It was announced this evening that the MTA and TWU Local 100, a labor union representing 41,000 workers including train and bus operators, have reached a tentative labor agreement for a 3-year contract, to be ratified by union members.
MTA Press Release:

The MTA and TWU Local 100 have reached a tentative labor agreement. The union is now commencing their ratification process with membership, and during this time, the MTA will not comment on the tentative agreement until the union’s process has concluded. We are grateful for the leadership of Governor Hochul and the New York State Senate and Assembly for passing a budget that secures mass transit, and we acknowledge the hard work and dedication of both negotiating sides to reach this point.

TWU Statement:

MAY 31 -- Thank you, brothers and sisters, for your support and solidarity as we battled the MTA during an extremely difficult series of contract negotiations. With your help, I’m pleased to report that we prevailed.
--We secured a tentative contract with solid annual raises of 9.8% compounded over three years – and $4,000 in Essential Worker Cash Bonus payments – that are substantially better than the city pattern.
--We held the line on healthcare costs, defeated efforts to cut subway staffing, and won an unprecedented expansion of maternity and paternity leave for members having children.
--We made sure that medical coverage will be provided to the families of our brothers and sisters who died after contracting COVID-19.
And we enhanced medical coverage for retirees. In the great tradition of trade unionism, we are taking care of our members as well as the old, the young, and the sick.
These victories, and others you will see in this package, were not easily obtained. The MTA took a hardline stance, not wanting to give an inch of ground on wages or benefits. In fact, the MTA wanted us to pay for our own raises and contract improvements through significant concessions and givebacks, including doubling our paycheck deductions for healthcare from 2% to 4%, and expanding OPTO with the removal of Conductors from trains. Those demands were defeated.

The union highlights notes a 9.8% compounded pay raise over three years, a $4,000 essential worker cash bonus, 12 weeks of paid maternity leave and 4 weeks of paid paternity leave over the previous 2 weeks, and improved medical benefits.
News articles:
NY1
Daily News

