Four thousand dollars and zero cents
Hollywood
2008.12.30 02:20 Hollywood
"Hollywood is a place where they'll pay you a thousand dollars for a kiss and fifty cents for your soul." ― Marilyn Monroe
2023.03.25 11:50 AutoModerator [Get] Jason Palliser – Tax Delinquent Blueprint 2022
2023.03.25 11:44 SinstarMutation None of my players knew what a monkey's paw is. I found this out when I gave them one.
This is an
incredibly overdue follow-up to
this post that I had originally put off writing because I realized the necessary context would make it
long, but then completely forgotten about until recently. Sorry about the wait, folks! There is, of course, a TL;DR at the bottom, but I wanted to include the larger context for those interested in just hearing some D&D stories.
The next session began a few weeks later, and I was prepared for the party to resume debating the 'best' way to take advantage of what they thought were their new
Wish spells, but they actually didn't jump right back into it. I went through the recap, and they pretty much immediately began exploring deeper into the dungeon.
'The Lich's Library' was the name of the dungeon they were in, and it was a fairly large homebrew affair with something like a dozen bosses (though not quite approaching 'megadungeon' size). Over a thousand years ago, it was slowly constructed deep within the earth by a wizard to serve as a palatial home for himself and his beloved. When she began to waste away from disease, he burned through his wealth trying everything possible to see her saved. When she died, he immediately turned to attempting to find a way to bring her back to life. His hopeless quest eventually led to lichdom.
The part of the dungeon that they were exploring was the level that once served as the 'mansion' of the married couple. It was also the only part of the dungeon that the lich (by and large) didn't mess with; too many painful memories for this now-evil creature of undeath. This meant that the majority of the enemies in this section came from the Underdark (a passage had naturally opened some 400 years ago). It was in this section that they encountered the Beating Yew.
The Beating Yew was once four trees that stood at the end of the massive underground garden the wizard had created for his wife. The ceiling and walls were enchanted to make it look like it the garden was outside, with beautiful 'weather' at all times. Despite the lich's absence from this wing, however, the evil of his magic began to permeate it; the vegetation in the garden eventually grew twisted and sickly, and the four large trees at the end fused together and became an animate, carnivorous plant creature. The fight went fairly well, but the cleric was already fairly injured from an earlier encounter with an illithid known as 'the Swordsman.' He dropped.
Uh-oh. The party had a backup healer--a druid. The problem is, said druid was currently trapped in the Shadowfell (the player had to step away from the game for a bit, so he and I did some stuff on the side for his story). The other party members present were Barbarian, Rogue, and Sorcerer. We were playing 3.5, so every round that passed, Cleric was getting closer to death, with only a 10% chance of stabilizing. I'm not too worried, because I know that Rogue has potions. Rogue, on the other hand, isn't bringing up her potions because
she thinks Sorcerer has
more potions. Sorcerer, in fact,
does have more potions, but he knows they aren't going to be as effective as a magic wish.
He pulled out the Monkey's Paw and said, "I wish that, on a scale from 1-100, Cleric felt like he was at 100. Actually, 105." See, earlier in the session, they had asked how injured a boss looked. I'd told them, "
He's pretty messed up. On a scale from 1-97, he's probably feeling like a firm 14." One of the two outstretched fingers closed inwards, and after a moment the party at large realizes that Cleric doesn't look so good, bro. His skin was flushed, and he was twitching and groaning in his unconscious state. Rogue made a Heal check and finds out that he's got a
dangerously high fever. Sorcerer's player looked at me with a slack jaw and says one of the favorite things I've ever heard at my table: "Motherfucker invented Fahrenheit on us."
The infection that was racing through cleric's system as a result of their battle would keep him from regaining consciousness until it was dealt with (Cleric's player was absent that session, so it's not like he was being sidelined for the challenge). Through a series of Heal checks and player ingenuity, they were able to break Cleric's fever and by using the potions that they
always had they got him back to consciousness. Cleric used his own healing when he was back up to get himself up to full health again. "Why are my clothes wet?"
Here's the thing: I didn't know it at the time, but what Sorcerer took away was 'Don't use any jokes in your wish or it will go wrong.' He thought the issue was one of
wording, and that the only reason the first wish went awry was because he hadn't phrased it 'seriously' enough. At this point, I thought that it was obvious that the Paw was cursed and they'd lock it away until they could get the curse cleansed. Nope.
Later in the dungeon, they found a locked room with a large, pristine pool--apparently untouched since the days when these halls were inhabited by the living. The pool was filled with impossibly clear water, and there was a faintly chemical scent in the air. "Chlorine," one of the players chuckled. It wasn't.
Once they saw the metal chest deep at the bottom of the pool, they started to realize something was amiss. Barbarian reaches down to test the water's temperature. Her finger starts itching--like, a
lot. She starts scratching, some flesh comes off. She takes a point of acid damage. "Hey, guys--not water."
They start brainstorming as to how they can get the chest at the bottom of the pool (it contained the lich's enchanted wedding ring, but they didn't know that yet). They had some cool ideas that I was interested in seeing play out, including Barbarian's offer to just get really pissed off before she jumps into the pool and swims to the bottom.
Sorcerer had a better idea. He pulled out the Paw. "I wish that all of the acid in this pool was replaced with water." The last finger on the paw closed. The last of the magic enchanting the item dissipated.
The dungeon had been created some 1,200 years ago, and at that time there was a large underground reservoir--part of the Underdark--about a half-mile away. Since that time, the earth has shifted and moved, and for about 300 years a section of that reservoir had pressed up against the roof of this room.
The roof cracked. Rogue and Barbarian both heard it and looked up. A spiderweb of cracks was slowly unfolding across the ceiling. Neither was quite sure what was happening. Then a wagon-sized chunk of rock fell into the pool, followed by a torrent of water. Acid surged up in response, hissing and bubbling violently as it reacted to the water flooding into it. The party bolted, the acid rapidly following them into the hallway. A series of checks ensue as they pelted towards the safety of the stairs.
The rest of the party (including Druid, who returned that very session) roasted Sorcerer for using the Paw again. Sorcerer (and his player) took it on the chin, and admitted that he hadn't really realized that it was truly
cursed. "I figured as long as I could figure out just the exact right words to use, we'd be good." Nah, man. "Yeah, I know that
now. Hey, at least now we don't have to deal with the acid in the pool. It's gotta drain eventually, right?"
They left the dungeon that day, returning a few days later. Once they returned to this particular part of the dungeon, the 'waterfall' had ended, and the acid and water had indeed largely drained into the Underdark through another tunnel. The room with the pool was not occupied with a creature that had fallen in through the roof--a Deepwater Cobra, a huge fire-breathing sea serpent. They killed the creature and dove in for the chest, and the ring ended up being quite a boon to the party (it provided a bonus to AC and to saves).
That's basically the whole tale of the Monkey's Paw! This campaign sadly ended a few months later when Cleric and Rogue had to drop out, but the remaining three welcomed two new players and rolled new characters for a sailing campaign featuring a ship that can travel to the Astral Sea and beyond. Sorcerer now plays a swordchucks-wielding monk, Barbarian plays a dual-wielding ranger with a penchant for axes, and Druid plays a bard with a predilection for mushrooms from the Feywild that have...effects.
TL;DR:
Wish one: "I wish that, on a scale from 1-100, Cleric felt like he was at 100. Actually, 105." The cleric, instead of being healed, broke out into a terrible fever and the party had to rush to keep him alive.
Wish two: "I wish that all of the acid in this pool was replaced with water." Underground reservoir breaks through the ceiling, flooding the room with a combination of acid and water. The party departs, and later finds a very large creature fell through the same hole.
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2023.03.25 11:35 usman6sajjad Vegetable oil manufacture in the United States
Vegetable oil manufacture in the United States
2) The Rise of the Vegetable Oil Industry in the United States
The US is one of the world’s leading vegetable oil producers. The country is responsible for around 12 percent of global vegetable oil production. The majority of the vegetable oil produced in the United States comes from soybeans, followed by corn and canola.
The vegetable oil industry in the United States has a long history. The first commercial vegetable oil mill was established in New York City in 1810. At that time, the primary use for vegetable oil was as a lubricant for machinery. In the mid-19th century, the use of vegetable oil for cooking and baking began to increase. This trend was partly fueled by the introduction of new cooking oils, such as cottonseed and peanut oil.
The vegetable oil industry began to take off in the early 20th century. This was largely due to the growing demand for vegetable oil-based products, such as margarine and shortening. The vegetable oil industry continued to grow throughout the mid-20th century. By the early 21st century, the United States was responsible for around one-third of the world’s vegetable oil production.
The vegetable oil industry in the United States is a major contributor to the country’s economy. The industry employs thousands of workers and generates billions of dollars annually. The US is likewise one of the w world’s leading vegetable oil exporters. Most of the vegetable oil exported from the United States is soybean oil.
3) The Decline of the Vegetable Oil Industry in the United States
For read more information
https://www.arranginggardening.com/2023/01/vegetable-oil-manufacture-in-united.html submitted by
usman6sajjad to
u/usman6sajjad [link] [comments]
2023.03.25 11:29 GardeningIdeas Vegetable oil manufacture in the United States
2) The Rise of the Vegetable Oil Industry in the United States
The US is one of the world’s leading vegetable oil producers. The country is responsible for around 12 percent of global vegetable oil production. The majority of the vegetable oil produced in the United States comes from soybeans, followed by corn and canola.
The vegetable oil industry in the United States has a long history. The first commercial vegetable oil mill was established in New York City in 1810. At that time, the primary use for vegetable oil was as a lubricant for machinery. In the mid-19th century, the use of vegetable oil for cooking and baking began to increase. This trend was partly fueled by the introduction of new cooking oils, such as cottonseed and peanut oil.
The vegetable oil industry began to take off in the early 20th century. This was largely due to the growing demand for vegetable oil-based products, such as margarine and shortening. The vegetable oil industry continued to grow throughout the mid-20th century. By the early 21st century, the United States was responsible for around one-third of the world’s vegetable oil production.
The vegetable oil industry in the United States is a major contributor to the country’s economy. The industry employs thousands of workers and generates billions of dollars annually. The US is likewise one of the w world’s leading vegetable oil exporters. Most of the vegetable oil exported from the United States is soybean oil.
3) The Decline of the Vegetable Oil Industry in the United States
For read more information
https://www.arranginggardening.com/2023/01/vegetable-oil-manufacture-in-united.html submitted by
GardeningIdeas to
u/GardeningIdeas [link] [comments]
2023.03.25 11:25 AutoModerator [Get] Super Lumen – The LinkedIn Ads Course
| Get the course here: https://www.genkicourses.com/product/super-lumen-the-linkedin-ads-course/ https://www.genkicourses.com/product/super-lumen-the-linkedin-ads-course/ https://preview.redd.it/ii3om1oyz2pa1.jpg?width=760&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1983d6645e25c5b243da019efa7b93fa8d904c4e The LinkedIn Ads Course The ultimate course for business owners and marketing managers of larger organisations to learn how to generate a ton of demand for their businesses using LinkedIn Ads. Why do this course By the end of the course, you will know your way around the LinkedIn Ads platform and you will be highly confident to start generating leads consistently for your own business or for other people in a matter of days. We hold nothing back in this course, you will be an absolute pro. 80% of B2B leads come from LinkedIn LinkedIn is by far the most valuable source of leads when it comes to B2B – in fact 80% of B2B businesses say they are getting leads from the platform each month. LinkedIn ads are the best way to bring in a torrent of consistent new enquiries about your consulting, coaching or saas services. Time I have condensed all my knowledge after spending tens-of-thousands on the platform into a few hours of video, showing you the exact systems we use as an agency, so you will save a lot of time. Everything I have learned is neatly organised for you to learn from, step by step, organised in a way which is designed to make you learn fast. You will go from zero to hero quickly. Money You will save a lot of money. We have tested and experimented with pretty much every strategy out there, we have learned a lot on what works and what doesn’t, so skip the learning curve and jump right in at the deep end. You will get access to all our learnings. There are so many different ways you use the platform to drive down the cost per lead significantly, and if you are looking to gain many leads a month, this will add up to a saving of 1000’s of pounds each onth – much more than the course costs. …and now we have taken tens-of-thousands of pounds worth of testing and condensed this knowledge into a course which anyone can start generating new leads for their business within days. We hold nothing back. What will you learn in the course Tried and tested B2B demand generation strategies which you can implement right away and start generating a ton of new leads for your business. Confidence in the ads platform so you know how to target the right people, how to test your ads and drive down your cost per click. How to organise your account like a pro. How to use LinkedIn tracking, the Insight pixel, how to implement it on your website, and how to use it to analyse your audience. Remarketing for ninjas – remarketing is essential to stay top-of-mind, and to keep every prospect that interacts with your business interested in you and your products or services. How to get the lowest cost per click (CPC), cost per lead (CPL) and cost per scheduled phone call. Mastering the follow-up. Learn what the big sales teams do with the leads they generate and how to turn the MQL to a SQL (Marketing Qualified Lead to Sales Qualified Lead) to a paying customer or client. submitted by AutoModerator to GenkiC0urses [link] [comments] |
2023.03.25 11:15 zaddar1 glittering seas/ sonorous mountain tops
listen. so i was just sitting on the couch when i suddenly realized that someone in rzen appears to have been writing comments that where probably chinese characters in english. like you are writing in english, but as if you were thinking in chinese and then making a direct translation of chinese characters into english words
so if someone was to translate those words you wrote from english into chinese, they would come out in some form of chinese as if they were actually spoken originally in chinese, and not in english
i didn't know who it was, so i searched posts until i found one and it was you ”
my reply
well i have read a lot of chinese poetry (in translation of course as i can't read any chinese) and they do think a bit different, more semantically dense and minimally grammatic than english and basically targeted at an intelligent literate audience which was the administrative class, the same class that supported ch’an
its interesting to compare chinese poems with ryōkan who was writing for a general audience, often farmers and tonally, they are quite different
you have made a very interesting comment thanks
the cornea is the most nerve dense organ in the body, interfere with it at your peril !
