TradingView.com.com is a popular online platform that provides a comprehensive suite of tools and resources for traders, investors, and analysts to analyze and trade financial markets. In this chapter, we will provide an overview of TradingView.com, its features, and its benefits, setting the stage for a deeper dive into the platform's capabilities in subsequent chapters.

What is TradingView.com?

TradingView.com is a cloud-based platform that enables users to analyze and trade financial markets, including stocks, forex, futures, and cryptocurrencies. Founded in 2011, TradingView.com has grown to become one of the largest and most popular trading communities in the world, with over 10 million registered users.

Key Features of TradingView.com

TradingView.com offers a wide range of features that make it an attractive platform for traders and analysts. Some of the key features include:
1. Charting and Technical Analysis: TradingView.com provides a powerful charting platform that allows users to create custom charts with various indicators, drawing tools, and annotations. Users can also access a vast library of pre-built indicators and templates.
2. Backtesting and Paper Trading: TradingView.com allows users to backtest and paper trade their strategies using historical data, enabling them to refine their trading ideas and test their performance.
3. Community and Social Trading: TradingView.com has a large and active community of users who share their ideas, strategies, and insights. Users can follow other traders, participate in discussions, and share their own ideas and insights.
4. Alerts and Notifications: TradingView.com provides a robust alert system that allows users to set custom alerts based on market conditions, technical indicators, and other criteria.
5. Data Feeds: TradingView.com offers a range of data feeds, including real-time and historical data, for various markets and instruments.
6. Scripting and Automation: TradingView.com's PineScript language allows users to create custom indicators, strategies, and automated trading systems.
7. Mobile Apps: TradingView.com offers mobile apps for iOS and Android devices, enabling users to access the platform on-the-go.

Benefits of Using TradingView.com

TradingView.com offers several benefits to its users, including:
1. Improved Trading Decisions: TradingView.com's charting and analysis tools enable users to make more informed trading decisions.
2. Access to a Large Community: TradingView.com's community provides users with access to a vast network of traders, analysts, and experts.
3. Customization and Automation: TradingView.com's scripting and automation capabilities allow users to create custom strategies and automate their trading.
4. Real-time Data and Alerts: TradingView.com's real-time data and alert system enable users to stay up-to-date with market movements and react quickly to market changes.
5. Cost-Effective: TradingView.com offers a range of pricing plans, including a free version, making it an accessible platform for traders and analysts.

Conclusion

In this chapter, we have provided an overview of TradingView.com, its features, and its benefits. TradingView.com is a powerful platform that offers a range of tools and resources for traders, analysts, and investors. Whether you are a seasoned trader or just starting out, TradingView.com provides a comprehensive suite of tools to help you analyze and trade financial markets. In the next chapter, we will delve deeper into the charting and technical analysis capabilities of TradingView.com.

Chapter 2: Creating an Account and Setting Up Your Profile

As a new user, creating an account and setting up your profile is the first step in exploring the world of [Platform/Service]. In this chapter, we will guide you through a step-by-step process to create an account and set up your profile, ensuring a seamless and enjoyable experience.

Section 1: Creating an Account

To create an account, follow these steps:
1. Visit the Sign-up Page: Go to the [Platform/Service] website and click on the "Sign Up" or "Create an Account" button. This will take you to the sign-up page.
2. Enter Your Email Address: Enter a valid email address to serve as your login credentials. Make sure to use a unique and memorable email address, as it will be used to reset your password if needed.
3. Choose a Username: Choose a unique and memorable username that will be used to identify you on the platform. This can be your real name, a nickname, or a combination of letters and numbers.
4. Create a Password: Create a strong and unique password for your account. A strong password should be at least 8 characters long and include a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters.
5. Confirm Your Password: Re-enter your password to confirm it. This ensures that you have entered the correct password.
6. Verify Your Account: Click on the "Create Account" button to create your account. You will receive an email verification link to verify your email address.

Section 2: Setting Up Your Profile

Once you have created your account, it's time to set up your profile. Follow these steps:
1. Fill Out Your Profile Information: Fill out your profile information, including your name, birthday, and location. This information will be used to personalize your experience and connect with other users.
2. Add a Profile Picture: Upload a profile picture that represents you. This can be a photo of yourself, a logo, or an avatar.
3. Add a Bio: Write a brief bio that describes yourself, your interests, or your expertise. This will help others get to know you better and find common ground.
4. Customize Your Profile Settings: Customize your profile settings to control what information is visible to others and what notifications you receive.
5. Connect with Others: Start connecting with other users by sending friend requests or joining groups related to your interests.

Tips and Best Practices

· Use a strong and unique password for your account.
· Keep your profile information up-to-date and accurate.
· Be cautious when sharing personal information or connecting with strangers.
· Use the platform's built-in features to block or report suspicious or inappropriate behavior.
· Respect other users' privacy and boundaries.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You have successfully created an account and set up your profile. You are now ready to explore the world of [Platform/Service] and start connecting with others. Remember to keep your account information secure, be respectful of others, and have fun exploring the platform. In the next chapter, we will dive deeper into the features and functionality of [Platform/Service].

Chapter 3: Navigating the TradingView.com

Interface

As a trader or investor, it's essential to understand the TradingView.com interface to get the most out of this powerful platform. In this chapter, we'll take a comprehensive tour of the TradingView.com interface and its various components. By the end of this chapter, you'll be well-versed in navigating the platform and ready to start exploring its features.

Section 1: The TradingView.com

Dashboard

The TradingView.com dashboard is the main hub of the platform, providing an overview of your account, market data, and other essential features. Let's break down the key components of the dashboard:
1. Header Bar: The header bar at the top of the screen displays your username, account balance, and other account information.
2. Navigation Menu: The navigation menu allows you to access various sections of the platform, including your watchlists, charts, and settings.
3. Market Data: The market data section provides real-time quotes for various assets, including stocks, forex, and cryptocurrencies.
4. Alerts: The alerts section allows you to set custom alerts for specific market conditions, such as price movements or news events.
5. Watchlists: The watchlists section enables you to create and manage custom lists of symbols, making it easy to track your favorite assets.

Section 2: Charting and Analysis

TradingView.com is renowned for its powerful charting capabilities, allowing you to create custom charts with various indicators, studies, and drawing tools. Let's explore the key features of the charting interface:
1. Chart Types: TradingView.com offers a range of chart types, including line charts, candlestick charts, and Renko charts.
2. Indicators: The platform comes with a vast library of built-in indicators, including moving averages, RSI, and Bollinger Bands.
3. Drawing Tools: The drawing tools allow you to annotate your charts with lines, shapes, and text.
4. Studies: Studies are custom indicators created by the TradingView.com community, offering a wide range of trading strategies and techniques.
5. PineScript: PineScript is a programming language used to create custom indicators and strategies.

Section 3: Community and Social Trading

TradingView.com is more than just a trading platform – it's a community-driven platform where traders and investors share ideas, strategies, and insights. Let's explore the community features:
1. PineCoders: PineCoders is a community of developers who create custom indicators and strategies using PineScript.
2. TradingView.com Blog: The TradingView.com blog features articles, analysis, and insights from experienced traders and investors.
3. TradingView.com Forum: The forum is a hub for discussion, debate, and learning, where traders and investors share their experiences and ask questions.
4. Watchlists: Watchlists allow you to share your favorite symbols with others, making it easy to collaborate and learn from each other.
5. PineScript Challenges: PineScript challenges are community-driven initiatives where developers create custom indicators and strategies, and the community votes on the best submissions.

Section 4: Customization and Settings

As you become more comfortable with the TradingView.com interface, you'll want to customize your experience to suit your needs. Let's explore the customization options:
1. Theme: TradingView.com offers a range of themes, allowing you to personalize the look and feel of the platform.
2. Layout: The layout options enable you to customize the arrangement of the platform's components, such as the chart, indicators, and alerts.
3. Notifications: The notification settings allow you to customize the types of notifications you receive, including market data updates and alert notifications.
4. Security: The security settings enable you to set up two-factor authentication, password recovery, and other security measures to protect your account.

Conclusion

Navigating the TradingView.com interface is an essential step in unlocking the full potential of this powerful platform. By understanding the various components of the dashboard, charting and analysis tools, community features, and customization options, you'll be well-equipped to start exploring the platform and developing your trading skills. In the next chapter, we'll dive deeper into the world of PineScript, exploring the programming language and its applications in trading and investing.

Chapter 4: Understanding Charts and Time Frames

In this chapter, we will delve into the world of charts and time frames, a fundamental concept in technical analysis. We will explore the different types of charts, time frames, and how to use them effectively on TradingView.com. By the end of this chapter, you will have a solid understanding of how to use charts and time frames to analyze and trade the markets.

What are Charts and Time Frames?

Charts and time frames are the foundation of technical analysis. A chart is a graphical representation of a security's price action over a specific period. Time frames, on the other hand, refer to the duration of the data displayed on the chart. In other words, time frames determine how much data is displayed on the chart and how often the data is updated.

Types of Charts

There are several types of charts, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. The most common types of charts are:
1. Line Chart: A line chart connects the closing prices of a security over a specific period, creating a continuous line. This chart is useful for identifying trends and patterns.
2. Candlestick Chart: A candlestick chart displays the high, low, open, and close prices of a security over a specific period. Each candle represents a specific time period, and the color of the candle indicates whether the price closed higher or lower than the previous day's close.
3. Bar Chart: A bar chart is similar to a candlestick chart but does not display the open and close prices. Instead, it shows the high and low prices, as well as the open and close prices.
4. Renko Chart: A Renko chart is a type of chart that uses a unique algorithm to create a chart that is not based on time. Instead, it uses price movements to create a chart that is more focused on the price action.

Time Frames

Time frames determine the duration of the data displayed on the chart. Common time frames include:
1. 1-minute: A 1-minute chart displays the price action over a 1-minute period.
2. 5-minute: A 5-minute chart displays the price action over a 5-minute period.
3. 15-minute A 15-minute chart displays the price action over a 15-minute period.
4. 30-minute: A 30-minute chart displays the price action over a 30-minute period.
5. 1-hour: A 1-hour chart displays the price action over a 1-hour period.
6. 4-hour: A 4-hour chart displays the price action over a 4-hour period.
7. Daily: A daily chart displays the price action over a 1-day period.
8. Weekly: A weekly chart displays the price action over a 1-week period.
9. Monthly: A monthly chart displays the price action over a 1-month period.

