Background
I always had trouble with van Richten in RAW. The van Helsing analogue was supposed to be a famous monster killer, a very serious man, but most everything he does is high camp kitch... Disguises himself as a circus owner? Arrives in town with a monkey? Gives said monkey to a toy maker? Writes notes to himself about an orc that can chew iron bars? Wears a 'hat of disguise' and a 'ring of mind shielding'? Has a starving tiger... in a circus wagon.... that is his master plan.... to commit Vistani genocide?????? How can anyone take this guy seriously?
On top of that, you have Esmerelda, the one of the pair who seems to actually fight monsters, herself Vistani, whom we're told is van Richten's protege? Who, despite her seeming professionalism, has no idea nor plan to stop her mad sensei from wiping out her people... by starving tiger....?
So, I rewrote the guy. I like him much better this way. He's much more fun to play. An opportunity for role playing DM to really chew some scenery. Hopefully some of you like it too.
The party met him in Blue Water, but he was cagey as in RAW. They never really took interest in him & I never knew what to do with him, so he faded a bit into the background. Then the Feast of St Andral & Vallaki burning... suddenly Rictavio appears, shaking, snarling circus wagon in tow... "You know me as Rictavio, master of the circus, lord of the ring! But I am actually a Vampire Hunter! Meet me tomorrow at my tower!" With that unexpected & unprovoked revelation, he gallops off dramatically through the burning gates into the night....
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Van Richten - Vampire Hunter
Simply put... Rudolph van Richten is barking mad. The former owner of what is now the Walpole and Son Bookstore in Vallaki, he went out of business as, lost in his endless library of fantasy, he would spend days forgetting even to unlock the front door . He was particularly fascinated by the book "The Chilling Tales of Rudolph van Richten, Vampire Hunter." , a melodramatic, but well-read pulp novel written long ago by a Barovian author who claimed to see visions from beyond the mists and was later institutionalized.
The young Rudy, now without job or means, retreated further into his fictional world and now imagines himself to be the famed monster hunter himself! He is Strahd's arch-enemy (although Strahd has never heard of him) , constantly hunted and on the run. He disguises himself in increasingly absurd ways - the latest being the carnival barker Rictavio (he got the idea from a traveling circus - Refugees from the Carnival dark domain in the Ravenloft guide and a future random encounter). To complement the deception, he "acquired" a wagon from an unsuspecting farmer, which he painted in bright, splashy colors and purchased a monkey from the Lake Vistani.
When the party first encounters him at the Blue Water in Vallaki, he will have been spying on the Lake Vistani for the last several weeks. He regularly pulls his carriage up just outside of their camp, dons his 'Hat of Disguise' and in an exaggeratedly thick accent, pretends to be a fellow Vistani 'from far south'. The Vistani regard him as a harmless crank and regularly ask him to tell them more funny stories about their "brothers to the south" - which become increasingly inventive with each telling - and to sell him bits of random junk... err... "magical Vistani treasures", including a 'Ring of Mind Shielding' which is actually nothing more than a cheap electrum plated brass ring that's already starting to rub off and make his fingers itch (evidence that he is under constant assault from Strahd!). The Vistani might be a bit less welcoming, however, if they knew he was also stealing their laundry to train the very real tiger that he has locked in his circus wagon (it followed him, for its own purposes, from the Carnival).
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Meeting Van Richten
When the party arrives at the tower, they will find van Richten waiting for them there - he has just arrived from his regular 'infiltration' of the Vistani. He introduces himself with a dramatic bow & flourish "For more than three decades now, I have undertaken to investigate and expose creatures of darkness to the purifying light of truth and knowledge. "Hero" I am named in some circles, "sage" and "master hunter" I am called in others. That I have survived countless supernatural assaults is seen as a marvel among my peers; my name is spoken with fear and loathing among my foes. I…am… Rudolph von Richten, Vampire Hunter!!" (This is both the opening to his papers in RAW and - in this version - the opening paragraph to the fictional novel "The Chilling Tales of Rudolph van Richten, Vampire Hunter"). As he pronounces his name, trilling his 'r's to an absurd length, he throws back his cape, revealing an overabundance of vampire hunting weapons, hand sewn in loops and pockets: wooden stakes, silver daggers, holy water, holy symbols, mirrors and a long string of garlic bulbs around his neck. Before the party can react, he seems to remember that he is outdoors where the evil one could be listening and in a loud whisper warns that the night has ears and they "shouldn't speak out in the open!"
He invites the party into the tower, but stops suddenly before the door, arms shielding the party from invisible danger. "Stand back! My tower is equipped with a powerful ward! If you make the slightest move, a bolt of lightning will strike you down from the skies!" He gestures at the door pointing out scratches in the old wood, which, if the party squints hard and applies a great deal of imagination might be stick figures...? "You must do as I do, if you want to live!" As the party watches bemused, van Richten contorts himself into a complicated series of silly poses and facial expressions. He insists that the party does the same (make your players get up and repeat your dance!). Then... nothing... He gestures to follow, opening the mundane and harmless wooden door to the tower.
As the party walks up the stairs of the dismal and ruined tower they see a broken platform & worn statues. Van Richten, turns dramatically at each floor and addresses the party: "This was the tower of the great Wizard Kazan (another figure from an adventure book he read) and is protected by an anti-magic shield! Strahd can not hear them or pass its walls! We are safe here!" He walks up the stairs a pace then turns, hand dramatically extended in the face of the party, pointing to his ring... "How do I fool the dark lord when I am outside, you ask? Behold! The great treasure of the Vistani! A Ring of Mind Shielding!" Up another floor on the creaky stairs, van Richten again wheels to face the party, pointing out the 'Stone Golems, that protect the tower from intruders!" When the party touches them, small bits of rock chip off and rattle their way down the tower.
When the party finally arrives at the top of the tower, van Richten opens the door. A powerful smell of garlic and sweat fills the air. The room is full of rows of garlic hanging from the roof, the walls are covered with holy symbols and mirrors. The floor is covered with piles of handwritten books (his notes and plans, which he copies down in an indecipherable script of his own invention - which reads suspiciously like pig-latin.) There are strings criss-crossing from wall to wall, forming an intricate net between hundreds of scraps of paper and drawings attached everywhere, all seemingly leading to a single torn out portrait of Strahd, defaced with cartoon horns & fangs in red and the words 'Vasilli!!??!?!' written in red pen underneath (The party recently learned Vasilli's secret). Some of the strings have drawings or recognized villains: Lady Wachter, the Baron & Izek, but there's also the Martikovs (with a feather pinned to it), Walpole the bookseller (with exaggerated glasses and a dunce cap drawn on) and Claudia from the orphanage (with the name Belasco!!!!! underlined twice in red).
Most surprisingly, there is also a monkey here, swinging from string to string towards its master, pulling a few from their nails as it does. Van Richten shouts loudly "Piccolo, stop it! Filthy monkey! You'll destroy my research!" He users the party into the room. Once in, he turns again to face them: "Now I can reveal what I have learned! The true enemy is not Strahd! It is… Madam Eva!." At this revelation, he slams the door shut revealing that all the lines around the room also connect to a crudely drawn picture of Madam Eva, with the words "Must see the Takkora. How does she know?!?!?!" written in all caps and triple underlined. "It is true! How could she know what is in the cards unless she was controlling it from the start! Haven't you ever wondered how she knows your fate? Do you know also why some are born without souls? It is her! She is the puppet-master of Ravenloft!" (In my game, she's responsible for the missing souls, so - like with many things, he's crazy, but makes some connections others don't)
By now the party's suspicions are confirmed… this guy is not living on the same plane of reality… but he misreads their understanding as agreement. "Ah, you see it too! I understood it when I visited the Lake Tser Vistani camp in disguise! They mistook me as one of their own… see?" He puts on the "Hat of Disguise" (a hunter's cap with some sort of metal paper wrapped around it) which was hanging from a holy symbol on the wall and spreads out his hands wide as if demonstrating a singular transformation. Seeing no reaction, he pulls off the hat. "Do not worry friends, it is I! Rudolph van Richten!" "They took me to Madam Eva and she read my fortune. She told me that my story would soon come to an end. A threat! That's when I knew I was getting close. She said a new chapter could only begin if I found the Vistani girl Arabella at the Lake camp." (In my game, Arabelle is a future threat to Madam Eva's plans, so she's manipulating Van Richten). "But I saw through her trickery. I knew that little girl would spell my doom! So I went to the Lake Vistani, found her alone and cut off her head!" (Here the party firsts starts to see his madness isn't totally harmless). He flings open a footchest and pulls out a heavy burlap bag. "I commanded the dead to speak and it told me its secrets. It confessed that Madam Eva was the true power behind the mists!"
"Now you know. I need your help to defeat Madam Eva once and for all! I have trapped a ferocious beast from beyond the veil. I have kept him chained and ravenous in my cart. I have tormented him wearing Vistani clothes. You will help me take it to Madam Eva, we will disguise ourselves as a carnival, then when she emerges from her tent, we will release the tiger!" He lifts two fingers up to his mouth like fangs and snarls.
​
Enter Esmerelda
At the end of this rant, the door behind the party slams open. In it, stands a tall, wiry Vistani woman with long curly black hair tied back behind a brown scarf, wearing beaten leather armor and a tarnished, yet obviously cared for silver rapier. She's been following the party since they left Ravenloft (They just finished the dinner). The Tser Pool Vistani speak highly of them, but anyone leaving that place might be an agent of Strahd, so she's cautious and hostile.
Esmerelda is a Lake Vistani, the sister of Arrigal. She is ashamed of her people's support for Strahd and of their practice of bringing outsiders into Barovia. She left the camp when she was a teenager because she refused to stand by Arrigal as he supplicated to Strahd after his father died, leaving him heir. Always a capable fighter, on her own, she has become much more so. Unwelcome with her people, she drifted until she found her way to Krezk, where she fell in love with Kolya, the eldest son of the Krezkovs. They were to be married - against the wishes of Anna, suspicious of Vistani - when Dmitry was killed by werewolves while hunting for the winter. Anna, mourning her son, blamed Esmerelda for having brought a Vistani curse on her family and she was exiled.
With nowhere else to go, remembering the tattered book she found as a child and taught herself to read with - "The Chilling Tales of Rudolph van Richten, Vampire Hunter." - she pitted her formidable skills against the werewolves terrorizing the region. Although she tells herself she does this to protect the innocent, she also feels the need to disprove the prejudices against her people. She gets on better with the Tser Vistani, whom she often trades with, but she's suspicious of Madam Eva for reasons she can't quite put her finger on (Madame Eva knows she's a blood relative of Arabelle and is destined to aid her in the future contest to become the next seer).
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Esmerelda vs Van Richten
As soon as she opens the door, she taunts van Richten: "So you're the famous van Richten? Destroyer of the Lich of Lamordia? The Headless Rider of Kalakiri? The Death Knight of Darkon…? Children's books... I read them when I was a young girl. What would you do, great monster hunter, if you felt the claws of a werewolf around your throat, if you felt its breath on your neck?" She approaches, her rapier tapping on the overstuffed cape van Richten wears. "Which bit of that worthless junk in your bags would you reach for, eh? Your crazy head would be ripped off your shoulders before you could choose" With a swift slash, Esmerelda cuts the burlap bag containing the head of Arabelle and a heavy rock with a crude face painted on it tumbles out onto the floor. "You're a fake."
van Richten protests: "But… I… I've seen a warehare turn into a rabbit at the full moon! I knew a half orc who could chew through iron… a giant plant monster that could sing most beautifully…" (All of these are in in his notes and will later appear as a random encounter in the Carnival). "Wait till I get my tiger!" he threatens, pushing the party aside as he runs through the door, down the tower.
She now turns her attention to the party, taunting them: "Why were you in Ravenloft? Taking orders from your master? Getting reward for your service - she fingers the crystal bracelet (a gift from Strahd). After a talk, Esmerelda demands the party prove themselves (a way she has of 'asking' for things): "Come to Krezk… they have a werewolf problem. If you are truly the heroes you claim to be, you should not fear a few monsters?" She throws a leather satchel on the table and several fangs spill out. "I don't" (Esmerelda is also a breadcrumb to Krezk & Werewolf Den).
As the party follows her down the tower, they find Van Richten fighting with the lock on his circus wagon. Whatever is inside must be clawing great furrows into the door to get out, since it's shaking the small cart to pieces. Seeing the party, he spits at them 'Vistani lovers, you'll pay for this betrayal!" With that last burst of anger, he pries the lock off the wagon and an enormous Sabertooth tiger leaps out, knocking him to the ground. He manages to scamper just far enough away that he can pull himself up as the tiger, with the scent of the man who had been starving and taunting it for weeks in its nostrils, slowly begins to stalk its prey. Terrified, van Richten runs into the tower, slamming the door behind him as it furiously claws at the wooden door, trying to get in.

