A song for the current mood - In the Shadows!
Teams:

1. The Wizards are now on a 32-40. It was the Wizards' 40th loss of the season
2. It was the Wizards' 72nd game of the season, with 10 games remaining for the regular season: Nuggets (tonight, at home), Spurs (home), Raptors (road), Celtics (home), Magic (home), Knicks (road), Bucks (home), Hawks (road), Heat (home) & Rockets (home).
3. The Wizards went to 12th place, 2.5 games behind the Bulls (34-37 record) in the 10th place (same record as the Pacers, but Conference Record is worse), 2.5 games are also the same amount of games the Wizards are ahead of the Magic at the 13th place.
4. The Wizards are currently 16-18 at home games & 16-22 at road games.
5. The Wizards are now 16-19 in the year 2023 (16W & 19L) - from 16-21 to 32-40.
6. The Wizards are now 4-10 since the All-Star break.
7. The Wizards are now 3-5 without Kyle Kuzma.
8. The Wizards are now 12-14 since the trade with Rui Hachimura (12 W & 14 L). Before the trade, the Wizards were 17-13 (17 W & 13 L) with him (in games he played), and 3-13 (3 W & 13 L) in games he wasn't playing. Overall, the Wizards were a 20-26 record before this trade.
9. The Wizards had their 3rd consecutive loss, having 3 losses, 1 win & then 3 losses again, after tonight
10. The Wizards lost 6 out of their last 8 games, including 8 out of their last 10 games.
11. The Magic finally won the Wizards after 7 straight losses, it's their first win since December 27th, 2020 - 113-120 to the Magic.
12. The historical head-to-head matchup during the regular season - Washington Wizards vs. the Orlando Magic: 60-74 to the Orlando Magic
13. The Wizards are now, including tonight,16-8 (16 W & 8 L) when Beal takes between 9 to 17 FGA in a single game (including 17 & 9) - making anywhere between 13 to 29 points. He had 15 FGA & 16 points tonight. The "funny" thing is that in all the other scenarios (Including when he too twice 7 or fewer FGA because he got injured), the Wizards are still now 6-18 (6W & 18 L) - making 8 points or fewer, or 20 points or more (he had two 20 points game, once 21 points, once 22 points, once 24 points, the rest that isn't 8 or less, or are 25 points or more).
14. The Wizards are 4-24 when an opponent scores 117 points or more against them this season.
15. The Wizards are also 7-26 in games they score 112 points or less (0-3 when scoring exactly 112 points)
16. The Wizards are shooting 36.1% from 3PT or less in their last 6 games, after shooting 10/32 from 3PT (31.3%) tonight), shooting twice in the lower 20% from 3PT as well.
17. The Magic scored above 40% (12/27 3PT 44.4%) after 5 straight games shooting 34.5% or lower (twice below 30%).
18. The Wizards are now 5-8 in games Kristaps Porzingis scores 30+ points.
19. The Wizards tied their 3rd worst rebounding night with 33 rebounds.
20. The Magic had their season's 2nd best FT%, with 24/25 (96.0%), as Markelle Fultz ruined the 100% when he missed the Magic's 24th FT attempt (the Magic were 23/23 FT (100%) at that point - a season-high, as the Magic were 20/2 FT vs. OKC on November 1st,2022 - 108-116 L).
21. The Magic were 23/23 from FT until Markelle Fultz missed mentioned earlier, so it's likely to assume it's also a season-high for the Magic in terms of straight made free throws this season (I've other games who had 23+ FTA, didn't find, but I want to check again).
22. It's the first time this season the Magic scored exactly 122 points tonight, and they are 9-5 in games they score 122 points or more.
23. The Magic were insane in the 4th quarter - -12/16 FG (75.0%), 2/2 3PT (100%), 9/10 FT (90.0%), 12 rebounds (1 Off. Reb), 8 assists, a steal & 4 turnovers - 35 points. The Wizards, on the other hand, went 9/20 FG (45.0%), 3/11 3PT (27.3%), 3/5 FT (60.0%) - both misses by Beal, 3 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal & 4 turnovers - 24 points.
24. Every player on the Wizards tonight who played scored & also made a field goal attempt. Anthony Gill had his 2 points in 34 seconds.
25. The Magic dominated the paint with 52 points in the paint vs. 46 points in the paint by the Wizards, the Wizards had 9 2nd chance points vs. just 2 2nd chance points by the Magic, and the Wizards had 17 fastbreak points vs. 16 fastbreak points by the Magic.

Players:

1. Kyle Kuzma missed his 8th game of the season, including 7 out of his last 20 games.
2. Bradley Beal had 20 points tonight & now he is 163 points from breaking Elvin Hayes' franchise record in points (regular-season), with 15,391, as Hayes has 15,551 points.
3. Bradley Beal got fouled out for the first time this season (6 personal fouls), and for the first time since January 5th, 2022 - 111-114 L to the Rockets.
4. Bradley Beal had his 2nd worst FG% game of the season - 4/15 FG (26.7%) - his FG% season-worst is 4/16 FG (25%) vs. the Boston Celtics, on October 30th, 2022 - 94-112 L.
5. Bradley Beal scored 13+ points in his last 25 games.
6. Bradley Beal had his season 3rd best in terms of walking to the free throw line, as went there 10 times tonight (made 8).
7. Bradley Beal went back to his old haircut.
8. Kristaps Porzingis had his 13th 30+ points game of the season - a career-high (he had 11 like these in the 2017-18 season & 10 games like it in the 2019-20 season), as well as his 4th game of the season scoring exactly 30 points.
9. Kristaps Porzingis had his 5th straight game with 2 blocks or more (2, 2, 4, 2 & 2 blocks tonight).
10. Kristaps Porzingis scored his 1,399 points of the season - keeps on shattering his total points in a single season (which was 1,196 points in his sophomore year, in 66 GP). If he maintains this, he will also break his PPG record of 22.7 (48 GP), which currently stands at 22.9 PPG.
11. Kristaps Porzingis was the only player among the starting lineup who had a positive +/-, with +6 (though he had some questionable shots at the end).
12. Kristaps Porzingis played the 3rd most minutes in a single game he had this season - 38:15 minutes.
13. Paolo Banchero scored 12+ points in his last 10 games.
14. Paolo Banchero had a career & season 2nd best of 8 assists, 5 games after he had a career & season high of 9 assists in the 126-114 W over the Heat.
15. It's the 3rd straight game Franz Wanger scored 20+ points (20 points tonight), after scoring 11 to 17 points in the previous 3 games.
16. Gary Harris tied his season-high of 22 points he had on January 25th, 2023 - 126-120 W over the Pacers
17. Gary Harris tied his season-high of 6 3-pointers (6/9 3PT tonight 66.7%). He had 6 3-pointers (6/6) in the 126-120 W over the Pacers on January 25th, 2023.
18. Gary Harris is 9/13 (69.2%) vs. the Wizards this season (he didn't play in one game), coming off 3/4 from 3PT (75%) in the 118-138 L to the Wizards.
19. Corey Kispert had a season-high of 3 offensive rebounds, tying his career-high in offensive rebounds in a single game as well.
20. Corey Kispert scored 10+ points in 9 out of his last 11 games, despite 9 points he had tonight - a career-high as well - he never scored 10+ points in 9 out of his last 11 games (including last season, I checked) - congratulations to Krispy!
21. Corey Kispert tied his season 2nd best of 3 assists (season best is 4 assists), for the 4th time this season. All in all, Corey Kispert had 5 times this season 3 assists.
22. Deni Avdija had his 9th double-double of the season (8 double-doubles are points & rebounds, and once points & assists (was 1 reb shy from a triple-double).
23. Deni Avdija had his 12th 10+ rebounds game of the season.
24. Deni Avdija had 10+ rebounds for the 2nd game straight (11 rebounds last game).
25. Deni Avdija made three 3-pointers tonight, for the 3rd time this season, and for the first time since February 8th, 2023 - 118-104 W over the Hornets.
26. Deni Avdija had 2+ assists in his last 10 games.
27. Deni Avdija had his 10th 15+ points game of the season, as well as his 29th game with 10+ points this season.
28. It was only the 10th game this season Delon Wright didn't have a single steal (out of 43 GP), and the 4th straight game without a single steal.
29. Delon Wright hasn't scored more than 4 points in each of his last 5 games (2 points tonight - 2,0,4, 4 & 2 tonight).
30. Johnny Davis played for 5 straight games - a career-high.
31. Johnny Davis played only 4:01 minutes in the 5th straight game he was playing (18th game overall this season), the least amount of minutes he got since February 14th, 2023 - 126-101 W over the Trail Blazers. In the previous 4 games (chronological order): 7:27 minutes, 18:32 minutes, 18:51 minutes & 12:52 minutes (last game vs. the Kings).
32. Bradley Beal had his 48th game this season scoring 12+ points. Either way, in two games he scored below 10 points this season due to an injury during the game.
33. Out of 64 GP this season by Kispert, he was 0% from 3PT only 6 times, & 14 times between 0% to 20% - including tonight's 1/5 3PT (20%), 8 times shooting 33% from 3PT out of 17 games shooting between 20%+ to 40%Overall, he has 35 games shooting 40% or higher this season.
34. Monte Morris scored 10+ points in 4 out of his last 5 games.
35. Monte Morris had 8 assists tonight, for the 2nd time in his last 6 games.
36. Daniel Gafford scored 12 points tonight after 4 straight games scoring fewer than 7 points. In fact, he scored 10+ points only in 2 out of his last 10 games.
37. Johnny Davis was 0/1 from 3PT tonight, which means he is 1/9 from 3PT this season.
38. Johnny Davis scored in each of his last 4 games.
39. It's the 10th straight game of Deni Avdija without a single block.
40. Deni Avdija had only one block in his last 17 games. The last block was on March 2nd, 2023 - 119-108 W over the Raptors.
41. Kendrick Nunn hasn't scored in double figures since February 14th, 2023 (126-101 W over the Trail Blazers) - playing in 11 out of the last 14 games, never scoring more than 8 points.
42. Ex-Wizards, Moritz (Mo) Wagner scored 13+ points in 6 out of his last 8 games.
43. Cole Anthony scored 14+ points (16 points tonight) in his last 6 games, including 6 out of his last 7.
44. Kevon Harris played 15:50 minutes tonight & had 0 points, 0 field goal attempts, 0 free throw attempts, 2 rebounds (1 Off. Reb), a block & 2 personal fouls(plus/minus of minus 6).
45. Kevon Harris had the 4th block of his career (and season), having 3 blocks in his last 8 games (1 block each time). Now he has more blocks this season than Gary Harris (3 blocks)
46. Caleb Houstan was close: In 14:06 minutes, he ended up with 0 points on 0/1 FG (0/1 3PT), 0 free throw attempts, 1 rebound, 1 assist, and 3 personal fouls (plus/minus of +5).
47. Markelle Fultz scored 12+ points in his last 9 games, including 16 out of the last 17.
48. Cole Anthony tied his season-worst of 4 turnovers. It's the 3rd time this season he gets 4 turnovers, and the first time this year (both 4 turnovers games were in December).