Using Charts and Time Frames on TradingView.com

TradingView.com is a popular platform for charting and analyzing financial markets. Here's how to use charts and time frames on TradingView.com:
1. Creating a Chart: To create a chart on TradingView.com, go to the "Charts" tab and select the security you want to chart. Choose the chart type and time frame you want to use.
2. Customizing the Chart: Once you have created a chart, you can customize it by adding indicators, drawing tools, and other features.
3. Switching Time Frames: To switch time frames on TradingView.com, click on the "Time Frame" dropdown menu and select the desired time frame.
4. Zooming In and Out: To zoom in and out of a chart on TradingView.com, use the mouse wheel or the "Zoom" button.

Conclusion

In this chapter, we have covered the basics of charts and time frames, including the different types of charts and time frames. We have also explored how to use charts and time frames on TradingView.com. By mastering charts and time frames, you will be able to analyze and trade the markets more effectively. In the next chapter, we will explore the importance of indicators and how to use them to make informed trading decisions.

Chapter 5: Technical Indicators and Studies

In this chapter, we will delve into the world of technical indicators and studies available on TradingView.com. As a trader, it is essential to understand the various indicators and studies that can be used to analyze and predict market movements. This chapter will provide an overview of the different types of technical indicators and studies available on TradingView.com, their uses, and how to apply them in your trading strategy.

What are Technical Indicators and Studies?

Technical indicators and studies are mathematical calculations based on historical price data that help traders identify trends, patterns, and potential trading opportunities. These indicators and studies can be used to analyze and predict market movements, making it easier to make informed trading decisions.

Types of Technical Indicators and Studies

There are numerous types of technical indicators and studies available on TradingView.com, including:
1. Trend Indicators: These indicators help identify trends and potential trading opportunities. Examples include the Moving Average, Relative Strength Index (RSI), and Bollinger Bands.
2. Momentum Indicators: These indicators measure the rate of change of an asset's price over a given period. Examples include the RSI, Stochastic Oscillator, and Momentum Indicator.
3. Volatility Indicators: These indicators measure the degree of price movement or volatility. Examples include the Average True Range (ATR) and Bollinger Bands.
4. Pattern Recognition Indicators: These indicators help identify specific chart patterns, such as head and shoulders or triangles. Examples include the Ichimoku Cloud and the Keltner Channel.
5. Statistical Indicators: These indicators use statistical methods to analyze market data. Examples include the Exponential Moving Average (EMA) and the Simple Moving Average (SMA).

Popular Technical Indicators and Studies on TradingView.com

Some of the most popular technical indicators and studies available on TradingView.com include:
1. Moving Average: A simple moving average calculates the average price of an asset over a given period.
2. Relative Strength Index (RSI): The RSI measures the magnitude of recent price changes to determine overbought or oversold conditions.
3. Bollinger Bands: Bollinger Bands consist of a moving average and two standard deviations plotted above and below the average.
4. Stochastic Oscillator: The stochastic oscillator compares the closing price of an asset to its price range over a given period.
5. Ichimoku Cloud: The Ichimoku Cloud is a comprehensive technical analysis system that inclues multiple indicators, including the Tenkan-sen, Kijun-sen, and Senkou Span.
6. Keltner Channel: The Keltner Channel is a volatility-based indicator that plots two lines above and below a moving average.
7. Average True Range (ATR): The ATR measures the average true range of an asset over a given period.
8. Exponential Moving Average (EMA): The EMA is a type of moving average that gives more weight to recent price data.
9. Simple Moving Average (SMA): The SMA is a type of moving average that calculates the average price of an asset over a given period.
10. Stochastic Momentum Index (SMI): The SMI is a momentum indicator that measures the rate of change of an aset's price over a given period.

How to Use Technical Indicators and Studies

To get the most out of technical indicators and studies, it is essential to understand how to use them effectively. Here are some tips:
1. Combine Indicators: Combining multiple indicators can help confirm trading signals and reduce false positives.
2. Use Multiple Time Frames: Analyzing multiple time frames can help identify trends and patterns that may not be visible on a single time frame.
3. Adjust Parameters: Adjusting the parameters of an indicator can help tailor it to your specific trading strategy.
4. Use Indicators in Conjunction with Fundamental Analysis: Combining technical indicators with fundamental analysis can help provide a more comprehensive view of the market.
5. Backtest Indicators: Backtesting indicators can help evaluate their performance and identify potential biases.

Conclusion

Technical indicators and studies are powerful tools that can help traders analyze and predict market movements. By understanding the different types of indicators and studies available on TradingView.com, traders can develop a comprehensive trading strategy that incorporates multiple indicators and studies. Remember to combine indicators, use multiple time frames, adjust parameters, and backtest indicators to get the most out of technical indicators and studies.

Chapter 6: Creating and Customizing Charts

As a trader, having the right tools and information is crucial for making informed decisions. Charts are an essential component of any trading strategy, providing valuable insights into market trends and patterns. In this chapter, we will explore the process of creating and customizing charts on TradingView.com, a popular platform for traders and analysts.

Creating a Chart on TradingView.com

Creating a chart on TradingView.com is a straightforward process that can be completed in a few steps.
1. Log in to Your TradingView.com Account: Start by logging in to your TradingView.com account. If you don't have an account, you can create one by signing up on the TradingView.com website.
2. Select the Symbol: Once logged in, navigate to the "Symbols" tab and select the symbol you want to chart. You can search for symbols by typing in the symbol name or by using the "Search" function.
3. Create a New Chart: Click on the "Create a New Chart" button to create a new chart. You can also create a new chart by clicking on the "New Chart" button in the top-right corner of the TradingView.com window.
4. Select the Chart Type: Choose the type of chart you want to create. TradingView.com offers a variety of chart types, including line charts, candlestick charts, and more.
5. Customize the Chart Settings: Customize the chart settings to suit your needs. You can adjust the chart size, grid lines, and other settings to create a chart that meets your requirements.

Customizing Charts on TradingView.com

Customizing charts on TradingView.com is an essential step in creating a chart that meets your specific needs. Here are some tips for customizing your charts:
1. Add Indicators: Add indicators to your chart to gain insights into market trends and patterns. TradingView.com offers a wide range of indicators, including moving averages, RSI, and more.
2. Add Drawings: Add drawings to your chart to highlight specific patterns or trends. You can add lines, shapes, and other drawings to your chart to create a visual representation of your analysis.
3. Add Alerts: Set up alerts on your chart to notify you of specific market events or price movements. You can set up alerts based on price movements, volume, and other market indicators.
4. Customize the Chart Grid: Customize the chart grid to suit your needs. You can adjust the grid lines, grid spacing, and other settings to create a chart that meets your requirements.
5. Save and Share Your Chart: Save and share your chart with others. You can save your chart as a template or share it with other traders and analysts.

Advanced Chart Customization

In addition to the basic customization options, TradingView.com offers advanced customization options that allow you to create complex charts and indicators. Here are some tips for advanced chart customization:
1. Create Custom Indicators: Create custom indicators using the TradingView.com PineScript programming language. You can create custom indicators that meet your specific needs.
2. Use Custom Drawings: Use custom drawings to create complex patterns and shapes on your chart. You can create custom drawings using the TradingView.com drawing tools.
3. Customize the Chart Layout: Customize the chart layout to suit your needs. You can adjust the chart size, grid lines, and other settings to create a chart that meets your requirements.
4. Use Advanced Chart Settings: Use advanced chart settings to customize your chart further. You can adjust the chart settings to suit your specific needs.

Conclusion

Creating and customizing charts on TradingView.com is a powerful way to gain insights into market trends and patterns. By following the steps outlined in this chapter, you can create complex charts and indicators that meet your specific needs. Whether you're a seasoned trader or a beginner, TradingView.com offers a range of tools and features that can help you create charts that meet your specific needs.
Chapter 7:

Introduction to Trading Strategies

As a trader, having a solid understanding of various trading strategies is crucial for making informed decisions and maximizing profits. In this chapter, we will explore popular trading strategies, their underlying principles, and how to implement them on TradingView.com. By the end of this chapter, you will have a comprehensive understanding of various trading strategies and how to apply them using TradingView.com's powerful platform.

Introduction to Trading Strategies

Trading strategies are pre-defined rules or methods used to make trading decisions. These strategies are designed to help traders navigate the markets, identify profitable opportunities, and minimize losses. Trading strategies can be categorized into several types, including:
· Trend following strategies: These strategies aim to identify and ride the trend, whether it's an uptrend or a downtrend.
· Range trading strategies: These strategies focus on identifying and trading within a specific price range.
· Mean reversion strategies: These strategies rely on the idea that prices will revert to their historical means.
· Statistical arbitrage strategies: These strategies involve identifying mispricings in the market and exploiting them.

Popular Trading Strategies

2.1 Trend Following Strategies
Trend following strategies are designed to identify and ride the trend. These strategies involve identifying the direction of the market and trading in that direction. Some popular trend following strategies include:
· Moving Average Crossover (MAC): This strategy involves identifying the crossover of two moving averages to determine the direction of the trend.
· Relative Strength Index (RSI): This strategy involves identifying overbought or oversold conditions using the RSI indicator.
· Bollinger Bands: This strategy involves identifying breakouts above or below the bands to determine the direction of the trend.
2.2 Range Trading Strategies
Range trading strategies focus on identifying and trading within a specific price range. These strategies involve identifying support and resistance levels and trading within the range. Some popular range trading strategies include:
· Support and Resistance Trading: This strategy involves identifying key support and resistance levels and trading within the range.
· Channel Trading: This strategy involves identifying and trading within a specific price channel.
2.3 Mean Reversion Strategies
Mean reversion strategies rely on the idea that prices will revert to their historical means. These strategies involve identifying overbought or oversold conditions and trading in the opposite direction. Some popular mean reversion strategies include:
· Mean Reversion Trading: This strategy involves identifying overbought or oversold conditions and trading in the opposite direction.
· Statistical Arbitrage: This strategy involves identifying mispricings in the market and exploiting them.
2.4 Statistical Arbitrage Strategies
Statistical arbitrage strategies involve identifying mispricings in the market and exploiting them. These strategies involve analyzing historical data and identifying statistical anomalies. Some popular statistical arbitrage strategies include:
· Statistical Arbitrage: This strategy involves identifying mispricings in the market and exploiting them.
· Event-Driven Trading: This strategy involves identifying and trading on specific events, such as earnings announcements or mergers and acquisitions.

3.

Implementing Trading Strategies on TradingView.com

TradingView.com is a powerful platform that allows traders to implement and backtest various trading strategies. Here are some steps to follow when implementing trading strategies on TradingView.com:
1. Create a new chart: Open a new chart on TradingView.com and select the asset you want to trade.
2. Add indicators: Add the indicators you want to use for your trading strategy. For example, you may want to add a moving average crossover indicator.
3. Set parameters: Set the parameters for your indicators. For example, you may want to set the period for your moving average crossover indicator.
4. Backtest the strategy: Backtest your strategy by running a backtest on TradingView.com. This will allow you to evaluate the performance of your strategy.
5. Refine the strategy: Refine your strategy by adjusting the parameters and testing different scenarios.

