#Yes Alphabet is a Value Investment

[empresa-journal]

Can ChatGPT help Microsoft (MST) kill Google?

Microsoft (MST) is trying to destroy Alphabet’s Google by adding the ChatGPT AI to its Bing search engine and Edge browser. “We’re excited to announce the new Bing is running on a new, next-generation OpenAI large language model that is more powerful than ChatGPT and customized specifically for search,” a Microsoft Press release states. “It takes key learnings and advancements from ChatGPT and…

[zylophie]

Can I request a alhaitham x reader fluff alphabet? A,S,V,W,Y? thank you!!(⁠｡⁠･⁠ω⁠･⁠｡⁠)⁠ﾉ⁠♡

(；￢＿￢) — alhaitham

✿ — ♬ ⌨️ᶻᶻᶻ : yue is typing... ✉!

✿ — ↻ SYNOPSIS : what is your romance with the scribe is like?

✿ — ♯ GENRE : fluff

✿ — ↠ NOTE : as an alhaitham main, I was looking forward to write this one as soon as I get the chance so I hope you enjoy this anonpyon~!

✿ — ♪ REMINDER : reblogs & likes are appreciated, in doing so will motivate us to continue delivering stories to you, thank you for all of your supports ~ !

✿ — ► ᴺᴼᵂ ᴾᴸᴬᵞᴵᴺᴳ : fluff alphabet of A, S, V, W, Y with alhaitham...

💬 ┊A ffection - How do they ask for affection?

💌 ┊. . .

The way he does it...is questionable at most but there are rare occasions where he can be pretty sweet...

"Haitham..." You approach the man with a note in your hand "You want to see me?"

"Ah yes...come over here for a moment" He hold up a scroll, urging you to come closer.

You walk over to where his desk is, confused by the contents "Huh? Isn't this just a picture-MMM?!"

...he always take you by surprise especially when you less expected it.

💬 ┊S tardust - What kind of dates do you have with them?

💌 ┊. . .

He isn't fond of outdoorsy kind of dates, he usually prefer having dates at home or library date but once in a while, he would let you drag him out and have a "proper" date...

"Waahh~! Haitham! Look, Look over there!" You exclaimed joyfully, skipping your way through the forest "Isn't the view so nice from here~?"

"I'll admit... it's nice but you really should watch where you're going" He said with a stern expression.

"I will be fine, it's safe ove-WAAHHH!?!"

... thus begin your eventful date with the scribe.

💬 ┊V ow - What kind of promises would they make with you?

💌 ┊. . .

He isn't the type to make promises with people but when he met you for the first time, that was when he start understanding its values, this concept of "promises"

"Hey, Haitham...why exactly did you agree to that promise of ours?" You asked shyly, twisting a few locks of your hair "I was a little curious..."

"Which one?" He shut the book he was reading and turn his attention on you.

"Uhh...you know the one..." Soft pink hues spread across your cheeks, feeling embarrassed by his stare "...that you will stand by my side no matter what others say about me..."

"It's because" He stood up, grabbing your right hand and stare deep into your eyes "I know that I can trust you"

...his promises with you are simple and sweet, coming from a man who only want to walk through life with you.

💬 ┊W edding - How they dream of their perfect marriage?

💌 ┊. . .

The thought did cross his mind a few times, he isn't one who would think of a big wedding instead he prefer a smaller and private wedding with only invited friends and families, he is just a simple man...

"Haitham~ Which one looks better on me...this one? Or this one??" You were holding up your wedding outfits up close to you, having a hard time to decide on one "ughh, I can't choose!"

"They look nice" He said with a a blank expression...if it wasn't for the almost unnoticeable smile that went away as quickly as its come.

You pouted, unsatisfied with his answer "Oh, come on... you said that almost all the time!"

"Well, it's not my fault that you just naturally look nice in anything you wear" His gaze was intense which doesn't help your situation.

...he is a man of few words but he always know what to say, leaving you with pinkish cheeks.

💬 ┊Y earn - How they felt the moment they knew they fell for their crush?

💌 ┊. . .

The moment he fell for you was when he first saw you reading multiple books in the library, he heard stories of how other scholars look down on you because of your carefree lifestyle but when he saw how invested you are in your studies...

He didn't understand what was this weird feeling deep inside him but one thing for sure, he couldn't take his eyes off you "..."

As if feeling his heat gaze, you lift up your head and meet his eyes "..."

You didn't say anything but instead you quickly draw something on a piece of paper and show it to him with a wide smile;

Good work today! :D

"Pft..." He couldn't help but chuckle at what he just witness, you're an odd one is what he thought at the moment....

from this day onwards is when his feelings begin to bloom slowly.

[market-news-24]

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[athomewiththecicadas]

Terminology for AI Institution

A little clarity of terms regarding reference to an AI Institution. What I am referring to is the study of telematics and informatics, and their relation to GPS location in their elastic sense.

Your first impression is correct, and you are enumerating technology accordingly. That is a sound practice, and NCO's instruct us to do so freely.

But the issue is the interworkings of ecology, and their relation to transit. And if you understand, you would think this is just a lot of data processing. But, in applying these sciences, it's much less then you originally interpreted, thus the term Artificial Intelligence.

Yes, large data processing is still a requirement, but in practice it's often much less then you estimated.

Now, the elastic use of the word "climate" is generally perceived as "people want to much from me." Cool. But in computer science, you just flip the program around. Thus your GPS elasticity.

And that mostly takes care of Artificial Intelligence. But I'm referring to the lack of proper Facilitation, such as large campaign investments, and infrastructure such as aircraft, and truck development, as well as communications infrastructure, to real weaknesses in the economy....

"Where you believe is common or reasonable."

And there is the confusion. People generally believe the economy performs to a curtain standard, and providers are often ill-equiped to do so. Thus requiring substantial investments.

And while you would think that all of this confusion is just additional job training, there isn't enough infrastructure to handle demand. And that isn't processor speed.

There really is an issue with padding revenues, and corporate protections.

[dootdootwriting]

AHHH CONGRATS ON 600!!! I hope you're doing well heehoo and if its okay can i ask for the whole alphabet with scaramouche?:3 (also pls don't overwork yourself jdjajdkdlfmmeis)

600+ event!!

this is my first time writing for scara so i hope i did okay aha,, under the cut for length!

fluff alphabet with scaramouche, gn reader, warning for inazuma quest/scaramouche backstory spoilers!!

why is his name so long

A-Activities (what do they like to do with their s/o? How do they spend their free time with them?)

- scaramouche isn't super knowledgeable about relationships, so he'll just sort of tentatively ask what you want to do and go along with it (though he might act like it's a stupid idea the whole time). really he doesn't care what he spends his free time on as long as you're a part of it.

B-Beauty (what do they admire about their s/o? what do they think is beautiful about them?)

- well first of all, he admires the courage you've got to have to be with him in the first place. other than that, he also loves your smile (but you won't hear him tell you that out loud, unless you're not really asleep when he thinks you are)

C-Comfort (how would they help their s/o when they feel down/have a panic attack etc.?)

- another thing he's alien to. at first just starts telling you to calm down and is pretty harsh about it. when he realizes this isn't working, he'll reluctantly take you into his arms and start awkwardly patting your head. it's funny how awkward it is and you end up laughing at him about it, which makes him annoyed, but at least now you feel better.

D-Dreams (how do they picture the future with their s/o?)

- scaramouche... either wants you to be by his side as he conquers everything and shows the world just how strong he is, or he wants to do it alone. though it would be much better if you were with him and it makes him sad to think about you not being there in the end.

E-Equal (are they the dominant one in the relationship or rather passive?)

- surprisingly passive, actually. he doesn't really know what he's doing so he lets you make most of the decisions about dates and spending time together. other than that though, he likes to drag you around to do whatever he wants.

F-Fun (what do they do for fun with their s/o? what’s their idea of a fun day out?)

- what's fun? on a day off, scaramouche will wander around and ponder his own existence. you'll have to take him to a market or a park or something so he can actually experience things first - once you do, you'll find he enjoys being alone with you somewhere quiet, where he doesn't have to listen to other people.

G-Gratitude (how grateful are they in general? Are they aware of what their s/o is doing for them?)

- doesn't show it, but is definitely grateful, though he also doesn't know just how much of a hassle he can be. scaramouche just sort of assumed love was supposed to be unconditional... but he can tell when he's crossed a line, and he's grateful for you sticking by him despite everything.

H-Honesty (do they have secrets they hide from their s/o? Or do they share everything?)

- obviously the one big secret is how he came into being in the first place, but once he trusts you enough to tell you about his being a puppet and a test, he's in all the way. he hides little things from you before that but once he's told you, you're in it with him forever whether you like it or not, and that means he doesn't keep anything else from you.

I-Inspiration (did their s/o change them somehow, or the other way around? Like trying out new things or helped them overcome personal problems?)