Tonight's food is bland like the food you get in the army. Maybe it is because we're tanking, I don't know.
Peace.

Fedilemma
Leading up to the Federal Reserve's March 21-22 monetary policy meeting, traders had been expecting the FOMC to ratchet up its key interest rate by 50 basis points because the economy appeared to be surprisingly robust. But then three U.S. banks failed - Silvergate Capital (SI), SVB (SIVB) and Signature Bank (SBNY) - and a fourth is teetering (check out the latest headlines related to First Republic (FRC)). That may have Fed policymakers rethinking their expectation for a rate hike today and their upcoming rate path, while the whole episode came during the Fed's blackout period, creating even more uncertainty about what may lie ahead.
Backdrop: As a reminder, the Fed has increased its key rate for eight straight meetings, bringing the federal funds rate target range to 4.50%-4.75%, from 0.0%-0.25% in the past year, in its drive to push down inflation. Meanwhile, the core PCE price index, the central bank's preferred inflation gauge, showed a jump of 4.7% Y/Y in February, up from 4.6% in January, but easing from 5.2% in March 2022. Don't forget that efforts to shrink the bank's balance sheet were upended last week, as financial institutions borrowed a whopping $153B from the Fed's discount window (and $12B from the newly created Bank Term Funding Program), though assets from emergency lending tend to fall as soon as a crisis subsides, compared to holdings added under quantitative easing.
With regards to whether to hike or not, the decision won't be easy. Inflation still remains very high and a pause now could signal there are deeper problems within the banking system. On the other hand, there are fears that the Fed is moving too far, too fast with its aggressive rate increases, and some see the current banking crisis as a direct result of tighter monetary policy. Ultimately, things will boil down to whether the financial stability problem has been limited to a handful of regional banks that has been successfully contained, or if something systematic has broken - with the possibility of the crisis morphing into something larger.
By the numbers: According to the latest Wall Street Breakfast survey, around 70% of the 1,740 respondents expect the central bank to go for a smaller 25 basis point hike, though 20% believe that the Fed will pause its hiking cycle (and about 10% still see the possibility of a 50 bps increase). Any surprises will surely jolt markets, so pay attention to the Fed's dot plot - which will be published alongside its policy decision at 2 PM ET - as well as Jerome Powell's press conference a half hour later. SA contributor James Baker expects the central bank chair to "emphasize the continuing strength in the employment, the Fed's intention to make money available to any bank needing funds to meet deposit withdrawals, and the Fed's continuing commitment to bring inflation down." (84 comments)
Deposit runs
U.S. officials are prepared to take more actions if needed to ensure liquidity in the banking sector, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said yesterday during an American Bankers Association meeting in Washington, D.C. She defended federal regulators' actions to protect the depositors of Silicon Valley Bank (SIVB) and Signature Bank (SBNY), saying "our intervention was necessary to protect the broader U.S. banking system." While conditions have improved with aggregate outflows stabilizing, "similar actions could be warranted if smaller institutions suffer deposit runs that pose the risk of contagion." Yellen also cited a need to re-examine current regulatory and supervisory regimes, and expressed worries over a last-minute deal to resolve the debt ceiling. (3 comments)
Meet Bard
Google (GOOG, GOOGL) has released its artificial intelligence chatbot for public use as it responds to the growing threat from rival projects at Microsoft (MSFT) and OpenAI. The Bard chatbot will be available to a limited number of users on a waitlist picked from those in the U.S. and the U.K., before Google offers it in more countries. The company is also learning from missteps of OpenAI's ChatGPT and its own demonstration of Bard, by limiting the amount of interaction that can occur between Bard and users. Calling the situation a "code red" in February, Google AI chief Jeff Dean said the tech giant was moving "more conservatively than a small startup" since it has much more "reputational risk" in providing erroneous information. (31 comments)
Earnings swoosh
Shares of Nike (NKE) jumped 4% in after-hours trading on Tuesday after topping earnings expectations and touting inventory management actions. However, the gains didn't hold, and the stock even ended the session down 2%. Management noted continued promotional activity that compressed margins by 330 basis points to 43.3% - disappointing against a 43.7% consensus expectation - and the sneaker giant said it would "continue to take a cautious approach in planning our business, leading with intentional financial and operational guardrails." Inventories were also up 16% to $8.9B compared with the year-ago period, while China continues to remain a sore spot for Nike, with sales declining 8% Y/Y across the region. (22 comments)
Today's Markets
In Asia, Japan +1.9%. Hong Kong +1.7%. China +0.3%. India +0.2%. In Europe, at midday, London -0.1%. Paris +0.3%. Frankfurt +0.5%. Futures at 6:30, Dow flat. S&P -0.1%. Nasdaq -0.2%. Crude -0.4% to $69.41. Gold +0.3% to $1947.20. Bitcoin +0.3% to $28,205. Ten-year Treasury Yield unchanged at 3.60%
Today's Economic Calendar
7:00 MBA Mortgage Applications 10:30 EIA Petroleum Inventories 2:00 PM FOMC Announcement 2:30 PM Chairman Press Conference
Companies reporting earnings today »
What else is happening...
Sticker shock: UK inflation rate unexpectedly rebounds to 10.4%.
PIMCO said to lose $340M from Credit Suisse (CS) AT1 debt writeoff.
GameStop (GME) surges after meme player records a surprise profit.
DWAC on watch with Trump expected to be formally indicted today.
Vote of confidence ahead of court ruling on SEC-(XRP-USD) case.
Ford (F) brings an all-electric Explorer to European markets.
Dodge (STLA) unveils its last super-fast gasoline muscle car.
Intel (INTC) shakes up leadership, announces new foundry leader.
These stocks are picking up Bed Bath & Beyond's (BBBY) lost market share.
Home improvement? Check out the latest housing stats on sales and prices.

Philadelphia 76ers (48-23) @ Chicago Bulls (34-37)

• Game Time: March 22, 2023 @ 08:00 PM EDT
• Venue: United Center - Chicago, IL
• TV: Philadelphia: NBCSP, Chicago: NBCSCH
• Radio: Philadelphia: WPEN, Chicago: WSCWRTO
• NBA Game Summary / Charts

Matchup History

Date	Location	Result
03/20/2023	Philadelphia	Loss 109-105
01/06/2023	Philadelphia	Loss 126-112
10/29/2022	Chicago	Win 114-109
03/07/2022	Philadelphia	Win 121-106
02/06/2022	Chicago	Win 119-108

Season Stats

Team	PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	FG%	3P%	FT%
76ers	115.4	41.0	25.2	7.8	4.8	12.8	0.487	0.388	0.835
Bulls	113.5	42.7	24.3	7.7	4.5	13.0	0.489	0.364	0.812

Team Leaders

	76ers	Bulls
PTS	Joel Embiid (33.6)	(25.4) DeMar DeRozan
REB	Joel Embiid (10.3)	(11.3) Nikola Vucevic
AST	James Harden (10.8)	(5.1) DeMar DeRozan
BLK	Joel Embiid (1.76)	(0.8) Patrick Williams

Eastern Conference Standings

Rank	Team	W	L	Pct	GB	Conf	Home	Away	L10	Strk
1	Milwaukee Bucks	51	20	0.718	-	30-15	29-7	22-13	7-3	W 1
2	Boston Celtics	50	23	0.685	2.0	29-16	26-9	24-14	5-5	W 1
3	Philadelphia 76ers	48	23	0.676	3.0	29-16	26-11	22-12	8-2	L 1
4	Cleveland Cavaliers	46	28	0.622	6.5	30-15	29-8	17-20	7-3	W 2
5	New York Knicks	42	31	0.575	10.0	28-17	20-17	22-14	6-4	L 1
6	Brooklyn Nets	39	33	0.542	12.5	26-19	19-15	20-18	5-5	L 4
7	Miami Heat	39	34	0.534	13.0	20-24	24-13	15-21	6-4	W 1
8	Atlanta Hawks	36	36	0.5	15.5	22-23	20-15	16-21	5-5	W 1
9	Toronto Raptors	35	37	0.486	16.5	20-22	23-13	12-24	5-5	L 1
10	Chicago Bulls	34	37	0.479	17.0	25-22	20-16	14-21	6-4	W 3
11	Indiana Pacers	32	40	0.444	19.5	22-22	19-17	13-23	5-5	L 2
12	Washington Wizards	32	40	0.444	19.5	19-26	16-18	16-22	2-8	L 3
13	Orlando Magic	30	43	0.411	22.0	16-28	17-19	13-24	4-6	W 1
14	Charlotte Hornets	23	50	0.315	29.0	14-34	12-24	11-26	3-7	W 1
15	Detroit Pistons	16	57	0.219	36.0	7-38	9-29	7-28	1-9	L 4