Conclusion

In this chapter, we have explored popular trading strategies and how to implement them on TradingView.com. By understanding various trading strategies and how to apply them using TradingView.com, you can make informed trading decisions and maximize your profits. Remember to always backtest and refine your strategies to ensure optimal performance. In the next chapter, we will explore advanced trading strategies and how to use them to improve your trading performance.

Chapter 8:

Backtesting and Evaluating Trading Ideas

As a trader, it's essential to test and refine your trading ideas before implementing them in live markets. Backtesting and evaluating your trading ideas can help you identify potential flaws, optimize your strategy, and increase your chances of success. In this chapter, we'll explore the process of backtesting and evaluating trading ideas using TradingView.com, a popular platform for charting and backtesting trading strategies.

What is Backtesting?

Backtesting is the process of applying a trading strategy to historical market data to evaluate its performance. It allows you to test your trading idea on past data to see how it would have performed in real-time. By backtesting your strategy, you can:
1. Identify potential flaws in your strategy
2. Optimize your strategy for better performance
3. Refine your strategy to improve its accuracy
4. Evaluate the strategy's risk-reward ratio

Why Backtest?

Backtesting is crucial for several reasons:
1. Risk management: Backtesting helps you identify potential risks associated with your trading strategy.
2. Strategy optimization: Backtesting allows you to refine your strategy to improve its performance.
3. Performance evaluation: Backtesting enables you to evaluate the performance of your strategy and make data-driven decisions.
4. Confidence booster: Backtesting gives you confidence in your strategy, reducing the risk of emotional trading decisions.

How to Backtest on TradingView.com

TradingView.com offers a range of tools and features for backtesting trading ideas. Here's a step-by-step guide to get you started:
1. Create a new chart: Open TradingView.com and create a new chart for the asset you want to backtest.
2. Select the data range: Choose the time period for which you want to backtest your strategy. You can select a specific date range or use the default settings.
3. Add the strategy: Click on the "Indicators" tab and add the strategy you want to backtest. You can use built-in indicators or create your own custom indicators.
4. Set the parameters: Configure the strategy's parameters, such as the number of bars to look back, the number of trades to take, and the stop-loss levels.
5. Run the backtest: Click the "Run" button to start the backtest. TradingView.com will apply your strategy to the selected data range and provide performance metrics.
6. Analyze the results: Review the backtest results, including the strategy's profit/loss, drawdown, and other performance metrics.

Evaluating Trading Ideas

Evaluating your trading idea is a crucial step in the backtesting process. Here are some key metrics to consider:
1. Profit/Loss: Calculate the total profit or loss generated by your strategy.
2. Drawdown: Measure the maximum loss experienced by your strategy.
3. Sharpe Ratio: Calculate the Sharpe Ratio to evaluate the strategy's risk-adjusted performance.
4. Sortino Ratio: Use the Sortino Ratio to evaluate the strategy's risk-adjusted performance, focusing on the maximum drawdown.
5. Information Coefficient: Calculate the Information Coefficient to evaluate the strategy's ability to generate profits.

Best Practices for Backtesting

To get the most out of backtesting, follow these best practices:
1. Use a robust data set: Ensure your data is accurate and free from errors.
2. Test multiple scenarios: Test your strategy on different time frames, assets, and market conditions.
3. Monitor performance metrics: Keep track of your strategy's performance metrics and adjust as needed.
4. Refine your strategy: Continuously refine your strategy to improve its performance.
5. Avoid overfitting: Be cautious of overfitting, where your strategy performs well on the training data but poorly on new data.

Conclusion

Backtesting and evaluating trading ideas is a crucial step in the trading process. By using TradingView.com and following best practices, you can refine your trading strategy, optimize its performance, and increase your chances of success. Remember to evaluate your strategy's performance using relevant metrics and refine it continuously to improve its performance. With practice and patience, you'll develop a robust trading strategy that can withstand the challenges of the markets.

666 AND BAR-CODES, MARK OF THE BEAST
(Hatonn here describes in 1991 how it will be. I suggest ghat it dexcribes today how it is. Everything is marked including us.)
I have been asked time and again about the connections and if, in fact, there are connections regarding the 666 symbol and bas-codes.
I can assure you of one thing, the number 666 does not randomly appear any more often than does 222, 444, or say, 333. Nevertheless, it is quite obvious that WHERE the numbers appear is very definitely of great importance. The numbers 666 are rapidly becoming man's favorite number and keep popping up in strange places--even though a recognized symbol of pure Satanic code--it is appearing more frequently than any other "number" in the so-called Christian and other religious placements. It is worthy of the time to speak of this matter for I think you must become aware that this code is being placed on all of you. I think it worth the time to give a listing of some instances of use of this number which none of you should miss in noting.
* World Bank code number is "666".
* New credit cards in the U. S. are now being assigned the prefix 666.
* Australia's NATIONAL bank cards have the code 666.
* Central computers for Sears, Belks, Pennys, and Montgomery Wards around the world have all their transactions prefixed with 666.
* Shoes made in European Common Market Countries have stamped on inside label 666.
* Computers made by Lear Siegler have a seal on the side on which is stamped the number 666.
* Internal Revenue Service instructions for NON-PROFIT Corporation Emoloyee 1979, W-2 Form requires the prefix 666.
* Internal Revenue Service began to require the prefix of 666 on some forms; for example, W-2P, disability is 666.3; death is 666.4, etc. as early as 1977.
* Tanks built by Chrysler Corporation...have on their sides 666.
* South Central Bell's new Telco Credit Union Cards require the prefix 666, then the person's Social Security number.
*. ID tags on 1979 GM cars produced in Flint, Michigan, contain the number 666.
*. United States Selective Service Cards have on them 666.
* Overseas telephone operator number from Israel is 666.
* Arab-owned vehicles IN JERUSALEM have license plates prefixed Wirth 666.
*. Record album released by the rock group, Black Sabbath is named 666.
*. The films, Omen I and II concern themselves with a world dictator and the number 666.
* Some IBM Supermarket equipment is prefixed with the number 3.666.
* JC Penney began prefixing account numbers in August, 1980, with 666.
* Master Card began using on their August, 1980, statements--66.
* Formula for NCR Model 304 Supermarket Computer System is 6 60 6,666.
* The United Nations resolution #666 came during the Iraq War.
Precious ones, there are contests even, called "666". What is happening by total intent is to condition the world to accept the coding of 666 without question or note. There is coming a day when a world governmental system will demand that everyone in the world take a mark and the number 666 in order to work, buy or sell. This fact is clearly set forth and being followed diligently. If you think you can avoid the mark of the beast--think again--YOU ALREADY BEAR THE MARK; DON'T BE STUPID AND SET YURSELF UP TO DENY SAME. YOU ARE ALREADY MARKED AND THE INSTRUCTIONS TO REFUSE THE MARK IS NOT OF GOD'S GIVING. YOU STEP FORTH AND REFUSE WHEN Y0U ARE ALREADY WITHIN THE SYSTEM AND YOU ARE DEAD OR INCARCERATED AND USELESS UNTO GOD'S WORK. IT IS A SEPARATION ENTRAPMENT SET FORTH BY THE BEAST TO CATCH THE LIGHTED PEOPLE. YOU CAN STAY OUT OF THE SYSTEM TO THE FULL LIMIT ALLOWED BY THE LAW BUT YOU DO NO ONE A FAVOR BY GETTING YOURSELF KILLED--IT NEANS ONE LESS WORKER FOR GOD.
THE NUMBER OF MAN
Let us look at that which is projected unto you and might be well worthy of note. Then number with which all the world will be commanded to work, buy and sell during the Great Tribulation is the number of man--and you find it on all bar-codes and Elite products. Number 6 as has been distorted for identification and easy reference has even taken as the number of imperfection; the human-given human number; the number of MAN as destitute of God--without God/Christ. At any rate, it is certain that man was created on the sixth day goes the accepted WORD, and thus he would be established under the number six--which would identify him and then, it goes on with several other non-coincidental accidents in numbering. For example, six days were appointed to man for his labor so it went, while one day is associated in sovereignty with the Lord God--as his day of rest. Then the infinite symbol of 8 represents infinity or immortality which is also of God. The serpent also, was created somehow on the sixth day, or so the Goods Book says--obviously God was most busy and yet totally restricted on the sixth day of His masterful creation. The sixth clause of the Lord's Prayer treats of sin. Six is the number stamped on all that is connected with human labor. You will see it stamped upon his measures which he uses in his labour and on the time during which he labors. And you see this from the very beginning.
Six, thew number of man, is one less than seven, the number which represents God and two less than the Creation. This indicates that man was created somehow in the likeness of God, but is not God, because God is perfect and sinless and one within and with Creation. The Sixth Commandment came as a result of Cain's sin of killing his brother, and the man who will ultimately claim the number 666 will be the greatest murderer the world has ever known. God put a mark upon Cain after the murder of Abel. Although Cain's mark was for the purpose of protecting him from those who would kill him, it also signified that before God, he was condemned. God forbade the children of Judea to mark their bodies--or did he? For the translation always read "Israel". The quoting then always continues with this looking forward to the time when the "Jews", as well as the rest of the world, would be called upon to take the mark of the Anti-Christ. Well, will the "Jews" take the mark? I guess so--they crested it!
But let us look a bit further into the book of Revelation. The Apocalypse: The 'mark' itself is at once a number and a name. The Apostle tells you what it is. As he gives it, it is made up of two Greek characters which stand for the name of Christ, with a third, the figure of a crooked serpent, put between them...Thjis horrid sign must everyone receive on one of the most conspicuous parts of the body, cut, stamped or branded in, there to abide indelibly. No one may either buy or sell without this mark, and all who do receive it take upon their bodies the token and seal of heir damnation!
Do you really.believe you have not already been branded? Let us consider that, for years--well over two decades--the laser beam has been branding steers and horses--and even salmon while they remain in the stream, swimming. It is instant and painless. The laser simply destroys skin pigment. In some thirty-BILLIONTHS of a second a technician can stitch a brand--or initials, or symbol. This type of branding of animals for ownership or research purposes has become common practice. Do you think it probable that everyone of you have been branded while standing, say, in a line to vote or register your car or, or, or--certainly if you have any kind of medical examination, dental care or hospitalization--especially immunizations.
TRANSACTION CARD/FINAL CARD
This is the final laugh at the world citizenry. This is one of the world's greatest conspiracies and it is being quietly conducted in.the most sacred halls of secular secrecy, brothers. While its thrust is Economic, its reach is without limit. No System will escape its mastery, be it in Politics or religions, Social or otherwise. I told you long ago, dear ones, that the SDI program was not f defense but rather to place into space satellites which unite the entire world banking system--the beast to all other parts in instant connection--with all citizens registered, identified and located. You are all simply within the system. The point is to protect yourself from the system as much as possible and the only way to do so is to utilize the laws and rules utilized by your adversary for as long as you can do so.
The Prime Mover here is the most powerful Consortium of financial institutions, capitalists, and scientists ever leagued together. Their common purpose is to bring every person, place and thing under their total control and it is all but in place and already operational.
The applied strategy is by way of instant IDENTIFICATION. This means of ixentoification is by way of assignment of MARKS (or bars) for NUJMBERS read by machines. (Numbers people can read, Marks they can't--the name of this game is SECRECY.)
Phase I began in 1970 with a ncnscientious effort to "IDENTIFY EVERY ITEM" at the manufacturers level with a NUMBER "MARKED" on it. A group of Numbers designated by Marks, lines or bars, is called a Bar Code, (Code 39, etc.), and giant computer manufacturers are central to the phase.
Phase II began in 1973 with an effort to IDENTIFY each PERSON with a Number. The Social Security Numbers when blended with the Universal Numbering System will be converted to "Bars". Initially, the NUMBER will be "marked" on a Card; (a World_Wide Money-ID-Card). Subsequently, according to the old Bible Prophecy written ands directed by the very ones who would put it into place, it will be stamped upon the person it identifies. As the MARK OF IDENTITY on an ITEM is a Bar Code, so the MARK OF IDENTIY on a Card and later on a person, will be a Bar Code facsimile. The Government, Banks, and Card Companies are central to this phase.
Phase III is an effort to identify everything in the world, whether mobile or stationary; if mobile, then how to instantaneously locate it, as a piece of luggage, an expensive race horse, a family car, or a pet or person. Central to this is the Federal Government which has spent ten years In research on "Electronic Identification" at Los Alamos, the Airlines, and private inventors.
The symbol of 666 is absolutely instrumental to the Bar Code system. You are already in it, so let us be most careful how you handle it. Your best defense against it is to know truth about it--stop deluding yourself that you can somehow avoid the mark lest you get s special mark which sets you apart as a troublemaker and you will be among the first incarcerated or removed by other means.

