Hi all,
​
I recently got charged with trespassing and have plans to go to USA in august. Now i filled out my ESTA Visa and answered all questions 100% and no question regarding a trespassing charge was mentioned at all, The visa was accepted and approved. So does anyone know if there is anything i need to do regarding this or since there were no questions about trespassing charges does it mean it's not a charge they prevent people from entering the USA with? When i arrive does anyone know if the immigration ask you about any charges you may have or do they simply just go off your visa?? The last thing i want is to be sent back and not allowed entry into the USA. im going to maimi to get onto a cruise ship around the carrabian.
​
Thanks guys !

i visited the mccitrick here in new york and quickly fell in love with the whole experience. even though it was my first time, i was lucky enough to get a 1:1 with matron lang (where i fed her two cups of tea!) and a smattering of intimate moments with other members of the cast.
try as i did, i couldn’t for the life of me figure out macduff’s path for most of the show but i adored the actor in the role. i was wondering then if macduff does have a 1:1 as part of the show? i followed him for half a loop before losing track and never saw him pull anyone aside.
beyond excited to hear from you all <3

Take down: collar tie - inside tie

• Starting position: we have collar tie (right hand on their neck) and inside tie (left hand on their right bicep). Our partner takes the outside tie. Note: try to keep elbow down on collar grip for better control of partner.
• We'll put downward pressure (snap down) partner using these ties. Since we are snapping them downwards, they will have the tendency to react and go the other direction (upwards). We will time their upwards motion and use our inside tie to create space under their right armpit.
• Now, we drop our right knee to between their feet, and push our head, hip and left leg through that space under their right armpit. We roughly end up with our right flank against theirs. Remember to keep a strong collar tie.
• We pick their right leg with our left hand; our right hand still on collar tie. Now, pick up our right knee (the one that is kneeling between their feet) by turning 90 degree into them. If we have strong pressure on the collar tie and continue to turn, the takedown will be completed.

Notes:

• We want to keep breaking their posture, i.e. bend them with our collar tie. The lowemore bend their body is, the easier it is for us to complete the take down. If we allow them to stand straight up, this technique is not as effective.
• If their head is in the pocket of our shoulder, that can prevent us from pushing through the space under their armpit. We should reposition so our head is in their shoulder's pocket, allowing us to push through more easily.

Main topic: Underhook - Overhook Relationship
Important concept: Underhook is more effective when our belly buttons are facing each other. Overhook is more effective when our belly buttons are both facing same direction/the ground.
Half-guard Bottom - Partner Has Underhook Looking to Pass

• Starting position: we are playing bottom half-guard. Again, I'll assume we have our partners' right leg between our legs, and we are laying on our right flank (sorry lefties!!) Our partner finds an underhook on our left arm, and they are looking to pass.
• We need to take control of partner's left wrist with our right arm; otherwise, they can pass easily since they will have control on both sides.
• Axe kick with our left leg to sit up and get on our right palm. Free right leg so we are propped up by our knees and right hand. Now, both our belly button and partner's belly button is facing the ground => it's time to take the overhook! We are now in the dogfight position.
• Push down our left shoulder to smesh :D their face towards the ground. Note: we are not pulling their shoulder up to our armpit; we are pushing them down. Smesh.
• While keeping pressure, extend left leg out front. Then, right leg cross over and take front head lock. Try to position our fore-arms and grips in a way that lock their face, i.e. do not allow our partner to escape to the side.

Note:

• It's not useful to take early overhook, when our belly buttons are still facing each other. Instead, we can use our left arm for something else. For example, if our partner is not passing but pinning us hard (their head is on the underhook side), we can use our left arm and try to push their head towards the other side. Now, we have a bit less weight on our left side and can axe kick to get up.
• We need to keep good pressure when stepping to front and taking front head lock. If we don't, then our partner can shoot forward and perform a double leg takedown.

Half-guard Top - Punishing Bottom Player's Back Take Mistake

• Starting position: we are playing top half-guard (again, right leg in partner's guard). The bottom player finds an underhook in our right armpit, and they now look to take our back.
• As described in previous note, in a proper back take, the bottom player will bump the top player forward. This makes the top player drop both their hands on the mat to support their weight. Now, there is a safe space to go through and back take. However, let's suppose the bottom player makes a mistake and does not do this step, i.e. as a top player, our right arm is not supporting our weight.
• As the bottom player tries to back take with said underhook, there will be that moment where both our belly button and their belly button face the same direction. Time to punish: take that overhook. We are now in a mirror position to the above scenario: we are in the dogfight position with our right arm overhooking.
• Similar to above: push our right shoulder down to smesh, step right leg out front, cross left leg over, take front head lock.

Other examples of the underhook - overhook concept

• We are in half-guard bottom and take underhook. Partner takes overhook while our belly buttons are still facing each other. This is not advantageous for top player, and we can perform a Plan B sweep: We hug them tight to lock their arm, grab their knee with the other arm, and roll.
• We are under partner's side control and try to escape. We bridge and try to wrestle up, but we make the mistake of keeping the underhook when our belly buttons are roughly both facing the ground. Our partner can take an overhook and transfer to front head lock :(

Hi all,
​
I recently got charged with trespassing and have plans to go to USA in august. Now i filled out my ESTA Visa and answered all questions 100% and no question regarding a trespassing charge was mentioned at all, The visa was accepted and approved. So does anyone know if there is anything i need to do regarding this or since there were no questions about trespassing charges does it mean it's not a charge they prevent people from entering the USA with? When i arrive does anyone know if the immigration ask you about any charges you may have or do they simply just go off your visa?? The last thing i want is to be sent back and not allowed entry into the USA. im going to maimi to get onto a cruise ship around the carrabian.
​
Thanks guys !

Hi all,
​
I recently got charged with trespassing and have plans to go to USA in august. Now i filled out my ESTA Visa and answered all questions 100% and no question regarding a trespassing charge was mentioned at all, The visa was accepted and approved. So does anyone know if there is anything i need to do regarding this or since there were no questions about trespassing charges does it mean it's not a charge they prevent people from entering the USA with? When i arrive does anyone know if the immigration ask you about any charges you may have or do they simply just go off your visa?? The last thing i want is to be sent back and not allowed entry into the USA. im going to maimi to get onto a cruise ship around the carrabian.
​
Thanks guys !

First time posting here, TLDR at the bottom.
​
So yeah, I'm about 95% sure both my parents (mostly my mom) are in a religious cult. (This has all been happening sine last year). It's practically a guy from my home country who claims he's a 'man of God', and tries to rid people from their financial troubles and demons. He send out water and oil he claims will 'heal' you, and spouts homophobic, misogynistic, and semi-radical ethnic radicalism. He has a pretty large following, but his cult is still unknown cause it's based in a third world country. Still, it's pretty concerning how they were able to buy into this shit, but it isn't at all suprising.
For more background on what he does, nearly every time he preaches, he blatantly says that gay ppl and lesbians are 'demons' and says that you should cut off friends that 'make you follow homosexuality'. He makes it clear that if you don't do things the way he and the bible says, you will die. He see's women solely as wives and baby makers. I know this cause he only 'prophesizes' about how women will find a husband or make babies, and he blatantly talks about how 'spoiled' they are, how they steer men away from God, and how their genitals are the 'mouths of the serpent'. He promises that by using his water, candle, and oil, you will be set free from financial troubles and health problems. He loves to talk abt how he saved men (and only men!!) from poverty and death by simply visiting their home. He also does this 'deliverance' thing on youtube and facebook where he will set you free from these 'demons' that possesses you. It's honestly similar to how some American televangelists do their thing.
My parents had already believed some of this shit, so I'm not at all worried for them since at this point I see myself cutting myself off from them as soon as I turn 18/19. Who I'm worried for is my younger siblings. They aren't even teenagers, yet they have to sit through these exorcisms and the man talking in graphic detail abt how exactly sex will send you to hell. I personally have been atheist for most of my life, but my siblings are not, and I'm honestly worried about how they will develop through this. I don't even care about whether or not they believe this shit at this point, I just need to know how the hell to make sure they aren't permanently traumatized by this. I also don't want them going to school talking about it, since I know that it will only make them be bullied. Another thing is that cause I'm already on thin ice with my parents and stuff like this, I need to do this in a way that will make sure I don't get kicked out, physically abused, or both. This honestly stresses me out, and I need some advice.
TL;DR: My family (minus me, who is semi-physically in, mentally out) are involved in this cult in my home country, and the leader is this extremely homophobic, misogynistic dick who does violent exorcisms and talks in detail about how sex sends men to hell. I need help with preventing my younger siblings (most of whom are too young for this) from getting traumatized, especially with the exorcisms/nsfw about this.

