By Dave Stewart • Charlottetown • 2024-05-07
Another step forward was taken for the Queer community and Queer artists during the 2024 ECMAs held in Charlottetown April 30-May 5. TD Connected Concerts: Queer Brunch Presented by Pride PEI and PEERS Alliance, the first ever Queer artist ECMA showcase, was held in the lobby of the Delta Prince Edward Hotel on May 4th.
This was an initiative of Queer identifying Chris Bolton, Administrative Coordinator with the East Coast Music Association. Bolton noted that the ECMAs are known for highlighting diversity, but that a showcase for specifically Queer artists had never been on the schedule. "Its importance, he says, is in visibility and bringing community together, specifically at a time when the Queer community has become the target of scapegoating."
With the intention of keeping the first Queer showcase “small, simple — to make it happen,” Bolton reached out to “local” connections in PEI, this year’s host province. With Cameron Cassidy, Executive Director of Pride PEI, and Scott Alan, Men’s Sexual Health Coordinator with PEERS Alliance, and contributor to Wayves Magazine, onboard, the showcase began to take shape. The lineup comprised Burry (Nova Scotia), Joce Reyome (PEI), Noah Malcolm (PEI), Jenny Mallard (NL), and Brandon Howard Roy (PEI).
Hosted by CBC PEI Associate Producer Victoria Walton, the showcase featured a short interview with each artist before a three-song set, followed by a short wrap-up interview. If the crowd gathered in the lobby of the Delta was noisy during the interview segments (the ECMAs are a working event after all), the power of each performer and their music hushed the crowd, holding its attention throughout their sets, without exception.
Talking with Joce Reyome after their set, we discussed just what constitutes “Queer music”. We settled on this: More than any genre, it’s the performer rather than the style of music that tags it as Queer. As Reyome notes, regardless of the style of music a Queer artist plays, “it just strikes a chord with us.”
As to how they feel about being a part of the first ever Queer ECMA showcase, Reyome says they are “honoured. It feels really special. I hope that (the showcase) becomes a regular part of the ECMAs.”
That’s a sentiment Chris Bolton echoes. This showcase “is an opportunity for the ECMAs to show where they stand. It’s the first of what I hope to be many. When we come back to PEI in five years, I want it to be bigger!”
Check out the artists featured in the first ever ECMA Queer Showcase: burrymusic.com, jocereyome.com, noahmalcolm.com, jennymallardmusic.com, and brandonhowardroy.com.
Photos in the Wayves article, https://wayves.ca/ecma-queer-artist-showcase-2024

Welcome To The VS Arena!

Here are the rules.

1. Participants will propose a match up to be discussed by other participants. The match up must include at least 1 RWBY character
2. Proposed match ups can include special conditions such as what environment the combatants are in, limitations to their abilities, specific versions of said characters etc.
3. Participants will reply to a proposed match up with their own arguments for the outcome, starting their reply with their desired victor's name bolded.
4. You are allowed to bring an argument in favor of both combatants, however, they must be separate replies.
5. Match ups are not limited to only combat. Any form of competition is allowed.
6. Minifics are allowed as long as they are replies to a match up and follows rule 3.
7. If you make a match up we highly encourage you to interact with another match up.
8. Please keep each fight contained to their respective reply chain.
9. We want a clean fight. Meaning that the regular code of conduct of the sub still applies. This is a discussion thread about imaginary fights so keep it civil and don't take it too seriously.

Post Example:

Weiss Vs Silver Chariot Conditions: No Polnareff. No abilities. Fencing Only.

Reply Example:

Silver Chariot Completely subjective argument about why Silver chariot would win the fight.

FIGHT!

⭐Semi-Final 1 tonight!

Today is the day - Semi-Final 1 kicks off at 21:00 CET! Be sure to check out our Live Thread, which will be linked here once it's open.
Good luck to all of the participants!

🎙️ Mods In Malmö & Rehearsals Coverage

As previously reported, some of our team were in Malmö last week conducting interviews and creating Reddit-reacts content with the artists. Our team has spent time searching through the appreciation posts, memes, and AMA posts to find the very best of your artwork, kind comments, and questions to share with the artists.
has kindly premiered these all on our subreddit, and you can find links to all the videos in this Mini AMA video megathread.

📝 Upcoming & Recent AMAs

Today: 5MIINUST and Puuluup answered some of your questions this morning in this thread!
And hopefully there will be more exciting AMAs TBC!
Check out our past AMAs on the Wiki, including Marcus & Martinus, Joost Klein Dons, and more!

Other Important Posts

🔊 Moderation changes

During our busiest week of the year, we will be implementing some changes in our moderation standard. These are not rule changes, but they focus discussion into fewer posts to allow us mods keep an eye on things easier and enjoy the shows as well. Basically, have fun and be nice to others.
You can read the full post about the changes here.

📈 Betting odds thread

Check out the daily odds thread for general discussions regarding the current state of the betting odds for Eurovision 2024.
Significant changes can be discussed in separate posts, but please ensure that the title contains no spoilers. The usual posting rules also apply - make sure you use descriptive titles, the correct flair and are promoting discussion.

🛫 Tickets, Travel, Tourism, and where to find public viewing parties

Check out our Weekly Travel and Tourism Thread to ask your travel, tourism, or ticket related questions.
If you're looking for a public watch party in a particular area, please use our dedicated megathread!

📺 Where to watch ESC if the YouTube streams are geoblocked

Check out our dedicated wiki page!
The YouTube streams are blocked in the following countries: Australia, Greece, Lithuania, UK, and US.

🎵🎶 Top 37 Rankings: Results

The results of the final poll for the subreddit's Top 37 rankings are in! Check them out.

🎉 Fun and Games

We're excited to announce Eurovision Bingo, a special subreddit game coming during ESC week! Check out the Reddit Bing card later today!
One of our very own has also set up a FantaESC league for the community! Entries have now closed, but you can check out your team and share points updates with other participants in this thread!
We also now have a flairs leaderboard! Users can change their flair to reflect which country they are supporting this year and the leaderboard will update to reflect this automatically! We understand this is a different approach to flairs than many of us have traditionally taken but hope you will be willing to give this a go with us.

Add an altar to the game where you can modify Gods' behaviour. To progress the Altar, use gold for offerings so it would be a gold dump for people who have tons of it right now. You can divert points just like in talent tree with minor and major points. Minor points will give increased or reduced chance for gods to appear. For now I think one major point is good enough. Examples for major points:

1. Heretic - Whenever you use alteration on a god, their chances to appear and all the rarities of their offers are reduced. (they took it pretty hard)
2. Zealot (or monotheist) - You can only have one god. (I'm not sure if this should have a punishment attached to it or a bonus or maybe nothing.)
3. Opportunist - You can have as many gods as you want. All rarities are reduced.
4. Philosopher - Increased chance of casts to appear. Effect increases whenever you select a non cast blessing.
5. Devoted Follower - Increased chance of powers to appear. Every time you select a power from a god, their chance to appear increases.
6. Path of Exile - + 8 banishes. Everytime you banish a blessing, slightly reduce all rarities.
7. Amnesia - Whenever you banish a blessing you already have, remove it.
8. Treasurer - Gain 3 Keepers (a dice like banish reroll and alt) Select a non legendary blessing, it will disappear this level up, and reappear repeatedly on following rolls until you select it. Each time it reappears, its rarity is reduce by one level.
9. Greed - Whenever you pick up gold, you slightly increase all rarities for the next level up.
10. Wanderer - whenever you reroll, next roll will prioritize blessings not offered on the current one.
11. Highlander - On master rolls, all your level up offers add another level.
12. Scout - Blessings you already have, have a chance to appear in a roll as upgrade rarity and level up, up to expert. You cannot have master or legend blessings.

