#Midweek Results

[sydney-carton-of-sour-milk]

I cannot get over a listing that I found for some vintage copy of A Tale of Two Cities that includes a picture of this newspaper clipping taped to the inside of it, right under the table of contents

According to one article, Eberlein died in 1964, and a dubious search result tells me this may be from as early as 1940, like...oh my god??

[dragonflycap]

What to expect from the stock market this week

Last week, the review of the macro market indicators saw with just one full week of trading to go ahead of the election and November FOMC meeting, equity markets were set to go into the week after one of choppy trading. Elsewhere looked for Gold ($GLD) to continue its uptrend while Crude Oil ($USO) consolidated at the bottom of a broad range. The US Dollar Index ($DXY) continued to move to the upside while US Treasuries ($TLT) pulled back in consolidation. The Shanghai Composite ($ASHR) looked to continue the short term move higher while Emerging Markets ($EEM) consolidated in their young uptrend.

The Volatility Index ($VXX) looked to remain low and stable making the path easier for equity markets to the upside. Their charts looked strong, especially on the longer timeframe. On the shorter timeframe both the $QQQ and $SPY had reset on momentum measures as they moved sideways. The $IWM continued to disappoint with another sputtered break out reversing.

The week played out with Gold ripping to a new all-time high before profit taking left it little changed on the week while Crude Oil gapped down Monday and slowly recovered through Friday. The US Dollar met resistance and consolidated at the late July high while Treasuries held in a tight range consolidating the pullback. The Shanghai Composite shifted to consolidating the move higher while Emerging Markets continued to drift lower threatening the short term uptrend.

Volatility ticked up to touch recent resistance and held. This put pressure on equities midweek and they pulled back Wednesday and Thursday before a bounce Friday. This resulted in the SPY breaking its 5 month winning streak in October and the QQQ falling just short of retesting the all-time high. The IWM continued in its own world moving mostly sideways. What does this mean for the coming week? Let’s look at some charts.

SPY Daily, $SPY

The SPY came into the week consolidating near the all-time high and above the 20 day SMA on the daily chart. It continued to hold there in a tight trading range through Wednesday. Thursday saw it gap down through the 20 day SMA and run to the 50 day SMA and lower end of the Bollinger Bands®. This was the 1st touch of the 50 day SMA in 6 weeks. It held there with an inside day Friday, a possible bottom signal. The RSI also pulled back, bouncing at the September low, and remaining in the bullish zone. The MACD is dropping but positive.

The weekly chart shows a second down week with a longer body candle. It remains well above the 20 week SMA though in healthy territory. The RSI on this timeframe is pulling back in the bullish zone with the MACD looking to cross down and positive. There is support lower at 565.50 and 556.50 then 549.50 and 545.50 before 542. Resistance higher is at 571.50 and 574.50 then 580 and 585. Pause in Uptrend.

SPY Weekly, $SPY

With October in the books and heading into the election and FOMC meeting, equity markets experienced a Halloween spooking. Elsewhere look for Gold to continue its uptrend while Crude Oil consolidates at the bottom of a broad range. The US Dollar Index looks to consolidate in its uptrend while US Treasuries pullback in their consolidation. The Shanghai Composite looks to continue the short term move higher while Emerging Markets pullback in their uptrend.

The Volatility Index looks to remain at a neutral level, above the base established this year, likely at least until after the election. This could make for choppy light trading for equity markets to start next week. Their charts look strong on the longer timeframe though. On the shorter timeframe both the QQQ and SPY have reset momentum measures lower and could reverse or turn bearish, likely a couple of days’ time will tell. The IWM does not seem concerned about an election or Fed policy churning sideways. Use this information as you prepare for the coming week and trad’em well.

Join the Premium Users and you can view the Full Version with 20 detailed charts and analysis: Macro Week in Review/Preview November 1, 2024

[getcardedtarot]

What is your path? PAC

Welcome to another midweek reading, lovelies! Today, I have a PAC to help you explore your current path. I guide you through where you are currently, your next step, what you need to know, and where your current path will lead you.

Take a deep breath, relax, and let your intuition guide you to the reading for you.

As a disclaimer, my readings should only be used for entertainment, the choices you make are your own.

I see that right now, you are patiently waiting for the next step in your life. You’re waiting for your ship to come in. You have your aspirations and wishes figured out and you’re ready to realize them. I get the feeling that you’ve achieved harmony and balance in your life and you’re ready for the next step. It’s time to create this life you want. Use what’s at your disposal and watch abundance pour in. I’m seeing that you’ve already planted the seeds and now it’s time to nourish what you’ve created. Before you know it, you’ll be surrounded by the luxuries you’re dreaming of. 

You’re entering a new phase of your life. All that you need is within you. Now is the time to embrace new ideas and growth! Maintain this serenity that you’ve gained and keep hope for the beautiful future you want. I’m seeing total emotional fulfillment in your future. Everything is leading up to you getting everything you want. I see so much abundance and happiness for you!

I’m seeing that right now, you’re in a very collaborative place. You’re consulting others, you’re making plans for things that you want to do. I’m seeing something you’re wanting to do, something you’re wanting to build or create. Right now you’re in the phase of having made the plans, and looking to move forward. The next step I’m seeing for you is to take the leap, put the plans into action. You’ve got things figured out, now all that’s left to do is charge forward. Remain resolute throughout the actualization period. 

You need to know that you will succeed. There’s so much hope for you, it’s almost guaranteed. Given the other cards in this reading, I’m seeing very little chance for failure. The Star in this reading seems like more than hope. It’s a shining beacon there to remind you that you’re on the right path. The end result will be satisfaction. I’m seeing happiness and accomplishment from the Nine of Cups. I’m seeing that in the end, you will have this finished product in your hand.

I’m seeing that right now, you’re feeling very nostalgic. There’s something from your past you’re romanticizing. You’re having a very hard time letting this go. You’re keeping your eyes on the past. I’m seeing that it’s time for you to choose a new direction. You don’t have to completely let go of the past, but it is time to set a new goal. Get excited about the future, find a goal that motivates you. It’s time to choose a new conquest. 

Remember during this time that there is more prosperity and pleasure for you in the future. It’s not all in the past. You felt secure in the past, but that time has passed. Holding on to something long passed will lead only to heartbreak. If you continue on the way you have been, unable to let go, I see grief and pain for you. Letting go, moving on, will allow you to receive all the abundance life has for you. 

[asgoodeasgold]

Goofball-in-chief Matthew Goode to lighten up the day and get us through the week. He cracks me up 🤣. I don't know if this was the photographer's idea but I am sure Matthew, whose inner 5-year- old child is never too far away from the surface, relished not having to sit still and pose for the camera. The result is wonderful.

📷 Clara Molden for The Telegraph, Sep 2018. HD pics - license purchased by @alyssa-ty with thanks - please credit her if reposting. My collage.

Link to interview:

[thedawningofthehour]

I agree with soup about the Rise fandom, Rise is pretty unique and just has things that appeal to people that the other versions just don't have, Rise is the version with the most fanfiction and fanart of all the franchise.