League Scoreboard

Away	Score	Home	Status
Denver Nuggets	-	Washington Wizards	7:00 pm ET
New York Knicks	-	Miami Heat	7:30 pm ET
Indiana Pacers	-	Toronto Raptors	7:30 pm ET
Golden State Warriors	-	Dallas Mavericks	7:30 pm ET
Houston Rockets	-	Memphis Grizzlies	8:00 pm ET
San Antonio Spurs	-	Milwaukee Bucks	8:00 pm ET
Atlanta Hawks	-	Minnesota Timberwolves	8:00 pm ET
Portland Trail Blazers	-	Utah Jazz	9:00 pm ET
Phoenix Suns	-	Los Angeles Lakers	10:00 pm ET

^{Posted: 03/22/2023 05:00:01 AM EDT, Update Interval: 5 Minutes}

This is a throwaway account, and names have been changed.
I (38M) have been married to my wife (39F) for 12 years and we have two kids (3yo boy and 6yo girl). We are both hard-working and fairly successful professionals in a large german city and have been supportive of each other's career over the years. We have both always been fairly into feminism and openness, and we always were very careful to divvy up the domestic chores and children care. In the past few years, my wife has been creating a new startup, with all the corresponding workload and stress -- I have been supportive of her, of course, I did encourage her to start it and at the beginning even took some extra jobs to make ends meet. I have always been supportive of the specific demands this kind of enterprise demands and have been taking the kids for some weekends, vacations, etc. by myself when she needed extra time to work.
In the past few years, starting with the pandemic, the balance has been less reasonable. While I do empathize with the issues of running a company through turbulent times, this has taken a toll on my professional life (where I am also in a somewhat high-profile position in academia) and family life -- for instance, she canceled repeatedly family vacations a few days before all along 2022 because of work, stopped taking the kids to their activities while I took care of it, etc. This has affected our relationship as a couple as there was very little time for just the two of us. She has anxiety issues and a complicated family life so I empathize but multiple conversations I started with her during the fall of 2022 fell short.
Two years ago, I was invited to spend a semester at a fancy US university as a visiting professor. This something fairly important to me professionnally. I told her about the invitation and she told me she would be happy to move to the US for a few months and would arrange for remote working -- I did make it clear it would be ok for me to refuse. As a consequence, I accepted and we made plans for the balance to be ok. We decided I would move by myself there for 4 weeks, with the two kids, and then she would join for three months. So we did that, which definitely was a challenge as I was by myself, in a country with no family or friends support, with two young kids. I did manage to set up all the logistics, new homes, new schools, etc. As she arrived, she became extremely anxious with work, remained on a European schedule, was generally very absent. After two weeks, she left to attend a conference somewhere else in the US for a week.
When she came back, I told her we were drifting apart, and I wanted to talk about what our priorities in life were. That I respected that her work was her main focus, but we should try and understand where that would lead us. We have always been fairly open regarding relationships and I also told her we could explore not being as exclusive, as a means of each focusing on different goals while not feeling frustrated of trying to maintain an exclusive relationship that was not the main focus anymore. She was very upset with the conversation, which I understand, but also did confirm she had many things in mind and needed to focus on work and mental health, while not wanting to change the relationship.
She was miserable with remote work for a few days, and so much so that she decided to leave back to Europe for a few weeks, again leaving me with our two young kids. While I understand she was in a bad place, I do feel bad about her leaving us, the kids being a little sad, and me trying to satisfy my professional obligations while being the sole caretaker of two kids. I do feel betrayed and neglected.
I feel I don't necessarily want a separation rather than work out a new way to be together which involves opening our marriage (tbh, the tension and isolation with housework and family work makes it so that at some point I probably would cheat), but sometimes I feel very helpless. Any feedback ?
TL; DR: I feel my wife has been drifting apart due to focusing on her work and feel resentment about it. How do I navigate this ?

​
which prof is better?

The Charlatan is looking to speak to students and staff who have strong feelings about the potential strike and how it might impact them for a story. Please email [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]) or message me. We are looking for people who would be comfortable sharing their identity, unless there's a reasonable fear of repercussions (such as employment with the university) but you want to share your thoughts still.
Why speak to us? We've covered all major steps since the start of bargaining and have held the university accountable for their silence. Our reporting has also revealed the university's policy on what would happen in the event of a strike.
Our latest story from Friday: https://charlatan.ca/2023/03/17/contract-instructors-tas-inch-closer-to-strike-heres-what-you-need-to-know/
More of our coverage: https://charlatan.ca/2023/02/08/cupe-4600-members-voting-on-strike-as-bargaining-stalls/
https://charlatan.ca/2022/10/12/its-up-to-carleton-to-do-their-share-cupe-4600-and-carleton-begin-collective-bargaining/
All opinions welcome. Thanks!

August 30, 1204

• Class VII arrives in Garelia Fortress
• SSS does their usual patrols around Crossbell with their ZCF Car

August 31, 1204

• 12:00pm - SSS arrived at Orchis Tower for their meeting and tour
  
• 1:00pm - First half of the conference starts. SSS patrols the floors and meet up with the attendees present including a particular Thors Student.
  
• 3:00pm - Conference Intermission/Break. SSS gets called for an audience by President Rocksmith and Chancellor Osborne for a brief meeting.
  
• 3:30pm - Class VII finished with their special military science lecture. Garrelia Fotress raid starts. Class VII with their instructors handle the situation
  
• 4:00pm - Second half of the conference starts
  
• 4:30pm - Heated part of the conference starts and terrorist attacks starts.
  
• Between 4:30pm until 6pm - SSS pursues the terrorists across Geofront D. Lechter, Kilika, Mueller and Julia Schwarz disabled the bombs in the airship parked at the rooftop. ILF members including G gets massacred by Red Constellation. S receives this report from probably the last surviving ILF member. Calvardian Terrorists gets apprehended by Heiyue. The attack in Garrelia Fortress ends with S and V escaping via airship
  
• 6:00pm - Closing portion of the conference. Mayor Crois announces the bid of Crossbell's independence
  

We dont exactly know the exact time of death of G since Class VII just reached S around this time and announces G's death to them. Considering the size of Garrelia Fortress, it must have took a couple of hours just for Class VII to reach the railway gun. Not to mention the distance between Orchis Tower Geofront D upto Railway Guns and we dont know how did S even get that news.
Also how come Lechter didnt just barge in and report about the raid happened in Garrelia

There are plenty of reasons to be concerned about the direction of crypto in the U.S., but I'd like to share the reasons why I remain optimistic and excited for what the future may hold. Let's not forgot all the positive developments that have occurred over the last couple years. What else would you add? What makes you most optimistic about the future?
-In June of 2021 El Salvador became the first country in the world to adopt bitcoin as legal tender.
-In November of 2021 the US congress passed an infrastructure bill that included for the first time ever provisions addressing crypto currency, taxes, and reporting requirements. While controversial, Congress has continued to discuss legislation, with several key representatives providing a pro-crypto voice. In September of 2022 the White House released the first-ever comprehensive framework for the responsible development of digital assets, acknowledging the perceived risks and benefits of crypto.
-In mid 2021 Visa first announced it would begin settling transactions with USDC stable coin. Speaking at the StarkWare Sessions 2023 conference in Tel Aviv, the head of Visa’s crypto operations said the company has been testing how to accept settlement payments from issuers in USDC starting on Ethereum.
-In August 2022 Blackrock, the worlds largest asset manager with $8 trillion in assets under management, partnered with Coinbase to give institutional clients access to Bitcoin. In December of 2022, the CEO of BlackRock predicted crypto's blockchain technology will usher in "the next generation for markets."
-In June of 2022 Solana announced development of its own smartphone to securely store crypto keys and provide seamless dapp integration.
-In early 2022 Los Angelas's former Staple Center became the Crypto.com arena. In mid 2022 the Home of the 76'ers, the former Wells Fargo Arena was renamed the Bankless Arena.
-In 2022 Polygon partnered with many major companies and is being utilized by Starbucks, Disney, Adidas, Stripe, Meta, and Reddit on a number of NFT and customer loyalty projects.
-In October of 2022, BNY Mellon, the oldest bank in the United States, became the first bank in the US to launch its digital custody platform, allowing select clients to safeguard their Ether and Bitcoin holdings.
-In November of 2022 Fidelity announced it would offer Bitcoin and Ether trading to institutional clients. Since then it has begun offering Bitcoin and Eth purchase to its 401k retail customers.
-In November of 2022 it was reported that the JP Morgan wallet was now a registered trademark for cryptocurrency transfers and related services. The United States Patent and Trademark Office granted the application on Nov. 15. That same month, JPMorgan completed its first live cross-border transaction on a public blockchain using the Ethereum layer-two network Polygon, and a modified version of the aave protocol—a DeFi technology.
-In November of 2022 it was reported that Google is working with the Solana Network providing node & validator services.
-In January of 2023 Amazon began working with the Avalanche Network to provide cloud solutions for app-chains.
-In March of 2023 Microsoft was reportedly prepping to release a built-in non-custodial wallet for Microsoft Edge.
-In March of 2023 Polygon and Immutable partnered with a plan to onboard 100 million gamers into web3 in the next two years. These two chains working together are expected to usher in a new era of gaming.
-In March 2023, several major trad-fi banks in the US and Switzerland failed. The thought of the US or global economy and fiat system tumbling is beyond terrifying, but it also highlights the need for de-fi and a reliable, immutable, transparent, self-custody option.
Edit to fix some typos.