It was late in the morning when Adam woke from his dreamless sleep. Warm sunlight poured through the cracks between the window blinds, casting bars of shadow along his naked body.
Sleeping naked was a habit he had picked up from Jen. She had insisted upon it, to his great bemusement. Because why would a man wear clothes to keep warm in bed when a woman could do the job much better? Being a young man, Adam couldn’t find fault in that particular orcish custom.
But some orcish customs… Adam had learned how disruptive they could be.
Adam threw his legs over the side of the bed so that he sat upright. He stared off into space, frowning.
Disqualified.
Somewhere in his mind, in a hazy construct of the great hall back home, that word hung over his portrait on a gilded plaque. Right next to the words Disappointment and Failure.
Adam shook his head, groaning. Was it frustration? Disgust? Adam couldn’t tell. He knew the thought was absurd. His family wouldn’t disown him for losing a tourney much less getting disqualified from one - especially since getting kicked out wasn’t even his fault.
The Castermans were a proud, ancient house, this was true. But they didn’t put so much value on trophies and medals and honors the way other Stakari houses did. They would never consider tossing their youngest aside… But that didn’t stop Adam from feeling fear and doubt.
Every young man who ever lived feared being a disappointment to his family. And as the fourth son of his father’s line, Adam had the unenviable position of being measured against his older brothers. Royce, Dane, and Garen, loving and supportive as they were, weren’t simply his older brothers. They were titans, looming tall and casting their shadows over their baby brother.
His brothers had all been exceptional at the paths they chose. Military man, beast wrangler, and a bonafide wizard. All impressive and noble occupations. Of course Adam was happy for them. But his brothers had set some incredibly high standards. All through his youth, the youngest Casterman feared he would never measure up.
But then, in his teens, Adam discovered his passion for history. Stories of kings, warriors, tyrants, and heroes. Of great bloody battles and fallen cities. Of ferocious beasts and mighty slayers. Adam drank it all in like a man finding an oasis after wandering lost through the desert sands. Especially so for the history of his home, the Kingdom of Stakaria, as well as his family and his own noble blood.
The Castermans had earned their greatness, Adam proudly reminded himself. Jorr Casterman won his knighthood defending the Lord of the Bluewater several centuries back. During a skirmish against a wild raiding party, the lord had been unhorsed and at the mercy of a monstrous ogre. He would have died on that battlefield had Jorr not slain the towering beast.
Adam had no towering beast to slay. The days where men could make their names with sword and shield were long past. So the youngest Casterman chose to sharpen his mind. His battles would be fought and won with pen and ink. Not at all the kind of man a she-orc would fall for, one might have thought.
The young noble pondered on that for a moment as he stood up and stretched. He groaned, his body still quite sore from the tourney matches he had managed to win. Then he went to the dresser at the foot of his bed and dug out a pair of boxers.
As he tugged them on, his mind drifted to Jen… and her sister, Sayla.
His girlfriend’s sister had interfered during one of his matches and got him disqualified from the tourney. Attacked him with real daggers, too. It was a wonder she hadn’t been arrested - though the security staff might have simply thought she was part of some viral stunt.
The whole situation was absurd. So absurd that Adam was more bewildered than upset - though he wasn’t without anger. He had worked hard to get into the lists. And to have it all taken away because of his girlfriend’s secret plan…
Adam tightened his jaw as Jen and Sayla’s “clan chief” business came to the forefront of his mind. He still needed to talk to them about that. He might as well, right? There was nothing that was going to un-disqualify him as far as he could tell. So why not learn more about the absurdity that screwed with his life?
He inhaled deeply through his nose, then frowned. The scent of sweat stung his nostrils. He would need to shower soon. But first, he would check his phone. He hadn’t answered anything from anybody after he left Jen and Sayla at the diner last night. No doubt his voicemail and email had some build up that needed some looking over.
Adam found his cellphone right where he left it, sitting on his desk. Sure enough, he found a long list of missed calls and unread messages. All of them from Jen.
The corner of his mouth twitched some at the sight. It wasn’t quite a smile, but there was a wryness about it.
In a way, the attention felt nice. It showed that Jen cared. Adam already knew that, of course. Jen was the kind of girl who was very open - and physical - with her affections. But the dozens of messages of apology proved that Jen at least felt appropriately guilty over the whole mess. The disqualification and the secret plan to make him her clan’s chieftain.
Chieftain Adam Casterman, leader of the G’Kalis Clan. Reader of books, slayer of essays, husband to she-orcs. Adam grinned at the sheer absurdity of it.
On the one hand, becoming a clan chief would have been a rather unique way of making a name for himself. And Adam had read up on orcish clan customs. He couldn’t deny that taking multiple wives had a certain appeal.
But Adam was nothing if not a realist.
Surely being a chieftain came with a whole mountain of responsibility. Even if Adam agreed to Jen’s proposition, where would he find the time to fulfill all of the duties that came with his new role? By the Allfather, he was a college student barely out of his teen years. He already had responsibilities here on campus. And what would he even tell his parents? That his girlfriend asked him to essentially marry her and her sisters and he said yes on a whim?
Adam rubbed his temple. It was way too early for such heavy thoughts. He put down his phone and switched over to his laptop to check his email.
His inbox was mostly as expected. Some newsletter stuff, spam that hadn’t been filtered out… And one message from Trevelyan Institute Administration.
That last one gave Adam a moment of pause. He stared at it, the email sitting unread on his computer screen. Dread slowly crept into him, slithering up his back, under his skin, making his hair stand on end.
It was a disciplinary response to the nonsense at the tourney. Adam knew it. Was he being put on probation? Was he expelled?
His mouth had gone dry. Surely, his face had gone ghostly white as well.
Adam collected himself, gathering his wits and nerves.
He ran the cursor over the email and clicked on it.
- - -
“Stop calling him.”
“Quiet.” Jenakka snapped, glaring at her clan-sister. The green she-orc turned her eyes back to her phone, staring at the message of apology she had just finished writing. She’d already written several others, but there was always something that Jenakka felt like she forgot to say. So she ended up writing another.
The G’Kalis clan scholar had been pacing around her dorm room ever since she woke up. She’d hardly gotten any sleep last night. Sayla, of course, had slept like a rock.
She’s as thick as one too…
The gray-skinned champion sat on Jenakka’s bed, her back pressed against the wall with her long legs stretched out. Sayla watched her sister walk back and forth across her dorm room, boredom clear in her red eyes.
Boredom and not an ounce of guilt. Typical.
Jenakka huffed through her nose and hit send.
“You’ve already left several messages. You’re making yourself look desperate.” Sayla droned in a flat voice. There was another look about her now, Jenakka noted. Distaste. The clan champion continued, muttering. “More than you already have…”
Jenakka whirled around on her heels, fuming. She pointed accusingly at her clan-sister, a scowl twisting across her face.
“You’re the last person who should be giving advice!” Jenakka was near-shrieking. The other students who lived on her floor might have heard her, but Jenakka did not care. Her relationship with Adam might have been irreparably damaged because of the brainless fool sitting on her bed. The clan scholar collected herself just a bit, breathing in. “After that debacle at the arena it was a miracle you weren’t detained. The clan can’t afford to have its champion behind bars, as you well know.”
Sayla was on her feet then, but Jenakka feared her little. Tall and strong her older clan-sister was, but Jenakka knew Sayla took her clan oaths as seriously as Mystic Akari. She would never hurt anyone of the clan. Still, Jenakka glared as the taller she-orc stepped up to her.
“Don’t lecture me, sister. Don’t you dare.” Sayla growled, her red eyes hard and cold. “I took action. You’re the one who spent a year playing Lord and Lady with her darling human. And such a wonderful choice, too.”
Jenakka’s anger flared hotter, now blazing in her heart.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You promised the clan you’d find us a chieftain.” Sayla raised her voice, her words hard with anger. “Instead, you spent all this time on some pretty boy lordling. Beyond ideal? Don’t make me laugh!”
