Neural networks are a form of artificial intelligence that can learn from data and perform tasks that require complex reasoning, such as recognizing patterns, classifying objects, predicting outcomes, and making decisions. They consist of layers of nodes that process information and adjust their connections based on feedback. Deep learning is a subset of neural networks that uses many layers of nodes to extract high-level features from raw data, such as images, text, or speech.
Neural networks and deep learning have been applied in various domains, such as computer vision, natural language processing, speech recognition, and recommender systems. However, one of the most difficult and exciting applications of neural networks and deep learning is trading.
Trading involves analyzing market data, such as prices, volumes, news, sentiment, and indicators, and making decisions based on various factors, such as risk, return, volatility, liquidity, and trends. Trading is also affected by human emotions, such as fear, greed, optimism, and pessimism.
Neural networks and deep learning can help traders to overcome some of the drawbacks of traditional trading methods, such as technical analysis or fundamental analysis. Technical analysis relies on historical patterns and indicators to forecast future price movements. However, technical analysis may not capture the complex and dynamic nature of the market or account for unexpected events or changes in market conditions. Fundamental analysis relies on financial statements and economic indicators to evaluate the true value of an asset. However, fundamental analysis may not reflect the current market sentiment or anticipate future events or trends.
Neural networks and deep learning can provide traders with more precise and reliable forecasts of price movements by learning from large amounts of data and extracting relevant features. They can also adapt to changing market conditions by updating their connections based on new data. Furthermore, neural networks and deep learning can incorporate multiple sources of information, such as prices, volumes, news, sentiment, social media, etc., and perform multi-modal analysis to capture the interactions and correlations among them.
Some examples of neural networks and deep learning applications in trading are:

• Predicting stock prices using deep feed-forward neural networks trained with different algorithms .
• Improving trading strategies using deep reinforcement learning that learns from its own actions and rewards .
• Finding arbitrage opportunities using convolutional neural networks that analyze price patterns .
• Assessing market sentiment using recurrent neural networks that process natural language .

Neural networks and deep learning are not magic tools that can guarantee profits in trading. They still face some challenges and limitations, such as overfitting, data quality, interpretability, scalability, etc. However, they offer a new perspective and a powerful tool for traders who want to improve their performance and gain an edge in the competitive market.

Would like the second* powered or the third* wwr

Big tech companies like Google and Facebook constantly profile their users to sell personalized advertisements and influence decisions using both soft and hard power. Soft power involves subtle methods to convince users to act in ways that benefit the company, while hard power refers to tech companies imposing their will despite resistance (e.g., tracking your location despite opting out). These companies hook users to their apps and services, making it easy to spend hours on platforms like Facebook without intending to.
Google’s AdWords and AdSense initiatives, combined with DoubleClick’s capabilities, initiated the surveillance economy. They enable Google to follow users almost everywhere online, even if they don’t interact with any ads. Tech companies employ various strategies to keep you under constant surveillance, such as:

• Data Collection: Google collects and analyzes your search queries, browser history, location data, device information, cookies, email contents, app usage, voice and audio recordings, YouTube history, and social media posts. This data is used to sell personalized ads and is often shared with third-party companies.
• Ultrasound Beacons: In a bookstore, music could send ultrasound beacons to your phone, identifying it and tracking your interests and purchases.
• Smart Devices: A Samsung smart TV, for instance, is connected to over 700 distinct internet addresses within fifteen minutes of use.
• IMSI-Catchers: Also known as stingrays, these fake cell phone towers trick mobile phones into connecting to them.
• Wi-Fi Tracking: Stores can identify returning shoppers through their Wi-Fi signals.

To protect children from such surveillance and its potential harms, consider the following steps:

1. Educate and Communicate: Teach children about online privacy, the dangers of oversharing, and the tactics used by big tech companies.
2. Use Privacy-Focused Tools: Opt for search engines, browsers, and apps that prioritize privacy, like DuckDuckGo for search and Brave for browsing.
3. Set Up Parental Controls: Utilize the parental control features available on devices and apps to limit exposure to inappropriate content and track online activity. https://www.kidfirstphone.com/ is the best parental control available for free
4. Limit Screen Time: Encourage offline activities and set boundaries for online usage to prevent addiction. https://www.kidfirstphone.com/ provides lots of control to reduce screen time.
5. Regularly Review Privacy Settings: Periodically check and adjust privacy settings on all devices and platforms your child uses.
6. Monitor and Discuss: Keep an open line of communication with your children about their online experiences and regularly monitor their activity for any signs of trouble.

Implementing these measures can help safeguard children from the invasive practices of big tech companies and promote healthier, safer online habits.
Kid First Phone is constantly updating and creating new ways to keep kids safe on the internet. To learn more, check out our website at Kid First Phone. https://www.kidfirstphone.com/

Introducing The Killing Blow(Blood of Halen: Book One)
I've finished the third draft of a 150k word novel with a few more rounds of edits and rewrites to go. Written from the point of view of third person limited, its genres are urban fantasy and sci-fi. I'd like feedback on theme, characterization, prose, pacing, style, etc. Anything you can think of that needs improving, really. Feel free to DM me.
The story follows a boy named Raine who has recently gained freedom from a life as a hired killer and unique powers as a wandering psychic called a shaper. He aims to recover his lost memories and so comes to the mega metropolis Signal City on America's east coast in search of answers. Raine finds himself in conflict with corrupt law enforcement, evil mega corporations and deadly super ninjas all the while making unlikely allies of a trio of teenage superheroes. The shaper releases a monster from the bowels of the earth, forcing the four to work together to clean up his mess before he can focus on his finding memories.
Genre(s): sci-fi and urban fantasy.
Content warning: Violence(blood and gore, descriptions of deaths and casualties), harsh language(swearing, slurs), harsh themes(explorations of violence, death, familial abuse and racial prejudice)
Thanks in advance and thank you for reading.
Link to the story: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QUq-ymZqcEUdAARJ7SNPjD7Jg1Vm9-IS5Inp_nzkHQE/edit?usp=drivesdk

Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz by Garth Nix - Five Short Stories (HM)

The thing that originally drew me to this title was the cover, which showed a man sitting at a table with what appeared to be a living puppet. When it went on sale, I immediately bought it and decided to use it for this year's Bingo. Unfortunately, now that I've finished the collection of stories I have to say that they leave much to be desired.
The stories center around the wandering knight Sir Hereward, and Mister Fitz, a living Paper machete puppet, as the travel the land hunting Godlings. The problem with the stories is that they're just so generic and forgettable. With the exception of one story involving a dragon, the rest were completely forgotten by the next day.
Another issue I had with the book was the amount of lore dump. With each new story, the author tries to give all of the necessary information on the kingdom or creature that our heroes must face, but it ends up being more of a distraction rather than a supplement.
Also as a side note, I wish that the stories really went in with the absurdity of the premise. One of the characters is a living puppet, but apparently in this world there are enough of them that, while not common, most people don't even react to the living puppet talking to them.
Maybe I'll come back to the stories after I'm done with the challenge, but as of now these stories remain the biggest disappointment of this year's Bingo.
Rating: 2/5
Other Squares - Judge a book by Its Cover, Reference Materials

Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff - Dreams (HM)

I came into this book knowing absolutely nothing about the story, except for it presumably having vampires in it. Now that I've finished it, I think I'll want to use the squeal for a different bingo card I may do.
If you want an elevator pitch of the books, the series is Fantasy Blade. Gabriel De Leon is a Paleblood, someone who was fathered by a vampire, and the last of an order of Vampire Hunters. The story is framed as him telling his story to a vampire archivist, while jumping between his early life training as a hunter, and a mission he takes trying to retrieve the holy grail.
This book took a while for me to get into mainly because of the time jumps. At least to me, they seemed to happen at the wrong times. I'd just be getting into the story, and then without ending on a satisfactory note, they'd switch to the other story line. But once the training story finishes and the book focuses on the Holy Grail quest, I found the book far more enjoyable.
Rating: 3/5
Other Squares: Survival (HM), First in a Series

The Lark and the Wren by Mercedes Lackey - Bards (HM)

For me, Mercedes Lackey was one of those authors whose name I had heard before, but couldn't name any of their titles. So when I saw one of her books recommended for the Bards square, I thought now would be a good chance to get familiar with her work.
The Lark and the Wren is the story about Rune, a teenage girl who dreams to leave her village and sets on a journey to become a Guild Bard. While I did enjoy the first half of the book, which deals with her trying to find a teacher to learn the skills that she'll need to become a bard, the second half fell apart for me, as I felt that there was no real goal and the characters were just moving on from one situation to the next. Also, the second part included two instances of one of my biggest pet peeves which really annoyed me as I was going through the book.
Overall I did enjoy the book and will check out the sequel, but at this point I don't know whether or not I will go through the whole series.
Rating: 3.5/5
Other Squares: First in a Series (HM), Entitled Animals, Set in a Small Town, Romantasy

Wool by Hugh Howey - Under the Surface (HM)

Wool is set in a post apocalyptic Earth where humanity now lives in the Silo, an underground super structure. The main character is Juliette, who has just been appointed Sheriff of the Silo, as she starts to investigate the potential crimes the occurred right when she started the job.
While I liked the set up the book, I wasn't a big fan how the story progressed. In the beginning it looked like the book would deal with Juliette uncovering this huge conspiracy, but then part way through the book she is forced from her job and has to deal with a much bigger challenge. Overall I think this change really took me out of the story, and Juliette and Lukas should have switched roles during the latter half of the book.
Rating: 2.5/5
Other Squares: First in a Series (HM), Set in a Small Town (HM)?, Multi POV (HM), Prologues and Epilogues, Survival (HM)

Critical Role: The Mighty Nein - The Nine Eyes of Lucien - Reference Materials

CW: Self Harm
Spoilers for Campaign 2 of Critical Role. I've tried to watch the various campaigns of Critical Role and, while their are parts I enjoyed, I've come to realize that the show just isn't for me. But one of the aspects that really intrigued me about Campaign 2 was the character Mollymauk Tealeaf, although it may be that's because the PC dies part way through the campaign only to be resurrected as an antagonist. This book is split into two parts, the first shows his life before his first death, then picking up after his second resurrection.
What I found most disappointing about this book is that, rather than being its own standalone story, it really is just a supplement to campaign 2. There are a few scenes that show Lucien, as he was known before the start of the campaign, as a child and a novice Blood Hunter (similar to a Witcher), but the main story involves setting up the events that would eventually lead Lucien to joining and then going against the Mighty Nein.
If you're a die hard Critter, then you'll enjoy this book as it adds some insight on a beloved character. If not, then its best you skip it.
Rating: 3/5
Other Squares: Judge a Book by Its Cover, Criminals, Dreams, Prologues & Epilogues, Eldritch Creatures (HM)

Mad Ship by Robin Hobb - Multi POV (HM)