- he's a lot more tolerable around you! you've been approached by fatui officers asking you "how do you do it?" and saying things like "thank you so much i totally thought i was gonna be yelled at today!" somehow you cool off his temper a bit.

J-Jealousy (do they get jealous easily? How do they deal with it?)

- JEALOUS JEALOUS JEALOUS man. he gets jealous so so easily and WILL confront you about it. after a while and once he knows he can trust you he gets jealous less frequently, because he knows you're with him for the long run.

K-Kisses (are they a good kisser? What was the first kiss like?).

- bad kisser at first because he's probably never been in love before. he gets the hang of it quickly though! your first kiss was because he had to shut you up and he couldn't figure out another way how so he just kissed you. you yelled at him after that.

L-Love confession (how would they confess to their s/o?)

- scaramouche confesses on purpose but in a really weird way. he plans it and everything - he takes you out to see the sunset and brings food (almost like a picnic) but then once he gets to the actual confession it's just like "how dare you do this to me? i stay awake at night thinking of you and somehow you're the most tolerable person i've ever met. childe had the audacity to call it love and to laugh at me so he got what he deserved. if you don't feel the same way i'll punch you too." but he doesn't end up having to punch you, which you're both very glad about.

M-Mornings (what’s it like waking up with them? do they sleep late or wake up before the sun rises?)

- he didn't have a reason to sleep in late until he started sleeping next to you. now he's stuck in his ridiculous sleep schedule so he always wakes up before you. but hey! bonus! now he gets to look at you while you sleep, which for some reason makes him extremely flustered (which is really cute to wake up to).

N-Nicknames (what do they call their s/o?)

- just calls you your name 🧍

O-On cloud nine (what are they like when they are in love? Is it obvious for others? How do they express their feelings?)

- when he discovered he was in love he got angry at you. then he realized it wasn't your fault, and, actually, this wasn't such a bad thing. man were you confused though. for a solid week he just yelled at you for no reason. childe guessed correctly when he realized scaramouche's more-unusual-than-usual behavior, but he had the decency to hold his tongue around you.

P-PDA (how are they with PDA? is it fun to them or are they more reserved with their affection?)

- hates pda. will hold your hand and that's it if you try to kiss him in public his face will scrunch up and his ears will pull back instinctively. then he'll avoid you for the rest of the day.

Q-Quirk (some random thing they do when they’re with you for no reason in particular)

- gently taps you at random moments, almost as if he's trying to remind himself that you're here with him.

R-Romance (how romantic are they? What would they do to make their s/o happy? Cliché or rather creative?)

- scaramouche tries to be romantic? he's doing his best. he tries all the gooey stuff to make you happy like buying you chocolate and giving you stuffed animals but in reality he has little to no tolerance for this kind of thing and you have to reassure him you love him, not the classic romantic things he forces himself to do. after that he stops, which is a huge relief.

S-Support (are they helping their s/o achieve their goals do they believe in them?)

- he's more focused on his own goals and climbing the fatui ladder, but he's also very invested in anything you're attempting to do. wholeheartedly believes in you, whether he outwardly expresses it or not.

T-Thrill (do they need to try out new things to spice out your relationship or do they prefer certain routine?)

- scaramouche likes the security of his routine and the place your relationship is at. he gets embarrassed at pretty much any new milestone and needs some time to get to them, and he gets cranky when things change suddenly, so uh. no, he likes it better the way it is with little to no changes.

U-Understanding (how good do they know their partner? Are they empathetic?)

- not very empathetic, but is very understanding. scaramouche lacks the ability to feel how you're feeling (is it because he isn't quite human?), but he does understand how you work and function, and the best ways to treat you depending on your mood.

V-Value (how important is the relationship to them? What is its worth in comparison to other things in their life?).

- since you're so important to him, you're about number two on his list of priorities, maybe almost tied with his work in the fatui. he can't stand people, but you've wormed your way into his heart, so he's not letting you go anytime soon.

W-Wild card (a random fluff headcanon?)

- any time you give him affection he's a little startled at first, but he comes to love it and eventually will ask you for hugs.

X-XOXO (Are they very affectionate? Do they love to kiss and cuddle?)

- yes but ONLY behind closed doors. he's afraid if he so much as looks at you lovingly his underlings will laugh at him, and he definitely can't have that. when you two are alone, however, he absolutely cannot get enough of your touch.

Y- Yearning (how will they cope when they are missing their partner?)

- angry angry angry and makes it everyone's problem. when you get back from your trip the mood is dark and agents are running up to you like you're their savior "OH GOD YOU'RE BACK THANK EVERYTHING PLEASE SAVE US."

Z-Zeal (are they willing to go to great lengths for the relationship? If so, what kind?)

- he would literally kill for you (please tell him not to)

[returnn-of-the-mac]

Since you did one for Edward, how about a fluff alphabet for Kent Connolly if possible? He’s adorable really and deserves more love

I totally agree with that, he really is a sweetheart 💕 I had fun with this one! I actually really like doing az’s for the NPC’s, it makes me really think about it since I’m pretty much working with nothing!

I really appreciate all the az requests I’ve been getting—thanks so much everyone! I still have 2 on the docket (the next one is interesting. Not something I was expecting, but I’ll be happy to do. And the second one is another popular, rather sadistic *hint hint* NPC). Hope you like it! 😊

Fluff Alphabet: Kent Connolly

Activities: What do they like to do with their s/o? How do they spend their free time with them?

When they have down time, Kent likes cuddling up with Sole and watching episodes of The Silver Shroud.

Beauty: What do they admire about their s/o? What do they think is beautiful about them?

Kent admire’s Sole’s selflessness and heroism. He also appreciate’s Sole’s knowledge of the Shroud.

Comfort: How would they help their s/o when they feel down/have a panic attack etc.?

Kent is great at comforting because he’s so sweet. He genuinely cares about Sole and their feelings and will do anything he can to make them happy.

Dreams: How do they picture their future with their s/o?

Kent wants to get married to Sole and (assuming he was able to recover from the events of the Silver Shroud) continue running his radio station.

Equal: Are they the dominant one in the relationship, or rather passive?

Sole and Kent are equals.

Fight: Would they be easy to forgive their s/o? How are they fighting?

Yes, Kent forgives very easily. He hates conflict, especially with Sole.

Gratitude: How grateful are they in general? Are they aware of what their s/o is doing for them?

Kent is eternally grateful for everything Sole has done for him. He is especially thankful for them saving his life.

Honesty: Do they have secrets they hide from their s/o? Or do they share everything?

No, they don’t have any secrets.

Inspiration: Did their s/o change them somehow, or the other way around? Like trying out new things or helped them overcome personal problems?

Kent became braver because of Sole, especially after the events of the Silver Shroud.

Jealousy: Do they get jealous easily? How do they deal with it?

Not at all. He completely trusts Sole.

Kiss: Are they a good kisser? What was the first kiss like?

Not really. Kent isn’t experienced at all. He’s very hesitant.

Love Confession: How would they confess to their s/o?

Probably in some geeky way, like making some Silver Shroud-themed confession.

Marriage: Do they want to get married? How do they propose? What would the marriage be like?

Yes, Kent does want to get married. He and Sole would have a cute and simple marriage that would last a very long time.

Nicknames: What do they call their s/o?

Kent doesn’t really use nicknames. Maybe something nerdy like “hero.”

On Cloud 9: What are they like when they are in love? Is it obvious for others? How do they express their feelings?

Kent is super cute and sweet. When in love, he’ll have no problem holding hands with Sole, giving them little kisses, etc.

PDA:Are they upfront about their relationship? Do they brag with their s/o in front of others? Or are they rather shy to kiss etc. when others are watching?

Yes, Kent is upfront about his relationship. He brags about Sole like a three-year-old brags about a new toy. He’s precious.

Quirk: Some random ability they have that’s beneficial in a relationship.

Kent is super committed to anything he gets invested in. As such, he is extremely loyal to Sole.

Romance: How romantic are they? What would they do to make their s/o happy? Cliché or rather creative?

Kent is romantic in a cute way. He’ll surprise Sole with dinner, or flowers, or a nice compliment.

Support: Are they helping their s/o achieve their goals? Do they believe in them?

Yes, Kent does believe in Sole and will help them achieve their goals.

Thrill: Do they need to try out new things to spice out your relationship? Or do they prefer a certain routine?

Kent prefers routine.

Understanding: How good do they know their partner? Are they empathetic?

Kent is extremely empathetic. He can immediately tell when something is wrong.

Value: How important is the relationship to them? What is it’s worth in comparison to other things in their life?

This relationship is important to Kent, and is arguably one of the most important things in his life.

Wild Card: A random Fluff Headcanon.

Kent is a little spoon.

XOXO: Are they very affectionate? Do they love to kiss and cuddle?

Yes, Kent is very affectionate. He loves to kiss and cuddle with Sole, especially while watching the Shroud.