Sayla turned away then, scoffing. Jenakka glowered, her hands tightening into fists.
“He beat you didn’t he?”
“He did not beat me.” Sayla snarled as she whirled back around. Her red eyes were now sharp like her daggers. Her lips tightened into what was almost a pout. “Our fight was interrupted.”
There was a knock at the door then. Both orc women turned their eyes towards it. Sayla merely looked annoyed at the disturbance, but Jenakka deflated some, her shoulders falling slack. It was probably one of the other dorm residents coming to check because of the shouting.
The knocking came again. Jenakka sighed and went to answer it, collecting herself just enough to put on a fake smile.
No problem here, ma’am. Just two orc sisters having a shouting match over the future of their clan!
She opened the door… and found her dear Adam standing in the hall!
“Hi.” He said, wearing a small smile.
Jenakka felt a rush of emotions then. Relief that Adam bothered to come see her. Happiness at seeing her love in the flesh. Embarrassment because she didn’t know what to say. All those text messages were nothing compared to seeing him again face-to-face.
Leaping forward, she wrapped her arms around him in perhaps the tightest hug she had ever given. With her face buried into his neck, she took in his scent. He smelled of paper and wood and steel. And a hint of soap as well. He showered recently, she noted. As she pulled back, she also noticed his clothing. He had dressed nicely. A brown coat over a white shirt and fitted jeans. Adam always made some effort to look presentable. But the fact that he bothered at all today was a good sign. Jenakka’s heart fluttered.
“I’m glad you came.” She said warmly, pulling the fresh-faced human into her dorm room. She closed the door shut behind them. Then she reached out and took Adam’s hands with hers. She stared into his eyes, hoping he would see the sincerity of her words. “And again, I’m so, so sorry about the tourney.”
Jenakka then shot an expecting look towards Sayla, who was standing by her desk with her arms crossed.
The clan champion gave Jenakka’s boyfriend a once-over. Then she wrinkled her nose.
“I’m not.” Sayla answered bluntly. She gave Adam a curt nod. “You still need to prove your worth as a fighter, pup.”
“He’s two years older than you.” Jenakka simmered. To her irritation, her clan-sister merely shrugged.
“Still younger than me. Still a pup.”
Jenakka frowned, fighting the fire inside her that Sayla was unapologetically stoking. She wasn’t going to break into another argument in front of Adam. He had dealt with enough problems because of her.
She turned her eyes back onto her boyfriend, giving him a regretful look.
“Sorry about her, too.” She told him.
“It’s no problem.” Adam said. A moment of silence passed, with Adam’s eyes roaming around Jenakka’s dorm room. Jenakka wanted to try and imagine what he was thinking, but the prospect made her anxious. So she simply waited. Finally, he spoke again. “So… I’m here.”
Jenakka stepped closer, hesitant but hopeful. She allowed herself a tiny smile.
“Does… does that mean you have an answer for us?”
Adam nodded.
“I spent a long time thinking last night.” Her boyfriend started. Jenakka tried to parse the tone of his voice, but the words came from his lips level and even. “Thinking about you. About us. I’d be lying if I said these last few months weren’t some of the best of my life.”
Another moment of silence. Jenakka drank in the lines of Adam’s face, watching him clench and unclench his jaw. She bit her lip, waiting.
“Growing up, I was always afraid that I’d never be as strong or as handsome or as skilled as my older brothers.” Adam spoke again, his brow furrowing as a sliver of discomfort weaved into his words. “I always questioned my worth as a man. Until I met you.”
Jenakka’s heart ached for him. She moved even closer, close enough that she could enjoy his scent again. On instinct, she darted forward and kissed him softly. The taste of his lips was quite welcome after the doubt and worry that plagued her last night. And surely Adam found the affection pleasing. He did not push her away.
The clan scholar pulled back after a time, sighing.
“I never cared if you were a fourth son. I wouldn’t have cared if you were the fortieth. I love you, Adam.” Jenakka spoke those words with her entire heart and spirit. She could only pray that her human would truly listen.
“But you still kept the truth from me.” He answered in a cool tone.
Jenakka winced. She averted her eyes from his for a moment. Was it shame? Regret? Embarrassment? Or all of them at once?
“I was waiting for the right time to tell you. But no moment ever felt right.” It was the truth. But Jenakka feared - no, she knew it wasn’t enough. She hadn’t told Adam about her intentions for him. For her clan. The fault for the resulting mess belonged to her and her alone.
Jenakka knew Adam was the understanding type. But was he the forgiving type? She could only hope.
“Do you have an answer or did you come here to waste more of our time?” Sayla’s sharp voice cleaved through their intimate moment.
Jenakka whipped her head around to shoot her sister a withering glare. A venomous retort bubbled up in her throat, ready to spew. But then Adam broke into a flat chuckle.
"Wow.” He said to Sayla, deep laughs rumbling in his chest. “You are a real piece of work.”
Sayla only gave a rude gesture in response. Jenakka felt a flash of anger, but it was tempered by the fact that Adam almost certainly had no idea what it meant.
“She’s always been like that.” Jenakka murmured into her boyfriend’s neck.
Adam chuckled again. Jenakka took it as a good sign. Next, he pulled away some so that he could look her in the eyes.
“I can… understand how your situation might have been awkward. I don’t like it, but I get it. If you told me about the clan stuff from the start, I might have just blown you off as a loony.” Adam pressed his lips into a line, appearing to consider his next words. “Being your clan’s chieftain… I take it that this is a big responsibility…”
Jenakka’s heart soared. He wasn’t refusing her outright. And that was enough for her. She jumped on the opening, seizing the opportunity as her clan-mother taught her.
“You wouldn’t need to carry that whole weight by yourself.” She insisted, clutching his hands tightly in hers. Her thumbs brushed over his knuckles, gentle and loving. “G’Kalis is a small clan, but you’d still have five of us to help you understand and perform your duties.”
Adam quirked his lips, weighing her answer in his head. He gave a short nod.
“That’s… good to hear, I suppose. And the extra free time will probably help, too.”
Jenakka blinked. She held her breath.
“What do you mean?” She asked cautiously. She needed to hear him say it.
Adam gave her a faint grin. He breathed in deeply through his nose.
“I got an email this morning.” Her tall, strapping human started, his grin widening some. “From the university administration. After that whole deal with Miss Daggers last night, I was afraid I was going to face some disciplinary action.”
“They didn’t blame you for that, did they?” Jenakka winced as the chaos from the arena flashed in her head.
“No. Turns out the email wasn’t about that tourney stuff at all. I’ve been exempt.” Adam gave her an incredulous look. “From all of my classes until spring. Special clan privileges, apparently. Clan members get excused from course work if they have spiritual rites that require their attention.”
Jenakka reeled back, bewildered. Why would Adam have special clan privileges…
Oh.
Realization struck her like a mace to the back of her head. The clan scholar turned and gave Sayla an accusing look. But the eldest daughter of G’Kalis appeared as baffled as any of them.
“Don’t look at me.” Sayla said, shrugging. “I only came here to initiate my chieftain trial.”
Jenakka narrowed her eyes, looking from Sayla to Adam. She only had to think for a moment before an answer presented itself to her. The only answer that made any sense, at least.
“Matriarch Hera.” Jenakka whispered. She looked into Adam’s eyes, hoping he was following along. He nodded back to her and she took it as a good sign. “Our clan-mother. She must have registered you as our chieftain already. Either her or Akari.”
“How?” Adam didn’t seem shocked or offended, only confused. Jenakka couldn’t blame him. These last several hours or so had completely turned his life into some absurdist comedy.
“I might have sent my clan your personal information.” Jenakka winced as she said it. A sour look crossed Adam’s face. She gave her boyfriend an apologetic look. “I just thought they wanted to know more about you! I’ll fix it. We’ll fix it! Sayla and I, we’ll head back to our clan and we’ll clear all this up! I promise!”
“We’re all going.” Adam told her. Jenakka was taken aback for a moment. She felt the urge to ask him to elaborate on what that meant. But the look in his blue eyes told her everything. And deep in her heart, Jenakka G’Kalis felt jubilation. Her boyfriend… her chieftain turned his eyes to Sayla, his words hammering out like black iron.
“If I’m going to be your clan’s chieftain, then it’s time I met the rest of you.”
- - -
First Previous
- - -
You can read the next two chapters on my Patreon.

