Hello - I bought a plug in hybrid car recently and am starting to have an issue with my HOA. I live in a 10 unit building in Chicago and my HOA just reached out that they were going to begin charging me $50/month for using the community outlet in the garage to charge my vehicle.
There is no rule or guideline anywhere about fees to use the outlet. Further, my car tracks how many kWh it uses and where, so I can provide exact usage and combine that with the average kwh charges, pay for my usage. To give you an idea, if I do 10x the kwh charge, I would only owe ~$14 for May - my wife and I don't exactly drive a lot.
I suggested this, but I'm curious if I have any recourse if they claim $50 is the fee but it isn't listed in any rules we have.
Appreciate the help and hope they're reasonable!

Does the solarian's stellar revelation Hypnotic Glow at level 9 last 9 rounds or 9 hours?

• The last sentence reads "At 9th level, hypnotic glow functions as Charm Monster." Charm monster has a duration of one hour per level.
• I always thought the benefit of level 9 would be, that you can now not only charm humanoids (as with Charm Person but all living creatures.
• But the first sentence of hypnotic glow reads "As a standard action, you can convince one living creature that you are to be trusted." So when you can already target living creatures with the pre-9 version, what upgrade does level 9 provide?
• The only differences between CP and CM are the creature type restriction and the duration. Since the first one is already provided by Hypnotic Glow as the special rule, it must be the second.
• Finally, the second sentence reads "This functions as charm person (see page 342), but with a duration of 1 round per solarian level you have." With this wording, the limited duration could only be linked to CP. Once you have CM, the link breaks and you get the full duration as written in the spell. (?)

