The return of the emperor in Episode IX felt sudden and even Snoke in Episodes VII & VIII was given little backstory. Among those of us watching the Dave Filoni shows opinion is split at best on plot efforts to setup such cloning in those stories.
I think I've discovered a way to turn the tide on our feelings about this particular aspect of the sequel trilogy. You might have heard of the Foundation. It's currently a show on Apple TV but before that it was a high concept Sci-fi book series that was one of many inspirations for Star Wars.
Of many Foundation concepts deployed in Star Wars one is the genetic Emperor. It's a perfect clone of the emperor generation after generation to hold onto power. It's interesting in that story and I wonder if JJ Abrams was tapping into that with the return of palpatine and all this cloning stuff across the Filoni shows.
Of course Episode IX fumbles such an opportunity with a fleet of planet destroyers and the whole Sith eternal idea but I wonder if this concept has an appeal that might make us rethink our feelings on the return of Palpatine at least.

The Fear of a Crime Without Punishment
My introduction is directly related to the philosophical material! Read it. I must include real life grounded storytelling to highlight the arrogance and grandiosity of philosophy. Let's not pretend these vices are not tied to philosophy (especially early modern philosophy).
I learned about the bystander effect or bystander apathy in AP psychology. It presented itself as novel, so I listened in public for odd behavior. I felt grateful for this paranoia because it relieved my self-esteem. Paranoia is a fantastic embodiment of terror. I grew hopeful to remember the effect when a situation might arise, so I should take action without naive hesitation.
I was hopeful until I met a child on an Italian metro with a stuffed animal. I don’t remember what it was, but it lifelessly dangled from her right hand. Her skin was light brown. She wore a pink flannel fleece and looked seven or eight years old. Her face was soft and round. Her grayish cheeks held a lot of freckles. I think there were birthmarks too, but I don’t remember. Her legs held very still the whole train ride.
I felt terrible looking at her. A white man with mild olive skin, about 40 years old, pointed his sharp chin and shiny glasses about the subway. He might have held a briefcase in one hand. His other hand was tight around her left upper arm. I remember because it was the far shoulder from me, and her socket cocked in the air as her hips made space between them. I wanted to ask her name, but I did not know if she spoke English. I wanted to ask if that was her father, but I didn’t want to break a cultural norm.
I stared at her for five stops, and her terrified eyes kept returning to mine. I cannot understand if it were me staring at her and scaring her, or her staring at me and scaring me. I snapped my head at everyone standing around me. I don’t remember what they looked like, but nobody met my eyes. I felt like I was begging when I began to think I was going insane. I watched him pull her off the train. It was over after that, but it stays with me. My fear of embarrassment was stronger than my will to ask a child if she was safe. This truth, even if the girl were with a trustable man, shows something about relation. For Leibniz, this is a mark in my mind. It is a mark of guilt. It can be traced to something deeper than failing to help a girl on the train when I ask how do I know when to be guilty if nobody told me to be?
I knew better as Discourse on Metaphysics weighs on my conscience. The text is full of suffering. The intensity and effort put into the details of the text make me speculate that Leibniz was distressed over the issue of god. Philosophers admire courage, but I think there are marks of fear in their ideas.
I think this applies in Leibniz as we trace the marks back to sins that are forgotten. This task becomes impossible without god. As for why it is impossible, we first follow god’s attention to us and us to him to discover what is. “For instance, it is a great mistake to believe that God made the world only for us, although it is quite true that he made it in its entirety for us and that there is nothing in the universe which does not affect us and does not also accommodate itself in accordance with his regard for us, following the principles set forth above.” (Leibniz 52). The world is not only for us, but it reflects off of you in its entirety. This is found later by tracing relations of the mind. A world made by god only for human needs would be physically impossible because the universe would lack properties that are for things indirectly related to human needs. It would also lack things that harm humans, but those things are necessary for the whole of the physical world.
Everything in the universe affects everything else and these connections can be found through subject predicate relation. With unlimited resources and power, there is no motive or practical reason for god to create excess. This implies there is nothing in excess to cater to anything because everything accommodates everything.“This, then, is how one can conceive that substances impede or limit each other, and consequently one can say that, in this sense, they act upon one another and are required, so to speak, to accommodate themselves to one another. ” (Leibniz 48). To humans, he gives what is necessary for each individual and separate subject to live in a way that provides them with certain love, virtue, and well-being (as long as they make the correct judgments). This is what the word “accommodation” means. It is not limited to material resources either. Though the love is provided, this implies that god’s love is not a provisional love. It is always there.
With divine a priori knowledge, we can make these aforementioned correct judgments, but it is upon us to pay attention. It is our responsibility. “Plato also strengthened his view by way of a fine experiment, introducing a little boy, whom he leads insensibly to extremely difficult truths of geometry concerning incommensurables without teaching him anything, merely by asking appropriate questions in proper order. … One can even say that it already possesses these truths, if they are taken as relations of ideas.” (Leibniz 58). This attention, to the relation of ideas, unless you happen to be a student of Plato or some other wise man asking you the right questions, is not necessarily accommodated to you. This is not bad luck. There is no luck when god chooses the best of all possible worlds.
With certainty, it is in every individual’s capacity to attend to this knowledge. When I say in your capacity, I mean it constitutes your subjective being and relation to the entire universe, but it is not necessary for you to attend to. Without luck, certainty and necessity split, “... even though it is certain that God always chooses the best, this does not prevent something less perfect from being and remaining possible in itself, even though it will not happen, since it is not its impossibility but its imperfection which causes it to be rejected. And nothing is necessary whose contrary is possible.” (Leibniz 46). An individual’s bad luck is not necessary because, with luck, the contrary is possible. With the contrary being possible, luck becomes an illusion where you forget your choices, yet your choices were not forgotten.
This is the difference between necessity and certainty. You look for the knowledge and recognize it by seeing how it makes you more powerful and happy when you do pay mind to it. This is the opportunity for the salvation of any individual subject. You have the god-given ability to save yourself, or a child on the metro!
No matter how confused you may become, this knowledge will torment your mind as punishment, or some other punishment from external bodies will happen to you, because of your defiance of god. Returning to metaphysics, everything accommodates everything else including morality.
If you were not punished, then the world would be affected by your imperfection, but god only chooses the best world, so it must necessarily correct you. If not, the world would be in contradiction with god’s perfection. A world without punishment would be impossible because a world without evil isn’t necessarily good, “For it can happen that a change that increases the expression of one diminishes that of another.” (Leibniz 48). This is the nature of evil in god’s perfect world. Regardless of pain or pleasure, excessiveness is certain to be punished, because it doesn’t necessarily have to exist. This is certain because good is not contrary to evil. Punishment is the contrary while goodness merely follows god’s intended simplicity of minimal interference.
There doesn’t have to be evil, because it isn’t all about you. You suffer from someone else’s sins, and your punishment is proportional to their crimes. This comes from interest with time (Leibniz 61). Don’t respond to punishment and be damned because that is necessary for the order of goodness. If not damned, respond to the punishment as you have as many opportunities for salvation as the limits of your being permit. We become linear in time, and the degree to which we are being punished is a measurement of progress. Death implies a crime can exceed the limits of your being and ruin hope for salvation. Where do marks and traces lead us? This leads us to a crime that is disproportionate to an individual's capacity for punishment, and the punishment stays with the living after the life of the criminal. If not, the laws of morality, metaphysics, and even materialism would be defied. This is “...the economy of our salvation,” (Leibniz 68). Materialism being violated is not important. Proportional doesn’t mean exact equivalence or duplication as structures of phenomena take on different forms through time. This is how a priori properties exist in our accommodation in apparent chaos. Without order, we are in pain and scared.
The task of the individual and subjective being to have good judgment arises. We are blank slates remembering through experience, and the responsibilities of goodness are placed upon us no matter the perspective. “But when we are concerned with the exactness of metaphysical truths, it is important to recognize the extent and independence of our soul, which goes infinitely further than is commonly thought, though in ordinary usage in life we attribute to it only what we perceive most manifestly and what belongs to us most particularly, for it serves no purpose to go any further.” (Leibniz 59). Individuals as monads express the whole universe, so they/we don’t need to learn from experience. A monad can deduce from specific marks that make up their being, “…. but also an active power, a power by virtue of which there have always been in its nature marks of the future production of this thought and dispositions to produce it in its proper time.” (Leibniz 60). With their being as an expression of the whole, experience is a reminder of what already exists. This is different from having Descartes’ thoughts placed by god into an individual's head. The individual is thinking of every virtual and real possibility but on their own.
From this perspective, again, gifted by the grace of god, there is a priori knowledge within all of us, and when we do not listen, we are punished for the sins that god remembers. But because knowledge is a priori, there is Christian salvation. Our crimes can warrant punishment beyond the capacity of our being to salvage itself. This limit leaves some individuals to be damned. The damned can live as if they were not damned, but their punishment will continue regardless. I’ll be damned as long as I am selfish. My gut, or for Leibniz, the knowledge of god, told me to ask a simple question. I thought of ten excuses not to ask instead. The virtual possibilities rendered me uncertain.
The question remains. If the consequences of our crimes exceed the limit for us to redeem ourselves, how does reality maintain order? Are we stacking up interest for crimes long forgotten? What it means to disregard god’s knowledge is to be damned and forgotten without guilt because that is what happens to those unable to love. Still, god never forgets.
We approach the fear of Discourse on Metaphysics through its resolution. Our mind is connected to the anthropomorphic god by imitation (Leibniz 67). God’s memory is immortal and in us. If not, there could be no relation, “...God alone being able to act upon them, that none of our actions are forgotten; that everything is taken account of, even idle words or a spoonful of water well used; finally, that everything must result in the greatest welfare of those who are good; that the just will be like suns; and that neither our senses not our mind has ever tasted anything approaching the happiness that God prepares for those who love him.” (Leibniz 68). What scared Leibniz? The possibility of a crime without punishment. A forgotten crime. The punishment for that crime is possible with god’s immortal memory, but without that memory, without marks and traces, there is no order. Here, I find the terror of a godless world. After failing to love a child being dragged away, I am grateful for punishment. What am I without a guilty conscience?
Work Cited
Leibniz, Gottfried Wilhelm, et al. “Discourse on Metaphysics .” Philosophical Essays, Hackett Publishing Company, Indianapolis, 1989, pp. 35–69.
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Anyway, I'd like to express disdain for the entire discipline. All these professional guidelines on a subreddit! Let's pretend this logic is important.

Hello everyone. I love Destiny's lore and storytelling, but I don't know a lot like many of you gurus here. I wanted to share some information with all of you, in hopes that someone that is better at the whole lore thing might be able to do something with it or see something I could not.
Before I start, I need to say that I am very much not the person anybody would ask about Indian and/or Hindu spirituality and philosophy. I stumbled upon all of this while tumbling down one rabbit hole after the next (ya'll know how it goes), and I think there's something here. If I've gotten anything wrong, please let me know--it is not my intention to offend or misrepresent.
Very long post. TL;DR at the bottom.
Spoilers for Witch Queen story, Lightfall story, a little bit of the current season (20, Defiance).
PROPHECY
In Vow of the Disciple, we were told a story of sorts. It goes like this:

hive scorn love darkness worship witness
pyramid fleet enter earth stop guardian
witness commune traveler drink light
witness kill (blank)

The first line is known. It's part of the baseline gameplay at this point, more or less. It isn't the focus of this post.
The second line just happened in Lightfall's campaign, which ended with the Witness activating the Veil and entering(?) the Traveler.
I believe I know (or have a very strong sense) what the Witness is doing, what it's next step is, why it is doing this, and how all this relates to the so-called Final Shape.
First, some concepts and a little bit of history.
INSPIRATION
Advaita Vedanta is a classical Indian philosophy (and/or spiritual discipline) that (very, very basically) revolves around a concept known as "nondualism"--that is, there is no individual but all things are manifestations of the ultimate truth. There is no "me" or "you" that is different or separate at the core than the "all." There is no mind, body, or ego that exists (i.e., conditional reality) separate from the divine self (I visualize this concept like a flow chart or tree that originates at a single universal point.)
Moksha is the liberation of oneself from the cycle of suffering and rebirth, which continues onward until one attains a certain level of knowledge or understanding. This is referred to as Witness-consciousness--a disconnection of the observing self from the causal(!), phenomenal word, unaffected by it, not a participant in it, beyond it and its trappings (sometimes--and I think mistakenly--translated as illusions). This world, the way we perceive it, is sustained through a force known as maya, also sometimes called the the veil of ignorance or simply the veil (again, this seems to be a poor translation but it is a commonly used one and appropriate for this discussion).
A 17th century philosopher known as Shankara used a rope and a snake to illustrate the concept of maya. In the dark, a rope on the ground might at first seem like a snake and you might become frightened, only to realize upon closer inspection that it is instead just a piece of rope. You no longer can see the snake--the veil has been lifted. You see its true self.
Diksha, very basically, is a ceremony by which a person would be purified (by cleansing) and surrender something for the purpose of receiving some divine spiritual knowledge. During ancient times, this ritual often used an unidentified plant known as soma, the juice of which was often drunk. This ceremony I believe is done typically before a fire, which holds some significance as it is viewed as a means to bridge the gap between the material world and that of the divine.
BONUS TERM: This one doesn't play a role in my post today, but ahamkara is a function of the mind that might be best described as ego. It is the mind's ability to perceive things in the phenomenal world and attribute a sense of self-identity to them. A person who has surrendered or bound their identity to something, such a brand new fancy car or computer or an ideology, is said to be in a state of ahamkara. In this sense, and again perhaps poorly translated, the state of ahamkara could be a kind of illusion.
SALVATION
In order to attain salvation, one must liberate themselves from the cycle of death and rebirth. Remember: this is the Traveler's gift to its Lightbearers (in other words, this does not seem to be inherent to the Light but to the Traveler). It is the villain, profane in the Witness' eyes (end TWQ cutscene):

Enough. Enough death. Enough life.

