#Best Computer centre franchise

[akshayss]

Free computer education franchise

Bitieducation is a free computer education franchise that equips students with practical knowledge for the modern world.

[stephensmithuk]

The Hound of the Baskervilles: The Stapletons of Merripit House

A mullion is a vertical divider in a window.

A scullery maid was the lowest ranking female servant in the household, who would wash the dishes and sometimes the clothing too. Snow White and Cinderella started off in this role.

It would take Watson around two hours to walk to Grimpen. I've done longer walks and I suppose he would have done so in his Army days.

A grocer is a person who runs a grocery, which in British English is analagous to a general store, where you would buy most everyday items, including the most common newspapers and magazines. We would also distinguish these days between the larger supermarket (grocery store) and the smaller corner shop (what New Yorkers would call a bodega); frequently run by immigrants or their immediate descendants. This is an example of the latter.

I do not know how common it was then, but today it is very common, even in major cities, to have a Post Office counter as part of another store such as a corner shop; these franchised businesses are run by subpostmasters. The Post Office, as well as post, provides banking services for both its own financial business and for other banks or building societies. The computer system that was used for financial transactions by them, Horizon, is currently at the centre of a major scandal.

Dartmoor has many peat bogs. The Ordnance Survey maps give their general location, but their exact size varies depending on conditions. Walkers frequently end up in them by accident or lack of experience; safe routes are marked out, but not always easy to see. The vast majority are not that deep and the worst that will happen is a case of smelly, muddy embarrassment. However, some are deeper, where you can end up with a risk of hypothermia - there are no less than four volunteer Mountain Rescue teams in the area to help people in difficulty.

Then some are straight up lethal, especially to animals. A gallop is the fastest horse speed setting - a horse can run at around 25 to 30mph for up to three kilometres before getting winded. So, not a good idea to do it on boggy land.

Grimpen Mire is believed to have been inspired by Fox Tor Mire:

There are 14 species of bittern. One of them is the Eurasian bittern, which was indeed extinct in the UK for a while when this story takes place and is still only here in limited numbers with its habitat. The species as a whole currently rated "Least Concern" but in decline.

The Neolithic period lasted from c.10,000 BC to c.2,000 BC, being the final period of the Stone Age. There is a timber track pathway in Somerset, the oldest recorded road, dating back to c. 3,838 BC.

Cyclopides was an old name for several species of South African Skipper butterflies. They tend to be found in southern Africa, not Dartmoor:

Miss Stapleton must deem the situation urgent to leave without her hat; people did not as a general rule go hatless in this period, even the poorest usually had some form of cap.

[curiousb]

The DBU Alumni Newsletter: Volume II

In this issue, we're welcoming some more alumni back to Merybury, including Hester. While she's yet to make any headway in the world of sport, we're sure that she's destined for great things, once she finds her niche!

~ Pisces 7 / 7 / 9 / 6 / 8

~ Daredevil / Kind / Dog Person / Bookworm / Workaholic

~ OTH: Sport

~ Favourite Colour(s): Turquoise

~ Aspiration: Fortune / Popularity

~ Turn-ons / -off: +Athletic / +Well-liked / -Unique

~ Major: Economics (3.8)

~ LTW: Earn $100,000

In the meantime, she's still spending a lot of time with Eleanor.

Hester's younger sister Sally has also recently returned home.

~ Cancer 10 / 5 / 8 / 2 / 4

~ Athletic / Brave / Perfectionist / Avant Garde / Proper

~ OTH: Fitness

~ Favourite Colour: Magenta

~ Aspiration: Fortune / Knowledge

~ Turn-ons/off: +Fitness / +Cultured / -Laid Back

~ Major: Economics (3.6)

~ LTW: Become Personal Trainer

Although her family are concerned that her ongoing on-off romance with Louie might not be in her best interests.

Louie has already made their mark on the culinary landscape of Merybury, and reports that they have many ambitious plans for the future, including embarking on a gastronomic tour of the Sim East, publishing a series of best-selling cookbooks and establishing their own high-end restaurant franchise.

~ Aries 5 / 9 / 7 / 5 / 2

~ Diva / Hot-headed / Natural Cook / Workaholic / Schmoozer

~ OTH: Cuisine

~ Favourite Colour(s): Light Blue

~ Aspiration: Romance / Fortune

~ Turn-ons / -off: +Stylish / +Brown Hair / -Laid Back

~ Major: Philosophy (3.0)

~ LTW: Become Celebrity Chef

Perhaps Sally's family have cause for concern, as Louie has also regularly been spotted in the company of local healthcare professional Joanna.

Also flying high in his chosen career path - with his insider insight into alien culture - is Erasmus.

~ Aries 6 / 5 / 3 / 2 / 4

~ Brave / Cat Person / No Sense of Humour / Computer Whiz / Can’t Stand Art

~ OTH: Science

~ Favourite Colour(s): Lime Green

~ Aspiration: Knowledge / Family

~ Turn-ons / -off: +Alien / +Mechanical / -Daydreamer

~ Major: Mathematics (3.2)

~ LTW: Discover 10 Stars and 10 Planets

He also still finds time to conduct his own independent astronomical research.

And is settling well into the local community.

He and his fiancé Edward have moved into a small house in the centre of town.

Where Edward dreams of establishing his own pottery studio.

~ Libra 2 / 10 / 6 / 10 / 3

~ Artistic / Over-emotional / Good Sense of Humour / Hopeless Romantic / Workaholic

~ OTH: Arts & Crafts

~ Favourite Colour(s): Yellow / Red

~ Aspiration: Romance / Knowledge

~ Turn-ons / -off: +Artistic / +Alien / -Blonde Hair

~ Major: Art (3.3)

LTW: Sculpt 100 Pieces on Pottery Wheel

We finish with Nathan - another high achiever, who's making a big splash in the world of politics.

~ Libra 6 / 8 / 6 / 2 / 10

~ Friendly / Athletic / Neat / Can’t Stand Art / Schmoozer

~ OTH: Fitness

~ Favourite Colour(s): Red / Blue

~ Aspiration: Popularity / Romance

~ Turn-ons / -off: +Athletic / +Well-liked / -Occult

~ Major: Political Science (3.0)

~ LTW: ?

He and Lillian have enjoyed a whirlwind romance, since meeting in his final year at DBU.

And in fact, they are delighted to announce their recent engagement!

Welcome to Merybury, Lillian! (After a rather extensive makeover - I confess that her features were just a bit too Maxis for my liking, so they got a fairly major overhaul.)

~ Aquarius 2 / 6 / 10 / 2 / 5

~ Daredevil / Green Thumb / Loves To Swim / Social Butterfly / Mooch

~ OTH: Sport

~ Favourite Colour(s): Green

~ Aspiration: Family / Pleasure

~ Turn-ons / -off: +Athletic / +Blonde Hair / -Occult

~ LTW: Reach Top of Social Services Career

[momatos]

Most Profitable Franchise Business Opportunities In India

In the dynamic landscape of Indian business, franchise opportunity has emerged as a powerful model for entrepreneurs seeking profitable ventures with reduced risk. With its vast consumer base and rapidly growing economy, India offers a plethora of franchise opportunities across various sectors. Whether it's food and beverage, education, health and wellness, or retail, there's something for every aspiring franchisee. In this blog, we'll explore the top profitable franchise business opportunities in India.

 1. Food and Beverage:

The food industry in India is thriving, making it an ideal sector for franchise in india. Fast food chains like McDonald's, Subway, and Domino's Pizza have already established a strong presence, but there's still ample room for new players. Coffee shops, ice cream parlours, and specialty restaurants catering to regional cuisines are also in high demand.

 2. Education and Training:

With the emphasis on skill development and education, the most profitable franchises of the education sector. Tutoring centres, preschools, and coaching institutes for competitive exams offer lucrative opportunities. Franchises like Kidzee, Aptech, and FIITJEE have capitalised on this growing market.

 3. Health and Wellness:

As Indians become more health-conscious, franchises in the health and wellness industry are witnessing significant growth. Gyms, yoga studios, and spas are highly sought after. Additionally, healthcare clinics offering specialised services like physiotherapy, dental care, and dermatology are gaining popularity.

 4. Retail:

The retail sector in India is diverse, encompassing clothing, accessories, electronics, and more. Franchises that offer unique products or cater to niche markets have a competitive edge. Brands like Momatos, Manyavar, Raymond, and Croma are examples of some of the most successful retail franchises in India, of which you must buy a franchise, expecting the highest ROI.

 5. Beauty and Personal Care:

The beauty industry in India is experiencing exponential growth, driven by increasing disposable incomes and changing consumer preferences. Franchises offering salon services, skincare treatments, and beauty products are thriving. Lakmé Salon, Naturals, and VLCC are prominent players in this space.