Yearning: How will they cope when they’re missing their partner?

When he misses Sole, Kent focuses on the Silver Shroud radio.

Zeal: Are they willing to go to great lenghts for the relationship? If so, what kind of?

Yes, Kent would die for Sole.

[modern-oedipus]

Random fact, I never used tiktok ever in my life and I dont think I’ll ever use it for two big reasons:

• the fact that videos are very short is likely to deceive me into thinking I’m not wasting my time, but I’ll do endless scrolling. I’d rather use Duolingo and practice Japanese alphabet and make use of my time.

• people be giving medical school information while doing dances on background. I watch videos on mute and they be not appealing

I ain’t judging anyone, but cause I got asked this. No I’m not using that app. Yes there may indeed be good & creative content if you use it right. No, I’m not going to do that. I value my time and prefer investing in myself than procrastinating and endless scrolling. I have got a life to live, after all.

Sincerely,

Nila who broke her executive dysfunction and now is refusing to download tiktok no matter how much her friends insist

[imagines-forthe-soul]

Please some fluff alphabet for himiko? Thaaanks

Fluff? On my blog? How absurd!

———————————————————

Himiko Toga:

Activities - What do they like to do with their s/o? How do they spend their free time with them?

Himiko loves to just spend time cuddling with her s/o and doing some online shopping with them. She thinks its a good way to pend time together since she gets to be close to them, wrapped in their arms and kept warm in their company as well as get their input on which things she should buy. Having her s/o pick out some of her clothes is basically what she does to let them know that she trusts them and values their opinion. it also just makes her pretty happy knowing that she is buying/wearing something that her s/o likes and thinks she looks cute in.

Beauty - What do they admire about their s/o? What do they think is beautiful about them?

She admires her s/o kindheartedness and their confidence. She would love it if her s/o was compassionate and could put themselves in another person’s shoes to understand their side of things. She’d also love someone who is sure of and is happy with themselves enough to not let the words of others sway their opinions and mood as they do her. These are two traits she lacks and would love it if her s/o could teach her to be more compassionate and confident. Something she finds beautiful about them above these two things are the fact that they find the good in her even though she can’t exactly see it herself or understand that. She loves that her s/o can read her better than she can herself.

Comfort - How would they help their s/o when they feel down/have a panic attack etc.?

She is rather good at cheering other people up. She makes herself as small and soft as possible as to not startle or make her s/o uncomfortable before approaching them. She’ll take their hand in hers and put it above her heart, letting them feel her heartbeat as a means to calm them down and let them know that she is here for them. if they are up for talking, she will do her best to mention topics she knows they like to get them more comfortable and to ease their tension and nerves. When they have finally calmed down, she’ll offer to cuddle with them and let them vent to her about any and all of their worries, doubts, and frustrations.

Dreams - How do they picture their future with their s/o?

She doesn’t really voice her dreams or wishes for the future since she knows that the life she lives now will most likely lead her to a different future than she would like or had hoped for. However, she secretly wishes to one day find someone who loves and accepts her for who she is, not judging her for her quirk. She wants to be able to grow old with that person, to live with them in a cute little house with maybe a kid or two and live a happy life together. The though of being a mother and a wife makes her so happy. To be able to make lunch for her husband and her kids and see them off to work and school is something that makes her heart swell and gives her some hope that maybe she can have that one day.

Equal - Are they the dominant one in the relationship, or rather passive?

She is rather passive in any relationship. She likes to be her s/o’s calm, bringing them down from any elevated emotions that they have and helping them see reason once again.

Fight - Would they be easy to forgive their s/o? How are they fighting?

She would find it rather hard to forgive her s/o, no matter the type of offense. She expects her s/o to be loyal to her and her opinions and if they go against anything she likes or believes in, then she thinks that her s/o is against her. She’s a bit irrational in this sense, usually escalating small situations and causing tears in her relationship with her s/o. She is the type of person to not back down from a fight even when she is wrong and will use all forms of manipulation to make you agree with her. More often than not, her s/o will have to be the one apologizing to her for one reason or another.

Gratitude - How grateful are they in general? Are they aware of what their s/o is doing for them?

She is pretty grateful for the things her s/o does for her. She may not realize it initially that they have done something she should be thankful for, but once she does she makes sure to thank them kindly. She usually shows her gratitude by making her s/o a nice home cooked meal and showering them in affection.

Honesty - Do they have secrets they hide from their s/o? Or do they share everything?

Yes. She hides many things from her s/o but expects them to tell her everything. It’s pretty selfish but that’s just her nature at times. She will withhold information from them for months if she doesn’t feel like or can’t tell them something and expects them to simply understand that. if her s/o get upset at her for this, she takes it as them going against her and trying to be mean, sneakily shifting the blame to her s/o and saying that they are the reason she didn’t want to tell them anything. However, if you were to do the same thing to her, Gods know what’ll happen to you.

Inspiration - Did their s/o change them somehow, or the other way around? Like trying out new things or helped them overcome personal problems?

Her s/o has changed her in some ways, but none that would typically help her with other people positively. Going back to her s/o teaching her how to be more confident, she would use this new found confidence to feel more justified in hurting people and doing the other things that she does to get back at society.

Jealousy - Do they get jealous easily? How do they deal with it?

Yes, she gets jealous quite easily and is never sorry for it. Making her jealous is awfully easy too and leads to many fights within your relationship with her. Talking to someone else for too long or if you seem to be getting to close with another person are just two of the many reasons as to why she gets jealous. The way in which she deals with this jealousy is usually by physically fighting the other person or you, kicking and screaming, and yelling at you for supposedly “cheating’ on her. She tends to be very irrational when it comes to things like this and expects you to see things from her side.

Kiss - Are they a good kisser? What was the first kiss like?

She is a rather good kisser. Her lips are always soft and glossed up so she is always ready for some smooches. She likes to take things slow at first, giving her s/o tender, playful kisses before getting into to something more serious and passionate. She’ll cup her s/o’s face and hold them close as she shares a kiss with them, humming in sweet delight each time the kiss progresses into something more fiery.

Love Confession - How would they confess to their s/o?

She’s the type to send her s/o a letter as a means of confessing. She thinks it’s a lot cuter and more traditional than confessing in person, especially for a girl. She’ll find a clean piece of paper, a cute gel pen, and use her body penmanship to create an adorable love letter to her s/o. She’ll go into great detail about what she likes most about them and how she can’t stop thinking about them everyday. At the end of the letter, she’ll tell them to meet her somewhere so that she can hear their answer in person.

Marriage - Do they want to get married? How do they propose? What would the marriage be like?

Yes, she’d love to get married. Like I said, it is a dream of her’s to get married but she mainly keeps it to herself due to her line of work. She won’t be the one proposing since she believes that a woman should be proposed to instead of the other way around. However, she would love it if her s/o proposed to her “somewhere romantic after a candlelit dinner with flowers and a band playing in the background”.

Nicknames - What do they call their s/o?

Baby cakes

Love angel

Hunny Buns

Sweetums

Honey Biscuit

Baby

On Cloud Nine - What are they like when they are in love? Is it obvious for others? How do they express their feelings?

She becomes obsessed with the person she has a crush on and it is pretty obvious. She becomes invested in their day to day life, wanting to be apart of it and occupy every moment of their time. She’ll constantly talk to them, asking them question after question just to hear their voice. In any situation where people need to be grouped together, you’ll always find her with her crush, holding onto them in some way (this is why Diesel [my OC] ended up dumping her. He likes his women calm, put together, and named Momo).

P DA - Are they upfront about their relationship? Do they brag with their s/o in front of others? Or are they rather shy to kiss etc. when others are watching?

She is very upfront with her relationship with her s/o. She lets the whole world know that she is dating her s/o and shoves that fact into eve conversation possible. Showing off her s/o is basically an occupation for her since she loves to hype them up and shower them with affection no matter who she is around or where she is. If she thinks her s/o and her relationship with them needs to be known, she’ll make sure that people know.

Quirk - Some random ability they have that’s beneficial in a relationship.

It’s more beneficial to her rather than her partner but she is good at manipulating people. She can manipulate her s/o or other people for her s/o. When she is doing it to her s/o, it’s usually to get them to agree with her on something or make them feel bad about saying something to her to make them stay. It happens pretty constantly, enough to make her s/o confused and feel a little overpowered. When it comes to manipulating others for her s/o’s gain, she tends to only do it so that her s/o can get what they want.

Romance - How romantic are they? What would they do to make their s/o happy? Cliché or rather creative?

She is extremely romantic. She likes being affectionate and showing copious amounts of love for her s/o, both through words and actions. She is pretty cliche when it comes to showing her s/o affection since she wants to mirror what it is to be a housewife or a doting girlfriend. She’ll do things like make her s/o dinner, draw them a nice bath, give them a massage, and other things of that nature.

Support - Are they helping their s/o achieve their goals? Do they believe in them?

