All of this really depends on a robust foreign investment mechanic, but that feels inevitable at some point anyway. Also, wages in colonial regions of any sort still need to be way lower. In game mechanics terms, plantation workers in the Dutch East Indies were paid less than peasants, and a lot of creative and really evil techniques were used to move them away from subsistence farms. The game just doesn't go far enough suppressing wages in colonial regions. And finally, the player really needs to be able to release custom dominions with whatever arbitrary states they want.
A lot of people have talked about the tendency for the game to create high SoL colonies in Africa, and pretty much everyone agrees that it's both bad for gameplay and also just distasteful - an accidental whitewashing of a pretty dark thing. The game currently tries to handle it through modifiers, but it feels a bit clumsy, and it's questionably effective. A lot of people have pointed out that the problem fundamentally is that things like transportation costs aren't modeled, so these colonies have equal access to all the goods of the market. But a lot of the proposed solutions are pretty convoluted, both from a mechanics and performance point of view.
But the game already has a way to model all this. So here's a really simple thing: Dominions inside a strategic region should all share a market. And instead of dominions directly paying a tax on income, invisible two-way trade routes should form automatically for each good, with the overlord collecting tariffs. This neatly solves a number of problems:
One, it makes the relationship more extractive. Pops inside dominions still buy shit from the overlord's market, but at reduced quantities and higher prices.
Two, it kind of abstractly models something that currently feels a little weird: shipping iron from your colonies to your homelands to make into steel just shouldn't be quite as efficient as making steel on site.
Three, adding everyone in the world directly to your market feels kinda weird and probably isn't great for gameplay. Customs unions feel like they shouldn't span the entire world. If instead it was more about adding countries to a dominion's market, that mitigates that somewhat, and imo makes for more interesting gameplay. It also advantages local users of resources, which I think is a good thing.
Four, it gives a reason to actually use dominions as dominions instead of an infamy discount for conquest.
Five, it makes that mess in the Dutch East Indies actually make sense. Right now, it's just ugly border gore you know you're going to have to clean up eventually. You can't do anything with all those little subjects of subjects. With this system, they'd be fine as-is. Maybe it would be slightly better to bring them directly under the more oppressive colonial government you've got there to further suppress wages, but it still works. Making gameplay have interesting choices and tradeoffs and incentivizing players to act historically is good.
There are some pretty obvious objections:

What incentive would the player ever have to directly control territory?

Honestly, I don't think there'd really be one in most cases, and I think that's fine. I think for a game in this era, the player should have to carefully consider not just what territory they want, but how they're going to exploit it. And exploitation through directly holding it should really be an exception rather than the rule. This whole setup would create a tradeoff: If you create a dominion, you don't get taxes (directly or indirectly with the income payments gone,) and you get slightly less efficient access to the resources. If you puppet them, you get better access because they'd be in your customs union, and you'd get a cut of taxes. If you directly hold territory, you have to deal with turmoil, you still get no taxes, you get better market access, and you get to directly recruit troops. Probably not worth it, but up to the player in the end. And I think that's okay. In all cases, you'd still get returns for your investment pool provided you're capitalist, because we're presuming a good foreign investment mechanic.

But what if the dominion just builds industry there?

A problem if nothing else changes because they'd have better access to the raw resources. But again, there's a pretty simple solution: make qualifications matter more. It should be hard to use modern PMs, especially for factories, without good literacy and universities. And the player should have more control over the subect's politics and overall strategy. If the subject is autocratic, the player should be able to direct them to not worry about literacy and go full extraction. You wouldn't be able to do this to eg Canada without making it more autocratic, which would provoke turmoil and rebellions, but you could if you wanted to - though then you'd be stuck with a pretty low population region that nobody has any incentive to migrate to. And by taking this approach, you also neatly sidestep another objection, which is that dominions like Canada and the Dutch East Indies fundamentally were not the same and didn't function the same way.
On top of that, this approach makes unrecognized gameplay more interesting: although the game doesn't directly forbid it, you can't just immediately industrialize in the same way you could in Sweden or the Netherlands. You've gotta do small scale industrialization with obsolete PMs and slowly strategically provide jobs for more literate pops as you solve that situation. And it also gives states in the region a strong incentive to stay independent: there's no hope for modernization under the thumb of an overlord.
tl;dr, game right now is still too much of a map painter and is ahistoric in ways that are bad for gameplay and that have some unpleasant implications. This can be fixed through foreign investment mechanics, disincentivizing direct conquest, further suppressing wages in colonies, and decoupling dominions from their overlord's market.