The Witness wants to liberate "the children of Sol" from this cycle of suffering. To do this, the Witness must perform a ritual.
This ritual requires it to, as seen in VOTD, commune with the Traveler and drink of the Light. By doing this, the Witness consecrates itself in preparation for the offering—itself. By sacrificing itself in this ritual, it will become ascendant, divine—the Final Shape.
Yes, I believe the Witness seeks to kill itself (or its phenomenal manifestation) to become something greater.
I believe the Witness has currently entered the Light’s version of the Ascendant Plane. In this realm resides … someone or something, but during the final cutscene of the Lightfall campaign, the Witness seems to be speaking directly to an individual:

The universe makes us all victim and perpetrator of its infinite cruelty.
You more than any suffer both fates.

Again, the Witness seeks to eliminate the infinite cycle of death and rebirth, and in order to do this it must become divine (or ascendant, however the universe of Destiny should choose to define this state of being) in such a way that it can traverse all the paracausal realms freely. Once it can do that, once it holds dominion of both the Light and the Dark, it will draw all of phenomenal existence into the Ascendent Plane (or expand the Ascendent Plane outward), unshackling us from the “illusion” that binds us, granting us divine salvation.
So what the hell is the Veil exactly? If maya is the energy that allows us to perceive the phenomenal world as real (real in the sense of personal meaning, as opposed to the divine truth that lies beyond), I have to believe Destiny’s Veil does something similar. It seems to be connected to the Light judged simply by the color of the energy that shot out of it, so my theory is that it is a font of Light energy and likely responsible for what we commonly attribute to the Traveler (AKA our cool powers).
The distinction between Light powers and Dark powers could be discussed in its own post, but briefly here as it relates to the Veil, it seems the Light specifically harnesses (and/or sustains) that "illusory" world. Nuclear force, gravity, entropy, electromagnetism--the driving forces of our Light subclasses; whereas the Darkness seems to instead draw upon functions of the mind--willpower, control, consciousness, connection. (For you psychology majors, it's externalizing v internalizing.)
(You might ask yourself here: so why was Strand a by-product of the Veil? I offer you this thought: if the Veil is the engine that helps keep the "illusion" of the phenomenal world, it makes sense that Strand, concerned with seeing the truth from within that connects us all, would occur as a natural opposite energy.)
The Witness needed a surge of Light energy to open (and/or perceive) the portal leading to the Light’s Ascendant Plane, which the Veil provided.
This all leaves one final question: who was the Witness talking to beyond the shell of the Traveler? The only theory I have here is tenuous at best. In Hindu scriptures, there are two beings: Yami (later called Kalindi) and Yama.
They are twins. Yami sometimes referred to as the Lady of Life where Yama is called the Lord of Death. The story of the two does not really match up with what is happening in Destiny, but they are twins and they are reverent figures and I can't help but wonder if what is inside the Traveler or the Light's Ascendent Plane is not in fact another of whatever the Witness is or used to be.
This might also mean the Witness seeks to kill its mirror image inside the Traveler, but since I think a lot of people suspect this, I convinced myself it was too easy an answer.
TL;DR: The Witness wants to become Khaleesi and break the Wheel (of death and rebirth), become a being of Light and Dark, shedding (killing) its "self" in the process of becoming the Divine Truth (the Final Shape), paving the way for the rest of us to also be liberated from our suffering and surrendering our selves to the Shape, ascending.

So, it's been three years since the world locked down and very little has changed in my home. My husband and I have the immense privilege to be able to work from home. We don't have little ones, so no stress over school or play dates. And we live in a city where we were already fairly isolated. Add in his bad lungs, my bad heart, previous experience of long-term post-viral malaise, and a host of other risk factors, and yeah – for us, our personal circumstances, it continues to make a lot of sense to avoid Covid like... well, the plague.
Since more info has come out about the impact of even mild infection on the brain, I've been extra terrified as an ADHD-er. If the part of my brain that's already underdeveloped could shrink even more from what people are now calling a cold... I mean, I nearly put my wedding ring through the laundry last night, I can't afford more neurological damage.
But the first ADHD symptom I ever recognized was this conflict-seeking little rage monster inside of me, and honestly, it's gaining way too much power in this era so many are quick to call "post-Covid," as if loved ones weren't still dying every single day from the virus itself or from the stealthy, too-often unseen-until-it's-too-late effects on hearts, vascular systems, every damn part of the body. I feel angry all the time. To see friends' kids repeatedly exposed, their immune systems getting battered so every non-Covid infection lasts twice as long as it should... Every day, at least once, I find myself bubbling up with rage that we as a society couldn't agree to do more to protect them.
And it feels so ironic to be angry at the wider world. Hypocritical, even. Hell, I used to count cigarettes among my very best friends. They made life worth living, 5 minutes at a time. F the lungs. We all *know* about the ills of cigarettes, but there's been f*ck all attention paid to the emerging research on Covid's long-term effects. Who am I to side-eye anyone for choosing impulsivity, for choosing immediate joy, wider risks be damned?
But there's also this little part of me that can't help but think: if I can take every precaution – if I, the idiot who has inflicted so much permanent damage over the years by doing things I knew I shouldn't and by not doing things I knew I should, can be the last careful person in our social and family circles – why can't more people out there put society before self? (CC: climate change, etc.)
Having had to fight, and fight hard for accommodations, I feel broken and hopeless living through a mass disabling event. I keep pushing for UDL at my school, cautioning the higher-ups that, while it was already the right thing to do, we're going to need it more and more going forward.
It's all so goddamn draining. In another time, my impulsivity could be used for good – it balanced the anxiety with useful distractions; a crappy day could become a joyful day by acting on some impromptu urge or idea, usually involving a wine bar or a train. But we can't *do* anything we used to enjoy. Most of my impulsivity gets channelled into regrettable purchases. Not a lot of dopamine to be found there. It also breaks through in terrible ways, like the time I popped into a restaurant to grab take-out, realized my mask was still on my wrist, and promptly had a nervous breakdown.
Anyway, I feel like being Covid-cautious with ADHD is a mindf*ck in all kinds of special ways, but also something I'm guessing plenty of us are doing because of our many risk factors and co-morbidities. Or maybe this is just the thing my brain has decided to fixate on today. Can anyone relate?
*Also, sorry if there's too much venting seeping through, my intention is NOT to shame or guilt or invalidate anyone here who doesn't feel/think/live the same way. The reality is that the system needs people not living like me to prevent collapse, and people living like me still need the system. Really, we all need each other (and should maybe just tear down the system together).