A week ago I knew almost nothing about bike components or bike types. For a long time I thought there was no point of buying an expensive bike and that a below $1000 one was all I needed. Well, I was wrong. This sub helped me a lot in learning more about bikes and now I am able to narrow down my requirements:

1. Budget - $1800-2300 (firm price; I would like to spend an additional $1000 on clothing and accessories - including a bike computer)
2. Stance: mostly relaxed. Distance: 30+ miles. Bike only for exercising and just exploring the area. Height and weight: 6'3, 190.
3. Location and road type: CT, MA, NY (day trips to VT, NH?) so I am guessing mostly paved roads with some smooth dirt roads
4. Bike requirements - preferably Shimano 105; hydraulic brakes; 11-34 cassette, 50/34 crank; maybe >32mm tire clearance. Possible upgrade of handlebar and seat post to carbon down the road.

After a thorough research I ended up with 4 bikes that seem to check all the marks:

• Canyon Edurance 8 Disc
• Orbea Avant H30-D
• Giant Contend AR 1
• Trek Domane AL 5 Disc

Here is a comparison: https://i.imgur.com/rqCkATD.png
I am also considering a Bianchi VIA NIRONE 7 even though it has a 10 speed GRX 400 and a crank 46/30. It doesn't really make much sense but the color is just too good!
What do you think about the bikes? I am planning to go on a LBS tour this weekend. What should I look and ask for?

I applied for a management role at a large tech company that has a salary range of $135k-265k, which is incredibly wide. The company is based in CA, but the job is remote. I live in NY, in an area with very high cost of living, probably higher than where the company is.
I'm at $200k at my current job, which is right in the middle of this new job. I meet all the general requirements listed for the job, but I'm not overqualified.
I'm already through several rounds of interviews including the executive team, and so far, it seems like everyone likes me since each interview was a test to proceed to the next. However, at no point did anyone discuss salary expectations with me.
This job would be at least 50% more demanding than my current job, so I wouldn't take it unless I get at least a 20% bump in salary.
How do these companies usually determine salary for an offer? If they plan on giving me an offer, would someone call me first to discuss salary, or would they just set their own value for me and put it in a surprise offer? In the case.of the latter, if they offer something at the low end, is it unrealistic to negotiate into the higher end? They're not allowed to ask me for my current salary, but could I volunteer this information to justify the higher salary?
In either case, what would put a candidate towards the higher end of such a wide range?

Please use this thread to ask any questions you have about the game. Please search though the comments section as your question may have been answered already or through the search bar.

General Resources

• General Database - Good for seeing Stats of Students, Drop Rate, Raid Stats
• Gameplay Help Overview - Great for New Players
• Min-Turn Stage Guide - Text Version, Japanese Website
• Min-Turn Stage Guide - YouTube Video Version
• PvP Guide -
• Raid Guide - More in-depth description on each Raid's Mechanics
• Raid Character Guide - Recommended Students for each Raid
• Unique Equipment Guide - More detailed stats number for Equipment
• Upcoming Banners
• Student Skill Level Up Priority - More in-depth guide for Student's skill level up
• Midokuni's Student Insights - General Overview of Students
• Global Event
• Gameplay Overview (Legacy Content)
• Upcoming Banners (Legacy Content)

REMINDER: Bind your account!

Please remember to bind your accounts and take note of your UID, member code, server location, and any information related to your account (e.g. amount spent, student roster, etc). If anything happens to your account (e.g. losing access, unauthorized access), you will need to provide as much info as you can to Nexon's customer support email. Guest accounts that are unbound will be extremely difficult to recover, perhaps impossible.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

[01] When does the server reset?
For global, dailies reset at 19:00 UTC and weeklies reset on Sunday.
[02] Should I re-roll this account?
This will depend on your priorities with PvE, PvP, or both, but you can generally see the “ideal” units as Iori, Hibiki, and Tsubaki for most content, while Shun and Haruna are great for PvP.
[03] Who should I spend my elephs on? Who should I mystic unlock?
At the start, prioritize spending your blank elephs on getting Serina to 2-star for the increased healing stat, Tsubaki to 3-star for the extra tankiness when she is reloading. It is generally advised not to spend your elephs on increasing characters to 4-star and 5-star ratings, since there is only a stat increase and the amount of elephs needed is quite high.
[04] What do my support students’ stats do?
Aside from increasing the stats of their own skills, support students will provide additional stat boosts to your striker team. The specific increase(s) can be viewed by clicking on “Support” on the right side of the team formation screen.
[05] What should I buy in the shop?

• Credit Shop - Buy out the bottom row of materials, then the first two tiers of enhancement stones as needed. Feel free to buy the higher tiers of enhancement stones if you feel that you have an excess of credits, which is very common.
• Eligma - This will depend on you, can reference question [03].
• Total Assault (raid) - Prioritize Maki’s elephs (until you unlock her) and save the rest of your currency for future updates that will add more low-rarity students to the shop, meaning you can unlock mystic for them without spending your eligma. You can also purchase the skill discs/blu-rays depending on your needs.
• Tactical Challenge (PvP) - Buy out the energy drinks as needed (warning: they are instantly consumed, they won’t be moved to your inventory). Many suggest to save these for events in order to buy drinks, refresh the shop, and repeat.

[06] What does the “leader” position do?
This is purely cosmetic, as it changes which student’s chibi shows up on the map.
[07] What benefits are there to joining a club?

• 10 AP are given daily and deposited automatically on teacher's mailbox, upon checking in.
• A maximum of two assistant can be set for Total Assault and Joint Firing Drill respectively.

1. Students assigned to assist with TA cannot also be selected to assist with JFD.
2. 20 credits are rewarded every minute by setting assistants.
3. The specific unit that is borrowed can be only used once a day.
4. There's a fee of 40,000 credits, when borrowing a assistant student.
5. The donor receives 50,000 credits instead; even though the fee is 40,000 credits.
6. The fee can only be received 20 times a day.