[Windows 11]
hey all, this started because I wanted to play some sims 4 with custom content and my files are not being read by my system. Most were marked with the OneDrive unsynced red/white X symbol, so I figured that meant it didn't work and tried reinstalling new mods entirely. They still aren't working, thus I started the dive into fixing OneDrive.
One guide I found suggested using the "free up space" option on red files, then selecting "always keep on this device" twice. There's been no change.
What got closer was the Windows guide to disconnect my OneDrive account, then reconnect and sync all my files. However, when I get to the step "Back up folder on this PC" I inevitably get an "Unable to sync" error, with a red block at the bottom that says "We're having trouble connecting to the OneDrive service. Check your connection or try again later." I tried yesterday and again today, checked by connection, nothing changed.
Some files do sync, but most do not despite the OneDrive icon on the taskbar saying there are no new changes.
I had bought the 100GB OneDrive subscription to help things along, since abouta month ago when I downloaded a game again half my files dissapeared from my desktop and turned red.
Sorry if this makes little to no sense, I just want to get this fixed and am happy to answer any questions and the like
edit: as soon as I posted this the sync went through. Majority of my files are still red, but OneDrive is attempting update changes so we'll see if anything happens.
edit 2: important question. can I just download files and not need onedrive to store them?? is it because of the file path i downloaded sims in? how can I exist without being told how by microsoft
edit 3: I uninstalled sims to see if I could reinstall it elsewhere and all my old files just reappeared on my desktop. what is going on..

We’ve now arrived at one of the more famous stories in the Scripture.
To answer the call of nature, Saul randomly stepped into a cave to relieve himself.
And wouldn’t you know it?!
This cave “coincidentally” turned out to be the very spot where David and his men were hiding!
David recognized this was a chance to get rid of the enemy who was after his life.
So he snuck up behind him with his dagger…
But instead of plunging the dagger into Saul’s body…
He instead cut off a piece of the hem of his skirt.
In Hebrew, what David cut was a part of the KANAPH or
For example, when God tells the Israelites…
“I bore you on eagles’ wings, and brought you to Myself” -Exodus 19:4
The “wings” there is KANAPH.
Or when Ruth says to Boaz…
“Spread your wings over your servant, for you are a redeemer.”
Again, the same word KANAPH is used.
The word for the wings of a bird or angel is KANAPH.
This word can also refer to the corners of a garment, which might flap in the wind, giving the appearance of a wing.
However, in the context here, KANAPH carries a deeper meaning.
See, in those days, the hem of one’s garment represented one’s status in society.
The poorest folks had no hem whatsoever.
Their hems were just the frayed bottom parts of their clothing.
The next class had clothes made of the same kind of cloth.
They simply folded the edges over and sewed them to make a hem.
This made clothes last longer and look nicer.
Richer folks had fancy hems with colored thread and even attached cute-looking little decorations to them.
Finally, royalty had the most fancy pants and pricey hems imaginable.
Since money meant power, the hem was far more than a decoration.
It was a sign of their position in society.
You know the colored belts that martial schools use to grade students?
That’s kind of the role hems played in ancient Middle Eastern society.
Except there was a religious flavor to them.
They were sometimes seen as holy and sacred.
So when David cut off a piece of Saul’s royal garment, he wasn’t just cutting off a piece of his clothing.
He was cutting off a piece of his identity.
So what’s the takeaway here?
The earthly way hems were used back then is the same way we use status symbols in our day.
In other words, just replace the hems with any other status symbols we love to flaunt in our society to demonstrate how much better we are than anyone else.
Our hems can be our cars, how big our houses are, how many kids we have, some sexy title at some prestigious company, or whatever BS thing we’ve attached our ego to…which is just a symbol of our insecurities in the first place if you think about it.
But here’s the thing…
Just as David cut off Saul’s hem – the thing that represented his earthly authority – he’s going to do the same thing to you if you are truly one of his.
Whatever you are relying on right now to bolster your self-esteem…
Whether it’s that money in your bank account, that cute girlfriend you’re dating, or your stable corporate job (which trust me, ain’t as stable as you think it is)…
God is going to cut that hem so you can understand that it is HIM and only HIM who sustains you.
He will force you to crucify your old self…
And it will be the most painful but necessary transformation you will ever endure.
Ya feel me here homie?
He did it to Abraham.
He did it to Joseph.
He did it to Yeshua.
He did it to me.
And He’ll do it to you.
Done.
CONNECTING THIS TEACHING TO THE NEW TESTAMENT
“Yeshua, looking at him, felt love for him and said to him, ‘You’re missing one thing. Go, sell whatever you own, give to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven. Then come, follow me!’ Shocked by this word, he went away sad; because he was a wealthy man. Yeshua looked around and said to his talmidim, ‘How hard it is going to be for people with wealth to enter the Kingdom of God!’ The talmidim were astounded at these words; but Yeshua said to them again, ‘My friends, how hard it is to enter the Kingdom of God! It’s easier for a camel to pass through a needle’s eye than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God.’ They were utterly amazed and said to him, ‘Then who can be saved?’ Yeshua looked at them and said, ‘Humanly, it is impossible, but not with God; with God, everything is possible.'” -Mark 10:21-27

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There is a Moroccan girl I met on Facebook, and we later discovered that she is a skilled manipulator And she disappeared she defrauded hundreds of my friends
Months later, a girl came to take revenge on me She posted 4 posts, and there were 16 accounts supporting her photos, with comments and likes. These are accounts studying at Harvard from an elite class
she was a stranger at first. She is from the same city, Montreal, Canada and she from Moroccan also where the first girl resides, and they have a friendly relationship before the first scam my frind this 2 account and found that these accounts had only one photo and 40 like pages And an empty profile, and I entered the password request to reveal the email and found that these emails contain a specific letter and symbol, the letter N and the number 2. I don't want to say this to my friends because it seems like paranoia witout prof but I want kick down this stanic girl . I searched for those pictures in those accounts on Google and did not find anything... This is a professional manipulator. There is a network behind her. I want to expose her. Is there any way?
To reveal the owners of these photos

Hi, I have a personal Fb page that is years old. I believe it is perma disabled from advertising due to an old ad set I never rectified or appealed years ago, so I think the timer ran out to appeal.
I'm fine with making a new profile and page for linking my business Instagram to in order to run ads, but every single time I make a new profile and page, I immediately get the email;
"Your business account has been restricted for security reasons Hi Josh, We've noticed some unusual activity on this business account ONE Coaching and have restricted its access to advertising. Any ads connected to this account are currently disabled. To learn more, please review our Advertising policies affecting business assets. If you believe that your account was incorrectly restricted, click the Fix issue button below to verify your account."
I understand from some other Reddit posts I need to verify my identity, which is fine, but when I click "Request Review" it asks me to verify I'm human, I press continue, and nothing happens. I don't get taken to a next screen. The problem then arises that it then says "Continue Request" which upon clicking gets me a symbol of a tilted scale with "This page couldn't be loaded"
This has happened now with 3 brand new, fresh accounts today and I am unable to get to the verification stage on ANY account. I'm just in a loop of new account, new page, restricted, click here to fix this issue, the Captcha screen doesn't continue and then I get this page couldn't be loaded.
SURELY there is a fix??? Someone please???

I had my account hacked this week. It showed that I had shipped a package thru my informed delivery app but nothing on Mercari. It was a freakin nightmare to sort thru. Very difficult to deal with thru email when they only respond once per day and then you still have to wait until the next day for the next step. All that’s if they even understand your issue. What really got me is they sent a msg saying my account was hacked because I had to simple of a password which is not accurate. My password was 20 characters long and included letters, numbers and symbols. They were not words either so I find it hard to believe they considered it a simple password. Regardless between this and all the changes on the app I’m done. I deleted all my listings and the account. Will just find a different platform to buy and sell on.