Ok this is going to be very long, thanks to those who want to read it!!
In August 2020 I had my first ocd episode (pocd) it was awful I had panic attacks and I simply thought I wasn't worthy of living, it lasted 8-9 months and towards the end I met my current boyfriend who I've been with for 3 years, the first year right after my graduation we moved to another country in Spain and we were so happy and had a great time, however in September 2023 we moved back to our country and unfortunately each to their own home. Not living together anymore was hard, I experienced it very badly, I hoped we would move in together again soon but due to changes related to our work we couldn't. Plus my home is a very anxiety ridden place for me, it’s quite toxic, my anxiety reaching the stars, until in November 2023 my rocd nightmare began. It started out thinking I had found my boyfriend's brother cute and wondered what that meant and if I had done something inappropriate, then moved on to my first ex whose name I got confused a few times with my current boyfriend's name (before rocd started) and so I thought it actually meant something, these two issues lasted about 15 days but at one point rocd caught up with another ex, let’s call him X, and that was really bad because rocd had "proof".
I had this ex on ig but when the obsessions started I deleted him and blocked him everywhere, but unfortunately - I looked at his profile and his current girlfriend's profile - I posted stories so he could see that I had moved to another country and how many things I was doing or me and my boyfriend did - but the worst thing is that I often imagined scenarios where I would meet him and he would give me compliments for example I imagined that I would speak another language in his presence, or that I would be funny or I imagined meeting him with his friends and he would compliment me on my appearance with them; very often I imagined meeting him with my boyfriend for example I imagined a scenario where my boyfriend and I would tell our friends that we got engaged while my ex was there or scenarios where my boyfriend and I would kiss or joke or cuddle or tell funny things. I once imagined us giving this ex of mine and his friends a lift in the car as my boyfriend and I were going to the airport to leave and I was driving like crazy because I was running late while my boyfriend was making a business call in another language. Or met our friends that we met in the other country and spoke different languages.
These are scenarios that I really often imagine and now I wonder what's really behind it!

• It is one time I had a sexual thought even though sex with him was so boring and I didn't like it 😩😩😩

Last year for a couple of months I went back to my country and decided to go to the gym near my home where I had met this ex, I actually thought I would meet him so he could ask me what I was doing in Spain etc and in fact I met him in the car park of the gym and he stopped for a couple of minutes to chat and told me that he was following me on ig and saw what I was doing and wanted to know how I was in Spain and I was very quiet I was pleased to have met him because I knew he was following me and that he was curious, while we were talking I looked at him and thought "I remember him being cuter" in fact I wrote a message to my sister saying just that I found him ugly. In September 2023 he commented on a food story that I had reported about my boyfriend and I responded quietly, I went on with my days I loved my boyfriend without any doubt, however I was quite happy that he had commented on the story I think always because of an ego factor. I mentally reviewed these two episodes again and again to understand what I had felt 😭😭😭 And now I question everything and wonder what my real intentions were if I wanted to be with X in truth.
Going back a little bit in 2020 this ex started posting pictures with a girl, just before that he had asked me to see us but there was the pandemic and I had my first ocd episode so we didn't see each other anymore but sometimes we were texting, to tell you the truth I was not saying bad but maybe impressed, it seemed strange to me that he got engaged because I didn't see him there, he was always very selective and anyway he never posted stories with girls. Actually at that time I was getting close again to my first ex (only to let it go because it was a story I had already seen) and this X I had forgotten about it I had him on ig but it ended there I later met my boyfriend, I was super in love with him until a few days before rocd started.
When I was dating this X he always praised me saying I was open-minded but actually he is the one who is closed-minded, everything to him is new/weird he is very curious about everything, about other people, about what they do and I knew that and I think I did/imagined those things precisely because I knew that, I knew it would be curious.
Now, the first two months of the rocd I was so bad, I was crying, I couldn't eat, I had stomach ache ,nausea and I couldn't see my boyfriend, I asked for a break twice, each of a week. I didn't go out because the city is small and I was afraid that I might meet this ex moreover when my boyfriend and I were going out (before the obsessions) a few times I thought "is it possible that we will meet him" and my brain takes all this evidence as proofs that I like my ex and honestly it really seems to be: "Did you see his profile, did you post those things just to show him, did you imagine those things and if you want to be with him? What if you actually always wanted to be with him? Who knows what these things mean."
My compulsions in the beginning were to remember again and again all the times I thought my boyfriend was the love of my life; I asked my sister for reassurance several times who told me that these are very normal things and that she had written to an ex to find out how he was doing just to know while she is in a very long relationship; I had her send me the screen of that message and reread it so many times for reassurance myself, I was on Reddit for days (still searching today). I tested myself by imagining this ex to figure out how I felt, sometimes I seemed to like him.
Also a few days before the obsessions started I was watching my boyfriend talking on the phone and thinking how lucky I was and how handsome he was and I took pictures of him and thought "now I'll post it so everyone can see how handsome he is,also X!" I used this thing and others to reassure myself etc. I even confessed at first some of my thoughts to my boyfriend because I felt guilty and asked him if he had also done something wrong in our relationship, he told me that he had thought about how it could have been with his ex but that these are normal thoughts.
I went through the paralyzing anxiety phase, I was afraid that I might like X or be interested in him, I started questioning even if I really loved my boyfriend or if I ever thought about whether I wanted to be with X, I started questioning everythink, I didn’t remember how I felt before the obsessions or how I felt about my boyfriend or how I was with him, then I couldn't feel feelings I felt apathetic, then I started to be afraid I wasn't afraid of the thoughts, then I had neither fear nor anxiety until today where I feel quite calm but I always have the same thought "what if I like X?” I try to imagine him to understand and sometimes it seems but I don't want to like him, I want to be with my boyfriend and these day I can more or less be okay with him but I carry around this huge weight and doubt "what if I like X" I just want to be able to say "no I don't like him" and be with my boyfriend just like I was before, I wish I never knew X or didn't do all those things I'm afraid it's true, it seems true it can be. Sometimes I just feel like I'm denying my real feelings for my ex. I am afraid especially because that relationship with ex was never lived and I wonder if I actually want to be with him and if I am interested but I never questioned the relationship with my boyfriend before (Although I also questioned this) it is the most beautiful and mature relationship ever, the best relationship ever I couldn't ask for.
Sometimes I don't even know if I'm interested in these thoughts anymore , I feel like they're not intrusive and that I'm not compulsive, I feel like there's just this plausible doubt. I don't know what to think it doesn't even look like rocd anymore.
Also two weeks ago this ex texted me (He had never written to me except on ig in September) with a different number because he realized I had blocked him everywhere, I started crying, with that message he brought my obsessions into the real world and new "what ifs" started. I didn’t respond and blocked that number as well
In any case It was also very hard to understand the intrusive thoughts and compulsions of rocd compared to pocd, here they seem even more real and hard to understand!
I don't know what my question is I just wanted to tell it, thank you for those who will read and I apologize for my english.
I'm doing therapy, CBT, ACT homework, etc.