Yes, this is the 5th year in a row I'm doing a Wrestlemania Haters' Guide. Why? Because the subject of pro wrestling hasn't been banned from the subrebbit, so loopholes ahoy, baby!
Anywho, this year's event is at SoFi Stadium in California. The last Wrestlemania in the state of California? Wrestlemania 31. A mostly well regarded PPV with one of the most shocking main event outcomes in Wrestlemania history. Remember when Wrestlemania shows had SEVEN matches on the main card? Apparently, since everyone needs their Wrestlemania payday, and two nights pay better than one, that is a reality that can no longer exist. Nowadays, Wrestlemania weekend means that for four consecutive days from Friday Night SmackDown to the Monday Night RAW the night after, your eyes are to be glued to the squared circle with zero deviation. With that in mind, and considering how batshit crazy WWE's behind the scenes drama and shift in power balance has been over the past year, we actually made it to Wrestlemania 39. Let's see the 13 matches vying for ultimate immortality.
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Brock Lesnar vs. Omos (with MVP)
Try to act surprised when I tell you that this matchup is rumored to be a Vince concept. It seems HHH has given Vince the one match to book, and thankfully nothing more.
That being said...guys...we need to take this time to particularly talk about Omos. This dude isn't getting over. He's fallen off ever since he lost the tag titles, and ended his feud with his former tag partner, AJ Styles. What's he been doing since? Mostly matches with Bobby Lashley again. Yes, Lashley vs Omos was a match at last year's Wrestlemania, and that loss has proven to only hurt Omos' relevance, and especially his TV time. Over the past year, his matchups have pretty much been exclusive to house shows. Either squashing much smaller men, or jobbing to Lashley in order to make The Almighty look better. The one time WWE actually chose to use him in any meaningful situation was a matchup against Braun Strowman at Crown Jewel. Which of course he lost that match.
Bottom line, He's just not that much of a presence anymore. I know that WWE under the HHH regime has seen the end of mass talent layoffs, but this guy is a waste of a matchup. He's got to go. His career is going absolutely nowhere, even with MVP at his side. Who in their right mind believes he can hang with Brock Lesnar?
Granted, Brock's the perfect opponent for him. A typical Omos match does not exceed 10 minutes, which is perfect for Brock's aggressive, fast-forward style. Furthermore, in terms of overall size, Omos is outside Brock's normal range of opponent. It's gonna be a Wrestlemania moment on its own when Brock lifts Omos up for the F-5, but after that... you're left with Omos getting tossed back into the toy chest until the next house show rolls around. Take the hint, WWE. Give Omos another loss, and send him back to his home in Nigeria. He misses his family dearly, and I think his fellow Omo-sapiens will understand how homesick this man is. (It's really bad when The Great Khali has done your act better).
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Seth "Freakin" Rollins vs. Logan Paul
Ok, you also get ONE celebrity based match, too, but that's it.
In all honesty, Logan Paul has lived above expectations as far as his in-ring performances are concerned. He's not the most compelling and relatable character, but he's able to put on matches that are at least good (vs Roman) to above average (vs Miz). I like to think of him as the male equivalent to Ronda Rousey, where WWE is just using his name for brand recognition. Although unlike Ronda, his name is not exactly lighting up the mainstream media, just social media. And it's not translating well to ratings and awareness that he's living in WWE City. I know that WWE saw how well Logan adapted to the sports entertainment scene. That's just what the Paul brothers tend to do. But here's the kicker. People don't want to see a Paul brother succeed. They want a Paul brother to get knocked on their ass via a huge crushing piston called "reality". Here's an example. When Jake Paul won a boxing match, it was whatever. When he lost to Tommy Fury just recently, now THAT is where the entertainment value was. And Jake did say to judge him by his losses, not his wins. We are prepared to do the same to Logan. Because all he has done so far in WWE is lose. Match quality aside, he has put the "L" in Logan. Let's see if this showdown with Seth gives him his Wrestlemania triumph.
Speaking of which, there's so little to say about Seth Rollins in this equation. At least he knows who his opponent is this year. At least he had the spectacular Cody Rhodes feud before the wrestling gods gave Cody time off (and a hell of a match to go out on). He did kinda get stuck trying to put Matt Riddle over before Riddle succumbed to his own vices, but this is the most over Seth Rollins has been. Most of it is the fancy new "sing me to the ring, and never stop singing" entrance, but it's the little things that make you a big star around these parts. And really, I can't picture anyone else in this scenario. The Visionary vs The Influencer. This should be a fun contest, and bragging rights for weeks to come if Rollins walks out the loser. However, if it means more of Logan Paul appearing in WWE... honestly, every wrestling fan loses. I know Logan says his contract is up after Wrestlemania, but somehow, I'm not a believer WWE will let him slip away that easily.
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Trish Stratus, Lita, and Becky Lynch vs. Damage CTRL (Bayley, Dakota Kai, and Iyo Sky)
Let's take you back to Summerslam 2022. Bianca Belair standing tall over an obsessed Becky Lynch, and then out comes Bayley. Away from the WWE for over a year to rehab a freak accident during training for the return to live events. But the twist no one was expecting is that Bayley didn't return alone. She brought back two women to form a stable that would be ever present across RAW ever since. Dakota Kai, previously handed her pink slip a few months prior, was given a second chance at her WWE life by Bayley. As well as Iyo Sky, who already had one foot out the door while living in NXT limbo. Thus, they formed the group Damage CTRL, and while neither member was successful in capturing singles gold (Especially Bayley.), the Women's Tag Team Championships... that was a different story. Aside from one week being without the titles, Kai/Sky have held them for 5 months. It's only recently that Becky Lynch and a returning Lita have come into possession of said titles, with a little help from Trish Stratus, who much like Lita, is never REALLY retired.
And now we have an interesting 6-woman tag contest that's been put together as a result. Becky Lynch and two Hall of Fame legends combat a group that needs a decisive Wrestlemania victory as a trio. Becky's been fighting Damage CTRL longer than anyone else, so it is safe to assume this will be the beginning of the end of this neverending war. Especially if Damage CTRL can finally walk away from their battles against Becky with heads held high... hopefully.
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Rey Mysterio vs. Dominik Mysterio
Yeah, this match was pretty much a foregone conclusion. I feel like they could have done this match at any Wrestlemania possible, but first we need someone to be heel in this contest, and it's sure as hell not gonna be Rey Mysterio.
So... Dominik... I'm a bit mixed on his career trajectory. Because right now, across the board, he's just good, but not great. He's trying to be on the same level as his father, sometimes even emulating him either for heat or grasping the Mysterio name for some miniscule level of credibility... but at this point, it's been more than a minute since his career started, and the excuses are running out. Hell, that promo where he declared he's the next Eddie Guerrero... yeah, that definitely ruffled a few feathers online. btw, still using Eddie's name as a vehicle in your Wrestlemania matchup build in 2023... come on, guys. And yes, Eddie came a long way as shown by his WCW work, and the level of promo that Guerrero was cutting at the time. So maybe it's better we get this shit version of Dominik out of the way now, so he can eventually become WWE Superstar Dominik Mysterio, with a celebrated World Championship reign of... 2 months.
What is actually happening here is that Rey Mysterio is being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame this year, so his career clock is running out. So this match is immediately happening before Rey's knees collapse into themselves, and thankfully, the way this match was booked ensures that Wrestlemania will be the point where this feud has absolutely peaked. God, the pop on Rey finally striking his son. I haven't seen him get that much pleasure out of beating his kids since he got his copy of WWE '13.
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Hell in a Cell Match
Edge vs "The Demon" Finn Balor
Ladies and gentlemen, your neverending feud. It wasn't too long ago that Edge formed The Judgment Day, a heel stable dedicated to taking the younger generation under Edge's wing. First, it was Damian Priest, a lost soul looking for guidance, looking to escape his never ending punishment. Then, it was Rhea Ripley, a individual whose presence in the group took on a life of its own (more on that later). And somewhere along the way, they even added Rey Mysterio's son, Dominik, into the fray, which he sorely needed. But none of those additions compared to their last member... Finn Balor, who immediately led a coup overthrowing Edge as their leader. It could be because Edge opposed the direction that The Judgment Day was going, but don't let rumors and heresay dissaude you from the fact that the preceding battle of Finn Balor leading The Judgment Day in a crusade to make Edge's life a living hell has been happening for a couple months too long. Even Edge's own wife had to pay the price for her troubles, and because Edge taught them too well. It feels like we've gone just about everywhere these two can go together... except Hell in a Cell. Oh, and Finn Balor's "Demon" persona is listed as the opponent, but hey, 3-4 hours in the makeup chair will absolutely be worth it to bring back a character he said he discarded in his second NXT run. Of course, wrestlers say a lot of things, but Finn's such a professional, we figured that declaration would stick.
At least this way, these two can guarantee a great Wrestlemania match... for about 15 minutes until Damian gets involved in some way. Plus it's probably Edge's match to lose. Unless he makes another agreement, this is his last year on his WWE contract. And of course The Judgment Day has nowhere to go but up. Even though it could possibly be a splintered group if Rhea gets the job done at Wrestlemania (again, more on that later.)
​
Men's Wrestlemania Showcase
Braun Strowman and Ricochet vs. The Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford) vs. Alpha Academy (Chad Gable and Otis) vs. The Viking Raiders (Erik and Ivar)
Since the Tag Team title match later on is a 2 team affair, we need to show the world that, yes, we do indeed have other teams in reserve, and no, our tag team division is NOT dead why would you even say that!
These are, admittedly, the usual suspects. The Viking Raiders have been a "pushed one week, not pushed the next" team over the past couple years. More importantly, they haven't been consistently healthy. Finally getting their chance to make their mark, and a new face among them in Valhalla who's career is probably gonna last longer than theirs, perhaps they get a credible win this time around?
The Street Profits... still exist. WWE, in their endless quest to not pull the trigger on a Montez Ford push, has him continued to be weighed down by Angelo Dawkins, a guy who is good, but not AS good. Even if they win, let's be real. It's not going to improve their standing as a tag team.
Alpha Academy... is also still here. Despite WWE not knowing exactly what they are going to do with Otis, and Chad Gable continuing to be another jobber to the stars, we still have a team, miraculously. It feels like nowadays these two would be better off apart, which is weird to say considering they were mostly on top around this time last year.
The underdog in this scenario is the makeshift team with no name... Braun and Ricochet. Braun has seen success in the past, but Ricochet... the mountain he climbed wasn't nearly as tall. You look at this team, and you look at a duo that just doesn't belong. Individual success in singles, cannon fodder in a tag match. If anything, they might be the team to surprise everyone, and secure a victory here. It all depends on what their future holds, as well as the future of the tag division, considering what lies ahead.
​
Women's Wrestlemania Showcase
Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez vs. Natalya and Shotzi vs. Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler vs. Chelsea Green and Sonya Deville
Supposedly, Becky Lynch & Lita were supposed to defend their Women's Tag Team Championship at Wrestlemania on top of the 6-woman clash with Damage CTRL. Now that is crazy. And clearly, WWE wasn't crazy enough to have Lita wrestle 2 nights in a row. So we have a Women's Tag Team showcase. And what a tag team showcase it is. Including tag teams that... aren't really tag teams. I could give you writeups on where each of these women are in their career prior to this tag team extravaganza, but let's cut to the chase. Ronda Rousey is in this match. Considering all the other women in this mix, Ronda Rousey is not walking away with an L at Wrestlemania (forget Wrestlemania 35, one of the most celebrated wins in women's wrestling). Her and Shayna Baszler would have more than likely become Women's Tag Team Champions had things been a little different, and I believe they will be by the end of the year, so if anyone needs this win for bragging rights and for the rocket to propel them towards the gold, it's Ronda and Shayna. Any other win is a waste of time. I will say I am surprised to see Chelsea Green at Wrestlemania. I feel like I just saw her in Impact Wrestling 6 months ago. She was absolutely gonna team with Carmella, but it appears the wrestling gods aren't done bringing maximum misfortune upon Carmella, so Sonya Deville, you're here. You're not doing anything. The rest of you... one of you is more than likely eating the pin. Natalya, thank you for your 15 year long service to WWE, and your service will continue with a Ronda exclamation point. You understand, of course...
​
Still, what would Wrestlemania be without title defences? A legit question I hope that WWE never answers.
WWE United States Championship
Austin Theory (c) vs. John Cena
John Cena has not wrestled at Wrestlemania in 3 years. And hasn't wrestled at a live Wrestlemania in 5 years. And it was an Undertaker match that wasn't even properly advertised (Is a 2 minute match at Wrestlemania even a REAL match?)! It's so weird to see the hero of the Ruthless Aggression era absent from Wrestlemania. Not even talking about a match, just... not even a cameo? But it's fine. John Cena has his noteworthy career in Hollywood, and has to stop being Peacemaker to become WWE Superstar for one night only. His opponent?
​
Austin Theory. Austin Theory is absolutely living up to his potential, at last. Over the past year, he has become a superstar that you can slot into pretty much any situation. Get your cheek bashed in by Tyson Fury? Done. Keep the US Championship relevant? Oh yeah. Main event for RAW? Done and dusted. While Roman is mostly King of SmackDown, it's RAW that is lacking in a World Title to call its own, and it feels like Austin Theory has done his damndest to take up the mantle. It's a shame that he has yet to receive that one victory to cement his place on the upper card. That match could very well be pinning John Cena at Wrestlemania, which is more than likely going to happen because Cena has so few Wrestlemania matches left in him, and the torch needs to be passed. Not that such a torch passing achievement is a sure thing, because Kurt Angle passed the torch to Baron Corbin in 2019, and... yeah. Should be a better match than people are thinking considering I don't think Cena has lost a single step post-Hollywood, and Austin Theory will no doubt be not only pulling out all the stops, but ripping them out, to boot. I assume there's a lot of certainty behind this stop ripping, because it's going to be the opening match of Wrestlemania on Saturday. Best of luck, Theory. Admittedly, this isn't the Austin vs Cena match I wanted, but we haven't fully invented time travel yet.
​
WWE Intercontinental Championship
Gunther (c) vs. Sheamus vs. Drew McIntyre
Damn. Just... damn. If there was a singles match with any combination of these 3 men at Wrestlemania, you are guaranteed ****1/2 star minimum. The evidence speaks loudly. Drew and Sheamus wallop each other, and it's 4 stars. Gunther and Sheamus take lumps of flesh out of one another at Cardiff, it's considered a match of the year candidate. I feel for the human bodies in this war. Through Gunther's own impatience, what would have been a competitive 1v1 brawl turns into a Triple Threat clusterfuck, said in the nicest terms. There's only so much unique text I can type being envious of everyone in this match. It's not THE main event, but it's my main event.
Sheamus has spent the past year or two putting the heavy in heavyweight, being the hard hitting bruiser he always knew he could be. Teaming with The Brawling Brutes and being an overall menace in the 6-man division (Ha! You thought there was a Trios division in WWE, didn't you?).
Drew has been all over the card. World Title shot one month, feuding with Karrion Kross the previous months, and now he's got his chance at gold he can realistically carry for at least a couple months. If only said gold wasn't held by Gunther.
Gunther... the walking weapon of WWE (get well soon, Josh Alexander). I petition this man should absolutely get his name changed to Midas, because everything he touches is gold. All I have to do is point directly at his NXT matches with Ilya Dragunov, and say that such excessive violence is the peak of WWE content. And his match quality has stood strong even when he leapt up to the main roster. It's been that way for the past 9 months ever since he won the IC title. Body after body falling before his presence. The best IC Champion in a long time. If he loses this match, it's because WWE looked back at his... well, it's less of a true one-on-one match, and more of a "last two guys in the Royal Rumble" match against Cody, and realized that Gunther is that guy. And hopefully, he does not fall between the cracks in the process. This match has potential to be match of the year. Watch out, grab a bucket of popcorn, and hold it tight.
​
RAW Women's Championship
Bianca Belair (c) vs. Asuka
Bianca, congratulations on your year long success. I'm all for you breaking down barriers, and making history (herstory's too cheesy, and I don't want to devalue her accomplishments), but what awaits you at this Wrestlemania is a challenger to your title unlike any other before her.
Asuka.
Asuka has transformed into a figure better representing her previous life as KANA. This is an Asuka not hindered by wacky dancing and horrendously awkward promos, this is an Asuka that plays with your head. Make you fear NOT what is coming, but why it hasn't already appeared. We've seen so little of this Asuka in WWE, and we've seen very little of these two in a one-on-one setting. Maybe a match here and there on RAW, but this pairing have yet to see a long term rivalry. At last, WWE have realized to, as the Fighting Game Community used to say, save that shit for nationals. Well, Wrestlemania is your nationals.
Asuka is a dangerous customer all her own. If she hasn't knocked your head off with precise kicks, or ripped you limb from limb in one of her many submissions, then beware what awaits you if she opens her mouth. And heaven knows how this new persona has affected her typical approach.
Bianca, you also know the score with her. Stamina to spare, and power for miles. She's been holding that RAW Women's Championship ever since last year's Wrestlemania, and has worn that title to the fullest, decimating any and all competitors who think they can hang with her. Including against Asuka at Hell in a Cell, with a little help from Becky. Now Bianca and Asuka need only focus on each other. This is a fresh new Asuka against a Bianca who is prepared to weather this tsunami threatening to take her title. Another classic Wrestlemania encounter awaits.
As for who will walk away with the cherry championship, I feel like Asuka wins, just because Bianca isn't ready for Asuka. Not to seem cliche, or desperate to squeeze in a catchphrase or two, but I feel like one of Asuka's newest unknown tricks is going to be the deciding factor. And it's also definitely not going to be the last time these two square off with a championship at stake. Here's hoping.
​
SmackDown Women's Championship
Charlotte Flair (c) vs. Rhea Ripley
You know, when this match took place 3 years ago, I hoped Rhea would win. A rising star straight out of NXT with the boost she needed to be at the top of the mountain. But that's not what happened. Charlotte outperformed her. Back then, I figured Rhea winning was a must. The momentum of WCW Lex Luger after his world title win over Hollywood Hogan, and with a loss, it would be turned into WWF Lex Luger with no title to his own. That's also not what happend. Rhea climbed her way back up, scratched and clawed for every achievement. For a while, she was at the top of RAW's Women's Division. It's clear now she didn't need the boost, she just needed to plant her feet above ground level, and the business would work for her from there. And then something happened. She became a part of The Judgement Day. She got the kudos, she got the tutelage, and she got herself a Royal Rumble win. And a ticket to a championship opportunity. The roles are reversed. Now it's not Rhea insisting Charlotte use her Rumble win to challenge her for the NXT Championship, now it's Rhea using her prize as a chance to correct history, and become SmackDown Women's Champion.
There is debate on whether or not this match is worthy of a Wrestlemania main event slot. Considering how white hot the storylines are in the last two matches being covered, and the potential of just having women main event a Wrestlemania night for PR backpatting, it's definitely a match with a case to state. A Royal Rumble winner being in the last match of the show isn't a sure thing, and the build might not make the match seem as hype as others, but if these two think they are worthy of closing the show... then I hope they tear the roof off SoFi.
These two are top of the line. Charlotte can turn her offensive focus on a dime, Rhea is prepared to play dirty to realize her dream, and Rhea is facing the daughter of the dirtiest player in the game. This isn't gonna be a pretty contest. A heated, brutal slugfest is a much better descriptor. I believe Rhea will leave behind any shred of doubt that she is on Charlotte's level. But Charlotte's not just gonna lie down, and let her title slip away. Look forward to this match being talked about for the next few months afterward.
​
Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship
The Usos (Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso) (c) vs. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn
The year is 2023. The Usos continue their eternal stranglehold on the WWE Tag Team division. It's been due to The Bloodline's dissention being one of the most compelling storylines in recent WWE memory, and at the center of that discourse is Sami Zayn. We've been watching him over the past year align with Roman, damn near become the second-in-command of The Bloodline, fight against his best friend Kevin Owens (which to be fair, is neither the first nor the last time that's happened), and then have Sami reach his boiling point with a payoff betrayal of Roman Reigns being a deafening roar of heroism, to Sami getting squashed underneath Roman's boot. But now Sami knows his true target; The Usos. But he can't do it alone. He needs help from his former best friend, Kevin Owens. Owens wants no part of Sami's personal war, considering that Sami joined in on any and all Bloodline beatdowns of Kevin Owens. However, the enemy of my enemy is my friend, so friends turned rivals turned friends again believe they have the best chance of finally overcoming The Usos and their umpteenth day reign as Tag Team champions.
And the bond of The Usos is stronger than it's been. Jey Uso, with a small drop of uncertainty, spent a whole month absent from WWE itself, uncertain if the direction of The Bloodline was one he was willing to follow. In the end, blood was thicker than water. And rather than Sami and Jey be the duo to get it done, Jey kicked those dreams away, picking family over personal glory. Just be glad the titles haven't been given the proper Freebird rule, because there was a house show or two where the part of Jey Uso was played by Solo Sikoa. Ah yes, Solo is finally a part of WWE's main roster proper. Spent the first 6 months of his career undefeated (just had his first loss to Cody on Monday. Still looked strong). If the Usos start to, in any capacity, show signs of losing, expect this enforcer to interject.
In reality, you know how strong The Usos are as a unit. Slick teamwork, lethal attacks and combinations to double up their mighty blows... they've been holding on to those titles legit, even without interference. Will this reunited twosome of Kevin and Sami be any different? I don't think so. Sami's been on the inside until recently, and Kevin's been fighting them longer than anyone. In my mind, they might just be the force to catch The Usos slipping, and become the new Tag Team Champions. Of course, that depends on if the wrestling gods have grown tired of seeing The Usos hog the tag titles for over a year plus. I think most of us are.
​
---
With the dirty dozen of Wrestlemania clashes chronicled, we now come to the final contest; The Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. You know the first name, but the second one is a name seeking glory that his generation could never grasp. Let's get the obvious one out of the way first.