The council meeting has started and everyone is present. The Human engineer was also invited, odd, but it is only fair since HE was the one who found the burning comet circling around a very large moon. First time invited amongst the council, should he feel honoured? Lucky? Proud? FUCK THAT! He got to name the comet since he found it first.
"Soooooooooo? I was thinking-"
"Listen human, about that..."
"You won't get to decide the name of the comet"
"WHAT?!" Thomas shouted. Looking straight in the eyes of the feathered alien that is trying his best to look away from the human's gaze.
"Well, you see. We have made a vote already that you won't be naming the comet."
"BULLSH-" His screams was interrupted by the human ambassador Hania. Who puts her hand on his shoulder, sadly shaking her head.
"We can't anymore"
"What...why not? I FOUND IT FIRST!"
"sorry..."
"No No NO You can't do this to me!"
"apparently, they can"
Thomas stood shocked, where was the justice in this. HE GETS TO NAME THE GIANT FLAMING ROCK THAT CIRCLES AROUND SOME RANDOM MOON IN THE MIDDLE OF NO WHERE SPACE!!
"Can you at least tell me why?"
"Well cause humans are shit at naming things" A feline like alien spoke.
"RITHOW!" The alien that looked like a jellyfish shouted at the feline that spoke her mind with such rudness.
"What the hell? Prove it!"
"No, I think it's best that we-"
"PROVE IT!"
"..."
"..."
"...spell Colonel" The feathered alien suddenly spoke. asking..him to spell a word?
"What?"
"Spell Colonel?"
"k-e-r-n-e-l, what is this about-"
"Wrong"
"...C-e-r-n-e-l"
"wrong"
"the hell"
"actually, it's spell like this" Ambassador Hania proceeds to show the engineer the correct spelling in the dictionary that she brought with her for some reason.
"that..that doesn't-"
"doesn't make any since" The feline smirked, much to the displeasure of the jellyfish ambassador
"That's ONE thing. That still do-"
"What's your earth natural satellite called?"
"the satellite? You mean the moon?"
"So humans named their moon, the moon, but the other moons on Saturn has their own little names. But yours is THE MOON."
"TALK TO THE ANCIENT PAST HUMANS! THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS!"
"How about the ship that carried you here?"
"..."
"..."
"..."
"say it."
"...UNSC WWMI"
"Spell the acronym."
"...UNSC Wait Where AM I"
"..."
"..."
"We have like....a 4 books about the names humans gave to things."
"YEA YEA I GET IT!" He shouted again, decided to get up from his seat and was about to leave the council chambers.
"Wait, where are you going?"
"I'm not staying here if you all aren't going to use the name i picked for it, so what's the point? I have more important stuff to do than to name some fucking rock floating in space..."
everyone watched as the human slowly walks away. Looking like he was just told his family was dead and- wait. IS HE CRYING!
"Are you crying?"
"NO!"
"..."
"....You're crying..."
"...(sighs in alien)....wait...ok look....what's the name you were thinking of?"
"You can't be serious?!" The feline interjected.
"Listen to it first, than you can search if it has some stupid reference or meaning of something "human". After that we vote. Ok? Ok!" The jellyfish replied back the her fellow ambassador.
"Soooooo, what's the name?" Hania asked Thomas while they left the council chamber together.
"I'm very lucky that kitty over there" He points at the feline glaring at him, knowing he faked his tears and got to name the newly discovered comet. "Can't find shit when it comes to great names!" He said proudly.
"....what's the name?"
"OOOOOOOHHHH You'll like it. I'll give you a hint, it's your favourite franchise!"
"Oh? A reference I see? Let me think..."
"..."
"..."
"...NO!"
"YES!"
"NO WAY!"
"YES WAY! Don't you think that comet looks a lot like that one from-"
"YOU NAMED IT THE ''Sozin's Comet''!!!"

I just got off the phone with my bank support and got escalated 2 levels. I underpaid my balance last month by $1.43 thinking i was going to overpay by .67 because i suck at math. So I get charged 25.24% interest on the ENTIRE balance. Entire balance was $1344.43 and they only charged me interest on $517.59 and he even said that he has no idea where that 517 number came from. I was charged $11.09. I have two questions: does anyone know what could have possible happened? And also, do you actually get charged interest on the entire balance when you don’t pay it in full? I’ve never carried over a balance before, but that doesn’t make any sense to me. How can I get charged interest on something that I’ve been paid back? I should only be charged interest on $1.43 in my mind.

What's the best way to find all in one wealth management/tax advisor and preparer service?
Ideally, I would like a firm that does wealth management, tax advise and also tax filling, but it seems like these jobs are almost always handled separately. I'll get calls from banks saying they can help manage money for me and I'll ask them if they'll also do my taxes and inevitably, they say no, you have to hire an accountant for that. But why? They can tell me how to save money on taxes but not actually file the taxes? That seems like complimentary work. Why can't I have a service that I can just send my paperwork to throughout the year and get advised on all fronts. And if those exist, where can I find them?

Hey fellow crablings, and hopefully CritCrab if you’re reading this! I wanna start off by saying this isn’t a horror story, but more of just a chaotic session in general. Also I’m writing this after the session just ended, but this session has been the best, most unhinged gameplay I’ve ever witnessed.
It all starts with getting into this homebrew campaign of magical girls, think of sailor moon like, a few months ago at my college. We’ve only had a few sessions due to some scheduling issues but so far it’s been such a blast to see our little group band together and have some fun.
I guess I should also say the player characters of this story as well to make things easier, but there’s:
-Rover(me, a halfling bard who is a pacifist) -Ken(a human cleric turned woman due to a magical mishap) -Amelie(a human Druid) -Silkie(a cat Druid that can take the form of a tabaxi)
Well, after we’ve had some fun and adventures in this magical city parallel to the human realm, we get some information related to the backstory of two of our party members and with it a quest to kidnap the leader of a criminal organization. We all spent the next hour joking around and planning the kidnapping given the intel of someone on the inside. The leader, a small child who stayed young using a magical elixir, was to head to the bathrooms on the second floor to take her medicine, being guarded by her 7’5” Goliath body guard. I joked that I would distract her in a “meet cute” kind of way as my party snuck in and took out the leader. But, then the cleric found out he has a ceremony spell of some sort that allows for marriage between two willing creatures, and so a new plan was put into action.
THE PLAN
Amelie, using some stealth would use create water on top of the guard drenching her dress, and Rover, dressed as a server, would run to her aid and help her get dried up and dressed in a wedding dress that we had stashed beforehand. All the while I had Ken enhance ability my charisma checks so I could ensure I could rizz up this guard and lead her away from our real target.
(A little background about my character before I continue. Rover is heavily inspired by Wander from the Disney cartoon show Wander over Yonder, and thus he is influenced from many aspects of his life. He’s a pacifist, friendly, do-gooder, with a heart of gold. He always sees the best in people and will always do what he needs to help, even in bizarre situations(like marrying a random guard). He is also insanely good at Persuasion and Deception due to him being a College of Eloquence bard, so at this time the lowest possible check of those two would be a 17, so he could always put his friendly aura into good use. Anyways, back to the story…)
After Rover, Ken, and the guard go to a separate room away from the party and guests, the other two, Silkie and Amelie are to incapacitate and sneak out the leader from the bathroom and out to the balcony, where they have flying brooms waiting to fly them out to our hideout. All the while Rover gets married to the guard, with help from our cleric.
THE KIDNAPPING
So we all arrive to this mansion in the summoned car from our cleric, and enter being checked by the guards(one of which is undercover). Rover begins to work as a server on the second floor, as the two druids sneak around and the cleric goes to my aid with the guard. A few persuasion checks later, and with a dress and a ring I get married to this guard. And as we kiss, she reveals some startling information…
SHES PRETENDING TO BE THE GUARD, AND IS ACTUALLY THE LEADER OF THE CRIMINAL ENTERPRISE!
(Although as we are married she does explain that she hates her family and wants to run away with me, so I’m hoping this is a story of redemption and Rover can be by her side, married or not, he won’t let her down.)
And that’s where the session ended, and the whole party freaked out to this realization, but only half our party actually knows this in game as the two druids are working on what they assume to still be the plan with kidnapping the other woman. We also don’t meet up for another week, but if there’s anything else to update on, I’ll let y’all know!
TLDR: Our party sets a plan for my character to marry someone as a distraction so they can kidnap the leader of a criminal syndicate, but ends up marrying the leader on accident.