Hi po, I got interviewed last thursday then ngayon nag follow up ako kung ano update at nagreponse naman sila pero magkaiba po ang sinabi nung dalawang talent acquisition (TA). Yung TA ang sabi all positions are filled, mga bandang 3:30 pm ko nareceive yung email then meron pong sumunod na email galing sa isa pang TA ang sabi nag aantay pa ng response from the manager at nareceive ko yung email mga 4:50 pm.
Ang tanong ko po is nagkamali lang ba si TA1 nang nasendan ng email? (Charr, hoping po tlga kasi ako sa work nato) or it means wala na akong pag asa dito? Hehe.

In the verdant landscapes of Palakkad, Kerala, lies a treasure trove of educational excellence - the top B.Tech colleges in the region. Aspiring engineers flock to these institutions, drawn by their stellar reputation, world-class infrastructure, and unwavering commitment to nurturing talent. In this comprehensive guide, we embark on a journey to uncover the finest B.Tech colleges in Palakkad, shedding light on their eligibility criteria, specializations, admission processes, fees, NIRF rankings, entrance exams, and distinguishing features.
B.Tech College in Palakkad:
Palakkad, often hailed as the "Gateway of Kerala," boasts a vibrant educational landscape, with B.Tech colleges at the forefront of technological innovation and excellence. These institutions serve as incubators of talent, fostering creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills among students. From government-run establishments to private institutions, Palakkad offers a diverse array of B.Tech colleges catering to the aspirations of aspiring engineers.
B.Tech College in Palakkad Eligibility Criteria:
The eligibility criteria for B.Tech colleges in Palakkad typically include a minimum aggregate score in the qualifying examination (usually 10+2 or equivalent) with Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry as compulsory subjects. Additionally, candidates may be required to clear entrance exams such as JEE Main or state-level engineering entrance tests to secure admission.
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Palakkad's B.Tech colleges offer a plethora of specializations to cater to the diverse interests and career aspirations of students. From traditional disciplines like Civil, Mechanical, and Electrical Engineering to cutting-edge fields like Computer Science, Electronics & Communication, and Information Technology, these colleges provide a comprehensive range of specialization options to choose from.
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Admission to B.Tech colleges in Palakkad is a highly competitive process, with candidates vying for limited seats based on their performance in entrance exams, academic credentials, and sometimes, personal interviews. Government colleges may follow centralized counseling procedures conducted by state authorities, while private institutions may have their own admission processes.
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The fee structure for B.Tech programs in Palakkad varies depending on the college, specialization, and whether it's a government or private institution. Government colleges typically have lower tuition fees compared to private colleges, which may also offer scholarships and financial aid to deserving students.
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The National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) ranks educational institutions across India based on various parameters such as teaching, learning, research, and outreach. Several B.Tech colleges in Palakkad have secured commendable rankings in the NIRF, reflecting their academic excellence and overall performance on a national level.
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Entrance exams play a crucial role in determining admission to B.Tech colleges in Palakkad. Popular entrance exams include the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main, Kerala Engineering Architecture Medical (KEAM), and state-level engineering entrance tests conducted by respective state authorities. These exams assess candidates' aptitude and subject knowledge, serving as a gateway to prestigious engineering institutions.
Government B.Tech College in Palakkad:
Government Engineering College, Palakkad (GEC-P), stands as a shining example of excellence in technical education. Affiliated with the APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University, GEC-P offers a range of B.Tech programs with state-of-the-art infrastructure, experienced faculty, and robust placement support, making it a preferred choice for engineering aspirants.
Private B.Tech College in Palakkad:
Private B.Tech colleges in Palakkad, such as NSS College of Engineering and Sahrdaya College of Engineering and Technology, are renowned for their academic rigor, industry partnerships, and holistic development programs. These institutions offer a conducive learning environment, modern amenities, and ample opportunities for students to excel academically and professionally.
Best B.Tech College in Palakkad:
While each B.Tech college in Palakkad has its own unique strengths and offerings, Government Engineering College, Palakkad (GEC-P), often emerges as a top choice for engineering aspirants due to its stellar reputation, comprehensive curriculum, and high placement records. However, students are encouraged to explore all available options and choose the college that best aligns with their academic goals and career aspirations.
In conclusion, the top B.Tech colleges in Palakkad symbolize the region's commitment to excellence in technical education and research. With their world-class infrastructure, experienced faculty, and industry-aligned curriculum, these institutions empower students to become future leaders and innovators in the field of engineering. Whether it's a government-run establishment or a private institution, Palakkad offers a wealth of opportunities for aspiring engineers to realize their dreams and embark on a rewarding career path.

It is just an easy theory, how we can liberate or defend planets faster. So here the facts what we need therefore is the special ressource squad-impact which we are gaining for every completed main-mission. The squad-impact has a value of 0,0001% or for easier understanding 1 SI. So we will need 1.000.000 SI for liberating a planet, negative impact from enemy-party not included. (Defending is something about 450.000 SI down to 250.000 SI)
So far the basic, so what can we do for a faster liberation.
First task attacking/ defending planets with a great number of players.
Second task doing as much main-missions as we can in a short time.
Here my theory for a better community strategy
It doesn´t matter on which level you play you will only get 1 SI for every main, this means for a level 7 operation with 3 mains you will get 3 SI(If operation not failed). But the problem is you will need in average 3 to 4 players and 1h to reach that goal (Just an example). Just calculate that, 3SI/h diveded by 3 players makes 1SI/h for one player. Then 10.000 players can generate 10.000 SI or 1% of liberartion per hour. Sounds good but if we think about the negative impact which is now -1%/h on robot planets and 2,5%-3% on bug planets, we will see that we need a number up to 30.000 players to hold the status quo. So far the logic of the 1st task.
Don´t try to liberate planets where are only 1.000 players.
Let us calculate another example for the second task. What if the 3 players are just playing level 1 missions solo for 1h. My personnel experience shows that it is possible to absolvate 5-10 mains in one hour(fastest 2:40min + 2min loading/mission-screens). This means 5 SI/h for one player in minimum, 5 times of the group that played level 7. In this case only 2.000 payers are needed for liberating 1%. Can you see the simple logic?
So what solution do I want? I´m not begging you to play just solo/ level 1-missions, you can play how and where you want.
But think about it if 1.000.000 player would only play 3 solo-mission on level 1 per day we can liberate 2-3 planets per day! Instead of 1 in 2 days. Or defending planets in much faster way.
You only have to invest 20 minutes a day.
For democracy!

