I've been looking for a car to replace my current shitbox pretty much since I bought it (2010 Vauxhall Corsa 1.2). The car has been okay for the most part, but I recently got a new job and my commute went from 20 mins to 1 hour 20 mins each way. The more I drive this car the less I want it and I have no idea what route to go for my next.
My options are as follows;

• Get a proper cheap car like the Saab 93, that will last me another 2-3 years until I can afford a long term buy/ finance.
• Finance a somewhat low mileage car - like a Lexus CT200h, Seat Leon FR, Golf etc.

For reference, I live in Herts and commute into Islington, North London - so I can't have a diesel unless it's ULEZ exempt. I would love a Saab. I think they're great cars and I can't imagine it having that many more issues than the car I have currently, and would really help save money (if it's reliable) considering I am saving to move out next year.
On the flip side, because of the miles I drive I feel like a more recent car with a nicer interior, better mpg etc would make more sense but I am slightly worried about adding another outgoing for each month by financing. I can afford around £150 a month with a deposit of £2-3k which gives me some options.
If someone could give me some feedback on this that would be greatly appreciated. I have also explored the option of shelling out more money on a Saab from a reputable dealer like Hagstrom, to avoid any upset with reliability, but I would either have to get a loan/finance it or save for a few more months as they are a lot more expensive.

In 2010, LGBT charity Stonewall created a 90 minute full film about coming out and distributed across UK schools. It is the funniest film i have ever seen. If you’re from outside the US the attempts at a london “chav” accent alone will make the film but pair it with hilarious lines uncomfortably outdated terminology and actors playing characters that they are way too old to play and it becomes the perfect film.
It follows a class of troubled kids in a poor london area who are forced to take a dance and drama class together and students who are queer have to interact with students who are homophobic but the way homophobia is presented is terrible even in the context of pre- gay marriage britain.
I was made to watch it when i was 14 but the whole film has been uploaded to youtube where i have watched it maybe 10 times and references from this film have been in my friend groups for the 5 years since. This film deserves way more attention.
as an added bonus you can try to guess which clothing company sponsored this films creation!
here’s the youtube link to whole film https://youtu.be/B1hXriYwD3w?si=gJWKgZsY1xIdgD6w
i’m typically against pirating but this film would become lost media without it and was created by a charity to be seen.

I’m sorry if I’m posting in the wrong spot. I could use some help since my Search-Fu seems to be lacking.
I am currently overhauling and upgrading my home server, which has served me well since 2010. Since I want to get another decade out of this new setup, I am also looking to add new features and functions. One of them is a Private Cloud function, so for my less performant devices, I can offload the work to the cloud. One of them is the ever-RAM-hungry web browser. So, I was considering adding a Cloud Browser to the Private Cloud.
Now, this is where I find myself spinning my wheels. I am struggling to find locally hosted Cloud Browser Server software for a Browser-in-Browser function. I can only find services but no programs to build a local server. So I have come here since this forum has helped me a lot over the years with getting out of a rut for ideas or finding software and solutions that usually only people in the know would have.
Again, I’m sorry if I posted in the wrong place, but I would forever be thankful if you all could help me.

Hi Everyone,
The latest viral trend going around about "Would you rather be in a forest with a bear or man?" that women are collectively answering bear, makes me think of what other anti-men viral trends have occurred over the past five years? It seems to be increasing as I don't remember this much in my face hostility towards men during 2010-2015 years.
I can think of the Gillette ad getting millions of views showing men as dangerous just for approaching a girl in public. What else can you add to the list?
Thank you.

I have a new project to move all of the roles, data and features from an old SBS 2011 server to a couple of on-prem servers running Server 2019 (File Server and Domain Controller) and the email services from Exchange 2010 to Exchange Online.
I have a rough idea of what we should be doing and have migrated the file shares off to a new file server which is currently domain-joined to the SBS, but I'm struggling with the ordering of the remaining parts and how they'll interact and integrate with each other.
Knowing SBS, I think the domain controller promotion of 2019 and demotion of the SBS will need to happen last due to the reboot timer that starts when a new domain controller is joined to an SBS domain.
Because of the current usage of GPOs and file shares, I think we'll likely go down the route of keeping an on-prem domain controller and using Entra Connect to sync the users to the tenancy.
This is where I'm getting a bit stuck on the order of how to do the work in order to impact the customer the least:

• Do I go ahead and install Entra Connect on the SBS 2011 server now so that the users populate within the tenancy?
  
• If so, will I then be able to do a cutover migration and map the mailboxes to the relevant users?
  
• Are there any gotchas I should be aware of when installing Entra Connect on such an old system?
  
• If I go with the cutover Exchange migration first, how can I then link these mailboxes to the AD users to ensure the ability to use SSO?
  

Eventually, the plan is to then introduce my Server 2019 domain controller which will act as the new Entra Connect endpoint.
Any information which might help to formulate a decent plan would be much appreciated!

Well here we are, FG, our first decades tournament, the 2010’s. Thank you to everyone who nominated movies, and let’s get right into it!
Results of Round 1

• Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse (2018) (9) beat 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016) (8) and Sorry to Bother You (2018) (6)
• Snowpiercer (2013) (11) beat 12 Years a Slave (2013) (7), and Spotlight (2015) (6)
• Skyfall (2012) (9) beat 127 Hours (2010) (8) and Spring Breakers (2012) (7)
• First Reformed (2017) (10) beat Skate Kitchen (2018) (3), and Steve Jobs (2015) (3)
• 1917 (2019) (9) beat Sing Street (2016) (6), and Stoker (2013) (6)
• Silence (2016) (14) beat 20th Century Women (2016) (4) and Stray Dogs (2013) (3)
• Sicario (2015) (17) beat Sunset (2017) (3) and 50/50 (2011) (3)
• Shutter Island (2010) (11) beat A Field in England (2013) (5), and Tabu (2012) (2)
• A Ghost Story (2017) (13) beat Short Term 12 (2013) (6), and Tehran Taboo (2017) (1)
• A Separation (2011) (7) tied with Shoplifters (2018) (7), and beat The Act of Killing (2012) (3)
• The American (2010) (8) beat A Silent Voice (2016) (2), and Shin Godzilla (2016) (2)
• The Assassin (2015) (11) beat Shame (2011) (7), and A Star is Born (2018) (5)
• Scott Pilgrim vs the World (2010) (11) beat Ad Astra (2019) (6), and The Avengers (2012) (4)
• The Babadook (2014) (10) beat All is Lost (2013) (7) and Rubber (2010) (4)
• Annihilation (2018) (15) beat Room (2015) (5), and The Babysitter (2017) (2)
• Roma (2018) (12) beat April and the Extraordinary World (2015) (4), and The Conjuring (2013) (3)
• The Big Short (2015) (7) beat Aquarius (2016) (5), and Right Now, Wrong Then (2015) (0)
• Arrival (2016) (16) beat Raw (2016) (3), and The Big Sick (2017) (1)
• Atomic Blonde (2017) (6) beat Rango (2011) (5) and The Captain (2017) (3)
  
• The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018) (8) beat Post Tenebras Lux (2012) (3), and Bait (2019) (1)
  
• Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019) (10) beat Barbara (2012) (1), and The Counselor (2013) (1)
  
• The Death of Stalin (2017) (8) beat Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (2016) (6), and Beasts of No Nation (2015) (3)
  
• Birdman (2014) (7) tied Phoenix (2014) (7) and beat The Double (2013) (2)
  
• Black Swan (2010) (11) beat Phantom Thread (2017) (8), and The Drop (2014) (3)
  
• Blade Runner 2049 (2017) (11) beat The Florida Project (2017) (9), and The House That Jack Built (2018) (2)
  
• The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) (15) beat Blindspotting (2018) (2), and Paddington 2 (2017) (1)
  
• Blue is the Warmest Color (2013) (7) beat Only Lovers Left Alive (2013) (6), and The Great Beauty (2013) (2)
  
• The Handmaiden (2016) (11) beat Bone Tomahawk (2015) (7), and Only God Forgives (2013) (4)
  
• Once Upon a Time....In Hollywood (2019) (15) beat The Hateful Eight (2015) (8), and Bridge of Spies (2015) (4)
  
• Boyhood (2014) (7) beat Once Upon a Time in Anatolia (2011) (5), and The Hollars (2016) (2)
  
• O.J. Made in America (2016) (10) beat Parasite (2019) (9), and Brooklyn (2015) (5)
  
• Nightcrawler (2014) (12) beat Burning (2018) (7), and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013) (1)
  
• Nebraska (2013) (7) beat The Hunt (2012) (4), and Byzantium (2012) (4)
  
• Mysteries of Lisbon (2010) (4) beat Carlos (2010) (3), and The Imposter (2012) (2)
  
• Carol (2015) (12) beat The Irishman (2019) (6), and mother! (2017) (3)
  
• The Lighthouse (2019) (9) beat Moonrise Kingdom (2012) (8), and Cemetery of Splendour (2015) (4)
  
• Moonlight (2016) (9) beat The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017) (5), and Chappie (2015) (3)
  
• Molly’s Game (2017) (8) beat Coherence (2013) (7), and Cloud Atlas (2012) (4)
  
• The Master (2012) (11) beat Mission Impossible: Fallout (2018) (6), and The Martian (2015) (5)
  
• Cold War (2018) (5) ties Meek's Cutoff (2010) (5), and beats The Missing Picture (2013) (2)
  
• The Nice Guys (2016) (14) beat Contagion (2011) (5), and Mary Poppins Returns (2018) (2)
  
• Margaret (2011) (9) beat The Place Beyond the Pines (2012) (6), and Creed (2015) (2)
  
• Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014) (8) tied with The Raid 2 (2014) (8), and beat Maps to the Stars (2014) (3)
  
• Drive (2011) (17) beat The Revenant (2015) (6), and Mandy (2018) (4)
  
• Django Unchained (2012) (11) beat The Salesman (2016) (3) and Made in Dagenham (2010) (2)
  
• Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) (9) beat Train to Busan (2016) (5), and Diamantino (2018) (1)
  
• Eighth Grade (2018) (5) beat Elle (2016) (4), and Long Way North (2015) (2)
  