Yes, this is the 5th year in a row I'm doing a Wrestlemania Haters' Guide. Why? Because the subject of pro wrestling hasn't been banned from the subrebbit, so loopholes ahoy, baby!
Anywho, this year's event is at SoFi Stadium in California. The last Wrestlemania in the state of California? Wrestlemania 31. A mostly well regarded PPV with one of the most shocking main event outcomes in Wrestlemania history. Remember when Wrestlemania shows had SEVEN matches on the main card? Apparently, since everyone needs their Wrestlemania payday, and two nights pay better than one, that is a reality that can no longer exist. Nowadays, Wrestlemania weekend means that for four consecutive days from Friday Night SmackDown to the Monday Night RAW the night after, your eyes are to be glued to the squared circle with zero deviation. With that in mind, and considering how batshit crazy WWE's behind the scenes drama and shift in power balance has been over the past year, we actually made it to Wrestlemania 39. Let's see the 13 matches vying for ultimate immortality.
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Brock Lesnar vs. Omos (with MVP)
Try to act surprised when I tell you that this matchup is rumored to be a Vince concept. It seems HHH has given Vince the one match to book, and thankfully nothing more.
That being said...guys...we need to take this time to particularly talk about Omos. This dude isn't getting over. He's fallen off ever since he lost the tag titles, and ended his feud with his former tag partner, AJ Styles. What's he been doing since? Mostly matches with Bobby Lashley again. Yes, Lashley vs Omos was a match at last year's Wrestlemania, and that loss has proven to only hurt Omos' relevance, and especially his TV time. Over the past year, his matchups have pretty much been exclusive to house shows. Either squashing much smaller men, or jobbing to Lashley in order to make The Almighty look better. The one time WWE actually chose to use him in any meaningful situation was a matchup against Braun Strowman at Crown Jewel. Which of course he lost that match.
Bottom line, He's just not that much of a presence anymore. I know that WWE under the HHH regime has seen the end of mass talent layoffs, but this guy is a waste of a matchup. He's got to go. His career is going absolutely nowhere, even with MVP at his side. Who in their right mind believes he can hang with Brock Lesnar?
Granted, Brock's the perfect opponent for him. A typical Omos match does not exceed 10 minutes, which is perfect for Brock's aggressive, fast-forward style. Furthermore, in terms of overall size, Omos is outside Brock's normal range of opponent. It's gonna be a Wrestlemania moment on its own when Brock lifts Omos up for the F-5, but after that... you're left with Omos getting tossed back into the toy chest until the next house show rolls around. Take the hint, WWE. Give Omos another loss, and send him back to his home in Nigeria. He misses his family dearly, and I think his fellow Omo-sapiens will understand how homesick this man is. (It's really bad when The Great Khali has done your act better).
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Seth "Freakin" Rollins vs. Logan Paul
Ok, you also get ONE celebrity based match, too, but that's it.
In all honesty, Logan Paul has lived above expectations as far as his in-ring performances are concerned. He's not the most compelling and relatable character, but he's able to put on matches that are at least good (vs Roman) to above average (vs Miz). I like to think of him as the male equivalent to Ronda Rousey, where WWE is just using his name for brand recognition. Although unlike Ronda, his name is not exactly lighting up the mainstream media, just social media. And it's not translating well to ratings and awareness that he's living in WWE City. I know that WWE saw how well Logan adapted to the sports entertainment scene. That's just what the Paul brothers tend to do. But here's the kicker. People don't want to see a Paul brother succeed. They want a Paul brother to get knocked on their ass via a huge crushing piston called "reality". Here's an example. When Jake Paul won a boxing match, it was whatever. When he lost to Tommy Fury just recently, now THAT is where the entertainment value was. And Jake did say to judge him by his losses, not his wins. We are prepared to do the same to Logan. Because all he has done so far in WWE is lose. Match quality aside, he has put the "L" in Logan. Let's see if this showdown with Seth gives him his Wrestlemania triumph.
Speaking of which, there's so little to say about Seth Rollins in this equation. At least he knows who his opponent is this year. At least he had the spectacular Cody Rhodes feud before the wrestling gods gave Cody time off (and a hell of a match to go out on). He did kinda get stuck trying to put Matt Riddle over before Riddle succumbed to his own vices, but this is the most over Seth Rollins has been. Most of it is the fancy new "sing me to the ring, and never stop singing" entrance, but it's the little things that make you a big star around these parts. And really, I can't picture anyone else in this scenario. The Visionary vs The Influencer. This should be a fun contest, and bragging rights for weeks to come if Rollins walks out the loser. However, if it means more of Logan Paul appearing in WWE... honestly, every wrestling fan loses. I know Logan says his contract is up after Wrestlemania, but somehow, I'm not a believer WWE will let him slip away that easily.
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Trish Stratus, Lita, and Becky Lynch vs. Damage CTRL (Bayley, Dakota Kai, and Iyo Sky)
Let's take you back to Summerslam 2022. Bianca Belair standing tall over an obsessed Becky Lynch, and then out comes Bayley. Away from the WWE for over a year to rehab a freak accident during training for the return to live events. But the twist no one was expecting is that Bayley didn't return alone. She brought back two women to form a stable that would be ever present across RAW ever since. Dakota Kai, previously handed her pink slip a few months prior, was given a second chance at her WWE life by Bayley. As well as Iyo Sky, who already had one foot out the door while living in NXT limbo. Thus, they formed the group Damage CTRL, and while neither member was successful in capturing singles gold (Especially Bayley.), the Women's Tag Team Championships... that was a different story. Aside from one week being without the titles, Kai/Sky have held them for 5 months. It's only recently that Becky Lynch and a returning Lita have come into possession of said titles, with a little help from Trish Stratus, who much like Lita, is never REALLY retired.
And now we have an interesting 6-woman tag contest that's been put together as a result. Becky Lynch and two Hall of Fame legends combat a group that needs a decisive Wrestlemania victory as a trio. Becky's been fighting Damage CTRL longer than anyone else, so it is safe to assume this will be the beginning of the end of this neverending war. Especially if Damage CTRL can finally walk away from their battles against Becky with heads held high... hopefully.
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Rey Mysterio vs. Dominik Mysterio
Yeah, this match was pretty much a foregone conclusion. I feel like they could have done this match at any Wrestlemania possible, but first we need someone to be heel in this contest, and it's sure as hell not gonna be Rey Mysterio.
So... Dominik... I'm a bit mixed on his career trajectory. Because right now, across the board, he's just good, but not great. He's trying to be on the same level as his father, sometimes even emulating him either for heat or grasping the Mysterio name for some miniscule level of credibility... but at this point, it's been more than a minute since his career started, and the excuses are running out. Hell, that promo where he declared he's the next Eddie Guerrero... yeah, that definitely ruffled a few feathers online. btw, still using Eddie's name as a vehicle in your Wrestlemania matchup build in 2023... come on, guys. And yes, Eddie came a long way as shown by his WCW work, and the level of promo that Guerrero was cutting at the time. So maybe it's better we get this shit version of Dominik out of the way now, so he can eventually become WWE Superstar Dominik Mysterio, with a celebrated World Championship reign of... 2 months.
What is actually happening here is that Rey Mysterio is being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame this year, so his career clock is running out. So this match is immediately happening before Rey's knees collapse into themselves, and thankfully, the way this match was booked ensures that Wrestlemania will be the point where this feud has absolutely peaked. God, the pop on Rey finally striking his son. I haven't seen him get that much pleasure out of beating his kids since he got his copy of WWE '13.
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Hell in a Cell Match
Edge vs "The Demon" Finn Balor
Ladies and gentlemen, your neverending feud. It wasn't too long ago that Edge formed The Judgment Day, a heel stable dedicated to taking the younger generation under Edge's wing. First, it was Damian Priest, a lost soul looking for guidance, looking to escape his never ending punishment. Then, it was Rhea Ripley, a individual whose presence in the group took on a life of its own (more on that later). And somewhere along the way, they even added Rey Mysterio's son, Dominik, into the fray, which he sorely needed. But none of those additions compared to their last member... Finn Balor, who immediately led a coup overthrowing Edge as their leader. It could be because Edge opposed the direction that The Judgment Day was going, but don't let rumors and heresay dissaude you from the fact that the preceding battle of Finn Balor leading The Judgment Day in a crusade to make Edge's life a living hell has been happening for a couple months too long. Even Edge's own wife had to pay the price for her troubles, and because Edge taught them too well. It feels like we've gone just about everywhere these two can go together... except Hell in a Cell. Oh, and Finn Balor's "Demon" persona is listed as the opponent, but hey, 3-4 hours in the makeup chair will absolutely be worth it to bring back a character he said he discarded in his second NXT run. Of course, wrestlers say a lot of things, but Finn's such a professional, we figured that declaration would stick.
At least this way, these two can guarantee a great Wrestlemania match... for about 15 minutes until Damian gets involved in some way. Plus it's probably Edge's match to lose. Unless he makes another agreement, this is his last year on his WWE contract. And of course The Judgment Day has nowhere to go but up. Even though it could possibly be a splintered group if Rhea gets the job done at Wrestlemania (again, more on that later.)
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Men's Wrestlemania Showcase
Braun Strowman and Ricochet vs. The Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford) vs. Alpha Academy (Chad Gable and Otis) vs. The Viking Raiders (Erik and Ivar)
Since the Tag Team title match later on is a 2 team affair, we need to show the world that, yes, we do indeed have other teams in reserve, and no, our tag team division is NOT dead why would you even say that!
These are, admittedly, the usual suspects. The Viking Raiders have been a "pushed one week, not pushed the next" team over the past couple years. More importantly, they haven't been consistently healthy. Finally getting their chance to make their mark, and a new face among them in Valhalla who's career is probably gonna last longer than theirs, perhaps they get a credible win this time around?
The Street Profits... still exist. WWE, in their endless quest to not pull the trigger on a Montez Ford push, has him continued to be weighed down by Angelo Dawkins, a guy who is good, but not AS good. Even if they win, let's be real. It's not going to improve their standing as a tag team.
Alpha Academy... is also still here. Despite WWE not knowing exactly what they are going to do with Otis, and Chad Gable continuing to be another jobber to the stars, we still have a team, miraculously. It feels like nowadays these two would be better off apart, which is weird to say considering they were mostly on top around this time last year.
The underdog in this scenario is the makeshift team with no name... Braun and Ricochet. Braun has seen success in the past, but Ricochet... the mountain he climbed wasn't nearly as tall. You look at this team, and you look at a duo that just doesn't belong. Individual success in singles, cannon fodder in a tag match. If anything, they might be the team to surprise everyone, and secure a victory here. It all depends on what their future holds, as well as the future of the tag division, considering what lies ahead.
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Women's Wrestlemania Showcase
Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez vs. Natalya and Shotzi vs. Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler vs. Chelsea Green and Sonya Deville
Supposedly, Becky Lynch & Lita were supposed to defend their Women's Tag Team Championship at Wrestlemania on top of the 6-woman clash with Damage CTRL. Now that is crazy. And clearly, WWE wasn't crazy enough to have Lita wrestle 2 nights in a row. So we have a Women's Tag Team showcase. And what a tag team showcase it is. Including tag teams that... aren't really tag teams. I could give you writeups on where each of these women are in their career prior to this tag team extravaganza, but let's cut to the chase. Ronda Rousey is in this match. Considering all the other women in this mix, Ronda Rousey is not walking away with an L at Wrestlemania (forget Wrestlemania 35, one of the most celebrated wins in women's wrestling). Her and Shayna Baszler would have more than likely become Women's Tag Team Champions had things been a little different, and I believe they will be by the end of the year, so if anyone needs this win for bragging rights and for the rocket to propel them towards the gold, it's Ronda and Shayna. Any other win is a waste of time. I will say I am surprised to see Chelsea Green at Wrestlemania. I feel like I just saw her in Impact Wrestling 6 months ago. She was absolutely gonna team with Carmella, but it appears the wrestling gods aren't done bringing maximum misfortune upon Carmella, so Sonya Deville, you're here. You're not doing anything. The rest of you... one of you is more than likely eating the pin. Natalya, thank you for your 15 year long service to WWE, and your service will continue with a Ronda exclamation point. You understand, of course...
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Still, what would Wrestlemania be without title defences? A legit question I hope that WWE never answers.
WWE United States Championship
Austin Theory (c) vs. John Cena
John Cena has not wrestled at Wrestlemania in 3 years. And hasn't wrestled at a live Wrestlemania in 5 years. And it was an Undertaker match that wasn't even properly advertised (Is a 2 minute match at Wrestlemania even a REAL match?)! It's so weird to see the hero of the Ruthless Aggression era absent from Wrestlemania. Not even talking about a match, just... not even a cameo? But it's fine. John Cena has his noteworthy career in Hollywood, and has to stop being Peacemaker to become WWE Superstar for one night only. His opponent?
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Austin Theory. Austin Theory is absolutely living up to his potential, at last. Over the past year, he has become a superstar that you can slot into pretty much any situation. Get your cheek bashed in by Tyson Fury? Done. Keep the US Championship relevant? Oh yeah. Main event for RAW? Done and dusted. While Roman is mostly King of SmackDown, it's RAW that is lacking in a World Title to call its own, and it feels like Austin Theory has done his damndest to take up the mantle. It's a shame that he has yet to receive that one victory to cement his place on the upper card. That match could very well be pinning John Cena at Wrestlemania, which is more than likely going to happen because Cena has so few Wrestlemania matches left in him, and the torch needs to be passed. Not that such a torch passing achievement is a sure thing, because Kurt Angle passed the torch to Baron Corbin in 2019, and... yeah. Should be a better match than people are thinking considering I don't think Cena has lost a single step post-Hollywood, and Austin Theory will no doubt be not only pulling out all the stops, but ripping them out, to boot. I assume there's a lot of certainty behind this stop ripping, because it's going to be the opening match of Wrestlemania on Saturday. Best of luck, Theory. Admittedly, this isn't the Austin vs Cena match I wanted, but we haven't fully invented time travel yet.
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WWE Intercontinental Championship
Gunther (c) vs. Sheamus vs. Drew McIntyre
Damn. Just... damn. If there was a singles match with any combination of these 3 men at Wrestlemania, you are guaranteed ****1/2 star minimum. The evidence speaks loudly. Drew and Sheamus wallop each other, and it's 4 stars. Gunther and Sheamus take lumps of flesh out of one another at Cardiff, it's considered a match of the year candidate. I feel for the human bodies in this war. Through Gunther's own impatience, what would have been a competitive 1v1 brawl turns into a Triple Threat clusterfuck, said in the nicest terms. There's only so much unique text I can type being envious of everyone in this match. It's not THE main event, but it's my main event.
Sheamus has spent the past year or two putting the heavy in heavyweight, being the hard hitting bruiser he always knew he could be. Teaming with The Brawling Brutes and being an overall menace in the 6-man division (Ha! You thought there was a Trios division in WWE, didn't you?).
Drew has been all over the card. World Title shot one month, feuding with Karrion Kross the previous months, and now he's got his chance at gold he can realistically carry for at least a couple months. If only said gold wasn't held by Gunther.
Gunther... the walking weapon of WWE (get well soon, Josh Alexander). I petition this man should absolutely get his name changed to Midas, because everything he touches is gold. All I have to do is point directly at his NXT matches with Ilya Dragunov, and say that such excessive violence is the peak of WWE content. And his match quality has stood strong even when he leapt up to the main roster. It's been that way for the past 9 months ever since he won the IC title. Body after body falling before his presence. The best IC Champion in a long time. If he loses this match, it's because WWE looked back at his... well, it's less of a true one-on-one match, and more of a "last two guys in the Royal Rumble" match against Cody, and realized that Gunther is that guy. And hopefully, he does not fall between the cracks in the process. This match has potential to be match of the year. Watch out, grab a bucket of popcorn, and hold it tight.
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RAW Women's Championship
Bianca Belair (c) vs. Asuka
Bianca, congratulations on your year long success. I'm all for you breaking down barriers, and making history (herstory's too cheesy, and I don't want to devalue her accomplishments), but what awaits you at this Wrestlemania is a challenger to your title unlike any other before her.
Asuka.
Asuka has transformed into a figure better representing her previous life as KANA. This is an Asuka not hindered by wacky dancing and horrendously awkward promos, this is an Asuka that plays with your head. Make you fear NOT what is coming, but why it hasn't already appeared. We've seen so little of this Asuka in WWE, and we've seen very little of these two in a one-on-one setting. Maybe a match here and there on RAW, but this pairing have yet to see a long term rivalry. At last, WWE have realized to, as the Fighting Game Community used to say, save that shit for nationals. Well, Wrestlemania is your nationals.
Asuka is a dangerous customer all her own. If she hasn't knocked your head off with precise kicks, or ripped you limb from limb in one of her many submissions, then beware what awaits you if she opens her mouth. And heaven knows how this new persona has affected her typical approach.
Bianca, you also know the score with her. Stamina to spare, and power for miles. She's been holding that RAW Women's Championship ever since last year's Wrestlemania, and has worn that title to the fullest, decimating any and all competitors who think they can hang with her. Including against Asuka at Hell in a Cell, with a little help from Becky. Now Bianca and Asuka need only focus on each other. This is a fresh new Asuka against a Bianca who is prepared to weather this tsunami threatening to take her title. Another classic Wrestlemania encounter awaits.
As for who will walk away with the cherry championship, I feel like Asuka wins, just because Bianca isn't ready for Asuka. Not to seem cliche, or desperate to squeeze in a catchphrase or two, but I feel like one of Asuka's newest unknown tricks is going to be the deciding factor. And it's also definitely not going to be the last time these two square off with a championship at stake. Here's hoping.
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SmackDown Women's Championship
Charlotte Flair (c) vs. Rhea Ripley
You know, when this match took place 3 years ago, I hoped Rhea would win. A rising star straight out of NXT with the boost she needed to be at the top of the mountain. But that's not what happened. Charlotte outperformed her. Back then, I figured Rhea winning was a must. The momentum of WCW Lex Luger after his world title win over Hollywood Hogan, and with a loss, it would be turned into WWF Lex Luger with no title to his own. That's also not what happend. Rhea climbed her way back up, scratched and clawed for every achievement. For a while, she was at the top of RAW's Women's Division. It's clear now she didn't need the boost, she just needed to plant her feet above ground level, and the business would work for her from there. And then something happened. She became a part of The Judgement Day. She got the kudos, she got the tutelage, and she got herself a Royal Rumble win. And a ticket to a championship opportunity. The roles are reversed. Now it's not Rhea insisting Charlotte use her Rumble win to challenge her for the NXT Championship, now it's Rhea using her prize as a chance to correct history, and become SmackDown Women's Champion.
There is debate on whether or not this match is worthy of a Wrestlemania main event slot. Considering how white hot the storylines are in the last two matches being covered, and the potential of just having women main event a Wrestlemania night for PR backpatting, it's definitely a match with a case to state. A Royal Rumble winner being in the last match of the show isn't a sure thing, and the build might not make the match seem as hype as others, but if these two think they are worthy of closing the show... then I hope they tear the roof off SoFi.
These two are top of the line. Charlotte can turn her offensive focus on a dime, Rhea is prepared to play dirty to realize her dream, and Rhea is facing the daughter of the dirtiest player in the game. This isn't gonna be a pretty contest. A heated, brutal slugfest is a much better descriptor. I believe Rhea will leave behind any shred of doubt that she is on Charlotte's level. But Charlotte's not just gonna lie down, and let her title slip away. Look forward to this match being talked about for the next few months afterward.
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Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship
The Usos (Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso) (c) vs. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn
The year is 2023. The Usos continue their eternal stranglehold on the WWE Tag Team division. It's been due to The Bloodline's dissention being one of the most compelling storylines in recent WWE memory, and at the center of that discourse is Sami Zayn. We've been watching him over the past year align with Roman, damn near become the second-in-command of The Bloodline, fight against his best friend Kevin Owens (which to be fair, is neither the first nor the last time that's happened), and then have Sami reach his boiling point with a payoff betrayal of Roman Reigns being a deafening roar of heroism, to Sami getting squashed underneath Roman's boot. But now Sami knows his true target; The Usos. But he can't do it alone. He needs help from his former best friend, Kevin Owens. Owens wants no part of Sami's personal war, considering that Sami joined in on any and all Bloodline beatdowns of Kevin Owens. However, the enemy of my enemy is my friend, so friends turned rivals turned friends again believe they have the best chance of finally overcoming The Usos and their umpteenth day reign as Tag Team champions.
And the bond of The Usos is stronger than it's been. Jey Uso, with a small drop of uncertainty, spent a whole month absent from WWE itself, uncertain if the direction of The Bloodline was one he was willing to follow. In the end, blood was thicker than water. And rather than Sami and Jey be the duo to get it done, Jey kicked those dreams away, picking family over personal glory. Just be glad the titles haven't been given the proper Freebird rule, because there was a house show or two where the part of Jey Uso was played by Solo Sikoa. Ah yes, Solo is finally a part of WWE's main roster proper. Spent the first 6 months of his career undefeated (just had his first loss to Cody on Monday. Still looked strong). If the Usos start to, in any capacity, show signs of losing, expect this enforcer to interject.
In reality, you know how strong The Usos are as a unit. Slick teamwork, lethal attacks and combinations to double up their mighty blows... they've been holding on to those titles legit, even without interference. Will this reunited twosome of Kevin and Sami be any different? I don't think so. Sami's been on the inside until recently, and Kevin's been fighting them longer than anyone. In my mind, they might just be the force to catch The Usos slipping, and become the new Tag Team Champions. Of course, that depends on if the wrestling gods have grown tired of seeing The Usos hog the tag titles for over a year plus. I think most of us are.
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---
With the dirty dozen of Wrestlemania clashes chronicled, we now come to the final contest; The Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. You know the first name, but the second one is a name seeking glory that his generation could never grasp. Let's get the obvious one out of the way first.