we are so dependent on our eyes for our quality of life that any problems considerably degrade that
glittering seas
sonorous mountain tops
verdant valleys and trinkling streams
they do not last
because we do not last
the problem with post modernism and its critique on power (of itself not wrong) is that they take it a step further and apply a utopian value system and attempt to create a uniform distribution that historically has never worked, the constant of power in reality always being confined to small groups who try to maintain it with varying degrees of ferocity
"woke" is an example of this postmodernist theory, fortunately so flawed in its inconsistencies and the general level of retardation in its adherents that it is not a serious threat to the existing social order in the way bolshevism was though there is an undercurrent of marxism
art
is
intelligent
insanity
a solution (of the equations of string theory) is an approximation to a quantum state which is what really describes the universe
the mind is a prediction machine, its constantly involved in this sort of activity just to keep a formed world about you
faux religious ideas based on some sort of zero mental activity state like "the cessation of suffering", god’s peace, nirvana are just the usual craziness
even sleep is highly active with drastic functional shifts in the brain
not a nigerian princeling or general’s daughter with problems hiding what is rightfully theirs from an unjust world, but the real thing
Nazi Party = NAtional soZIalist German Workers’ Party; and its level of stupidity can be gauged by its forcing half the team who worked on the theory enabling the development of the atomic bomb to flee germany because they were jewish and one of those (otto frisch) ended up instrumental in the manhatten project along with many other émigrés who no doubt advanced the timetable by years
interestingly german scientists were very lukewarm on the prospects of an atomic bomb in WW2, fortunately for the allies as the japanese were surprisingly advanced in the development of a bomb and a well funded combined effort may have seen them producing such a weapon about the same time as the americans
another effect of the "diaspora" from germany and europe was the rise of hollywood with the incredible influx of entertainment talent
anybody reading about the last weeks in the berlin bunker can only come away thinking what a bunch of insane stupids !
interestingly hitler was deliberately childless and yet indirectly killed more than almost any-one else ever
endless the monks
asserting themselves against the master
who tells them
neither truth
nor falsity
failing to understand
they waste their time
the zen koan
"there are no teachers of zen"
well
it turns out
there is no zen either
women’s make-up has always been a black hole of toxicity and lack of regulation
the problem with eihei dogen, is not eihei himself but his elevation into a "cult god" by the soto zen sect and his writings are literally scripture than cannot be questioned by the faithful
when you can’t ask, "what if he’s wrong", then there is a problem
its a very christian paradigm actually and the worst is the monotonous bores who drone on and on with some wacked out "interpretations" of his more voynichated writings
unlike a lot of zen
ryōkan was real person
and those poems he wrote he actually wrote
and the places he wrote about
were real places
actually he was a poet, zen is their own claim
so its not surprising he was real
ed. there is a better than usual translation of ryōkan by john stevens called "dewdrops on a lotus leaf" , a lot of what is out there is stupid soppy designed to indoctrinate
roads
weave apart
intersect
and come together again
a succession of moments of truth
only to fragment
into the nothingness
of the unbenign
fog
of
life
stories
the insane tell themselves
and you
neither fantasy or reality
outside the boundaries
they have
a surprising salience
computation
the solving of problems
a vast meta in itself
yet how to
unsolve
the solved ?
looking at the strange characters of urdu
incomprehensible
yet to another will speak a clear understanding
so is life and we to each other
borderline personality disorder is a no exit street, fail to learn how to recognize it at your peril !
these gaslighting manipulators bring disaster to all around them
women are not like men, they can’t reason their way into "love". either they love you or they don’t !
sleep
some realm of somewhere
other than here
the brain
a
pinwheel
rolling along
a railway track
always
unstable
exegesis
the impaired
commenting
on
impairment
polynomial time = nondeterministic polynomial time
problems that can be solved
and problems that can’t be solved
but for which
solutions can be verified
the solution of the solving
has yet to be verified
who would have thought rupert murdoch would be such a vigorous old fool ?
four and now five wives
and he still doesn’t understand women
wealth being honey to flies
how we are born
what we are born into
the dice of existence
rolled for the first time
oppressive
difference
asynchronous
with this
life
as we know it
commonality
bites
like
an executors
axe
or burns
like an
immolation
i think emily bronte picked up TB at the "clergy daughter’s school" at cowan bridge as she felt her health was never the same after being there, it can remain latent for decades
the harm that boarding school did to the brontë family was beyond tragic, a deep colour that pervaded all that was to follow
i agree with this video , she was autistic
i am sure the sisters together had an accelerated artistic development through their mutual interaction, hence the very high quality of their writings so young
writing
helps isolate ourselves
from
the common herd
and
their idiocy
the beauty of memory
can flower
in ourselves
“ people, i can’t stand them ”
what about yourself ?
“ i’m not a person ”
politicians and diplomats wouldn’t last a minute if they said what they really thought
the way of the world
putin is selling out russia to china and killing his own ethnic kin, its really bizarre
the universality of aphorisms and poetry
there’s nothing that cannot be expressed
only an endlessness of the yet to be discovered
is and is not
knitting
reality
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2023.03.25 11:15 AutoModerator [Get] Jason Palliser – Tax Delinquent Blueprint 2022
2023.03.25 11:11 AutoModerator [Get] Super Lumen – The LinkedIn Ads Course
| Get the course here: https://www.genkicourses.com/product/super-lumen-the-linkedin-ads-course/ https://www.genkicourses.com/product/super-lumen-the-linkedin-ads-course/ 📷 https://preview.redd.it/vrylw2b1e6pa1.jpg?width=760&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4c1820e5f793cb264655b6b6ddd454c113aaae71 The LinkedIn Ads Course The ultimate course for business owners and marketing managers of larger organisations to learn how to generate a ton of demand for their businesses using LinkedIn Ads. Why do this course By the end of the course, you will know your way around the LinkedIn Ads platform and you will be highly confident to start generating leads consistently for your own business or for other people in a matter of days. We hold nothing back in this course, you will be an absolute pro. 80% of B2B leads come from LinkedIn LinkedIn is by far the most valuable source of leads when it comes to B2B – in fact 80% of B2B businesses say they are getting leads from the platform each month. LinkedIn ads are the best way to bring in a torrent of consistent new enquiries about your consulting, coaching or saas services. Time I have condensed all my knowledge after spending tens-of-thousands on the platform into a few hours of video, showing you the exact systems we use as an agency, so you will save a lot of time. Everything I have learned is neatly organised for you to learn from, step by step, organised in a way which is designed to make you learn fast. You will go from zero to hero quickly. Money You will save a lot of money. We have tested and experimented with pretty much every strategy out there, we have learned a lot on what works and what doesn’t, so skip the learning curve and jump right in at the deep end. You will get access to all our learnings. There are so many different ways you use the platform to drive down the cost per lead significantly, and if you are looking to gain many leads a month, this will add up to a saving of 1000’s of pounds each onth – much more than the course costs. …and now we have taken tens-of-thousands of pounds worth of testing and condensed this knowledge into a course which anyone can start generating new leads for their business within days. We hold nothing back. What will you learn in the course Tried and tested B2B demand generation strategies which you can implement right away and start generating a ton of new leads for your business. Confidence in the ads platform so you know how to target the right people, how to test your ads and drive down your cost per click. How to organise your account like a pro. How to use LinkedIn tracking, the Insight pixel, how to implement it on your website, and how to use it to analyse your audience. Remarketing for ninjas – remarketing is essential to stay top-of-mind, and to keep every prospect that interacts with your business interested in you and your products or services. How to get the lowest cost per click (CPC), cost per lead (CPL) and cost per scheduled phone call. Mastering the follow-up. Learn what the big sales teams do with the leads they generate and how to turn the MQL to a SQL (Marketing Qualified Lead to Sales Qualified Lead) to a paying customer or client. submitted by AutoModerator to InternetCourses [link] [comments] |
2023.03.25 10:59 Dad1903 DWT148 (March 25th 2023)
| Testing testing; check one two – DWT is live once again on Reddit! Terrific, terrific stuff THE CONTENTS ------------------------ - I - The Wisdom
- II - The Financials
- III - The DWT Statistic Collection
- IV - The Fundamentals
- V - The Main Event
- VI - The Reasonings
- VII - The Epilogue
I - THE WISDOM ------------------------ Welcome back hombres ✌️. So to kick things off - an explanation. A few of the more eagle-eyed amongst yous will have noticed a wee switching of the agenda; a wee mixing of the publishing time. As mused there last week - there's been an abundance of duties added to Dads Remit. In other words: A new occupation 👍. Tis a wee smidge of requirement that enforces the even earlier rising of Dad - an indication of the commitment required to maintain pish going forth. Fortunately for Dad but - the first few have proven terrifically fruitful and engaging... to be fair a feeling that perhaps had been laid to rest. No for e'er (hence this happening); but an acceptance that maybes Dads crumbling frame and dilapidating mind, werenae a draw for a potential employer. So Dad took action: the imagining of Dads Aviary for example. Moves made to fill the void with summat poignant - summat that'd fill the bank account with a flow of currency at some stage. No sign of that happening alas... tis a lengthy danger-filled road towards the place to even qualify for cashola unfortunately. Tis achievable sure... just the timeframe is hazy. Henceforth - the sourcing of a Cash Cow Dad can leap up on top of and learn to ride. The box is ticked - the panic (of sorts) can subside - and dreams can become clearer in ones Minds Eyeballs. Realism is a cunt who robs the opportunity of progress all too fucking often sure... takes a leap of faith or two, to properly create an impenetrable barrier around the engine block driving the whole cunt forth. No to say it's the best of the best just yet of course... a ways to go until the feet are properly under the table and Dad can take pish to granted (to a degree anyhow). but for sure - there's a real sense of potential: Dads Banter has already infiltrated the psyches of manys a terrific cunt - there's clear scope for believing pish'll be ok 😎. Dad - whilst a fussy cunt who finds potential disruption to otherwise ok shite - is one of those who can add a good wedge of positivity to any fucking place, should the inhabitants be keen for such a happening. So far so good people - hoo mama 🙌 *** No just that sure - the getting to know you chat, has revealed manys a possibility... a route back to music included sure 👍. No summat Dad has crowed about all too oft... mainly owing to the complete lack of prosperity music has provided Dad for much too manys a fucking year. All Dads fault sure... no blaming music haha. But you hit the bumps on the road - you tire of the semantics of bandmates... the reason for doing it is lost all too swiftly. Makes a cunt yearn for a set of DJ Skillz or summat - at least that way it's a journey taken free of intrusion (at least comparatively). Skip forward several years and Dads Bass is nowt more than an ornament, albeit plucked down from its protective case a smidge more frequently in recent times. No to say there was much thought being given to reinstating that urge to get out there and bond with potential jam-buddies. As it turned out - the decision was taken from Dad, instead enthusiastically prospered by others, long since bored at no finding a cunt who can finger the four-strings. Just to clarify: Dad isnae fucking Geddy Lee or whomever... the skillset is moderate at best ✌️. But for sure - hanging out with three or four brethren, meandering our way through the simpler examples of favourite rock records, whilst placing the lips around a glass dick every half hour or so - twas a terrific time 😎. So we'll see sure... Dad isnae expecting it to be the greatest without evidence to the contrary - but there's certainly an appetite for finding