• The Turin Horse (2011) (10) beat Logan (2017) (9), and El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie (2019) (0)
  
• The Way Back (2010) (8) beat Locke (2013) (5), and The Tree of Life (2011) (4)
  
• Embrace of the Serpent (2015) (10) beat Little Women (2019) (6), and The Whispering Star (2015) (2)
  
• Enemy (2013) (6) tied with The Wind Rises (2013) (6) and beat Like Someone in Love (2012) (3)
  
• Life of Pi (2012) (9) beat The Witch (2015) (8), and Evangelion 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo (2012) (1)
  
• The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) (7) beat Leave No Trace (2018) (6) and Exit Through the Gift Shop (2010) (3)
  
• Ex Machina (2014) (9) beat Thoroughbreds (2017) (4), and Le Havre (2011) (3)
  
• Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017) (13) beat Ladybird (2017) (9), and Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile (2019)
  
• La La Land (2016) (13) beat 13 Assassins (2010) (4), and White Boy Rick (2018) (1)
  
• The Social Network (2010) (11) Four Lions (2010) (5), and Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011) (2)
  
• Get Out (2017) (7) beat Two Days, One Night (2014) (5), and Konosuba Legend of Crimson (2019) (1)
  
• Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (2010) (7) beat Girlhood (2014) (4), and Klaus (2019) (1)
  
• Under the Skin (2013) (13) beat Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014) (3), and God Bless America (2011) (2)
  
• Upstream Color (2013) (8) beat Killer Joe (2011) (7), and I Saw The Devil (2010) (4)
  
• Good Time (2017) (11) beat Joker (2019) (6), and Us (2019) (2)
  

View Poll

Hi everyone, I wanted to share a great resource for IGCSE and O Level students called Octilearn. It's a platform designed by a teacher to help students move away from scrolling through PDFs and find exactly what they need for their studies.
Octilearn offers notes, flashcards, and past papers for physics (2010-2023) with more subjects being added all the time. It also features an AI tutor trained specifically on IGCSE/O Level and A Level syllabuses, generating relevant explanations for various concepts.
You can sign up for the waitlist at www.octilearn.com to learn more about the platform.

So, let's start by accepting that all rings are not created equal. Each ring is a ring, but each ring has its own circumstances that determine how they are remembered down the line. What contributes into that? Generally, it seems the most considered factors are narrative and path, narrative being the behind-the-scenes story context that gives this ring meaning to fans of the players and teams, and path being the strictly basketball elements like the opponents played and actual performance. Let's look at the recent rings going back 20 years. Disclaimer, I just started watching basketball in 2010, so I've probably missed bits of context from the 2000s ones.
I scored them out of 5 based on narrative and path, added the totals, and broke ties with my own subjective, sometimes biased opinion.

• (20th) 2018 Warriors. You won't find many non-Warriors/KD fans who respect this ring and 2017's for obvious reasons. Path-wise, they played good but not particularly great opponents besides Houston, and you can put an asterisk or two on that series if you want, though those Rockets were still a great team who would have won it all otherwise. 1/5 narrative, 3/5 path, 4/10 total.
• (19th) 2021 Bucks. A strong narrative for Giannis and the Bucks. Giannis dropped 50 to bring Milwaukee their first ring in 50 years and redeem himself for choking. The ring is unfortunately remembered along with a weird COVID season that meant half-full arenas for most of the season and some of the playoffs, as well as injuries (which will fall under the path criteria). This is the injuring. No one will remember this run without remembering KD's foot, which leads to further memories of Harden and Kyrie's injuries. Giannis does get kudos for powering through injury himself. 3.5/5 narrative, 2/5 path, 5.5/10 total.
• (18th) 2017 Warriors. This ring is funny. Narrative-wise, it's one of the weakest ever: KD ran to a 73-win team because he couldn't win by himself. On the court, though, this was the most dominant team in NBA history. You can knock them for not having to play a healthy Kawhi, but they still worked an elite Cavs team that would probably have won it all otherwise. 1/5 narrative, 4.5/5 path, 5.5/10 total.
• (17th) 2007 Spurs. Another legacy-building ring for Duncan and especially Parker, who was the first European to win Finals MVP. The Spurs also established themselves as the team with the 4th most championships ever. The hip-checking incident could have swung their 2nd round series against Phoenix though, and otherwise the run was a bit of a cakewalk. 4/5 narrative, 2/5 path, 6/10 total.
• (16th) 2023 Nuggets. Solid narrative, with Jokic leading Denver to their first ever ring and Jamal Murray showing his importance. A franchise winning their first ring gives plenty of automatic narrative points. The path points are where they fall short due to playing in a relatively weak West lacking other contenders and facing an 8th seed in the Finals. 4/5 narrative, 2/5 path, 6/10 total.
• (15th) 2020 Lakers. I don't think many still had LeBron lower than #2 all-time before this ring, but after it, I really hope no one does. He made history in winning a Finals MVP with a 3rd team. You can diminish it with the "needed AD" argument but two stars isn't a superteam. And of course COVID. The bubble did impact everyone the same, but it plays a big part in how the ring was remembered. The path itself was nothing special, but the Lakers took care of business, losing only 5 games the whole playoffs. 3/5 narrative, 3.5/5 path, 6.5/10 total.
• (14th) 2015 Warriors. A new superstar comes on stage, bringing GS their first title in 40 years. The three-point revolution has begun. Iguodala winning FMVP is still questionable. Path-wise, obviously the Cavs weren't healthy, and you can argue they would have won if they were considering how LeBron was playing. Otherwise, the Warriors made their way through a Western Conference gauntlet. I think Curry is the only player to have beaten all other 1st Team All-NBA players in one playoff run. 3.5/5 narrative, 3/5 path, 6.5/10 total.
• (13th) 2006 Heat. Miami's first ring ever and Shaq's first without Kobe. Memory of this one is somewhat marred by dubious officiating, but that may be my flair talking. That aside, beating two 60-win teams is very impressive. Off the top of my head, the only other team to accomplish that feat in recent memory is the 2009 Magic. 3/5 narrative, 4/5 path, 7/10 total.
• (12th) 2022 Warriors. Curry wins another without KD and captures his first Finals MVP, winning with a team that didn't really have any other star-level options compared to when they won their previous rings. Klay came back after 2 years out, and the Warriors weathered multiple injuries to have a strong regular season. The path was pretty unremarkable. They played injured Nuggets, but in the first round and they'd been injured the whole year. 4/5 narrative, 3/5 path, 7/10 total.
• (11th) 2008 Celtics. This ring began the modern superteam era and reignited the dormant Celtics/Lakers rivalry. KG, Pierce, and Allen won their first rings and denied Kobe a chance at 4. Dominant as they were in the regular season though, they probably should not have been taken to 7 in the first two rounds. 4/5 narrative, 3/5 path, 7/10 total.
• (10th) 2013 Heat. Ring #2 for Bron, capping a dominant individual season and establishing the Heat as a dynasty threat. You can say Ray Allen, but this is discussing how valuable the rings are to the teams, not players, so that doesn't factor into the path. I would weigh it positively into narrative due to giving us one of the most legendary shots of all time. The Heat also gave the Spurs their first Finals loss ever. Path-wise, the first two rounds were a cakewalk but the Heat took care of business, the Pacers were a strong team that went on to be the 1st seed next year, and the Spurs were still elite. 4/5 narrative, 3.5/5 path, 7.5/10 total.
• (9th) 2019 Raptors. First ring for the Raptors? Kawhi reminding the league who he is? Ending the Warriors dynasty? Buzzer-beater in Game 7? Amazing narrative. Path-wise, the fact that they faced the Warriors without KD and then Klay hurts them a lot. They still won, but the fact that you can make a very strong case that they wouldn't have without the injuries is a knock on what is otherwise a strong path. 5/5 narrative, 3/5 path, 8/10 total.
• (8th) 2005 Spurs. If Duncan wasn't already the greatest PF ever before this ring, he certainly was after it. This ring marks his 3rd, along with 3 FMVPs and 2 MVPs. A strong legacy-building ring. Great path as well, especially handling the reigning MVP and 1st seed in 5 games and defeating the defending champions. 4/5 narrative, 4/5 path, 8/10 total.
• (7th) 2010 Lakers. Same narrative as 2009 below, bolstering Kobe's case as a great in his own right without his name attached to Shaq's. The West was particularly strong this year, with the 8th seed Thunder having 50 wins. You could put an asterisk on the Finals due to Perkins' injury, but it was still a strong path otherwise. This was the first NBA Finals I watched. 4/5 narrative, 4/5 path, 8/10 total.
• (6th) 2009 Lakers. Kobe's first without Shaq, tying them in ring count and showing that Kobe didn't need Shaq to win. They made it through a strong Western Conference and beat an almost 60-win Magic team in 5. They did get fortunate in avoiding Boston due to injury, but that was well before the Finals. 4/5 narrative, 4/5 path, 8/10 total.
• (5th) 2012 Heat. LeBron wins his first-ever ring, with that legendary performance against Boston coming in the middle. Clean ring with a clean path: Melo's Knicks, solid Pacers squad, big 3 Boston's last stand, and big 3 OKC's last run before Harden leaves. 4/5 narrative, 4.5/5 path, 8.5/10 total.
• (4th) 2014 Spurs. A revenge tour. The Spurs denied LeBron a threepeat and gave Duncan a 5th ring, tying him with Kobe, and cemented Kawhi as an emerging superstar. This team is fondly remembered as one of the best pure basketball teams and for good reason. They played very strong opponents and handled them without too much trouble. 4/5 narrative, 5/5 path, 9/10 total.
• (3rd) 2016 Cavaliers. LeBron brings one to Cleveland for the first time ever and wins away from Miami, cementing him as #2 all-time in many people's eyes. And of course, he beat a 73-win team in an amazing 3-1 comeback with some of the clutchest plays ever by him and Kyrie. The Draymond suspension was iffy though as you can argue this directly swung the series. The East was also a cakewalk. 5/5 narrative, 4/5 path, 9/10 total.
• (2nd) 2004 Pistons. The Pistons remain one of the most unique champions in that they lacked a true superstar. They are remembered for exemplifying the low-scoring high-defense era of the 2000s and also ending the Kobe-Shaq era. Along the way, they beat the two-time defending conference champions in the Nets, a very strong Pacers team, and of course those Lakers. A very strong ring. 5/5 narrative, 4.5/5 path, 9.5/10 total.
• (1st) 2011 Mavericks. Perhaps the best narrative ever: Dirk overcomes the choker label and leads the Mavs to their first ring ever against a superteam thought unbeatable by many, casually ending the Lakers' run as two-time champions on the way. They played a gauntlet of difficult opponents on the way, dispatching 9 HOF players and 2 HOF coaches with relative ease. 5/5 narrative, 5/5 path, 10/10 total.

