoyed the time spent focusing on that area, as well as the gifts people sometimes left behind. Each new item was transferred to a room near his core, where he kept a collection of keepsakes ranging from books to tarnished jewellery that had more sentimental value than monetary. Still, it was all priceless to him, displayed proudly next to the letters he received regularly from his family.
His one-hundred floors became two-hundred, and he struggled to find recurring visitors after some time. The soldiers grouped up into parties of five or six, venturing into the dungeon with the goal of increasing the strength of small units. Altier adjusted the difficulty to accommodate, dialing back the force he once used to combat near endless waves of knights. Magic was something that came from the change in tactic, much to his surprise. It was weak, but pretty much everyone who tried the dungeon could light a torch or chill their water. He wasn’t well-learned about what any particular element could do, but he was glad to see that his new participants were indeed getting stronger.
The two-hundred floors became three-hundred, which then became four-hundred. Altier’s creatures would have been terrifying if it wasn’t for the fact that he had yet to kill anyone, the skeletal monstrosities looming through corridors like horrific nightmares made manifest. He was pleased to find that they listened rather dutifully when he said to escort those who surrendered to the entrance, which was most people. In fact, hardly anyone ever made it to his core anymore, despite the jump in power of various magics he often saw. Flamethrowers, earthen spikes, empowered bodies, and many more effects were in play within each party that tried to conquer his trial. A particularly adept group eventually placed their hand on the obsidian sphere, taking suffocating amounts of mana, while also leaving a thick haze of their own. His creatures became far stronger for it, and so he adjusted the difficulty once more, wondering when they would try to best him again. Unfortunately, they never did, but he saw some people who shared a striking resemblance, and the newcomers were easily more magically inclined. It was fun to challenge them.
The cycle repeated, though he wasn’t sure when the Technician stopped visiting. Altier was too busy keeping his end of the deal, improving the crown’s army in exchange for giving his family a life they deserved. He did notice something wrong after the letters started taking a while to come, and although the contents filled him in on the newest events, things started seeming…out of character. The feeling tickled at his mind, but it was fine. They were happy and well.
How foolish he was.
A party entered shortly after he completed his six-hundredth floor, instantly setting off an incomparable feeling of dread. His senses warped when he tried to focus on them, blocking everything in their vicinity from his view. It took a bit for him to figure out why, but they were carrying something that sucked the mana out of the very dungeon itself, and his unbidden instincts screamed that whatever it was needed to be destroyed. He reacted without thought, releasing everything he determined too dangerous for simple training in a bid to drive them out.
It wasn’t enough. He watched the void travel floor after floor, leaving nothing but dismembered skeletal creatures in their wake. Veritable monsters were slain, chimeras he had worked on as a side project became incinerated dust, and the signs he left for the weary were torn off the walls. A voice bellowed through his halls from the darkness he couldn’t see, declaring what was happening.
They were not there to train. In order to defend against a force threatening the kingdom, they needed power, and in order to gain that, they needed his mana. His experience. All of it.
They were there to break the core under the king’s decree.
Altier’s nonexistent heart stopped, memories of how impoverished his family used to be flashing through his mind, and with a near silent refusal, he let the instincts to get rid of the invaders swallow him whole.
By the time he calmed down, it was to a pit of blackness and a dull pull in his ephemeral chest stopping him from being able to do anything. He could still ‘hear’ though, and he heard the choking breaths of a single man in his core’s room. He heard the bitter laughter that followed accusations of dooming the very world…as well as sympathies for what the pale, sickly, Decay-afflicted man had gone through.
Altier could only listen as the man told him how his dungeon was hundreds upon hundreds of years old, and how the party had been briefed on its history. He listened as the man spoke of the letters that were to be presented to the dungeon every scant decade, yet always claimed to be given every few months. The groups he befriended had left to start families of their own, and their children returned to befriend him as well, continuing the cycle and passing it on in a generations-long tradition. He listened as he ignored the warnings popping up, the transient text telling him that his mana production was insufficient to support the dungeon. That he was dying.
When the man perished, and the dungeon collapsed piece by piece, Altier listened to silence, because there was nothing else he could do.
Nothing besides reading the text that lingered in his vision amidst the warnings.
[Priority assignment: Prevent the End — Failure]
- - - - -
Altier ‘looked’ at the dim orb that seemed so much like his own, its small form sat next to dust that might have once been the man who unveiled all those truths so long ago. He didn’t know how long it had been since then, only that he was still alone. He wasn’t even angry anymore; the energy needed to feel rage or sorrow was gone. He was just lonely.
[Attempting to reestablish Mana Well…Failure.]
The core dismissed the message absently, more than aware of what it read. Thousands of the notifications had passed by, interspersed by various abilities and whatever else becoming ‘corrupted.’ He didn’t care anymore. His dungeon was his pride at some point, but now he just wanted to feel the sunlight that slowly dimmed as night claimed the evening sky. It would be nice to see the stars again. Or just outside, assuming there was anything left to see. Maybe it was all a desolate wasteland.
[Restructuring Affinity: Decay…Failure.
Reorganizing libraries…Failure.
Re—]
[Error. Ability ‘Avatar of Decay’ has been corrupted. Please provid—]
[Error. System corruption exceeding threshold. Please provide a valid framework.]
[Error. Affi—]
It might as well be. He sold himself to ensure his family’s well-being, but how many of those letters were real? Did they have a good life, receiving word that their ‘brave boy’ was healthy and happy? He hoped so. All there was left to do was watch the thin glow of the outside shift. Eventually, that draining orb the floor would run out of things to take from him. And to think that he just wanted those he cared about to be well…
[Error. Stability compromised. System integ—]
Altier roused from his trance, lethargically shifting his focus to a flicker of shadow near the deteriorated entrance. How strange it was to have his core room be right next to outside, yet he didn’t recall how that came to be. Magic, possibly, but he couldn’t quite bring himself to care. He was tired of numbers and percentages. Of values and skeletons. He was tired of being a dungeon, and of being alone.
A rock—a pebble, really—tumbled into the shallow curved hallway that acted as the path to his core, a strange sound getting louder. He ‘felt’ his brow furrow in perplexion before he actually considered what was happening. That was a voice. Speech. Someone was talking.
He was stunned silent before enthusiasm could build. A gaunt bipedal creature entered the cave, though it was decidedly not human. Taloned feet supported two legs, though they walked on their toes, he supposed. Its skin was reptilian, the pale black colour still managing to look plush, if dry. A thick, long tail swayed slowly to correct its weight, shifting its tattered garment that looked more like worn burlap than clothing. Nervous hands fiddled with chipped claws and felt along the wall, a lack of care rendering them dull and dirty. Fearful, exhausted eyes wandered the cave, the grey irises showing a pained soul underneath an etched smile on otherwise soft features.
Altier ransacked his memory as the creature nervously looked for something in his desolate ‘dungeon,’ recalling a crude painting in one of his old books. It was a kobold, though they shouldn’t have been anywhere near the kingdom, not that it mattered now. The scaly occupant muttered to itself, their voice soothing and feminine in a language he didn’t know. He wouldn’t have minded the conversation, but it was a moot point; he lost the ability to write on signs long ago. A part of him was surprised he would talk with a monster from his stories. He was never overly involved with his fellow humans—excluding his family and the odd party in his rest areas—but he figured there would be more resistance. There was no point in thinking about it. It would leave when it realized there was nothing here, and he would be alone again.
The last thing he would have expected was the kobold noticing a dusty obsidian orb sat atop crumbled stone, then excitedly picking said orb up to hold against its chest, its chirps of excitement filling the quiet room. Or, it would have been the last, if not for the messages that appeared.
[Compatible library found! Synchronizing…Error. Framework is incompatible.
Restructuring framework…Error.
Redefining framework…Error.
Replacing framework…Success.
Restructuring framework…Success.
Defining Affinity…Error.
Redefin—
Error.
Error.
Err0r.
Er44#%$@.
Rein#$^!@zing…Er$&*or.
Domaaaaaa#@%in…Er^r.
@%$%#$R.
Aff%$^: Null…Su^@!#ss.
D#@%^a@#n Es^!@l%#@ed!—]
[Null]
[Pr#%y #@$nment: ERRRR#*#$RRR—]
[Null]
[Priooooooority Assignmentmentmnet: B#&#$^—]
[Null]
Next

