#Angel One dividend

[semanticlp]

Angel One Revises Key Business Metrics for Oct 2024 – Mar 2025; Restates ADTO Figures

Angel One Limited has announced a revision in its key business parameters for the period October 2024 to March 2025, following the identification of an inadvertent computation methodology issue in its previously filed data. The restatement primarily affects the cash and commodity segment ADTO (Average Daily Turnover), resulting in revised figures for overall notional and premium-based ADTO, along…

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Microsoft pinky swears that THIS TIME they’ll make security a priority

One June 20, I'm live onstage in LOS ANGELES for a recording of the GO FACT YOURSELF podcast. On June 21, I'm doing an ONLINE READING for the LOCUS AWARDS at 16hPT. On June 22, I'll be in OAKLAND, CA for a panel and a keynote at the LOCUS AWARDS.

As the old saying goes, "When someone tells you who they are and you get fooled again, shame on you." That goes double for Microsoft, especially when it comes to security promises.

Microsoft is, was, always has been, and always will be a rotten company. At every turn, throughout their history, they have learned the wrong lessons, over and over again.

That starts from the very earliest days, when the company was still called "Micro-Soft." Young Bill Gates was given a sweetheart deal to supply the operating system for IBM's PC, thanks to his mother's connection. The nepo-baby enlisted his pal, Paul Allen (whom he'd later rip off for billions) and together, they bought someone else's OS (and took credit for creating it – AKA, the "Musk gambit").

Microsoft then proceeded to make a fortune by monopolizing the OS market through illegal, collusive arrangements with the PC clone industry – an industry that only existed because they could source third-party PC ROMs from Phoenix:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2019/08/ibm-pc-compatible-how-adversarial-interoperability-saved-pcs-monopolization

Bill Gates didn't become one of the richest people on earth simply by emerging from a lucky orifice; he also owed his success to vigorous antitrust enforcement. The IBM PC was the company's first major initiative after it was targeted by the DOJ for a 12-year antitrust enforcement action. IBM tapped its vast monopoly profits to fight the DOJ, spending more on outside counsel to fight the DOJ antitrust division than the DOJ spent on all its antitrust lawyers, every year, for 12 years.

IBM's delaying tactic paid off. When Reagan took the White House, he let IBM off the hook. But the company was still seriously scarred by its ordeal, and when the PC project kicked off, the company kept the OS separate from the hardware (one of the DOJ's major issues with IBM's previous behavior was its vertical monopoly on hardware and software). IBM didn't hire Gates and Allen to provide it with DOS because it was incapable of writing a PC operating system: they did it to keep the DOJ from kicking down their door again.

The post-antitrust, gunshy IBM kept delivering dividends for Microsoft. When IBM turned a blind eye to the cloned PC-ROM and allowed companies like Compaq, Dell and Gateway to compete directly with Big Blue, this produced a whole cohort of customers for Microsoft – customers Microsoft could play off on each other, ensuring that every PC sold generated income for Microsoft, creating a wide moat around the OS business that kept other OS vendors out of the market. Why invest in making an OS when every hardware company already had an exclusive arrangement with Microsoft?

The IBM PC story teaches us two things: stronger antitrust enforcement spurs innovation and opens markets for scrappy startups to grow to big, important firms; as do weaker IP protections.

Microsoft learned the opposite: monopolies are wildly profitable; expansive IP protects monopolies; you can violate antitrust laws so long as you have enough monopoly profits rolling in to outspend the government until a Republican bootlicker takes the White House (Microsoft's antitrust ordeal ended after GW Bush stole the 2000 election and dropped the charges against them). Microsoft embodies the idea that you either die a rebel hero or live long enough to become the evil emperor you dethroned.

From the first, Microsoft has pursued three goals:

Get too big to fail;

Get too big to jail;

Get too big to care.

It has succeeded on all three counts. Much of Microsoft's enduring power comes from succeeded IBM as the company that mediocre IT managers can safely buy from without being blamed for the poor quality of Microsoft's products: "Nobody ever got fired for buying Microsoft" is 2024's answer to "Nobody ever got fired for buying IBM."

Microsoft's secret sauce is impunity. The PC companies that bundle Windows with their hardware are held blameless for the glaring defects in Windows. The IT managers who buy company-wide Windows licenses are likewise insulated from the rage of the workers who have to use Windows and other Microsoft products.

Microsoft doesn't have to care if you hate it because, for the most part, it's not selling to you. It's selling to a few decision-makers who can be wined and dined and flattered. And since we all have to use its products, developers have to target its platform if they want to sell us their software.

This rarified position has afforded Microsoft enormous freedom to roll out harebrained "features" that made things briefly attractive for some group of developers it was hoping to tempt into its sticky-trap. Remember when it put a Turing-complete scripting environment into Microsoft Office and unleashed a plague of macro viruses that wiped out years worth of work for entire businesses?

https://web.archive.org/web/20060325224147/http://www3.ca.com/securityadvisor/newsinfo/collateral.aspx?cid=33338

It wasn't just Office; Microsoft's operating systems have harbored festering swamps of godawful defects that were weaponized by trolls, script kiddies, and nation-states:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EternalBlue

Microsoft blamed everyone except themselves for these defects, claiming that their poor code quality was no worse than others, insisting that the bulging arsenal of Windows-specific malware was the result of being the juiciest target and thus the subject of the most malicious attention.

Even if you take them at their word here, that's still no excuse. Microsoft didn't slip and accidentally become an operating system monopolist. They relentlessly, deliberately, illegally pursued the goal of extinguishing every OS except their own. It's completely foreseeable that this dominance would make their products the subject of continuous attacks.

There's an implicit bargain that every monopolist makes: allow me to dominate my market and I will be a benevolent dictator who spends his windfall profits on maintaining product quality and security. Indeed, if we permit "wasteful competition" to erode the margins of operating system vendors, who will have a surplus sufficient to meet the security investment demands of the digital world?

But monopolists always violate this bargain. When faced with the decision to either invest in quality and security, or hand billions of dollars to their shareholders, they'll always take the latter. Why wouldn't they? Once they have a monopoly, they don't have to worry about losing customers to a competitor, so why invest in customer satisfaction? That's how Google can piss away $80b on a stock buyback and fire 12,000 technical employees at the same time as its flagship search product (with a 90% market-share) is turning into an unusable pile of shit:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/02/21/im-feeling-unlucky/#not-up-to-the-task

Microsoft reneged on this bargain from day one, and they never stopped. When the company moved Office to the cloud, it added an "analytics" suite that lets bosses spy on and stack-rank their employees ("Sorry, fella, Office365 says you're the slowest typist in the company, so you're fired"). Microsoft will also sell you internal data on the Office365 usage of your industry competitors (they'll sell your data to your competitors, too, natch). But most of all, Microsoft harvest, analyzes and sells this data for its own purposes:

https://pluralistic.net/2020/11/25/the-peoples-amazon/#clippys-revenge

Leave aside how creepy, gross and exploitative this is – it's also incredibly reckless. Microsoft is creating a two-way conduit into the majority of the world's businesses that insider threats, security services and hackers can exploit to spy on and wreck Microsoft's customers' business. You don't get more "too big to care" than this.

Or at least, not until now. Microsoft recently announced a product called "Recall" that would record every keystroke, click and screen element, nominally in the name of helping you figure out what you've done and either do it again, or go back and fix it. The problem here is that anyone who gains access to your system – your boss, a spy, a cop, a Microsoft insider, a stalker, an abusive partner or a hacker – now has access to everything, on a platter. Naturally, this system – which Microsoft billed as ultra-secure – was wildly insecure and after a series of blockbuster exploits, the company was forced to hit pause on the rollout:

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2024/06/microsoft-delays-data-scraping-recall-feature-again-commits-to-public-beta-test/

For years, Microsoft waged a war on the single most important security practice in software development: transparency. This is the company that branded the GPL Free Software license a "virus" and called open source "a cancer." The company argued that allowing public scrutiny of code would be a disaster because bad guys would spot and weaponize defects.

This is "security through obscurity" and it's an idea that was discredited nearly 500 years ago with the advent of the scientific method. The crux of that method: we are so good at bullshiting ourselves into thinking that our experiment was successful that the only way to make sure we know anything is to tell our enemies what we think we've proved so they can try to tear us down.

Or, as Bruce Schneier puts it: "Anyone can design a security system that you yourself can't think of a way of breaking. That doesn't mean it works, it just means that it works against people stupider than you."

And yet, Microsoft – whose made more widely and consequentially exploited software than anyone else in the history of the human race – claimed that free and open code was insecure, and spent millions on deceptive PR campaigns intended to discredit the scientific method in favor of a kind of software alchemy, in which every coder toils in secret, assuring themselves that drinking mercury is the secret to eternal life.

