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2023.06.08 00:20 bbb333rrr Recommended online part time MS -EE programs for full time professionals to get into RFIC or analog IC design engineering?

I really love RFIC, had I been say 25 I just would've gone straight into a masters thesis program. But I'm 30, had a few legit delays, and finally just got my first power electronics job! However, while in school I've always wanted to be a part of modern small chips that's revolutionizing modern electronics. Also, I love comms (especially space/aerospace/military - Veteran here), but I see most aerospace comms jobs are systems jobs, mostly powerpoint lolol. I've always wanted a design engineering job, something more innovative and problem solving / challenging. Obviously powerpoints and paperwork are important for every engineering job, I'm not trying to avoid that altogether, just want to actually work on circuits somewhat, more design if possible. Once I found out about RFIC, I knew this was it! Or something very similar like analog mixed signal IC design engineering.
So I'm looking at programs, employer will pay full tuition part time! have my list down to:
USC, UCLA, John Hopkins (Although they say the RFIC course is no longer offered online, but other RF circuit courses offered), NCSU, Auburn University, Columbia (distance school / online), Drexel University (Phenomenal Program, so many courses offered online).
For whatever reason, these online MS programs are much easier to get into, for example UCLA has almost a 70% admit rate for the online electrical engineering masters of science. Also, looking at masters of science programs, as they seem a little more in depth than some Masters of engineering programs, which can be shorter. My GPA is 3.15, but I transferred and all my 3 years were all electrical engineering classes only 2 GE's done there, Cal Poly Pomona well ranked tech/engineering school. I've also made dean's list full time all engineering classes, plenty of A's, my engineering GPA is 3.14. So all my terms there except my first term were full time, all engineering courses. Worked 20 hours a week too, going out on weekends a lot. I used time management very effectively, always doing homework, skimming chapter sections before lecture, and doing extra homework problems. I know this part time will be time consuming, but I feel confident with proper time management skills.
While researching online MSEE programs, I'm making sure they have either RFIC courses, or very similar RF circuits / wireless communications circuits online. UCLA and NCSU are top of my list currently. Also, very few schools do tapeouts anymore, so although it's recommended and will still try to be involved in tapeout opportunities if possible, I feel okay going forward trying to get into RFIC with an online program. Some allow thesis or big design graduation projects as well.
Was curious if anyone here, did a part time MSEE while working, then maybe switched to RFIC/ analog IC, mixed signal, etc. after doing a similar masters.
submitted by bbb333rrr to chipdesign [link] [comments]


2023.06.08 00:18 bbb333rrr Any online MS - EE programs for full time employees recommended to get into RFIC / Analog IC design?

I really love RFIC, had I been say 25 I just would've gone straight into a masters thesis program. But I'm 30, had a few legit delays, and finally just got my first power electronics job! However, while in school I've always wanted to be a part of modern small chips that's revolutionizing modern electronics. Also, I love comms (especially space/aerospace/military - Veteran here), but I see most aerospace comms jobs are systems jobs, mostly powerpoint lolol. I've always wanted a design engineering job, something more innovative and problem solving / challenging. Obviously powerpoints and paperwork are important for every engineering job, I'm not trying to avoid that altogether, just want to actually work on circuits somewhat, more design if possible. Once I found out about RFIC, I knew this was it! Or something very similar like analog mixed signal IC design engineering.
So I'm looking at programs, employer will pay full tuition part time! have my list down to:
USC, UCLA, John Hopkins (Although they say the RFIC course is no longer offered online, but other RF circuit courses offered), NCSU, Auburn University, Columbia (distance school / online), Drexel University (Phenomenal Program, so many courses offered online).
For whatever reason, these online MS programs are much easier to get into, for example UCLA has almost a 70% admit rate for the online electrical engineering masters of science. Also, looking at masters of science programs, as they seem a little more in depth than some Masters of engineering programs, which can be shorter. My GPA is 3.15, but I transferred and all my 3 years were all electrical engineering classes only 2 GE's done there, Cal Poly Pomona well ranked tech/engineering school. I've also made dean's list full time all engineering classes, plenty of A's, my engineering GPA is 3.14. So all my terms there except my first term were full time, all engineering courses. Worked 20 hours a week too, going out on weekends a lot. I used time management very effectively, always doing homework, skimming chapter sections before lecture, and doing extra homework problems. I know this part time will be time consuming, but I feel confident with proper time management skills.
While researching online MSEE programs, I'm making sure they have either RFIC courses, or very similar RF circuits / wireless communications circuits online. UCLA and NCSU are top of my list currently. Also, very few schools do tapeouts anymore, so although it's recommended and will still try to be involved in tapeout opportunities if possible, I feel okay going forward trying to get into RFIC with an online program. Some allow thesis or big design graduation projects as well.
Was curious if anyone here, did a part time MSEE while working, then maybe switched to RFIC/ analog IC, mixed signal, etc. after doing a similar masters.
submitted by bbb333rrr to rfelectronics [link] [comments]


2023.06.08 00:17 Azure_Infinity [Fanfiction] The Haar Chapter 10: Birmingham and Boise