Roman Reigns

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZwTHoHI8cQ
Roman Reigns wanted his Head of the Table gimmick realized, or he would walk out on WWE. The fans believed in their Tribal Chief becoming the face of WWE. Over the past 900+ days, that's what happened. The fans got their reward..... their eternal reward. Roman has stood on top for far longer than any human being in the Wrestlemania generation. Male or Female. Singles or Tag Team. In fact, walking into this match, this is the 3rd straight year that Roman is defending his world championship. No one else can make such a claim. Not even Hulk Hogan, who felt like his time at the top of the mountain lasted far longer.
It's not hard to see why Roman is breaking as many records as he is. It's because of how far he has come. You look back at his time even 5-10 years ago, a time where the crowd wanted absolutely none of Vince's personal project. His promo material was awful, his matches were against people who were either leagues above him in wrestling ability, or they were far too immobile to be of any help. Roman Reigns was everything except over with the crowd. You can throw him in as many main events as you want, he will never be acknowledged. The fans despised him because of the simple fact that he was "The Guy". The guy in the big Wrestlemania matches, the second man ever to have defeated The Undertaker at Wrestlemania, the guy who got chance after chance at the spotlight when many other favored sons received diddly-squat in comparison.
With that, Roman worked smarter. Seeking his family entourage to grant them guaranteed success, his wise council in Paul Heyman being the Don King to his Mike Tyson, his general improvement and diversity in his offense beyond just spears and superman punches, as well as limiting when and where his title matches take place to make them the big deal that they deserve to be. Roman has been used in a significantly smaller capacity over the past year, to the point of some considering him a part-timer, which is a dangerous role around these parts. The continuous rumors over Roman taking time off were constant, and everpresent. They felt more like a tease that the oppressive era of The Bloodline was coming to an end. In actuality, it meant that the other members of The Bloodline got their chance to shine on equal terms.
Roman has been at the center of damn near every major storyline going on in WWE. Whenever Roman appears, whether making his way to RAW, or defending his title at a Premium Live Event, it is a big deal. A must see for any and all eyes on the product. He is what he, and the people who believed in him all those years ago, wanted him to become. The face of WWE. His actions as of recent have made him anything BUT face. Him destroying Sami Zayn at Royal Rumble and Elimination Chamber have secured his place as the top heel of the company for the near future, and it has been reflected in how he achieves his Ws. One way or another, he has pulled win after win out of his ass, either through capitalizing on chaos, or outpeforming the opposition. But there is one man he has never been able to defeat in a meaningful encounter. That is Roman's Wrestlemania opponent. A man, who as of 4 years ago, was All Elite.
​

"The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i36tXq7yK6c
​
This really is the embodiment of never say never. Cody Rhodes left the WWE in a huff, shamed and embarrassed at his personal exit. But he didn't linger for long. He went back on the grind.
So.. what do you wanna talk about? Well, let's talk about Cody's post-WWE life.
You name a wrestling promotion in the United States, the likes of the NWA, the likes of Ring of Honor, he has swam to the top of it. Creating and forging his own legacy and identity. Not afraid to speak his own mind, not afraid to step above his station, and especially not afraid to fight his ass off, and put on matches well above his own average. As a result, a special thing happened in 2017. Wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer felt that Ring of Honor would not sell out a 10,000 seat arena any time soon. Cody took him up on that declaration. In an event known as "The Bet", such a PPV exceeding that crowd capacity was called All In, and it planted the seeds for what is now the #2 wrestling promotion in the United States. It's crazy to think way back when that THAT Cody Rhodes would be partially responsible for helping to create the first promotion to take a sizable chunk out of WWE's audience since the WCW days; All Elite Wrestling.
But what no one else was expecting in the early days of AEW was Cody's career trajectory. The first to challenge for the AEW World Title held by Chris Jericho under the condition that if Cody can't beat Jericho, he will never challenge for that title again. It would be Cody's one, and only, shot at that title. He failed. From then on, Cody would obtain a title worth fighting for; the TNT Championship. Challenger after challenger vanquished every single week for as long as Cody held that title. With the exception of getting mauled into submission by the late Brodie Lee, Cody would stay the course. The only thing that would stop him... was discourse. Among the AEW fans. They felt that Cody only had his success because it was his company. And it was that stigma that eventually caused the fans to turn on him. Through a combination of that bitterness, as well as clashing with his fellow EVPs, Cody felt the time was right to leave AEW to its own devices. Unthinkable at the time, but by January 2022, it became reality. Cody was a free man once again.
From there, it was a matter of days. The day... was Wrestlemania last year. Speculation on Seth Rollins' mystery opponent had the rumor mill swirling. Perhaps Gable Steveson, maybe Shane McMahon? But Cody Rhodes? Come on, there's no way. And then the lights went black come match time.. to the tune of "Kingdom". And a crowd reaction that broke the sound barrier. My god... it actually happened. Cody Rhodes returned to WWE.
It must have come with a hex on Cody's body, because a couple months later, Cody tore a pectoral muscle meaning his WWE return would be short lived... if this were a man of logic and discretion, perhaps. Cody wrestled a classic Hell in a Cell encounter despite his pec looking incredibly sore against Seth Rollins to cap off that rivalry. And then the recuperation began.
Not a peep on Cody's return until the Royal Rumble. After putting on another clinic with Gunther to fight over the Wrestlemania main event, Cody stood tall. And thus, the match was set in stone. It's Roman Reigns vs Cody Rhodes. WWE's golden boy, vs AEW's exiled founding father. Cody Rhodes attempting to realize a dream that his father, The American Dream, was never able to make reality. A matchup that didn't even seem possible 2 years ago is now suddenly the main event of Wrestlemania. Wrestling is a special thing, sometimes.
In short, this matchup is indeed main event worthy. It's an even bout from top to bottom. Roman's power and authority vs Cody's acumen and knowhow. A godlike force vs a man seeking wrestling immortality. It's either going to be jaded WWE fans swearing to never watch again as long as Roman's still the champ, or AEW fans seething and coping that Cody is standing tall in enemy territory. A main event for the ages that one man has to lose. A duel of the fates that will be spoken of in documentaries and future montages to come. The quest to decide the undisputed WWE Champion.
Who will it be?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aST-5fzb1Iw
\A DYNAMITE PREDICTON**
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_HFnIGszr4
All things considered, I think this match is a lot closer than people think it is. Cody has been fighting to no end, and he's confident that he has Roman's number. He has a reason to be champion other than just being the top guy in the company, but to Roman, that is his only reason. And that is his driving motivator. And such an obsession will be his undoing. All it will take is one mistake, one spear off the mark, and Cody will strike with an unforeseen fury and desire. This is Cody Rhodes' night. He will raise both titles, and discard both physical championships to bring back the golden World Heavyweight Championship that his father once wore proudly. Don't deny me this moment, WWE. Don't deny your fans someone new at the top for fucking once. And please keep away from Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund. The morality of your fanbase depends on it. Not like morality has stopped any of your poor decision making in the past. Speaking of poor decisions, enjoy your weekend of bodyslams and crossbody splashes to the outside. Ring the bell, fuckers!
​
---
https://youtu.be/4CUXV3BfeD4?t=184
Thanks for reading. Have fun with Nick Khan saying the quiet part out loud.
Nick Khan: Just one note on that, I don’t run the WWE. There’s only one person who actually runs the WWE, Vince McMahon. A lot of folks help me to help run the WWE.

Hello y'all!
Recently, one Twitter user made me aware that Steam Deck could be used for reading mangas (Not the brightest discovery, but I was shocked since I never thought about that xD)! If you do own any big touchscreen device, you could 100% skip it, because as we know it, SD don't have biggest and greatest screens on this planet. But in my case, it is the only big enough unit that I own. So here is my method and workarounds to create the simplest environment to just sit and read.
We will be working only on Desktop mode, if you opened it at least once you're qualified enough for every of those steps. If you didn't, you will be once you try it! Steam Button > Power > Switch to Desktop
In the Discover "app store" on the task bar, you need to search for Komikku. It's beautiful and smooth GTK app, it supports multiple sources from the web and local ones. From my limited research, it comes as the current best Linux comic/manga client available. But it comes with one big handicap. It cannot rotate the image. On the default screen rotation, you can only read in vertical mode, so it's far from comfortable experience. The developer doesn't feel like having this option is necessary, so here we are, forced to go into system options and rotate the screen manually, so we can use the whole screen real estate and resolution.
UNLESS!
Now we will set up custom shortcuts (KDE Plasma doesn't come with keyboard shortcuts to rotate the screen like Windows has) and assign them to SD back buttons.
!!! Remember that SD screen is rotated by default! Its “normal” mode is being a horizontal display appearing to be rotated to the right. When we type in Terminal >normal< we mean rotated irl, then >right< would mean “normal” to us, the users. Try to not get confused! !!!
Open System Settings. Click Shortcuts (they are almost at the top, but you can search for them), and then Custom Shortcuts.
In the second box from the left (under the list of some build in actions [not sure, don't care]) click Edit and then New > Global Shortcut > Command/URL
Then we're in the third box. We can skip Comment section, it's just for us if we want to type something to remember, better just name shortcut appropriately. In the Trigger section, we need to type our shortcut. In my configuration, I decided to stick with the Windows convention, but it could be hard to hold 3 keys simultaneously without a physical keyboard connected, so you do you. So, for example, you could use Ctrl+Alt+Down(arrow)
As an Action type xrandr --output eDP --rotate right
This ^ will rotate the display to the normal vertical position
Then add a second shortcut the same way but use a different keys combination, for example, Ctrl+Alt+Right(arrow), and as an Action set xrandr --output eDP --rotate normal
This ^ will rotate the display to the right (horizontal)
And for the final piece, we will use totally not broken Steam Controller Desktop Configuration!
Open Steam still in Desktop mode, then open Settings, Controller tab and click into DESKTOP CONFIGURATION button. As at the time of writing this post, this will open the old school Big Picture tab. Using this Reddit post as a reference, all you need to do is assign those new made shortcuts to the back buttons, clicking the appropriate boxes. BUT remember to click TOGGLE MULTI-BUTTON ON under virtual keyboard representation. FUN FACT, this will only show up while using a real mouse, or taping the screen with your fingers. Touchpads won't work in this window xD
In my case Ctrl+Alt+Down(arrow) went into L4 button - this is resetting screen to the vertical position.
Ctrl+Alt+Right(arrow) went into L5 button - this is rotating the screen to the horizontal, comic/manga reading position.
That is all, happy reading!
I will update this post when one of those happen:

1. Komikku dev will add view rotation to the reading options, we wouldn't be here because of that, for better and for worse. Nonetheless, I want to say thank you, for creating and maintain this awesome app!
   
2. KDE will add their own shortcuts to rotate the screen.
   
3. Valve will fix/replace this broken mess of a Desktop mode configuration.
   

Sorry for a weird grammar here and there, I'm not a native English speaker and wanted to feed this text to GPT-3, so it would retouch some bugs, but got lazy so... ya know!

I was reading about the Vatican's repudiation of the Doctrine of Discovery today and it made me livid as it was a crystal-clear, contemporary example of everything Hitchen's lambasted the church for at the Intelligence Squared event where he appeared alongside Stephen Fry against the motion that the Catholic Church is a force for good in the world.
In another typical act of evasive and euphemistic apology that has come to define the Catholic Church, the Vatican has rescinded the Doctrine of Discovery and done its very best to distance itself – the religion and the institution – from the acts that took place under its precepts. It was a legal and religious concept that has been used for centuries to justify Christian colonial conquest. Today, a Vatican statement said the documents had been "manipulated" for political purposes by colonial powers "to justify immoral acts against Indigenous peoples that were carried out, at times, without opposition from ecclesial authorities." It was not manipulated. It was an acknowledgement and endorsement by the clergy that these people believed they had a right to proselytize and subjugate to spread their religion and culture by force if necessary because theirs was superior.
This statement is similar to the apology Pope Ratzinger delivered on the murder and forced conversion of indigenous peoples in Latin America that Hitchen's brought up at the debated formerly referenced. In the Pope's act of contrition, he went on to say that “…none-the-less, it must remember that before we came to convert them, they were silently awaiting the arrival of the church.” This is not accepting responsibility in any real way and continues to resemble the church’s constant struggle to keep up with what average people consider common moral sense, to remain relevant in the 21st century, and constantly excuses itself for the crimes against humanity that took place with its blessing.
The Catholic Church just cannot seem to apologize properly as it would likely have to come to grips with the fact that it is one of the largest purveyors of violence and hatred on Earth. As he would say, these are serious matters and cannot be pawned off by occasional references to religious charities, or the charitable nature of the average believer. This is an escapist tool used to make the institution and beliefs that follow a utilitarian tool to deflect the inadequacies of its metaphysical claims and change the channel from a history of rampant abuses and its offense to the free intelligence. Until the church stops peddling its warrant to tell people what to do and believe these things will continue, and we will keep getting flippant apologies about some of the most horrific events that have taken place over the course of human history.
An Excerpt from the primary source by Pope Alexander VI, 1493.
https://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-resources/spotlight-primary-source/doctrine-discovery-1493#:~:text=(Gilder%20Lehrman%20Collection)%20The%20Papal,by%20Columbus%20the%20previous%20year

Hey guys,
Boxes and and complete accessories are available for most of the items. Some of my asking prices are negotiable, I am spit balling for some of the items because I'm not too sure what would be a fair asking price for some of them. If anything seems too out of line, let me know and I'll update it. Shipping isn't included. Happy to answer any questions
Timestamps/album: https://imgur.com/a/0NdZTLd

Item	Price	Comments
i9-10900k + Z590-E + 32gb corsair LPX at 3200mhxz	700$	Board is new, with all the accessories, cpu and ram are used
Asus ROG RTX 3090	1100$	RMA replacement, receipt available, unused
Asus TUF RTX 4090	2200$	Receipt available
i9-12900K + Z690-G	800$	All accessories for the board are included, cpu has not been overclocked
Gigabyte RTX 3090 Gaming OC 24G	1000$	new Gigabyte RMA, unused
EVGA RTX 3070 XC3 Ultra	550$	Receipt available
Razer Huntsman Mini - Clicky Optical	120$	Razer RMA replacement, receipt available, unused
Apple HomePod mini - White x2	120$	Price is for each, still sealed, receipt available
Corsair HX1200	300$	All cable included
Noctua NH-C14S	100$	None
Logitech G Pro	120$	RMA replacement, unused
EVGA RTX 3090 XC3 Ultra + Hybrid kit	1200$	Bios is flashed to the hybrid model, was purchased from Best Buy so the warranty is transferable, I have the original cooler and everything else. Not mined on
Fractal Torrent Compact - White	200$	Receipt available
M1 Macbook Air 256gb	950$	Receipt available, recent replacement from Apple, unused
Samsung Odyssey G7 C32G75T	700$	Receipt available
Samsung HW-Q60R Soundbar	300$	Tried getting it all in 1 photo, no comments
Samsung Q80T 65" TV	1500$	Though to get the whole thing in a single photo, no idea how I'm gonna sell this, no issues
Surface Dock 1664	35$	No power cable unfortunately, works with Surface Pros 3-7
Schiit HEL	300$	Used, been in storage for a while
Arctic LGA 1700 Bracket	10$	Got an extra one, don't need it
iPad Pro M1 128gb WiFi, + Case + Magnetic drawing paper	900$	No issues

Hi,
I've been using a typical cheap hanging pulley system for a while. I've been looking for a budget plate loaded lat machines with the idea of making a belt squat system like Kyle.
The issue is simple: all the budget products look the same yet the declared weight capacity always differs (by a big margin). Some state that you can load up to 300kg, others 160, 100. They're all similiar to the Titan lat tower, which is rated for 400lbs (180kg).
So, here's my question: other than the obvious cable and pulley what should I be looking for when buying a lat machine to ensure maximum weight capacity?
Thanks in advance!

Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely loved the ending, and I think an entire homeworld redemption was brilliant. However, the ending of the original show felt rushed. In reunited, the diamonds just show up and after a short battle, the gems are safe. I think a more epic approach to the end could have been another battle with homeworld gems. Yellow Diamond had to have known about the rebels still on earth due to peridot and aquamarine, and she completely ignored that? I wish they would have kept that same intimidating idea of homeworld like they did during the return - yellows diamonds reveal era. Another example is when Lapis tells the gems that homeworld is too advanced to fight with, we didn’t really get to see that advancement she referred to. I think another gem war (not as catastrophic as the last) would have been a good climax towards the end, especially since bismuth was back and peridot joined them, they would’ve helped. I also feel like the art style change kinda watered it down. When we first see yellow and blue Diamond, they look extremely powerful and serious. And towards the end, they have a softer look to them. This leads into another critique, white Diamond had a HUGE hold su fans from the beginning and I think she could have had a more serious role in the end. Don’t get me wrong, I was OBSESSED with change your mind!!! I loved the ending and I feel like it wrapped up the show in the best way possible. I just wish they would have stuck with the same approach to homeworld and the diamonds as they did in its 2015-2017 era :)

Hello! I have been an enjoyer of Gragas for many years now and was hyped to see the big man be played by T1, followed by absolutely everyone else. Now I'm not trying to say that pro players such as Faker or Nisqy are ineffective with the champion, because they certainly have pulled their weight and more in their Gragas games, but as someone who knows the champion in an out, I see so many missed opportunities that could have resulted in kills or more damage if they had some basic champion knowledge. That, along with the tide of new Gragas players invading my soloq games, I have borne witness to some of the most horrendous combos of all time. This made me realize, that some people who have picked Gragas up from proplay, will probably never have proper understanding of how to most efficiently use his abilities.

1. PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD cast Q during E, even when flashing. I have seen so many E flashes not result in a kill due to the enemy flashing out of Q because it was cast too late. Your ganks and all ins will become much more effective once it becomes muscle memory to EQ and then flash.

0 counterplay unavoidable damage combo
2) Your W cast time and ultimate CC duration are roughly the same. Use the time you buy with R to chug a cold one
0 counterplay unavoidable damage combo yet again. Hmm...
3) All in BOMBA combo. I have not seen a single professional player do this. The normal W -> E -> Flash -> Q1 -> R -> Auto -> Q2 combo I see people do works fine in alot of situations, but the second the enemy has even a little bit of tenacity or spams flash fast enough can avoid a big chunk of the damage or dodge the knockback. That is why most pros engage with just E -> Flash -> R. It is effective if all you need is CC, but you're missing half of your damage kit. You can just E and R the enemy adc and do 30% of their health, but if you spent 5 minutes in practice tool hitting a dummy, you instead could consistently do their entire healthbar from half a screen away with an unavoidable, 0 counterplay, CC and damage combo.
I'm sensing a pattern here
One of the many things that makes this champion so powerful is the fact that when played correctly, there is nothing you can do to avoid his damage. If Gragas lands E, with flash or not, you ARE taking the full damage and CC of his combo. Even if you live the initial burst, you're sitting in the middle of his team on low HP, far from any help. If pro players took the time to learn one of the best champions in the game, the potential would be nuts. I selected these example clips from the first Gragas games in my match histories, but these are things every Gragas player should know and use every game.
The key to the oneshot combo is the fact that you can cast R, after which you mash Q at your feet to throw the barrel and blow it up before the ult lands. You can do both of these things while in E animation and buffer them with flash. If not going for a oneshot, just angle your R to knock the target where you want it to fly.

I am more or less just looking for a build that can handle decent settings on modern games, especially Fortnite. I like the Look of this case. I just want to make sure there arent any unforeseen issues with the components I have picked out or if there are known issues I am unaware of or should educate myself on! Appreciate any advice!
[PCPartPicker Part List](https://pcpartpicker.com/list/jd2nxs)
​
TypeItemPrice
:----:----:----
**CPU** [AMD Ryzen 5 5600X 3.7 GHz 6-Core Processor](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/g94BD3/amd-ryzen-5-5600x-37-ghz-6-core-processor-100-100000065box) $156.26 @ Amazon
**Motherboard** [MSI B550-A PRO ATX AM4 Motherboard](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/7gxbt6/msi-b550-a-pro-atx-am4-motherboard-b550-a-pro) $139.99 @ Amazon
**Memory** [TEAMGROUP Vulcan Z 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600 CL18 Memory](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/768bt6/team-vulcan-z-16-gb-2-x-8-gb-ddr4-3600-cl18-memory-tlzgd416g3600hc18jdc01) $38.99 @ Amazon
**Storage** [Western Digital Blue SN570 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 3.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/3dvdnQ/western-digital-blue-sn570-1-tb-m2-2280-nvme-solid-state-drive-wds100t3b0c) $52.99 @ Amazon
**Video Card** [PowerColor Fighter Radeon RX 6700 XT 12 GB Video Card](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/c3RYcf/powercolor-radeon-rx-6700-xt-12-gb-fighter-video-card-axrx-6700xt-12gbd6-3dh) $369.99 @ Amazon
**Case** [MSI MPG GUNGNIR 110R ATX Mid Tower Case](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/gLZzK8/msi-mpg-gungnir-110r-atx-mid-tower-case-mpg-gungnir-110r) $99.99 @ Amazon
**Power Supply** [Corsair RM750e 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/6JFbt6/corsair-rm750e-750-w-80-gold-certified-fully-modular-atx-power-supply-cp-9020248-na) $99.99 @ Best Buy
*Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts*
**Total** **$958.20**
Generated by [PCPartPicker](https://pcpartpicker.com) 2023-03-31 11:57 EDT-0400

Love it or hate it, most in the community can agree that the Skull Merchant was a rushed chapter. A poorly thought out killer concept, bad lore, and a power that is just a less interesting version of the last killer's power. Not to mention things like how Skull Merchant reuses some of her animations from other killers, like trapper's pallet and gen kick animation. It's almost like the developers weren't really focused when making her, putting all of their best work, their passion and creativity, into something else. We know that behavior will work on multiple chapters at once, and the next chapter is the anniversary event which they always try to do something big for. We also haven't had a licensed chapter in a while, with the last two chapters being original. Maybe the reason this last killer is such a thirst trap is they want to make a lot of money quickly, possibly to pay off a big license they just bought for the next chapter, and pay everyone's bills until that chapter comes out. Combine this with the fact that last year the Friday The 13th license lawsuit ended, and you can see where I'm going with this.
I don't want to set myself up for disappointment, but it seems that stars are aligning for something amazing. Even the new PTB seems they are trying to improve the games health for a huge influx in new players they are about to get from the anniversary.

The last weeks [For Sale] posts in homelabsales
Posts that have not met the rules of HLS or have completed are not shown.
^{Bot Feedback? - Checkout the pinned post in my profile}

AUS 

EBAYTRALIA

• US-16-XG

​

CAN 

-ANY-

• Dell Poweredge R730 Dual Xeon 512GB Ram - 2 configurations

AB

• Hard drives - 16TB, 14TB, 8TB - US and Canada shipping

BC

• Dell PE R530 - 128Gb RAM - 4.2Tb HDD

CA-AB

• 256GB of Samsung DDR4 ECC 2133P RAM - 8x 32GB sticks

ON

• Ethernet over Coax Adapter Set
  
• HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen10 24-bay Chassis, 2x Xeon Gold 6148, 256GB Memory, 2-port 10GbE
  
• QNAP TS431P 4 Bay NAS
  

​

EU-UK 

UK

• Xeon E3-1260L (LGA1155, 45W, 4C/8T, 2.4/3.3Ghz)

​

EU 

-ANY-

• Dell R720 NVME KIT
  
• Memory Modules 64GB 32GB 16GB DDR4 PC4 RAM Reg ship world-wide 2933 2666 2400 2133
  

ESP

• Intel Xeon Platinum 8175M Skylake-SP and 8272CL Cascade Lake-SP LGA3647 1st and 2nd gen Scalable CPUs and a customized Supermicro X11DPi-NT motherboard

IE

• TryHardEggplant's Funemployment Sale!

​

UK 

-ANY-

• UK - Ubiquity Unifi equipment - USG-PRO-4, 24 port switch, 16 port POE Switch
  
• 600gb SAS drives x18 Location Dartford UK £10 per drive and some other bits on a clear out
  
• 16x32GB DDR4 ECC, 2x E5-2673v4 20 core CPUs, HP DL380 G9, Intel Server System
  
• US-48, USG-PRO-4, ASUS RT-AX88U ASUS RT-AX92U
  

UK

• 4x 4GB DDR3 UDIMM ECC Micron Memory Modules
  
• Mac Mini Late 2014, i5, 4GB, 120GB SSD
  
• Dell PowerEdge R720 SF, Dell 1.2TB SAS Drives
  

UK/EU

• Lenovo M920Q - Dell R320 - ReadyNAS 204 - Optiplex 7040 - Fujitsi G558 - Unifi USG

​

US-C 

-ANY-

• Ubiquiti UAP-AC-Pro (Chicago) Local pick up
  
• US-CO ECC Ram12x 64GB DDR4
  
• Dell NVMe 960Gb drives
  
• 2x Amcrest IP5M-B1186EB-28MM (5MP Outdoor POE Bullet IP Camera), & Amcrest 5MP Turret POE Camera (IP5M-T1179EW)
  

AR

• Lenovo ThinkCentre M710q Tiny i5-6500t, 2 x Enterprise SAS 800GB SSDs

CA

• New 22TB WD Purple Pro, $14/TB ($308 Shipped)

CO

• r730xd - SFF - 128GB DDR-4 - NVMe Enablement
  
• Nvidia Quadro P2000 GPU - Intel Xeon E5-1680v4 - HP Z440 Workstation
  
• Unifi In-Wall HD Access Point (UAP-IW-HD) $100
  

IA

• Ubiquiti USG-Pro-4 Security Gateway Router
  
• IPCAMS - 3 x Reolink RLC820A, 1x Reolink RLC1220A, Reolink RLC511W, Lorex 2k Doorbell Cam
  
• Ubiquiti Unifi UAP-AC Pro x 4, UAP-AC-LR x 1
  

IL

• [Central] Dell 42U rack + 2x HP R5500 XR UPS
  
• CRS317-1G-16S+RM, DACs, 9005p optane 480gb
  

IN

• Google Coral mPCIe Card - Local Pickup Only

KY

• IBM Storage arrays
  
• IBM System x3650 M4 - Barebone
  
• Navepoint 15U rack
  

MN

• Dell PowerEdge R240 / Intel Xeon E-2174G (4c/8t) / 32GB DDR4-2666 ECC UDIMM / Caddys
  
• Unique Fujitsu RX2530 M4 1U 4LFF / Intel Xeon Silver 4114 / 192GB PC4-2400 ECC RAM / 2x1TB Enterprise M.2 SSD / 4x8TB SAS3 HDD / SAS3 HBA / 2x1G & 2x10G / IPMI / Rails & Caddys
  
• Micron 32GB DDR5-4800 ECC UDIMM (x2), Adaptec AEC-82885T Expander Card, Lenovo 5C50W00877 Riser Cards (x4), Supermicro BPN-SAS-846TQ Backplane, Noctua NH-U9 DX-4189 CPU Cooler
  

MO

• Entire Homelab Rack

NE

• Lenovo P330 Workstation, Lenovo and Dell Tiny Workstations (M720q, M920q, Optiplex), Seagate IronWolf 8TB Drives NIB

OK

• 3x Raspberry Pi 4 (8GB, 4GB, 2GB), 2x Coral USB Accelerator, 2x 'Chromecast with Google TV (HD)'
  
• UniFi and Moar for SALE
  

TN

• Cisco 4GB DDR3 dimms, Cisco 16GB DR3 dimms, Xeon E5 2640v2's, Xeon E5640's

TX

• [DFW] 7ft Aluminum network rack plus accessories
  
• CyberPower CPS1215RMS Rackmount Surge Protector, 120V/15A, 12 Outlets, 15 ft Power Cord, 1U Rackmount
  
• Network diagram drink coasters
  
• M1 Mac Mini 256gb/8gb, GTX 1070, 2TB SSD
  
• Dell Poweredge R620 2x Xeon 6C-12C CPU 2x 495W PSU H710 RAID
  

TX-DFW

• Retired Plex Server $250

​

US-E 

-ANY-

• ThinkPad T14s G3 (Intel), P16 G1
  
• Brand New OEM Sealed 7.68TB and 1.6TB SSDs. Brand New OEM Sealed 375GB Nitro SSDs
  