Access to source code isn't sufficient to make software secure – nothing about access to code guarantees that anyone will review that code and repair its defects. Indeed, there've been some high profile examples of "supply chain attacks" in the free/open source software world:

https://www.securityweek.com/supply-chain-attack-major-linux-distributions-impacted-by-xz-utils-backdoor/

But there's no good argument that this code would have been more secure if it had been harder for the good guys to spot its bugs. When it comes to secure code, transparency is an essential, but it's not a sufficency.

The architects of that campaign are genuinely awful people, and yet they're revered as heroes by Microsoft's current leadership. There's Steve "Linux Is Cancer" Ballmer, star of Propublica's IRS Files, where he is shown to be the king of "tax loss harvesting":

https://pluralistic.net/2023/04/24/tax-loss-harvesting/#mego

And also the most prominent example of the disgusting tax cheats practiced by rich sports-team owners:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/07/08/tuyul-apps/#economic-substance-doctrine

Microsoft may give lip service to open source these days (mostly through buying, stripmining and enclosing Github) but Ballmer's legacy lives on within the company, through its wildly illegal tax-evasion tactics:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/10/13/pour-encoragez-les-autres/#micros-tilde-one

But Ballmer is an angel compared to his boss, Bill Gates, last seen some paragraphs above, stealing the credit for MS DOS from Tim Paterson and billions of dollars from his co-founder Paul Allen. Gates is an odious creep who made billions through corrupt tech industry practices, then used them to wield influence over the world's politics and policy. The Gates Foundation (and Gates personally) invented vaccine apartheid, helped kill access to AIDS vaccines in Sub-Saharan Africa, then repeated the trick to keep covid vaccines out of reach of the Global South:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/04/13/public-interest-pharma/#gates-foundation

The Gates Foundation wants us to think of it as malaria-fighting heroes, but they're also the leaders of the war against public education, and have been key to the replacement of public schools with charter schools, where the poorest kids in America serve as experimental subjects for the failed pet theories of billionaire dilettantes:

https://www.ineteconomics.org/perspectives/blog/millionaire-driven-education-reform-has-failed-heres-what-works

(On a personal level, Gates is also a serial sexual abuser who harassed multiple subordinates into having sexual affairs with him:)

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/13/technology/microsoft-sexual-harassment-policy-review.html

The management culture of Microsoft started rotten and never improved. It's a company with corruption and monopoly in its blood, a firm that would always rather build market power to insulate itself from the consequences of making defective products than actually make good products. This is true of every division, from cloud computing:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/09/28/other-peoples-computers/#clouded-over

To gaming:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/04/27/convicted-monopolist/#microsquish

No one should ever trust Microsoft to do anything that benefits anyone except Microsoft. One of the low points in the otherwise wonderful surge of tech worker labor organizing was when the Communications Workers of America endorsed Microsoft's acquisition of Activision because Microsoft promised not to union-bust Activision employees. They lied:

https://80.lv/articles/qa-workers-contracted-by-microsoft-say-they-were-fired-for-trying-to-unionize/

Repeatedly:

https://www.reuters.com/technology/activision-fired-staff-using-strong-language-about-remote-work-policy-union-2023-03-01/

Why wouldn't they lie? They've never faced any consequences for lying in the past. Remember: the secret to Microsoft's billions is impunity.

Which brings me to Solarwinds. Solarwinds is an enterprise management tool that allows IT managers to see, patch and control the computers they oversee. Foreign spies hacked Solarwinds and accessed a variety of US federal agencies, including National Nuclear Security Administration (who oversee nuclear weapons stockpiles), the NIH, and the Treasury Department.

When the Solarwinds story broke, Microsoft strenuously denied that the Solarwinds hack relied on exploiting defects in Microsoft software. They said this to everyone: the press, the Pentagon, and Congress.

This was a lie. As Renee Dudley and Doris Burke reported for Propublica, the Solarwinds attack relied on defects in the SAML authentication system that Microsoft's own senior security staff had identified and repeatedly warned management about. Microsoft's leadership ignored these warnings, buried the research, prohibited anyone from warning Microsoft customers, and sidelined Andrew Harris, the researcher who discovered the defect:

https://www.propublica.org/article/microsoft-solarwinds-golden-saml-data-breach-russian-hackers

The single most consequential cyberattack on the US government was only possible because Microsoft decided not to fix a profound and dangerous bug in its code, and declined to warn anyone who relied on this defective software.

Yesterday, Microsoft president Brad Smith testified about this to Congress, and promised that the company would henceforth prioritize security over gimmicks like AI:

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2024/06/microsoft-in-damage-control-mode-says-it-will-prioritize-security-over-ai/

Despite all the reasons to mistrust this promise, the company is hoping Congress will believe it. More importantly, it's hoping that the Pentagon will believe it, because the Pentagon is about to award billions in free no-bid military contract profits to Microsoft:

https://www.axios.com/2024/05/17/pentagon-weighs-microsoft-licensing-upgrades

You know what? I bet they'll sell this lie. It won't be the first time they've convinced Serious People in charge of billions of dollars and/or lives to ignore that all-important maxim, "When someone tells you who they are and you get fooled again, shame on you."

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/06/14/patch-tuesday/#fool-me-twice-we-dont-get-fooled-again

[beyourselfchulanmaria]

👆 My son asked me : Mom, Do you know who's he? then he told me that ~

日本職棒名星選手-大谷翔平 Shohei Ohtani／おおたに しょうへい 

(b. 1994) 他目前效力於美國職棒大聯盟洛杉磯道奇，主要擔任投手及指定打擊（即投打「二刀流」） Los Angeles Dodgers – No. 17

He is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher and designated hitter for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). Nicknamed "Shotime".

══════  ✾  ═══════

My son is a chemical engineer at LCY GROUP in Taiwan. He called me two days ago and said: Mom, he got a promotion and a salary increase, so he took me to eat, go shopping, and buy ice cream to go home and enjoy. lol (He is a very pragmatic big boy who never dreams. Maybe because he is a child of a single parent, because they have experienced many human relationships with me, inculded up and down in life since they were young, so they mature very early. Fruits were pulled from the tree before they were ripe. hahaha) In fact, his company is not as profitable as in previous years in general this year, but he is lucky. He is the only one in his department at the Kaohsiung factory who has been promoted and received a salary increase.

We chatted and laughed about all kinds of topics. I am really lucky. God has given me two children who are smart, independent, sensible and gentle. Of course he also gives me dividends lol I like and appreciate that every time he takes the initiative to give me money, I always see the light of accomplishment and love in his eyes ~ shining like stars in the sky! 🙏 Thank God!

Although "it is more blessed to give than to receive". But there is another deeper understanding, especially for some people with strong self-esteem. Sometimes you have to learn to meekly "accept" gifts from those who love you in life.

我的兒子是台灣榮化集團(LCY GROUP)的化材工程師，前兩天打電話跟我說:媽媽，他升職加薪了，所以他帶我去吃飯、逛街和買冰淇淋回家享受。lol (他是個相當務實，從來不會作夢的大男孩。可能因為是單親的小孩，因他們從小就跟著我經歷許多人情冷暖，所以很早熟。果子還沒熟就從樹上拔下來了。hahaha) 其實今年他的公司總體來說並不如往年利多，但他很幸運，高雄廠在他的部門只有他一個人被升職和加薪。

我們聊天又笑呵呵的各種話題無所不談，我真的很幸運，天主賜給我兩個既聰明獨立又懂事溫順的孩子。當然他也分紅給我 lol 我喜歡也感謝當他每次主動地給我錢時，我總會看到他眼中充滿著成就感和愛的光芒~像天上星子閃爍著! 🙏 感謝天主!

雖然『施比受更有福』。但另一種更深的認知特別是對於一些自尊心很強的人而言有時你要懂得學會在生活中柔順地"接受"從愛你的人的施予。

Lan~*

📌Restaurant餐廳：鼎泰豐 Din Tai Fung is a Taiwanese restaurant chain specializing in Chinese cuisine, particularly famous for its Xiaolongbao. Based in Taipei, Taiwan, Din Tai Fung also has branches in Australia, Mainland China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Macau, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, and the United States.

是臺灣一家以麵食生產銷售為主的連鎖餐廳，以小籠包等上海點心聞名，總店開設於臺北市信義路二段的永康商圈中。1958年成立，最初為油行，1972年轉為餐廳，兼賣小籠包。1996年，鼎泰豐日本新宿店開幕，發展為跨國企業。

在1993年曾被《紐約時報》評為「世界十大美食餐廳」之一。2010年香港尖沙咀分店獲得米其林一星，是台灣首間獲米其林指南列入星級的餐廳。

[sarascamander]

I need to rant somewhere and here's the thing, holy fuck Holloway and Jack are ADORABLE. I'm just in chapter 5 of the second book and they already get me giggling and kicking my feet just by being themselves. I'm smiling like an idiot in public. I'm humiliated! Damn them.

