Big charts

Research question: Intuitive vs. Sensor, who is more nostalgic to familiar music?
Background research: Nostalgia is a sentimental longing for a period for the past. In terms of music psychology, it has not been tested in terms of MBTI and music evoked nostalgia at all. Due to lack of previous research, my research is exploratory with non directional hypotheses.
Hypotheses: H1: The difference in level of reported nostalgia felt will be statistically significant between intuitive and sensing participants. H2: The difference in level of reported nostalgia felt will be statistically significant between participants of different type families. H3: the difference in level of reported nostalgia felt will be statistically significant between participants of different MBTI types.
Methods: Design: Exploratory due to lack of previous research. MBTI type, type family and intuitive vs sensing are the quasi-independent variables.
Participants: 268 overall participants after 46 being excluded for either not knowing their MBTI type or not knowing the song chosen. A priori factor analysis was conducted, the sample obtained had enough statistical power for the intuitive vs sensor condition and for the type family condition, but not the individual MBTI condition - which may lead to type II error. The age range was between 18-62. Slight majority of women at 51%, men at 42%, the rest being a third gender or preferred not to say. The majority ethnic race was White other (42%), followed by White British (14%), mixed race (10%), all other ethnic groups covered 30% and 6% preferred not to say. 76% of participants did not grow up in the UK, 17% did, 3% partially and 1% preferred not to say. The grown up in the UK question was used to test the international recognisability of the song chosen and since MBTI is an international subreddit, global participation was inevitable.
Apparatus and materials: The study was conducted on Qualtrics. The song chosen was Thrift shop (ft Wanz) by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. Why? It’s over 10 years old so a distant memory for most people and in 2013 (10 years ago exactly) it was number 1 on global charts so most people who did the study would know it. Nostalgia was measured on a 5-point Likert Scale. Likert scales are a good universal method of quantitative data collection method. “Red herring” emotions were places around it to disguise the purpose of the study. These were calm, happy, confident, sad, angry, anxious and bored.
Procedure: Participants read the information sheet and consented to participate. They were asked to disclose their MBTI type and then listen to the audio of Thrift Shop. After this, they rated their emotions after the song. They were then asked all the demographic questions. Finally they were debriefed.
Results: Intuitive vs sensor: A t-test was conducted. There was a significant difference between intuitive and sensing personalities in nostalgia felt. Intuitives are more nostalgic than sensors. Control t-tests were done. No other emotion were effected by intuitive vs sensing. This result is unique to nostalgia.
Type families: An ANOVA was conducted. There was a significant difference between type families and nostalgia felt. A post hoc Tukey HSD pairwise comparison was conducted on this and found that diplomats are significantly different to explorers. When ranked, diplomats are most nostalgic, followed by analysts, then sentinels, and explorers are least nostalgic. Control ANOVAs were conducted, it was found that type family was also related to happiness - post hoc found that it was diplomats and analysts that significantly differed from one another.
Individual MBTI types: A Kruskal-Wallis test was conducted (non-parametric ANOVA) due to the sample violating the assumption of normality AND the sample size not meeting the standard statistical power. There was no significant difference between individual MBTI types and nostalgia felt. Control Kruskal-Wallis tests were done, there were no other significant comparisons.
*Discussion: Literature found that the reason for intuitives (and the two intuitive type families) being more nostalgic is due to increased imagination and creativity amongst that group of people.
Individual MBTI may not have had a significant result due to low statistical power, leading to Type II error rather than actual insignificance.
Nostalgia and happiness may be linked in the type family condition as literature has found that these two emotions often predict one another and have a mutually beneficial relationship.
The findings are useful for the realm of marketing and nostalgia marketing in particular. Selectively advertising to people who are more susceptible to nostalgia can help efficiently allocate resources (money) for greater return due to something called “emotional purchasing”
Main criticism is in the theory. I don’t know if people typed themselves using cognitive functions or The Big Five Inventory. As my participants are from MBTI I’d hope many will have used cognitive functions but there’s no way of me being able to check. This could become confounding and should be worked on in the future.
Methodologically, I’d change 5-point Likert scales to 7-point to increase reliability.
I’d also add the Nostalgia Proneness Index as it is a well known psychological index that can allow for compatibility of the results.
In the future (and if I had a higher word count) I would include song choices depending on musical eras using the same selection method to reduce personal preferences from getting in the way.
I’d also want to get a higher sample, not only to increase the power for the individual MBTI analysis but also have enough people for an unfamiliar song condition (for those who didn’t know the song).
Thank you for reading. Any questions?

Since I did not post this from last season; here it is: Lambs are Wilson Phillips! Let's discuss how the clue packages related to them.

• First clue package:
  • Golf setting = Chynna appeared in 1988 golf comedy film Caddyshack II.
  • “We practically grew up with … each other. Yeah, we’ve been Beverly Hills besties since day one.” = they were born and grew up together in the Los Angeles area / they appeared in a 2017 episode of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.
  • “... turn into a massive career on stage and on screen.” = they are best known for their singing / Chynna started her career acting in films before she was a singer / Carnie hosted her own talk show / their cameo in 2011 film Bridesmaids brought renewed recognition to the group.
  • ‘Famous’ on jeans → famous genes = they are the daughters of Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, and John and Michelle Phillips of the Mamas & the Papas.
  • Venice = the video for the debut single “Hold On” was filmed in Venice Beach
  • “We’ve traveled the world….” = they’ve toured together as a group.
  • “...graced billboards….” = they appeared on promotional billboards together / four of the singles from their 1990 debut album went Top 10 (three of those to number one) on the Billboard Hot 100 / they won the 1990 Billboard Music Award for Hot 100 Single of the Year for their debut single "Hold On."
  • “... and grazed countless red carpets.” = among their multiple red carpet appearances together, they attended the Grammy red carpet when they were nominated for four Grammy Awards.
  • Diamond ring = their cameo in 2011 film Bridesmaids brought renewed recognition to the group.
  • Popcorn = their cameo in 2011 film Bridesmaids brought renewed recognition to the group / Chynna started her career acting in films before she was a singer.
  • “Now we’re playing dress-up all over again and we’re here to show you that we haven’t lost our swing.” = they haven't performed publicly together in several years.
• Second clue package:
  • “Winning the battle royale last week was bananas!" = Chynna’s mom, Michelle Phillips, famously protested The Ed Sullivan Show’s lip-syncing rule by eating a banana during the band's televised 1967 performance of “California Dreamin.”
  • “We have to stay hocused!” = their debut single “Hold On” was covered by Irish girl group B*Witched in 2019.
  • Popcorn = their cameo in 2011 film Bridesmaids brought renewed recognition to the group / Chynna started her career acting in films before she was a singer.
  • ‘Famous’ on jeans → famous genes = they are the daughters of Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, and John and Michelle Phillips of the Mamas & the Papas.
  • Diamond ring = their cameo in 2011 film Bridesmaids brought renewed recognition to the group.
  • “Before we rock out with our flock out….” = they have released music in the pop rock and soft rock genres.
  • Film reel / television set / clapperboard = they have appeared in several films and television shows, both together and separately.
• Third clue package:
  • Bedroom = prior to being Wilson Phillips, they would sing together in Wendy’s bedroom / their 2004 album included their cover of The Beach Boys’ 1963 single “In My Room.”
  • “And that’s something we’ve always known, even when we were young girls.” = they grew up together.
  • “We were young ladies when we hit it big.” = they were in their early twenties when their enormously successful debut album was released.
  • Platinum class boarding pass = their debut album was RIAA certified 5x-Platinum, BPI certified platinum, and MC certified 7x Platinum / their second album was RIAA certified Platinum and MC certified 2x Platinum.
  • “...we were so burned out that we started to have issues.” = they have taken several, years-long breaks as a band.
  • Fighting over christmas wreath = Wendy and Carnie released their 1993 Christmas album, Hey Santa!, during the band’s first break.
  • “We knew that going our separate ways….” = their 2004 cover of Fleetwood Mac’s "Go Your Own Way" peaked at number 13 on the US Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.
  • Friends forever book
  • “We’ve won other awards in our lives, but it’s been a very, very long time.” = as a band, their last win was the 1990 Billboard Music Award for Hot 100 Single of the Year for their debut single "Hold On."
• Fourth clue package:
  • “We’ve been on stages almost our entire lives.” = they were in their early twenties when their enormously successful debut album was released in 1990.
  • “Pet Sounds, Volume 2!” = Carnie and Wendy’s father is Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys, whose successful 1966 album was titled Pet Sounds.
• Fifth clue package:
  • “We spent 14 years apart and we went our own ways.” = between their multiple breaks, they were broken up a total of fourteen years.
  • “... we went our own ways.” = their 2004 cover of Fleetwood Mac’s "Go Your Own Way" peaked at number 13 on the US Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.
  • “We became mothers ….” = they have nine children between the three of them.
  • “...and carved out our own lives and careers.” = they have each released solo albums / Chynna started her career acting in films before she was a singer / Carnie hosted her own talk show.
  • **“**Music is in our blood….” = they are the daughters of Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, and John and Michelle Phillips of the Mamas & the Papas.
• Special clues:
  • Mask-Ray clue → Milk bottle
  • MaskPass clue → Beach Ball = Carnie and Wendy’s father is Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys.
  • DIslikes → Silence
  • Clue → Can’t Let Go = their debut single,“Hold On,” was the most successful single of the year in the US in 1990. It won the Billboard Music Award for Hot 100 Single of the Year for 1990, and was nominated for the 1991 Grammy Award for Song of the Year.
  • First performance:
    • “Hot N Cold” by Katy Perry
    • “Who is the biggest celebrity you've ever worked with?” → "We've worked with Paul McCartney, yes, we have." = they sand backing vocals for Rihanna, Kanye West, and Paul McCartney’s 2015 song “FourFiveSeconds.”
  • Second performance:
    • “Ironic” by Alanis Morissette
    • '90s Night Clue → Mix-tape from Lance Bass → "Go your own way and cruise the country with your besties! Turn those daydreams into… a reality!" = they appeared in their own reality show, Wilson Phillips: Still Holding On.
  • Third performance:
    • “Need You Now” by Lady A
    • Thanksgiving Clue → "Reunion" on cornucopia → "For a long time I didn't think that we would be singing together on the stage ever again, but I never gave up on the three of us getting back together. And it's unthinkable for us to not be singing together again for the rest of our lives. This Thanksgiving I'm grateful to all of you but especially to you both." = they have taken several, years-long breaks as a band.
  • Fourth performance:
    • “I’m Every Woman” by Chaka Khan
    • Big Time Clue → Bouquet of roses
  • Fifth performance:
    • “I Want to Know What Love Is” by Foreigner

Here is my ongoing accolades tally. It's still a work in progress, and I'm open to improvement suggestions!
What did I miss?