I want to share some insights as being an NRI for last 7 years. I want to talk about Certain things that we can do to make our country get close to being a developed country is all related to mindset. When mindset is developed, everything else follows. Something that we can do by ourselves that doesn’t involve blaming our politics all the time.

1. Financial Literacy - I noticed that financial literacy is non existent in india, the concept of investing in stock market is only beginning to catch up post Covid. Learn to invest and grow rich, money makes money and power of compounding is eternal (try etfs)
2. Respectful of time - when you promise someone to meet them at a certain time , be punctual, they will have another plan after meeting you, if you delay them, they will delay the other meeting and overall efficiency of time in the country is wasted.
3. Respectful of rules - if people keep honking and not driving in lanes, ignore them and you follow the rules, I don’t know why we keep honking all the time, it’s really stupid and breaking signals and being lane system illiterate. I hear 1 honk a month in the US. People cutting queues and other non sense.
4. Learn some geo politics - we always focus on internal politics, but it is very important to understand the big picture, where we stand as a country. That will make you understand whom to vote for, why to vote for them. The local politicians will feed you nonsense, you can do your own research, example India foreign exchange , trade deficits, import/export and overall FDI and how it plays in your daily life.
5. Mindset - Be the best at what you do. I’m the west, they really understand what they study, they learn where and how to apply the concepts, instead of blindly mugging up. This makes them better skill set. If you are a software engineer, don’t read theory, write some app and see how you can dive deeper and be expert.
6. Be a job creator - this is the hardest in our society, as we are still breaking out of colonial mindset. But with our population, everyone can’t get a job, you might get very low pay for your skills. Better to get skilled and create your own company and than have a job, is it tough? Yes! But I believe that our country is the future, we should give it a shot, atleast as a side gig while having a day job.
7. FOMO - be yourself, we lack confidence the most. Don’t fall for what others might think , you run your life . Learn not to give a f about what others will judge you. I have some of my friends In India who buy iPhone = 5x monthly house rent? Here our rent is 3 x iPhone cost , so it’s more easy to afford. So think smart, invest money where it can grow. Try to support local companies and build an inclusive Indian spirit like how many Japanese/Koreans do.

My genuine intention is to share some learnings , so we can uplift Tamil Nadu and India to greater heights. I’ll try to share more over the weeks. Please ask me any questions you may have. Only accepting love, haters don’t spread negativity please ;)

Friday 9th June - Fiver Feed : Five things to do today in Glasgow for around a Fiver or FREE!
Instagram here for extra stuff and things, come join the fun! (Disclaimer - may not actually be any fun)
Shoutout for Glasgow Science Festival till 11th June, 100's of activities, most are free!
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• Art/Workshop - Let's Make Good Trouble - £Free (Ticketed)
• In her campaign for social justice, with a modus operandi of “small signs, big questions, fabulous wardrobe”, Art Activist Barbie has been staging her own mini -protests all over the UK since 2018. This workshop with Barbie herself will be looking at the revamped displays of permanent collections and interrogating how women have been portrayed across the artworks.
• 10:00 - 12:00 Hunterian Art Gallery 82 Hillhead Street G12 8QQ

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• Installation/Opening - In the Course of Being Undone - £Free
• A two-piece multichannel installation that uses audio, film, improvisation and performance inspired by the meeting of technologies, machine as a medium, and the behaviours and power dynamics between humans and non-humans alike.
• 18:00 - 21:00 Listen Gallery 204 Hunter St G4 0UP

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• Concert/Trad - Best of the West - £Free (Donations Welcome!)
• Traditional West Coast Scottish music doesn’t come much more authentic than this. Come and hear multi skilled musicians present a programme featuring accordions, small pipes, the Great Highland Bagpipe, and a selection of timeless Gaelic songs.
• 19:30 Wellington Church 77 Southpark Avenue G12 8LE

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• Concert/Classical - The Four Barons: String Quartet - £1 + Booking Fee
• The Four Barons is Govan's newest ensemble, featuring the best Scottish string talent, performing only in Govan!
• 19:30 - 21:30 Govan and Linthouse Parish Church 796 Govan Road G51 2YL

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• Gig/Experimental - 1.5 Months - £0 - £7 Pay What You Can
• A night of underground and experimental noise, ambience and industrial music.
• 19:30 The Old Hairdressers Renfield Ln G2 5AR

This is the first sermon in u/surupamaerl2’s translation of the Recorded Sayings of Zen Master Rujing. I recommend you all get a copy, which you can find easily on Amazon. What I’m going to do with this book is basically read what Rujing wrote and try to make sense of it. Poetry is not my strong suit, and as far as I’ve seen, Rujing was a titanic poet, so expect a lot of confusion and missed references. Let’s start,

The Master, on the fifth day of the tenth month of the third year Jiading [1211], was at Huacang Baozhong Temple. Accepting the invitation to enter the temple, he said,

The gate to the mountain is blocked, the journey begins right away. This gate is open, giving clear, unobstructed sight of heaven and earth. On the left side, it beats; on the right side, it blows—the gate is overturned when plucked upwards by wind and thunder.