CW: Sexual Assault
I was a little unsure of how I would feel about the Liveship Traders Trilogy. I left the Farseer Trilogy feeling indifferent and thought that maybe Robin Hobb's works may not be for me. But after speeding finishing the first book, Ship of Magic, I was immediately hooked with this trilogy of the Elderlings Saga.
After finishing this story, I'm not really sure which book I prefer. What I really liked about this book was that it felt like it was actually telling a story. In the first book, while all of the characters had plot lines that I was invested in, it didn't feel like there was a story as a whole, just individual stories. But in Mad Ship, you can see all of the pieces starting to come together and where the overall story is going. Having said that, because you can see where things are going, it can feel a little predictable.
Rating 3.5/5
Other Squares: Prologues & Epilogues, Criminals, Character with a Disability (HM), Dreams, Published in the 90s

Someone You Can Build a Nest In by John Wiswell - Published in 2024 (HM)

The Main Character of this Debut Novel is Shesheshen, an ooze-like monster that can consume creatures and use their bones and organs to mimic their appearance, similar to the Kandra in Mistborn or the alien from John Carpenter's The Thing. One day after being hunted by and injured by a mob of hunters and townsfolk, she is rescued by a woman named Homily, who then proceeds to nurse her back to health. Once they return to civilization, Shesheshen must try to avoid being captured by the army occupying the town.
I really loved this concept, letting the MC being a shapeshifter as she tries to avoid detection and spread misinformation about the things that could or couldn't harm her. I would honestly love to read an other books that share this premise.
Rating 4/5
Other Squares: Set in a Small Town, Eldritch Creatures (HM), Survival, Romantasy (HM), Judge a Book By Its Cover, Book Club or Readalong Book

Godkiller by Hannah Kaner - Book Club or Readalong Book (HM)

The world of Godkiller is one inhabited by gods, some big encompassing concepts such as war, and some smaller representing a particular river. Kissen is a Veiga, a Godkiller that can be hired to take care of such gods whenever they become troublesome. One day she comes across Inara, a young girl whose life is is bound to Skedi, a god of white lies. She must then travel with pair in order to find out how to successfully severe their bound. On their journey they are joined by Elogast, a former knight who's on his own quest.
This was a really great book. I loved the world building and the depiction of how these gods actually fit within the world. What these gods need in order to survive and gain more power, as well as how some of the god's followers might react when they discover a Godkiller in their presence. My only real problem with the book was with the charactization of two of the main characters. I found Kissen a little too jaded and brash, and Elogast was a little too noble for his own good, but I definitely feel that by the end those traits were toned down a bit.
Rating 4.5/5
Other Squares: First in a Series, Judge a Book by Its Cover, Multi POV, Prologues and Epilogues, Eldritch Creatures (HM), Dreams (HM)

Mark of the Fool by J.M. Clarke - Self-Published or Indie Publisher

Mark of the Fool is the story about Alex, an aspiring mage that's just been accepted to one of the best magical universities in the land. On his 18th birthday, he receives a mark identifying him as one of 5 heroes chosen to defeat a great evil. The problem is that he's been chosen to bear the Mark of the Fool, which makes it difficult for him to use magic. Not only that, the Fool is often thought of as the Chosen Ones' servant, and their survival isn't really needed for the quest to be successful. With his sister and his best friend, Alex sets off to travel to the University and still try to become a powerful Mage.
While I really enjoyed the premise, the problem I had with the book is the structure of the story. For the first third or so of the book, the group is trying to avoid the priests looking for the Fool and escaping their homeland, and then it becomes your standard Magic School story. To me it just didn't feel like it blended those two stories together and this book should have just foreclosed on Alex making it to the University.
Rating 3/5
Other Squares: First in a Series (HM), Dark Academia, Multi POV, Dreams

Orcanomics: A Satire by J. Zachary Pike - Reference Materials (HM)

Gorm Ingerson is a former adventurer that's fallen on hard times after abandoning his quest and being leaving his clan in disgrace. After befriending a Goblin, he's then recruited to be a part of a Chosen team to retrieve a priceless artifact in return for a clean record.
What I enjoyed about this book is how it shows how the economy is affected by quests. Say the heroes defeat a dragon and retrieve its gold: What next? Sure the party gets a cut, but what about the person that hired the party? What about the town that had their loot stolen by the dragon? It also goes deals with how some of the more monstrous races, like Orcs and Goblins, are allowed to live in a town without being attacked by random adventurers. Overall it gave me a lot of Discworld vibes, and I would recommend this to anyone that enjoyed those books.
Rating 4/5
Other Squares: First in a Series (HM), Book Club or Readalong Book, Criminals, Multi POV (HM), Orcs, Trolls, & Goblins, Oh My!

Half a King by Joe Abercrombie - Character with a Disability (HM)

Whenever there's a conversation about Joe Abercrombie's works comes up, I always hear about his other trilogies, but never about The Shattered Sea. It's interesting that a couple months before I read this I finished Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb, which shares similar character archetypes and plot lines with this book. The story involves Yarvi, a young prince training to be a Minister, who soon becomes King Yarvi after the death of his father and older brother. Through a series of circumstances, he his believed to be death and sold as a slave aboard a ship. The book deals with him adapting to his new life and planning his revenge.
For those that have read both Half a King and Ship of Magic, Yarvi is a much better character in my opinion than Wintrow. While Wintrow was naive in believing that his life could go back to the way it was, Yarvi pretty quickly adapts to his new role and uses his brain and training to navigate this world of pirates and slavers. Much like the rest of his books, this one is a great read and it left me looking forward to the rest of the series.
Rating 4.5/5
Other Squares: First in a Series (HM), Survival (HM)

First, I am sorry this post is so long, but I want to give as many details as I can to figure out my issue. I have a spectra Synergy Gold pump that I have had for a couple of weeks. I am currently 6-7ppd. With that being said I only see a few things on this pump that can/should be changed out to retain suction. For my ease of use I change the duckbills once a month on the first and will change out the backflow protectors (TBD) as well. I remove,clean, and dry out the backflow protectors once a day at the end of the day.
Even though I have only had the pump a couple of weeks I did change the duckbills to stay consistent. Since I only used them 2 weeks I put them in a ziplock bag and labeled them "Old" just in case I had any issues going forward. Sure enough I just had my first issue :(
My right breast is what outputs literally 90-95% of the milk. My left has only ever output at max 75ml, but typical is 30-60ml. I am a just enough'er and probably would be more than that if I actually understood pumping when I first started out before I regulated (I am 6mo pp). I currently ONLY use a wall pump and do not use any wearable or portable pumps. I do not nurse at all only pump.
Here is my issue...Up until recently I have used the standard hard plastic flanges size 24mm with plastic inserts in the flanges (to size down) from Spectra in a pumping bra. I haven't had any issues of emptying my breasts using these flanges and inserts I just don't like how the flanges don't cover a very large part of my breast. I am currently a large 36DD if I had to guess maybe slightly larger?
I ordered a set of Maymom Pano flanges again size 24mm to size down with inserts. I LOVE how much the flange covers my breast, but I don't know if this flange could be part of my problem?
Here is my timeline...June 1st - pumped stardard amounts for me. Sometime during the day I changed out the duckbills (forgot to note which pump I did the change during).
June 2nd I also had standard amounts of output and received my Pano flanges from Amazon on this day. I recall once I received them that I washed them and used them right away, but I didn't note when during the day I received them and started to use them.
June 3rd pumped standard amounts again using the new Pano flanges with inserts.
June 4th pumped using Pano flanges with inserts, but starting on the 3rd pump of my six total for the day my output was less than half to a third of what it normally is for this time of day (930-10AM).
On the fourth pump (June 4th at 130PM) my total for the right breast only output was 145ml, BUT... of that amount 85ml was BY HAND!!! My pump did 60ml, but I still felt full afterwards so I hand expressed almost 3oz additional.... Now, going forward after this pump I have had to hand express every single time on the right breast.
On the fifth pump (June 4th at 450PM) I went back to the hard plastic flanges with inserts, but still had to hand express 20ml of my 90ml right only total.
On my last pump of the day (June 4th at 9:23PM) I was on the hard plastic flanges and tried the "2 week old used duckbills" to see if that would change my outputs back. It worked for this pump session, where I felt empty with no hand expression needed after pumping.
June 5th - My MOTN at 2:47AM after 5 hours between sessions was ok, but honestly I think a little on the lower end. This is my first session for today. I didn't check if I was full or hand express. I was lucky to stay awake :)
Second session at 730AM was a power pump for one hour total. I was at 170ml on the right and of that 50ml was by hand after the pump session. So, again almost 2 oz. I only hand express if I feel full after pumping. On this session I am still using the hard plastic flanges and the "old" duckbills.
I feel like I can rule out the Pano flanges being the issue, the hard plastic flanges being the issue, the inserts (as I have changed out and used brand new inserts in the flanges), and used both brand new and the "2 week old duckbills" as well. I don't have any condensation in the backflow protector and the tubing is dry.
What in the world could be causing my right breast to not empty fully? At my 730AM session this morning I just sized down my insert on the right from 17mm to 15mm as I was noticing I didn't feel any stimulation in that nipple. After the change I felt stimulation, but still had a full breast after pumping.
I have also tried staying in stimulation mode the whole time as opposed to going from stimulation to expression during the session. Each of my sessions are anywhere from 23-36 minutes if they are not power pump. I have also played around with the cycles as well as the vacuum levels. I swear nothing is making this right breast full empty. I currently have not gotten my period back yet either if that matters at all.
Does anyone have any ideas what would cause my right breast to decide to hold onto milk after weeks of it working fine with this new pump? Has anyone experienced this issue during ovulation? Maybe this is hormonal and has NOTHING to do with my actual pump or parts? I am at a loss and super bummed out I can't figure this out yet.

I am not a historian, and really dont know much about the Bronze Age. I do know that this period comes up a lot in Ancient Astronaut theories. But I dont follow those theories much either, just seen a few episodes of Ancient Astronauts and some related Why Files episodes.
Im wondering if anybody here has a strong understanding of this time period and this collapse and can say with some authority whether Karl Nell is just using this collapse as a case study that such a catastrophe is possible even for a civilization as relatively large like ours, or is he possibly giving us breadcrumbs for an alternate history to dig up?
He does mention Eric Cline and his book "1177 B.C. The year Civilization Collapsed" in both talks. As far as I can tell this book is about conventional reasons for the collapse.... But my thoughts around mainstream understandings of history and this subject is that there is the mainstream history in all of our textbooks that represent mostly the truth, but I many many events could have a deeper layer that involves our favorite phenomenon.
I am probably reading into it too much, but Ive seen people pick apart everything else Nell has said in his 2 short talks, but as far as I'm aware this particular portion hasn't been deeply discussed here.
Here are the parts of his talks where this comes up:
SOL: https://youtu.be/-1QCFtod6i8?si=i8C25EphAssjroaY&t=1532
iSALT: https://youtu.be/k9irNlxBF8E?si=Tt9yaUQoUSfhd98k&t=651
I asked ChatGPT about mainstream theories vs alternative phenomenon related theories and this is what it said:

Mainstream Theories on the Bronze Age Collapse

1. Invasion Theories
   • Sea Peoples: The invasion by the Sea Peoples is a widely supported theory. These groups are believed to have attacked and caused the fall of several key civilizations, including the Hittites and the Mycenaeans, as well as wreaking havoc in Egypt.
2. Natural Disasters
   • Earthquakes: There is evidence of widespread seismic activity during this period. Major earthquakes could have caused the destruction of cities, weakened infrastructure, and led to social and economic instability.
   • Droughts and Climate Change: Paleoclimatic data from tree rings, ice cores, and sediment layers suggest a period of severe drought around 1177 BC. This would have led to crop failures, famine, and mass migrations, contributing to the destabilization of societies.
3. Internal Revolts
   • Economic inequality and social strife may have led to internal revolts. With resources scarce due to droughts or disrupted trade, populations might have risen against ruling elites, leading to political and social upheaval.
4. Economic Factors
   • Trade Disruption: The Late Bronze Age was characterized by an extensive trade network linking the Eastern Mediterranean with Near Eastern and Aegean civilizations. Disruptions to these networks, possibly caused by piracy or warfare, would have had significant economic repercussions, leading to societal collapse.
5. Systemic Collapse
   • The interconnectedness of these civilizations meant that the collapse of one major power could have a cascading effect, leading to a systemic failure. This interconnected collapse could be due to a combination of invasions, natural disasters, and economic disruptions.
6. Environmental Factors
   • Volcanic Eruptions: Although less directly supported, volcanic activity could have contributed to climate changes or even caused direct destruction through ash fall and related phenomena.
7. Technological and Military Changes
   • The transition from bronze to iron weapons could have shifted military power balances. Societies unable to adapt quickly to these technological changes might have been at a disadvantage, leading to their decline.