• It can be unlocked after clearing Mission 3 Act 4

[08] How does the pity system work?
You need to pull, at a minimum, 200 times in order to get 200 recruitment points that are redeemed for the character you want. The recruitment point system does not carry over from banner to banner, it is only shared between banners that are concurrently running.
[09] Why can’t I find my friend’s club?
While the servers’ updates are separated from JP and global, the global servers are separated further into smaller divisions. You need to be on the same server as your friend, which you can check from the home screen: top-right menu button > account > version info. The server must be the same.
[10] When is X banner coming? Should I save for X student?
We never know for sure, due to the fact that global servers are on an accelerated schedule compared to JP. Please refer to this guide for some more info.
[11] Should I use Pyroxenes to refill my AP?
If you want to prioritize progression, the first three daily refills are decently valuable, this is because the Pyroxene cost of refilling will increase for every three refills. If you are focused on character collection or future banners, you should be saving your Pyroxenes.
[12] Why can’t I buy X student’s eleph in the shop?
You can only buy elephs of students you own.
[13] What should I craft?
At the start, prioritize crafting cafe furniture until your comfort is maxed out, then students’ gifts, then whichever upgrade materials you need. The crafting system is the only way to get furniture and gifts at the moment.
[14] What is the “Anniversary” in account settings?
This is your birthday, used for characters to wish you happy birthday.
[15] When will the beginner guide missions for Nonomi end?
This is a permanent addition, so feel free to take your time with the tasks.
[16] What is the best place to farm EXP?
You can run any map to farm EXP, as the EXP gain is equal to the amount of AP spent (i.e. 10 AP spent = 10 EXP gained). You should be looking at the stages that drop the equipment upgrade materials that you need.
[17] What is the “Secret Tech Sheet” in the Total Assault shop?
This is used to upgrade a student’s (non-EX) skill to level 10.
[18] Is it worth doing a raid if I can’t pass X difficulty level?
It is always more efficient to clear the highest difficulty you can finish instead of failing/forfeiting a higher difficulty.
[19] Can I claim the Limited Students through exchanging Expert Permits? How often does the Expert Permit shop resets?
You cannot get the limited students via this method. You will still need to pull for them. There's no specific mentioned but it's expected to be monthly.

OthePast Megathreads

• Daily Questions
• Weekly Club Recruitment
• Weekly Kivotos Lounge
• Weekly Storytelling Plaza
• Technical Issues

Please have patience with other members of the community and be as polite as possible. Everyone has to start somewhere!

Hi everyone,
I need some advice about a potential private sale for my dream car (a high-end Lexus).
The price is about half of what I'm seeing on Autotrader for certified listings, or listings which have lower mileage (this one has 62,078 miles on it, apparently). The seller says it's sitting at a port terminal in NY, but can be shipped anywhere in the U.S. He selling it because he's returning home to Denmark, and realizes he can't take the Lexus with him. He also says he's the only owner, and that it has a clean title and no collisions or accidents.
​
I got his info from a legitimate used car dealership in Van Nuys, CA, but the whole thing seems to good to be true, especially the timing of his personal story of why he was in the U.S. and why he went back. If I do decide to pursue this, what are the things I should do to avoid getting screwed? This is my first time getting a car not from a dealer in-person, so even the most super obvious advice would be helpful. The price is really good, so if I buy it and it arrives with minor problems or shipping damage, it would still be worth it.
​
Here's what I'm thinking so far:

I should get the VIN, a copy of the title, and all the trim/spec details from him first. I could hire someone to professionally inspect it in NY before paying. I should talk to the guy over the phone at some point (it's been email-only so far). There's no free history report available, but I could buy a CARFAX or AutoCheck report. 

​
​
Is there anything else you think I should ask about, get him to confirm, or research myself? I'm skeptical, but so far it seems real enough and it's something I'm willing to take a small risk for (just not a gamble). Any advice you can give is very appreciated. Thanks!

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CM Peanut vs. Kwaz FT5

Ethan "Peanut" Masterman // Twitch Twitter Wiki vs Joseph "Kwaz" Kwasnieski // Twitter Wiki

LittleMac Peanut		4 - 5		Kwaz LittleMac
---	= LittleMac	Small Battlefield	LittleMac =	1 Stock
2 Stocks	= LittleMac	Small Battlefield	LittleMac =	---
---	= LittleMac	Small Battlefield	LittleMac =	1 Stock
---	= LittleMac	Small Battlefield	LittleMac =	1 Stock
1 Stock	= LittleMac	Small Battlefield	LittleMac =	---
1 Stock	= LittleMac	Small Battlefield	LittleMac =	---
---	= LittleMac	Small Battlefield	LittleMac =	1 Stock
2 Stocks	= LittleMac	Small Battlefield	LittleMac =	---
---	= LittleMac	Small Battlefield	LittleMac =	3 Stocks

^{Generated by Tournament Tabler}
Hot Mic:
"I have wins on Apollokage but you can't beat his baby momma?" - Peanut
"I screamed really loud" - Kwaz

CF ChunkyKong vs. Krune Kiyarash FT5

Rylan "ChunkyKong" Silva // Twitch Twitter Wiki Team vs Kiyarash "Kiyarash" Younessi // Twitch Twitter Wiki Team

DonkeyKong ChunkyKong		4 - 5		Kiyarash Luigi
---	= DonkeyKong	Pokémon Stadium 2	Luigi =	1 Stock
2 Stocks	= DonkeyKong	Pokémon Stadium 2	Luigi =	---
2 Stocks	= DonkeyKong	Pokémon Stadium 2	Luigi =	---
1 Stock	= DonkeyKong	Pokémon Stadium 2	Luigi =	---
---	= DonkeyKong	Pokémon Stadium 2	Luigi =	2 Stocks
---	= DonkeyKong	Pokémon Stadium 2	Luigi =	2 Stocks
1 Stock	= DonkeyKong	Battlefield	Luigi =	---
---	= DonkeyKong	Pokémon Stadium 2	Luigi =	1 Stock
---	= DonkeyKong	Kalos Pokémon League	Luigi =	1 Stock

^{Generated by Tournament Tabler}
Hot Mic: "They're calling you Kiyatrash in chat" - Hbox
"It's not over till it's over" - Kiyarash. "That's kinda based" - ChunkyKong.
"Kiyarash you keep bringing him to PS2 you actual muppet man" - Luugi
"Get fucked- mic cuts out" - Kiyarash
"Good set, you made it hard for me. You had me scared. Now of course if I lost, I wouldn't be telling you any of this shit -" - Kiyarash "Yo thank you for hosting I'm gonna go now bye" - ChunkyKong.
"I want to apologize to fucking nobody. I won, give my all my Hbox points" - Kiyarash
"Did you just kill him at 10% twice and call him fatherless?" - DDee