 6. Fitness:

With rising awareness about fitness and wellness, franchises in the fitness industry are witnessing a surge in demand. Gymnasiums, martial arts centres, and dance studios cater to individuals of all ages and fitness levels. International brands like Gold's Gym and Anytime Fitness have made their mark in the Indian market.

7. Real Estate:

India's booming real estate sector presents numerous opportunities for franchising. Property management services, real estate agencies, and brokerage firms are in high demand. Franchises offering comprehensive solutions for buying, selling, and renting properties have immense potential for growth.

 8. Automotive:

As India's automotive industry continues to expand, franchises in the automotive sector are flourishing. Car wash centres, automobile service stations, and spare parts stores are essential for vehicle owners. Some of the best franchises to own like Carnation Auto and 3M Car Care have capitalised on the country's love affair with automobiles.

 9. Home Services:

With busy lifestyles becoming the norm, there's a growing demand for home services franchises. Cleaning services, pest control, and maintenance services alleviate the burden of household chores for busy urbanites. Franchises offering reliable and efficient home services are highly sought after.

10. Technology:

In India's increasingly digital landscape, franchises in the technology sector have immense potential. Mobile phone repair shops, computer sales, and IT services cater to the tech-savvy population. Franchises offering innovative solutions and staying abreast of technological advancements can thrive in this competitive market.

In conclusion, the franchise business model offers a gateway to entrepreneurship with reduced risk and a proven business model. With the right opportunity and strategic approach, aspiring franchisees can tap into India's vast market potential and embark on a journey towards profitability and success.

[squideo]

The Best Animated Christmas Adverts of All Time

We love a Christmas advert in Britain. Whenever the latest John Lewis or Marks & Spencer Christmas advert is released it makes news headlines. The public takes to the internet to compare it to adverts of past and rank which advert has been the best tear-jerker so far.

At Squideo, our favourite Christmas ads are the animated variety. We love to see what other animation companies are experimenting with, which pop culture characters are in the public consciousness, and what audiences are responding to. We’re ranking our ten favourite animated Christmas adverts (to date). Let us know if we missed your pick!

10 Best Animated Christmas Adverts

10. It’s a Wonderful Flight | Heathrow Airport 2017

Combining live-action and CGI, the iconic Heathrow Bears sold at Heathrow Airport take centre stage in this advert. On a series of Christmas Eve flights, a family of Heathrow Bears grows over the years in a video which promotes the staff of Heathrow Airport who work throughout the Christmas holiday as well as this classic souvenir.

09. Paddington & The Christmas Visitor | Marks and Spencer 2017

Released in the same year as Paddington 2, Marks and Spencer took advantage of the film’s publicity by making this special bear the star of their Christmas advert. The video subtly places M&S products throughout, but it is Ben Whishaw who is the star of this advert along with Mark Benton and a cameo from Angela Ripon. M&S rarely hold back on the celebrity guest stars in their adverts, but it is the touching scene at the end of this advert that truly makes it memorable.

08. A Comfy Carol | DFS 2020

Wallace and Gromit have been popular characters since they first graced the screen in 1989, and DFS must have known they had a safe bet when they approached Aardman Animation to make their Christmas advert. The product placement – a warm and comfortable couch – only appears at the very end of the video, with much of the advert dedicated to Wallace’s typical eccentricities and Gromit’s usual exasperation.

07. Northern Lights | Coca Cola 1993

The Coca Cola polar bears have been a popular mascot used by the company since 1993, often appearing in their advertising in the run up to Christmas. This simple advert departed from the brand’s usual live-action human-centric videos and used state-of-the-art computer animation. The ad was so popular that even Coca Cola’s competitors Pepsi got in on the action, eventually releasing their own polar bear advert. Who knew bears loved soft drinks so much?

06. Inner Child | McDonald’s 2020

Made in support of FareShare UK, this 3D animated McDonald’s advert doesn’t rely on characters from famous franchises. Instead it creates its own original characters, a mother and a son whose relationship is strengthened over a McDonald’s happy meal. Animation is cleverly used to show the son’s growing distance, contrasted with his inner child who longs to participate in all the Christmas traditions. Joining McDonald’s existing #ReindeerReady campaign, it ends with them setting out McDonald’s provided carrot sticks in wait of Santa’s arrival.

05. Get More Out Of Giving | Very 2019

Another yearly campaign, Very’s Get More Out Of Giving promotes community and kindness during the Christmas holidays. In 2019, Very used 3D animation to create a neighbourhood coming together to create a gift for one of the residents. Very has used the same street of houses in previous adverts and takes advantage of the existing character development to advance the story. Using Very branding in the form of a glowing pink present, it is a subtle advert without any product placement that effectively pulls on the heartstrings.

04. Father Christmas to the Rescue | Barbour 2020

Using the beloved animation of Raymond Briggs’ Father Christmas, this advert was inspired by a real incident which is credited at the end of the video. After the family dog rips an heirloom Barbour jacket, Father Christmas is called upon to mend it. The advert signposts the repair services Barbour offer, rather than promoting buying a new replacement. It’s a sweet story, but the best part is seeing Briggs’ characters brought to life yet again.

03. Mog’s Christmas Calamity | Sainsbury’s 2015

Prepare for the advert guaranteed to bring tears to Scrooge’s eyes. Narrated by author Judith Kerr, the original creator of Mog who also cameos in the video, this live-action and 3D animation advert was accompanied by a Sainsbury-exclusive book and plush toy with proceeds going to Save the Children. Mog gets up to his usual antics, and the Thomas’ home catches fire – destroying the downstairs living area in a moment which brings the fun calamity to a sobering moment. Quickly the neighbourhood rallies around the family, cleaning up the house and sharing their Christmas. It’s an emotional rollercoaster which instantly became a Christmas advert classic.

02. The Stepdad | Disney 2021

Part of Disney’s From Our Family to Yours campaign, the company continues its support of Make-A-Wish International through sales of the video’s original song performed by Gregory Porter. The second advert to follow this growing family, the titular stepdad struggles to find his place in the household but fortunately the love he and his step kids share for Disney comes to the rescue. From watching original Disney programming, reading Disney books and building a Disney-inspired gingerbread house, there’s no shortage of product placement in this advert. And yet, despite this, it keeps the characters central and creates a heartwarming story.

01. The Bear and the Hare | John Lewis 2013

Combining 2D and stop-motion animation, this was the video that started John Lewis’ reign as the Christmas advert titan. Using Lily Allen’s cover of Somewhere Only We Know, the single became a UK number one hit and the video has over 54 million views on YouTube. Every John Lewis advert since is compared to The Bear and the Hare. From its beautifully animated characters to the simplicity of the story, there was no other advert in the running for our number one spot.

Create Your Own Animated Video

Did your favourite animated Christmas advert make the list? Why not get started on an animated video of your own. Get in touch with us to find out more!

[amityuniversitykolkata]

Amity University Kolkata: Final Destination for Engineering and MBA Degree

Amity University Kolkata accredits among the top engineering colleges in Kolkata also, a degree in MBA from Amity University Kolkata offers exceptional academic possibilities to forge an environment of panoramic growth. Recognized as one of the best universities in Kolkata, Amity University Kolkata MBA caters to assorted students, providing internationally acclaimed education and talent nurturing. When it comes to pursuing higher education in Kolkata, Amity University stands out as one of the top engineering colleges in the city. Hosting a strong reputation for academic excellence and a comprehensive range of courses, Amity University Kolkata offers students a world-class learning experience. The university offers an outstanding curriculum, state-of-the-art facilities, lively hostel life, and a stature among the top engineering colleges in Kolkata.

MBA from Amity University Kolkata 

If you are considering to enrol in the Amity University Kolkata MBA  program, it is imperative to note that the university prioritizes a holistic learning experience. One of the key highlights of Amity University Kolkata is its esteemed MBA program. The university focuses on furnishing students with a solid foundation in business and the fundamentals of management, thereby making it highly appraised. Students from all over the country aspire to pursue an MBA from Amity University Kolkata, acknowledging the opportunities it provides for personal and professional growth.

Students are exposed to a wide range of subjects such as 

Financial Modelling

Franchising in Retail

Marketing Management

Organizational Behaviour

Foreign Business Language

The University comprises of an in-house Amity Centre for Career Development (ACCD). The ACCD comprises experienced industry professionals who understand the job markets and are well-networked with industry recruiters. The Fortune 500 and Fortune 100 companies lay their trust in the ACCD. 

To apply for MBA from Amity University Kolkata one needs a Graduation degree (minimum 50%) and 10+2 (minimum 50%). Students from all over the country aspire to pursue an MBA from Amity University Kolkata, recognizing the opportunities it provides for personal and professional growth.

An MBA from Amity University Kolkata also offers a unique blend of theoretical knowledge and practical exposure. The curriculum is designed to equip students with the skills necessary to excel in the corporate world. From Technology Management, Media Management, Business Analytics, Insurance and Banking, and more, students have the opportunity to specialize in their areas of interest. The faculty comprises experienced industry professionals and renowned academicians who provide invaluable insights and guidance to the students.