Hanazuki and Miyuki hadn't returned.
That didn't bode well. And although Impero retained her lazy, almost laid-back disposition, one could see the unease crinkling at the corner of her eyes, her brow dipped into a frown as she mulled over what happened – before, after only a brief delay, sent out a team to check up on them.
The main fleet was starting to become a bit stretched, however. Although they were several dozen in number over half of them were spread out in a forward fan shape as they progressed towards their main objective. As such only four could be spared to go hunt for their missing Destroyer duo – a party consisting of four cruisers; two light and two heavy. Enough firepower to handle most of what the island had thrown at them thus far, but not so much that it granted them overconfidence.
Not that she'd ever fall prey to overconfidence, Birmingham thought to herself.
The red-haired cruiser wandered through the forest with fast strides, her jog slowing as she took a moment to assess her surroundings. She was near the junction where Hanazuki and Miyuki had gone – a fact confirmed when she spotted the bushes nearby had been trampled by rudder-ended boots, the tracks still fresh. However there was no signs of a struggle, indicating that if there was anything wrong then it happened deeper into the forest.
Birmingham glanced behind her. Boise followed close behind her, shy and skittish, whilst a step behind was Maya and Ashigara – two Heavy Cruisers from the Sakura Empire. She could appreciate Maya's seriousness about the matter, especially with her skilful swordsmanship, but she was a little more sceptical about Ashigara's. Though a Myouko-class cruiser she seemed rather skittish in this environment; chasing shadows and flinching at every distant shell fired. She wasn't scared per se, but it was clear that the nigh-suicidal onslaught of monsters had rattled her slightly.
As if sharing the same thought Maya looked back at her companion, nudging her. ''Relax. Stay focused.''
Ashigara started a little but hurriedly nodded; drawing in a cleansing breath and managing to regain some of her nerve. Birmingham hummed at that and looked ahead, silently leading her companions further into the woods. It wasn't long until the land descended into a natural basin, and a quick search yielded results, albeit not the ones they were hoping for.
Torn clothes. Broken bits of rigging. Even blood, in some cases. The girls had been attacked here, of that there was no doubt, but the absence of bodies was unnerving.
''Either they managed to escape and went further in, or they were dragged off.'' Maya made her thoughts clear, staring pointedly at Birmingham. They had to go further.
Grimacing Birmingham nodded her assent, continuing to lead her small sortie group ahead. It almost felt weird leading two Heavy Cruisers, given flagship roles usually went to the capital ships, but she wasn't complaining – maybe Impero thought she had better commanding skills. That, or the carrier was just too lazy to do an in-depth assessment of their skills and just gave her the role on a whim. Which, considering they needed to find their missing comrades ASAP, she supposed was somewhat warranted. Find the injured first, bicker about command roles later.
Shaking her head to dispel the thought Birmingham focused on the other end of the basin, reaching it soon enough. Vines, moss and other bits hung from the slanted rock but it felt surprisingly firm, refusing to budge when she tugged and emboldening her to use them as climbing tools – grunting as she hauled herself up bit by bit. The others followed her carefully, making sure not to overload the edge of the basin lest their combined weight cause the dirt and stone to crumble, but in the end they all reached the top of the basin without issue.
''Where to now...?'' Boise spoke up, her face-mask muffling her voice somewhat.
'Where to indeed.' Birmingham frowned, looking about. Unlike before there was no convenient trail of blood, just a vast green in all directions, broken up only by the thick wood of the trees.
Ashigara broke the quiet. ''Do you think they went down to the coast? It's not that far, and if they got on the water they'd be safe from the monsters.''
''Possibly.'' Maya conceded with a frown. ''But if so, then they would've given us a signal of some kind.''
''Maybe they did, but just after we left?'' Ashigara floated the idea.
Birmingham frowned, however; her eyes scanning the grass in the opposite direction of the ocean. Now that she looked closer she could spot finer details she'd initially overlooked; the grass trudged down by monster footprints, partially hidden by the overgrowth. When she did a little loop around their area though she noticed a second trail, one that went towards the ocean.
''Two paths.'' Birmingham voiced her thoughts grimly. ''...this almost smells like a trap.''
''Doubtful.'' Maya weighed in, thumbing the handle of her katana idly. ''These monsters don't seem to have enough intelligence for that. Ambush? Yes. Luring in with footprints? That's too advanced for them.''
Birmingham had to agree with that. Though some of the monsters that had attacked them showed intelligence, it was of the more bestial kind. Encirclement, probing attacks, wave attacks, that sort of thing. Primitive and basic but effective in some sense; if they kept it up for long enough they'd eventually run out of ammo, not that the monsters could know that. Still, something like luring stragglers away from the main fleet felt a bit too above their intelligence level.
''Should we split up then?'' Birmingham murmured. ''The whole reason Impero sent us together was for you to support us...''
''True.'' Maya sighed. ''Still, I'd rather not have to backtrack and look in two places at once, especially when their lives on the line. Every second we spend here is another that could be their last.''
A grimace marred Birmingham's visage and she nodded. ''Fine. You go check the one nearer the coast, we'll go further inland. Ripple fire into the sky if you find them, we'll meet back up here, or fall back into the basin if attacked.''
''Sounds good to me. Good luck.'' Maya turned and fast-walked down the other faint path. ''Ashigara, let's go. You take the lead.''
''R-Right!''
Birmingham watched the Heavy Cruiser go, almost wanting to go back on her word and stick with them – but she quashed such feelings. Time was of the essence here – what did safety matter if they only found Hanazuki and Miyuki's remains? Nodding at that she spared a sharp look at Boise, earning a shaky nod from her peer, before as one they fast-walked towards the deeper parts of the forest.
'Please be safe, you two...'
X-x-X
Boise wasn't sure how long they'd been walking. Five, ten, fifteen minutes?
The forest around them grew slightly thicker but otherwise it remained identical to the section of forest before it. From time to time they'd pass near a river but monsters seemed to lurk near it, either for a drink or drawn in by the sound, she didn't know. Regardless they kept their distance and sneaked around what monsters they could, both to avoid detection and to save ammo.
Just as Boise was beginning to worry that their search was fruitless, though, they discovered something new – a burrow. That in itself wasn't the weirdest thing – the monsters probably had to sleep somewhere – but what was notable was that a Lizardman crawled out of the depression in the ground and skittered off into the forest, no doubt to look for more prey. The pair of them stayed still in a bush, not a breath escaping them until the yellow-scaled Lizardman was long out-of-sight, allowing the pair to breathe freely.
''S-Should we check it out...?'' Boise tentatively asked. The idea of going into a burrow was a highly unsettling one, especially if the monsters came back, but after searching for so long this was the most likely place for Miyuki and Hanazuki to have been taken to.
Birmingham grimaced, then nodded. Quiet as she could she crept out from their hiding spot and crouched low as she crossed the tiny clearing. The burrow was just next to a tree; the thick roots spreading out in all directions and with some foliage hanging over it like camouflage, doing little to hide the depression in the dirt that went down like a slide. It was about as slippery as one too; her footwear struggling to get a firm grip on the dew-covered grass, forcing her to get down on her hands and knees and crawl down.
Darkness quickly engulfed her as she passed under the hanging roots, only the dim gloom of the sky outside to light her way. As her eyes adjusted though she was surprised to see this was not some tiny dirt burrow fit for a single, but an entire, expansive room that networked into others. Shy of about six feet high and probably about eight or nine feet wide in diameter it was unsettlingly spacious, though then again considering the size of the Lizardmen she supposed they'd need a bigger burrow than a traditional lizard.
However she could hear something. A distant noise, faint but repetitive. Breathing? No, it was sharper than that. Wheezing. Wounded? Maybe.
Grimacing Birmingham rose to her feet, waiting for Boise to join her before she began to trek towards the leftmost tunnel. It was painfully narrow, forcing her to de-summon her rigging just to fit through, not that her rigging would do her any good underground. She'd sooner bury herself alive than kill anything outright. The thought sent a chill up her spine but she tried to ignore how defenceless she was right now – she'd been in situations like this. Situations where firepower wasn't enough, so stealth wasn't just an option, but a necessity.
The tunnel grew slightly narrower, eventually tapering off but with dirt piles around the floor, as if it was still being excavated. However Birmingham's main focus was on the suspicious sound, her footsteps slowing and growing quieter as she neared the edge of a doorway; the arch having nothing to hide her as she poked her head around-
-and found Hanazuki and Miyuki.
Naked.
With Lizardmen on top of them.
The sight made her freeze up, shocked silent. For a long moment she just stood there and watched as the two lizards mating-pressed the naked Destroyers into the dirt; harsh smacks of flesh mixed with their animalistic grunts. However while Miyuki was worryingly silent, unconscious, Hanazuki was not – soft, defeated whimpers escaping her every time the Lizardman pressed its cock down into her depths, squelching its fluid out of her but not pushing any of its eggs out.
Birmingham got over her shock quickly though, anger soon to take root. Was it because these monsters all seemed to be male, was that why they'd taken two Ship-Girls and... bred them? To repopulate their numbers? The prospect was worryingly high but Birmingham soon crushed such thoughts; silently walking out into the small, enclosed space, one just big enough for her rigging to manifest.
She wouldn't be able to shoot it, but that didn't mean she was defenceless. Far from it.
Rearing her right hip back she tensed – and then just as the leftmost Lizardman raised its head she swung, smashing the side of her rigging into its head. Its skull dented inwards and the creature fell to one side, thrashing, but she wasn't looking at it anymore; her eyes darting to the right Lizardman. It noticed her and had the benefit of her being a foot or two away, pulling its glistening cock from Miyuki's abused folds as it stood.
Then Birmingham was in front of it, punching it straight in the throat. The humanoid staggered and clasped as its throat, gargling in surprise, but its moment of surprise was enough for her to smash her rigging into it and knock it down. It was dazed but far from dead, forcing her to stomp down on its head – gritting her teeth as she put every ounce of strength into it.
Thud-!
Thud-!
Thud-!
'Die dammit!' She could hear the other Lizardman, injured but alive, rising back to its feet.
Finally one more brutal stomp crushed the creature's skull in properly. She felt sick as blood and viscera spurted up her shin but anger and fear was a good deterrent; keeping her last meal down as she spun – just in time too, as the other Lizardman staggered over to her, claws out and a snarl on its dented face, bone poking out from between uprooted scales.
Until Boise stepped in, squeaking as she rammed into its side. It hit its head on the dirt wall and fell between Miyuki and Hanazuki, snarling and shifting, but a solid kick to its skull from Birmingham made a disgusting crack sound, and its head went limp, Broken skull, snapped neck, she neither knew nor cared. All that mattered was that it was dead.
Birmingham released a heavy breath. ''Thanks.''
''I-It's fine.'' Boise answered but sounded shaken. Birmingham didn't blame her – whether because of her own actions or the sight of Hanazuki and Miyuki, this was just... just a mess.
She squirmed as she felt blood dribble down into her shoe. 'Don't think about it, get these two out and signal Maya. Move.'
Her own orders helped motivate her and she hurried over to Hanazuki, leaving the unconscious Miyuki to Boise. When she knelt by the pink-haired fox-girl she winced at the array of still-bleeding cuts marring her body, be it on her medium-sized breasts, along her stomach and sides or even on her hips and thighs; the creature's claws clearly having held her many a times. She pointedly ignored looking at the overflowing whiteness leaking out of the Destroyer's pussy too, instead taking her cape off and draping it over Hanazuki.
''We'll get you out.'' Birmingham said shortly as she tied the cape.
Hanazuki tried to say something but was too overcome by emotion – relief, fear, anxiety and shame, all of it twisting into a sobbing mess that tugged on Birmingham's heartstrings.
Alas just as she scooped the fox-girl up she heard it – movement, outside the burrow. The sound made her nearly curse and she hurriedly evaluated her options. Only one way in or out, using her guns would likely bury them alive – and for all Ship-Girls were lauded for their strength they still needed to breathe – whilst the Lizardmen had no such issues; equipped with claws that were well-suited to cramped spaces like these. And with them carrying Hanazuki and Miyuki they wouldn't be able to fight beyond maybe a kick at best, and she hardly doubted that'd be enough to do anything but baffle a Lizardman.
She drew in a breath and hissed through her teeth, pulling Hanazuki close to her chest. If they were going to escape they couldn't find – and couldn't hide either. No, they needed to run. To brute force their way through. No riggings, no weapons. Just sheer momentum to blitz past them.
''Boise.'' Birmingham whispered, watching as the bustier cruiser gently cradled Miyuki. ''When I leave this room we run. Don't stop to fight, don't try and help me if I fall, just charge straight past anything in your way until we get to the surface. We can't fight them down here.''
Boise gave her a worried look and she felt Hanazuki clutch at her, but when the bustier woman hesitantly nodded Birmingham moved – fast-walking into the hallway and darting down the corridor, building speed as she gave up stealth and just charged. The noise attracted attention and she heard skittering-
-and then a Lizardman was there, leaping from its hiding spot with a snarl. It didn't get the chance to grab her before Birmingham ran bodily into it, Hanazuki crying out in fear as she was squished between them – before her momentum knocked the monster onto its back. Birmingham didn't stop to attack it though and kept running, reaching the slope out and running up it-
But she'd forgotten. It was slippery, uneven. Boots wouldn't grip easily, especially going up.
So when her boots slipped out from under her Birmingham couldn't deny the jolt of fear that shot up her spine, losing her grip momentarily until she grabbed at the uneven mass of dirt and grass, nearly dropping Hanazuki had the Destroyer not been holding onto her so tightly. Using her newfound handhold she propelled herself up further, hearing Boise behind her-
''Hwah?!''
When Boise screamed in fear. Birmingham jerked her head to one side, looking back, and very nearly cursed as she saw Boise be dragged back by her shin – the Lizardman she'd left behind already recovered. Instantly her plan was in tatters; if she kept going she was leaving Boise and Miyuki to their fate, and if she stayed she'd likely be blocked off-
Too late; another Lizardman at the top of the slope lunging down at her. Birmingham had no choice but to fall back, throwing Hanazuki to one side and hearing the fox-girl land with a pained yelp, but she ignored that for now – her attention fully on the monster lunging down at her, landing just shy of her thanks to her momentum throwing her back. However by the time she stood it was there, throwing itself at her faster than she could summon her rigging and snatching her wrists, pinning her down.
Panic rose up within her, memories of what happened to Hanazuki and Miyuki mere minutes ago flashing through her mind. With force she kicked her legs out, hitting the monster's stomach but the scales killed most of the force, its hissing snarl sending a chill up her spine – and a pained cry fled her lips when it tightened its hold, threatening to crush her wrists with its strength.
Then it suddenly shifted both her arms up, pinning them together with just one hand – freeing its other and allowing it to rake its claws down her front. Cloth gave way frighteningly easily and soon her dress was in two parts, splitting open down the middle and laying bare her dark blue underwear, the thought heating her cheeks up. However that same embarrassment turned into fear as she saw the Lizardman's cock swell between its leg, long and thick, prompting her to try and kick it in the groin – but the creature had enough sense to block such attacks, ripping her panties off at the same time.
'No...' Birmingham felt dizzy as her nether regions were exposed to the damp, musky air, her struggles becoming even more vicious as the monster leaned over her, the tip of its dick rubbing against her folds.
Rubbing, not penetration. Teasing her. Taunting her.
Birmingham gritted her teeth, her breathing short and fast as the bulbous tip of its shaft rubbed against her pussy lips, went high and rubbed up her groin before coming back down again. Her struggles did little to stop it but it gave her some minor amount of confidence, of control; her legs closing as much as she could with it between them, hips lifting and falling as she kept it away from her private parts as best she-
The tip teased her opening – and Birmingham screamed as it suddenly went in. It felt thicker than she expected, parting her virginal walls and hilting inside her in a single, harsh thrust, knocking the air out of her. The pain came a second later but she barely had a moment to soak it in before the monster yanked its cock halfway out only to slam right back into her deflowered pussy, forcing a shout of pain out of Birmingham.
She struggled once more, kicking and twisting and flailing, but the Lizardman just snarled in her face and kept moving, roughly burying itself into her. It didn't care that her legs flailed on either side of its hips, that her hips lifted and fell unevenly in some attempt to make its dick slip out – it just kept pressing its body down against hers and mated with her, thrusting its thick girth into her and making Birmingham cry out in pain.
''Gh! Mnph-!'' Biting her tongue until it bled Birmingham threw her head from side to side, enduring the stabbing pain in her loins – the deep, repeated impacts to her cervix as the Lizardman had its way with her.
As it defiled her.
She tried to push it out, to ignore it as best she could. Even when the Lizardman hissed and snarled in her ear Birmingham didn't give it the satisfaction of hearing her cry out, her teeth on her tongue as she took the pounding – its meaty cock spearing between her despoiled petals and hilting in her innermost parts, sending jolts right up her stomach and banging her head on the dirt, but she didn't react. She just laid there and took it like the good little broodmare it wanted her to be, waiting for an opening, a chance to knock its lights out and get help.
She felt it throb inside of her quickly, its shaft swelling against her sore insides and its tip kissing her depths, the realisation hitting – and no sooner had it before the Lizardman snarled and impregnated her. A flood of warm fluid poured into her depths, thick and sticky like semen but lacking sperm. In their place though she felt many tiny eggs push up into her womb, nestling against her depths in a torrent, nearly making her sick as she realised she'd been claimed, just like the others.
Even if she escaped this hole, the monster's seed would remain within her, making her its unwilling mother for its brood.
Birmingham was torn from her thoughts though her wrists were released – and no sooner had they been freed did a meaty hand grab her hair, yanking her upright. The cruiser cried out in pain but it gave her some weird clarity, feeling more than seeing space behind her. Her opening. She called upon her rigging and it manifested, finally having the space, her guns trained and ready to fire-
But she never saw the Lizardman behind her. The moment it spotted her rigging it attacked with vigour, seething out a wet breath as it raked its claws through her turrets, instantly incapacitating them. Birmingham flinched and tried to fire but her guns wouldn't operate – and to her despair they were reduced to metal scraps within seconds, literally ripped off of her. The only reason she wasn't pulled back with them was the iron grip on her hair, and the dick she was still impaled upon.
As if to remind her of that the Lizardman holding her sneered in her face, shifting both hands to her hips and holding tight... and Birmingham froze as she felt a second cock poke her ass.
And then she screamed as the other Lizardman eagerly buried its cock in her ass – up until a third, sneering Lizardman came up to her left, shoving its cock in her mouth and pulling her hair, forcing it to pleasure it as its kin began to fucked her other holes, using her not solely for breeding, but also their own animalistic pleasure.
Her fate, forever, sealed.
X-x-X
Boise was just climbing the slope, her pace fast, when she felt the clawed hand curl around her ankle.
Then suddenly she was yanked back down, Miyuki tumbling from her grip as she instinctively reached to grab onto something. Nothing was to be found, however, and soon she found herself thrown to the dirty ground – the Lizardman on top if her. Boise flinched back, crawling back, but the monster just grabbed her left thigh and forcefully lifted it up – its other hand going up her dress and grabbing her crotch.
Before with the harsh tear of cloth it ripped her panties off. Her heart skipped a beat – but unlike Birmingham she didn't have the fight, the fire, to keep moving. She froze up completely, paralysed with realisation and terror as the Lizardman got on top of her, and only when she felt something rub against her vagina did she snap out of it and begin to move-
''Agh!''
Then it was inside of her. Thick and solid it pushed apart her virgin insides, the pain sharp and intense enough to nearly make her black out for a split-second – her mind purged of all thought as the monster cock slammed into her, deflowering her. The shock lasted for just a few seconds though; banished the moment the monster dug its nails into her raised right thigh and began to fuck her properly; short, eager pumps burying it into her pussy.
''A-Ah! N-No, stop- mn!''
Her face mask muted her voice somewhat and gave it an echoing quality, making her pained cries all the more haunting as the monster pistoned itself into her, its flesh smacking against her own repeatedly and harshly. Through the tears in her eyes she spied multiple more Lizardmen returning, either drawn in by the sounds or the attack on their home, and to her despair a terrified Hanazuki was shoved up against the wall, her limbs flailing as he pleaded – before a thick, girthy cock forced itself into her defiled pussy, making her wail as the monster eagerly began to mate with her. Miyuki too wasn't spared, the unconscious girl rolled onto her front before the Lizardman began to mate with her prone-bone; smacking her small rear with every harsh thrust.
Boise was brought back to her own predicament though as another Lizardman knelt by her face. Its large clawed hand grabbed her mask without warning and pulled hard, lifting her head with it, prompting her to reflexively pull back... until with a harsh snap her mask's straps broke, causing it to fly off and to the side. Boise opened her mouth to cry out but before she could do that something touched her lips – and then something thick shoved itself into her mouth. Boise's eyes bulged and she cried out in alarm, the noise muted as the two Lizardmen eagerly began to spitroasted her on her side, their scales smacking against her flesh and filling the quaint burrow. Her thigh began to bleed from how harshly the monster gripped it but the pain was nothing compared to the ache in her loins, its dick slamming up against her cervix relentlessly.
''Mmph~! Mrph!'' Boise frantically flailed her hands about, trying to grab and push, desperation hastening her motions but hampering her aim.
Until eventually the Lizardman defiling her mouth just grabbed her wrists and held them down, snarling as it slammed between her lips, hurting her teeth and thrusting down her gullet, choking her. Her raspy, spluttering breaths did little to deter the overgrown lizard from face-fucking her though, bruising her nose with every harsh impact and sending stars flashing behind her eyes; not helped by the thick shaft plunging up into her womanhood.
Suddenly her left wrist was freed – the reason becoming evident as the newfound claw raked at her chest, ripping the cloth apart and revealing her large, squishy tits to the monsters. Boise barely had the time to feel self-conscious before her right tit was grabbed and squeezed harshly, forcing a muffled cry out of the cruiser as her tit was manhandled, her head shaking as best she could with a dick going down her throat.
Then suddenly she was forced onto her back completely, the Lizardman coming with her as it straddled her collarbone and grabbed her head with both hands, hissing in delight as it forced its meaty cock down her throat. Boise's eyes watered but she could do nothing but take it, her eyes soon screwing shut just so she didn't have to look at the monster's groin – acutely feeling its balls hitting her chin over and over again. The other Lizardman between her legs didn't relent either, its girth parting her abused folds and raking her tender insides with every pounding thrust, its cock smooth but uncomfortably girthy, stretching her virginal sex out with every thrust.
''Mn! Mmph! H-Hn-!''
Then suddenly the one between her legs hissed; and then came. Boise spasmed as she felt jets of warmth pour up into her womb, the foreign sensation terrifying – made all the more so as she felt numerous eggs pour into her baby chamber. The one mounted on her face though kept going, snarling and hissing as it face-fucked her, seeming to slow down even just to endure it.
The reason why though became evident as the Lizardman between her legs pulled out – and the one on top of her pulled its dick out of her mouth, got between her legs, and then plunged inside. Its clawed hands grabbed her hips and it savagely pounded her, fucking cries of pain out of Boise but no resistance beyond that – lacking the strength to. The will to.
And so when the Lizardman soon emptied its balls inside of her, hissing with primal satisfaction as it laid its eggs inside of her defenceless womb, Boise could only lay there, defeated and exhausted by the ordeal, her pussy sore and overflowing with white fluid.
The breeding process, continuing on.
submitted by Azure_Infinity to AzurLane [link] [comments]