• Google Coral M.2, Yottamaster 2 bay USB3 enclosure, SP 2TB SATA SSD
  
• Dell Optiplex 7040/50s, MT/SFF/MFF
  
• 14TB - WD Red (shucked) and other SSDs for sale
  

CT

• 3x Hikvision 6mm POE IP Cameras
  
• 3.5" SAS HDD's - 5x 8tb and 1x 10tb { REPOSTx1 - Price Drop }
  

DE/GLOBAL

• Hynix 16GB DDR4 ECC Registered Memory

EAST

• Intel NUC i3 8GB RAM 128GB HDD, Samsung 1TB SSD (sold separately)

FL

• Dell R815: 64 core AMD Opteron 6278, 256GB RAM, 64GB SSD+2TB HDD
  
• Dell T620 Paypal, Local Cash
  
• Intel NUCs NUC7i3DNK and NUC8i3BEK
  

FS-NJ

• Dell R730XD LFF w/ 128GB RAM - 2 x INTEL XEON E5-2660 v3

MA

• Dell R720 LFF, 12 x 16GB DDR3 ECC DIMM, & Intel X520 10GbE PCIe Nic - $380

MD

• Homelab Partial Liquidation

MD-BALTIMORE

• Intel 2U 112 Thread 2x Xeon Platinum -- R2208WFTZS Wolf Pass

ME

• Rackstuds Duo 1RU - Box of 50 brand new

MI

• Node 304, Arris SB6190, Asus AC88U, Netgear R6300, TPLink Kasa Smart Switches

NC

• LSI 9300-16i 16-port SATA SAS 12GB/s Host Bus Adapter (HBA)
  
• Various Consoles, Hardware
  
• Funemployment sale Pt. 2 (re-employed) - Rosewill + Unifi + Raspberry Pi & More, Student Discount
  
• Supermicro SC846, 4U 24-bay hot swap chassis only
  
• Supermicro X10SDV-2C-7TP4F
  

NH

• Cisco C220 M5 1U Server 10 Bay Dual Xeon Gold 6130 64 Threads 256GB DDR4-2400T 2400Mhz ECC Registered Ram
  
• HIGH DENSITY 64GB DDR3 ECC Registered LR dimm Ram Modules-
  

NJ

• [DDR2, DDR3, Wifi Cards, Bluray drive, USB-C Panel Mount, Laptop, etc.
  
• Cyberpower 1800W/2200VA Smart UPS (OL2200RTXL2U)
  
• Decked out white mid-tower custom server build (10c/20t, 128gb RAM, 1.75tb raw storage)
  
• Dell 1.92 TB SAS SSD x 10 (2TB) PX05SRB192Y
  
• Qotom mini PC Intel Core i3-5005U CPU, 8 GB memory, Foure Intel I211 Gigabit Lan Ports, 16 GB SanDisk SSD, pre-installed pfSense 2.6.0
  
• Late 2013 Mac Pro
  
• - Engenius ECS5512FP Switch
  
• OPNSense DEC850 Router
  
• - Mikrotik NetFiber9
  

NY

• Unifi Wifi 6 APs, 2.5GbE Cable Modem, Dell SFF Desktop, 2.5GbE NIC
  
• Dell Poweredge T320 E5-2470 V2 32GB ram
  
• $350
  
• Networking Gears (Cisco SG200-50P 50-Port PoE Switch, 3x Ubiquiti Unifi UAP-AC-Pro Access Points, 2x HP NC552SFP Dual Port 10G SFP+ PCIe NIC Card), 2x Intel i3-8100T
  
• ECC DDR4 PC4-21300 8GB X 4
  

OH

• Storage Galore!
  
• Eaton UPS Bundles
  
• Eaton 9130 UPS Bundles
  

PA

• Drobo B2000i - 8x3TB + 3x200GB SSD
  
• 2x M720q Tiny PCs
  
• 8x 16 GB Kingston DDR4 3200 MHz EEC Server Premier Ram
  
• Supermicro X11SCL MicroATX with I/O shield and Pentium G5400T CPU
  

SC

• Dell PowerVault 3800i 96TB

VA

• hp prodesk 600 g2 mini 35w i5 6500T/16GB RAM/250GB SSD/win10 pro

​

US-W 

-ANY-

• emporia whole home energy meter unopened with 8 cts plus 3 additional I had left over. $110 w/free shipping
  
• 6 Ruckus R850 WAPs ($1000 for lot, $250/each)
  
• Dell EMC S5212F-ON 100G Switch ($1500)
  

AZ

• 2x AMD EPYC 7451 (1st Gen EPYC) (24c / 48t each)

CA

• Used APC Smart-UPS 3000 XLM with the network card (Bay Area)
  
• Supermicro Fanless Network Appliance (new/open box) - E302-9A w/ Atom C3558 (16W!), 16GB RAM, 64GB SSD
  
• 4x HP Proliant Gen9 DL560 + 1x DL380
  
• StarTech 12U Open Frame 4 Post Rack
  
• I7-5960X, I7-5820k, X99-A Gaming 7, Corsair Vengeance LPX (4x8 3200 MHZ)
  
• Large Quantity of Brocade ICX 6450-48P & ICX 6610-48P
  
• LG External Bluray Drives
  
• 63 WD HDDs, purple and red, 8TB/10TB/12TB
  
• Garage lab cleanup!
  

LOS ANGELES

• Supermicro Server Sale

OR

• Raspberry Pi 4 4GB PoE Cluster
  
• USG-Pro 4 and Ubiquiti Cloud Key Gen 2
  
• Ubiquiti Dream Machine
  

TX

• 2 x Intel Xeon Gold 6244 Buy one get one free

UT

• x1 ProtectLi FW4A firewall/router

WA

• Fully Loaded M920Q, 8 bay 2.5" 5.25" enclosure
  
• Intel i9 10980XE, ASUS ROG Strix X299-E Gaming II, Kingston HyperX Fury 128GB (32GBx4) DDR4 CL16 3200mhz kit - Local Pickup Only
  
• Dell precision T5600 w/128GB RAM and 2x RockPi 5b 16GB
  
• RSV-L4500U White box server, Networking cards, Misc GPUs and more.
  
• HP Microserver Gen10
  

Greetings everyone,
I come here to see if I can find some help. I would need an off the shelf (not DIY) serveNAS for a project in order to store and distribute audio files for a web application. One of the goals is also do machine learning with the collected audio data. I'll probably need around 10TB and the expected amount of simultaneous users could be 500 maximum. Not sure if the best solution would be a rack or any other type of server. I don't know much about this topic so any guidance would be appreciated, I don't know where to start. I even asked chatGPT (LOL). I have a budget of 40K$.
Thanks in advance for any comment and sorry if the question is not appropriate for this community.

​
The smell of the bakery led you from nearly a block away. There is a line of patrons but it is moving quickly and before long you reach the counter. Roll a d120 to see what the special is for today.