<< First < Back
My ears perked up at the shifting of branches outside of my view. A low growl echoed through the dense foliage that surrounded me. Who was there? What was there?
I had been wandering this forest for what felt like days, but in reality, was only a handful of hours. I was searching for anything, anywhere that could help me on my new journey. Minutes earlier, a hunger and thirst had gnawed at my insides, reminding me I no longer had the soul power to simply ignore hunger and thirst. I had chuckled to myself, recalling the moments my soul shattered and a singular piece ejected into this dimension, continuing my existence, but at a cost of most of my soul.
I instinctually willed power into my hand, shaping it into a sword, before sighing when was warned of using too much before I had finished the hilt.
SP: 14
Soul stage: Shattered
Soul power gain multi: 0.01X
I couldn’t risk losing the final shreds of soul power I had left. With a grimace, I stopped making the sword, willing the power back into my soul, and taking quick glances at my surroundings. Even without my supernatural abilities, I was still a talented fighter.
Is what I would have said if the creature charging at me wasn’t a wolf or boar shaped thing twice my height.
Diving for cover and out of the path of the creature, I booked it. Screw hunting, there was no way in hell I was taking down this freak of nature. Sprinting through the trees, I failed to account for the fact that the gigantic wolf-boar was, in fact, faster than me.
Battle instincts hadn’t disappeared with the rest of my soul, however, as I flattened myself again when the wolf was upon me. I was about to scramble to my feet again when I heard something yell behind me.
The language was unrecognisable, but I stayed down when I saw a flash of light from where the voice originated. A searing hot ball of flame flew over my head, nailing the wolf in the face, stunning it briefly. I looked up to see a man, hands coated in a bright purple light, chanting something. He pushed them forwards, bombarding the creature with a flurry of purple bolts.
The animal screams in agony before crumpling, and the man lands, breathing heavily. He turns to me, grinning and spoke in a language I could not interpret. Right. Isekai worlds, different languages. Duh.
Upon noticing my blank face, he stared expectantly.
I instinctively reached towards a universal translator skill I once had, before realising in that space was just… emptiness. I let out a sigh. Power loss was a steep price to pay for survival.
“Um… do you speak English?” I stuttered out.
The man returned my blank stare.
“Well, I guess that’s a no.” I picked myself off the ground and dusted myself off, checking for any cuts and major damage. A couple of bruises, throbbed, a painful reminder of my loss of healing abilities. When I turned my attention back to the man, he had begun a string of gestures.
First, he pointed to me, then made a mouth opening and mimed putting something in. I supposed it had been an offer of food. Odd, but I nodded in response. I suppose I shouldn’t question the culture of the world, and this man was offering me a free meal, which I wasn’t in the mood to turn down.
He turned, gesturing me to follow, which I did. He lead me back to a small cabin, deeper into the woods and lead me inside. It was quaint, like what someone would expect an abode in the middle of the forest to look like. A brick fireplace, a small bed, a bookshelf, it emanated the sense of rustic comfort.
He picked a book from the bookshelves, flipping it open to an empty page and leaving it on the table with what looked like a writing utensil. Then, he made more gestures. He pointed to me and wrote onto the book. A crude representation of a person, an arrow, and a chair.
Was he asking me to attack a chair with an arrow…?
Wait he wasn’t done. He added an extra symbol that showed the person sitting onto the chair. I mentally facepalmed. So much for universal imagery. I took a seat and pondered the exchange. Even though it seemed like images and their representations were universal, it became very apparent that even the simplest gestures could be interpreted incorrectly.
He put the book and the utensil down and went to the small kitchen area, which held a steaming pot. An aroma of a freshly made stew lingered in the air. Stereotypical, but beggars can’t be choosers.
While waiting for the man to finish making the food, I turned my attention to the fragmented state of my soul.
SP: 15
Soul stage: Shattered
Soul power gain multi: 0.01X
In the 10 minutes we had spent walking, my soul had accumulated a whole extra point of soul power. I groaned at the painfully slow speed and mulled over my options. Previously, I had upgraded my generation speed with my soul power. Spending soul power to make more soul power, I had likened it to an idle game. Alternatively, entering higher soul stages would provide a boost in soul power and reduce skill costs.
I tried upgrading my soul generation capacity first. I focused my meagre power inwards to expanding my soul, coaxing it to grow. It was… way easier than normal, which made sense I suppose, due to the small state of my soul. Soul power condensed and coagulated around my soul, making it bigger, stronger, giving it more capacity and power. Sure enough, when I checked my status…
Soul power gain multi: 0.02X
Doubled. Not bad, but still pitifully weak. I tried the next strategy. Soul stages were entered and exited based on user willpower, which I fortunately had a lot of training with. Even if my soul was lost, my mind wasn’t. I called upon the will that would have easily allowed me to enter soul stage 1 and…
Warning, soul cannot handle excess soul power.
A sharp pain pulled me out of entering the soul stage. I had apparently reached the willpower requirement, but my shattered soul couldn’t handle the influx of energy. I sighed, stuck as a shattered soul until I could find some way to repair it.
Fortunately, my downed spirit was cheered by the presence of the fresh soup placed in front of me. I gave the man a smile, which he returned before digging in. Despite the mouth watering aroma, a sliver of doubt remained. What if the food was unsanitary, or potentially poisonous? But the battle for hunger eventually won over, and I scooped spoonfuls of the ambrosia into my mouth.
After our meal, the man pulled the book to him, in which he drew a house and a question mark next to it. I took a gamble and guessed he was inquiring about my home. For all intents and purposes, I was homeless, which I illustrated by drawing a stick figure walking away from a home with a cross through it.
The man had a look of understanding, before getting up and rummaging through his cupboards, eventually withdrawing a roll of some sort of soft fabrics. He handed them to me, started drawing again. Drawing a sun half obscured by a line, most likely a horizon, followed by a house with an arrow pointing towards it. He emphasised his point by pointing towards me and pointing down towards his feet. He wanted me to… stay?
I hesitated. I had far overstayed my welcome, but then where else would I stay? This kind stranger offered a roof over my head when I had none, so I wouldn’t turn down his generosity. I nodded and looked for a place to lay down the linen… mattress… thing.
***
Stretching and yawning, I winced as the remnants of back pain and exhaustion faded. Blinking away the haze of sleep, I gathered myself. Memories of yesterday flooded in, and I sighed. Still stuck in this Isekai world, great. Checking my interface, I noticed I had accumulated a bit of SP to work with.
SP: 158
Soul stage: Shattered
Soul power gain: 0.02X
First things first, I would try repair my soul as much as possible. Focusing inwards once more and directing energy towards my soul, I felt it expand much more readily than yesterday. Newly formed solid structures held much of the power together as it coagulated into one. I exhaled and checked my status again.
SP: 58
Soul stage: Foundation
Soul power gain: 0.2X
Empty talent slots: 1
I smiled, noticing my soul stage had transcended from “shattered”. It still wasn’t in the realm of what I was used to, so it was probably still abysmally weak, but a 10 times increase in soul power was very welcome. Though one unfamiliar feature caught my attention. Talent slots? What the hell were those?
The user expresses a strong desire to understand. Filling talent slot
The question vanished as soon it was arose, but a new addition took its place.
SP: 58
Soul stage: Foundation
Soul power gain: 0.2X
Talents:
Worldly information matrix
A subconscious echo popped into my mind as I read.
Talents were permanent emplacements within one’s soul that greatly boosts one specific aspect about the person. Whether it be mana regeneration, or a group of or even just one spell, it will strengthen that aspect significantly. Talent slots are unlocked upon the growth of one’s soul.
How the hell did I know that?
Before I could ponder any longer, shuffling was heard next to me, and the man sat up and stretched.
“Mmm, what’s the time…?” He muttered. His voice was deep, gruff, yet friendly and had an edge of kindness to it.
I looked around for some sort of time implement, and upon finding one, responded, “I don’t know how to read your clocks.” However, the words left my mouth in a language I never knew I could speak. We locked eyes in disbelief, and both made an exclamation of surprise.
“What the… I thought you couldn’t speak our tongue!”
“I didn’t know I could understand your language!” I fumbled over the unfamiliar words in my mouth. But whatever changed, it allowed me to speak this new dialect.
Gathering ourselves after the recent discovery, he sat me at the table as he poured me some form of hot beverage.
“So you can understand me now. Excellent! Now, who are you truly?”
“I am…” I hesitated. I searched my past, urging it to provide me my true identity. I sighed, knowing that my true name was lost to time. Instead I provided the name bestowed upon me by those I protected, by the world I had left behind. “I am Custos. The guardian of Earth.”
“I see. A pleasure to meet you Custos, I am Orion.” He chuckles, “I am no guardian unfortunately, just a humble hermit alone in these woods. It’s not common I get visitors. I have never heard of this ‘Earth’. Would you please enlighten me”
I hesitated once more. These people did not seem to know about interstellar travel, let alone interdimensional. “It’s a land from far, far away.”
He nodded, and sipped from his cup, urging me to do the same. “That explains why you didn’t know our tongue. Speaking of, how did you manage to learn our tongue so quickly? No translation spells around here, I assure you.”
“Apparently I used a talent slot to unlock a-“
The sound of a cup clattering onto the table cut me off. “You used a talent slot for it?! Why?”
I raised an eyebrow. “Are they that valuable?”
The man gave me an exasperated look. “Valuable? They’re priceless! Enhance magic, grant infinite strength, and you chose being bilingual.”
“Ah I see. Is this permanent?”
The man shook his head. “Every human has 5 talent slots. Permanent, unchangeable, and once a talent has been assigned there is no way of removing it.”
I pondered his statement. It seemed to conflict with the information my own talent provided me, but I shook it off, disregarding it for another time.
“Unfortunate,” I said, taking a sip from my own cup. It tasted like a mocha, but less strong. “You mentioned you know spells? Are you some sort of wizard?”
He chuckled, “Not really, the mages are really up there in terms of skill. I’m just someone who wanted a bit of peace and quiet and learned a bit of magic along the way. This book has been my magical bible.” He stood and fetched another book from his bookshelf, opening it in front of me.
The words shuffled and morphed into a language I could understand, courtesy of my talent, as I read through it. It contained a comprehensive list of spells, alongside Orion’s notes and diagrams, scrawled over the pages.
“Interesting.” I murmured, a spark of curiosity igniting within me. “Well, best I take my leave. I’ve far overstayed my welcome.”
“Friend, no need to worry about that. You may stay as long as you like. Especially if you haven’t a place of your own.”
This man kindness bordered on naivety, but at least I didn’t have to worry about dying for now.