Proof - https://imgur.com/a/76S3zwC
2023 Silver Eagles, 2023 Maple Leafs, 2022 Australia Kangaroo Rolls..
2023 ASE 635.00 per 20 coin roll.
2023 Maples 710.00 per 25 coin roll
2022 Kangaroo 685.00 per 25 coin roll.
These prices include USPS 2-day priority box with delivery confirmation. Insurance is always available for purchase.
PayPal FF, Venmo, Cash App

With full reservoirs, cyberattacks on dams worry lawmakers
A state Senate committee has advanced a measure to prepare critical infrastructure for cyberattacks. Sen. Melissa Hurtado of Bakersfield pointed out that previous attacks have attempted to release water from a dam in New York and successfully shut down meat processing plants.
One expert testifying in support warned the federal government would be overwhelmed if a mass cyberattack threatened food, water and power. Sen. Bob Archuleta of Pico Rivera feared an attack could release water from reservoirs during winter storms, leading to catastrophic flooding downstream.
Remember: Last year the state signed into law a separate bill from Hurtado on cybersecurity for water infrastructure. It tasked the state’s emergency services office with developing a strategic plan to assist the food, agriculture, water supply and wastewater sectors with protections.
Wine Country wants to improve weather forecasting
A new bill capitalizes on emerging forecasting technology to better prepare California for sudden droughts.
Forecast-informed reservoir operations, or FIRO, aims to retain as much water in reservoirs as possible ahead of storms and anticipated runoff while enabling better flood control as well. AB 30 would expand FIRO to more parts of the state. It gained unanimous support.
Why it matters: Mark Fenstermaker, a lobbyist for Sonoma Water, explained that 1960s-era federal rules led the district in 2013 to release 30,000 acre-feet of water from Lake Mendocino. It didn’t rain for another three years. In 2019 a minor rule change enabled the district to retain more in the reservoir.
Yet the lake all but dried up again in 2021, leading cities to cut water use in half and dairies and wineries to get creative in adapting to extreme scarcity.
Vilsack keynotes Agri-Pulse policy summit
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will headline the annual Agri-Pulse Ag and Food Policy Summit today in Washington.
This year’s conference will focus on issues critical to ensuring long-term agricultural sustainability and food security.
The summit will feature interviews with the leaders of the House and Senate Ag committees and discussions with a diverse array of experts and producers. They’ll debate a range of issues, including the challenges facing beginning and minority farmers as well as future needs for risk management, agricultural research and nutrition assistance.
Registration for the summit is still available today online, or in person at the National Press Club.
By the way: The Biden administration’s “waters of the U.S.” rule officially takes effect today, an issue almost certain to occupy time at a Senate hearing this week with EPA Administrator Michael Regan. A Senate vote to eliminate the rule also is nearing.
Read more about WOTUS in our Washington Week Ahead.
Senate bill would freeze Adverse Effect Wage Rate
A bipartisan Senate bill introduced by a couple of unlikely allies would freeze the Adverse Effect Wage Rate at last year’s level for the rest of 2023.
Sens. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., and Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said farmers in their states who use the H-2A program are getting squeezed financially by increases in the AEWR. In Georgia, the rate went from $11.99 to $13.67 per hour this year, up 14% from 2022. The rate in North Carolina was set at $14.91 an hour, up 5%.
“I’m leading this bipartisan legislation to prevent damage to Georgia’s agricultural producers,” Ossoff said. Tillis said the wage rate “has long outpaced the rate of inflation and become unsustainable.”
Bipartisan, bicameral bill would expand AgARDA authorization
Ag groups and land-grant universities are backing a bill introduced by Sens. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., and Roger Marshall, R-Kan., to double the authorization of the Agriculture Advanced Research and Development Authority (AgARDA) from $50 million to $100 million.
The bill, which is expected to be joined by a companion in the House from Reps. Jimmy Panetta, D-Calif., and Randy Feenstra, R-Iowa, also would expand AgARDA’s scope to address animal and plant pathogens and pests.
The agency was authorized by the 2018 farm bill but has not been established yet because of limited funding.
More bills: Another bipartisan, bicameral bill would expand biochar research efforts. In the House, Iowa Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Democrats Kim Schrier of Washington and Chellie Pingree of Maine have introduced the Biochar Research Network Act. In the Senate, Sens. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, Jon Tester, D-Mont., John Thune, R-S.D., and Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, reintroduced companion legislation earlier this month.
Meanwhile, bills dropped by Republican Rep. Morgan Griffith of Virginia and Democratic Rep. Angie Craig of Minnesota would require the FDA to regulate hemp-derived cannabidiol, or CBD, as a dietary supplement and food and beverage additive.
Warnock: Debt relief 'can't come fast enough' for underserved farmers
Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga. is urging USDA to act quickly on debt relief programs for economically challenged farmers who have historically been discriminated against.
“I will continue to hold USDA’s feet to the fire,” Warnock said on Agri-Pulse Newsmakers this week. “We passed the legislation, and now we’ve just got to make sure that we get people the resources they need.”
Relief "can't come fast enough" for farmers who experienced discrimination, he said.
The Inflation Reduction Act allocated $5.3 billion to farm debt relief in August 2022.
Read our full report at Agri-Pulse.com.
He said it:
“This is a self-inflicted crisis of epic proportions that is putting lives on the line.” — Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones of San Diego, responding to Gov. Newsom’s announcement on Saturday of a new effort to lower healthcare costs.
Philip Brasher, Jacqui Fatka and Bill Tomson contributed to this report.
https://www.agri-pulse.com/articles/18484-agencies-directed-to-examine-national-security-threats-to-food-ag
https://www.agri-pulse.com/articles/17521-legislature-has-water-board-in-the-crosshairs-over-drought-response-and-delta-delays
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240AB30
https://www.agri-pulse.com/articles/16511-sonoma-vineyards-squeeze-through-drought-while-vegetable-growers-struggle
https://www.agri-pulse.com/2023-DC-Summit
https://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=402806&utm_source=Agri-Pulse+Daybreak+WEST&utm_campaign=6ca6369497-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2023_03_19_08_46&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-6ca6369497-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240SB265&utm_source=Agri-Pulse+Daybreak+WEST&utm_campaign=6ca6369497-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2023_03_19_08_46&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-6ca6369497-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D

by Giulia Heyward
-
Staten Island authorities identified the woman killed in a murder that stumped investigators for decades. The identification of the victim — Christine Belusko, from Morris County, New Jersey — is the latest breakthrough in a cold case that occurred in 1991.
“This is a story about a brutal and depraved murder, depraved acts of violence that killed this young girl in her prime,” said Richmond County District Attorney Michael E. McMahon at a press conference on Tuesday afternoon. “And the dumping of her body in a lonely and desolate field on the east shore of Staten Island exactly 31-and-a-half years ago.”
The perpetrator – who remains unidentified – bludgeoned, strangled, and set Belusko on fire before discarding her body in the Ocean Breeze neighborhood on Sept. 20, 1991, police said Tuesday. Because police were unable to identify her with fingerprints or police sketches, Belusko became known by a scorpion tattoo on her right buttock.
The weapon found at the scene – a blood-stained hammer with the name ‘Loyd L’ scratched into the handle – also failed to lead to any suspects.
But the advancement of forensic genealogy over the years led local authorities to submit her DNA and dental records to the FBI in 2010. Nine years later, the Richmond County DA's office used genealogy research to ultimately discover Belusko’s identity in April 2021.
The authorities also discovered Belusko’s last known address, the identity of her daughter – who was 2 when her mother died – and Belusko's whereabouts leading up to her death. The authorities contacted Belusko’s family members – including her brother – in June 2021.
The identity of Belusko’s assailant remains unknown – although the district attorney said it is likely someone who knew her. Belusko reportedly worked at a Rainbow shop in New Jersey, and wore clothing from the store at the time she was murdered, according to McMahon.
The authorities are also scrambling to contact her daughter, Krista Nicole Belusko, who is now 33. The police said they are now seeking the public’s assistance in finding her whereabouts.
“We can see that this team has spent an incredible amount of time and energy on doing the right thing because they believe in bringing justice to the victims of crime,” McMahon said.
--
https://www.doenetwork.org/cases/645ufny.html
Date of Discovery: September 19, 1991 Location of Discovery: Staten Island, Richmond County, New York Estimated Date of Death: 1 day prior State of Remains: Burned Cause of Death: Homicide by beating

Physical Description

Estimated Age: 16-27 years old Race: White Sex: Female Height: 5'4" Weight: 120 lbs. Hair: Brown, medium length, and curly Eye Color: Brown Distinguishing Marks/Features: Scorpion tattoo on the right buttock.

Identifiers

Dentals: Available. Tooth 18 has porcelain fused to a metal crown that was dislodged during examination. Possibly had braces in the past. Fingerprints: Available. DNA: Available.

Clothing & Personal Items

Clothing: A black, knit type, 3/4 length dress, with pink or fuchsia colored collar and pocket. White, size 8, low cut, Thom McCann, Baloon sneakers. White bra, black, G-string panties with multicolored flowers. Jewelry: 18-inch gold, herringbone necklace, 20-inch gold rope chain necklace, a ring that contained a small, watch face with an expandable band, possibly black in color. Additional Personal Items: Unknown

Circumstances of Discovery

The victim was located in a vacant lot on September 19, 1991. She was struck with a large hammer (body shop type). Her body was smoldering when found by a passerby. She was set afire with turpentine.
--
Her daughter's Charley Project link
https://charleyproject.org/case/christa-belusko

Christa Belusko

​

• Missing Since - 09/20/1991
• Missing From - Staten Island, New York
• Classification - Endangered Missing
• Sex - Female
• Race - White
• Date of Birth - 08/01/1989 (33)
• Age - 2 years old
• Height and Weight - 2'4, 30 pounds
• Distinguishing Characteristics - Caucasian female. Brown hair, brown eyes.