Coffee with Captain from dGenNetwork Twitter Spaces today featured Doodles CEO Julian Holguin
If anyone wants to listen back: https://twitter.com/i/spaces/1DXxyveZOwbKM
I've shared some of the Doodles related Q&A below:
Can you tell us a little bit about this Camp experience for those who missed the announcement?
Julian: So Camp and Doodles has been underway for a while. It's definitely been a concept that we've been kicking around since I started at the company and the whole idea was that if you can create an immersive retail experience that brings people into your world and kind of draft off of the success that Doodles had at SXSW and make it more permanent, you can really reach people in a meaningful way. It's why people go to Disneyland, Universal Studios etc. It's a big endeavor to launch a theme park. There are massive businesses that are built around actually standing up these theme parks but there's kind of a hole in the market for every weekend, almost everyday activities you can do with a family or with friends that bring consumers and fans and collectors closer to your experience in a way that's truly experiential. So Camp is a business that has been able to stand up a really incredible solution for that.
I actually discovered it with my family while I was living in Los Angeles. I brought my son to their Nike kids camp and I was blown away. You walk in, it's a specialty toy store, it's got all the viral kids toys and it's kind of like a modern day FAO Schwarz, it's really cool. Then they have this ticketed experience where you buy tickets to whatever the branded theme is, that time in L.A, it was Nike. You take the family through this magic door at the back of the store and it opens up into this 6000 square foot, crazy guided immersive experience where there's actors, they call them counselors that take you through this whole experience that's guided for your family and your kids and they're immersed in the world. It's play, it's fun and then at the end of it is this really cool gift shop experience where people can get a chance to take home the stuff that they just interacted with and some of the energy that they were just able to put into play.
Camp has a network of these stores across the country. They also have one in Atlanta, which just debuted with The Little Mermaid, they have one in New York, which debuted with Disney Encanto, they've done Paw Patrol, they have Mickey and Friends live in Dallas, so they have this whole network. We're opening a new store with them this summer that's Doodles. So we're going to be side by side with some of the best and most beloved IP in the world and bringing what so many people love about Doodles to life permanently. The idea is that we're going to be a specific location for around 3 to 6 months potentially a little bit longer and then that show is actually built to pack up and go on the road. So we'll move to a different one of their locations.
We're making a bunch of new products, our first actual kids merchandise. It's going to be integrated into the experience. The experience that you're going to see is brand new, completely built from the ground up. Anybody that's been to our live events know that we know how to do this and we really do know how to bring people into our world and this is another opportunity for us to also age down and reach a new demographic with kids, parents and kind of everybody in between so it's a really exciting time for us. We believe immersive retail is going to be a massive thing in the future. If yesterday's Apple event actually punctuated anything, it's this concept of mixed reality that is going to be prevalent in our life and the whole idea of immersive retail is to continually use digital product, live experiences to bring people closer to stories, to bring people closer to characters, to bring people actually into the universe that we're ultimately creating and we all know being in Web3 how that is core to the ethos, that's why all of us signed up. We want to feel like we're part of this, so we're really excited. Can't wait for everybody to see more.
Why is Camp the ideal partner versus doing this yourselves?
Julian: I think we do IRL as good as anybody in the world, not just anybody in Web3. I think the elevation that Doodles brought to the space when it comes to IRL after SXSW was a call to action to everybody in the space to kind of level up and you've seen a lot of people, based on what we did start to invest more in these live experiences and try and bring people closer to the actual IP. I think we've been leaders in that regard and we have no doubt that we would have been able to build a really special live experience if we had just done it from the ground up but it made a lot more sense knowing that this is not our core competency to actually partner with somebody to help operate a fully baked retail location. As much as camp is a business that we're completely leaning into, it's also a test for product market fit, one thing that they have is email subscriber lists, customers, real fans of their brand that seek out these kinds of experiences in the cities that they're in so there's already built in marketing value that we have by partnering with Camp, the infrastructure, they know how to operate a store from day to day.
They know the right amount of inventory to order, they know the right way to actually have these experiences flow when it comes to a three hour guided experience and they know how to get the most value for their customers and ultimately out of their customers. So it was a really good idea for us to actually partner with somebody before going all in and investing 100% of our own money into an experience like this and we truly think partnership is the way to learn as much as you possibly can and it's also not that different from the way that massive IP shows up at theme parks and such, there are theme park operators like Merlin Entertainment and what they do is license IP and then ultimately build theme parks around them. So there are very few people that actually stand up their own theme park businesses and actually bring their own live experiences to market. I do think it's something that we could probably own one day but the best idea short term was to do it with somebody that's a true expert in it and kind of shares a similar ethos that we do.
How do you plan to drive people to the Doodles experience vs something like Mickey that's also in Camp stores?
That's exactly why it made so much sense to actually partner with Camp because they have a built in audience and customer base. Right off the bat we're going to have thousands of people that are going to become aware of Doodles instantly just because we're partnering with Camp and going to have a location activated in a particular city. So that's number one. Number two is that that's not going to be enough, we want to try and actually integrate within that city and and the surrounding markets. So what we're going to be doing is a full fledged marketing campaign. We're going to be sponsoring local events, we're going to be working with local influencers, people that have kids, people that don't, we're going to be doing outdoor, we're going to be doing radio, we're going to be getting the message out there about Doodles, but not just about Doodles. The fact that there is this new incredible experience that's coming to market. New York, LA, Miami, Austin, Columbus, Ohio, a lot of these places have a lot of major entertainment things that come by but there's very few things that fill this gap. You can go to Six Flags, Disneyland, you can go to a tour that's coming through town like I take my kid to the Jurassic World tour and it's really cool but there's not many things that are IP driven that you can go to any weekend.
You can knock out three hours with your family, there's just a really big hole in that market in almost every single city. The fact the experience is going to be coming to the city that we're going to is a marketing opportunity within itself. So Doodles is going to draft off of that solution that this experience is actually providing to the market and I think everybody knows this that's been to our events, once you're in, once you experience it, you have a really big opportunity with a brand like Doodles to keep people interested in your ecosystem, to keep people interested in what you're doing. The other thing you kind of mentioned about our events where you see strollers and families around during the day and then at night it's a Diplo concert, we're going to be doing a similar kind of thing with daypart programing where there's going to be basically daytime programing for kids and families and then at night, not every single night but at night there's going to be more adult focused programing where the setting and the scene is a lot more for people that are over 21 and not really in that family kind of setting. So it's going to be pretty cool to see our ability to actually target multiple demographics and try and be a multi-generational brand.
You have mentioned that Doodles is like the Amex black card of the collection. How does that work related to the Doodles Camp experience?
Julian: We've been maintaining this. So essentially the Doodles OG collection, obviously there's provenance associated with it, it's the art that started it all, it's one of 10,000 Burnt Toast but it also comes with this contract that's going to give you the ultimate access in the entire ecosystem. Sometimes access means you're going to get entered for a raffle to be one of the only 300 people that get the Pharrell pack for free. Sometimes it's going to be access to a major live event that we're propping up at a big cultural moment and sometimes it's going to be something like Camp where you are going to get free entry, you are going to get merchandise credits, you are going to get concierge services, meaning when you show up, it's not going to be like somebody walking off the street, the store is going to be waiting for you, you're going to be treated like a true VIP because that's what people that hold the original collection are and we think that's a pretty special thing. We think people strive for that. We think people want to feel special, especially when they're investing money in collectibles and the things that we offer in our ecosystem so if you're traveling to come to this specific location, we want that experience to feel very special to you.
We don't want you to feel like just any normal consumer off the street. You're part of the Doodles universe, the same way that the characters that are being displayed in that experience are. So it's really special to us and really important to us that we live up to that in that our community. The people that are truly in the community every single day, engaging, building. There's a fictional universe of characters and then there's the real world lifestyle of Doodles, the real world lifestyle of Doodles we want to be as known and as much of a part of our story as the actual fictional universe and that's what we're trying to perpetuate with this idea of like white glove concierge service. I always think of it like concierge key with American Airlines or the Black Card with American Express or Club 33 with Disney, it doesn't mean every single thing that we do is going to be free but it means there's going to be a very, very special experience for OGs at every step of the way and this is just another iteration of that.
When you gave the presentation at NFTNYC about a year ago, you talked about immersive experiences, culture, music, is there anything that has changed or pivoted in strategy since that presentation?
Julian: I think a business like us you need to give yourselves agency to pivot as things unfold and as technology develops and I'd say that our vision has not changed at all but the way we get there maybe there are a couple changes but they wouldn't be noticeable to somebody looking from the outside in. I think the way that we think about on-chain loyalty, rewards and engagement and a hub like the stoodio being connected to every single consumer touchpoint, we've always had a vision for that because there's countless examples of major IP in the world that has fans and really loyal supporters that go out and see them at the movies, theme parks, buy merch, play games and the IP actually has no way of tracking all of that behavior. They have no idea who these people are, much less how to reward them for their support and for their loyalty. If you build from the ground up with that mindset, you're going to be able to create a much deeper relationship between you and your most loyal supporters, which is kind of what Web3 is about. So how do we create a brand that can do what any of these major IP operators do with an audience of millions, but we're doing it with thousands and then you build that traditional business model on top of it to create something truly exponential.
That is the vision, that's the game. I think the thing that most people don't understand is that brands today, it's not like you can just go build one tentpole and build a global IP off of that. If you're Disney you can, you can release Encanto, be working on it for five years and have all the distribution to make that a hit but it doesn't work that way for most people trying to build an IP. Most brands need to be present every day where consumers spend their time on social media, in live events, through merchandise, people spend their time in very fragmented ways these days, and attention is very difficult to maintain. So this whole concept of transmedia storytelling is really important and if you think about what GoldenWolf is, they're an animation and creative studio that specializes in advertising content, on digital content, on social content. So knowing that we are going to be a transmedia storytelling brand, meaning we're going to be present in many different areas and we're going to be creating content around all of the things that we do, whether it be Camp, brand partnerships that we have coming up, Doodles Records, anything with the product and the stoodio, new NFT collections etc. What could be a better asset internally than an Emmy nominated advertising and animation studio? We're going to be able to put high quality content out in a way that other people truly just can't keep up with.
I don't mean content for the sake of content. I truly mean high quality content. So GoldenWolf being in the mix is huge for us. Ingi is an incredible thought leader, always thinking about new ways to push technology forward. For us blockchain is obviously what made Doodles what it is and it's obviously what is most interesting to us and how digital ownership brings people closer to an IP but how can you use some other emerging technologies to actually create quicker time to market for animation so you can create more animations? How do you use it to create more immersive environments? Really thinking about new ways to push the envelope and at the end of the day, people connect with stories, people connect with characters, people love joyful entertainment and if we can make those people feel like they're part of our universe the same way that our main characters are, that's when you get something that I don't think truly exists in the world today and it's something we're really excited about so I'd say not a ton has changed, how we get there and the mechanism in which we deliver these incredible stories and bring people closer will always change. That's just kind of the nature of being in the world that we're in but I'd say we have as much or more conviction than when I started.
Did Apple's Vision Pro announcement yesterday strengthen your belief in the future of experiential and immersive experiences
Julian: Yeah. Everybody knows Burnt Toast for creating the characters but he's actually a really incredible product and thought leader in how to leverage technology to create more content. He's been beating this drum for a long time. Mixed reality. He really loves augmented reality specifically and I think what you saw last night was a major step in how this is ultimately going to evolve. That headset is going to get smaller and smaller. The computing power is going to get stronger and stronger. The price is going to get cheaper and cheaper. The technology is going to get more intuitive and anybody that's not thinking about that future is definitely going to get left behind. How long it takes to get to a point where that use case is truly at scale? Who knows? I think it happens faster these days than it ever has before. I think it's actually a really exciting time if you're a creator, especially if you're a creator in a world where you're trying to connect physical and digital. We couldn't be more bullish and we couldn't be more excited for the kind of things that we're actually going to be able to make with a truly great platform like that.
I think the metaverse is a term, it's not what's actually being created. It's thrown around so much and people talk about the metaverse like it's someplace we're going and not someplace that we kind of live in today. Everybody very carefully curates what they put on social media, younger generations care so much about the digital assets that they can acquire like Roblox and Fortnite, people care about what their Zoom looks like, everybody on this Twitter space has very carefully curated what their PFP looks like and what their Twitter feed looks like. We are very much living in a world that has bridges from digital and IRL and what the announcement was yesterday and what Disney is doing is just talking about a much more intuitive and deeper way to make that a reality and to create better experiences. If you looked at the visuals, imagine throwing on a headset and being able to watch a Disney movie like that or to watch a game on ESPN. I don't even think people can really feel the impact of how that's going to be. It's going to be incredible. It's going to be an entertainment experience that just does not exist today and until people can actually feel it, I think there's going to be a lot of speculation, but that showed a lot of promise, we were all pretty blown away watching that presentation.
I love that you've mentioned a couple times the prioritization of content and good content, is Doodles active on platforms outside of twitter or is that coming?
Julian: It's coming up. We are mostly active on Instagram and Twitter. We needed to actually get the GoldenWolf acquisition through and then ultimately integrate the company and the business into Doodles so that naturally just takes some time and what we didn't want to do was just rush to get content out there because it's something that you feel like you have to do. Quality takes time. A brand that's going to live forever and and be timeless takes time. It's not like technology where if you're first and you're quick, you get a leg up. People are always starving for new IP. People are always looking for new stories. People are always looking for new ways to actually connect and feel joy and escape and what we can't do is rush to put something out that doesn't truly mirror or represent the Doodles brand and the bar for quality that we have. Obviously we're going to have a TikTok channel, we're going to have more YouTube content. It's just taking a little bit of time as these things should. I don't want to give you like an exact date of when that stuff is going to happen, but it's all being developed as we speak in addition to the long form, whether that be television or film and then what are the characters names? What are the stories? What adventures do they go on? What is the universe like? You're going to start to see tidbits of that throughout the summer and into the end of the year.