Moist Zain vs. Cody Schwab FT10

Zain "Zain" Naghmi // Twitch Twitter Wiki Sponsor
Cody "Cody Schwab" Schwab // Twitch Twitter Wiki

Zain		10 - 8		Cody Schwab
---	=	Battlefield	=	1 Stock
1 Stock	=	Final Destination	=	---
1 Stock	=	Dreamland	=	---
---	=	Dreamland	=	1 Stock
2 Stocks	=	Pokémon Stadium	=	---
---	=	Fountain of Dreams	=	2 Stocks
3 Stocks	=	Battlefield	=	---
2 Stocks	=	Yoshi's Island	=	---
---	=	Battlefield	=	1 Stock
2 Stocks	=	Final Destination	=	---
1 Stock	=	Dreamland	=	---
---	=	Dreamland	=	2 Stocks
3 Stocks	=	Pokémon Stadium	=	---
---	=	Fountain of Dreams	=	1 Stock
---	=	Battlefield	=	1 Stock
1 Stock	=	Battlefield	=	---
---	=	Dreamland	=	3 Stocks
1 Stock	=	Final Destination	=	---

^{Generated by Tournament Tabler}
Hot Mic:
"GGs to Zain" - Cody Schwab

LG MkLeo vs. Zomba FT10

Leonardo "MkLeo" Lopez Perez // Twitch Twitter Wiki Team vs Salvatore "Zomba" DeSena // Twitch Twitter Wiki Team

Aegis MkLeo		10 - 7		Zomba ROB
---	= Aegis	Final Destination	ROB =	2 Stocks
1 Stock	= Aegis	Kalos Pokémon League	ROB =	---
---	= Aegis	Hollow Bastion	ROB =	1 Stock
1 Stock	= Aegis	Smashville	ROB =	---
---	= Aegis	Smashville	ROB =	3 Stocks
---	= Aegis	Smashville	ROB =	1 Stock
2 Stocks	= Byleth	Final Destination	ROB =	---
1 Stock	= Byleth	Final Destination	ROB =	---
1 Stock	= Byleth	Hollow Bastion	ROB =	---
---	= Byleth	Battlefield	ROB =	3 Stocks
2 Stocks	= Byleth	Kalos Pokémon League	ROB =	---
---	= Byleth	Battlefield	ROB =	1 Stock
---	= Byleth	Smashville	ROB =	1 Stock
1 Stock	= Byleth	Final Destination	ROB =	---
1 Stock	= Byleth	Town and City	ROB =	---
2 Stocks	= Byleth	Battlefield	ROB =	---
1 Stock	= Byleth	Town and City	ROB =	---

^{Generated by Tournament Tabler}

I have to go now lol but Kiyarash v DDee seems fun lmk how it goes lmao

Hi everyone,
I need some advice about a potential private sale for my dream car (a high-end Lexus).
The price is about half of what I'm seeing on Autotrader for certified listings, or listings which have lower mileage (this one has 62,078 miles on it, apparently). The seller says it's sitting at a port terminal in NY, but can be shipped anywhere in the U.S. He selling it because he's returning home to Denmark, and realizes he can't take the Lexus with him. He also says he's the only owner, and that it has a clean title and no collisions or accidents.
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I got his info from a legitimate used car dealership in Van Nuys, CA, but the whole thing seems kind of "Nigerian Prince scam-ish" to me, especially his personal story of why he was in the U.S. and why he went back. If I do decide to pursue this, what are the things I should do to avoid getting screwed? This is my first time getting a car not from a dealer in-person, so even the most super obvious advice would be helpful. The price is really good, so if I buy it and it arrives with minor problems or shipping damage, it would still be worth it.
​
Here's what I'm thinking so far:

I should get the VIN, a copy of the title, and all the trim/spec details from him first. I could hire someone to professionally inspect it in NY before paying. I should talk to the guy over the phone at some point (it's been email-only so far). There's no free history report available, but I could buy a CARFAX or AutoCheck report. 

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Is there anything else you think I should ask about, get him to confirm, or research myself? I'm skeptical, but so far it seems real enough and it's something I'm willing to take a small risk for (just not a gamble). Any advice you can give is very appreciated. Thanks!

Bonsoir,
Je recherche des avis sur ce vélo https://www.decathlon.fp/velo-tout-chemin-riverside-920/_/R-p-329787
Je pense m'en servir pour du vélotaff et des balades forêt/chemins/bitume. Pour le moment j'ai un (vieux) vélo btwin type gravel, mais ça me flingue le dos et le cou en vélotaff, c'est plus possible.
Celui là m'a l'air plus confortable, mais reste un meilleur compromis qu'un vtt?
Aussi mon vélo actuel a des vitesses qui passent mal et des freins à patins pourris, ça je veux plus, je suis prêt à mettre le prix. J'ai l'impression que les composants de celui-là sont ok? Je n'y connais pas grand chose, mais j'ai vu marqué "Shimano" donc je suppose que ça va :)
Et dernier point qui me tracasse : le mono plateau, c'est vraiment mieux? J'ai peur de vite pédaler dans le vide, sur bitume... Avec mon vélo actuel je roule à ~20km/h en moyenne
Merci!

Hey won't make it long, Tired of solo Qing need a team to play with got 2k kills currently gold 1, 3 points of plat im on eu servers but can play on Virginia and NY Non-toxic Chill and i use my mic hmu on discord blitz#0642 or comment for my psn

I swear to god, every AI steamrolls me no matter what happens. I was challenged by some empire with pathetic fleet power. I sent all of my available fleets to the western chokepoint leading to their domain and had probably 15k in ships and 5k in defense platforms stationed there, but this was decently early in the game so i didnt have much time to work on my military tech (i was up to cruisers with some decent weapons)
Yet when this empire with "pathetic" power rolled up i got absolutely decimated by 2 fleets and lost a huge chunk of my area before i managed to scrounge up some extra troops and block them off at a choke point. My two forge world were in the losr systems. I just gave up because those were the only potential forge worlds available to me at the time without a significant military effort that i didn't have the resources for, while also not being able to reclaim what i lost.
What the fuck is up with the AI being so strong? I don't get it. I research military tech, i spend all the alloy i get on ships, i load up the entrances to my territory with ships and still get steamrolled ny pathetic AI.
Also worth noting that towards the end they sent a 4 million power fleet that i just deleted with commands because fuck that shit. The only other civilization that could participate was the fallen empire but i doubt they would help.
So yeah, how do i get better fleets? Im sick and tired of spending an hour setting up an empire and losing it all because some bitchass motherfucker goes "nice looking forge world ya got there, mind if i take it?"