By Jacob Crosse
This past weekend, the “People’s Conference for Palestine” was held in Detroit, Michigan over three days, from May 24 through May 26. Organizers for the event stated that over 3,500 people attended.
The steering committee for the conference included 15 organizations, among which were the Palestinian Youth Movement, National Students for Justice In Palestine, the ANSWER Coalition (associated with the Party for Socialism and Liberation), Arab Resource and Organizing Society (AROC), Writers Against the War on Gaza, and Healthcare Workers for Palestine.
Despite the peaceful character of the event, police were a constant presence on the streets and outside the convention center. Several Palestinian speakers slated to appear at the event were delayed or were not able to attend in person, due to fascistic restrictions imposed on their travel by the US/NATO governments.
The stated goal of the conference, according to a program signed by the Steering Committee, was to provide “a space to assess, strategize and prepare for what is required for us in the next phase of the struggle.” However, the political perspective that dominated did not present a viable way forward.
Several panels did feature harrowing testimony of the situation in Gaza. In a recorded video message, Hind Khoudary, a journalist in Gaza who has been displaced since November 2023 said, “We are not only fearing air strikes, we are fearing famine.” She documented the catastrophic situation produced by Israel’s bombardment and the difficulties confronting journalists, who have themselves been targeted by airstrikes.
In a session titled, “Cutting Ties with Zionism in the Workplace,” former Google worker Ariel Koren discussed her experience trying to fight back against the implementation of Project Nimbus, a $1.2 billion contract between Google, Amazon and the Israel Defense Forces that provides the military a suite of computer and artificial intelligence tools used to facilitate the oppression and extermination of the Palestinian people.
Koren explained that as part of the contract, Google is required to build “whatever cloud tools and AI tools the Israeli government and military ask for without asking any questions themselves. Google has no right to regulate or oversee or even know anything about how these get used on the ground and which government and military agencies are the beneficiaries of these tools.” Among the tools provided to the IDF are “facial detection, automatic image categorization, object tracking, and even sentiment analysis.”
Taghreed Ahmed, a member of the Palestinian Transport Union, explained that “Israel controls the conditions of workers” and that “over 9,000” workers were taken prisoner by Israel following October 7. While in Israeli custody, many workers were tortured and “over 80” are still missing.
Despite the IDF offensive on Gaza, Ahmed said that after workers were released they asked to return to the city to be with their families.
Before October 7, Ahmed said that over 32,000 workers in Gaza were granted permits to work in Israel, but not a single permit has been granted in over seven months. In order to survive, Ahmed said many working class families have resorted to selling their possessions, including furniture.

A political orientation to the Democratic Party

Despite the objective and empirical testimony provided by many of the panelists and speakers, the basic political perspective that emerged was thoroughly bankrupt: that of pressuring the Democratic Party.
The opening plenary event set the framework for the conference that followed. References to the crimes of the Israeli regime were combined with a great deal of chanting and slogans.
To the extent that anything was said about the background of the genocide, it was only in relation to the history of the Palestinian struggle. But even here, there was no examination of the essential experiences of this history, including the role of the bourgeois nationalist states in the Middle East in facilitating the repression of the Palestinians by Israel and imperialism.
In her keynote speech, Yara Shoufani of the Palestinian Youth Movement spoke of “historic revolutions” from “the Great Arab Revolution of 1936” … to “the popular revolution launched in the camps of Lebanon and Jordan”… to “the first and second intifadas.” Another speaker suggested that the “resistance” would last another “100 years” before victory.
To be blunt, the people in Gaza do not have another 100 years. The genocide in Gaza has already led to the deaths of over 36,000 people officially, a significant under-count, while hundreds of thousands are on the brink of famine.
Neither in the introduction nor in any of the panels and plenary sessions was there a single reference to the broader war of which the genocide is a part. In particular, no speakers addressed the escalating US-NATO war against Russia over Ukraine, backed by the Democratic Party, which threatens to develop into a nuclear exchange.
Israel’s genocide, supported by the US and NATO imperialist powers, cannot be defeated by the resistance of the Palestinian people alone, no matter how self-sacrificing. It is necessary to mobilize the international working class, which has the social and economic power to oppose imperialism.
The political perspective presented at the conference, however, worked against this. On Saturday, the conference organizers welcomed a “guest appearance” by Michigan Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib.
In his last social media post before he was assassinated by the US-backed Israel Defense Forces last December, Prof. Refaat Alareer, tweeted, “The Democratic Party and Biden are responsible for the Gaza genocide perpetrated by Israel.” Why a member of the party responsible for not only backing Israel for decades, but murdering Alareer and tens of thousands of other Palestinians, would be welcomed into the conference was never explained.
In her brief comments, Tlaib attacked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calling him a “war criminal.” She refused to apply the same label to Netanyahu’s patron and top weapons supplier, President Joe Biden. Instead she appealed to the president she helped elect in 2020, imploring him: “I hope you hear us loud and clear.”
Tlaib did not attempt to provide an explanation as to why the Biden administration and her “colleagues” in the Democratic Party have not only refused to listen to over eight months of sustained peaceful protests, but instead have overseen the police repression of the protests.
Tlaib said it was “shameful” that her “colleagues” voted to send “$14 billion to the apartheid regime,” while “seniors” in her district ask her, “When are we going to get an increase in Social Security?”
While Tlaib and a few other Democrats voted against providing military funding to Israel, she said nothing about her “yes” vote in the same $95 billion package to send over $61 billion to the fascistic Ukrainian government in order to continue the proxy war against Russia.
The deliberate omission of Ukraine on the part of Tlaib and the conference organizers was not a mistake. By presenting the genocide in Gaza, which is one front in the US/NATO global re-division of the world that includes Ukraine and the conflict with Iran and China, as an isolated episode, the organizers and participants could present different factions of the capitalist ruling class, and their adjuncts in the trade union bureaucracy, as “allies” to the Palestinian people, and to the “revolution.”

PSL backs “Uncommitted” trap

Joining Tlaib at the conference was her sister, Layla Elabed, who, alongside Party for Socialism and Liberation co-founder and ANSWER National Coordinator Brian Becker, led the penultimate plenary on Sunday, titled “Uncommitted Votes and the Fracturing of the Two Party System.”
As the WSWS has previously explained, the purpose of the Uncommitted campaign is to promote the illusion that the Democratic Party and Biden can be “pressured” from below via symbolic votes or empty ceasefire resolutions. Organizers for the Uncommitted campaign, including Elabed, who told the New York Times in February that she “has not ruled out” voting for Biden in November, have been clear that the purpose of “uncommitted” is not to “Abandon Biden” or the Democratic Party, but to “push” him to adopt their position.
Despite tens of thousands of people voting “uncommitted,” the Biden administration, with the support of both the Democrats and Republicans, continues to send weapons to Israel which are being used to ethnically cleanse Rafah. This did not prevent Elabed from presenting the campaign as a success. Speaking next to Becker, she said it sent “a clear message to Biden and the Democratic Party.”
Elabed said, “This is our way of telling Joe Biden he is being held accountable. That he needs to do, in order to save...if he really believed in saving his re-election, if he really believed in fighting fascism, if he believed in fighting for democracy, then he should be pro-Palestinian. He should be demanding a ceasefire now.”
Elabed cautioned against breaking with the Democratic Party, “before November we have a number of primaries happening, state house elections and congressional and senate seats. We need to protect our ceasefire candidates, if anything you come out and you vote and you send people like Rashida and [Missouri Rep.] Cori Bush and our pro-peace anti-war folks back to Capitol Hill and back in our state house.”
Lending support to Elabed and the Democratic Party’s electoral campaigns, Becker replied, “I want to shout out the Listen to Michigan campaign, and the Uncommitted campaign because given the available options, which are so limited in this tortured form of democracy, these women the other organizers have used the electoral arena to register something that Biden couldn’t ignore, which is the majority of the base of the Democratic Party in particular says ‘no’ to his policy in Palestine.”
Working in tandem with the Democrats to divert energy towards protest stunts, and away from building an independent movement in the working class, Becker later revealed that the same forces behind the Palestine Conference will be organizing a June 8 demonstration at the White House.

The promotion of the UAW apparatus

Several panels at the Palestine Conference featured the words “labor” and “Zionism” without ever critically examining the role of the US-based trade unions in supporting US imperialism and Israel’s genocide. There was no discussion on current UAW president Shawn Fain’s endorsement of “Genocide Joe.”
The conference featured various “reform” union factions, including Unite All Workers for Democracy (UAWD), and several current and retired union bureaucrats, including UAW Local 4811 president Rafael Jaime and former president and bargain chair of UAW Local 909 in Detroit, Frank Hammer.
UAW Local 4811 comprises 48,000 graduate student workers and researchers in the University of California. Pressure from the rank-and-file compelled the UAW to initiate a strike, but the apparatus has sought to limit it to a handful of campuses, employing the “stand-up strike” tactic used to shut down the auto strike last year. It has also done nothing to inform autoworkers and other members of the union outside California about this highly significant political strike against the genocide in Gaza
Speaking in a panel, “The Role of Labor Unions in Palestinian Struggle,” Jaime tried to take credit for “organizing” the union in order to put it into a position to strike.
The chasm between workers’ desire to fight and the union bureaucrats’ reticence was present throughout Jaime’s comments. After joining what would become Local 4811 in 2016, Jaime admitted that even by 2018 “most workers didn’t even realize they had a union. And so, what we were able to win in 2018 was very limited.” Turning to the current struggle, Jaime said,

I think that the media will focus mostly on the strike and make it seem like all you have to do is press a button and it happens. And I just want it to be, very emphasized, that the work that’s taken to organize, to be able to actually respond to the moment with this kind of action, it’s been years of tireless work.

Near the end of his presentation, Jaime listed the various circumstances through which the union was prepared to call off the strike: “If the university doesn’t resolve its [Unfair Labor Practices], if it doesn’t guarantee the right to peacefully protest, allow protesters to speak up for justice in Palestine, then more campuses are going to go out on strike.”
Throughout his entire presentation Jaime never once mentioned that UAW President Shawn Fain endorsed Biden and stood by as UAW members protesting the genocide were dragged out of the convention where this nomination was announced.

The way forward

The perspective advanced at the “People’s Conference for Palestine,” in which ANSWER and the PSL play a dominant role, is a dead-end. It is not through appeals to the political establishment and the trade union apparatus that the fight against the genocide must be developed, but through a political struggle in the working class.
For nearly eight months, millions of people around the world have taken to the streets, campuses and government centers to demand an end to the genocide. Despite the overwhelmingly peaceful character of the protests, thousands have been arrested and assaulted by police.
Young people and workers opposed to the genocide, outraged by the daily atrocities, sickened by the support for Israel’s actions by the Biden administration and the imperialist powers, confront serious political questions that require serious and revolutionary answers.
The perspective of “pressuring” governments and corporations to adopt more humanitarian policies has proven to be less than useless. At the same time, the trade union apparatus, integrated into the state, is working to suppress the class struggle and subordinate workers to the ruling class policy of global war.
As WSWS International Editorial Board Chairman David North explained in a lecture in March on the suicide of Aaron Bushnell, the basic and urgent task is to mobilize “the only social force which actually has in its power, in its objective role in the whole process of capitalist production, in its position in the forces of production, its potential economic strength, its global character, the ability to bring capitalism to its knees, to destroy the very foundations of militarism.”
The political program upon which the struggles of the working class must develop is the program of socialist revolution.