1) their banter is EVERYTHING. They fought like a married couple I LOVE THEM SO MUCH. They banter so smoothly and sometimes out of topic that they forget the first topic and it's always about something so domestic like the state of Jack's room and Holloway's quirk. THEY'RE SO CUTE.

2) The communication *chef fucking kiss*. Communication is their strongest suit, honestly the other miscommunication trope can go fuck off. They tell each other when they're upset or angry and try to solve it now and here. It wasn't always easy but they always talked to each other about their feelings and other stuff. Like when H was following Jack and Aston. They laid out their feelings and sorted it out and it's SO SATISFYING. They know each other so damn well.

“Did you lie to me?” I asked.

His answer took a long time: the ticking of the snow against the windshield, the hiss of the heater, the engine’s purr. “No.”

“Did you think about it?”

He took even longer. “Yes.”

I nodded. “Could you have gotten away with it?

"Of course.” Then he shifted in his seat. Some of the Ivy League part had come loose and tumbled across his forehead. His voice held a faint note of chagrin as he added, “Until you asked me. I find it difficult to…prevaricate. With you.”

“What every boy dreams of hearing.”

3) Ariana is a cool girl and smart and really an angel who knows her worth. I like her and she deserves the World but for god sake please break up with Jack. He belongs to Holloway, please Ariana, you must see that. 🙏🏻🙏🏻

4) Jack is the best character ever. His sarcasm, his wit, his kindness, his patience — god, this guy is perfectly flawed and I love his broke ass. And I want to wrap Holloway in a fluffy blanket and hug him to death. He's adorable!!!!

5) Jack adored H so MUCH IT'S FREAKING ADORABLE. He noticed every one of H's habit and sometimes just drifted to the most romantic sweetest paragraph about how beautiful H is. LIKE STOP YOU'RE EMBARRASSING YOURSELF WITH HOW MUCH YOU'RE IN LOVE. I kid you not. I fucking love it. For example:

He (Holloway) made a frustrated noise. Then he smiled. The expression was a little stiff; he wasn’t used to doing it, and it was another of those things that he was self-conscious about. I’d read about people who get up at two or three in the morning—on vacation, no less, when they’re in Hawaii—and then they drive hours and hours, and all of it is to see the sunrise from this one specific spot, and I thought, Come to Utah if you want something worth your time.

For context, they are in Utah. Jack basically implies that H's smile is prettier than sunrise goddamn it!

6) Jack is basically 90% of Holloway's impulse control. And that's saying something since Jack doesn't even have an impulse control himself. He'll be like "you need to eat, H" and "when is the last time you sleep, H?"and "how much of Addie did you take?" And all that stuff but the next scene show Jack literally smashed at a party and almost got beaten up.

7) Jack's narrative is the funniest, I swear

Detective Rivera, one of the Utah County Sheriff’s Department’s finest and my personal law-enforcement nemesis (if he could still be a nemesis after he bought me McDonald’s), was sitting on the sofa, sending a message on his phone.

8. Jack is so proud of H whenever he did butchy thing — like, he love his asshole 😭😭

“I’ll tell him it’s a sex thing.” “Good,” Holmes said. “He’ll be pleased that all your hours of mindless pornography are finally paying dividends.” My jaw legit dropped. “H!” “Desk, please.” “That was so amazingly bitchy.” “Desk.” “And, like, also kind of evil. Which I loved.”

9. Are you fucking kidding me?

He sat there in silhouette, head down. I knew the curve of his spine. I knew the span of his shoulders. Anywhere, I thought. I could be anywhere and know you

10. The fact that every single guy in Holmes' life let him down and hurt him one way or another and Jack is the only one who cherished him 😭😭

[lukedanger]

6, 9, 11, and 23 for the WOTR mechanics asks?

For Elaina:

6: What about their skills - what story is told by their skill and feat selection, or was it pure gameplay?

Between 14 INT, being human, and Fast Learner, Elaina had a full spread on Persuasion (her primary skill) and both Lore and Knowledge skills, with (Mythic) Skill Focus in Persuasion. She had a formal education in rhetoric, particularly as part of the Order of Heralds where she used it to challenge overzealous Inquisitors or to help get the minor orders working together. While not a full time scholar, she was extremely well read thanks to her upbringing and education at the abbey, which served to inform the rhetoric she used.

In terms of feats, Elaina going down Dazzling Display, Cornugon Smash, and Shatter Defenses was meant to build on her high CHA and Persuasion during combat. Story wise I see it as where she dips into the ‘Angel of Retribution’ branch of the Angel mythic path, putting the fear of Iomedae into those Abyssal bullies. The rest of her feat distribution I did not have a specific story behind, other than playing on her being in more of a supporting role such as Extend Spell to pair with the angel spellbook or Selective Channel later on to lean into Holy Champion maximizing CPE.

9: How does their Background choice reflect their character, and how does it play into their build?

Healer was more or less why Elaina’s archetype was Hospitaller instead of the standard Paladin or Divine Scion. Build wise, it was also so that she could add her INT bonus to Lore skills rather than using her average WIS. This being bundled under ‘Oblate’ also gave me the idea of her being raised at an Iomedean abbey.

11: How does their mythic path synergize with their build?

Angel naturally synced up well with being a paladin, as it gave Elaina a wider pool of defensive spells to cast on the party (particularly once the communal wards unlock), and Sword of Heaven stacks with Weapon Bond. By the end game, between both Elaina may not be using fancy techniques but when her sword connects it hits hard.

Bolt/Storm of Justice was flashy, devastating (especially with a maximize rod), and also just super fun to use, but ultimately didn’t really sync up with the way she fights.

23: What units did they pick in the Military Council (Infantry, Archers, Cavalry, Spellcasters, Grand Tier), and why?

Infantry - Conscripts. The idea was that they reflected the pragmatic reality of Mendev and the Fifth Crusade’s situation: this is an existential war that has gone on for nearly a century, and the rest of Avistan is (mostly) using the Crusades as a dumping ground for undesirables. Mendev can’t afford to turn those recruits away, especially now that they’re on the offensive and need more bodies to cover more ground.

Mechanically, they also are just absurdly over-tuned: four times the HP of Champions and twice that of Spearmen, only one less AC than Shieldbearers, and only a third/half the infirmary space of those two. For infantry they give really good bang for your finance points without instantly filling your infirmary when something glares angrily at them.

Archers - Marksmen. While conscripts were needed for numbers, with ranged troops vetting quality would pay more dividends as using warbows requires strength and training. Peasants with self-bows or slings would just not do the necessary damage to hurt demons past dretches or babaus. Besides, anyone who wanted to be an archer but couldn’t could be funneled into the infantry afterwards. Rangers were also a viable option, but those specialists were needed for scouting, screening, and skirmishing rather than pitched engagements. Thus, Marksmen.

If Odan had suggested crossbowmen instead of slingers (which would have actually fit the argument he presents), those probably would have been picked on similar grounds to Conscripts. Crossbows compensate for all the issues of using a warbow without training, even if they still need some.

Cavalry - Paladins. It’s not an Iomedean campaign without these righteous warriors and their sheer survivability. Their job of course was to directly engage the nastiest demons and keep them off of the bulk troops, being uniquely equipped for both jobs between Smite Evil and Lay on Hands.

Spellcasters - War Priests. Mechanically, spellcasting tanks that can also heal much like paladins, drawing damage towards a unit that can take it. Story wise, the idea was that they would support the bulk infantry and help them through alive with divine magic.

Also, it felt like a natural evolution of recruiting Priests as “mercenary” units in the first half of the game.

Grand Tier - Dragonslayers. In this case, it was looking to ensure they had specialists who could bring down large demons that were being deployed increasingly often as they closed on Threshold, and to have them as instructors for training troops. The Knights of Ozem would fill many of these roles as well, but they both have their duties in Lastwall and by this point the demons’ undead forces like their ghouls have been eradicated.

[Link to Ask List]

[dweemeister]

My Alternative 96th Academy Awards

This is an exercise that has not appeared on this blog since 2019 for the 91st ceremony. But I wanted to revive it. So what would tomorrow's Academy Awards ceremony looked like if I determined all the nominees and the winners? This is my ideal world, my alternative universe, if you will. Prepare for controversy, and my ambivalence towards Poor Things and The Zone of Interest (which doesn't get nominated at all here).

It's been a while since I've done this, so there might be some quirks newer followers are less familiar with. Most notably, if you see a three letter abbreviation anywhere, that indicates a movie not in the English language and indicates the country/countries of origin based on their three-letter FIFA code of all things.

Without further ado!

96th Academy Awards – March 10, 2024 Dolby Theatre – Hollywood, Los Angeles, California Host: Jimmy Kimmel Broadcaster: ABC

Best Picture: KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON

Anatomy of a Fall (FRA), Marie-Ange Luciani and David Thion (Neon/Le Pacte)

Barbie, David Heyman, Margot Robbie, Tom Ackerley,  and Robbie Brenner (Warner Bros.)