Alternate (Fringe) Theories on the Bronze Age Collapse

1. Ancient Astronaut Theory
   • Erich von Däniken: Proposes that extraterrestrial beings visited ancient civilizations and influenced their development. Some fringe theorists might suggest that these beings could have had a hand in the events leading to the Bronze Age Collapse, though there is no direct evidence for this.
2. Zecharia Sitchin's Anunnaki Theory
   • Suggests that ancient Sumerian texts describe extraterrestrial beings (the Anunnaki) who were involved in human affairs. While Sitchin’s work focuses more on earlier periods, some proponents might extend this influence to explain disruptions during the Bronze Age Collapse.
3. UFO Sightings in Ancient Texts
   • Fringe theorists sometimes interpret descriptions of unusual celestial phenomena in ancient texts as evidence of UFO sightings. They may argue that such encounters could have influenced human events, including the collapse of Bronze Age societies.

Scholarly Consensus

The collapse of Bronze Age societies around 1177 BC is attributed to a combination of invasions by the Sea Peoples, natural disasters such as earthquakes and droughts, internal social and economic upheaval, and the interconnected nature of these civilizations leading to a systemic collapse. These mainstream theories are supported by archaeological evidence, historical records, and paleoclimatic data.
Alternate theories involving UFOs or non-human intelligence remain speculative and are not supported by empirical evidence or mainstream scholarship. The primary focus in academic discussions remains on terrestrial explanations that are substantiated by the available evidence.

Hello,
After 2 years without playing Stellaris with 2 friends, we decided to launch it again. After many games, we're still loosing at the middle or the end of the game by being crushed:

• We never had the power to fight against AI (in conventionnal wars, it's really difficult), and when it comes to Empire in decline or the nanite invasion, we're totally outnumber. Even the Khan is more difficult than it was in our memorie.
• When reaching near the end game, we still don't have battleship, we just discovered the cruisers. We're seems to be far away late in technology compare to AI empires.
• We struggle to have a good economy during the entire game. If we have more than +100 before reaching 2300 in one conventional resource, it's really great.

Not that it's frustrating, we're still enjoying the game :) But we want to understand what we are doing wrong.
We have the following multiplayer setup:

• All DLC to Overlord included
• Technology cost 0.75
• Tradition cost 1
• Living world 1.25
• Crisis difficulty 1.25
• Mid game date 2300
• End game date 2450
• Difficulty Captain, without progressive difficulty
• AI agressivity normal, no adjustment for them
• Logistic growth cap 1.3
• Necessary development 0.6

We think that there is multiple factor:

• We don't really use planetary specialization (we don't upgrade them because we struggle to have enough for traditions)
• We still specialize planets as we did in the past: for minerals, steels, energy, science, etc.
• We don't setup the lobby options correctly

I think we missed the point of many update in term of economical / technical / military management, but just by reading patch notes we didn't find what we're doing wrong.
If some of you have some good advices to help us find our way in, it would be really appreciated :)

This is taken from and is copyright protected by globalsoup.net, a website that promotes flash Fiction with annual writing contests.
I am reprinting these Flash Fiction Prompts because they are outstanding ways to freewrite and offer plenty to work with for those who want to learn how to write Flash Fiction.
So check out these prompts and the article and work some of them into your journal! Post the best responses!
100 Awesome Flash Fiction Prompts - Plus Bonus Prompts!
We’ve put together 100 flash fiction prompts, each one designed for a very short story. These prompts will probably be best suited to a story of between 300-1,000 words. If you want to write a longer story using these prompts, you can easily expand these ideas to fit a story of any length.
What is flash fiction?
Flash Fiction is defined as a very short story that can be anywhere from just a couple of words to about a thousand in length. The beauty (and difficulty) of writing flash fiction lies in trying to tell a complete story in so few words. Great flash fiction is succinct, emotive, thought-provoking, and impactful.
What’s the difference between flash fiction and a short story?
The only difference between flash fiction and a typical short story is the word count. However, this scarcity of words means that writing flash fiction can feel like a completely new skill. Just like the short story is a different animal to the novel or novella; flash fiction is kind of unique.
When writing flash, you’ll need to use fewer characters, a simpler plot, and you’ll have to make each word count. This is why editing is so important. You have to be brutal. Cut out everything superfluous and really make sure each and every word is performing an important function in the story. If you’re interested in writing very short fiction, why not check out drabbles? Drabbles are stories of exactly 100 words in length, and they can be a great way to practice keeping your stories very, very short.
How to plot a flash fiction story
When you sit down to write flash fiction, you must begin by choosing an appropriate plot. You cannot simply use a short story plot and tell it using fewer words. A typical flash fiction plot is like looking at one part of a story under a microscope.
For example, let’s look at prompt #21 in our list of 100 Flash Fiction Prompts:

1. Two people on a sinking ship must decide who should take the last seat in the last lifeboat. If you were writing a novel about a sinking ship, you’d probably want the actual sinking to be the climax of the story. Of course, there are infinite ways to write a novel about a sinking ship, but this would structurally be the most obvious. You’d use the first part of the novel to introduce your characters and describe the voyage leading up to the sinking and the sinking of the ship would be the dramatic climax, leaving the last part of the book as the resolution.

The golden rule of writing short stories is to begin as close to end as you can. So, to turn the same story from novel to short story, you’d probably want to begin with the ship sinking. You haven’t got time to introduce the characters before the action begins, so you’d need to feed in exposition and backstory here and there during the events.
All stories need a good climax. So, you would find the most dramatic moment in the story and build up to it. Perhaps your climax would be the two main characters having to decide who will take the remaining seat on the last lifeboat.
Finally, you need a resolution. In a longer short story you do have time to bring in some kind of satisfying resolution at the end.
But, if you’re writing flash fiction and your story is only a few hundred words, you really need to zoom in on one tiny moment in that story.
You don’t have time to tell the entire story of a sinking ship, but you can turn one moment into a story.
We’ve chosen the lifeboat situation as the key moment in this hypothetical story. Two characters must decide which one of them will take the last seat on the last lifeboat. This is an appropriate plot for flash fiction because it’s simple, high-stakes, dramatic, and thought provoking.
Not all flash fiction will have a plot quite this dramatic, but all great flash fiction will have a plot that can be expressed in just one or two sentences.
If you have a plot in mind, but it seems more suitable for a longer story, you can sometimes find several flash fiction plots hidden within it. Just look for little stories within the story, like the lifeboat moment in our hypothetical tale of the sinking ship.
This brings us to our top tip for coming up with ideas for flash fiction stories:
if you’re ever stuck for ideas, you can find little stories within the story in books, movies, and TV shows. A full length feature film might have as many as 20 little incidents in it that could easily be flash fiction.
Don’t directly write a story based on the film, though. Just carefully pick out those little moments, write down what’s happening as a one or two sentence plot, and then use it to inspire your own, completely original flash fiction story.
One of our 100 Flash Fiction Prompts was actually taken from the movie Pulp Fiction!
How to write very short flash fiction
There are several reasons writers might start writing flash fiction. Of course, it could be that they just love and enjoy the form, but sometimes they’ll be a more strategic and practical reason at play.
Perhaps they want to practise the process of writing stories within the confines of a certain word limit. Maybe they are trying to develop a daily writing routine and they don’t have a lot of free time. It could be that they’re trying to break a habit of not finishing writing projects, or perhaps they are entering a flash fiction competition.
Whatever the reason, very often when we sit down to write flash, we must work under an imposed or self-imposed word restraint. We’ve set ourselves (or been set) the task of keeping the story under a particular number of words.
So, how do you plot a flash fiction story when you have to keep your story very, very short.
We’re not going to discuss stories of 100 words or fewer here. Technically, those stories are still flash, however, we prefer to categorise 100 word stories as drabbles and anything under 100 words as micro fiction.
But what if you have to keep your flash fiction story under, let’s say, 300 words? How do you write a flash fiction story that short?
The answer is: get your microscope out again. Remember earlier when we said writing flash fiction is like looking at part of a story under a microscope? If you have to write very short flash fiction, you’ll need to zoom in even further.
Let’s look at a couple of examples from our 100 Flash Fiction Prompts:

1. During a match, a young boxer must decide whether to throw the fight.

If you had 1,000 words to devote to the story, you could have time to tell the story of the entire fight. With only 300 words, it might be better to zoom in on the very moment when the boxer must choose whether or not to go down.
In a longer flash fiction story you might have time to go into detail about why he’s in this situation and why he’s so conflicted. In a 300 word story, you might only devote one or two sentences to his gambling debt and the large sum of money waiting for him if he goes down in the third round, as instructed.