The entry to enlightenment being both blocked and open is reminiscent of Wumen’s checkpoint. You can see everything from it, but it takes a force of nature to step through.

Pointing to the hall of the Buddha, he said,

Open the hall, behold the Buddha—Argh! A venomous stinger in your eyes—root it out, though it stings! The Master bows and burns incense, even clumsily arranging them upside down.

Trying to observe what Buddhas did before you, blinds you. We all like Buddhas, so it hurts having to forget them in order to see your experience for what it is.
I have no idea what "even clumsily arranging them upside down" is referring to.

Crouching in the abbot’s quarters, he said,

Scoop out Bodhidharma’s eye, make it into a clay marble, and beat someone with it. Then in a loud voice, he said, See the ocean dried up to the bottom, the climbing waves that lap the lofty heavens.

Take Bodhidharma’s eyes and use them to beat people. Then you can do anything.

Then the Master arrived before the Dharma Seat, and picking up his notes said,

The tip of the brush is bald, with not even a single hair—when it comes to it, there are few who set things in good order. Amid the complete silence, he raised the notes again and said, See the point where the rising winds and clouds issue their command—this thunderclap splashes the ink that shakes the guide rope of the lineage. Have you not come to witness the totality? Just don’t incline your ears. When requested to expand on his raising his notes, he said, Gautama’s crown of bone, the Master’s Eye—getting two faces on one die; shaking jade, gold sounds.

The brush can’t imprint any words or phrases. It takes thunder to write inside the Zen lineage.
Don’t try so hard to hear, just abide by the principle.

Pointing to the Dharma Seat, he said,

The earth is sinking, this seat is high and broad—the ever-changing reward, received without effort. Then, collecting his robes, he took his seat (no questions and answers recorded) then said (picking up his notes), The exposed pillars, pregnant, suddenly bursting—an iron hammer protruding where there is no hole. Through kalpas, the whole thing leaked, right up until Jinsu Mahasattva raised Yulin hall and, from as close as a hair to the top of a comb, blew the winds of karma for a spell, turning them to water buffalo—thoroughly deranged, thoroughly wild.

This one is completely incomprehensible to me. Except for the first sentence, which seems to me to be a reference to what comes in through the senses.

East braces west supports south inverts north pounds—they can’t avoid resisting the great peace of the grass and waters, ruining the fields of Qingliang, planting deep brambles, spreading barbed caltrops all over, and thereby cutting off the roots of Linji’s life—thereby blinding the patch-robed monk’s eyes.

The four directions leave thorns everywhere and kill every Zen Master, not letting monks see clearly.

He then slapped his knee with his hand, and screamed,

Aah!! These beasts, with donkey cheeks and horses’ jaws, quoting phrases at each other—Yama douses these ridiculous people with torment and confusion. Even if you grant this, where does that effort return to, after all? Here is where we gather, amid the catalyzations of the illustrious sages.

These people say clever words, but they don't understand them. A wrathful deity makes them suffer as punishment. What does all of their talk amount to?

Raising a case (and gathering his seat), he continued,

Sansheng said, “Meeting people, I come out immediately—when I do come out, it is not to help others.” To this, Xinghua said, “I do not come out to meet people—when I do come out, I immediately help others.” These two cases are sure to test patch-robed monks exhaustively—it’ll be a tough job to lay one’s eyes on it.

This one is more straightforward. Why do some Zen Masters say they help people and others say they don't? Why do some help them by taking away their staff and others by giving them a staff?

Suddenly receiving our great benefactor, the governor of Jianking, he casually gazed about, relating to all Qingliang,

It may well be said that the dragon rumbles from the rising clouds, that the tiger roar generates a Great Wind—I have unavoidably borrowed the high official’s nose in showing some spirit in handling the monastery—still, I do have a single, quick adage that I will relate to everyone:

Ascend the top peak in a leap, ranked amongst dragons and tigers—
In peace, easy and even, personally reach the Pool of the Phoenix.
All of life, all of death, transcends words and representations—
Now, surpass your former impulse, and turn toward higher intentions.

This last part is hard to reword for me. I think it's basically describing what some people called an enlightened person. Basically different ways of saying their voice is like thunder and no one can do anything about them, since they are beyond any particular set of words or representations.
Of particular interest to me is what he says at the end. What is "surpassing your former impulse"? Is that the opposite of when Zhaozhou says Buddha is the compulsive passions? And what are "higher intentions"?
Thoughts? Questions? Complaints? Let's hear 'em.

Hi PFNZ whanau,
Throwaway account in case my old/new bosses are on here. I've worked in IT for over 15 years now. Recently, with COVID lockdowns I have been able to find remote work and try my hand at being a contractor. The past year has been easy cruising, but have had a recent shake-up recently. I am hoping for advice!
I need help on potentially becoming "overemployed". Here's the situation:

1. I work at Company A as a self-employed consultant. They told me 2 months ago they might not renew my contract once expired (expires this month) because the project I've been working on has run its course.
2. I go on a job-hunting craze as I can't afford to be unemployed. People rely on my as sole breadwinner. Animals too lol
3. I found Company B and C after 1.5 mos. They have both offered me a full-time permanent PAYE job this week.
4. Today, Company A told me they want to sign me on for another 12 month contract. New project, they didn't anticipate they'd get funding but did.
5. All three companies are fully remote/work from home.

Here are some numbers:
Company A:
$170k/year pretax. No benefits, no KiwiSaver, and I do my own taxes. I still get paid sickies and paid-time-off and I get to deduct expenses though, which are nice.
The type of work I do here can realistically be done in 4-5hours/day. They trust me there and I am well-respected.
Company B:
$140k/year pretax. Kiwisaver match and I am a full-time employee. Based off the interviews, they're a fast moving company with lots of work and not too many people to do it. I might need to work a full 8 hours in this company. It is well structured and established. They work different projects in a wide scope. Getting a 'toxic work culture' vibe from the interviews.
Company C:
$130k/year pretax. Same as Company B - I will be a permanent employee with usual perks. Based off interviews, they are a very small team wanting to scale. Not too much structure, trying to figure things out, but need all the help they can get from experienced people like me. They have a narrow scope of work. Based on the JD, I might be able to complete work in 5-6 hours a day.
Now, I am torn. I would have happily continued coasting through Company A had they not told me I might not get renewed for my new contract. Now that I have options, I am confused.
Considering I can do work for Company A in 4 hours a day, I might be able to pull off signing up for Company C and be overemployed. But what would that mean in taxes? Also, will they find out I am still consulting (considering I will have to give them tax code ST, which is for secondary income?) I could really use the extra income as we've always wanted to buy a home and it's been hard saving considering so many human (I support my family and extended family with health issues; it's complicated but rest assured I am not being taken advantage of) and furbaby mouths to house and feed.
I have never done anything like this before and I feel (kind of) dirty doing it? I'm a real stickler for the rules, but I am out of my element here.
Should I ignore Company B and C, just focus on A and pretend I never got those offers?
Your advice is very welcome!