Character Name	Description
Ace	Luffy's older brother and former commander of the Whitebeard Pirates' 2nd Division.
Akainu	Marine admiral and current Fleet Admiral.
Aokiji	Marine admiral and former member of the Navy HQ.
Bartolomeo	Captain of the Barto Club and a member of the Straw Hat Grand Fleet.
Boa Hancock	Captain of the Kuja Pirates and one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
Buggy	Former member of Gol D. Roger's crew and the leader of the Buggy Pirates.
Carrot	A rabbit mink and a member of the Straw Hat Pirates' temporary allies during the Whole Cake Island Arc.
Charlotte Linlin (Big Mom)	Captain of the Big Mom Pirates and one of the Four Emperors of the Sea.
Coby	Marine officer who was once Luffy's friend and rival.
Crocodile	Former president of the criminal organization Baroque Works and one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
Donquixote Doflamingo	Former king of Dressrosa and a former member of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
Dracule Mihawk	A swordsman and one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea known as the "Greatest Swordsman in the World."
Edward Newgate (Whitebeard)	A legendary pirate and one of the Four Emperors of the Sea who was once the "strongest man in the world."
Eustass Kid	Captain of the Kid Pirates and a member of the Worst Generation.
Franky	Cyborg and shipwright of the Straw Hat Pirates who has a cola-powered body.
Fujitora	Marine admiral who has the power to control gravity.
Galdino (Mr. 3)	Former member of Baroque Works and user of the Wax-Wax Fruit.
Garp	Marine vice admiral and Luffy's grandfather.
Gol D. Roger	Former Pirate King who discovered the One Piece and started the Great Pirate Era.
Helmeppo	Marine officer and Coby's friend who was once a coward.
Jinbe	A fishman and a member of the Straw Hat Pirates.
Kaido	Captain of the Beasts Pirates and one of the Four Emperors of the Sea.
Kizaru	Marine admiral known as the "Yellow Monkey" who has the power to move at the speed of light.
Monkey D. Luffy	Captain of the Straw Hat Pirates and a rubber man with a dream to become the Pirate King.
Mr. 2 Bon Clay	Former member of Baroque Works and leader of the Okama Army.
Nami	Navigator of the Straw Hat Pirates who has the ability to forecast the weather.
Nico Robin	Archaeologist and member of the Straw Hat Pirates who has the ability to create limbs and eyes from any surface.
Portgas D. Rouge	Ace's mother and the wife of Gol D. Roger.
Roronoa Zoro	Skilled swordsman and Luffy's first mate.
Sanji	Cook of the Straw Hat Pirates who uses kicks in battle.
Sabo	Luffy's adopted older brother and chief of staff of the Revolutionary Army.
Sengoku	Marine admiral and former Fleet Admiral.
Shanks	Powerful pirate and former member of Gol D. Roger's crew who gave Luffy his signature straw hat.
Silvers Rayleigh	Former member of Gol D. Roger's crew and the Dark King.
Smoker	Marine captain and the wielder of the Logia-type Smoke-Smoke Fruit.
Tashigi	Marine officer and Zoro's frequent opponent.
Tony Tony Chopper	Reindeer who has eaten the Human-Human Fruit and can transform into a human/reindeer hybrid.
Trafalgar Law	Captain of the Heart Pirates and a member of the Worst Generation.
Usopp	Sniper of the Straw Hat Pirates and a compulsive liar.
Bepo	A bear mink and a member of the Heart Pirates.
Charlotte Katakuri	One of Big Mom's three sweet commanders and possessor of the Mochi-Mochi Fruit.
Diamante	A former executive of the Donquixote Pirates and user of the Flag-Flag Fruit.
Enel	The former "God" of Skypiea and user of the Goro-Goro no Mi.
Fisher Tiger	The founder and former captain of the Sun Pirates, a crew composed of fishmen and merfolk.
Gol D. Ace	A member of the Whitebeard Pirates and Luffy's older brother.
Hancock Sisters	Boa Hancock's younger sisters and members of the Kuja Pirates.
Inuarashi	A dog mink and one of the two rulers of the Mokomo Dukedom.
Jozu	A member of the Whitebeard Pirates and possessor of the Diamond-Diamond Fruit.
Kuma	A former Warlord of the Sea and one of the Revolutionary Army's commanders.
Arlong	A sawshark fishman and former captain of the Arlong Pirates.
Bartholomew Kuma	A former Warlord of the Sea and one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea who became a Pacifista cyborg.
Bellamy	A former pirate and a member of the Donquixote Pirates' Diamante Army.
Big Mom Pirates	A powerful pirate crew led by Charlotte Linlin (Big Mom) and composed of a variety of unique characters.
Brogy and Dorry	Two giant warriors and captains of the Giant Warrior Pirates.
Burgess	A member of the Blackbeard Pirates and captain of the First Ship.
Capone Bege	A member of the Worst Generation and captain of the Fire Tank Pirates.
Caesar Clown	A mad scientist and former subordinate of the Big Mom Pirates.
Cavendish	A member of the Beautiful Pirates and possessor of the Superhuman-Human Fruit.
Corazon (Donquixote Rocinante)	The younger brother of Donquixote Doflamingo and former member of the Donquixote Pirates.
Crocus	A doctor and caretaker of the Twin Cape's lighthouse.
Dalton	A former king of the Sakura Kingdom and a bison mink.
Denjiro	A member of the Nine Red Scabbards and former retainer of the Kozuki Family.
Doflamingo Family	A powerful criminal organization led by Donquixote Doflamingo and composed of several officers with unique abilities.
Edward Weevil	A self-proclaimed son of Whitebeard and one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
Fukuro	A member of CP9 and user of the Rankyaku technique.
Gaimon	A pirate who was trapped inside a treasure chest on an island for 20 years.
Gin	A former member of the Baratie staff and captain of the Krieg Pirates.
Hannyabal	The vice warden of Impel Down and user of the Devil's Cane-Cane Fruit.
Hawkins	A member of the Worst Generation and captain of the Hawkins Pirates.
Ivankov	The "Queen" of the Kamabakka Kingdom and commander of the Revolutionary Army's Newkama Land forces.
Kaido's Calamities	Three of Kaido's most powerful and feared subordinates: Jack, Queen, and King.
Kin'emon	A samurai from Wano Country and a member of the Nine Red Scabbards.
Koby's Marines	A group of marines led by Coby, consisting of several individuals who have trained under Garp.
Kokoro	A mermaid and conductor of the Puffing Tom.
Krieg	The captain of the Krieg Pirates and an infamous pirate who used underhanded tactics to win battles.
Kuina	Zoro's childhood friend and a skilled swordsman who dreamt of becoming the world's strongest swordsman.
Marco	A member of the Whitebeard Pirates and possessor of the Phoenix-Phoenix Fruit.
Momonosuke	The son of Kozuki Oden and a member of the Kozuki Family.
Monet	A former officer of the Donquixote Pirates and user of the Snow-Snow Fruit.
Mr. 4 and Miss Merry Christmas	A pair of Baroque Works agents who are skilled in explosives and wrestling, respectively.
Nekomamushi	A cat mink and one of the two rulers of the Minks.
Oars Jr.	An enormous giant and former member of the Thriller Bark Pirates.
Pell	A member of the Royal Guards of the Alabasta Kingdom and possessor of the Falcon-Falcon Fruit.
Pica	An executive of the Donquixote Pirates and possessor of the Stone-Stone Fruit.
Pudding	A member of the Big Mom Pirates and one of Big Mom's daughters, who has the ability to manipulate memories.
Rayleigh	A former member of Gol D. Roger's crew and the Dark King.
Rebecca	The gladiator champion of the Corrida Colosseum and a member of the Riku Family.
Rockstar	A member of the Red Hair Pirates and possessor of the Float-Float Fruit.
Ryuuma	A legendary swordsman from Wano Country and possessor of the Shusui sword.
Saboady Archipelago Supernovas	A group of rookie pirates known as the Worst Generation, consisting of Eustass Kid, Scratchmen Apoo, Capone Bege, Basil Hawkins, and Urouge.
Saint Charlos	A World Noble who was responsible for the enslavement of the Fishman Island.
Sabo's Revolutionary Army	A group of revolutionaries led by Sabo, consisting of several individuals who oppose the World Government.
Sabo's Family	The family members of Sabo, including his adopted father and brother.
Scratchmen Apoo	A member of the Worst Generation and captain of the On Air Pirates.
Senor Pink	An officer of the Donquixote Pirates and user of the Nui-Nui Fruit.
Shakky	A former pirate and current owner of Shakky's Rip-off Bar.
Shiki	A former member of the Roger Pirates and the captain of the Golden Lion Pirates.
Silvers Rayleigh's Crew	The crew that accompanied Rayleigh during his time as a pirate, including Zephyr.
Spandam	A former member of CP9 and director of the Cipher Pol organization.
Stelly	The current king of the Goa Kingdom and Sabo's adopted younger brother.
Straw Hat Grand Fleet	A fleet of ships and pirate crews who allied themselves with the Straw Hat Pirates, consisting of the Barto Club, Happo Navy, Ideo Pirates, Tonta Corps, Yonta Maria Grand Fleet, and Beautiful Pirates.
T-Bone	A Marine commodore and commander of the 77th Marine Branch.
Tom	The shipwright who built the Oro Jackson, Gol D. Roger's ship.
Tsuru	A Marine vice admiral and commander of the Navy's Marine Headquarters.
Urouge	A member of the Worst Generation and captain of the Fallen Monk Pirates.
Vergo	A high-ranking officer of the Donquixote Pirates and undercover agent in the Marines.
Wapol	A former king of the Drum Island and user of the Baku-Baku Fruit.
Wapol's Family	The family members of Wapol, including his father and brother.
X Drake's Marine Fleet	A fleet of ships led by X Drake, who defected from the Navy and joined the Beast Pirates.
Yonko	The four most powerful pirate captains in the world: Shanks, Big Mom, Kaido, and Blackbeard.
Zephyr	A former Marine admiral and leader of the Neo Marines.
Alvida	A pirate captain and the first person Luffy defeated after setting sail.
Baby 5	An officer of the Donquixote Pirates and user of the Buki-Buki no Mi.
Basil Hawkins' Crew	The crew that accompanies Basil Hawkins, consisting of several individuals with unique abilities.
Bellemere	The adoptive mother of Nami and a former Marine.
Blackbeard Pirates	A powerful pirate crew led by Blackbeard, consisting of several officers with unique abilities.
Bonney	A member of the Worst Generation and captain of the Bonney Pirates.
Buggy's Delivery	A delivery service run by Buggy, who employs former members of the Baroque Works.
Carrot	A rabbit mink and a member of the Mokomo Dukedom.
Chaka	A member of the Royal Guards of the Alabasta Kingdom and possessor of the Inu-Inu no Mi, Model: Jackal.
Charlotte Amande	One of Big Mom's daughters and a member of the Big Mom Pirates.
Charlotte Brûlée	One of Big Mom's daughters and a member of the Big Mom Pirates, who has the ability to create and manipulate mirrors.
Charlotte Compote	One of Big Mom's daughters and a member of the Big Mom Pirates.
Coby's Mentor	A Marine vice admiral who served as Coby's mentor during his time at the Marine Academy.
Dadan	The leader of the mountain bandits on Mt. Colubo and the adoptive mother of Ace and Luffy.
Daz Bones	A former officer of Baroque Works and user of the Supa-Supa no Mi.
Doberman	A Marine vice admiral and commander of the G-1 Marine Base.
Drake	A former Marine admiral and captain of the Drake Pirates.
Edward Newgate (Whitebeard)	The captain of the Whitebeard Pirates and one of the Four Emperors of the Sea.
Foxy	The captain of the Foxy Pirates and user of the Noro-Noro no Mi.
Fukaboshi	A prince of the Ryugu Kingdom and a shark merman.
Gaimon's Friend	A friend of Gaimon who was stuck inside a treasure chest on an island.
Gatz	The host of the Corrida Colosseum and a member of Dressrosa's ruling family.
Gedatsu	A member of the Shandia tribe and former priest of the Skypieans.
Gladius	An executive of the Donquixote Pirates and user of the Pamu-Pamu no Mi.
Gloriosa	The former queen of the Alabasta Kingdom and Nefertari Cobra's predecessor.
Hajrudin	A giant warrior and captain of the New Giant Warrior Pirates.
Hina	A Marine captain and user of the Ori-Ori no Mi.
Hyogoro	A former yakuza boss and member of the yakuza alliance led by the Kozuki Family.
Ikaros Much	A member of CP9 and user of the Mogu-Mogu no Mi.
Jaguar D. Saul	A giant warrior and former Marine vice admiral who befriended Robin.
Jinbe	A former member of the Shichibukai and captain of the Sun Pirates.
Kabuto	A member of the Revolutionary Army and a former Revolutionary Army commander.
Kaido's Army	The army of subordinates who follow Kaido, consisting of a variety of powerful and unique characters.