Somebody on here asked why SSRI meds, alpha blockers, or other things that relax sympathetic signaling (stress signals from the brain, spine, and nervous system) don't always work for those who have sympathetic innervation happening.
I commented to him but thought I'd make a full post about it to help others understand it. So this is in the context of answering his question, but it's meant to be a guide for others here to understand how this all works.
I fully understand how sympathetic innervation works because I dealt with it with my arms before I got hard flaccid, so I'm breaking this down for others because I see a lot of confusion on here, the same exact confusion I see in all the other health subs where sympathetic innervation is the culprit for most cases.
Note: I am in no way saying EVERY case is sympathetic innervation, but with how familiar I am with this, I'm certain at least 90% of people here have HF because of this.
Most (not all) cases are most likely sympathetic innervation (<---doctor explaining it in hard flaccid), which is responsible for hundreds of conditions (RSI, fibromyalgia, PTSD - including the pain and physical symptoms associated with it, CRPS, tempromandibular disorder, and many others). It is so prevalent that one can think of it as THE most common cause of health conditions worldwide, an invisible enemy that causes everything from chronic lower back pain to chronic migraines.
Hard flaccid sufferers are like family members to people in other health condition groups (those I mentioned above), and the one common thing people in these groups all share is a belief that they are seriously injured, diseased, or physically damaged beyond repair or whatever other worst-case scenario they've put inside their head. THIS thinking is one of the major reasons why people don't get better, though not the only factor. You can't simply think this away, but it plays a major role.
I had arm issues because of this (RSI) and it required a multi-prong approach over six months to finally correct the issue.
As an example: This isn't me, but someone who had similar arm issues and did the same things to improve (he calls it central sensitization, but that's a type of sympathetic innervation, same thing with more flaring of the nerves in addition to muscle tension): https://www.reddit.com/RSI/comments/wyk7jx/updatesuccess_story_6_months_into_treatment_2/
This is how it happens, in hard flaccid and many other health conditions (it doesn't always follow this exact path, fibromyalgia, for example, often starts with nerve flaring because it's a more severe form of sympathetic innervation - central sensitization (CS), which can also occur in hard flaccid and CPPS or any other condition with sympathetic innervation, though most here likely do not have CS):
Phase 1: The Muscles Start Tightening What happens is the nervous system becomes overractive from either a real injury (that often quickly heals) or worrying about an injury. The muscles start guarding the area, whether its in the pelvis or the penile muscles themselves.
If you're simply worrying about the area or holding stress there, this can start the process. If you've had previous trauma (e.g. childhood trauma, high stress in life prior to this, these can make you vulnerable, as you may already have a hyperactive nervous system as a result.) Poor posture can also make you vulnerable to this happening, because signaling becomes affected through a crooked spine or other poor structural issues.
Now in this very early stage, simply relaxing and not worrying about it, fixing posture, etc. can quickly fix the area or whatever medications you need to take to stop freaking out (e.g. antidepressants).
Phase 2: Sympathetic Innervation Starts However, over time, changes occur in the brain, the spine, and the nervous system, as the body adapts (changes are made in real time, every second of the day, in response to your emotions and your thoughts. This is plasticity, your body's way of adapting to protect itself from threats).
It learns to tighten these areas chronically, even when you're not worried, as a defensive mechanism (this is called maladaptive neuroplasticity). The "mal" means bad.
At this point medications might help, but you now have neural changes, so they're going to have work twice as hard now to relax the nervous system because it's like a raging wildfire because it's not just your thoughts and emotions causing tightening but actual neural pathways that form that chronically do what you were previously doing when worrying (tightening muscles)
Phase 3: Circulation & Nerve Signaling is Affected I had severe pain, tingling, spasming all through my arms. I had a NCV (nerve conduction test) done that showed nerve problems. The muscles were tensing because of the overactive nervous system, and this then compressed the nerves in certain areas where the muscle were tightening.
So to the person above who said "Doctors say its nerve issues," that's meaningless. Simply worrying about an area for a very long time or sympathetic innervation setting in and chronically tensing the muscles can cause nerve issues through this process I'm explaining. The muscles are causing the nerve issues in many cases, and the nervous system is the root cause of it all.
Phase 4: The Muscles Become Shortened Over time, the muscles become tight, which causes impaired circulation, less oxygen to the area, and shortened muscles.
Are SSRIs or simply relaxing going to stretch those muscles out? No, of course not. A multi-pronged approach is now necessary because you have multiple things going on.
So why do SSRI's or other meds not work for those who do have sympathetic innervation if these calm the nervous system? Because you're well-beyond Phase 1 and you need a multi-pronged approach, just like that guy in the post about his arms above, just like many others who have recovered from hard flaccid have said. Just like people with fibro and all those other conditions I mentioned normally need.