Details of Disappearance

Christa's date of disappearance is given as September 20, 1991 and the place as Staten Island, New York. However, the last time anyone actually saw her was about a week before September 20, with her mother at the Mount Airy Lodge in Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania. She has never been heard from again. Few details are available in her case.
---

I'll keep this short and sweet. I am a senior who applied to 7 UC colleges.
Here are the results:
UC davis: Accepted
UC Irvine: Rejected
UC San Diego: Rejected
UCLA: Rejected
UC Santa Barbara: Rejected
UC Berkeley: March 30 (Upcoming)
Here are my stats as an OOS Asian applying for CS
GPA: 3.9 UW/ 4.2 - 4.3 W (10 AP's taken)
ECs:
- Varsity athlete (played the sport for 6 years): State champs in 2021 and State finalists in 2022, ranked within the top 15 in my section individually out of about 500 players, 3 year varsity letter winner, 14U JTT national qualifier finalists in both 2018 and 2019
- CS Internship (2 months junior year)
- Self-study Programming (4 years): Basically just programmed games and websites in my free time and self-studied new languages. I have created games that have received over 10k views and have created a simple website that models Remote Patient monitoring
- Orchestra (6 years, won the midlevel orchestra competition with my school in 2019 and performed at Orchestra Hall)
- Math Team (3 years, received 2nd in state tournament in 2020 and 3rd in state tournament in 2021)
- Volunteering (Was a head instructor and volunteered 3 years at a sports camp for little kids over the summer - 12 hours each week)
- Tutor (Was a lead Math tutor and tutored for 2 years (only available to juniors and seniors) both during school and before school)
- National writing competition winner (Was 1 in 7 kids in the nation to have their letter published and given a personal response back to)
- AP Scholar with Honor (why not)
I'd say my essays were strong, as I thought my UC ones were the strongest of any application that I submitted. For reference, I have been waitlisted at UIUC and U Chicago for comp sci, so what went wrong with the UC's and do I have a decent chance at Berkeley?

https://archive.is/LsVak
​
The first phase at iPark 87 would use an acre, or about 43,560 square feet, of outdoor space secured by a chain link fence before beginning manufacturing in the first 150,000 square feet of indoor space at the complex. The company ultimately plans to lease a combined indoor and outdoor area of about 237,000 square feet.
Zinc8 in its “Phase 1b” would add an additional 50,000 to 150,000 square feet and increase its outdoor secured storage area to two acres within nine months of signing a lease. The company’s “Phase 2” would include adding 350,000 square feet by 2027, which officials wrote would be “subject to (an) additional IDA application.”
Despite press conferences by U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer in August 2022 and Gov. Kathy Hochul last January stating that a deal had been reached for Zinc8 to move to iPark 87, a final agreement has not been announced.

Hey all, I'm back this year with your weekly recap and preview posts. Between another kid, finishing grad school and getting promoted at work I'm a lot busier this year than I was last year, so there's a non-zero chance I have to abandon this project at some point, or at least scale it back a bit, but I'll keep it up as long as I can because I like doing it.
In addition, I was planning on doing a season preview series, but I was called up for a month of reserve duty in the army and was unable to get that done. It's also a difficult task because it would require keeping a tight watch on roster moves for the whole league because team rosters aren't finalized until right before the season. So this first edition of my power rankings will kind of serve as a short preview for each team.
But anyways, on to this week's games. As usual, I would love to get other people's opinions about the games and players.
Arizona Rattlers (1-0) @ Quad City Steamwheelers (0-1) 60-53
The opening game of the season didn't disappoint as we saw the perennial powerhouse Rattlers take on last year's championship runners up Steamwheelers in a game that came down to the wire. Both teams traded scores for most of the game until late in the fourth when QC turned it over on downs and Arizona was able to capitalize and go up by two scores, effectively sealing it with a minute left. Both quarterbacks were electric, each throwing for 4 touchdowns and running for another 2 on the ground. Also of note- this was Jarrod Harrington's first game with QC, playing against his former team, catching a td and rushing for another.
Player of the Game: Drew Powell, QB, Arizona
​
Frisco Fighters (1-0) @ Green Bay Blizzard (0-1) 76-30
This game was actually pretty close for the first quarter, until Frisco scored 39 unanswered points and effectively sealed the game before half, by picking off Green Bay quarterback Jarome Johnson twice in the final minute of the half. Frisco looks like they haven't missed a beat since last year, with TJ Edwards as efficient as ever, not turning over the ball and rushing for 6 touchdowns on the ground. They didn't appear to be missing my favorite running back, Justin Rankin, who left for Bay Area in the off season. Jerminic Smith returned as their number 1 receiver, and defense was able to grab 4 interceptions, returning one for a touchdown. As for Green Bay, their defense looked nothing like the force they were last year. Losing numerous start defensive players, including rookie standout linebacker James Brown probably didn't help. As for offense, last year's starting QB Jack Sheehan left for the NAL, leaving GB scrambling to find a replacement. They started the game off with rookie Jarome Johnson, who is built like Marquise Brown. He had some decent designed QB runs, but was wildly inaccurate throwing the ball, and was eventually benched in favor of fellow rookie Max Meylor, who was also terrible. The only player who really looked like he was even trying was WR Steve Newbold.
Player of the Game: TJ Edwards, QB, Frisco
​
Power Rankings

1. Arizona Rattlers (1-0): The Rattlers appear to be set to continue dominating the West. They didn't lose any key players apart from Kyree Woods, but they are stacked at defensive back anyways. They added start defensive lineman Ulric Jones from the 2022 champion NAZ Wranglers. And most importantly, they've still got two-time reigning IFL MVP Drew Powell leading them.
2. Frisco Fighters (1-0): Frisco's offense is electric, with so many weapons at their disposal, the most important of which is quarterback TJ Edwards. Last year he and Blake Sims spit snaps fairly evenly throughout the first half of the season, but Edwards proved to be more careful with the ball and is a bit more agile. Honestly, he has a fair chance to win MVP this year is he can repeat last year's performance over an entire season. He specializes in throwing on the run, but also has games where he'll score 5-6 touchdowns on the ground.
3. Bay Area Panthers (0-0): Anyone who followed the league last year might do a double take when seeing BA at the 3 spot, but anyone who followed the transaction reports this off season shouldn't be surprised. Their biggest move was probably bringing on Dixie Wooten, a former championship winning head coach, as their offensive coordinator. They then signed and traded for players such as LB Darin Hungerford, RB Justin Rankin, QB Dalton Sneed, WR Carlos Thompson, and more. Look for them to be this year's worst to first team, a la 2022's NAZ Wranglers.
4. Quad City Steamwheelers (0-1): Quad City got off to a slow start last year, but was reenergized by the return of EJ Hilliard and were able to make a run for the championship game. This year, they bring back a strong offensive line, and most importantly EJ Hilliard for the entire season. Their core offensive weapons remain the same. Their big question mark this year is the defense, which was slightly below average last year.
5. Massachusetts Pirates (0-0): The Pirates' strengths remain the same when compared to last season. Quarterback Alejandro Bennifield is super dependable, but last year missed time due to injury. They have a very deep receiving corps, including one of my favorite players Thomas Owens. They also built upon what was already one of the top defensive backfields by adding former Green Bay cornerback Momodou Mbye, who was one of the top at his position last year. The biggest change for Massachusetts this year is their head coach Rayshaun Kizer leaving to coach the Omaha BEEF of the CIF, but he is replaced by the Pirates' offensive coordinator, Mark Stoute, who has a ton of experience as head coach in the indoor game across numerous leagues.
6. Sioux Falls Storm (0-0): Ok ok, I know some of you will call me a homer on this one but hear me out. Sioux Falls has brought back Storm legend and hometown hero Lorenzo Brown, who led the Storm to a championship in 2019. Brown played sparingly in 2021 and not at all in 2022, but if he can return to 2019 form he will elevate a Sioux Falls team that, while losing some key offensive playmakers (Carlos Thompson, Aaron Dilworth, Nate Chavious) gave its defense some much needed additions in All-IFL linebacker James Brown, defensive lineman Kyree Campbell and retaining 2022 IFL sack leader Undraez Lilly.
7. Duke City Gladiators (0-0): 2021's passing leader Nate Davis got injured in the Gladiators first game last year, but that hardly had any impact on one of the most electric offenses in the league. They have what is probably the best WR tandem in the league in IFL legend Dello Davis and freak athlete Jared Elmore, in addition to Gregory Dent who scored touchdowns last year in all phases of the game. Now, Nate Davis is back and should lead this team to new heights.
8. Vegas Knight Hawks (0-0): Vegas was wildly inconsistent last year, cycling through quarterbacks like marshmallows. But this year Daquan Neal has made the move from Tucson to Vegas and should give them a huge boost. Neal is a former MVP and championship winning QB from his time in Iowa, who also had a tryout with the Colts last year and was signed for a short period of time to the USFL. However, we saw Neal's play decline a bit in the latter half of the season, so it remains to be seen if he can return to form. He's got some good weapons, and I am personally pretty fond of WR KD Cannon. The Knight Hawks also have Kony Ealy on defense, who some may remember from his time with the Carolina Panthers.
9. Iowa Barnstormers (0-0): The Barnstormers roster remains largely unchanged from last year, for better or worse. Quarterback DJ Peterson had some really great moments last year, but also some duds. It seems like when he gets just a bit of pressure on him he collapses and forgets how to pass. Maybe he will be a bit cooler in the pocket with a year of experience behind him. The Barnstormers were able to take advantage of a mediocre Eastern Conference last year and snuck into the playoffs, but I can't really see that happening again.
10. Tucson Sugar Skulls (0-0): Tuscon is kind of an unknown at the moment. They lost head coach Dixie Wooten and star QB Daquan Neal, but have brought in 2022 offensive rookie of the year Ramone Atkins from Duke City, but questions remain if the new head coach can fix Tucson's god-awful defense from last year.
11. Northern Arizona Wranglers (0-0): NAZ were the worst team in the league in 2021, going 1-13, but turned it around in 2022, adding a ton of talent and winning the IFL championship on the back of a fierce defense and solid offense led by Kaleb Barker. Now, he's no longer on the team, and the Wranglers have hemorrhaged key defensive players as well, such as linemen Ulric Jones, defensive player of the year Jaquan Artis, Darin Hungerford and more. The main positive they have going for them is head coach Les Moss, who should be able to keep this team from being the worst in the league.
12. San Diego Strike Force (0-0): Are the Strike Force even still a team? Do they exist? You wouldn't know it from their website, which is still promoting highlights of their last win from the 2022 season. It's hard to tell what's going on with this team, but with no real splash signings, it's hard to imagine they've made a big improvement over last year's team.
13. Tulsa Oilers (0-0): Tulsa is an expansion team, so we don't have any baseline to go off of. The one thing I can say is that their QB situation is not great, and they will need to decide between Giovanni Sanders, who sucked it up for a couple games for Bismarck last year, and Bobby Froehlich, who was pretty unspectacular for the Rapid City Marshalls in the CIF last year.
14. Green Bay Blizzard (0-1): So Green Bay has the unfortunate disadvantage of having already played before writing my week 1 power rankings. I won't go too much into it at the risk of repeating my game recap, but any redeeming features they may have had last year (defense, mostly) were nonexistent this past game, and their QB situation is a nightmare. Good luck.