Kaid

Is it possible to use SSD instead of booting from a MicroSD card? I have 3 Kingston drives: 240 GB, 480 GB and 960 GB. The 960 GB one has Raspberry Pi OS on it and boots into desktop without issue. I've tried putting Retropie images on the 240 and 480, neither will get past the stage where it looks for the SD card. Does Retropie not support USB boot?
I tried asking ChatGPT already, it told me to hold down Shift key on the boot screen, but all that does is turn off the HDMI feed to the monitor.

Headshots in a competitive space for the most part are far too influential for how little it is to control them.
I'm not talking about getting headshots, i'm talking about defending against headshots.
In most competitive shooters, or anywhere it matters, headshots deal anywhere from 150% to 300% damage depending on the game. And while this does create a large skill ceiling for players to better their aim, the problem is that there is such a large disparity between the offensers capability to kill you, and the defenders capability to defend themself (outside of just killing them first)
It creates a highly negative experience in which the player who died to headshots had basically nothing in their control to have prevented that situation.
Take Overwatch 2 for example. If I am against an opponent with good Hanzo aim and is able to get good headshots, what tools do I have as a player to protect myself from that aim? Well...nothing, really. Not stepping in his field of view? If one player is that threatening that no one can enter their line of sight without dying instantly they seem to have just a little too much influence on the current game. I have no way to protect my head, and outside of strafing in random directions and jumping, that still doesn't prevent pure luck or even accidental headshots.
The other half of the coin is because headshots are so powerful in these games, it artificially limits the capabilities of everything that can potentially get a headshot, tying the entire concept of many weapons or heroes strengths into something that the defender literally has no power over controlling.
Environments where I feel headshots have been done appropriately are places like CSGO, where the game has evolved around aim being the entire concept of skill in said game, and even then helmets as an equipment stop certain weapons from being one shot kills in the head (apart from the powerful ones like the AK47 or AWP for example)
Without headshots being so powerful, it does remove a small amount of skill ceiling, but it also removes the extremely negative experience of "I died to a headshot instantly, theres literally nothing I could've done about it", while also allowing weapons and characters of games to have more tightly controlled strengths and weaknesses.
For example, TF2 does not have headshots for anything but the sniper class (with a few exceptions on specific weapons like the ambassador) and because of that the classes can be more tightly controlled or balanced. If headshots were possible on classes like, say, scout, then the utter volatility of class balance would make the competitive scene non-existent. This game positively does headshots correctly in limited case scenarios while also creating a more fun environment, and a more balanceable environment.

I am 39f married to 45m narcissist. We have been together since April of 2020. We married a few months after we met. Those were the best days. In the beginning, I had never met a man so respectful and such a charismatic gentleman. He would always play talk saying he was just getting in good. I should have believed that. I have a daughter 9, from a previous marriage. It was an abusive relationship that lasted 27 years. How I managed to get out of it was pure work. Years of practicing positive thoughts. I have PTSD, bipolar 1, manic anxiety, and OCD. I see a doctor regularly and I go to any and every chance to learn and grow more to not show any symptoms. Fake it till ya make it. Now my husband has some me tal issues. He definitely is ADHD that's known. But there are others, anxiety being the absolute worst you can imagine, others that are undiagnosed. I was not aware of narcissism at all. 3 years prior to our meeting, he was in a tragic car accident and resulted in traumatic brain injury. Also after that, while taking a walk a car ran him over and left him for dead. His left leg is titanium from knee to ankle. Not only, all his previous relationships were toxic for him actually. Every time the woman left him for another man they cheated with. So along with the childhood trauma that no one wants to admit, he is drinker, previous drug problems from the past, pill problem from the past also, been to jail a couple times. He did got AA to quit drinking and a rehab with a 12 step program. So he still drinks only from time to time, but has been off drugs as pills without wanting to return to that. Now, back to the present day. He has Chronic pain from his leg injury and as of 9 mths ago, hurt his right foot somehow pedaling a bike to rush to see me at the hospital because I had our daughter. That was not planned nor we we're not aware I was pregnant. No baby bump. She is fully developed with absolutely no problems at all. Healthy. So I have a daughter 9 that doesn't live with me but comes for visits, and now another daughter, his only biological daughter that is his exact mini. He loves her and is very protective of her. He doesn't do much as of diapers or feeding with solids, he has done it but cannot stomach the mess of baby food. He does spend time with her and is so doting. He gets depressed and down off and on. He has not worked in a year or so because of the pain and problems worsening physically. Trying for disability. So I take care of him and whatever he needs. He is spoiled yes. But he is built to work that all he knew before so he does help around the house and projects if his liking. He is an angry and bitter man about his past. Holds anyone for anything they done wrong and when they cross his mind he is livid. There was no anger towards me until he lost his last job. He physically was unable to keep on so they let him go. It changed him for the worse. After that happened he went into a very deep depression and started taking his pain and anxiety and anger or anything that bothered him out on me. This was very new to me and very hurtful. I didn't what to think or how to feel because after a short time or a nap he would be normal and loving again. It was odd and confusing. Very hurtful and I started getting worse each time and then more and more. I eventually started fighting him back. Defending myself to his claims. I would get loud and yell because he just wouldn't stop going off. All of it was bs. He never told anyone else about it, just hurt me. Eventually it got so bad that I would physically hurt him then take the baby and leave for a while. One time I slept in my car just to be away from him. No cops ever involved. But he would go through the cycle and apologize and tell me all the good things he used to. He would tell me that the hurtful things were not true, he never felt that way, he would just do that to hurt me. At those times he would admit to the abuse and that he was wrong and hated that he would ever do that. But it would keep happening in cycles. I eventually stopped fighting and just would walk off away and cry. He always said something I did or said would just trigger his anger. So I naturally thought it was all me messing us up. Even went into a hospital for mental health for a week. It isn't me. His mom who I am so close to, told me in passing one day he was a narcissist. I didn't think about it enough or anything to change my mind that it wasn't stemming from his past. Well as of lately she brought it to my attention several times. So I finally saw something on narcissism on TikTok. Which I saw that, I immediately started researching everything I could find about it. I am an empath and he does go through the same motions as every other one. I mean I have read countless articles where the situation was so similar it could have been myself. Through this research I have also learned that it's very possible that he could never get better and in fact as he ages, it will worsen. Now it's been 3 very hard years for us. It has not been all bad. And I have reacted horribly to his outbursts. Now I have decided to try to stay the course. I love him and he does show me love too. I know how to play the game and am willing to play until he leaves himself on his own decision. He has never shut me out or left me at All even at his maddest times. No matter what I did. So I'm not convinced that he will leave. I do think that he has to rely on me so much that it is easier for him not to go. And when he is normal self I am above and beyond happy to help and do for him. When the darkness comes out, I notice it immediately because his tone always changes. He will start the devaluing and I will either agree with him in a nonchalant way or just completely play it off like I truly don't care. So I don't really take what he says in those moments to heart. Truly what he is saying to me is what he is and is doing to me himself. I know to not react to it at all so I don't or I react in a very positive loving way and manner he stops and changes his words back to sometimes even saying that I was right. So I will just play his game with him. When it's good times, it's better than I imagined heaven. When its bad, the hurt has been replaced with what's the sweetest and most positive way to end it quickly. We don't get physical or no raised voices. He says his hurtful things and I might even agree and apologize or walk away and start a complete different subject and that throws him off. Remember he's ADHD, I find a pleasant way to distract him from the madness. It's become just an inconvenience for me and I have struggled to keep my composure, but it's a work in progress. As it took about 10 years to be an automatic positive thinker and person in general, this will take time and practice too. But I think it will be second nature in no time. I have faith! #strong #boss