Reading this board a lot, there are some talking points I've seen brought up as "knocks" against the show, and none of them pass the smell test to me. Some of the main ones I come across are "Hamsterdam" and "Serial Killer" plot lines being too "unrealistic". I hate these argument simply because the writers prepped us as an audience for years to see the dysfunction in the police office from the top on down. It's pretty much a chess game of the top people in the police department trying to play favors and win over the Mayors office in hopes of career advancements. They pay no mind to the day to day operations within the department, all they care about is the bottomline. Being able to show lower crime stats or make grandiose presentations to the public. And the people below them notice how little the bosses care about crime in the city, so it negatively affects how they do their police work.
So when it comes to the Serial Killer, all the above plays into why McNulty was able to fly under the radar doing it. Add on to the fact, that the serial killer thing happening was allowing the rest of the police department to finally get OT pay after suffering for over year, there was even less motivation to try to investigate the authenticity of it, even if there were a few "good police" around who may have deemed it suspicious. And since only a few people knew, McNulty banked on his longtime friend Bunk wouldn't rat him out ("blue wall of silence"). Eventually, McNulty told 1 to many people (Kima) and it got too big and it eventually led to his demise. So the storyline aligned with how unorganized the police department was and how at his wits end McNulty was with it all.
Hamsterdam was a small operation confined to one sector. The issue was, in order for it to work, too many cops had to know it existed, which ultimately lead to Colvin's failure. But the idea that a police Major wouldn't do something radical like that to appease bosses in a department that only cared about stats, doesn't seem at all farfetched to me as a concept. As someone who has seen cops do a lot of heinous shit in my 24 years (far more morally corrupt shit, I might add), this never felt out of the realm of possibility, or especially anymore unrealistic than say a cop taking out hits for the Mafia or a police officer himself selling drugs (both which has really happened multiple times).
Another one is Brother Mouzone, which I chalk up to people just being completely unfamiliar with the Nation of Islam or the Black Mafia Family out of Philadelphia. And no offense to anyone, but I mostly see this from non-Black people who weren't raised anywhere near East coast street culture. Guys like Mouzone exist, and they are serious and dangerous. They aren't just killers, they are problem solvers. I don't see him being cartoonish or a character out of a "Breaking Bad". If you're from NY, Philly, DC, etc...and you were in the streets and around Muslims or 5 Percenters, you've run into guys like Mouzone.
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Post some of yours....

First of all, I took a 22 hour Amtrak from New York City. The Greyhound on the way back was delayed over 12 hours in 3 legs, so instead of taking 16 and a half hours, it took about 29 hours to get home.
That aside, it was pretty amazing. I ended up switching hotels because of a cancelation, so I got $243 credit for another hotel which was right near the downtown shuttle. Technically, that room was overpriced by 2 or 3 times the normal rate, but still great I got the discount. I took the shuttle to the race which left at 8AM and got to the track around 8:50. You could see a lot of people walking as you got closer, but the shuttle bus zoomed through a ton of cars and was waved through an express lane.
I was carrying 3 giant bags, way more stuff on me than anyone else i saw at the speedway. I went to the museum for almost an hour, then rushed like crazy around almost the entire outside of the track, (the outdoor space is MASSIVE, WAY bigger than it appears on TV) to the track and walked onto the track around 10:28, right before they stop people around 10:30. I got a great pic of me on the track. I saw 10 or 12 race cars slowly enter the track only 5 feet in front of me.
The actual race was amazing. I was in the front row but there was a row with folding chairs in front of me that was almost empty. I stood up watching for 25 minutes or so which I am sure obstructed some people's view but a lot of other people were doing the same thing. You could also walk down a flight of steps and get even another 10 or 15 feet closer to the track. Guards in yellow shirts are spending the entire race stopping people from standing. Before the race started, the second wave of fighter jets flew low right above me which was an awesome experience. I believe the second wave of jets had not flown before in any previous Indy 500.
The few things that stood out for me in the race was 1, in one instance, 2 cars were only about a foot away (1 was about a foot or less in front of another) and both going 220 or 230MPH, so that blew my mind. Like if the lead car slows down a fraction it is an accident. Another time, 3 cars were jockeying for position but all very close to each other going top speed. Those 2 moments stood out.
I did it for the experience of seeing different states, although I spent the majority of time there and back watching from windows or wasting time in Greyhound stations. From seeing the Greyhound stations in Indianapolis, Pittsburgh and Baltimore, you notice that when i was there, at least 3 or 4 people in each station appeared to just live in the stations. There is heat and air conditioning I believe (although not the best quality), but it made me feel lucky that i have an apartment with some amenities. Very stuffy in Greyhound stations. It is sad that there are people who have to pass their time in greyhound stations year after year because they don't have money or opportunities. Trust me, if you spend over 10 hours waiting in Greyhound stations like i did, you start to notice things like that.
I will not go back but for me the trip was totally worth it, despite the terrible delays on the way back, I would not change a thing.
On the way there, one stop was "Staunton, Virginia." Virginia has a lot of small towns, but for some reason that town stuck out. It was almost something you would see in the Wild West or a Twilight Zone episode. Like it had not changed much in the last 300 years. I am sure there are decent people living there, but it was like I stepped into a time warp.
At the Greyhound stop in Indianapolis, instead of it leaving at 8:15PM, it left at 2:45AM, and my ticket did not scan. The woman driver literally pushed me out of the way and refused me, but i begged the greyhound ticket guy to convince her to let me on, explaining that I waited over 6 hours and my ticket was valid. She let me on, if not I would have had to wait until 4PM the NEXT DAY. At one point, she ran out of gas and we had to wait outside at around 4AM in the middle of nowhere while she left and found gas somewhere. Another time she stopped over an overpass because some suitcase started falling out of the luggage on the side of the truck. It was almost enough to start laughing hysterically if i wasn't so tired.
In Baltimore, my last train was delayed again, and a Peter Pan bus guy from another company said, just give me $60 cash and you can ride, so I didn't even use the Greyhound ticket. The guy might have charged $20 more than the going rate and pocketed the money but he saved my life, because who knows when the next greyhound was really going to arrive with the delays. Greyhound technically owes me around $100 because I paid for an express bus I never took and another bus from Baltimore to NY that i never took. I still was up $243 from the hotel and got an early check in and 2 free buffet breakfasts. Overall, I paid a fraction of what most people paid to go to the Indy 500 so I am not complaining. I actually was awake over 48 hours straight aside from naps on buses for 3 or 4 hours. I woke up before 5AM and sunday and didn't go to bed until after 5AM TWO DAYS LATER, because of all the delays.