How do you think the 2024 ring will be remembered depending on who wins? The Timberwolves in particular have a chance to win a very strong ring. They would have beaten the Suns, Nuggets, Mavs, and most likely the Celtics. Gobert and KAT would throw off the playoff underperformer labels for good and Ant would emerge as one of this generation's greats. If the Mavs win, their ring would be a little weaker due to playing injured Kawhi and not having to go through the defending champs, but it would rebuild Kyrie's legacy, vindicate Cuban for tanking, establish Jason Kidd as a championship head coach, and of course give Luka a ring. If the Celtics win, they would have played relatively weak opponents for the first three rounds but could win some path points with a strong Finals showing; Tatum's perception could increase or decrease depending on how the Finals go, with his personal legacy points surely to be deducted if Brown wins Finals MVP. If the Pacers win, a strong showing against the Celtics and whoever they play in the Finals could erase the asterisks from the first two rounds. If the Pacers won while facing healthy Milwaukee and NY, it would be a crazy strong ring.

Asian Americans have the most income mobility in Minnesota

Asian Minnesotans have higher income mobility rates than not only other racial groups in the state but also Asian Americans in other states. www.startribune.com.
Saengmany Ratsabout grew up on public assistance while his father, who had immigrated to the U.S. as a Lao refugee in the 1980s, worked at warehouses and factories to support a family of eight.
INCOME MOBILITY

• Income mobility stalls in Minnesota
• Inequity persists for Black earners
• Gender pay gap stagnates
• Great Recession still haunts millennials
• Native Minnesotans strive for stability
• Asian Minnesotans stand alone in income mobility

His was the first generation to attend college, and after starting out making $12 an hour at a social services nonprofit, Ratsabout's income steadily rose as he changed jobs, earned more degrees and climbed the career ladder. The researcher specializing in Southeast Asian studies now makes $110,000 as the executive director of the East Side Freedom Library, which has allowed him and his wife — the daughter of Hmong refugees — to pursue opening their own Lao coffee business.
Ratsabout's steady growth in income tells the story of Asian American economic success in Minnesota. New data the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis compiled found Asian Minnesotans have higher income mobility rates than not only other racial groups in Minnesota but also Asian Americans in other states. The trend is most stark at the lowest income quartile.
Asian Minnesotans in the lowest-earning group made less than $12,940 in 2014. By 2019, a worker in this group had a 57% chance of moving up income groups and a 43% chance of staying at the bottom group or having no wage income at all. The same pattern holds true for Asian Americans who earned up to $32,990 in 2014. Earners in this group had about a 36% probability of moving up one or more quartiles within five years, while all other racial groups had odds below 30%. Ratsabout, 42, said he and his wife "certainly have had mobility."
The data does not break out nations of origin for Asian Americans, grouping together disparate communities with very different paths to this country. Minnesota's largest Asian American community is Hmong, who began resettling here in the 1970s after allying with the U.S. military in the war against Communists in Laos and then had to rise up from poverty as refugees. Meanwhile, the second- and third-largest groups of Asian Minnesotans are of Indian and Chinese heritage and often come to the state as college students or professionals with specialized skills.
There is no single explanation for Asian Minnesotans' income gains, but members of those groups point to a pressure to succeed in practical careers and an emphasis on education as a few shared pathways.
Consistent growth The Fed data shows once Asian Minnesotans reach the highest income levels, this group also has unusually high rates of "persistence," meaning their incomes don't fall back down again.
Many Indian immigrants move here on visas for highly specialized workers, which could explain why their income stays high. But that also comes with an added burden. Eden Prairie resident Murthy Ivaturi moved to the U.S. from India in 2016 to work in IT on an H-1B visa and said he feels he needs to constantly upgrade his skills and perform at a high level while he waits for his green card application to process amid an enormous backlog.
"We need to ensure we maintain our status," Ivaturi said. "That means we should have specialized skills always and we should prove … exceptional talent. We always keep ourselves running in the race and updating ourselves technology-wise."
He added: "There's a lot of pressure that comes with that."
Pressure to thrive — whether to escape poverty, improve chances of remaining in the country or satisfy personal or cultural expectations — might be another reason for Asian Minnesotans' financial rise. Another could be the state's general economy and a host of social service organizations welcoming refugees and immigrants. The Hmong American Partnership, for instance, provides job training in manufacturing, health care, IT and transportation. The Karen Organization of Minnesota also offers vocational training and job counseling to the newest wave of Asian refugees.
"We don't have an explanation for what makes Minnesota different for Asian earnings compared to Asian earnings in the U.S.," said Illenin Kondo, senior research economist with the Opportunity and Inclusive Growth Institute at the Fed of Minneapolis.
He noted nationally, 35% of Asian Americans in the bottom income quartile have a college education compared to 18% of everyone else. But in Minnesota, the gap is small: 25% of Asian Americans in the lowest income group are college-educated compared to 20% of others. So education can't fully account for the difference. Kondo also pointed out earnings for foreign-born workers nationally have been outpacing their American-born counterparts through the two decades leading to the pandemic.
"It's very strong for top earnings, but it's true across the distribution … that could be playing out a little more strongly in Minnesota," Kondo said.
This picture for Asian Minnesotans isn't universal, though. A 2021 report from the Coalition of Asian American Leaders found many felt systemic racism and structural barriers prevented the community from improving economic mobility and building wealth.
Lee Pao Xiong, director of the Center for Hmong Studies at Concordia University, recalled having 30 relatives on public assistance in California working low-wage jobs during the 1990s. As a Hmong refugee in Minnesota, he successfully encouraged them to move to his state for better employment and affordable housing.
Those family members started out driving buses and working in factories, left behind government reliance and worked their way up to stability. They and other Hmong Americans also focused on education as a way out of poverty, Xiong noted.
Now, more than half of Hmong people in Minnesota own their own home. Xiong said those who came here as children, as well as the second generation, are succeeding.
"That's the spirit of the Hmong community," he said.
Yigang Wang grew up in China and earned a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering in California before moving to the Twin Cities in 2010 to start his career. His income steadily progressed as he advanced through the ranks and switched jobs several times, ultimately landing at his current role as an electrical engineering manager in Eden Prairie. Wang, of Plymouth, said he has found Minnesota's job market to be friendly toward Asian Americans and ripe for good engineers.
"Minnesota is very committed to promoting diversity and inclusion, not just in the university but also in the company," Wang, 45, said.
Chen Zhou is vice president of the Minnesota China Friendship Garden Society Board of Directors and lives in Plymouth. Zhou also said the state is generally welcoming to foreign-born newcomers, noting high participation in Asian American festivals and events.
"They feel they are part of this state," Zhou said of Asian Minnesotans. "They feel they are part of the community."
JERRY HOLT, STAR TRIBUNE Saengmany Ratsabout and his wife, Gao Lee, at their warehouse office at Uprooted Coffee in St. Paul on May 8. Ratsabout's rise in income enabled Lee to to quit her $94,000 human resources job and focus solely on developing the coffee business. The couple work with distributors who bring coffee from Laos to the U.S. for the pair to roast locally and sell online. Refugee mentality Ratsabout initially left a job paying around $57,000 at University of Minnesota to start a business with his wife, Gao Lee, in 2020. But their plan of selling Southeast Asian drinks at festivals imploded when the pandemic arrived. Ratsabout returned to the U as a program manager at the Institute for Advanced Studies in 2022, making $75,000, and saw his income leap to six figures when he moved to a job at the library.
Lee went from being born in public housing to eventually making nearly $94,000 working in human resources for a philanthropic foundation before her husband's rise in income enabled her to quit her job and focus solely on developing their coffee business. Now 41, Lee said it was mentally hard to leave behind that salary to pursue Uprooted Coffee because of the refugee mentality of not having enough.
But after years focusing on building her income, she decided she was ready to fulfill her passion, too. The couple now works with distributors who bring coffee from Laos to the U.S. for the pair to roast locally and sell online as well as at various stores and cafes, including the Minneapolis Laotian restaurant Khâluna. But for the parents of two teenage children in Newport, arriving at this point took many years with no generational wealth as a fallback.
"Among our friends who are doing well financially who are Asian Americans, a lot of them went into careers that they were almost guaranteed a good financial package … because they have such a commitment to making their parents proud and supporting the extended family," Lee said. "So I think sometimes in our culture, that outweighs your own interests, your own passions, a bit."