Roman Reigns

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZwTHoHI8cQ
Roman Reigns wanted his Head of the Table gimmick realized, or he would walk out on WWE. The fans believed in their Tribal Chief becoming the face of WWE. Over the past 900+ days, that's what happened. The fans got their reward..... their eternal reward. Roman has stood on top for far longer than any human being in the Wrestlemania generation. Male or Female. Singles or Tag Team. In fact, walking into this match, this is the 3rd straight year that Roman is defending his world championship. No one else can make such a claim. Not even Hulk Hogan, who felt like his time at the top of the mountain lasted far longer.
It's not hard to see why Roman is breaking as many records as he is. It's because of how far he has come. You look back at his time even 5-10 years ago, a time where the crowd wanted absolutely none of Vince's personal project. His promo material was awful, his matches were against people who were either leagues above him in wrestling ability, or they were far too immobile to be of any help. Roman Reigns was everything except over with the crowd. You can throw him in as many main events as you want, he will never be acknowledged. The fans despised him because of the simple fact that he was "The Guy". The guy in the big Wrestlemania matches, the second man ever to have defeated The Undertaker at Wrestlemania, the guy who got chance after chance at the spotlight when many other favored sons received diddly-squat in comparison.
With that, Roman worked smarter. Seeking his family entourage to grant them guaranteed success, his wise council in Paul Heyman being the Don King to his Mike Tyson, his general improvement and diversity in his offense beyond just spears and superman punches, as well as limiting when and where his title matches take place to make them the big deal that they deserve to be. Roman has been used in a significantly smaller capacity over the past year, to the point of some considering him a part-timer, which is a dangerous role around these parts. The continuous rumors over Roman taking time off were constant, and everpresent. They felt more like a tease that the oppressive era of The Bloodline was coming to an end. In actuality, it meant that the other members of The Bloodline got their chance to shine on equal terms.
Roman has been at the center of damn near every major storyline going on in WWE. Whenever Roman appears, whether making his way to RAW, or defending his title at a Premium Live Event, it is a big deal. A must see for any and all eyes on the product. He is what he, and the people who believed in him all those years ago, wanted him to become. The face of WWE. His actions as of recent have made him anything BUT face. Him destroying Sami Zayn at Royal Rumble and Elimination Chamber have secured his place as the top heel of the company for the near future, and it has been reflected in how he achieves his Ws. One way or another, he has pulled win after win out of his ass, either through capitalizing on chaos, or outpeforming the opposition. But there is one man he has never been able to defeat in a meaningful encounter. That is Roman's Wrestlemania opponent. A man, who as of 4 years ago, was All Elite.
​

"The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i36tXq7yK6c
​
This really is the embodiment of never say never. Cody Rhodes left the WWE in a huff, shamed and embarrassed at his personal exit. But he didn't linger for long. He went back on the grind.
So.. what do you wanna talk about? Well, let's talk about Cody's post-WWE life.
You name a wrestling promotion in the United States, the likes of the NWA, the likes of Ring of Honor, he has swam to the top of it. Creating and forging his own legacy and identity. Not afraid to speak his own mind, not afraid to step above his station, and especially not afraid to fight his ass off, and put on matches well above his own average. As a result, a special thing happened in 2017. Wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer felt that Ring of Honor would not sell out a 10,000 seat arena any time soon. Cody took him up on that declaration. In an event known as "The Bet", such a PPV exceeding that crowd capacity was called All In, and it planted the seeds for what is now the #2 wrestling promotion in the United States. It's crazy to think way back when that THAT Cody Rhodes would be partially responsible for helping to create the first promotion to take a sizable chunk out of WWE's audience since the WCW days; All Elite Wrestling.
But what no one else was expecting in the early days of AEW was Cody's career trajectory. The first to challenge for the AEW World Title held by Chris Jericho under the condition that if Cody can't beat Jericho, he will never challenge for that title again. It would be Cody's one, and only, shot at that title. He failed. From then on, Cody would obtain a title worth fighting for; the TNT Championship. Challenger after challenger vanquished every single week for as long as Cody held that title. With the exception of getting mauled into submission by the late Brodie Lee, Cody would stay the course. The only thing that would stop him... was discourse. Among the AEW fans. They felt that Cody only had his success because it was his company. And it was that stigma that eventually caused the fans to turn on him. Through a combination of that bitterness, as well as clashing with his fellow EVPs, Cody felt the time was right to leave AEW to its own devices. Unthinkable at the time, but by January 2022, it became reality. Cody was a free man once again.
From there, it was a matter of days. The day... was Wrestlemania last year. Speculation on Seth Rollins' mystery opponent had the rumor mill swirling. Perhaps Gable Steveson, maybe Shane McMahon? But Cody Rhodes? Come on, there's no way. And then the lights went black come match time.. to the tune of "Kingdom". And a crowd reaction that broke the sound barrier. My god... it actually happened. Cody Rhodes returned to WWE.
It must have come with a hex on Cody's body, because a couple months later, Cody tore a pectoral muscle meaning his WWE return would be short lived... if this were a man of logic and discretion, perhaps. Cody wrestled a classic Hell in a Cell encounter despite his pec looking incredibly sore against Seth Rollins to cap off that rivalry. And then the recuperation began.
Not a peep on Cody's return until the Royal Rumble. After putting on another clinic with Gunther to fight over the Wrestlemania main event, Cody stood tall. And thus, the match was set in stone. It's Roman Reigns vs Cody Rhodes. WWE's golden boy, vs AEW's exiled founding father. Cody Rhodes attempting to realize a dream that his father, The American Dream, was never able to make reality. A matchup that didn't even seem possible 2 years ago is now suddenly the main event of Wrestlemania. Wrestling is a special thing, sometimes.
In short, this matchup is indeed main event worthy. It's an even bout from top to bottom. Roman's power and authority vs Cody's acumen and knowhow. A godlike force vs a man seeking wrestling immortality. It's either going to be jaded WWE fans swearing to never watch again as long as Roman's still the champ, or AEW fans seething and coping that Cody is standing tall in enemy territory. A main event for the ages that one man has to lose. A duel of the fates that will be spoken of in documentaries and future montages to come. The quest to decide the undisputed WWE Champion.
Who will it be?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aST-5fzb1Iw
\A DYNAMITE PREDICTON**
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_HFnIGszr4
All things considered, I think this match is a lot closer than people think it is. Cody has been fighting to no end, and he's confident that he has Roman's number. He has a reason to be champion other than just being the top guy in the company, but to Roman, that is his only reason. And that is his driving motivator. And such an obsession will be his undoing. All it will take is one mistake, one spear off the mark, and Cody will strike with an unforeseen fury and desire. This is Cody Rhodes' night. He will raise both titles, and discard both physical championships to bring back the golden World Heavyweight Championship that his father once wore proudly. Don't deny me this moment, WWE. Don't deny your fans someone new at the top for fucking once. And please keep away from Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund. The morality of your fanbase depends on it. Not like morality has stopped any of your poor decision making in the past. Speaking of poor decisions, enjoy your weekend of bodyslams and crossbody splashes to the outside. Ring the bell, fuckers!
​
---
https://youtu.be/4CUXV3BfeD4?t=184
Thanks for reading. Have fun with Nick Khan saying the quiet part out loud.
Nick Khan: Just one note on that, I don’t run the WWE. There’s only one person who actually runs the WWE, Vince McMahon. A lot of folks help me to help run the WWE.