MM was released a year ago and I hardly see many people still talking about it, Tales was released a month ago and I still don't see the same hook as with Rise.

As for your fic, I think the long absences and the fact that you posted midweek are really starting to affect it, still don't lose hope!!!!

Oh right, I posted on a Thursday. I forgot that people are back to school now.

There's also the fact that Book 3 is rated M. I figured it wouldn't cause much issue because anyone who's going to read Book 3 are already doth readers and aren't coming across it while searching and filtering out M-rated results, or would know why I chose the rating and wouldn't be apprehensive about clicking into it. But I guess some people are? The Rise fandom does skew pretty young.

I actually originally started pacing out the chapters because people were having trouble keeping up, lol. They'd have like a backlog of chapters to get through and the sheer size of the story was turning some people off.

[pedripics]

hi! may i ask you something about this Super League? im confused because im new here. and what about that 1 billion euros for? thank you

Hi, of course 🫶🏻

The Super League is a rather complex topic, so I'm gonna give you a short summary and a longer version with the history and stuff under the cut.

In short, the Super League is a proposed football competition for football clubs in Europe that is aimed to rival the UEFA competitions, such as the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League.

Format (this is the new version they just released):

It would include 64 men’s (spread across three leagues) and 32 women’s teams (spread across two leagues) playing midweek games in a league system across Europe. All clubs would play in groups of 8 – home and away – resulting in a guaranteed minimum of 14 matches per year. At the end of the season, a knockout stage of 8 clubs will be played in each league to determine the league champions. There would also be annual promotion and relegation between the three/ two leagues. The idea is that it would not interfere with domestic leagues.

History:

Proposals of Super Leagues in European football have been around for decades with the earliest ideas dating back to 1968. There were attempts to create a 'Super League' in 1987 and 1990 but they were abandoned after UEFA and FIFA threatened to sanction all involved clubs. In 2009, Florentino Pérez (president of Real Madrid) began planning a 'Super League' because the Champions League, in his words, was too "obsolete and problematic for the quality of the sport and an obstacle preventing clubs from growing their businesses and developing infrastructure." That idea resurfaced in 2020 when big clubs started suffering financially from the Covid-19 pandemic and ongoing debts. That got American investors interested who pledged US $5 billion towards its formation. In January 2021, FIFA and all six football's continental confederations (AFC, CAF, CONCACAF, CONMEBOL, OFC, and UEFA) issued a statement that rejected the formation of any breakaway European Super League and that they would ban any club or player involved from any competitions organised by FIFA and its six confederations.

Current 'European Super League':

In April 2021, Pérez announced the formation of the 'European Super League' (ESL) via a press release signed by twelve clubs that signed up to be involved (Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspurs, Inter Milan, Juventus, AC Milan, Atlético Madrid, FC Barcelona, and Real Madrid). The aim was a new competition that "provides higher-quality matches and additional financial resources for the overall football pyramid, provides significantly greater economic growth and support for European football via a long-term commitment to uncapped solidarity payments, which will grow in line with league revenues, would appeal to a new younger generation of football fans, and also would improve VAR and refereeing." Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, and Juventus were the three leading clubs. There is much more to the financial aspect of it (like solidarity payments, welcome bonuses, participation payments, commercial revenue, etc.), but that's rather complicated and depends on what newspaper you wanna believe.

Reception:

The announcement led to a joint statement from the governing bodies of the Premier League, La Liga and Serie A condemning the formation, with all governing bodies declaring to prevent the ESL from proceeding any further. Football governing bodies from Germany, France and Russia released similar statements. UEFA reiterated their statements made in January 2021, warning that any clubs involved in the Super League would be banned from all other domestic, European and world football competitions and that players from the clubs involved would also be banned from representing their national teams in international matches. (The Premier League and their governing body FA ruled out barring the six clubs from domestic competitions and preferred to not take legal action.) Numerous politicians expressed their opposition to the proposal of the ESL. Amongst commentators, footballers and managers, the ESL sparked contrasting opinions. Media companies were mostly opposed to the idea (which does not come as a surprise as ESL promises free viewing of all live matches). Many football fans, including the fans of the involved clubs, were not in support of the idea of the ESL. The backlash led to nine clubs (all clubs, except FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Juventus) announcing their intention to withdraw from the project in April 2023. However, eight of these nine clubs remained involved as stakeholders. In June 2023, Juventus announced their decision to leave the Super League project after facing a rumoured 5-year ban from all European competitions if they went through with the project. (That only leaves FC Barcelona and Real Madrid)

Legal issues:

In May 2021, the Super League filed a complaint to the Court of Justice of the European Union against UEFA and FIFA for their proposals to stop the competition. UEFA had opened disciplinary proceedings against FC Barcelona, Juventus, and Real Madrid, which were threatened to be excluded from all UEFA competitions, in order to sanction them but these measures were stayed until further notice as a result of the rulings from the Spanish commercial court and Swiss authorities. In June 2021, the Swiss Department of Justice and Police and the Spanish Commercial Court referred the issue to the Court of Justice of the European Union to question whether UEFA and FIFA have violated two articles of the Treaty of the Functioning of the European Union. Article 101 prohibits cartels and other agreements that could disrupt free competition in the EEA and Article 102 aims to prevent businesses in an industry from abusing their position or taking action to prevent new businesses from gaining a foothold in the industry. On 21 December 2023, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled that FIFA and UEFA's rules, which banned clubs from joining rival competitions, such as the Super League, are contrary to EU law. UEFA's and FIFA's rules making new football projects subject to their prior approval are also unlawful.

What does the ECJ's ruling mean:

The ECJ's ruling is binding and not subject to appeal. The ECJ's decision on UEFA's rules does however not rule on whether the Super League should (or is allowed) to exist. UEFA needs to change and clarify its rules now to comply with EU law. Once the regulations are updated, the Super League will still need to acquire authorisation to set the competition up. The ruling basically gives companies like A22 the right to pitch a new football competition and for their application to be judged on criteria which are "transparent, objective, non-discriminatory and proportionate".

Revival of the project:

In December 2023, A22 announced a new, updated proposal (which I already explained under format). However, many clubs have issued statements opposing the idea (including clubs, who were once involved in the ESL). As of right now, Real Madrid, FC Barcelona and SSC Napoli have issued statements in support of the ESL. There are reports about various clubs from Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal and other European leagues who are keen on joining (but no official statements from the clubs).

Why could Barça and Real Madrid receive €1 billion?

I believe this has not been confirmed by A22, but it has been reported by various newspapers. They would receive €1 billion as a reward for their loyalty, as they are the only two clubs who remained firm on their decision to take part in the Super League. That would obviously only happen if they find enough teams to set up the ESL.

[inafieldofdaisies]

WIP Wednesday | Tagged by @direwombat ❤️

Midweek check-in. We're jumping into Chapter 3 of John and Sabrina's AU with a little snippet where he's doing a great job of picking flowers for her while Leslie and Oliver become partners in crime.