I'm working on a YouTube video and this is too long to post in the description so I figured why not post it here?
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Incorrectly fitted footwear, foot pain and foot disorders: a systematic search and narrative review of the literature
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6064070/
“88% of [women] were wearing footwear that was narrower than their foot”
Walking in Minimalist Shoes Is Effective for Strengthening Foot Muscles
https://journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/Fulltext/2019/01000/Walking_in_Minimalist_Shoes_Is_Effective_for.14.aspx
“Minimalist shoe walking is as effective as foot strengthening exercises in increasing foot muscle size and strength. The convenience of changing footwear rather than performing specific exercises may result in greater compliance.”
Effects of wearing shoes on the feet: a comparative study of the feet of middle-aged partially shod and regularly shod Maasai women
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/2473011417S000382?icid=int.sj-abstract.similar-articles.6
“hallux valgus angle [was] greater in the [regularly shod] Maasai group”… “regularly wearing shoes can…cause hallux valgus deformity”
From barefoot hunter gathering to shod pavement pounding. Where to from here? A narrative review
https://bmjopensem.bmj.com/content/6/1/e000577.full
“we believe there are a number of compelling arguments for the inclusion of barefoot or minimalist training in a runner’s programme, towards the aim of injury prevention”
Increased hallux angle in children and its association with insufficient length of footwear: A community based cross-sectional study
https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Fit-classification-of-shoes_tbl1_40692792
[almost 90% of children were found to be wearing shoes that were too small, and the smaller the shoes relative to their foot, the greater the chances for hallux valgus]
“the risk for a hallux valgus angle of ≥ 4 degrees is 17% higher than the background risk if indoor shoes are 1 size too short (1 EU size: 6.67 mm). This risk increases to 37% if shoes are 2 sizes too short, and to 61% for shoes 3 sizes too short.”
Health problems associated with women's fashionable shoes, 1870 - 1930
https://dr.lib.iastate.edu/serveapi/core/bitstreams/d221b3c2-4343-45b8-a9b2-904b0dea8315/content
What to do about bunions
https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/what-to-do-about-bunions
“A bunion is most likely to develop when susceptible feet are repeatedly squeezed into narrow, pointed-toe footwear.”
Bunion: Strengthening Foot Muscles to Reduce Pain and Improve Mobility
https://www.jospt.org/doi/epdf/10.2519/jospt.2016.0504
“More than 64 million Americans have bunions that can lead to painful walking. Bunions affect some 35% of women over the age of 65.”
Ticking Time Bomb: Children’s Shoes Cause Health Problems Later in Life for Adults
https://philmaffetone.com/kids-shoes/?fbclid=IwAR1prpLItWpxucx3JRepsZsXfEkpCMhoi7TqfE5NH4tjjMPuz5TwDi1onMI
“Optimum foot development occurs in the barefoot environment”
Big Toe Alignment and Arch Support Tensegrity
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8ttNMNAX5k
(visual model demonstrating how toe spring, wedged heel, and toe taper cause weak arches)
Pathomechanics, Gait Deviations and Treatment of the Rheumatoid Foot
https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/11651789/pathomechanics-gait-deviations-and-treatment-physical-therapy
[hallux valgus changes to the way you walk]
“this position causes an overstretch of the medial ligaments and tendons and a shortening of the lateral structures” (page 1153)
THE POSITION OF THE HALLUX IN WEST AFRICANS
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1244763/pdf/janat00461-0102.pdf
“The distribution of the hallux angle in the [unshod] Nigerians of both sexes is around a mean of approximately zero, which differs by a statistically significant amount from the mean values for European males and females which are +6.90 and +11.00 respectively”
“The mean hallux angle is not significantly different between the two age groups of Nigerians examined”
Incidence of Hallux Valgus in a Partially Shoe-wearing Community
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2167058/pdf/brmedj02400-0040.pdf
“The natural history of the unshod foot was studied on the island of St. Helena, where half the islanders have gradually adopted shoe-wearing over the past few decades. Hallux valgus was found in under 2% of the unshod and in 16% of the men and 48% of the women who had worn shoes for more than 60 years.”
Hallux valgus in a historical French population: paleopathological study of 605 first metatarsal bones
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17350309/
“The increase in the prevalence of hallux valgus over time suggests an influence of changes in footwear. The heeled shoes and boots made of stiff leather that men wore in premodern times probably promoted the development of hallux valgus. However, the prevalence of hallux valgus in women in western industrialized countries today is even higher than that in our historical population of older premodern individuals, suggesting an extremely deleterious effect of contemporary female footwear.”
Paleopathological study of hallux valgus
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15386287/
“Hallux valgus is the abnormal lateral deviation of the great toe. The principal cause is biomechanical, specifically the habitual use of footwear which constricts the toes.”
Fancy shoes and painful feet: Hallux valgus and fracture risk in medieval Cambridge, England
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1879981721000280
“The increased prevalence of hallux valgus identified in individuals from the 14th to 15th centuries coincided with the adoption of new footwear with pointed toes. Those that adopted this fashion trend appear to have been more likely to develop balance and mobility problems that resulted in an increased risk of falls.”
MORPHOLOGICAL AND FUNCTIONAL CHANGES OF FEET AND TOES OF JAPANESE FORESTRY WORKERS
https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jhe1972/3/1/3_1_87/_pdf
“the forestry workers habitually wearing field footwears with a separation between the great and outer toes have relatively flat and broad feet.”
The effects of habitual footwear use: foot shape and function in native barefoot walkers
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/19424280903386411
“footwear that fails to respect natural foot shape and function will ultimately alter the morphology and the biomechanical behaviour of the foot.”
The Quality of Footwear Fit: What we know, don't know and should know
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228595054_The_Quality_of_Footwear_Fit_What_we_know_don%27t_know_and_should_know
“Mismatched flare between the shoes we wear and our feet is a primary factor for discomfort in the ball area and in the formation of bunions.”
A Shoe That Will Not Pinch - A Short Study In The Hygiene Of The Feet [page 193-216]
https://books.google.com/books?id=FHM3AQAAMAAJ

The meaning behind the name St. Shepard Ju Peter is a pun for Saint Peter in the bible and Jupiter. A Jew named Peter who was crucified by Roman Emperor Nero.
FIRST BISHOP OF ROME - SAINT PETER (The bishop is a shepherd of all those entrusted to his care.)
Warrior God of Agriculture - Saint Shepherd Ju Peter
They even kind of look alike.
(There are many versions of Peter's story)
From the New Testament and 4 gospels Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Peter was a Jewish fisherman in Bethsaida (John 1:44). He was first named Simon, the son of a man named Jonah. After giving up everything in his life to follow Jesus, Simon was given the new name, Peter.
(Saint Peter (died between AD 64 and 68), also known as Peter the Apostle, Simon Peter, Simeon, Simon, or Cephas ( lit. 'rock'), was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ and one of the first leaders of the early Christian Church. (Or, Petros, from the Greek and Latin word for a rock or stone (petra) on which the masculine ending was added, rendered into English as Peter.) It can also mean Jewel or hewn stone.
Peter was the first apostle and he is described as "the rock" on which the church will be built. First leader of the early Church.
In Matthew and Mark, Jesus called Simon and his brother Andrew to be "fishers of men".
Three of the four gospels—Matthew, Mark and John—recount the story of Jesus walking on water. Matthew additionally describes Peter walking on water for a moment but beginning to sink when his faith wavers.
​
Although Peter became one of the one Apostles that followed Christ he began to have doubts and denied Christ 3 times before his crucifixion.(Peter denied Christ 3 times, 3 days later Christ rose from the dead, then in front of Jesus confirmed his faith 3 times.) 3/3/3
According to the New Testament, Jesus was crucified at a spot outside Jerusalem called Golgotha, which in Aramaic means “place of the skull.” The Latin word for skull is calvaria, and in English many Christians refer to the site of the crucifixion as Calvary.
Peter's execution years later was ordered by the Roman Emperor Nero, who blamed the city's Christians for a terrible fire that had ravaged Rome. Peter requested to be crucified upside down, as he felt unworthy to die in the same manner as Christ. He died at a place called Nero's Circus, which was at the foot of the Vatican Hill.
CIRCUS OF NERO: After the Great Fire of Rome and looking for a scapegoat, Nero blamed Christians and arrested them, executing them in mass killings in the circus. It was also the site of St. Peter's and St. Paul's martyrdom, executed under Nero's ruling.
​
FUN CONNECTIONS:
1. The name given to one of the first 20 kings, Nerona Imu, may tie into Roman Emperor Nero.
2. The fact Simon's name was changed to Peter may mean St. Ju Peter once went by a different name.
3. The place Jesus was crucified was called Golgotha meaning "Place of the Skull" which could relate to the Onigashima skull or pirate flags in general.
4. Jupiter was the Roman King of all gods, chief of the pantheon and protector of ancient Rome. His full name says it all: Jupiter Optimus Maximus. He was also god of the sky and thunder. So this may connect to Enel and his Ark Maxim from Skypiea.
5. The Name Nerona may remind me of Perona but it also has a mixture of Roanoa in it.
6. Peter took the place of Judas, who had betrayed Christ and later died. May mean St Ju Peter replaced someone. He does look younger and less experienced than the others.
7. Peter means rock or jewel. Somehow connected to Jewelry Bonney or Rocks???
8. Emperor Nero crucified Peter for the Great Fire of Rome so I wonder if Imu will crucify St. Ju Peter for their food stores burning he's over agriculture. Jesus commissioned Peter with the task of feeding His sheep and tending His lambs.
9. Above all - the thought of Nero's Circus and the 5 Elder Stars gives new meaning to "Buggy the Clown Star" and his circus theme. lol
**ANIME ONLY:**Now I know Condoriano isn't canon but I feel I have to bring him up. Especially since Usopp gave him that name while Robin took Major Shepherd's. Are either of them connected to Saint Shepherd.
https://preview.redd.it/sevtetf2fv4b1.png?width=201&format=png&auto=webp&s=71804d98621b1781a0311dd83eaf5e09d5d62262
https://preview.redd.it/0fwi5855fv4b1.png?width=300&format=png&auto=webp&s=8240fceff4b4a81dbc371568e1d71fad20a4e8fa
Condoriano and Nico Robin as Major Shepherd. ^^^^^
Really hope this was informative and fun. There's a lot to think about. Some connections are just a bit silly but why not? This isn't about being right. It's about really enjoying the story.
Now let's try to figure out the rest.
Colored by The Two Horned One:
https://twitter.com/OPSCANS
https://twitter.com/TheTwoHornedOne