• Problem 1: You're holding stress in the area and the body is anxious because it's uncomfortable and/or affecting your life - Treatment: Meditation, relaxation techniques - full body relaxation.
• Problem 2: You're catastrophizing (thinking worst-case scenario - "I have a tear, this is permanent, I need surgery, etc." - Treatment: CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) with a therapist (this is meant to change your thought process, how you think about the condition itself, not the same as relaxing - this targets the neural wiring in the brain to prevent the maladaptive neural pathways from becoming strengthened. Your thought process tells your brain whether there is a threat, so this absolutely must change and it must be consistent every single day, you can't just relax your nervous system but still be thinking negatively. So you have to TRAIN your brain to stop these thoughts little by little until there are no seconds or minutes in the day where you're having a single negative thought about all this.) DO NOT UNDERSTIMATE this step. Everybody skips this step thinking it's mumbo jumbo and they're smarter than doctors who have put together programs for this, and everybody fails as a result. This has helped many people with CPPS, and hard flaccid sufferers need to seriously consider it for that reason alone. It's the gold standard for treating sympathetic innervation issues.
• Problem 3: The nervous system is chronically tensing the muscles as its been REWIRED to do that. This is beyond your thoughts and emotions and happens even when you're sleeping, it's hardwired in at this point - Treatment: CBT can help this too, but sometimes it's not enough and medications like antidepressants, alpha blockers, or sympathetic nerve blocks are required to stop the nervous system from chronically tensing, and PDE5 inhibitors like Cialis can help target specific muscles to relax while these other meds target the entire nervous system. IMPORTANT: You can't forgo the CBT. You must still change how you view this or these medications will have to work twice as hard, like a fish trying to swim against a raging current.
• Problem 4: Your muscles have become tightened and have lost circulation - Treatment: Physiotherapy/stretching/reverse kegels/exercise/fixing posture, etc. and possibly PDE5 inhibitors to get more circulation to the muscles.

For those who have sympathetic innervation, expect recovery take a very long time to treat once you start doing the things above, especially the mental aspects like CBT, which must be consistent every single day (e.g. not falling back into despair and worrying, that ruins progress).
It's also important to understand that once maladaptive neuroplasticity happens (this rewiring where the nervous system gets stuck in fight or flight), the brain and spine remember that because new neural pathways are formed, bad pathways. This isn't made up, researchers can see these on MRIs. They can also see positive neural pathways form from positive thinking on MRIs.
Your body keeps these new bad neural pathways in case the "threat" returns. So you may recover, and you may go years without having symptoms if you do this right, but then one day you might have a lot of stress in your life again and suddenly it comes back because it switches back to those defensive pathways (bad, maladaptive pathways).
This is when its most important to stick with what you learned with CBT and other things and don't start catastrophizing and freaking out again or it will become chronic again, because CBT also creates neural pathways, better ones. It's like shifting a train onto the right tracks, and accepting that occasionally it goes to the wrong tracks again and you keep nudging it it back to the right ones.
Natural CBT - The Placebo Effect: We've all heard of the "placebo effect." Most medical studies nowadays have to account for it and rule it out when testing medications. This is one of the most misunderstood things by lay folks (people who are not doctors), though even some doctors don't fully understand it. The placebo effect is often misunderstood as "This person THINKS they're getting better from a medication when they really aren't. They're imagining getting better."
They ARE getting better, just not from the medication. The placebo effect is natural CBT. It's a person THINKING a medication will help them, which rests their nervous system. It shifts the body from sympathetic mode (fight vs flight) to parasympathetic mode (rest and repair). Their thought patterns automatically change when they think they found something that's helping them, so they're no longer catastrophizing (thinking worst-case scenarios).
That's why I say this is an invisible enemy responsible for more health conditions than any other. Sympathetic innervation is THAT common, that it has to be accounted for in every single medical study involving medications.
So you have many people who try things like simply doing reverse kegels or something they think might help them, and they don't realize that their optimism is actually what's helping them. If you have chronically tensed muscles, reverse kegels, stretching, these things may help you in the short term by fixing PART of the problem, and then you thinking it's going to fix ALL of the problem DOES fix all of the problem as time goes on because you're changing how you think about you think about things and the signaling to tense your pelvic and dick muscles is no longer happening.
Example: This guy thought he overcame CPPS with stretches alone 4 years ago, has had 1 million people view his video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyGEVPuumtk
He was better for a long time, then it came back during high times of stress and he went back to doctors. There are MANY people in subs like this who get better like he did from both stretches or other methods and the placebo effect (natural CBT), but then it comes back and they start freaking out again and making the issue worse again.
Like most people, he struggled to accept that his brain and nervous system could be playing a role, so it took many years and many doctors telling him this until he finally understood and came across Mind-Body Syndrome 9 months ago.
Now, he's all in telling others that THIS was the true root of his problems. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LAbnAHQYjM
Many people (like myself with my arms) went through this very same process of discovery.
About me: I have hard flaccid, and while I'm not "cured" yet, I know what is causing it because of what happened years ago with my arms
Many of my symptoms have improved since I've started taking the same approach. It's hanging more, not stuck in the hard flaccid position anymore, just still have numbness, throbbing in the perineum and dick, major bulge in the perineum (which I'm sure is the muscle that has become hypertrophied from constantly being tensed, no different than people with TMD who get chipmunk cheeks from clenching and need Botox to shrink the muscles).
I get severe pain with erections and a very horrifying sharp curve to the right, like a complete right turn, likely a tight/shortened muscle on one side that's still kinked up.
It's not Peyronie's because I've seen it go completely away on occasion (when drinking and completely happy, two occasions this year, and also when I had a very large dose of clonazepam, which suppresses the nervous system, neither of which are treatments or things that can be done regularly for this.)
Many of you are freaking out about losing morning wood or having a little loss of sensation and can still have sex or can still have sex when taking Cialis. I can't have sex or masturbate whatsoever (unless it's that rare occasion where my nervous system is suppressed, serotonin is flowing because I'm happy, and it fully straightens out).
I want you to understand how bad things are for me and how I'm still maintaining the right mindset to fix this. If I can do it, you can too.
Get Testing Done: Again, I am not saying ALL cases are sympathetic innervation, see a doctor, get diagnostic testing done.
But when your diagnostic tests are not showing anything, that makes it highly probable its sympathetic innervation, and at that point, you need to buckle down, do the mental and physical work CONSISTENTLY every single day for at least 6 months, stop catastrophizing, and see if it helps. It's also more probable its sympathetic innervation if it didn't occur right away.
If you had an injury or THOUGHT you had an injury and hard flaccid gradually started to show up over the next few days or weeks, that is more likely to be sympathetic innervation. Put your emotions aside and logically think about this. A tear or something else that's structural would most likely result in these symptoms immediately. Sympathetic innervation takes place gradually over a few days as the muscles start tightening more and more from worrying.
If you don't do the mental and physical work and keep convincing yourself you're structurally damaged when tests say otherwise, you may end up with a lifetime of this over something that is completely reversible if you can just put your egos aside, humble yourselves, and do something you might be skeptical of. This also means not constantly jumping on here to relate with others about it.
With my arms, I had to find others who related to what I was going through, I felt isolated because my friends didnt understand or care, but at some point, you have to move out of "victim mode," because you can't do that and CBT at the same time, they cancel each other out.
I'm slowly improving, at least not in a constant hard flaccid state anymore, so I'll see you all back here in 6 months when I'll be mostly recovered. This is the mindset you need or you won't make it out of this IF sympathetic innervation is your issue.