Alright, new to lancer here, but I was looking through the different base game liscences and came up with what I think could be a terrifying build; The Nuclear Knuckleduster, a build focused around activating Destruction of the Temple of the Enemies of RA in one turn. The earliest you can do tthis is LL5, but it gets a big boost of power at LL6 too.
You will need; - 2 LLs in Manticore - 3 LLs in Tokugawa That's it. Equip your manticore with 2 Catalyst Pistols in its Flex Mount, and then throw on the following Systems; a Plasma Gauntlet, a Lucifier NHP and a Type-3 Projected Shield. You may also like to take; - Skills in Agility. The manticore is slow (3 speed), but by LL5 you can max out Agility for 6 Speed (and 12 Evasion!), with 1 point left over for the other skills. - Your choice of Universal Compatability (for maximum single-turn success) or Superior By Design (for that sweet sweet +2 Heat Cap) for your LL3 Core Bonus. - If you're LL6 or above; Manticore LL3, to add Lightning Generator to your list of RA-pleasing systems, *and* so you can grab Lesson Of The Open Door (for +2 to Save Target and some bonus Heat if they fail).
Got all that? Good. Now, here's what you need to do...
Your turn starts. You stare at your enemy of choice - ideally a elite enemy or boss of some kind, but it's up to you.
First things first; activate your Core System. It's a protocol, so it's free, and it's the setpiece here. Our goal? 6 instances of Heat before the end of your turn. Make sure to remember you have Resistance to Heat too (I totally didn't write this up without that then change it last moment)
Next, use your Lucifier NHP and Projected Shield Systems. They're both Protocols, so they don't cost actions, This'll bring you to 3-4 Heat, depending on your Lucifier Roll - and your first 2 Charge Die steps.
Now, for your actions; this part bets on your GM letting you count each attack with a Catalyst Pistol as a seperate heat instance; otherwise, you'll need to Barrage with another heat-generating weapon. In our case, we'll move and Boost to close the distance, and then Skirmish with the afformentioned Catalyst Pistols; you'll take 2 Heat and gain 2 Charge Die steps, bringing our total Charge Die value up to 4.
Finally, the big hit begins. Overcharge, taking between 1 and 5 Heat and getting your 5th Charge Die step, and then use the free quick action it provides to activate your Plasma Gauntlet. This will deal 2d6 Energy AP to your target if they succeed an agility save, or 4d6 Energy AP + Prone if they fail. You will then take half the damage dealt before reduction and armor as Heat - a minimum of 1, a maximum of 6 - thus guaranteeing a 6th Charge Die step.
With your 6th and final Charge Die point secured, The Destruction of the Temple of the Enemies of RA will proc, forcing your target (and everyone else in Burst 2) to make an engineering save, dealing 3d6 on a success and 6d6 on a fail.
Congratulations! Assuming my maths is right, you have now dealt between 5d6 (Avg. 17) and 10d6 (Avg. 35) Energy AP to some poor RA-scorned sod, all for the low low price of 7 to 17 Heat (or the equivalent of 1 to 2.33* Stress damage at base 7 Heat Cap)!
So! Any faults you guys can see, or could I (assuming battlefield conditions permit) pull this off?