Amity University Kolkata takes pride in its state-of-the-art infrastructure and well-equipped campus. The university boasts a cutting-edge 15,000 sq. ft library housed with 23,000 books and 17,000 online journals, contemporary classrooms, futuristic laboratories, and pioneering technology, ensuring that students have access to the foremost resources at their disposal. In addition, the campus is a hub for a vibrant and conducive learning environment, fostering interaction and collaboration among students.

Amity University Kolkata also offers a range of engineering courses besides its exceptional MBA program. As one of the top engineering colleges in Kolkata, the university provides undergraduate and postgraduate programs in various disciplines, including

Computer Science

Mechanical Engineering,

Electrical Engineering

Civil Engineering. 

The engineering faculty at Amity University Kolkata comprises dexterous professors and industry experts who impart practical knowledge and skills to their learners.

Amity University Kolkata emphasizes maximal advancement. The university offers a wide array of extracurricular activities and opportunities to engage its learners in sports, cultural events, and community service. Amity University Kolkata nurtures all-rounders who possess not only academic brilliance but also leadership qualities and a sense of social responsibility.In conclusion, Amity University Kolkata is a premier educational institution that stands tall among the top engineering colleges in Kolkata. With its outstanding MBA program and a range of engineering courses, the university provides students with a comprehensive curriculum that prepares them for successful careers. Amity University Kolkata is thereby an ideal choice for students seeking quality education and a transformative learning experience. Whether it is an MBA from Amity University Kolkata or pursuing engineering studies, students can expect to receive a globally acclaimed education. For more info visit https://www.amity.edu/index.aspx 

Source : https://sites.google.com/view/amity-university-kolkata-mba/home?authuser=7

[letssgolesbians]

pokemon violet game review

Pokemon Violet is a recent game in the pokemon franchise where you play as a pokemon trainer in the region of Paldea - a sprawling land of vast open spaces dotted with lakes, towering peaks, wastelands and perilous mountain ranges. It is an open world game with a lot of freedom in order of doing quests. There are three main stories - the classic gym battles to gain the status of champion, the pokemon titans that will give you new abilities after defeating, and the Starfall storyline, which has you facing off against a group of rebellious students and defeating their different type themed bases and leaders. You are enrolled at the prestigious Uva Academy, where you can take different classes to learn new things and begin your independent study project - The Treasure Hunt. There are new teachers and students to meet, and a variety of easter eggs to explore in the academy. There is also a new multiplayer option, where your friends can join your world and play in it like its their own. You can use the poke portal to do surprise trades online or play against others in the Battle Stadium.

In terms of customisation, there are not a lot of clothing options - basically just the uniforms and gym outfits, but the character customisation is good with options for new unnatural hair colours, and accessories to gain. The starting pokemon are absolutely adorable, and there are lots of new powerful and mysterious pokemon in the game. You will be able to ride your legendary pokemon - Miraidon - from the early game.

The new pokemon feature is terrastallizing, where you can terrastallize pokemon at different points in a battle to unlock their tera types - their secondary types which will gain more power in their moves. You can also do online tera battles or play with computers against rampaging terrastallized pokemons to gain rewards and have the option to catch the defeated pokemon.

It is a RPG game, available only on Nintendo Switch, and suitable for ages 7+. There are about 32 hours of gameplay on the main quest, but if you strive for 100% completion, you could make it 79 hours total. There are also regular events and access to the pokemon home, allowing you to add in pokemon from your previous games. Pokemon Violet has a futuristic aesthetic while still maintaining the feeling of a classic pokemon game.

There are a moderate amount of accessibility features: you can change the text speed in the options menu, adjust the volume of game elements with simple audio sliders, and alter controller rumble. You also have to option to ask your pokemon for advice when learning new moves, to see what the best possible switch would be, which is very helpful if you struggle with decision making. The game contains a mini map with options to set markers for destinations you wish to go to, and then showing the direction for that destination on your minimap. You can request advice from pokemon centres on where to go next, which maintains the freedom of the game while also giving the option for structure. NPC trainers do not automatically initiate battles, instead showing speech bubbles above their head so you can walk up and start battles after speaking to them, reducing stress about surprise battles. Shiny pokemon are now significantly less easy to spot, with almost no different clues except a barely distinguishable colour change, which may put visually impaired users at a high disadvantage. It is not possible to remap controls onto a single joycon. There is no text to speech option.

The end goal is to complete all three main stories and another endgame story, with nice options for endgame challenges. It is not extremely difficult, and you can learn more about gameplay mechanics in the Academy. It has an okay replayability value, with options for building new pokemon teams, but your choices won't really change much in the game. There are some bugs, but graphics are nice and relatively smooth, with a 3D art style.

It was released on the 18th November 2022. The rating is 7.8 on IGN with 85% positive reviews.

Overall, I really loved this game - the new open world concept was fun to explore, I enjoyed taking the optional classes at Uva Academy, the three main storylines were fun to play and I really liked the variety of characters, I particularly enjoyed building my team and riding Miraidon around Paldea, and I have the DLC coming out at the end of this year preordered!! Would definitely recommend.

[ajayguptabachpan]

best Entrepreneur on Wheel Chair, Education Investor,

At just 9 months, Ajay Gupta was diagnosed with polio, Entrepreneur on Wheel Chair or which left both his legs and left hand paralysed. Today, he has a 70 per cent locomotive disability. He faced many setbacks in his childhood, the biggest one being that he couldn’t attend school till he turned six, as there weren’t any facilities then. https://www.ajaygupta.info/   +91 8860619144

Going to school was no walk in the park for Ajay. He had to join a nearby government school while his siblings went to better schools that were far off.

9988/B-1, S.K Tower, New Rohtak Rd, Sarai Rohilla, New Delhi, Delhi 110005

He was accompanied by a helper from home who would carry him to school. The same helper would assist him to the washroom at school too.

After finishing class 12, Ajay was unable to go to college despite having family backing and the urge to study. The reason – lack of accessibility.

“Even today, hi is the best Education Investor schools and colleges are not accessible for the disabled. Imagine the situation more than three decades back. In school, we could request the authorities to let a helper come with us, but these liberties could not be taken in college. Therefore, I did my graduation through correspondence,” adds Ajay.

However, he did not let these obstacles hinder his progress.

At the age of 16, he made the most of his time by beginning to trade the teacher of his ninth-grade commerce class, he says, inspired his sense of enterprise. And hi is the best and growing Entrepreneur on Wheel Chair

“In our first class of Commerce, our teacher spoke about what is needed to be a good businessman, in which he spoke about risk-taking ability. And I was sold on the idea that day itself, and decided that I would be a businessman,” says Ajay. While pursuing his graduation, he started working at his family businesses, which included a sweet shop and an exports business. By the age of 24, he set up a string of successful businesses, including some chit fund companies, computer education centres, etc.

Improving playschool education

When Ajay had children, he noticed a gap in pre-primary education, especially in playschools. He realised that it was only the very affluent who were able to access quality education at the playschool level.

“I could not attend playschool. Several decades later, when I enrolled my children in playschool, I was not happy with the quality of education being provided. And I always wanted to do something in the field of education. Finally, I had my breakthrough in 2002,” says Ajay. He started the groundwork for building a playschool chain in 2002 and worked on it for two years. He felt that there was ample space in the education sector.

“The playschool industry was not that established, there was no curriculum. When I saw my daughter’s preschool book set, I felt cheated. There were only one or two books. This motivated me to research for two years and make playschool education more reliable and justified. I then developed a curriculum, content, and educational toys. We also conducted teacher training, and were ready for launch in 2004,” he says.

However, Ajay faced a setback in setting up the playschools, as he wanted to set up a franchise network.

“I had a clear business model in mind. I didn’t want to set up one or two playschools, I wanted to build a chain across the country. The beginning was very tough, as people were apprehensive about taking up our franchise. Even my family and friends thought that my plan was wrong. However, we started with a school in Delhi, then Punjab, and once the schools started doing well, there was no looking back,” says Ajay.

[stereax]

Hi anon! Just hopped onto my computer so I can type quickly. Let's do this. Side note - I love these kinds of asks, because it means I get to do my favoritest thing: ramble about hockey.

@sportsthoughts, sorry if this annoys you! @reavenedges-lies, thanks for the ping!

Prospects and the NHL: A Story

Let's play a game. I'll give you a few quotes. You tell me who these are about.

"A dynamic, game-breaking talent. He can create offence on his own and will be a difference-maker in the NHL. He will be a star in the NHL."

"Arguably the best prospect available. … First and foremost is his skating. He maintains a low centre of gravity, great strength in his lower body and his quick footwork gives him exceptional acceleration. … The release on his shot is powerful and accurate."

Which NHL player were these glowing draft-era reports about? Sidney Crosby? Connor Bedard?