1. A family must decide what to take and what to leave behind as a wildfire approaches their home.

If you had 1,000 words to devote to this story, you might be able to write about the whole process of choosing what to take and what to leave behind. You might be able to mention many different choices and have the whole family participate in the story. You’d be able to go into some details about certain choices and the stories behind individual objects or mementos, as well as the implications of choosing certain things over others.
With only 300 words, it would be advisable to zoom in on one member of the family and to focus on one profound and important choice.
How to write a flash fiction story
Now you have your mini plot, you still need to make sure your flash fiction feels like a complete story. It should still have a beginning, middle, and an end.
Just like a short story, you may need to bring in a little exposition here and there to give texture, context, backstory, and to bring some depth to the characters. But, unlike a short story, you won’t necessarily need to end with a full, detailed resolution. It’s quite common for a flash fiction story to end with a quick twist or plenty of ambiguity.
Flash Fiction is much more about eliciting emotions and provoking thought, than setting up and resolving a complex story.
100 Awesome Flash Fiction Prompts
A young ballet dancer chooses not to tell the other dancers in her troop about a loose paving stone outside their dance studio.
Two sisters realise they’ve both been on a perfect first date … with the same man.
On the car journey home, two parents realise they’ve left their child’s favourite teddy on a park bench several hours away.
A writer suffering from writers’ block looks for inspiration in a strange place.
Set 200 years in the future, a young man realises he’s too emotionally dependent on his robot assistant.
A young woman discovers she’s taken the wrong suitcase home from the airport. The contents of the case make her question her own life choices.
A murderer realises he has only 10 minutes to dispose of a body.
A child decides to walk home by themselves after their parent forgets to pick them up from school … again.
Your protagonist manages to talk the grim reaper out of collecting their soul.
Your protagonist suddenly realises they’ve been living in a simulation.
A young couple has chosen to spend the night in a haunted house to fix their marriage. Your story starts just as things get very weird.
Your protagonist finds a letter they wrote to themselves when they were a teenager.
Your protagonist must decide whether or not to drink from a fountain that erases all painful memories from the mind.
Your protagonist comes across a street called ‘Memory Lane’. They quickly realise the name is eerily apt.
A bride finds out something startling about her future husband an hour before the wedding.
Your protagonist finds an advertisement for a company that promises everlasting youth.
A youngest sibling shows up at a family reunion they weren’t actually invited to.
Your protagonist finds a piece of paper with a spell on it. If they say the words out loud they aren't sure if something terrible or wonderful will happen.
Your protagonist is watching a jazz band play when they realise they know the drummer from somewhere — but where? It takes a whole song for them to figure it out.
Your protagonist must meet their ex for lunch to tell them they’re now engaged. It’s been just a few weeks since they split up.
Two people on a sinking ship must decide who should take the last seat in the last lifeboat.
During a match, a young boxer must decide whether to throw the fight.
Your protagonist must pack their belongings before moving to a new colony on mars.
A pilot realises they have lost control of their aircraft.
Your protagonist doesn’t want to attend their 100th birthday party — and for good reason!
Your protagonist gets stuck in a lift with their ex … 5 minutes after breaking up with them.
A child says goodbye to the fairies in his garden before moving to a new home.
Your protagonist saves someone’s life … and then wishes they hadn’t.
Your protagonist arrives at a blind date. They’ve been set up with someone they actually know a little too well.
Set in a dystopian future in which public displays of affection are banned, your protagonist faces an agonising choice.
An agoraphobic must face their fear in order to save something important.
Your protagonist must make her partner fall out of love with them. Both their lives depend on it.
Your protagonist is hiking with her small children, they come face to face with a grizzly bear and her cubs.
Cinderella and Prince Charming realise they got married too quickly.
A message written in graffiti on a bathroom wall has serious implications for your protagonist.
Your protagonist finds a bag, looks inside, and realises the owner might just be their soulmate.
Your protagonist has been seeing the same stranger everywhere they go for months. They finally decide to confront them.
A couple realise their relationship is over during the trip of a lifetime. They’ve been saving up for the trip for years.
A public debate sees two previously married people letting their private grievances come into their arguments.
Your protagonist plans their escape from a retirement home.
A couple realise their fundamental beliefs are at odds with each other.
An artist develops an obsession with drawing a next-door neighbour.
Your protagonist finds themselves trapped in a cabin with a group of hikers during a heavy snowfall.
An ice skater must face going back on the ice after a dangerous fall.
A couple must decide their plan for New Year’ Eve. They both have secret reasons for their choice.
A family must decide what to take and what to leave behind as a wildfire approaches their home.
Your protagonist is waiting for someone important at the airport. They begin to think that person isn’t going to show up … and then they realise why.
Your protagonist must find their way through a maze. What they find in the middle of the maze is the last thing they were expecting.
An actor waiting in the wings has forgotten his first line.
Your protagonist is wrongly identified as a hero. Do they come clean?
Your protagonist realises their past is catching up with them.
Your protagonist overhears something that has serious implications for them while trying on clothes in a changing room.
Your protagonist is in a costume shop trying to decide what to dress up as for Halloween.
Your protagonist realises they’ve slipped into an alternate dimension.
A surgeon must make an impossible choice on the operating table.
A pregnant journalist interviews the mother of a missing child.
Your protagonist must ask his girlfriend’s father for his blessing, only to discover the father knows his deepest secret.
Your protagonist sees something on social media that will change their life forever.
Two work colleagues realise they’ve been dreaming the same dreams for weeks.
A reluctant daughter comes to terms with having to carry on the family business.
Your protagonist realises she must go on the run.
Two bank robbers disagree on their plan to rob a bank. This leads to a disastrous consequence.
A strange case of deja vous leaves your protagonist convinced of supernatural interference.
A sceptic begins to question their beliefs during a psychic reading.
Your protagonist uncovers a scandal at their workplace.
A hapless cook tries to recreate her late father’s favourite recipes in an effort to feel connected to him.
Your protagonist has a premonition that makes them certain they can’t visit their mother-in-law for Christmas. Now he must convince his husband.
A young backpacker discovers something unexpected in a cave.
An impulsive character and an indecisive character are brought together by chance. They must make an important choice.
Two characters cleaning up after a party discover an object that sheds light on something strange that happened earlier.
Two strangers are trapped together during a blackout.
Your protagonist must take a leap of faith in order to save something important to them.
Your protagonist discovers a huge part of their life has been a lie.
Your protagonist has set up an elaborate way to propose. Inexplicably, everything goes wrong.
Your protagonist must buy a dress for her mother’s funeral.
Your protagonist goes back to her favourite city in the world, only to find it has completely changed.
While stargazing, your protagonist realises the stars are forming secret messages in the sky.
Your protagonist hears a news story on the radio that will mean the world changes forever. However, she seems to be the only person who heard it.
Your protagonist is crossing a frozen lake. They see something under the ice that definitely shouldn’t be there.
A workaholic must come to terms with retirement.
An Olympic athlete must decide whether or not to report their teammate for doping.
A young mother feels isolated from her childless friends.
Your protagonist is about to realise their greatest ambition. Will it be everything they were hoping for?
Onboard a spaceship, a couple prepare to go into stasis for hundreds of years.
Your protagonist has an obsession with thinking about the past.
Set in a post-apocalyptic future, your protagonist meets an unlikely love interest.
Your protagonist visits a place from their childhood and realises their memories of that time might not be accurate at all.
A small child has decided to run away from home. Her parents watch on with amusement as she decides what to put in her backpack.
On a whim, a bus driver decides to radically change his route, much to the chagrin of his passengers.
Dystopian. A couple in love are only allowed to spend time with each other one day a year.
A shapeshifter begins to realise their powers are fading. They must decide what form will be the last one they take before they cannot change again.
The devil visits your protagonist with an offer on her soul.
Your protagonist suddenly has the ability to read minds. There’s only one place they want to go now!
Your very wealthy protagonist has designed a simple test to see who will inherit her estate.
An archaeologist discovers something that will change how we see the history of the world. It could be dangerous. Does he keep it to himself?
Your protagonist must clear out their late mother’s house. She discovers an incredible family secret.
Your protagonist is meeting his brother. They haven’t seen each other for 20 years.
Your protagonist develops the ability to see the world literally through someone else’s eyes.
Your protagonist starts to believe their partner might be a spy.
Your protagonist discovers a hidden camera in their living room.
Looking for a flash fiction competition? Check out our ‘Big List of International Writing Competitions!’ Looking for inspiration? Why not check out our list of the 20 Greatest Short Story Writers of All Time! Just received another short story rejection? Here’s our post about ‘How to Deal With Story Rejections’ Bonus Prompts! Two characters waiting by the side of the road realise they are both meeting the same person.
A woman loses her young niece in a busy shopping mall.
Three strangers must solve a riddle in order to gain entry to a secret club.
A poor woman must borrow ingredients from her neighbours to bake her husband a birthday cake.
A waiter finally finds out why an old man has been coming to the restaurant where he works every day at exactly the same time.
Two work colleagues must decide which of them is to take the blame for a terrible mistake at work.
Your disgruntled protagonist goes to confront the couple next door about the strange noises they’ve been hearing at night.
A family dinner party sees three characters make three very surprising announcements.
Two women argue over who should get to buy the last dress available in a store. How do they decide who should get it?
A young couple find out they knew (and disliked) each other vehemently as children.
Love writing stories? Register now for our free 7 Day Story Writing Challenges. Write a short story in a week, get extensive feedback on your entry, and compete for a prize of £500 in each round of the challenge. Register today!
Mastered the art of flash fiction? Now you can try submitting your stories to literary magazines! We’ve compiled a list of the best literary magazines that don’t charge a reading fee! Check out our Big List of No-Fee Literary Magazines.