And I'm going to prove it.
What follows is an in-depth analysis of the Pokemon world and its culture (hereafter referred to as the “Poke'verse.”) Where I’ll attempt to understand just what these beings actually are, and how they relate to the humans of their universe. The relationship between human and pokemon is obscure, but we'll be defining it today. For this post, I will reference the video game lore, but I will, to a large extent, be pulling examples from the anime. While I can understand why some might say this invalidates my points, I truly think the anime should be considered fair game. It depicts what the Poke'verse is truly supposed to be like, as the writers intend it to be, unhampered by the restrictions of a video game.

Let's dive in.

At this point, I know that the Pokemon fandom and the general public have a well-established and largely iron-cast interpretation of what it means to be a Pokemon Trainer, but today I’m going to attempt to challenge that interpretation. Because on the whole, it’s not especially flattering, and I think it’s false. You’ve seen the jokes, and the video essays, and the parody comics. You’ve seen it all. People have criticized Pokemon for the premise of the game effectively being a system of romanticized slavery. That the heartless humans kidnap these innocent animals and force them into sadistic dog-fights to further their own power, to the point where it is a global, televised sport. Ask anyone and they’ll tell you, Pokemon…are slaves. It's animal abuse. Those who argue it are in denial.
The funny thing is, most people don’t argue it. Which is because, to a large extent, most people don’t care. It’s just a video game, right? It’s not as though the Pokemon are outwardly suffering. Pokemon fans seem to just accept this premise and live with it, because the Pokemon world is bright and enjoyable and the formula of the games is addicting. To most people, the problematic premise of this universe isn’t a big deal. Nobody takes a passionate stance against it, apart from Gamefreak itself. They have little choice but to dismiss these claims, to argue against them…but nobody really listens. The franchise may do the best it can to play up the whole “friendship” angle, but the majority of fans, casual and otherwise, would say they’re not fooling anyone.

I see things differently.

This conclusion about the Pokeverse is not the only one that can be drawn from analyzing this world. It's also based on several assumptions, headcanons, and interpretations of this world’s symbolism. I interpret these things another way myself, and I’ll try to explain how. But the bottom line is that humans and Pokemon exist together in this world and have a unique relationship. Our world has humans, but not Pokemon, so one can assume that the Pokemon are a deliberate symbol of…something. What that something is will probably vary based on who you ask, but just about everyone seems to interpret them as the “animals” of their universe. As in, living creatures who are not human. (Because Humans…are also Animals, and that’s kind of the whole point right there, but I’m getting ahead of myself.)
We seem to draw an inherent comparison between Pokemon and #RealWorld Animals, which is where all of this stems from. I believe this is a mistake. Or if nothing else, it’s not the definitive interpretation of what they are. If anything, the closest comparison I can think of is…maybe Angels? But even that doesn’t truly describe their role. The more the Poke'verse gets fleshed out, the clearer it becomes to me that catching and training Pokemon are completely misunderstood concepts. They’re not really comparable to anything in real life, certainly not the training of animals or the keeping of pets. I genuinely don’t think that the relationship between Trainer and Pokemon has an equivalent in our world.
I do understand where the impulse to make this comparison comes from. Of course people look at Pokemon and see animals. After all, they're living, breathing creatures, magical creatures that coexist with humanity. A not insignificant number of them do resemble real-life animals or are otherwise based on them. The most crucial bit of evidence for this idea is that the Pokeverse, by all appearances, lacks “real world” animals of its own. There are no recognizable creatures from our world to speak of, apart from humanity. So I can see how people reached this conclusion and I get why they draw the parallel.

However, it’s just not a fair comparison to make. Not at all.

Some animals do have the means to defend themselves, of course. But Pokemon have abilities on another level entirely. They’re basically magic. They have superpowers unique to themselves. Can a human spit fire? Tunnel a hole in seconds? Can they summon storms in the blink of an eye? Can a human block all damage with Wonder Guard? The answer is no. They cannot do this. Humans are one race, and a relatively mundane race at that. While they are distinctly separate from Pokemon…that doesn’t make them superior. It doesn’t make them more powerful. The sheer variety in Pokemon species, not to mention the variety of their powers, means that if war was to break out between the two communities…the humans would not win. It wouldn’t even be close.
Pokemon are baked deep into this culture. If you had to guess which of these two societies was here first, would you really guess humanity? I wouldn’t. Just look at the spiritual side of this world. It has deities who are confirmed to exist, who created this world as we know it..and they’re all Pokemon. Who knows where the humans even came from, but the Legendary Pokemon are the ones who fashioned the universe. It is vanity to assume that Humanity is the dominant species of the Poke'verse.
They are not, nor have they even been in charge of this world. Pokemon explicitly range from human to above-human level intelligence. The humans attempt to understand them, but the Anime clarifies that they’ve chosen to name the Pokemon based on their speech patterns. Pokemon don’t “say their name” and nothing else. It’s the reverse. They speak unique languages that the humans elected to name them for. By contrast, Pokemon can clearly understand human language. There’s no way around it, they are smarter than us. So it’s no surprise that they have their own communities and systems, totally independent from humanity. However, there are also countless Pokemon who choose (read: CHOOSE) to work with humans, on individual and group-wide scales.

In fact, Pokemon and Humans may not be so different at all.

I bet their DNA is remarkably similar. They may descend from a common ancestor. There is consistent flavor text that verifies this, stating that on a fundamental level, Pokemon and Humans are all but the same. Perhaps humankind and Pokemon weren’t always separate beings? Perhaps they were once one and the same? It’s pure conjecture, but according to the Library in Canalave City, there was a time in the ancient past when Pokemon ate at the same table as Humans and would even marry them sometimes. That last bit of trivia is cut from the English version, undoubtedly because of the popular interpretation I discussed earlier. Fans see Pokemon as animals, and the dubbing team probably wanted to avert any weird implications.
What’s odd is that in Legends: Arceus, which takes place in the ancient past…humans and pokemon have clearly already been separated, and have no relationship beyond hostility and fear towards each other. There are exceptions, of course, but by and large, the idea of a “Pokemon Trainer” is a new concept to the humans in Hisui. I’m getting very off topic now, but it does make a fan wonder. Just what happened to separate pokemon and humankind? They were as close as kin at one point, before some kind of split occurred, and it’s taken countless generations for them to redevelop a closeness...there’s a greater mystery here that isn’t relevant to the topic at hand, but these questions are worth asking. Either way, the point is that the two communities are almost fated to come together.
The Pokemon are drawn to humanity, and whether they invest in an official “trainer” or not, they seek out humans just as often as the humans go looking for them.
The Pokemon will form these partnerships out of their own desire. A desire for what, you may be asking? I think it varies, but when it comes to the TrainePokemon relationship, we can assume the typical goal is shared strength. The human and the Pokemon form a symbiotic relationship in the Training system. This is stated numerous times, especially in the Anime - A wild Pokemon will never reach their full potential. Not without a Trainer. You see? It isn’t only the humans who benefit from this relationship, and the Pokemon understand this. The vast majority of them want to be caught, they seek a trainer who can help them harness their powers.
Mewtwo decries Pokemon Training as Slavery during Mewtwo Strikes Back. Pikachu contradicts him, and Ash literally puts his life on the line in the effort to prove him wrong. Much later, in Lucario and the Mystery of Mew, the same question comes up. Lucario asks if Ash is Pikachu’s “master” and Ash rejects that terminology. Because Pikachu is his best friend, nothing less. There is a reason why the word is “Trainer” and not “Master” or “Owner.” Because Pokemon Trainers do not own their Pokemon. Full stop. The Poke Ball isn't a prison. It, and the PC Boxes from the games, are implied to be a kind of virtual reality. The Poke Ball is a symbol, a convenience more than anything else, but not a requirement. Ash is living proof. The Poke-Ball may be the norm, but if you're claustrophobic like Pikachu, or you're just not feeling it, you can abstain. Ash has never treated Pikachu as a captive. Or any of his Pokemon for that matter. We don't ever see anyone keeping Pokemon as prisoners apart from the villains.