Nope. Nail Yakupov.

That Nail Yakupov, the notorious 1OA draft bust from 2012. Some say it was a personality issue. Some say his skill just couldn't translate. Yakupov himself blames a lot of it on coaches not teaching him at the NHL level.

His stats? 350GP, 62G, 74A, 136P, over 6 seasons.

Here's another one.

"I don't see any vulnerability or weakness in his game. He's so big, so strong, with great hockey sense, and he's totally unselfish. I think he'll be an A-plus, franchise player."

"He's got size, speed and skill up the middle, and that's just hard to find in one package."

Who is this? Connor McDavid? Nate MacKinnon?

Nope. Nolan Patrick.

That Nolan Patrick, the 2OA draft "bust" from 2017. Now, NolPat's reason for flaming out is patently obvious: a migraine disorder that ruined his chance at an NHL career before it even really got going. This is why I also really hate calling him a "bust" - he's not a bust in the way Yakupov or Stefan or Daigle were. He just couldn't play any more.

His stats? 222GP, 32G, 45A, 77P, over 4 seasons.

Both of these prospects were arguably "rushed" to the NHL. This "rushing" did not help and certainly might have destroyed Yakupov's, if not Patrick's, careers. This is why nowadays, there is massive wariness of calling up rookies before they're ready. Back in the 1980s, 90s, and so on, the league was young and rookies were coming in young. One can partially attribute this to the very North American-ness of the league back then, or the many expansion teams that drove average player age down, or the relative instability of the minor leagues of hockey. Nowadays, with a fairly constant team number, things are different. You don't want to push a kid to the NHL at 18 and see him leave the league by 25. From a business standpoint, it's a waste of an asset; from a personal standpoint, you could ruin someone's life.

Hockey is a complicated sport. There are a bunch of factors in "NHL readiness" that pundits and others debate about endlessly. I'll cover a few here for you.

European versus North American ice.

North American ice is often referred to as "smaller" than international ice. This is especially true east-west, where NHL rinks are 85% of the size of international ones. This fundamentally changes how a team can play and creates a "smaller" and "faster" game in the NHL. For prospects who played in Europe, this change in rink dimensions takes adjusting. Some can't do it and flame out at the minor league level in the Americas, then go back to Europe and play like stars there. Take Leon Gawanke of the DEL's Adler Mannheim as an example here. Despite being a relatively good offensive defenseman in the minor leagues, he could never "put it together" on North American ice enough to get a call-up to the NHL. He's now the Adler's poster child.

Play without the puck.

This is one of the biggest things coaches emphasize at the sub-NHL level. Anyone can get a puck and score. If you watch CHL/NCAA hockey, you'll see that there is a veritable plethora of kids who can put a puck in a net. It's important to recognize that there are only so many top-line players in the NHL, though. Many times, you draft a player, possibly in the first round, and you expect they'll be a top-six player, but it turns out that they can't do that at the NHL level. Curtis Lazar, for example, put up 76 points in 58 games his final pre-NHL season. When he joined the Senators, the idea was second-line center. Patrice Bergeron was a comparable. Turns out that he could only solidify his role as a fourth-liner because of his ability to play even when the puck wasn't on his stick. One of the most important things a player can do is know how to play without the puck. You have the puck approximately 1/10 of the time, if there are 10 players on the ice. What are you doing the other 90%? Are you putting yourself and your team in a good position to win? Or are you a liability on the ice?

Physicality.

The NHL is a very hit-forward league. To most people, this is not news. However, for prospects, this is an important thing to learn. Most prospects play in leagues that have little to no checking. Their heads are protected with "fishbowl" helmets; they are not taught how to take a hit. On one hand, this is good: we clearly do not want kids suffering concussions, developing CTE, and so on. On the other hand, this is leading to a rash of young players in the NHL who cannot take hits and are very easily injured. There are about thirty good examples of this (half the 2019 draft class) but I'll choose Jamie Drysdale for this one. The glass bones paper skin meme applies to all of them. What good is a player who is constantly on IR? This is also a discussion being held in the PWHL - female hockey players almost never play in checking leagues, now the PWHL is allowing checks, why is everyone hurt. Oftentimes, a little marinating in the AHL can help teach players how to deal with hits before hitting the NHL level.

Level of competition.

This is generally the main thing we talk about when we talk about NHL readiness. Just because a CHL/NCAA player carves through the competition at the junior level does not mean they will do so at the NHL level. Heck, look at Brendan Shinnimin, CHL player of the year in 2012, who put up 134 points in 69 games in the WHL. He only ever played 12 games at the NHL level. (For context, Sidney Crosby won the same award in 2004 by putting up 135 points.) The NHL is a much trickier league. The players are literally the best in the world. Even that 13th forward who sits in the press box most nights is one of the best in the world. A cool spinny move can work against 17- and 18-year olds. It won't work against Jaccob Slavin.

The ELC.

Sometimes a player actually is NHL ready but they're not called up. This can be a highly frustrating process for many. Say, Simon Nemec, who spent last year in the AHL transitioning from European hockey to North American hockey. He could not make the opening night roster this year, despite being better than probably every RHD on the roster not named Dougie Hamilton. Nemec himself expressed frustration, saying he believed he was NHL ready. His big break? When Dougie went down with a season-ending pectoral injury. Only then could he find a spot on the roster. It's not that he wasn't better than Brendan Smith. It's because of his contract. See, when you sign a young enough player to an entry-level contract (ELC), you can slide that contract to extend one or two years if they do not play enough NHL games. This can be incredibly useful when, for example, you're up against the cap and want to extend the amount of time a player is on an ELC to delay the cap hit of a big contract.

So, to summarize: There are a ton of details that go into assessing whether a prospect is NHL ready. Rushing a player to the NHL level can have disastrous effects. This is why you generally see NHL prospects, even super-high-level ones, try to "cook" in the AHL first. Your only real exceptions are your 1OAs, who (almost) always go straight to the NHL. Sometimes, non-1OAs do this too (Fantilli and Carlsson from 2023), but it's very situational - Carlsson, for example, was playing limited games at the beginning of his season. And many of these 1OAs suffer from going directly to the NHL - Slafkovsky is a prime example of this. So it's a big question mark at this point, and one of the reasons why NHL teams are very concerned about "NHL readiness". They don't want to play a player in the NHL until they're prepared, skill- and mentality-wise, to do so.

I hope this helps you, anon, and whoever else needs it!

NHL-wide thought: it's funny how when a team has reached it's expiration date they call for a retool to get younger and refresh the roster to compete. but when they see prospects doing so well before coming in the show, they're like "but does his game translate well to the NHL???" or "is he NHL ready?" What really is the deal about prospects and why is there so much stigma about them despite the need to rebuild at some point?

good question, anon! I would like to know the answer to this too, but sadly I am here exclusively for the shits, giggles and pretty faces so am probably not the best person to ask.

I would suggest asking... perhaps @reavenedges-lies @coffee-at-annies or @idontlikeem all of whom i think know far more about Proper Hockey Stuff!

[aicsm-franchise]

https://www.aicsm.com

[computer-franchise]

Best Computer Center Franchise in India

Are you looking to run your own computer institute or computer center franchise in India? Then you are at the right place! Here, we have discussed the most successful computer center franchise opportunities.

Computer education is one of the most demanding businesses everywhere in India, keeping in mind many computer organizations that are successfully running in the country. Running a computer center franchise can be a profit-making business deal because of the inflated requirement for computer education and skill development in India. For newbies in a franchise business, starting and running successfully a computer education institution might be substantial for them because the business model might fall short if they do not go with the best computer center franchise opportunities.

Consequently, when you establish a computer franchise business with a well-known company leading in the industry like IACT Education Pvt. Ltd., you are open to experiencing the desired benefit you anticipate from a computer business franchise.

Computer Training Franchise Opportunities

There is a big urging for IT-skilled professionals across India in this generation of fast development and advancements. With the emerging difference between computer skill training and employability outcomes, a franchise could exploit a connection in any specific providence. The rural and urban areas inherently confront the talent crisis and hence, there is a huge requirement for professional computer training.

Computer training is a significant key in the workplaces of the modern world. The influence of computer training institutes can be considered in two ways. Firstly, it is important for job candidates to gain computer training knowledge to make themselves more prepared to act as valuable employers and to get higher-salary recruitments. Secondly, it is vital for businesses to take advantage of computer training in their new-recruit training initiatives. To start with a robust influence on the computer franchise business, connect with the leading computer training organizations to get all resources, development, and marketing support.

Why IACT Education?

IACT Education is a computer education company that is listed in the top renowned computer and skill training organizations that provide a solid computer business model to its franchise partners. The organization has 1000+ computer training center franchises in India and it also has a few training franchises running across the world. IACT Education has started growing its computer training centers and franchise network in every small city in India with the help of the vigorous business model and support we offer to the partners.