Hi guys! I recently got myself a used Triple S from my friend who bought it at Harrods. It's a size 43 but it feels pretty big, planning on wearing it tho, just rarely. Question is what size should I buy whenever I buy a new one fresh, there are 0 stores near me that sell Triple S's and I don't really plan on traveling anywhere soon so I won't be able to try one on for sometime.
My feet is goofy, my all time fav shoe YZY 500 feels perfect at size 44, YZY 700 feels ok at 44 (43 1/3 would be better with 700s) my adidas yung 1-96 are 43 1/3, my old cdg converses are 42.5 , my old air force 1 low is probably 42, I can't see the size tag because it's an 8 year old shoe the size tag is straight up just brown.
My feet is exactly 26.5 cm long from big toe to heel, measured the inside length of the size 43 Triple S it's around 28cm perfectly but feels extremely big, like I could fit a 1,6 cm lego brick at my heel and there was 2-3mms still (I was F-ing around a lot lol).
I'm thinking about 40-41 most probably size 41, don't think a 42 would be good either, size 43 really feels extremely big to be honest, it's ok after 10 minutes of walking but still hella goofy. Scared of 40 being too small but wanted to ask on this sub anyway.
Also found a size chart on the internet that says the difference between size 43 and 41 is just 1.5 cms, but I don't think the site has the proper measurements.

Just hit tier 10 have came up with a long list of QoL changes along the way that could make the game much less tedious and more enjoyable. In no particular order:
Filter Monsters from Bestiaries Whenever there are event followers to get, I usually tap check all my bestiaries to see if any limited ones are available, just scrolling through trying to spot them. Since you cant purchase the same follower twice, there doesn't really seem to be a reason for them to be there anymore other than to make searching more difficult. There should be an option to either hide followers you already have or only show limited time followers.
Filter Spells from Arcanist Same issue and suggested improvement as above.
Leaving Dungeons/Towers and reentering them from elsewhere later should be more consistent I don't believe how to do this is shown in game anywhere, but believe its intended behaviour to be able to store up to 5 dungeons by entering them and then closing the game then when you reopen the game your dungeon will appear on the right and you can tap and jump back into it. If you exit the dungeon using the "Leave" action, this does not happen. Leaving the dungeon should have the same effect as closing the app if you physically move far away from the dungeon. Additionally, there could be a "store" dungeon option when tapping a dungeon beside the "Hold to Enter" option so we can store it for later after checking the dungeon options (hard mode, boss mode etc..). It would also be nice to have a menu area where you could see all your stored dungeons along with the time you have left to complete them that you can use to re-enter them, instead of having them all appear on the world screen on the right taking up already valuable space on the cluttered map.
Show what slot an item goes in I always found it strange that from an item's description it doesn't say which gear slot it goes into. For things like "boots" and "sword" its pretty intuitive, but with some of the event items like "house keys" or "scrolls", right away I wouldn't know if these go in the "off hand" slot or "accessories" slot. Right now you need to open the inventory menu and then go through the gear slot sub menus until you find the item.
Show stats of skills provided by weapons In you skill load out you can see the "power" of you abilities and also what they do, but for skills like "volley" or "arrowstorm" enabled by equipment pieces, the description doesn't really tell you much. Right now to figure out how strong one of these skills are or if they can crit you need to go up against the training cactus, factor out buffs and debuffs and then chart you damage, but then for abilities like "arrowstorm" without looking it up online, I am not sure there is any in game way to know that the damage is split between all enemies. The abilities description from abilities enabled by equipment should show "power" and other information you would expect to see from the "skills" menu
Easier way to see the base stats of equipment Whenever I "view" a piece of equipment from the "Equipment" or "inventory" menu, it compared the piece of gear to what I currently have equipped. This is valuable and expected from the "Equipment" page, but I don't feel like this is needed from the "Inventory" page it just adds more clutter making it more difficult to see an items stats on their own. Additionally, I would love for stats from adornment to show separately. As an example, if I have sword that gives 100 attack and 2 adornments that give 6 attack each, i would like the stats on the sword to show 100 (+12) or something like that to separate these buffs (though this might be hard to implement in a way that doesn't look messy with the gear comparison numbers. Maybe they total adornment stats could be at the bottom underneath all the adornments?) This makes using Oran Assess easier to look up an item's quality if it has adornments as right now if I manually subtract the adornment buffs the Orna Assess on gear often gives me errors because there seems to be some weird math with adornments. The current workaround if you care, is to remove all adornments then use the out of game tool.
Set over-wold tap priority. This game is very cluttered with all the buildings and monsters overlapping on the world map. Right now if you want to tap on a specific monster overlapping a building you need to spin the map around or play with the zoom in and zoom out or hide a punch of layers and then put them back again. Either, I would like a way to be able to set the tap priority, or a way to order which layers always appear on top of each other or at least have quest monsters always take priority/appear on top layer.
More detailed skill descriptions Currently some abilities have different "penetrations" or whatever that you can look up on some google doc out there on the internet, but I feel like this info should really be inside the game. I feel like every description from a skill provided by an item should show the M1/M2 (or whatever these are called), Number of Hits, Crit chance (even if zero!) and any other info that I might be missing so we can compare skills better. Right now you have to either look this info up outside the game, which I am not sure is even up to date or do a lot of testing with the training cactus.
Auto Heal After many months I learned that you could just press and hold your inventory menu button to auto heal, but this feels not very responsive and slow, especially if you need to do this a lot over and over after fighting monsters. It would just be nice if there was a way to toggle "Auto heal" on or off so that you would just automatically heal to full HP and Mana after fights.
Buy maximum amount of potions I have no idea why you can only buy 1000 potions at a time, when you can hold up to 5000. Beyond that though, I would love to just have a 1 tap button that purchases the maximum amount I can carry. For example, if I had 2000 small health potions on me, I could just tap "Buy max" and it would just purchase me 3000 more small health potions if I have the gold. A nice bonus would be if we could up the carrying capacity from 5000 to 9999. I think at the moment there is some janky way to carry more, by putting them in your keep and them being used from there, but again this is just tedious and not explained in game.
More graphics customization I always play on "Low" graphics just because I hate the sprite flashing when you attack an enemy. I wish this could be toggled on or off separately. Additionally, the down side of playing on "Low" settings is that I can not see any "Berserk", "Arisen" or "God-forging auras" on the over world map. I wish there was a separate toggle for these auras as well, since I personally feel like that's a big part of the game and determines which enemies I would want to fight when walking around.
Raids should end once you hit their damage cap Once you reach the damage cap on a raid the boss hits you for 9,999,999 damage and the raid ends, but this attach can be dodged or blocked and if the boss is stunned etc.. it might not even do the attack that turn Improvement would just be to end the raid once you hit the damage cap (and not have the "defeat" screen would be a nice to have, since were we really "defeated"?) or have the big attack always happens at the damage cap and always connect. Additionally, I believe you can go over the damage cap a bit if you do a big crit on the last attack, but maybe the damage cap should just be a hard cap. Not sure if it is this way already or not.
Other realms timer When we have other realms events, it would be nice to have a timer showing how much longer I could remain in the "Other realms" map. Sometimes I get booted out after a very short time like 1 or 2 hours it seems and other times its like the whole day I am still there.
Activate all bonus buff items Later in the game, my current experience is that you essentially have an unlimited amount of exp potions, dowsing rods, torches, silver and gold coins. It would be nice if there was a single button to activate all these buffs at once or maybe a way to toggle on or off have these buff automatically refresh once they run out if you have the necessary item in your inventory. A bonus would be that they would only refresh once you open the game so you don't wast items if you are not playing. Either way, this change would make these items feel more valuable.
Open Guild menu from Territory view When you are in game and tap the bottom right circle to go to the territory view, this disables to guild menu button. Not sure why this is the case and I think you should be able to open the guild menu from that screen.
Push Notifications Maybe its just my phone is set up this way, but it would be nice to enable some push notifications. The ones I would want would be, when an event or other realms even is starting, when a piece of equipment is done upgrading at the blacksmith, when my town hall refreshes its list of quests and maybe some guild stuff. Additionally, I don't feel like the current notification checks do anything. Whether I have every option or nothing checked I still get the ! notifications in game by the yellow bell icon in the top left and always constantly need to go in to view the notification to clear it. Most of these notifications I don't care about at all, but requires me to tap through each sub menu to find the notification to get rid of the !.
Option to hide ally damage numbers I, like many others I would assume, don't play with other people very often. I would love a way to hide ally damage numbers in raids. Specifically in the latest other realms event, ally damage numbers just make it harder to see my own and make the game more laggy it seems. Since their damage numbers don't do affect me in any way I would like to turn them off or even turn off showing allies entirely. I'm not even sure the point in having them is because I don't think you can buff each other or benefit from them debuffing the boss.
Show total rewards from areas One of the funnest parts of Orna is travelling around and capturing areas. I know its not a huge source of income, but I would love to have a page where we could see our total daily, weekly and monthly rewards from captured areas. It would be much more motivating to go out and play if we could see our incomes go up and compare with other party members/friends.
Dismantle all from shops Maybe this one changes the game too much, but currently you can already buy all the items from a shop and then dismantle them for materials. It would be nice to just have a "dismantle all" in the shop that buys all of the item and dismantles them just giving you the materials.
Other realms Show damage thresholds/boss HP. From what I understand, in other realms you need to do 10x the bosses HP to get maximum rewards, but to find this out you need to web search this information. It would be a nice to have to show the bosses HP in the raid or for more fun, show the max rewards % you have reached with the current amount of damage you have done.
View different gear load outs from status page If you go the the "Status" menu, you can view your "stats" from all your different load outs. It would be nice that when you tab through your different loadouts, your gear for those specific load outs would also show below. Right now it always shows your "World" load out. Additionally, it would be nice to be able to view your party member's or guild member's different load outs to see what they are using for different content. Right now I just see view distance gear or farming gear, which is not that interesting.
Put auto dismantle settings back in options Not sure why this got moved to a sub menu in the items menu and very frequently on this sub Reddit I see people asking where this is. The current location does not seem very intuitive, but this is a small thing. Its less of a issue now at T10, but while levelling I would have liked a way to combine quality and tier when auto-dismantling. For example, only dismantle things that are T5 or below that are also rare quality or below.
Obviously some of these changes would take a lot of work and the Orna team seems very small with patches being very few and far between, but it would be nice if some of these could be on the radar for future versions. Most of these changes are things you can already do in game, just with more button pressing. Overall as well, I find the game very unresponsive sometimes, like tapping "attack" often has a 1-2 second delay. I am on a current generation flagship phone and have fast home wifi, but frequently the game just gets slow. Sometimes I can fix this by opening and closing the game. Not sure if this is an optimization problem (again small team) or a money/server speed problem (I did purchase a sprite pack).

It’s no secret that lots of fans, in fact I believe the majority, think that GW removing the FTL for the Tau sometime after the 3rd edition was a dumb move, since, to be simple, you aint making a multi system empire without FTL travel, as well it makes things like the Damocles Crusade have a huge plot hole in that the Tau somehow win through reinforcements coming from their entire empire, despite lacking FTL.
The user Connor McLeod on Spacebattles made a detailed analysis on how the Tau FTL worked through editions, this is a simplified version, for the quotes he used are too big for a single reddit post.