So many perspectives on entrepreneurship; some are positive and some not. People often feel entrepreneurship is tricky and difficult but if you are passionate about something, it’s worth the risk. So, if you are one of those enthusiastic people and want to know how to become an entrepreneur, this blog might help you!
Let’s learn about entrepreneurship and its major aspects:
Who is an entrepreneur?
What makes a great entrepreneur?
What does it take to start your own setup?
Everything entrepreneurship!

Table of Contents

• Who is an Entrepreneur?
• The rise in the Indian Self-Employment Sector
• How to Become an Entrepreneur?
• Who Made Their Way in the Career Counselling Industry?
• Take a Step Forward to Set Up Your Business with Super Counsellor Program
• FAQs on How to Become an Entrepreneur

Who is an Entrepreneur?

You must have heard the word ‘Entrepreneur’, basically referring to those who have started or are in-process to start their business.
However, this is just the definition. If you want to get through the journey of an entrepreneur, you need to understand the phases they go through.
A real explanation says, an entrepreneur is someone who develops a business model, and acquires human capital & manpower to start a new venture. He is the one who has the will to pursue his dreams and is responsible for his success or failure.
Giphy.com

The rise in the Indian Self-Employment Sector

In this era of experimentation and innovation, India is standing on the cusp of major transformations. This revolution can be described as Entrepreneurship in India.
According to Startup India, “India has the 3rd largest startup ecosystem in the world; expected to witness year over year growth of a consistent annual growth of 12-15%.”
Considering the statistics, in 2018, India had about 50,000 startups and 1300 new tech startups were born in the year 2019.
India has become the startup hub of the world. Multiple young enthusiasts are choosing the path of entrepreneurship and creating earning opportunities for their fellows. They play a major part in boosting the Indian economy and have changed the way the world used to look at our country.
From IT firms to the education and training industry, every sector has been witnessing a rise in entrepreneurship.
So why not the career counselling industry?
Career counselling startups have noticed a sudden rise in the past few years. That’s why investing in a career counselling business is very beneficial.

How to Become an Entrepreneur?

Step-1 Decide your Niche First:
Before diving into practicalities, the first and foremost step is deciding your niche & target audience. As a business owner, your niche and services should be clear and cater to your audience. It helps to identify your loyal customers, & competitors and conduct proper market research.
As a career counselling set-up, you can focus on:

• Students who are confused to choose the right career path
• Schools that want to help their students with career-making decisions
• People who are on the lookout for a job
• Those who wish to enhance their professional skills

You can cover them all or select a stream and guide people as an expert.
Step-2 Strategize your Business Plan:
Once you are ready with your niche, follow the next step of making a business plan.
Start by doing your market research. Find out what your peers are doing and what is going well for them. Expand your business potential by keeping prospects in mind. Thorough research of the competitors helps to devise a business plan.
Your business plan should define how to

• compete,
• fulfil commercial space needs,
• attain staffing needs,
• get insurance charges,
• map out advertising techniques,
• finance your business and more

Fix the price for the services you’ll be providing to be able to pay back the invested money.
Step-3 Validation, Licensing & Location:
To become a trustworthy career counselling service provider, get yourself solid validation from a reputed university or organization. Contact your region’s department and learn the rules and training requirements for setting up your career counselling organization.
To provide the best services, make sure you are trained. The Global Career Counselling Program by Univariety in collaboration with UCLA Extension is Asia’s first comprehensive online program for individuals passionate about career counselling. This program is a comprehensive guide that covers best practices, techniques and trends in the domain of career counselling, and helps to develop advanced career counselling skills.
Moving on, the location of your business set-up is a pivotal aspect. Your space should be a quiet and comfortable place where you can conduct vocational interviews and career placement tests. Build a well-equipped office with good communication facilities and lots of positive energy.
Step-4 Strategise your Services & Pricing: As mentioned above, you need to develop various techniques and services to help your clients. You could conduct training sessions for developing interviewing skills, speaking in public abilities, profile building, etc. You could also host workshops and develop books, e-books, etc as resources.
Strategise the pricing as per the services. For different assistance, the price range can vary.
Step-5 Create a Network:
Building a strong network is very important for your setup. It is one of the best ways to connect with people and make contacts by communicating on different platforms. You can ask organizations to help you interact with your target demographic. Otherwise, join different communities and promote your services there. Influencers or experienced folks can also help in building a strong network by recommending your assistance. Build associations with schools, institutions, or different companies who may partner with you to deliver group career counselling sessions.
Step-6 Market Your Set-Up: Your business shall yield no results unless it reaches out to the target consumer base. That’s why you need to promote your career counselling business set up at online and offline platforms.
Develop effective promotional strategies and marketing plans to reach out to your audiences.
Recommended Read: 7 Ways To Market Your Business: Tips for Career Counsellors

Who Made Their Way in the Career Counselling Industry?

Entrepreneurship is not new to India. There are countless companies constantly getting a place in the Fortune 500 companies. Believe it or not, Tata and Birla were once start-ups. So, just believe in yourself and start planning to set up your business.
Don’t believe us?
Read these encouraging success stories of visionary entrepreneurs, who started from scratch and now become stalwarts of the career counselling industry.
​
Dr. Swarup Dutta
Meet Dr Swarup Dutta who gave up his illustrious career as Vice President of a Pharmaceutical company to create a positive impact in the Education sector and in young minds to groom them into better citizens of tomorrow. What directed him to take a step towards this career transition? In his words, “I strongly believe that a great career is not about making more money, it is about making notable contributions, solving real problems and finding a meaningful & happy life”. Read the full story here.
​
Deepali Palande
This is Deepali Palande, a talented marketing and events enthusiast who felt the need for change. Having spent significant time working in the higher education space, she decided to reinvent her career by exploring opportunities in career counselling. Read the Full Story Here.
Also Read: Success Story: From a Corporate Job to Career Counselling

Take a Step Forward to Set Up Your Business with Super Counsellor Program

Currently, India needs at least 1.5 million career counsellors to guide more than 300 million students. Therefore, it is the best time to join the career counselling industry and start your own business.
Setting up a business requires a lot of factors like a business licence, funding, etc. Getting the right help and guidance is important to be familiarized yourself with the industry standards.
To support your vision of setting up a business in the career counselling industry, Univariety created the “Super Counsellor” program. It is India’s first incubator for career counsellors which supports individuals who seek to set up their own career counselling business.
​
The Super Counsellor program offers several benefits to career counsellors like

• Industry-ready career counselling program from UCLA Extension and Univariety
• Earning opportunities
• Low investment, high rewards
• Technology with a white labelling system
• Access to psychometric tests
• Marketing collaterals, etc.

Click here to know more about the Super Counsellor program.

FAQs on How to Become an Entrepreneur

1. What does it take to become an entrepreneur? There are certain qualities required to become an entrepreneur. The most important factor is being patient and responsible for your success & failure. Other than this, be punctual, disciplined, able to handle risks, etc.
2. Do entrepreneurs make good money? As per indeed.com, the average base salary for an entrepreneur is 3,65,315 per year. But this is only at the initial stage. When the business grows, the profit varies for every entrepreneur.
3. How difficult is it to be an entrepreneur? Entrepreneurship is not at all a difficult thing. You just need to be passionate about your idea. Be patient and responsible for your success and failure.
4. What skills does an entrepreneur need? Key skills for an entrepreneur:

• Able to effectively communicate, sell, focus, learn, and strategize.
• Time management
• Resilience

Ability to build a network and your own brand, and more [Read More]

Recently picked up the game and I'm a bit confused by the rate of leveling and relatively slow gear upgrade progression. Finished the main campaign (I think?) at level 60ish and realized the game goes to level 100? I'm used to games where you just grab whatever gear pops up until you hit max level and thus endgame, but with 40 more levels to go that seems like a hell of a grind, and I've already got pieces of gear I've had for 10+ levels because nothing better has dropped. I see guides talking about how I should be target farming/crafting for resists, specific uniques with high rolls, etc., but like...when does that start?

The greatest tragedy of war is that for some people the war never ends.