She does what she can to help she s/o achieve their goal, though she does this more so through emotional support rather than physical (unless it’s sex). She believes that they can do anything they put their mind to and will give them all the emotional support she can to help see them through to their goal.

Thrill - Do they need to try out new things to spice out your relationship? Or do they prefer a certain routine?

She prefers to stick to a routine in their relationship. She would like it to be perfect and straying too far from what she wants will set her on edge. She likes waking up in the morning to a sweet text from her s/o, then spending certain amounts of time together and away from each other, eating together, cuddling, and so on and so forth. She basically has a set schedule in her head for you both to follow to make sure that the relationship she has always dreamed of goes smoothly.

Understanding - How good do they know their partner? Are they empathetic?

She knows her partner very well. She made it her goal to know her partner inside and out well before they got together. It’s something she does pretty well since it actually helps out with her quirk as well as helps out in her relationship with her s/o. She isn’t necessarily empathetic but she does feel some sort of confused emotion when her s/o is upset or hurt.

Value - How important is the relationship to them? What is it’s worth in comparison to other things in their life?

her relationship with her s/o is extremely important to her. She would give up a lot to make sure that her and her s/o stayed together for a long time. Her relationship is one of her most important priorities and will sacrifice a lot of things and people to have it last. However, if her relationship with her s/o gets in the way of her line of work or puts a wedge between her and the league then she will not hesitate to let that person go.

Wild Card - A random Fluff Headcanon.

She has multiple folders on her phone with pictures of her s/o in them. Each folder has a different form of picture taken in them, ranging from pictures of how you sleep, to pictures of you smiling, crying, laughing, and (her favorite) bloody for some reason or another. She constantly looks at the pictures throughout the day and even has one of the bloodiest ones as her screen saver.

XOXO - Are they very affectionate? Do they love to kiss and cuddle?

Yes! She is very affectionate and loves to kiss and cuddle with her s/o. She’ll do either and both any chance she gets because she loves to shower her s/o in affection.

Yearning - How will they cope when they’re missing their partner?

For the most part, she is okay when her s/o is gone. She’ll be a lot more pouty the days her s/o are gone but she won’t put up much of a fuss. She’ll just set her focus on league plans and distract herself with other things until her s/o comes back.

Zeal - Are they willing to go to great lenghts for the relationship? If so, what kind of?

Like I said before, she is willing to do and sacrifice a lot to keep her relationship with her s/o going. She has no issues beating, maiming, or killing anyone that hurts her s/o or tries to get in the way of their relationship. She will even use her quirk to change how she looks if it makes her s/o happy and makes them stay with her. However, she will never go against The league to save her relationship. She will shoot down her relationship with her s/o in seconds if it meant losing the league.

[arcticdementor]

If you’re holding them in an S&P 500 SPX, -0.61% stock market index fund, the answer is: About a quarter.

That’s how much the so-called “FANMAGs”—Facebook FB, -0.81%, Apple AAPL, -0.24%, Netflix NFLX, +0.60%, Microsoft MSFT, -0.61%, Amazon AMZN, +0.74% and Google (“Alphabet”) GOOG, -0.25% — now account of the blue chip U.S. index by value. And that’s how much of each $1 you hold in an S&P 500 index fund, like the State Street SPDR S&P 500 Trust SPY, -0.64%, you are investing in just this half dozen enterprises.

(Just Apple, Microsoft, Amazon and Google account for 21% of the index.)

Yes, these companies are gigantic and global. But this nonetheless raises serious questions over the claims that the S&P 500 alone gives you a broad diversification of your investment risk. It also throws doubt on whether the index somehow represents the entire U.S. economy, and explains why the index has levitated so far this spring, even while the economic rebound has flatlined (or worse).

[fivepercentgodsandearths]

WHAT is the Five Percent Nation's culture?

I’ve written a number of articles in the past concerning WHAT the culture of the Five Percent is. The purpose of those articles have always been to clarify our perspective and how we choose to attend the world. Not just for the outside audience who may live and work in proximity to Five Percenters, I also did that for those for insiders; those who say they are Five Percenters.  I am starting to see online posts and discussions again about whether our culture is God-Centered, Supreme Mathematics, Supreme Alphabet, I Self Lord And Master [I.S.L.A.M.], 120 Degrees or etc. So the question is, what is our culture and what is it not? Is it possible that all of these, and other elements, represent various aspects of our way of life? If so, what is the middle point of our culture that all of its people activities are centralized around? As a Nation, and primary to that worldview, is our Universal Flag; the Sun, Moon, Star and Seven. This flag is an emblem of our Nation which means that we share a common culture or people activities such as language, diet, customs, social norms and chronology. The Sun, Moon, Star and Seven on our Universal Flag are all seen from the perspective of the Planet Earth [a woman who has brought forth/bringing forth life]. As a nuclear family, the Sun is symbolic to man, the Moon is symbolic to a woman's Mind and the Star is symbolic to the child. Seven is the number of perfection or divinity which means that Godliness must be central to our family unit. Seven is in the middle of our Universal Flag because its superimposition is a sign of protection, not misogyny or male chauvinism. "I-God" is also used to describe our culture in our National Anthem 'The Enlightener' [Supreme Team Version]. The 8 points are all right [alright] angles that ensure that our cipher [family] is complete: 8 × 45° = 360° [cipher]. The white represents clouds of deception that reminds us of the inner/outer deceit, trickery and treachery that can undermine our ability to be a unified family. As a family we share a common culture or people activities such as language, diet, customs, social norms and chronology. Does our flag accurately express cultural perspectives that are primary to our worldview? I would say yes. I've seen some argue that their culture is Supreme Mathematics. Yet when people make this statement they are not referring to the supreme application of various fields of mathematics. They are saying that their entire culture is based upon adding something to something else; 1 + 2 = 3. Supreme Mathematics IS NOT just about simply reducing digits until you reach a single-digit number. That's like only using addition in Arithmetic. 😳 For example, when some folks say Wisdom Understanding borns Power [2 + 3 = 5], they just talk about Power without ever elaborating on HOW Power, in principle, is a composite or synthesis of the individual principles of Wisdom and Understanding. If this were Chemistry, Power would be a Compound and Wisdom and Understanding would be the Elements that are bonded together to create that Compound. As Elements they have their own unique identity and when fused together they forge a new substance called a Compound. Water [H20] is a natural Compound composed of the Elements Hydrogen and Oxygen. Image striving to explain what Water [H20] is without defining how its Elements forged it... What makes our Mathematics Supreme is our ability to demonstrate the higher application of life principles through any field of mathematics, not just simple addition in Arithmetic. Mathematics is the operating system of the universe. Supreme Mathematics is a higher order operating system. Consider its application in teaching Prime Numbers. A Prime Number is a whole number greater than 1 that is composed of one set of factors. For example, 3 is a Prime Number because it is composed of the factors 1 x 3; one times itself. 7 [God] is the highest Prime Number in the Arabic Numeral system 1-9 and 0. As a Prime Number, 7 [God] is also composed of one set of factors 1 x 7; one times itself. This means that there is only one set of circumstances [factors] or one primary condition that contribute to the outcome of being 7 [God]. That single condition is self awareness/consciousness; 1 [Knowledge] x itself [7]. Without Knowledge [awareness/consciousness] of self as a primary factor, it is impossible to know how to identify and express the best possible qualities of strength, influence and godliness. In other words, it is impossible to determine what a Prime Number is without first identifying its set of factors [circumstances]. Some people claim that our culture is Islam meaning "I Self Lord And Master." The 9th letter in our Supreme Alphabet is the letter “I” which represents “I or Islam”, Islam being I Self Lord And Master and I Sincerely Love Allah’s Mathematics. The Arabic, yes Arabic numerals 1 through 9 and cipher [0] correspond to our principles of Supreme Mathematics. When you add our use of Arabic words within our language such as Allah, Islam, Koran, Muslim, Musa, Muhammad and etc. it is easy to see what some people would think we are Islamic. The numerical system and alphabet that a Nation of people use are cultural tools that help construct, calculate, quantify, compute and communicate our people activities. Do our Supreme Mathematics and Supreme Alphabet accurately express cultural perspectives that are primary to our worldview? I would say yes. Then there are those who state that our culture is 120 degrees/lessons. 120 degrees is like 120 landmarks on a map of human geography. Some of these landmarks represent actual people, places, things and events. Some of these landmarks are also symbols of people, places, things or events. Whether these landmarks are actual or symbolic, our exposure to them plays a critical role in how we begin to see, define and navigate this map of human geography. The first lesson or landmark we learn is who the original man [and woman] is. Because I know and have studied this extensively, my view of the world, and how I attend it, is very different than someone who does not know this. If we were both looking at a city landscape, this is one landmark of importance to me that is either unseen or not of equal importance to someone else. This would be no different than a person driving by a gated enclosure they rarely noticed until someone proudly brought it to their attention that several of their family members are buried there going back six generations. What one person drives past, another person makes it a point to stop and visit. Neither is right or wrong, I am simply pointing out how we navigate life and that our GPS [Global Positioning Device] is determined by what’s in our head. So when someone who had or has lessons no longer uses them on this map of human geography, we must ask ourselves what device are they using to globally position themselves? Do 120 degrees accurately express cultural perspectives that are primary to our worldview? I would say yes. I think one of the problems is that some people are looking for a single palatable soundbite to describe our culture to outsiders. Ask an Irish, Italian, Punjabi, Cuban Cameroonian or other citizen of a Nation, "What is your culture?" and see if they can give you one answer. When they do give you an answer I am sure that it would be a combination of things that are primary to their worldview. This is the same kind of response you will get from Five Percenters. It is a combination of our Universal Flag, Supreme Mathematics, Supreme Alphabet, 120 Degrees and  other elements such as language, diet, customs, social norms and chronology that represent our people activities. Our culture IS NOT just centrally or singularly one of these elements, it is all of those elements and much more! In sharing our worldview it is important to meet people where they are. If I am talking to a person who is health conscious I may discuss the dietary aspects of our culture with them. If a person is coming from a Christian background I may discuss their biblical principles that coincide with our cultural worldview. If someone is invested in the youth I may discuss the youth advocacy and community outreach emphasis of Allah, our Nation's founder. The landmark court cases that our Nation have won in correctional facilities around the country were only possible by meeting the Administration and Government where they are through the use of legalese. The irony to the question, "WHAT is the Five Percent Nation's culture?" is that it is a personal and collective inquiry about the identity, nature, or value of our Nation. That is a question that we individually and collectively answer each and every day by how we are living. The more consistent we are, individually and collectively, about living our culture, the less confusion there will be concerning our identity, nature, or value of our Nation. That is what is the true middle point of our culture