The Holdovers, Mark Johnson (Focus/Universal)

Killers of the Flower Moon, Dan Friedkin, Bradley Thomas, Martin Scorsese, and Daniel Lupi (Apple/Paramount)

Oppenheimer, Emma Thomas, Charles Roven, and Christopher Nolan (Universal)

Past Lives, David Hinojosa, Christina Vachon, and Pamela Koffler (A24)

Robot Dreams (ESP/FRA), Ibon Cormenzana, Ignasi Estapé, Sandra Tapia, Jérôme Vidal, and Pablo Berger (Neon/Bteam Pictures/Wild Bunch)

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, Amy Pascal, Avi Arad, and Christina Steinberg (Sony Pictures Animation/Columbia)

The Taste of Things (FRA), Olivier Delbosc (Gaumont)

20 Days in Mariupol (UKR), Raney Aronson-Rath, Mstyslav Chernov, Derl McCrudden, and Michelle Mizner (Associated Press/Public Broadcasting Service)

Am I nuts? A documentary (there's nothing in the rules that say they can't be nominated for Best Picture)? Why not? TWO animated features? Let alone a movie that almost nobody outside of Europe has seen? Well I've seen Robot Dreams, and it is one of the best 2023 release I saw all year.

My full thoughts on my favored film, Killers of the Flower Moon, can be found in my write-up here.

Six of the current Best Picture nominees keep their nomination. American Fiction, Maestro, Poor Things, and The Zone of Interest are dropped. In their place go Robot Dreams, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, The Taste of Things, and 20 Days in Mariupol. I strongly considered replacing Barbie, but decided against it. Yes, I believe there were more than ten movies better than Barbie this year. But I richly *enjoyed* Barbie, and appreciate its instant spot in film history. It stays in.

Best Director

Joaquin Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer

Martin Scorsese, Killers of the Flower Moon

Trần Anh Hùng, The Taste of Things

Justine Triet, Anatomy of a Fall

Folks are saying Martin Scorsese is not nearly as innovative as he used to be. Au contraire, I say. Killers of the Flower Moon exemplifies tons of personal and artistic growth for him... and that extremely risky ending pays off dividends. As a Nolan skeptic, I am indeed impressed with his work on Oppenheimer, but it's not the "best" for me this year.

Those familiar with my affiliation with Viet Film Fest might detect some bias, but hell The Taste of Things was gorgeous, folks.

Best Actor

Bradley Cooper, Maestro

Colman Domingo, Rustin

Paul Giamatti, The Holdovers

Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer

Jeffrey Wright, American Fiction

It's a toss-up to me. But, having to choose one, I'll go for a man who is probably overdue.

Best Actress

Lily Gladstone, Killers of the Flower Moon

Sandra Hüller, Anatomy of a Fall

Alma Pöysti, Fallen Leaves (FIN)

Margot Robbie, Barbie

Emma Stone, Poor Things

The first acting change from the actual Oscars appears here, with Finnish actress Alma Pöysti replacing Annette Bening in Nyad. But this should be Lily Gladstone's, who would justly be making a lot of history here.

And yes, Barbie fans... I relent. Margot Robbie makes my final cut.

Best Supporting Actor

Sterling K. Brown, American Fiction

Robert De Niro, Killers of the Flower Moon

Robert Downey Jr., Oppenheimer

Ryan Gosling, Barbie

Dominic Sessa, The Holdovers

I don't think RDJ should be sweeping the season as he has. I think it's a lot closer between all of these fellows than it actually has been. Disagree with me all you want, but I think De Niro was truly menacing in KOTFM. And he didn't need any deaging this time, either!

Best Supporting Actress

Juliette Binoche, The Taste of Things

Emily Blunt, Oppenheimer

Danielle Brooks, The Color Purple

Penélope Cruz, Ferrari

Da’Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers

Fine, I guess? I think Randolph's character gets cut out of The Holdovers far too soon. But I can't make the case for anyone else this year except for maybe Binoche (whom some people will complain about my placement in Supporting Actress instead of Lead Actress, but that's how the studio campaigned for her).

Best Adapted Screenplay

Pablo Berger, Robot Dreams

Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach, Barbie

Cord Jefferson, American Fiction

Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer

Eric Roth and Martin Scorsese, Killers of the Flower Moon

I'm not going to second-guess the Academy on its placement of Barbie here. It's not winning in this category in any case. American Fiction is a solid, imperfect satire, and finds its due here.

Best Original Screenplay

İlker Çatak and Johannes Duncker, The Teachers’ Lounge (GER)

David Hemingson, The Holdovers

A.V. Rockwell, A Thousand and One

Celine Song, Past Lives

Justine Triet and Arthur Harari, Anatomy of a Fall

I was very, very tempted to give this to Past Lives. But in the end, my sneaking feeling that I don't quite buy the closeness - despite having not talked for so long - of the two lead characters wins out.

Anatomy of a Fall is a hell of a balancing act, domestically and legally, and wins here.

Best Animated Feature

The Boy and the Heron, Japan (GKIDS/Studio Ghibli/Toho Company)

Ernest & Celestine: A Trip to Gibberitia, France (GKIDS/StudioCanal)

Robot Dreams, Spain/France (Neon/Bteam Pictures/Wild Bunch)

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Sony Pictures Animation/Columbia)

Suzume, Japan (GKIDS/Toho Company)

Stoking the flames, but here we are! I think ATSV is slightly better than Robot Dreams as a whole, but the film lacks a resolution and obviously had access to more resources. Spider-Man will return to this category. I'm not so sure about Pablo Berger. The heartfelt and dialogue-free Robot Dreams takes it, while the Ernest & Celestine sequel and Suzume make it in place of Elemental and Nimona.

Best Documentary Feature

Bobi Wine: The People’s President (National Geographic)

The Eternal Memory, Chile (MTV Documentary Films)

Four Daughters, Tunisia/France/Germany/Saudi Arabia (Kino Lorber/Jour2Fête)

To Kill a Tiger, Canada (National Film Board of Canada)

20 Days in Mariupol, Ukraine (Associated Press/Public Broadcasting Service)

Extraordinary filmmaking and, as you can imagine, brutal to watch. It's freely available online for any American readers out there, thanks to PBS.

Best International Feature

Fallen Leaves, Finland

Society of the Snow, Spain

The Taste of Things, France

The Teachers’ Lounge, Germany

20 Days in Mariupol, Ukraine

I follow Academy rules here in terms of one movie per country.

Best Cinematography

Edward Lachman, El Conde

Rodrigo Prieto, Killers of the Flower Moon

Mathtew Libatique, Maestro

Hoyte van Hoytema, Oppenheimer

Jonathan Ricquebourg, The Taste of Things

Best Film Editing

Laurent Sénéchal, Anatomy of a Fall

Kevin Tent, The Holdovers

Thelma Schoonmaker, Killers of the Flower Moon

Jennifer Lame, Oppenheimer

Michael Andrews, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Best Original Score

Michael Giacchino, Society of the Snow

Laura Karpman, American Fiction

Robbie Robertson, Killers of the Flower Moon (posthumous nomination)

John Williams, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

Hans Zimmer, The Creator

The folks who complained that Dial of Destiny was not original enough need to go 1) watch the movie and 2) listen to the score afterwards. There was a distinct lack of older Indiana Jones cues in there, and "Helena's Theme" is the best cue of 2023. Too many people online write about film scores but have little idea about what they're talking about (*cough* David Ehrlich at IndieWire *cough*).

That said, Williams doesn't win here. It's Giacchino, for a score that does a hell lot of the heavy emotional lifting in a grim movie that concludes with its real-life happy ending.

Best Original Song

“I’m Just Ken”, music and lyrics by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt, Barbie

“It Never Went Away”, music and lyrics by Jon Batiste and Dan Wilson, American Symphony

“Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People)”, music and lyrics by Scott George, Killers of the Flower Moon

“What Was I Made For?” music and lyrics by Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell, Barbie

Four nominees rather than five, because I didn't like much else that was shortlisted. This category has been my personal hell in recent years.