Techmagnate offers essential SEO services for e-commerce businesses in Delhi, designed to enhance online visibility and drive organic traffic. Key aspects include:

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6. Competitive Analysis: We conduct thorough research on your competitors to identify strengths and weaknesses, developing strategies to outperform them in search rankings.

So, I work as a social media executive and am not a beginner to video editing, as during quarantine I tried several After Effects tutorials (for edits) but struggled with the graphs. Moreover my computer just heated up the entire time making me ditch the software completely.
My job is offering to pay for a course ($50 and under) and I’d like to use it to gain knowledge of Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, the CC mostly as I’m very interested in graphic design!
Im currently using CapCut (which I didn’t use previously till I started my job) but what’s the best online course I can do? They’re willing to pay for CapCut Pro, but should I ask for a different software? I guess mostly time is of essence as I’m expected to create 3-4 reels everyday.
Please list free tutorials down too, but I’d be grateful for courses as I can list them in my CV too. Would Udemy / Coursera work?

I run an employment business and have really got stuck into SEO during the last month.
I've grown my unique users from 23 in March, 47 in April, 132 in May with still some time to go.
I know these figures are baby figures to a lot of the people in here but I feel like it's good growth so far.
What I've done currently:

1. Structured data for Google Jobs - the majority of users have come from jobs listed on Google.
2. All jobs are being shown as indexed in Google Search console but in reality only about 35% are showing in search results.
3. I've ensured each job's content is unique and google hasn't flagged any as duplicate content and selected a different canonical URL. This is a good sign however the fact they're indexed but not showing in search results suggests either poor site reputation or content I would imagine.