2023.06.08 00:15 mooonbro physical therapy woes

i’m so frustrated. i’ll start with i am very pro physical therapy, i love to learn how to safely move in my body for the long term. i’m not sure if this is a me problem or just a problem and idk if i have reasonable expectations, and would love some more opinions before i talk to my pt. it may just be a miscommunication.
i have explained to my PT that the main symptoms that would be good to address include being a little off balance, hand dexterity (was given to OT for that), and explained that regardless of how much i work out/am active i am always a little fatigued, even when i would teach multiple yoga classes in a day. i move a little slower than “average” for my age. this isn’t a new thing for me, as long as i can remember i have been a little slow moving, but she wants to address it.
i was hoping we’d do a couple sessions after the original assessment to help with the balance.
her session today pushed me so fricking hard. i was so sleepy on the way home to the point where i considered calling my dad to keep me awake on the phone lol. my eyes got hot and my eyelids puffy, my neck got hot and is now still hurting. i got home and puked a lot and laid in a dark room with a cold compress for a while and i’m just not sure if this is a “normal” experience for a thirty minute PT appointment. we didn’t even do anything absolutely absurd but she wouldn’t let me sit for even a minute. the temp in the room was also warmer than outside (66f degrees) and i don’t love that either. if i had a longer appt i would have needed to call for a ride bc i would have been near delirious.
her plan is twice a week for 12 weeksto get my endurance up to address my slower pace and to build muscle to help with the balance issue. i was willing to give it a try but in all honesty i don’t really trust her at this point after today.
so, sorry for ranting, i guess my question is: should i suck it up? am i over reacting/ is this normal? do i tell her to tone it down a bit or is this just the price of pt? she does work with neuro cases mainly so maybe i should just trust her? i just don’t have the energy or time to do the puking and needing to lay down for hours two times a week till september.
also, i had eaten and i had more than 40oz of water at that point in the day (mid afternoon), as dehydration would be something i would ask about if it was a friend in my shoes.
submitted by mooonbro to MultipleSclerosis [link] [comments]


2023.06.08 00:08 Budget-Snake7583 i made my friend fail a test on purpose and made fun of him for failing

In my school weekly we do a math contest. its basically a math quiz with questions you're supposed to get wrong. But ofc all the kids in my class are basically geniuses so they average very good scores, my school typically places in the top 20 in the country every year. For a few weeks we had a teacher assistant who spoke very little english, he was very nice and tried to help the most he could. I saw him in the back of the class right before we where about to take the test and he was writing the correct answers. I saw ALL of them. I told my friends that i saw that and they began asking for the answers. They always make fun of me for getting anything wrong, ever. One of them is actually pretty smart and no offense, but the other is kinda dumb. The smart one always gets a better grade than me and spends the rest of the day making fun of me and telling me i'm stupid for not knowing the answer to a ridiculously hard test. The smart one asked for the answers and the other just walked back to their seat because they did not want to get in trouble. The smart one is always a giant asshole to me because he knows he's much smarter than me and he never shuts up about it. So i told him the wrong answers. He got a 0 and i got a perfect score. I spent the rest of the day making fun of him and he never made fun of me again for getting a lesser score. I regret nothing 🤷‍♀️
submitted by Budget-Snake7583 to confession [link] [comments]


2023.06.08 00:05 YourHighlordVyrana Stain Their World Red: 1/???

Really enjoyed writing Ashe, but didn't like the title or how short it was and wanted to expand upon it. So I C/Ped the extremely short chapter here, made a lot changes, and resumed where I left off. So this is the new and official Chapter 1. Changed the title too! Once this goes up, I might just delete Ashe altogether we'll see. Until then, here's another for you guys. A proper chapter. Longer too. Back on the computer, so that's fun. Enjoy.
Title subject to change!
Read Ashe here (unless it's gone lol): https://www.reddit.com/HFY/comments/13mkfre/comment/jkvjcro/?context=3
///
The dead stare of a long-disintegrated child looked up at them. Remnants frozen in time as a monument of ruin to the wasteland before her. A lifeless, shattered. Echos of what used to be. It used to beautiful. Maybe in memory, it stays there. Isolated, but perfect. Perhaps, in another lifetime, they could have considered such a sight tragic.
But now? Now, it was simply a byproduct. One of many at that.
Oblivion wondered if it was a form of hypocrisy. To care for their own children, the ones they were responsible for feeding and caring for. The very same children who required the life-filling nutritional energy only essence, only Souls, could provide in sufficient quantity and quality. At least, until they found a long-term alternative. How then, was it fair, that they could stare into the monuments of ash and brimstone without remorse? To sleep well in the void of space as the killed world after world? To render galaxies extinct and universes as little more than drifting debris of dead space?
As it turned out, Oblivion didn't care to find the answer.
In truth, they didn't actually care to answer a question they'd already established an answer for. The thought experiment was simply that. An experiment. Something to do, at best. The attention upkeep for a Living Extinction class such as themself rarely warranted such self-scrutiny, but times could be dull, seeing as the bare minimum of effort that it took to kill planet after plantet after planet bore no grief to their heart not any guilt over the lives violently ripped away.
"Yo." A voice cried out. In response, the bored decimator tilted their head up to see their one and only partner hovering above them, floating in the shattered sky just a few feet above. They wondered if it was weird to take note that their friend's feet were remarkably clean. "You okay?"
Oblivion nodded. Their eyes glazed back down at the ashen remains of the child. It's face frozen in fear, their dreams, hopes and ideas dashed away. All so that their own children could have dreams, hopes and ideas on their own. Cataclysm, their partner, drifted down next to the standing red-skinned killer. Both Soul Rippers stood side-by-side amidst a lifeless chunk of what used to be Callus II, a world once renowned for its natural beauty. Destroying it hadn't actual yielded much Soulfood, or essence, as it was already halfway evacuated before their arrival. But once they did arrive, escape was impossible, not that it stopped the local resistance from, well, resisting. No, the planet's destruction was intended to damage moral moreso than it was to yield any form of "economic" bounty. Not that it didn't of course, food was food afterall, but it was an already sparsely populated planet. Since it was strongly suggested that the destruction of Callus II would cause significant unrest, maybe even rebellion in the remaining population centers, Oblivion figured it only fair they do their duty.
Hence, another byproduct of a looong list that kept expanding, unlikely to end anytime soon.
"We got new orders from the ladies up top. Wanna guess what?" Oblivion's head tilted up; eyes gleaming with a current of curiosity. She gestured with her hand towards the broken debris scattered about. Of a long-dead world around them.
Cataclysm smirked as she shook her head. "Nah, nothin' too crazy. Got something new this time." She paused. 'Word is... we got allies now. Real, honest folks that wanna, and get this, work with us this time around."
A frown creased the white-haired woman's features. She turned to look at her partner's increasingly grinning expression.
Oblivion asked the obvious question without words. Mute as she was, it'd taken some time for Cataclysm to get a proper read on her partner's flow with any accuracy. Maybe it was because she was one of the not-quite-insignificant few that carried whatever gene caused the highbreds to be amquadsinistrous instead of the standard amquaddextrious. Which, naturally, caused her childhood to be filled with more than a few hiccups when you're a part of a species that heralds 4 arms to 1 torso. But the challenge was welcomed. It allowed her to be the Soul Ripper she is today. Her upper-hand twirled its index finger into a speedy frenzy, purple Vydent energy streaming from the tip into a swirling tight ball barely half the size of her thumb. The casual level of control over her Vydent flow made Cataclysm's partner wonder if it was weird that they noticed that, in addition to her feet, their friend's nails were also very clean.
Oblivion, for her part, remained focused on the current revelation. Confused at her friend's wording more than anything. Vassals that chose submission, to forgo their freedom and independence and live as official dependence of the Highbred Collective was the standard play-by-play. The trade-off, of course, being that in exchange for willingly allowing oneself to live as, essentially, glorified cattle for food and breeding purposes for denizens the Highbred Collective, the said cattle, referred to as thralls, would be legally protected under relatively well-regulated supervision and oversight in order to protect both their privacy and livelihood. The Gyfolten Principle in particular ensured, under extremely strict law and application, that humane treatment be provided in abundance for all enthralled vassals, unless otherwise specified by the vassals themselves. It was one of the very few choices offered to any and all opposition, excluding special exceptions naturally. A choice often typically preferred over those whose territories were soon to be conquered, destroyed or both. That was the only form 'allies' her people took. For a species to be able enter an honest partnership with the highbred race was... nearly unheard of.
Only one race had ever managed such a feat, and they were long extinct. The white-haired decimator pointed as her own head in a clawing motion, its question clear.
"Nope, not enthrallment." Cataclysm responded, still grinning even when she popped the 'P'. "Like I said. Full on allyship. Partners even!" The excitement in her voice was evident. Almost infectious.
Oblivion's frown only deepened, confusion warring with contemplation before her eyes suddenly widened as the realization hit her. Cataclysm took the moment to mentally pat herself on the back for being able to translate the powerful mute's particular form of communication.
"Yep. There it is. It's aaaallll over your face BeeBee. No thralls, no vassals, no crazy shit. We got ourselves real volunteers this time around. People who wanna actually negotiate and even talk with us. Heh, three guesses as to who just got sattled to provide 'security' for the upcoming 'diplomatic mission'." She used air-quotes. "And the first two don't count."
Oblivion blinked.
Somehow, her partner's smile split her face even wider, a dance of mischievousness flashed through her glowing purple beacons. She slowly started to rise higher into the ruined sky moments later.
"Well! Guess you'll just have to fiiiind out when we get there. Planet we're going to is called 'Earth' by rest of the galaxy. So... ready for a lil' road trip?"