But what about catching Pokemon in general? That's still messed up, isn't it?

There is an obvious counterargument to be made to my stance, a Donphan in the room, and I won’t ignore it. The counterpoint here is that capturing Pokemon is almost always done against their will. Or at least, that’s how it’s traditionally done, and the norm in the games remains consistent. Still. Ash winds up befriending the majority of his Pokemon instead, and he’s far from the only trainer we see doing so. James is another human who recruits his teammates primarily through his own likable qualities. You might argue that while obtaining a Pokemon can happen without fighting, that style is still unusual. But again, based on the anime, it doesn’t seem to be that uncommon. I think what’s considered rare is that Ash seems to specialize in doing this despite his intended goal of training Pokemon for battle.
Regardless, capturing Pokemon through battle still happens. It happens quite a lot. The examples that differ from this norm don’t erase that, nor do they erase how repugnant it is. After all, the Trainer is cornering a creature who more often than not, was just minding their own business. (A wild Pokemon is very often the one to initiate battle, but never mind.) The trainer then forcibly kidnaps them after violently assaulting them. Even the term “capturing” Pokemon has problematic connotations. No way around it - on paper, this sounds bad. It sounds horrific. But if I may, I’d like to offer a different perspective based on what I’ve been able to observe of the Poke'verse’s culture. First of all, I’d like to offer a scalding hot take about the violence of Pokemon battles. This may be where I lose a lot of people, but hear me out.

I challenge the idea that a Pokemon battle is “violent.”

Or at least, I don’t believe the characters consider it to be violent, not in the same way we understand it. A pokemon battle isn’t assault, because they’re not human. But it’s also not animal abuse, because the Pokeverse doesn’t have animals. Again, it’s worth remembering that Pokemon are supernatural creatures with magical powers, and I’d say their powers, the “moves” they learn, play by different rules than conventional fighting. There’s actually quite a bit of evidence to suggest that this is true.
In Mewtwo Strikes Back, the Pokemon very specifically fight their clones without access to any of their actual moves, after Mewtwo psychically blocks their powers. Everything about this scene is meant to convey tragedy. All of a sudden, a series that’s been all about battle is preaching against violence. Sure, we can call it bad writing, executive meddling, or anything we want. But ignore the Fourth Wall and ask yourself, why would the characters react this way in-universe? Why is it that Pokemon battling has always been okay, but in this one instance, it’s not? The movie goes to great lengths to show us that the Pokemon are hurting each other. Which we don’t normally see.

The only difference? The Pokemon aren’t using their normal moves.

From this, we can conclude that the typical, conventional Pokemon battle, where the two Pokemon fight using their special abilities...it doesn’t hurt them. It may tire them out, but a Pokemon Center can heal basically any injuries in record time. Nurse Joy is some kind of miracle worker…or maybe she isn’t. Maybe The Pokemon are being tired out from their battles, but not actually harmed in the long term. Ever wonder why Pokemon can use hidden moves in the field, even when they're supposedly "fainted?" Or why Pikachu is able to get right back up after fainting in battle to cheer Ash on? This would explain why Pokemon attacks don’t cause lasting damage to humans, either. Get hit with a Flamethrower? Don’t worry, you’ll just be temporarily stunned and have soot all over your face. The doylist explanation is, once again, that it’s a children’s cartoon, but that doesn’t explain what’s happening in-universe. Team Rocket has been electrocuted by Pikachu a near-infinite number of times. So how are they even alive?
Simple. Pikachu isn’t actually trying to kill them. Because of course he isn’t. It’s quite possible that Pokemon moves simply are not capable of inflicting serious damage, or perhaps Pokemon have an inherent resistance to them. But I suspect it’s not a lack of ability that stops Pokemon moves from being violent…but an almost universal choice. That when Pokemon go on the offensive with their powers, or at least, when they direct said powers at humans…they are always pulling their punches. That’s why the fight on New Island was so grotesque - the Pokemon were not remotely familiar with battling that way, engaging in true violence, and there’s little doubt that they were figuratively and literally scarred by that night. (The ones who still remember it, anyway.)
It’s no wonder they never use their powers to cause actual bodily harm to anyone - I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s some kind of sacred, unspoken taboo among Pokemon against doing so. A taboo that wouldn't be known to the newborn clone Pokemon on New Island. A taboo that may not have existed centuries ago, in say, the ancient times of the Hisui region. But present day, communities of Pokemon are more civilized, and they a working relationship with human society that ranges from neutral to friendly. We’re in head-canon territory now, but this kind of law among Pokemon kind makes a lot of sense. There may be Pokemon out there who break this taboo, but they would be few and far between - probably outcasts among their own kind. It would add a new dimension to Pikachu's refusal to fight back against his clone counterpart.
Again, this scene makes a point of telling us over and over, that what we’re seeing is wrong. “Pokemon aren’t meant to fight. Not like this.” That line right there is precisely the point. Battling isn’t meant to be like that, and in practice, it almost never is. There’s a reason why Pokemon almost never actually die in battle, and only get “very weak,” a condition that is cured flawlessly with the medical science of a Pokemon Center. It’s almost like a Pokemon’s powers create a kind of invisible simulation system, allowing them to spar with their opponent safely. Because that’s what a Pokemon battle is, at heart. It’s a test of skill. It’s meant to just be friendly sparring. A kind of sport that the Pokemon and Trainers engage in together, and it’s stated many times that they need to be in sync to have any hope of a successful career in professional matches. Again, I refer you to Mewtwo Strikes Back. The Pokemon were able to use their powers collectively to restore Ash to life. There’s clearly a lot more to a Pokemon’s power than just combat. That part is nothing more than recreation for them.

I deviated tremendously from the original question about capturing Pokemon, but I feel that it’s important to address this point.

Pokemon Battling is not violence. It’s effectively a sport that all sides consent to playing, a sport that has safety measures practically built in, as well as further precautions offered like the Pokemon Center. In that sense, it's more or less just another interpretation of Pokemon Contests, and Showcases, and everything else. A human helping a Pokemon study their powers and use them to fullest potential. This is the reason why I don’t actually consider a Trainer fighting a wild Pokemon to be so obscene. However, that only addresses the question of violence. Trainers are still kidnapping Pokemon against their will, right? That’s why one has to “weaken” a Pokemon to catch them. Well, believe it or not, I’m going to debunk that too.
Barring exceptions, the wild Pokemon must be exhausted to the point that they can no longer resist a poke-ball, before you can obtain them. Their opinion about being caught is always a non-issue. By all accounts, it doesn't seem as though this is acceptable. But even this, I think, is part of the cultural dissonance. Among other things, we don’t know what the little “click” of the Poke-ball actually means. It signals that the capture was a success, but is that the Pokemon choosing to yield, or the Poke Ball’s technology locking them in? It’s a little ambiguous, I’ll freely admit as much…but I would argue that the former idea isn’t impossible. Again, wild Pokemon, generally speaking, actually want to find a Trainer. The first episode of the anime even hints that certain wild Pokemon are jealous of those with trainers. With that in mind, why is catching them even a fight to begin with?

I’ll tell you why. When a wild Pokemon battles a trainer, they are essentially giving that trainer a test.

They’re gauging the trainer’s abilities to bring out the potential of their Pokemon. If you’re a trainer, and your Pokemon defeats another Pokemon in the wild…you’ve just proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that your Pokemon is stronger than the wild one. You have now proven that you have something to offer, you’ve passed the test. The wild Pokemon now realizes that it stands to learn something, to grow more powerful, by accepting your tutelage. That’s why it’s considered acceptable to the Pokemon to follow a trainer after they are overpowered and captured. It’s like…right of conquest, but with fully informed consent.
Consent is key here, and I believe this cultural understanding to be the reason that most Pokemon are immediately comfortable with following the trainer who caught them. While one might argue that they don't really have a choice anymore...that simply isn't true. The anime clarifies that Pokemon can release themselves from a Poke-Ball whenever they want. Misty’s Psyduck is the most iconic example of this, but there are countless others. In theory, a Pokemon could just leave a trainer who they find unsatisfactory. Actually, that’s not just a theory. That’s canon. Something that most people don’t seem to realize (or at least, they forget) is that it’s not just Trainers who ditch Pokemon they no longer want. It happens in reverse as well.