out and a hope for it being the case. Reflecting - it's been a shockingly lengthy time Dad hasnae picked at such scabs... an indication of how much damage was done by experiences gone by. Twas all too easy for Dad to let go of such things; partly based on the belief that Dad had evolved in the time and would therefore find alternate sources without too much hassle. Nope. That was the end of the chapter. The sight of Dads old Bass Amp gathering dust in the corner of the garage, covered in leaves and oily substances... it repped a grim evolution. Since - a modest practice amp hath been purchased: a feeling there was that sure - there is a point to uncoiling the stiff medium fingers and using them to vibrate the open drop D once more. Luckily - Dad still has a blend of sex appeal that'll work fine on a stage or suchlike; none of your life crises type shite going on here 🤘 *** So for sure - an injection of vigour Dads received - and as such, the desire to engage hath returned. The introverted and reserved Dad willnae depart for good sure... tis tough to imagine no having ones space to unwind in for several hours of each and every - but there is a spell there available for Dad to shoehorn in an activity or two. By proxy - Dad is hoping the increased level of serotonin to the relevant areas will ease the pressures on the brain and muscles and so on. the aches and pains of age have been a bug bear for a fair old spell now sure... for sure it has felt a battle to maintain Dads preferred ways of livin' (i.e. with a good handful of energy and intensity). As such - it's with a spooky sense of timing all of this shite has arrived... serendipitous dare one say. Raises an interesting point, despite the failings of DWT: is Dad being aided by higher powers, who believe him essential to the grand landscape of entertaining cunts and making them feel terrific? Probably. And for sure - that's enough. Just the chance Dad is helping save lives and draw goosebumps from the necks of several is enough to persevere and believe. Always the bigger moments are noted... those crossroads Dad reaches that always seem to send him down the correct road. No to say there isnae a happening or two that'd maybes have Dad thinking, 'Oops... one is on the wrong route,'... it's ne'er easiness and greasiness every step of the fucking way. But to arrive at the source of light you've been wandering towards for so long, is as rewarding a moment as one'll get. Stick to guns and you will find the purest of joy. Tis a shame there was a scar or two added along the way... but at least there's fodder for enthusiastic storytelling. Learn the value of experience good and bad, and eventually the good will consume most of e'thing. Come what may - Dad'll be ok 👍 II - THE FINANCIALS ------------------------ What can we say that hasnae recently been gushed afore... fucking SHITE. You work and you work and you fucking work on a Boat - and you arrive at the sort of assumption that maybes the fuckin g boat isnae worth maintaining... maybes it's best to just stick a rope round the wheel, point it towards the abyss, afore releasing the brakes and watching her slowly drift the fuck away. But of course no people: of course fucking no. Too much blood sweat and spunk has been splashed onto the various surfaces... to turn ones back now: Cannae. So we step aboard again, fire up all the usual pish to keep the cunt afloat - and we mosey on out. This time the harvest weill be fucking reaped 🙌. Probably. Reddit Running Total (RRT) currently sits at -£782.95. Ah no. III - THE DWT STATISTIC COLLECTION ------------------------ Welcome to The DWT Statistic Collection 🙌 DWT Statistic #101 | 9 DWTs we've endured since the wonderfully winning warrior that was DWT138: in that time - we've seen an unbelievably shite 3 winning singles from a mind-boggling 27 picks. Win or fucking receive a slap the day by fuck - hoo mama. | See you next week, for yet another addition, to The DWT Statistic Collection 👍 IV - THE FUNDAMENTALS ------------------------ I'm not promoting it in the slightest to be put on; it's purely to be completely transparent about where the beans I'm spilling are being pushed towards – this is after all, a Life Experiment: Can a useless old arsehole prosper under strict weekly gambling conditions? Word of warning; prior to this – not really. The sticky clarifies - but just to reiterate - here's the format...DRS20 is Dads Recommended Spend: £20. This is a lot of money granted - and I would encourage absolute apprehension if this sort of money represents life altering for you personally if zero is returned. I’m lucky enough to be able to afford to lose £20 in a week; but confess that if I got no return for say, 20 weeks in a row - I would likely be without something I value (a streaming service or summat). I don’t take it lightly. Four bets are placed with this outlay: a £5 Treble (DWT) and three £5 Doubles. Generally if two come up, the bet is covered (up or down £2 or so). As of DWT100 - we here at DWT now splash out an additional 15 bangers on the Singles. Regardless - DRS20 remains. I would NEVER recommend spending yet more on this if you have been a regular DRS20 utiliser... if owt - spend less 👍. My gambling prowess is pretty much a joke; so whilst I advertise, I in no way qualify them as a given. I’m a prick with plenty bollocks to spout is all. This is how I frame it. IV - THE MAIN EVENT ------------------------ So here it is - the one that joins the more sensible world of reasonable odds and feels somewhat secure in the knowledge that for sure, 150 bangers or so (potential yield) is nowt to be sniffed at: It's DWT148 https://i.redd.it/fyxyqo7uzupa1.gif 10.29/1 we get for this selection – terrific 😎 Over 30’s last week; over 10's this week - a big, big fuck off drop down the prices sure... tis the nature of limited selections and all the rest - fucking internationals ✌️. But with the enforcement of less to choose from, comes a trio of heroes that dare I say it - looks a cert of sorts 🙌. Two at home - all three chasing prosperity of the purest... no manys a cunt would say 'All three'll lose' I reckon... other than purely for the reason it's me choosing them haha - hoo mama. But whilst nowts guaranteed, there's for sure a big slice of belief that comes in the surer waters of 10's... inspiration for the future? Let's see what fucking happens 🤙 DWT148 - The Doubles DOUBLE | TEAM A | TEAM B | Odds | A | PORTSMOUTH | CARLISLE UNITED | 4.38/1 | B | PORTSMOUTH | MANSFIELD TOWN | 3.52/1 | C | CARLISLE UNITED | MANSFIELD TOWN | 4.25/1 | VI - THE REASONINGS ------------------------ PORTSMOUTH begin the start of the expected new era of success - a team showing real signs of closing down on the cunts above and achieving the previously unthinkable and actually making it to the play-offs... would be some going sure - off the page 💪. Dad has mused oft about Pompey since the arrival of Mousinho, a cunt who has taken the rough talent he's surrounded by and turned them into a shiny smooth gemstone 😎. A home crowd to entertain the day... they'll be expecting clinical decisive action: Dad too by fuck - Dad fucking too 🤘 *** CARLISLE UNITED up next - currently enjoying a wondrous run of 6 unbeaten, conceding a piffling 1 goal in that stretch. A couple 0-0s most recently maybes slips a smidge of doubt in there... but with Bradford away and Stevenage at home - they werenae exactly dropping the fucking ball or owt. Needless to say - a trip to struggling Gillingham will more than likely re-open the floodgates... and there'll Dad be, waiting to gather up the high value notes when they fucking do 👍 *** MANSFIELD TOWN round things off - one of Dads Main Squeezes as regular viewers'll know ✌️. Stuttered a bitty they have in recent times alas... eager they'll be to hop back up into the hotseat and regain their composure. An opponent today who hover around where they themselves are in the table - sutton'll have eyes on the climb up to the Special Table Positions themselves sure. But to fuck with that - our hombres Mansfield are a titan at home much the time; beeswax as usual is on the agenda 👊 VII - THE EPILOGUE ------------------------ So there we have it – nostalgia, hope and determination all apparent in equal measure. This time we do it right; wind in the sails – and off across the ocean in search of new worlds. A powerful pirate ship hunting high and low for treasures. Raise the fucking flag - the Good Ship DWT is back and ready to provide for its crew. If you play; play safe. DRS20 as always people. Frustration at the amount won, is better than the heartache at the amount lost. https://preview.redd.it/7gsbm8xnzupa1.jpg?width=630&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=35e0cb1b7e205f37db476b3cffbc5be26fd5df6c submitted by Dad1903 to DadsWeeklyTreble [link] [comments] |
2023.03.25 10:50 AutoModerator [Get] Jason Palliser – Tax Delinquent Blueprint 2022
2023.03.25 10:40 Sinpleton025 Rifts of War - Chapter 2
Three moon cycles later
Galdush fields, Meilume region of the Empire
The time has come and the troops are ready. The chosen commander of Imperial forces is Ylyndar Glynra, general of the IV army, commanding twenty-five thousand infantry, ten thousand cavalry, ten thousand archers along with one hundred wyverns, one hundred battle mages and hundreds of siege elements for a total of fifty thousand troops. The vassal forces number forty thousand. Ten thousand dwarves from Nundolar commanded by Bardek Leadmaster and ten thousand from Halboram under Dalmin Bronzering. The Rosians sent twenty thousand in total under the command of Bodin Zorgen of Alston, king Thavok's eldest son. The imperials have also brought an auxiliary force of ten thousand slaves, which include ferral orcs, trolls, ogres, swine, lepians, feelians, leanoids, and welfen.
In total, the invasion force numbered one hundred thousand strong and they were to start the land attack in the Galdush fields. At the same time, the VI fleet of one hundred ships of various sizes gathered in the western waters away from the port city of Lashil. Admiral Lothar Tanros was also tasked with opening a rift and to attack the enemy's shoreline, making the invasion a pincer assault.
"It is time, general.", a captain said proudly.
"Indeed.", Ylandar replied, "I cannot wait to bring the emperor's light to this savage world. Are the mages in place?"
"Yes, general. They are finishing the ritual. It is a pity we cannot open more rifts."
"Any more and the spiritual energy of North Altia will be completely drained. I do not wish to destroy our world along with theirs."
"Understood sir.", at that moment, a large rift opened up. It was thirty steps wide, ten steps tall, and shining in bright blue. All soldiers stared at it with amazement and fright. This was the gateway to the savage land they were warned about, they must remain vigilant. "I shall prepare the first wave."
"Hold. I shall go.", Ylindar said.
"S-Sir? Are you certain?"
"Yes. I will lead the first wave.". With that, he rode to Bardek, Dalmin, and Bodin. "You know the plan. All Rosian troops, half of the dwarves, the entire auxiliary, and ten thousand of my own troops. Once a foothold has been established, a messenger will ride back and inform the rest of the troops to begin the second wave. The navy has most likely begun its attack. We must hurry. For the light!"
With that they marched forward into the rift, unaware of the dangers they will face. All they could do is pray to the spirits.
---
History is not kind. Many bad things happened throughout human history. Wars, plagues, destruction, and death beyond counting. On top of that, humans themselves were never the best of people. It is they who caused all of it to happen and it is also they who keep doing it. History has always described humans as selfish and self-harming, but history is written by the winner. And this time, the good wins.
The great virus that occurred in the third decade ravaged the planet, killing millions of people. But through human genius, a cure was made and the death was stopped. However, it was then that the true culprits were discovered. One of the greatest problems of humanity is overpopulation. We have grown soft and stopped "culling the herd" so that a sensible number can thrive and be strong. A group calling themselves 'True salvation', sought to fix this. Through decades of careful planning and manipulation, they've reached a solution. For mankind to prosper it needs to suffer. So they showed themselves in 2034 and declared that they will do what was necessary to save the Earth. So they set off fires and explosions all throughout the world. Thousands upon thousands of factories and industries were destroyed, the capital and major cities were devastated, planes kept crashing, ships kept sinking, and it was chaos. The death toll was in the millions, even hundreds of millions as every country suffered.
But the salvationist forgot one important thing. These are human beings. By attacking them all they've united them all. Global governments decided they will not stand by idly while their people were being killed for some 'greater good'. In a united effort, after fifteen years, they tracked down and eliminated the salvationists, ending the crisis. But now the bigger problem took the stage. The world was in chaos and it needed fixing. So for the future years, that is exactly what happened. A new generation replaced the old one and with everyone united they not only repaired but also advanced. New technologies were invented, and life became better. Artificial limbs became more common, medicine was more advanced and the military received more than one upgrade so that no future threat can harm the nations.