I wasn't even thinking long form. Is that alpha?
Julian: You've definitely heard that before. Of course if your any major IP, you want to figure out a way to exploit that IP in new ways and film, television, longer form takes a longer time and it's something that we don't really feel the need to rush into because it's not like we have everything riding on Doodles being like a smash TV show or a major hit movie at the box office. If you think about the way brands operate today, evergreen social content, narrative storytelling, different kinds of physical and digital experiences, merchandise, true connection to your audience and your community every single day. That's what Doodles is really going to prioritize and in parallel to that, yes, how do we actually get like a bigger tentpole to market?
I think you were hinting to building out the lore of the collection, are there plans to roll out content around exactly what it is to be a holder of these collections?
Julian: That's a great question. I'd say that first and foremost, all the fictional universe and lore for what Doodles is building is going to emanate from our collections. So the characters are going to emanate from the original collection. Some of the fashion inspiration in our universe is going to emanate from Doodles2, it's going to be very clear to anybody that's been around for a while or anybody that knows Doodles that the world that's being built is being built around the NFT's and the community is going to have several ways to take part in that and then as far as actually marketing what it means to be an OG holder, there's going to be a ton of content. There already has been a lot of content if you look our marketing pages and some of the tweet threads, some of the animations that we've made to kind of take people through whatever experience we're promoting at the time but when it does come to the actual membership itself, that's something that we're going to continue to prioritize. There's going to be a lot of content made around that and it's something that we talk about internally every day.
If you look at another collection, DeGods. They seem to really be leaning into these seasons. What I mean by that is the content they create, they sort of build up to the utility for months
Julian: That's not entirely our strategy to speculate on what utility may or may not be, I would just say that what we found works for us is kind of just showing people, iterating and testing and we think that's a really good long term strategy for us, especially because we're in a position where we're able to do a lot right now because of the capital that we raised last year. I think the utility is going to get very clear and the ecosystem is going to become very clear soon. I think people are already starting to feel it with the launch of the stoodio, the Pharrell Pack, Pharrell himself becoming a Doodle in our universe, Camp and some of the other partnerships that we're getting ready to announce that are going to happen this summer and into the end of the year so I'd say that we want people to feel like more is coming, but we also don't want to over promise and have people have outsized expectations because I think a lot of projects fall victim to that.
We're also fans of what a lot of other people are doing and we study what other people are doing to try and take bits of that and see how they could fit our business. I think the thing that's really exciting about Web3 right now is that not everyone is doing things the same way. Specifically in the PFP collections, everybody is kind of establishing their own lane and doing really incredible work across the space and I'd say that should be an exciting thing because what works for one project won't necessarily work for the next. It's pretty cool that we're all collections, we're all NFT's, we're all Web3 but at the end of the day, the track that we're taking and the businesses that we're creating are actually really different. So I'd say that we look at these things, it's just figuring out when and why to implement them or activate them but I think mainly what you're saying is, how can you make sure that the utility isn't really going under the radar and it's something that we're championing as much as the big brand moments and that's something that is 100% a priority for us and making sure that the community feels and understands what it means to be a holder.
I love that these projects are taking different paths and while I think others will follow, I do think it's going to take a big brand like Doodles kind of chart that blueprint in a sense.
Julian: Yeah and others others have followed. When Jordan, Evan and Scott started the company, they were very clear that this was an IP that they were going to develop over time and making sure that the community was part of that IP. SXSW was kind of a statement that Doodles made. NFTNYC was a statement that Doodles made and you've seen a lot of projects actually try and do what we are doing. Everybody knows Doodles may not have been the best at talking about what we're doing but at the end of the day, I think no one's going to be able to deny that there's a really thriving ecosystem, company and community being built around this IP come the next few months when all that's about to release is going to release. It's a very exciting time to be a Doodle holder. I feel like Doodle holders are going to be very proud to represent the brand and be ambassadors for the brand and I think we're really proud that the community that has stuck around and truly engaged with us this entire way is going to feel very good about where we're going. It's an exciting time for Web3. I think you're going to see a lot of really interesting work. I've always said that last year was kind of the year of shipping promises and this year going into next year is really going to be the year that you actually start seeing all of us ship product and you're starting to see some really incredible work unfold and we're just happy that we still have a chance to do that.
Can we expect any other in real life activations whether it be Art Basel or otherwise this year or is it all focus on Camp?
Julian: Camp is going to be the main focus from an investment perspective, meaning most of what we have for live is going towards Camp and building that out as a true business, with that being said we love popping up at other IRL moments because it's a way to onboard new people into our ecosystem and also reward key community members. What we did at Something In The Water was we basically set up this 30 by 30 space. We called it Doodle Beach. There was a merch shop that promoted our collaboration with BBC Ice Cream and then there was another space where you could actually test out the Doodles2 product experience on screen and go into the stoodio, mess around a little bit, learn more about Doodles and what it is. We were able to onboard a lot of festival goers that really didn't know anything about the brand beforehand but we were able to break off 50 super VIP tickets with incredible access to the stage and raffle those off for Doodles community members. We're going to be doing that again at other moments this year. Exactly which ones, we're not prepared to say yet but that will always be a focus for us. What we wanted to do was create an activation that could be easily packed up and travel so we could take a similar thing from event to event versus trying to go completely all in on a SXSW or Art Basel, not to say that's not going to be something we do in the future, we're just trying to scale our live event footprint and our activity a little bit more.
Was there ever a discussion about creating permanent Doodle-branded locations, inspired by the success of Doodleputt, such as Doodles laser tag or Doodles go kart racing?
Julian: I think the thing that we wanted to kind of steer clear of is having any association for Doodles that was not specifically about Doodles, the characters and the stories. If the first time people are experiencing Doodles is through golf or laser tag or bowling you kind of run the risk of people thinking that's what it is. If you think about Mario, the characters, the stories, people were very familiar with what those were before Mario Kart or Mario Golf or Mario Tennis ever came out, I do think there's an opportunity for that in the future. I think people loved Doodleputt, but I think the strategy there was really more about how do you create something splashy and noteworthy at Art Basel that people were truly going to care about doing that was very social but we believe that Camp and the experience that we're creating there is a much better format for where we're going but the idea of Doodles popping up with other sorts of immersive experiences is definitely interesting and something we are actively working on what it looks like to bring other experiences to different markets around the world and it's going to continue to be a core strategy of ours. We're going to learn a lot with with what we do at Camp and we're going to use that data to continue to build out the ecosystem.
Have you considered creating a weekly series on platforms like YouTube, where kids can tune in to watch and engage with the brand on a regular basis, even though you mentioned that you're not pursuing a Doodles movie or animation?
Julian: To clarify, a movie, doodles animation, that's actually something we're actively working on. It's just there's no rush to get that out there. When it comes to YouTube, I'm a parent that utilized Cocomelon and Paw Patrol and all these different things on YouTube. So I totally get it. I think there is going to be YouTube content very soon, but there's also going to be TikTok and more Instagram content and there's just going to be a stronger throughline for what we're creating and why, you're going to start to see the story and some of the characters unfold. Not all at once. I'd say that the minute to two minute long videos is something that translates more of like a webcomic, animated series, physical book or social content? All of these things are are being developed right now. So I'd say what you're hoping for is exactly the work that GoldenWolf is doing. Whatever format it comes in I'm not going to guarantee on the spaces today but you can just rest assured knowing that this is 100% top of mind and as big of a priority as anything in the company, probably the biggest priority in the company.
You were referencing OG holders, are these benefits for those that held for a while or just a Doodle holder in general?
Julian: We do believe that if you own an original Doodle, you're entitled to the kind of the standard benefits that we're building around membership in owning that Doodle but we also are working through ways to make sure people that have stuck around and engaged are rewarded. If you look at the Pharrell pack, the criteria to actually enter the raffle, you had to have had an OG Doodle, you had to have dooplicated a Doodle, opened a Genesis Box and you had to have signed up for an account with the stoodio. If you did not have an OG Doodle, you were not eligible for that raffle but if you didn't do all the other things that kind of engaged members of the community do, you also couldn't be part of that raffle. So I think you're going to start to see things where all Doodles holders get an opportunity for something. Only Doodles holders that have taken certain actions are going to get an opportunity for something and kind of everything in between.
How do you plan to onboard individuals from the immersive camp experience into the Web3 space?
Julian: I'd say that's exactly what we're building and our vision. How do you build a on-chain collectible ecosystem that connects to every single consumer touchpoint? We kind of look at Doodles as a funnel where most people are going to come into contact with us through engaging with content on social media, showing up at experiences like Camp, seeing Adidas or Pharrell post about Doodles etc All of a sudden those people are aware of Doodles and we have an NFT product in the stoodio that feels a lot more like skinning a character in Fortnite or buying something in Roblox where you're basically outfitting your avatar in whatever activation you saw. So like Adidas, Pharrell, you can now buy the stuff that they were representing, build your doodle in that likeness. There's no friction to get in, signing up for a wallet and getting into the stoodio is as easy as setting up an Instagram or Spotify account. It's not even just about it being easy, it's familiar. Getting a metamask, holding a seed phrase, buying crypto, that stuff is not familiar and it scares most people.
We know the technology is ultimately going to get better but in the meantime we want a meaningful way to actually onboard people into this hub that we've built in the stoodio. So if you can create media, experiences, attention you can actually bring them in to your hub, to your collectible ecosystem through a really easy to use product. A product they care about that helps them represent themselves, they get to be a Doodle the same way that our main characters are going to get to be a Doodle. Now they're in, they're going to learn more about blockchain, they're going to learn more about Web3 but they were able to get out of their own way because the technology was invisible. They weren't scared of NFT's and crypto the first time they integrated with Doodles because they had no idea that's what it was. That's a really interesting opportunity because right now for a lot of people it's kind of the boogeyman and if you can help people understand it isn't about the headlines that you read, it's about a better technology stack to create a more meaningful relationship between supporters, collectors, community and the IP itself.
None of the rest is going to matter to those people. Our goal is ultimately to have the entire collectible ecosystem connect to everywhere that people are experiencing the brand. You're going to see that with Camp. You've seen that at all of our live events, if you were a Doodle holder at Art Basel, at Doodleputt, you were able to flash your badge at different activation pillars and it would make a noise and you would get access to different shots, a door would open up and you could actually hit it through the secret passageway and give you an edge over somebody that didn't have a Doodle, you were able to display your Doodle in certain areas in the actual experience itself. So we kind of look at it like it's in real life, it's digital, everything's connected. That is what we're building right now and we really want to make sure that you're giving people as little friction as possible that don't know much about us or the space as a whole.
Beyond GoldenWolf is Doodles looking at other acquisitions in the space?
Julian: We're always looking at acquisitions. There's always an opportunity to bring companies in that are either struggling or thriving but by bringing them together, you create an exponential effect. Any time we look at an acquisition, it's always how can we create one plus one equals three.. GoldenWolf is not just about ingesting a really great creative team. It's how can we reinvent their company to create a much better version of GoldenWolf while at the same time creating a new world for the development of Doodles IP. So I'd say that to the extent that any Web3 IP, any underlying infrastructure is interesting, we're definitely all in on on those ideas. We brought in all the engineering and product resources from a from another Web3 company that was struggling earlier this year. It wasn't publicized or anything but it's always something that we're vetting and looking at. I'd also say joint ventures and partnerships, we want to be vertically integrated and own the relationship with our community as much as we possibly can but that's not to say that we're going to be experts in every single area we want to operate in so partnership and joint ventures and trying to scale businesses together is always something that's top of mind for us so yes, absolutely. We're always looking at that.
What does Doodles look like in two years?
Julian: I think in the context of Doodles. Doodles is a lifestyle brand that people engage with and are a part of every day. People use it as their PFP, people buy the merch, they communicate with each other, you actually build more content off of the IP, people are starting businesses based off of the IP. Doodles is very real and present in our everyday life and the idea that there are community members where as the brand scales, those people, their interests in the company or the brand scale as well. You're running that parallel to a fictional universe of characters, who is our Buzz Lightyear? Who is our Woody? The fact that there are community members that will be known in the community and the story of those community members just as much as who our main characters are I think is really special because then you could take a fictional universe and a lifestyle brand and have them crash into each other at times.
If you look at the end card for the last trailer we did promoting the Pharrell Pack and Stoodio, it was really cool to see because you saw Pharrell as a Doodle. He's a real person in the real world, but he is now a character in the Doodles universe the same way Lady Gaga and The Weeknd have done things like that with The Simpsons. They're real people but they're in this fictional universe. You saw our main character, the mascot and you also saw a bunch of characters that you might not know, it could be someone from North Dakota or Hong Kong or Tokyo or Miami and the whole point is that they're living in this same universe together. When I think about IP developed from the ground up in Web3, especially when it comes to what Doodles is doing, that concept of digital identity delivered through a brand and the community being as much a part of our universe as the fictional characters that are ultimately going to scale to millions. That is what I think is really interesting about what we're building here and that's why I think the the notion of building a business with your core people is so special and something that doesn't really exist in in the world of IP today.
Can crossovers between real-life and digital formats create a compelling and unique experience?
Julian: If you think about your relationship with Mickey Mouse, you watch the shows, maybe you go to the movies. I don't think he's really at the box office anymore but you buy the t-shirt, maybe there's some games, you go to Disneyland. It's really great but there are going to be people in our community that are like Mickey Mouse, right? Like people.
Look at Doodlien, the holographic alien. He minted it. He's turned down massive offers. He is one of the biggest champions of the brand and if you're in Doodles, you know who Doodlien is. That's all part of the of the story of Doodles. People aren't just falling in love with the characters and the stories. They're also falling in love with the process and how it all came together because they feel truly invested in it. That's really special and and I think that's going to be the thing that really, really separates Web3 from a lot of the other IP out there.
I think the main thing I'll sign off with is, Doodles is doing exactly what we said we would be doing at NFTNYC last year. It takes a while to build businesses that truly matter and to build brands and characters and stories that truly matter and then to bring a community closer to that entire experience. I think people are going to be really proud to see what's coming next but very excited to see all the positive reaction and engagement we've had on the timeline recently so appreciate the time today, guys, and we'll talk again soon.