Pokemon can and do abandon their trainers, if they deem said trainers to be unworthy of their talents.

Remember when I said that I would be chiefly referencing the anime, because it’s the most reliable depiction of what the Pokeverse is supposed to be like? This is exactly what I was talking about. Because obviously, this never happens in the games. Your Pokemon don’t just disappear from your party or PC boxes, because that would be an incredibly stupid and unfair mechanic. But in the anime, where the relationships between Pokemon and Trainer are more fleshed out? In the first season, Bad To The Bone is about a Marowak who chose to ditch his trainer after said trainer had his badges stolen. While the Marowak eventually changed his mind, at no point did any character voice the idea of trying to return him by force. That was never on the table. It was Marowak’s choice and no one else’s, which is why the trainer was heartbroken.
But that’s not a one-off, it’s not the only example. There are quite a few. Due to a misunderstanding, Gym Leader Pryce once believed his Piloswine had abandoned him. Then there’s Ash. Always the mother hen, he’s adopted many Pokemon who were abandoned by previous trainers, but the opposite has also happened. His Snivy, and his Greninja, are both Pokemon who were explicitly stated to have had previous trainers whom they chose to leave, because they didn’t feel understood. Typically, it seems that Pokemon choose to leave because they feel as though the unspoken contract that is “pokemon training” has been violated somehow, or they’re otherwise not getting what they signed up for. This is why the traditional method of “catching” Pokemon is so vital. Because it’s an honor system. There's a reason we aren't able to capture a Pokemon has already fainted. That would be the most efficient way to go about things, but the MC won't do it. Why? I can only assume this is to ensure the Pokemon gets a voice in whether they're caught.
Any time a human does attempt to force a Pokemon into submission or otherwise harm them through any method that is not the traditional system of capture, the story treats them as unquestionably villainous for doing so. The other humans react in horror, and attempt to stop them. This is because forgoing the “defeat them in battle” route and instead using some kind of technology or whatnot to claim the Pokemon is seen as dishonorable at the best of times, and evil at the worst of times. The Trainer is ignoring the agency of the Pokemon. Attempting capture in the conventional way is a mutually accepted system, the wild Pokemon know and understand that a trainer may attempt to take them, and if they really don’t want to be said Trainer’s Pokemon, they can always choose to leave after they are captured. But the use of other means takes that choice away from them. These villains, usually the evil Teams, are using methods of capture that fail to demonstrate to the Pokemon why they are a worthy Trainer, and likewise rob them of the ability to judge them as unworthy.

There are exceptions, but for the reasons I have described, I fail to see how the idea of “slavery” is applicable to properly trained Pokemon.

They have the power to attack their trainers whenever they choose. Sometimes they do. They have magical abilities that enslaved humans in real life do not have. Legends: Arceus does a great job of highlighting just how dangerous Pokemon could be toward their human counterparts if they really wanted to be. They also have the power to leave. A Pokeball is not a chain. The only time a Pokemon struggles to escape a Ball is when it is first used on them, and the connection is initially forged. But, as I’ve talked about, I believe this to be a ceremonial process and little else. Trainers will immediately send out freshly caught Pokemon to heal or train, and the Pokemon don’t run. But once again, they could. What is stopping them? Ash’s Charizard never saw fit to abandon him, but if he had, what could Ash have actually done about it? Basically nothing. He’d get a flamethrower to the face and then Charizard would fly off. The same thing is true for any of Ash’s Pokemon, or the trained Pokemon of any Trainer ever.
There’s another Donphan in the room that I’d like to touch on real quick. I’ve talked a lot about how the anime clarifies the nature of Pokemon and their relationship to their Trainers…but I also mentioned that the developers have openly tried to beat back the claims of animal abuse, of slavery. The anime speaks for itself, but what about the time Black and White openly addressed these criticisms? You were probably waiting for me to bring it up, but the truth is, I don’t have much to say. The idea of Pokemon and Trainers having a symbiotic relationship, and needing each other…the idea that they shouldn’t be separated…all of that is touched on in the games, but the subject is mostly used as a scapegoat by a wannabe dictator.
I have yet to see any character in Pokemon honestly make the same comparison that critics make in real life, and I doubt we ever will see that happen. It’s just not an idea that can be properly explored in the Pokeverse, because our world is unknown to them. Our way of doing things isn’t something that any in-universe Trainer could hope to understand. It’s an entirely different culture. The way we personally view Pokemon as creatures is colored by our context, by the fact that we’re on the outside, peering into this world with the perspective of a society that doesn’t have Pokemon. To the humans, this is the way their world works. Team Plasma came the closest to approaching that idea, but even then, they were the villains. It was made abundantly clear that they were wrong.
​

• In theory, Pokemon are servants at the whims of their Trainers. In practice, they’re actually the ones with real power and the relationship is balanced, nuanced, and heavily based on mutual trust.
• In theory, Pokemon are the wild animals of their universe. In practice, they have no equivalent to our world. They are, as we're told many times, "wondrous creatures." They have no explanation.
• In theory, Pokemon are forced to engage in senseless violence day in and day out. In practice, Pokemon battling is an art form that the Pokemon themselves choose to pursue, and it is not remotely dangerous.

If you've stuck with me this long, know that I appreciate you. Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk. If you need me, I'll be shiny hunting for Klawf.

We begin with Laura peeking inside the window looking at some of the fine goods in Oleson's Mercantile, speculating on what her birthday present might be. Laura thinks it might be a new doll (since when does she play with dolls? -- unless she's still hoping for a replacement for the one that was broke in "The Raccoon" way back in season 1). Or maybe it's something else. Mary joins in and she doesn't know, but wouldn't tell if she did (true to form). Laura gives her some crap over all of that, but Mary is totally in the right here -- as a kid I learned it's much better if you wait than try to act surprised when the big day comes. Speaking of which, the big day has come as Pa hands Laura her gift, which turns out to be...a new dictionary. This is sort of a slap in the face to both Mary and Laura as Mary wanted one badly in "The Award" and worked her butt off to get it and never did, but Laura doesn't want it and gets it. Laura fakes some enthusiasm the way you would if someone gave you socks for Christmas. That night, Charles is in bed with Caroline when he admits he sucks at reading a room. Caroline humors him by saying that's exactly what she would have picked out. This is one thing I hate about Caroline, she rarely has the chutzpah to call out Charles when he is wrong. I miss the Caroline from the pilot movie that was full of backtalk and sass and implied insults. Next we find Laura window shopping at the Mercantile once more, where this time she's joined by Anna, a friend that stutters. They both look over the things they can't have, sadly. Just then, Nellie announces she's forming a new club and invites Laura into the house. Nellie invites Anna, but as soon as everyone gets up there, she announces Anna can't be in the club because of her speech impediment. Laura and Anna are ready to leave, but Harriet announces she's made punch and sandwiches for everyone. How nice of Harriet! There's a swarm at the door as everyone heads downstairs and in the process, Laura stays behind and swipes a music box out of Nellie's room. Laura takes it back to the Ingalls barn and immediately starts playing it. The next part is really corny as Laura smiles and dances like she's in some sort of bizarre, euphoric trance. She hears the barn door shut and senses someone has come, so she rushes over to close the music box. It falls to the ground in the process. We get some tremendous camerawork as Laura peeks in on the situation upside-down from the loft, and sure enough the shot is upside-down. Turns out it was just the wind blowing the door open and shut. She goes back to check the status on the music box, but it's all distorted and weird. That night, Laura has a nightmare about being found guilty of her crime and sentenced to 100 years of school. This wakes Mary up and they have a doozy of an argument as Mary suggests Laura try to dream of something else next time. I'm not sure which side I'm on here since Mary should know people really can't control their dreams, but it's pretty obvious that Laura's theft influenced this dream, so there's that.
Laura is walking to school one morning when she is approached by Nellie, who offers her a gumdrop. Laura accepts, which is pretty brazen considering she stole Nellie's music box, broke it and didn't tell her about it. Nellie invites her to lunch at the club, but Laura says she's still debating her membership. Anna says she'll come, but is denied again. Laura then informs Nellie that she wouldn't be in her club for all the gumdrops in the store. Nellie mocks Anna's stuttering, which is a mistake since Nels overhears and orders her inside and tells her to get the strap ready. Nellie rushes over to Harriet, who plays moderator for the whole situation. She's able to get Nels to back off a whooping if Nellie agrees to apologize to Anna and her parents. Nellie doesn't know the way to Anna's house however, so she stops by the Ingalls place for directions. In the barn trying to escape Jack's wrath, she finds Laura attempting to fix the music box, to no avail. Nellie calls Laura out on the theft, but Laura feverishly denies taking it. Nellie counters that there were only two of them made (one in her room and the other in the store), but Laura continues to double down on the lying. Finally, Laura caves and confesses. So Laura broke an almost one-of-a-kind item. Charles comes in and Nellie bails Laura out by saying she gifted the music box to Laura and they're friends now. Nellie heads over to Anna's place and apologizes. That night, Laura has another nightmare, this time that she's in shackles and being kept in some type of cellar (foreshadowing?). Harriet comes in and throws some scraps of food to her and all the other children. Nellie comes in with some KFC and holds out a chicken leg for Laura, who rushes over to accept, but gets bopped on the head with it, which is apparently enough to knock her out. Nellie exits and Laura pounds on the door, then the scene transitions to Laura pounding on the wall in the real world. That racket has awoken the entire household, so Pa asks what's going on. Laura asks Mary to cover for her. Mary obliges and (flatly) tells Pa that Laura fell out of bed. At school, Laura ditches Anna in order to play with Nellie and company.
Suppertime at the Ingalls finds Mary and Laura being quiet after they apparently had an argument about the Anna situation. They head up to the loft, where the argument quickly resumes. Oh Laura, what makes you think you can win a debate with the Moral Authority? Laura accuses Mary of jealousy (?!), but Mary counters than she wouldn't join the club for all the gumdrops in Oleson's store. Can Mary read minds or something? Laura said that exact phrase earlier and Mary wasn't around for it. Pa joins in and Mary gives Laura a pretty vicious takedown over the events and Pa is NOT pleased. He orders Laura to inform Nellie she's quitting the club, then orders the sisters to make up. Laura and Mary have a "sorry, not sorry" exchange. That night, Laura has yet another nightmare, this time that she is hung for her crime. This is pretty damn graphic for a family show in the 70's. The next day, Laura tells Nellie that she's revoking her club membership. The club meets in Nellie's room, where Nellie humiliates Anna some more. Anna runs off crying.
Laura finds Anna crying by a tree and actually manages to salvage the friendship. That night, she comes home soaked from the rain and chooses that time to confess her crime. Laura attempts to justify the stealing, talks about how scared she was and tries to blame the entirety on Nellie. Laura is using every trick in the book here and of course Pa lets her off easy. So just to recap, Laura stole an expensive and rare item, broke it, lied repeatedly about it, made life hell for two people and manages to get off with literally zero punishment. Unreal. As if that wasn't enough, Nellie does get whooped, then Laura and Anna dump buckets of water on Willie just because they can.
So I guess the moral of the story here is if you're Laura Ingalls, you can do whatever you want and not have to face the consequences.
EPISODE WINNER - Not really much to choose from here, but I'll go with Harriet for being such a gracious hostess.
EPISODE LOSER - Laura for her crime, dishonesty and all around maliciousness, although Pa deserves a mention for his crummy present that was insulting on so many levels and was the catalyst for everything that transpired here