Hi ShopifyeCommerce - I'm Paul and I follow the e-commerce industry closely for my Shopifreaks E-commerce Newsletter. Each week I post a summary recap of the week's top stories, which I cover in depth in the newsletter. Let's dive in...
STAT OF THE WEEK: Amazon could finally surpass Walmart to become the nation’s biggest company by revenue, having grown by 12% last year compared with Walmart's growth of 6%. Two more years of similar growth discrepancy would push Amazon past Walmart in sales.
Shopify is suing Shopline in New York federal court, accusing it of illegally copying Shopify's software to build its own e-commerce platform. Shopline is a Singapore-based subsidiary of the Chinese technology company JOYY Inc. Shopify said in the lawsuit that Shopline created a “thinly disguised knockoff” of its Dawn theme to power a competing e-commerce service. The lawsuit even says that the “Shopify” name still appears in the code of various versions of Seed that Shopline is distributing, and that Shopify found a Chinese webpage hosted by Joyy with the title “Seed Theme” that still carries headers reading “dawn-test.”
In other lawsuit news this week — Temu is facing legal action from 17 companies accusing it of violating new EU laws with “manipulative practices” such as making it difficult to delete your account, and lack of transparency over who their sellers are and why certain products are recommended to customers. Temu was the most downloaded app in the UK in 2023 and still remains as a top downloaded app in 2024.
The state of Arizona has taken legal action against Amazon, launching two lawsuits that accuse the company of monopolistic behavior and deceptive practices involving dark patterns. The first lawsuit claims that Amazon's business practices violate the state's Consumer Fraud Act by employing dark patterns to make it difficult for users to cancel their Amazon Prime subscriptions. The second lawsuit alleges that Amazon breaches Arizona's Uniform State Antitrust Act by maintaining a monopoly via enforcing agreements with third-party sellers to prevent them from offering lower prices on other platforms. It also challenges Amazon's Buy Box algorithm under the Consumer Fraud Act, claiming that it favors sellers who use Fulfillment By Amazon. The legal actions echo similar complaints from the FTC and various states.
Last week Amazon made a big splash with its first-ever event during upfront week, taking over Pier 36 in New York which has previously hosted upfront presentations from Disney and TelevisaUnivision. The company called on celebrities including Jake Gyllenhaal, Reese Witherspoon, Will Ferrell, and Alicia Keys to demonstrate how premium their content is. Amazon worked to separate itself from its competitors by showcasing its scale. Prime Video now has an average monthly ad-supported reach of 200M customers, with 115M in the US, making it the largest premium ad-supported streaming service both globally and in the U.S. It also announced new upcoming series such as Spider-Man Noir, Tomb Raider, and a prequel to Legally Blond.
eBay launched a new feature called “resell on eBay” that is designed to make it easier for brands and consumers to list clothing for sale on its marketplace. The feature is built into Certilogo, which was acquired by eBay in 2023, which features an AI-powered digital ID printed on the product tag to help brands manage the lifecycle of their garments and give consumers a way to confirm the item's authenticity. Users scan a QR code on a product's smart label to generate a “resell your garment” button. Clicking the button directs the user to check the authenticity of the item through Certilogo's AI authentication system by signing in with their eBay account. From there, an eBay listing is prefilled with information from the brand about the item. Users can then edit the listing, upload additional photos, and publish the item for sale.
Poshmark launched a new paid marketing tool called “Promoted Closets” that gives sellers the ability to promote their entire shop at once. The tool uses machine learning to automatically promote individual product listings from a seller's entire inventory, identifying shoppers' search terms and matching them with promoted items. Promoted Closet works on a cost per click model where sellers only get charged when a shopper clicks and views the item from a promoted listing. There's an option to set the budget manually or get a recommendation from Poshmark. Each campaign lasts for 7 days.
Klarna says that it is not sharing its customer data with credit bureaus in the US because the bureaus “do not have proper models to responsibly process the data and ensure good consumer outcomes.” It does share its data with UK credit bureaus. Klarna added that the credit models used today in the US “were built decades ago and calculate data based on monthly payments, long-term loans, and open lines of credit. But BNPL does not fit into these categories.” The company claims that BNPL is different because it offers bi-weekly instead of monthly payments, and unlike a credit card, Klarna doesn't offer an open line of credit.
Third party sellers on Amazon, which make up 60% of sales on Amazon's marketplace, are reconsidering how heavily they'll discount products this year for Prime Day, given how much seller fees have increased on the platform in recent months, according to Modern Retail. According to data from SmartScout, Amazon FBA fees for standard-sized products have jumped 96% over the past 10 years, outpacing inflation. Seller fees can eat up about half the cost per sale on Amazon, according to Marketplace Pulse. That doesn't leave much room for running Prime Day deals, which primarily benefit Amazon as opposed to the individual merchants who are pressured to wipe out their little remaining margin for the sake of running a deal at all.
Netflix announced durings it Upfronts presentation that it's launching its own advertising platform to compete against Google, Amazon, Hulu, Comcast, and other ad giants. Amazon has only been in the advertising business for a year and a half after launching its ad-supported tier in Nov 2022. Netflix originally partnered with Microsoft to develop its ad tech, which let the streaming platform enter the ad space quickly and catch up with rivals like Hulu, which has offered an ad-supported tier since 2010. Launching its own in-house ad tech will allow Netflix to take full control of its advertising and create targeted and personalized ad experiences. Netflix wants to experiment with “episodic” campaigns, which involves a series of ads that tell a story rather than delivering repetitive ads. Brilliant!
Slack is under attack after users discovered that the company has been using their messages, content, and files to train its global AI models, which Slack uses to power their channel and emoji recommendations and search results. It was discovered that if you don't want Slack to use your data, you have to e-mail the company to opt-out, which isn't a good look for a company that makes a big deal out of telling customers that “You control your data.” In response to the outrage, Slack published a blog post to clarify how its customers' data is used.
Google will now let you perform a “web” search, which lets you filter out almost all of its AI results and knowledge panels that currently take over its SERPs, leaving you with just links and text like the old days. The order of the search results are the same regardless of whether you pick “web” or “all”, and it doesn't block links to YouTube videos or Reddit posts. There are also still ads that appear above and below the results.
YouTube is officially launching its YouTube Select “creator takeovers,” which lets advertisers buy out the ad inventory on channels representing the top 1% of content on the platform. The program began as a pilot at the end of 2023 and is now opening to more top creators.
Wix launched three new AI-powered image enhancement and creation tools to help users create and display high-quality images. The new tools include an AI Image Creator to make the images, Object Eraser to remove unwanted objects in the images, and AI Image Editor to add/edit portions of the image. Honestly, the three tools kind of sound like one tool with three features, but you do you, Wix.
Temu, which is already 20% bigger than Shein in the US and gets 42% of its business from the US, Mexico, and Chile, is turning its attention to Europe and wants to grow rapidly in the region. The company has redirected its enormous ad spend to Europe and Mexico while Washington scrutinizes its business practices in the US.
Visa announced major changes to how its credit and debit cards will operate in the US in the coming months and years. The new features mean consumers will be carrying fewer physical cards in their wallets, and will make the 16-digit card number increasingly irrelevant. The biggest change will be the ability for banks to issue one physical card that is connected to multiple bank accounts, which consumers can apply usage rules to.
Mastercard and Salesforce announced a new integration designed to help customers speed up the resolution of transaction disputes and chargebacks, as well as reduce costs associated with resolving them. The partnership will integrate Salesforce's Financial Services Cloud with Mastercard's dispute resolution services, providing real time notifications and a central dashboard for managing disputes.
Meta is taking inspiration from BeReal and Snapchat by developing a feature for Instagram called “Peek” that allows users to post authentic pictures that can only be viewed once. A photo shared via a Peek would have to be taken with your camera in the moment, as you would not be able to upload an image from your gallery, and you won't be able to add filters or edit the photo.
Ikea launched a TikTok livestream where cats and dogs model and demonstrate new Ikea products for pets. The Pet Shopping Network will appear for everyone in the UK on TikTok and showcase pets demonstrating Ikea's 29-piece pet furniture range.
Sam's Club is planning to launch an online shopping portal in Hong Kong within the next two months, giving the territory access to its products via e-commerce. The service will include free delivery for purchases over 599 yuan ($83).
Amazon raised warehouse worker wages to $15/hour five years ago, but today half of workers surveyed told researchers they struggle to afford food and rent. Amazon called the researcher's methodology “deeply flawed” and said the company had tried to raise its concerns with the study’s authors but never heard back.
Lots of layoffs this week… Amazon laid off more than 100 customer service reps, Walmart let go of hundreds of corporate staffers and ordering employees across the US and Canada, Gopuff laid off 6% of its staff, and Indeed laid off 8% of its workforce.
Remember that former diversity program manager at Facebook who stole more than $4M from the company through fake business deals in exchange for kickbacks? I first reported on Barbara Furlow-Smiles in December of last year when she pled guilty to the theft. Well, last week she was sentenced to five years and three months in prison for her scheme.
In the world of corporate turnover… The chief of Amazon Web Services, Adam Selipsky, is stepping down next month after a three-year term to be replaced by Matt Garman, a senior VP who has overseen sales and marketing at AWS. Also, eBay's VP of Global Communications, Michelle Friedman, departed the company to take on a role at Samsara, a cloud platform built for tracking and analyzing data from physical operations.
Meta is shutting down Workspace, a version of Facebook that had been built to enable communication among business teams and organizations. Sources say that it will be business as usual on the platform until August 25, 2025, and then it will be read-only until May 2026. Meta is recommending Zoom-owned Workvivo as a migration-ready alternative.
Ted Baker Canada is holding store-closing clearance sales across locations in the US and Canada after filing for bankruptcy in April. As of May 10th, online shopping is no longer available and all sales are final across the company's brick-and-mortar retail locations.
Sezzle, a US-based BNPL service, partnered up with Celerant Technology, a POS system for retailers, to offer a BNPL option when checking out in-store . The two companies had partnered in 2023 to offer BNPL options online, and now the solution is being brought to brick-and-mortar stores.
BuyBay, a Dutch recommerce platform, is launching a SaaS product using its own recommerce software. Retailers and manufacturers can now resell unreturned products from their own distribution center, which helps reduce CO2-emissions and increase profits.
Setapp Mobile, a subscription-based alternative to the Apple App Store that's now possible thanks to the EU's Digital Markets Act, went into invite-only beta last week. The new app store allows customers to play with a range of apps without being hit with reduced features, ads, options to upgrade, and without spending money on something they may not use. The biggest challenge with the Setapp iOS store is getting the app installed on your iPhone, which involves following a link, installing software, and then activating it — a process made intentionally cumbersome by Apple.
Avalara expanded its partnership with Shopify by joining the Shopify Tax Platform. Avalara has powered tax calculation for Shopify Plus customers since 2015, and now through the Shopify Tax Partner Platform, the company can serve all Shopify customers with their global tax compliance tools.
Walmart delivered 4.4B items the same day or next day, beating Amazon, which said it did 4B items in one day. Walmart's advantage is that it uses stores for its same-day deliveries.
Plus 9 seed rounds, IPOs, and acquisitions of interest including Gorgias's $29M Series C-2 round, which it plans to use the funds from to launch its new AI Agent.
I hope you found this recap helpful. See you next week! For more details on each story and sources, see the full edition: https://www.shopifreaks.com/shopify-sues-shopline-ebays-qr-code-netflixs-new-ad-serve What else is new in e-commerce? Share stories of interesting in the comments below (including in your own business) or on shopifreaks. -PAUL Editor of Shopifreaks E-commerce Newsletter PS: Want the full editions delivered to your Inbox each week? Join free at www.shopifreaks.com