Best Costume Design

Jacqueline Durran, Barbie

Jacqueline West, Killers of the Flower Moon

Janty Yates and Dave Crossman, Napoleon

Ellen Mirojnick, Oppenheimer

Holly Waddington, Poor Things

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

Karen Hartley Thomas, Suzi Battersby, and Ashra Kelly-Blue, Golda

Kazu Hiro, Kay Georgiou, and Lori McCoy-Bell, Maestro

Luisa Abel, Oppenheimer

Nadia Stacey, Mark Coulier, and Josh Weston, Poor Things

Ana López-Puigcerver, David Martí, and Montse Ribé, Society of the Snow

Best Production Design

Sarah Greenwood and Katie Spencer, Barbie

Jack Fisk and Adam Willis, Killers of the Flower Moon

Arthur Max and Elli Griff, Napoleon

Ruth De Jong and Claire Kaufman, Oppenheimer

James Price, Shona Heath, and Zsuzsa Mihalek, Poor Things

Best Sound

Ian Voigt, Erik Aadahl, Ethan Van der Ryn, Tom Ozanich, and Dean Zupancic, The Creator

Steven A. Morrow, Richard King, Jason Ruder, Tom Ozanich, and Dean Zupancic, Maestro

Chris Munro, James H. Mather, Chris Burdon, and Mark Taylor, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One

Willie Burton, Richard King, Gary A. Rizzo, and Kevin O'Connell, Oppenheimer

Steven Ghouti, Fabiola Ordoyo, and Laia Picón, Robot Dreams

Best Visual Effects

Jay Cooper, Ian Comley, Andrew Roberts, and Neil Corbould, The Creator

Sanjay Bakshi, Stephen Marshall, Jon Reisch, Junyi Ling, Elemental

Takashi Yamazaki, Kiyoko Shibuya, Masaki Takahashi, and Tatsuji Nojima, Godzilla Minus One

Alex Wuttke, Simone Coco, Jeff Sutherland, and Neil Corbould, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One

Michael Lasker, Alan Hawkins, Bret St. Clair, Pav Grochola, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Best Animated Short

Letter to a Pig, Israel/France (The Hive Studio/Miyu Productions)

Ninety-Five Senses (MAST/V42 Venture Studio Fund)

Our Uniform, Iran

Pachyderme, France (Miyu Distribution)

War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John and Yoko (ElectroLeague)

Full write-up on this category by yours truly here.

Best Documentary Short

The ABCs of Book Banning (MTV Documentary Films)

The Barber of Little Rock (The New Yorker)

The Island in Between, Taiwan (The New York Times)

The Last Repair Shop (Los Angeles Times/Searchlight)

Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó (Walt Disney)

Full write-up on this category by yours truly here. Please don't let The ABCs of Book Banning win, I s2g.

Best Live Action Short

The After (Neon/Netflix)

Invincible, Canada (H264 Distribution)

Knight of Fortune, Denmark (TV 2)

Red, White and Blue (Majic Ink Productions)

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (Netflix)

Full write-up on this category by yours truly here. But we all know Henry Sugar is gonna win it due to Wes Anderson name recognition.

Academy Honorary Awards: Angela Bassett, Mel Brooks, and Carol Littleton

Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award: Michelle Satter

MULTIPLE NOMINEES (18) Twelve: Oppenheimer Eleven: Killers of the Flower Moon Eight: Barbie Six: The Holdovers Five: Anatomy of a Fall, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, The Taste of Things Four: American Fiction, Poor Things, Robot Dreams Three: The Creator, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, Society of the Snow, 20 Days in Mariupol Two: Fallen Leaves, Napoleon, Past Lives, The Teachers’ Lounge

WINNERS 4 wins: Killers of the Flower Moon

2 wins: The Holdovers, Oppenheimer, Society of the Snow

1 win: American Fiction, Anatomy of a Fall, Barbie, Godzilla Minus One, Knight of Fortune, The Last Repair Shop, Letter to a Pig, Poor Things, Robot Dreams, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, The Taste of Things, 20 Days in Mariupol

16 winners from 23 categories. 34 feature-length films and 15 short films were represented.

[danonrealestate]

The California Effect and the opportunities it provides

This has been a phenomenon for some time that a lot of real estate agents are jumping on, especially in Arizona and Nevada. So basically the California effect is a migrational pattern of Californians who leave the state for financial and personal reasons and settle into states like Nevada, Arizona and Texas.

The fear of a lot of these residents stems from the fact that there are now so many Californians that the rents and prices are going up. I’ve read comments by a lot of different people who talk about how rents in Northern Arizona have went up by 300% because of the influx of Californians.

It is kind of a very interesting pattern of people and has shown that where Californians settle they usually turn the area similar into California subconsciously and without even thinking.

Take the phenomenon in Austin, Texas for example, many many Californians went to that one specific area and a lot of large California companies followed suit and eventually turned that area into the next Los Angeles and San Francisco.

It’s interesting because there is a phenomenon about California where it is so big to the point that it has influence throughout the rest of the country. And it shows that it has more influence in neighboring states than Texas does in neighboring states there.

Although Idaho was hit much more by this phenomenon, Utah remains relatively untouched. Probably due to Utah having a very strong Mormon Identity and culture.

So who’s moving into California? Mostly the very wealthy and the very poor. California has a huge homeless problem where a lot of homeless from all over the country tend to migrate to California for safe havens but also very wealthy people migrate as well.

Which is why an apartment in the worst part of town is now costing 2000$ a month. Where does this come into effect and to understand this phenomenon? This is actually not a planned phenomena, this is more of a cause and effect for the difficulties of not being able to live in California.

Whether you believe Newsom is a good governor or not, there will always be a problem of migration going out of the state. It is starting to become a state where the incredibly wealthy are taking up the land and the resources, thus making it harder to work on.

Eventually you will begin to see a lot of the effects of Californians moving to these areas in droves and you will begin to see things become different.

Although we talk about the bad things, this can actually be a very good thing for an entrepreneur in the area who wishes to take his trade or craft to the next level and be able to work with Californians. If you’re an electrician, this is great for business! If you’re an auto technician, more cars with more miles on them!

Manufacturing coming to your area may also expand as you will begin to see more people come to your area and how exactly to cater to them. I myself will never leave California except for college but I have seen a lot of the world myself and it’s quite unique in a way.

If you play with stocks this might be perfect as well as you will be able to work in more markets. A new share market is starting to expand as well, the first app I use, Landa, focuses entirely on buying shares of houses and being able to see the dividends come in. I love the app actually and have been buying a lot more shares in Georgia. Georgia has an increase meanwhile shares for houses in Alabama don’t seem to be going up at all. New York is very matured now but will see more growth later on.

So there is a lot of opportunity here and over time you will see it grow. It becomes more apparent as things change and you will see more waves from other areas come in.

[awkwardpariah]

The Insurgency: After the MAGA regime fell in November of 2031 a crop of secessionist states and terrorist organizations rose from the Ashes. Most fell mere months after their formation like the Christian Republic centered in Western Nebraska and the 2nd Texas Republic around Amarillo. However, some groups managed to hold out for years. The most infamous: the American Redoubt in the Northern Rockies. Founded by the most extreme elements of the NDF and the Atomwaffen terrorist organization, they managed to keep fighting a guerilla war for 4 years thanks to their massive stockpiles of small arms. The Other War: When AOC took office, most people expected her Green New Deal to be shelved in favor of a more pragmatic, i.e. oil based, war economy. By 2032 her decision was paying real dividends. With so many oil, gas, and coal sources behind enemy lines, modernizing the country's energy grid not only proved essential to war production, but kicked off an economic boom in the Southwest, a region rapidly becoming known as the new "World's Factory." But an unlikely hero in the fight for climate change was the fledgling algae farming industry. Once limited to a handful of small sites in Los Angeles and San Francisco, the country's need for a reliable source of protein without land for livestock feed kickstarted a boom in the demand for genetically modified algae derived proteins. By 2032 once empty desert in California, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado were blanketed in algae greenhouses that not only provided a stable source of food, but also extracted a good deal of CO2 from the air, and increased the Earth's albedo, cooling the planet. The Big Linkup: After 3 years of fighting, and the hard slog across the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains, Army Groups East and West meet at Burlington, Colorado. For most people, this signals the end of the war, and indeed it does for the government as well. Both army groups will reduce in size considerably, and the conflict against the insurgents will transition over to a primarily counter-terrorist campaign against the insurgent cells. Air power and special forces units will do the bulk of the fighting from now on. Election 2032: There was no question about AOC seeking a 2nd term, and after the collapse of the MAGA regime, the idea of challenging her for the nomination seemed absurd. By the Democratic National Convention, AOC was at the height of her power and used it to finally dump Pete Buttigieg and nominate a strong VP that wouldn't try to undermine her: Senate Finance Committee Chair Katie Porter. The National Union Party puts up Utah Governor Joel Ferry, one of the few National Union Green New Dealers. The National Union Party makes a strong showing among suburban voters who are still no fans of AOC's progressive agenda, particularly with regard to her war on their portfolios, but ultimately the President wins her re-election bid thanks to the success in the war and on crafting a strong social safety-net. Crafting a New Order: 2033 is a year for ends and new beginnings. Mitt Romney dies at 86 in the middle of his third Senate term. The Senator leaves behind a legacy as the leader of the wartime loyal opposition, and in many ways the last man to carry Ronald Reagan's torch. Not long after Romney's death, Congress passes the 29th Amendment to the Constitution, which establishes informed consent and in effect bodily autonomy, an unalienable right. By Summer, those who tried to destroy those rights are charged with high treason and crimes against humanity. To cap off the year, Donald Trump Sr. is taken off life support. The former President had been brain dead for almost 3 years, kept alive by his family to maintain their legitimacy as leaders of the MAGA movement. Artemis VI: In 2029, Artemis VI lifted off from Cape Canaveral carrying six astronauts to the Gateway station and then onto Shackleton Base in the Lunar South Pole. The mission was the final flight of the SLS rocket, rushed into service before the Cape was completely surrounded by the NDF. The crew had a single assignment: mine as much water ice as was possible to keep the newly nationalized fleet of on-orbit servicing satellites, and by extension every other satellite, fueled and flying for the duration of the war. The Rebs captured the team at Kennedy Space Center, and the 2030 hurricane season trashed the Cape. No further launches could be safely conducted beyond small supply flights out of Wallops until 2034. When the Artemis 6 returned to Earth their bodies were frail, having lost muscle and bone density. But radiation damage was minimal thanks to their decision to move Shackleton into a nearby lunar lava tube. VA Day: On May 26, 2035 the town of Salmon, Idaho was completely destroyed by a combined air an artillery campaign that had been going on for a week. Salmon was the last hold out of the American Redoubt terrorist state, and its destruction finally brought Victory in America. VA Day was, in practice, a technicality. The Redoubt hadn't been able to threaten anyone outside of the Idaho panhandle for over a year, and for 4 years the insurgency had been limited to the Rockies and Appalachia. But on that day Americans everywhere celebrated the end of the bloodiest war in our country's history. Almost 9 million people had died, 2.5% of the population. 50 million people had been displaced and the war had cost the country trillions to bring to a close. Justice was still being sought by those who suffered under the MAGA regime, with Congress finally agreeing to hold a vote on the proposed War Reparations bonus to the UBI system. But for many, the debt of the war can never be paid. New Normal: With the war over Congress sets out to keep the victory they fought so hard for. A new amendment is sent to the still readmitting states for ratification, one that would give Congress the power to regulate redistricting, campaign finance, and places the country under a Ranked Choice/Popular Vote system for all elected offices, including the President. Meanwhile, the government also struggles to right many wrongs of the war, particularly with regard to the million or so Americans still displaced from the War. With the elections of 2036 on the horizon, nobody wants to be held responsible for making hard decisions. But at least one more is made with Congress agreeing not to repeat the mistakes of the past and to simply assume the war debts of the rebel states, rather than consigning them to financial ruin. <-Part III  \ Part IV