First_Previous_Royal Road_wiki
Shit day at work, in addition to overtime. So I´m a bit late.
Hope you enjoy!
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After arriving in the training room, Snow asked Mor to sit down opposite her. As they both got comfortable on the floor, she fixed Mor with her gaze.
"You want to learn how to gather magic energy from your surroundings, right?" she asked him, and Mor nodded.
"Yes, but could you also teach me the full technique?" Mor asked back.
"Sure, I don't know what you could gain from learning to imbue a crystal. I can teach you." Snow answered.
°Nice, now we are getting somewhere.° The human commented.
"Then we need to start at the basics and don't expect to succeed immediately. This is a rather difficult technique every step of the way." Snow explained.
"I understand," said Mor.
°Yeah, could have guessed, so it's business as usual.° The human added.
"Good, then let's get started," Snow said. "Firstly, just try to feel the magic around you."
Mor took a deep breath and concentrated, trying to even get a feel for any other magic than his own. Of course, on this first try, nothing would happen.
°Yeah, guessed as much. No choice but to keep trying.° The human said.
This went on for a whole week. He would go with Snow whenever she wanted to see some part of the school, attend his lessons, or train after class. To Mor's relief, Ranbor was nowhere to be seen for all those days.
Then, finally, after a few pointers from Snow, Mor had his breakthrough. He could feel the energy around him; even Snow radiated magical energy, which Mor accounted for as her life force. He got a big smile.
"I got it." He told Snow.
"Very good, faster than expected." She nodded with a smile. "Then on to the next step, getting the energy from your surroundings into the crystal."
"Wouldn't it be better to learn how to absorb it myself first?" Mor asked, and Snow shrugged,
"I can't help you with that. I can only teach you how to get it into the crystal. After that, you have to find out everything else yourself," she explained to Mor.
"Oh, I get it," Mor answered.
"Good, then take this crystal." She handed him a spare arrowhead. "Get a feeling of how empty it is, and then try to guide the surrounding energy into it."
°Sounds easy enough.° The human commented. °Can I try again? We never got me to guide the energy.°
°Can you even feel the magic?° Mor asked.
°I can feel something,° The human said.
°Well, no harm in trying.° Mor agreed and let the human try, but no progress was made after trying for a few hours.
°Fuck, why can't I do it!° The human complained.
°I don't know, but maybe it is because you don't have any magic?° Mor put forward.
°This is bullshit...° The human pouted.
The next day, it was Mor's turn. He concentrated on the crystal, felt the energy flow, and instantly, it filled with energy and shattered. Mor looked surprised for a second and then cursed.
"Shit! What happened?" He asked.
"You concentrated too much on filling the crystal and didn't use the energy from your surroundings but your own energy," Snow said.
Mor looked at her, surprised, and asked. "How do you know?"
"I can also "feel" the energy flowing, so of course I would know it. The surrounding energy was still." Snow explained. "You need both. Gather the energy around you and guide it to the crystal. Go slow and steady until you think the crystal is filled."
"I don't want to shatter another one. You don't have an unlimited amount for me, right?" Mor said.
"Don't worry, I have enough for you to grasp the concept. Shattering a few will be no problem. The pieces are useful in making weapons, so just go ahead." Snow told him, and Mor nodded thankfully.
After breaking three more crystals, they decided to end the day and take a break on the next. Now that Mor had some free time, while Snow went and explored on her own, at her own request, mind you, he decided to talk with his friends again and went to look for them.
Mor found Orth after class in the library.
"Hey, Orth," he greeted the other boy.
"Hi, Mor." Orth nodded.
"Sorry that I ignored you the past few days." Mor apologized.
"Don't worry, I get it. It must have been shocking for you to find out the nobles were keeping secrets. I mean, it was for me, that they do, but it had to be worse for you." Orth said, understanding.
"Thank you for being so understanding and my friend," Mor said, and Orth smiled.
"You're welcome. Also, I won't retract my offer because of that." Orth said.
"Before I forget, the Saphire girl came to me and seemed angry with how I treated you, and I guess I was not nice to her because of my ill temper," Mor said awkwardly, and Orth sighed.
"I can guess how it went...." Orth began, but Mor interrupted him.
"Please let me finish. I would like to apologize to Saphine for being an ass. She didn't deserve that for just being concerned about you. Could you tell me where I can find her?" Mor added.
"I don't know where she is, but I can tell her you want to talk to her again and also apologize with you", Orth told Mor.
"Where's the ice-kin today? Aren't you responsible for her?" asked Orth further.
"She wanted to explore by herself," Mor answered.
They talked a bit about random stuff, like the last week, until they spoke of Ranbor.
"I haven't seen him for a few days," Mor said, and Orth nodded.
"He is probably angry at his punishment because his oh-so-great power is now severely limited. He will get over it and appear again, just as haughty as ever." Orth dismissed
"I hope you are right, and nothing worse will come from it," Mor said.
°Why!? Why did you say that? Now, it will get infinitely worse. Murphy is always listening!° The human shouted.
What's your problem now, and who's this Murphy?° Mor asked.
°Murphy is a human who said that "anything that can go wrong will go wrong"! And with you saying you hope nothing bad will happen, it will happen.° The human said.
°How does that work?° Mor asked again.
°It just does!° The human insisted.
"It probably won't. His pride is just hurt, and he doesn't know when to stop. He has always been like this. I have known him since early childhood. He's the pampered son." Orth said.
"You knew him since then?" Mor asked, and Orth gave him an affirming nod.
"We are both high nobles. Saphine does as well." He told Mor.
"Then do you know why Ranbor has it out for me?" Mor asked.
"Honestly, it may be a multitude of factors. Firstly, you are a commoner and, therefore, beneath him. Secondly, you already beat him in a contest of wits after you aced the entrance test and, third, probably the most importantly, your mother," Orth explained.
"What about my mother?" asked Mor further.
"You don't know? Well, I think an uncle or cousin, I don't remember that clearly, acted out, and your mother put him back into place with total ease if I can remember correctly. That wouldn't be a big thing, but she later refused an open offer to marry into the Sapphire or Emerald family and gave up her status to an uncle of hers. This way, the slight against the Rubys was enhanced, as one of theirs was beaten by a commoner." Orth chuckled.
"WAIT, my mother had a marriage offer from two high noble families?" Mor was stunned by this revelation.
"Yes, how do you not know that?" Orth asked incredulously.
"I don't know that much. My mother and father are talking little about their heritage. They say their life now with me is far more important."
°Well, it is, but at least that explains a lot. Pride is a powerful thing,° The human said.
°Have I told you already that I'm getting sick of this shit?° Mor asked.
°Yeah, you did.° The answer came back.

https://preview.redd.it/p6k2q4qgvr4d1.png?width=512&format=png&auto=webp&s=9409552ee2cc36ecc0e620bb97174c19a6c2155c
So Blackbeard gave Shanks' scar. This happened sometime after Roger died. Now you might think that Blackbeard was not powerful enough to give Shanks a scar but this happened when he was younger and much weaker. We do know that Shanks actually initially likes Blackbeard as a child. I believe at somepoint they met again when much younger. Blackbeard and Shanks became really good friends. Shanks however got to possess a devil fruit that Blackbeard wanted. I think that the fruit is a Zoan and is currently on Elbaf. I dont think this was the gomu gomu fruit. Blackbeard tried to kill Shanks to get the fruit but failed and ran back to Whitebeard. Blackbeard knew from the start which three devil fruits he wanted. He knew he wanted the quake fruit so he stayed close to Whitebeard. He had no idea where the darkness fruit is so he kept on the look out and the third fruit the Zoan one he wants is at Shanks so im sure he is about to make moves to steal it from Shanks