1. The Industrial Revolution and its consequences have been a disaster for the human race. They have greatly increased the life-expectancy of those of us who live in “advanced” countries, but they have destabilized society, have made life unfulfilling, have subjected human beings to indignities, have led to widespread psychological suffering (in the Third World to physical suffering as well) and have inflicted severe damage on the natural world. The continued development of technology will worsen the situation. It will certainly subject human beings to greater indignities and inflict greater damage on the natural world, it will probably lead to greater social disruption and psychological suffering, and it may lead to increased physical suffering even in “advanced” countries.

​

1. The industrial-technological system may survive or it may break down. If it survives, it MAY eventually achieve a low level of physical and psychological suffering, but only after passing through a long and very painful period of adjustment and only at the cost of permanently reducing human beings and many other living organisms to engineered products and mere cogs in the social machine. Furthermore, if the system survives, the consequences will be inevitable: There is no way of reforming or modifying the system so as to prevent it from depriving people of dignity and autonomy.

​

1. If the system breaks down the consequences will still be very painful. But the bigger the system grows the more disastrous the results of its breakdown will be, so if it is to break down it had best break down sooner rather than later.

​

1. We therefore advocate a revolution against the industrial system. This revolution may or may not make use of violence; it may be sudden or it may be a relatively gradual process spanning a few decades. We can’t predict any of that. But we do outline in a very general way the measures that those who hate the industrial system should take in order to prepare the way for a revolution against that form of society. This is not to be a POLITICAL revolution. Its object will be to overthrow not governments but the economic and technological basis of the present society.

​

1. In this article we give attention to only some of the negative developments that have grown out of the industrial-technological system. Other such developments we mention only briefly or ignore altogether. This does not mean that we regard these other developments as unimportant. For practical reasons we have to confine our discussion to areas that have received insufficient public attention or in which we have something new to say. For example, since there are well-developed environmental and wilderness movements, we have written very little about environmental degradation or the destruction of wild nature, even though we consider these to be highly important.

​
THE PSYCHOLOGY OF MODERN LEFTISM
​

1. Almost everyone will agree that we live in a deeply troubled society. One of the most widespread manifestations of the craziness of our world is leftism, so a discussion of the psychology of leftism can serve as an introduction to the discussion of the problems of modern society in general.

​

1. But what is leftism? During the first half of the 20th century leftism could have been practically identified with socialism. Today the movement is fragmented and it is not clear who can properly be called a leftist. When we speak of leftists in this article we have in mind mainly socialists, collectivists, “politically correct” types, feminists, gay and disability activists, animal rights activists and the like. But not everyone who is associated with one of these movements is a leftist. What we are trying to get at in discussing leftism is not so much movement or an ideology as a psychological type, or rather a collection of related types. Thus, what we mean by “leftism” will emerge more clearly in the course of our discussion of leftist psychology. (Also, see paragraphs 227-230.)

​

1. Even so, our conception of leftism will remain a good deal less clear than we would wish, but there doesn’t seem to be any remedy for this. All we are trying to do here is indicate in a rough and approximate way the two psychological tendencies that we believe are the main driving force of modern leftism. We by no means claim to be telling the WHOLE truth about leftist psychology. Also, our discussion is meant to apply to modern leftism only. We leave open the question of the extent to which our discussion could be applied to the leftists of the 19th and early 20th centuries.

​

1. The two psychological tendencies that underlie modern leftism we call “feelings of inferiority” and “oversocialization.” Feelings of inferiority are characteristic of modern leftism as a whole, while oversocialization is characteristic only of a certain segment of modern leftism; but this segment is highly influential.

​
FEELINGS OF INFERIORITY
​

1. By “feelings of inferiority” we mean not only inferiority feelings in the strict sense but a whole spectrum of related traits; low self-esteem, feelings of powerlessness, depressive tendencies, defeatism, guilt, self- hatred, etc. We argue that modern leftists tend to have some such feelings (possibly more or less repressed) and that these feelings are decisive in determining the direction of modern leftism.

​

1. When someone interprets as derogatory almost anything that is said about him (or about groups with whom he identifies) we conclude that he has inferiority feelings or low self-esteem. This tendency is pronounced among minority rights activists, whether or not they belong to the minority groups whose rights they defend. They are hypersensitive about the words used to designate minorities and about anything that is said concerning minorities. The terms “negro,” “oriental,” “handicapped” or “chick” for an African, an Asian, a disabled person or a woman originally had no derogatory connotation. “Broad” and “chick” were merely the feminine equivalents of “guy,” “dude” or “fellow.” The negative connotations have been attached to these terms by the activists themselves. Some animal rights activists have gone so far as to reject the word “pet” and insist on its replacement by “animal companion.” Leftish anthropologists go to great lengths to avoid saying anything about primitive peoples that could conceivably be interpreted as negative. They want to replace the world “primitive” by “nonliterate.” They seem almost paranoid about anything that might suggest that any primitive culture is inferior to our own. (We do not mean to imply that primitive cultures ARE inferior to ours. We merely point out the hypersensitivity of leftish anthropologists.)

​

1. Those who are most sensitive about “politically incorrect” terminology are not the average black ghetto- dweller, Asian immigrant, abused woman or disabled person, but a minority of activists, many of whom do not even belong to any “oppressed” group but come from privileged strata of society. Political correctness has its stronghold among university professors, who have secure employment with comfortable salaries, and the majority of whom are heterosexual white males from middle- to upper-middle-class families.

​

1. Many leftists have an intense identification with the problems of groups that have an image of being weak (women), defeated (American Indians), repellent (homosexuals) or otherwise inferior. The leftists themselves feel that these groups are inferior. They would never admit to themselves that they have such feelings, but it is precisely because they do see these groups as inferior that they identify with their problems. (We do not mean to suggest that women, Indians, etc. ARE inferior; we are only making a point about leftist psychology.)

​

1. Feminists are desperately anxious to prove that women are as strong and as capable as men. Clearly they are nagged by a fear that women may NOT be as strong and as capable as men.

​

1. Leftists tend to hate anything that has an image of being strong, good and successful. They hate America, they hate Western civilization, they hate white males, they hate rationality. The reasons that leftists give for hating the West, etc. clearly do not correspond with their real motives. They SAY they hate the West because it is warlike, imperialistic, sexist, ethnocentric and so forth, but where these same faults appear in socialist countries or in primitive cultures, the leftist finds excuses for them, or at best he GRUDGINGLY admits that they exist; whereas he ENTHUSIASTICALLY points out (and often greatly exaggerates) these faults where they appear in Western civilization. Thus it is clear that these faults are not the leftist’s real motive for hating America and the West. He hates America and the West because they are strong and successful.

​

1. Words like “self-confidence,” “self-reliance,” “initiative,” “enterprise,” “optimism,” etc., play little role in the liberal and leftist vocabulary. The leftist is anti-individualistic, pro-collectivist. He wants society to solve everyone’s problems for them, satisfy everyone’s needs for them, take care of them. He is not the sort of person who has an inner sense of confidence in his ability to solve his own problems and satisfy his own needs. The leftist is antagonistic to the concept of competition because, deep inside, he feels like a loser.

​

1. Art forms that appeal to modern leftish intellectuals tend to focus on sordidness, defeat and despair, or else they take an orgiastic tone, throwing off rational control as if there were no hope of accomplishing anything through rational calculation and all that was left was to immerse oneself in the sensations of the moment.