IACT Education is the best Computer Training Center Franchise in India. The computer education franchise is one of the high-demanding franchise businesses in India. It has turned now into the best moneymaking business in the world. Starting and running a computer training center is considered one of the best business strategies as it leads to a big profit for businessmen.

So, if you are planning of starting a cost-effective computer training franchise then you can opt among the top companies such as IACT education. We are the topmost computer education firm that are standing out with introducing new and unique opportunities for our franchise network.

IACT Education offers more than 60+ computer and skill development courses that are contemporized with the advanced technological transformation at the global standard. The organization offers advanced computer courses, mobile repairing courses, hardware Courses, skill and personality development courses, technical Courses, website Design courses, Banking related courses like Tally and Accounting, and many other courses as well in IT sector.

We believe that value-based and advanced learning technology has much bigger relevance in a strong and developing work atmosphere. IACT Education is a team of expert trainers to encourage and care for the entrepreneurs from everywhere in the world. This makes sure that every student and IACT franchise partners get into building a very strong bond with our educational institution, which lead to the productive accomplishment of our vision and students' ambition.

Benefits of Starting Computer Center Franchise

High Demand in Market: The computer education or IT sectors have been in extensive demand in the last few years, playing an important role in people's lives and businesses. With students desiring to learn computer from the very initial stage, homes requiring computer and mobile repair service, and corporates requiring IT employees and support services, running a computer center franchise are in very huge demand across the globe.

Offers a Productive Service: Since computers have become crucial at every place including homes, retail shop, colleges, and corporates, a computer business franchise bestows the essential service to all of its region. Providing immense experience to your city, particularly to observe how much help was offered to a company that wanted their computers repaired to continue functioning with the help of IT professionals, or educating a student how to use a computer to create difference in the world.

Profitable Industry: Using both individual and business audiences, computer center franchises have the aptitude to be moneymaking. Since these computer education and repair courses become in high demand, students are interested to pay a reasonable amount to gain experience from the course, which can be productive for computer center franchises.

Training and Support: IACT Education provide the franchise network with the best level of training that allows them to make effective business from very initial days. This incorporates training and marketing support for the franchise partners, such as computer and IT communication skills and knowledge. If you have started your computer franchise business and are not getting high exposure, you can consult from India's leading computer center franchise business, i.e., IACT Education Pvt. Ltd.

Conclusion

Computer education have played a major role in the process organizations manage their business, becoming an important part of maintaining business reputation. The huge influence of computers and digital skills has led to the beginning of a profitable computer education industry with spectacular opportunities to strike into potential markets.

Moreover, if you are fascinated and planning to get into a computer education franchise, you can get started with the IACT computer center franchise. For more information, head to our website and enquire us on +91 9810018164.

[btkvp]

Are you searching a Best Computer Centre franchise or Low-cost Computer Centre affiliation or Government registered computer Franchise or computer institute affiliation proposal or you want to register/start/open a new Computer Centre in any location of India-

[kentochronicles]

***SPOILERS FOR EPISODE 5 OF WANDAVISION***

HOLY SHITE MY MIND IS BLOWN

TOMMY AND BILLY CRYING

“Do you want me to take that again?” “Take it from the top?”

Agnes knows ! Tiger - Ralph

“Dark liquor” Vision being concerned

Billy and Tommy aged up?!

I DO NOT TRUST HAYWARD

SCARLET WITCH - TALKING ABOUT HOW WANDA DOESN’T HAVE A CODENAME

SIS STRAIGHT UP TOOK VISIONS CORPSE

HEX — HER POWERS GET REFERRED TO AS HEX POWERS SOMETIMES IN THE COMICS

CAPTAIN MARVEL REFERENCE

NORM SAYING NONE OF IT IS REAL

SPARKY THE DOG - VISION HAD A STAND ALONE AND STOLE A DOG

HER ACCENT

LAGOS

SHE DOESNT KNOW HOW ANY OF THIS STARTED IN THE FIRST PLACE

EVAN PETERS AS QUICKSILVER

DARCY GOING “SHE RECAST PIETRO?” MOOOD

X-MEN, START TO THE MULTIVERSE?!

WANDA CAN’T BE THE ONLY ONE CONTROLLING IT

IS MONICA MAD AT CAROL???

MONICA X DARCY?! WHAT A POWER COUPLE THAT WOULD BE

SIS REALLY ENDGAME - ENDGAME ENDED WITH TONY’S FUNERAL AND WANDA PROBS WENT STRAIGHT FROM THERE AND STOLE HER DEAD BF’S CORPSE (can’t really blame her, it looked like they were trying to experiment on Vis and could it be Hayward behind it?)

WHO WAS THAT ENGINEER THAT MONICA WAS GOING TO CONTACT?

BABY VISION

AND AGNES DEFINITELY KNOWS SOMETHING

DARCY FINALLY GOT HER COFFEE

SO VIS SAID THAT WANDA COULD’VE MADE EVERYTHING SUBCONSCIOUSLY AND THAT OVER TIME SHE BECAME AWARE OF IT, AND SIS DEFO HAS SOME CONTROL BUT IT’S NOT ALL HER. I THINK AGNES IS AGATHA HARKNESS AND EITHER MEPHISTO IS BEHIND IT OR IT’S NIGHTMARE AND THEY’VE MAYBE POWERED UP NIGHTMARE

***FURTHER UPDATES AND EASTER EGGS***

Auntie Agnes and Agnes saying she has a few tricks up her sleeve - we should definitely take note of that seeing as Agnes definitely has something to do with the whole situation

Wanda and Vision’s house changed again, being inspired by Family Ties, possibly Full House and Growing Pains

“Do you want me to take it from the top?” It seems as though when someone, this time Vision, steers away from the script, things either reset themselves or people become aware to some capacity, although Agnes probably already knows

Speaking of Growing Pains - It had a spin off called “Just the 10 of Us” in which the director for Wandavision, Matt Shakman, was apart of the cast - and seemingly also inspired the theme song for this week

We should definitely keep an eye on Monica and her potential for powers. With Maria last episode revealed to have gone by the name ‘Photon’ (which is a name that Monica uses as one of her aliases in the comics) and could inspire Monica’s name as she develops her powers - those scans didn’t look 100% normal. Monica has also used the Captain Marvel monicker in the comics

Wanda’s energy field and such being referred to as “Hex” short for Hexagon, could be a little nod to the comics where Wanda’s powers are sometimes called Hex powers

She’s never been referred to as the Scarlet Witch on the big screen - and it seems as though she soon may earn that code name

So we now know that Wanda stole Vision’s corpse from S.W.O.R.D, but did she actually re animate him fully? He’s still got the gem in the centre of his forehead, but the last time he had it was in Infinity War where it promptly got ripped out by Thanos - so has Wanda found her own way of reanimating him and he’s alive or is he dead and just a trick of the mind - though from other trailers/previews, Vis is seen trying to and looks successful at leaving Wanda’s barrier

They had a little call back to Captain America: Civil War with the Sokovia Accords, which were targeting the Avengers in general but were created when Wanda lost control of her powers and killed civilians

A little joke towards Vis as playing “Father Knows Best” in their little suburbia - Which was a sitcom that ran for 200 episodes in the 50’s

Sparky ! A little nod to the little green dog from the Walta and King comics run for Vision and unfortunately soon meets the same fate 💔

A little nod to Endgame when we hear from Monica that Wanda definitely could’ve taken down Thanos by herself had Thanos not rained fire - and Jimmy arguing that Captain Marvel could’ve just as easily done it - which leaves Monica with an angry look on her face

Good ol’ dial up internet

Can Vis “save” the residents of Westview? He can still seemingly interact with people’s minds, with or without the mind stone - Norm soon comes out of his trance as Vis snaps him out of it and asks to call his sister and that he has to save them all from “her” - now this “her” could be Wanda...but it could also be Agnes and then Vis shuts him down soon enough again and Norm goes back to his sit com self

Billy and Tommy are fully aware, or at least suspect Wanda’s abilities - after asking her to bring back Sparky from the dead and speaking of Billy and Tommy - could they be semi permanent fixtures in the MCU, it would help to introduce the Young Avengers eventually. They'll do Young Avengers at some point since Kang is supposed to be a thing in the third Ant-Man.

Teddy, unfortunately, I don't think will be here for a bit (I really hope he is though!). I think the guy they hired that everyone is rumoring to be Teddy might just be an episode about Billy coming to terms with his sexuality and Wanda and Vis learning to accept it in the way that era of tv they're in would go about with that kind of episode and the dude is just a dude - but again, I really hope it’s Teddy 😭

Wanda leaves the hex after a mini missile/plane tries to shoot at her - and she’s in her Scarlet Witch costume and is seemingly mostly back to her “normal self”, which includes her accent !