• Nebojsa Knezevic, head of psychiatry for Pallas Medical Institute, 2142

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Prev/First
Silijima hopped into the truck, next to Sargen. The massive Gojid's head nearly reached the roof of the vehicle forcing him to crouch ever so slightly. He was an even more imposing figure up close, his muscles bulging and his scars held taut against his skin. He seemed preoccupied, as if her presence made him uncomfortable when they were close. His claws gripped the steering wheel, lightly scraping the carbon material. He seemed to be in his late thirties to early forties, and a distinguished Gojid at that save for the eye and the prosthetic arm. Most would consider him quite handsome if it wasn't for the damage he had received, and even then she was sure some women would find a prosthetic like that doubly enticing.
Senek sat in the back, leaning his head back and yawning. He seemed exhausted, most likely from being on duty for the last good knows how many weeks. He kept an eye on Sargen, but it wasn't a distrustful one, more like he was concerned for Sargen's wellbeing. It was hilarious to Silijima, to think that Sargen warranted concern, but she didn't know him or his past so she wouldn't judge; sometimes the strongest people held the greatest burdens.
"So, where to next? Do we have any other stops to make?" Silijima asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence.
"No, not unless you want to stop," replied Sargen.
Behind them, Senek grumbled. "We need to head back to the Collective and finish for the day; I'm fucking exhausted."
Sargen started the truck and turned around. "Then go home, Senek; you've done your work for the day. I'll show Silijima a bit of the station before I deliver the goods and introduce Silijima to the captains."
Senek didn't seem convinced. "They won't be happy that Sujek and I bailed halfway through the delivery."
Sargen snorted. "Ayaz and Igor won't give a damn as long as the delivery gets delivered. Take a tram and go home and see your mate and kids; you looked harrowed."
Silijima was inclined to agree. Before today, she didn't know if it was possible for a reptile to have bags under its eyes, but Senek surely did. He looked like shit, although Silijima would never voice that out loud.
Senek hissed but didn't argue, opening the door and leaving the back of the truck with a grunt. Silijima saw him walk down the street towards a tram stop in the distance, where one was unloading all sorts of people heading to shop at Zapadnyy tsentral'nyy rynok, as well as those ready finished with their shopping trips. Eventually, Senek disappeared into the crowd of humans, arxur, and the occasional venlil, harchin and gojid.
"So," Sargen started with an apprehensive sigh, "My name's Sargen, as you've probably been told. I'm sure Senek and Sujek have already told you all about me."
Silijima chuckled nervously. "Not much, actually. I've been wondering where you got that arm from; it seems very high tech. I've only seen prosthetics like that on high ranking military personnel in the federation."
The question only seemed to make Sargen even more tense. "I lost my real arm in battle. They replaced it with this." He flexed the arm, the prosthetic was agile and precise in its movements. "It's near identical to the real thing utility-wise, although the look of it took some time to get used to."
Silijima nodded absentmindedly, admiring both the arm and his physical build. Sargen must've been through hell and back to be so torn up.
"Are you ex-military? You have the hardware to be."
Sargen frowned lightly. "You could say that. But that's enough about me." Then Sargen put a soft smile on his face, a fake one, as if he was trying to hide his true feelings. "I was told you served in the navy; what was that like?"
Silijima didn't push for more information. "I was a Master Technical Coordinator for the Unwavering Credence. I kept the Guns and the hull functioning along with crews of grunt welders, and I pieced the ship back together after battles.
Sargen whistled, impressed by her rank. "You were pretty high up on the totem pole on that ship. Why'd you leave?"
Silijima scoffed. "The lies, the brutality, and the stress. I came to Skhamar looking for answers after losing faith in the state I defended for over a decade. Now that I know the truth, I realize that I hated every second of it, although I do miss it in a way. Once you get out, well, nothing seems right. For the first few months, I couldn't stand being off duty. I still miss that safety of knowing I was on a military vessel; at least we could defend ourselves. Back on Nishtal, I felt so… exposed, since I wasn't allowed to carry a firearm on my person anymore."
Sargen chuckled. "I know how you feel. I couldn't sleep right after I… left: I kept expecting an attack at all hours. Sometimes I'd wake up in a panic, clutching my ion pistol and ready to kill, only to realize it was just the sound of some puny asteroid bouncing off the outer shell of the station or a ship taking off."
Silijima snorted. "I remember nearly having a heart attack from the fireworks they set off for unification day. My parents didn't understand, or maybe they couldn't, but I don't celebrate that day anymore. It sounds too similar to Arxur hybrid charges slamming against the hull of a ship."
Silijima chuckled at first, but the laughter quickly died as reality set in. Her service in the navy had messed her up in more ways than one, but she couldn't imagine not living that life; she wouldn't know what to do with herself otherwise. She hated it, but she was better for it.
"So… What is there to do on this station? I'm pretty new to all of this freedom. What is there to do?"
"That's the good thing about this job; you get a good week or so in between missions to relax," Sargen smiled bitterly, but it was still a happy smile, "Me and the rest of the crew have so much to show you."
Silijima's heart skipped a beat at his statement. "Senek didn't seem too excited to show me anything."
"Senek's just tired; in fact he's always tired. He worked two missions in a row, same as Sujek, and they're probably going to push for another one," Sargen stated, "although I bet both Ayaz and Igor will send them both home and tell them to spend some time just relaxing for once since those two practically kill themselves working." He chuckled before continuing, "But as for things to do, well, there's a lot: Theaters, Restaurants, Museums, a full-sized futbol stadium, and even a few more exotic things the humans brought over. Humans are kind of the cultural heart of the entire Commonwealth; The big Arxur houses might be the dominant economic forces besides the coalitions, but the Humans really brought a heart and soul to what would otherwise be a pretty dull and barren place."
Silijima thought about that for a moment. She had seen sporting events before; Nishtal had plenty of ballastier stadiums to choose from, where Krakotl would work as a flock to move a floating ball from one end to the other. There were also games of airborne agility and such, so she wasn't too interested in sports.
But the idea of a theater intrigued her. Nishtal didn't have many theaters: the Krakotl didn't like being cooped up in a dark place for too long, since their instincts were to nest under the open sky instead of burrow underground. Mix that with a lack of any big theater culture and you git a species that vastly preferred doing over watching. Sports and music were far more popular with the Krakotl, their ability to fly and vast vocal ranges helping them flourish in alternative mediums of entertainment.
"How are the theaters here? I've never really gone to one before."
Sargen eyed her with disbelief. "Neither did I before I came here. They're pretty great, with lots of cheap snacks and reclining seats. There aren't any 'new' movies yet since there's no real movie industry here on Skhamar yet, but they play a lot of older human movies. A few months ago I went with Timothy, Sarah, and their daughter Maggie to go see The Tale of the Princess Kaguya. The art style was pretty mind-blowing, to say the least."
"The art style?"
"Animation. It's considered a proper medium of theater in human culture. There are a plethora of what humans call 'the animated classics': movies that have achieved universal human acclaim due to their outstanding quality. If I'm not mistaken, The Tale of the Princess Kaguya is one of them."
Human art seemed so fascinating to her; the Federation was so cut and dry with what they considered art that anything that pushed the envelope was ridiculed and even reviled, often only gaining traction in underground groups that appreciated the bizarre and the condemned. To hear of artistic styles having entire mediums dedicated to them was astounding to her.
"That sounds incredible! What other movies have you seen?"
"Well, I've been itching to see Star Wars, but it's a long trilogy that's best watched at home. There's also a relatively new western by comparison called The Cursed that's being shown this week, so we can go see that. I've heard nothing but good things about it."
Silijima didn't know what a 'western' was, but if it was anything like how Sargen describes their animated movies, she was sure a human western couldn't be bad.
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Silijima casually read the synopsis for the movie they would be watching on her holophone.
The year is 1886: Aging civil war veteran turned outlaw Thomas 'Death-Singer' Lawrence ekes out a humble living amongst the Ojibwa Indians of what is now modern-day Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan, hoping to live out his final years of his life with his beloved wife, son and adopted tribe in peace. But when a bitter ex-Confederate, Klan member, and son of a wealthy plantation owner Shaw Cunningham and his gang of killers massacre the tribe for supporting the Union during the war, his entire world is torn from him. Now, all that's left after the carnage is himself and a teenager named Nanabush, the fatherless black sheep of the tribe.
Now, with nothing but vengeance burning in his heart, Thomas once again takes up the mantle of 'Death-Singer', and along with his newly adopted ward Nanabush, he travels south to reform his old gang of thieves and outlaws, 'The Cursed', in a last-ditch effort to gain the ultimate revenge and both kill Shaw Cunningham and ruin his family fortune. The curse must be passed on, and there couldn't be a more worthy recipient…
Now that sounded interesting. Silijima didn't understand much of the context, but a revenge plot wasn't a common theme in Federation media, or federation art at all for that matter, so it seemed like a great place to start. Besides, it wasn't like it was real, so if it was overly violent then she could just finish the movie and never watch it again.
But first, there were snacks to buy. Silijima didn't know why Sargen insisted on buying snacks, but he stated that they 'improved the movie experience', or whatever that meant. Either way, he practically dragged Silijima up to a counter operated by a bored human, preparing to order a whole slew of snacks for the both of them.
"I'll get two medium boxes of Çäkçäk style popcorn, a large bag of Korivka, and two large bottles of… Give me a moment." Sargen turned to her. "What do you want to drink?"
Silinima browsed the menu nervously, not knowing what to choose. "Uhhh, I guess I'll try some Baikal? Is it good?"
Sargen shrugged. "It's pretty good, a bit different than most colas." Then he turned back to the snack vendor. "And two large bottles of Baikal."
The bored human sighed, obviously just ready for his shift to end, and prepared the food for the two of them. Sargen prepared his credit chip and handed it to the worker when he returned, paying for everything.
"You don't have to, Sargen, I can pay for myself."
Sargen chuckled. "Maybe, but I'm the one who's taking you out. Just let me take care of it."
The human returned with the popcorn, which was two buckets of strange yellow… things that had a slight glowing orange sheen, along with a large bag of candies and two massive bottles of soda, which were also huge. Sargen somehow deftly balanced all the snacks in their arms as they made their way to the movie room they were assigned to without even a grunt and gave her a soft grin. Despite his obvious optimism, he seemed tense, as if she reminded him of something.
Sargen hurried down the hall, his large stride making it difficult for Silijima to keep up with him, but she managed. He avoided her gaze, his eyes focusing on absolutely anything else. There it was again, the strange behavior. It was as if she was some kind of phantom to him, but he couldn't point out her existence without seeming crazy.
They made their way into a door on the side that led down a dark hall with dim lights lining the floor. It opened up to a massive screen showing adverts for products before the movie began.
"Where would you like to sit? I'm partial to the back; you get better seats and a better view."
Silijima shrugged her feathered shoulders. "Wherever you think is best; I have no clue."
Sargen chuckled, but led her up toe stairs to the upper row of seats. They made it there, sitting down near the center, and Sargen handed Silijima her popcorn and baikal. Silijime pecked at the popcorn hesitantly, but found that she loved it! The sweet, nutty and floral flavors of the coating reminded her of the Vagra nectar from Nishtal when peddlers would sell organic jars of it during the summer months, and it paired wonderfully with the salty-sweet crunch of the 'corn' itself. The baikal was another thing entirely; the sweet-spicy and pine flavors of the cola tasted like nothing she had ever experienced like fruit and spices boiled in bitter tree sap and carbonated, but palatable. By the time the movie had started, a third of her popcorn was gone, causing Sargen to chuckle.
The lights dimmed, causing Silijima to panic for a bit, but Sargen's hand reached out and grabbed her shoulder, calming her. He was there, and he was big; nothing could hurt such a giant, right?
Then, the movie began to play. The sound of some kind of delicate stringed instrument being strummed softly alongside the croaking and chirping of amphibians and insects on a warm summer night. The sounds of the wildlife stopped suddenly for a moment, as did the instrument when a small gang of about a dozen humans riding strange, four-legged creatures reminiscent of suleans without horns advanced towards a gathering of flickering lights in the distance; probably a village. Their gallops were thunderous and destructive, nothing like the sound of a stampede. It was the sound of unwavering strength.
The men wore sackcloth hoods with holes cut out for their eyes and ropes around their necks. In their hands were primitive revolving handguns. They wore a myriad of different clothes; some wore gray army uniforms, while others wore khakis, union shirts and suspenders. They laughed and bickered as they spurred their steeds onward, obviously ready to commit some unspeakable atrocity…
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Silijima has two panic attacks during the movie. Sargen was there, able to quell them by offering his support. He seemed to know what it was like to have one because he reached out and held her when she began to hyperventilate and raise her hackles. He didn't speak, but he made himself known. He was there, and that was enough.
At least the movie ended with a triumph: Thomas Lawrence got his revenge, even if he died in the end. His adopted ward, Nanabush, took up the mantle of Death-Singer, using it to defend the weak. It was a tightly wrapped story that should've been happy, but the memories of war still scarred Silijima; the sounds of the gunshots reminded her of the blasts of flechette cannons, and the blood on Lawrence's knife…
She still felt the phantom pain in her wing and body from being run through by an Arxur skimming blade. She had survived, of course, but the near-death experience had permanently changed her. She couldn't stand being around knives too long unless she was actually on the battlefield, and even then it caused her distress. Luckily, she never needed to be around too many sharp objects, being an engineer, but she had her… moments. She was able to quell her attacks, her panic and anxiety being quelled by the far more substantial fear of what she would be subjected to if her true state of mind were to be found out.
If the Federation found out you acted out of the norm, they'd spend weeks forcing you through the most agonizing 'therapies' before stuffing you full of pills and sending you home, never to be the same person again. She had seen the effects of these treatments; her former colleagues practically turned into zombies, their brains melted from the drugs. They lived off of government stipends, unable to truly contribute to the workforce, but the Federation seemed to consider this an acceptable tradeoff, the politicians being praised for lowering the rate of self-termination by any means necessary. In reality, it just created a state-funded drug epidemic.
Part of Silijima did want answers, but she realized her true motive for coming to Skhamar was to escape; she was so scared of staying home on Nishtal because every little thing could set her off. And if she were to have a serious enough outburst…
No, she wouldn't become what many of her former prey-in-arms had; a babbling mess of drugs and trauma. She was strong; she could do this. She wouldn't let her trauma overcome her.
"Are you okay, Silijima?" Sargent asked her, shaking her shoulder lightly. They were in the truck, riding to the Corsair collective where Ayaz and Igor had docked their cruiser. He seemed far more tired than before like she was exhausting to be around. She didn't doubt it; having predator disease was already exhausting enough for Silijima alone.
"I shouldn't have recommended that movie, it was too violent. Maybe something animated would've been better," said Sargent. "I was hoping that your experiences as a navy engineer would've been less traumatic than the average foot soldier, and I was wrong."
Silijima turned to him, emboldened. "It wasn't your fault, Sagren; I agreed to watch it. Besides, it might've opened up a few wounds, but it was still an excellent movie. And the popcorn and baikal were wonderful as well. And besides, it was a good movie, triggers notwithstanding."
Sargen smiled a little, although he was still feeling guilty. "I'm glad you liked it. But we should get to the collective; Ayaz and Igor will be happy to become acquainted with you."
Silijima nodded before turning back to the window, watching as the city raced by. The spires of the station-city rose hundreds of stories into the air, hover-tram systems connecting entire levels of platforms that connected to the taller towers. It made sense that the station would focus on the height of buildings; the width was a rare commodity on space stations due to the cost of adding extra floor-level infrastructure, so extremely tall spires interconnected by platforms and hover-tram systems that stretched for kilometers made sense. Everything was brightly lit: massive glowing LED signs depicting everything from clinics and dispensaries to shops and eateries were plastered across the buildings, along with almost lifelike and three-dimensional digital billboards depicting a wide array of advertisements and entertainment. It was the very definition of an urban jungle, sprawl and all, with tens of millions of individuals living their daily lives unimpeded.
"The station's pretty cool, huh? It's technically one of the larger cities in the galaxy, with a population of around twenty-five million inhabitants of all races."
That number was impressive for a city, but not for a nation. "But how many planets does Skhamar control? Fifty-five million is nothing compared to the five hundred billion sentients in the Federation alone."
Sargen nodded. "Yeah, that's true. Antheia and Calaïs are pretty sparsely populated at the moment, maybe a few million each, and the planet of Skhamar itself has about ten million. That means this place doesn't really have the manpower to keep up with the Federation or the Dominion in terms of fleet size. We still beat them in engagements though."
Silijima didn't believe that. "But how? The Federation outnumbers you guys a hundred to one!"
Sargen snorted, eyes focused on the road as he pulled into the parking lot of a ginormous building. "If there's one thing that I learned after only two years of living on Skhamar is that the Federation's school of naval doctrine is laughably bad. They solely rely on the force of numbers and firepower to overwhelm their enemies before they can strike back. This would normally work on smaller fleet engagements against lesser foes, but the humans don't play fair. They hide in gas clouds, and in asteroid fields. They launch silent torpedoes, drone strikes, and shells filled with toxic gas before initiating boarding actions to cause widespread panic in enemy fleets. Skhamar's newly minted traditions of piracy have led to a whole new level of Naval military thinking, one where the entire sector is an ever-changing battlefield and anything's fair game."
"But wouldn't they get discovered? How hasn't the Federation just listed down Skhamar's tactics for admirals to memorize and quantify in fleet engagements?"
"You're demanding too much from a Federation full of scared herbivores, and you're forgetting who runs that Federation. The Kolshians and the Farsul vehemently believe that thinking like a predator makes you a predator and that anything that resembles predatory behavior should be scrubbed away. To them, the 'herd' is the entire reason for their existence, and to stray from that is to become food." Sargen shook his head, obviously bemused by their rigid mindset. "In reality, predators have been chipping away at herds for thousands of years. To think that any herd is impervious is just stupid."
Silijima knew the former, and she had suspected the latter for a long time. "But herds need to adapt to survive, right? I bet you that was the reasoning behind the gene-modding and culture erasure at the hands of the Kolshians and the Farsul."
Sargen rolled his eyes like he had heard it all before. "It shocks me that you weren't thrown into an institution, with how perceptive you are. I'm telling you, the Kolshians and the Farsul couldn't care less about the other species in the Federation. All they care about is controlling and leading that herd they've stitched together with lies. To them, adaptability is only good when it benefits their narratives and power structures."
It made a sickening sort of sense, and it was completely believable now that the treachery of the Kolshians and the Farsul had come to light. The Kolshians and the Farsul being afraid of any change that challenged their ideals was a cancer on the Federation, and one that Silijima was sure would eat away at it until it was nothing more than a corpse. "I'm glad I left, you know, not being afraid of being locked up for having predator disease. I just hope that isn't a thing here."
"It isn't, believe me, or I would've been incarcerated a long time ago." Sargen replied, "Now let's go; I think we've wasted enough of Ayaz and Igor's time."
With that, Sargen stepped out of the truck, slamming the door and taking a deep breath of the blatantly recycled air. Silijima followed, leaving the truck and stepping out into a small, empty parking lot, which seemed strange for such a large and important building. The building itself was less of a spire and more short and squat but also very wide, with glass walls similar to those of the urban business centers on Nishtal. There was an entrance of glass doors in the front of the building, along with a massive sigil above them made out of what seemed to be platinum. There was a sword with wings skillfully engraved on it, along with the words Qui militat præter me, frater meus erit surrounding the edges. Her translator struggled to translate it due to the age of the language and her translator's lack of exposure to the esoteric language, but it came out as something similar to He who fights beside me shall be my brother. An interesting term, but certainly more unique than the Federation Navy's slogan, Defend the Herd.
Sargen grabbed her feathered shoulder and steered her away from the truck just as something hovered down and clamped its magnetic claws onto it. A massive, black-colored hover-drone the size of an eighteen-wheeler buzzed as it deftly floated around the two of them, one giant crimson eye with an LED dot acting as an almost animated pupil darting between the two of them. Then it lifted away, making beeping noises as it carried the truck in tow towards a large tower several hundred stories tall in the distance made from a monotonous gray material. "What in sweet Ina's name?" Silijima said under her breath, causing Sargen to chuckle.
"Moth Drones; they’re very useful things. There's not enough space on the station to have traditional parking lots, so Sarn Robotics found a pretty neat solution: massive drones come and pick up vehicles and transport them to large parking towers like the one it's flying to right now. Then, when we come back, I can just call back for my car, maybe wait a minute or so, and have my car returned to me. It's pretty awesome, and something you wouldn't find in a million years in the Federation."
That was true; the citizens would be spooked by so many flying objects. She could just imagine the number of stampedes such a creation would cause.
"Wait, what about the food and ammo?" She asked, curious as to why he'd leave it there."
"Oh, don't worry about that: that tower specifically has an automated storage system. All of our goods will be sent to our ship in the next few hours sorted, packed up, and sealed up in space-grade storage containers"
"Huh, that's pretty incredible," she replied.
"Yeah, it is. Like them or not, these predators seem to think of everything. I guess their minds just work differently; nothing wrong with that."
They walked through the doors as they conversed, and a massive lobby greeted them. Over two dozen secretaries of multiple races greeted countless individuals, many of them armed. Most of them were humans and Arxur, although she spotted a few Harchens and Gojids in the mix. The sound of phones ringing and computer keyboards being typed on resonated through the building with an echo. The entire lobby was beautifully decorated, with corners filled with fine gold-trimmed mahogany furniture and intricately woven carpets covering the marble floor. Sargen guided her up to the lobby and towards a young human wan with blonde hair. He greeted her with a smile, causing her to smile back. The snarl made Silijima's blood rush, but it was far less noticeable now, more like the feeling of adrenaline than pure fear.
"Hey, Csilla, how are you?"
The woman, apparently named Csilla, seemed to brighten up in Sargen's presence. "Oh, you know, just swamped as usual. Igor is waiting for you at dock thirteen, just take the tram down." Then her eyes swiveled in there sockets towards Silijima, causing her to flinch slightly. "And who is this? I didn't know a Krakotl was joining your crew."
"I'm Silijima," Silijima croaked, "I'm the new Engineer."
"Aww, isn't she just precious? It's been a pleasure to see you both, but I have to get back to work; we've got too many customers even with two dozen secretaries."
And with that, they were off. Sargen led her up multiple flights of stairs, passing different office levels before reaching floor seven, which was the connection to the Dok-stantsiya Vest-Enda. There were at least two dozen fully sized trans on multiple levels, with signs detailing over a hundred docks available to travel to. It was truly ginormous, more insane than any public transit system she had seen all packed into one place, but also a testament to the engineering of the station.
They boarded a packed train filled mainly with humans, although there were Arxur, Gojids and Harchen there sprinkled throughout. They rode for a few minutes, before reaching an open-space area sealed with active magnetic field shielding, keeping gravity and a working atmosphere within its borders while simultaneously allowing ships to pass through. There were hundreds of ships, both big and small, docked within the Corsair Coalition's docks, and some of them were exceptionally huge. They ranged from gigantic, rust-red lengths of bulbous metal covered in cannons to sleek, flat warships packed with rocket pods and covered with graffiti of snarling, gaping maws and bloodied talons. Eventually, they reached a point where their tram stopped, and they descended. Just a few dozen meters away was a younger human, maybe in his late twenties or early thirties, an old human woman who couldn't have been younger than seventy, and an Arxur practically made out of cybernetics, his body glowing with energy. The latter seemed to be organizing and directing a small number of droids, which were loading sealed containers into the fuselage of the large, rust-red battle cruiser with the word Iconoclast printed in bold letters on the side. The man saw us and approached, a wide smile on his face.
He was huge for a human, about six and a half feet, and had a long, bushy beard with a handlebar mustache, a short military buzz cut with a bit of hair left a little taller near the middle like a short mohawk, and a pair of black camo pants and a white t-shirt that showed the outline of his muscles underneath. He was practically a bear of a human, with arms the size of bridge cables and a neck thicker than your average gas pipe.
Despite all of that, he was obviously friendly, a wide snarl on his face. "Sargen! Dobriy den, how are you?" Even through the translator, his accent was thick and exotic.
Sargen scratched his head with his claws, obviously a little nervous. "I'm doing great, Igor, listen, this is-"
"Ah, yes, Silijima! Senek called me on his way home to explain their situation. It is a pleasure to meet you, my dear!"
Igor took her wing and shook it vigorously, having to bend down to do so. Having and snarling predator lean down on her in such a way, regardless of their intentions, sent shivers down her spine, but she kept it together. She would not break down in front of her new boss.
"T-the pleasure is all mine, Sir."
Igor didn't seem to notice how intimidating he was, but luckily a distraction appeared. Tarlim arrived just in time, carrying several crates of birch water and plums on his shoulders like they were nothing. The old woman seemed to spot him, because she hobbled over to help, only for Tarlim to prevent her from doing so. "No, Babushka, I can handle it."
"Nonsense," she said sternly, her accent even thicker than Igor's, "I can carry some, boy; your Babushka is not helpless."
Tarlim simply ignored her, carrying the crates over to the droids, with both Tarlim and the Arxur snickering at Babushka's pestering.
"Tarlim, what do you bring? Did I order something and forget again?"
Tarlim chuckled merely at that. "No, Babushka, Sujek ordered some Birch Water and Plums for you."
Babushka softened up at that, placing a hand over her heart like the delivery of birch water was an emotional matter. "Oh Tarlim, I thank you." She hobbled over and practically buried herself in his fur, hugging him as hard as an old woman could.
"Thank Sujek, I'm just the delivery boy."
Babushka snorted. "Hah, I know better. You probably dared him to do something for it."
Tarlim blushed at that. "Well maybe, but he demanded the plums as extra, so make sure you give him a big hug and plenty of food as well."
Babushka seemed to brighten up at that. "Come in, Tarlim; we are having a feast, to celebrate a great victory! No meat in the borscht, just for you!"
"Tarlim seemed very apprehensive towards the idea of eating anything that was even near the meat, but apparently he couldn't resist the old woman. "For you, Babushka, anything for you."
Igor snickered. "They are like a circus, no? Come, we are having a feast, and you shall partake."
Silijima wanted to leave, as the whole situation had escalated very quickly, but Sargen placed a hand on her shoulder. "There is no denying an invitation to a feast; it is a grave insult to do so."
Silijima just sighed and prepared herself for the horrors that awaited her.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It's finally here; THE NEXT CHAPTER OF INTERLOPER! Somebody pop open a bottle of champaign.
I want to thank u/Acceptable_Egg5560 for the support and u/Bushbacon69 for the wonderful fanart.
If you want an AI generated picture, just let me know. That's become my new method of conveying what I'm creating to the world since I can't draw for shit.
The Next chapters for Chains made from Hope and The Apostate should be out this week, along with a new short called The Life Shaper.