///

The journey to Earth was a rather uneventful.
Surrounding her was a comfortable dome of dark red vydent energy, solidified into a comfortable hardlight seat that was easy on the eyes. It surrounded her like those capsules she'd seen on TV, forming both a protective barrier between herself and the vacuum of space as they traveled through FTL. Spacious too. She even had a nice comfy pillow and the 'chair' reclined as high or low as she pleased.
So, while uneventful, it most certainly was pleasant.
Pinelock was their assigned Solar Soother, an Energizer whose sole job was to provide speedy and smooth transportation for Decimators like Oblivion and herself. Cataclysm remembered being in her role eons ago, using her own vydent energy to ferry bigger and better Decimators from star system to star system. It paid decently, but she wasn't in it for the essence. The job was, at best, a luxury afforded for the powerful. Like being a limousine driver for an excessively wealthy businessman. It helped her connect with those powerful killers back then, helped her understand their motivations beyond the barebone necessity of "kill or be killed".
With that thought in mind, the blonde Soul Ripper made a mental reminder to tip their chauffeur when they arrived at Earth as she leaned back into the provided pillow. Just as her eyes closed, she began thinking about her partner.
She remembered feeling incredibly nervous when upon first meeting her. The stories surrounding the then average Soul Ripper, wondering which ones were true and which ones were just hearsay from her various obsessors. Oblivion was a living legend, both inside and out. A genius and warrior both in fact. Back then, Cataclysm admired their tenacity. She read their info-profile. How Oblivion heralded many obsessors in her early days, rising to prominence primarily through utilizing some seriously impressive enthrallment tactics, drowning her would-be killers in a sea of bodies by utilizing some prolific insect race to force them to expend their vydent energy reserves. After that, it was a simple matter of killing off whatever opposition remained, though mercifully chose to personally spare or adopt many of the children of the deceased. All-in-all, it was a typical power story, up until the moment the Red Bastion, the main governing body of Highbred at the time, attempted to recruit her to their cause once she'd grown beyond their means of subjugation. And when their efforts ended in futility, Oblivion remained standing, the Red Bastion did not. Without leadership, the remaining populace moved on, formed their own groups, established a new primary Obelisk of Dominion, and the events were eventually relegated to the history logs. Whatever obsessors didn't try to outright kill the white-haired Soul Ripper decided to become dedicated housewives, pledging their hearts and mind to Oblivion and only her. Which was standard Obsessor behavior. What got her popular was the sheer volume of subsequent Supplicants that followed, asking to join her harem. Oblivion declined, of course, but the aftermath of so many offers are ultimately what rocketed her to the position she has today.
"A relatively bloodless rise to power really." Cataclysm though to herself. "Thought I wonder how she felt back then. What made her want to be a Soul Ripper? And why?" Even today, Cataclysm still didn't know. It was one of the few things she decided she'd have to be okay with never knowing. Over the years, as their bond grew, she thought she had a pretty good grasp on why her partner did what she did back then. But in truth? She still had no clue. And likely never would.
What she figured she should know, however, is a little information on the race they were visiting. The humans of planet Earth.
"May I ask you a question, Cataclysm?" Oblivion's voice gently echoed in the blonde Soul Ripper's mindscape, her voice somehow a whisper carried with all the authority of a command. But it was a genuine question, and Cataclysm was happy to answer honestly. "Well, you just did you did, but shoot. What's on that mind o' yours?"
It was always an exceptionally rare moment with an even short timeframe that Oblivion spoke, and even when she did it was always through their telepathic connection. So, whenever she did offer to speak, Cataclysm vowed to always make time to listen.
As she listened in on such a rarity, the blonde Soul Ripper also found her wondering about the new world they would be arriving at. And most importantly, what it's denizens so different from the rest.
///
Thank you so much for reading, Chapter will be far longer as they progress, haven't quite settled on a word count just yet. When Chapter 2 is up, it will be posted either at the top or the bottom, here. This is really my first real time posting here and, unlike previous unposted projects, I really want to improve my consistency in writing and craft a fun story while doing so. Until then, thank you for reading, please feel free to leave constructive criticism or feedback at your leisure, and I hope you have a great day!
-Highlord V.
submitted by YourHighlordVyrana to HFY [link] [comments]


2023.06.08 00:00 AutoModerator Bootleg Megathread, June 07, 2023

Hello /AnimeFigures, and welcome again to the Bootleg Megathread!
Please use this thread to post any and all questions you might have regarding counterfeit figures. This includes questions such as “Is my figure a bootleg?” and “Can I trust this seller?”.
Remember to be as detailed as possible when asking for help. Provide clear pictures (ideally, multiple) or a link to the item you’re looking to buy, depending on what you’re asking. Let us know why you think this might be a bootleg, or why you don’t trust this seller. Also keep in mind that different types of figures vary in quality. For example, a prize figure won't have the same level of detail or quality as a scaled figure.
As bootlegs are a serious problem for anyone who enjoys collecting, we are also happy to provide you with a few tips to spotting them yourselves. We encourage you guys to practice these tips before posting here.

For figures you already have:

Past Bootleg Megathreads can be found here, for reference only. Please be sure to only post in the current one.

For figures you're looking to buy:

General Tips:

  • Examine your retailer. Are they known to sell counterfeits? Keep in mind that all retailers on the sidebar are approved by /AnimeFigures, and do not sell bootlegs.
  • Is the price far lower then the current average?
  • Check item descriptions carefully. Bootlegs may be listed under fake brands rather than the known manufacturer. They may also contain descriptions like "China version" to avoid admitting that they are fake; similar weasel-word terms include "hand-made" (and its often-associated "item size may vary") and "colors may differ on your screen".
  • Check MFC for a shop review listing.

Ebay Checklist:

1. Price.

  • Again. Seriously, have I mentioned that yet? Insanely low prices should be throwing up some serious alert signals.

2. Look for pictures of the actual product, that the seller took.

  • A lot of sellers like to list their items with the official photos put out by the manufacturer. Check MFC if you're unsure of what you’re looking at. If the pictures under "official" on MFC are the same as the ones on eBay, then they were not taken by the seller. Some sellers are just lazy and don't want to take pictures for every listing, but some use that as a trick to make you think you're getting an official item, when you're really going to get a bootleg.
  • When in doubt, ask the seller for pictures of the actual product. If they ignore you, or say they can't do that, move on to a different listing.

3. Check their feedback.

  • Look specifically for feedback where the buyer received a bootleg. This is usually going to be in the "negative feedback" section.

4. Check where it ships from.

  • eBay is really good about letting you know where an item is shipping from. If it ships from China, that's a bad sign.

Frequently Asked Bootleg Questions:

1. Is AliExpress a good website to buy from?

  • No, stay away from AliExpress. As far as figures are concerned, they only sell bootlegs.

2. How about Wish? And Mercari?

  • Wish appears to be nearly as bad as AliExpress in terms of bootleg frequency. User reports from Mercari depict a wide range of scenarios, with good sellers mixed in with people egregiously marking up their merchandise and more than a few bootlegs. Use with caution.

3. Is Amazon.com a good source for figures?

  • The increased use of the practice of commingling inventory has led to an increase in the amount of counterfeit merchandise appearing on Amazon. This increases the possibility of receiving a bootleg from them even if the seller appears to be otherwise trustworthy (even for "shipped and sold by Amazon.com"), and should be considered a reason to avoid them if possible. If one does choose to buy figures on Amazon, particularly with third-party sellers, apply the same criteria for price, seller photos, and deceptive descriptions as one would for a seller anywhere else, though the commingling issue will remain unless the item's path to the buyer is specified. Amazon listings may copy images and descriptive text from other sites. Be particularly careful to check that the company in the "Brand" line matches the item's official producer, and watch for questionable text as mentioned above.

4. My Nintendo nendoroid/Figma has a white, square sticker, rather then the shiny oval one that can be found in the official pictures on MFC. Does that mean I have a bootleg?

  • No, the square sticker is also legitimate.

A Related Topic:

  • People often ask about the legitimacy and/or safety of a number of websites which sell large resin statues. The more commonly-asked of those deal primarily in resins from studios which do not have a license from the Japanese IP holders to produce merchandise. Therefore links to those sites are not permitted here. Another indicator is if MyFigureCollection doesn't list the either the statue, its manufacturer, or the shop it's being sold on. While MFC does not list every legitimate item for various reasons, it does reject unlicensed ones. __________________________
Past Bootleg Megathreads can be found here, for reference only. Please be sure to only post in the current one.
Thanks TychoRC for creating this guide and helping answer questions!
submitted by AutoModerator to AnimeFigures [link] [comments]


2023.06.08 00:00 Exodusonpc Reverse Chance an Asian male from a rural town

Demographic: White/Asian male, 100k income, divorced parents (don’t know if that means anything), private school in a small rural town in Texas (1hr drive outside of Houston), immigrant from Singapore
Major: Computer Engineering, Computer Science
SAT: 1490 (790 math, 700 reading) I'm trying to improve EVBRW before my application for a 1500+
GPA: 5.04/6 (5 point weighted scale), No class rank, My grades improved significantly this year (A+ average now instead of A-)
Classes: 6 AP's (All my school offers), 6 Dual Credit classes, 11 Honors/Pre-AP
AP Physics 1: 5
APUSH: 5
AP Lang: 5
EC's: Harvard CS50
Varsity Golf-2x state Champions
TCU Data Analytics summer camp
SCUBA Diving (Certified Rescue Diver)
100+ volunteer hours (Houston Food Bank, mission trip to Puerto Rico, local churches)
Creating a website this summer for my mom’s company
Independent Study for AP Calc AB and Chinese
Math tutor
Note: My school doesn't offer clubs/teams, only ~35 students in my grade, semi fluent in Spanish
Awards: Small town/rural national merit recognition
5th Place in TAPPS 3A Science competition
2x State golf champions (team)
Physics Student of the Year at my school
Essays: Writing about my move to the US from Singapore and my love for math
submitted by Exodusonpc to ReverseChanceMe [link] [comments]


2023.06.07 23:51 Nightflier101BL FS - 1993 Topps Derek Jeter RC pair. $20 shipped BMWT.