​

1. Modern leftish philosophers tend to dismiss reason, science, objective reality and to insist that everything is culturally relative. It is true that one can ask serious questions about the foundations of scientific knowledge and about how, if at all, the concept of objective reality can be defined. But it is obvious that modern leftish philosophers are not simply cool-headed logicians systematically analyzing the foundations of knowledge. They are deeply involved emotionally in their attack on truth and reality. They attack these concepts because of their own psychological needs. For one thing, their attack is an outlet for hostility, and, to the extent that it is successful, it satisfies the drive for power. More importantly, the leftist hates science and rationality because they classify certain beliefs as true (i.e., successful, superior) and other beliefs as false (i.e., failed, inferior). The leftist’s feelings of inferiority run so deep that he cannot tolerate any classification of some things as successful or superior and other things as failed or inferior. This also underlies the rejection by many leftists of the concept of mental illness and of the utility of IQ tests. Leftists are antagonistic to genetic explanations of human abilities or behavior because such explanations tend to make some persons appear superior or inferior to others. Leftists prefer to give society the credit or blame for an individual’s ability or lack of it. Thus if a person is “inferior” it is not his fault, but society’s, because he has not been brought up properly.

​

1. The leftist is not typically the kind of person whose feelings of inferiority make him a braggart, an egotist, a bully, a self-promoter, a ruthless competitor. This kind of person has not wholly lost faith in himself. He has a deficit in his sense of power and self-worth, but he can still conceive of himself as having the capacity to be strong, and his efforts to make himself strong produce his unpleasant behavior. [1] But the leftist is too far gone for that. His feelings of inferiority are so ingrained that he cannot conceive of himself as individually strong and valuable. Hence the collectivism of the leftist. He can feel strong only as a member of a large organization or a mass movement with which he identifies himself.

​

1. Notice the masochistic tendency of leftist tactics. Leftists protest by lying down in front of vehicles, they intentionally provoke police or racists to abuse them, etc. These tactics may often be effective, but many leftists use them not as a means to an end but because they PREFER masochistic tactics. Self-hatred is a leftist trait.

​

1. Leftists may claim that their activism is motivated by compassion or by moral principles, and moral principle does play a role for the leftist of the oversocialized type. But compassion and moral principle cannot be the main motives for leftist activism. Hostility is too prominent a component of leftist behavior; so is the drive for power. Moreover, much leftist behavior is not rationally calculated to be of benefit to the people whom the leftists claim to be trying to help. For example, if one believes that affirmative action is good for black people, does it make sense to demand affirmative action in hostile or dogmatic terms? Obviously it would be more productive to take a diplomatic and conciliatory approach that would make at least verbal and symbolic concessions to white people who think that affirmative action discriminates against them. But leftist activists do not take such an approach because it would not satisfy their emotional needs. Helping black people is not their real goal. Instead, race problems serve as an excuse for them to express their own hostility and frustrated need for power. In doing so they actually harm black people, because the activists’ hostile attitude toward the white majority tends to intensify race hatred.

​

1. If our society had no social problems at all, the leftists would have to INVENT problems in order to provide themselves with an excuse for making a fuss.

​

1. We emphasize that the foregoing does not pretend to be an accurate description of everyone who might be considered a leftist. It is only a rough indication of a general tendency of leftism.

​
OVERSOCIALIZATION
​

1. Psychologists use the term “socialization” to designate the process by which children are trained to think and act as society demands. A person is said to be well socialized if he believes in and obeys the moral code of his society and fits in well as a functioning part of that society. It may seem senseless to say that many leftists are oversocialized, since the leftist is perceived as a rebel. Nevertheless, the position can be defended. Many leftists are not such rebels as they seem.

​

1. The moral code of our society is so demanding that no one can think, feel and act in a completely moral way. For example, we are not supposed to hate anyone, yet almost everyone hates somebody at some time or other, whether he admits it to himself or not. Some people are so highly socialized that the attempt to think, feel and act morally imposes a severe burden on them. In order to avoid feelings of guilt, they continually have to deceive themselves about their own motives and find moral explanations for feelings and actions that in reality have a non-moral origin. We use the term “oversocialized” to describe such people. [2]

​

1. Oversocialization can lead to low self-esteem, a sense of powerlessness, defeatism, guilt, etc. One of the most important means by which our society socializes children is by making them feel ashamed of behavior or speech that is contrary to society’s expectations. If this is overdone, or if a particular child is especially susceptible to such feelings, he ends by feeling ashamed of HIMSELF. Moreover the thought and the behavior of the oversocialized person are more restricted by society’s expectations than are those of the lightly socialized person. The majority of people engage in a significant amount of naughty behavior. They lie, they commit petty thefts, they break traffic laws, they goof off at work, they hate someone, they say spiteful things or they use some underhanded trick to get ahead of the other guy. The oversocialized person cannot do these things, or if he does do them he generates in himself a sense of shame and self-hatred. The oversocialized person cannot even experience, without guilt, thoughts or feelings that are contrary to the accepted morality; he cannot think “unclean” thoughts. And socialization is not just a matter of morality; we are socialized to conform to many norms of behavior that do not fall under the heading of morality. Thus the oversocialized person is kept on a psychological leash and spends his life running on rails that society has laid down for him. In many oversocialized people this results in a sense of constraint and powerlessness that can be a severe hardship. We suggest that oversocialization is among the more serious cruelties that human beings inflict on one another.

​

1. We argue that a very important and influential segment of the modern left is oversocialized and that their oversocialization is of great importance in determining the direction of modern leftism. Leftists of the oversocialized type tend to be intellectuals or members of the upper-middle class. Notice that university intellectuals [3] constitute the most highly socialized segment of our society and also the most left-wing segment.

​

1. The leftist of the oversocialized type tries to get off his psychological leash and assert his autonomy by rebelling. But usually he is not strong enough to rebel against the most basic values of society. Generally speaking, the goals of today’s leftists are NOT in conflict with the accepted morality. On the contrary, the left takes an accepted moral principle, adopts it as its own, and then accuses mainstream society of violating that principle. Examples: racial equality, equality of the sexes, helping poor people, peace as opposed to war, nonviolence generally, freedom of expression, kindness to animals. More fundamentally, the duty of the individual to serve society and the duty of society to take care of the individual. All these have been deeply rooted values of our society (or at least of its middle and upper classes [4] for a long time. These values are explicitly or implicitly expressed or presupposed in most of the material presented to us by the mainstream communications media and the educational system. Leftists, especially those of the oversocialized type, usually do not rebel against these principles but justify their hostility to society by claiming (with some degree of truth) that society is not living up to these principles.

​

1. Here is an illustration of the way in which the oversocialized leftist shows his real attachment to the conventional attitudes of our society while pretending to be in rebellion against it. Many leftists push for affirmative action, for moving black people into high-prestige jobs, for improved education in black schools and more money for such schools; the way of life of the black “underclass” they regard as a social disgrace. They want to integrate the black man into the system, make him a business executive, a lawyer, a scientist just like upper-middle-class white people. The leftists will reply that the last thing they want is to make the black man into a copy of the white man; instead, they want to preserve African American culture. But in what does this preservation of African American culture consist? It can hardly consist in anything more than eating black-style food, listening to black-style music, wearing black-style clothing and going to a black- style church or mosque. In other words, it can express itself only in superficial matters. In all ESSENTIAL respects most leftists of the oversocialized type want to make the black man conform to white, middle-class ideals. They want to make him study technical subjects, become an executive or a scientist, spend his life climbing the status ladder to prove that black people are as good as white. They want to make black fathers “responsible,” they want black gangs to become nonviolent, etc. But these are exactly the values of the industrial-technological system. The system couldn’t care less what kind of music a man listens to, what kind of clothes he wears or what religion he believes in as long as he studies in school, holds a respectable job, climbs the status ladder, is a “responsible” parent, is nonviolent and so forth. In effect, however much he may deny it, the oversocialized leftist wants to integrate the black man into the system and make him adopt its values.

​

1. We certainly do not claim that leftists, even of the oversocialized type, NEVER rebel against the fundamental values of our society. Clearly they sometimes do. Some oversocialized leftists have gone so far as to rebel against one of modern society’s most important principles by engaging in physical violence. By their own account, violence is for them a form of “liberation.” In other words, by committing violence they break through the psychological restraints that have been trained into them. Because they are oversocialized these restraints have been more confining for them than for others; hence their need to break free of them. But they usually justify their rebellion in terms of mainstream values. If they engage in violence they claim to be fighting against racism or the like.