Peace, Saladin

Click on link

[mtg-brokentoken]

Because in the Knight, we save the day!

So I’ve been working on a black/white Knight deck, and was just about finished, but looks like I will be needing some updates when Eldraine releases. Deckbox is just because it matches colors and Knights == Cavalry == Chivalry, it’s funny.

Arvel, Knight of Windgrace is a great Knight Tribal commander. It’s in two of the main Knight colors, creates tokens with good value, and can use Knights in a meaningful way, moreso than just “attack with creatures that happen to share a type. As such, I made her my commander.

Danitha Capashen is also a Legendary Knight, but mono-white. Has first strike and lifelink in addition to vigilance, and compliments Auras and Equipment well. Still, needed a multi-color commander, but a good compliment to the deck.

Josu Vess, Lich Knight is mono-black with Menace and a pretty hefty Kicker cost. He’s great for a late-game rush of creatures, and as a 4/5 creature he’s pretty sturdy, but again, mono-color Commander just wouldn’t have quite enough support.

Odric, Master Swagtician Tactician isn’t a Knight, but both versions of Odric can really take a deck using combat to the next level. This version has First Strike, and when attacking with at least 3 other creatures, you can choose what creatures block and how they block. First Strike really shines in this manner, because you can make sure what does block it will die, and whatever Knights you need to get through can as well. The other version of Odric works well with a lot of the alphabet soup you can find on Knights, sharing abilities to the other Knights (or even non-Knights) you have.

Other Odric and Kwende recommended, but they’re not in the deck-to-be currently.

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Kabira Vindicator starts as a 2/4 for 4, but can work up to a 4/8 that gives other creatures you control +2/+2.

Caravan Escort costs just one white mana, starts as a 1/1, which is a pretty reasonable first turn drop. For 10 more mana (potentially spread over multiple turns) it can be a 5/5 with First Strike.

Knight of the Last Breath costs 7 and is a 4/4. In a pinch, it can change some of your nontoken Knights into Spirits with Flying, though, and becomes 3 Flying Spirits itself, in case you need the evasion.

Wingsteed Rider costs 3 for a 2/2 Flyer. It also has Heroic, which gives it a +1/+1 counter when targeted by a spell you cast. Which might come in handy if we start seeing some white or black Adventures in Eldraine.

Dawnstrike Paladin costs 5 for a 2/4 Vigilance Lifelink creature. Vigilance pairs pretty nicely with Lifelink because you potentially gain the life when attacking as well as blocking, meaning most opponents won’t want to attack into it unless they can deal enough damage to kill it or negate the lifegain. Not a spectacular option, but again I’ll likely be updating (and finishing the deck) once Eldraine releases.

Accorder Paladin. A 3/1 for two mana and it doesn’t have First Strike, so it’s likely to die when it does attack. To make that attack have a little bit more value, it also has Battle Cry, pumping the attack of your other creatures. Giving this card a little bit more toughness or other routes to not die in combat can add a lot of value very quickly, especially if you’ve got a wide board state.

Inspiring Captain is a 3/3 for 4 that does pump your creatures when it comes out. No haste on it, but strong when you’ve already got a handful or so creatures out.

Parhelion Patrol costs 4, 2/3 with Flying and Vigilance, and when it attacks you can put a +1/+1 counter on another creature with lower power. Vigilance means potential blocker, Flying is a great form of evasion so you should be able to use Mentor again, and though Knights are normally 2/2 (too big to get buffed) there are a few cards that start small enough to get some buff. Or you can increase Parhelion’s power so it can give those counters to creatures with more power than it has originally.

Ledev Guardian, costs up to 4 but has Convoke, and is a 2/4. Convoke doesn’t give it Flash, but sometimes worth taping a few other creatures to get another body out. Another card likely to be switched once I get my hands on some Eldraine.

Knight of New Benalia is another 3/1 for 2 mana. This one is just a vanilla creature, but still has the Knight creature type.

Benalish Honor Guard costs 2 for a 2/2, but can pump itself up if your commander (or any other Legendary creature) is on your field. We’ve only got 3 others currently, but seems Eldraine might have some fruits ripe for the picking. ...because it has Food tokens. Is joke. You laugh, yes?

Knight of Malice costs two, one of which is black mana this time. First Strike is still nice, Hexproof from white is a nice little bonus, even moreso if your opponent is trying to use your own tools against you, and it gets +1/+0 if anyone controls a white permanent which most of this deck is.

Cabal Paladin costs 4 for a 4/2, and deals 2 damage to each opponent when you cast a Historic spell (Reminder text: Artifacts, legendaries, and Sagas are historic). Not many Legendaries currently, though a commander is repeatable. The deck has one saga we’ll get to after creatures, and artifacts can be your mana rocks, equipment, and some tribal support.

Cavalry Drillmaster costs 2 for a 2/1, but gives +2/+0 and First Strike the turn it comes out. Doesn’t have flash, so it isn’t a combat trick, but it can make the difference between attacking or not.

Gallant Cavalry 4-mana 2/2 with vigilance, but it also has you create another 2/2 with Vigilance. Sometimes two heads are better than one, but in this case each is only half as good... 1 4/4 can pretty safely block a 3/3, but two 2/2 still lose half the power after state-based actions. Still, we have a few Anthem effects, so going wide tends to be better than going big. Two 3/3s are better than one 5/5, for instance... again circumstantially.

Knight of the White Orchid costs two white mana and is a 2/2 with First Strike. The other ability of it is a bit of a quirky one, though. This card is often a great turn 3 play, so that an opponent has 3 lands out. Play this Knight before you play your land for the turn, that way an opponent has more lands than you, and you put a Plains out, and then you can still play your land for the turn. You played a 2-mana card on turn 3 and still have 2-mana available!!

Knight of the Pilgrim’s Road is 3-mana 3/2, but if it deals combat damage to a player it becomes a 4/3. Nice little boost, but otherwise not much to talk about. Still dies to a Bolt, but something like Odric can help it get through.

Knight of Dusk is 3-mana 2/2, but you can pay BB to destroy target creature blocking it. You do this after blockers are declared, but before combat damage. Great with Odric, but honestly pretty nice even on its own. Your opponent has to decide between overblocking it and compensating for your mana, or not blocking it so you can’t use its ability.

Craven Knight. ...It says block. It’s a typo. (No, it’s not really a typo, just updating wording. It just can’t block and is a 2/2 for 2. Might be something to switch out, gotta review things like mana curve).

Black Knight, 2/2 for 2 with First Strike. It also has protection from White, but this means you also can’t target it, enchant it with white cards, or (if it’s used by an opponent) block it with white creatures.

White Knight. See Black Knight, but reverse the colors.

Dauntless Bodyguard only costs 1 for a 2/1, but you probably don’t want it to be your first-turn play. When it comes out, you choose another creature you control, and you can sacrifice Dauntless Bodyguard to make that creature indestructible for a turn.