FS - 1993 Topps Derek Jeter RC pair. $20 shipped BMWT. submitted by Nightflier101BL to baseballcards [link] [comments]


2023.06.07 23:47 Drex12345 I give up. The QP style breaker doesn't fit on the bus with the silver covering. Does anybody recognize this style pf breaker or can point me in the right direction?

I give up. The QP style breaker doesn't fit on the bus with the silver covering. Does anybody recognize this style pf breaker or can point me in the right direction? submitted by Drex12345 to electricians [link] [comments]


2023.06.07 23:37 More-Presentation958 Poli sci major question

Incoming freshmen! How many classes did u guys take Freshmen year as poli sci major? What were the classes? Also do u have to sign up for lecture and discussion during course registration? Thank u!
submitted by More-Presentation958 to ucr [link] [comments]


2023.06.07 23:32 yesterdays_laundry Major splitting happening today, why can’t I just believe the logical side of me?

I’m in my 6th week of carpentry school, been kicking some serious ass, been best in class so far. Today and yesterday we’ve been working on a project, our first for grades.
The logical side of me is saying “you’ve never done this before, it’s all new to you. You’re putting in a lot of effort and working really hard. It’s okay it’s not perfect, you did good for a first try.” The emotional side is going: “ it’s wrong. It’s not even the right size. Look at those gaps. You’re going to fail. This is going to drag your grade way down. You did a shitty job. Just cry.”
And I cried, in a class with 15 men and me. It’s been an hour since I left, 2.5hours since I handed in the project. I still feel like crying. I just want to believe the part of me that is realistic, honest and positive but all I can do is cry.
submitted by yesterdays_laundry to BPD [link] [comments]


2023.06.07 23:31 stewosch So, how large is the map of Horizon Forbidden West and The Burning Shores, really? A methodic approach

So, how large is the map of Horizon Forbidden West and The Burning Shores, really? A methodic approach
TL;DR: I calculated the map size of Forbidden West and Burning Shores using the best method I could think of, and came up with 22.9 km² for FW and 5.56 km² for TBS. If you want a detailed description of how I came up with that, please read along.
https://preview.redd.it/3k81u0zg0o4b1.png?width=2000&format=png&auto=webp&s=903aa0a26b6437c28b6e30975fabfd8b4a9df7cc

As with every Open World game I've ever played, I also wondered with HFW how large the map actually is. Not the corresponding parts of the US, since I suspect GG did take some creative liberties in creating their game (I've been to the US West, and it seemed larger to me back then). You'll finde some numbers online, from 16 to 24 km², but never how that was established. So I wanted to find out.

My basic idea was to find out what distance unit the in-game markers in the compass actually are, and then use a screenshot of the map to calculate a scale from the distances between Campfires. Area Size would then be just a matter of having Photoshop count pixels. But what is the distance unit? Meters (the reasonable assumption)? Yards (Why would anyone willingly use imperial units?? Also, quite close to meters)? Steps (because of the symbol, but Length??)

My first idea to get to the actual unit was to search for Campfires on the map that have a flat, relatively uninterrupted straight path between them and time Aloy running between them, from which the distance could be calculated. Then, that distance could be compared to the distance markers in the game.
The problem here is, we don't know Aloys running speed. It's reasonable she's quite atheltic and, while she probably wouldn't compete for an Olympic Medal or World Record, I'm sure she'd have no problem keeping up with the best amateurs. Still, assuming a running speed would mean to sift through marathon statistics, which I'd rather just not.

Then I remembered, we actually have one official, canon unit of distance in the game, because GG mentioned Aloy's height in a tweet: it's 1.68 m (source: https://twitter.com/Guerrilla/status/818780529709477888 and no, I'm not gonna use imperial units). Great, I can work with that!

What I now did was stand close to a Campfire that has flat ground around it, note down the distance from the compass and take a screenshot perpendicular to the campfire and Aloy. From the ratio between height and distance, the distance can now easily be calculated in whatever unit one chooses. I did several measurements at different distances, always using the "Standing Tall" body pose and measuring between the center of the figure and the center of the campfire. The results were surprisingly consistent and close to 1, which means that apparently, the in-game unit is indeed meters. Just for funsies, I also did the same calculation with Aloy's height given in yards, and the results now were reasonable close to the factor between yards and meters.
Calculating the actual distance to a Campfire by comparing it to Aloy's height
Calculating the factor between in-game units and meters

Great! Now on to the most difficult part: I wanted a screenshot of the map in a high resolution, with the campfires visible. Since I couldn't find one, I took more than a hundred screenshot in the game and stitched them together. This is also where things get a bit murky, since Horizon uses a 3D map, so the screenshot will be distorted, so the image patched together will most likely be warped. Photoshop has tools for that, but I'm by no means an expert here and it took me several tries to arrive at a complete map with no major (sometimes hilarious) stitching errors. Still, I hope that the warping averages out.
The final part was pretty straightforward: note down the distance between Campfires all across the map, measure the distance in pixels and calculate a factor between pixels and meters (e.g. the scale of the map I created).
Map distances
Calculating the map scale
The table obviously doesn't contain all 44 measurements, just a snapshot. As expected, they weren't entirely consistent, but I think 15% between the largest and smallest number isn't that bad. Since the in-game distance marker gives us line-of-sight, I tried to use campfires that are roughly the same elevation (hooray for Sea Level), since a difference there would skew the results probably further. This limited my choice of Campfire pairs, especially large distance, in the eastern part of the map.

Almost done! Now all that's left is to count the pixels for each map and we can pretty much directly calculate the Area:
Calculated Map Size

Surprisingly (not really), the answer I arrived at lies somewhere between the values found online. As far as I know, nobody has done such a deep dive to establish the real size.

You can download my version of the map here, I've added a little scale so you can measure any distance yourself:

Reasonable-sized version: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_5N4TCP9395ksUzJJKeVo9vkikZ8oSok/view

Hefty-Mega-Choker of 135 MB which I've used for my measurements: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1b-6Gta_-AYdvDfulsIVYyFxV6W8RQHvv/edit

A few caveats: As said above, the map I used will be warped a little bit and I couldn't think of a good way to correct for that, other than taking many measurements in the hope any errors will even out. The actual playable area extends beyond the visible part, which I used to count the pixels. And my map calculates the total area, including the underwater parts. It should be doable to measure land mass only, and maybe I'll update my post one day. Also, I hope that there aren't any horrendous errors in my calculations, but I'll sleep relatively sound knowing that it won't be the most embarrassing Excel error made this week.

Anyway, I hope you can appreciate the unreasonable amount of time I've sunk into this and thanks for reading. I'm sure you'll put this to good use.
https://preview.redd.it/ck5jaqde5o4b1.png?width=515&format=png&auto=webp&s=bca8f00c991235eccba3f8a99fcdea17f07c2c48

submitted by stewosch to horizon [link] [comments]


2023.06.07 23:26 dfbt3685 incoming freshman bioE + premed

i’m choosing classes rn and i was wondering how this course load sounded:
one of my friends at cal who graduated this year said it’s too much 😭 but this was what the orientation thing recommended 😭 pls lmk 🙏🙏
submitted by dfbt3685 to berkeley [link] [comments]


2023.06.07 23:23 Trevenus Unfair Valorant Prices in some third world countries like India.

I want to discuss the pressing issue of Valorant pricing in India. The current structure overlooks the significant difference in currency value and average income compared to regions like NA and EU.
Indian players face challenges purchasing Valorant Points (VP) and enjoying the game. VP costs the same in India as it does in NA or EU, despite their significantly higher average incomes.
For example, the average income in the US is ₹25,72,617 INR (or 31,133 USD), while in India, it's below ₹50,000 INR (or 650 USD), resulting in a ratio of 51:1.
This pricing disparity unfairly affects players, including myself. In-game skins become a luxury for only the wealthiest in India.
As someone from an upper-middle-class background, I found acquiring Valorant skins financially unfeasible. Spending around 4800 INR, which should have only been 94 INR based on income ratio, got me two premium skins and two battle passes.
To put it in perspective, spending 4800 INR is equivalent to a US citizen paying 2,904 USD. Is it fair to expect players to pay such an exorbitant amount for just two skins and two battle passes?
This economic impact on Indian players seeking an enhanced Valorant experience is significant and hasn't been adequately addressed.
Comparing per capita GDP, the US stands at 70,248.63 USD, while India is at 2,256.59 USD in 2021, resulting in a ratio of 31:1.
We need to discuss and find solutions to rectify this issue. Creating a fair and inclusive gaming environment for all players, regardless of economic background or location, is crucial.
Other software companies have made efforts to address similar concerns. For instance, Netflix offers different pricing for the US (20 USD) and India (7 USD), while Amazon's prime subscription costs vary as well.
This issue requires attention and action. Failing to address it promptly will perpetuate the economic imbalance and hinder Valorant's growth and popularity in India.
I kindly request the community's engagement in this discussion. Together, we can create a more equitable and inclusive gaming experience.
Thank you for your time, and I look forward to constructive dialogue.
submitted by Trevenus to VALORANT [link] [comments]


2023.06.07 23:20 Ness-Up Class Maou and Class God

Something that interests me is knowing where the line is drawn between Class Maou and Class God, and how Class God functions. In other words, we have Class Maou characters like Azazel, but also Class Maou characters like Grayfia who are stronger than him but still belong to the Class Maou. Then we have other characters considered above the Class Maou, but it is not mentioned that they are Class God. Now, about the Class God, how do they rank them? Here's my suggestion: 🔴 Class Maou: Grayfia and Serafall. 🟠 Non-combatant God: Loki, Hela. 🟡 Combatant God: Erebus, Nyx. 🟢 Chief God: Apollo, Vidar. 🔵 Top 10 Weak: Fenrir, 100% Typhoon. 🟣 Top 10 Average: Ddraig, Albion. ⚫ Top 10 Strong: Indra, Shiva. Is this the right way to present it?
submitted by Ness-Up to HighschoolDxD [link] [comments]


2023.06.07 23:18 Dismal-Jellyfish Commissioner Hester M. Peirce: "Although I agree with the objectives of these rules—namely, to reduce the incidence of misconduct in the security-based swap markets—these final rules leave unaddressed concerns I had at the proposing stage about their breadth, and I accordingly cannot support them."