Improvements:
I've recently installed Rank Math which is great and I'm going to start working through their keyword improvements but wondered what people would recommend to prioritise out of the below.

• Keywords - done no real keyword research at all - there is some in my content but again nothing too specific on this front.
• External links - again none.
• Internal links - basically have none at the moment due to limited pages like 8 pages.
• Backlinks - Not sure on the best way to get these.
• More content with external links - I have this idea to write resource pages for users. These will link to chartered/regulatory board websites or the UK Gov/HMRC with information about specific topics. These are high authority websites with great content. However designing each page could become a pain.
• Any other suggestions you may have?

So, I work as a social media executive and am not a beginner to video editing, as during quarantine I tried several After Effects tutorials (for edits) but struggled with the graphs. Moreover my computer just heated up the entire time making me ditch the software completely.
My job is offering to pay for a course ($50 and under) and I’d like to use it to gain knowledge of Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, the CC mostly as I’m very interested in graphic design!
Im currently using CapCut (which I didn’t use previously till I started my job) but what’s the best online course I can do? They’re willing to pay for CapCut Pro, but should I ask for a different software? I guess mostly time is of essence as I’m expected to create 3-4 reels everyday.
Please list free tutorials down too, but I’d be grateful for courses as I can list them in my CV too. Would Udemy / Coursera work?

When the famous Ghostly Lady sculpture is stolen from the art gallery, Jasmine becomes the scapegoat. Others, who have easier access to the sculpture, throw the blame on her, but she won’t have it. She pulls her own tricks, with humor and cleverness, designed to trap the culprit.
Jasmine will do anything—anything—to uncover the truth and clear her name. And there’s money at stake for her artwork, which she wants to win. When a dead body is discovered, she’s the only one who recognizes the connection to the theft.
Join Jasmine as she analyzes the list of suspects who have motive, means, and opportunity. Feel her irritation when she deals with men from two police departments who won’t listen to her. Be with her as she falls into the most dangerous moment of her life.
Here is the book link

When the famous Ghostly Lady sculpture is stolen from the art gallery, Jasmine becomes the scapegoat. Others, who have easier access to the sculpture, throw the blame on her, but she won’t have it. She pulls her own tricks, with humor and cleverness, designed to trap the culprit.
Jasmine will do anything—anything—to uncover the truth and clear her name. And there’s money at stake for her artwork, which she wants to win. When a dead body is discovered, she’s the only one who recognizes the connection to the theft.
Join Jasmine as she analyzes the list of suspects who have motive, means, and opportunity. Feel her irritation when she deals with men from two police departments who won’t listen to her. Be with her as she falls into the most dangerous moment of her life.
Here is the book link

When the famous Ghostly Lady sculpture is stolen from the art gallery, Jasmine becomes the scapegoat. Others, who have easier access to the sculpture, throw the blame on her, but she won’t have it. She pulls her own tricks, with humor and cleverness, designed to trap the culprit.
Jasmine will do anything—anything—to uncover the truth and clear her name. And there’s money at stake for her artwork, which she wants to win. When a dead body is discovered, she’s the only one who recognizes the connection to the theft.
Join Jasmine as she analyzes the list of suspects who have motive, means, and opportunity. Feel her irritation when she deals with men from two police departments who won’t listen to her. Be with her as she falls into the most dangerous moment of her life.
Here is the book link

Any makeup process must start with a foundation since it acts as a blank canvas for the application of all other products. Finding the proper foundation, though, may occasionally feel like trying to find a needle in a haystack.
Without question, full-coverage foundation is the most challenging product for cosmetic manufacturers to get right out of all the beauty products on the market. However, that's only because it's accurate.
Too frequently, coverage is prioritized above texture, finish, and a broad spectrum of colors, which leads to a finished product that effectively hides everything but still looks like a cakey, dried-out mask. How can you make the best choice when there are so many on the market, all of them boasting distinct finishes and benefits?
Let's look at professional advice in this article to help you choose the right best coverage makeup foundation for your skin type and requirements.
Knowing Your Skin Type
It's essential to know your skin type before experimenting with foundations. Whether you have sensitive, mixed, oily, or dry skin, choosing a foundation that matches your skin's requirements is essential for getting a perfect and long-lasting finish.