Hi - I'm Paul and I follow the e-commerce industry closely for my Shopifreaks E-commerce Newsletter. Each week I post a summary recap of the week's top stories, which I cover in depth with sources in the full edition. Let's dive in...
STAT OF THE WEEK: Amazon could finally surpass Walmart to become the nation’s biggest company by revenue, having grown by 12% last year compared with Walmart's growth of 6%. Two more years of similar growth discrepancy would push Amazon past Walmart in sales.
Shopify is suing Shopline in New York federal court, accusing it of illegally copying Shopify's software to build its own e-commerce platform. Shopline is a Singapore-based subsidiary of the Chinese technology company JOYY Inc. Shopify said in the lawsuit that Shopline created a “thinly disguised knockoff” of its Dawn theme to power a competing e-commerce service. The lawsuit even says that the “Shopify” name still appears in the code of various versions of Seed that Shopline is distributing, and that Shopify found a Chinese webpage hosted by Joyy with the title “Seed Theme” that still carries headers reading “dawn-test.”
In other lawsuit news this week — Temu is facing legal action from 17 companies accusing it of violating new EU laws with “manipulative practices” such as making it difficult to delete your account, and lack of transparency over who their sellers are and why certain products are recommended to customers. Temu was the most downloaded app in the UK in 2023 and still remains as a top downloaded app in 2024.
The state of Arizona has taken legal action against Amazon, launching two lawsuits that accuse the company of monopolistic behavior and deceptive practices involving dark patterns. The first lawsuit claims that Amazon's business practices violate the state's Consumer Fraud Act by employing dark patterns to make it difficult for users to cancel their Amazon Prime subscriptions. The second lawsuit alleges that Amazon breaches Arizona's Uniform State Antitrust Act by maintaining a monopoly via enforcing agreements with third-party sellers to prevent them from offering lower prices on other platforms. It also challenges Amazon's Buy Box algorithm under the Consumer Fraud Act, claiming that it favors sellers who use Fulfillment By Amazon. The legal actions echo similar complaints from the FTC and various states.
Last week Amazon made a big splash with its first-ever event during upfront week, taking over Pier 36 in New York which has previously hosted upfront presentations from Disney and TelevisaUnivision. The company called on celebrities including Jake Gyllenhaal, Reese Witherspoon, Will Ferrell, and Alicia Keys to demonstrate how premium their content is. Amazon worked to separate itself from its competitors by showcasing its scale. Prime Video now has an average monthly ad-supported reach of 200M customers, with 115M in the US, making it the largest premium ad-supported streaming service both globally and in the U.S. It also announced new upcoming series such as Spider-Man Noir, Tomb Raider, and a prequel to Legally Blond.
eBay launched a new feature called “resell on eBay” that is designed to make it easier for brands and consumers to list clothing for sale on its marketplace. The feature is built into Certilogo, which was acquired by eBay in 2023, which features an AI-powered digital ID printed on the product tag to help brands manage the lifecycle of their garments and give consumers a way to confirm the item's authenticity. Users scan a QR code on a product's smart label to generate a “resell your garment” button. Clicking the button directs the user to check the authenticity of the item through Certilogo's AI authentication system by signing in with their eBay account. From there, an eBay listing is prefilled with information from the brand about the item. Users can then edit the listing, upload additional photos, and publish the item for sale.
Poshmark launched a new paid marketing tool called “Promoted Closets” that gives sellers the ability to promote their entire shop at once. The tool uses machine learning to automatically promote individual product listings from a seller's entire inventory, identifying shoppers' search terms and matching them with promoted items. Promoted Closet works on a cost per click model where sellers only get charged when a shopper clicks and views the item from a promoted listing. There's an option to set the budget manually or get a recommendation from Poshmark. Each campaign lasts for 7 days.
Klarna says that it is not sharing its customer data with credit bureaus in the US because the bureaus “do not have proper models to responsibly process the data and ensure good consumer outcomes.” It does share its data with UK credit bureaus. Klarna added that the credit models used today in the US “were built decades ago and calculate data based on monthly payments, long-term loans, and open lines of credit. But BNPL does not fit into these categories.” The company claims that BNPL is different because it offers bi-weekly instead of monthly payments, and unlike a credit card, Klarna doesn't offer an open line of credit.
Third party sellers on Amazon, which make up 60% of sales on Amazon's marketplace, are reconsidering how heavily they'll discount products this year for Prime Day, given how much seller fees have increased on the platform in recent months, according to Modern Retail. According to data from SmartScout, Amazon FBA fees for standard-sized products have jumped 96% over the past 10 years, outpacing inflation. Seller fees can eat up about half the cost per sale on Amazon, according to Marketplace Pulse. That doesn't leave much room for running Prime Day deals, which primarily benefit Amazon as opposed to the individual merchants who are pressured to wipe out their little remaining margin for the sake of running a deal at all.
Netflix announced durings it Upfronts presentation that it's launching its own advertising platform to compete against Google, Amazon, Hulu, Comcast, and other ad giants. Amazon has only been in the advertising business for a year and a half after launching its ad-supported tier in Nov 2022. Netflix originally partnered with Microsoft to develop its ad tech, which let the streaming platform enter the ad space quickly and catch up with rivals like Hulu, which has offered an ad-supported tier since 2010. Launching its own in-house ad tech will allow Netflix to take full control of its advertising and create targeted and personalized ad experiences. Netflix wants to experiment with “episodic” campaigns, which involves a series of ads that tell a story rather than delivering repetitive ads. Brilliant!
Slack is under attack after users discovered that the company has been using their messages, content, and files to train its global AI models, which Slack uses to power their channel and emoji recommendations and search results. It was discovered that if you don't want Slack to use your data, you have to e-mail the company to opt-out, which isn't a good look for a company that makes a big deal out of telling customers that “You control your data.” In response to the outrage, Slack published a blog post to clarify how its customers' data is used.
Google will now let you perform a “web” search, which lets you filter out almost all of its AI results and knowledge panels that currently take over its SERPs, leaving you with just links and text like the old days. The order of the search results are the same regardless of whether you pick “web” or “all”, and it doesn't block links to YouTube videos or Reddit posts. There are also still ads that appear above and below the results.
YouTube is officially launching its YouTube Select “creator takeovers,” which lets advertisers buy out the ad inventory on channels representing the top 1% of content on the platform. The program began as a pilot at the end of 2023 and is now opening to more top creators.
Wix launched three new AI-powered image enhancement and creation tools to help users create and display high-quality images. The new tools include an AI Image Creator to make the images, Object Eraser to remove unwanted objects in the images, and AI Image Editor to add/edit portions of the image. Honestly, the three tools kind of sound like one tool with three features, but you do you, Wix.
Temu, which is already 20% bigger than Shein in the US and gets 42% of its business from the US, Mexico, and Chile, is turning its attention to Europe and wants to grow rapidly in the region. The company has redirected its enormous ad spend to Europe and Mexico while Washington scrutinizes its business practices in the US.
Visa announced major changes to how its credit and debit cards will operate in the US in the coming months and years. The new features mean consumers will be carrying fewer physical cards in their wallets, and will make the 16-digit card number increasingly irrelevant. The biggest change will be the ability for banks to issue one physical card that is connected to multiple bank accounts, which consumers can apply usage rules to.
Mastercard and Salesforce announced a new integration designed to help customers speed up the resolution of transaction disputes and chargebacks, as well as reduce costs associated with resolving them. The partnership will integrate Salesforce's Financial Services Cloud with Mastercard's dispute resolution services, providing real time notifications and a central dashboard for managing disputes.
Meta is taking inspiration from BeReal and Snapchat by developing a feature for Instagram called “Peek” that allows users to post authentic pictures that can only be viewed once. A photo shared via a Peek would have to be taken with your camera in the moment, as you would not be able to upload an image from your gallery, and you won't be able to add filters or edit the photo.
Ikea launched a TikTok livestream where cats and dogs model and demonstrate new Ikea products for pets. The Pet Shopping Network will appear for everyone in the UK on TikTok and showcase pets demonstrating Ikea's 29-piece pet furniture range.
Sam's Club is planning to launch an online shopping portal in Hong Kong within the next two months, giving the territory access to its products via e-commerce. The service will include free delivery for purchases over 599 yuan ($83).
Amazon raised warehouse worker wages to $15/hour five years ago, but today half of workers surveyed told researchers they struggle to afford food and rent. Amazon called the researcher's methodology “deeply flawed” and said the company had tried to raise its concerns with the study’s authors but never heard back.
Lots of layoffs this week… Amazon laid off more than 100 customer service reps, Walmart let go of hundreds of corporate staffers and ordering employees across the US and Canada, Gopuff laid off 6% of its staff, and Indeed laid off 8% of its workforce.
Remember that former diversity program manager at Facebook who stole more than $4M from the company through fake business deals in exchange for kickbacks? I first reported on Barbara Furlow-Smiles in December of last year when she pled guilty to the theft. Well, last week she was sentenced to five years and three months in prison for her scheme.
In the world of corporate turnover… The chief of Amazon Web Services, Adam Selipsky, is stepping down next month after a three-year term to be replaced by Matt Garman, a senior VP who has overseen sales and marketing at AWS. Also, eBay's VP of Global Communications, Michelle Friedman, departed the company to take on a role at Samsara, a cloud platform built for tracking and analyzing data from physical operations.
Meta is shutting down Workspace, a version of Facebook that had been built to enable communication among business teams and organizations. Sources say that it will be business as usual on the platform until August 25, 2025, and then it will be read-only until May 2026. Meta is recommending Zoom-owned Workvivo as a migration-ready alternative.
Ted Baker Canada is holding store-closing clearance sales across locations in the US and Canada after filing for bankruptcy in April. As of May 10th, online shopping is no longer available and all sales are final across the company's brick-and-mortar retail locations.
Sezzle, a US-based BNPL service, partnered up with Celerant Technology, a POS system for retailers, to offer a BNPL option when checking out in-store . The two companies had partnered in 2023 to offer BNPL options online, and now the solution is being brought to brick-and-mortar stores.
BuyBay, a Dutch recommerce platform, is launching a SaaS product using its own recommerce software. Retailers and manufacturers can now resell unreturned products from their own distribution center, which helps reduce CO2-emissions and increase profits.
Setapp Mobile, a subscription-based alternative to the Apple App Store that's now possible thanks to the EU's Digital Markets Act, went into invite-only beta last week. The new app store allows customers to play with a range of apps without being hit with reduced features, ads, options to upgrade, and without spending money on something they may not use. The biggest challenge with the Setapp iOS store is getting the app installed on your iPhone, which involves following a link, installing software, and then activating it — a process made intentionally cumbersome by Apple.
Avalara expanded its partnership with Shopify by joining the Shopify Tax Platform. Avalara has powered tax calculation for Shopify Plus customers since 2015, and now through the Shopify Tax Partner Platform, the company can serve all Shopify customers with their global tax compliance tools.
Walmart delivered 4.4B items the same day or next day, beating Amazon, which said it did 4B items in one day. Walmart's advantage is that it uses stores for its same-day deliveries.
Plus 9 seed rounds, IPOs, and acquisitions of interest including Gorgias's $29M Series C-2 round, which it plans to use the funds from to launch its new AI Agent.
I hope you found this recap helpful. See you next week!
PAUL Editor of Shopifreaks E-Commerce Newsletter
PS: If I missed any big news this week, please share in the comments.