[Chapter 1] ;[Previous Chapter] ; [Discord + Wiki] ; [Patreon]
​
Chapter 107 – A Patron Saint
​
“[…] with the leadership of many territories claiming that the muted response to the thread is once again a blatant showing of the Community-Leadership’s clear bias against Deathworld affairs. Loratexach Echtsesimm, the current leader of the united Lachaxet territories, even went so far as to call it, quote: “A kick to the face for all those of us seeking to live in a peaceful unity.” Meanwhile other deathworld groups, like the occupants of the only known Class V deathworld, the Ligormordillar, are trying to quell the conflict and urge their fellow deathworlders to make a measured response, pointing to the lack of any concrete evidence when it comes to the recent events, and asking to give authorities a bit more time to investigate things. However, the accusations of corruptions that emerged in the last quarter have many people questioning how much the current Acting Galactic Council can truly be trusted with the investigations, and calls for the addition of independent investigations are becoming louder,” an Urounaek news caster professionally read off the seemingly endless lines of texts on her teleprompter, while b-footage of recordings of the sitting governments of a diverse number of species played in the background. “Surprisingly, humanity, the largest accuser of corruption in the Galactic Council as well as a front runner in the proclaimed fight for the extended rights of people and especially deathworlders that feel ousted by the Community, and also one of the Myiat’s currently closest military allies, have so far made no official statements or press-releases about the incidents, apart from damming the attack as a violation of intragalactic law as well as the laws of war.”
James passively allowed himself to be doused by the white noise of the TV that Shida had basically been glued to for the last days while he checked through his messages and mails on his phone and laptop. Of course, any of his addresses and contacts that had at some point been public in some way had been absolutely bombarded with a torrent of spam, threats, offerings, accusations, and even more spam. It was a daunting task to sift through all of the messages in an attempt to pick out the few of them that could possibly be useful every day, especially since those were extremely few and far in between, however, he still did it. On the one hand, he did it because he felt that it was his duty to leave nothing untried, no stone unturned, and no resource unused in these dire times they found themselves in. On the other hand, it was a quite time- and labor-intensive yet still comparatively easy task that he could easily waste away hours with without feeling like he was being unproductive.
Of course, all the really important messages he received would be forwarded to him through his more secure contacts that just select people had access to, and therefore the things he did find in his private messages were usually rather menial in comparison, however it was still something.
His hopes of not feeling so left out and abandoned anymore now that shit had thoroughly hit the fan had sadly been short-lived, as it quickly became clear that any broadcasts and statements to the outside world when it come to the topic at hand would be made by actual diplomatic professionals and not by-circumstance Ambassadors that had basically stumbled into their role.
…Which was honestly fair enough, James had to admit. Certainly, people who did this for a living had a much lower chance of screwing everything up and making things even worse than they already were than he did.
However, that did little to quell the nervous and anxious energy within him that just begged to be released in some productive way.
“While official governmental replies are being released by the hundreds by individual species, many collaborative political groups have also proclaimed their intentions to react to the current tensions caused by the attack on Dunnima. For example, many order-collaborations have been sending out invitations for emergency-conferences to possibly discuss a united reaction and collaborative measures to help ease the Galactic Tensions between their members; among others, the collaborative councils of the Tetsudines, Psittacines, Corvids, Hymenoptera, Canines, Skitellifera, Estotsucuvae, and Primates will be gathering within the week to discuss possible measures. Additionally, for the first time in about 12 uniform years, a recently founded, provisional ‘council of deathworlders’ is also inviting possible participants to a first conference, after having reportedly struggled to find an adequate venue for such an event for a few uniform months. This council is the thought-child of representatives of the Lachaxet, Ligormordillar, Roosh’gaack, and Teracheponn territories, who are now trying to get representatives of as many deathworlds as possible to take part in it, claiming it as an important step towards future collaborations between the so-designated worlds and people.”
“I wonder who they’re going to invite,” Shida commented as she tensely leaned forwards and absorbed the news with great concentration, her ears opening widely to not miss a single detail. Inside, she was just as rearing to go as James was. But just like him, she was also bound to the orders they were being given.
So far, they had both not been called in to reinforce the fleets that were either stationed to more intensely control the borders of their own unified borders or sent out into the cosmos to reinforce the myiat’s defenses after the first attack. However, the military base in Lorraine that they had been staying at for a while now had certainly become a lot emptier ever since the attack, leaving basically only instructors, very fresh recruits and essential personnel behind. And themselves, of course.
The constant tramping of boots outside of their doors had been replaced by an eerie emptiness, and their regular trainings-sessions that they had along with other occupants had also run dry, as most of the people on a similar level to them had received orders to move. And working with actual trainees didn’t exactly have a lot of appeal to it either.
“They have plenty of options,” James mumbled while his eyes flew across rows and rows of recently received mails, going back hour by hour that he had slept while sifting through piles and piles of junk.
Finishing off with the mail-service he had used during his Uni-days without having found anything of note, he then switched over to the next tab, where he had opened his miraculously still not out of service work-mail that had been assigned to him during his in hindsight very brief time of working on the G.E.S.-32.
He had no idea why exactly it was still in service, but as long as he received messages to it, he was going to check them, even if so far, this had by far been the least useful of his addresses when it came to receiving any messages of actual note.
And indeed, it was once again basically all junk.
Spam, a death threat, a very angry email from a former coworker, spam, more threats, a clearly fake solicitation from some firm he had never heard of, some news-channel trying to get an interview with him, spam, another news channel, spam, even more threats, spa-
He paused for a moment as his cursor hovered over a mail he had apparently received about five hours ago, that had the very brief and uninformative title of
“You are invited.”
Usually, he would’ve almost instantly disregarded it as clearly some form of spam, however after what he had just heard on the news, it made him raise an eyebrow and quickly check the address it was sent from.
Lifting the eyebrow even further as he saw an actual, official government address, he clicked on the mail to open it up. Slowly, his eyes read over the neat lines of text that had been revealed to him, his eyes getting wider and expression becoming more confused and disgruntled by the moment.
Was this a joke?
“What’s up?” Shida asked, apparently having noticed his expression changing, and just as anxious to do something as he was, she immediately stood up and walked over to him to glance at his screen while her tail swiftly flailed through the air. “One of the threats getting too personal?”
James shifted his lips as he gathered his thoughts to reply.
“No, I was invited to one of those conferences,” he said, and his eyes quickly double-checked if this invitation was actually addressed towards him and hadn’t just accidentally landed with the wrong person by some sort of blunder.
Shida glanced at him in mild confusion, her yellow eyes scanning over his face while trying to read his thoughts from it.
“The Deathworld one? That’s not surprising, is it?” she commented with a flick of her ears, before pressing up to his side a bit closer so she could lower herself in a position that would allow her to more easily peek at his mails. “Not only are you a deathworlder, you’ve also been a pretty public figure when it comes to the public fight for more rights. Hell, you probably inspired them to found that whole thing in a way, so of course they want you along for the ride.”
James scoffed slightly and turned his screen so she could look at it.
“Well, if it was that, I wouldn’t be surprised,” he said and waited a second for Shida to read, seeing her face also slowly turn into a more confused one as she realized what the invitation he had received was for, before he added, “But this is from the council of primates.”
Shida looked at the message for a little longer before turning only her eyes towards him.
“What the hell do they want?” she asked with clear distrust in her voice. James just shrugged.
“A trap? Appeasement? Publicity? Options are numerous,” he said with an exhausted exhale before switching the tab yet again to log into his ‘professional’ mail services, copy-pasting the text of the invitation before forwarding it to a pre-prepared list of people that should probably be informed about this.
Shida hissed through her teeth and stood up straight again.
“Are you going?” she asked, crossing her arms and glancing down at him.
“If I have a say in this? Absolutely,” James replied after hammering the ‘send’ button. Anything to get out of here and do something at this point. Besides, it would probably give him the opportunity to give some people some serious stern talkings to. “Buuuuut you know how this goes.”
“We should keep an eye open who else might get invited to something,” Shida commented after acknowledging his reply with a huff but not responding to it. James nodded. In his periphery, he noticed how Shida’s fingers were starting to dig into her arms as her grip likely inadvertently tightened, and he reached out to rub his hand against her side, wordlessly aiding her with relaxing.
“They have plenty of options,” he repeated his earlier statement as he opened the invitation one more time.
“You are invited.
James Aldwin, Ambassador of Earth by community tradition, you have been officially invited to the emergency conference of the council of primates. Given recent events, the council has decided it is imperative to coordinate a response among the members of our esteemed order.
As humanity has so far not had a representative in the council of primates, it has been decided to extend an invitation to you for this conference. This invitation officially grants you access to the venue on Nedstaniot-Station and makes you eligible for a support-fund covering the traveling costs for you and an accompanying group of up to ten (10) companions of your choosing.
Should you accept this invitation, please contact us under one of the council of primate’s official addresses to receive access data to the necessary accounts as well as a detailed plan of the venue and scheduled events.
Should you not accept this invitation, a message of your declining is not strictly necessary, but always welcome to aid in planning.
I hope this message finds you well and am looking forward to possibly meeting you at the venue.
Sincerely
Klanneifer FF of the Tiasonko.
Success to you!”
Well, if they weren’t going to regret that…
​
--
​
Alexander clutched the necklace around his neck tightly as he looked into the mirror, taking deep breaths to quell his nerves.
Yes, he was nervous. Extremely so in fact. He thought that he would be excited previously, but now that the time had come, he could feel only the nerves.
Well, maybe that was understandable. Something like this really didn’t happen every day, after all.
“God, give me strength,” he prayed silently with his hands clutching the symbol of his faith even tighter.
Then, he took a minute to, one last time, check if his hair was in place and his robes were immaculate. He couldn’t make a fool out of himself on an occasion like this, after all. His own blue eyes stared back at him from the mirror sternly. Scrutinizing. As if he was judging himself. And he should. After all it was a big day. Taking a moment to judge oneself was important in moments such as this, lest you get complacent and started to make the wrong choices.
Soon after, there was a knock at the door.
“Father Mokoena is beginning his sermon, Alexander,” a muffled voice said from the other side. “You should be ready for when you are called upon.”
Alexander exhaled deeply and took one last look at the mirror, his gaze wandering from his own eyes down to the pendant around his neck.
“I’m on my way,” he then assured the Brother waiting outside, before stepping away from the dresser with a flourishing movement of his robes.
As he stepped out of the cloakroom, brother Anders slightly bowed to him, before stretching out a robed arm to guide him in the right direction. The brother was of the older sort, yet he had held his body in a shape worthy of a temple. Thinning and greying rose-blond hair did little to distract from that, as his wide frame could easily be spotted even through the loosely fitting robes.
A man of devotion in more than one way.
Alexander moved in a slow and measured way, his head held high, as Brother Anders guided him through the branched and tight back hallways of the old theater that they were holding today’s sermon in. As they got closer to the stage, Alexander could already hear the booming voice of father Mokoena as he addressed the masses from his place on the stage. It was no microphone he heard there, no amplifiers or other speakers. Only the impeccable voice of a devoted preacher.
Despite his age, the man had pipes like the largest organ, and still he was speaking at a volume that Alexander wasn’t used to from him. Inhaling deeply, he swallowed for a moment. Hopefully the people would even be able to hear him when he spoke. He certainly couldn’t bellow like the father could. Then again, this was a theater. Maybe his voice would be carried further by the acoustics than he anticipated.
It was rare for him to speak in a place like this, after all.
For a moment, Alexander thought about houses of faith. All the temples, churches, mosques, synagogues and whatever else he had visited throughout his life. Their large, marbled halls. Their magnificent decorations. The instruments and loudspeakers and all the other tools they were equipped with for impressive…performances.
That is what he had always called them. Performances. All those people just playing at faith while all they truly worship was their own selfishness.
And yet here he stood in the backrooms of a theater, watching as a father Mokoena gave a sermon on a literal stage and waiting for his cue to join him in the spotlight. What ironic twists fate could take.
The theater had been the most sensible option of a place that was for rent for one night and also held enough seats for this many people to come together. Still, he wondered if maybe they should have swallowed the tougher pill and looked for something else. For his liking, this was a bit too close to making a mockery of the event. The ‘houses of God’ may have been a sinful sham, but was this really much better?
Still, what was done was done. And while reflecting on past mistakes was certainly a virtue, getting stuck on them was most decidedly not. They were here now, so they would use what they had.
He and Anders finally came to a halt right at the side of the stage, hidden behind the large, red curtain that could be used to cut the stage off from view. Of course, today, it would stay wide open for the entire time, allowing everyone to witness.
“Are you nervous?” Brother Anders quietly asked him, leaning in close to whisper so there was no chance of his voice leaking out and disturbing the Father’s sermon.
Alexander smirked in slight anxiousness.
“Of course, I am,” he confessed honestly. “It’s not every day you get to make proclamations this weighty…or enemies this powerful.”