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Looking to purchase a few of these cards today. Raw, LP/NM only
Also have these for sale/trade: All eras Binder Box of bulk CGC 9 Shiny Koffing
Pokemon Books: Diamond and Pearl Strategy Guide HGSS Pokedex Pojo's Pokemon 1999 Collector's Value Guide
Non-Pokemon (Digimon, DBZ, DC, Weiss, Universus) Oversized YuGiOh
Conditions vary greatly; Plenty of NM, LP, MP, and HP cards.
Will also trade for these things (not offering paypal on these unless it's a fantastic deal) 1. Sealed SWSH booster packs (loose, not sleeved) 2. NonHolo 1st Edition cards (LP/NM condition only). An x means in the 1st Edition column means I already have it.
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Hi!
I’m an EU citizen, currently finishing my first year of a two year Research Master of Science in a social sciences field. I’m doing my degree in the Netherlands and I have previously gotten my Bachelor’s degree in the UK. The second year of my degree I will spend mostly on an exchange to a US school and writing my thesis and I have decided to start applying to PhD programmes then.
I am thinking about applying to different schools in the US but I’m frankly quite disoriented and puzzled by the whole process, especially with differences which come down to more cultural than academic aspects, such as how American motivational letters are kind of different than the ones we have here in Europe, or my lack of knowledge of admission platforms, etc.
I am considering getting an admission tutor so they can guide me through the process but then again, that’s also something that is not really done here in Europe so I’m not sure what type of a service I should specifically look for? Or would you guys say it’s not really a good idea? My budget is not huge, but I’m working my ass off alongside studying and can save some money for it — what would be a fair price?
TIA!