A faint ringing pulled John out of his slumber, making him turn on his side away from the sunlight coming into the room through the half-open curtains. When the sound persisted, he reached a hand to the nightstand and grabbed the hotel room phone's receiver, holding it up to his ear, face still buried in his pillow. "Hello?", he croaked out, voice raspy. "Mr. Duncan, there's a delivery in the lobby for you." "What time is it?" "10 am, sir.", the man on the other line announced matter-of-factly. Of course. His usual alarm hadn't woken him up, resulting in him oversleeping, but reality was that he was stuck in another city with a cleared out schedule. He suspected by the following Friday, he wouldn't know what to do with himself, deemed a workaholic by many. Still, compared to everything else he had faced so far, that predicament seemed insignificant. "I will be right down in a bit." He quickly freshened up after the call ended, and with a final look at the vase with flowers the bat had knocked down the previous night, he left the room.

Downstairs, the lobby was relatively busy, his gaze running over the guests piling in and out of the hotel as he approached the welcome desk. "Morning.", he uttered out in a greeting, reminding himself he needed to grab a coffee. "Morning.", the younger man at the reception echoed back. "I was told there's a delivery for me." "Yes, yes.", he gestured to a couple of bags behind the counter, "Would you like me to call someone to help you with those?" "No.", John retorted quickly, feeling in no mood to interact with people so soon after waking up, "I wanted to ask…" "Yes, Mr. Duncan?" "Are there any flower shops you would recommend?" The man wasted no time in retrieving a notepad and jotting down an address for him, "It's three blocks away, most of our guests use their services." "Thank you."

With the small piece of paper tucked safely into his pocket, he picked up the bags and divided them between his hands, which in turn made pressing the button to call the elevator a challenge. "We meet again.", a hand appeared to his right and did it for him before the woman he had run into at the prison moved next to him as they waited for the elevator to arrive. "Ms. Donovan." A smirk marred her face while she went to fix her hair that wasn't out of place to begin with, each auburn curl falling over her shoulders perfectly to a point it seemed unnatural, "Look at that, you remembered." Kind of hard not to, when you have the same last name as the woman I like. Like?

He ignored the word and sent her a polite smile as they stepped into the elevator. It was beyond obvious that Candice intentionally chose to stand closer to him, or as close as his purchases would allow in the empty space. The fact she immediately pressed the button to the third floor was another unpleasant sight. "Which floor, Mr. Duncan?" "Fifth.", he lied seamlessly, knowing it would be best if she didn't know his room number.

"How did your meeting go?", she asked and glaced at him from the corner of her eye. "It didn't. There was a setback." "Oh, my.", she exclaimed, curiosity seeping into her tone and making her bright green eyes light with intrigue, "That's awful, darling." John shook his head, his attention returning to the floor indicator, "Hardly something that would discourage me. I have a new appointment, so everything is in order, Ms. Donovan." "Well,", the doors pinged, signaling they had reached the third floor, and John had to remind himself he shouldn't exit despite his instinct telling him to, "if you do face any trouble… you can give me a call, and we will find a desirable solution, I pressume you still have my card." He pushed down the urge to snarl at how she said "desirable", the innuendo, and her intentions behind the "friendly" suggestion for help being as clear as day to him. She wanted to do him a favor, and in return, he'd be indebted to her. And if he had to bet, it wouldn't be as simple as spending a night in her bed. No, when a woman like Candice Donovan would sink her teeth into someone she had set her sights on, she wouldn't just let go, at least not before having her fill and certainly not without ripping out their throat once she was finished. "I appreciate that.", he forced another well-practiced grin as she stepped out and waved him an elegant goodbye. Her heels resonated down the long hallway as she strutted away from him, no doubt putting on a show. Everything about her appearance was adeptly selected: from her designer heels to the emerald green dress that accentuated her curves and showed enough cleavage to draw in a man's gaze while still keeping her pretense of class. John breathed out a sigh of relief when the doors closed, and he found himself on his own again. Fuck. Just what I needed… her being on the same floor. He knew without a shadow of a doubt he had to avoid Candice like the plague, even more after this lie and the way it could only further fuel the interest of someone like her.

Once the elevator got down to his floor again, he hurried back to his room, fearing with his luck, he would end up running into her if he took too long. He quickly dropped off his bags by the door and went back down to the lobby, making a stop at the reception on his way out. "Hello." "How can I help, sir?", the man's gaze shifted away from the monitor and up to him. John straightened his back, leaning against the desk in a pose he often used when addressing judges during sidebars and usually yielded success in whatever he was arguing, "I would like a room change." The hotel receptionist pursed his lips, "I'm afraid that won't be possible. We're fully booked, Mr. Duncan. Is there an issue with your room?" Against his better judgment, his hand strayed to his chin to rub his beard, something a trained eye like Candice's would take as a hint of weakness, "No. Thank you." He made a move to leave, then remembered the broken vase, "One more thing, yesterday night a bat flew in and knocked off a vase off the dining table." "I'm sorry, sir.", concern washed oved the man's features, "Is it still inside? Do I need to call animal control?" "No.", John couldn't help a prideful smile from emerging, "I made sure it made its way back out." Technically speaking, he had done just that. With some help at concocting a plan of action and further moral support from Sabrina. "I'm glad to hear that, sir." John left the hotel, convincing himself his streak of bad luck would eventually end, that making it to his destination without running into any trouble was doable.

A stroll in his new shoes felt like a mistake after almost getting drenched multiple times thanks to cars driving full speed through puddles formed after last night's late rain. Still, waiting on a driver God knew how long and then asking them to take him to a place that was within walking distance was a bit of an overkill, even for him. Breathing in some fresh air seemed like a good idea, too. A couple of minutes later, after almost passing the flower shop thanks to his thoughts hopelessly drifting back to Sabrina, John found himself in front of it just as a man pushed through its doors, seeming in quite the rush to leave. It didn't take long to figure out the reason for his hasty escape. The moment he entered the store, instead of the usual polite greeting he would have expected, he was met by a horror movie worthy shriek that pierced his ears before a bouquet flew at his head. The sudden sting in his forehead told him his hands weren't fast enough to stop the bundle of flowers in its tracks as shock overtook him. "You have the audacity to come back? After you break things off with me on OUR wedding day!", a female hollered his way as the bouquet landed at his feet, her eyes glazed over with anger to a point the mistaken identity hadn't even registered to her. The violent outburst was followed by tears that threatened to undo all the work her makeup artist must have put into her look, and the only thing he could do was blink in surprise when she flew past him, and out of the shop.