PUNISHER WAVE 1-Punisher w/ bruised face,trench coat,rifle,pistol.
2-Billy Russo w/ scarred face,Tommy gun,mask,coat,hidden blade
3-Micro w/ computer, beanie, head lamp,sandwich
4- Agent madani w/ season 2 head, pistol, badge
5-John pilgrim w/ bible, pistol, hat
6-Curtis w/ sniper, fake leg
7-Brett Mahoney w/ pistol, police badge BAF TURK
DAREDEVIL WAVE 1-daredevil w/ unmasked head, batons, glasses,
2-Karen page w/ newspaper, pistol, handbag
3-foggy nelson w/ short hair head, briefcase
4-kingpin w/ eyepatch head, car door, daredevil mask
5-bullseye w/ unmasked head, knives, pistol, headphones, recorder
6-Electra w/ balaclava head, sai’s, sword
7-stick w/ walking stick, glasses, arm stump, katana BAF NOBU
LUKE CAGE WAVE 1-Luke cage w/ bent gun, hoodie, headphones, cinderblock
2-Claire temple w/ medical bag, claw blades
3-Maria stokes w/ mic stand, pistol,
4-shades w/ glasses, handgun
5-bushmaster w/ knife
6-misty knight w/ pistol, robot arm, badge
7-cottonmouth w/ rocket launcher, pistol BAF DIAMONDBACK
IRON FIST WAVE 1-iron fist w/ longhair head, glowing hand, glowing bullets, pistol
2-Colleen wing w/ sword, glowing hand,
3-ward meachum w/ pistol, phone
4-joy meachum w/ folder
5-davos w/ glowing fist,
6-typhoid Mary w/ tied up hair head , sword, assault rifle
7-bakuto w/ sword, BAF MADAM GAU
JESSICA JONES WAVE 1-Jessica jones w/ camera, bottle of vodka, files
2-Trish walker w/ masked head, inhaler, pistol
3-Malcom w/ computer,
4-killgrave w/ file
5-Jeri w/ handbag
6-Gregory Salinger w/ scratched face, camera
7-Alisa jones w/ bald head, BAF ERIK GELDEN
AGENTS OF SHIELD WAVE 1-agent Coulson w/ glasses, icer, shield badge, robotic arm, shield
2-daisy Johnson w/ short hair head, pistol, quake effects
3-agent may w/ glasses, gun,
4-Fitz w/ doctor head, season 1 head, pistol, drone
5-Simmons w/ season 6 head, pistol, stethoscope, scalpel, pistol
6-grant ward w/ hive head,season 1 head, pistol,
7-mack w/ shotgun axe, wrench, coat, BAF LASH
AGENTS OF SHIELD WAVE 2 1-yo-yo Rodriguez w/ robot arms, pistol, fast effects
2- deke Shaw w/ mask, headband,
3-Lincoln w/ electric effects, necklace,
4-hunter w/ pistol, beer bottle,
5-Bobbi w/ battle staffs, pistol
6-Enoch w/ robot face,
7-Talbot w/ pistol, gravitonium effects BAF AIDA
THE GIFTED WAVE 1- Marcos w/ glowing effects,
2- Lauren w/ bubble effect
3- Andy w/ season 2 head,
4- Polaris w/ season 2 hair with crown, magic effects
5- blink w/ portal effects
6- John w/ tomahawk
7- reed w/ glowing arms
THE GIFTED WAVE 2 1- kate w/ pistol
2- jace w/ shotgun
3- esme frost w/ glowing eyes
4- reeva w/ screaming head
5- erg w/ glowing eye effect
6- dreamer w/ blowing head with pink mist
7- shatter w/
LEGION WAVE 1-david w/ season 3 head, worlds angriest boy book
2-Sydney w/ season 3 head, gloves
3-Kerry w/ sword
4-Cary w/ glasses, head band
5- ptonomy w/ season 3 head, shotgun
6- Farouk w/ glasses,
7- Lenny w/ short hair head, twizzler BAF SHADOW KING
CLOAK AND DAGGER WAVE 1- cloak w/ cloak, smoke effect, headphones
2- dagger w/ short hair head, daggers,
3- Brigid w/ mayhem head, badge, pistol
4- detective connors w/ long hair head, pistol
5- Andre w/ trumpet,
6- evita w/ book
7- mina Hess w/ goggles, flask
AGENT CARTER WAVE 1- Peggy Carter w/ handbag, pistol, hat
2- Daniel Sosa w/ crutch, pistol
3- Edwin Jarvis w/ hat, briefcase
4- Howard stark w/ sunglasses, blueprints
5- Jack Thompson w/ pistol, hat, files
6- Dottie underwood w/ wigged head, pistol,
7- Whitney frost w/ scarred face, zero matter goo BAF DUM DUM DUGGAN
DEADPOOL WAVE 1- deadpool w/ unmasked head, scarred head, katanas, pistols, unicorn plush
2- negasonic teenage warhead w/ shaved head, power effects
3- cable w/ cape, heavy machine gun, pistol
4-firefist w/ flame effects
5- domino w/ uzis, goggles.
6- youkio w/ electric chain
7- Ajax w/ axes, BAF COLOSSUS
XMEN WAVE 1- wolverine w/ old man Logan head, cigar, bone claw hands,
2- professor x w/ young head, wheelchair, cerebro,
3- magneto w/ young head, helmet, floating metal platform
4- cyclops w/ young head, laser beam effects,
5- jean grey w/ young head, phoenix effects
6- mystique w/ young head, normal head, normal hands,
7- storm w/ young head, storm effects, BAF BEAST
XMEN WAVE 2 1- rouge w/ ponytail head
2- iceman w/ human head, ice effects
3- pyro w/ lighters, fire effects
4- night crawler w/ young head, teleport effect
5- quicksilver w/ speed effect, goggles, headphones,
6- havok w/ long hair head, power effects,
7- Angel w/ young head, wings, BAF APOCALYPSE
SHANG CHI WAVE 1- Shang chi w/ staff, ring effects
2- Katy w/ bow, arrows
3- wenwu w/ 10 rings, ring effects
4- xialing w/ rope
5- death dealer w/ knives,
6- jiang li w/ wind effects
7- Trevor slattery w/ morris BAF RAZOR FIST
IRONMAN WAVE 1-Ironman w/ tony stark head, gauntlet, sunglasses, laser effects,
2-pepper Potts w/ iron man arm, proof that tony stark has a heart statue,
3-war machine w/ Rhodey head, machine guns, laser effects
4-happy hogan w/ young head, cellphone,
5-Obadiah stane w/ briefcase, arc reactor
6-Justin hammer w/ glasses, lollipop
7-whiplash w/ whips, mask, irina, BAF ULTRON
CAPTAIN AMERICA WAVE 1-captain America w/ unmasked head, bearded head, shield, infinity war shield, mjolner
2-Bucky Barnes w/ masked head, long hair head, pistol, assault rifle, knife
3-falcon w/ unmasked head, shield, wings
4- Sharon carter w/ batons, knife
5-red skull w/ human face, tesseract,
6-crossbones w/ unmasked head, burned head, pistol, gauntlet
7-baron zemo w/ unmasked head, pistol, book BAF RED HULK
M
THOR WAVE 1-Thor w/ short hair head, missing eye head, mjolner, stormbreaker, thunder effects,
2-Loki w/ helmet, tesseract, blades, magic effects
3-Jane w/ unmasked head, mjolner, thunder effects,
4-Valkyrie w/ sword, beer bottle,
5-heimdell w/ helmet, sword
6-laufy w/ ice effects
7-malekith w/ burned head, mask, BAF KORG
HULK WAVE 1- Bruce banner w/ young head, turning neck/head, hulk hands, glasses,
2- general Ross w/ old face, pistol
3- hulk w/ angry head, ripped shirt,
4- Emil blonsky w/ pistol, grenade launcher
5- Betty Ross w/ bag
6- the leader w/ normal head,
7- she hulk w/ briefcase, BAF ABOMINATION
BLACK WIDOW WAVE 1- black widow w/ blonde hair, pistols, batons
2- yelena w/ jacket, batons, pistol,
3- red guardian w/ masked head, shield, action figure,
4- melina w/ batons, Alexie the pig
5- taskmaster w/ unmasked head, bow, shield, sword
6- dreykov w/ tablet
7- Rick mason w/ cap
DOCTOR STRANGE WAVE 1-doctor strange w/ third eye head, magic effect, eye of aggamoto, portal effect, watch
2-wong w/ portal effect, magic effect, sword
3-Christine Palmer w/ red hair head, defibrillator
4-America Chavez w/ portal effect
5-ancient one w/ portal effect, magic effect
6-mordo w/ long hair head, crossbow, sword
7-kaecilius w/ normal head, portal effect BAF ZOMBIE STRANGE
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY WAVE 1-star lord w/ helmet head, blasters, orb, Walkman
2-gamora w/ sword,
3-drax w/ knifes, glorbnuts, assault rifle
4-groot w/ weapon hands,
5-rocket raccoon w/ angry head, assault rifle, leg, baby groot
6-mantis w/ glowing head
7-nebula w/ sword hand, knife, swords BAF THANOS
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY WAVE 2 1- Ronan w/ hammer
2- high evolutionary w/ normal head, ripped off face, teef floor Lila
3- ego w/ young head,
4- Adam warlock w/ blurp,
5- yondu w/ whistling head, arrow, umbrella
6- kraglin w/ fin head, arrow
7- Ayesha w/ helmet, battery BAF COSMO
BLACK PANTHER WAVE 1-tchalla w/ unmasked head,
2-killmonger w/ unmasked head, knife, mask,
3-okeye w/ spear
4-Nakia w/ masked head, ring blades
5-namor w/ spear, helmet
6-shuri w/ young head, gauntlet
7-klaue w/ weapon arm, handgun BAF MBAKU
SPIDER-MAN HERO WAVE 1-Peter Parker Tom w/ unmasked head, web effects
2-Peter Parker tobey w/ unmasked head, web effects, ripped mask
3-Peter Parker Andrew w/ unmasked head, web effects
4-Michelle jones w/ cube,
5-ned w/ mask, Lego Death Star, bag pack
6-aunt may w/ cure injection
7-Gwen Stacy w/ headband, BAF MARY JANE
SPIDER-MAN VILLAN WAVE 1-green goblin w/ young head, unmasked head, pumpkin bomb, glider, hood,
2-doc ock w/ young head, goggles, tentacles
3-sandman w/ sand face, hammer sand hand,
4-jj Jameson w/ balding head, desk, newspaper
5-electro w/ blue head, blue hands, electric power, hoodie
6-vulture w/ unmasked head, wings,
7-mysterio w/ unmasked head, drone, magic effect BAF LIZARD
ANTMAN WAVE 1-Antman w/ unmasked head, mini Antman, book,
2-wasp w/ unmasked head, mini wasp, wings,
3-Janet w/ masked head, young head,
4-Hank w/ young head, ant farm, pym particles
5-ghost w/ unmasked head, phasing arm,
6-Yellowjacket w/ unmasked head, mini Yellowjacket
7-kang w/ unmasked head, laser effects BAF MODOK