This chapter length report exceeds the limit for Reddit postings, thus a link is provided.
AND THEN THE SKY EXPLODED: INCIDENT AT JOSHUA TREE, JANUARY 1996, CONTACT NETWORK HISTORY PROJECT Joseph Burkes MD 2021
Synopsis: This detailed report is about a Human Initiated Contact Event that occurred in the high desert January 24-25, 1996. For a week prior to fieldwork, my wife and repeatedly received strange telephone calls. When the phone was picked up, there was silence on the line. At the research site in Joshua Tree in two separate locations, contact team members were openly photographed in apparent surveillance. During a windstorm golden globes of presumed ET origin were seen on several occasions. The following morning the contact team was buzzed at low altitude by three waves of fighter-bombers. They were flying well below 1000 feet and were headed to the east, in the direction where the team had anticipated their next sighting of UFOs would take place. For the full report click on the blue link below.
https://contactunderground.wordpress.com/2022/07/11/and-then-the-sky-exploded-incident-at-joshua-tree-january-1996/

This chapter length report exceeds the limit for Reddit postings, thus a link is provided.
AND THEN THE SKY EXPLODED: INCIDENT AT JOSHUA TREE, JANUARY 1996, CONTACT NETWORK HISTORY PROJECT Joseph Burkes MD 2021
Synopsis: This detailed report is about a Human Initiated Contact Event that occurred in the high desert January 24-25, 1996. For a week prior to fieldwork, my wife and repeatedly received strange telephone calls. When the phone was picked up, there was silence on the line. At the research site in Joshua Tree in two separate locations, contact team members were openly photographed in apparent surveillance. During a windstorm golden globes of presumed ET origin were seen on several occasions. The following morning the contact team was buzzed at low altitude by three waves of fighter-bombers. They were flying well below 1000 feet and were headed to the east, in the direction where the team had anticipated their next sighting of UFOs would take place. For the full report click on the blue link below.
https://contactunderground.wordpress.com/2022/07/11/and-then-the-sky-exploded-incident-at-joshua-tree-january-1996/

The Next Frontier of the Internet

Introduction

In recent years, there has been a growing buzz around the term "Web3." As technology evolves and blockchain gains prominence, Web3 is emerging as the next frontier of the internet. Unlike its predecessors, Web3 aims to decentralize the web, empowering individuals and fostering a new era of digital sovereignty. In this article, we will delve into what Web3 truly means, its key components, and the potential it holds for reshaping our online experiences.

The Evolution of the Web

To understand Web3, we must first look back at the evolution of the web. Web1, the early version of the internet, was characterized by static websites where users passively consumed information. With the advent of Web2, interactive platforms like social media, e-commerce, and cloud computing emerged, enabling user-generated content and interactivity. Web2 brought about tremendous innovation, but it also gave rise to data privacy concerns, centralized control, and the exploitation of user data.

What is Web3?

Web3 represents a paradigm shift from centralized Web2 platforms to a decentralized and user-centric model. At its core, Web3 leverages blockchain technology and cryptographic principles to facilitate peer-to-peer interactions, empower users with control over their data, and eliminate the need for intermediaries.

Key Components of Web3

1. Blockchain Technology: Blockchain forms the foundation of Web3. It is a decentralized and transparent ledger that records transactions across multiple computers or nodes. Blockchain ensures trust, security, and immutability by removing the need for centralized authorities.
2. Decentralized Applications (dApps): Web3 encourages the development and adoption of dApps. These applications run on the blockchain, eliminating the need for a central server. dApps empower users by granting them full control over their data, fostering trust, and enabling transparent interactions.
3. Smart Contracts: Smart contracts are self-executing contracts with predefined rules and conditions encoded on the blockchain. They facilitate automated and trustless transactions, enabling secure peer-to-peer interactions without intermediaries.
4. Interoperability: Web3 promotes interoperability, allowing different blockchains and dApps to communicate and share data seamlessly. This opens up possibilities for collaborative and interconnected networks that transcend individual platforms.
5. Digital Identity: Web3 emphasizes the concept of self-sovereign identity, enabling individuals to have full control over their digital identities. This shift provides enhanced privacy, security, and ownership of personal data.

Potential Impact of Web3

Web3 has the potential to revolutionize various sectors and redefine the way we interact online:

1. Finance and Economy: Decentralized finance (DeFi) applications built on Web3 enable trustless peer-to-peer transactions, lending, and investing without intermediaries, making financial services more accessible and inclusive.
2. Content Creation and Ownership: Web3 empowers content creators by allowing them to monetize their work directly, eliminating the need for intermediaries and enabling fair compensation.
3. Governance and Voting: Web3 facilitates transparent and auditable voting systems, enabling direct participation and reducing the potential for fraud in elections and decision-making processes.
4. Supply Chain and Traceability: By leveraging blockchain technology, Web3 enables end-to-end traceability and transparency in supply chains, reducing fraud, counterfeiting, and promoting ethical practices.

Conclusion

Web3 represents a paradigm shift towards a more decentralized, user-centric, and privacy-focused internet. By leveraging blockchain technology, Web3 fosters trust, security, and empowers individuals with control over their data. While it is still in its nascent stages, Web3 holds immense potential to reshape various industries, enhance privacy, and establish a more equitable and inclusive digital landscape. As we move forward, embracing Web3 concepts and exploring its possibilities will be crucial for unlocking a new
https://powercryptoworld.com/home

Hello, first time poster and excel novice here.
I have a products document with conditional formatting based on whether or not there is data found in columns D, E and F. I've added a rule that only activates this conditional formatting if the phrase "ACTIVE" is found in column G. The reason for doing this is so that I can focus on one supplier (Column A) at a time.
What I am trying to achieve in posting here is figuring out a method of applying conditional formatting to a group of rows with the same value in column A, without me having to input "ACTIVE" in column G.
For example, in the screenshot below, if I input data in D1287, E1287 or F1287 I want the conditional formatting to be activated for all rows with the same column A value as A1287 (generic_supplier)
I hope that makes sense, thanks in advance for any help anyone can provide!
https://preview.redd.it/n3jwz05p6h4b1.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=70f1251965be2289d3deebe01d161cc0744b9aa1

several months ago you all helped me with my speeds after my initial transition.
I find I am now in a limbo land between Comcast business and Xfinity - I transitioned because I no longer need the SLA business class provides.
In the change over I overlooked the last payment and since then Comcast business has ruled over me (the bill was paid some time ago) and the app keeps saying I do not have coverage and I cannot seem access my account to fix this.
I have tried twice with little success to get them to release me (as would have been the case with any other non-related company).
If you could assist I would truly appreciate it.