• Oily Skin: To help manage shine throughout the day, seek matte or oil-free foundations if you have oily skin. These foundations usually have chemicals that give your face a matte appearance and absorb extra oil, leaving it looking dewy and radiant.
• Dry Skin: Choose moisturizing or dewy foundations to provide radiance and moisture to the complexion. Seek foundations enhanced with moisturizing components such as glycerin or hyaluronic acid since they aid in nourishing and plumping the face, leaving it appear dewy and beautiful.
• Combination Skin: Select a foundation that achieves the ideal balance if your skin type is combination, which is defined by both oily and dry patches. Seek thin formulations that provide moisture without adding too much oil to the skin.
• Sensitive Skin: It's essential to select foundations that are fragrance-free and made with mild, non-irritating components if you have sensitive skin. Formulas that are hypoallergenic and non-comedogenic are frequently the most fantastic choices for skin types that are prone to inflammation or pore clogging.

Advice on Selecting the Perfect Foundation
Now that you are more aware of your skin type follow these professional recommendations to select the ideal foundation match:

• Find Your Undertone: Knowing your undertone, whether it's neutral, warm, or cool, can help you focus your foundation selections. Take a look at your wrist veins. If they seem blue or purple, you probably have chilly undertones; green veins, on the other hand, suggest warm undertones. The undertones of neutrality include both.
• Test colors in Natural Light: Always swatch foundation colors on your jawline and integrate them into your skin when you're at the store. To view the foundation in varying lighting situations, step outdoors into natural light. This will guarantee a match that is flawless and disappears into your skin.
• Think About Coverage: Select the best coverage makeup foundation with the appropriate amount of coverage for your skin type and preferences. The most significant coverage makeup foundation may hide flaws and provide a flawless base for individuals who want complete coverage. Sheer to medium coverage foundations offer a lightweight feel while still balancing out the skin tone if you prefer a more natural look.
• Try Before You Buy: Before committing to a full-sized product, many beauty stores provide samples or testers of foundations. Utilize these chances to experiment with various formulations and hues to determine which one best suits your skin tone.
• Invest in Primer: Use a primer designed specifically for your skin type to guarantee your foundation applies easily and lasts the entire day. Primers aid in smoothing the skin, reducing the visibility of pores, and extending the life of your foundation.

Conclusion:
It can be easy to choose the best foundation for your skin type. Understanding your skin's requirements, taking into account elements like coverage level and undertone, and experimenting with different formulations can help you find the ideal foundation match that accentuates your inherent beauty and gives you confidence. There is a great coverage makeup foundation by Character Cosmetics out there just waiting to be found, whether you're looking for full coverage for a special event or a lightweight formula for regular usage.

Hey Everyone!
Let’s go….
Newly Covered Today:

1. Sorry, Dragon. A senator from the least populated state in the union just deeply wounded your entire agenda in one day. https://x.com/ArmySpies/status/1791572836076921128
2. Very interesting! Fallout from the Dragon's failure in the Senate vote? https://twitter.com/EricBalchunas/status/1792636523050906102
3. Wow! Is this shit actually happening? If it is, we have the Senate SAB 121 beatdown to thank for this HUGE shift in policy. https://twitter.com/WatcherGuru/status/1792656860379844875
4. The anti-crypto betas might be trying to strike back with opposition to Fit 21. https://x.com/lex_node/status/1792677933557146103
5. Looks like the message is only "strong opposition" as opposed to "don't you dare vote for this crypto bullshit". https://x.com/Eleanor_Muellestatus/1792701481575170341
6. The US state government rush to crypto has begun. https://twitter.com/BTC_Archive/status/1790395762506977502
7. This is what we wanna see: states competing to host us. https://x.com/SenLummis/status/1791112039982653550
8. Don't know anything about the project, but this is a pretty decent sized raise. https://x.com/splashprotocol/status/1791862205215801800
9. A huge thank you is due to Lummis and Gillibrand for pushing so hard for crypto in the Senate. https://x.com/SenLummis/status/1791146216522240118
10. McHenry on pushing Fit21 crypto legislation forward. https://twitter.com/PatrickMcHenry/status/1789017167821778946
11. The DOJ is talking about "MEV" and "fraud" in this indictment. Shocked I tell you! Shocked! https://twitter.com/tier10k/status/1790777058810789900
12. Schumer knows they're at a pivotal moment vs. Warren and the White House. https://twitter.com/twobitidiot/status/1790736453669949646
13. Senate Dems are trying to find a fix for the White House being. Having to veto the will of your own party's senators wouldn't be a good look in an election year. https://twitter.com/taylorjbarstatus/1790724374405828664
14. Which one of you was this? https://x.com/ArmySpies/status/1791915321529671965
15. Why Cardano? Because: https://twitter.com/josephdelong/status/1790862858244206942
16. Ahhhh...as it should be. https://twitter.com/StakeWithPride/status/1790857991488782351
17. The English translation of what's coming out of the Dutch Tornado Cash case is brutal. https://twitter.com/BillHughesDC/status/1790438032098631990
18. Paul Ryan is talking about stablecoins as a solution to help treasury auctions? https://twitter.com/nic__cartestatus/1790540747466223921
19. Epic community note about TPS in blockchains. https://x.com/coingecko/status/1791406157468504289
20. Apparently, Cardano's biggest competitor is inflationary again. https://www.coindesk.com/tech/2024/05/09/eth-reverts-to-inflationary-asset-following-fee-reducing-dencun-upgrade/
21. Mr. T pities the fools in banking who are gonna get wrecked by Commercial Real Estate. https://twitter.com/balajis/status/1790832468767220113
22. Nothing to see here! https://twitter.com/balajis/status/1789402248293818573
23. It's easy to forget there are only a few "decentralized" blockchains bigger than Cardano. https://twitter.com/Av_Sebastian/status/1789016340755276228
24. Development on Kraken's SEC battle. https://twitter.com/msantoriESQ/status/1788944762608754731
25. Thank you non-octogenarian members of Congress. No surprise to see our crypto ally Torres in there. https://twitter.com/SamLyman33/status/1788612636428374183
26. White House threatens veto of House Bill repealing SAB121. https://twitter.com/EleanorTerrett/status/1788279283229904976
27. The White House is wild for doing this in an election year. https://twitter.com/jchervinsky/status/1788281811086221646
28. Why is it happening? Because the White House economic staff is answering to the Dragon, not the guy who needs to win re-election as President. https://twitter.com/CaitlinLong_/status/178827894030354890
29. McHenry on SAB121. https://financialservices.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=409247
30. House bill to repeal SAB121 passes with the support of 21 Democrats even after the White House veto threat. This is huge. Now on to the Senate. https://twitter.com/CaitlinLong_/status/1788328626250813657
31. Doom on Hydra! https://twitter.com/IOHK_Charles/status/1788292907679514677
32. Dragon also taking heat on her reaction to the FDIC scandal. https://twitter.com/nic__cartestatus/1788284368009437571
33. People are still massively sleeping on typescript in the ecosystem, totally separate from the addition of regulatorily compliant privacy. https://twitter.com/MidnightNtwrk/status/1787784475499208773
34. Grewal getting spicy in his retort to Gensler double talk. https://twitter.com/iampaulgrewal/status/1787852258572661214
35. Lubin on the SEC crackdown and MetaMask Wells Notice. https://www.wired.com/story/ethereums-co-founder-says-sec-is-gaslighting-us-about-crypto/
36. Robinhood received a Wells Notice. They're definitely trying to cover all the big on-ramps. https://twitter.com/CoinDesk/status/1787468580902088795
37. Politico article on the SeC and crypto. https://www.politico.com/news/2024/05/05/gary-gensler-sec-crypto-00154769
38. Druckenmiller on how easy this could have been. https://twitter.com/BillHughesDC/status/1787887702538420598
39. Fairly accurate. https://twitter.com/CryptoWendyO/status/1787847385328275514
40. Did someone say airdrop? Wait…what about the tokenomics? https://twitter.com/MladenLm/status/1787524932689174796