NATO got more support from South America and Australia, while East Europe and Asia created a new block called Easter Powers Alliance. The UN now strictly enforces laws against drugs and poachers are shot on sight so to protect the wild and plant life. Renewable energy sources are spread across the world and the atmosphere is being healed. Many monuments were built for the victims of the salvationists. It goes to show that no matter how much humanity is battered, it would always rise stronger.
And now? Now it is the year 2070 and things are going just fine.
5th of May, 2070
Lumberton, North Carolina
The Northeast park is always a wonderful place to visit. With playgrounds and baseball fields, it was always cheerful. Right now the Jaguars were playing against the Bulls and hundreds of people gathered to watch. Officers Bradly O'Neil, or just Brad, and Jack Mitchel pulled their police car over to watch the game.
"So who do think is winning this time?", Jack asked.
"My money is on the Bulls.", Brad said, "They're winning right now."
"No one knows man. I have a gut feeling the Jaguars are gonna make a comeback."
In that moment, a Jaguar pitcher threw the ball and the Bull hit it with the bat, sending it out of the ring.
"Hooooo! Another home run by the Bulls!", said the announcer, "If they keep this up they will win it all!"
The Bull ran full circle and when he finished, a tremor shook the ground. Suddenly, a large rectangle of light appeared. It was nearly fifty feet wide and sixteen feet tall. People were confused and everyone tried to wrap their heads around what exactly was happening.
"Brad?", Jack asked, "Did anyone order a light show?"
"At four pm? Unlikely.", Brad said as he grabbed his radio, "Dispatch this is officer O'Neil, we have a situation at the Northeast park. Unclear if it is a threat but I require reinforcements and-"
Out of the light, men started appearing. They were strange to say the least. They wore medieval-like armor and has pink skin. Behind them appeared something that freaked people out and scarred them even more. Things they would only see in fantasy movies. Green-skinned orcs, dwarves, and even huge dragon-like lizards. No one understood how they got here but they understood their purpose as they attacked the players and spectators.
The green-skinned and pig-like monsters killed and ate everyone they could find. The dragons flew in the air and arrows rained down on the people.
Brad took the radio again and shouted, "Threat confirmed! I repeat the threat is confirmed! Send reinforcements and alert the national guard! They're killing everyone! We need-"
A pig-like monster jumped at him but it got blasted away by a shotgun. "Power or speed?", asked Jack who shot the gun.
"Speed. I'll take the smaller ones.", he replied and grabbed the shotgun while Jack took the SMG, "We have to save as many people as we can! Come on!"
---
The attack is a success. Already these pale-skinned savages flee and are killed by the dozens and soon hundreds. This field will serve as a good foothold for the invasion.
Prince Bodin looked over the scenery and thought, 'This doesn't look like a land filled with chaos. Were the visions a lie after all?'
"Prince Bodin.", called general Ylindar, "It is glorious is it not? We will slaughter these savages and take the lands in the name of the light. I need you to send your forces over to the structures to the southwest, I have already dispatched the dwarves and auxillia to the south."
"This place is not like the one explained in the vision."
"That does not matter. You are to gather as many slaves as you can and kill all the soldiers that attack you. We must clear a path for the second wave." Bodin internally cursed but went with the orders and called his men.
"Sir!", called a captain, "There are several savages that are causing problems for us."
"What do you mean?"
"They are hiding behind strange metal carts and it appears they have boomsticks much like the dwarves."
"Send a group of mages with dwarves and crush them."
"Right away sir!". With that, the captain left and Ylindar started setting up the stronghold and preparing the letter for the second wave.
Five mages along with a hundred dwarf warriors and shooters. The two dozen savages hid behind metal carts and fired at the orcs and swine that ran at them. The dwarves took aim and fired but they only killed a couple. The savages fired and the mages tried to create a force shield, but something was wrong. There was no energy in this world and magic didn't work.
"What's the problem?", asked a dwarf.
"I-I don't know. I can't-"
Before he could finish, he fell to the ground with a hole in his head. The dwarves started to fall as well. The warriors put up their shields, but the weapons of the savages tore through them. Eventually, enough orcs and swine pushed them and killed most while taking one prisoner.
---
Some time later
Noble self-service storage
Bodin never liked the empire or the emperor. They killed his grandfather just because they wanted freedom. But right now, he didn't have a choice. Denying a direct imperial order is a death sentence. He needed to make sure his kingdom, as well as the others, by doing their bidding and dirty work.
On his way to the strange structures, he encountered strange things. Metal carts that moved without horses and the wide roads made of flat stones, as well as soldiers with repeating boomsticks. For every one of them he lost dozens, but they couldn't hold on for long. Bodin gave explicate orders not to kill any retreating soldiers or innocent people. They won't become monstrous killers like the elves.
After a while, they reached the structures. Rows of identical buildings locked with metal doors. They opened them one by one and only found different pieces of furniture and sometimes jewelry.
"Take anything of value.", Bodin said, "We have taken enough people captive. After we are done here we will report to general Ylindar. Captain, take the captives back quickly. I fear the men we've faced are but a fraction of their army."
"Yes my lord.", the captain said and left with his troops in a hurry.
"Are you starting to doubt the visions, prince Bodin.", spoke a man next to him, "Because so far I am."
"Viscount Iaw.", replied Bodin, "I know what you mean. These people don't look like the savage barbarians the elves told us about. They look like us."
"While I do agree with you on that, you cannot deny the differences. These structures look so robust, and the roads are completely flat. The boomsticks, and the metal carts, clearly these people possess great magic and machines. I cannot imagine what would happen if the empire got its hands on them."
"Don't even say that. Let's just get these items back to-". His sentence was cut by a loud explosion that came from the other side of the structures. Bits and pieces of armor, weapons, and bodies fell on all sides. The men panicked as more explosions came from all sides.
"They have cannons!", yelled Bodin, "Scatter! Find the shooters!". After he gave his orders the soldiers ran to all sides, but they stopped shortly after noticing something in the air. Enemy wyverns? No. They looked different and were made of metal much like the carriages. Several of them filled the sky and inside were soldiers with aimed cannons who opened fire on the Rosians. The soldiers died by the hundreds and Bodin knew he was in danger.
"We have to get out of here!", yelled Iaw and hurried forward on his horse. Bodin and the others followed but they slowed down as they saw a roadblock of large and bulky metal carriages. Dozens of enemies came out of them and prepared their weapons.
"I shall clear a path for you!", said Iaw and charged at the enemy with his troops. Bodin attempted to stop him but to no avail. The enemies opened fire and Iaw was filled with holes along with his men. They didn't even get close before they were slaughtered. Paralyzed by fear, the remaining Rosian troops did the only sensible thing, they surrendered. Now they can only hope for the enemy to be merciful.
---
'This was supposed to be a slow day.", thought lieutenant Jefferson, 'What the hell did we get ourselves into.'
This was beyond strange. A portal opening up in Northeast park, fantasy, and medieval people coming out of it and attacking people? This wasn't what Mark signed up to fight. But he did sign up to defend the United States from any threat. This one counts.
As he rode in his helicopter he saw the other choppers literally slaughtering the 'enemy'. If you can call people with swords and bows riding on a horse a proper enemy. They were being killed in the thousands and only several hundred were left at the storage facilities.
"Lieutenant, are you ok?", asked a sergeant, "You spaced out."
"I'm fine Thomas. This is just beyond me. But I guess it's not our job to think about it.", he stood up and grabbed the rope, "We're going down!"
They lowered themselves from the helicopter and got into formation. They moved through the roads and shot every enemy that came after them. It wasn't hard, these 'knights' weren't much of a threat as long as they were out of range.
"Cavalry behind us!", yelled Thomas. The platoon got into a firing line and opened fire, cutting down the dozens of horses and 'men' riding them. As they continued forward they arrived at the JLTVs placed to block the enemy's advance.
"Lieutenant Mark Jefferson.", he said as he saluted.
"Sergeant Norman Cole. Sir, you're not gonna believe this."
"We are under attack by Lord of the rings characters in pink. Try me."
"Well, these people speak a different language, unsurprisingly. But when I introduced myself they spoke English."
This did surprise Mark. "English? Are you sure?"
"Yes. There's an accent definitely but it's unmistakable. And that guy with the cape and silver helmet? He's the leader. Prince Bodin of Alston."
After some pondering, Mark answered, "Load them up in the trucks. Separate the more important ones. I need to get in touch with the forces sent to Food lion."
"Yes, sir."
'This keeps getting weirder and weirder.', Mark thought.
---
Earlier
Near Food lion
Zoya was not happy about this. Being forced to fight for these oppressors alongside animals. It was degrading. But she didn't have a choice. It was serve or die. Because of their animal features, lepians and feelians are sent first to scout the area and bring information. But what the others were doing was horrible.
All around she could see the feral orcs butchering people and raid homes, the swine, trolls, and ogres eating people alive, and the dwarves plundering treasures and taking weapons. It was disgusting. The forces did suffer casualties. These people were armed with weapons more powerful than even the dwarves had. The feral beast suffered the most. Even the trolls and ogress fell to being shot enough times. But eventually, they had to run away.
Plunging her dagger into a blue-clothed soldier's back, Zoya let out a tired sigh. "How much longer?", she asked herself.
"As long as it takes.", said a woman behind her.
"Bora. I thought you were killed."
"I was almost. But I lost many of my own. These weapons are deadly. If we dodge one shot ten more appear."
"What's taking you so long, rabbit?", asked the dwarven general Dalmin in a disrespectful attitude, "I thought you lepians were supposed to be expert scouts."
"Don't talk down at us, dwarf.", said Bora.
"Shut it cat! Or I'll grind you into meat and feed you to my hog.", Bora hissed at that, "Now, get going. It won't be long before Bardek arrives and I intend to have more fun.". With that he rode off, leaving Zoya and Bora.
"I'm going to kill him one day.", said Bora.
Zoya looked behind her and saw a group of children running away from a swine and a feral orc. They went inside what looked like a large market. Zoya ran after them and Bora quickly followed. They reached the mark and when they entered it they saw the women and children cowering in a corner as the swine and orc closed in. Zoya rushed at the orc and slit its throat then quickly spun around and kicked the swine, knocking it to the ground. Without wasting time she plunged her dagger into its heart. She walked over to the children and gestured for them to calm down.
"What was that?", Bora asked.
"I'm not letting let innocent people get butchered and eaten by monsters."
"But if the elves find out-"
"They won't. We can-", she stopped midway after her ears twitched. Looking out the window she saw and hear explosions. That must be this world's army. Dalmin rode on his hog to lead a charge against their metal carriages but was cut down by the enemy's weapons.
Zoya and Bora were scared. Their people were dying and soon they will follow. But just then, a little girl walked to her side and pulled her hand. "Don't worry.", she spoke in the imperial tongue, which surprised Zoya, "We'll tell them you saved us."
---
"This is pretty insane isn't it sir?", asked a soldier.
"It sure is Paterson.", said the sergeant, "Let's just kill everything that can't talk first and worry about the rest later."
"Rodger.". They exited the Bradley and got to work, opening fire on what looked like dwarves and orcs. The Bradley itself focused on the larger targets while the soldiers moved in. House by house and street by street they moved in. The dwarves fired their musket-like weapons but they only managed to land a few lucky shots. The new M16A5 assault rifle with 6.8mm bullets tore through their armor and shields.
An ogre started charging from the back lines, swinging his large stone on a chain. "Paterson! Fire your grenade launcher!", ordered the sergeant. Paterson fired and upon impact the grenade exploded, leaving a gaping hole in the ogre's chest and bursting its organs all around. The battle continued and the stubborn dwarves fought as well as the ugly monsters. The only ones that surrendered were the animalistic 'people'.
As the soldiers progressed they saw horrid things. People were being eaten and ripped apart by the monsters as they screamed and begged for their lives. Homes burned and vehicles crushed. This won't go unanswered. "Kill them all!", yelled the sergeant, and the soldiers happily obliged.
With rifles, grenades, and machine guns they slaughtered the monsters. Trolls and ogres were blown to pieces, orcs, and swine riddled with holes like Swiss cheese. Even the stubborn dwarves were shown little mercy. The sergeant continued with his men to Food lion where he spotted two animal-like people, one looked like a cat and the other like a bunny, with over a dozen children.