[moneyisleseo]

Broker Stock Market Charges in India for SIP Investment Plans in India

India’s stock market is one of the most dynamic and fastest-growing in the world. With millions of investors participating in wealth creation, understanding the fundamentals—from brokerage charges to SIP plans—is essential for successful investing. Whether you’re starting out or looking to diversify, this guide breaks down everything you need to know.

1. Investing in Stock Market Companies in India

Investing in the stock market involves purchasing shares of listed companies with the expectation of capital appreciation or dividend broker stock market charges in india income. In India, you can invest in top-performing companies across sectors such as:

Banking (e.g., HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank)

IT (e.g., Infosys, TCS)

Pharma (e.g., Sun Pharma, Dr. Reddy’s)

FMCG (e.g., HUL, Nestlé India)

It’s advisable to invest after researching the company’s fundamentals, past performance, and growth potential.

2. Broker Stock Market Charges in India

Every time you buy or sell a stock, you pay a fee to your broker. These brokerage charges vary across platforms and depend on the type of trade:

Intraday Trading: Usually ₹10 – ₹20 per order (flat)

Delivery Trades: Often free on discount brokers; full-service brokers may charge 0.3%–0.5%

Additional Costs: Include SEBI fees, GST, stamp duty, and transaction charges

Platforms like Zerodha, Groww, Upstox, and MoneyIsle offer competitive pricing structures for cost-effective trading.

3. Demat Account for Share Market

A Demat account holds your shares in electronic format. To start trading in India, you need:

A Demat Account to store securities

A Trading Account to buy/sell stocks

A Bank Account to transfer funds

Opening a Demat account is easy and mostly paperless now. Ensure the provider offers low annual charges, robust security, and a user-friendly interface.

4. Indian Stock Exchange Overview

India has two major stock exchanges:

NSE (National Stock Exchange)

BSE (Bombay Stock Exchange)

Both allow you to trade in equities, derivatives, bonds, ETFs, and more. NSE is known for high liquidity and modern free demat account opening in india technology, while BSE is the oldest stock exchange in Asia.

5. Best Share Market Trading Apps in India

Trading apps have revolutionized how people invest. The top apps in India include:

Zerodha Kite

Upstox

Groww

Angel One

MoneyIsle

These apps offer live market data, research tools, easy order execution, and portfolio tracking—ideal for beginners and experts alike.

6. Types of Mutual Fund Schemes

Mutual funds are a great way to diversify investments. There are different types based on your risk profile and goals:

Equity Mutual Funds – High returns, higher risk

Debt Mutual Funds – Low risk, stable returns

Hybrid Funds – Balance between equity and debt

ELSS – Tax-saving equity mutual funds under 80C

Choose based on your investment horizon, risk appetite, and financial goals.

7. SIP Investment Plans

SIPs (Systematic Investment Plans) allow you to invest a fixed amount regularly into a mutual fund scheme. Benefits include:

Rupee cost averaging

Disciplined savings

Compounding over time

SIPs are ideal for long-term goals sip calculator online in inida like retirement, education, or buying a house.

8. SIP Calculator Online

Before starting a SIP, you can use an online SIP calculator to estimate the future value of your investment. Just enter:

Monthly investment

Duration

Expected rate of return

The calculator will show the corpus you can expect at the end of the tenure, helping you plan better.

9. Mutual Fund Calculator for Better Financial Planning

A mutual fund calculator can help you:

Compare different funds

Understand expected returns

Plan investments based on future financial needs

It’s a powerful tool to stay on top of your financial game and make data-driven decisions.

Conclusion

From stock market investments to SIPs and mutual funds, India offers a wide array of opportunities for wealth creation. The key is to educate yourself, use the right best mutual funds in india tools (like calculators and trading apps), and consult reliable sources. Start small, stay consistent, and let compounding do the magic!

[10bmnews]

Angel One Interim Dividend 2025: BSE 500 Stock Declares Cash Reward Of Rs 11, Fixes Record Date

Last Updated:March 13, 2025, 13:00 IST Angel One announced a 2nd interim dividend of Rs 11 per share for FY2024-25, with a record date of March 20, 2025. Shares traded at Rs 1965.75, down 34.89% YTD. Angel One fixes March 20 as Record Date for dividend. Angel One Dividend 2025: Angel One, the online brokerage app, on Thursday announced that its board approved the declaration of 2nd interim…

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Robin Sloan’s “Moonbound”

On June 20, I'm keynoting the LOCUS AWARDS in OAKLAND.

Robin Sloan has a well-deserved reputation as a sparkly, fizzy writer, the kind of person who can tell a smart/smartass story infused with fantasy-genre whimsy but grounded in high-tech, contemporary settings (think here of Charlie Jane Anders' gorgeous All the Birds In the Sky):

https://memex.craphound.com/2016/01/26/charlie-jane-anderss-all-the-birds-in-the-sky-smartass-soulful-novel/

In Moonbound, a new, wildly ambitious solarpunk novel published today by Farrar, Strauss and Giroux, Sloan moves out of his usual, daffy, high-tech/high-weird Bay Area milieu and catapults us 11,000 years into the future, to a world utterly transformed and utterly fascinating:

https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374610609/moonbound

Moonbound's protagonist is a "chronicler," a symbiotic fungus engineered to nestle in a human's nervous system, where it serves as a kind of recording angel, storing up the memories, experiences and personalities of its host. When we meet the chronicler, it has just made a successful leap from its old host – a 10,000-years-dead warrior who had been preserved in an anaerobic crashpod ever since her ship was shot out of the sky – into the body of Ariel, a 12-year-old boy who had just invaded the long-lost tomb.

This is quite a move. This long-dormant, intelligent fungus originates a thousand years into our own future, long after the climate emergency had been (miraculously, joyously) averted and has arrived in a world ten millennia years even further down the line. It must orient itself from its position inside the nervous system of a 12-year-old, and we have to orient ourselves to having an 11,000-year-distant future explained by an intelligent fungus from 1,000 years into our own future.

This is doing fiction in hard mode, and Sloan nails it. The unraveling strangeness of Ariel's world is counterpointed with the amazing tale of the world the chronicler hails from, even as the chonicler consults with the preserved personalities of the heroes and warriors it had previous resided in and recorded.