Due to the poor pricing of the RTX 40 series, these "switch to console" comments keep popping up, and I find them very annoying. I'm not a PC elitist or anything, and I grew up mostly on console, but suggesting PC users switch to console is a bit of an insult to:

• Game modders/mod users
• Non-traditional game player (i.e, obscure indie titles, most VR)
• People who do more than game, such as hobbyist, amateur, or small-time creators
• High-FPS super-competitive multiplayer gamers
• Tinkerers
• + more

Like anyone else, I'm unhappy with GPU pricing this generation, but switching to a locked-down and still relatively expensive platform is NOT the answer in my opinion.
I love playing AAA games, but I also love creative projects, game modding, tinkering with Linux, playing obscure indie titles from Game Jolt and itchio, and many, many other things that really can't be done on a console.
Edit: Maybe "disrespectful" wasn't the best way to put it.

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FRIDAY

• Durham Bulls Kickoff Party, CCB Plaza, Durham
• Durham Bulls vs. Norfolk: Opening Day, Durham Bulls Athletic Park, Durham
• Tracy Morgan, Raleigh Improv, Cary
• Dreamville Fest Pre-Parties and Events, Various Locations, Raleigh
• Eagle Rock Concrete 150/Season Opener, Wake County Speedway, Raleigh
• Eric Gales with King Solomon Hicks, Lincoln Theatre, Raleigh
• Mary Santora, ROOM 861 AT GOODNIGHTS, Raleigh
• Samuel J Comroe, Goodnights Comedy Club, Raleigh
• The Hip Hop IS Higher Ed Symposium, Transfer Co. Ballroom, Raleigh
• USA Baseball National High School Invitational, USA Baseball National Training Complex, Cary
• Ira Knight Presents From Myth to Man: Martin Luther King, An Interpretation, Walltown Children's Theatre, Durham
• Carolina BBQ Fest (Dreamville Pop-Up/ Flea Market), Studio Motif Durham, Durham
• Glow EGGStravaganza Easter Egg Hunt, Durham Central Park, Durham
• Durham Art Guild Swing into Spring, Durham Art Council Truist Gallery, Durham
• Peter Bernstein & Joey Calderazzo, Sharp Nine Gallery, Durham
• Romance is Dead: A Sketch Comedy Show About the Darker Side of Love, Mettlesome Theater, Durham
• The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band with The Hooten Hallers, Motorco Music Hall, Durham
• Dreamville Festival Pop-up Bar, House of Art, Raleigh
• Dreamville Festival Pop Up Party Goldmouf Garage Afterparty, Raleigh Union Station, Raleigh
• Comedy Night, Nickelpoint Brewing Co., Raleigh
• Family Game Night, Arcade of Thrones!, Raleigh
• 5th Cosmic Rays Film Festival, Varsity Theatre, Chapel Hill
• Poole College of Management 2023 Women's HERStorytelling Event, Nelson Hall, 3400, Raleigh

​
SATURDAY

• Dreamville Music Festival, Dorothea Dix Park, Raleigh
• Taylor Tomlinson, DPAC, Durham
• Cary Tacos 'N Taps, Koka Booth Amphitheatre, Cary
• North Carolina FC vs. Lexington Sporting Club, North Carolina Football Club, Cary
• Tracy Morgan, Raleigh Improv, Cary
• Dreamville Festival Pop-up Bar, House of Art, Raleigh
• jxdn, The Ritz, Raleigh
• Dreamville Fest Pre-Parties and Events, Various Locations, Raleigh
• Mary Santora, ROOM 861 AT GOODNIGHTS, Raleigh
• Samuel J Comroe, Goodnights Comedy Club, Raleigh
• Barks and Blooms Shopping Pawty, Saving Grace Supply Co., Raleigh
• Barons of Broadway, Wake Forest Renaissance Centre for the Arts, Wake Forest
• Carnival of the Animals, Meymandi Concert Hall at Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts, Raleigh
• Casks On Fools, Crank Arm Brewing, Raleigh
• Cinderella, Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts, Raleigh
• Joe Gatto's Night of Comedy, Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts, Raleigh
• Spring Eggstravaganza, Lake Benson Park, Garner
• USA Baseball National High School Invitational, USA Baseball National Training Complex, Cary
• Ira Knight Presents From Myth to Man: Martin Luther King, An Interpretation, Walltown Children's Theatre, Durham
• Disney-Quest Film Series, Carolina Theatre, Durham
• 30×30: Art, Nature & Science, Museum of Life and Science, Durham
• Egg Hunt, West Point on the Eno, Durham
• Durham Master Gardener Volunteers Plant Festival, Durham County Cooperative Extension, Durham
• Home Brewed: A CNOTE Event, Durty Bull Brewing Company, Durham
• Mallarme Music: The Life of a Bee, Durham Arts Council, PSI Theater, Durham
• Peter Bernstein & Joey Calderazzo, Sharp Nine Gallery, Durham
• Ignition Featuring: POPOF (FORM Music), The Fruit, Durham
• NC State Baseball, "The Doak", Raleigh
• Raleigh Retro Gamers Spring Kickoff Market 2023, Heyday Brewing, Raleigh
• BRUNCH wit BLUES N.C. Edition, DURHAM ARMORY, Durham

​
SUNDAY

• Dreamville Music Festival, Dorothea Dix Park, Raleigh
• NHL Carolina Hurricanes vs. New York Islanders, PNC Arena, Raleigh
• Tracy Morgan, Raleigh Improv, Cary
• Taylor Tomlinson, DPAC, Durham
• 2023 Grammy nominated PubliQuartet, Cary's Harold D. Ritter Park - Rotary Shelter, Raleigh
• Beer, Bacon & Bluegrass, Oaklyn Springs Brewery, Fuquay-Varina
• Breakout at Borden: A History Escape Room, Borden Building, Raleigh
• Darren Fleet, Goodnights Comedy Club, Raleigh
• Raleigh Radiance Professional Women's Ultimate Games, Durham County Stadium, Durham
• The Legacy of Love: Spring Oratorio, Duke University Chapel, Durham
• Durham Medical Orchestra: Concert for a Field of Dreams, Durham Bulls Miracle League Park, Durham
• The Isabelle Bowen Henderson House & Gardens Tour, Isabelle Bowen Henderson House, Raleigh

​
Join the Thingstodo919 email list here for a weekly events newsletter. Doing anything interesting this weekend? Let us know your plans in the comments!

READ BELOW TO AVOID GETTING SCAMMED AND FINDING QUALITY FREELANCERS!
1.Use PayPal and select “Goods and Services” to send payments
Use PayPal to pay your freelancer, and select the payment to be for “Goods and services” when sending. Sending it as a Good/Service guarantees a refund incase you get scammed! Sending it as a “Friends/family/gift” offers ZERO protection!

1. Pay in milestones

If you need a 4 page research project done for $60. Instead of paying the $60 upfront, ask your writer if you can pay $20 for the first 33% of the project. Once they send you the first 33%, deposit them another $20 for part 2. Repeat until you get to the last stage! This method benefits both freelancers and clients.

1. Never reveal ANY personal information

Never reveal your name, birthday, social security, home address, phone number, school or any piece of info that can leave you vulnerable.

1. Interview and ask writers questions and request samples before hiring

Ask your writer questions about their knowledge, expertise in your project, experience. Request previous samples of their work and be as thorough when making your selection. As the client, you have the right to due diligence.

1. Make sure the model projects you pay for are NOT plagiarized

Copy parts of your project and paste it into google to see if any matching text pops up on any websites. This is one way of checking your project has been originally written. Make sure citations are properly added.