They entered and pointed their guns at them immediately, but the children stood in front of them. "Don't shoot them.", said a boy.
"What?", asked the sergeant.
"They saved us from the monsters.", said a girl pointing to the dead orc and pig.
After some delay, the sergeant spoke, "Lower your weapons.". He walked to the two women. "I am gunnery-sergeant Jeff Miller. Who are you?"
"I am Zoya and this is Bora.", answered the rabbit woman, "We are the slave auxiliary of the empire of light."
Confused, Jeff asked, "The what?"
Before she could answer, Paterson walked over to Miller, "Sir, I have a message from lieutenant Mark Jefferson. He asks about a report and if we're ready to join them in the attack on Northeast park."
Jeff looked at the two women before turning to his men, "Paterson, tell the lieutenant that we'll join them soon. Johnson, and Shane, take these two into custody. I'll question them more when I get back."
"Where are you going?", asked Bora suddenly.
Jeff turned to her slowly and answered, "We're gonna end this."
End of chapter 2
---
Thank you very much for reading. If you'd like to support me (for some freakin' reason) feel free to upvote, follow, and check out my Patreon:
patreon.com/SimpleWrites Sorry for the choppy chapter, I promise better work in the future.
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2023.03.25 10:40 Sinpleton025 [Rifts of War] - Chapter 2
Three moon cycles later
Galdush fields, Meilume region of the Empire
The time has come and the troops are ready. The chosen commander of Imperial forces is Ylyndar Glynra, general of the IV army, commanding twenty-five thousand infantry, ten thousand cavalry, ten thousand archers along with one hundred wyverns, one hundred battle mages and hundreds of siege elements for a total of fifty thousand troops. The vassal forces number forty thousand. Ten thousand dwarves from Nundolar commanded by Bardek Leadmaster and ten thousand from Halboram under Dalmin Bronzering. The Rosians sent twenty thousand in total under the command of Bodin Zorgen of Alston, king Thavok's eldest son. The imperials have also brought an auxiliary force of ten thousand slaves, which include ferral orcs, trolls, ogres, swine, lepians, feelians, leanoids, and welfen.
In total, the invasion force numbered one hundred thousand strong and they were to start the land attack in the Galdush fields. At the same time, the VI fleet of one hundred ships of various sizes gathered in the western waters away from the port city of Lashil. Admiral Lothar Tanros was also tasked with opening a rift and to attack the enemy's shoreline, making the invasion a pincer assault.
"It is time, general.", a captain said proudly.
"Indeed.", Ylandar replied, "I cannot wait to bring the emperor's light to this savage world. Are the mages in place?"
"Yes, general. They are finishing the ritual. It is a pity we cannot open more rifts."
"Any more and the spiritual energy of North Altia will be completely drained. I do not wish to destroy our world along with theirs."
"Understood sir.", at that moment, a large rift opened up. It was thirty steps wide, ten steps tall, and shining in bright blue. All soldiers stared at it with amazement and fright. This was the gateway to the savage land they were warned about, they must remain vigilant. "I shall prepare the first wave."
"Hold. I shall go.", Ylindar said.
"S-Sir? Are you certain?"
"Yes. I will lead the first wave.". With that, he rode to Bardek, Dalmin, and Bodin. "You know the plan. All Rosian troops, half of the dwarves, the entire auxiliary, and ten thousand of my own troops. Once a foothold has been established, a messenger will ride back and inform the rest of the troops to begin the second wave. The navy has most likely begun its attack. We must hurry. For the light!"
With that they marched forward into the rift, unaware of the dangers they will face. All they could do is pray to the spirits.
---
History is not kind. Many bad things happened throughout human history. Wars, plagues, destruction, and death beyond counting. On top of that, humans themselves were never the best of people. It is they who caused all of it to happen and it is also they who keep doing it. History has always described humans as selfish and self-harming, but history is written by the winner. And this time, the good wins.
The great virus that occurred in the third decade ravaged the planet, killing millions of people. But through human genius, a cure was made and the death was stopped. However, it was then that the true culprits were discovered. One of the greatest problems of humanity is overpopulation. We have grown soft and stopped "culling the herd" so that a sensible number can thrive and be strong. A group calling themselves 'True salvation', sought to fix this. Through decades of careful planning and manipulation, they've reached a solution. For mankind to prosper it needs to suffer. So they showed themselves in 2034 and declared that they will do what was necessary to save the Earth. So they set off fires and explosions all throughout the world. Thousands upon thousands of factories and industries were destroyed, the capital and major cities were devastated, planes kept crashing, ships kept sinking, and it was chaos. The death toll was in the millions, even hundreds of millions as every country suffered.
But the salvationist forgot one important thing. These are human beings. By attacking them all they've united them all. Global governments decided they will not stand by idly while their people were being killed for some 'greater good'. In a united effort, after fifteen years, they tracked down and eliminated the salvationists, ending the crisis. But now the bigger problem took the stage. The world was in chaos and it needed fixing. So for the future years, that is exactly what happened. A new generation replaced the old one and with everyone united they not only repaired but also advanced. New technologies were invented, and life became better. Artificial limbs became more common, medicine was more advanced and the military received more than one upgrade so that no future threat can harm the nations.
NATO got more support from South America and Australia, while East Europe and Asia created a new block called Easter Powers Alliance. The UN now strictly enforces laws against drugs and poachers are shot on sight so to protect the wild and plant life. Renewable energy sources are spread across the world and the atmosphere is being healed. Many monuments were built for the victims of the salvationists. It goes to show that no matter how much humanity is battered, it would always rise stronger.
And now? Now it is the year 2070 and things are going just fine.
5th of May, 2070
Lumberton, North Carolina
The Northeast park is always a wonderful place to visit. With playgrounds and baseball fields, it was always cheerful. Right now the Jaguars were playing against the Bulls and hundreds of people gathered to watch. Officers Bradly O'Neil, or just Brad, and Jack Mitchel pulled their police car over to watch the game.
"So who do think is winning this time?", Jack asked.
"My money is on the Bulls.", Brad said, "They're winning right now."
"No one knows man. I have a gut feeling the Jaguars are gonna make a comeback."
In that moment, a Jaguar pitcher threw the ball and the Bull hit it with the bat, sending it out of the ring.
"Hooooo! Another home run by the Bulls!", said the announcer, "If they keep this up they will win it all!"
The Bull ran full circle and when he finished, a tremor shook the ground. Suddenly, a large rectangle of light appeared. It was nearly fifty feet wide and sixteen feet tall. People were confused and everyone tried to wrap their heads around what exactly was happening.
"Brad?", Jack asked, "Did anyone order a light show?"
"At four pm? Unlikely.", Brad said as he grabbed his radio, "Dispatch this is officer O'Neil, we have a situation at the Northeast park. Unclear if it is a threat but I require reinforcements and-"
Out of the light, men started appearing. They were strange to say the least. They wore medieval-like armor and has pink skin. Behind them appeared something that freaked people out and scarred them even more. Things they would only see in fantasy movies. Green-skinned orcs, dwarves, and even huge dragon-like lizards. No one understood how they got here but they understood their purpose as they attacked the players and spectators.
The green-skinned and pig-like monsters killed and ate everyone they could find. The dragons flew in the air and arrows rained down on the people.
Brad took the radio again and shouted, "Threat confirmed! I repeat the threat is confirmed! Send reinforcements and alert the national guard! They're killing everyone! We need-"
A pig-like monster jumped at him but it got blasted away by a shotgun. "Power or speed?", asked Jack who shot the gun.
"Speed. I'll take the smaller ones.", he replied and grabbed the shotgun while Jack took the SMG, "We have to save as many people as we can! Come on!"
---
The attack is a success. Already these pale-skinned savages flee and are killed by the dozens and soon hundreds. This field will serve as a good foothold for the invasion.
Prince Bodin looked over the scenery and thought, 'This doesn't look like a land filled with chaos. Were the visions a lie after all?'
"Prince Bodin.", called general Ylindar, "It is glorious is it not? We will slaughter these savages and take the lands in the name of the light. I need you to send your forces over to the structures to the southwest, I have already dispatched the dwarves and auxillia to the south."
"This place is not like the one explained in the vision."
"That does not matter. You are to gather as many slaves as you can and kill all the soldiers that attack you. We must clear a path for the second wave." Bodin internally cursed but went with the orders and called his men.
"Sir!", called a captain, "There are several savages that are causing problems for us."
"What do you mean?"
"They are hiding behind strange metal carts and it appears they have boomsticks much like the dwarves."
"Send a group of mages with dwarves and crush them."
"Right away sir!". With that, the captain left and Ylindar started setting up the stronghold and preparing the letter for the second wave.
Five mages along with a hundred dwarf warriors and shooters. The two dozen savages hid behind metal carts and fired at the orcs and swine that ran at them. The dwarves took aim and fired but they only killed a couple. The savages fired and the mages tried to create a force shield, but something was wrong. There was no energy in this world and magic didn't work.
"What's the problem?", asked a dwarf.
"I-I don't know. I can't-"
Before he could finish, he fell to the ground with a hole in his head. The dwarves started to fall as well. The warriors put up their shields, but the weapons of the savages tore through them. Eventually, enough orcs and swine pushed them and killed most while taking one prisoner.
---
Some time later
Noble self-service storage
Bodin never liked the empire or the emperor. They killed his grandfather just because they wanted freedom. But right now, he didn't have a choice. Denying a direct imperial order is a death sentence. He needed to make sure his kingdom, as well as the others, by doing their bidding and dirty work.
On his way to the strange structures, he encountered strange things. Metal carts that moved without horses and the wide roads made of flat stones, as well as soldiers with repeating boomsticks. For every one of them he lost dozens, but they couldn't hold on for long. Bodin gave explicate orders not to kill any retreating soldiers or innocent people. They won't become monstrous killers like the elves.
After a while, they reached the structures. Rows of identical buildings locked with metal doors. They opened them one by one and only found different pieces of furniture and sometimes jewelry.
"Take anything of value.", Bodin said, "We have taken enough people captive. After we are done here we will report to general Ylindar. Captain, take the captives back quickly. I fear the men we've faced are but a fraction of their army."
"Yes my lord.", the captain said and left with his troops in a hurry.
"Are you starting to doubt the visions, prince Bodin.", spoke a man next to him, "Because so far I am."
"Viscount Iaw.", replied Bodin, "I know what you mean. These people don't look like the savage barbarians the elves told us about. They look like us."
"While I do agree with you on that, you cannot deny the differences. These structures look so robust, and the roads are completely flat. The boomsticks, and the metal carts, clearly these people possess great magic and machines. I cannot imagine what would happen if the empire got its hands on them."
"Don't even say that. Let's just get these items back to-". His sentence was cut by a loud explosion that came from the other side of the structures. Bits and pieces of armor, weapons, and bodies fell on all sides. The men panicked as more explosions came from all sides.
"They have cannons!", yelled Bodin, "Scatter! Find the shooters!". After he gave his orders the soldiers ran to all sides, but they stopped shortly after noticing something in the air. Enemy wyverns? No. They looked different and were made of metal much like the carriages. Several of them filled the sky and inside were soldiers with aimed cannons who opened fire on the Rosians. The soldiers died by the hundreds and Bodin knew he was in danger.
"We have to get out of here!", yelled Iaw and hurried forward on his horse. Bodin and the others followed but they slowed down as they saw a roadblock of large and bulky metal carriages. Dozens of enemies came out of them and prepared their weapons.
"I shall clear a path for you!", said Iaw and charged at the enemy with his troops. Bodin attempted to stop him but to no avail. The enemies opened fire and Iaw was filled with holes along with his men. They didn't even get close before they were slaughtered. Paralyzed by fear, the remaining Rosian troops did the only sensible thing, they surrendered. Now they can only hope for the enemy to be merciful.
---
'This was supposed to be a slow day.", thought lieutenant Jefferson, 'What the hell did we get ourselves into.'
This was beyond strange. A portal opening up in Northeast park, fantasy, and medieval people coming out of it and attacking people? This wasn't what Mark signed up to fight. But he did sign up to defend the United States from any threat. This one counts.