Bill C-27 is a Bill in Canada that would replace the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) with the new so called Consumer Privacy Protection Act (CPPA). Although somewhat similar there are substantial differences to the previously proposed Bill C-11, Digital Charter Implementation Act, 2020 as Bill C-27 is worse. From the point forward CPPA refers to the CPPA found in Bill C-27.
1 The Protections (or lack thereof)
Bill C-27 offers less protection than PIPEDA. Under PIPEDA organizations are required to give purposes must be stated in such a manner that the individual can reasonably understand how the information will be used or disclosed. Under Bill C-27 organizations still must give purposes, however they do not have to give individuals an understanding of the information will be used or disclosed.
This law introduces vague new exceptions to knowledge and consent. Let's go over some of them:

1. Business Activities and Legitimate Interest

This replaces implied consent. However this is weaker than implied consent because under PIPEDA implied consent must still follow other consent rules like informed consent, (eg. a cookie notice). This is not a requirement of business activities or legitimate interest. Also some of those other consent rules don't exist anymore. These activities also include prescribed activities.

1. Research, analysis and development

For these purposes, the information must be de-identified, however individuals can still be identified from de-identified information.

1. Records of historic or archival importance

Only applies to disclosures

1. Socially beneficial purposes

Only applies to de-identified information. Includes a list of organization to which information can be disclosed but this is irrelevant because the list includes any other prescribed entity. Socially beneficial purpose means a purpose related to health, the provision or improvement of public amenities or infrastructure, the protection of the environment or any other prescribed purpose.
I'm just going to list of the rest:

• Employment relationship — federal work, undertaking or business
• Prevention, detection or suppression of fraud
• Identification of individual It also expands existing exceptions.

Let's also go over other ways in which this Bill reduces Canadian's privacy:

• Now when considering appropriate factors under PIPEDA the standard is purposes that a reasonable person would consider are appropriate in the circumstances. However when determining appropriate factors under the circumstance this now includes whether the purposes represent legitimate business needs of the organization.
• This act lacks the detail of the PIPEDA Schedule 1 Principals
• Under PIPEDA Knowledge is a requirement for transferring information to service providers. Under CPPA it is not.
• When making an access request, you are no longer entitled an account of the use that has been made or is being made of the information, unless it is about an Automated decision system

2 Enforcement
CPPA's enforcement is similar to PIPEDA's but worse. At least there are penalties. The process:

1. An individual files a complaint with the OPC. There are several reasons which can the commissioner can use to not investigate but not talking to the organization first isn't one of them.
2. The OPC investigates during which the Commissioner may attempt to resolve a complaint by means of a dispute resolution mechanism such as mediation and conciliation, unless an inquiry is being conducted in respect of the complaint or try to enter a compliance agreement. There is not time frame for this. (note under PIPEDA, a report of findings must be issued within a year see my about PIPEDA on privacy). It doesn't really say what an "investigation" is.
3. If the matter is still not resolved or the commissioner believe a compliance agreement is being breach an inquiry will start. The Commissioner must make rules respecting the conduct of an inquiry, including the procedure and rules of evidence to be followed, and must make those rules publicly available.
4. After the inquiry, the commissioner must make a decision.

(a) the Commissioner’s findings on whether the organization has contravened this Act or has not complied with the terms of a compliance agreement;
(b) any order made under subsection (2);
(c) any decision made under subsection 94(1); and
(d) the Commissioner’s reasons for the findings, order or decision.
"Compliance order"
(2) The Commissioner may, to the extent that is reasonably necessary to ensure compliance with this Act, order the organization to
(a) take measures to comply with this Act;
(b) stop doing something that is in contravention of this Act;
(c) comply with the terms of a compliance agreement that has been entered into by the organization; or
(d) make public any measures taken or proposed to be taken to correct the policies, practices or procedures that the organization has put in place to fulfill its obligations under this Act.

This must happen within 2 years of the complaint being followed, except it might not, see my post about PIPEDA on privacy.

1. The commissioner may recommend a penalty be imposed. This seems irrelevant because of,
   
2. Appeals may be made by the complainant or respondent to the tribunal with respect to a finding made by the inquiry, an order made by the commissioner or the commissioner's decision not to recommend a penalty. You only have 30 days to go to court. Under PIPEDA you have a year.
   
3. The tribunal may impose a penalty for all the contraventions in a recommendation taken together is the higher of $10,000,000 and 3% of the organization’s gross global revenue in its financial year before the one in which the penalty is imposed. Those numbers are the maximum. The law sets out relevant factors.
   
4. You may sue for damages if a finding previously made says the respondent has violated the act. This is done in federal court or the superior court of a province.
   
5. An order by the tribunal may be reviewed by the Federal Court. The judgment of the federal court may be appealed to the Federal Court of Appeal. The Supreme court may also take an appeal afterwards. This is much longer than PIPEDA and although there are fines, the protections are so weak that the fines barely matter.
   

3 Mitagation
Due to Canada's federal structure, the provinces can act to minimize the effect of this act. The reduction in protections will still apply to federally regulated industries. I believe Quebec has introduced their own legislation to ensure their residents remain protected. Ontario which has the largest population has called out the federal government in their White Paper:

"I believe that C-11 represents a step back overall from our current law and needs significant changes if confidence in the digital economy is to be restored." The Government of Ontario is committed to addressing these gaps.

However there are no timelines for this to be implemented according to an email I received from the Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery.

There are ongoing discussions with various levels of government and different jurisdictions on the subject of bringing forward changes to private sector privacy protections in Ontario, however, there are no timelines for implementation or release as of yet.

4 The alternative
These are the changes that would actually enhance privacy:

1. Keep PIPEDA
2. Replace Subection 5 (1) and (2) which current read as:

Compliance with obligations
5 (1) Subject to sections 6 to 9, every organization shall comply with the obligations set out in Schedule 1.
Meaning of should
(2) The word should, when used in Schedule 1, indicates a recommendation and does not impose an obligation.

With this: Compliance with obligations and recommendations
5 (1) Subject to sections 6 to 9, every organization shall comply with the obligations and recommendations set out in Schedule 1.

1. Remove the significant harm requirement from Division 1.1.
   
2. Add the following after subsection 14 (1): Same (1.1) An individual may apply to federal court if they believe an organization has violated Division 1 or 1.1 in a manner which has violated their privacy rights.
   
3. The following is added to the end of clause 16 (c): and punitive damages for violations of privacy rights.
   

5 What Can you do
You can exercise your rights under PIPEDA now. You can also contact the house's Standing Committee on Industry and Technology, your MP and Minister Champagne and tell them that you oppose Bill C-27 and why.
Edit: Added and between knowledge and consent

Epilogue

A brief, beautiful series of vignettes. We close the loop on some emotional beats, as well as receive promises/foreshadowings of further adventures.

Epigraph

The opening verses of Rumor Born, and possibly my favorite piece of poetry in the whole novel. It took me until this epigraph to realize that the title itself is referring to the city of Darujhistan and it's history. That said, given the fact that the work describes the events of the novel itself, and is written by the same guy who wrote Anomandris, then either Fisher was a Seer of incredible power or else has an immensely long lifespan. Possibly both, although the fact that Fisher's birth date is unknown implies the latter. Even at the end, answers only invite further questions.
The only other point of note is the reference to the "Gates of Nowhere" but I'm unsure what that might mean. The SCDAT?

The Epilogue Itself

The remaining Bridgeburners land back where they'd initially launched from at the beginning of Book 3, preparing to await their Moranth escort. Quick Ben and Whiskeyjack watch Moon's Spawn drift south, possibly to find another contest, this time against the Pannion Seer. Whiskeyjack's headaches have been lessening, possibly in response to his loosening heart, less guarded than the one he bore into Darujhistan. His cool reference to the loss of three members not being "that bad, considering" and Mallet's pained response shows the change has yet to take in full, but the Seargent has begun a slow road back to humanity. We leave the Bridgeburners with an ominous note, that Quick Ben has hatched another scheme, a big feint, one which might run over poorly with Whiskeyjack.
Captain Paran watches his men below on the beach, contemplating everything it cost him to get here. His... unique nature has granted new senses, and a growing awareness of Silverfox. Whether or not the romance between Paran and Tattersail was Oppon compelled or not, the two resolve to reunite in time. Mysteriously, they communicate over vast distances, although it seems to be an unreliable process. He has buried Lorn, now finally a soldier, holding in the position once held by the very man who warned him against this path, walking a path of ruin himself. Ganoes Paran, the gods have noticed you, and their gaze is unlikely to fall from someone who survived their use — what will you make of yourself?
Kalam, Fiddler, Apsalar, and Crokus sail west for Dhavran. The former claw is amused by the two youths and their naive innocence. Crokus asks after Unta, and they speak of leaving others behind, and moving forward. Kalam holds nothing against Apsalar, she's just a girl, after all. Crokus objects to this and discards the Coin, no longer in need of luck. Circle Breaker, even here barely noticed, decides to inform the Eel one last time that the Coin Berrer has freed himself, then looks forward, anticipating a new life. Also, the monkey's a demon, which probably means something that it decided to stick around.
And so, with beautiful prose and bittersweet optimism, so ends the first tale of the Malazan Book of the Fallen.

Gardens of the Moon

An excellent start all around! We've yet to see how fitting it may be for the rest of the series, but for now, I'm hooked! So much of this rode on Erikson's ability to pull off this massively ambitious departure from the commonplace, and he managed to pull it off far better than could be expected. While I recognize his inspirations in histories and anthropology, being able to port one form of literature to another, not only across genres but the fiction/non-fiction divide, is seriously impressive. While doing so without sacrificing much of the strengths of either format; even leveraging them to complement one another, is a staggering feat. I'll be breaking things down, although these categories are listed in no particular order, into Plot, Characters, Setting, Cosmology (encompassing the more fantastical elements from magic to races), and Prose/Format.