"Mister, are you okay?", a woman close to his age broke him out of his daze, "I'm so sorry." "I-", he shook his head and moved further in, overwhelmed by the mix of fragrances that attacked his senses, "I have no idea what just happened." "Wedding drama.", the woman sighed, focused on an arrangement she was working on. Assault more like it. And she fled the scene. "Anything catching your eye?", she spoke up again, finally shifting his attention to him fully as he regarded the premade bouquets and rolls of vases filled with various type of flowers. "A bouquet. Red roses. And I would like to have it delivered today." A part of him argued he had no idea what flowers Sabrina preferred, but red roses were the option he always went with and none of his past lovers ever seemed disappointed in the choice. Quite the opposite, in fact - the gesture inarguably yielded the desired result each time he would task Penny with sending them to a woman. Having a PA to take care of his every whim including sparing him the hassle to go down to the florist's personally certainly came in handy anytime he would cave in and entertain the side of him yearning for a female's touch, but after the drunk call, he was forced to make the trip himself for once. "You're in luck then, you caught our morning window for deliveries.", the florist announced as she began selecting roses for the bouquet. "How many roses, sir?" John paused, unsure of how many Penny would get normally, "60?" The woman bit back a smile, "It must be a special someone. I would advise trying to avoid getting it hurled at your person, though." "She is, yes. And I will keep that in mind." Especially for still entertaining me after getting a call in the middle of the night and staying on the phone while my room was under siege by a bat. But telling any of that to a stranger seemed like oversharing, so he settled for a simple answer instead. She reached underneath the counter and produced an empty card and a pen for him, "How about you fill this out for her while I'm preparing the bouquet?"

"Thank you.", the plain piece of paper in his hand gave him a pause, then his mind drifted back to the night Sabrina had given him a ride, "Do you by chance have a card with butterflies on it or something close?" The florist smiled as she set aside the roses she had gathered and crouched down behind the counter, presenting him with way too many options to choose from. "Ask me what I don't have.", she added with a laugh. His fingers shifted through the cards, each seeming way too colorful and like it would clash with the simple bouquet until he came across one that screamed Sabrina. The inky black butterfly catching his eye so much that looking at the others seemed pointless. "This one.", he announced then moved away to give her space to work on his bouquet and settled at the far end of the counter, leaning forward on his elbows as he contemplated what he should write inside. It was another thing Penny took care of for him. "You have such a way with words, John.", his date would whisper and stroke his hand, eyes full of awe while he'd smirk, not having the slightest clue what his PA had even written to begin with. He never bothered to ask, all he cared about was it was working. What do I say? Minutes ticked by where he came up empty after overthinking every idea that would pop up in his mind and deeming it inappropriate. Finally, he forced himself to put pen to paper, writing a simple, "Thank you for last night. - J"

Once the bouquet was finished and he paid for it, he left the shop, feeling content he had done something without Penny's help. The flowers were on their way to Sabrina's precinct, and his morning had started quite uneventful aside from encountering Candice and being hit in the face by a bouquet an angry soon-or-not-so-soon bride-to-be threw at him. He didn't want to think if that granted bad luck in opposition to catching it after a wedding ceremony. He crossed the road with his sights set on a small cafe across the street from the flower shop. He was going to have breakfast while he waited for Sabrina to call, the idea of their date fueling his good mood despite the dull pain in his temple.

"We're heading out, boys.", Graham Ross said as he and his partner at the Missing Persons Division, Vaughn, set on following up a lead. "Good luck.", Oliver retorted as the door shut behind them and he let out a yawn, spinning around in his chair to face Leslie, "So… you can tell me now." "Don't start, McKenzie." "What did she say?" Leslie sighed, "I just know you won't be able to keep your mouth shut, she knows it too, which is why,", he pointed at the younger detective, "she was hesitant to share anything about the guy in front of you." "I won't, pinky promise.", Oliver raised his pinky for good measure as he took a sip of coffee. "She likes him.", Parish hoped the shrug he gave was nonchalant enough, still trying to wrap his head around the fact Sabrina was showing interest in someone, let alone an attorney. "Look at you, stating the obvious. Give me something more, buddy, that's like telling me water's wet." He rubbed his neck, wondering how much was safe to disclose, but still knowing Oliver wouldn't do anything to actually hurt her, rather wanted his curiosity to be fed. "John", the name rolled off his tongue, leaving a bitter taste in its wake, "lifted one of her business cards so he can have her number and is now texting her." Oliver whistled, "See, I knew the whole "NOT MY GIRLFRIEND" had its intent. And Rina isn't creeped out?" "Nope."

He pursed his lips, "Who knew she'd go for a hotshot attorney from all people, especially with Candy being in that field. Though there was something about him that just seemed… off." Leslie snorted as he leaned back in his chair, "Off? As in?" "It was like his charm was only surface level. You will see when you meet him." "He asked her out.", Oliver raised an eyebrow at his words, "And not directly." "Meaning?" "Decided to act sleek and 'check' if she has any recommendations for lunch spots." "So smooth.", Oliver said, voice dripping with sarcasm and making him let out a laugh. "And she thought it was an innocent question, went as far to argue with me, Ollie… how he just wanted to eat somewhere nice. Couldn't look me in the eye when she finally saw his next text asking her to 'grab lunch'." McKenzie swiveled in his chair lightly, mug clutched between his hands as he contemplated the story, "Did she agree?" "No idea. We were in and out of interviews the whole day yesterday and by the time I got home, I pretty much passed out." "There's more, Parish…" Leslie shook his head, "Not really." "Sure, sure, and I was born yesterday." "I might have told her to go out with him." The confession made Oliver choke on his coffee, sputtering, "Come again." "You heard me."

"Jesus, Leslie.", he gave him a pitiful look, "You like her, why would you do that? You basically opened the door to someone else getting in her pants. Law pun not intended, but damn." "Ollie." "What? You think he won't be trying to? My bet is he was probably rubbing one out the second he was on his own." "I want her to be happy. And this… ain't giving me much hope for the guy." Oliver tsk-tsked in disapproval, "Just saying it how I see it. And you, my friend... need to get your shit together before someone else takes the empty spot in her life, same one you've been eyeing like a sad puppy since the moment she first walked in here. Then you can both be happy and I get to be your best man." "That ship has long sailed, we all know it." He got one of McKenzie's signature eyerolls, "And you don't know how to swim? Board that motherfucker, Parish." "I'm fine with my role, Ollie.", Leslie said eventually, "Plus. He has no chance in the long run." "Why's that?" "Rina's been waiting for someone." A chuckle escaped Oliver, "Aren't we all?" "And she's adamant about it. John just doesn't know he would be fighting a losing battle." Sabrina herself had told him as much when he had finally admitted he had feelings for her, confessing she wasn't over some man she had met long time ago, that she would never be. "Ooof, his poor ego." "Yeah. It would die a gruesome death."