Hey Sportsfans — it's time for Week 8 of baseball Power Rankings: Nearly a third of the way through this ranking season, is your team headed int he right direction? Please enjoy these baseball numbers.
Every voter has their own style / system and the only voting instructions are these:

"To an extent determined individually, you must take into account how strong a team is right now and likely to be going forward. You must, to some degree, give weight to the events and games of the previous week."

The Royalshad a Guest Voter today -- u/Mozilla_Fennekin
TRANSPARENCY: This link will show you who voted each team where and has added neat statistics!
If something is a little messed up, feel free to pester me let me know.
Total Votes: 30 of 30. Another Perfect Vote!.

#		Team	Δ	Comment	Record
1		Phillies	+1	The Phillies went 6-1 on the week with the one loss being in extra innings. The team is just firing on all cylinders. Johan Rojas and Nick Castellanos (and Merrifield, Pache, and Stubbs) are borderline black holes in the lineup and yet they have a team OPS+ of 113. Ranger Suarez had his worst start of the year while giving up 0 earned and getting the win while Zack Wheeler bounced back nicely from a rough outing and pitching into the 8th. Aaron Nola had an Aaron Nola week, throwing a CGSO then looking dominant but giving up 3 runs on sudden home runs. The vibes for this team are just off the charts, and they look to carry that into the next week with 3 against the defending champ Rangers before heading out to Coors for a 3 game set.	34-14
2		Dodgers	-1	The Dodgers ran some questionable lineups this week where it seems like Dave Roberts was kind of expecting to lose? It seemed like at least one of the star players on the Dodgers sat each game. The good news is that there are so many star players that the team can afford to do that and still go 5-2 on the week. With Buehler back and starting to look good (and happy) it seems the Death Star is fully operational.	32-17
3		Yankees	+1	Back-to-back sweeps is fun, even if one was against a minor league team and the other was our version of the Washington Generals. Who do you even rave about on this team right now? Judge and Soto are red-hot simultaneously. Stanton is playing about as well as we could’ve possibly hoped for. The rotation is incredible. Clay Holmes still has not allowed an earned run into mid-May, cementing himself in Yankee lore even if it all falls apart tomorrow. There’s really not any one storyline to go nuts about, the Yankees are really just a well-rounded, high-functioning machine. Most fun the team has been to watch since as a whole unit since 2019.	33-15
4		Orioles	-1	The O's now start a stretch of something like 27 games in 29 days. They are moving to a 6-man rotation, which will shorten their already taxed bullpen. The offense continues to have its ups and downs but the starting pitching has been unbelievable. This week the team travels to St Louis and Chicago to play the Cards and the White Sox. No offense to either of those teams but if there is a time for the bats to get right, this is it.	29-15
5		Braves	0	Ok. It's getting old. It's time to start hitting. This offense was HISTORIC a year ago. So far this year...we are in the bottom half the league in runs scored. Unacceptable. We can talk about how soft the Phillies schedule is all we want...but we have to win too. Pitching has been great recently for the most part (aside from Sunday night's game), but we can't seem to hit when we are pitching well or pitch well when we are hitting. It's gonna click...but how long will it take?	26-16
6		Guardians	+2	When I did this last week, the Guardians had just lost three of four to the White Sox. Maybe that was the wakeup call they needed, because I'd say this was probably their best week of the season so far. They took 2/3 against the reigning WS champs and then swept our biggest division rival. The crowd in Cleveland was so into those games and they were great to be at. Saturday's game was our first May sellout in 11 years.	30-17
7		Brewers	0	The Brewers had another average week, beating the Pirates and dropping a series to the Astros, but their hot start has been enough to stay on top of their medicore division. Bobby Gas is still the GOAT.	27-19
8		Royals	+2	I just watched the new Foolish video which features the 2023 Royals doing something stupid. Last year, the Royals won their 30th game on July 28. They have 29 on May 20. They're 10 games above .500 for the first time since 2015. They have the best position player and the best pitcher right now..... in the AL at least. Our biggest problems are MJ Melendez and a couple outfielders we paid like $10M on combined? Complaining while winning is a privilege.	29-19
9		Cubs	0	The Cubs slumping offense finally hit rock bottom, scoring 3 runs or fewer in 5 out of their 7 games. The injuries to Dansby Swanson and Nico Hoerner loomed large, as their replacements were totally inept at the plate and a massive downgrade in the field, as numerous additional hitters were able to reach base that wouldn't normally do so. The rotation which had been so excellent was slightly more inconsistent, including a disastrous Kyle Hendricks start, but the lack of run support meant it didn't really matter. While Swanson and Hoerner's returns should help the offense, Hendricks unfortunately would be addition by subtraction from the rotation. The last remaining cub from the World Series team and fan favorite has been the worst starting pitcher in baseball so far, and the Cubs cannot afford to continue giving him starts while they need to win games. They will try to right the ship this week against the Braves and their first meeting with the Cardinals	26-22
10		Mariners	+1	A bit of a mixed week - the record shows 3-3, but it felt like a miracle to even make it there. Injuries are starting to stack up on the (already not-so-great) offense, and something's gotta give there at some point, right? ...right? Dipoto and co. have the farm talent to make an aggressive trade ahead of the market, and getting a solid hitter for an extra month may be huge down the line (especially if the Astros are indeed coming back to life.) *Up next: 4 @ Daaaaaaaaaaa Yankees Lose, 3 @ Walgreens	25-22
11		Twins	-5	What a disaster of a week. The sweep by the Yankees was completely predictible, but then we went to Cleveland and our week did not get better. The sausage disappeared, then the series hinged on bad umpiring, a couple bad pitches, and some excellent Cleveland defense. The 12-game win streak showed how good the Twins could be, and this 6-game losing streak has shown how much we can struggle. Which team will we be for the reat of the season? I don't know, but the rollercoaster is not a fun time.	24-22
12		Padres	0	It really stung to get swept at home vs Colorado, and brought up a lot of bad press, and odd questions about ‘who’s the captain?’ etc. All makes me feel like we're in mid-season form. I really think it’s all overblown. When you lose games you’re supposed to win (or at least not get swept at home), tempers flare up, people in the clubhouse, and in the stands can say things in anger. When you win, everyone talks about the camaraderie, the chemistry between the players, leadership, etc. What I really see here is a team playing to their season expectations so far, and even hanging onto the last spot in the weaker NL Wild Card Race. A few wins in Atlanta was just what the doctor ordered, especially on the national stage Sunday. To make up for the rainout on Saturday, the Padres have a doubleheader today, and don’t have a day off until May 30th. They actually have 12 games in an 11 day span here.	24-24
13		Rangers	0	IL list looking like a MASH unit and the ones who are supposed to be recovering keep getting set back. 3 of the opening day starting rotation are on the IL, and that doesn't even include Scherzer, deGrom, and Mahle who all started the season on the list. Jack Leiter still isn't ML ready unfortunately but his improvements in AAA this year give some hope that development and progress is possible, just going to take more time. Things are going well.	24-24
14		Rays	+2	The Rays certainly aren't winning on run differential, not super sure about fun differential, but last week was a big swing for the division and wild card chances. If this newfound consistency continues, September could be exciting- especially if a few more key players return from injury. Shoutouts to Isaac Paredes who is quietly having a really nice follow up to last year, and to Jonny DeLuca who is OPSing over .900 at the moment.	25-23
15		Red Sox	-1	I'm breaking new ground in theoretical baseball analysis. Folks, the 2024 Boston Red Sox are a perfect analogue to the 2010 San Diego Chargers. Our offense is cracked, Duran figured out how to field, Abreu out of nowhere is a 3-4 WAR player, and TON is gonna crank 40 dingers with 50 RBIs. Connor Wong has a .900 OPS with a cannon arm. Devers has 5 HRs in his last 5 games. Our starting pitchers are out of nowhere one of the best staffs in the league, and our bullpen is nothing to scoff at. 2nd in the AL by ERA, and 4th by OPS. Despite this, we are UNDER .500!!! Like that Chargers team, we fail in the least quantifiable of ways. Our infield defense has been a rotating disaster, contributing to our 37 unearned runs. Our bats have been fantastic when piling on runs in blowouts, but awful in high leverage situations. We are the ultimate analytics failure. A 26 man roster filled with talent and individual performance, but all of it comes together to produce a mediocre product. There is plenty of time to turn things around, but I just do not know if they've got that Dog In Them to win baseball games. But, if you fuck with the WAR, we're killing it.	23-24
16		Tigers	-1	Let's take a moment to notice the sudden emergence of Wenceel Perez, who came into the season as a depth prospect piece. Taking advantage of Parker Meadows' struggles, Perez has slashed a gaudy .300/.373/.533 over his first hundred PAs while maintaining a lot of red on his Statcast page. Whether this will keep up is to be determined, but he's provided a spark in the top third of the lineup while Detroit keeps flirting with the .500 mark. This week: 3 at KCR, 4 vs. TOR.	23-23
17		Astros	+7	The Astros are giving me whiplash. Bad, okay, good, bad, good, okay. It would be nice if we were starting to figure things out though; would make for a more pleasant summer. Not too pleasant, though, because it is damn hot.	21-26
18		D-Backs	-1	The Diamondbacks can't seem to figure it out. The offense rarely scores enough runs to win a game despite being 4th in the NL in runs scored per game. The pitching is both kinda bad and unlucky. The defense has improved, at least. It's not clear the coming reinforcements due to better health are going to be enough.	22-25
19		Giants	+2	The Giants had another 4-2 week and finally beat the Dodgers. I feel okay, and so should you. Snell is back this Wednesday, the bullpen is starting to solidify, the Rivercats are hitting, the schedule isn’t that oppressive right now, Lee is gone forever, and, oh, right. Lee is gone forever. Okay, but other than that one thing, things are okay. Let’s ground ourselves with some numbers: 22nd in MLB in Run Diff, 21st in RS/G, 21st in RA/G, 25th in Bullpen ERA. Well, hmm. But I swear things looked worse 10 games ago. You have to believe me. @PIT and @NYM this week. Believe it or not, a winning week would put the Giants at .500. But I think we’d all be fine with a 3-3 road trip including a good Snell start and no new injuries.	23-25
20		Mets	-2	Now that the Knicks season has ended in heartbreaking fashion, it's time for me to start paying full attention to the Mets again. I'm sure this week must've gone well..... OH DEAR GOD WHAT HAPPENED TO EDWIN DIAZ?	21-25
21		Pirates	+4	Having Paul Skenes and Jared Jones in your rotation is awfully nice, isn't it? That one-two punch allowed the Pirates to take the first 2 games of a 4-game series in Chicago, with Mitch Keller claiming the finale on Sunday to earn a series victory (but Bailey Falter's performance on Saturday in a 1-0 loss was the best of all). The bats have started to come to life a bit, bolstered by the arrival of Nick Gonzales and the (hopfeully) imminent depature of Rowdy Tellez. As bad as the offense was for the past month, the Bucs are still treading water in a NL Central bereft of a dominant team.	22-26
22		Blue Jays	-2	It's the hope that kills you. The Jays very nearly had a perfect week, but lost one to Baltimore and two vs TB by one run in each game, all in uniquely heart-breaking fashion: Baltimore was a walkoff loss after a bad hop led to a man on for Adley to bounce the winning HR off the top of the fence, spoiling a gem by Kikuchi. Then we averted disaster by breaking up a perfect game in the 8th by a not-good pitcher, only to see the comeback fall just short due to a couple bone-headed errors. Then we gave up a late lead on yet another bullpen implosion, spoiling a gem of a game by Gausman. There have been bright spots (keeping things close, Manoah throwing another amazing game, Vlad and others hitting really well), but they're at a tipping point here. With a soft schedule for the next two weeks, they can make a run and get back in the wild card hunt, or stumble and set up an obvious sell-off.	20-25
23		Nationals	-4	Rough week for the Natty Daddies as they got swept by division rival Phillies on the heels of losing a series to the dreadful White Sox. I believe the Phillies are hitting their stride so the sweep doesn't bother me (2 close losses) but being shut out in back to back games vs the White Sox is tough to swallow especially given one was to Nationals legend Erick Fedde. What's next - can someone dig up AJ Cole and throw him against the Nats too?	20-25
24		Reds	-1	We are trapped in the belly of the Big Red Machine. And the machine is bleeding to death. The sun has fallen down. And the scoreboards are all leering. And the Reds flags are all dead at the top of their poles. It went like this: The Reds tumbled in on themselves. Pitchers clutching hitters as they lost game after game, and gave up more and more runs. The skyline was beautiful on fire, rivers of chili stretching upwards. Everything washed in a thin orange haze. I looked at Mr. Red and whispered: "Kiss me, you're beautiful, these are truly the last days". He grabbed my hand and we fell into it, like a daydream or a fever. We woke up one morning and fell a little further down, For sure it's the valley of death. I open up ESPN, and it's full of more losses.	19-28
25		Cardinals	+1	Sweeps are hard. The Cardinals have found some footing and look to have gotten off the mat as they answer a 1-5 week with a 4-2 week. The schedule this week will certainly test how stable that footing truly is as the Orioles and Cubs come to town.	20-26
26		Angels	+1	Somehow this team took two of three from the Rangers. Instead of focusing on any negativity this week, I will note and celebrate what likely was one of the season highlights for this team.	18-29
27		Athletics	-5	We suck lol, have won one game in the past two weeks and a -22 run diff in our L10. Obviously luck plays a role but other than maybe Rooker (with one good season) no one here is a proven quality player. We're still overperforming our Pythagorean W-L by a game to boot	19-30
28		Rockies	0	The Rockies won seven games in a row for their only winning streak of the season so far. Now it's time to see how many games they can lose in a row.	15-31
29		Marlins	+1	Oh look the fish have won back to back series for the first time this season, yaaaaaaay. That being said our bullpen continues to be shaky as a tree branch during a hurricane so that likely wont be happening much against teams over .500. On the plus side, most of our starters have been consistent and luzardo has been doing just fine since returning from the IL. Burger still hasnt quite caught back up to how he was swinging before going out for his oblique injury but hopefully he can start getting on base. Thankfully the prodigal Son Otto Lopez has continued to do work, currently sporting an .885 OPS. Were starting off the week with a 3 game series in milwaukee and then head back home to host the sneks.	15-33
30		White Sox	-1	What is there to say about the White Sox? They are the worst hitting team in the league by a considerable margin. They have the 4th worst pitching ERA and judging by the advanced metrics, they've been lucky to achieve even that. Even since they stopped playing like an all-time bad team in early May, they are still playing like the worst team in the league, with their 230/280/365 slash line. They just got outhomered 8-1 in the Bronx while being outscored 17-5 which is pretty typical for the season so far. The White Sox stink and unless you hate yourself, you shouldn't be watching them.	14-33