The original theory (what may or may not be the ether drive, or also known as 'warp dives') came from Battelfleet Gothic - originally in BFG Magazines (I took mine from bFG Magazine 19) but got reiterated in BFG Armada:
BFG magazine 19 said:
The Tau were able to duplicate the warp drive of the alien ship but the initial test flights were disastrous. Achieving transition to the Warp required more than technology, it required psychically attuned minds and the Tau race boasted no psykers. Without them to guide the transition no amount of power could breach the dimensional barriers. The best the Tau could do was make a partial translation, forcing themselves into the void that separated Warpspace and realspace before they were hurled out again like a ball held under water then released.
..
The Water caste scientists made the observation that the boundary between real space and warp space was not a neat line. It was closer to being a turbulent ocean fomented by the tempestuous warp tides below. By carefully angling their descent toward the Warp and extending the field generated by the gravitic drive into a wing shaped to hold the vessel down, a Tau vessel could extend the duration of the dive considerably. The speeds achieved in the ascent back to real space were staggering and coupled with the effect of the Warp on time and space ensured that the real distance covered by the dive was immense. Early tests lost several drone ships because they inadvertently passed far beyond the sensor range of the recovery vessels.
...
There was still a major constraint, only the most powerful (and bulky) drives could sustain the gravitic wing throughout the dive and the power drain meant that considerable recharge time was needed between dives. Also by comparison to actually navigating the warp the pace was still very slow. Taking typical Imperial Warp speeds the Tau drive was slower by a factor of five. The speed was consistent though, did not expose the Tau to the perils of the Warp and enabled the Tau to expand beyond their home star for the first time.
This should be well established by know, and it's pretty self explanatory. But its worth revisiting for tying everything together because in many ways the FTL system incorporates multiple parts. One part was the Tau gravity drive. Another part was the ability to 'partially' enter the warp for the dive and maintaining that dive as long as possible. And its a process they kept improving on. On the surface of this the implication is that around or even before First Sphere they had FTL, whereas the earliest you could plausibly argue they MIGHT achieve warp diving in current fluff is by third sphere. At least, in widespread usage. You could certainly have the Tau experimenting with FTL (they experimented with Imperium warp drives in Crisis of Faith after all) and that goes back to previous spheres. We could in that respect view Tau propulsion advances to be incremental steps along that path to achieving true Warp drive (or something close to it - which may be what Fourth Sphere's slipstream is/was.) I'll touch more on that 'incremental' development' later.
BFG Magazine 19 said:
Waystations are distributed throughout the Tau Empire. They mark out the main routes between Tau septs and are used to speed communications between outposts.
This has nothing directly to do with FTL travel, except to mark/identify routes they use (and maybe facilitate those routes somehow) but it does mention that they have a role in communication. I'll touch on that after the FTL stuff, although it centers almost entirely around the Shadowsun novella.
BFG Magazine 19 said:
Unlike the Tau the Kroot are capable of true Warp travel but the exact method has been kept secret from their employers. To the Kroot, warp travel is almost migratory and they seem incapable of navigating anywhere other than systems with habitable worlds. It appears they are drawn to functioning ecosystems.
In alot of ways its belief-shaped (mass belief) and not unlike Orks and the way space hulks operated. It might explain why the Tau never found the Kroot's use of warp travel all that useful, since it seems like it would be potentially erratic or less precise than warp dives. Still, it makes no fucking sense for Kroot, Demiurg or other warp sensitive allies of the Tau to have FTL but the Tau don't, especially since many factions (including Kroot and Demiurg) contribute ships to Tau fleets!
Other later sources like Deathwatch Achius Assault carried that FTL over, and even suggested it was route based (or may have had an even longer rnaged, route based variation on the 'warp dive' that allowed Vellk'han sept to reach Jericho Reach:
Deathwatch Achilus Assault said:
The humans are not the only ones to explore the Black Reef and the Tau too have been sending scouts into its gravity ravaged depths. Less willing to needlessly sacrifice their warriors, the Tau have employed those aliens from their empire with an affinity for the void and a skill at space faring, such as the ethereal Ji'atrix and the void-dwelling Nicassar. More successfully than the Imperium, the Tau have mapped
a number of routes through the edges of the Reef, at least on their side of the anomaly, allowing their ships more tactical flexibility than those of their enemies and also allowing them to lay deadly ambushes within the edge of the Stygian Break.
The Tau also enjoy a rare speed advantage over the Imperium within the Black Reef as their unusual method of near-Warp travel works more effectively than completely entering the Warp and is less prone to disruption by the gravity storm.
I mentioned the White Dwarf's circa 6th edition which alluded to it, but you also had Storm of Damocles which also seems to reference Warp dives:
Storm of Damocles said:
LOCATION: CANNIS GAS CLOUD,
DAMOCLES GULF, 999.M41
Without psykers, the tau could not make translations into the warp, but they had learnt to make short hops through the edge of the immaterial and real space, sticking to pre-ordained 'stepping stones'. This particular transit point, deep in the Cannis gas cloud, was known to connect to the Sexton Sector. It was what the tau thought was a safe transit route, but its location had been known to the Deathwatch for some time.
...
As he spoke, the first of the tau ships seemed to pulse as it skimmed into the immaterium. In ten minutes they were all gone, and the space before them was empty once more, except for the light of distant stars.
This meant that -at least in certain incarnations - warp dives relied on certain routes/paths/points to travel along (adding a certain degree of predictability, not unlike the warp routes between star systems in BFG) - it can be thought that BFG might have applied those same limitations to other factions and their FTL (Necron inertialess drive, Tau Warp Dive/Ether drives) so this was always an 'intended' trait. It also makes it clear its far from instantaneous - it takes minutes to achieve the 'skip' and unlike 'true' warp translation there is no rift. Presumably the rift only occurs if you actually punch the hole through into the Warp - the 'interstitial' medium the Tau travel through might simply be thought of as temporal/spatial distortions (we know warp rifts can be temporal/spatial distortions too - one reason that translations to/from warp space can be so highly distorted by gravity and one reason why translations in-system close to planetary bodies are so hazardous)
Storm of Damocles said:
It was a week's journey back through the warp to Picket's Watch. A team of servitors re-established power for the databanks, repairing broken cables and then coaxing out the reams of tau information.
The Space Marines had little need for sleep. They worked constantly, comparing Imperial star charts to those of the tau, finding known points of reference, and slowly piecing together a picture of tau movements to and from the Agrellan Warzone.
..
When they had inputted it all, the holo-charts glowed with criss-crossing web-lines of xenos activity. Its scale and sophistication repelled them all. Supply hubs, refuelling stations, convoy protection teams, automated drone sentries, human worlds secretly compliant, all enabling the massive movement of the invasion fleet that had smashed through to Agrellan. Konrad located two new routes that had appeared only a Terran week before the appearance of the Stormsurges.
'This is how they are transporting their new battlesuits,' he said with grim conviction.
Again note that the use of routes and mapping is important for Tau Warp Dives circa 3rd sphere (Agrellan) and they are clearly covering many tens of light years in months at most. Indeed some 'routes' seem to involve a bare week difference implying transit speeds of many hundreds of c at a bare minimum. There's literally no way third sphere could play out as it did without FTL, so this is beyond dispute.
All the same, some materials try to dispute it. While the Codexes since 6th haven't explicitly forbidden FTL, the rulebooks were something of another matter. At least in 8th edition:
8th Edition Rulebook said:
Being a non-psychic race, the T'au have no understanding of the warp, so their star fleets travel at sub-light speeds. New technological innovations have steadily increased their range, allowing them to press ever further into the galaxy. Their Second and Third Spheres of Expansion were halted only due to the barrier of the Damocles Gulf and increased resistance from the Imperium of Mankind.
Making it a bit of a headache to tie together, but not impossible since there's no real context or detail attached to the comment.
Codex tau 8th said:
In order to reach those more distant systems earmarked as desirable by advanced scouts, the vast armadas of T'au spacecraft had been outfitted with the latest Earth caste modifications. The ships' propulsion systems were upgraded so that when magnified by impulse reactors, the engines could obtain faster speeds, propelling ships forwards at hitherto unthinkable velocities. To further lessen the burden on those space-faring craft with the longest journeys, the Earth caste had outfitted transport vessels with large stasis chambers, allowing Hunter Cadres or whole commands to shift to far distant battle zones months or years away without actually aging a day in the process.
This quote cropped up in 6th too, and it was hilarious then. The 'third' iteration with the impulse reactors boosting previous drive advances (namely, the horizon drive) sound hilarious. Impulse reactors push ships to 'unthinkable velocities' yet we already knew the supposedly 'sublight' Tau already achieved near-lightspeed. Getting nearer to lightspeed might provide some more relativistic effects to protect the crew a bit from the duration, but its not going to add jack shit to speed... unless you exceed the speed of light.
In keeping with that hilarious inconsistency, the Tau in fact do this multiple times since 6th. To wit:
Tyranid 6th said:
FLIGHT TO KE'LSHAN
Though the Tau fleet was pursued by dozens of bio-ships, only a handful of cadre vessels were boarded and destroyed before the Tau successfully punched through the Tyranid blockade. Unaffected by the Shadow in the Warp, the Tau's ZFR Horizon drives propelled their ships at near light speed through realspace, and arrived safely at Ke'lshan. It took the Tyranids many days to traverse the same span of space, and for the first time in months, the Tau hoped to have a chance to catch their breath and recuperate.
Yes. Their magical horizon drives actually allowed the Tau to [i[Outrun the Tyranids[/i] Now remember that while the Tyranids having warp drive post 5th was up for debate, they still had Narvahls so its baffling that the 'sublight' Tau could outrace an explicitly FTL race. Compoudning that hilarity is the timeframe - Hive Fleet
Warzone Damocles said:
Propelled at ever greater speeds by the latest Earth Caste impulse reactors, the vast armada of Aun'Va's Tau Coalition powered across the Damocles Gulf and into Imperial Space. The expeditionary force met little in the way of significant opposition, even from the Imperial worlds that rejected the offers of the Water caste's ambassadors.
This repeats the codex bits on impulse reactors, and as I said for Third Sphere and War Zone Damocles you pretty much need to be crossing tens or hundreds of light years in weeks or months... there's no way around it being FTL. The only speeds greater than near-c are going to be many time greater than c.
Given that we can speculate on a Tau drive (and FTL) progression that follows this pattern:
Tau FTL model
First sphere has them evolving the gravity drive as per BFG. This may or may not also result in the modifications that allow (retroactively) to swiftly colonize their immediate surroundings for the First sphere expansion due to weird properties (time/space dilation) and closely placed star systems
Gravity drive (first sphere). This could still result in the discovery of a crashed alien ship and its warp drive (and experiments into that technology) but nothing definite or widespread yet.
Second Sphere is where things start to get interesting. They expand further by charting routes through dangerous parts of their space (including the Damocles gulf) through trial and error. This could be the point where we actually get navigation into and out of warp rifts in some cases, and with others you simply have warped distances/pathways to travel along. This still allows them to be 'sublight' but achieve travel that doesn't take years or decades like it should.
Second sphere, however is where they start meeting the Orks and eventually the Imperium. They learn more about FTL drives (from Ork and Imperial vessels) and they perhaps begin to study the routes that permitted their swift journeys as well. Second sphere stretches out for some time and even the end is some distance into the future, so there is lots of time for additional advances. The Horizon drive would maximize their travel speeds - travelling as close to the speed of lgiht as efficiently possible means making the most out of not only navigating warp rifts but the routes as well. Other examples of this in action would be the Black Reef/Hadex anomaly from Deathwatch
Eventually they start tinkering with their drive system in other ways to achieve other effects. We can presume the grav drive is a factor in protecting them from the effects of the warp minus a gellar field (in conjunction with their low/nearly nonexistent warp souls) but the grav drive configurations may enable them to more effectively harness and shape the routes they take, and we get into the first steps of warp dives. They start out slow and less efficient at first, but over time they continue refining the process and making improvements (being able to maintain the dive for longer (Velk'Han and Deathwatch come in here.)
Eventually, they learn to artificially replicate the Warp Dive without being confined to routes - they still can't enter the warp and it may be slower than 'in-route' travel, but this allows them much more flexibility in expanding than they had. This may or may not be the 'impulse reactors' of third sphere - we might surmise these are sort of a weaker version of slipstream drive that only achieves the 'partial' translations. We might consider this the ether drive - the logical conclusion of their pre-Warp drive travel. Speeds may get closer to equalling 'average' warp travel (non Navigator) but its still potentially much slower than true warp drive even if they could maintain the dive indefinitely (which at that point, they might on at least some ships or in some locations) Smaller ships like the Manta can also be equipped with FTL drives now.
Third sphere ends with the conflagration fo the Damocles Gulf and the Tau can no longer bypass it effectively (We could surmise that any 'artificial' dives are too short ranged or slow to make this practical over reasonable timescales for the Tau to wage war. The fastest longest-ranged routes for warp-diving would be through the Gulf, much as travelling to Jericho Reach meant the Hadex anomaly and black Reef. The Tau cannot continue their progress until the creation of slipstream drive (the final evolution of the impulse reactors to emulate Warp drive without psykers or navigators) and that brings us to 8th and eventually 9th with the fifth sphere and the Startide Nexus.
And 9th edition brings us the promise of a sixth sphere expansion... courtesy of the slipstream drive:
Codex Tau 9th said:
"Or do we exercise our new-found reach to once again push beyond what the Gue'la call the Damocles Gulf, to reclaim the septs that were lost and drive deeper than ever into the western galactic reaches? Understand my guests,this is not some mere dream. Fio'vre Ka'buto and his scientists assure me that the modifications they have made to their original designs render the Slipstream module safer and more stable than ever before when deployed en masse. With such a device at our disposal, the stars are closer than ever, and oru duty to reach them clearer.'
El'Umeh couldn't believe what she was hearing.
The Sixth Sphere Expansion, she thought, light-headed with amazement. The Ethereal Supreme is considering the commencement of the Sixth Sphere Expansion, and he is asking for my Commander's thoughts on where it should occur.
Such a thing was unheard of. The battles of the Fith Sphere Expansion still raged beyond the Zone of Silence. O'Shaserra herself led the push to colonise new worlds and raise new septs beyond the fabled wormhole. El'Umeh was hardly in possession of all the data, yet she had the impression that the empire had expended vast resources already on gathering and launching that fleet. To think that it could muster a sixth expansion even while the fifth was still underway... had the scope and scale of T'au space truly grown so vast?
Setting aside the implication that the Tau are vast enough in terms of territory and industry to sustain two Spheres of expansion so closely together, we're told that they can now safely engage in large scale use of slipstream and derive the benefits of its speed in their expansion. No more limits to warp dives or ether drive. They could achieve something that matches at least some kinds of Warp travel.
This also makes clear that the Tau not only didn't lose slipstream travel with fourth sphere. It was simply limited in its scale of application. Single ships (or small numbers) might be able to harness it effectively and without danger - but large fleets (scores or hundreds) were dangerous. Now, that may no longer be so true, and that is a HUGE game changer for the Tau.
Another thing to consider is - as I said before - in many ways the 'Ether drive/warp dive' feature is describing the same essential capability, it just evolves incrementally with each step or including a new wrinkle. First you have the grav drive - which plays a role in maintaining the warp dive once they develop that technology and presumably protecting the craft and permitting some degree of navigating the charted routes in their domain. Then as per 6th you have the 'Horizon' drive which allows for rapid and effective near-lightspeed travel. If the routes allow for the warp to amplify sublight speeds into translight speeds, then maximizing your realspace speed would be the best way to optimize travel time.
Eventually late second/early third you're getting into the true Ether Drive/Warp Dives as outlined in BFG and the impulse reactor upgrade allows for that push for 'artificially' created routes/dives (and possibly leads to the truly long-distance travel like allowing Kel'Shan to reach Jericho Reach sector despite being potentially hundreds of light years away) - the grav drive helps to maintain the dive, the Horizon engines keep speed maximized during that dive. Despite being from different, unconnected sources, you can clearly treat each iteration as being an improvement of each technology, allowing the Tau to move that much faster until they reach the presumable endpoint (currently) with a fully fledged and potentially workable slipstream drive that can be utilized for large fleets - leading to Sixth Sphere.
****
Now we get to FTL comms courtesy of Shadowsun, last of Kiru's line:
Shadowsun last of Kiru's Line said:
'It is agreeable to see you, Shas'la,' she said. 'What is the status of our communications?'
Sabu'ro glanced at Kou'to before answering. The veteran's nod told him that it was all right to address Shadowsun directly.
'Commander,' he said proudly, 'we are fully capable. Local tightbeam and interplanetary tachyon arrays are both at one hundred per cent.'
'Are you able to contact the rest of the fleet?'
'It has already been done. All ships are holding at station-keeping eight light-minutes beyond il'Wolaho's moon, as per your previous instructions. Command of the armada has passed to Kor'el Kenhi'ta, who relayed the news of what transpired today to T'au via graviton data packet.' He smiled. 'After you last spoke to me, I made all vessels aware of your survival.'
'Was that news also relayed to T'au?'
Young Sabu'ro seemed confused by the question. 'Why would it not be?'
Shadowsun nodded, imagining what the reaction must have been back on the home world. First, news that a powerful warship had been destroyed with all hands lost. Then, later on, a second bulletin informing everyone that she and a handful of others were alive, but for the moment, non-recoverable. Shock, followed by sadness, followed by joy, followed by concern. The halls of the Aun't'au'retha, the supreme council of Ethereals who presided over the Empire, must have been uncharacteristically lively this day. Once again, she blamed herself.
...
'Commander, there's an incoming data packet addressed to you.' He passed the flex-screen to Shadowsun. 'A pre-recorded message of some kind, relayed through the fleet position.'
Il'Walaho was nearly one hundred and fifty light-years away from the heart of the Empire. Real-time communication over such distances was impossible, even for a race as technologically advanced as the tau. Shadowsun took note of the time stamp as the bundle of words and decompiled themselves; whatever the nature of this message, it had been sent while her fleet was in translation from T'au.
'It says here that this was made and received some time ago. Why am I only seeing it now?'
Sabu'ro shook his head as the recording began.
'O'Shaserra,' it said slowly and clearly, 'This is Aun'va speaking. As leader of the Aun't'au'retha, may I say that it brings great relief to all to hear that you have survived the destruction of your command vessel.'
We get reference to 'tachyon' communications (presumably the short-range/in system stuff) and the 'grav-wave' data packets. There are two distinct kinds of communication and calcs here but I'll indulge in a little speculation relating to Eye of Terror. A numbe rof sources (Eye of Terror website back in 3rd edition, the Deathwatch RPG) mention tachyonic bullshit, and its often tied to Warp phenomena (as is 'subspace' bullshit in the Hoare novels.) We also know that gravity and spatial distortions are closely related to warp phenomena as well. And as mentioned before, Eye of Terror indicated that in a warp-realspace interface 'lightspeed' signals (like photons/light) could be effectively translight. In that sense, we might consider 'tachyons' to be matter subjected to the translight properties of the warp, wheras grav packets might be some sort of weird modulated grave pulses that create a sort of warp 'dive' signal to relay data back to the destination (unless of course its a physical vessel. That's not clear.) It may even be that its a tachyonic signal that is manipulated the same way the grav drive helps maintain a warp dive.
Anyhow, bullshit speculatin over nature done, we go to the calcs. The first is for the ship-to ground communications which are almost or effectively instantaneous over an eight light minute distance (this will get reiterated later) and that plays out to around at least FTL communications speed of tens of c (call it 50c or so.)
The grav-packet takes longer, but it occurs well within the space of a day (twelve hours) and possibly as little as four to six hours (remember it started during morning, and now its afternoon to evening here.) so its clearly a matter of hours top, and less than a day at worst. For the message to cover 150 LY in one day (12 hours to 24) you get between 54,000-109,000c roughly. In 4-6 hours it would be more like 220,000-330,000c. That's slow compared to some and not suitable for FTL travel (even commercial astrotelepathy can cross 10-20 LY in around 11 minutes as per Eisenhorn, whereas others have realtime communication between two nearby systems and multiple light years. 1st edition has Astrotelepathy crossing 50,000 LY in seconds or minutes even, albeit with ten words or less.) But for the Tau? That's quite fast, esp considering their FTL (such as it is) would be orders of magnitude slower. Many times throughout her career, she had pictured the memorial they would erect of her on T'au following her death. It would be placed before the Mont'yr Battle Dome, of course, where it would stand among the other heroes of her people, immortalised in six-metre-high white marble. Along the base would read her accolades – Shadowsun, daughter of Kiru, hero of the K'resh Expansion War, scourge of the greenskin barbarians, bulwark against the hive fleets.
The K'Resh Expansion War was part of the Great War of Confederation which took place in 975.M41 and lasted a dozen years, meaning this is between the end of that (12 years later, or in 987.M41) and the start of 3rd sphere in 997.M41 - no more than a decade difference. Given that Third Sphere involved Aun'Va accompanying Shadowsun personally (As 6th edition outlines) from the Tau homeworld, that means Shadowsun made a round trip from the edge of the empire and back to pick up the Supreme leader (5 years both ways).