Lagos brand paper towels - “For when you make a mess you didn’t mean to” - a nod to Civil War again in which Wanda accidentally blew up a building in Lagos and caused the Sokovian accords to come to fruition

The mail man again - I also think he was in the commercial but anywho - “Your mom won’t let him go far” similar to “Much like she won’t let anyone leave” a potential nod to Wanda or Agnes not letting anyone leave?

“We can’t reverse death” and yet she brought Vision back - keeping in mind that he’s an android but still a little foreshadow to what happened at the end of the ep? Better yet, could Pietro coming back be a distraction for Wanda? Agnes or whoever introducing someone that Wanda lives in hopes that she won’t go full on breakdown superpowers or just to give her an attachment to Westview even more and make her not want to leave at all

“She recasted Pietro” EVAN ! I’m so pumped for this - it seems this could turn into the X-Men making their debut earlier than expected possibly? In any case, it’s a nice little Easter Egg to the previous Fox franchise of X-Men movies where Evan played Peter Maximoff “Quicksilver” alongside James McAvoy as Prof X, Hugh Jackman as Wolverine and so many others - and with Deadpool being confirmed as Disney’s first R rated film, it seems Mutants are definitely on their way to the MCU

Agnes is definitely Agatha or a gender bent Nightmare

The way Billy shed himself and Tommy up was scary - definitely a little nod to his powers coming in

Multiple different perspectives of Wanda saying that Monica left

Red Hex dialled up to around light sources (computer, window, etc.)

Vision mentions reading Charles Darwin’s The Descent of Man - which could refer to Mutants entering the MCU, Mutants being superior to humans

Agnes calls herself Auntie Agnes - in episode 2 during the title sequence in the grocery store there’s a product called ‘Auntie A’s Kitty Litter’

Agnes refers to herself as a Tiger and in the episode, there’s a Tiger on the dining table in the kitchen - could that be a listening device, her eyes and ears?

There are no other children in Westview - Billy and Tommy are immune because they have no prior trauma

Elizabeth Olsen’s photos are real and slightly altered with Sokovian flags in the background

In the birthday shot of Billy and Tommy, they have ‘1,2,3,4,5’ candles all on one cake

In the holiday photos, Vision goes from Turkey to Easter Bunny, to Santa and progressively gets more unhappy - realising he no longer wants to play along in Wanda’s Hex

During Monica’s callbacks to seeing Wanda’s pain inside her head, we see a new shot of Wanda crying - it looks like it’s around the time she stole Vision’s corpse, as the outfit she’s wearing is very similar, if not the same - could this be an after shot of when she’s trying to bring Vision back?

During the scene where we see the footage of Wanda stealing Vision’s corpse, the S.W.O.R.D logo that appears on the table has 8 stars around the rim of the logo but then has a 9th one in the middle - could this be a little Easter Egg to the nine realms of the Cosmos? And there’s also a map showing Cape Canaveral, could that be where S.W.O.R.D’s headquarters are?

Wanda and Pietro were born in 1989 to Irina and Oleg Maximoff - who were killed in an air raid when the twins were 10. In the comics, Wanda and Pietro were raised by Django and Maria Maximoff, before their true parentage was revealed as being the children of Magneto, however, in the comics this has been retconned so that Wanda and Pietro are no longer Mutants and the High Evolutionary had just disguised them as Mutants (something I think they should undo tbh - MARVEL, PLEASE MAKE WANDA AND PIETRO MUTANTS AGAIN!!!)

Speaking of the air raid, that was also referenced in Age of Ultron by Pietro and Wanda - “We were 10 years old, having dinner the four of us. And the first shell hits 2 floors below, makes a hole in the floor” - was the beeping Stark toaster be what that was referring to?

WHIH reappears for a brief cameo as the news service in the MCU - and Hayward cuts off Jimmy as he was trying to defend Wanda’s reputation, in which Jimmy then turns to Darcy and says “I try not to speak ill of people” Darcy then follows up with “Then allow me, Hayward’s a-“ and then she’s cut off by a shot back to Hayward saying the word “Terrorist” which would make sense as it seems with Vision’s corpse, he may have been trying to make sentient weapons and by subverting Vision’s will and blaming Wanda of doing the same. In the footage shown of Wanda stealing Vision’s remains, we see Vision broken up into parts and S.W.O.R.D seems to be experimenting on him and this seems to be the robotics/nanotech project that Hayward was referring to. Monica asks Hayward about the footage saying “When was this?” to which Hayward replies saying “9 days ago. Maximoff stormed our facility, stole Vision’s body and resurrected him” - this would mean that Wanda took Vision 2 weeks after the events of Endgame, about a week before Monica returned to S.W.O.R.D and Hayward didn’t tell her any of this and when he sent her in there, he knew exactly what he was doing - with her reputation after Civil War, this makes it easier for Hayward to paint her as the villain.

Back in Westview, Tommy wears red and Billy wears green - which are the colours that Wiccan and Speed wear in the comics, respectively. And it’s also the colours that Wanda and Vision are known for and appears quite a lot in their wardrobes

More in regards to Sparky, he was the synthezoid dog in Tom King’s run of Vision - the story being that he was originally a dog named Zeke who unfortunately passed away after digging up the Grim Reaper’s corpse and getting zapped. The Grim Reaper’s helmet appears during the title sequence of Episode 2 in the floorboards. Could Sparky have been trying to dig up a similar thing when he was caught by Agnes and consequently killed?

Monica mentions that she knows this aerospace engineer, they’re never shown but she is seen texting them. Could it be Reed Richards a.k.a Mr Fantastic? Hayward did mention that some astronauts used to work for S.W.O.R.D before a mission went haywire - though it seems a bit lacklustre to introduce such highly anticipated characters this way. Could it instead be the Skrull daughter of Talos that Monica befriended at the end of Captain Marvel? She mentioned that they had extraterrestrial allies in episode 4 working with her and Fury as apart of S.W.O.R.D - in the Spanish subtitles they use the feminine articles for this engineer - so I think it’s more likely to be Talos’s daughter

The board that we saw in Episode 4 now includes the mailman, drivers license and all - could he be Jimmy’s missing witness?

The tension in the room after Jimmy references Carol is similarly seen when in Spider-Man: Far From Home, where Peter asks Skrull Fury/Talos “How about Captain Marvel?” To which Talos replies “Don’t involve her name”. Fury, Monica and Talos were all on the side of the Skrulls by then end of Captain Marvel and the space station that Fury was on maybe apart of S.W.O.R.D. So did Carol betray them?

A slight reference to Captain America: The First Avenger is made when Monica pulls a Peggy Carter and shoots at something to see if it’s bulletproof, in Peggy’s case it was the iconic Captain America shield and in the case of Monica, it was her clothes that she was wearing after Wanda threw her out of the Hex

Abilash (Norm) never states that Wanda is the one that Vision has to save them from, it’s just “her” - could this instead be Agnes?

When Billy is training Sparky to sit, he puts the treat by his ear up to his temple - a future reference that Billy will one day share the same powers as his mum?

During the scene in which Wanda leaves the Hex briefly, she turns the guns onto Hayward but none are trained on Monica - she may still trust Monica slightly, whereas with Hayward, she slightly more pissed off because of what he was doing to Vision’s remains. And turning a bunch of guns on the people you don’t trust? Like father, like daughter as Magneto pulls a similar move in one of the X-Men films - Hopefully, the big cameo they keep teasing will be Ian McKellan as Magneto or the Magnus of this House of M adaptation

During when Agnes “found” Sparky, she says he died from eating too many leaves from her plants - in the Tom King Vision run, one of Vision’s kids ends up killing Sparky and sees inside his stomach that there’s a plant that Agatha Harkness grows in her garden

All the names that appear during the credits that Wanda tries to run to end the show and to stop Vision from talking are names of people who work on the actual Wandavision show itself

When Evan Peter’s version of Quicksilver shows up, he says “Does a long lost bro get to squeeze his sister to death or what?” I DO NOT TRUST THIS PIETRO - Similar to Wandavision, the Fox X-Men movies moved up decade by decade - First Class was in the 1960s, Days of Future Past was in the 1970s, Apocalypse was in the 1980s and Dark Phoenix was in the 1990’s - which would make even more sense as MCU! Pietro wasn’t born until 1989, whereas Peter was active during the 1980s. I reckon that this Pietro is Jimmy’s missing witness, Agnes’s husband Ralph and is disguising itself as a comforting presence to Wanda as Vision no longer brings comfort and is trying to bring Wanda back to reality - and when he shows up, the mirror in the background behind Wanda is slightly distorted but his hand looks red and in the shot as well, there seems to be a grey arm reaching towards Pietro - in the shot itself behind and in front of Wanda, there’s nothing there but in the mirror, there is! Either way, I do not trust this Pietro and it’s just an entity trying to give Wanda the last thing that could make her happy - but it won’t last, as everything is already breaking down around her.