Commissioner Hester M. Peirce:

Source: https://www.sec.gov/news/statement/peirce-statement-security-based-swaps-060723
Thank you, Mr. Chair. As we have just heard, today the Commission will vote on finalizing Rule 9j-1, which would prohibit fraud and manipulation involving purchases and sales of security-based swaps, and Rule 15fh-4(c), which would prohibit coercion, manipulation, or deception of a security-based swap entity’s chief compliance officer. Although I agree with the objectives of these rules—namely, to reduce the incidence of misconduct in the security-based swap markets—these final rules leave unaddressed concerns I had at the proposing stage about their breadth, and I accordingly cannot support them.
The version of Rule 9j-1 before us today is better than the proposed version. The final rule would adopt a considerably narrower definitions of purchase and sale than the expansive proposed definitions that would have covered the performance of obligations arising out of a security-based swap for the life of the transaction. The definitions in the final rule instead generally tracks the Dodd-Frank definitions of these terms. This change should reduce the likelihood that every action taken by a counterparty to a security-based swap during the life of the transaction, including actions required under the swap’s terms, will expose it to liability. In another positive change, the release also makes clear that attempted violations of the rule require scienter. Finally, the affirmative defenses should mitigate—even if they do not eliminate—the risk that the rule might make it impossible for a lender, which will often possess material non-public information on its borrowers, to use credit default swaps to hedge the risks of those loans.
Notwithstanding these improvements, the final rule is still overly broad. The affirmative defenses may not provide market participants with sufficient clarity to allow them, for example, to feel confident somebody on a firm’s trading desk can hedge a loan using security-based swaps when the firm has obtained material non-public information in connection with the loan. As another example, the negligence standard applicable to paragraphs (a)(3) and (a)(4) of the rule may facilitate second-guessing in enforcement actions.
Most concerning, however, is an overbroad anti-manipulation provision directed at manufactured credit events and other types of opportunistic trading strategies. This provision, too, has been narrowed since the proposal; the provision no longer contains the “directly or indirectly” language, and the release makes clear that violation of this provision requires scienter. But the release describes the scope of the provision in the same broad and ambiguous terms to which I objected when the rule was proposed.[1] Indeed, in words nearly identical to those in the proposal, the release explains that this provision would apply to “an action taken for the purposes of avoiding or causing, or increasing or decreasing, a payment under a security-based swap in a manner that would not have occurred but for such actions.”[2]
As did the proposing release, the adopting release does attempt to provide assurance to market participants that the Commission will use this provision to pursue only “actions taken outside the ordinary course of a typical lender-borrower relationship.”[3] Yet, as one commenter noted, market participants must look to the text of the rule, [4] which makes no reference to (and offers no safe harbor for) actions taken in the ordinary course. Moreover, the Commission repeatedly notes in this discussion that whether an action is taken in the ordinary course is a “facts and circumstances” inquiry under which the Commission will review “all relevant facts.”[5] Although this approach does ensure maximum flexibility for the Commission to pursue misconduct that is hard to describe ex ante, it does so at the expense of clarity for firms that will have to guess at what facts the Commission may, in hindsight, determine to be relevant.
The Commission feels compelled to preserve maximum flexibility for itself because it is trying to prohibit harmful but exceedingly difficult-to-define behavior that has occasionally appeared in the credit default swap markets. This behavior includes manufactured credit events and other opportunistic trading strategies that can cause the market to question whether these instruments will serve the purposes for which they were designed. Drawing in advance a line that cleanly distinguishes between manipulative conduct and actions taken in the normal course of business, even if they are unseemly and potentially unfair, is difficult. That the opportunistic trading strategies the rule targets have occurred relatively infrequently, and that each generally has presented distinct facts, makes the rule-writing task more difficult.
Preserving discretion for the Commission could chill, unnecessarily, perfectly legitimate trading strategies or exercises of a counterparty’s rights under a security-based swap.[6] Moreover, as one commenter noted, security-based swaps are often used to hedge complex financing arrangements that involve heavily negotiated terms providing the lenders with a range of options to protect themselves from the borrower’s default.[7] Lenders worried that they may not be able to exercise such rights without affecting the value of the security-based swap in a way that the Commission later might view as manipulative may be less willing to provide financing in the first place.[8] Moreover, because the release suggests that action—such as rescuing a failing firm—will be subject to greater scrutiny than inaction—such as letting a failing firm collapse—the rule risks spurring inaction and thus reducing market efficiency.[9]
Some circumstances might warrant a rule with these chilling effects, but no such circumstances are present here. The targeted misconduct has occurred only relatively infrequently in this market. Our anti-fraud rules likely already prohibit some of that conduct.[10] And, in a demonstration of the power of private ordering, market participants themselves have addressed some of the offending conduct. Sophisticated repeat players are well-placed to police one another for undesirable conduct, even if it is not illegal. In 2018, the International Swaps and Derivatives Association publicly acknowledged that these manufactured credit event strategies could affect negatively the security-based swap market and in 2019 made its Narrowly Tailored Credit Event Protocol available for adherence by counterparties.[11] This Protocol appears to have eliminated much of the destructive behavior simply by introducing greater uncertainty that these strategies could succeed. As the release notes, this Protocol does not address every possible such strategy, but, the release also does not challenge one commenter’s assertion that these strategies have become “extremely infrequent.”[12] In short, the Commission’s desire to maximize its own flexibility in this anti-manipulation provision does not seem to further any regulatory objective. To the contrary, this rule likely will deter far more entirely legitimate activity than it will prevent truly manipulative activity. The Commission instead should delay taking any action here and wait to see whether the problem of opportunistic trading strategies is significant enough to warrant a solution as blunt as the one before us today.
We can all agree with the sentiment of Rule 15fh-4(c): coercing, manipulating, or deceiving a CCO is bad behavior. But regulation—even regulation that prohibits bad things—always involves trade-offs. Will subjecting every interaction between employees and a CCO to potential legal liability empower the CCO to do her job or simply make employees less likely to approach the CCO to seek her input on compliance-related issues?
I do have a few questions:
If a bank provides a loan to a customer and, in the process of negotiating the terms of that loan comes into possession of material non-public information, would the affirmative defenses permit the bank to hedge that loan exposure through a credit default swap? If so, under what conditions?
LSTA noted in its March 2022 letter that the broad language of the anti-manipulation provision coupled with the use of a facts and circumstances test to determine whether a transaction was in the ordinary course would likely chill perfectly legitimate exercises of a lender’s rights expressly provided for in heavily negotiated financing arrangements.[13] Can you provide me any comfort that these fears are groundless?
The economic analysis suggests that Rule 9j-1 will benefit the market by reducing fraud and manipulation, including opportunistic trading strategies, and thereby increase confidence in the security-based swap market. In July 2022, the Managed Funds Association submitted a comment letter presenting data that it claimed suggested that there was no evidence of any lack of confidence among market participants.[14] The economic analysis seems to wave this evidence away as not persuasive, but does not provide any countervailing evidence that the market is laboring under a significant risk of fraud or manipulation. Is there any such evidence? What evidence, if any, do we have that manufactured credit events or other opportunistic trading strategies continue to present a risk to the market?
One law firm submitted a comment letter identifying different types of market activity it described as “legitimate” that “would be threatened by” Rule 9j-1.[15] I’d like to understand better how the staff would view these examples from that letter:
“An investor who holds CDS (either long or short) participating in an ad hoc restructuring group.”
“An investor who holds bonds and has bought CDS refusing to consent to a restructuring, choosing to rely on CDS protection.”
“An investor who owns bonds and has sold CDS selling bonds back to the Reference Entity.”
“An investor who has sold CDS providing rescue financing to distressed issuers.”
The release states that “misconduct that affects the payments and deliveries under one security-based swap could be prohibited by final Rule 9j-1 if that misconduct occurs in connection with effecting or attempting to effect transactions or purchasing or selling or attempting to induce the purchase or sale of any security-based swap, and not just the security-based swap that was the subject of the misconduct.”[16] Could you provide an example of what type of misconduct this might encompass?
The final rule prohibits manipulation of the price or valuation of a security-based swap. The release states that “the pricing and valuation of security-based swaps are intrinsically connected.”[17] If this is the case, why is it necessary to prohibit manipulation of valuation, given that manipulation of valuation would also almost certainly result in manipulation of price?
Although I cannot support today’s adoption of these rules, I do appreciate the effort that the staff put into reviewing the comments and taking to heart those comments in an effort to make the rule more workable. I especially appreciate the time that Carol McGee spent with me to answer my questions about the rule and Pam Carmody’s work on drafting it. I also want to acknowledge the contributions of the Office of the General Counsel.

What Hester is against:

Final Rule (136 pages):

https://www.sec.gov/rules/final/2023/34-97656.pdf

Overview of Security-Based Swaps

Security-Based Swaps Generally:

  • Although the definition of security-based swap is detailed and comprehensive, at its most basic level, a security-based swap is an agreement, contract, or transaction in which two parties agree to the exchange of payments or cash flows based upon the value of other assets or upon the occurrence or non-occurrence of some event, including, for example, a change in a stock price or the occurrence of some type of credit event.
  • The exchange of these payments or deliveries, including purchases or sales upon certain events, is a fundamental aspect or feature of a security-based swap.
    • Moreover, this feature of security-based swaps is in contrast to secondary market transactions involving equity or debt securities where the completion of a purchase or sale transaction terminates the mutual obligations of the parties.
  • Security-based swap counterparties, who are considered the issuers of the security-based swaps, continue to have obligations to one another throughout the life of the instrument, which can extend for years if not decades.
  • Parties may enter into a security-based swap for a multitude of reasons, but often, the parties to the contract seek to gain exposure to an asset without owning it or to manage or transfer risks in their asset and liability portfolios (e.g., credit or equity risks).
  • Typical participants in the security-based swap market include, among others, lenders transferring credit risk, insurance companies managing asset and liability risk specific to the insurance industry, activists or hedge funds obtaining exposure to the price movement and dividend payments of a stock without the costs and burdens of stock ownership, and financial institutions that engage in market-making and dealing in security-based swaps.
  • The terms of the contract between the counterparties determine the specific rights and obligations of the parties throughout the life of the security-based swap, including, for example, the amount and timing of periodic payments due under the instrument, the maturity of the instrument, and terms of settlement.
  • Unlike other types of securities where settlement occurs when the buyer receives the security purchased and the seller receives cash equaling the value of the security sold, for security-based swaps, a final net payment is paid by one party to the other at a future point in time to which the parties have contractually agreed.

Two common examples of security-based swaps – credit default swaps (“CDS”) and total return swaps (“TRS”)