Lone Rider is 2-mana 1/1, but it has First Strike and Lifelink. There’s a few other Lifelink creatures we’ve mentioned, to help it transform. When it does transform it gets another 3 power and toughness and adds Trample to the list of abilities. Also stops being a Knight, but it looks really cool.

Speaking of Lifelink, Faithbearer Paladin is a 3/4 for 5 with it.

Capashen Knight is a 1/1 with first strike for two mana, but also has the ability (Firebreathing) to increase its power by 1 for two mana. Works well with First Strike.

Knight of Cliffhaven costs 2 for a 2/2, which isn’t bad, but you can invest more mana to get it to a 4/4 Flying Vigilance. If I do get the other Odric in this deck, these creatures with Flying could start pulling more weight, but even now a little evasion can be good.

Skulking Knight costs 3 for a 3/3 but it has Flanking, so basically needs to be blocked by a 4/4 to trade. Blocked by 3 1/1s? They die before combat damage. Blocked by 100 1/1s? Same thing, they dead before combat damage. But it does have the Illusion/Skulking ability that if targeted by a spell or ability it dies. Even a Giant Growth would kill it. Clarification: It’s sacrificed, so no Dauntless Bodyguard shenanigans, either.

Fallen Askari costs 2, it’s a 2/2, and has Flanking. Can’t block, but with Flanking you probably want to be attacking anyway.

Pentarch Paladin costs 5 (3 of it white!) and is a 3/3 Flanking. When it comes out you can choose a color and later use a tap ability to destroy permanents of that color. This can be devastating to a mono-color deck, or, outside of this deck, if you pair it with Painter’s Servant, EVERY permanent can be the chosen color. Yep. Even lands.

Cadaverous Knight costs 3, has Flanking, 2/2 that can regenerate.

Femeref Knight costs 3, also has Flanking, and for one white it can have Vigilance. Make sure you use that on your main phase, because once it’s declared as a blocker, it’ll tap if it doesn’t already have vigilance.

Knights of the Black Rose. 5-mana 4/4 but you put the monarch token into the game and you should be drawing a card at the end of the turn it comes out. If someone wants to be drawing that extra card, Knights of the Black Rose has them lose two life and you gain the two life. If you’re the monarch and they’re low on life, they might not even be able to attack you (unless they have enough to kill you before the monarchy moves)!

Order of Yawgmoth costs 4 for a 2/2 with Fear. It also has a saboteur ability (something that triggers when it deals combat damage to a player) to make them discard a card. Sorta helpful for card advantage, but they’ll likely pick the card they can afford to sacrifice... or something like Nullhide Ferox.

Relief Captain pumps up to three creatures with a single +1/+1 counter when it comes out, and otherwise is a 3/2.

Chieftan en-Dal gives all attacking creatures (when it attacks) First Strike until end of turn.

Knight Errant is a 2/2 for 2. Vanilla creature, can help to round out your mana curve. Will something in Eldraine replace it? Plenty more previews could change that answer.

Knight Exemplar costs 3 and is a card that finally rewards our tribal theme! Yes, like so many others it has First Strike, and a +1/+1 Anthem effect limited to other Knights... and it makes those other Knights indestructible!! Protect this, once you get it out. Many creatures have Vigilance and/or Lifelink, how much better do those get when on an indestructible creature?

Cloud Crusader costs 4, 2/3 Flying First Strike. Not bad.

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In Garruk’s Wake - It’s a great Wrath effect, though it is expensive. Also gets planeswalkers but leaves your stuff alone.

Profane Procession is a nice way to get some targeted removal, and maybe turn tools against their masters. Or maybe recur some creatures of your own, but less likely. Hmm. Gotta wait for more information about how/if this interacts with Adventures.

Valorous Charge - +2/+0 but only for white creatures... and not even just yours. Still, it works well with a lot of First Strike. Also sorcery speed, so not a combat trick.

Forebear’s Blade adds a little extra power and Trample, which is basically lacking from the deck. Vigilance is also nice, all pairs well with First Strike.

Behind the Scenes gives your creatures Skulk, making it a little easier to attack people with bigger creatures, and after blocks are declared you can use the Anthem ability to get in some extra damage. Btw, if you have the mana for it, feel free to spam that ability, too!

Orzhov Locket is a nice little mana rock, works well for the deck, and late game can be used to refill a dwindling hand.

Declaration in Stone is quite handy against a token deck, but could really shine against a Relentless Rats or Persistent Petitioners deck. Still, you can’t choose what your opponents bring, and a two-mana targeted creature removal spell isn’t entirely bad. Especially since you get a Clue for each nontoken.

Zealous Persecution is a rather nice combat trick, not only giving your creatures an anthem effect, but giving creatures your opponents (yeah, opponents, plural. even the ones not involved in combat or minding their own business can lose their creatures with only 1 toughness) -1/-1.

Gideon’s Phalanx creates 4 2/2s with vigilance, which isn’t a great deal for 7 mana, but also gives your creatures indestructible if you have spell mastery, and it’s an instant so you can use block with those 4 2/2s. Especially with the buffs in this deck they could be bigger, and maybe you’re just playing it at the end of your opponent’s turn to get some more bodies on the field.

Knight’s Pledge just gives +2/+2, but it has Knight in the name so... there’s that.

Unquestioned Authority has art of a Knight (I guess Knight’s Pledge did, too) and gives protection from creatures, so you can attack without worrying about it getting blocked.

Adamant Will gives +2/+2 and indestructible at instant speed, so kinda nice for just 2 mana.

Charge is a one-time instant-speed anthem effect, only costs 1 mana, so can be used for offense or defense.

Dub makes something a Knight, not that many creatures I have in here would need it. Also gives +2/+2 and first strike.

Call the Cavalry is a sorcery that grants 2 2/2s with Vigilance.

History of Benalia is an amazing Tribal card for this, boosting your ranks at first before giving +2/+1 for your Knights for one turn.

Pay No Heed is just a bit of damage prevention in case one big creature swings at you, or use it to protect some of your creatures, whatever you need. It only stops one source of damage, though, so not great against a go-wide strategy. Does kinda give “first strike” though.

Acolyte’s Reward works great in a mostly-white deck like this, redistributing damage to a place more fitting.

Gift of Orzhova gives flying, lifelink, and a little boost and can be cast with either colors of mana.

Cruel Feeding can help you get some life back when needed, helping you make it to the long game with a better board state.

Necrobite not only gives a creature deathtouch, but it also regenerates it. A creature that would die anyway can take out a larger threat this way.

I’m not gonna continue into the lands I have picked out or haven’t yet, but that’s the 62 non-lands in my Knights deck that’s still in progress. Looks like Eldraine might be a good reason to finally finish it up!!

[axvoter]

Blatantly Partisan Party Review LI (federal 2019): Independents in NSW, Part One

On the Senate ballot this federal election in NSW, there are fourteen—fourteen!—ungrouped candidates for whom you can only indicate a preference if you vote below the line. One is standing as a representative of Love Australia or Leave, who I have already reviewed. Another is a representative of the unregistered No Tax Free Electricity party, the subject of my immediately previous review. Let’s take a squiz at the remaining twelve. These will be brief, as I expect very few of you are either a) in NSW or b) likely to vote below the line now that you can distribute preferences above the line.

My reviews are in ballot order, not alphabetical order.

John William Carmichael

… I’ve drawn a blank. Why the hell would you nominate and not make any information available online. This infuriates me. But, hey, if John William Carmichael wants to waste his money to nominate, I’m sure the Australian Electoral Commission enjoyed receiving it.

My recommendation: with no information online, it is impossible to give John William Carmichael anything other than a weak or no preference.

Chifley Haddad

There is not a whole lot about this bloke online either, except a piece by his local rag, Dubbo’s Daily Liberal. He describes himself as a lifelong Coalition voter (despite that very ALP name, Chifley) and complains that, get this, there are too many “Left members” in the Libs now! He is very hostile to renewable energy and wants a new coal-fired power station. He also voted “no” in the marriage equality plebiscite because he was “worried about normal married couples. Their freedom would be hard to protect.” Steer clear of this guy!

My recommendation: give Chifley Haddad a weak or no preference.

Phil Baker

Bloody hell it’s another one on whom I am drawing pretty much a blank. It is possible he is the same Phil Baker who ran for One Nation in Queensland’s Division of Flynn at the 2016 federal election, but it is too generic a name to be sure. The guy running this year has the full name Phillip Raymond Baker but I cannot find the full name of the 2016 candidate in Flynn. The only thing I can say about him is that he did not give much information on his AEC qualification checklist except to note his ex-wives were Scottish and Malaysian.

My recommendation: with no information online, it is impossible to give Phil Baker anything other than a weak or no preference.

Graeme Doyle (website and Facebook)

This guy is really concerned about the environment and climate change. He supports other left-wing issues such as the independence of the ABC, free education from preschool to university, good penalty rates, etc. He wants lower electricity prices too. But he gives almost no details about how he will achieve his very vague objectives, and his online content is superficial and written poorly. At least he seems sincere, and usually about important things, but with such scant information it’s hard to be enthused.