Oliver opened his mouth to most likely crack another joke at the lawyer's expense when a knock sounded at the door before an young man peeked inside their division. "Morning. I have a delivery here.", he announced in a rush, "Flowers for a Miss Donovan? I was told to bring them up here by the front desk…" Leslie stared at the enormous bouquet of blood red roses he held, his expresson of disbelief no doubt matching Oliver's. McKenzie was the first the jump to his feet, and with his desk being the closest to the doorway, he erased the distance between it and the delivery guy in a couple of strides, "She's out, but I will take them." "Thank you.", the man passed him a cupboard from under his arm, "Sign here, please." Oliver scribbled his signature quickly, shooting a dramatic look towards Parish when he took the flowers in his hands. "Have a nice day.", the man called out and left as quickly as he had appeared. "There's a card in the sea of roses, Leslie.", McKenzie reported, eyes shining with dangerous curiosity. Leslie rose up from his seat and met him halfway, "Don't." But it was too late, Oliver had already transfered the bouquet to him as he plucked the card from it and opened it. "Boundaries, Ollie."

"'Thank you for last night, signed J.'", he read out loud, hollering a laugh at the last part, "Holy shit. He did not just-" "I could have gone without hearing that, Oliver.", Leslie ripped the card out of his fingers and shoved it back between a roll of roses, then turned, fully intending to place the flowers on her desk and forget about the words just read to him. Instead his feet carried him over to his own, and before he could think better of his actions or question what awful spell had fallen over him, he dropped the bouquet in the waste bin by it with a snarl. It was the black butterfly on the card that set him off and the realization it matched the two Sabrina had tattooed on her clavicle, proving "last night" could mean one thing. Oliver let out a laugh, gaze casted downward, "Jesus, talk about an extra fucker, it can’t even fit halfway in the trashcan. How many roses do you think that is? And do we think he's compensating for something else with the size of that bouquet?" "An extensive number. Blatant overkill. He's showing off, plain and simple." "Yeah. The card couldn't be more on the nose, either." "Don't remind me.", Leslie gritted out and pushed the flowers further in with his shoe, "What kind of man sends flowers to a woman with that message? At her workplace." "Maybe… it's not what it looks like?", Oliver didn't sound convinced by his own words at all, "Yeah, who am I kidding." "And she'd hate it.", it was a matter of fact statement, "Roses aren't even her favorite."

"Board that ship, because that fucker is already at the helm. But worry not, we can wash away his look of victory when we throw him back into the ocean." "You sure are going hard for those pirate metaphors, Ollie." "You started it." "What are you two up to?", Sabrina's voice made both of them jump in surprise as Leslie reacted quickly and kicked the waste bin under his desk before sinking back into his chair like nothing had happened. Oliver followed suit by taking a seat at the edge of his desk, his body obstructing her view of the flowers further. She made her way to her desk, clutching a folder close to her chest, completely oblivious to the fact they had done something bad. Sabrina faced them with a small smile, and Leslie didn't dare to wonder if it was thanks to her night with- No. Don't go there. "Lab's finally done. We got a match, now only to put out a BOLO.", she was beaming with those news, "We're getting closer, Leslie." Oliver and Leslie shared a look while she shrugged off her coat and sat down, turning her computer back on. "You're both awfully quiet. What happened?" "Nothing.", Parish said first. McKenzie in turn crossed his arms over his chest, sending a knowing smirk his way before asking, "So how was your night, Rina?" "Hmm?", Sabrina glanced at him briefly, feigning confusion, "Boring?" "That so?" "Yeah.", the fact her gaze remained glued to her monitor didn't help matters while Oliver pushed for more intel despite a warning kick from Leslie. "Boring how?"

"What are you up to, Oliver?" "Just answer the question, Sabrina.", Oliver retorted playfully, "We're bonding." She rolled her eyes, but entertained his excuse, "Boring as in, it's what I do every night - went home, made Sav dinner, crashed for the night." Silence took over the room, filled only by the clicking of her keyboard as she put up the BOLO for their suspect, and Leslie almost spilled his coffee over his jeans when Oliver broke it, "And what about our lawyer friend?" "John?" "Yes. You have any other lawyers thirsting for your attention?" "Hilarious. What about him?" Did you see him last night? Why is he sending you an obnoxious number of flowers as the most distasteful display of gratitude for sleeping with him? Thankfully, neither of them asked her that, instead Oliver went for a safer question, "Heard from him yet?" Sabrina groaned, "Leslie, you told him, didn't you?" "That he asked you out for lunch?", he wiggled his eyebrows, "Sure, he snitched, you can spank him for it later, but it wouldn't have been too hard to figure out on my own, Rina. My senses were tingling from the second the rich fucker walked in to report his luggage stolen." "Fuck.", she uttered out suddenly, pushing back her chair as she rummaged through her bag for something until she pulled out her phone, "Lunch. I will be right back." "Leslie.", Oliver whispered under his breath as they watched her rush out of the room, "I think it won't be as easy as throwing him overboard, matey. I haven't seen her run like that for anything that's not a case update."

Leslie's eyes narrowed, hating he was voicing the exact thing he had noticed, and the hand McKenzie rested on his shoulder for moral support. "Chin up, buddy.", his lips quirked up, "For what it's worth, he can take her out on a date, but you can take him out, literally. And me... I own a shovel." The door opening again prompted Oliver to resume his previous pose against the desk as Sabrina returned and put her coat back on. "Where are you off to, Rina?", he sing-songed, twirling one of Leslie's pens between his fingers. "Uh,", she cleared her throat, "I'm going out for lunch, guys." The announcement resulted in another pointed look from him aimed at Parish while Sabrina herself seemed far away, probably already out of the building in her mind. When neither said anything out loud, she bit her lip, growing uncertain, "I will be at Rue's, watching my phone like a hawk in case anything comes up from the BOLO… If you two don't think I-" "Go.", Leslie interrupted her, "You have to eat, Rina. We will keep an eye out." She nodded and shot him a smile and a small wave at Oliver as she left. "Have fun.", Oliver shouted after her before turning to Leslie, "Look at that, I'm suddenly hungry myself. Rue's sounds just divine right now." "Ollie. Don't.", Leslie's voice rose, already foreseeing the chaos the plan would cause and how it could ruin Sabrina's date with the lawyer. John. He was dreading even thinking about his name now. Oliver hoped off his desk and grabbed his own jacket, "I'm doing this alone, Parish, don't worry. A little recon. Fucker will be walking the plank in no time."

Tagging, @socially-awkward-skeleton @adelaidedrubman @poisonedtruth @madparadoxum @wrathfulrook @josephslittledeputy @josephseedismyfather @trench-rot @g0dspeeed @shellibisshe @shegetsburned @jillvalentinesday @cassietrn @purplehairsecretlair @voidika @theelderhazelnut @v0idbuggy @chazz-anova @florbelles @corvosattano @nightbloodbix @euryalex @clicheantagonist @simplegenius042 @thesingularityseries @strangefable @dumbassdep and anyone with something to share ❤️

[danmei-in-polls]

Another org poll

Recently y'all have probably noticed that I've run out of steam a bit for this blog. Is there life past the hyperfix and all that. Trying to keep up with everything I've been doing seems to actually make me drop the ball on the primary function (reblogging danmei polls), leaving things to marinate in my drafts for days...