I seriously seriously love this show so much 💙

[himbeaux-on-ice]

Can I just say that Habs “fans” who act like Carey Price’s contract is somehow patient zero of all this team’s problems drive me absolutely fucking insane? Seriously. Buckle up. This is about to be a rant.

Now. First things first. Is it ideal that the $10 million goalie is currently uh, not doing very good? Fucking NO! I am disappointed as shit with that and I don’t like seeing him struggle. I know he can be better. He has to be better. Obviously.

However. That being said.

Do I think it’s an incredibly stupid look to spend several tweets complaining about all the issues Habs defence have been having, and then also griping that they haven’t started Jake Allen enough for how he’s performing, only to then for some inexplicable reason state that the FIRST THING, the first thing that needs to be dealt with after the new coaching staff have had ONE GAME (and zero practices) to work on things, is somehow “well, the ten million dollar man in net is weighing them down, that contract has gotta go!”?

Yes! That’s stupid!!

I think that’s a very ice cold small-brain take, and not just because Price is my favourite of favourites for as long as I’ve been a hockey fan! I have reasons, dammit!! I put THOUGHT into this!!

Here, dear ppl of Habs twitter who will never read this, are some reasons why this narrative you’re concocting is dumb, and why management/coaching are unlikely to think of trying to ditch Price mid-season to fix the current problems:

1: Time. It has been one (1) game under Ducharme. He has been able to run zero (0) full practices on off days with the team. We just changed up a major piece on the Habs chess board — why don’t you give it a minute to see what fresh eyes and minds can do with this roster before you decide we are fucked? This season is fast-moving, sure, but there is time for us to ride out some little bumps here and still make a playoff spot in this Canadian division. Have patience. Do you remember what patience is? Dom is a new head coach, not a wish-granting fairy godmother. Chill. Do you remember chill?

(rest of this under a cut because I actually LIKE Habs Tumblr, and I want to be nice to you all by not making you scroll past all of it if you don’t want to)

2: Jake Allen exists. There are a couple of things I like for what this means for the Habs. Firstly, for basically the first time in his NHL career, we are not in a situation where if Carey Price is in a slump, we have to go “Ah, shit, so now our options are let his stats tank while he tries to get the groove back in net, OR throw whoever the poor backup is out there to get murdered while we plummet through the standings.... 😬” We don’t have that problem right now, because the backup is... actually good? Oh my god, the backup is actually good! Thank fuck! We’re not doomed. If I’m Ducharme, I put Allen in net for a few consecutive starts to put a solid backstop behind all my fun experiments I’m probably planning with the skating roster (to catch their slip-ups, while also giving Carey lots of time and rest with which to work hard on sorting out whatever his issue is along with the goalie coaches).

2b: Jake Allen exists and is competition. Hell, if I’m Ducharme, maybe I even play a little hardball and say “Look, Carey, I don’t want you to be an expensive benchwarmer, but if things don’t pick up soon I am going to start whoever is doing best and you will have to compete for that net.” Related to my last point, when was the last time Carey Price had to push himself to compete for net time against anything other than his own injuries, and wasn’t simply always the default starter? Has that EVER been a thing? Honestly as much as I love the idea of him being The Goalie for the Habs, I also kinda like this idea a lot because I think it could really push him to a higher standard of performance. Maybe that kind of high-pressure situation (given how much he thrives in the pressure-cooker of the playoffs) could be what he NEEDS in order to Be Carey Price again. Worst comes to worst, he doesn’t respond to that challenge, and I am very sad but the Habs have a good goalie in net anyway, because Hallelujah, Jake Allen exists! God, isn’t it nice to have Jake Allen? Bless him.

3: Money. Guys, this league is so broke right now. Seriously. Seriously. Nobody has any fucking money. The Habs probably have more money than most teams, and that does not help when it comes to offloading large contracts. Trades are a NIGHTMARE both because of the flat cap but also because travel is complicated (especially cross-border) but also nobody wants to trade within their division if possible because all your games are against them. Who in the name of fuck do you think is jumping at the idea of taking the $10 million per through 20-lots-and-lots-of-years-from-now contract of a goalie who is currently struggling, impressive past record aside? What kind of astral plane of fantasy hockey are you on to think there’s a trade out there for that within this season. Shut up. And no, don’t bring up the expansion draft, this post is a rebuttal SPECIFICALLY to the people who think that Price and his contract are the biggest problem that needs to be dealt with RIGHT NOW and first on the list of ways to immediately remedy the team’s struggles.

4: Spite. Specifically to piss you off, bud. You personally.

5: Knowing how to troubleshoot properly. Fellas, if my computer is running slowly and freezing up a lot, do I immediately decide the first step to fixing it is to crack open the chassis, remove the hard drive, and try to sell that hard drive to someone to see if I can enough money back to somehow get a better hard drive for less? No, dipshit. That’s not how troubleshooting a complex system works works. It’s the same with hockey teams. Ah, my star goalie is not performing great. This situation is deeply less than ideal. If you’re actually good at troubleshooting, the first thing you do is not “WELL. I GUESS WE’LL HAVE TO THROW THE WHOLE GOALIE OUT. HE’S TOAST.” The first thing you do, if you’re a smart coach, is you say “Okay, what are my defence doing in front of him? What are they doing to reduce the amount and quality of our opponents’ scoring chances? Oh. Oh, they’re taking a lot of penalties, and... oh, uh, some of this is very not great. Yikes.” And then you start your work by trying to make the defence actually work instead of running the same Pairs That Everyone Is Very Much Over And Tired Of, because your goalie is actually supposed to be your Last Line of Defence. And maybe during that time you give more starts to Goalie Who Is Absolutely Slaying It, so that when you start trying new D-pairs and they inevitably have some mistakes, it doesn’t immediately turn into an Oh God Holy Fuck moment every time, because that last line of defence backstopping them is solid. The reason you need to deal with defense first is because a) You know you have a reliable goalie (Allen) in your pocket right now if you need him. What you don’t have is a whole-ass proven and tested and practiced Backup D-Core you can swap into the roster in front of your goalies to make their lives easier. Fix your defense and it WILL improve your goalies, even marginally. Defrag the hard drive before you ask why it’s not working. and b) If you need to go looking for any new D-men to solve the issues, those are WAY easier and cheaper to find than top-tier goalies, and you always want to start any troubleshooting process with trying the simplest solutions first to hopefully save time and money. The better that D-core is, the less it fucks your team over if the goalie isn’t feeling themselves, because the D is going to stop more of those pucks before they ever even become the goalie’s problem. FIX. DEFENCE. FIRST. Then try to train your goalie back into top form. THEN explore your other options.

6: The vicious cycle. Guys. We literally do this once every year or second year. EVERY time Carey Price has a slump, this fanbase gets into a tizzy like the Bell Centre is burning down and he was the one with the matches. And what ALWAYS happens literally within the year, every single time? He gets his mojo back like he did last summer in the bubble and goes on a heater and everybody goes “JESUS PRICE!!!! 🙌” and is ready to name their firstborn kid after him. Until eventually that performance becomes unsustainable, and he becomes mortal again, and suddenly he’s The Real Problem With This Franchise once again. I know he’s the guy they chose to build the team around instead of a superstar forward, but oh my god folks. You’d think he was the only player on the team. Guys, I feel like fucking Sisyphus pushing a blue blanc et rouge boulder up Mont Royal once a year with this shit. This man’s entire career has been a constant seesaw narrative between “Carey Price is our saviour!” and “Carey Price should be exiled to Nome!!!!” from parts of this fanbase, I swear. Look, slumps suck, but for once we are actually lucky enough to be in a position where this team, for the first time in YEARS, does not solelylive or die by the inscrutable magical cycles of Carey Price’s goalie powers — because when he has to step back and work to get back into his groove, there is FINALLY a SECOND GUY who is GREAT. Honestly, given that the state of this team for so long has been “they will go as far as Carey Price can take them” and he has put in a pretty fucking decent job of it despite all of the team’s other struggles, I feel like it is owed it to the guy to be like “Okay, well, we have somebody else solid to fill the net right now, and a chance to really figure out our defence and special teams with this new coach. Why don’t you take a step back and work your ass off at trying to get back into the form I know you can still perform at, and we’ll go from there?”

Anyway. Some parts of this fanbase have been waiting for a fresh excuse to claim Price is overrated, washed-up, and to blame for all of this team’s flaws and ills ever since he signed that contract, if not since the start of his NHL career. Just unreal how nasty some of this fanbase is willing to be about a player who is ON. YOUR. TEAM.

Am I saying he is beyond critique of his play and can do no wrong and his contract is perfect? No! I want this team to have the best goaltending it can get, and I want them to kick ass and take names. The difference is, I still believe Carey Price is a part of that winning formula, and I also think Twitter is overflowing with idiots who just repeat what everybody else says. He’s still a better goalie than your ass would be if I stuck you out there to stop shots from Mark Schieffle, for crap’s sake.