The Legacy of Hans Zimmer: An In-Depth Analysis of His Music and Influence

Hans Zimmer is a renowned German film composer known for his innovative and iconic scores that have significantly shaped the landscape of modern film music. With a career spanning over four decades, Zimmer has composed for a wide array of genres, creating some of the most memorable and influential scores in cinematic history. Here’s an in-depth analysis of his musical characteristics, compositional techniques, cultural impact, notable works, and a theoretical doctoral analysis.

Musical Characteristics

Innovative Orchestration: - Hybrid Sound: Zimmer is known for blending traditional orchestral elements with electronic music, creating a unique and contemporary sound. - Rich Textures: His scores often feature lush, multi-layered textures that combine acoustic and electronic instruments.
Melody and Motif: - Memorable Themes: Zimmer’s compositions often feature strong, memorable themes that are easily recognizable and emotionally impactful. - Motivic Development: He frequently develops short motifs throughout a film score, ensuring thematic coherence and unity.
Harmonic Language: - Dramatic Harmonies: Zimmer’s harmonic language is characterized by rich, dramatic chords and progressions that heighten the emotional impact of a scene. - Tonal and Atonal Elements: He often blends tonal harmonies with atonal elements, creating tension and release in his scores.
Rhythmic Innovation: - Percussive Drive: Zimmer’s music is known for its strong rhythmic drive, often utilizing complex, syncopated rhythms and powerful percussion. - Dynamic Rhythms: He employs dynamic rhythmic patterns that adapt to the pacing and intensity of the film’s narrative.

Cultural Impact

• Redefining Film Scores: Zimmer has redefined what a film score can be, introducing a modern sensibility and a more diverse sonic palette to the genre.
• Influence on Contemporary Composers: His innovative approach has influenced a new generation of film composers, shaping the future of film music.
• Collaboration with Directors: Zimmer’s long-standing collaborations with directors like Christopher Nolan have resulted in some of the most iconic scores in film history.

Notable Works

1. The Lion King (1994): Zimmer’s score won him an Academy Award and is celebrated for its blend of African musical elements with traditional orchestration.
2. Gladiator (2000): Known for its powerful and emotive themes, this score is a defining work in Zimmer’s career.
3. Pirates of the Caribbean series (2003–2017): Features iconic, swashbuckling themes that have become synonymous with the franchise.
4. Inception (2010): A groundbreaking score that uses innovative techniques like the "Shepard tone" to create a sense of endless rising tension.
5. Interstellar (2014): Incorporates organ and minimalist elements to evoke the vastness of space and the emotional depth of the story.
6. The Dark Knight Trilogy (2005–2012): Zimmer’s collaboration with James Newton Howard resulted in a dark, brooding score that redefined superhero music.
7. Dunkirk (2017): Uses non-linear musical structures and intense rhythmic elements to enhance the film’s suspense and urgency.
8. Blade Runner 2049 (2017): Co-composed with Benjamin Wallfisch, this score pays homage to Vangelis’s original while creating a fresh, atmospheric soundscape.
9. Man of Steel (2013): Features powerful, heroic themes that have become defining motifs for the modern Superman.
10. Dune (2021): A richly textured score that combines traditional orchestration with innovative electronic sounds to evoke the epic scale of the story.