Plot

Favorite plots include the whole Jaghut Tyrant arc (for obvious reasons), Paran's Excellent adventure, and the whole Coll/Lady Simttal arc.
The deep lore cuts of all the Jaghut and T'lan Imass storylines are incredible, worldbuilding on a scope that allows for geological/evolutionary implications. The powers at play boggle the imagination and feel realized despite their incomprehensibility. Not necessarily "cosmic horror" although that plays a part, but a cosmic spectacle nonetheless. Ending, of course, with an apocalyptic battle feeling like the climax of a series of epics we barely get to glimpse. Looking forward to seeing so much more of this side of the Malazverse. I will say, the T'lan Imass gathering never really occurred, but I expect that's still coming.
Paran's whole plotline, beginning with quickly snuffed youthful aspirations, to political maneuverings, to being a pawn in the interplay between many gods and ascendants, to shaking free of the powers chaining him, if not necessarily free of what has happened to him, was great to watch unfold. It was the most straightforward "quest fantasy" of the book, touching on many cool places and meeting a wide variety of characters. Paran's brute "I'm already dead anyway so I may as well attack things head on" strategy was refreshing to watch, his relationships to Topper, Tattersail, and Toc were all great and helped to show his evolving character. Connecting with the Bridgeburners and helping them sort everything going on out was cathartic. And of course, the elephant in the room, the Dragnripur episode was fascinating and haunting and I need more.
Then there was the whole Oppon-infused plan regarding Lady Simtal and particularly its climax, was fantastic. I'm a sucker for plotlines that were technically successful yet have the characters involved come away regretting it happening in the first place. The solidarity between the Phoenix Inn regulars was great, as well as untangling their connections to one another. No there's no objective reason this one stood above the other Darujhistan plotlines, but I jive with it.
Other plots, such as all the Tiste Andii background intrigue, Crokus's whole ordeal, as well as Tattersail's plotline are great as well.
Most of the Tiste Andii stuff needs to be unpacked more fully down the road, as is we have only a brief glimpse into this massive, alien world on Moon's Spawn. Caladan Brood, Kallor, the unseen Prince K'azz, and Crone all seem to have their own intrigue going on, keeping someone reigned in. As for that someone, Anomander Rake's whole deal is a whole deal, I'm enthralled to see more of this obsolete great desperately try to get his people to care about anything again. The dragons are all tangled in this as well. Yea, I did just spend a lot of words just implying things without divulging much of what it meant, but so did Erikson and I'm hooked.
So Oppon's big plan seems to just keep nudging this one unwitting kid around via hormones and coincidence to drag the genuinely important players around. This is fascinating because it seems all Oppon wanted to do was mess with the Empire. For reasons that aren't quite clear yet, the gods seem terrified of this growing coalition of power on the part of the mortals and are doing what they can to slow this down. Even more interesting, they'd likely be able to curb-stomp the mortals pretty easily if they all weren't in their own cold war with one another. Oppon did seem to be multitasking a bit with messing with Shadow, but I'm less certain why they'd have beef outside of each operating in the "screw with stuff we shouldn't" domain.
Tattersall's (or now Silverfox's) arc is of course left wide open by the end of this, but is great. The Deck of Dragons is a fantastic narrative device, as we get assurance of the god's machinations in the background without having to pull the curtain back all the way. Also, one of the lingering questions I have is who the Ascendant that messed with the reading she did with Tayscheren was. I guess Shadowthrone? The whole soul-shifting arc and rebirth sequence are haunting and more than a but disturbing, but that speaks to the alternatives she could have undergone from her stunt in body-hopping. Her relationship with romance was a bit, odd, but there's a non-trivial element of divine meddling so it's cool ig.
The plotting is currently the strongest element of M:BotF thus far. That we had like 14 different plot threads splitting off and overlapping and drawing together over the course of the narrative is insane. That many of these plot threads managed to enliven and enlighten one another, narratively, thematically, and lore-wise, only makes the whole multiplicatively stronger than the sum of its parts. Everything felt pretty natural, with the threads that did overlap often doing so secondarily, as natural consequences rather than merging together into one mega-climax. I mean, we did get one mega-climax-sequence, but that was far more due to their proximity rather than each even being doomed to become defined by one another. Events that started separately for separate reasons stayed separate, but the shared pool of locations and characters helped to cause each of these to be deeply interconnected in the lives of those characters. Speaking of which...

Characters

My relationship with the characters of this novel is a bit interesting. They serve their plots wonderfully, and nearly every one of them has several standout moments in both word and deed. Yet, on the whole, they're, fine. I guess they're... exactly the sum of their parts? Don't get me wrong, these are extremely good parts they're made of. New character archetypes, old ones played extremely well, old ones given genuinely inventive twists. These are very good characters, but possibly the weakest pillar of the novel. The dialogue is weighty and meaningful, betraying a depth to the world and the people in it. Actions are (usually) thought out, exceptions to this rule are all true to a character or under extenuating circumstances. I want to see more of all of them. It's just, there isn't much of that "x factor" a lot of great character writers bring out.
I've already praised Paran, his attitude, and his motives. He's way over his head at the best of times and just has to bluff and namedrop long enough to survive to a point where he can effect genuine change. That effort changes him pretty drastically, and while he is somewhat better off for it, it is a sad thing to see the naive kid in him die off so soon.
Tattersail is interesting to me, I like her, but as a character she's on the weaker end of the cast. We do see her strong emotions and compassion explored a bit, but she takes a pretty hard left turn plot wise before that goes much of anywhere. We'll have to wait and see how Silverfox pans out.
Whiskeyjack fascinates me, we don't get too much of who he is, just all that's left of him of being ground into the dust. I can't wait to see Whiskeyjack the Old Guard thaw off more, as well as Whiskeyjack the man.
Quick Ben and Kalam probably stand as my current favorite Bridgeburners, their bromance being a highlight of the novel all while standing as fascinating characters on their own. Quick Ben has, all kinds of backstory running around, as well as secrets on top of that, but what we know of him so far is great. Kalam's just world-weary, yet he can't help but keep moving forward until he can bow out legitimately. The two of them are so much fun on top of being fascinating.
Dujek and Tayscheren, while not super present in the novel, are pretty great characters in their own right. Dujek, last of the Old Guard with any real power, just trying to do what he can for his men. And Tayscheren, not necessarily evil, but just a guy swallowed up in his own job.
Hairlock, while not making too much of a splash in the grand scheme of things, was an incredibly fun inclusion and a great initial antagonist. Just a power-mad goofy little guy who doubles as our first major look into this world's magic and cosmology.
Adjunct Lorn was one of the standout characters of the novel, a woman enslaved to her own self-justification. Torn between the scared girl trapped in the mines and the unfeeling super claw, unable to reconcile the two before the end. Her constant contradictions and tensions within her character were fascinating to watch.
And Toc, poor Toc man. A great guy who I'd loved to have seen more of, just being such an interesting character on top of being fun. I feel he's introduced some interesting concepts, from the "inner sight" superstition of Seven Cities to whomever his dad is, but the credits have rolled and my guy is still down for the count, so I'll be interested to see how these elements are brought back.
Crokus Younghand stands out in this novel as the one, lone dumbass. Stop being literally me Crokus, you're embarrassing us. His interactions with everyone are great, quickly vacillating between idealism and stubbornness, romanticism and a parody grimdark woe-is-me view of reality. Every interaction he has with a woman is golden, but not particularly a glowing performance on his end.
Magnanimous Kruppe the First is the indesputable highpoint of this esteemed tale, and I will not hear otherwise. He is of course, bestowed of many virtues, chief among so his delight in the many pleasures of this world, second among so his capacity to indulge in any virtue or pleasure at will. Cleverest of anyone we see here, able to run conversations by himself with faux humility (for what does Kruppe have a need to be humble about?) and keep the magnificent city of Darujhistan in his pocket. There is a power vacuum of sorts our dear Eel needs to fulfill, and there is plenty of the rotund mage to explore each new crevice.
Rallick Nom and Murillio are great as well, in many ways they act as foils of one another. Rallick does what he does because he sees this as his only path through life, holding onto the concept of his actions benefiting others to preserve his mortality. Murillio, on the other hand, has a moral code of sorts but will transgress it if he feels there is a way to benefit a friend sufficiently. In the end, they both wind up morally bankrupt.
Lady Simtal and Turban Orr were fun villains. Not particularly unique but pulled off extremely well.
High Alchemist Baruk seems to have a whole bunch of layers to him. We keep getting allusions to a whole bunch of relevant stories with this man, such as his ascendancy or close friendship to Rallick Nom, but we don't get to see much of it, which I feel is a shame.
Raest is an awsome force of nature villain, believably evil for the sake of it. Namely, his evil is specific which is what makes for great villains of this sort. Raest wanted control over the longterm development of his world, to fundamentally remake things after his own nature.
Anomander freaking Rake. Nuf said.