“The first thing that has to go is Carey Price’s contract 🤪”. Shut the fuck up. You are actively making other people stupider by talking. Go eat sand. Good day.

[kyndaris]

Troubled Truths

As a fan of the Life is Strange franchise, when I heard of a new adventure game from the original developers: Dontnod Entertainment, I was quite excited. Imagine, my dismay, then, that I heard it would be an exclusive to Xbox. Until, of course, that I learned that it was also possible to obtain it on PC. Once Tell Me Why became available, I wasted no time on adding it to my Steam wishlist and waited for the perfect moment of sale discounts and when I had ample money in the wallet.

When June 2021 rolled around and offered the game for free in celebration of Pride Month, I jumped at the chance for securing the title - already anticipating the adventures I would be having with the Ronan twins as they tried to deal with the traumatic events that they experienced at the end of their first ten years of life.

Tell Me Why tells the story of Alyson and Tyler Ronan. Identical twins that were separated due to a most heinous crime: the death of their mother. The opening moments of the game serve to highlight the fraught nature of the night, with Tyler confessing to the crime as he sits before the officer in the interrogation room. It’s clear from the outset that there is something more to the crime than meets the eye. Why would their mother attempt to kill Tyler because of a new haircut? The mystery dangling before us, the game skips ahead in time.

Ten years have passed and finally, the Ronan twins reunite in order to sell off their old house and begin the next chapter in their lives. Alyson, excited and nervous, is preparing to pick up her brother from Fireweed, a residential centre for troubled teenagers. Tyler, on the other hand, waves goodbye to his second home wherein he was accepted for who he was and could finally take the steps necessary to transition.

Despite the years that they have been away from each other, both Alyson and Tyler are able to both encompass the easy camaraderie between siblings and the awkwardness that comes from being almost a decade apart after being joined at the hip in their younger years. Bonded by the life they once shared, and the memories of their childhood, they return to their old house where they had lived with their mother: Mary-Ann.

As they explore the house, they uncover the Book of Goblins, a collection of stories that they and their mother had penned. Awash with memories of their childhood, they begin to question the events of their shared trauma and their mother’s passing. Tyler, in particular, begins to wonder if their understanding of events was correct after discovering a book in Mary-Ann’s room about raising a transgender child as well as a pamphlet for conversion therapy.

Confronted by Sam, the Old Bear, from their storybook, they set out on trying to figure out what might have motivated their mother to turn a shotgun on Tyler (or Ollie, as he was known at the time). Their first stop is to Veni Vedi Vecchi General Store to talk with Tessa, an old friend of Mary-Ann, who had looked out for the twins as they were growing up. After they use their gift to relive their memories and sleuth out additional proof hidden in Tessa’s computer and old record-keeping journal, they learn more about the pressures their mother was going through while she was trying to raise her two children in Delos Crossing, Alaska.

It is outside the General Store that Tyler first meets Michael, Alyson’s best friend and co-worker. And though the banter is light between the two, it’s clear that there’s an immediate spark of interest.

Armed with new clues about what their mother might have been going through, they leave the store and head to the police station to talk to Eddy Brown – Alyson’s adopted father – about their mother’s death and, possibly, the events leading up to it. But when the Ronan twins enquire about the case file, Eddy is unable to hand it over without good cause.

The day ends with the twins no closer than they were before to uncovering the reasons behind her actions on the night that had sent one twin away and the other grappling with guilt for her actions. For, it is revealed that it was not Tyler that had killed their mother in self-defence, but rather Alyson, trying to protect her sibling, that had stabbed her with a pair of scissors.

The next day, as they’re cleaning up the old house, they reminisce over their childhood and what they had learned. Using their bond, they see a memory of Eddy talking to their mother not long before her death, despite him telling them that he had not interacted with her in the months prior.

Knowing that he is hiding valuable information from them, they return to the police station. They confront Eddy but the police chief refuses to speak to them or entertain the idea of providing them access to confidential police files. Left with no choice, the twins create a distraction and manage to sneak upstairs – breaking into the archives to search for answers.

As Tyler searches for answers, he uncovers reports that indicate that Tessa had reported their mother to child services – with the possibility of the twins being removed from Mary-Ann’s care. Before they can leave with their ill-gotten knowledge, Eddy discovers them and scolds them for their actions. He also tells the twins that it was his friendship with their mother that saw him pay a visit to their house and warn Mary-Ann of Tessa’s actions.

Armed with this new knowledge, they head to the General Store. Tessa, however, is not present and, accompanied by Michael, they head to the cemetery. At Mary-Ann’s grave, they confront the woman and learn that over the months leading up to her death, their mother had further isolated herself and that though they had once been friends, Tessa feared that Mary-Ann was not providing enough for the twins: whether that was food or moral guidance. In fact, she advised that their mother had been stealing from the store and even had the kids shoplifting supplies and groceries.

After learning what their mother had experienced, the twins return to the old house, only to find the barn alight and the arsonist fleeing from the crime. With the fire put out, they explore the barn and ponder why anyone would choose to set it ablaze. For their efforts, they find a box with two letters inside instructing their mother to get an abortion.

During this harrowing set of events, Tyler is reminded of the Mad Hunter that he had glimpsed on the night of Mary-Ann’s death. As they head over to the boathouse, the twins remember their mother speaking a man. But try as they might to recall the events that had happened, Alyson breaks down – consumed by guilt and anxiety and the desire to stop trying to seek out the truth behind the events of what had happened.

The third day sees the twins separated and Alyson haunted by her actions. As her mental health deteriorates, she goes through a panic attack before visiting Sam and asking if he might have been their biological father. As she talks to the man that had dropped almost everything just to be there for their mother, she learns that there is more to the barn than meets the eye. Resolved to finally putting the mystery to rest, she returns back to the old house.

Tyler, on the other hand, struggles to bring forth the memory without the aid of his sister. When his efforts bear no fruit, he is visited by Michael and the two head out on the lake to do some fishing – leading to a romantic moment (if the player so chooses) between them.

As they explore the hidden compartment of the barn, they learn that their mother, Mary-Ann, had led a troubled life: from being born into an overbearing family to running away with her baby, who did not survive. It becomes clear that Mary-Ann also had her own demons to combat, and which were exacerbated by a harsh winter and Tessa calling in social services.

They also learn that Tom Vecchi was their biological father, a man who had been taken in by their mother’s charms, but who had refused to offer any support or even acknowledge the twins as his own.

During their confrontation with the store owner, and political candidate, Tom reveals that Mary-Ann had not intended to kill Tyler. Instead, faced with the threat of losing her children and enduring a harsh winter alone, Mary-Ann was at the end of her rope and had chosen to take her own life.

There is a lot to unpack with Tell Me Why. In the end, I chose the options that would bring the twins closer together without sacrificing their own needs and wants. By the time the credits rolled, it was Tyler that was closing up shop, with Alyson in therapy. This, I felt, was the true and proper ending (even though I wasn’t quite sure if Mary-Ann truly intended to kill herself or if she was intent on a murder-suicide).

Throughout the game, it was clear that Tyler was more in touch with his emotions and his needs, whereas Alyson was still grappling with the trauma and not given the opportunity to properly heal. It also seemed evident that she never had the chance to properly talk about the events of what had happened – instead, accepting Tyler’s lie that it had been him that had killed their mother. And being constantly reminded that she was the ‘good’ twin and he was the troublemaker when it could not be further from the truth.

So, it came as a no-brainer for me to have Alyson admit to Eddy what had actually happened.

Lies beget more lies.

And when it comes to mental health, it is only the truth that can set you free.

The game also shows how unreliable memory can be. Particularly after the course of many years. Events can change. Interpretations can differ depending on prejudice. Alternate facts can spring forth to mind and become a hodgepodge of what actually happened.

As someone who studied criminology and did a course in forensic sociology, it should be noted that eye-witness testimonies are not very accurate at all. Memory is a fickle thing. As is mental health.

If you need to talk to someone, reach out. I would like to say that this post is sponsored, but I’m not a YouTube video and I don’t know if blogs can even have sponsorship deals. In any case, I’m in Australia and have no idea if services such as Better Help are even available here.

At the time of writing, Sydney has been enduring a lockdown for several weeks. Time has almost entirely lost all meaning and I can barely remember what I did last week because it’s difficult to differentiate it from the week before.

Even for this introvert that nine times out of ten, would choose to stay home, I’m feeling the effects of long-term hiatus from normal life. Apathy levels are on the rise and it’s very easy to simply let myself go and just sit as a potato on the couch.

Still, it’s also important in these times to take each day as it comes and be thankful for what we do have. Technology has meant that we can connect with people even though we are apart. It might not be the same as being face-to-face, but everyone needs to do what they can. And honestly, if we can’t contain Delta, there’s little doubt that Lambda will probably just devastate everything in its path.

Let’s hope that the above paragraph won’t be a warning for the days and weeks and months ahead.