41. Why Haskell? Ask Anduril. https://twitter.com/TravisMWhitakestatus/1787516740961964338
42. The dirty little secret of Cardano’s main competitors? https://twitter.com/decryptmedia/status/1787513483606536560
43. The first treasury buy-back since 2002?!? So the treasuries are removed in exchange for more fiat being issued into the ecosystem. Definitely doesn’t sound like the start of things that look like QE under a new name. https://twitter.com/martypartymusic/status/1785681525746663925
44. Look at the difference 150 bps makes. https://twitter.com/balajis/status/1786510472214462967
45. What Biden’s guy wishes he said (of course with the nuance that actual physical printing…not what we’re worried about here…is done by Bureau of Engraving & Printing of Treasury). https://twitter.com/theSamPadilla/status/1786439794605572245
46. Set “Apply Thresholding” to “None” to see the real numbers. https://groups.inf.ed.ac.uk/blockchainlab/edi-dashboard/
47. Not gonna lie. This is pretty fire from Sen. Lummis. https://twitter.com/SenLummis/status/1786055913922494838
48. Three different non-BTC crypto ETFs are now listed on Hong Kong. Progress! https://www.theblock.co/post/291599/hong-kong-officially-debuts-asias-first-spot-bitcoin-ether-etfs
49. Grayscale is basically the worst ex ever. Getting our stuff out of their place has been painful and seems to never end. https://dailyhodl.com/2024/04/30/crypto-markets-break-down-as-grayscale-sends-over-245000000-worth-of-bitcoin-to-coinbase/
50. Consensys has sued the SEC seeking clarity around Ethereum and securities laws. https://twitter.com/BillHughesDC/status/1783561618741236177
51. Biden: Long-term capital gains to 44.6% + unrealized gains tax! Crypto: No thanks. https://twitter.com/WatcherGuru/status/1783028521549299932
52. Damn…they want CZ to get three years! https://twitter.com/WatcherGuru/status/1783028521549299932
53. Pragma: a new Cardano members based organization! Initial focus to be on Aiken and Amaru (a second client for Cardano…which we need). https://twitter.com/IOHK_Charles/status/1782828212273443063
54. I think we all knew this was coming at some point for Tron. https://www.sec.gov/news/press-release/2023-59
55. The SEC attorneys who were on Debt Box have exited the SEC. https://twitter.com/leomschwartz/status/1782470866766340300
56. Kennedy is talking about putting the US Government budget on the blockchain. Dude may be predicting the future. But, how far out is it? https://twitter.com/Holden_Culotta/status/1782240403879576041
57. We made it! Halving complete
58. Damn! Kennedy is embracing the ChazHosk endorsement! https://twitter.com/RobertKennedyJstatus/1780726997020508562
59. So close, but yet so far! https://twitter.com/GaryGenslestatus/1780685461020663888
60. Once again, we are the best blockchain. https://twitter.com/StakeWithPride/status/1780711598375809162
61. Hong Kong ETFs, you say?!? https://www.forbes.com/sites/digital-assets/2024/04/15/shock-leak-reveals-china-could-be-about-to-blow-up-the-price-of-bitcoin-ethereum-and-xrp/
62. As predicted when the investigation was revealed and Uniswap Labs took synthetics off their front end, the SEC has dropped a Wells Notice on Uniswap. https://twitter.com/Uniswap/status/1778127813138071904
63. A full suit against Uniswap is only a matter of time given the current composition of the Gensler led Commission. https://twitter.com/BillHughesDC/status/1778146519125774761
64. The founder of Uniswap on their willingness to fight the upcoming battle with the SEC. https://twitter.com/haydenzadams/status/1778126466984575166
65. It's definitely a little crazy given the recent ruling on Coinbase Wallet not being a broker. But, this is the result of an agenda, not fair and impartial treatment. https://twitter.com/iampaulgrewal/status/1778149863072670169
66. Ouch! Hotter than expected CPI for April. https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/10/economy/cpi-consumer-price-index-inflation-march/index.html
67. So-called "super core" inflation (no shelter, energy, or food costs) is even hotter. https://www.cnbc.com/2024/04/10/the-supercore-inflation-measure-shows-fed-may-have-a-real-problem-on-its-hands.html
68. Cardano's biggest competitor can't even decide what its issuance rate should be. https://unchainedcrypto.com/why-the-ethereum-community-is-up-in-arms-against-a-proposal-to-change-the-monetary-policy/
69. People are sleeping so hard on how much demographics are going to affect economies over the next few decades. Wild decisions will be made in attempts to remedy these problems. https://twitter.com/iamyesyouareno/status/1775535726383222928
70. Even Chairman Ryan sees the severity of the problem. https://twitter.com/SmokeAwayyy/status/1787925300757807226
71. This shows all the biggest depopulation trends. https://twitter.com/stats_feed/status/1786482160272118041
72. Operation Chokepoint 2.0 continues, apparently! https://twitter.com/CaitlinLong_/status/1775982855169995246
73. Weird that it hurts so little when you know they're on the descent. https://twitter.com/Grayscale/status/1775983039832904014
74. No private liability for secondary trading on exchanges. https://twitter.com/iampaulgrewal/status/1776292735063888374
75. No matter how much people will obsess over various wild-niche-bullshit things, the real story over this cycle will (as always) just be this: https://twitter.com/cardano_whale/status/1776229889743728657