Doctoral Theory Analysis

Introduction Hans Zimmer's music represents a significant evolution in film scoring, characterized by its innovative blending of traditional and modern elements, thematic development, and emotional depth. This analysis explores the theoretical underpinnings of his work.
Orchestration and Texture - Hybrid Orchestration: Zimmer’s use of both orchestral and electronic instruments creates a rich, layered sound that enhances the narrative impact of the film. - Sound Design Elements: He often incorporates sound design techniques into his scores, blurring the line between music and sound effects.
Thematic Development - Leitmotif Technique: Zimmer employs leitmotifs—recurring themes associated with characters or ideas—that evolve throughout the film, providing thematic continuity. - Minimalist Influences: His use of repetitive patterns and gradual development is influenced by minimalist composers like Philip Glass and Steve Reich.
Harmonic Language - Tonal Ambiguity: Zimmer frequently blends traditional tonal harmonies with ambiguous, atonal passages, creating a complex emotional landscape. - Extended Harmonies: Use of extended chords and unconventional progressions adds depth and richness to his harmonic palette.
Rhythmic Complexity - Syncopation and Polyrhythms: Zimmer’s scores often feature syncopated rhythms and polyrhythms, adding complexity and drive to the music. - Rhythmic Motifs: He uses recurring rhythmic motifs to build tension and highlight dramatic moments.
Innovative Techniques - Shepard Tone: In scores like "Inception," Zimmer uses the Shepard tone—a continuously ascending pitch that creates an illusion of infinite rising tension. - Time Manipulation: His use of time-stretching and temporal manipulation in scores like "Dunkirk" enhances the film’s narrative structure.
Conclusion Hans Zimmer’s innovative approach to film scoring has had a profound impact on the industry. His ability to blend traditional orchestral music with modern electronic elements, combined with his masterful thematic development and rhythmic complexity, has set new standards in film music. Zimmer’s work continues to influence and inspire composers, directors, and audiences worldwide.

My Wife was diagnosed with RA about 6 years ago, at the age of 32. At the time (and still), she also had Fibromyalgia and PCOS. After 6 years of treatment, no medication combination has worked to reduce her pain / symptoms. In the last visit, she was told by her doctor that it would be best to have the Mayo Clinic take a look. So far, she has tried the following combinations of medication (with Steroids thrown in as needed for flareups): Current (Since May 2023): Methotrexate, Sulphasalizine, Rituxan (added Hydroxycholoroquine and Diclofenac this Month)
2023 - Kevzara, Methotrexate and Sulfasalizine
2022 - Rinvoq, Methotrexate and Sulfasalizine
2020 - Xeljanz, Methotrexate and Sulfasalizine
2019 - Methotrexate and Enbrel and Cymbalta 2018 - Methotrexate and Humira
With the amount of medication already tried, and for the last 6 years only having a few months of relief, I am worried and curious about what the future holds with the doctor directing us to the Mayo Clinic. Does anyone have a story with parallels here? I feel like this has become a losing battle and we are just cycling through the medications waiting for a miracle. Would love to hear from people who have been through something similar.

I have been thinking about how Votuko's theory can be extended/used to explain whyOkabe must deceive himself and cannot directly save Kurisu (Refer Stable Time loops in below post)
https://www.reddit.com/steinsgate/comments/15x6wij/a_new_guide_to_the_mechanics_of_steinsgate/
There has been a lot of discussion on "Consistent Past of Beta 1.130205 and SGWL 1.048596" so let me start out with my assumptions based on above post/theory:(% are taken from Amadeus Script)

• The Beat WL-A which is 1.130426 in ep 1 and the final Beta WL-B which is 1.130205 in ep 23/24 are assumed to have self-consistent loops (Explained in Votukos Theory using 4 facts that [Okabe heard himself in past] and [Mayuri,Daru waiting for their return] and [Loop shown withing a single divergence number in Amadeus Script] and [Okabe in VN comments that he is destined to try once to save Kurisu and cannot refuse Suzuha])
• My second assumption is based on a previous discussions that when Okabe from Alpha WL-A 0.571046 gets to Beta WL-B after deleting SERN database the consistent history that must account for the significant divergence change between Beta WL-A and Beta WL-B is either [Okabe doesnt send D-mail] or [Okabe sends D-mail but SERN fails to notice it ever] or [Okabe sends D-mail but after he gains "alpha experience by RS on 17/08" he uses the IBN5100 to delete it before SERN find out and then dismantles it]
• My 3rd assumption is that when Okabe RS From Alpha WL-A he does so on a bunch of Beta WL that have as much similar past as to his Beta WL-B that he actually lands into. This is very crucial assumption in my argument. There are evidence for this as when Okabe goes from WL X to Y and then Y to Z and then Z to Y1 which is similar to Y but slightly different the past of Y1 has an event of RS from X to Y as well and on top of it he also gaind RS from Z to Y1.

Now here is my Preliminary Thoughts:

1. Okabe must fail once for 2 reasons - [Satisfy the Time Loop] and [Get into the right WL to open ND]. (I believe the reason is more of the 2nd one since time-loop can be broken but its highly unprobable...essentially timeloop is the convergence sort of....but future okabe has this figured out since trying to break this loop is unnecessary for the plan and failing once could even help).Maybe breaking Loop might cause Okabe himself to vanish like Suzuha...which is unnecessary here!
2. Originally when ND is sent in 2025 it does nothing since Okabe doesnt see it/forgets it/encrypted..so essentially the original ND mail is like a test D-mail and forms its own loop without WL change.
3. This ND-mail loop is broken only when 2036 Suzuha travels with that info to Beta WL-B.(Generally Loops can only be broken by special information brought about by Time-Travel/RS)
4. When he goes back on his 2nd attempt he replaces his first attempt so the WL he goes back to 1.130212%(Beta WL-C) again has a Time Loop to be satisfied.

Here is the crux of my Speculative Theory:

• If Okabe tries to save Kurisu directly in Beta WL-C then past Okabe would not see Kurisu dead and will not send the D-mail and by my assumption 3 this past okabe will not get his [Alpha memories by RS!] since it was significantly changed. So now when a beta suzuha comes in this WL on 21/08 the Okabe she would meet will not have [Alpha memories] and might most likely [Not try to save Kurisu] thereby breaking the Loop!. So its not really like "Okabe seeing Kurisu in pool of blood is a convergence".... but him going to save her once ...which would happen only if he had the RS from Alpha...is the actual reason!
• So failing once was solely to [Receive ND]. While above loop can be theoretically-broken there was no need to do try out the unprobabilistic event since [Kurisu can be saved while preserving Loop] and [Divergence point of WW3 does not depend on the Loop!].
• So in the final SGWL this same loop still exists and on 17/08 SGWL Okabe "expereiences RS of alpha" and Suzuha arrives in 2010 and he willingle goes as before!...and is part of the reason why Kurisu is actually alive!
• So in SGWL there is 1 successful Time-loop only!
• A bigger loop of Suzuha 2036->1975->2000->2010 is also broken only after the Thesis burns.

So what does my Theory help to resolve:

1. Why there arent 2 Okabes in SGWL [Becos its a Time-Loop..the past Okabe hears himself scream and does the same in the future and gets stabbed].
2. We dont require SGWL Okabe to get ad-hocly stabbed somehow.
3. Since experiences arent changed from Okabe POV he experiences No RS!.
4. Why Okabe must deceive his past.
5. Why Okabe doesnt vanish after his return.

Now one bonus question is can above theory be extended further to explain why Suzuha disappears? Votuko simply states that Suzuha cannot complete her Loop....

• One thing we dont know is Why Okabe never got IBN5100 in SGWL when he got it in Beta WL-B? Generally we expect SGWL past before 28/07 and Okabe POV in Beta upto 17/08 to remain unchanged in SGWL as well....but since Suzuhas Loop is broken I suspect it has to do something with that! Maybe SERN sees the message but also sees Kurisu alive and ignores it as a prank or something?
• Is above related to somehow Suzuha not ever going to 1975/2000 of the SGWL since her Beta Loop was broken and her arriving at 2010 from a different WL was a single event without a Loop?
• If a Suzuha indeed came to 2010 in SGWL do Mayuri and Daru actually remember her and Okabe leaving ?

I was thinking the following:

1. So maybe Suzuha originally planned on what to do if SGWL is reached and there might be a new loop in SGWL where a beta Suzuha arrives on 2010 then [goes to 2000 solves Y2K and dies there/goes back to the far past]
2. Her disappearance is simply due to breaking of the Loop itself...it is a highly unprobable event but has happened!..it is similar to No AlphaSuzuha in Beta AF....and also aligns with Okabe telling that Suzuha vanishing is evidence ->for Loop breaking -> that SGWL is reached...
3. Or that there exists a bigger Loop outside to be explained in S;???....from what it seems Alpha is a sort of loop within beta and beta itself is a loop...

Hello, I need help finding a commercial. For context, I have lived in a city called Sierra Vista, located in Arizona, for most of my life, and me and my family would frequent the local Cinemark a lot. Before the theater would show major trailers, they would show local commercials for businesses, and one of these commercials I remember quite distinctly. The commercial would start out with a handsome guy walking into a diner where he is then noticed by two women, but before the women can say anything to him, he opens his mouth, presumably to smile, where we then see his disheveled, almost vampire-like teeth. The women are disgusted before they then look at each other and say the phrase, “He needs Doctor Drew.” The commercial then cuts to a photo montage of presumably the doctor's office with a voice-over by a woman with a very monotone voice. Also in this photo montage is a freeze frame of the guy with the disheveled teeth I mentioned earlier. This commercial used to scare me which is why I have wanted to find it since then. I saw this commercial sometime in the early 2010's, 2009-2015 seems like a good estimate. I also saw this commercial a handful of times for different showings when I went to the theater during that timeframe, not just once. Due to the commercial’s emphasis on teeth, it is likely a commercial for a dentist office, though it could also be for something like plastic surgery. Also I don’t remember specifically what the two women called the doctor, my mind just went to Doctor Drew since that seemed right to me, but I could be wrong, and I don’t think the ad has anything to do with the famous Doctor Drew. When doing research, I found three commercials that are similar to what I am looking for but aren’t it, I will link them with this post so you have an idea of what I am looking for. Let me know if you have any suggestions on what this commercial could be or if you have suggestions on how I can find it, thanks.
https://youtu.be/7Ih6E4Sf2Lk?si=KRsbsdW2LT8kjESY
https://youtu.be/Ub1KKm2jDkc?si=6eLcV_qq7af_5EDn
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0W1EeMoeRE