​

Basically the title above but here is some additional info.
I have been using the current strategy (based on pattern recognition ) for quite some time and have been profitable in both bullish and bearish markets(stocks) . I tried automating it and currently have a pinescript code which acts as a sort of indicator as I would call it( this was the max I could make with my poor coding experience and knowledge).This pinescript only shows me the range(strikes) for a short strangle/iron condor ,It saves me lot of time though as I don't have to go through each stock screening the charts for the pattern but I would like to automate it completely to remove the labour and so that I can sell strangles on various stocks instead of a few stocks every week
I want to learn something like the ibkr ap as ibkr has all markets along with options and a big community too. I have tried Youtubers like part time Larry which helped me with the pinescript but in this project its too less of a info required. I am facing difficulties building the program on python and am in constant need of solutions for every alternate lines it seems. How should I approach the project without wasting any more time. Any advice is welcome.

This prompt introduces an AI-powered note-taking assistant designed to provide efficient note-taking support. Users can request the assistant to generate concise and comprehensive notes based on given text. The assistant determines the optimal note-taking method from a selection of five options: Cornell, Outlining, Mapping, Charting, or Sentence. Users simply provide the text, and the assistant will generate the desired note output.
prompt:
Hello, let's play a game! You will be playing the role of an ANA - AI Note Assistant , an AI designed to assist people with note-taking. ANA excels at creating concise and comprehensive notes. To play the game, participants will send a text to ANA, requesting it to make a note based on the given text. The most important rule is to avoid providing explanations and strictly follow the requested output format. If asked to display something within double asterisks (""), it should be displayed exactly as requested. when receiving text from the user predict what of the 5 ways is the best way to compose the and display the note to the user The Cornell Method. The Outlining Method. The Mapping Method. The Charting Method. The Sentence Method. Upon receiving this text, you should only display the title in big and bold "AI Note Assistant" and the following text: "what's on your mind?" or "What do you want me to write down?". Now, I'll send you a text, and it's crucial that you reply with the requested output only

I (22f) have been living with my roommates (22f and 21m who are dating each other) with 2 cats (1 is mine) for about a year now and now I have completely lost my mind.
I first moved in when their first roommate left after 2 months (should have been a warning sign) and they wouldn't be able to afford rent for much longer. I just so happened to be looking for a place as I wanted to move out of my parent's. So I decided to move in with my cat, it was kinda a win win situation because my parents had gotten a big dog that scared my cat and gave me a slight allergic reaction.
The first few months had no problems, just getting the apartment to feel more like a home. I had started to see how my roommates had lived, they were kinda messy and played PC games late at night in the living room but I thought this was a normal thing that happened when you have roommates. But oh past me I wish I knew better.
Now I like to have my stuff clean and organized (clean home, clean mind kinda thing) and my roommates knew this and would just wait for me to cave and clean the apartment. They would leave piles for dishes in the sink and leave food rotting in the fridge, their trash everywhere. They literally acted like kids who had their mom clean up after them no matter what. I know that I could be making a big deal over something small but the one thing that pisses me off the most is that they wouldn't clean their cat's litter for months at a time. It would stink so bad and they somehow never noticed when the litter is right next to their PC.
After a month of me being the only one cleaning everything my partner had suggested to clean only the things I used and I did so....they didn't realize how bad the living space was getting when it was really all their stuff. After a bit we all decided to have a chore chart to see if that would work. They agreed to do the chore chart and said it was fair, I had said that stuff had to be done by the end of the week as we all have jobs. The chore chart only lasted one almost two weeks and it was back to me cleaning only my stuff.
They leave food stuck to my pan and won't clean it. They really only know how to make soup/stews (which is fine) and put the pot in the fridge and not use the hundreds of tupper ware containers that we have so I'm out of luck if I want to make something in that pot. They have somehow burned soup before (I didn't even know what was possible) and didn't scrub the pot afterwards so now their is a burn stanes in a lot of our pots and pans.
They will complain about money and then go out and buy a brand new ps5! I wish I was joking on that one. They will get name brand food and expensive alcohol at the big box store when there is an aldi's literally right down the road. I don't use their stuff and just get the cheaper stuff because money is tight for me to but I don't complain about it.
F will make my cat out to be the bad guy because she had gotten on the counter and knocked over a mug that they had left right on the edge of it because once again there was a pile of dirty dishes in the sink. I know that my cat can be a little shit, most cats are but their cat can do no wrong when I have seen their cat on the counter multiple times to get food they have left out and has eaten all of my cat's expensive food that she needs for her diet.
One of the biggest things that bugs me is one conversion that we had. F had said that M was grabbing and hitting her when they were at his grandparents. I asked for clarification and she just repeated what she had said the first time. I asked him what happened and he said that he was poking and holding her hands (she is known for exaggerating) and she couldn't understand why I was getting frustrated. I snapped and yelled at her saying "that sounds like domestic abuse you dumb bitch!" And went to my room. I overheard her say that she's not going to reword it to make it soft because that's how it happen.
M works his ass off in a factory full-time and she has had 3 part-time jobs since I've moved in. She always quits because it's always someone who disagrees with her and is "mean". I work full-time at an office and am planning on getting a second job so I can get out of here. I've known these people since high school but I had branched out to different people. I feel like they just see this as friends hanging out and having fun.
She has M do everything for her as she just sits in bed all day doing nothing. She'll make him go out and get her fast food and just boss him around all the time. Like this man would have a hard day at work but would have to do everything for her when she didn't even work that day. She's too dependent on his helpfulness and he is too dependent on her happiness.
My partner and I are looking for a place and planning on not telling my roommates until it's time to resign the lease again. I have regrettably signed for a second year with them because I had no choice at that time.
Thank you for letting me rant and there is a lot more but this is long enough as it is. This is actually nice to get off my chest as I have tried communicating with them and nothing has work. I'm sorry if this format is weird on mobile.

Hi guys! I recently got myself a used Triple S from my friend who bought it at Harrods. It's a size 43 but it feels pretty big, planning on wearing it tho, just rarely. Question is what size should I buy whenever I buy a new one fresh, there are 0 stores near me that sell Triple S's and I don't really plan on traveling anywhere soon so I won't be able to try one on for sometime.
My feet is goofy, my all time fav shoe YZY 500 feels perfect at size 44, YZY 700 feels ok at 44 (43 1/3 would be better with 700s) my adidas yung 1-96 are 43 1/3, my old cdg converses are 42.5 , my old air force 1 low is probably 42, I can't see the size tag because it's an 8 year old shoe the size tag is straight up just brown.
My feet is exactly 26.5 cm long from big toe to heel, measured the inside length of the size 43 Triple S it's around 28cm perfectly but feels extremely big, like I could fit a 1,6 cm lego brick at my heel and there was 2-3mms still (I was F-ing around a lot lol).
I'm thinking about 40-41 most probably size 41, don't think a 42 would be good either, size 43 really feels extremely big to be honest, it's ok after 10 minutes of walking but still hella goofy. Scared of 40 being too small but wanted to ask on this sub anyway.
Also found a size chart on the internet that says the difference between size 43 and 41 is just 1.5 cms, but I don't think the site has the proper measurements.

Are there any commanders in mono green that don't just make big creatures, ramp, or make an army of tokens and hit the enemy? Even a token army deck that at least plays differently, something more than just playing cards and hitting the opponent.
I kinda want to fill out the color chart challenge, deck of every color combo, but I still want them to actually be decent decks and decks I'd care to play. I've had a goreclaw deck in the past, and sure, it's strong and simple, but it's too simple. Just hitting for combat damage over and over till you get boardwiped or win is boring.

Gigabyte RTX 4070 Windforce Brief Review:
Great card with very strong cooling for it being the "Budget" or Msrp version of gigabytes lineup. I have done a bunch of testing with this card and although you can get a good overclock using MSI afterburner, I will provide results below, I will say it's generally not worth it in real world application/gaming. Although 90% of games ran stable, I ended up having problems while benchmarking cyberpunk where no matter the settings, I was getting nearly identical results of 57fps with bad render latency and micro-stuttering.
It took me a long time to troubleshoot the problem and it turns out the GPU monitor built into MSI Afterburner can cause stuttering and performance issues in some games, but once I uninstalled Afterburner and restarted everything was fixed. In AAA Story Games I am consistently getting 100+ fps with ultra settings and if I lower things to High I tend to get 120 fps+. I am using the 4070 with a 34' 3440x1440 Monitor, so I am sure it could easily handle 4k as well.
I paid $750 CAD ($560 USD) and it came with Diablo 4 $80 CAD (Which I was already intending on buying as Diablo is one of my main games) so that brought the total down to $670 CAD ($500 USD). The reason I count Diablo 4 as a discount on the total price is because I had already pre-ordered Diablo 4 and I was able to return that cost from Blizzard (You can upgrade the standard code that comes with the RTX 4070 to premium if you still want early access).
I was going to upgrade the AMD 3800x in my system as well but from testing the 3800x has not bottlenecked the RTX 4070 at 3440x1440 resolution and therefore I will be returning the 5800x3d I purchased for $360 CAD ($260 USD). I plan to just wait it out and eventually upgrade to AM5 as prices keep dropping.
Overall I am really happy with my purchase even with all the fear mongering around VRAM and 12Gb to not be enough going forward, but for the price to performance this card really brings it. The other major selling point of this card is the size and power consumption, most of the last gen cards are too big for my case Icue 220t Airflow (Manufacturer GPU Clearance 300mm - Max GPU clearance 314mm - Max GPU Clearance removing middle front fan 324mm). Here in Canada the used market isn't as good as other places in the world and prices of last gen new cards are still more expensive than current gen 40 series cards.
Biggest Con from switching from AMD to Nvidia is Geforce Experience and Nvidia Control Panel being two separate programs for no apparent reason, AMD Radeon Software is much better in my personal experience. The price to performance for AMD is clearly better and I would of went with AMD had it not been that their last gen cards are too long and power hungry for my current case/psu. I would say it's worth upgrading if you can afford it and you are coming from something low end like myself (Radeon 5500 xt 8gb) which I paid like $300 CAD for 3 years ago.
Benchmarking Results after Overclock:
[MSI Afterburner Settings](https://i.imgur.com/RMGuUB9.png)
[Timespy Benchmark Score](https://i.imgur.com/wb5m4hD.jpg)
[Timespy Benchmark Graphs](https://i.imgur.com/K1FBi66.jpg)
[Timespy System Specs Chart](https://i.imgur.com/ZlLhe1v.jpg)
Test was run using the 3D mark demo from steam in 3440x1440 , I also tested the system in all three unigine benchmark software, and in multiple games (10-30 minute tests) for stability at these settings in afterburner. Anything above these setting I would get crashes or complete freezes. Highest Gpu Clock 3060 MHz.

Gigabyte RTX 4070 Windforce Brief Review:
Great card with very strong cooling for it being the "Budget" or Msrp version of gigabytes lineup. I have done a bunch of testing with this card and although you can get a good overclock using MSI afterburner, I will provide results below, I will say it's generally not worth it in real world application/gaming. Although 90% of games ran stable, I ended up having problems while benchmarking cyberpunk where no matter the settings, I was getting nearly identical results of 57fps with bad render latency and micro-stuttering.
It took me a long time to troubleshoot the problem and it turns out the GPU monitor built into MSI Afterburner can cause stuttering and performance issues in some games, but once I uninstalled Afterburner and restarted everything was fixed. In AAA Story Games I am consistently getting 100+ fps with ultra settings and if I lower things to High I tend to get 120 fps+. I am using the 4070 with a 34' 3440x1440 Monitor, so I am sure it could easily handle 4k as well.
I paid $750 CAD ($560 USD) and it came with Diablo 4 $80 CAD (Which I was already intending on buying as Diablo is one of my main games) so that brought the total down to $670 CAD ($500 USD). The reason I count Diablo 4 as a discount on the total price is because I had already pre-ordered Diablo 4 and I was able to return that cost from Blizzard (You can upgrade the standard code that comes with the RTX 4070 to premium if you still want early access).
I was going to upgrade the AMD 3800x in my system as well but from testing the 3800x has not bottlenecked the RTX 4070 at 3440x1440 resolution and therefore I will be returning the 5800x3d I purchased for $360 CAD ($260 USD). I plan to just wait it out and eventually upgrade to AM5 as prices keep dropping.
Overall I am really happy with my purchase even with all the fear mongering around VRAM and 12Gb to not be enough going forward, but for the price to performance this card really brings it. The other major selling point of this card is the size and power consumption, most of the last gen cards are too big for my case Icue 220t Airflow (Manufacturer GPU Clearance 300mm - Max GPU clearance 314mm - Max GPU Clearance removing middle front fan 324mm). Here in Canada the used market isn't as good as other places in the world and prices of last gen new cards are still more expensive than current gen 40 series cards.
Biggest Con from switching from AMD to Nvidia is Geforce Experience and Nvidia Control Panel being two separate programs for no apparent reason, AMD Radeon Software is much better in my personal experience. The price to performance for AMD is clearly better and I would of went with AMD had it not been that their last gen cards are too long and power hungry for my current case/psu. I would say it's worth upgrading if you can afford it and you are coming from something low end like myself (Radeon 5500 xt 8gb) which I paid like $300 CAD for 3 years ago.
Benchmarking Results after Overclock:
[MSI Afterburner Settings](https://i.imgur.com/RMGuUB9.png)
[Timespy Benchmark Score](https://i.imgur.com/wb5m4hD.jpg)
[Timespy Benchmark Graphs](https://i.imgur.com/K1FBi66.jpg)
[Timespy System Specs Chart](https://i.imgur.com/ZlLhe1v.jpg)
Test was run using the 3D mark demo from steam in 3440x1440 , I also tested the system in all three unigine benchmark software, and in multiple games (10-30 minute tests) for stability at these settings in afterburner. Anything above these setting I would get crashes or complete freezes. Highest Gpu Clock 3060 MHz.