My recommendation: give Graeme Doyle a middling preference.

Hussein Faraj

Well, questions 10/10a/10b of his AEC qualification checklist indicate he is probably a Lebanese dual citizen and ineligible to sit in parliament, and that he really has not been paying attention to the section 44 saga or comprehend its implications should be win. Cool, cool. He has stood for the NSW state seat of Rockdale before, and runs a number of local businesses including Chicken Licious. In a candidate profile from the recent state election he describes his main interest as lowering and regulating prices for essential services. He is opposed to privatisation of energy resources and wants greater investment in public infrastructure. In general he seems quite involved in his community and his goals are usually positive ones. Not even the editors at the St George and Sutherland Shire Leader could fix his bad writing though.

My recommendation: give Hussein Faraj a decent enough preference but he’s ineligible to be elected.

Sandra Lazarus (website)

Sandra’s website is very vague. Her policies are bullet points that scarcely even indicate what she wants to do or the perspective from which she approaches them, though at least she does not appear to be a hard-right candidate. She describes a career background in healthcare and education, and her “morals and values” emphasise “the ever growing need for justice and equality”. It is possible she leans left. But hard to say anything substantial on the basis of this.

Lazarus gets interesting, however. She is the Sandra Lazarus found guilty of fraud by ICAC by submitting false invoices for services never provided to the Royal Hospital for Women and Royal North Shore Hospital. It appears this fraud involved forgery of signatures by senior medical staff. Lazarus denied the charges.

My recommendation: give Sandra Lazarus a weak preference. She might be a fraudster but at least she’s not one of the many racists or fascists on the ballot. Yes, this is where we are in Australian politics at the moment: “hey, fraud isn’t so bad when you have multiple white nationalist parties on the ballot!��

[menzosarres]

O +T +Z for the follow up to Glass Silence alternative ending?

Can I just say I’m amazed by how little letter overlap I got with how spaced out I was replying to these? Yall really ran the bulk of the alphabet. Thanks!!

O: What types of scenes are hardest for you to write?

It definitely depends on my mood. Generally I’m not a champ at fluff, and I’ve gotten less and less likely to want to write smut as the years tick by, too. I think the first is hard mostly because I need to make myself work more at Lighter tension, you know— the idea that something can drive a story that’s Fun conflict or Silly conflict and isn’t so heavy it needs 10k of angst before you can get ten seconds of happiness. The second just. There are new and good things to be done and wrote in the world of the written sex but if the inspiration doesn’t strike it Really feels like writing something that has been written 3000 times before, and then I just Don’t Want To Do It.

T: Do you believe in writer’s block?

I mean. Yes. I think there are many more specific things which writer’s block tends to be a symptom of, but that doesn’t make it any less real. That being said, I get where people who say there’s no such thing are coming from, because it can really help to stop thinking about it as writer’s block and look for the causes instead. 

I think there are typically two kinds: Life things and story things. 

Life things (from mental health to the state of your physical living and working space to just overwhelming busyness) can translate into writer’s block even they’re obviously their own Things, and you can’t just push through it or find new inspiration, but if you can identify it, you can work to fix it. Hard, unsexy, un-writing work, but super, super important and critical to the long-term health of both you and your scribbles. 

Story things are, I think, more what people think of as writer’s block, but it’s kind of the same situation. If you have the time and the headspace and the surroundings just right but the write is Wrong, there’s probably something specific going on with the story you’re trying to tell. It might be a character thing, a plot thing, a feedback-nagging-in-the-back-of-your-mind-like-a-rock-in-your-shoe-thing, and it can be really hard to figure out what that is. My unasked for advice? Think about the last part (or project, if you’ve been bounding around) of what you were writing that you were excited about. Start fresh from there. Don’t get rid of the stuff you’ve done since, you might still use or want it, but recapturing that energy can get you going again, and help you find or move you past the stuff that was hanging you up. 

Z: What made you decide to write your story?

Ooh, for the alternate ending. That’s a good question with a couple answers. You’re going to get more words than you bargained for, because I’ve actually been sitting on another anon for a while (a very nice message which ended with “I can’t stop wondering why you didn’t write it the first time?”) so I’ll try to answer both.

The short answers: 

Amazing inspiring art

A discord full of lovely and inspiring cissamione shippers

The sheer number of nice and inspiring people who, over Several Years on Several Platforms, have come to me to ask for or talk about a cissamione ending and kept ideas bounding around in my head

The fact that I really had gotten way more invested in her arc than I meant to when I wrote it, and genuinely wanted to see that future written down.

Of course, it had been years. Why did I decide to write it now? And why not in the first place? The long answer, below the cut.

It’s actually something I’ve been thinking about a lot this (last! happy new year!) year, about the things we value in the stories we’re reading and telling. 

Rewind six years to when I first start writing Glass Silence. I’m a repressed teenage lesbian in rural america writing escapism in the wholesome form of barely ambiguously evil lesbian witches with zero cares about the rules and mores of the world, because that’s what I want to see in it.

Somewhere in the successive six years of the project, I grow up. I go to college in a liberal, lesbian enclave of magical western massachusetts. The story I’d set out with no longer holds the same interest or importance to me, so I dig deeper, and the story shifts. I’m thinking, if I leave off with Narcissa, the story won’t have gone anywhere. I’d be leaving Hermione in a place where I’ve grown out of. So this AU Hermione deserves to grow, too. 

So Glass Silence in its original incarnation becomes one of those stories, something about a young woman going through a great many challenging and messy and harsh realities in order to become exactly who she was always going to be: she gets the complicated but fulfilling relationship, she gets the difficult but rewarding career, she’s loved and lost twice over, but she’s landed on her feet. It’s not neat, it’s not pretty, it’s a little dark, but it’s a story that… for something that started as nothing more than trying to write an absurd premise absurdly Well… felt valuable.

That was the story I needed to tell, right then.

Fast forward almost a year later, and life has shifted again. I’m full in the thick of the hard but rewarding career. And, thanks to these discords, I’m sucked back into thinking about a project I swore I’d left behind for good.

And I’m thinking that, honestly? Repressed teenage Menz had her heart in a good place, too. There is value in escapism. I’m sure other people have said it before (and I wrote something like it down in my nano novel then was like,,, this is So Pretentious take it out you fool), but the reason it’s called escapism is because they don’t want you to escape. The value placed on Suffering For Success is there because that’s valuable to a fucked up system: that’s profitable, that’s capital, that’s blah blah, you know, the society we’re stuck in. And sometimes you need a story where you fight and you win in that system and get to go to bed with the hot older murderous lesbian witch, too.

But damn. Sometimes you need the stories where you just. Get out.

And there is something just as valuable about an ending to a story where you chase your happiness into the arms of a woman you love in a rose-petal-drenched sunset in France as there is in an ending where you tough it out and try to fix the world.

And right now, that’s the ending I wanted more, so it finally got written.

—-

and all this nonsense about the goddamn scandalfic. the absurd harry potter femslash that I will apparently Never leave behind. throw me. in the trash. 

[stackableringsny]

How To Choose Between Heart Engagement Rings?

Your partner will pop the question once you capture his heart. And, your engagement will be confirmed, via a beautiful, sparkling ring that is attractive and tells a touching story. Well, you may go out as a couple to buy the magnificent ring emblazoned with the best diamonds. 

Wait! It is time to take a fresh look at the four Cs that matter greatly when you want to ensure that the brilliant stone displayed on your finger is a valuable diamond. Of course, you want to check out the most recognized cuts and offbeat cuts. However, you cannot do better than settle for one of those captivating heart engagement rings that symbolize love. 

Yes! The heart shape looks fantastic in a pendant. However, the symbolic shape has made the cut popular in engagement rings. While you may be mesmerized by the intricate cut, you do not ever make the mistake of not asking for a GIA certificate. 

The reason is fancy cuts are not graded in the same manner as a conventional cut, like a round diamond! So, you would have to conduct some research to know how to evaluate the heart-cut diamond that makes you go weak in the knees. 

Think of the four Cs, for instance. You would do well to gauge each C separately to be satisfied with its value. 

Carat-Weight

Do not merely look at the size of the diamond to understand its carat weight. This C stands for the weight and not the size. It is advisable to ask for a heart-shaped diamond weighing at least a carat. Anything lesser will have no resemblance to a heart. The motto here is the bigger, the better. So, go ahead and splurge when money is not an object. 

Color

Go for the colorless or white diamond when you want to obtain value for money. Surprisingly, the color gets a gradation, and you would be recommended to invest in a D, which is the top grade as far as color is concerned. You are going to compromise on color if you opt for a diamond below D on the alphabet scale. 

 Most of them have a pronounced yellow or brown tint, hampering the appearance. No worries! You may find an H-graded diamond appears more or less white too. Unfortunately, the greater its carat weight, the more color it reveals. You will have to choose between the two Cs to get a diamond that truly represents you. 