As he rode in his helicopter he saw the other choppers literally slaughtering the 'enemy'. If you can call people with swords and bows riding on a horse a proper enemy. They were being killed in the thousands and only several hundred were left at the storage facilities.
"Lieutenant, are you ok?", asked a sergeant, "You spaced out."
"I'm fine Thomas. This is just beyond me. But I guess it's not our job to think about it.", he stood up and grabbed the rope, "We're going down!"
They lowered themselves from the helicopter and got into formation. They moved through the roads and shot every enemy that came after them. It wasn't hard, these 'knights' weren't much of a threat as long as they were out of range.
"Cavalry behind us!", yelled Thomas. The platoon got into a firing line and opened fire, cutting down the dozens of horses and 'men' riding them. As they continued forward they arrived at the JLTVs placed to block the enemy's advance.
"Lieutenant Mark Jefferson.", he said as he saluted.
"Sergeant Norman Cole. Sir, you're not gonna believe this."
"We are under attack by Lord of the rings characters in pink. Try me."
"Well, these people speak a different language, unsurprisingly. But when I introduced myself they spoke English."
This did surprise Mark. "English? Are you sure?"
"Yes. There's an accent definitely but it's unmistakable. And that guy with the cape and silver helmet? He's the leader. Prince Bodin of Alston."
After some pondering, Mark answered, "Load them up in the trucks. Separate the more important ones. I need to get in touch with the forces sent to Food lion."
"Yes, sir."
'This keeps getting weirder and weirder.', Mark thought.
---
Earlier
Near Food lion
Zoya was not happy about this. Being forced to fight for these oppressors alongside animals. It was degrading. But she didn't have a choice. It was serve or die. Because of their animal features, lepians and feelians are sent first to scout the area and bring information. But what the others were doing was horrible.
All around she could see the feral orcs butchering people and raid homes, the swine, trolls, and ogres eating people alive, and the dwarves plundering treasures and taking weapons. It was disgusting. The forces did suffer casualties. These people were armed with weapons more powerful than even the dwarves had. The feral beast suffered the most. Even the trolls and ogress fell to being shot enough times. But eventually, they had to run away.
Plunging her dagger into a blue-clothed soldier's back, Zoya let out a tired sigh. "How much longer?", she asked herself.
"As long as it takes.", said a woman behind her.
"Bora. I thought you were killed."
"I was almost. But I lost many of my own. These weapons are deadly. If we dodge one shot ten more appear."
"What's taking you so long, rabbit?", asked the dwarven general Dalmin in a disrespectful attitude, "I thought you lepians were supposed to be expert scouts."
"Don't talk down at us, dwarf.", said Bora.
"Shut it cat! Or I'll grind you into meat and feed you to my hog.", Bora hissed at that, "Now, get going. It won't be long before Bardek arrives and I intend to have more fun.". With that he rode off, leaving Zoya and Bora.
"I'm going to kill him one day.", said Bora.
Zoya looked behind her and saw a group of children running away from a swine and a feral orc. They went inside what looked like a large market. Zoya ran after them and Bora quickly followed. They reached the mark and when they entered it they saw the women and children cowering in a corner as the swine and orc closed in. Zoya rushed at the orc and slit its throat then quickly spun around and kicked the swine, knocking it to the ground. Without wasting time she plunged her dagger into its heart. She walked over to the children and gestured for them to calm down.
"What was that?", Bora asked.
"I'm not letting let innocent people get butchered and eaten by monsters."
"But if the elves find out-"
"They won't. We can-", she stopped midway after her ears twitched. Looking out the window she saw and hear explosions. That must be this world's army. Dalmin rode on his hog to lead a charge against their metal carriages but was cut down by the enemy's weapons.
Zoya and Bora were scared. Their people were dying and soon they will follow. But just then, a little girl walked to her side and pulled her hand. "Don't worry.", she spoke in the imperial tongue, which surprised Zoya, "We'll tell them you saved us."
---
"This is pretty insane isn't it sir?", asked a soldier.
"It sure is Paterson.", said the sergeant, "Let's just kill everything that can't talk first and worry about the rest later."
"Rodger.". They exited the Bradley and got to work, opening fire on what looked like dwarves and orcs. The Bradley itself focused on the larger targets while the soldiers moved in. House by house and street by street they moved in. The dwarves fired their musket-like weapons but they only managed to land a few lucky shots. The new M16A5 assault rifle with 6.8mm bullets tore through their armor and shields.
An ogre started charging from the back lines, swinging his large stone on a chain. "Paterson! Fire your grenade launcher!", ordered the sergeant. Paterson fired and upon impact the grenade exploded, leaving a gaping hole in the ogre's chest and bursting its organs all around. The battle continued and the stubborn dwarves fought as well as the ugly monsters. The only ones that surrendered were the animalistic 'people'.
As the soldiers progressed they saw horrid things. People were being eaten and ripped apart by the monsters as they screamed and begged for their lives. Homes burned and vehicles crushed. This won't go unanswered. "Kill them all!", yelled the sergeant, and the soldiers happily obliged.
With rifles, grenades, and machine guns they slaughtered the monsters. Trolls and ogres were blown to pieces, orcs, and swine riddled with holes like Swiss cheese. Even the stubborn dwarves were shown little mercy. The sergeant continued with his men to Food lion where he spotted two animal-like people, one looked like a cat and the other like a bunny, with over a dozen children.
They entered and pointed their guns at them immediately, but the children stood in front of them. "Don't shoot them.", said a boy.
"What?", asked the sergeant.
"They saved us from the monsters.", said a girl pointing to the dead orc and pig.
After some delay, the sergeant spoke, "Lower your weapons.". He walked to the two women. "I am gunnery-sergeant Jeff Miller. Who are you?"
"I am Zoya and this is Bora.", answered the rabbit woman, "We are the slave auxiliary of the empire of light."
Confused, Jeff asked, "The what?"
Before she could answer, Paterson walked over to Miller, "Sir, I have a message from lieutenant Mark Jefferson. He asks about a report and if we're ready to join them in the attack on Northeast park."
Jeff looked at the two women before turning to his men, "Paterson, tell the lieutenant that we'll join them soon. Johnson, and Shane, take these two into custody. I'll question them more when I get back."
"Where are you going?", asked Bora suddenly.
Jeff turned to her slowly and answered, "We're gonna end this."
End of chapter 2
---
Thank you very much for reading. If you'd like to support me (for some freakin' reason) feel free to upvote, follow, and check out my Patreon (DM me for the link, please).
Sorry for the choppy chapter, I promise better work in the future.
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2023.03.25 10:32 kibblepigeon Taking a closer look at "The Big Four" - File No. S7-30-22; Release No. 34-96494; Regulation NMS: Minimum Pricing Increments, Access Fees, and Transparency of Better Priced Orders
| https://preview.redd.it/yizb2vzwdqpa1.jpg?width=1814&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8aa519f2c7a3a3adac29c8c6a9850690f3de9758 File No. S7-30-22; Release No. 34-96494; Regulation NMS: Minimum Pricing Increments, Access Fees, and Transparency of Better Priced Orders AKA - The Tick Rule. What the rule means (ELIA5) The reason Citadel has an advantage is that they can trade at sub-penny intervals on their single-dealer platform, while everyone else is limited to trading in penny increments. This allows them to fill retail orders at slightly higher prices and makes them appear more skilled than other exchanges.The proposed rule would level the playing field by allowing everyone to trade at sub-penny intervals, eliminating this unfair advantage. Additionally, the rule would reduce the rebates that can be paid, making payment for order flow much less useful. Although the rule wouldn't ban payment for order flow altogether, it would significantly minimise its impact. Sounds simple, right? https://preview.redd.it/xntueil2eqpa1.jpg?width=1370&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=24f65021f0657e254ea3ee954af07b28d5dfb1a3 You heard it here first, an equal playing field - for everyone. No more advantage for Citadel 🎉 Equality people, that's what we're fighting for here. https://preview.redd.it/a4lkmrr8eqpa1.jpg?width=1818&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7e2372978eaacc409b0f68c5a9d3f444225061f0 How can you help? I'm glad you asked! And it's really easy too. First, why not get clued up on what the rules actually mean. You can do that here: Let's check out a screenshot talking about the rule: Thanks - Conscious_Student_37 💜 Or check out the SEC site for more details, here: So what do we do about this? Well, it's now time for us to take two minutes out of our day to show our support of course! And don't worry, it's been made really easy for you. https://preview.redd.it/x0v480tbeqpa1.jpg?width=917&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d95ee070ab41cf345ecfc2a39fe8634d22a3a1ac https://preview.redd.it/50ehjbhceqpa1.jpg?width=1822&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9bbea2565e9e69e9ebbe6118c12c2db26b688923 So what do you need to mention in YOUR comments? Well, here's a whole bunch of things you can mention to SUPPORT this rule: - Strongly support the Commission's proposed tick size regime, and recommend clear and unambiguous language in the rule structure to avoid any confusion or litigation.
- Instead of allowing rebates and other inducements in the marketplace, establish a zero or very low fee structure to eliminate the potential for trading for the sake of volume.
- Implement a variable minimum pricing increment model that applies to both quoting and trading of NMS stocks to promote fair and transparent pricing across trading venues.
- While reducing the access fee caps is a step in the right direction, completely eliminating exchange rebates would further enhance transparency and fairness in the market.
- Recommend accelerating the implementation of the revised round lot definition and odd lot dissemination on the SIP to enhance reporting efficiency and reduce delays.
- Highlight the importance of taking these steps to regain public confidence and trust in the market, particularly in light of recent events like the GameStop controversy.
Additional comments from Conscious_Student_37: - Enforcement matters. We want higher fines, bigger penalties, actual consequences.
- Investors to support additional 0.64 cents more a share to avoid being routed through a wholesaler that has been charged over 70 times by the United States government (https://files.brokercheck.finra.org/firm/firm_116797.pdf). The price improvement provided by these wholesalers is minimal and not worth the damage they bring to the market.
- Investors will gladly pay commission to avoid being routed through a wholesaler, especially one with a long record of flouting the law like Citadel Securities.
- Fully support the harmonisation of tick sizes across all exchanges. No exceptions, no "reasonable" vague language. Clear rules, clear language. Some exchanges shouldn’t be granted an unfair advantage over others. It leads to monopolistic control of parts of the market that counteract and eventually kill the positive benefits of competition. The markets are supposed to be fair - so make them fair.
- Suggest that the definition of tick-constrained, whatever it is, should apply to as much of the market as possible. The rule would be watered down if the definition is too narrow. The important thing is that everyone trades and provides quotes according to the same rules.
- Make it clear you very much dislike the presence of rebates and other inducements in the marketplace - they are simply payment for order flow by another name. We'd prefer the fees were reduced to zero, but .001 will do. No higher.
- Support the inclusion of odd-lot information in the SIP. Odd lots are a majority of trades and should have a greater impact on price. Make it clear you want odd lots to impact the NBBO and have a concrete effect on both price and broker's duty of best execution.