On my first try of the CAIT I got the following scores:
Vocabulary: 13 General Knowledge: 18 Visual Puzzles: 21 Figure Weights: 16 Block Design: 18 Digit Span: 10 Symbol Search: 16
Your General Ability Index is 143 Your Full Scale IQ is 139
Concern:
I'm concerned mainly about my digit span score and what it means for my working memory. Is this discrepancy possibly from excessive internet use and not reading books? I've tried to read more but also get distracted very easily by other thoughts.
I'm not sure but I'm wondering if this indicates anything like ADHD or some sort of brain fog? Hoping someone can point to any known studies or personal experiences. Also, maybe any way to improve my working memory (not practicing digit span, but actually treating it maybe by treating the cause of say brain fog)?
Also to note I got 125 on the AGCT. I know every test result will be different but does anyone have insight into these discrepancies?
or my working memory is fine in relation to my other scores and im just neurotic?
(not posting for ego, just been lingering on my mind, i dont use this account)

I nearly fell off my couch when a graphic popped up in the Game 3 broadcast of the Western Conference Finals stating that the Dallas Mavericks had five time as many alley-oop dunks in the playoffs as second-place Denver. Even accounting for the extra games Dallas has played, that’s outrageous. I had to know more. So I dusted off my Excel skills, got out my data-shovel, and did some digging.
The oop is a curious thing; it has that oh-so-rare combination of efficiency and beauty. (It’s hard to know exactly how efficient, given that a missed oop can be categorized a number of different ways, but lobs still convert far more often than they don’t). There have never been more alley-oops in the league than in this era. Passing skill has never been higher, and spacing for rim-runs has never been more prominent.
But lobs still occur less frequently than you might think. Per my data, Dallas tied with Utah (!) for 121 made alley-oop dunks in the regular season, the most in the league. That’s 1.5 per game. Atlanta (102), led by talented lob-thrower Trae Young, is the only other team that even cracked 100.
[Thanks for reading! As always, I've collected a bunch of illustrative video clips that can be found here or linked throughout the article.]
If we narrow it down to just the 30 games starting Feb 10th, the first game after the trade for Daniel Gafford, the Mavs led the league by a mile. They tabulated 61 alley-oop slams compared to just 39 by the second-place Golden State Warriors over that stretch, or two per game. In the playoffs, though, against multiple talented defenses locked in on the lob, that pace would be harder to maintain, right?
Hilariously wrong.
Smash-cut to the Western Conference Finals, where the Mavs converted on 16 made alley-oop dunks (compared to two for Minnesota, both KAT-to-Gobert connections). 16 divided by five (*whips out abacus, moves some beads*)… that’s more than three per game!
If you need one play that symbolizes the entire Western Conference Finals, it’s this from Game 2. Mike Conley misses Rudy Gobert on an alley-oop, the ball slams off the backboard and ignites a Mavericks fast break, and uberstar Luka Doncic finds Dereck Lively for a far more successful lob attempt: [video here]
In total, the Mavs have 54 total playoff alley-oop slams in 17 games. Second-place Denver totaled nine in nine games; Minnesota only accumulated six in three rounds (their collective inability to find Gobert on lobs is criminal).
Some fans have taken to calling this group the “Lobgoblins” (get it? Like hobgoblins?), which I love. The squad’s earned it. This is a weapon unique to the Dallas Mavericks.
Here’s how Dallas’ lobs look distributed by passer and finisher: [fun graph here]
Hilariously, all of Lively (22), Gafford (17), and Derrick Jones (10) have finished more alley-oop dunks than any other team in these playoffs. They’re even throwing lobs to each other: [video here]
(By the way, someone should lob all involved Mavericks leadership in jail for not getting Doncic a center who can jump over a phonebook before this season. It’s long been a common complaint among the Mavs faithful, but I’m still so retroactively angry on his behalf.)
How has Dallas upped their oops? The playoffs strip the fat from an offense. Starters play more minutes, and coaches don’t mess around. They go for the optimal offensive play every time, and if you have the personnel for it, nothing is a better play than presenting a lob to a dunker-to-be. So Mavs coach Jason Kidd and superstar Luka Doncic have designed a playoff offense largely around the alley-oop.
It starts with the personnel, of course. Kyrie Irving isn’t on Doncic’s level as a passer, but he can get into the lane at will, with or without a pick. He’s more than good enough to launch a perfect oop even after losing his dribble on the way up: [video here]
Doncic is on the short list of greatest lob-throwers in the game. He has the size, passing skill, vision, and creativity to find vertical passing lanes in places the mortal basketball mind can’t comprehend. Here, he sees DJJ streaking to the hoop and launches this pass while Jones is still behind the three-point line: [video here]
Jones is nicknamed “Airplane Mode” for a reason, and yet he is just the third-most important dunker on the team (and, curiously, only Luka has found him for a lob in these 17 games). The Mavs’ two-headed dunking hydra, Dereck Lively and Daniel Gafford, provides Doncic with the perfect center pairing. Both have large catch radiuses and can go up and get a lob even at a standstill. The rookie Lively, in particular, has become elite at high-pointing a ball and slamming it through the cylinder even in a rush-hour traffic jam.
Of course, it’s not just about the lob. The threat of the alley-oop is what opens up the entire offense, and defenses haven’t been able to adjust. They’re playing whack-a-mole: tag the rolling rim-runners aggressively to take away the lob, and an easy kick out for a three appears. Stay home on everyone, and ballhandlers stroll to the rack.
Minnesota should have been able to slow the Mavs. The league’s best defense stifled Denver, preventing them from getting to their spots and largely relegating them to the perimeter (see Nikola Jokic’s three-point attempt numbers). But Doncic and Irving had few problems against Minnesota’s perimeter stoppers, using screen after hand-off after screen to get a foot into the paint. Once they pass the first line of defense, no center has a chance. Stepping up a tiny bit too high opens up the lob lanes. Dropping too much concedes the floater, and Doncic and Irving are buoyant: [video here]
Heck, sometimes they don’t even need a floater. Sometimes, the threat of the lob opens up uncontested layups. Look how reluctant Gobert (the best in the world at this particular aspect of defense, by the way) is to leave Gafford alone in the dunker spot: [video here]
Teams have tried helping harder off the corners than Minnesota generally did, but Jones (46% on corner threes) and PJ Washington (41%) have hit every important shot during this playoff run. Here, the Thunder do a good job stopping Irving and crowding Lively on the catch, preventing the oop, but Washington still buries the triple: [video here]
Defenses have to live and die with that shot, in my opinion, since expecting point-of-attack defenders to stymie Doncic and Irving consistently is asking too much. Some of the meanest, stickiest dudes in the league have had issues recovering onto Doncic, especially, and if you’re on his back, you’re at his mercy. Even when defenses do contain Doncic at the point of attack, he draws so much attention that cracks open up in unexpected places: [video here]
That’s too damn sexy.
There are as many reasons to enjoy basketball as people who watch it, but everyone enjoys seeing a good alley-oop. Thankfully, Luka and his marauding band of Lobgoblins have transformed it from an occasional highlight into a core concept of their offense. We’re all richer for it.

I nearly fell off my couch when a graphic popped up in the Game 3 broadcast of the Western Conference Finals stating that the Dallas Mavericks had five time as many alley-oop dunks in the playoffs as second-place Denver. Even accounting for the extra games Dallas has played, that’s outrageous. I had to know more. So I dusted off my Excel skills, got out my data-shovel, and did some digging.
The oop is a curious thing; it has that oh-so-rare combination of efficiency and beauty. (It’s hard to know exactly how efficient, given that a missed oop can be categorized a number of different ways, but lobs still convert far more often than they don’t). There have never been more alley-oops in the league than in this era. Passing skill has never been higher, and spacing for rim-runs has never been more prominent.
But lobs still occur less frequently than you might think. Per my data, Dallas tied with Utah (!) for 121 made alley-oop dunks in the regular season, the most in the league. That’s 1.5 per game. Atlanta (102), led by talented lob-thrower Trae Young, is the only other team that even cracked 100.
[Thanks for reading! This was originally intended for a more general NBA audience, so please apologize for some of the "no duh" stuff in here for Mavs fans. As always, I've collected a bunch of illustrative video clips that can be found here or linked throughout the article.]
If we narrow it down to just the 30 games starting Feb 10th, the first game after the trade for Daniel Gafford, the Mavs led the league by a mile. They tabulated 61 alley-oop slams compared to just 39 by the second-place Golden State Warriors over that stretch, or two per game. In the playoffs, though, against multiple talented defenses locked in on the lob, that pace would be harder to maintain, right?
Hilariously wrong.
Smash-cut to the Western Conference Finals, where the Mavs converted on 16 made alley-oop dunks (compared to two for Minnesota, both KAT-to-Gobert connections). 16 divided by five (*whips out abacus, moves some beads*)… that’s more than three per game!
If you need one play that symbolizes the entire Western Conference Finals, it’s this from Game 2. Mike Conley misses Rudy Gobert on an alley-oop, the ball slams off the backboard and ignites a Mavericks fast break, and uberstar Luka Doncic finds Dereck Lively for a far more successful lob attempt: [video here]
In total, the Mavs have 54 total playoff alley-oop slams in 17 games. Second-place Denver totaled nine in nine games; Minnesota only accumulated six in three rounds (their collective inability to find Gobert on lobs is criminal).
Some fans have taken to calling this group the “Lobgoblins” (get it? Like hobgoblins?), which I love. The squad’s earned it. This is a weapon unique to the Dallas Mavericks.
Here’s how Dallas’ lobs look distributed by passer and finisher: [fun graph here]
Hilariously, all of Lively (22), Gafford (17), and Derrick Jones (10) have finished more alley-oop dunks than any other team in these playoffs. They’re even throwing lobs to each other: [video here]
(By the way, someone should lob all involved Mavericks leadership in jail for not getting Doncic a center who can jump over a phonebook before this season. It’s long been a common complaint among the Mavs faithful, but I’m still so retroactively angry on his behalf.)
How has Dallas upped their oops? The playoffs strip the fat from an offense. Starters play more minutes, and coaches don’t mess around. They go for the optimal offensive play every time, and if you have the personnel for it, nothing is a better play than presenting a lob to a dunker-to-be. So Mavs coach Jason Kidd and superstar Luka Doncic have designed a playoff offense largely around the alley-oop.
It starts with the personnel, of course. Kyrie Irving isn’t on Doncic’s level as a passer, but he can get into the lane at will, with or without a pick. He’s more than good enough to launch a perfect oop even after losing his dribble on the way up: [video here]
Doncic is on the short list of greatest lob-throwers in the game. He has the size, passing skill, vision, and creativity to find vertical passing lanes in places the mortal basketball mind can’t comprehend. Here, he sees DJJ streaking to the hoop and launches this pass while Jones is still behind the three-point line: [video here]
Jones is nicknamed “Airplane Mode” for a reason, and yet he is just the third-most important dunker on the team (and, curiously, only Luka has found him for a lob in these 17 games). The Mavs’ two-headed dunking hydra, Dereck Lively and Daniel Gafford, provides Doncic with the perfect center pairing. Both have large catch radiuses and can go up and get a lob even at a standstill. The rookie Lively, in particular, has become elite at high-pointing a ball and slamming it through the cylinder even in a rush-hour traffic jam.
Of course, it’s not just about the lob. The threat of the alley-oop is what opens up the entire offense, and defenses haven’t been able to adjust. They’re playing whack-a-mole: tag the rolling rim-runners aggressively to take away the lob, and an easy kick out for a three appears. Stay home on everyone, and ballhandlers stroll to the rack.
Minnesota should have been able to slow the Mavs. The league’s best defense stifled Denver, preventing them from getting to their spots and largely relegating them to the perimeter (see Nikola Jokic’s three-point attempt numbers). But Doncic and Irving had few problems against Minnesota’s perimeter stoppers, using screen after hand-off after screen to get a foot into the paint. Once they pass the first line of defense, no center has a chance. Stepping up a tiny bit too high opens up the lob lanes. Dropping too much concedes the floater, and Doncic and Irving are buoyant: [video here]
Heck, sometimes they don’t even need a floater. Sometimes, the threat of the lob opens up uncontested layups. Look how reluctant Gobert (the best in the world at this particular aspect of defense, by the way) is to leave Gafford alone in the dunker spot: [video here]
Teams have tried helping harder off the corners than Minnesota generally did, but Jones (46% on corner threes) and PJ Washington (41%) have hit every important shot during this playoff run. Here, the Thunder do a good job stopping Irving and crowding Lively on the catch, preventing the oop, but Washington still buries the triple: [video here]
Defenses have to live and die with that shot, in my opinion, since expecting point-of-attack defenders to stymie Doncic and Irving consistently is asking too much. Some of the meanest, stickiest dudes in the league have had issues recovering onto Doncic, especially, and if you’re on his back, you’re at his mercy. Even when defenses do contain Doncic at the point of attack, he draws so much attention that cracks open up in unexpected places: [video here]
That’s too damn sexy.
There are as many reasons to enjoy basketball as people who watch it, but everyone enjoys seeing a good alley-oop. Thankfully, Luka and his marauding band of Lobgoblins have transformed it from an occasional highlight into a core concept of their offense. We’re all richer for it.