So what I wanna do is officially trim the additional work I've been doing down to a manageable level. For this, I'm going to run a few polls to determine the priority of those tasks, and if they should stay as they are or be minimized in some way. Before that, though, a reminder of what the options are:

12h bumps - the polls getting another reblog 12 hours after I initially reblog them, presumably helping people in different timezones see them on their dashes.

Submissions Open masterpost - collecting links to tournaments with open submissions, presumably helping people submit more characters to more tournaments.

Midweek bumps - haven't done them in a while due to aforementioned 'leaving polls to marinate', but: reblogging week-long polls again at about '3 days some hours left' mark if they meet conditions*. Presumably updating people on the state of the poll, e.g. prompting them to reblog / write propaganda if their blorbo has started losing after they have seen the poll initially; also putting it on the dashes of people who missed the original reblog(s).

Propaganda - reblogging propaganda for polls that meet conditions*.

*conditions are 'danmei option is either losing, or winning only by a small margin'

Now, the first question is: which of these do you see as the most essential functionality for this blog? Note that this doesn't mean I will completely remove the losing options; this is just to help me prioritize. Also: please only pick the 'only base function' option if you GENUINELY dont find the other things useful; don't be like 'oh its helpful but the mod needs rest :(' I would rather get accurate results for what people actually find useful!

[youmeyaxleyfc]

Midweek Matters #3 - cause for concern?

Despite an untick in results and a guarantee of goals in their matches, crowds at APG Park continue to teeter.

There is a lot of positive work going on in the community after trips to Fourfields fete and the Chairman working in the Parish Council kitchen. But as of yet all that great stuff and positive social media traction still can't improve the number of bums on seats.

We are now a number of weeks on from the instability of a change of manager and we have a number of village based players in the team now.

I would be the first to be critical if the club was doing what it always did and hoping for a crowd to materialise. But this time its different at the top and a new committee.

Maybe the whole process needs time to mature and for people in Yaxley to realise there is a brave new world for them to get behind.

The club is doing great things in the FA Vase and that should convert to people being interested and supporting. I hope it does because crowds between 40 and 80 aren't going to help bring continued, sustained success.

This isn't a new problem, I just don't want it to become a big problem.

[basicallyblank]

Champions League qualifiers round 1- defeat to Paris FC

Very disapointing result yesterday, and not a result a lot of us expected, probably not a result Jonas expected since he didn't plan for a penalty shootout.

We had it all wrong yesterday, in my opinion. Our line up was wrong, should've started Russo and McCabe, we could've put the game to bed and not have to fight tooth and nail to get it to penalties. From the start, something i kept noticing was that we looked disjointed and that there was a communication issue, especially from the backline. Obviously we've brought new players in, this is the first time they're playing matches together, so they might not work good together straight away, but we just looked lost.

2 goals in 60 seconds...is embarrassing. Manu looked lost in goal and I feel like she wasn't 100% yesterday, I want to see Sabs move more to our no.1 goalkeeper as i doubt Manu is staying next season, Manu has been lacking for some time, she's still a good gk, but she is making more mistakes that are costing us. We conceded again basically right after the restart from the first goal, a misplaced pass from Lia, when we got to 2 down i started having Birmingham City flashbacks.

Last season when Leah tore her ACL, I knew our backline was gonna be worrying, but for the rest of last season we still had Rafa to help us, now we have no Leah and no Rafa. Noelle was poor, her scuffed pass in the first half had me sat in disbelief, Lotte was also poor, people seem to be up in arms when people criticise her, obviously some people tow the line where it steps into abusive language, that no player deserves, but there is no problem criticising a player that was poor. She makes mistakes every game that leave us scrambling trying to get the ball back because we're now being heavily counter pressed. I just hope we sort it out because I dont know how long I'll last if I have to watch that defensive line up again, our best option is a back 3 until Leah is back.

Alessia is looking really promising, she got 2 goals for us and managed to keep us in the game, obviously her penalty miss was sad, but she's the reason we got to penalties in the first place, and you can blame Jonas lack of preparation for penalties, at least she offered to step up. When he put Jen up front, I cant lie, I was ready to see a resignation letter, but Jen always shows up in the big games when we need her, eg Wolfsburg. Frida also poor today, I think after seeing the game she played during the 120 minutes, she shouldn't have stepped up, she missed chance after chance and we're meant to think she'd be able to convert from the spot after having such a poor game ? hmm.

Obviously no Champions League is going to be heavily disapointing, Codina won it last season and now she's already out. On the bright side, it means less games, no awkward midweek games when we have an important league game coming up ect. We have no excuses not to win the league, and if we dont, we have to start asking questions, we didn't get the Champions League, our players have less games, why are we not winning ? The last time we didn't get Champions League was in 18/19 season, and we won the league. We need to win trophies this season, we dont have the pull of Champions League to convince players to come to Arsenal, what pull are we gonna have to get world class players if we cant win the FA Cup, Conti Cup, the WSL ? What pull are we gonna have to convince players who are already here to STAY, if we cant win anything ?

We don't have Champions League this season, its done, we cant do anything about it, we cant get it back. We're an english giant, we dominated the WSL for years until other teams caught up, we dont have the pressure of champions league this season, so full focus on the league, and everything that comes with it. UTA

[dailytomlinson]

The chart is the midweek result! Louis has been number 1 on that chart since they announced it a few days ago. We don’t know the real-time numbers. DONT STOP BUYING AND STREAMING!!

👆👆👆👆👆👆👆

KEEP IT UP EVERYONE!

[dragonflycap]

What to expect from the stock market this week

Last week, the review of the macro market indicators saw with the first week of September in the books, equity markets reverted to weakness, trending lower all week. Elsewhere looked for Gold ($GLD) to continue its uptrend while Crude Oil ($USO) continued to move lower. The US Dollar Index ($DXY) continued in broad consolidation while US Treasuries ($TLT) showed signs of a possible new uptrend. The Shanghai Composite ($ASHR) looked to continue the downtrend while Emerging Markets ($EEM) dropped back into a short term downtrend.

The Volatility Index ($VXX) looked to shift from low and stable to low and rising making the path more difficult for equity markets. Their charts looked weak on the shorter time frame as price pulled back from a lower high, but they remained above making a lower low for now. On the longer timeframe they looked stronger, but vulnerable with the $SPY strongest then the $IWM and the $QQQ the weakest.

The week played out with Gold pushing out of consolidation to the upside and ending at a new all-time high while Crude Oil found support and reversed higher midweek. The US Dollar met resistance and fell back in consolidation while Treasuries met resistance at a retest of the 2023 high and paused. The Shanghai Composite continued lower, closing in on the February low, while Emerging Markets found support and rose back over resistance.

Volatility moved lower all week to end just above the August low. This gave equities a boost midweek and they responded with a 3 day move higher to end the week. This resulted in the SPY back within spitting distance of the all-time high and the QQQ and the IWM ending back over their short term moving averages. What does this mean for the coming week? Let’s look at some charts.