................................................................................................................................................................................... Want a little tip? Work smarter, not harder. ChatGPT - https://chat.openai.com/chat - is a AI language model that is designed to help make things easier for you. Although this remains an unreliable source for verified information and facts (and will always require people to asses/compare/research and cross-reference responses) - this is a writing tool that could be used to help create a basis for your comment. Simply copy/paste the comment templates and ask the AI language model to rephrase the text (if you don’t already know what to say) and be sure to check the wording when a template is produced. ❗️ ⚠️ REALLY IMPORTANT ⚠️ ❗️ YOU MUST READ THROUGH AND FACT CHECK YOUR RESPONSES!! SERIOUSLY - YOU MUST PROOF-READ AND FACT CHECK CHATGPT. You wouldn't want to accidentally submit a comment that agrees with Citadel opposing the rule now, would you? This AI language model sometimes produces incorrect responses - so if you choose to embrace new technology as a tool/resource to help aid your learning - you must ensure that you are dedicating the same time to be accurate in your prompts, and in your assessment of the content as produced. You are the fact checker, not the AI platform. Not sure whether ChatGPT is right for you? Check out this guide as below: https://preview.redd.it/0e2he7jgeqpa1.jpg?width=930&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1428d688dabc11f7af1de400d6bf9618c3942d53 To remind ourselves, nothing is truly infallible: the internet, the mainstream media, even our books can become outdated/factually incorrect sometimes - it’s why we need the human element. So we can cross-reference information as obtained, and carry out necessary fact check and critically assess detail across a multitude of platforms. ChatGPT is no different here. It is simply another tool/resource we need to fact check. We should treat it as such. Happy commenting! https://preview.redd.it/cgp0j09leqpa1.jpg?width=1818&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1c085944e0b2c529622b38a6c690191971e25836 Vanessa Countryman, Secretary, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, 100 F Street, N.E, Washington, D.C. 20549 File No. S7-30-22; Release No. 34-96494; Regulation NMS: Minimum Pricing Increments, Access Fees, and Transparency of Better Priced Orders Dear Ms. Countryman: The proposed tick size regime, variable minimum pricing increment model, and revised round lot definition are important steps towards promoting fair and transparent pricing across trading venues. We strongly support the harmonisation of tick sizes across all exchanges and the elimination of rebates and other inducements in the marketplace. It is imperative to establish a zero or very low fee structure to eliminate the potential for trading for the sake of volume. We also support the acceleration of the revised round lot definition and odd lot dissemination on the SIP to enhance reporting efficiency and reduce delays. Enforcement matters and we strongly recommend higher fines, bigger penalties, and actual consequences for those who break the rules. We believe investors would be willing to pay an additional 0.64 cents per share to avoid being routed through a wholesaler with a history of breaking the law like Citadel Securities. The price improvement provided by these wholesalers is minimal and not worth the potential damage they bring to the market. We support the inclusion of odd-lot information in the SIP as odd lots represent a majority of trades and should have a greater impact on price. It is important that odd lots impact the NBBO and have a concrete effect on both price and broker's duty of best execution. We also suggest that the definition of tick-constrained should apply to as much of the market as possible to avoid any watering down of the rule. In conclusion, we believe that these proposed measures will help to regain public confidence and trust in the market, particularly in light of recent events like the GameStop controversy. It is crucial to ensure that the markets are fair and transparent for all participants, and we strongly urge the SEC to implement these rules in a clear and unambiguous manner to avoid confusion or litigation. Has that wet your whistle? I bet it has! Here's some MORE comment templates here to help inspire you! https://preview.redd.it/jvov3pmneqpa1.jpg?width=1818&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=56ffcb6dd50f91645ae10b42dd10b6f36ad7684e How do we comment? (step-by-step instructions) - Open your email.
- The SEC's email is [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]%22%20%5Ct%20%22_blank).
- Copy/paste this title into the subject line: RE: File No. S7-30-22; Release No. 34-96494; Regulation NMS: Minimum Pricing Increments, Access Fees, and Transparency of Better Priced Orders
- Use talking points above / found here: https://pastebin.com/9fU5Qwqw (credit to Conscious_Student_37)
- Rephrase them / write more in your own words.
- Submit.
Don't fancy using your personal email account? Why don't you create yourself a new secure email address that protects your privacy with encryption? Keep your conversations private: https://proton.me/mail (it's free!) Or send 3 copies of your paper comment letter to: Vanessa Countryman, Secretary, Securities and Exchange Commission, 100 F Street, NE, Washington, DC 20549-1090 For more information - check out this link: https://www.sec.gov/regulatory-actions/how-to-submit-comments https://preview.redd.it/wpru9hgpeqpa1.jpg?width=1822&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=07f063c9625e012fcb0d9c16ac5768b8e13aeedc TL:DR(s) File No. S7-30-22; Release No. 34-96494; Regulation NMS: Minimum Pricing Increments, Access Fees, and Transparency of Better Priced Orders - Citadel has an advantage in trading because they can trade at sub-penny intervals on their single-dealer platform, while everyone else is limited to trading in penny increments.
- This allows them to fill retail orders at slightly higher prices and appear more skilled than other exchanges.
- The proposed rule aims to level the playing field by allowing everyone to trade at sub-penny intervals, eliminating this unfair advantage.
- The proposed rule also reduces the rebates that can be paid, making payment for order flow much less useful.
- Although the proposed rule wouldn't ban payment for order flow altogether, it would significantly minimise its impact.
- SUPPORT THE NEW RULE
Submit YOUR COMMENTS to: [ [email protected]](mailto: [email protected]%22%20%5Ct%20%22_blank) with the correct title entered into the subject header. Be excellent to each other, and party on dudes! submitted by kibblepigeon to Superstonk [link] [comments] |
2023.03.25 10:30 benign_listener Things overheard at the farmers market
“That’s your responsibility.“
“What you’ll want is to eat this piping hot.”
“The whole thing is ridiculous. First of all the state bag fee is like five cents. Buying your own bag is a dollar at least. So it’s still cheaper, even over time, to just use the throwaways.”
“My daughter’s been involved with that program since she was small.”
“Probably a casserole. I’ll figure it out later.”
“When I still new learn English I think ‘whatnot’ is a thing. Like, is a noun. That I no can figure out what is it. Because people say, ‘You’ll need jacket, hat, and whatnot.’ ‘There was car and truck and whatnot.’ I keep thinking ‘This thing appear everywhere and I cannot figure out what is it!’”
“Your mother’s right. You need to take that deadly serious.”
“Oh, I’m not in line, you go ahead.”
“Once I realized I was eating out of habit I just made a schedule and that pretty much resolved it.”
“Also, these reusable bags don’t last forever and can’t really be cleaned well. But they’re made of obscenely thick plastic. It’s way worse environmentally than just staying how things were before. It’s a money making scam is what it is.”
“I like the ‘where are they now’ updates.”
“It’s a little early in the year, but y’know, if they’re ripe, we pick ‘em.”
“Go ahead, I’ve got plenty of time.”
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2023.03.25 10:29 Adam-best Glass Chip & Scratch Repair Kit
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https://zafyn.com/products/glass-chip-scratch-repair-kit submitted by
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McrOne [link] [comments]
2023.03.25 10:25 AutoModerator [Get] Super Lumen – The LinkedIn Ads Course
| Get the course here: https://www.genkicourses.com/product/super-lumen-the-linkedin-ads-course/ https://www.genkicourses.com/product/super-lumen-the-linkedin-ads-course/ https://preview.redd.it/ii3om1oyz2pa1.jpg?width=760&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1983d6645e25c5b243da019efa7b93fa8d904c4e The LinkedIn Ads Course The ultimate course for business owners and marketing managers of larger organisations to learn how to generate a ton of demand for their businesses using LinkedIn Ads. Why do this course By the end of the course, you will know your way around the LinkedIn Ads platform and you will be highly confident to start generating leads consistently for your own business or for other people in a matter of days. We hold nothing back in this course, you will be an absolute pro. 80% of B2B leads come from LinkedIn LinkedIn is by far the most valuable source of leads when it comes to B2B – in fact 80% of B2B businesses say they are getting leads from the platform each month. LinkedIn ads are the best way to bring in a torrent of consistent new enquiries about your consulting, coaching or saas services. Time I have condensed all my knowledge after spending tens-of-thousands on the platform into a few hours of video, showing you the exact systems we use as an agency, so you will save a lot of time. Everything I have learned is neatly organised for you to learn from, step by step, organised in a way which is designed to make you learn fast. You will go from zero to hero quickly. Money You will save a lot of money. We have tested and experimented with pretty much every strategy out there, we have learned a lot on what works and what doesn’t, so skip the learning curve and jump right in at the deep end. You will get access to all our learnings. There are so many different ways you use the platform to drive down the cost per lead significantly, and if you are looking to gain many leads a month, this will add up to a saving of 1000’s of pounds each onth – much more than the course costs. …and now we have taken tens-of-thousands of pounds worth of testing and condensed this knowledge into a course which anyone can start generating new leads for their business within days. We hold nothing back. What will you learn in the course Tried and tested B2B demand generation strategies which you can implement right away and start generating a ton of new leads for your business. Confidence in the ads platform so you know how to target the right people, how to test your ads and drive down your cost per click. How to organise your account like a pro. How to use LinkedIn tracking, the Insight pixel, how to implement it on your website, and how to use it to analyse your audience. Remarketing for ninjas – remarketing is essential to stay top-of-mind, and to keep every prospect that interacts with your business interested in you and your products or services. How to get the lowest cost per click (CPC), cost per lead (CPL) and cost per scheduled phone call. Mastering the follow-up. Learn what the big sales teams do with the leads they generate and how to turn the MQL to a SQL (Marketing Qualified Lead to Sales Qualified Lead) to a paying customer or client. submitted by AutoModerator to GenkiC0urses [link] [comments] |
2023.03.25 10:15 AutoModerator [Get] Jason Palliser – Tax Delinquent Blueprint 2022
2023.03.25 10:11 AutoModerator [Get] Super Lumen – The LinkedIn Ads Course
| Get the course here: https://www.genkicourses.com/product/super-lumen-the-linkedin-ads-course/ https://www.genkicourses.com/product/super-lumen-the-linkedin-ads-course/ 📷 https://preview.redd.it/vrylw2b1e6pa1.jpg?width=760&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4c1820e5f793cb264655b6b6ddd454c113aaae71 The LinkedIn Ads Course The ultimate course for business owners and marketing managers of larger organisations to learn how to generate a ton of demand for their businesses using LinkedIn Ads. Why do this course By the end of the course, you will know your way around the LinkedIn Ads platform and you will be highly confident to start generating leads consistently for your own business or for other people in a matter of days. We hold nothing back in this course, you will be an absolute pro. 80% of B2B leads come from LinkedIn LinkedIn is by far the most valuable source of leads when it comes to B2B – in fact 80% of B2B businesses say they are getting leads from the platform each month. LinkedIn ads are the best way to bring in a torrent of consistent new enquiries about your consulting, coaching or saas services. Time I have condensed all my knowledge after spending tens-of-thousands on the platform into a few hours of video, showing you the exact systems we use as an agency, so you will save a lot of time. Everything I have learned is neatly organised for you to learn from, step by step, organised in a way which is designed to make you learn fast. You will go from zero to hero quickly. Money You will save a lot of money. We have tested and experimented with pretty much every strategy out there, we have learned a lot on what works and what doesn’t, so skip the learning curve and jump right in at the deep end. You will get access to all our learnings. There are so many different ways you use the platform to drive down the cost per lead significantly, and if you are looking to gain many leads a month, this will add up to a saving of 1000’s of pounds each onth – much more than the course costs. …and now we have taken tens-of-thousands of pounds worth of testing and condensed this knowledge into a course which anyone can start generating new leads for their business within days. We hold nothing back. What will you learn in the course Tried and tested B2B demand generation strategies which you can implement right away and start generating a ton of new leads for your business. Confidence in the ads platform so you know how to target the right people, how to test your ads and drive down your cost per click. How to organise your account like a pro. How to use LinkedIn tracking, the Insight pixel, how to implement it on your website, and how to use it to analyse your audience. Remarketing for ninjas – remarketing is essential to stay top-of-mind, and to keep every prospect that interacts with your business interested in you and your products or services. How to get the lowest cost per click (CPC), cost per lead (CPL) and cost per scheduled phone call. Mastering the follow-up. Learn what the big sales teams do with the leads they generate and how to turn the MQL to a SQL (Marketing Qualified Lead to Sales Qualified Lead) to a paying customer or client. submitted by AutoModerator to InternetCourses [link] [comments] |
2023.03.25 10:08 caploni I feel ugly even when people tell me I'm not
I have been told since starting when I was 18 that I was handsome, good-looking, and cute. I don't see it. I don't know why I don't. I feel so ugly for some reason and want about 12 surgeries to make my face symmetric.
When I was young, I always felt and looked ugly because I didn't know how to style correctly. I guess I learned when I hit 18, which is when all the compliments started.
Regardless, I was to get all these surgeries, but it would cost me thousands of dollars.
I just wanna look like Damian Kater or Francisco Lachowski.
submitted by
caploni to
offmychest [link] [comments]
2023.03.25 09:55 badbubbeleh Being a Male Survivor Is So Isolating
It’s late here. Can’t sleep. I’m probably not going to write much. I’m just so tired. I’m tired of what this has done to me and of feeling so small. I’ve watched myself become smaller and smaller as the years have gone by… but I don’t have the energy. I just don’t know what to do.
Being a male survivor is so isolating. I’m open about what happened to me with my friends… my therapist, some family. But there are really such few resources. All I want is to join a support group and speak about what my ex did… but male support groups really don’t exist when too often men aren’t open to being vulnerable because of narrow conceptions of masculinity, stigma, etc.