  • Generally, a CDS is a contract in which a party (the “protection buyer”), such as a lender, agrees to make periodic payments (the “premium”) over an agreed upon time period to another party (the “protection seller”) in exchange for a payment from the protection seller in the event of default by an issuer (or group of issuers) of securities (the “reference entity”).
  • The CDS contract states whether the CDS is settled physically or in cash in the event of default by the reference entity. Generally, the protection buyer is using the CDS to manage risk and the protection seller is using the CDS to take on risk in return for a premium. A cash-settled CDS contract relying on ISDA documentation is subject to determinations by a committee with respect to whether a defined default event (a “credit event”) has occurred and, if so, to hold an auction to determine the settlement price of the CDS.
    • The auction process includes the determination and publication of a list of deliverable obligations that a CDS protection buyer can deliver to the CDS protection seller after the auction settlement.
    • A CDS protection buyer can deliver any of the obligations on the list, with delivery of the cheapest deliverable obligation maximizing recovery.
    • This feature of CDS contracts is an aspect of some of the manufactured or opportunistic strategies discussed in section I.B.2.
  • A TRS may obligate one of the parties (i.e., the total return payer) to transfer the total economic performance (e.g., income from interest and fees, gains or losses from market movements, and credit losses) of a reference asset (e.g., a debt or equity security) (the “reference underlying”), in exchange for a specified or fixed or floating cash flow (including payments for any principal losses on the reference asset) from the other party (i.e., the total return receiver).
  • If the TRS is negotiated over-the-counter, the terms of the TRS can be individually negotiated and could include one payment at the expiration of the TRS or might include a series of payments on periodic interim settlement dates over the tenor of the TRS.
    • For TRS with periodic interim settlement dates counterparties could agree to reset the price of the reference underlying on the periodic interim settlement date based on current market prices of the reference underlying (“reference price”).
    • Accordingly, throughout the life of a TRS, depending on the terms of the TRS, the reference price that determines that payment on periodic interim settlement dates might be reset based on current market prices of the reference underlying
Security-Based Swap Market Developments
  • In 2010, following the 2008 financial crisis, Congress enacted the Dodd-Frank Act “to promote the financial stability of the United States by improving accountability and transparency in the financial system.”
  • Title VII of the Dodd-Frank Act addressed significant issues and risks in the swap and security-based swap markets, which had experienced dramatic growth leading up to the 2008 financial crisis and were shown to be capable of affecting significant sectors of the U.S. economy.
  • In testimony before Congress introducing the first draft of the Dodd-Frank Act, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner highlighted the risks posed by an unregulated OTC derivatives market, which had been operating without the “basic protections and oversight” existing in the rest of the financial systems, including a “limited ability to police fraud and manipulation.”
  • In his written testimony, Secretary Geithner listed four broad objectives of the proposed reforms which were eventually enacted as Title VII of the Dodd-Frank Act:
  1. Preventing activities in the OTC derivatives markets from posing risk to the stability of the financial system;
  2. Promoting efficiency and transparency of the OTC derivatives markets;
  3. Preventing market manipulation, fraud, and other abuses; and
  4. Protecting consumers and investors by ensuring that OTC derivatives are not marketed inappropriately to unsophisticated parties.
  • The security-based swap market remains large. Based on information reported pursuant to 17 CFR 242.900 to 242.909 (“Regulation SBSR”), as of November 25, 2022, the gross notional amount outstanding in the security-based swap market is approximately $8.5 trillion across the credit, equity, and interest rate asset classes.
    • The credit security-based swap asset class is large, with a gross notional amount of approximately $4.7 trillion, of which single-name CDS (including corporate and sovereign) account for the largest category at $4.3 trillion.
    • Additionally, as indicated by data submitted pursuant to Regulation SBSR, the size of the equity security-based swap market is also significant – with approximately $3.6 trillion of equity security-based swaps outstanding as of November 25, 2022.

'The trouble'

  • In general, the ongoing payments of a security-based swap depend, in part, on its gross notional amount outstanding.
  • The particular aspects and characteristics of security-based swaps (described above in section I.B.1) provide opportunities and incentives for misconduct.
  • In general, parties to a security-based swap may engage in misconduct in connection with the security-based swap (including in the reference underlying of such security-based swap) to trigger, avoid, or affect the value of ongoing payments or deliveries.
    • For instance, a party faced with significant risk exposure may engage or attempt to engage in manipulative or deceptive conduct that increases or decreases the value of payments or cash flow under a security-based swap relative to the value of the reference underlying, including the price or value of a deliverable obligation under a security-based swap.
  • Moreover, fraud and manipulation in connection with a security-based swap can affect not just a direct counterparty, but also counterparties to that counterparty.
    • For example, if fraud or manipulation leads to a large change in variation margin, the defrauded counterparty could default on its obligations to its other counterparties. In addition, other counterparties to the same security-based swaps could be affected by fraud or manipulation that affects the reference underlying assets, as could investors in those underlying assets.
  • Given the global and interconnected nature of the security-based swap markets, it is critical that the Commission has appropriate tools to fight fraud and manipulation in these markets.
  • Recent developments in the security-based swap market highlight these concerns.
    • For example, in the 2021 Proposing Release, the Commission discussed certain manufactured or other opportunistic CDS strategies that had been reported by academics and the press:
      • A CDS buyer working with a reference entity to create an artificial, technical, or temporary failure-to-pay credit event in order to trigger a payment on a CDS to the buyer (and to the detriment of the CDS seller).
      • Alone or in combination with the above or other strategies, causing the reference entity to issue a below-market debt instrument in order to artificially increase the auction settlement price for the CDS (i.e., by creating a new “cheapest to deliver” deliverable obligation).
      • CDS buyers endeavoring to influence the timing of a credit event in order to ensure a payment (upon the triggering of the CDS) before expiration of a CDS, or a CDS seller taking similar actions to avoid the obligation to pay by ensuring a credit event occurs after the expiration of the CDS, or taking actions to limit or expand the number and/or kind of deliverable obligations in order to impact the recovery rate.
      • CDS sellers offering financing to restructure a reference entity in such a way that “orphans” the CDS – eliminating or reducing the likelihood of a credit event by moving the debts off the balance sheets of the reference entity and onto the balance sheets of a subsidiary or an affiliate that is not referenced by the CDS.
      • Taking actions, including as part of a larger restructuring, to increase (or decrease) the supply of deliverable obligations by, for example, adding (or removing) a co-borrower to existing debt of a reference entity, thereby increasing (or decreasing) the likelihood of a credit event and the cost of CDS.
  • Taking into consideration all of the above, Rule 9j-1 will be an important additional tool to augment the Commission’s oversight of the security-based swap markets including, but not limited to, the markets for CDS and TRS.

Overview of the Final Rules:

Rule 9j-1

  • Final Rule 9j-1 includes prohibitions on categories of misconduct prohibited by section 10(b) of the Exchange Act, and Rule 10b-5 thereunder, and section 17(a) of the Securities Act, when effecting any transaction in, or attempting to effect any transaction in, any security-based swap, or when purchasing or selling, or inducing or attempting to induce the purchase or sale of, any security-based swap (including but not limited to, in whole or in part, the execution, termination (prior to its scheduled maturity date), assignment, exchange, or similar transfer or conveyance of, or extinguishing of any rights or obligations under, any security based-swap).
  • The final rule also includes a provision prohibiting the manipulation or attempted manipulation of the price or valuation of any security-based swap, including any payment or delivery related thereto.
    • This provision has been moved to paragraph (a)(6) of Rule 9j-1 (from paragraph (b) as proposed) to clarify that these provisions apply to conduct that is undertaken in connection with directly or indirectly effecting, or attempting to effect, any transaction in any security-based swap, or purchasing or selling, or inducing or attempting to induce the purchase or sale of, any security-based swap.
  • Final Rule 9j-1 provides that:
  1. A person with material nonpublic information about a security cannot avoid liability under the securities laws by communicating about or making purchases or sales in the security-based swap (as opposed to communicating about or purchasing or selling the underlying security)
  2. A person cannot avoid liability under section 9(j) or Rule 9j-1 in connection with a fraudulent scheme involving a security-based swap by instead making purchases or sales in the underlying security (as opposed to purchases or sales in the security-based swap).
https://preview.redd.it/guzs4cyuwn4b1.png?width=826&format=png&auto=webp&s=d55104e51db1f955fb3520cb652663faa1f8e898

Rule 15fh-4(c)

The Commission also is adopting a rule aimed at protecting the independence and objectivity of an SBS Entity’s CCO by preventing the personnel of an SBS Entity from taking actions to coerce, mislead, or otherwise interfere with the CCO. The Commission recognizes that SBS Entities dominate the security-based swap market and also recognizes the important role that CCOs of SBS Entities play in ensuring compliance by SBS Entities and their personnel with the Federal securities laws. As a result, the Commission is adopting Rule 15fh-4(c), which makes it unlawful for any officer, director, supervised person, or employee of an SBS Entity, or any person acting under such person’s direction, to directly or indirectly take any action to coerce, manipulate, mislead, or fraudulently influence the SBS Entity’s CCO in the performance of their duties under the Federal securities laws or the rules and regulations thereunder.

Fact Sheet:

https://preview.redd.it/dkubyk9ywn4b1.png?width=966&format=png&auto=webp&s=634948d848a6277ed7247d7803a5a63d2b866972
https://preview.redd.it/5r40tixywn4b1.png?width=943&format=png&auto=webp&s=1757b80d2890e4460c1e4adfe1d3e5f25c4599d6

Press Release:

The Securities and Exchange Commission today adopted rules to prevent fraud, manipulation, and deception in connection with security-based swap transactions and to prevent undue influence over the chief compliance officer (CCO) of security-based swap dealers and major security-based swap participants (SBS Entities). “Any misconduct in the security-based swaps market not only harms direct counterparties but also can affect reference entities and investors in those reference entities,” said SEC Chair Gary Gensler. “Given these markets’ size, scale, and importance, it is critical that the Commission protect investors and market integrity through helping prevent fraud, manipulation, and deception relating to security-based swaps. Today’s set of rules will do just that.”The antifraud and anti-manipulation rule adopted today is designed to prevent misconduct in connection with effecting any transaction in, or attempting to effect any transaction in, or purchasing or selling, or inducing or attempting to induce the purchase or sale of, any security-based swap. The rule takes into account the features fundamental to a security-based swap and will aid the Commission in its pursuit of actions that directly target misconduct that reaches security-based swaps.The Commission also adopted a rule to protect the independence and objectivity of the CCO of a security-based swap dealer or major security-based swap participant.The adopting release will be published in the Federal Register. The final rules will become effective 60 days after the date of publication of the adopting release in the Federal Register.

TLDRS:

  • Hester cannot support.
  • A security-based swap is an agreement where two parties exchange payments or cash flows based on the value of assets or events, continuing to have obligations to each other for the life of the contract.
    • Typical participants include lenders, insurance companies, hedge funds, and financial institutions.
  • The specifics of the swap, such as periodic payments and settlement terms, are determined by the contract between the counterparties.
  • The two common examples of security-based swaps are Credit Default Swaps (CDS) and Total Return Swaps (TRS).
    • A CDS involves a protection buyer making periodic payments to a protection seller in exchange for a payment in case of default by the reference entity.
    • A TRS transfers the total economic performance of a reference asset in exchange for a cash flow.
  • As of November 2022, the gross notional amount outstanding in the security-based swap market was approximately $8.5 trillion.
    • The credit security-based swap asset class accounted for $4.7 trillion, while equity security-based swaps accounted for around $3.6 trillion.
  • Misconduct may occur in security-based swaps to trigger, avoid, or affect the value of ongoing payments.
    • This includes manipulative or deceptive conduct that alters the value of payments under a security-based swap relative to the value of the reference underlying swap.
  • Rule 9j-1 is introduced as an additional tool for overseeing the security-based swap markets, including the markets for CDS and TRS.
    • This rule includes prohibitions on misconduct and manipulation in connection with security-based swaps.
    • In addition, Rule 15fh-4(c) is adopted to protect the independence and objectivity of a Swap Brokerage Security Entity's Chief Compliance Officer.
https://preview.redd.it/mikc5pyiwn4b1.png?width=610&format=png&auto=webp&s=d7e9f1ec5e1bb791f93a46207a911ae6c30a3e68
submitted by Dismal-Jellyfish to Superstonk [link] [comments]


2023.06.07 23:18 Koronawliime Mini American/Aussie Shepherd vs Australian shepherd

Bare with me or read TLDR:
We adopted a rescue that we were told is an Australian Shepherd- everything about her resembles an Aussie- her coat, her paw shape, her demeanor, her vocalization, herding habits & intelligence.
The hang up is that she’s only 11 lbs at 4 months (but she is a tall girl & was the runt and is steadily gaining weight-vet gave her clean bill of health).
Her records were definitely inaccurate too & our vet placed her at a much younger age then the rescue. So we don’t really 100% know how old she is.
So I reached out to someone who adopted her brother from her litter (because it’s been driving me nutso if she’s mixed with a smaller breed) and she sent me Embark DNA results!
78% Australian Shepherd 7% collie 14 % “supermutt” (“most likely Border collie, Cattle Dog & lab”)
Makes sense why the breeders dumped her litter because she’s not purebred.
We also reached out to another adoptee of her sister and her sister is 15 lbs.
My question is- Does anyone know if DNA tests differentiate Australian Shepherd from “Mini American/Aussie Shepherds”?
I’m guessing not. I don’t really see how they could since it’s basically the same breed just smaller?
And did you have a pup (any breed) that was much smaller than the average breed at their age that grew up into the average weight or maybe a little under?
Australian Shepherds seem to be all over the board when it comes to size!
The DNA results do not really reflect any type of smaller breed so the mystery continues!
TLDR: adopted a rescue that’s 78% Aussie but is very small, did you have a runt that grew up to average weight? Does Embark differentiate between Mini American Shepherd and Australian Shepherd?
submitted by Koronawliime to dogs [link] [comments]


2023.06.07 23:17 UgotR0BBED For the low low price…

For the low low price… submitted by UgotR0BBED to pcmasterrace [link] [comments]


2023.06.07 23:16 Trevenus I need riot to address this.