Setting

While this is our first real look into Wu(?) as a whole, I'll mostly focus on modern-day Genebakis.
A great setting, with a bit of ecological and cultural diversity, although mostly hyperfocused on the city of Darujhistan. Perhaps a bit more could have been done in the set-dressing department. Genebaris received no real description, despite apparently existing in a different biome than the more southern cities. Similarly, he evidently passes through a forest, but of what kind? Touches like these could help further drive in the scope of the narrative physically in a similar manner to the temporal scope. It also is a bit disappointing because when Erikson did go the extra mile to do so, such as Kruppe's dreams or the like, two up-close descriptions of Darujhistan (besides just being big, blue, and copper from far off) were great. Actually, the lack of Darujhistan descriptions was possibly the biggest missed opportunity.
But what we do get in the City of Blue Fire is great and evocative. From the infrastructure to the politics to the culture and religion, it all stands out even among other great fantasy cities.
The Rhivi, Moranth, and Bhargast can all stand to be expanded on, but I get the sense that they'll be more than able to provide on that front once it becomes time. I'm curious to see how southern Genebakis contrasts to the northern reaches, but we'll get to that when we get to that.
Erikson's experience as an anthropologist really shines through, with the breadth, depth, and specificity of the world-building and cultures. I anticipate this element of the BotF rising to the top for me personally once we have more time to watch it unfold.

Cosmology and Magic

So my takes on these have been... rather well received, it seems. I love what tiny bit of the magic and cosmos of the world I've seen so far and look forward to understanding more!
In a lot of ways, it seems magic in this world is itself undergoing an evolutionary process, with all the Elder Warrens to Warrens ascendants and gods, and mortals evidently now being potent enough to overpower the gods themselves. If we expand on this analogy, then a lot of the confusion might be due to poor terminology. E.g. define a fish. Now define a Warren. There seem to be multiple related things all lumped under the same blanket term, despite their functional difference. The magic super highways and demi-planes and isolated pockets within objects (Dragnupir and the Finnest) are all roughly related (fish) while being intrinsically different and likely further classifiable as such (trout, squid, and sharks if you will).
But aside from that residual speculation and just generally saying its cool, I don't got much to say here.

Prose and Format

The prose of GotM was pretty good! Not the best, but serviceable, engaging, and evocative with a handful of really standout passages. I cannot wait to see this take a ten-year leap in Deadhouse Gates!
The formating was interesting. Many chapters were wonderfully interwoven PoV's all complimenting each other. Some could have conceivably been split into multiple quite comfortably, other blended. Makes me wonder why Erikson collected things as he did. Chapter 9 was basically 4 self-contained sequences each a chapter long, lol. ... It's because the Odessy has 24 chapters, isn't it? The book breakdown was terrifically effective, while Books 4, 5, and 6 largely blended together PoV-wise, they each still had their specific goals and arcs.
I'm a major fan of Epigraphs, and these were all great! (Despite my constant timeline and poetry scruples) A lot of my more out-there theorizing tended to be a bit more playful with the epigraphs than I think Erikson ever got, but that's more my own biases talking. I will say, if I ever get around to writing anything, I'd love to go ham on epigraph shenanigans.
All in all, this profoundly unique PoV structure (not so much unique in form as in just how broad and ambitious it is) works to elevate the whole experience. That Erikson so radically adheres to 3rd limited can get somewhat constraining at times, especially when we're not privy to info our PoV has, but overall, it works.

Final Thoughts

So, with all my nit-picking, critiques, and half-praise, did I even like this novel? No, I LOVE it. It is in many ways as advertised, a messy first step into a unique and wildly ambitious new direction, and I'm wholly invested in watching the rest of this unfold!
And now for one last pass through the ancillary goodies:
Dramatis Personae
Is actually quite funny in retrospect. But first:
Sorry is mentioned as a killer in the guise of a young girl. Obvious when you're in the know but it doesn't give the answer right away.
Dancer is mentioned as the advisor (right-hand, if you will) right out of the gate, D'oh.
Toc the Elder disappeared during Laseen's purges, interesting.
Kruppe: a man of false modesty, TRUE
Coll being merely listed as a drunk, technically true.
Chert: "an unlucky bully" lol
Mammot is listed as a High Preist of D'riss, D'oh.
The Eel is listed independently of Kruppe, good cover.
K'Rul is listed as the Maker of Paths, D'oh.
And that's more or less it. (I mean, I only skimmed it before, so its not like a missed anything)

Glossary

Not too much to say here, but a few notes:
Poliel, Missteres of Pestilence, and Soliel, Missteres of Healing have rather similar names, which is interesting.
The Warrens here are all listed as what their actual domains are, which is a nice aid. There don't seem to be any more than the ones named somewhere within the text, which is fine, but a couple odd notes:
Meanas is listed as the Path of Shadow and Illusion, Tattersail mentioned the two domains are connected, whereas Quick Ben (once a High Preist of Shadow) had seemed to regard the two as separate. There's a story there.
Also, Thyr, Tattersaill's Warren, is the Warren of Light, given the apparently... interesting relationship between Light and Dark, particularly Lights evident "corruption" I'd love to see the implications of all this.
The K'chain Che'maille's Elder Warren is not listed, either because it doesn't exist (once again proving them the worst Elder Race, nerds got soloed by some snow, lol) or it was simply never mentioned. Given we have seen at least one magic relic from them, likely the latter.
Also, the Azath is nowhere mentioned, which is interesting in itself.
Well, that's that! See y'all in a week or so, once I've gotten a test out of the way, with the beginning of Deadhouse Gates!

Hey, Reddit, I (30F) am in desperate need of your judgment because my family is making me feel like a monster.
So, a few months ago, my sister (27F) and her husband (30M) had some major relationship issues. They were constantly fighting and on the verge of divorce. It got so bad that my sister reached out to me for help. Being the supportive sister that I am, I offered her a place to stay until they figured things out.
Now, here's where things get tricky. Shortly after moving in, my sister dropped a bomb on me: she's pregnant. I was shocked because it seemed like the worst possible time to bring a child into their already tumultuous relationship. Nevertheless, I supported her decision and continued to let her stay in my house.
Fast forward a few weeks, and my sister's husband decided to reconcile with her. They decided to give their marriage another shot, which I thought was great. However, here's where the real issue began.
My sister and her husband started behaving like they owned the place. They would constantly argue and disturb the peace of my home. They would leave their belongings strewn everywhere, make a mess in the kitchen, and never clean up after themselves. It was like I was living with two teenagers.
On top of that, they completely disregarded my rules. I asked them to contribute to the household expenses, considering they were living there and eating the food I provided. But they refused, claiming they had enough financial strain with the baby on the way. I felt used and taken advantage of.
As if that wasn't enough, they also started throwing parties in my house without my permission. Can you imagine coming home after a long day to find your house filled with strangers, loud music, and alcohol? It was a complete violation of my privacy and personal space.
Feeling overwhelmed and unappreciated, I finally snapped. I confronted my sister and her husband about their behavior, telling them they needed to respect my rules and contribute to the household. But they laughed it off and brushed me aside, saying I was overreacting.
Unable to handle the constant chaos and disrespect, I made a tough decision. I told them they had one week to find a new place to stay and that I no longer wanted them in my house. It was a shock to them, but I felt it was the only way to protect my own sanity.
Well, Reddit, ever since I kicked them out, my family has been bombarding me with messages, calling me heartless and selfish. They claim I should have been more understanding since my sister is pregnant and that I've ruined their chances of a happy family. But I can't help but feel like I did the right thing.
So, am I the asshole for kicking my pregnant sister out of my house? Did I overreact to the situation, or was this a necessary step to protect my own well-being?

Hello, Looking for some feedback on a software project we're working on regarding providers workflow for revenue cycle processes. We realize it can be challenging for providers/healthcare professionals to navigate and find insurance information for different insurance companies. We are doing research to collect data on these processes and challenges associated. Some questions we had for providers or other revenue cycle professionals are: Do you feel that it is a challenge to submit requests or receive needed information from various insurance companies? How do you access healthcare insurance provider websites? What are the major transactions that you need to submit to insurance companies ? What information are you usually requesting when contacting insurance companies? Do you submit paper transactions for any insurance companies? If so which ones? What transactions? Who reviews medical necessity criteria? How do you switch from one vendor portal to another? Do you have any pain points associated? How many different insurance providers do you work with? If you have any contacts or somewhere that would have more information on this topic please feel free to share. Thank you for your time!

I’m at 35 weeks with di/di twins. My previous provider was expecting me having them around 36 weeks as he says that’s what he usually sees with twins and it just seems to be a magic number. I’m scheduled for a 38 week c-section as baby a is breech. Not sure if I’m going to make it.
I’m absolutely miserable. I have always had an incredibly high pain tolerance so I truly don’t know when to take things seriously. Hip and pelvic pain is horrible at this point. My entire lower body feels like shattered glass and moving is extremely hard. I feel like I need a walker, lol. I’ve gotten to where any physical activity at all starts period like cramps. They aren’t regular, but walking (even for short periods), getting a showegetting in and out of the tub, bending over, and even just standing up from a sitting position is causing the cramping. It lasts maybe 3-5 minutes and goes away until I do even the slightest physical activity again. Feet are swelling terrible but everything else that can come as a risk with that is fine.. hands have begun swelling slightly when I first wake up. My doctor told me it was basically due to carrying twins. One change I’ve noticed past 3 days or so is just extreme exhaustion. I cannot stay awake. They’ve not checked my cervix at all and I know it’s not always a huge indication of anything until you start dilating a bit more, but I know my mother was the same and didn’t know she was in labor either time due to just thinking it wasn’t painful enough and she cut it super close both times. I don’t want to end up in that situation with baby a being breech. I don’t have an appointment until Thursday but generally following the sit down, drink water rule kind of works after a few minutes, but as soon as I stand back up I’m hurting again but it doesn’t feel like it’s happening in a direct pattern or anything.
I feel so clueless as these are my second and third but I was induced and given an epidural way before I ever felt anything with my first and I have no clue what to expect.