My itinerary may seem relatively empty because i dislike having a packed itinerary, before the trip i only planned about the prefectures i will be visiting and nothing much ahead of it, the free time i just spend either resting or exploring some street or neighborhood, finding some random izakaya/restaurant, and i enjoyed the hella out of it, so anyone insecure about their itinerary being empty, I say don't worry about it and just wing it.
Some other things about me: this is my first solo trip and first trip to japan, and i tend to avoid places with overcrowding with tourists(as much as possible, but kinda unavoidable, but honestly as someone that REALLY hates crowd, was not as bad as i think.) I am also a weeb so this trip consist of a few anime pilgrimages, and a lot of anime shopping so yea, and i am not much of a drinker, especially alone, so I didnt visit any bars(kinda regretting this a little not gonna lie). I canspeak simple conversational Japanese so language barrier was not that big of an issue for me, and this REALLY came in handy outside of tokyo. the further away i went from central japan, the lesser english i saw(mostly in train stations), so best to prepare your google translate and learn some basic japanese phrases if you plan to travel out of cities. This is my 19 days Japan trip with some tips
9/5 - Osaka D1

• Landed in KIX airport, was supposed to reach in the afternoon, but flight got delayed a couple of hours, and i ended up only reaching my hotel at 7pm, so nothing much i could've done except going to get dinner and walk around. i stayed near Shinsaibashi and was a really convenient area as it was near a shopping street, Amerika mura and dotonbori, and a metro station. I also got the ICOCA card at KIX airport station, which basically had no issues in other prefectures as well, so highly recommend you all get that if you land in KIX airport.

10/5 - Osaka D2

• Kuramon Market > den den town > amerika mura > dotonbori shopped around a little for clothes and anime goods, and basically walked most of it, since the places felt too close to take the metro, but was still far so get your legs ready for it. Overall Osaka people were VERY friendly, customer service everywhere felt very energetic compared to tokyo(IMO, not saying tokyo was not energetic, but osaka is on the next level for me) really regretted not having more days for osaka as i wanted to visit more places like abeno haruka and explore more of the city. I originally wanted to spend 3 days here, but i wouldve finished my shimanami kaido trip on a monday, where giant bicycle would be closed, so i did 2 days instead. Oh but i didnt managed to book a bicycle from giant because the bicycle my size was out of stock, and i was camping booking site the day booking was available.... so it did not matter. more on this later
• I ended the day walking over to dotonbouri, saw the huge crowd at the donki area and did an instant 180 nope out of there. One thing i did notice, there are A LOT more to dotonbouri than the crowded areas, so if you are in the area, look beyond the crowd, and venture deeper into the street. I spotted a lot of bars outside of the crowded areas, so if you are into those go check those out, rather than crowding at the same areas and waiting for hours to get into the same place.

11/5 - Osaka to Himeji to Onomichi

• Checked out of Osaka and booked an airbnb in Onomichi to stay the night so as to start the cycling the very next day. I Got the JR Setouchi area pass here which will help cover my next 7 days(shinkansen in the area, ferry trip etc) note that this pass do not work for local trains that is not under JR, eg being Hiroshima local tram(Hiroden). but this pass still saved me some money, since i took a stop at himeji, onomichi, later on ferry from matsuyama to hiroshima, and then hiroshima back to osaka area.
• Himeji Castle, kokoen garden(early morning)
• i visited/walked past a few castles in Japan, and my favourite was this and Matsuyama castle, highly recommend a visit. Kokoen garden was amazing as well with a couple of different sections with different themes.
• Onomchi (late afternoon) -walked around the area, cat alley, went up the Mt Senkoji railway. Overall beautiful place, but not going to lie tiktok overhyped the place a little for me, the building/residences felt old and antique, i can see why a lot of people are into it, but not my thing. Mt senkoji was still amazing though, and definitely worth investing a day to explore. Also, black onomichi ramen was great.

12/5 Shimanami kaido D1

• as mentioned earlier, i was not able to book a bike from giant bicycle, so i booked one from the shimanami kaido website, was a simple process to do at home with translation tools. got my bicycle and went on the ferry 2 mins away. i had already forwarded my luggage from Osaka, from a convenience store (my hotel did not provide shipping services) using kuroneko, and had a bag with me. D1 i cycled from Mukaishima to the start of Omishima, and stayed a night there. I will say this, prior to this i had not touched a bicycle for maybe years, and didnt do much training aside from weight living, and that was a mistake :D while i did finish the whole trip without much issue, i certainly did struggle in sections like uphills, so definitely recommend doing some trainings before you go on it. But if someone like me can do it without training, you all can too so dont worry too much about it.
• Another unfortunate thing that happened is that it was raining on this day, i cycled from 9am to 1pm to reach my lodging, and had to call it a day as i was drenched. Originally wanted to cycle around Omoshima(there are shrines and stuff) and go back to sunset beach on the previous island for sunset, both ruined due to the rain. the clouds were so bad i couldnt even see the sun, but well things happened, just move on, at least i got a break for my legs

13/5 Shimanami kaido D2, Matsuyama, Dogo onsen

• thankfully D2 was a clear day, and i finished my trip at Imabari safely, although my legs were dying at this point. For those physically fit, 1 day definitely possible, but for someone like me nope out of question, so was thankful i planned 2 days for it. Had a lot of scenic places to stop by as well, definitely some of the best coastal/moutain sightseeing ive ever done in my life. I would still have preferred a road bike from giant though as it would've made the climbs a little easier, and worth the extra bucks. Overall if you are into cycling, DO THIS IT WAS GREAT.
• Again, worth it to take two days for it as it is sooo worth it get off the trail to visit some parts of the islands. I did not do much of it on D1 due to the rain, but D2 i went off the trail to visit some other parts of the island, such as a rose garden on one of the islands. It was really easy to get back on track as well using the pamphlet map, as all you need to do is find the blue line again. there are a few blue line routes though, but there are english indicating that they are (either shimanami kaido or sightseeing route, there is one more route which i did not come across), so dont worry about getting lost and get out of the cycling route to explore more of the islands
• After returning the bike at imabari, took the train to Matsuyama to check in, and my luggage was already delivered. If you use the kuroneko service, be sure to check the delivery time on the official website. Afterwards, went to eat some seabream dishes(local specialty), and it was one of the best meals of my life, so highly recommend it if you visit Matsuyama. Afterwards, i went to dogo onsen to take bath. while i do not have tattoo, i am honestly not comfortable with getting naked with others, so i booked a private room at Asuka no Yu, came with a private room and onsen for 1.5 hour(if i recall), came with services like free milk and a free snack as well. The person guiding me around was very nice as well, made me feel like i travelled back in time to old Japan days, 10/10 services and shoutout to the staff there. There is only 2 rooms per time slot though so be sure to book it early, and dont book it at the latest time slot as you may miss the last train.