I’ve recently reviewed my state’s landlord tenant laws and found that my landlord is in violation of them. Here are some examples:
1) Last year, our electric stove was smoking to the point of it being unusable, despite all my attempts to remedy this. The plates were due for replacement after normal wear and tear. We asked that the landlord replace them as they are required to make sure we have a way to cook food. They refused so we replaced them ourselves and sent them a bill (~$250). They wouldn’t cover the full amount of the bill, which I understand to be in violation of our tenant rights to full reimbursement.
2) Our dishwasher broke over a year ago. We asked for a repair man and never received a response. We asked for a replacement and were denied. The dishwasher now has standing water in it that is causing mold and mildew. I believe this violates our right to have appliances repaired within 10 days and our right to live in a mold-free environment.
3) I honestly don’t know who’s responsible for this, but they’ve never hired a professional or had our maintenance man come and clean our our dryer vents. My husband has lived in the unit since 2018, which means about 5 years. I know you’re supposed to have those cleaned once a year since it’s a fire hazard. I do know any fire hazard maintenance is the landlords responsibility, but I’m not sure about this specific detail.
4) Our toilet handle broke. Our request for repair were ignored several times over the course of several months. I would have gotten to it sooner myself but I was 8 months pregnant when it broke and was then dealing with birth and a newborn, so it fell to the wayside. I repaired it myself when they continued to ignore our requests. I know maintaining plumbing is a landlords responsibility.
5) We have concerns about foundation and/or floor rot on our whole first floor (it’s not a big apartment so it’s not a lot of space). We’ve texted and verbally told our maintenance guy and landlord about this multiple times. It’s getting to the point where the floors are bowing under our weight. It’s dangerous for my baby since it causes all of the furniture to sway (we will be anchoring the large furniture before he learns to crawl). We’ve requested that either and inspector or our maintenance man come and look at it and we have been ignored. I don’t know where this falls under landlord liability and/or unlivable conditions.
The main issue is that this is employee housing from my husband’s job. He’s a good worker and has been employed there for over 10 years. We also live in a small town and he has a good relationship with our landlord and his boss.
Does anyone have any advice on how to approach this situation without souring my husband’s relationship with his boss? I plan to write up and sign a document with our requests and submit it to them by the end of the week. Is there anything else to do? I’m not the most confrontational person so this is a bit new to me. Any advice is welcome.
Edit: I should note that we live on an island, so not only is housing very physically limited, but we are financially limited. Any available housing outside of our current living situation is unaffordable to my husband and I. Our only option if we leave this unit is to move in with my parents, who have limited space with my younger sister still living at home.
Also, we are on a month to month lease.

Around eight-fifteen, in the middle of prom, Dennis and his three friends sat at the corners of the gymnasium stalking among the rest that danced. Lia’s boyfriend had just left with other boys to a diner, Jordan remained silent and paid attention to her friend, Alice, across the gymnasium, and Dennis remained calm as the rest spoke among each other; mostly about work, or their upcoming school projects.
As Dennis, being 16 years old, wiped his hair for the last time for effect, he got an odd thought and said loudly, hoping everyone at the table heard, “Someone has been saying I slept with Mr. Kane, our math teacher”. Two of his friends, Robert and Lia, glanced at him, now focusing the conversation on him holding their phones in hand, and asked excitedly, “Who?”.
Dennis, feeling pride in himself suddenly reached for his phone, to check the time. “I don’t know who? I'm thinking of that girl, Savannah”, Dennis said lazily, as if he just thought of the name just now.
All who sat at the table, at their prom night, especially Lia, glanced at Jordan, who from holding her wallet with strong stability, said harshly, “You don’t know how it got out? Does Mr. Kane knows?”. Dennis glanced across the dance floor, thinking how foolish everyone looked, especially popular couples and their fancy suits, and looked back at Jordan and said, “He was giving me weird looks last week. He probably thinks I'm the one making it up”. Dennis then giggles lightly to himself.
Jordan then sees her friend, Alice, come up near their table wearing a nice red sparkle dress, along with her boyfriend across the gymnasium talking among his group of boys. She strolled near Lia first, saying hello, then over to Jordan ignoring the rest at the table. “Hello Jordan, you fixed yourself well”, Alice said.
Jordan, without looking at her, says, “Thank you so much”, and raises a smile.
Dennis, hearing them continue to talk, and having no more talk about him, said loudly again, “Someone around here has been spreading rumors that I slept with Mr. Kane, our math teacher”.
Alice then looks at Dennis quickly. “Really? Who?”, Alice says as neatly as she can. Hoping her reaction looked well for effect.
Before Dennis can answer, Lia instead says, “We don’t know who?”, then adds quickly, “We think it's that Savannah girl”.
“That girl is always getting into trouble”, Alice says proudly. Dennis looked at all of them, and felt a need to giggle, but instead remained silent with himself.
By then, Jordan then asks strictly, “Is anybody up for food?”. Thus, when they all agreed, a few wishing they didn’t, all stood up and ditched their prom and started heading down the street where a nice diner stood neatly near a gas station.
When they arrived at the diner, a few boys from prom were there as well and said hello to them as they picked their seats. One of them, Lia's boyfriend, came and said hello.
"Do I wear too much makeup?", Lia asked cautiously.
Her boyfriend became stubborn when he responded quickly, "whatever you think".
Lia, disappointed she didn't get an offensive answer, agreed and made sure to smile instead.
But before Lia and her boyfriend can continue their conversation, Dennis says lightly, “Guess what?”.
Her boyfriend, still feeling nervous about his answer, looked up at Dennis.
“What?”, Lia's boyfriend says nicely.
“Someone last week has been spreading rumors I slept with Mr. Kane”, Dennis said strictly.
“Really who?”, then adds, “Is it true?”.
Dennis was not surprised by the quick need for answers and felt lonely when he realized he was mostly tired, and irritable, to go back home later, in a small apartment: then go on his phone, check some blogs, and slowly drift off to sleep. Hearing nothing but the loud stomps and tension between his dog, his parents, and the often harsh ventilation that blew sourly through his room.
Dennis looks at his reflection on his phone for what he thought was to check the time, sees how small and unattractive he thinks he is, and giggles sourly, before saying again without looking at Lia's boyfriend, who was tall, white, and handsome, “I don’t know who. But we think it's that girl Savannah. She is always getting into trouble”. By then, all who were at the table agreed.