I hope this makes sense!
If an individual gets an accommodation at work for ADHD, that is protected by the ADA, correct?
So say the accommodation is that the individual has several 5 minute breaks throughout the day to leave their desk and take a walk. It was done through HR with a doctors note provided, and everything is in writing. The office building has multiple businesses that occupy the offices. It is not owned by the company that the individual works for. Some of the people working in the other offices file a complaint with the building manager about people ‘loitering’ outside. It is common for people to take their 10 minute breaks and go outside to get some sun. Building manager heard the complaints and sent out a notice that prohibits people eating lunch or hanging out in front of the building outside or in the lobby. Basically they don’t want customers or anyone knowing that other people use the building.
Could this violate the accommodation? If the individual cannot take a walk in the building or outside because it’s considered loitering, could the rule be challenged?

Hey everyone! Got a bunch of super cool stuff to show off for my 25th trade post, including some non-card stuff!
Long read, but hopefully fun for everybody!
As usual, every card comes in a penny sleeve, top loader, and team bag. Standard is stamped and enveloped for shipping and on orders under $35 is $2. On orders over $35, PWE shipping is included in cost.
If you want, you can pay an extra $5 for Bubble Mailing. That will come with tracking. Orders at or over $75 will include shipping BMWT for free.
----------------------------------------://
In terms of trades, I am primarily interested in anything obscure and weird, but Paypal is strongly preferred. Trades will be a lot more likely to be considered if partial cash is included. In order of preference, I'm interested in:

• Paypal
  
• E-Reader Holos and JPN exclusive e-readers and
  
• Tomokazu Komiya/Yukiko Baba/Miki Tanaka 1st editions/holos.
  
• Vending Series and JPN exclusives
  
• Obscure GB and GBA titles
  
• Other Holos and Reverse Holos up to 2007. (I collect specific pokemon more than sets)
  
• Black StaNintendo promos up to 2006
  

-anything relevant cool or vintage you have
-Willing to look at Chrome Topps
----------------------------------------://

• If it's a card, and a cool or good one, feel free to throw it out, I could be interested. I collect specific styles of art, and things that are strange and obscure!
  
• Condition is valued over current market value, always happy to take a look at items that are in M/NM++ condition, though I ask that trades not in above conditions be of equal market value or in my favor. I collect obscurities, and so market values are often more speculative than in some circles.
  
• Thanks for looking! GLWT! ✨🪷🦑💫
  

All cards in the photos are in my personal collection and in condition shown, which is mostly pretty great shape. I try not to collect anything below MP-, BUT condition is relative and unique to card, and there are subgrades between cards that affect value.

• Ask for as many photos and videos as you like, it's no hassle at all. I try to be as transparent with condition, grading, and trading rules as possible.

Kecleon Club:

https://imgur.com/a/3UGYp7x
----------------------------------------:// I'm looking for the following values on each.

• Price may vary based on what you are trading, mixes of Paypal and trades always welcome, this is a negotiable baseline.
  
• Trade offers should be at or above the listed value if they are not LP condition or better for the most part.
  

Current Caravan Inventory:

• Flygon [NM-, scuff] - $9
  
• Raichu [M/NM+] - $34
  
• Treecko [NM] - $7
  
• Nidoqueen [NM-] - $15
  
• Zapdos [NM] - $5
  
• Pinsir [NM-/LP+]- $16
  
• Slaking [Strong Swirl, NM] - $4
  
• Entei [MP, Excellent Swirl] - $5
  
• JPN Azumarill [NM-] - $8
  
• Mr. Mime [LP+] - $16
  
• Cradily [NM] - $9
  
• Psychic Energy WOTC League Promo [2Double Swirls, NM] - $20
  
• Camerupt [1.5 Swirl, LP++ ]- $9
  
• Meowth Fruit Roll Promo [NM-] - $14
  
• Pokemon Breeder [NM-] - $5
  
• Hitmonchan [LP-/MP+, painful ding but otherwise clean] - $7
  
• Muk [NM-] - $4
  
• Wailord [LP++] - $13
  
• Magneton [NM--/LP+] $12
  
• Dewgong [LP+] $12
  
• Vileplume [NM-/LP++] $45
  
• Typhlosion Delta Species [LP++] $20
  
• Manectric [NM, Excellent Swirl, Not shown, just got, will provide timestamped photos on request] $7
  

PC stuff ----------------------------------------://

• Steelix JPN Exclusive Neo/Mag. Promo [NM-, Amazing Swirl by Teeth] - $60 or $>75TV
  
• Erika's Dratini [Coro Coro Hydrangea, LP++] $17TV
  
• Brock's Onix [Coro Coro, LP] $14
  
• Repro Pokemon Sapphire - WTT for any holo/RH pokemon in LP or better condition from 2002-2007. timestamp photos on request.
  
• Mario Party DS - $10 or $15TV, timestamp photos on request.
  
• Pokemon Mystery Dungeon DX CIB - $20 Paypal or $35TV, timestamp photos on request
  
• Carnivine G - $5TV
  
• Drifblim Promo Error Full Holobleed - Taking offers in the $25+ range. Timestamp and Video available on request.
  
• Random Base Set Low Value rares - Trading for any equalish value RH e-reader or Set Stamp card.
  

----------------------------------------://
{~PRESENTS FOR EVERYONE~}
• Shadowless Starmie - FREE! present to first order over $30, or WTT for Computer Error Black Star Promo/Misdreavus Black Star (didn't photo as it is a promo/special trade, can provide timestamp photos on request)
• Non-HoloBleed Drifblim Promo - FREE! present to first order over $60 or WTT for any e-reader holo/RH.
• Every order that includes any amount of Paypal will receive a limited edition 1/9 Amada Artbox sticker of a Pokemon of your choosing as a special present for attending the party!
• Anyone who has one of these Limited Edition "Kecleon Club" stickers can use membership on any future order for free PWE shipping.
• These Kecleon Club stickers will never be reissued, and each will be numbered. Stickers will be sent 10 days after post, and once stickers are sent, no more will be made.
• Don't be a square! Be a squaredancing Clefairy! Join the party today!
Amada Sticker Presents - https://imgur.com/a/i5927nx

Medical Ethical Issue Wisco
Long story short went to a cardiologist to rule out some cardiology issues. Went to another health care facility just to get a second opinion from another cardiologist, the second opinion doctor basically was just a second set of eyes to look at tests ordered by original provider. My symptoms have been getting worse and called to see my actual cardiologist. The nurse stated since I went for a second opinion the original cardiologist will no longer continue to see me. I was very appalled and called the second opinion place to ask their nurse if this is even normal or ethical and she said that it’s not. I honestly am very disgusted with this provider and the whole healthcare system and I’m finally done after dealing with crap with the whole entity. I am wondering what my rights are as a patient to file a grievance out of the healthcare system where original provider is. Also I am wondering if this is ethically ok for a doctor to do this? I am on Medicare and Medicaid due to already having other underlying health issues. Thanks.

Medical Ethical Issue Wisco
Long story short went to a cardiologist to rule out some cardiology issues. Went to another health care facility just to get a second opinion from another cardiologist, the second opinion doctor basically was just a second set of eyes to look at tests ordered by original provider. My symptoms have been getting worse and called to see my actual cardiologist. The nurse stated since I went for a second opinion the original cardiologist will no longer continue to see me. I was very appalled and called the second opinion place to ask their nurse if this is even normal or ethical and she said that it’s not. I honestly am very disgusted with this provider and the whole healthcare system and I’m finally done after dealing with crap with the whole entity. I am wondering what my rights are as a patient to file a grievance out of the healthcare system where original provider is. Also I am wondering if this is ethically ok for a doctor to do this? I am on Medicare and Medicaid due to already having other underlying health issues. Thanks.

Medical Ethical Issue Wisco
Long story short went to a cardiologist to rule out some cardiology issues. Went to another health care facility just to get a second opinion from another cardiologist, the second opinion doctor basically was just a second set of eyes to look at tests ordered by original provider. My symptoms have been getting worse and called to see my actual cardiologist. The nurse stated since I went for a second opinion the original cardiologist will no longer continue to see me. I was very appalled and called the second opinion place to ask their nurse if this is even normal or ethical and she said that it’s not. I honestly am very disgusted with this provider and the whole healthcare system and I’m finally done after dealing with crap with the whole entity. I am wondering what my rights are as a patient to file a grievance out of the healthcare system where original provider is. Also I am wondering if this is ethically ok for a doctor to do this? I am on Medicare and Medicaid due to already having other underlying health issues. Thanks.