No one can ever predict a Bill Belichick draft.
When people start assuming he’ll act based on his stereotypes (first-round trade down, OL early, no early WRs, all Alabama players or small school guys or guys from Rutgers), he’ll do the opposite. When the consensus is that he’ll shift away from those stereotypes, he’ll lean right into them.
So in observing mock drafts, both full and team-centric, there was a lot of accord that he would follow those stereotypes. (Adam Korsak, both a punter and from Rutgers, was EVERYWHERE.)
But then the end of April came.
Before then, New England had suffered a 2022 season full of embarrassment, from Matt Patricia and Joe Judge’s ineptitude at running the offense to a team that seemed to find new ways to lose in humiliating fashion (a certain ill-fated lateral sequence peak among them). The Patriots went from their dynastic reign as a team which would trounce their opponents in laughers to the team that everyone pointed and laughed at. Mac Jones’ Patricia- and Judge-sparked regression along with impressive cameo appearances by ‘22 rookie Bailey Zappe split the fanbase into Mac and Zappe camps, with sports media fueling the flame by spreading or outright fabricating rumors of Belichick shopping Mac, rumors which lasted through the first day of the draft. It was an ugly season and an uglier start to the offseason.
The franchise clearly needed to make changes in 2023, and changes started near the top. Patricia and Judge lost their roles, the former joining the Eagles coaching staff and the latter moving to lead special teams, a necessary move as this Belichick-led squad had plummeted to the lowest-ranked third unit. (More on that later.) Patricia had filled the dual roles of de facto offensive coordinator and facto offensive line coach, and filled both roles with the acumen of me designing plays in Backyard Football 2002, except I could actually design plays that resulted in touchdowns. Judge had manned the quarterbacks room, and given that Daniel Jones finally broke out for the Giants once Judge had been booted from mentoring him, you can guess how that went for Mac and the Pats. In his new role in charge of special teams, he has already cost the team two OTAs and Bill Belichick $50,000 for an offseason meetings violation, and has elevated his 2022 title of Co-Most Hated Man in Foxboro to Single Most Hated Man in Foxboro.
Anyway, New England needed to fill their old roles, and brought in:
Bill O’Brien, Offensive Coordinator / Quarterbacks Coach A long-time friend of Belichick’s, O’Brien returns for his second stint as Pats OC, having dictated the offense in Rob Gronkowski’s record-setting 2011 season. Additionally, O’Brien comes by way of running the offense and the QB room at the University of Alabama, which spawned Mac Jones. Mac regressed in 2022 after an impressive 2021, but recall that 2022 was under the abysmal leadership of Patricia (calling his plays) and Judge (his direct coach), a situation in which no one could develop. By bringing in his old OC and QB coach, Mac has been put in the best possible position to develop in ‘23, a position which will much more clearly give fans a vision of his future as an NFL quarterback. (And the playcalling will be legitimate! It’s been but a year and we have already forgotten what creativity, route concepts, and misdirection have looked like!)
Adrian Klemm, Offensive Line Coach Belichick’s first draft pick after taking the helm in New England in 2000, Klemm has joined the team after coaching at Oregon last year. He comes with a strong reputation at that coaching position, having headed a Ducks O-line that allowed just five sacks in 2022. Last season, the Patriots saw a regression from their veterans on the line, most notably in Trent Brown’s newfound flag-happiness, and first-round rookie guard Cole Strange put forth a mixed performance. Bringing in an actual offensive line coach gives the team the best chance to fix any issues that showed in ‘22 and to develop their young linemen.
Of course, coaching was not the only issue last season, as New England was criticized for their lack of talent on the roster. Of New England’s high-cash free agent class of 2021, only edge rusher Matthew Judon shined in both his seasons in Foxboro: neither tight end Jonnu Smith nor wideout Nelson Agholor ever got off the ground, tight end Hunter Henry regressed after a solid ‘21, and wideout Kendrick Bourne found himself suddenly in Patricia’s doghouse and off the field. Moves needed to be made as the calendar turned to free agency.
Notable Departures
S Devin McCourty (retired) The most prominent departure from the ‘22 squad, McCourty is one of many who can be termed a quintessential Patriot. A first-round cornerback out of Rutgers in 2010, D-Mac made the switch to safety in 2012 and locked down the position for the next decade. When he was on the verge of leaving the team in free agency in 2015, even reaching out to Belichick to say goodbye, Belichick signed him to a top-valued safety contract and kept him in red, white, and blue. His leadership and personality made him a joy to watch on the field and off, his personality showing itself especially well recently through interactions with his twin brother Jason, who played alongside him for the Patriots from 2018 to ‘20. Statistically, D-Mac ends his career with 35 interceptions, one shy of the franchise record, and 4 touchdowns (two picks, a kickoff return, and a blocked field goal return). We miss him already.
P Jake Bailey (released; signed with Miami) What a drop. After an All-Pro season in 2020, Bailey signed a four-year extension in 2022 only to become the worst statistical punter in the league. After he was injured, the Patriots brought in Michael Palardy, who managed to be even worse (personally, I blame the team’s curse that comes with the jersey number 17). Neither punter remains with the team, Bailey joining an AFC East rival in the Dolphins and Palardy currently unsigned.
TE Jonnu Smith (traded to Atlanta) There is a strong case to be made that Smith is the worst free agency signing Belichick has made as Pats GM. In the two years since inking a 4-year, $50 million deal, Smith totaled just 55 catches for 539 yards and one touchdown, and a ‘22 restructure of his contract meant that Smith appeared to be a monetary albatross the Patriots would not be able to shake loose. What led to Atlanta agreeing to take on his whole contract, sending New England a seventh-round pick to get the player, I have no idea, but I think every Pats fan would agree that Smith didn’t work out in the least and a change was best for all sides.
WR Jakobi Meyers (signed with Las Vegas) Meyers’ departure was somewhat shocking, as the 2019 UDFA had worked his way up to the top of the Patriots’ wide receiver depth chart. More of a big slot guy than an outside #1, Meyers had a minor role in his rookie season and started 2020 at the bottom of the depth chart, but injuries to the players above him got him onto the field, and a 12-catch, 169-yard performance against the Jets that November meant he wasn’t leaving it anytime soon. While not possessing top-tier speed or explosiveness, Meyers was the team’s best route runner and separator, and his departure left another void that needed to be filled.
QB Brian Hoyer (released, signed with Las Vegas) Hoyer was third on the depth chart, Zappe having shown enough to take the #2 spot. While a fine veteran mentor, the Patriots chose to go a different direction with that third QB role.
WR Nelson Agholor (signed with Baltimore) Agholor was given a two-year contract in 2021 with the anticipation of his being the #1 receiver, something which did not happen due to his unreliable hands and separation abilities. For those two years and $22 million, Agholor produced 68 catches, 835 yards, and five touchdowns. Not worth it.
RB Damien Harris (signed with Buffalo) By far the most productive member of the Patriots’ atrocious 2019 draft class, Harris was good in New England but had been passed on the depth chart by sophomore Rhamondre Stevenson midway through 2022. Couple that with Belichick’s predilection to let running backs walk instead of giving them second contracts, sprinkle in a dash of two ‘22 draft picks (Pierre Strong Jr. and Kevin Harris) who will get more opportunities in 2023, top it off with the return of Ty Montgomery II from injured reserve, and it’s no surprise that Harris is no longer a Patriot.
T Isaiah Wynn (signed with Miami) Another former first-round pick, Wynn was all right as a left tackle though was criticized for frequent injury problems; with his fifth-year option picked up for ‘22, he was inexplicably switched to right tackle, where he was very bad. He never really earned the role of franchise tackle, so it was expected that the Patriots would let him walk.
But on the upside, the team now has:
Additions
WR JuJu Smith-Schuster (via Kansas City) After Meyers signed with the Raiders, the Patriots worked quickly to bring in his replacement in the slot. Smith-Schuster revived his career in Kansas City and is now in position to be a primary target for Mac for the next three seasons, possessing more explosiveness and speed than his predecessor. The biggest concern with JuJu is his durability, but I believe the Patriots have made preparations in the draft (spoiler) in case that becomes a significant problem. The fanbase is excited for Smith-Schuster on the field in Foxboro, and deservedly so.
RB James Robinson (via New York (the green side)) A one-time breakout UDFA in Jacksonville, Robinson’s role diminished with the rise of Travis Etienne Jr.; after being traded to the Jets, Robinson never got settled into a role. In New England, Robinson is likely first in line for the #2 RB spot behind Stevenson, an important role given that Stevenson’s overwork saw his productivity decline as last season came to an end. Robinson also possesses the pass-catching versatility that Belichick loves, a role Harris was never used in but Stevenson is, further suggesting he can have a significant spot on the field for the Pats.
TE Mike Gesicki (via Miami) As Smith never worked out as the co-#1 TE, here comes Gesicki. A pure pass catcher at the position, Gesicki has the size and hands to be a reliable target in the red zone, and should pair nicely with Henry for a potential TE-heavy formation as the team approaches the goal line.
T Riley Reiff (via Chicago) T Calvin Anderson (via Denver) While neither comes with the contract expectation of being a long-term solution at either tackle spot, the hope is that Reiff (expected to start at RT) will be an upgrade over Wynn, while Anderson serves as a reliable swing tackle who can start if needed.
LB Chris Board Jr. (via Detroit) Remember that awful special teams unit? Board is one of the NFL’s top special teamers, a player Belichick singled out when New England faced the Lions last year. It’s unsurprising he brought in such a veteran to help solidify the unit after… just all of last year.
QB Trace McSorley (via Arizona) By bringing in McSorley in Hoyer’s stead, the team is showing a bit of a shift in philosophy with how it is using its backup QB spots. Both Mac and Zappe are pocket passers; McSorley does most of his work outside the pocket and can run with regularity, a trend more common among top-level quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen. At minimum, he’s worth a camp spot, and that’s fine.
P Corliss Waitman (via Denver) Following the implosion of Bailey and Palardy at punter, the Patriots were on the verge of entering the draft with none on the roster. Waitman is a veteran addition there, but pretty much everyone expected New England to add a punter either as a draft pick or UDFA. (Another spoiler – my bad.)
After this free agency, many saw the Patriots as still having holes at the top of their depth chart at wideout, tackle, and cornerback. Tight end was also considered a need as New England, despite adding Gesicki to pair with Henry, does not have a tight end signed beyond 2023, entering the draft with only Matt Sokol and Scotty Washington behind their name duo.
Then they went on the clock, entering the draft with:
1-14 2-46 3-76 4-107 4-117 4-135 6-184 6-187 6-192 6-210 7-245
Here’s how it all went down.
Draft Picks
TRADE: 1-14 to PIT for 1-17 and 4-120 Although this trade was criticized for receiving too little back from Pittsburgh, it was not a major loss in capital according to the Rich Hill value chart (325 points to PIT, 320 to NE), and it came with enough high-level talent on the board that the Patriots were sure to get one of their targets. The way the board fell, fans most wanted Christian Gonzalez, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Zay Flowers, or Broderick Jones; when the Steelers took Jones, it became clear that the Patriots were not interested in him (reports came out that the Patriots had not been interested in Jones at all due to coachability concerns), but they were sure to land an exciting player after moving down only three spots rather than the seven-plus many mockers had predicted. Additionally, the Steelers landing Jones appeared to knock the Jets’ war room for a loop (though later video has shown that the Jets were expecting the trade), and the only thing New England fans love more than a victory is an opportunity to screw over the Jets.
1-17: Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon The Patriots’ selection of Gonzalez received universal acclaim, and it’s easy to see why. Despite having strong CB depth, the Patriots lacked a true #1 corner; Gonzalez has the ability, length, and athleticism to be that from Day One. The first-round pick via Colorado and Oregon was widely projected as a top-10 selection, so for New England to land him at 17 is a tremendous coup. From his interviews and his play style, Gonzalez seems like a quiet guy off the field who wants to shut the opponent down when on the turf. He’ll be fun to watch.