Part 9
Kathy Evenson, Professional
In the streets of a small town, somewhere in the Seventh World
"Now, that might be the finest pack I ever seen, Kath," Kells said as Kathy pushed her arms through the straps of her backpack and fastened the buckle in front. She pulled the slack out of the arms and turned to smile at him.
It was a modern pack. A fairly expensive one, too. MOLLE attachments were on every surface, and it had actually come as a kit, with a pair of main bags and two or four of several different size compartments, to be attached as needed, customized to each consumer. She'd spent quite a bit of money on it, but with the Agency always willing to reimburse her for expenses related to her work, she hadn't sweated the price tag.
Kells and his men, on the other hand, had simple canvas sacks with leather reinforcements and straps. Nevin, the one who had doubted that she killed a walker, had the fanciest one, with some sparse cloth padding on his shoulder straps and an extra compartment. They were all well-made, but worn, simple, and primitive. In comparison to those, her pack really was remarkable.
"Thank you," she said. "Would you like one?" Kells blinked in surprise.
"I have an extra," she added. "It's yours. I literally have no use for it."
"Err, um, it's a bit late fer me t'be transferrin' all me supplies..." Kells demurred. Kathy gave his shoulder a pat and a squeeze.
"I'll help you do it when we stop to make camp," she said. "You've got to put the pack together, anyways."
"Aye then," Kells said, his face splitting into a grin.
"When this is all over," Kathy added. "I can kit your men out with the same pack. And some other, more advanced tools than what you have now. And before you protest, know that I won't be the one paying for it."
"Aye," Kells repeated, his grin growing wider. Kathy had no doubt that the shrewd man had taken note of her clothing and kit already, and knew that she came from somewhere more advanced and wealthy than this place.
Dunnes, one of Kells' men, who seemed to be his second-in-command, walked up then. "We're all set boss. Any word on the Searchers?"
Kells looked to Kathy, who glanced up the street to where the inn stood. The only person in front of it was a local, walking past, leading a giant, dog-sized rat on a leash. Kathy had seen a number of those rats, and they seemed to be popular pets around here. She'd even seen a younger boy tickling one, and heard the rat giggling up a storm in response, when she came into town.
She ignored the recurring desire to secure one for herself and shrugged. "Last I heard, they were coming with us or they weren't. I guess they're not." She sighed, wondering how she'd managed to misread the situation. Luna and the others had so much of Jerry and Sarisa in them that she'd been certain she had a good handle on them. But apparently, she'd been wrong in assuming she'd talked them into this.
"I suppose not," she said. "Let's get moving, then."
She and Kells followed Dunnes back to the others. They all stood around a large cart, loaded with supplies for the journey. Kathy had shelled out quite a few of her chits to fill that cart, and she noticed that there were a few sacks she didn't recognize. That would be Kells' private stash. He'd told her that he regularly collected valuable things, for sale in the next town. The income from that bit of trading helped supplement his and his men's wages, keeping them flush with enough chits to always buy the best equipment and stay full on supplies. It was, in Kells' words, '...One o'the secrets o'me success.'
Fluffs took his place on the cart's handles, easily hoisting the heavy load with broad shoulders and tree-trunk-sized arms, and they began to move.
They had just passed the edge of town when Kathy's keen ears heard pounding footsteps on the road behind her. She turned to find Luna running towards them, a pack thrown over her shoulders, under her shield, and her sword bouncing along at her side. Kathy tapped Kells on the arm, then pointed back.
"Ho!" Kells hollered, causing the whole procession to slow down. Kathy stopped, letting Luna catch up.
"Decided to join us after all?" she asked.
"I didn't think you would get such an early start," Luna admitted. Kathy noted that the young woman wasn't even a little out of breath from her run. "We tend to sleep in late."
"Aha," Kathy said, wondering if they understood how dangerous that habit could be. She shrugged. She'd school them plenty during the journey. Speaking of which...
"Where are your brothers?" she asked. Luna glanced around, then met Kathy's eyes.
"They're here. They like to stay quiet and out of sight."
Kathy slipped her eyes into the magical spectrum and noted the four knots of dense illusion magic. Each one was about person-sized and shaped. She smiled at each one in turn.
"Glad you boys could join us," she said, then turned back to Luna. "And you, of course."
"We're only here because you offered to help us find and kill Gerard," Luna said. Kathy nodded.
"Don't you worry. A good man taught me the value of keeping my promises."
----
Gary Johnson, Surprised Old Dude With a Gun
Johnson-Wallace Residence, Baltimore, MD
"Whatta ya mean, coming out o' retirement?" Gary asked. Chris nodded.
"I'm an Einherjar, love," Chris said. "My retirement was always going to be temporary. Nat's old enough that she doesn't need me here all day, anymore. Hell, she's out cavorting with her friends now. I have no idea where they're at. I'm useless, sitting around the house, and both of us are neat freaks. There's not enough to keep me busy here."
"I ain't arguin' with ya," Gary said, needing to be clear on this. "But whatta ya gon' do? Join th'group? I dunno how well things'll work out, what with you workin' fer me."
Chris looked away, and Gary immediately recognized that he had a secret. Gary narrowed his eyes. "What ain't ya been tellin' me, Darlin'?" he demanded.
Chris sighed. "I've been talking to the Agency," he admitted.
"Oh shit," Gary said. "They want ya guarding more field agents out in Bumfuck, Nowhere?"
"No, they want me to be a field agent," he said.
"How much trainin' time?" Gary asked.
"Two weeks. They know my background, both with the Army and The Group. They just want to make sure I know the Company's procedures, test me, and then get me out there."
"D'ya know where they'll be sending ya?" Gary asked, imagining what it would be like to spend months on end without any contact with his husband. He didn't like it.
"Kathy needs a partner," Chris said.
"Kathy's a one-woman army," Gary shot back. "An' th'Agency damn well knows it. Iffen they're suggesting pairin' ya up with her, they're lyin' t'keep yer interest."
"It's not like that," Chris insisted, shaking his head. "The Agency's preparing for the worst, and with Kathy, they want to have her as an ace up their sleeve. Adding an Einherjar to that mix only helps maximize her effectiveness. You know she's as facile with magic as Jerry is, even if she doesn't have the same power or experience. She's got the same talent that man does. Being able to keep her from having to physically fight as much in any kind of engagement would allow her to be a lot more deadly than she is now. And I'm not exactly a pushover. I've got my rebirth time down to less than a tenth of a second."
Gary knew that Chris had been working on his rebirth. One of the advantages of being Einheri was that, if Chris ever got killed, he'd respawn back in Valhalla, ready to fight again. The only delay was that caused by Chris returning to wherever he'd fallen. More than once, Gary had found Chris' lifeless body laying around the apartment while Nat was out, while a living Chris did laundry, cooked, or watched television.
"Tenth of a second ain't instantaneous," Gary pointed out, but it was a lame objection. The mere shock of Chris returning in an eyeblink after dying would more than offset that small amount of lost time in most fights.
Chris didn't respond, knowing as well as Gary did that it wasn't worth responding to. After a moment, Gary spoke again. "I ain't trying t'argue with ya," he said.
Chris nodded. "I know. It's instinct. You lost me once, and even knowing that you can't do it again, you're scared."
"Ayup," Gary admitted. Chris stepped forward and wrapped his arms around him, so Gary took Chris by the waist and squeezed. He felt Chris' head resting on his shoulder and nuzzled him.
"It's gonna be all right, Pookie Butt," Chris whispered. Gary snorted a laugh.
"Don't call me that, dammit," he groused, but his heart wasn't in it.
Chris pulled back, grinning, so Gary kissed him. A simple peck on the lips turned into two, which turned into a longer kiss. When they finally separated, Gary sighed. "It's fer th'best, really. I know you can raise hell, and right now, we need all the hell raisers we can get."
"That's kinda what I'm thinking," Chris agreed.
"This business about pairing ya up with Kathy needs addressin', though." Gary went on. "I'mma put a word in with my own contacts. See iffen I can get ya assigned t'work with The Group, as an extra liaison. We could use that level o'boots-on-the-ground contact."
Chris nodded. "I was told we'd be paired up once she finishes her current assignment. That we'd both be working closely with The Group."
"Good," Gary said. Then he nodded. "Good," he said again.
----
Sookie, On Point
Security Training Facility, DCM Central Regional HQ, Denver, CO
"Breech!" Linda cried. Sookie rushed forward, her foot lashing out to kick the door, right in the middle, without breaking stride. The door swung open, shuddering on the hinges as she rushed through and broke left. Right behind her, Jim Carmichael broke right. Emily Windham followed Sookie and Linda brought up the rear, behind Jim.
The pop-up targets began to move, the sensor on the door triggering them. An armed target appeared from behind the bullet-ridden couch, so Sookie smoothly lined her red dot on it and dumped a quick trio of shots through the center mass. She moved on as someone else fired, behind her. The noise was deafening inside the shoot house, but her earpro was doings its job well enough.
"Clear," Emily radioed.
"Room right," Jim said through the speakers in her headset. Sookie heard the crash of another door being kicked open. "Frag out," he added.
A deafening crack split the air. "Clear," Jim announced as soon as the echoes died down.
Sookie made for an archway as Emily's hand came down on her shoulder. Before she passed through it, she angled herself against the wall, getting an angle on the room beyond. It looked clear for the moment. She pied out, sweeping the room until a pair of targets popped up. A screaming woman and a man holding up his hands in surrender.
Sookie shot the man, three more rounds right through the chest. Emily fired from behind her and to her left, but Sookie had broken the habit of taking her eyes off her own lane already.
"Stacking!" Linda called out. Sookie slowed until Emily patted her shoulder, then went back to her smooth, rolling gait. She kept her short-barreled rifle up. This gun was a lot more useful in this tight spaces than the sixteen-inch barrel she'd started training with.
It was a modified M7 Spear, with a 12-inch barrel, modified and enchanted by the Group in a Mk15 configuration. The lens of the red dot optics on top could zoom up to 74X, and the 'dot' itself -actually a tiny crosshairs- would always point to right where the bullet would land, regardless of range, angle or windage. The gun never heated up, the magazine never ran dry, and there were selector switches and magical hooks allowing her to dial the ammo to a variety of different types. High-explosive, frangible, training ammo that would vanish after imparting a lot of kinetic energy but not yet penetrating, target shooting ammo, armor-penetrating... The list went on for some time, and the hooks included a 'smart' component that could automatically select for her. It was the nicest gun she'd ever fired, and she suspected that was true of the others, as well.
It was also the only bit of kit she'd taken from the Group. The standard armor and uniform didn't suit her. Instead, she wore the battle rattle she'd spent the past few months training in, comfortable and familiar with it. Under that, she wore a tight, yet flexible false leather catsuit. It was expensive, and it showed off her modest curves and shapely behind in a way that felt natural. It moved easily, didn't get caught on stuff, breathed well, and provided excellent protection against minor scrapes and cuts.
She found no other doors in the room, so she keyed her radio mic. "Clear," she called.
"All clear," Linda confirmed. They all relaxed.
"Under six, for sure," Jim said. Linda winked at him. "Maybe," she said, then turned to Sookie.
"What's up with the surrender?" she asked. Sookie quirked an eyebrow, so Linda gestured at the last target she'd shot.
"That guy's surrendering. Why'd you shoot him?"
Sookie walked over to the target and tapped the little protrusion next to the man's neck. "That's the butt of a gun," she said. "With his hands up like that, he could have grabbed it and fired in the blink of an eye. He wasn't surrendering, he was pretending to surrender."
Emily walked over, peered at it and laughed. "Holy shit, good spot!"
Linda looked closely at it for a second, then shook her head. "That's Director Johnson, striking again. Man, he really likes to keep us on our toes. Good eye, Sookie. I didn't catch that at all."
The filed out of the small structure and checked the large clock on the wall. Five point seven three seconds.
"Fucking nailed it," Jim said.
"Isn't six seconds the passing grade?" Sookie asked.
"Nine seconds is a pass. Six seconds is the pass for Black Team," a new voice said. Sookie turned to see an unremarkable looking man approaching. He wore a polo shirt with the group logo on it, khaki pants, and had a small handgun holstered on his belt.
"Hey, Bob," Jim said. Bob walked up and shook Jim's hand, then greeted Emily and Linda the same way.
"And you must be Miss Ohma," he said, facing Sookie. Sookie eyed him. He was handsome, in a somewhat bland way. But his eyes sparkled with both a deep humor and a vast intellect. She'd seen eyes like his before. They belonged to the most talented warriors. The men you dared not underestimate. She smiled, her lips curling into their most seductive state of their own accord as she extended a hand.
"Call me Sookie," she purred.
"How about I call you sexy?" he replied in a low, smooth voice, taking her hand and kissing the knuckles. Sookie grinned, her libido flaring for the first time in a long time.
"That works, too," she said.
"I'm Bob Brown," he went on, his voice returning to a low, relaxed tenor.
"Captain Brown," Linda added. "Of Black Team."
Sookie smiled and batted her eyelashes at him. "Are you here to recruit me?"
"All of you, in fact," Bob said. Bill gasped. "And not so much to recruit you as to ask you to do the rest of the Black Team Q course. And if you pass that, then yes."
"Sookie doesn't work for The Group," Linda said. "She's a client, in fact."
"Shame," Bob said. "But I think I have a new question for the legal department."
"I'm also a registered contractor," Sookie added, sensing her chance to spend some time around the bland, dangerous man slipping away. A distant part of her brain noted the way her libido was, once again, a factor. She didn't quite know how to feel about that. It felt like a relief, but also like a betrayal. But she didn't know who she was betraying. Certainly not Eric.
"Oh?" Bob asked, raising his brows. Sookie thought he looked like the kind of guy who'd be a good dad, which was hot, even if she couldn't give him any children. Maybe he had some already. He wasn't wearing a wedding band, but he did have a pale strip around his ring finger.
"Uh huh," Sookie went on. "And I'm certified to do security operations, too." She saw Linda turn and put her hands on her hips, staring, so Sookie turned and smiled.
"I'm a lover, not a fighter, but sometimes I can be useful. I've never been afraid to fight, I've just never been very good at it."
"That clock would beg to differ," Bob said. He produced a tablet from his back pocket and tapped on it. A moment later, Linda's phone dinged.
"Sergeant," Bob said. "I just sent you the requirements. Now, if you four are interested in joining Black Team, then I'd be happy to stick around and mercilessly judge your performance. You've already done the shoot house, provided you got the fake surrendering guy."
Emily nudged Sookie with an elbow. Sookie grinned. "I got him," she said.
Bob smiled back, every bit the image of a proud dad.
"Good," he said. "Now let's see if you can handle the hard part."