1. Use the projects you receive as research guides/models, instead of turning it in as your own work

By purchasing projects and utilizing them as research guides for your own assignments, you benefit in a myriad of ways. Such as having the information/subject manner organized for you to study. As well as having a rough idea on how to start your own project and formatting/building off of the content that's already presented.
It's up to you at the end of the day how you use your purchased projects. But utilizing them in this way is 100% more likely to improve your understanding of the discussion point!
RED FLAGS TO WATCH OUT FOR
- Writers messaging you with broken English, bad punctuation, typo’s, etc.
- Writers asking you to send payments as “Gifts” instead of services.
- Writers asking for more funds without providing the completed work. Or changing the price mid-way (except if you’ve asked for additional writing).
- Writers requesting payments through Western Union or Cryptocurrency. As these forms of payments are irreversible/virtually untraceable.
- Writers copy and pasting/plagiarizing work

Selling the items below; all very low salt or still in original packaging. Willing to split. Prices ***include*** shipping. PayPal F&F, Venmo, Zelle accepted. Please call dibs on what you want then send me a PM.
CRKT M21-14SFG - low salt - $35
new Glock 19X slide w/ extras (compatible with Gen 4 & 5 frames) - $425

• Slide parts included
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full-sized OEM p320 slide and barrel - $430

• Full-length (4.7") OEM non-threaded barrel (200rds) - $80 by itself
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• You supply the guide rod

new Norsso P365 XL Reptile EDC (slide parts included) - HS407/507k optic footprint - $500 * You supply barrel & guide rod

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-37- Hohem iSteady Pro 4 Gimbal
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Products compilation image: https://i.imgur.com/pJSC5uD.jpeg or https://i.ibb.co/nB062sz/65566d94feb7.jpg

Where to begin… we all know how weird the situation is when it comes to PMI’s scoring. Well let me build up your confidence a little bit if you are anything like me and are dreading taking the exam. I have taken the PMP Exam twice and passed it on my 2nd try. The first time around I misunderstood what I was supposed to study and ended up focusing on former version content rather than the 7th edition. I put a lot of time and effort into learning the formulas, critical path, ITTOS and terminology and OH BOY! That blew up on my face. I felt miserable the entire time taking that test the first go around. Lesson learned! 🥹 Take two! ACTION. I bought a lot of books and tried doing as much research as I could to study the right content this time (all materials used are referenced below). This time I focused on Agile, hybrid, mock exams, truly wrapping my brain around how the body of work flows together in parallel and not in segments. I also found this sub! Thank you SO SO SO SO MUCH to everyone who has posted about their journey, their study plans, their stories and their materials. The content I found on here was invaluable and the biggest reason I was able to pass this time. Mindset truly is everything when it comes to the test. Timing yourself during mock exams in preparation and taking time to understand your areas of opportunity are all things I recommend you do. Review your wrong answers and figure out your pattern. If you are scoring 65% or above on average in your mocks, you are ready and will pass. Don’t listen to the stories about how you need 80% or above. That’s inaccurate and makes you feel both inadequate and nervous.
My test experience: I’d say my test was about 70% agile, 20% hybrid, 10% predictive. 1 calculation question PERT, 2 match questions (must understand definitions and apply to scenarios), all questions were about 3-4 sentences long. Read the question first ALWAYS, then highlight key words as you read if you are getting confused about what it is asking. Test is split into 3 sections each being 60 questions long. Do follow everyone’s advice on here and envision the finish line. It will help with your stamina as you sit through such a long test. Your timer is at the top right and it counts down. Something I kept doing to check myself was subtract the amount of questions remaining from the total amount of time left knowing I on avg take between 50secs to 2-3 mins depending on the difficulty of the question. All questions will be scenario based. I think they sprinkled in a few easy questions. The first part of my test felt like the longest, it was quite challenging, the second part was much better, the third part was easier than the 2nd. Don’t let your tired mind and eyes get in the way of you nailing those answers. When the exhaustion hits you drink water and reset. They will throw in words to trip you up and make you make mistakes so read carefully and do use the highlighter option.
Where are my ADHD folks at? This exam is any ADHD person’s worst nightmare. For real. The length of the questions, the duration of the exam, the way questions are composed and how they sneak words in there to trick you… I have ADHD and take medicine for it to keep focused. I was diagnosed late in my life as an adult when it started really affecting me at work and as I prepped for this test quite honestly. I learned my lesson on my first go around when I ran out of time. I was able to get a special accommodation approved by PMI by submitting a note from my doctor for my second attempt. If you have the need - Make sure to coach your doctor and tell them exactly what is needed from them in writing. You will receive instructions from PMI if you apply for this. Best thing I could have done honestly so that I could take my time understanding what the hell those questions were even asking. I got extra time for breaks and extra time added to my test thanks to my doctor. I was able to highlight literally everything I needed to and finished with extra time. If you have questions about this specifically PM me. I’d be happy to help.
Anyway! What an awesome accomplishment! Literally will be non stop celebrating all weekend… 😭🍾🥂 Imma PMP! 🙀 Never thought I would be able to create one of these “pass” posts. Or maybe not never, but it did feel very much out of reach for a while there. Preparation, set backs and everything in between were a year in the making and now here we are! I cried like a baby when I saw the “congratulations” screen pop up at the end of my test. I am sure the proctor had a field trip 😅I went in to look at my score and drum roll I scored AT/AT/NI AND PASSED !!! I am not ashamed to share that because a passing score is a passing score. The certification itself was the goal. I don’t know how or why but I will not question it. Just wanted to share that it is possible!
My journey and accomplishment wouldn’t have been possible without a list of people and resources who truly helped guide me and provided me with the tools necessary to make this dream of mine a reality. Gotta give credit where it is due 🙌🏻
This game was key! https://pmaspirant.com/project-management-process-group-and-knowledge-area-mapping-game Play it over and over until you consistently get 90% or above. It will truly help you in the exam.
David McLachlan, Andrew Ramdayal, Ricardo Viana Vargas, and Ph.D. , Joseph Phillips - Their YouTube videos were essential and a great tool for anyone preparing to take this beast. Real MVPs! I would focus on Vargas and McLachlan mostly. That’s who I learned the most from.
Agile Alliance's Agile Practice Guide, The PMP How to pass on your first try by Andy Crowe (Velociteach), PMP Flashcards from Amazon by Belinda Goodrich, PMP Exam Prep Questions, Answers & Explanations by Christopher Scordo PMP, ITIL - These are all printed materials and they were invaluable. The Agile book was key.
Project Management Institute’s Study Hall - I will be the broken record and repeat that Mock exams were key and a huge reason I was able to pass.
This sub for enabling people to collaborate, learn from one another, share their journeys and study plans to be successful. u/third3rock ‘s study guide/notes were quite honestly one of the best things I stumbled upon during my preparation and I am so glad I did! Buy Kris some coffee ☕️ I highly highly recommend it. Link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IIZoUdSdI6-TlYHxs9umzETnAlTCEs7h/edit
Let me know if you have any questions and good luck on your exam! If I can do it you can too. 🙌🏻🥂🍾

After doing some research, I've decided between these three headphones (although I'm also open to new suggestions).
I've heard that the TYGRs are an improvement over the DT990s, and since in where I live (EU, Spain) they're only 10€ in difference, I may as well get the TYGRs.
Now, I've also read that some people preffer the HD 599's over the TYGR, and where I live, the HD 599's are priced at 100€ (in comparison of the TYGRs at 150€), so I'm really indecisive about which one of them to get, and if the price difference really is worth it to get the TYGRs over the HDs.
Then, there's also the HD 560S, which priced at 142€, some people argued that they were more worth it than the HD 599's.
I'd appreciate if you guys could help me pick my 2nd "actual" pair of headphones.
​
Info:
Budget: 150€-200€ (163-217 USD), can't stretch it much more than 220€ (240 USD).
I don't own a DAC, but the sound card from my aorus B550 motherboard can handle headphones up to 80 ohms.
The pair of headphones I've been using until now were the TaKstar Pro 82's, but after almost 3 years, only the left side works now. Looking for a bit of an upgrade if possible, and also interested in open-backs, as I don't really have a reason for my new headphones to be closed-backs, and since I understand that the open backs generally have better sound quality, I guessed I may go for that.
I will use these headphones to listen to a LOT of music genres, from classical/pop to trance/jungle/hardcore stuff, so I'd appreciate a pair of headphones that suit all-around genres. I will also game on them, so I'd appreciate headphones that make it easier for me to keep track of enemies locations at all moments.
If I missed on anything, lmk. Thank you a lot in advance!

Pasted from the #releases channel of the Rocket Pool Discord:
​
Today is the day! The one we've all been waiting for! Atlas and Shapella are both just a few weeks away, so it's time to upgrade and prepare for both of them.
In that regard, we have officially released v1.9.0 to Mainnet! 🥳
You can view the full thing set of patch notes here: https://github.com/rocket-pool/smartnode-install/releases/tag/v1.9.0
We also have a detailed guide up on our documentation site to walk you through all of the new Atlas features:
https://docs.rocketpool.net/guides/atlas/whats-new.html
Before getting into the details, we want to give a tremendous shout out to all of our beta testers that helped us refine v1.9.0 and Atlas on the Zhejiang and Prater (Goerli) test networks. This release simply would not have been possible without their time, dedication, thorough reports, and suggestions. Thank you!
The patch notes are way too long for this one, but here's a quick summary:
- Support for the Atlas protocol upgrade, which includes: - Minipools that only require an 8 ETH bond instead of 16 ("LEB8s"). - Migration of existing 16 ETH minipools into 8 ETH minipools (requires Atlas). - Migration of existing solo validators directly into minipools without exiting (requires Atlas). - Support for receiving the ETH staking rewards from the Beacon Chain.
- Automatic minipool balance distribution for worry-free rewards (configurable, of course - requires Atlas).
- Support for ETH withdrawals and rewards skimming (requires the Shanghai and Capella upgrades on the Execution and Consensus layer).
- Support for the Zhejiang testnet, which has been upgraded to Shanghai, Capella, and Atlas.
- Support for split-client mode for Nimbus, which means Nimbus can now be used with fallback clients and externally-managed clients (Hybrid Mode).
- Support for the Lodestar consensus client.
- A new Grafana dashboard that works with all client combinations and provides lots of highly-requested stats.
- Oracle DAO changes, including network balance and price consensus changes.
- Updated all of the clients and services to be compatible with Shapella on Mainnet.
---
⚠️ IMPORTANT DATES ⚠️
Docker Mode users must upgrade no later than Apr-12-2023 10:27:35 PM UTC, which is the time that the Ethereum network will undergo the Shapella upgrade.
Hybrid and Native Mode users must upgrade no later than Apr-18-2023 00:00:00 AM UTC, which is the expected time of the Atlas upgrade. Note: you will have to manually update your Execution and Consensus clients to Shapella compatible versions by the date above!
Oracle DAO members must upgrade no later than Apr-10-2023 00:00:00 AM UTC in order to use the new TWAP-based RPL price system and update to the new network balance calculation (described in detail below).
---
To install it, please follow our Smartnode upgrade guide here: https://docs.rocketpool.net/guides/node/updates.html#updating-the-smartnode-stack
Thank you everyone, and enjoy! Just a few more weeks to go.