​

1. We realize that many objections could be raised to the foregoing thumbnail sketch of leftist psychology. The real situation is complex, and anything like a complete description of it would take several volumes even if the necessary data were available. We claim only to have indicated very roughly the two most important tendencies in the psychology of modern leftism.

​

1. The problems of the leftist are indicative of the problems of our society as a whole. Low self-esteem, depressive tendencies and defeatism are not restricted to the left. Though they are especially noticeable in the left, they are widespread in our society. And today’s society tries to socialize us to a greater extent than any previous society. We are even told by experts how to eat, how to exercise, how to make love, how to raise our kids and so forth.

​
THE POWER PROCESS
​

1. Human beings have a need (probably based in biology) for something that we will call the “power process.” This is closely related to the need for power (which is widely recognized) but is not quite the same thing. The power process has four elements. The three most clear-cut of these we call goal, effort and attainment of goal. (Everyone needs to have goals whose attainment requires effort, and needs to succeed in attaining at least some of his goals.) The fourth element is more difficult to define and may not be necessary for everyone. We call it autonomy and will discuss it later (paragraphs 42-44).

​

1. Consider the hypothetical case of a man who can have anything he wants just by wishing for it. Such a man has power, but he will develop serious psychological problems. At first he will have a lot of fun, but by and by he will become acutely bored and demoralized. Eventually he may become clinically depressed. History shows that leisured aristocracies tend to become decadent. This is not true of fighting aristocracies that have to struggle to maintain their power. But leisured, secure aristocracies that have no need to exert themselves usually become bored, hedonistic and demoralized, even though they have power. This shows that power is not enough. One must have goals toward which to exercise one’s power.

​

1. Everyone has goals; if nothing else, to obtain the physical necessities of life: food, water and whatever clothing and shelter are made necessary by the climate. But the leisured aristocrat obtains these things without effort. Hence his boredom and demoralization.

​

1. Nonattainment of important goals results in death if the goals are physical necessities, and in frustration if nonattainment of the goals is compatible with survival. Consistent failure to attain goals throughout life results in defeatism, low self-esteem or depression.

Hey guys! I just wanted to put up my own experience moving through this year’s Canadian Resident Matching Service or CaRMS cycle so that others have a bit more clarity into what to prepare/focus on for future cycles. Here’s a bit of my background in a nutshell below to give some context:
I am currently a 27M Vietnamese-Canadian studying abroad (CSA originally born in Winnipeg, MB but spent the majority of my life in Ottawa, ON) awaiting to start family medicine residency on July 1 in Brandon, Manitoba but started this journey back in 2015.
I originally did 1.5 years of my undergraduate degree in Biochemistry at the University of Ottawa before seriously deciding on medicine as my career path. During my 1st university year, I applied to different medical schools in the UK (I think only Cardiff + Bristol considered me briefly but still turned down in the end) but got rejected from them. I was only invited + accepted to the MBChB programme at the University of Buckingham Medical School which lasted for about 4.5 years starting from January 2015. I had also done 2 electives in Ottawa (one under neurosurgery and the other in orthopaedics) during my final year of medical school prior to graduation in June 2019.
From there, I entered into the Foundation Programme in August 2019 (equivalent of medical internship in the US/Canada), which I did under the West Midlands South Foundation School, with pretty much all my time being in Worcestershire county. I did my FY1 rotations at the Alexandra Hospital, Redditch and my FY2 rotations at the Worcestershire Royal Hospital, Worcester. During this time, I had attempted the MCCQE1 exam twice (failed at 202 in January 2020, passed at 236 in October 2020) and attempted the NAC exam once (failed at 390 in March 2020). Ultimately, I withdrew early before my last FY2 rotation in April 2021 to focus on my 2nd NAC exam attempt, gain some clinical experience/connections on Canadian ground, and sort out other personal issues. I attempted the NAC exam again in October 2021 but failed at 1364. After taking a mixture of time off to mentally recover with family support and studying for the USMLE step I via UWorld as a distraction from November 2021 to April 2022, I took up a few different private NAC courses in the following chronological order from then onward to figure out where I was lacking at up until my third NAC attempt (passed with superior performance at 1452 on September 17, 2022):

1. BeMo’s OSCE Preparation Platinum (all done virtually over Zoom; first session on April 11, 2022 and last session on August 28, 2022 for a total of 13 sessions).
2. TutorIMG NAC OSCE Live Online Course (all done virtually over Zoom; first session on July 21, 2022 and last session on August 30, 2022 for a total of 11 sessions over).
3. Medical Training Express Live Online OSCE Course (all done virtually over Zoom on July 28, 2022 and last session on September 10, 2022 for a total of 12 sessions).
4. Mark’s MedSckool Reviews (technically took last year in person from August 30 - September 3, 2021 and again virtually over Zoom from August 22 – 26, 2022).

After I received notification of my NAC exam result on November 3, 2022, things were pretty hectic as I was busy entering into this year’s CaRMS cycle preparing different things:

1. CaRMS documents (e.g. personal CV, personal letters, letters of reference/LOR’s, MSPE/MSPR, post-graduate internship regarding Foundation training, university & high school transcripts).

In total, I applied to about 105 different programs and 76 unique, personal letters to go along with them.

1. Additional exams (FMProC and CASPer) – wrote my FMProC exam on December 12, 2022 and CASPer exam on December 15, 2022 after registering for them separately.

I primarily used a combination of the PasTest SJT question bank (went with 6 month subscription for £4) and free, online practice SJT’s provided for Foundation Programme Applicants as per the UKFPO website while I signed up for BeMo’s CASPerSIM Gold (3x mock CASPer sessions with feedback from different assessors).

1. USMLE Step I (wrote on November 29, 2022 but had been revising for it again since my 3rd NAC wrapped up; was originally a backup plan in case I had failed the NAC for a 3rd time as you’re only allowed a maximum of 3 attempts).
   
2. F2 Standalone application – the application window was opening on January 16 this year and was preparing evidence of my previous Foundation training + securing my Reapplication to Foundation Training form from my previous Foundation School director.
   
3. Volunteer shadowing at local family medicine practice (managed to shadow a GP in Ottawa for both Canadian experience and fortunately an LOR in the end).
   
4. Mock interview scenarios – did not have any previous formal/professional interview experience so I practiced with a combination of family members, my previous NAC study partner, and BeMo’s Residency Interview Gold Program (3x mock interview sessions with feedback from different assessors).
   

I recall having my joint FM ON interview first on February 3 followed by my FM MB interview second on February 13 (both were around midday/noon).

1. USMLE Step II CK (after passing the USMLE step I around early December, I was intermittently studying for the USMLE Step II CK until Match Day on March 22, 2023).

I have already been in contact with a mix of people from both inside and outside Reddit regarding NAC practice and general info/advice around the CaRMS process. A good starting point about common, high-yield complaints to prepare for can be found on the MCC website under the “Medical Expert” tab. Outside of private NAC courses, I primarily used a mix of Dr. Basil’s notes (for focusing my history-taking approach), Geeky Medics/Macleod’s Clinical Examination (for structuring my physical examinations; focusing it down for NAC’s time limits came through practice), and the USMLE First Aid Step II CS mini-cases (for inspiration of mock NAC scenarios to do). I personally never used much of other mentioned NAC resources so can’t really say too much as to how useful they are:

1. Edmonton Manual, “Master the NAC” by Dr. Bryce Lowry
2. “NAC OSCE – A Comprehensive Review” by Canadaprep
3. “OSCE and Clinical Skills Handbook” by Dr. Katrina F. Hurley
4. “Canadian IMG’s Guide to OSCE and Practice” by Dr. Hanan Ahmed

The most important thing other than the following tips below would be to find ~1-2 regular, dedicated NAC partners you can study with and exchange honest feedback to each other with (nicely organized NAC partner spreadsheet (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/10Kk6YJtFKKn9IY3g96cC-rIWBQGyxtMUB9YQkAfND1g/edit#gid=0) with NAC partners made originally by u/MarinatedinPeace). Other specifics (ex. what can I bring?) around the NAC exam can be found on the MCC website but I generally recommend that ~3-4 months of time practicing 1-2x/week then ramping up to every other day (ideally everyday but I understand everyone has different backgrounds and recency of studying/practice) in the last 1-2 months seems to be a good time frame.
During my time giving advice about both, these were the most important points in terms of approaching preparation for the NAC exam that I've encountered:
​

1. Make sure you exhaust the presenting complaint(s) as that will ensure your following questions into the systems review (mostly for ruling in/out the 3-5 differentials on your list) + associated risk factors (i.e. PMedHx, PSurgHx, medications, allergies, smoking, alcohol, drugs, social living/financial conditions, occupational history, travel/immigration history) will be focused on what's relevant as not every section of a mnemonic needs to be asked (ex. SOCRATES, OCD PQRST AAA, COCA OCDCS, PM BINDE, MGOS, DIGFAST/MSIGECAPS).
   