Clarity

Well, you will not be able to get a flawless diamond when fashioned into a heart. You do not have to look for a high grade when you want to buy one of those heart engagement rings with astonishing clarity. Go for an eye-clean diamond instead. 

If you want to buy a bigger diamond, you would have to accept a few inclusions. Well, ask the gem cutter to conceal the flaws when cutting the rough stone into a heart shape. 

You are sure to grab eyeballs by wearing the best of brilliant heart engagement rings to have a stunning effect on the onlookers. 

[valuechainplanning]

Sailing Through The SAP APO Ocean

As we all know SAP is an Ocean where the chance of getting lost is quite high.

Below are key takeaways from my experience while working on SAP Demand Planning projects. While reading this article you may find uncanny resemblances to movie titles and dialogues.  The pun has been intended.

Silence of the stats

Almost for all the clients, we have witnessed an “Ahaa” moment when we show them their own data and how beautifully a tuned stat model can work. We all love before and after picture. Here is an example –Tuned Stat Model

In our opinion, planners should have the ability to edit the history. This is your input to APO engine to populate stat forecast, so if garbage in garbage out!

Remember with great power comes the great responsibility. Extreme values can make the forecast unstable. Here is where demand planners have to combine art and science. Science is about getting comfortable with the Greek alphabets, a world of alpha, beta, gamma and phi. After you tune the stat model, the art part comes in. You need to incorporate intelligence.

With all these powerful features of the statistics in APO DP, now comes the greater part handling it responsibly.

Process Unchained!

Working meticulously during the wee hours of the night when the planners are sleeping to make sure they get the right set of numbers, is really commendable effort.

But why? If the system has the flexibility to run Process Chains, which connect one successful step to the other, one should invest their resources in streamlining auto execution of jobs.

Silver Linings Planning Books

All implementations are complicated and give jitters to the implementation team. Folks are so immersed in the intricacies of the APO design that they forget the simplicity that the business is demanding for.  (By lacking simplicity we may make Dr. Lecter unhappy)

Demand planning is both art and science. We need to reflect this philosophy while working on the design. Again this is not a golden rule and will definitely change from a business perspective. For some companies demand planners are structured around customers while for others it’s by geographical regions or by products. We need to keep such uniqueness in mind, while designing the planning books.

Below is such one such example of a data view –Planning Book Building Blocks

SAP Alerts: Mission Impossible

First things first, “not being able to save and see the right set of key figures needed for such diagnostics calculations”, is I think a key issue here.

By now we all know how APO struggles to calculate MAPE, if it has very low or zero historical observation. Thus, by using MAPE you will end up managing by incorrect exceptions.

Does MAPE of 200% really mean a bad statistical model? Should I really focus my attention on how to drop such 200% MAPE to a certain threshold? Are the efforts even worth the try? We have resolved such questions through dedicated stat modeling sessions as part of our project.

Again not a golden rule, Should I look at MAPE …? Yes…! Should I look only at MAPE…? Absolutely not! Then we are left with scale dependent metrics like MAD and RMSE. And here is where the analytics part comes into play. Different business group within a company cannot have the same MAD thresholds as it is scale dependent.

Making alerts possible also ties back to a structured process chain. Depending on the business needs some alerts we will have to execute on daily basis (e.g. tracking the demand compared to forecast). Because we don’t want to see stale alerts, we also want to delete old alerts.

The Most tricky of them all is, calculating forecast error alert.

A good practice is to measure your performance with respect to a lag forecast e.g.2 month or 3 month lag depending on your business and specific lead times.

Here is list of clients we have worked with in the past –Partial List of clients

Contact us if you have any comments or questions. Meanwhile, you can explore additional information on SAP APO Usability at http://demandplanning.net/SAPAPODownload.html

Please visit http://demandplanning.net/consulting.htm to know about our services offerings at DPLLC.

Follow Us to keep updated on our regular content in the SCM space –

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[newsmanmdgn]

Human Smuggling Ship Capsizes off San Diego Coast

It's a slow news day, so today's Morning Sixpack will be a quick read!

1

4 dead, more than 20 hospitalized after suspected smuggling vessel overturns off San Diego

Human smuggling ship capsized off coast of San Diego

Four people are dead and nearly two dozen people were sent to hospitals after a suspected smuggling vessel overturned off the coast of San Diego on Sunday morning.

San Diego Fire-Rescue Department spokesperson Monica Munoz told CNN they received reports of a vessel that overturned near the Cabrillo National Monument in Point Loma around 10:27 a.m. (1:27 p.m. ET).

CNN

It's suspected that this was a human smuggling operation. The captain of the ship is being questioned.

2

Russia, facing lags, turns to China to produce Sputnik shots

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Russia is turning to multiple Chinese firms to manufacture the Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine in an effort to speed up production as demand soars for its shot.

Russia has announced three deals totaling 260 million doses with Chinese vaccine companies in recent weeks. It’s a decision that could mean quicker access to a shot for countries in Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa that have ordered Russia’s vaccine, as the U.S. and the European Union focus mainly on domestic vaccination needs.

Earlier criticism about Russia’s vaccine have been largely quieted by data published in the British medical journal The Lancet that said large-scale testing showed it to be safe, with an efficacy rate of 91%.

Yet, experts have questioned whether Russia can fulfill its pledge to countries across the world. While pledging hundreds of millions of doses, it has only delivered a fraction.

AP

3

You know how they say, “The rich keep getting richer.”

It's not a lie.

“FAAMG,” the acronym given Big Tech's five largest companies (Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, and Google) now makes up over a quarter of the value of the S&P 500.

That's right: 5 companies make up 25 percent of the S&P market cap. The other 495 make 75 percent.

Value by market capitalization:

FB, Facebook ($923.6B)

AAPL, Apple ($2.2T)

AMZN, Amazon ($1.7T)

MSFT, Microsoft ($1.9T)

GOOGL, Alphabet ($1.6T) Source: The Hustle (poor widdle Facebook, hasn't made the TRILLION dollar club yet)

If you thought the haves vs. have-nots was all about people, guess again.

I suppose one could say, “Corporations are people, too.”

4

Ted Cruz is being…well…Ted Cruz!

Walter Shaub's castigation came after the Republican said his party will no longer give special treatment to deep-pocket corporate donors if they get too “woke.”

Sen. Ted Cruz’s (R-Texas) threat to “woke” CEOs was slammed Sunday as likely the “most openly corrupt” message ever from the Senate, declared Walter Shaub, former head of the Government Office of Ethics.

“This time,” he wrote, “we won’t look the other way on Coca-Cola’s $12 billion in back taxes owed. This time, when Major League Baseball lobbies to preserve its multibillion-dollar antitrust exception, we’ll say no thank you. This time, when Boeing asks for billions in corporate welfare, we’ll simply let the Export-Import Bank expire.”

Shaub, who served under both Barack Obama and Donald Trump, called Cruz’s threat a blatant admission that Republicans are selling corporate donors “access to the government.” In a clear swipe at Cruz’s clueless self-exposure, Shaub noted that most lawmakers have too much “sense” to say it quite so brazenly.

“It’s the part everyone knows: these crooks sell access,” Shaub tweeted. “Others have the sense not to admit it. This is why our republic is broken: Immoral politicians selling power we’ve entrusted to them like it’s theirs to sell.”

HuffPo

5

Ether is off the rails!

Bitcoin's little brother, Etherium, has gained over 1400 percent in the last 365 days, bypassing $3,000 per shiny little fake coin. Compare that to Bitcoin, which has only gained 557 percent over the past year.

Bitcoin’s domination of total cryptocurrency market value is declining as its next-biggest rival Ether reaches the $3,000 milestone.

The rise of Ether suggests there’s room for more than one winner among digital tokens as the sector evolves. Bitcoin now accounts for about 46% of total crypto market value, down from roughly 70% at the start of the year, and Ether makes up 15%, according to tracker CoinGecko.

Bitcoin remains the biggest cryptocurrency but the momentum in other tokens is drawing increasing interest. Proponents argue investors are getting more comfortable with a variety of tokens, while critics contend the sector may be in the grip of a stimulus-fueled mania.

Yahoo

Boy, it's a good thing I invested my stimulus money in toilet paper and chicken!

6

Kentucky Derby winner was a hell of a bargain!

I have to say it: Watching the Kentucky Derby disturbs me.

The pomp, the exploitation, the two-minute sprint…it's a rich man's sport full of spoiled brats who grew up to be even bigger dicks.

And yes, I watch the goddamned thing every year.

Saturday's winner, Medina Spirit, was bought by Bob Baffert, owner of (now) seven Derby winners. He bought the horse for $1,000.

He'll stud it out for millions. Horse trading may be better than Ether!

The article was originally published here! Human Smuggling Ship Capsizes off San Diego Coast