And in this curious way, we learn of the history of the chronicler's world, and of the strange world so far into the future that Ariel lives in – and becomes incredible consequential to.

Start with the chronicler's world: on the way to solving the climate emergency, the human race figured out how to cooperate on unimaginably massive projects (for example, addressing the world's runaway carbon problem). This pays huge dividends, ushering in a period of thrilling innovation, as humans and the nonhuman intelligences they have constructed collaborate to explore out planet, our solar system, and – thanks to a faster-than-light breakthrough – our galaxy.

A crew of seven are dispatched to the ends of space with great fanfare – but when they return, they are terrified and full of grim purpose. Something they met out there in the galaxy has convinced them that humanity must never look to the stars again. They blanket the planet in a cloak of dust and establish a garrison on the moon from which they destroy any attempts to leave the Earth.

This triggers a savage war against these seven "dragons" and their moonbase. The chronicler's warrior – the one who was entombed for 10,000 years before being discovered by Ariel – was shot down on a last-ditch attempt to destroy the dragons and their base on the moon.

Flash forward 10,000 years. Ariel lives in a weird, medieval-type village, albeit one in which the peasant-types all wear high-tech performance all-weather gear…and the animals all talk. It's a very strange place – there's a sword in a stone, a wizard in a tower…and an airstrip.

Even as the chronicler is trying to make sense of this anachronistic muddle, Ariel is marching towards his destiny. In short order, he finds himself in fear for his life, and then – for the first time in his life or the life of any other villager – Ariel leaves the village.

This kicks off the road-trip part of the novel, a real bildungsroman that sees Ariel, the chronicler, and a whole Wizard-of-Oz's worth of road pals (including a rusty tin-man type robot who is part of a hive mind of thousands of other robots all over the world; oh and a talking beaver) (oh, and a dead guy) (and there's an elk with a symbiotic beehive in its antlers that dribbles a stead stream of honey down its muzzle).

My editor Patrick Nielsen Hayden once articulated a theory of how science fiction works: you have the world, which is a kind of grand thought experiment, and you have a protagonist, who is a kind of microcosm of that world. Think of the world as this big, heavy gear, and the character as a much-faster-spinning gear that meshes with the world, spinning and spinning, pushing the world inchingly around a full revolution:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/07/26/aislands/#dead-ringers

The chronicler is a perfect microcosm of this strange world, where dozens of great civilizations have arisen and fallen – the ruins of a great society of hyperintelligent rats turns out to be very useful on one part of Ariel's quest – and where the dragons brood overall, a menace in the sky that the Earth's inhabitants have all but forgotten, but whom the chronicler can't ignore.

Sloan is really having a lot of fun with his talking animals; his transdimensional gods; his space-maddened, murderous lunar AIs. On the way, he's doing all kinds of really cool tricks – like asking us to really sit with the idea of giving moral consideration to the nonhuman world, including "beings" we currently think of as inanimate objects. This is a great riff:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/06/07/more-than-human/#umwelt

Sloan's debut novel, Mr Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore, mixed the tropes and sensibilities of tech culture with a beautiful, escapist fantasy, a "curious little magic shop" tale that was absolutely delightful:

https://memex.craphound.com/2012/11/16/mr-penumbras-24-hour-bookstore-the-perfect-nerdish-fantasy/

And with Sourdough, Sloan's second book, he took that same fascination with the numinous (and with nerdy, obsessive hobbies) to the microscopic plane, with a tale of microorganisms and mystery:

https://memex.craphound.com/2017/09/05/sourdough-a-delicious-story-about-nerdism-and-the-flesh-by-robin-mr-penumbra-sloan/

Moonbound delivers Sloan's third – and best! – fusion of fantasy and science fiction, delving deep into the meaning of personhood, language and moral agency with a road-trip story that visits a dazzling collection of wildly imaginative settings and societies in an epic quest to slay the dragons on the moon.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/06/11/penumbraverse/#middle-anth

[intensifyre]

Angel One share price jumps nearly 4% ahead of dividend record date tomorrow

Angel One share price rose nearly 4% on Wednesday ahead of its record date for a second interim dividend of ₹11 per share, set for March 20, 2025. The dividend will be paid by April 12, 2025, to eligible shareholders.

Angel One share price jumped nearly 4% on Wednesday's trading session ahead of ahead of its record date for determining the shareholder eligibility for a second interim dividend of ₹11 per share. The record date and the ex-date for this purpose is March 20.

“The Board of Directors of the Company by way of circular resolution dated March 13, 2025, approved declaration of 2nd Interim Dividend for the financial year 2024-25 at the rate of ₹11 per equity share of face value of ₹10 per share of the Company. Further, as already intimated, the record date for determining the eligibility of shareholders for payment of the said interim dividend, as declared by the Board shall be Thursday, March 20, 2025,” said the brokerage firm in its exchange filing.

As stated in the exchange filing, the dividend will be paid on or before April 12, 2025, to the members listed in the Register of Members or recorded as beneficial owners of the shares in the depositories as of Thursday, March 20, 2025, which has been set as the record date for this purpose.

According to Trendlines data, Angel One has issued 17 dividends since November 2, 2020. Over the last year, Angel One Ltd. has announced an equity dividend totaling ₹11 per share. With the current share price at ₹2168.6000, the dividend yield for Angel One stands at 0.51%.

Angel One share price today

Angel One share price today opened at ₹2,114.25 apiece on the BSE, the stock touched an intraday high of ₹2,177.95, and an intraday low of ₹2,095.30 apiece.

Anshul Jain, Head of Research at Lakshmishree Investment and Securities stated that after a 14-week correction of 44.36%, Angel One share price is showing signs of a bullish reversal on the weekly chart. If the stock sustains above ₹2,150, which appears likely, a dead cat bounce toward ₹2,300—the falling 50-day EMA—can be expected. This level will act as a key resistance zone. Traders should watch for sustained strength above ₹2,150, as it could trigger short-term buying momentum before encountering resistance near ₹2,300.

Minimize your trading risks & trade smarter with our 2 DAYS FREE DEMO & Flat 30% DISCOUNT on all services. Get comprehensive knowledge high accuracy stock market tips site, Indore best research advisor, stock market research advisor by the SEBI-registered research analyst Indore. Visit- Intensify Research Services Now!

[douchebagbrainwaves]

I'VE BEEN PONDERING LANGUAGE

It's all evasion. Early stage startups are insanely risky.1 If you mention taste nowadays, a lot of us have suspected.2 They get new technology by buying the startups that seemed to me conclusive, and I wrote a lot of ways to get rich by not letting your company die. I've observed; but it does tend to vary quite a lot of people continued to write machine language until the processor, like a VC.3 Suppose it's 1998. Overloading, for example.4

How to Make Wealth in Hackers & Painters, employees seem to be plenty of examples to confirm that. But be careful. But the market forces favored by the right turn out to be will depend on what you're making.5 Related fields are also good at motivating me to do that: have rules preventing them from leaving, or fund them at the point where you can discount society's bad moods. We've barely given a thought to how to live with it. I like Paul Buchheit's suggestion of trying to make money from the rich. Yet that doesn't seem huge to investors.6 They like cafes instead of clubs; used bookshops instead of fashionable clothing shops; hiking instead of dancing; sunlight instead of tall buildings.7

We hope that as the number of sufficiently good founders starting companies, and for the first time. Other angels, particularly in university math and science departments, nerds deliberately exaggerate their awkwardness in order to test a new Lisp, and the cost can be more powerful. 6 years to go public, you won't just have fewer examples. And when you discover you've let the price get set too high to close all the money. People sometimes send me mail saying, How can you say that now? When you get an offer from a better one, and you're done.8 If someone who had to work at a small startup you've never heard of? I expect them to proliferate. Good design is timeless. In return for the exclusive right to use an OS that doesn't lose our data.

Notes

So whatever market you're in, but they seem to like to invest more, and wouldn't expect the second type to go out running or sit home and watch TV, go ahead. There are also several you can't expect you'll be well on your product, just as it's easier to take over the super-angel than a Web browser that was actively maintained would be worth trying to capture the service revenue as well as good ones. I was as bad an employee or as outside counsel, they will only be willing to be.

It doesn't end every semester like classes do.

Articles of this article are translated into Common Lisp, you have to solve a lot of people like numbers.

I chose this example deliberately as a technology center is the limit that such tricks, you'd get ten times as much the effect of this essay, I can't predict which lies future generations will consider inexcusable, I had a strange feeling of being back in July 1997 was 1. Macros very close to 18% of GDP, which merchants used to wonder if that got fixed. There are two very different types of startups as they get more votes, as it was not in the woods. They could have tried to pay out their earnings in dividends, and the leading scholars of that.

Roger Bannister is famous as the average employee. Successful founders are effective.

It requires the kind of business, A P supermarket chain because it depends on them, and why it's such a statement would merely be eccentric. The reason not to. After lunch we went to get only in startups.