Roll	Result
1	Monkey's tail is a coil of thin pretzel-like bread that is boiled in soda ash, topped with salt and pepper, and then baked. [camtarn]
2	Cochito, a soft gingerbread in the shape of a pig [D3WM3R]
3	Bacon and Leek Hand Pie, pastry the size of a human hand filled with bacon and leeks [u/FlyingHorseduck]
4	Puffed pastries cooked in meat drippings (think Yorkshire puddings) [dysonrules]
5	Little volcano is a cone shaped jam donut using chilli jam [Micaramel]
6	Small chocolate bars that were prepared using healing potions. When you don't have a druid and want goodberry. [Scumbutcher]
7	Lifeleaf Wafer are small disks of flour, water, salt and finely chopped lifeleaf that are baked till hard. Naturally restorative, unnaturally salty. [MCiph]
8	Twice baked travelers bread provide of tough but crisp foodstuff that is perfect for trail rations. [I_walked_east]
9	Prism dough is a bread that is risen to look like a triangular based prism. It tastes sweeter at the top of the spire and sourer nearer the base. Can feed 2-4 people. [AfternoonBaboon]
10	Sawyers flat, a horrid, matzo-like crispbread cut with maple (best), birch (ehhh), or pine (oh gods) sawdust. Often eaten by unskilled laborers, or during famine/drought. [Norwejew]
11	Fruit Pies (apple, blackberry, blueberry, elderberry, strawberry, etc) adorns with ornate patterns in to top crust. [World_of_Ideas]
12	Pumpkin pie, a creamy orange desert that is best served with a dollop of freshly whipped cream. [World_of_Ideas]
13	Amaranth biscuits yield a subtle nutty flavor that goes well with many spreads. [I_walked_east]
14	Angel food cake, a light and fluffy cake made using angel blood instead of eggs. Often glazed with a light lemon and sugar glaze. Tastes heavenly..... [supersnes1]
15	Cheese Cake, a simple creamy filling of egg, sugar, and cheese within a fluffy pastry crust. Some variants have a coating of fruit jam on its top for added flavor. [World_of_Ideas]
16	A frangipane style baked custard that uses a flour made from exotic, far away seeds. [Norwejew]
17	Almond croissants are flaky croissants sliced in half and filled with dark chocolate spread. [MJspringer & LookITriedHard]
18	Spider bread that was baked by drow. Don’t ask. Seriously. [ElZoof]
19	Nut breads, sweet or savory, baked with whatever nuts are locally grown. [dysonrules]
20	Meat pies, stuffed with various local game, give off wisps of steam and heavy aromas. [supersnes1]
21	Fairy's heart, a pastry twisted into the shape of a heart, with a (magically?) glistening jam centre. [-peachmilk-]
22	A pound cake coated in a sugary lemon drizzle. [supersnes1]
23	Mushroom Muffins, a small savory muffin preferred by halflings. Traditionally served after a larger sweet muffin. [u/FlyingHorseduck]
24	Penis-shaped doces fálicos frosted sweet bread [I_walked_east]
25	Tiny frosted cakes full of spices, nuts, or fruits [dysonrules]
26	Black Molasses Nutbread, made with the strongest molasses and served with salted butter [u/FlyingHorseduck]
27	Small boxes of traveler's biscuit - similar, but more palatable due to the addition of lard and salt, and with a shelf life of only a year [camtarn]
28	Fried funnel cake with sprinkled confectioners’ sugar. [WontLetMeCurse]
29	Stone bread is perfect for adventurers as it will never go stale due to it already rock hard. It can double up as a rather effective improvised weapon. [Daggerbones8951]
30	Dwarven ale bread is a very dense but flavorful bread made from ales and stouts (generally of dwarven make). Despite being baked, the potency of the drinks used in its making can still provide the eater a slight buzz when consumed. Often used as a desert in many northern kingdoms and tribes. [supersnes1]
31	Peasant's breakfast, a barely-leavened flatbread that is split and stuffed with curried chickpeas and a chopped boiled egg [camtarn]
32	Arcane party muffins are chocolate and hazelnut muffins with magical blue sugar (that sparkles) sprinkled on top of them. When consumed you can change your eye colour for a minute. [AfternoonBaboon]
33	Piles of pale-yellow buttery shortbread that are imprinted with various coats of arms [camtarn]
34	Tartines made with spicy sausage and blistered tomatoes. [Norwejew]
35	Chocolate zucchini cakes coated in powder sugar and crowned with strawberries. [supersnes1]
36	Gnomish sourdough made from 4000 year old yeast culture [I_walked_east]
37	Melting Buttermilk Biscuits, savory and tender, served with seasonal jams [u/FlyingHorseduck]
38	Siren’s Tack, a dry and dense bread, that is as hard as a brick. When eaten alone, this hardtack is basically a rock that sits in your gut. They are surprisingly filling, but a bit hard to keep down. It’s traditional to boil them in broth (to soften and flavor it) and serve under fish and gravy in port towns. [MCiph]
39	Six Copper Pie (based on the Sing a Song of 6 Pence song/rhyme) [wynryprocter]
40	Dragon Eggs, large, fluffy puffs filled with sweet custard. [u/FlyingHorseduck]
41	Buttered Crumpet, best served warm to ensure that the butter soaks into the soft and spongy crust. [World_of_Ideas]
42	Miner's pasties, are made with meat and potatoes in one end, jam in the other, and a thick crust 'handle' on one side that is designed to be grabbed with coal-black hands and thrown away after. [camtarn]
43	4 and 20 Shrieker Mushrooms baked in a pie. The pie is baked in a dutch oven and set inside a firepit. When cut a few soft screams escape through the crust. [wynryprocter]
44	Gelatinous cube flan, despite not being made from the creature, is a recipe of Calisham original that is traditionally made in square baking pan. The addition of gelatin helps the dish hold its signature shape. [supersnes1]
45	Red rolls are bread made with pig's blood instead of water, and stuffed with boiled pig stomach or intestine. Very nourishing, if a bit smelly. [camtarn]
46	French-style plain complet with a golden brown egg-wash. [supersnes1]
47	Turtle bread, a round loaf that is hard on the outside, and super soft on the inside [shamanspiff]
48	Fresh cornbread & butter served with a side of honey, maple syrup, and/or fruit jam/jelly. [World_of_Ideas]
49	Vagrant’s Cake, a recipe passed down from Druid to Druid; barley flour, berries, sugar, eggs, goat butter and water, mixed finely and baked until golden. The cakes are sweet and nutritious, perfect for short, day-long journeys. [MCiph]
50	Fruitcake! Can also double as a doorstop or makeshift weapon. [Super_Solver]
51	Tiny dense black rye rolls that are studded with cloves [camtarn]
52	Illithid Brain Pies appears like a common pie, with an uncommon filling. Whether the brains are from or for the Illithid is up to the skill of the adventurer wanting to bake this dish. [MCiph]
53	Jötnbrød (YERT-n-breh), a massive boule of dark rye bread enriched with bone meal, resulting in a beefy, slightly crunchy bread. A large handful is equivalent to a trail ration, but produces horrid constipation. [Norwejew]
54	Bacon, sharp cheese, green onion, and hot pepper scones. [AnGabhaDubh]
55	Flower bread is made from various types of powdered flowers giving it light floral taste and aroma. [AStupidAnnoyingVoice]
56	Goodberry Pie, made with the eponymous berries, grants 5hp when consumed, but must be eaten within a day. [ElZoof]
57	Digger's Delight, a Dwarven bread that is dense and filled with meat, potato, and cheese. Varies by region and season, but always sturdy enough to be kept in a miner's pocket during a morning's work without falling apart. [u/FlyingHorseduck]
58	Small rhubarb pies, made with thin crunchy hot-water pastry [camtarn]
59	Pumpernickel rye baked into rounded loafs that are adorned with caraway seeds. [supersnes1]
60	Fairy fingers are merengue treats, piped in a thinly oblong shape. Often coated in confectioner’s sugar but some recipes call for actual pixie or sprite dust. [supersnes1]
61	Plump-Helm Roast is a unique pie, filled to the brim with minced and liquefied Plump-Helmet mushrooms. The subterranean fungus is rather sweet (which allows it to be brewed into alcohol, among other things), which makes the pie a rather addictive mix of sweet and savory. Often served with Plump-Helmet Wine and fine dwarven cheeses. [MCiph]
62	Goodberry Biscuit are, a light, flaky, buttery biscuit infused with goodberry juice and drenched in a sweet sugary glaze. Eating two has either the healing or satiating effect at random. You can eat four but you are sickened for d4 rounds. [Chalkyteton]
63	Ankheg burrows, a thin but crispy chimney cake made by wrapping a thin strip of dough around a spool and coating the outside with oils and sugar before baking. Often filled with chocolate, nuts, or various fruits. [supersnes1]
64	Mushroom breads, sometimes with unexpected medicinal or recreational properties [dysonrules]
65	Barkskin biscuits have a tough, almost woody, exterior that are often soaked in milk or tea to soften. [supersnes1]
66	A single, dusty, halfeaten cracker just laying on the floor [NickHerag & DenialBirds]
67	Raisin dotted pastries of choux rolled into spirals and heavily glazed. Topped with pistachios. [Norwejew]
68	Rhubarb shortbread bars are a sweet confection made from shortbread coated in rhubarb custard and topped with brown sugar. [supersnes1]
69	Elf's Bread, legendarily filling dense bread that will stay fresh for weeks [u/FlyingHorseduck]
70	Troll Rolls are warm basil rolls, jarred with melted honey butter and sugared flesh (non-human). [BEZERK0xD]
71	Conchas are white, brown, or pink dusted sweet breads with a shell pattern on them [D3WM3R]
72	Small balls of fried bread that are soaked in pistachio-flavoured syrup. [camtarn]
73	Penny treat, a finger-sized roll of brown bread drizzled with blackstrap molasses or watered-down maple syrup [camtarn]
74	Roll and stew is a wooden bowl containing some thin stock (fish, goat, squirrel, etc) and a bread roll to dip in it. [camtarn]
75	Tuppenny treat, like a Penny treat, but topped with a sliver of dry cheese [camtarn]
76	Dwarvish baguette are short and stout like its namesake. [I_walked_east]
77	Swampweed Loaf, an uncommon and generally disliked type of baked good made from a dried aquatic kelp found in swamps. It's unknown who first invented the swampweed loaf or for what reason, but what is known is that it's absolutely dreadful. [Deadly_Bread]
78	Carrot Cake, a moist layered cake covered in a thick layer of freshly made cream cheese frosting. [World_of_Ideas]
79	Fragrant caraway seed buns display a golden brown top glistening with butter. [camtarn]
80	Empanadas and pineapple, apple, or pumpkin turnovers provide a sweet, yet filling treat. [D3WM3R]
81	Fist-sized cups of hard bread, filled with cold pease pudding [camtarn]
82	Devils food cake, a dense and heavy cake made using the blood of devils that is fortified using ground bone devil horn. This cake has a sweet fiery cinnamon aftertaste that leaves the eater wanting for more. [supersnes1]
83	Dragon donuts are twists in the shape of a dragon's horn with a thin sugar glaze and a surprisingly spicy kick. [supersnes1]
84	Fruit Dumplings (apple, blackberry, blueberry, elderberry, strawberry, etc) that have been boiled or fried and coated in a mixture of sugar and cinnamon. [World_of_Ideas]
85	Braids filled with minced and roasted fruits. Apple filled braids are particular popular in this season [supersnes1]
86	Seawater bread is a notable staple of coastal markets and bakeries [I_walked_east]
87	Salt-roll are small round rolls of chewy brown bread, topped with a truly alarming amount of flaky sea salt. [camtarn]
88	Churros are long tubes of fried dough coated with cinnamon and sugar [D3WM3R]
89	Gelatinous Pudding - a very, very sticky treat. [ElZoof]
90	Golden pear bread, shiny and egg enriched, contains a generous filling of wine-stewed pears, cinnamon, and brown sugar. [camtarn]
91	Assorted Bagels (asiago, whole wheat, multigrain, blueberry, cherry, goodberry, etc.) are stacked on a nearby platter. [World_of_Ideas]
92	Meat Dumplings, dumplings filled with various meats. Some enterprising creators crimp them to resemble a fat large lizard or dragon. [World_of_Ideas]
93	The Wrong Bread, or the "you weren't supposed to buy THAT one.", is a half-stale loaf of bread containing a plot hook baked into it. This item could be a small magical trinket with a larger meaning, such as a ring, a wand, a small piece of a very powerful spell-scroll, or something more mundane but equally powerful. For example, the item could be a signet-ring or seal of a noble or royal (maybe it's a high-end fake, maybe it's the real-deal that was recently stolen), or perhaps just a small bag of very valuable gems. No matter what it actually is, you have it now, and boy are there people who are going to try to make you regret it. [Neknoh]
94	Halfling Sweetpie, a staple of Halfling dessert that is traditionally filled with some variety of apple and berry. The best examples are to be found at harvest festival sweetpie competitions. [u/FlyingHorseduck]
95	Sourdough rolls glistening with freshly applied butter and a garnish of parsley. [supersnes1]
96	Bowlcaps are a type of round, dense bread rolls made to be crusty on one side but soft and steamed on the other. Typically eaten by laborers, the soft side is usually pressed down over the rim of a wooden bowl to act as a lid, containing and preserving the contents, until mealtime. [_Dthen]
97	Crates of ship's biscuit, barely edible but capable of lasting years at sea [camtarn]
98	Gingerbread Warrior, a hard gingerbread that is heavily spiced, slightly bitter, and covered with icing armor [u/FlyingHorseduck]
99	Black moss cupcake, a jet-black appearance belies an earthy almost charcoal-like flavor that transitions to matcha aftertaste. [[deleted]]
100	Peanut butter cookies, a simple cookie adorned with fork marks and granulated sugar. [AfternoonBaboon]
101	Copper cookies are small sweet cookies that cost 5cp each [shamanspiff]
102	Honey bread, bread but with honey. [Last-of-the-Akbars]
103	Towering bread creations formed in the shapes of fantastical beasts, castles, or scenes, usually for festivals or special occasions [dysonrules]
104	Mutton-bread, a double-fist-sized roll of steamed bread, that is filled with minced mutton spiced with plenty of pepper. The mutton is cooked inside the bread, so its juices leak out when bitten into. [camtarn]
105	Black ooze bread pudding is an acrid smelling, albeit surprisingly sweet, bread pudding that tastes of cinnamon licorice. [supersnes1]
106	Chicken Bread, it's got the chicken baked in! So it's great for those on the go. Developed by humans, of course. [felagund]
107	Owlbear Claws are delicious pastries made with honey and fig. They are a foot across with large ‘claws’ cut out on one side. Will feed a party of five. (Or one certain Dragonborn in my campaign). [aMusicLover]
108	Sweet Potato Pie is a staple of many households during holiday celebrations. Often topped with a powdering or hardened glaze of brown sugar. [World_of_Ideas]
109	Muffins of various flavors--apple, banana nut, blueberry, etc.--,are heaped in a basket on a nearby table. Some are topped with powdered brown sugar, powdered sugar, and/or sesame, poppy, or pumpkin seeds. [World_of_Ideas]
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120

Initial list built by d100. See it here.
Some of my entries were inspired by the Heroes' Feast official D&D cookbook