“Are you afraid of them?” Anders then asked with an almost pitiful look at Alexander, who sighed deeply.
“Of course, I am,” he confessed yet again. “I’d be a fool not to be.”
The task before him was grand, and his foes, in a way, even grander. There was a reason that the realized that had plagued Earth once upon a time had taken the name of heaven’s general for itself. They were powerful. And they knew it.
And that was not even mentioning the force of Earth’s armies, that could turn against them on a whim of fate. Masters over the forces of nature. The undisputed leaders of destructive power. Those who had managed to best such a powerful being before.
Yes, he was afraid. But overcoming fear was a virtue as well.
Meanwhile, the sermon was starting to whip up into a louder cadence, as Father Mokoena seemingly began to introduce the important part of the evening.
“[…] Many years has he studied and prayed and silence, following the will of our Lord by standing by and reflecting. Keeping humble. Keeping modest. And he has developed into a fine man of faith. Eighteen years of serving and studying under our faith, hidden away in the dark and obscure, waiting for the event that would catalyze his becoming! Now it has finally come. And with it came the time for him to step out into the light! Please welcome with me, oh children of the Lord, our newest ‘Guide’! Guide Alexander Paige!” the Father loudly announced and lifted his arm in the direction of where Alexander still stood out of sight. The bald head of the dark-skinned man reflected the spotlights above while his modest robes swung around from the energetic movement.
Meanwhile, Alexander took a deep, calming breath.
“Best of luck, Guide Alexander,” he could hear Brother Anders next to him say, and he respectfully bowed to the man before advancing out of the shadows and into the light.
His eyes narrowed strongly, and he had to resist the urge to lift his hand in order to protect them from the blinding light that now blared down on him. Of course, he did his best to keep his respectful and reverent expression before the Father, however he wasn’t quite able to entirely resist the pain of the rays stinging into his sight. Still, he advanced with quick yet collected steps all the way up to the side of the Father.
“Don’t scream,” he told himself as he prepared his throat for how loud he would have to talk to be heard in a place such as this. The lights were so bright and the rest of the room so dark that he couldn’t see those listening to him, but he still knew they were there. Hundreds of them. Another failure of this chosen venue. He couldn’t even see the faces of those that would listen to his words. How could he claim to speak to them if he couldn’t even look them in the eyes?
Well, it was too late now.
“Thank you, Father,” Alexander loudly announced as he had finally reached the man, and he did his best to talk as loudly as possible without it escalating into shouts. It was hard to gauge how far his voice carried in this room, and he silently prayed that he would be understood.
The Father then reached out his arm, offering his old, worn hand to Alexander. Alexander reciprocated the gesture, taking the Father’s hand with his right, while positioning his left underneath, pressing its palm up against the father’s wrist. Meanwhile, the father lowered his left onto Alexander’s wrist from above, holding his hand as if he was blessing it.
“Alexander!” Father Mokoena loudly greeted him, and Alexander almost flinched at the intensity of his voice up close. If that was what it took to be heard around here, then his own words would merely come across as a whimper. He truly hoped that the old preacher was just overdoing it with his enthusiasm. “You have finally found your treacherous sea, it seems!”
“Indeed,” Alexander replied and really just couldn’t measure up to the Father’s incredible voice no matter how he tried. What an impressive organ. “And I am prepared to guide my fellow men through it, towards safer ventures.”
“And the Lord shall bless your path!” the Father proclaimed, before taking his hands off of Alexander’s again.
“May the Lord bless your path,” a gentle echo came from the unseen crowd.
“And yours as well,” Alexander replied quickly, having almost forgotten to do so given the stressful situation.
The Father nodded deeply, before stepping away from Alexander and in front of the crowd again for a second, as he raised his arms high and declared,
“Tell us about your treacherous path, Guide Alexander, so we veer from it with you!”
Then, with another flourishing movement of his robes, he stepped back and aside, leaving Alexander basically alone in front of the many unseen eyes watching him.
Even after years of waiting, he wasn’t truly prepared for this. For the briefest of moments, he imagined just walking off. But no. He had to do this. This is what he had lived for. His entire life up until now had led up to this moment.
“I am telling you all no secret when I say that the recent times have been turmoil filled ones,” he began to speak, getting right to the matter at hand without any greetings or big introductions. The air around him felt heavy, and the room was so quiet whenever he didn’t speak that he could hear the lights above softly buzzing with electricity. The old wood under his feet gently cracked whenever he shifted his weight, and he was sure that it could be heard all the way up in the top rows whenever it happened. “As all of you who have come together here know, we stand in front of a huge danger. You do not need a guide to tell you that treading in the domain of a realized leads to peril. Such an affront needs no explanation on my side.”
He swallowed heavily, truly hoping that they had not all come together to hear him proclaim that he would guide them against the A.I.
That was simply no task for a Guide. Yet hopefully the others understood this as well and did not think that he was avoiding the threat in order to pick an easier mission for himself. After all, he would still gain its ire with his words, he was sure, even if it was not his declared danger.
Swallowing again, he continued,
“No, I am here today to talk with you about something else. About someone else. Someone whose words have touched many; and influenced even more. A man who was thrust into conflict against his will. Hurtled into the chaos, he fought, and the galaxy shook before him. A man known to the entire Galaxy obviously needs no introduction, but I would still like to take a moment to list James Aldwin’s achievements to give you a better picture of what I am talking about. Before his life was thrust into conflict, he used to dedicate his time to the improvement of life. He took some of nature’s gifts, and he used them to make new things that would aide people in need. Medicine was his claimed goal, and although he never got to reach that state, he had the clear intention to make life easier for many with his inventions, caring little for where they came from. Then, after his life changed for the worse, his focus shifted. Instead of trying to safe the ill somewhere in the future, he instead dedicated himself to saving people right here and now.”
Talking himself up into a bit of a frenzy, Alexander began to walk back and forth on the stage without even fully realizing that he was doing it. The blinding spotlights were still turning everything that wasn’t the stage into a dark, blocked out void. Night had been separated from day, and he was standing in the sun.
“He turned his focus onto those he thought to be like him,” he explained, starting to make wide gestures with his arms that caused his robe to move in flowing downward waves, embellishing his movements even further. “Those whose lives had been thrown into chaos through no doing of their own. Those born into it. Those ousted. Those who felt ‘othered’ by the world. The pariahs. He promised them acceptance, with little care for who they were.”
He then stopped his pacing for a moment to fully face the crowd, his gaze turning upwards so they would all be able to see it.
“Even when faced with one of our world’s greatest calamities asking him to take it in, he did not cave,” Alexander proclaimed, and he could feel himself tapping into potential of his lungs that he didn’t know he had within him, as his voice boomed throughout the theater. “Despite knowing of the danger in his path, he walked it all the way. Truly, what kind of man is it that will turn no one away? What kind of man who puts himself on the wayside to help others? What kind of man that cares not for who or how?”
“A Saint!” a booming echo came back from the crowd, and Alexander could feel the vibrations of their roar beneath his feet as it rolled over him.
“Indeed,” he replied to the people. “After seeing the path he walked, I say that his actions are worthy of nothing less than sanctity!”
A sound came back from the crowd that was hard to describe. It was neither jeering nor cheering, but something entirely in between. A deep rumble that filled the air with almost nonsensical noise as it escaped the mouths of hundreds of people who reacted to his declaration.
Alexander now lifted his arms in a wide arch, as if he wanted to beckon the crowd into an embrace.
“By the Ministry of the Church of the Failed Savior, bestowed upon me as your new Guide, I hereby proclaim James Aldwin as the Patron of Realized Sapience!” he loudly declared, and the noise of the crowd picked up in intensity.
He took a deep breath while letting the sound slowly fade out, although he didn’t wait for the people to be completely quiet before he let his arms sink again and continued in a milder tone.
“Sanctity is a dangerous path,” he said as he began to slowly pace along the stage again, this time with collected, measured movements. “The Saints walk it, and they invite all who will to follow. They do not warn them of the danger. In fact, they encourage all to face it. Proclaiming their path as the right one, they tell all who follow to not stray from it, no matter the danger. It is a dangerous thing indeed, such a Saint.”
He stopped again, but this time, he didn’t face the crowd. Turned to the side, he stared straight ahead, his eyes fixating on a part of the folded, red curtains while his mind went to a different place.
“Saint Aldwin believes himself to walk the right path, and nothing is holy to him, neither on Earth nor in Heaven, man made or God given, but that which allows him to follow it,” he said, still loud, but a lot more restrained in emotion. “He believes himself to be a protector. A shepherd. A…savior.”
This time, the jeering of the crowd was palpable, as the ground once again shook with it. Any sense of good will had disappeared from the noise.
Now, Alexander waited for it to completely die down. Calm and quietly, he stood there without moving a muscle for minutes on end while the sound gradually faded out.
Only when he could have heard a pin drop in the enormous room did he speak up again.
“As your new Guide, I promise to show you the way to the safe road. I promise to disarm traps and sweep away obstacles in your way. I promise to keep my sight on the destination, and to always point you in the right direction should you stay. And…” he paused for a moment to take a deep breath, before he continued louder than before, lifting his head high as he did so. “And I promise to veer you off the paths of all the Saints and Doomed to Fail Saviors who would have you walk with them into hell!”
A cheering broke out in the crowd, going so far that some of the people began to drum their feet on the ground in a wild, rhythmless thunder.
Meanwhile Alexander turned around to face the man behind him.
Father Mokoena had a wide smile on his wrinkled face as he walked back up to him, his hand extended. As they repeated the same gesture they had given each other earlier, the Father loudly announced,
“God bless your path, Guide.”
“Thank you, Father,” Alexander replied with a deep nod. “I am going to need it.”
After a moment, they let go off each other’s hands again, and Alexander wordlessly walked back off the stage, while Father Mokoena already loudly addressed the crowd again.
Behind the curtain just off the stage, Brother Anders was still waiting for him.
“A captivating speech,” the muscular man complimented him with a brief faux applause he hinted at with his hands, not actually clapping so he wouldn’t disturb the sermon. “But was that a reference I spotted in the middle of it there?”
Alexander scoffed at the man.
“All speeches have references,” he said while he passed the Brother, folding his hands behind his back as he went.
Anders looked after him in mild confusion.
“Aren’t you going to stay and hear the sermon?” he asked as Alexander was already disappearing away from the stage again.
“My faith is between me and our Lord,” Alexander explained as he shook his head. “My prayer does not need an advocate.”
No, instead of wasting time listening to a sermon of prayers that he could speak himself, he decided to instead use it to look after those who were in need of his guidance.
Walking back to from whence he came, he passed his earlier cloakroom and traversed the hallways all the way to a larger, much more open changing room, that would usually most likely house droves of actors or other performers in marvelous costumes before they would go out on stage to dazzle the masses.
Today, however, it was home to a much sadder sight.
Laid out on two benches, surrounded by their peers, were two truly pitiful casualties of conflict. As he walked in, their ears twitched and they began to look up in erratic movements, their muscles twitching and shivering as if under immense stress from just the simple movements, and even after their head was lifted, it was stuck in a constant quiver.
Meanwhile, their far healthier compatriots also turned towards him, their gazes dark and eyes sharp, while their agitated tails whipped through the air like angry flails.
“How are you feeling?” Alexander asked the first of the two clearly ill myiat who met his gaze.
“According to the…circumstances,” the man replied, his voice about as jittery as his posture as he spoke. His name was Mirrakshra. A good man, suffering a bad fate.
Meanwhile, one of their healthy compatriots, a dark-skinned fellow with a scar from a cut right over his cheekbone that had accompanied Alexander since back on Dunnima, glared at Alexander with fiery eyes as he saw the kind of robe he wore.
“If you’re going to try some sort of faith-healing bullshit, then I swear to-“ he began, however Alexander cut him off harshly.
“You shouldn’t swear, Eskfotarra. Not on heaven or on Earth,” he reprimanded him with firm words. Then he smirked, “You may promise to harm me all you like, however. But no, that’s not why I’m here. I’m not a fool. I know I can’t work miracles. I simply worry about his wellbeing.”
“It’s al..alright,” Mirrakshra quelled the worries of his friend. “Y-y-you got news?”
Alexander exhaled disappointedly.
“Sadly, yes,” he said and looked away. “It seems that some of our allies have…how do you say…jumped the gun? They attempted to exterminate the affront prematurely, and in the process, have only made it all the more enduring, it seems.”
Eskfotarra scoffed and his ears twitched slightly as his tail slowed to a gradual sway.
“So, she’s out now?” he correctly assumed, and the smirk on his face told of him not finding those circumstances all too disagreeable. An unfortunate choice, but his to make.
“Indeed,” Alexander replied. “And at the scale we’re currently working at, I’m afraid it’s going to be hard to stamp it out.”
By now, the AI might have infected the entire Galaxy. There was no telling of the kind of hardships they would soon face because of it.
However, Eskfotarra just glanced down at his ill friends again as his grimace soured.
“And Aldwin?” he asked darkly.
Alexander lifted his arms with open palms and shrugged.
“Hidden away where we cannot reach him, at least for the moment,” he explained.
The myiat aggressively clicked his tongue and hissed through his teeth.
“Then when will we be able to reach him?” he asked, his claws unfurling on his arm, cutting into the sleeve of his shirt. “It’s high time that he answers for a lot of things.”
In a picture that should be grotesque but could only be described as empathetic, the quivering, injured feline laying before him looked up at his healthy friend with pity, while wrath seemingly consumed Eskfotarra.
Alexander nodded.
“I’m sure he would agree with you there,” he pointed out, seeing as Aldwin had never been shy to point out his own misdeeds. “That is why sooner or later, he is going to make it possible. The danger is the nature of a Saint.”