I first posted at the beginning of May after my echo showed a progression from mild to severe regurgitation and mild to moderate bi-leaflet prolapse with decreased ejection factor (50%) and abnormal global strain (-16.2%).
I live in a bit of a healthcare desert, and the local hospital does not have the best track record. Because of that, I'm not scheduled with a cardiologist until August. I was able to get into a heart institute in another city in my state, but they got me scheduled with a cardiothoracic surgeon for a consult rather than a cardiologist.
This just seems out of order for me, and so I wanted to check in with others' experiences. Ultimately, my instinct is telling me that seeing the cardiac surgeon and the cardiologist may be best so that I can get a couple of opinions. Ultimately, though, I will leave the state for surgery if I need it and so would then be looking at a third provider, which seems a bit much.

Protests by the American Students: Actions by the revolutionary forces
What is happening in the USA in relation to the war in Ukraine and Palestine?
There are huge protests in US college and university Campus by the students and others against the US military support to Israel and in support of the Palestine. Even the High School students have boycotted the classes in support of the Palestinians (Boston, etc.) and have joined the larger movements.
There have been similar mass protests, consisting of 100s of 1000s of people, in various parts of the USA, UK, EU, Latin America, Africa and Asia and in ME or Arab countries against Zionist war against the Palestinians and war in Ukraine.
A revolutionary situation? Must remember that, there have been protests of the workers and farmers against weapon supplies to Ukraine previously also. In addition, the protestors, from all walks of life, are demanding employments and other basics as their lifestyle is falling continuously and drastically. EU saw (and still going on) farmers protest against import of Ukrainian grains, reduction in subsidies in fertilizers, insecticides, seeds, water and electricity.
The revolutionary situation (Or say, movements) may not be ripe or may be at its peak (from where downfall may start) or still building up. And this is the objective factor, in many countries. But where is the subjective factor? The revolutionary party? Without the existence
of a revolutionary party, party of the proletarian class with revolutionary ideology, there can be no revolution.
Our task is to rebuild the revolutionary parties in our respective countries, based on Marxism Leninism. This is our immediate task. This does not imply no ground works or no works within the working class, the peasants and the oppressed people.
More on the student's movement
The student’s wrath and commotion led to the mass protest, across the country, the USA. It's important to understand whether it was spontaneous, led by the revolutionary forces or not (at least, if they were part of it or not), if the demands were for their own welfare (it wasn't, but was for the democratic rights of the Palestinian people and against the genocide led by the Zionist regime), do they have any revolutionary aim, intent or seed, etc.
Nonetheless, the movement encompassed large sections of the students and sucked in other people as well, along with media propaganda. "Where there are masses, there are communists or revolutionaries". And the reason why communist activists must join them, to learn from them and to make them learn (educate) them.
We had mass farmers movement in India (about 2 years back) and many revolutionary parties, organizations, groups joined them, despite the demand of the farmers (small to big ones) were primarily economic and reformist in nature. But today they have their own unions among them. Why not in present farmers and workers movements in Europe and earlier in France (Yellow Vest movement) or in the UUS (now or earlier in Black Lives Matter) or in ongoing movements in more than half of the world’s countries?
Let us not discard them and the people's anger and protests, movements unless they are extreme reactionaries in nature, led by the Right-Wing parties. Here also, we need to learn their background, the political economy behind their movements, the foreign hands and decimate them to our own people. We have more than enough examples of such movements, where the American imperialist (with allies) hands are openly visible.
We must not analyze these movements from outside but be part of them from within. This helps accumulate our revolutionary activities in concrete, generalize them for revolutionary understanding, build our own revolutionary parties and create “the advanced section of the working class” and educate the masses.
This is the science and art of the revolution, which must be continuously enriched with every movement as concrete example and in abstraction.
Is American Hegemony Shrinking?
An important question today. Yes, economically, militarily, geopolitically. Few trends are examples, like fall of USD influence, ouster of French and American military from many African countries, like Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali, and later from Chad, etc. Also, earlier, we saw its hasty retreat from Afghanistan. And, it's shrinking influence in UNO on Palestinian issue.
Must also note, the rise of Chinese finance capital and global influence in the fields of infrastructure, BRI, energy sector, lead in AI, cyber warfare and other fields. Same time, the Russian military power has shown that it can take on the US and allies' (50 countries, including NATO and EU) military.
The massive protests by the workers, farmers, students, women, the exploited and the oppressed people in US, UK, Latin America and Africa, Arab and other countries against the US imperialism and Zionism can't be ignored.
These trends, of course, are worth noticing. However, it also must be noted that there are places where US imperialism has managed a comeback, or has managed firmer grips; like in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Moldova, Argentina, Pakistan, Kenya. It has NATO (number of members has increased) and other military alliances, in forms of regional economic and military blocks. They help to maintain US hegemony. It’s economy is running on debt, war industries and outright plunder, like Syrian oil, frozen Russian assets, US Security Bonds bought by China, Japan, etc.
The bigger issue is that US imperialism is withdrawing from areas where it's hold is more tenuous. So, the US is prepared to pull back (for now) from countries like Niger and Chad only to really double down in its hold over Kenya and does not mind push the French out of Cote D'Ivoire. What is clear is that every country in Africa still under the control of comprador regimes needs to get out from under it as a matter of urgency.
The imperialists are in a deep crisis and will only redouble their ruthless exploitation of labor and resources in these countries now. They will also use them as launchpads for wars of aggression elsewhere, bases for the training of mercenary armies, centers for running narcotics and the sex trade.
And why are such reverses taking place? Countries going out of American influence are still capitalist ones and its matter of time, when the pro American parties come to power in these countries, they change sides. We have Argentina and Armenia, as the latest examples. Even the so-called neutral countries are heavily dependent on the American imperialism economically and militarily, like Saudi Arabia, India, and many countries of African and European countries.
These political parties are as corrupt as any other bourgeois parties. They can't provide 100% working people employment, healthcare and housing. Therefore, there is perpetual mass commotion and opportunities to the imperialist criminals to penetrate among them, due lack of cohesive revolutionary parties.
What happened to Ukraine in 2014, also happened in India, at the same time, where Fascist regime was established. We have such examples also.
What is the lesson? Unless we bury capitalism, mother of all evils and imperialism, we can't undo what is happening today, globally, except cosmetic changes. Thus, fact is universal, despite a real threat of III WW, with uses of nuclear weapons and annihilation of the human civilization. The threat of climate crisis, from where return back may not be possible, is also real.
And finally, if American imperialism is shrunk, we have other imperialist powers in making and the process is discernible. We have only two paths from today's extremely volatile situation; Destruction of our mother earth, related climate and the human civilization or Scientific Socialism.

Guinness World Records has been expanded by a space expert in order to showcase some incredible statistics found throughout the rest of the cosmos. In a new video this week, British scientist and BBC TV broadcaster Brian Cox says, "If there was a Guinness World Records 'Universe' book, the records would be remarkable." Cox quickly moves through an extensive list of exciting space-based records, starting with "the most enormous compact object," a supermassive black hole, a picture of which was taken by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope three years ago. The so-called M87 galaxy, which is six billion times more massive than the sun and is located 55 million light-years from Earth.In addition to numerous records, Cox unveils the universe's fastest object as well as its biggest structure and smallest object. The scientist identified Glass-z13 as the farthest distant verified galaxy when asked. "The light's journey from it to the telescope took around 13.4 billion years. We are examining the galaxy as it might have been 200 million or 300 million years after the Big Bang. Glass-z13 has a distance from Earth of little over 33 billion light-years due to the expansion of the universe. The James Webb Space Telescope, the largest telescope of its sort ever constructed, made the discovery of the far-off galaxy. The Webb telescope has been conducting research into deep space and sending stunning images back to Earth since its deployment earlier this year. As Cox points out, recordings of the universe are subject to perpetual change as astronomers and scientists make new discoveries all the time using more potent tools like the Webb telescope.
What reionized the Universe, and when?
When did the transparency of the universe begin? It's a strange but crucial question. The Universe was once opaque, but over time it changed to transparency and is still transparent now. It is literally the reason we can see far-off objects in the sky, and in a more existential sense, that instant of cosmic transparency had an impact on the behaviour of galaxies, the formation of stars, and other things. Answering the question is something that many astronomers want to do because it has significant ramifications for the objects we want to study and because we are here because of it. Astronomers from several countries may have discovered the solution to the puzzle: 12.7 billion years ago, roughly 1.1 billion years after the Big Bang. The fact that this is a few hundred million years later than previous calculations has some intriguing ramifications. Our entire Universe was in a hot, dense condition and all of its matter was ionised immediately after the Big Bang, like minutes after it: Any hydrogen or helium nuclei were free of any electron bonds. When an electron attempted to move, a photon, a particle of light, would strike it and cause it to fall. At the time, all of the light was incredibly high-energy and more than capable of maintaining the ionisation of the environment. As matter is so dense, if you were in this miasma, which in a sense you were since everything in the Universe was, it would appear absolutely opaque to you. An ionisation timeline Gas was cold and neutral in the early Universe (on the left), but as time goes on (on the right), radiation from stars and active black holes rips electrons off hydrogen atoms, illuminating the gas. An ionisation timeline Gas was cold and neutral in the early Universe (on the left), but as time goes on (on the right), radiation from stars and active black holes rips electrons off hydrogen atoms, illuminating the gas. The time interval is roughly one billion years from left to right. Thesan Collaboration, in picture Astonishingly, as the Universe cooled and expanded over the next 400,000 years, the average photon eventually ran out of energy to ionise hydrogen. For the first time, protons and electrons united and remained together to form neutral hydrogen. Recombination is the term used to describe the joining of an electron and a proton, hence this event is referred to as recombination even though it was the first time most atoms had united. Continuing the story Neutral hydrogen is highly good at absorbing visible light, the wavelengths of light humans can see, therefore the universe was still opaque even though the density of the Universe was reducing as it expanded. This period is known as the Dark Ages. That situation would last for a very, very long period until new objects formed that could emit ultraviolet light. When they were created, they ionised the hydrogen in space once more, but this time was different since the Universe had a lower density, allowing photons to go farther without being absorbed. Space became transparent all of a sudden and remained so. We can see a great distance even today because the majority of gas is ionised, or officially called a plasma. Reionization refers to this point in the universe's history. However, when did that occur? A pleasant approach to learn more exists. A blazar, or galaxy containing a supermassive black hole spewing energy, as depicted by an artist. Credit: Science Communication Lab and DESY A blazar, or galaxy containing a supermassive black hole spewing energy, as depicted by an artist. Credit: Science Communication Lab and DESY Image: Science Communication Lab at DESY Huge black holes evolved in the centres of galaxies as they initially emerged from the darkness. These black holes would collect matter as it fell into them, building up in a disc that would become extremely hot and emit high-energy ultraviolet light, X-rays, and gamma rays. These galaxies are what astronomers refer to as quasars, and we can view them from a very, very long way. When these quasars' light reaches us, it battles the Universe's expansion, which causes their wavelengths to lengthen—a process known as redshifting. In other words, the redshift reveals the quasar's distance, which in turn reveals how long after the Big Bang we observe it. Due to the fact that light can only move at a certain speed, objects that are further away are redshifted more and appear to us in the past.Because of the quasar's immense strength, even if we observe it before reionization, it will have already ionised the hydrogen immediately around it, allowing light to escape. The light from the quasar will be absorbed if there is a cloud of hydrogen between us and the quasar that is sufficiently removed from it to remain neutral. The redshift of the wavelength gap we detect in the quasar's light indicates how far away the cloud is from us and, more significantly, how far back in time we saw it. Very far distant clouds are neutral and unionised. However, following reionization, we suddenly stop noticing them because they are unable to take in the quasar's light.. So in theory, all we need to do is isolate the light from a collection of distant quasars using really good spectra. Numerous wavelengths will exhibit significant absorption, which will disappear at a sufficiently low redshift. Reionization took place then. This is really difficult to do in real life. You need really brilliant quasars, and even then, they are faint because they are so far away. Additionally, you need very good spectra, which calls for a large telescope and prolonged exposures. Numerous additional factors must also be taken into consideration, such as how the universe was structured back then. However, the astronomy team actually did this. They used archived observations of 42 additional extremely bright quasars from two other observatories in addition to 25 very distant very bright quasars from the XQR-30 survey. They discover that the Universe first became transparent roughly 1.1 billion years after the Big Bang by closely examining the 67 quasar spectra. Illustration of the first stars in the universe illuminating the gas clouds where they originated. Photo: NAOJ Illustration of the first stars in the universe illuminating the gas clouds where they originated. Photo: NAOJ And that's really fascinating! What precisely ionised the universe is unknown. There was enough time for supermassive, extremely hot, luminous stars to form as well, and they could have also blasted out UV light, enough to contribute. It might have been these very quasars. Was it thus stars, quasars, or a combination of both? The timing may be able to focus this. Reionization was previously estimated to have occurred 200 million years earlier, but if the new estimate is accurate, there is plenty of room for many more of these first-generation stars to form and contribute. So, if you'll excuse the pun, it might have been both stars and quasars working together. Around this time, galaxies were developing, and if these stars were incredibly powerful, they could blow gas straight out of the galaxies, altering the evolution of those galaxies. In order to comprehend when these stars existed and what they might have done to their surrounding environments, we need to know when reionization took place. I'll remind you that you reside in a galaxy and on a planet revolving around a star whose lineages may be traced back to this period. Reionization—what it was, when it happened, and how it affected the universe—thus plays a role in our existence. It's clear why we want to know the answer. And it might be here at last. Naturally, more observations are preferable. We may also be able to determine the duration of reionization if we have more exact estimates of this number from models of cosmic structure. 1,000,000 years? 10, fifty, or one hundred? It's almost certain that larger telescopes with better cameras will be used to answer that question. We are among the first species to comprehend precisely how the universe came into being and what occurred to it after that. You can quote me on that, but the Universe took 13.8 billion years to get here, and I think it was worth the wait.