This is in a NY based company with all employees in NY if that matters. This is a software engineering team.
I am the manager for a team of 5 and just started managing this year. We do anonymous sprint retros. The team got formed 3 months ago. I was a dev on another team and when this new team came up I moved to start managing it.
Problem I am facing is that someone on the team frequently uses the anonymous sprint retros as a way to do personal attacks on peers outside the team and sometimes on me (manager). Most of the feedback is not very actionable or constructive. Actual quotes from the retro:

• "Sprint points are a way for managers to rank employees against each other" (they are not and I have told the team this on the call and in writing on a internal chat tool. I don't even discuss sprint points in 1:1 or performance discussions)
  
• "We should stop planning for project completion timelines. It will be done when it's done. Manager should not ask for an estimate of when something will be done. That's micromanagement" (we need to align marketing and launch announcements so we need some deadline estimates)
  
• "X from Y team is a jerk" (I told the team that feedback needs to be constructive and we should focus on behavior and not the person. I encouraged whoever added the feedback to talk to me 1:1 to make this feedback actionable but no one has come forward yet).
  

I have addressed the reasons for things like this in the retro itself (basically saying what I said above in parenthesis). I have also done an agile training focussed on sprint points and scrum. But the same few points keep getting added to the anonymous retro board every sprint. Team morale is getting affected here and this anonymous person doesn't want to change what they believe in.
I don't want to stop the anonymous retro board since that creates some useful discussion but I am not sure how to handle this situation going forward. Any ideas? My manager is on paternity leave so I can't ask him.

Rassurez-vous, ce n'était pas très grave...
Ça m'est arrivé la semaine dernière quand je passais devant un chantier de construction près de chez moi. Il y a une clôture temporaire autour de lui, et comme elle est solide, on ne voit rien à l'intérieur. J'avais déjà passé ce site plusieurs fois et jusqu'à ce point-là, je pensais toujours qu'il était complètement clôturé. Mais en fait, il s'avère qu'il y a une porte de sortie hyper-cachée. La porte est faite pour que les véhicules sortent. De plus, elle a la même couleur que la clôture. Ce jour-là, quand je passais presque devant la porte sur mon scooter, une autre grosse moto est venue de sortir. J'étais tellement surpris que j'ai freiné tout de suite. À cause de l'arrêt immédiat, j'ai perdu le contrôle et je suis tombé avec mon scooter. Heureusement, je dirais, il n'y a eu aucun impact avec l'autre moto.
Le résultat : j'ai eu quelques coupures et contusions, et le rétroviseur gauche de mon scooter a été cassé. Ce n'était pas idéal, non, mais cela aurait pu être beaucoup pire. En fait, ce qui m'a énervé le plus était la réaction d'autre conducteur. Moins d'une seconde après l'incident, sa première réaction a été de m'accusé d'être un mauvais conducteur, tout quand je ne suis pas arrivé à me lever. C'est un peu la mentalité du monde ici : il devait tout d'abord se défendre et déclarer que l'autre personne (moi) a tort au cas où l'autre personne est plus agressive et qu'elle va lui demander un dédommagement. Même si je comprends ça, ça m'a quand même vraiment énervé.
Aujourd'hui, ça fait déjà une semaine et j'ai presque complètement guéri. Au moment que l'incidence s'est passé, franchement je n'étais pas sur qui était le coupable, moi ou l'autre gars, parce que tout s'est passé très vite. Quelques jours après, quand je passais devant le site à nouveau pour aller réparer mon scooter, je me suis rendu compte que c'était principalement la fausse du design stupide et dangereuse de la porte de sortie caché. Avec un tel design, un accident arrivera tôt ou tard.

This is in a NY based company with all employees in NY if that matters.
I am the manager for a team of 5 and just started managing this year. We do anonymous sprint retros. The team got formed 3 months ago. I was a dev on another team and when this new team came up I moved to start managing it.
Problem I am facing is that someone on the team frequently uses the anonymous sprint retros as a way to do personal attacks on peers outside the team and sometimes on me (manager). Most of the feedback is not very actionable or constructive. Actual quotes from the retro:

• "Sprint points are a way for managers to rank employees against each other" (they are not and I have told the team this on the call and in writing on a internal chat tool. I don't even discuss sprint points in 1:1 or performance discussions)
  
• "We should stop planning for project completion timelines. It will be done when it's done. Manager should not ask for an estimate of when something will be done. That's micromanagement" (we need to align marketing and launch announcements so we need some deadline estimates)
  
• "X from Y team is a jerk" (I told the team that feedback needs to be constructive and we should focus on behavior and not the person. I encouraged whoever added the feedback to talk to me 1:1 to make this feedback actionable but no one has come forward yet).
  

I have addressed the reasons for things like this in the retro itself (basically saying what I said above in parenthesis). I have also done an agile training focussed on sprint points and scrum. But the same few points keep getting added to the anonymous retro board every sprint. Team morale is getting affected here and this anonymous person doesn't want to change what they believe in.
I don't want to stop the anonymous retro board since that creates some useful discussion but I am not sure how to handle this situation going forward. Any ideas? My manager is on paternity leave so I can't ask him.