I thought I'd share my experiences here as folks might find it useful. My personal experience with is with Wordpress and vBuleltin/Xenforo forum communities for handling mass emails. So cleaning forum member email lists is an important task. Here's the cost comparison table and demo email verification API comparison results.
I started out writing my own self-hosted email verification cleaning script called validated_emails.py that does syntax, DNS and SMTP checks and specifically support Xenforo options to spit out and display MySQL query to prevent Xenforo forum sending emails to bad email addresses.
But that led me down the rabbit hole of I adding commercial email verification service API support and ended up playing with and comparing these 5 services:

• EmailListVerify
• MillionVerifier
• MyEmailVerifier
• CaptainVerify
• Proofy

I shared my pesonal experiences with these 5 providers here.
However, was wondering if anyone folks here have experience with MillionVerifier with yahoo.com emails or others and experiencing differences in returned email status values for the same email address when using their bulk API vs per email checking API? I know it isn't an exact science but still.
One email address which is a known valid email `user@yahoo.com` which is classed as `unknown` in bulk API but classed as ok in per email verification API. Seems to be a bug in their bulk API then as the refunds only apply to bulk API and not per email verification checks due to differences in classifications in bulk API vs per email verification API.
I reached out to MillionVerifier chat support and they emailed me back saying:

We're glad you reached out to us about this issue, and we're here to help. The discrepancy you're seeing in the results is likely because we were unable to connect to the server during the verification process, leading to an "Unknown" result. However, for the single API, the connection went through smoothly, allowing us to verify the email without any problems. An "Unknown" result simply means that we couldn't determine the existence of the email at the time of verification. If you have any more questions, queries, or issues, we're more than happy to assist.

I tried a few attempts at bulk API for the same list of 15 emails, and `user@yahoo.com` is always marked as status = `unknown` and never anything different though? It would be hard to differentiate status classifications if it's due connection issues if they're lumped into other emails in unknown label. Maybe would be better to have a separate classification for connection issues so we can differentiate as such. For example, EmailListVerify has 18 different status classifications including for connection related issues.
cheers
George
​

I've been wrecking my brains over the following use case for days now and I seem to be missing a key understanding somehow or maybe my usecase is simply not possible.
I try to achieve the following:

Current Situation

A company has multiple websites, let's call them a.com, b.com, c.com, etc. These applications all run their own instances and databases. They currently also all have their own users tables. So a user can sign in to a.com with their username/password, but they won't be signed in to b.com (where they can have a different username/password).
Whenever a user does something on that website, it should include the token to the API calls so we can authenticate them.

Desired Situation

A single application who's only job it is to contain all users, profile information and subscription status. Let's host this application on authsso.com. So when a user is on a.com and want to sign in, they would be sent to (for example) authsso.com/signin?redirect_uri=. Once they're signed in, authsso.com will redirect them back to or first to a.com/auth/callback or whatever.
Now when they visit b.com they should also be signed in there. If that can't work (for some reason) we're also fine with them having to click "Sign in" there, which will send them to authsso.com which will see they're signed in and will redirect them back.
Basically how a (for example Google) oauth works from a user perspective.

The problem

I have authsso.com running and signing in works. However, I don't understand if and how I can make a.com and b.com adopt the session in the frontend.
Should I add the access_token in the redirect back to the tenant (so something like a.com/auth/callback?token=)? If so, how do I make the frontend adopt that session? In the frontend of the "tenants" we use @supabase/supabase-js. We can use the function supabase.auth.getUser(token), but that only gets the user and doesn't create a session for the tenant. supabase.auth.getSession() exists, but there I also need the refresh token. I know that sending the access_token over a query param is already not a really good practise, let alone sending the refresh token as well.
Or should we have a backend endpoint on api.a.com to validate the token and (for example) provide an httpOnly cookie from there?

Considerations

I have looked at things like auth0 obviously, but they feel rather expensive. Another consideration is to host Keycloak, but it feels like I'm really close to making this work with Supabase.
I would really appreciate your help and insights here. If you have a repo or some snippets to share to give an idea on how this works, that would help me a lot. I have tried searching this subreddit and it seems like some of you have something like this working, but don't share how you did it.
Thank you.

So I came up with this idea for what I believe to be a really fun concept for a new Pokemon game. I have loved the series since I was very young (I’m 24 now) and I would love to see a few of these ideas implemented in the future!
Please leave your feedback and comments! I would love to discuss this idea!
Concept name: “Pokemon: Champions”
It is a remastered version of all 3 of the first generations of Pokemon, COMBINED into ONE game. Not as 3 separate releases, but as one release combining all 3 major titles (Pokemon: Red & Blue, Gold & Silver, and Ruby & Sapphire). Based in a 3D world similar to Scarlet and Violet, this will be a modernization of the original games. The game will be optionally online allowing you to decide if you want to experience Pokemon online with other players, cooperatively with your friends, or solo! The choice is yours!
What’s New?

• The Map will be a combination of all three original regions with one mystery region at the center. You will be able to traverse between the three regions by utilizing fly, a gate, boat, etc.. to travel to the next region to continue your journey after completing your starting region’s primary objective (Defeating the Champion). Each player’s starting region will be determined by which copy of the game they choose to purchase.
• There will be 3 separate versions of this game, each with its own generation and starting region. Region exclusives will be very limited but will exist to encourage players to connect with others from different starting regions.
• Once a player has completed the main objective in their starting region, they will be given the option to decide on a new region to continue their journey.
• Players will have the option to embark on this journey alone, with a friend, or online with other Nintendo online users. These three modes will be titled respectively, “Adventure, Co-op, & Champions”

Adventure - When starting an Adventure, Pokémon Champions will play just like any main series title. It is a standard adventure with the goal being to become the champion of all 3 main story regions!
Co-op - When playing Co-op, the experience is very similar to what you would find in Adventure mode, but now with the option of doing so with a friend! Both players will be able to conquer their region together once they have completed their original region. The story will adapt to the addition of a second player and tailor lines to intertwine both players into the story. Voice lines and dialogue will also vary based on whether the second player is present or not (NPC’s who previously spoke to you when your friend was present may ask about their absence, and certain enemies may mention their name in battle) ultimately changing certain aspects of the story.
(NOTE: Players cannot participate in any online adventure outside of their starting region until they have completed the main quest of that region. Once completed, the player will be given the option to play online in the next region of their choice. Though, the player CAN play Co-op with another player at the beginning of their adventure if they both have the same starting region.)
Champions - When playing Champions, the player will now have earned access to the central island, “Champions Mountain” located at the center of the 3 main islands. It is a tropical island that is surrounded by a beautiful beach, stunningly green valleys, a bustling city, and an enormous mountain in the center of it all. (Champions Mountain is the only location where a player has access to Pokémon from ALL 3 regions at the same time.) To gain access to Champions Mountain, players must first defeat the champion of their starting region. Once the champion is defeated, the player will now be introduced to whole new world of Pokémon! New species exist here and you are no longer alone to “Catch Em’ All” because Champions Mountain is a completely online experience that allows players to interact and battle against each other in the open world. The open world is separated into 4 separate stages, with each stage unlocking new Pokémon to catch and new trainers to battle! Each new stage requires a different badge status that can only be obtained through the completion of the main story. If the player has only defeated the champion of their starting region, they will only be allowed access to the first stage of the island, Beginner’s Beach.