Previously covered, but still interesting:

1. Not to worry: the on/off function of a large Cardano competitor is still functioning as usual. https://twitter.com/WatcherGuru/status/1754828269180903727
2. Oh...so bitcoin mining is an emergency now....okay. Makes perfect sense. https://twitter.com/BitcoinPierre/status/1752842700548718644
3. ..and as expected, their reaction is censorship. https://twitter.com/StakeWithPride/status/1764316770398289996
4. Pretty much what happened. https://twitter.com/AutismCapital/status/1762238298008006931
5. Watching Deaton challenge for the Dragon's seat is going to be some incredible fun. https://twitter.com/DeatonforSenate/status/1759935884978225340
6. Definitely no bias built into Big Tech AI! These MFers can't be trusted. https://twitter.com/NateSilver538/status/1761800684272308302
7. This one could end up addressing some interesting questions around government intervention in...basically just computation. https://twitter.com/WatcherGuru/status/1761112782253240810
8. 2020: "Binance is unstoppable." 2024: https://twitter.com/WatcherGuru/status/1761115366275596526
9. Very telling that it's just becoming clear to them that "crypto is here to stay". https://bitcoinist.com/sec-leader-resigns-stating-crypto-is-here-to-stay/
10. Maybe..crypto is just dreaming. But, it would send a shockwave through DC if Deaton won! https://twitter.com/Belisarius2020/status/1760499141296427405
11. Arthur Hayes with the unabashed Cardano hate. Why? Because it's valued??? https://twitter.com/CryptoHayes/status/1760055332364292219
12. Yep. The KYCing of self-custodied wallets is upon us. https://news.bitcoin.com/kraken-starts-requiring-info-on-self-custody-crypto-wallet-ownership-in-the-uk/
13. Still ranked crazy high in the brand intimacy rankings. https://twitter.com/CloverNodes/status/1769136178924769358
14. What do we have here? https://pool.pm/asset12ffdj8kk2w485sr7a5ekmjjdyecz8ps2cm5ze
15. We haven't seen this before. https://twitter.com/sachs_johnny/status/1768281470005588162
16. The crystal ball not looking good for an ETH ETF approval in May. https://twitter.com/jchervinsky/status/1767175990285857006
17. At least one candidate is with us. https://twitter.com/Holden_Culotta/status/1767344261081489793
18. The Dubai police are using the Cardano blockchain? https://twitter.com/ZombieLife2019/status/1766753115632480539
19. The truth will out...https://twitter.com/CCMOD_/status/1764379842911330776
20. Vechain is posting about Cardano and Charles. https://twitter.com/vechainofficial/status/1765014603220586706
21. We're still doing this CFTC vs. SEC thing? https://bitcoinist.com/ethereum-designated-as-commodity-by-cftc/
22. Welcome to the show of magic, mystery, and sorcery where I, the GREAT VALDINO, will turn Ethereum into Cardano before your very eyes! https://twitter.com/StakeWithPride/status/1771180467745669407
23. And then the ETH Foundation warrant canary vanished. Interesting move in an election year. They really don't put any respeck on the name of our voting power. https://unchainedcrypto.com/sec-investigating-ethereum-foundation-regarding-proof-of-stake-transition-report/
24. Unsurprisingly, a16z seems to disagree with any assertion by the SEC that ETH (in it's new proof-of-stake form) is a security. https://bitcoinist.com/ethereum-not-security-sec-probe-a16z/
25. 2024 is not going well for SEC litigation. https://twitter.com/iampaulgrewal/status/1769835308559032608
26. Oh okay...Japanese stagflation after 17 years of lowezero/negative interest rates. Yeah, sounds like everything's fine. https://twitter.com/profstonge/status/1769703427586605549

~Army of Spies