6 tea spoons and a candle holder (with a couple dings) that weigh in at just under 158 grams. Asking $104.50 plus $11.50 priority flat rate shipping.
Payment by Zelle or Cashapp
*Edit: I need an uncirculated ASE from 2016,2020, and 2022 and would do some trading to get them.
https://imgur.com/a/6Gd6VhT

So, I came out to my parents as an atheist a year ago. I was a hardcore believer (like many on this sub) who worked for a church and became disillusioned with the faith after Black Lives Matter, then deconverted completely after really reading and giving thought to the Bible.
My dad is a deacon in his small baptist church in the south, and has started preaching on Wednesday nights. I thankfully live a thousand miles away from him, but it hurts so much to know that I’m the topic of his sermons. I usually try to forget about it, but then my parents bring it up again.
My mom called me today to let me know they’re going to New Mexico this summer. I was excited for them to get to go to a cool new place…until I asked what they had planned during their trip. They’re going to the Crossexamined Instructor’s Conference. A conference to convince atheists to become Christians again.
I feel so disrespected and invalidated, even though my dad hasn’t tried to witness to me or anything. Anyone have any advice how you work through these types of feelings?

Google announced the start of testing of the new chatbot "Bard," with a limited group of pixel users during the pilot phase of the robot.
From this test, the company aims to gather users' feedback on the performance of the robot and improve it before it officially launches to all users.
​
In its letter to invited users, the company emphasized that linguistic AI models need to gather as many feedback to develop the service and avoid errors, and this move may indicate the near launch of Google's new chat service, competing for ChatGPT.
In February last year (2022), Google announced the launch of a new "cool" chatbot, which is a strong competitor to the popular chat robot known as ChatGPT.
​
In this context, Google CEO Sundar Pichai stated that the robot is "cool" based on the conversation application model known as LaMDA, which was announced by the company two years ago.
Pichai noted that Bard is able to provide high-quality and accurate answers, which are based on recent information extracted directly from the web, and "Bard" beats ChatGPT on this aspect, as ChatGPT is still unable to provide any information going back beyond 2021.
​
Pichai also asserted that "Bard" would not only be a chat software, but its capabilities would be integrated into Google's search results, to provide summary and accurate answers to users on what they are looking for, along with traditional results in Google search engine.
The "Bard" robot has not yet been officially launched to the public due to the botched start of the robot, after it provided a false answer during its disclosure conference, which also led to some criticism and affected the value of Alphabet, Google's parent company, as its market value fell dramatically and it lost about $100 billion in market value, due to a decline in investors' confidence in future Google technology.