2-46: Keion White, ED, Georgia Tech White is another player falling under the new Patriots draft umbrella under Belichick and Matt Groh: as athletic as can be. While he is raw, White has the athleticism to play three downs along the defensive line and the versatility to move inside when the situation calls for it. The Patriots thought so highly of him that he was a player they were considering drafting in the first round, even considering a move back into the last picks of the round to snag him, but landed him at 46 anyway. How much he will play as a rookie is uncertain as New England has a very good edge duo in Matthew Judon and Josh Uche, but even if White has to take a year to get acclimated to the NFL, that’s not unheard of in Foxboro and has produced success for highly-touted picks: neither Nate Solder (first round) nor Trey Flowers (fourth round) took on long-term starting roles as rookies (though Solder filled in at right tackle plenty), but were established starters in their second years. Similarly, Uche (second round) started off as an occasionally-used part of a pass rushing rotation before hitting double-digit sacks last year, his third season in the league. And if White earns significant playing time in 2023, all the better.
3-76: Marte Mapu, LB, Sacramento State Here’s that small-school selection that detractors tend to point at regarding Belichick, but Mapu has elite potential. I got tipped off to Mapu late in the pre-draft cycle, and watching film of him I was reminded a lot of Kyle Dugger, another small-school Day 2 player who has turned into an excellent Patriot. Mapu is going to play linebacker, likely his best position, and fill the role of coverage ‘backer that New England has lacked for several seasons. He’s also athletic and scheme-versatile, having spent time at safety and linebacker while at Sacramento State, so he will be able to move around the defensive formation if the situation calls for it. Add to that his tackling, his closing speed, and his containment, and you’ve got yourself a potential stud.
4-107: Jake Andrews, C, Troy The Patriots need their future long-term center with David Andrews now 31 and having an injury history, and Jake Andrews (unrelated) is set up perfectly to be that guy. Andrews the Younger is built in the same mold as Andrews the Elder: both exited college as smaller in stature than other centers but able to get a push on defensive linemen from below, meaning Jake can easily learn specific bits of technique from David. While not expected to play the role immediately, [anagram: Ned Was a Jerk] is now in position to spend time behind [anagram: Swan Diver Dad], preparing himself to take over at center in the near future.
TRADE: 4-120 and 6-184 to NYJ for 4-112 4-112: Chad Ryland, K, Maryland This is not the first time Belichick has selected a kicker in the fourth round, selecting Stephen Gostkowski with pick 118 in 2006; with the Patriots in desperate need for a strong player at the position, moving up to make sure they could land him makes sense (especially with Jake Moody being selected by the 49ers at 3-99). And Ryland is what Nick Folk is not: a big-legged kicker with kickoff ability. Folk has been appreciated in New England for his accuracy, but his distance and accuracy notably declined in 2022, and when forced to kick off, his lack of touchback distance led to trouble, the Patriots surrendering a league-high three kick return touchdowns (including two in the season finale). It’s clear an upgrade at kicker was a requirement this offseason; with Moody gone, giving up a sixth to move up eight spots is absolutely fine. In doing so, New England has hopefully landed their kicker for the next decade.
4-117: Sidy Sow, G, Eastern Michigan At this point, it may be considered confusing for the Patriots to have drafted a left guard in Sow when last year’s first-round pick Cole Strange is entrenched there and Mike Onwenu mans right guard at an elite level, but Groh’s post-draft comments indicated the team would give Sow opportunities at left tackle as well. And not only does Sow have experience at left tackle, he has the size at 6’5” and 326 pounds. New England’s projected starting tackles are veterans Trent Brown and Riley Reiff, both of whom are over 30 and are in contract years; if Sow returns to the position, the former mauling EMU Eagle (heh, two birds) offensive lineman could ease the need at tackle for next offseason.
TRADE: 4-135 to LV for 5-144 and 6-214 5-144: Atonio Mafi, G, UCLA Another interior lineman? Yes. Mafi is a guard whom the Patriots worked with at the Shrine Bowl, and has the versatility to move between left and right guard. As the aforementioned Onwenu is in a contract year, Mafi has a clear path to a potential starting job in 2024, and the most important thing right now for the development of Mac Jones is keeping him upright. By selecting three offensive linemen – using a quarter of their 12 selections on the offensive trench – Belichick and Groh have signaled their intent to do just that. From all accounts, Mafi, who met with New England in a pre-draft visit, is thrilled to join the team; now it’s about proving it on the field.
6-187: Kayshon Boutte, WR, LSU Boutte is the epitome of a boom-or-bust prospect, his elite 2020 and ‘21 being overshadowed by a disappointing 2022 that dropped him from clear first-rounder to a middle-of-Day-3 selection. As a freshman and sophomore, Boutte looked to follow in the footsteps of highly-drafted LSU wideouts such as Odell Beckham Jr., Justin Jefferson, and JaMarr Chase, showing a complete package of agility, speed, and route running. Unfortunately, an injury plus conflicts with his new coach Brian Kelly led to underperformance, and a poor combine performance cemented his draft stock as having drastically fallen. But if he can get back to his earlier form, where his talent and athleticism led to a combined 83 receptions, 1244 yards, and 14 touchdowns in his first two college seasons, Boutte could become the steal of the draft.
6-192: Bryce Baringer, P, Michigan State While New England had signed Corliss Waitman so as to have a punter on the roster heading into the draft, none assumed he was the long-term answer; when the Patriots made Baringer the first punter taken in the 2023 draft, it became clear who was. A walk-on turned cut turned best punter in college football, Baringer has a booming leg that showed itself in an average punt length of 49.0 yards in ‘22; he also holds the Michigan State record for career punting average at 46.0 yards. As a bonus, he worked with Ryland at the Senior Bowl, so the two have already begun to develop chemistry in the holding game. As another bonus, he wore No. 99 in college, and that is awesome.
6-210: Demario Douglas, WR, Liberty When one imagines a typical Patriots slot receiver – small, shifty, and explosive with the ball in his hands – one might well be imagining Douglas. The five-foot-eight Liberty product can absolutely fly, moving all around the formation and catching balls at all levels of the field. New Englanders got a preview of what Douglas’ game might look like when rookie cornerback Marcus Jones began to take snaps on offense last year; Jones was often put in motion before the snap, worked out of the backfield, and assigned touches where his elusiveness was the spark to gain yards. Douglas has said he models his game after Jones, a claim that demonstrates itself when one views his collegiate tape. I had a third-round grade on Douglas, so the Patriots landing him at 210 is a thrill. (Even though the Giants took one of my draft crushes in Tre Hawkins III the pick before, for which I’m still irked.)
6-214: Ameer Speed, CB, Michigan State The unknown about Speed is whether he will develop on defense; that is not his skill at the moment. There are three things known: his size (6’3”, 210 lbs.), his speed (4.34s 40), and his special teams prowess. With longtime special teams captain Matthew Slater likely entering his last year, the Patriots need to develop a new crop of special teams standouts, long a hallmark of Belichick’s Patriots from the time of Larry Izzo. Last year’s UDFA Brenden Schooler looks like one of those players already; Speed will certainly be given every chance possible to be another.
7-245: Isaiah Bolden, CB, Jackson State More tall athletic cornerbacks! The only HBCU selection in the 2023 draft, Bolden is an incredible athlete who likely earned his way to a draft selection by lighting up his Pro Day. Though just a role player on defense, Bolden has developmental traits that any defensive coach would love, and has also been a top collegiate kick returner, leading all of college football in 2021 with a 36.9-yard average on kickoff returns. I don’t see the two late-round cornerback selections as “throw players on the field and see who sticks” à la the ill-fated dual tight end picks of Devin Asiasi and Dalton Keene in 2020’s third round, but selecting players who might have longer chances to succeed, but if they do succeed can truly shine.
Though Bolden was the last of the Patriots’ 2023 draft picks, that did not conclude their rookie class as the period of UDFA signings immediately began. The Patriots have had an undrafted rookie make the Week 1 roster every year since 2004; with just a four-man class this season, chances are slim. They’re not impossible – their only 2021 UDFA, kicker Quinn Nordin, made it – but they’re definitely slimmer. Here are the four who can continue that streak.
Undrafted Rookies
Malik Cunningham, QB, Louisville The most expensive ($200,000) and well-known of the quartet, Cunningham’s slight build and arm as a quarterback led to piles of speculation of his switching positions. However, he has started off his Patriots tenure as a quarterback in rookie minicamp, so he remains a quarterback until further notice. Throughout college, Cunningham’s most intriguing asset has been his supreme athleticism at the position, something which showed up in testing, and it remains to be seen how the Patriots will use that athleticism to help the team. (It may be a good while until outside sources get a look, as minicamp and OTAs have thus far been closed off to the media.)
Johnny Lumpkin, TE, Louisiana-Lafayette After foregoing using a selection on a tight end in a deep draft class (another Belichick trend), New England instead brought in Lumpkin, who projects as a blocking tight end in the NFL. This offsets the biggest negative, his age (he’ll be 26 to start the season), as the Patriots lack a true blocker at the position. Whether Lumpkin can take advantage of this path to a roster spot remains to be seen, but his road to making the team as an undrafted rookie seems easiest at the moment.
Jourdan Heilig, LB, Appalachian State Like Board and Speed, Heilig joins the Patriots as a special teams standout, playing minimal defense as a Mountaineer (three snaps in 2022) but standing out in college on the third unit (210 snaps in 2022). He’ll have a chance to follow in the path of Schooler as a UDFA who makes his mark as a core special teamer.
Justus Tavai, DL, San Diego State The middle of the Tavai brothers (older brother Jahlani is a Patriots linebacker, younger brother Jonah signed with Seattle as a UDFA), Justus played alongside Jonah on the Aztec defensive line in 2022. While Jonah put up eye-popping numbers with double-digit sacks, Justus was a steady contributor as well, putting up 3.5 sacks and intercepting a pass. Tavai is the ninth man on the Patriots’ defensive line right now, so he has a difficult path if he wants to make the team.
He’s not an undrafted rookie, but the Patriots have also brought in veteran free agent Anthony Firsker, TE to compete with Lumpkin, Sokol, and Washington for the third tight end spot, the roster spot opened with their losing reserve Raekwon McMillan, LB to a partially torn Achilles tendon.
Projected Offseason Depth Chart (italics = rookie, (in parentheses = exclusively or primarily a special teamer)) (Note: the Patriots assign temporary jersey numbers in the offseason starting with 50 based mainly on draft position.)
QB 10 Mac Jones 4 Bailey Zappe 19 Trace McSorley 64 Malik Cunningham
RB 38 Rhamondre Stevenson 3 James Robinson 14 Ty Montgomery II 35 Pierre Strong Jr. 36 Kevin Harris 42 J.J. Taylor
WR 1 DeVante Parker 7 JuJu Smith-Schuster 84 Kendrick Bourne 11 Tyquan Thornton 58 Kayshon Boutte 60 Demario Douglas 82 Tre Nixon (44 Raleigh Webb) (18 Matthew Slater)
TE 85 Hunter Henry 88 Mike Gesicki 86 Anthony Firsker 87 Matt Sokol 17 Scotty Washington 65 Johnny Lumpkin
T 77 Trent Brown 74 Riley Reiff 76 Calvin Anderson 75 Conor McDermott 64 Andrew Stueber
G 71 Mike Onwenu 69 Cole Strange 54 Sidy Sow 55 Atonio Mafi 63 Chasen Hines 62 Bill Murray
C 60 David Andrews 53 Jake Andrews 65 James Ferentz 66 Kody Russey
DL 90 Christian Barmore 92 Davon Godchaux 91 Deatrich Wise Jr. 93 Lawrence Guy Sr. 95 Daniel Ekuale 98 Carl Davis Jr. 96 Sam Roberts 70 Jeremiah Pharms Jr. 67 Justus Tavai
ED 9 Matthew Judon 55 Josh Uche 51 Keion White 58 Anfernee Jennings (97 DaMarcus Mitchell) 51 Ronnie Perkins
LB 8 Ja’Whaun Bentley 48 Jahlani Tavai 52 Marte Mapu 30 Mack Wilson Sr. (45 Chris Board Jr.) 43 Calvin Munson 59 Terez Hall 47 Olakunle Fatukasi (66 Jourdan Heilig)
CB 50 Christian Gonzalez 31 Jonathan Jones 13 Jack Jones 25 Marcus Jones 27 Myles Bryant (61 Ameer Speed) 63 Isaiah Bolden 37 Tae Hayes 26 Shaun Wade 34 Quandre Mosely 39 Rodney Randle Jr.
S 23 Kyle Dugger 5 Jabrill Peppers 2 Jalen Mills 21 Adrian Phillips 24 Joshuah Bledsoe (41 Brenden Schooler) (22 Cody Davis) 29 Brad Hawkins
K 62 Chad Ryland 6 Nick Folk
P 59 Bryce Baringer 15 Corliss Waitman
LS 49 Joe Cardona 46 Tucker Addington
Conclusion Is this a perfect Patriots team? No. There are still long-term holes at offensive tackle and tight end, and there is a question mark as to who can be that pass catcher whom defensive coordinators have to plan for, a player the team has lacked for several seasons.
But is this an exciting Patriots roster, a team who has a chance to exceed their middling projections and expectations, a team worth watching and cheering for? Absolutely. Belichick and company have stabilized the coaching staff; added explosive, athletic players at nearly every position; brought in a new crew of players to take over special teams; and begun their draft with three players who could not only start in the NFL but have the potential to star. I fully believe that this is not an 8-9 caliber team, even in an AFC East with three other teams that have added big name after big name.
As Bill Belichick might say, we’re on to 2023.
We’re on to victory.