Dear Riot,
I am writing to bring to your attention the pressing issue of excessively high prices for Valorant in India. The current pricing structure disregards the vast difference in currency value and average income between India and other regions such as NA and EU.
An average citizen of India cannot purchase VP and have a good experience with Valorant. I am sure it is important to you.
Currently, Valorant points cost the same as they would in NA or EU. These countries, unlike India, have an astronomically higher average income.
The average income in the US is ₹25,72,617 INR (or 31,133 USD)
The average income in India The average salary in India is below ₹50,000 INR (or 650USD)
That is a 51:1 ratio.
For VP to cost the same in both of these countries is unfair and honestly affects me a lot.
The skins in this game are only accessible to the richest in our country,
I personally come from an upper-middle-class economic background and getting Valorant skins was a big no-no from the get-go. I have made some purchases which I considered a 'treat' to myself.
I have spent about 4800INR on the game (which should cost me 94INR based on the average income ratio) These got me two premium skins and two battle passes.
Spending 4800INR in India would be equivalent to a US citizen paying 2,904USD
Does spending 2904 USD for two premium skins (Oni phantom and reaver vandal) and two battle passes seem fair to you?
The economic impact to the consumer in India trying to just have a better Valorant experience is very high and is a problem that isn’t addressed by anyone yet.
Even comparing both currencies' per capita GDP we can see
US with 70,248.63 USD GDP per capita (2021)
India with 2,256.59 USD GDP per capita (2021)
Again 31:1 ratio.
I implore you to take immediate action to rectify this issue by adjusting the pricing of Valorant Points in India to reflect the significant disparity in average incomes and currency values. It is essential to create a fair and inclusive gaming environment for all players, regardless of their economic background or geographical location.
PS.
Other software companies do address this issue to a degree.
For example,
Netflix - a premium Netflix subscription costs 20 USD in the US and 7 USD (649₹) in India.
Amazon - amazon prime subscription costs $14.99 per month in the US and $3.63 (₹299) per month in India
This is a real issue that is not being addressed. Failure to address this matter promptly will only continue to exacerbate the economic imbalance and hinder the overall growth and popularity of Valorant in India.
I kindly request your urgent attention to this matter and look forward to a positive response.
submitted by Trevenus to Eggwick [link] [comments]


2023.06.07 23:16 GinaBoBeanaXO Preschool Class Size

I’m curious what others consider an acceptable size for their kids class. My son is 3.5 and his class was about 10 kids Aug-Feb with 2 teachers and 1 floater. I really liked that ratio and he seemed to be doing great! They moved a bunch of younger kids up in the spring and lost a teacher, so by May it was 20 kids for 2 teachers (the floater was made full time although I’m not 100% sure she considers herself full time, so it might me closer to 1.5 teachers). It just seems like way too many kids for that age. Wondering if other preschools are having similar problems or if it’s just ours.
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2023.06.07 23:13 gurukulofcivil What is the Purpose of Pile Cap Design? 13 Important Points

Table of Contents
What are a Pile and Pile Cap?
Can Pile foundations withstand more weight than spread footing?
What are pile caps and their functions?
Features of Pile Cap
Shape and Size of Pile Caps:
Depth of Pile Cap:
What are the different types of Pile foundations?
Depending on the Function or Use:
Materials and Construction Methods for Soil Compactor Piles:
When should you use for bored piles and driven piles?
How do you size a Pile Cap?
How do you calculate Pile spacing?
How to determine the thickness of the Pile Cap?
How to Install Piling Caps?
Innovation in Pile Cap Design:
Post-tensioned pile caps:
Precast pile caps:
Modular pile caps:
Fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) pile caps:
Hybrid pile caps:
Risks and Mitigation Measures of Pile Cap Design

What are a Pile and Pile Cap?

A pile is a long cylinder of strong material, like concrete that is pushed into the ground to provide a stable foundation for structures built on top of it. The following scenarios need the usage of pile foundations: When a layer of poor soil is present at the surface. Because this layer is unable to hold the load of the building, the loads must be transmitted to the layer of firmer soil or hard rock that lies beneath the weak layer.
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When a structure has a lot of large, concentrated loads, such as a high-rise skyscraper, a bridge, or a water tank. To create an appropriate stable foundation, a pile cap is a dense concrete pad that sits on concrete piles or timber piles put into the soft or less-strong ground that would otherwise need ground improvement. It is frequently found in the deep foundation of a building, usually a multi-story structure or at support level or heavy equipment, or in the deep foundation of a bridge.
The load of the building is distributed into the piles by the cast concrete pile top. A "raft," which is a concrete foundation floor sitting directly on soft soil that may be prone to subsidence, is a comparable construction to a pile cap.

Can Pile foundations withstand more weight than spread footing?

Yes, the load-carrying capacity of pile foundation is superior to spread footings. The pile foundation transmits the load to the hard strata.

What are pile caps and their functions?

Pile caps are dense reinforced concrete mats that sit over “concrete or wooden piles (driven, bored, or cast-in-place) to provide foundation stability. The major aim of the pile cap is to transmit the load of the columns to the underlying piles, which is usually too large for large buildings. The pile caps are tested and designed to withstand the load of the superstructure.
A rough foundation is a comparable form of foundation for pile caps. The load from the columns is carried directly through the raft to the mud straight in the case of the raft, which is a dense and broad RCC slab lying immediately at the base. The raft can only be utilised if the soil layer is stable and capable of sustaining large weights without failing; otherwise, piles and pile caps are typically used.
Read More:
How to become a Structure Engineer? 8 Important Points
What is Non-destructive Testing? 10 important points
How to Learn ETABS Step by Step? 7 Important Points

Features of Pile Cap

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Shape and Size of Pile Caps:

Pile caps are dense reinforced concrete mats that provide foundation stability by resting on concrete or woodpiles (driven or bored and cast-in-situ). These pile cap sizes lower the amount of planning area required for a symmetrical pile layout in relation to the load. The pile cap should allow the outer pile to exceed a minimum of 150 mm, although it should not be excessive, typically not exceeding the pile's diameter.

Depth of Pile Cap:

The depth of pile cap is dependent on the following factors:
Because it is subjected to concentrated loads, the pile cap is usually deeper than the pad footing. This results in substantially stronger bending moments and shear forces. The additional depth, on the other hand, offers the pile top more rigidity, which helps transmit the load uniformly across all piles”.

What are the different types of Pile foundations?

Pile foundations are classed according to their function, materials, and installation procedure, among other factors. The types of piling foundations utilised in construction are as follows:

Depending on the Function or Use:

Materials and Construction Methods for Soil Compactor Piles:

Read More:
Why does Concrete need Reinforcement? 6 Important Points
What is the Function of Bridge Foundation or Pier and its Types? 5 Important Points
Pre-stressed Concrete, Pre-tensioning and Post-tensioning: 3 Important Points

When should you use for bored piles and driven piles?

Driven piles are driven straight in and transmit the load by friction and/or bearing, whereas bored pier foundations are normally poured in place and transfer the load only through bearing Bored pier foundations are typically shallower than driven pile foundations.
When the top strata consist of degraded rock overlying strata of sound rock, bored pier foundations are preferred. It becomes difficult to drive bearing piles into the decomposed rock in this situation. Bored pier foundations can be easily erected in stiff clays that offer significant resistance to the drive of a bearing pile.

How do you size a Pile Cap?

The number of piles required to support the weight determines the plan dimensions of a pile cap. The shape and size of the Pile Caps are normally as below:

How do you calculate Pile spacing?

The pile should be at least 3 feet wide, 3 feet across, and 3 feet tall in order to reach optimal temperatures (one cubic yard). That is the smallest compost pile that can generate temperatures high enough to kill weeds and pathogens, but smaller compost piles will also work less efficiently.

How to determine the thickness of the Pile Cap?

Determining the thickness of the Pile Cap plays a very important in the process of the Pile Cap Design. The thickness of the pile cap should be adequate enough to comply with the anchorage bond length parameters. As a thumb rule, if the diameter of the pile is less than 550mm, then pile thickness will be twice the diameter of the pile cap. If the diameter of the pile is more than 550mm, then pile thickness will be (1/3 (8 times of pile diameter - 600mm)).

How to Install Piling Caps?

Piling caps are available in a range of sizes. It is recommended to provide 26 sizes of piling caps in two shapes:
  1. Round and
  2. Square, ranging from 6 inches to 18 and a half inches.
To begin, make sure the pilings are at the height you want them to be. Before you measure for the piling caps, make any final cuts. Making cuts afterwards may change the measurement of the pile, resulting in a poor-fitting hat, so make any necessary changes to the heaps before measuring for and purchasing pile caps.

Innovation in Pile Cap Design:

Here are some innovations in pile cap design:

Post-tensioned pile caps:

Post-tensioning is a technique that involves applying tension to steel cables after the concrete has hardened. Post-tensioned pile caps use this technique to increase their strength and reduce the amount of steel required, resulting in a more efficient and cost-effective design.

Precast pile caps:

Precast pile caps are manufactured offsite and then transported to the construction site for installation. This method reduces construction time and can result in a more consistent and higher-quality product.

Modular pile caps:

Modular pile caps are designed to be easily assembled and disassembled, making them ideal for temporary structures or structures that need to be relocated. They can also be used to speed up the construction process, as they can be prefabricated offsite and then assembled quickly on-site.

Fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) pile caps:

Fibre-reinforced polymer FRP pile caps are made of composite material that is lightweight, corrosion-resistant and has a high strength-to-weight ratio. FRP pile caps offer a cost-effective solution for structures in corrosive environments, such as coastal areas or chemical plants.

Hybrid pile caps:

Hybrid pile caps combine different materials, such as steel and concrete, to create a more efficient design. They can be designed to maximize the benefits of each material while minimizing their drawbacks, resulting in a more sustainable and cost-effective solution.
Overall, these innovations in pile cap design have improved the efficiency, sustainability, and durability of structures, while also reducing construction costs and time.

Risks and Mitigation Measures of Pile Cap Design

Risk MitigationInadequate bearing capacity of soilConduct a thorough geotechnical investigation to determine the bearing capacity of the soil. Choose appropriate piles or improve the soil before construction.Inaccurate load calculationsUse accurate load calculations based on the actual loads that the pile cap will support. Verify the load calculations with a structural engineer.Poor quality of materials or workmanshipUse high-quality materials and ensure that the pile cap is constructed according to the design specifications. Conduct regular quality checks and inspections during construction.Settlement or heave of the foundationMonitor the foundation for settlement or heave during and after construction. Take corrective action if settlement or heave exceeds the allowable limits.Construction delays or budget overrunsDevelop a realistic construction schedule and budget. Use efficient construction methods and monitor progress regularly. Make necessary adjustments to the schedule and budget as needed.Environmental factors such as flooding, earthquakes or hurricanesConsider the potential impact of environmental factors during the design phase. Use appropriate materials and design techniques to withstand these events.
Like any other construction project, pile cap design comes with its own set of risks. Some common risks and mitigation measures of pile cap design are:
Overall, it is important to carefully assess and manage risks in pile cap design to ensure that the final product is safe, efficient and meets the required specifications. This can be achieved through careful planning, thorough inspections, and effective risk mitigation strategies.
I hope the blog provides you with a sound understanding of the Pile Cap Design and its associated features.
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