SPY Daily, $SPY

The SPY came into the week in a pullback from a near retest of the top on the daily chart. It printed an inside day Monday and rose slightly Tuesday head of the CPI report Wednesday morning. In reaction to the report, it opened and drove lower for the 1st hour before reversing and ripping higher to close up 2.6% off the low of the day. It continued higher the rest of the week ending back at the August high. The RSI is rising near 60 with the MACD crossed up and positive.

The weekly chart shows the reversal of the prior week’s drop, noting that price held at the 20 week SMA. The 161.8% extension of the retracement of 2022 drop continues to play a key role as resistance. The RSI is rising in the bullish zone with the MACD flat and positive. There is resistance higher at 565.50. Support lower is at 561.50 and 556.50 then 549.50 and 545.75 before 542 and 540. Consolidation in Uptrend.

SPY Weekly, $SPY

Heading into the September FOMC meeting and Options Expiration, equity markets showed strength with a rebound from the week prior. Elsewhere look for Gold to continue its uptrend while Crude Oil consolidates in a short term downtrend. The US Dollar Index continues to drift lower in consolidation while US Treasuries are on the edge of a reversal to an uptrend. The Shanghai Composite looks to continue the downtrend while Emerging Markets consolidate.

The Volatility Index looks to remain low and stabilizing making the path easier for equity markets to the upside. Their charts look strong, especially on the longer timeframe with the SPY on the edge of break to new highs while the IWM and QQQ hold near recent highs. On the shorter timeframe the SPY is also strong with the IWM and QQQ possibly building tightening consolidation zones. Use this information as you prepare for the coming week and trad’em well.

Join the Premium Users and you can view the Full Version with 20 detailed charts and analysis: Macro Week in Review/Preview September 13, 2024

[sexiestpodcastcharacter]

(tag!anon again) Thank you! I appreciate the immense effort you put into entertaining the rabid masses with polls <3

You're welcome! And thank you. :)

I'm going to use this ask as a jumping off point to make a masterpost of the tags in use.

The original posts get collected into rounds, and reblogs don't go into these tags (but statistic and chaos-causing posts sometimes do). So far we have #Preliminaries, #Round 1, #Round 2, #Round 3, #Round 4, #Round 5, #Round 6, #Round 7, and finally #Round 8.

The original posts will have more variations on character and podcast names, in order to show up in the tumblr-at-large search results.

Propaganda reblogs will be tagged with #Propaganda, #[Character Name], and #[Podcast Name]. There will be two character tags if the character has an accent in their name, and some of the podcasts get both an overall podcast tag and a campagin-specific podcast tag (but not all of them).

#Anti-Propaganda is used for anti-propaganda. I try to only reblog things in good fun as I explain in detail here, but my sense of fun isn't everybody's sense of fun, so I suggest people blacklist that tag if it's something they don't enjoy.

#Results is for the winner announcements and some statistics. I reblog with the number of votes and the percentage the winner won because the website version of the blog (versus the dashboard version of the blog) doesn't show results.

#Statistics is for statistics. ^_^

#Mod Update is for updates from me, the moderator. I put stuff in here both about the brackets and about things going on with me that might interfere with my presence as pollrunner (for example, traveling for the eclipse and thus not being here for the final hours of Pickman vs Glenn Close.

#Rules has announcements for how the brackets are run.

#Not A Poll is for posts that aren't polls.

#Other Polls are for polls from other tournaments (I only reblog ones with podcast characters, feel free to send me any you find).

#Technically A Poll is for polls that I make that aren't head-to-head match ups.

#Podcast Networks is for my poll on podcast networks, a subject I don't know much about.

#Bonus Poll is for non-bracket match-ups that I am personally interested in, and may not be as impartial as I am for the actual brackets.

#Adaptations Poll is for polls about stories that were originally fiction podcasts and later adapted into other mediums. I'm always taking recs for this one!

#Friendless Bracket is for a hypothetical 32-entry redo of the Unscripted Bracket that would only happen if a Friends at the Table character wins the Unscripted Bracket. This did not occur, so this bracket will not exist. In 2024 I will have stricter limits for how many characters from a single podcast can enter the bracket.

#Eye Bracket is for the bonus bracket that will occur after the main tournament has finished, focused on podcast characters with an eye motif.

#Monster Bracket is another bonus bracket, this one focusing on uniquely powerful characters that straddle the line between divine and monstrous.

#fictionpodsexyperson is my attempt at finishing the bracket that inspired this blog. Carlos won that one too.

#AI Bracket is yet a third bonus bracket, about artificial intelligences.

#Honorary Mention are for characters that didn't make it into the brackets.

#Ask is for answered asks. I also tag these with the username of the person who sent the ask. This is not because I am keeping a record of you all, but rather because I've been on Tumblr since before @ mentions and before people got notifications when their asks were answered.

#Last Reblog goes up roughly 1 day before the poll ends. These are scheduled posts that have only the propaganda those characters started that round with.

#Weekend Reblog, #Monday Reblog, and I'm sure there will be others are midweek reblogs of the polls, assuming I have the time to make them. Round 1 took 5 days to post so did not get midweek reblogs.

#Post-Polls Reactions is for reblogging people's reactions to the results of polls.

#Mod Interferes is for when I make an announcement during an ongoing poll in an attempt to get an interesting outcome.

#Love Wins is for ties. :)

#Voter Fraud covers what is and isn't allowed during these polls.

#Art Propaganda is for art that was added as propaganda, made in response to the polls, or that was sent to this blog to reblog.

#Masterpost is for big long posts like this one that I might edit and add to over time.

#Actual Play Rec List is for all non-D&D actual play podcasts and games.

#Listen List is for podcast recommendations.

#Valentine's Day is for childhood style valentines, and will only be posted in when it's February 14th somewhere in the USA. If you find any I haven't reblogged feel free to send them to me at any time, and I'll save them in the drafts until next year.

I will update this post as I remember or create other tags.

[aesethewitch]

Hey! If you like my posts, recipes, spells, and the like, please consider dropping a dollar in my Ko-Fi tip jar! I'm trying to help my partner pay to fix the transmission controller in his car, which will run us about $800, while also paying our bills. We're saving with his paychecks, but every dollar helps! My current goal is to raise $300 to supplement the checks. [As of 11/8, we're about 14% there! Thanks to everyone who's commissioned or tipped me!]

Supporters of my Ko-Fi will get early, exclusive, or extended access to spells, recipes, grimoire notes, and more! I'm also offering paid tarot readings! If you'd like one, check out my Services commissions page. One-card readings are pay what you want, as low as $1, three-card readings are just $5, and a Celtic Cross spread is $20!

NEW 9/19: Custom Spell Recipe Services! I will turn a recipe of your choice into a spell for $10, or I'll write you a spell recipe from scratch for $15! Check it out here!

Posting Schedule (UPDATED 11/8/23):

Monday: Grab Bag Day! Whatever I'm currently working on, whatever I'm currently hyperfixated on, witchy prompts, full grimoire pages, hearthcraft, recipes, simple spellwork - it's a surprise!