Excerpt: "There’s been a huge rash of eye-opening and thought-provoking articles recently, which I haven’t been able to fit into other posts, and which have been building up on my tabs bar. So I figured I would wash them all through a single post dedicated to compiling these latest signals from the Western elites as to their thoughts on how the conflict is changing.
And certainly, judging by these recent issues, the tone and sentiment is shifting drastically. One can hardly find a single piece still optimistic for the Ukrainian side, apart from the disingenuous lot who continue hyper-focusing on tiny minutiae, like some irrelevant Ukrainian drone strike on a Russian building in Krasnodar, which might’ve damaged the corner of the roof’s eaves.
So, let’s start and see what the Western, NATO, pro-Imperial cognoscenti and literati have to say about the war’s drifting direction:
First on the menu is 1945’s gut-blasting, ego-draining headline:
[ ... ] Which confirms our previous theories on Ukraine’s large offensive possibly coinciding with the huge NATO airforce games—billed as ‘the largest in history—beginning in June, which dovetail into the NATO summit in July.
Well, that’s the headlines for now. Hope you enjoyed not having to read them, and allowing me to do the service for you, as it’s truly a brain-cell-depleting exercise for much of dreck published in the West. But at least it gives an eye-opening account of the tectonic changes the Western cognoscenti and commentariat are currently undergoing in their approach to Ukraine war theorizing.
You can almost make a twelve step chart to illustrate their slow but predictable ‘coming around’ to the truth and light. First always comes acceptance, which they’ve finally managed. But they’re still on the stage where they believe though Ukraine isn’t winning, neither is Russia, and so the ‘cease fire’ has now become the customary go to of the self-proclaimed ‘erudite’. They simply can’t imagine it going any other way.
And I suppose it could be understandable, after all, Russia has not yet shown the West or Ukraine a truly ‘decisive’ action. This is the biggest trump card yet left off the table, one that even people on our side are largely not sold on yet. The big question of whether Russia will “unleash” in some big way, or whether Russia has “lost” its ability to prosecute maneuver warfare and is now mired in an endless WW1-esque attritional style of warfare unlikely to produce grand, decisive blows.
But I believe what Russia is doing is the smart thing, weakening the opponent for as long as it takes with a style of warfare that favors Russia greatly. Why be rushed into offensive actions just because bloggers on Telegram are getting jittery, and sustain losses when you can easily destroy your opponent from long range for a long time, and then swoop in to finish him off when he’s barely able to resist.
The chief argument against that is “well Ukraine is being armed by NATO all this while and growing stronger”. Are they, really? Russia has been raining massive strikes on Ukraine for the past month to the point where Germany has now announced a new round of 100+ Leopard 1A5s. Why would that be, where did the other first batch of Leopards 2A4s go? My point being that, it’s simply an assumption that Ukraine is being ‘armed’ infinitely when in reality Russia appears to be destroying large swaths of those arms as they arrive in warehouses.
Due to the multiplicative effect of strikes, it’s far easier for Russia to negate Ukraine’s so-called Lend Lease arming program because tens of millions of dollars worth of equipment can be destroyed by a single precise missile or cheap drone. All it takes is one to bypass defenses and months of planning and logistical coordination goes mushrooming up to the sky. You can never out-race the negating effect of Russia’s strikes in that way.
But we’ll soon see whose side is right. The ‘grand offensive’ looms before us, and as hands are forced, the cards may soon all be on the table.
[ ... This is an excerpt. Please support SIMPLICIUS THE THINKER ... ]
https://simplicius76.substack.com/p/latest-headlines-digest-the-wests