14/5 Matsuyama D2

• I was originally going to go to the cat island aoshima, but decided against it as i was tired from the cycling trip, and did not want to disturb the locals living on the island, so ended up taking a rest day. Went around the city shopping for clothes and anime goods, hunting for more seabream dishes, and called it a day
• Also for anyone looking to go to Donki, go to those OUT of tokyo/osaka. the only downside is that there aint a section dedicated for tourist souvenirs, but otherwise had a lot of the same items, and WAYYYY lesser people. Just dont be a nuisance to the locals as it felt more like an upsized supermarket for the locals, rather than the popular spots in Tokyo/Osaka where it might as well be a tourist attraction

15/5 Hiroshima D1

• took the ishizaki jet from Matsuyama port to hiroshima, cpvered under the setouchi area pass. i reached my hotel before check in time, but thankfully the hotel staff was nice enough to hold onto my luggage and i could begin my day. Went to the peace memorial park and museum, not going to elaborate much about it, but everyone should at least visit it once in their life. Only thing i will say is the when i visited the museum, the time slot clashed with multiple schools' trip, so I did not get to see each exhibition in detail, as again i hate crowds, but dont really know any way around this as i assume schools take their kids here all year round. maybe go in the early morning or something? not so sure, maybe someone else will have a better tip about this.
• Anyways, afterwards, i went to okonomimura(next to another donki, again not that many tourists) to have some hiroshima okomomiyaki. again strongly recommend this as this is a variant that you dont see outside of hiroshima very often, as they will add noodles and some other unique ingredients into it. Probably the best okonomiyaki ive eaten by far. Afterwards I called it a day although it is only in the evening as not going to lie, the mood in the museum got to me a little

16/5 Hiroshima D2, Miyajima, shukkei-en

• woke up in the early morning and went to Miyajima, caught the second earliest ferry. Be sure the check the website for the uptide/low tide timings, and visit based on which ones you prefer for the torii gate at itsukushima shrine. The specialty at there is the anago don so be sure to try some out. I did not do the hike as it was raining a little so i just spent the time walking around the shops and got back to hiroshima
• Went to shukkei en, had a low entry fee
• At this point of the trip, i really underestimated the amount of steps needed in Japan, so do plan a few rest days if you are going on a long trip so yea. My hotel allowed free rental of japanese manga so i borrowed some to read it in my room(helps a lot with learning japanese since it had furigana)
• 17/5 Travel to Hakone, stop by Toyosato Former elementary school(K ON school)
• I got my hotel to forward my luggage to tokyo, and went to hakone. the delivery was estimated to take 2 days, so the hotel did not have my luggage when i checked in the next day. so again, be sure to pack accordingly based on delivery timing. I had a duffle bag with 2 days worth of clothes with me so i was good to go.
• I took the shinkansen > Osaka so that it is covered under my area pass, and booked another shinkansen. To be honest, not sure if there was a more efficient way, perhaps you couldve booked from osaka to wherever at the exact same seat when you are still in Hiroshima, but i was taking a detour anyways so i didnt bother. i then went from Osaka to Shiga to visit the K-ON real life school for my anime pilgrimage. after a few photos, went back on track to hakone, getting the hakone 2 day pass along the way at Odawara station.
• Only reached my ryokan at about 7pm. My ryokan was a bit more unique as it did not provide dinner, but it was cheaper than others, considering that i am solo. the couple at my ryokan was however kind enough to book a spot at a restaurant nearby, and even guided me there. It was very dark at night at the area i stayed in, so do be careful around the area at night.

18/5 Hakone loop. travel to tokyo, Ginza

• One tip here, be sure to download google maps, but DO NOT blindly follow it. i lost signals at some parts of the mountain, and while following the downloaded map to get to a station, the map guided me into the woods, and i nearly got lost. Thankfully, there was a local hiker nearby taking the exact same route as me(he also got lost), and we managed to get onto a walkable path helping each other.(also an instance i wouldve been screwed without knowing how to speak jap, so if you cant, be sure to download the japanese pack for google translate in case of these situations where you are out of signal)
• got back onto the hakone loop, visited Owakudani, took the ropeway(you can get a great view of Mt Fuji here on good days, so check the forecast for sighting of mt fuji), lake ashi pirate ship.
• If you are headed back to tokyo from motohakone, DO NOT FOLLOW google maps if you have the hakone pass. map asked me to take a local bus service from a nearby bus station that comes at 1-2 hours interval, and that one is not covered under the hakone pass. there is another bus station near the port whose bus service are covered under the hakone pass, but it does not show up on google maps. ask for help from the tourist information centre nearby if needed.
• Anyways, using the above stated bus service, i went back to odawara to take the train to tokyo. the pass i had did not include romance car, as i did not come here via Shinjuku, so was not worth the money for me.
• Checked in at my hotel, went to Ginza, uniqlo etc

19/5 Tokyo D2, Mt fuji Day trip
from here on i had very little planned, just a bucket list of things i want to do, and just went with the flow, coming up with plans either the prev night or the day itself

• the previous night, i checked the weather forecast and saw that this is the only day mt fuji is clear for both morning and afternoon, and it was set to be sunny, so i took an impromptu trip to Mt Fuji. I head to tokyo station to take the bus from there to Mt fuji station. i ran into some trouble there, the bus required you to buy a ticket from a nearby station rather than IC card, so my trip got delayed by an hour. be sure to take not about this as google maps does not take the time to buy ticket into account. Google maps even displayed the IC symbol, so i assumed i can use my IC card, but well it proved me otherwise
• Anyways I rented a bike at Taiyo motorcycle shop, i only had a 200cc motorcycle license so i couldnt rent a bike in tokyo and ride to mt fuji, as i wouldve needed to take the highway(or take extra 3 hours riding), and any bikes 125 cc and under cant even get on the highway, so i opted to rent a bike nearer to mt fuji. I got a CBR125 ands tarted my trip, planning to go to tenku no torii and loop the 5 lakes.
• First stop was tenku no tori, it was up in the mountain and had to drive up the mountain road. Had very little people, which was not surprising considering how inaccessible it is, but the view was soooo worth it. For anyone asking for tips about mt fuji, just avoid all the tiktok spot and whatever lawson fuji photo spot, there are SOOOO many more beautiful places to see mt fuji from, like this one. The view was magical yet there were only like 3 other groups of people there, If you cant drive, there is a bus that brings you nearby, and i even spotted a few people cycling up. i got a little unlucky as i got there a lil late at 10am, and by that point mt fuji got shy, so i couldnt get a full view of the mountain :c
• To make matter worst, the weather forecast was wrong and it started raining. i only had a thin cotton jacket on me, and i am not used to riding at a cool climate(16 degree celcius, I am from SEA so ive never ridden at a low temperature like this) so i was freezing on my bike the whole time, had to take a couple breaks at convenience stores to warm myself up. I headed to Motosu lake, which was the furthest one away from me, but highest on my priority list as that location had some of my fav mt fuji photos i see online, and also Yuru Camp. Unfortunately by the time i reached there the tip of the mountain was almost fully covered, and i could not get a lot of good shots for it.
• I then headed to the shibazakura festival, and by this point mt fuji was fully covered. the garden was still great to look at though. Afterwards, i rode back and returned the bike. I had to refuel my bike, but the person at the petrol station was nice enough to help me through it. Do have some cash though as they did not accept credit card for me. After returning the bike, the owner drove me back to a nearby train station. Shoutout to Tanaka-san from taiyo motorcycle rental!
• If there were anything i would change about this biking trip, is i wouldve stayed in the area instead, so that i get a bike early(or the previous day) to get an earlier view of mt fuji at the various scenic spots.

20/5 Tokyo D3 Shinjuku and Shibuya

• Now i am not someone who shops for clothes and stuff, but even then it is worth to check out Uniqlo and GU, former being cheaper than my own country's outlet while latter is a sister brand
• Went around exploring Shinjuku and shibuya, explored around and nothing too special to be honest.
• Caught a movie at Shibuya
• Saekano anime pilgrimage nearby

21/5 Tokyo D4, hitachi seaside park

• took a trip to Hitachi Seaside Park via train and bus.
• I missed the peak days listed on the website by 1 or 2 days(can't remeber), which i thought should be fine as i thought the flowers would still be blooming, what i did not know is by past peak they meant they would start mowing down the flowers itself..... so that was a mistake.......
• Anyways while the day trip was basically a wasted day, i rented an e bike to at least bike around the garden, and headed back to Tokyo
• Ended the day off at Akihabara

22/5 Tokyo D5 Nakano Broadway and Ikebukuro

• Shopping anime goods, nothing much to say here, but for the weebs out there Nakano Broadway and Osaka DenDen town are the two places i bought most of my anime goods, so be sure to visit them rather than only going to Akihabara, the difference in pricing is jarring

23/5 Tokyo D6 Round 1

• By this point, i was starting to limp around as i did not take enough breaks from walking, i essentially messed up my ankles. so logically, i decided to go play some sports at round 1 :D was fun though so no regrets, batting cages were definitely the highlights. Yes you can just go to other batting cages in japan, but i chose to do the Spocha in round 1 which included multiple other sports and arcade games, free to play for certain number of hours. One minor thing would be that this was one moment where loneliness got to me the entire trip, as it have been more fun with friends, considering 4/5 of the sports involves playing with friends.
• I had to go back to rest in my hotel and ice my legs afterwards though

24/5 Tokyo D7 Kamakura and enoshima

• went to kamakura and visited the Tsurugaoka Hachimangu shrine, and street food at komachi-dori
• bunny girl senpai anime pilgrimage
• went to enoshima, ate their famous shirasu-don, and went up the enoshima seaside candle for the sunset

25/5 Tokyo D8 Shimokitazawa flea market,

• Shimokitazawa has a flea market at every weekend, making it a perfect time for visit, along with some thift shopping in the area
• Your lie in April Pilgrimage
• Had to cut the day short as i really did not want to keep limping for another half a day

26/5 Tokyo D9 Akihabara arcade

• went to Akihabara to do my last anime shopping, but everything was overpriced compared to the likes of den den town and nakano broadway
• ended up spending most of my time at arcades, and their rhythm games are a must to play! every 300-500yen was enough to keep me busy for nearly an hour

27/5 Flight back

• 9am flight from HND airport, and the monorail to the airport operates from like 5 or 6 am, so had no trouble getting to airport early and checking in my baggages

well this post was way longer than what i expected to type, but let me finish off with some tips for Japan:

• yes cash is king, but in tokyo i barely used any as most places are adapting to accept cashless, so i wouldnt worry too much about it, and ATM in 7-11 is everywhere if you need them. The further away you go from cities though, is where you need most cash, including transport as some do not accept IC card.
• get out of Tokyo, like yes tokyo is a nice city, there are a lot of activities to do, but a lot of them you can do in other cities as well? as seen in my trip report, i was most enthusiastic about the times i am NOT in tokyo, it is a great city but for Japan was much more to offer for tourism outside of tokyo. I deliverately didnt go to places like Asakusa to avoid overcrowding, so maybe i just did not get a full taste of what tokyo has to offer, but my highlights of the trip are definitely the places out of tokyo.
• dont make all the tiktok places be the main point of your itinerary, like i came across a bunch of these places, and it never fails to put me off with the sheer number of people trying to take photos or video, like you can get a better photo by just taking a 2 minutes walk down the road? Lawson Fuji, that overhead bridge everyone seen in their tiktok, the kamakura slam dunk spot, trust me the best photo spots are ones you stumble upon walking around aimlessly, i promise you you will find a spot so much better than these tiktok baits that are swarmed with tourists.
• luggage delivery is a lifesaver, especially if you are looking to do any outdoor activities, if your hotel dont offer the service, just head to a nearby 7-11 or yamato company outlet, it is quite common.
• If anyone needs tips for things like shimanami kaido or renting motorcycle, or the anime pilgrimages i did, feel free to PM me :D