Huh. Well that definitely was a pretty explosive and exciting finale wasn't it? And earth shattering finale I should think, considering. It seems to be a turning point, too. But we'll talk about that in a moment.
​
First, we go back to the Ebou Dar party for one last hurrah before the book ends. I'm surprised that we jumped back to them at all, to be honest, considering we were in the middle of a FUCKING KIDNAPPING, but what do I know. I suppose we're easing the tension a bit before addressing it.
​
Briefly we go back to Mat who is told that Elayne and Nynaeve snuck out of the palace. Again. They seem to be really good at that. So he goes to prepare to find them and defend them. More importantly, Olver, the kid that Mat adopted, has been doing horse races as a jockey, which is pretty cute. And funny that Mat didn't know he was doing it. Also funny how he starts flirting with a woman who's been babysitting him and Mat wonders where he got it. Um hello? Mat? No self-awareness? Alright alright.
​
There's a lot of descriptions of Rahad as the bad side of town as Elayne, Birgitte, Nynaeve, and Aviendha go through it. It really just could be the poor side of town in any city ravaged by capitalism now, but in this setting it would be ravaged by feudalism. This is one thing about these fantasy epics that often gets unaddressed, how the main characters won't actually try to fix the systemic issues that lead to poor people being poor, they'll just address the giant world ending threat. It's the classic Marvel problem: thanks Captain America for stopping the world from ending or whatever, but you want to push for universal healthcare? In reality, I could see Rand trying to fix it, considering he came from a non-noble place as a Two Rivers person. But I don't know if the books ever will. Considering we're pretty directly bringing it up here and throwing it in the reader's face, maybe we will?
​
They witness a brawl followed by a woman, Asra, coming forwards to heal the person who lost and got stabbed. She tries to use the power to heal, but it doesn't work. And she tells the person who won the brawl to go tell the dead man's wife that he killed him. However, they're after the bowl, not a random wilder woman, so Birgitte tells Elayne not to talk to her since Elayne will probably get herself into trouble doing it. All this to set up the next book, so we'll see how all this Ebou Dar stuff goes next time. Considering we introduced Asra as a powerful wilder, I assume she'll come into play here at some point.
​
Egwene goes to see Logain where he's being shielded. There's some nice foreshadowing here where she suggests tying off the weave for the shielding, but it's seen as taboo to do that. By tradition six Aes Sedai shield a man at all times and never leave the shield unattended.
​
Egwene weirdly asks Logain what he thinks about Rand's amnesty, which is a weird thing to ask. Like obviously he's not going to be a fan of where he is now compared to going to someone who will let him continue to channel. Understandably, Logain is pissed that there's still any question of whether they will gentle him after everything he's done for them. He's cooperated at every turn. There was also that debate earlier that I found interesting: that gentling a man actually looks incredibly bad if you want to get Rand on side.
​
The Salidar party is indeed on the move and Gareth Bryne's forces have been growing while Mat's forces have been following. Egwene has been using the tension of two armies following each other who clearly are at odds with each other to trick nobles into pledging fealty to them. Which means that they're going to have to be in it until they can topple Elaida or those nobles will also get executed in addition to all the Salidar Aes Sedai.
​
Egwene then goes to Tel'aran'rhiod and reports to Elayne and Nynaeve what's going on and they report back to her. This conversation isn't super interesting, it's just stuff we already know. Just that they can't find something with "need" again, which is how they found the bowl in the first place. Finally, when Egwene awakens, Siuan is there to report that the plan to free Logain has been started. It's the correct thing to do, since the Hall will gentle him if they don't free him and send him off to Rand. I like the conversation here. Siuan, as the former Amyrlin, tells her that she's often found the stole to be heavier than ten men and doesn't leave a lot of easy decisions.
​
Finally, we see Myrelle and Lan finally has made it to her. Moiraine passed Lan's bond on to her when she died/disappeared. Interestingly, this has political connotations because Myrelle is in Sheriam's inner circle and she's accepting Moiraine's former warder.
​
Finally we get back to the kidnapping. The next two chapters, especially Chapter 54, that lead up to the final battle aren't very exciting to be honest. Mostly because they're with Perrin. Perrin not only sucks, he's also just really boring as a character. The most boring of the main three that's for sure. But we're stuck with him. Again, there's a reason why he was exiled from the previous book and the majority of this one. And there's a reason why I started to actually like these books with the previous one. I'm not gonna say it's just because Perrin was gone, but it definitely was a factor, I think.
​
So we're in the middle of the Feast of Lights where everyone's partying in the streets shirtless, even the women, and Perrin is shocked out of his mind. I loved the little statement that the Tairen men took one look and joined in and the Tairen women took one look and said NOPE, went back inside and put armed guards on the door.
​
There's a nice little meeting with all the people in Rand's inner circle including Perrin, Faile, Loial, Dobraine, Berelain, Sulin, Rhuarc, and Sorilea. Quite a rogue's list of characters. We find out that Colavaere has been taking advantage of the chaos of the partying in the streets for the Feast of Lights to assassinate some of her political rivals, to make her way to the throne. And now that Rand is gone, she possibly could take it. Berelain comes in and Perrin, being Perrin, immediately assumes she's there to flirt with him. Instead of, you know, showing the things that Rand left behind after he's been gone for so long. Sulin immediately recognizes that Rand has been kidnapped because they're things that Rand wouldn't have left behind and she decides she's done enough time as a servant, thank goodness.
​
Berelain apparently also got pressured by the Aes Sedai to go home because they're trying to make the city and country more friendly to the Tower and Rand's inner circle is not likely to be, particularly after they KIDNAPPED HIM. Obviously. Dobraine was also pressured into leaving. This political pressure is what convinces Perrin that Rand was kidnapped and so he takes off with an army at his back to fight the Tower Aes Sedai. What's even more wild here is that the Wise Ones agree to take part in the battle since they can channel. It's cute how Sorilea lights a fire here to show that she can channel, but she's not very powerful in the power as we've made clear. She's powerful politically, so she can convince a lot of the Wise Ones to fight.
​
Back with the kidnapping Aes Sedai, we learn that they've also kidnapped Min. That's apparently where she was when the Aes Sedai kidnapped him. When Rand found out that Min was also kidnapped, he managed to kill a Warder with his bare hands and injure another who died from the Healing. And both Warders belonged to an Aes Sedai named Erian, so she's insanely pissed at Rand and wants to punish him. Which she gets to do. She gets to whip him over and over again.
​
Interestingly, Rand actually works with Lews Therin. If they tie off the shield, then Lews Therin can break through. One thing that made me think Lews Therin was really there was when he asks who are you or some such to Rand. It made me wonder if there actually is a real connection there, through time, to Lews Therin. What if the two are actually hearing each other in their heads talking to each other? Perhaps after the tainting of saidin. Because if that's the case, that's huge. They can communicate what's happening to each other and literally work together to solve what's happening in their own time periods.
​
Sevanna, the Wise One of the Shaido that they allied with, just wanted to see Rand as part of the deal. The other part of the deal is that the Shaido kill Gawyn and the Younglings. Presumably they're too much of a bother or unwieldy to deal with or some such. I'm not sure why. I do think I remember earlier in the book the Aes Sedai in this party complaining about them. But again I'm not sure why. Seems like a bad idea to have your only defensive force offed, but then I'm not a Tower Aes Sedai. Sevanna intends to turn on the Aes Sedai, though, and take Rand for herself to marry him. The real Car'a'carn instead of her fake Car'a'carn that she supported, Couladin. Rather abruptly she has Desaine murdered because, according to the app, she opposed Sevanna being made a Wise One. She also tosses away a little cube she had been given at the beginning of the book that she was supposed to use when Rand was taken captive. Not sure of the significance of that.
​
And then the Perrin chapter where they're tracking him. This is the least interesting part. It's kind of funny how they have to push through all the festivities of the Feast of Lights to get a boat to cross the river, though, and it's a struggle to get the people on the boat to do anything. Understandably so.
​
Perrin slowly builds up his force here as more and more troops join: Dobraine's men, Mayeneres from Berelain, Rhuarc's Aiel and Maidens, ninety four Wise Ones ready to break with tradition and actually get involved in a battle, the wolves that Perrin talks to, his Two Rivers men, and finally the rebel Aes Sedai using Alanna's Warder bond to track him down.
​
We open up the final chapter with Gawyn getting warning that thousands of Aiel are about to attack. He tells Galina that they should actually be cautious for once and prepare for the defense. She, amazingly, relents her arrogance and agrees. Inside the trunk, Rand can tell that Alanna is getting closer, but obviously doesn't trust her since he doesn't trust any Aes Sedai at all anymore.
​
When Perrin's forces arrive they see a battle already in place, the Shaido are besieging the Aes Sedai and Younglings, trying to take Rand for themselves. The Shaido also have a few channeler Wise Ones, most of whom probably killed Desaine in the other chapter. There's all kinds of magic being cast on both sides: lightning, fireballs, earthquakes. The usual battle magic. Perrin realizes that the Shaido will probably eventually overwhelming the Aes Sedai position and take Rand, so Perrin leads the charge. They don't have a plan other than to get Rand out. There is a plan, though, the Two Rivers men and Mayeners are supposed to go in two squads with the Wise Ones with one group and the Aes Sedai in another group. They're supposed to be pincers to attack from both sides. Except they don't actually follow this plan and Aes Sedai do whatever the fuck they want because of their arrogance, I guess. Perrin sends wolves out to be the initial charge, attacking and surprising the backs of the Shaido ranks. It's also shocking that the Aes Sedai are fighting offensively in this battle at all. According to the three oaths, they're not supposed to take part in battle except in self-defense. All of a sudden, a bunch of gateways start appearing all over the battlefield as Asha'man from Rand's Black Tower appear and start fighting.
​
In the meantime, Rand manages to break free from the chest. He feels the shields tied off because the Aes Sedai holding him have to go take part in the battle. With Lews Therin's help, Rand is able to exploit that, pushing through the ties, like untying a shoe, and weakens the barrier enough to break through and burst out of the chest in an explosion of wood and splinters. Very dramatic and cinematic, I love it. He also might have accidentally stilled and killed some of the Aes Sedai holding him.
​
Rand finds Min and Min wants him to create a portal and get the fuck out of there, but Rand doesn't want to abandon the people who came to save him. Plus he can't because he doesn't know the place well enough. Presumably he could use the other method, the one where you have to know the place you're going, but you don't have to know the place you're at and then you have to sit in blackness for hours. But he doesn't use that. Instead, he starts knocking out Aes Sedai and shielding them from behind cover. The Aes Sedai don't know who's doing it, because they can't feel Saidin like Rand can feel both sources.
​
Gawyn rides up briefly but leaves because Elayne loves Rand and Egwene doesn't want anything bad to happen to him. Plus Gawyn couldn't kill Rand if he tried. Instead, he simply runs out of the battle with the few remaining Younglings that are still alive.
​
Mazrim Taim appears and offers to heal Rand, but he doesn't accept it. Rand doesn't want anything to do with anyone wielding the Power at all anymore except himself. Understandably so. There's an Asha'man who tries to attack Rand and Taim stops him. AGAIN, this seems to be a consistent problem: the Asha'man not knowing who Rand is. I can very easily see this being a long running problem throughout the books, actually, to the point of a big political crisis or something. Rand is not around them often enough for them to know who he is. They don't recognize him.
​
Taim and the Asha'man secure the campsite with a dome of air. They manage to secure the Aes Sedai as well, shielding them and binding them. That, in itself, is fucking wild. The Black Tower is holding prisoners from the White Tower. That has huge political implications. The White Tower is not as powerful as it once was and is being brought low by MEN who can channel for the first time in a long time.
​
Perrin begs Rand to open the dome of air because most of their force is still out there fighting the Shaido. Taim doesn't want to open the dome, he'd rather learn the place well enough to escape. Loial's idea to slip out and let the rest of the force know that Rand is alright reminds me of the tactics Perrin used in the fourth book when Loial slipped out and closed the Waygate during the battles in the Two Rivers. Instead, Rand just orders Taim to open the dome of air and unleashes the full might of the Asha'man in what can only be described as absolutely fucking insane and horrifying.
​
"Asha'man, KILL!" shouts Taim and the line of Asha'man start doing just that. Shaido bodies literally just explode. Lines of bodies just explode in guts and gore. The first line, then the second, everyone dies in an instant and the Shaido can't escape fast enough. It's absolutely horrifying. Everyone retches, understandably. The Asha'man are so insanely powerful that they can decimate an entire army. They are very much the superior fighting force. Not only did they make an entire army explode into mists of blood and guts and gore, they have captured and are holding prisoner Aes Sedai from the Tower. Again, this all has massive political implications. With an army of Black Tower Asha'man behind Rand, it's going to be damn near impossible NOT to conquer the rest of the world.
​
The Salidar Aes Sedai come to Rand and, he is understandably spooked by Aes Sedai. He doesn't recognize any difference anymore between Tar Valon and Salidar. They are all Aes Sedai to him and absolutely all not to be trusted. Especially when the Salidar Aes Sedai were told they could bring six and they brought nine, breaking the little trust Rand had left for them. He's been distrusting Moiraine this whole time, he distrusts anyone who can channel including Wise Ones, and then he was understandably spooked by Alanna forcibly making him a Warder. Then the Salidar Aes Sedai tried to intimidate him, there were suddenly thirteen and he left, only to be kidnapped by the Tower Aes Sedai. He's been fucked around with by Aes Sedai for the last time. He demands fealty so that he can finally feel safe around Aes Sedai. He demands that they bow to him and Taim backs him up. "Kneel to the Lord Dragon, or you will be knelt."
​
"As stories do, the tale spread, across Cairhien and north and south, by merchant train and peddler and simple traveler gossiping at an inn. As stories do, the tale changed with every telling. The Aiel had turned on the Dragon Reborn and killed him, at Dumai's Wells or elsewhere. No, the Aes Sedai had saved Rand al'Thor. It was Aes Sedai who had killed him- no, gentled him- no, carried him to Tar Valon where he languished in a dungeon beneath the White Tower. Or else where the Amyrlin Seat herself knelt to him. Unusually for stories, it was something very close to truth that was most often believed.
​
On a day of fire and blood, a tattered banner waved above Dumai's Wells, bearing the ancient symbol of Aes Sedai.
​
On a day of fire and blood and the One Power, as prophecy suggested, the unstained tower, broken, bent knee to the forgotten sign.
​
The first nine Aes Sedai swore fealty to the Dragon Reborn and the world was changed forever."
​
The politics of the world are forever changed. The Aes Sedai, who never kneel to anyone, EVER, at least nine of them, have been forced to kneel to the Dragon Reborn. What will happen in the series going forward now that that has happened, that the Aes Sedai have been humbled so? Time will tell I'm sure. I'm also realizing, now, that the cover of the book is this scene: Rand standing with the Aes Sedai kneeling to him. And with that, the story comes to a close in what I can only describe as an epic and exciting and fantastic ending. What a great ending to one of the best books in the series so far. This series really does get better with each book, that is for sure. I'm so glad I wasn't completely turned off by Eye of the World and kept reading. There will be one more post for the final thoughts for the book as a whole, so look out for that!
​
Only we do have a brief Epilogue to consider with some disparate scenes. Falion, a Black Ajah Aes Sedai from the last book, had been given a secret task by Moghedien and we find out that it is to go to Ebou Dar to find a cache of angreal. Only, Moghedien hasn't talked to her in awhile on account of being captured so Falion is enjoying her time without being harassed by a Chosen. If she can capture Nynaeve and Elayen, though, Moghedien might be very grateful.
​
The scholar who hardly ever noticed that Rand was there, Herid Fel, gets killed by something called a gholam, something we've never seen before.
​
We see a rider leaving Ebou Dar saying something about it being ripe for looting. And he thinks that the Return is coming soon. Which, I have to assume, means the Seanchan. Again, it's that Seanchan activity that we saw in Pedron Nial's chapters. The Seanchan have taken over Tanchico, I'm almost certain of it, and are going to start spreading across the continent, possibly in the next book, but at some point in the future.
​
Moghedien gets rescued by Aran'gar, the resurrected Forsaken that had been hiding out in Salidar. Aran'gar is using saidin to channel as Moghedien never felt saidar being channeled. Which confirms my suspicions, that Aran'gar is one of the male Forsaken that died being resurrected. That had to have been the case, because none of the female Forsaken died before this book. So Moghedien finally escapes after having spent the whole book as a prisoner.
​
Egwene felt the necklace come off. Somehow she's able to know that a man did it, something about a particular stab of pain. I'm not sure why she's able to recognize that. She has already let Logain go free and so naturally wonders whether Logain let Moghedien free as well, though it's doubtful he would do that.
​
And finally, we see Demandred in the pit of doom, where this whole story started, kneeling to his Dark Lord.
​
"'Have I not done well, Great Lord?'
​
The Great Lord's laughter filled Demandred's head."

I apologize in advance for this ramble. Just want to come on here and speak my mind and thoughts for a little while. Been playing ck3 for a few dozen hours now and Its unlike any game I've ever played. Better than any movie, a little bit of imagination is all that is required. Yesterday I was a medieval king in the year 970. My grand father started as the War leader and chief of a small island of Viking raiders known as the Gutes. I was falsely imprisoned by my father for the crime of adultery/incest and when I started my reign I came into a world of angry Jarls and power schemes against me. My Father had just finished fighting a war of conquest to the south conquering a vast territory from the slavic savages and It was given to my brother to continue the wars and fighting for control. My first move after coming into this Kingdom from a life of imprisonment was to take control from the surrounding Jarls who would have me destroyed. I did what I thought best and tried to reclaim the title of Jarl stripping him from power. Starting an rebellion where me and my 2000 or so troops with no help from my brothers were faced against 6000. With no allies my wife was assassinated by the other Angry vassel who had not joined in. I had time to arrange a marriage of opportunity and against all odds and a war chest of 1200 was able to resub jugate the uprising keeping my reign stable for the next generation. After the fight I was literally shaking a little. Ive played a lot of stellaris and total war and the mechanics of ck3 is far advanced taking the roleplaying aspect to a whole new level and I love it. There is definitely room for improvement I would like to see the immersion improved the sound effect from clicking any icon is annoying after a while and the pop ups could be more subtle and immersive but all in all this could be my favorite game ever dare I say life changing in that its given me a whole new hobby to look forward to. Just wanted to come on and ramble for a bit about my new adventures in medieval 970 hope everyone is having a great day :)

Back with another account of thoughts East Blue Shenanigans, Finishing up Orange Town then off to the early parts of Syrup Village!
Ep 8 Who is the Victor? Devil Fruit Power Showdown! : Wrapping up the Orange Town Arc and honestly this ep was the best one since Ep 4 recounting Romance Dawn. Perfectly paced. Comedy was on point, and a wholesome ending with the townspeople. That Usopp eyecatch at the very end was wild though. What kind of Dio Energy pose was that!?
Ep 9 The Honorable Liar? Captain Usopp!: Sadly it looks like the anime is skipping the Island of Strange Animals and getting straight to Syrup Village stuff (though I think that episode comes later one), of course this is the episode God D. Usopp appears and one of my favorite characters in the series and he's the best part of the ep by far. (Seriously the kill it in the VA casting when it comes to major characters). Couple changes I noticed though, Usopp actually has pirate flag props to try to front to the crew he does indeed have a crew which was a nice touch and not in the manga. The Yasopp flashback happens earlier too, however, and I'm not sure I like that. But overall good ep.
Ep 10 The Weirdest Guy Ever! Jango the Hypnotist!: In this ep, we meet Jango and then learn about Kuro's sneaky plan. Seeing and hearing Jango was a joy and he's the highlight of course. Instant comedy. Usopp's "I'm the son of a pirate" declaration also happens at the beggining which is one of my more favorite Usopp moments. And Kuro shows he's evil which....eh, I've never been the biggest fan of Kuro anyway. I have also notcied the pacing is a bit slower in these last two eps, though nothing bad and probably not a bad idea when Orange Town was paced so briskly.
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That's it for now, hopefully soon I'll get through more Syrup Village and into the coming action!