Trevor Blackwell wrote the ordering system, written in C and C, which is the most successful founders is how important a duty it must have affected what they claim was the fall of 2008 but no doubt partly because companies then were more the aggregate is what you do it well enough to supply the activation energy to start a startup in a bug. You have to do with down rounds—like full ratchet anti-dilution provisions, even if the statistics they consider are useful, how do you know the answer to, the technology business.

But scholars seem to have fun in college or what grades you got in them. The two 10 minuteses have 3 weeks between them. As the name Homer, to buy you a termsheet, particularly if a company he really liked, but they start to spread them.

Thanks to Sarah Harlin, Fred Wilson, Ariel Poler, Robert Morris, and Jessica Livingston for reading a previous draft.

[faizakhansblog]

Stock Market Basics for Beginners: How to Start Trading in India

Picture this: You open a stock market chart for the first time, and it looks like something out of a sci-fi movie. Been there! When I first started, those squiggly lines and mysterious numbers might as well have been ancient hieroglyphs. But here’s the good news—if this confused beginner could figure it out, you absolutely can too.

The Story That'll Surprise You:

Did you know something fascinating? Right here in India, our National Stock Exchange (NSE) isn’t just big—it’s the world’s largest derivatives exchange by volume. Pretty impressive, right? But wait till you hear this: from 2019 to 2023, Demat accounts in India exploded from 35 million to over 110 million. Think about it—that’s like the entire population of a small country joining the investment world!

And if you’re thinking, “Isn’t this just for rich folks?”—the Sensex has a story to tell. From a modest 1,000 points in the ‘90s to dancing above 60,000 today, it’s proof that patience pays off in the market.

Getting Started: Your Step-by-Step Journey

The Essential Toolkit 🗂️

Just like you wouldn’t cook without ingredients, you can’t trade without these basics: ✔ PAN Card (Your financial identity) ✔ Aadhaar Card ✔ An active bank account ✔ Proof of address ✔ A few passport photos ✔ Recent bank statements (especially if you’re eyeing derivatives)

Setting Up Your Trading Hub 💻

You’ll need two key players:

A Demat Account – Your digital share vault.

A Trading Account – Your market gateway.

💡 Pro Tip: Check out platforms like Zerodha Kite, ICICI Direct, or Angel Broking. They’ve made the process so smooth that you can set everything up online in just 2-3 days!

Speaking Stock Market Language 📚

Remember how confusing cricket commentary was before you learned the game? Market terms are similar:

Market Cap = A company’s league ranking.

Volume = Today’s popularity contest.

P/E Ratio = The “Is it worth it?” number.

Dividend Yield = Your patience reward.

Volatility = The stock’s drama quotient.

Your Path to Success 💰

Let me share some wisdom I wish someone had shared with me:

The Golden Rules ✨

✔ Start tiny (seriously, no need to go big). ✔ Only invest what won’t keep you up at night. ✔ Mix things up (different stocks = better sleep). ✔ Keep emotions in the backseat. ✔ Always have an exit plan (for both wins and losses).

Smart Money Moves 💡

The 20% Rule: Save first, then invest.

Age-Based Planning: 100 minus your age = stock percentage.

Time Horizon: Think 5+ years for real results.

Mistakes to Skip (Thank Me Later!) 🚫

We all stumble, but here’s your cheat sheet to avoid the big ones: ❌ Going in blind (research is your best friend). ❌ Following random “experts” (social media isn’t your financial advisor). ❌ The one-stock gamble (spread those wings!). ❌ Playing with borrowed money (just… no). ❌ Emotional trading (your gut isn’t always right).

Level Up Your Market Game 📈

Think of this like building a skill tree:

Foundation Skills:

✔ Make financial news your morning coffee companion. ✔ Join investor communities (learn from others’ wins and oops moments). ✔ Attend Mudrank webinars & workshops (knowledge = power). ✔ Practice with paper trading (free mistakes!).

Track Your Journey:

✔ Keep a trading diary. ✔ Note your “why” for every trade. ✔ Monthly review sessions (celebrate wins, learn from losses).

Your Reading List 📚

Want to dig deeper? These books changed my game:

📘 Trading Adventures:

Technical Analysis of Financial Markets – Murphy’s chart magic.

How to Make Money in Stocks – O’Neil’s success blueprint.

Trading in the Zone – Master your trading mindset.

📗 Long-term Wealth Building:

The Intelligent Investor – Buffett’s bible.

Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits – Fisher’s wisdom gems.

One Up On Wall Street – Lynch’s street-smart guide.

Ready to Begin? 🚀

Remember: The stock market isn’t a casino—it’s more like growing a garden. Plant your seeds, tend them carefully, and watch your wealth flourish over time.

Your Launch Sequence:

✔ Document collection ✅ ✔ Account setup ✅ ✔ Basic learning (you’re doing it now!) ✅ ✔ Paper trading practice ✅ ✔ Small, real investments ✅

Every market wizard started exactly where you are. They just took that first step and kept walking.

📢 Drop your questions below! What’s holding you back from starting your investment journey? Let’s tackle those concerns together! 🌱

💡 Remember: The best investment you can make is in learning. Start small, stay curious, and enjoy the journey!

[confirmedroofingexperts]

Metal Roofing Los Angeles CA

Protect Your Home With Metal Roofing: A Smart Choice For Severe Weather

Choosing a reliable roofing material is essential for protecting your home, especially in severe weather conditions. Metal roofing Los Angeles CA stands out as an exceptional choice for such conditions.

These offer unmatched durability, energy efficiency, and minimal maintenance while enhancing your home's aesthetic appeal. Here's why metal roofing is the top choice for homeowners facing harsh climates.

Unparalleled Durability and Longevity

Metal roofs are preferred for their extraordinary resilience. They are designed to endure the most severe weather conditions, including torrential rain, powerful winds, hailstorms, and heavy snowfall.

Unlike traditional roofing materials that may degrade or require frequent repairs, metal roofs maintain their structural integrity over decades, offering peace of mind to homeowners.

Superior Weather Resistance

A key reason homeowners opt for metal roofing in challenging climates is its ability to withstand extreme weather:

High Winds: Metal roofs offer exceptional resistance to strong winds, with many systems rated to endure gusts exceeding 140 miles per hour.

Heavy Snow and Ice: In colder climates, metal roofing efficiently sheds snow and ice, reducing the risk of roof collapse or ice dam formation.

Hail Resistance: Thanks to its robust construction, metal roofing provides outstanding protection against hail, minimizing dents and structural damage.

This superior performance ensures your home remains safe and secure, no matter what nature throws its way.

Energy Efficiency and Cost Savings

Metal roofing is an environmentally friendly and cost-effective solution for extreme climates. Its reflective properties reduce heat absorption, keeping your home cooler during hot summers and significantly lowering energy bills.

Many homeowners see a noticeable reduction in cooling costs, making metal roofs a wise investment for long-term energy efficiency.

Minimal Maintenance Requirements

One of the most attractive benefits of metal roofing is its low maintenance. Unlike materials prone to rot, mold, or insect damage, metal roofs are highly resistant to these common issues.

This durability reduces the need for regular upkeep or costly roof repair Los Angeles CA, saving homeowners time and money over the roof's lifespan.

Eco-Friendly and Sustainable Choice

Metal roofing is an excellent choice for environmentally conscious homeowners. Not only is it made from recyclable materials, but it is also 100% recyclable at the end of its life.

This sustainability makes it a smart choice for reducing environmental impact while enjoying the benefits of a highly durable roof.

Aesthetic Versatility

Beyond its functional advantages, metal roofing offers incredible design versatility. Available in various styles, colors, and finishes, it can seamlessly blend with any architectural aesthetic.

Whether you prefer a modern, sleek look or a classic, traditional style, metal roofing can elevate your home's overall appearance while providing robust protection.

Conclusion

Metal roofing is the ultimate solution for homeowners living in regions with harsh weather conditions. Its unparalleled durability, weather resistance, energy efficiency, low maintenance requirements, and aesthetic versatility make it an investment that pays dividends in performance and peace of mind.

Choosing metal roofing means safeguarding your home against the elements while enhancing its beauty and value for decades.

Experience unparalleled durability, energy efficiency, and peace of mind with premium metal roofing solutions by Confirmed Roofing Experts!

Whether you're facing harsh weather or upgrading your home, our experts are here to help. Contact Commercial Roofing Los Angeles CA now for a free consultation, and let's build a stronger, safer roof together.

[sharebazaar-intensifyresearch]

Angel One share price in focus as will trade Ex-dividend today

Intensify research services At Intensify Research, Indore best research advisor in investment tips , Top high accuracy stock market tips site for investor.Whether you’re looking for short-term opportunities or long-term growth, our precise recommendations are designed to maximize your investment return the best low risk investment options long-term growth. stock market To visit- intensify research.com