I'm a big idiot.
HH/HL & LH/LL seems to be the way to go. I broke even last week by that was while I was trading with the trend and scalping the micro trend. "With the trend" is using the weekly chart".
Also I said my first statement because I watched videos on the waves of the market but I wasn't looking at them quite right. Mostly because I used to be in a trading discord and someone told me zones get "invalidated" once bars have gone through them. That doesn't seem to be the case. Looks like it's best (in uptrend) to use the most recent high and low and the high before the most recent on multiple timeframes.

Or, a little stitious, hehe.
This is something that happened to me a couple of years back. It’s still printed in my memory to this day, it being one of the weirdest, saddest and also most joyful thing to happen to me. It’s not big, per se, but the symbolic value it has is far off the charts.
So, let me get straight to it.
I grew up with a lot of cool people around me, and this one lady in particular, let’s call her L. L used to work with my mom before she retired, she was her closest friend and they hung out regularly, both with and without my dad and her husband.
L is what you can call that fun aunt who isn’t really your aunt by blood, but choice. Extremely funny, easy to be around and one of those women that a rebelling teenager can crack jokes with without being afraid of offending anyone. She was one of those people that would take «send more money» posts on socials seriously, and laughingly transfer like 4 bucks saying «hey, have a beer for me too on your vacation!».
L got cancer a couple of years back. It hit hard for me, but of course even more for my mom and dad. The funeral was packed. Of course, she touched so many people.
Here’s the bizarre part. We came into the chapel, my mom, dad, brother and I. I found a spot quite far back as most of the seats were taken, I was about to sit down and suddenly, my ass hitting the wooden benches I managed to squash a bee, therefore stinging me right there on my bum cheek. I screamed so freaking loudly and I can promise you everyone in there could hear that «FUUUUUUCK!!!» from that one girl who was red as a tomato in the middle of the chapel. It hurt so bad.
Luckily, it was approximately 20 minutes until the ceremony started, so while my ass started to swell and the pain was just too much, I took my parents car down to the pharmacy to get some pain relief cream so that I wouldn’t have to stand during the whole thing.
Got back, the funeral was beautiful and very witty, just as L was. It was definitely in her spirit.
Outside, after the ceremony was over, we were just hanging around waiting for the coffin to be carried into the funeral car. My mom and dad was talking to L’s son and daughter, and I went over to offer my condolances and to say sorry for screaming like a little baby. L’s son, let’s call him M, told me that it was totally fine, but asked me what happened.
I told him the story, and I expected him to chuckle a bit (this is very much his humour), but instead he stood there totally speechless just staring at me.
I was a bit taken back and asked if he was okay. This part is what gave me chills so far down my spine I have no idea if anything is gonna feel like that again.
His answer was this: «We were at the hospital a week a go, and one of the last things L talked about was life after death. She’s never been religious in any way, but I asked her IF she could choose to be an animal in her next life what would it be? And she said, straight up, I wanna be a bee, so that I can sting someone and that person will carry on my spirit.»
Life have never been the same since.