I would love to join a group of women or queer folk, but I’m a cis man so I completely understand and respect why I wouldn’t be welcome in those spaces.
My ex was emotionally abusive— deeply manipulative and controlling throughout our relationship… and then she assaulted me after we broke up. It took me years to really realize all of this. I knew it was wrong, but I didn’t have the words for it for a long time.
After the break up there was a while when I was not well. I was suicidal at the time and she came over to comfort me. I was so vulnerable. One of the first things she mentioned, even before coming to visit, was sex. I said no. I said it could be bad for me given the mental state I was in. That I didn’t know what it would do to me to be intimate just for her to leave. I was still in love with her even though things hadn’t worked out. She came over and asked again. I said no again. She suggested it again. I said no three or four times. She shamed me into sex, what I now understand as coercion… then left right after.
I just can’t fathom the level of disregard you have to have for someone— for their life- to do that. I was suicidal.
Looking back at our relationship, I’m not surprised. It was always take, take, take. Such little regard for my well-being, my boundaries or my needs. And if I spoke on myself it was just that- she would criticize and shame until she got what she wanted. It’s fucked up to say, but honestly the assault wasn’t even the worst part. That one action is representative of the whole relationship, sure. It was the culmination of her disregard and selfishness… but the emotional abuse has left more lasting damage. When I realized she assaulted me, that was just one more thing. It was deeply painful. I cried. But it was just one more thing.
Now she’s an influencer… and her platform is built around talking about sex, love and relationships. One day I just woke up in that nightmare, but it was real. What she did has already been damaging enough, but now she has a large platform, writes for publications, has been on shows. It has definitely helped keep the wound open.
I haven’t looked at her stuff in a long time because it’s self-harm. I’m mostly offline now because she kept making burner accounts after I blocked her to look at me. Her influencer friends started following me. It got weird and more uncomfortable than it already was. But when I looked in the past, whenever she would mention me it was as a blip… and it was without any of the harm she caused. She completely rewrote the story. And then told that story to thousands of people. I feel like I have been gaslit on a major scale. And I know what happened… so whatever story she is telling doesn’t matter. But it’s the power… the manipulation… the complete lack of accountability that continues to hurt me so deeply. She already did so much damage, and it just feels never ending, even still.
Sure, I’ve learned strong boundaries from this out of necessity. I advocate for myself fiercely. But this shouldn’t have happened. It’s fucked up, and I’m angry. But really, I’m just tired. I’m so so tired of carrying this. It’s stolen so much of my vibrance, my openness, my warmth and joy. I feel so flat. Heavy brain fog. I have no energy or motivation. Self-esteem has tanked when I never used to struggle with that. Closed off in a way I never used to be. I’ve struggled with depression for a long time, but this trauma is different. I love the person I am- I worked my whole life to become that passionate, sensitive, loving me- but I don’t even feel like myself. I don’t feel like anything. Just heaviness most days.
I just want to be at peace with things or have some level of indifference. Part of me wants to confront her and hold her accountable, another part of me wants absolutely nothing to do with her ever again. It’s not worth it.
I wrote way more than I planned, yet there’s so much more to this all. I don’t know. I’m rambling and there isn’t a clear point to what I’m saying. But that’s also kind of the point… I just feel so alone and need to get this off my chest. One on one therapy isn’t enough anymore. It hasn’t been for a while. I don’t know what to do. I’m over her, but I’m not over what she did to me. All I want is to let go… yet it’s been years now and I’m still here.
Maybe some day I’ll actually write out a coherent account of this all like how I’ve imagined, but that also feels so exhausting. It’s so much. For now this is the best I’ve got and the most I’ve shared online. If you’ve read this far, thanks for listening. If you’re a survivor yourself— so much love and healing to you.
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badbubbeleh to
sexualassault [link] [comments]
2023.03.25 09:53 Dry_Elk3068 The Best IPTV Service Provider 2023 The Ultimate Guide to Choosing the Best IPTV Service Provider, 10 Essential Features to Look for in a Top-Quality IPTV Service Provider, with 10 Best IPTV Service Provider
IPTV stands for Internet Protocol Television. It is a new cost-effective technology that replaces traditional cable and satellite services for many families worldwide. Using IPTV, you can save hundreds of dollars each year and watch thousands of movies, web series, and shows.
Following is a handpicked list of Top IPTV sites with their popular features and website links. The list contains both open source (free) and commercial (paid) software.
Legal Disclaimer: This article is purely educational. Guru99 doesn’t own, host, operate, resell, or distribute any video streaming site/apps, addons, IPTV, or services. The page contains some unverified services, and we are not certain whether they hold legal licenses to distribute the content. Guru99 does not verify the legality of each app/service in all regions. Do your due-diligence if you use any of the unverified apps/services, and stream only content that is available in the public domain. The end-user shall be solely responsible for the media access.
- IPTVGEAR – Best for Watching multiple programs on one screen.
IPTVGEAR is the best international service with around 21,000+ live TV channels and has 60,000+ VODs having fast servers and anti-freezing technology for uninterrupted streaming.
Features: - Comes with more than 21,000 Live international and local TV channels.
- A huge library of Video-on-Demands that updates every week.
- Anti-freezing technology and fast servers for uninterrupted streaming.
- Offers PPV content completely free with every plan.
- It is packed with hundreds of Sports channels from all over the world like the NFL, MLB etc.
- Very good and friendly customer support assists you 24/7.
- It supports IPTV Smarters, Smart GSE, TiviMate, LazyIPTV, Kodi and many other apps.
👍 Pros👎 ConsOffers over 19 thousand live TV channels worldwide.Offers very few payment methodsProvides more than 50 thousand VOD, EPG, Movies, and TV showsThe standard plan comes with one connection.Comes with a large number of stable servers.Supports files like M3U, Enigma, and MAGIt comes with 24 hours customer care support.
Key Specs:
Pricing Plans: Three pricing plans
1) $2.99/ 36 hours trial
2) $14.99/Month
3) $44.99/Month
VPN Friendly: Yes
Number of Channels: 21000
Geolocations: USA, Canada, UK, Europe, Caribbean Islands, Germany, Italy, UAE, All Countries..
IPTV location locked: Yes
Payment options for subscription: Credit Card, Payoneer, Paypal, TransferWise.
Supported Devices: Amazon Firestick, IPTV Box, Smart TV, IOS and Android Devices, Android TV, and Tablet, iOS, PC, Windows, Macbook, etc.
Free Trial: No – But 36 hours paid trial.
IPTVGEAR 2)
IPTVGREAT IPTVGREAT is one of the best IPTV services providers that offer 5 Simultaneous login with one subscription.
You can avail free Trial and purchase plans within the app and enjoy contactless seamless streaming experience.
Features: - Offers latest VOD movies and shows with all kinds of Sports and Game channels including USA locals and entertainment
- Simultaneous viewing upto 5 devices
- Offer 24/6 customer support is good and is friendly.
- MAG, EPG, and Enigma are supported by this service.
- IP Location Locked: No
- VPN Friendly: Yes
- Payment options for subscription: Major debit card and credit card
- Supported Devices: Amazon FireTV Sticks, Android TV Box, Android Mobile and Tablet, Nvidia Shield TV, Google TV, Formuler Z
IPTVGREAT 3)
IPTVRESALE IPTVRESALE is a next generation IPTV service with 4500+ Live TV, 30,000 movies and 3000+ Video on demand. All updated daily.
Features: - Most reliable IPTV services available for News, Locals, Sports & VOD with working EPG.
- Worldwide service: USA, CANADA, UK, Caribbean Islands, South America, Africa, South Indian, French, Arabs and more … IPTVRESALE
- 24/7 Customer Service, Professional and Friendly
- IP Location Locked: No.
- VPN Friendly: Yes.
- Payment options for subscription: Visa, MasterCard, Amex, Discover.
- Supported Devices: Amazon FireTV Sticks, Android TV, Google TV, Android TV Box, Android Mobile and Tablet, Nvidia Shield TV and PC
IPTVRESALE >> submitted by
Dry_Elk3068 to
bestiptvprovider2023 [link] [comments]
2023.03.25 09:53 Dry_Elk3068 The Best IPTV Service Provider 2023 The Ultimate Guide to Choosing the Best IPTV Service Provider, 10 Essential Features to Look for in a Top-Quality IPTV Service Provider, with 10 Best IPTV Service Provider
IPTV stands for Internet Protocol Television. It is a new cost-effective technology that replaces traditional cable and satellite services for many families worldwide. Using IPTV, you can save hundreds of dollars each year and watch thousands of movies, web series, and shows.
Following is a handpicked list of Top IPTV sites with their popular features and website links. The list contains both open source (free) and commercial (paid) software.
Legal Disclaimer: This article is purely educational. Guru99 doesn’t own, host, operate, resell, or distribute any video streaming site/apps, addons, IPTV, or services. The page contains some unverified services, and we are not certain whether they hold legal licenses to distribute the content. Guru99 does not verify the legality of each app/service in all regions. Do your due-diligence if you use any of the unverified apps/services, and stream only content that is available in the public domain. The end-user shall be solely responsible for the media access.
- IPTVGEAR – Best for Watching multiple programs on one screen.
IPTVGEAR is the best international service with around 21,000+ live TV channels and has 60,000+ VODs having fast servers and anti-freezing technology for uninterrupted streaming.
Features: - Comes with more than 21,000 Live international and local TV channels.
- A huge library of Video-on-Demands that updates every week.
- Anti-freezing technology and fast servers for uninterrupted streaming.
- Offers PPV content completely free with every plan.
- It is packed with hundreds of Sports channels from all over the world like the NFL, MLB etc.
- Very good and friendly customer support assists you 24/7.
- It supports IPTV Smarters, Smart GSE, TiviMate, LazyIPTV, Kodi and many other apps.
👍 Pros👎 ConsOffers over 19 thousand live TV channels worldwide.Offers very few payment methodsProvides more than 50 thousand VOD, EPG, Movies, and TV showsThe standard plan comes with one connection.Comes with a large number of stable servers.Supports files like M3U, Enigma, and MAGIt comes with 24 hours customer care support.
Key Specs:
Pricing Plans: Three pricing plans
1) $2.99/ 36 hours trial
2) $14.99/Month
3) $44.99/Month
VPN Friendly: Yes
Number of Channels: 21000
Geolocations: USA, Canada, UK, Europe, Caribbean Islands, Germany, Italy, UAE, All Countries..
IPTV location locked: Yes
Payment options for subscription: Credit Card, Payoneer, Paypal, TransferWise.
Supported Devices: Amazon Firestick, IPTV Box, Smart TV, IOS and Android Devices, Android TV, and Tablet, iOS, PC, Windows, Macbook, etc.
Free Trial: No – But 36 hours paid trial.
IPTVGEAR 2)
IPTVGREAT IPTVGREAT is one of the best IPTV services providers that offer 5 Simultaneous login with one subscription.
You can avail free Trial and purchase plans within the app and enjoy contactless seamless streaming experience.
Features: - Offers latest VOD movies and shows with all kinds of Sports and Game channels including USA locals and entertainment
- Simultaneous viewing upto 5 devices
- Offer 24/6 customer support is good and is friendly.
- MAG, EPG, and Enigma are supported by this service.
- IP Location Locked: No
- VPN Friendly: Yes
- Payment options for subscription: Major debit card and credit card
- Supported Devices: Amazon FireTV Sticks, Android TV Box, Android Mobile and Tablet, Nvidia Shield TV, Google TV, Formuler Z
IPTVGREAT 3)
IPTVRESALE IPTVRESALE is a next generation IPTV service with 4500+ Live TV, 30,000 movies and 3000+ Video on demand. All updated daily.
Features: - Most reliable IPTV services available for News, Locals, Sports & VOD with working EPG.
- Worldwide service: USA, CANADA, UK, Caribbean Islands, South America, Africa, South Indian, French, Arabs and more … IPTVRESALE
- 24/7 Customer Service, Professional and Friendly
- IP Location Locked: No.
- VPN Friendly: Yes.
- Payment options for subscription: Visa, MasterCard, Amex, Discover.
- Supported Devices: Amazon FireTV Sticks, Android TV, Google TV, Android TV Box, Android Mobile and Tablet, Nvidia Shield TV and PC
IPTVRESALE >> submitted by
Dry_Elk3068 to
bestiptvprovider2023 [link] [comments]