Tuesday: Divination Day! Supporters get to take a peek into my grimoire's tarot notes and research notes as I develop and learn new divination techniques. This includes my ongoing quest for digital divination theory, divination survey thoughts, analysis, and results, and more.

Wednesday: My midweek day of no posting. This is the day I typically do housework, get outside, and so forth.

Thursday: Spirit Work, Theory, & Philosophy! Join me as I reconnect with my spirit work path, revisit old concepts, take notes on entities I've encountered, honor my ancestors, house, and land spirits, think about magical theory, share personal philosophies and paradigms, and more.

Friday: Free Readings Friday! My ask box will be open for free one-card tarot readings for everyone here on tumblr. (I may turn this day into a livestreaming day at some point if I can get my setup arranged properly!)

Saturday & Sunday: No Ko-Fi posts these days. I'll be online on Saturdays, but Sunday is my official, designated "unplugged" day. If you see me online, yell at me!

Important Note: This doesn't mean I'm going to stop posting spells and recipes to tumblr!! Ko-Fi supporters just get extra, extended, and early access to my work.

Requests, suggestions, and questions are always welcome. If there's something specific you'd like to see (here on the blog or over on Ko-Fi) or a service you'd like me to offer like a particular tarot spread, send me an ask or a message via Ko-Fi!

As always, thank you for reading! - Aese

[faith-nerd]

Ultimate Silly Song Showdown: Bonus Results

I'm a statistics nerd, and I like having more than just the one who won the overall tournament, so here's some bonus results, including results from the Midweek Match-Ups and the other themed polls.

Overall Tournament Victor: The Hairbrush Song (1995)

Second place in Tournament: The Water Buffalo Song (1993)

Highest Percentage* (both in Main Tournament and including Midweek Match-Ups): The Dance of the Cucumber (1995) [60 votes (73.1%) of 82 potential votes across 3 polls in main tournament; 86 votes (74.1%) out of 116 potential votes across 4 polls including Midweek Match-Up]

Highest Overall Votes: The Water Buffalo Song (1993) [163 votes (53.1%) of 307 potential votes across 5 polls in main tournament; 183 votes (52%) of 352 potential across 5 polls including Midweek Match-Up]

*Percentages are all based on "Potential Votes" aka: how many total votes were cast in polls that each song competed in? A song isn't going to be penalized percentage-wise for only being in one or two songs.

Midweek Match-Up/Theme Winners:

Boyz in the Sink Song: The Bellybutton Song (2003) [66.7% of 27 votes]

Bonus Pirates Songs: The Credits Song (2002) [48% of 25 votes]

Christmas Songs: Oh, Santa! (1996) [79.2% of 24 votes]

Best Bob and Larry Duet: The Dance of the Cucumber (1995) [76.5% of 34 votes

Puppy Songs: Lost Puppies (2000) [38.9% of 18 votes]

Best Archibald Performance (TIE): Larry's High Silk Hat (2001) and The Biscuit of Zazzamarandabo (2008) [37.9% of 29 votes]

Best Archibald Freak-Out: The Water Buffalo Song (1993) [57.1% of 28 votes]

French Peas being Chaos Gremlins: Lance the Turtle (2006) [73.7% of 19 votes]

Mr. Lunt Performances: His Cheeseburger (1998) [89.5% of 19]

Zany Zoo: Endangered Love (Barbara Manatee) (2000) [41.2% of 17]

Lessons that Stuck with Us: I Love My Lips (1996): The Polish word for "Lips" is "Usta" [38.1% of 21 votes]

Top 5 of Rounds 1-2 Eliminated: Song of the Cebu (1997) [65% of 20 votes]

Bottom 5 of Rounds 1-2 Eliminated: The Blues with Larry (2005) [47.1% of 17 votes]

Best Parody (TIE): Larry's High Silk Hat (2001): Parody of Luigi Denza's "Funiculì, Funiculà" and Pants (2010): Parody of the Home Shopping Network [31.6% of 19 votes]

"Wait, is this actually related to the episode?": Lost Puppies (2000) from Esther: the Girl Who Became Queen [30.8% of 13 votes]

[choti12]

The Best Time to Visit Hong Kong: A Comprehensive Guide

Hong Kong, with its towering skyscrapers, bustling streets, and vibrant culture, is a city that captivates travelers year-round. However, choosing the optimal time to visit can greatly enhance your experience and ensure you make the most of what this dynamic destination has to offer. Here's a comprehensive guide to help you decide the best time to visit Hong Kong:

1. Weather Considerations:

Spring (March to May): Spring brings mild temperatures and blooming flora to Hong Kong. It's an ideal time for outdoor activities such as hiking, exploring parks, and enjoying the city's scenic views.

Summer (June to August): Hong Kong summers are hot and humid, with temperatures often soaring above 30°C (86°F). While it's not the most comfortable time to visit, summer is perfect for beach lovers and water sports enthusiasts.

Autumn (September to November): With clear skies and pleasant temperatures, autumn is arguably the best time to visit Hong Kong. It's perfect for sightseeing, attending festivals, and sampling seasonal delicacies.

Winter (December to February): Hong Kong's winters are mild and relatively dry, making it an attractive option for travelers looking to escape colder climates. The city is adorned with festive decorations during the holiday season, adding to its charm.

2. Festivals and Events:

Chinese New Year: Celebrated in January or February, Chinese New Year is one of Hong Kong's most significant festivals. The city comes alive with colorful parades, traditional performances, and dazzling fireworks displays.

Spring Lantern Festival: Held in conjunction with the Chinese New Year, the Spring Lantern Festival takes place on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. Visitors can admire beautifully crafted lanterns and participate in various cultural activities.

Hong Kong Arts Festival: Taking place from February to March, the Hong Kong Arts Festival showcases a diverse range of performances, including music, dance, theater, and visual arts.

Dragon Boat Festival: Celebrated in June, the Dragon Boat Festival features exhilarating dragon boat races, traditional ceremonies, and delicious rice dumplings known as zongzi.

3. Peak Tourist Seasons:

Golden Week: The first week of October sees an influx of tourists from mainland China due to the National Day holiday. Accommodation prices tend to surge during this period, so it's advisable to book well in advance.

Christmas and New Year: Hong Kong is a popular destination for holidaymakers during the festive season. Hotels and attractions may be crowded, but the city's festive atmosphere is truly magical.

4. Considerations for Budget Travelers:

Off-Peak Travel: Visiting Hong Kong during the shoulder seasons (spring and autumn) can offer significant savings on accommodation and flights while still enjoying favorable weather and fewer crowds.

Midweek Stays: Opting for midweek travel instead of weekends can also result in lower hotel rates and dining expenses.

In conclusion, the best time to visit Hong Kong ultimately depends on your preferences, budget, and the experiences you wish to have. Whether you're drawn to the city's cultural festivities, outdoor adventures, or culinary delights, Hong Kong promises an unforgettable journey regardless of the season. So, pack your bags and get ready to immerse yourself in the enchanting tapestry of sights, sounds, and flavors that define this cosmopolitan metropolis.