• Beginner’s Beach, a forested beach that surrounds Champions mountain, littered with amazing new water and grass type Pokémon. Here, players will be welcomed and introduced to the island and the starting town of Little Kanto. They will be accompanied by other trainers who have just finished defeating the first region of their journey to becoming the champion. This is the first stage of the island and will be a testing ground for new trainers who are eager to prove themselves worthy of the next stage. In order to advance to new stages, the player’s must first either defeat the Stage Boss (The Pokémon party of the player with the most registered online wins after 80 total battles in the current stage) or they must defeat the champion of a second region within the main storyline. The Stage Boss will be located at the entrance to the next stage and will be a model of the Boss’s online character with the first Pokémon of their party standing next to them. Upon completing one of the two requirements, players may now gain access to Hero’s Hill. (Those who defeat the stage boss will receive an additional badge on their online profile for doing so)
  
• Hero’s Hill. Winding green meadows, beautiful forests, bordered by a mountain wall that is spotted with cave entrances. Players that have made it this far are worthy of such beautiful scenery. Many new Pokémon reside here with a larger range of types and evolution stages. Players here can explore the grassy meadows or wooded forests filled with flying, dark, and grass type Pokémon. Mountain caves can also be explored and are filled with fire, rock, ground, and steel type Pokémon! Hero’s Hill is an intermediate stage for trainers that are serious about becoming the next champion. This stage will also follow the “Stage Boss” system, but if the player has defeated the champion of a third region, they may also advance to the next stage, Victor’s Valley.
  
• Victor’s Valley. Where beautiful meadows meet a rocky tundra. This is the third stage of Champions Valley and also the final test that stands between the trainer and competing for the title of champion. We hope you brought your jacket, because it can get pretty cold here. Majority of the landscape is covered with snow and serves as the home of many new ice, flying, and dragon Pokémon with some water Pokémon living near the waterfall located at the center. This is the first stage where beating the stage boss or gaining gym badges will not assist in your advancement, because there is NO stage-boss. Here, you must win at least 30 battles INSIDE Victor’s Valley to advance to the final stage. Double Battles won with friends also count towards this number. Once completed, players will now have earned access to Champion’s Circle
  
• Champion’s Circle is the final stage of Champion’s Mountain. It rests at the peak of the mountain and is the central hub for all trainers who have now earned the title of Pokémon master. Here, players will compete against each other to earn rewards and leaderboard status that will be posted for all to see. Here, players will able to battle on stage for others within their server to spectate, trade amongst other high level players, and they will now have access to clan creation and even weekly events that take place at champion’s circle. The top players in your region as well as in the entire world will be displayed for all to see in the main lobby.
  

Well what do you think?? :)

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In March Peter Mullan, the actor who plays Durin III in S1—and it seems, in S2—recently had some choice comments on Rings of Power:

Following a short projection of a clip from the show [Rings of Power] in the room, Mullan sounded off: “Those shows have all the money in the world, and then it comes down to: ‘Daddy, love me.’ ‘I will try, son.’ It all comes down to very simple things that people take ridiculously seriously.” (source)

Mullan said elsewhere in previous interviews that the kind of literature he is into includes Dostoyevsky, who is a deeply psychological writer. One source I looked at described his works as "communication of a psychological state". Someone on Quora described his works as having "psychological depth, complex characters, and exploration of moral and spiritual dilemmas". This is really very different from what Tolkien does or is trying to achieve.
Compare Mullan's quote with this passage from Tolkien's On Fairy Stories (OFS), his essay laying out his overarching theory of fantasy literature (he uses the phrase "fairy stories") as it stood in the late 1930s:

And actually fairy-stories deal largely, or (the better ones) mainly, with simple or fundamental things, untouched by Fantasy, but these simplicities are made all the more luminous by their setting. For the story-maker who allows himself to be “free with” Nature can be her lover not her slave. It was in fairy-stories that I first divined the potency of the words, and the wonder of the things, such as stone, and wood, and iron; tree and grass; house and fire; bread and wine. (OFS, section titled "Recovery, Escape, Consolation"; emphasis added.)

Dostoyevsky is interested in realism, but Tolkien is, in this section, explicitly discussing things like escapism.
I find RoP with all its ups-and-downs, the wrinkles and warts, real or perceived, a wonderful piece of escapism. I can overlook things that apparently other people find off-putting.

A little backstory:
A few months ago I had a friend recommend me to his company (We'll refer to it as company A) for software development positions, sending my CV and some good words about me, as they had some positions open, and I was interested, and hey, why not have someone who already works there put in a good word?
Well, radio silence for about 2-3 months. No "we have no positions", no nothing. I read it's common, whatever, I stopped caring, so I had gone with another company (We'll refer to it as company B) through their recruitment process, sadly it's a pretty piss poor wage, but I had come to terms with it, at least it was a job, better than nothing, and I was really looking for something.
Fast forward to about a week ago. I had submitted most of my papers to company B, only had to sign their contract (so far we've only just talked and agreed about it, nothing was signed yet), which was going to happen in about a week and a bit or so from that point.
I get a call from some HR lady from company A, telling me they liked my CV, and wanted to give me some screening test, telling me it would be followed up by some other steps afterwards. Well this is something, right? That means they have some kind of thing for me, maybe I could even abandon ship with company B, tell them I got a better offer (because company A would actually offer me something better than what company B did), and enjoy something that's also remote.
So I'm planning and checking how things line up, how much time I have that I can abandon ship, planning in hopes that I get this offer.
I do the test, it was some generic leetcode-like thing, you know, standard procedure. I do it, everything is nice.
Since I got contacted through phone and not e-mail (I only have the no-reply address that they used to send me the link to the leetcode-like thingy), I asked my friend to let them know (since he was the one who recommended me and had access to whoever contacted me much more easily than I did) that I have another offer right now, and that it would be wise to let me know soon if they want to continue with me or give me feedback, etc.
It's now today. He sends in that e-mail. He gets a call from their HR, and gets told that there are no available positions for me, that I'd be placed on hold, and that they'd call me later on today.
I'm sorry, but what the hell is this? Wait 2-3 months so you can get some test that's usually a standard interview procedure in hiring someone in this field, only to be told there's no available positions, and to be placed on hold for future positions?
Thankfully I still have the other offer, but still:
Am I in the wrong to think I've been led on? Why would someone do this? I get that they want to have some list of candidates, etc etc, but I assume that they called me for a reason, right? Why would you send me some test for no reason?