2. If a patient is acting in pain, acknowledge it and try to address it on the spot if you can by offering pain relief with a follow-up question about allergies to ensure it's safe to give.
   
3. Counselling can be difficult as it's not a format many people are used to but you still need to take a focused history regardless so that your management options are personalized/tailored to the person in front of you (ex. do not discuss smoking cessation/NRT as a long term management option for someone you're counselling about asthma for if they told you clearly they are a non-smoker; do discuss changing to hypoallergenic soaps/shampoos if they have an asthma exacerbation triggered by a new shampoo they tried out 3 days ago).
   
4. Be wary that you're expected to rule in/out differentials (you should have ~3-5 by the time you enter after knocking) that you have considered outside the door within the time given (ex. don't stop asking other questions about PE, pneumothorax, GERD, or costochondritis even if the case sounds dead on for acute congestive cardiac failure).
   
5. Do not try to track the time on the timer in the room because it can be anywhere (the side, top of a wall, behind the SP/examiner) and your focus should be on the SP/examiner anyways.
   
6. Make good use of transitioning statements when moving between different sections of your consultation whether it's the history or physical exam (ex. after exhausting the presenting complaint, you could say "There is a list of other symptoms we look for in patients experiencing [insert their presenting complaint/issue if applicable] and I just want you to give me a yes or no answer, OK?" to transition to the systems review).
   
7. PLEASE show empathy and kindness when the SP is acting/says something unusual ex. SP appears visibly down in mood, poor eye contact, and slow in speech so acknowledge it, "Mr. Anderson, I see that you appear quite down in yourself. I want to assure you that everything we discuss between us will remain confidential unless required by law." This also applies to situations where the patient's most pressing issue is different from what's on the door (ex. door vignette suggestive of abdominal pain hinting appendicitis but the patient abruptly drops that they're pregnant).
   
8. Make good use of the time (about 1.5 minutes) outside the door to write your ~3-5 differentials along with any relevant investigations, management/counselling, and follow-up.
   
9. Don't forget to ask about vital signs and any pending lab work/investigations if a station has a physical exam component (ex. highly relevant to ask if vital signs are available and if a FAST USS + routine bloods have been done in a patient you suspect with a dissecting AAA just before you're about to start your physical exam).
   
10. The SP cannot lie to you however they can be vague or provide a different answer other than a clear, "No." ex. You ask the SP, "Have you ever smoked any tobacco or cigarettes in the past? and the SP responds, "Well, not recently that I know of, doctor." This is your cue to probe further about what they mean by "not recently".
    
11. Some NAC stations can be mean by giving you normal investigations in what seems like a highly suggestive history/physical in an attempt to mislead you ex. You complete your history/physical exam and your working diagnosis in a 3 year old child with 4-day history of fever, SOB, and purulent sputum production is bacterial pneumonia but you're handed a normal CXR (treat based on the clinical evidence gathered/known not on your gut feeling).
    

Same is true vice-versa where a patient presentation seems benign but then the examiner hands you an alarming investigation ex. 35F in ED has symptoms consistent with likely viral URTI but the examiner hands you an EKG that shows saddle shaped ST elevation in line with acute pericarditis.

1. Avoid repeating or leading questions as it wastes time, unless it’s to clarify something a patient says that you may not understand, and looks unprofessional (remember the CANMEDS framework expected for CMG's in your clinical approach; these are some ways I practiced phrasing my intro, "How would you like to be addressed today?" or "How would you like me to address you?" or "What name do you usually go by?").
   
2. You can place the exam sticky labels you get on the back of your hand prior to entering a station so you don't fumble/experience difficulty handing it to the examiner (?unless the MCC decides you can just verbalize your candidate code for the NAC this year).
   
3. Introduce yourself as a doctor not a medical student (you're assuming the role of a family/ED physician or PGY-1 resident on exam day depending on the scenario).
   
4. Don't assume a patient's mode of address/pronouns used. Ask them first how they would like to be addressed today.
   
5. Make sure to clearly wash your hands AT THE START of BOTH your history-taking AND physical examination.
   
6. Even if you feel like you messed up the previous station, try as hard as you can to push it out of your mind until the NAC is over. You can cry, vent, or get frustrated AFTERWARD but not in the stations themselves.
   

​
These next points are more towards preparing for upcoming CaRMS cycles from what I've gathered reading/listening around:
​

1. High MCCQE1 & NAC scores (most people who were invited for interviews, if not matched, to ON FM from the CaRMS 2024 Discord server and the CaRMS stats spreadsheet set up by Carms#5615 (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1HAtnmyfCIAxKIux2akj8-hgWGvPgOVejVlfEHXuUa-8) had QE1 scores > 250-260 and NAC scores well above 1420-1430.
   
2. Research into how CaRMS works to really have a careful look at the general overview, current year timelines, program descriptions, past trending data (may need to scroll down page further) in previous cycles. This will give you a good idea into what to have ready in time for the CaRMS file submission opening.
   

For reference, the rates of matching in R-1 as a current-year IMG was about 72.3% and 30.1% as a previous-year IMG according to the table on slide 11 of the CaRMS 2023 forum presentation. This goes down further in R-2 as a current-year IMG to about 39.0% and 12.5% as a previous-year IMG (about 751 went unmatched after R-1 and 822 went unmatched after R-2 for previous-year IMG’s).

1. Recent practice or graduation (my last time practicing clinically was in April 2021 as an FY2 doc at the time which was only 2 years back at the time of my application (my year of graduation/YOG was 2019 but I know that time since YOG or gaps in studying/training are scrutinized especially if they're big like >5 years so it'd be worthwhile having an explanation ready if this applies to you).
   
2. At least one Canadian LOreferee (seems a lot of university programs prefer applicants who have had clinical exposure in the form of shadowing/electives/observership with a Canadian doctor related to their field that you're applying to; mine happened to be a GP in Ottawa I connected to via family friends).
   
3. Personal research around First Nation/Indigenous Peoples of Canada (this one is very specific particularly to Manitoba as they had several questions around ethnic minorities + Indigenous peoples; ex. smudging as a common Indigenous practice that even I only became aware of via the IMG/IEHP resources provided by Ontario Health Force or [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])).
   
4. Canadian research and electives - at the time of application, I was involved in a systematic review around women's health issues (had not been published at time of application) and I had done two electives under neurosurgery + orthopedics (heard that observerships don't count as formal clinical experience relative to electives so this was important too).
   
5. High CASPer + FMProC scores (had 4th quartile score for CASPer and 516/4th quartile for FMProC which I know a lot of FM and some psych/pediatric programs look at).
   
6. Try to secure as many Canadian LOR's/referees as they're favoured over international ones (ideally 3 but even 1 seems to be good), shadowing Canadian doctors depending on where you're applying to (ex. FM has the biggest seat pool so reach out to Canadian GP's around you to see who's willing to take you on).
   
7. If you have the time and money for it, try to apply to as many programs and attend their relevant socials/events (can be found on CANPREPP closer to the opening of CaRMS) that you think you may have a chance at as you'll never know who might invite you later on for interviews!
   
8. Really rank by your TRUE preference as CaRMS will prioritize your rank order first BEFORE considering how other programs ranked you (Rural Brandon was my 13th choice out of 22 programs I ranked across FM ON + FM MB). Even if you ranked a program at the bottom of your ROL, as long as that particular program has ranked you and they still have an available spot, you will match to them in the end!
   

There's a YouTube video regarding the CaRMS Match algorithm which clears things up nicely.

1. Make sure to check your main email’s spam/junk inbox during the period where interview invitations/rejections are sent out as they can end up here sometimes (my joint FM ON interview invitation ended up in my spam and it is time sensitive to take it up).

In terms of the QE1, I think a lot of other people on Reddit have covered that much better than I have in terms of approaching it as I agree that a combination of UWorld Step II CK question bank (personally found Canada QBank questions and explanations to be lacking relative to UWorld in retrospect even if the price was much friendlier) and the Toronto Notes are the way to go. I also used Sketchy videos as a nice support for pharmacology/microbiology related topics.
Overall, I was glad to have had the opportunity to try for FM ON in the first iteration even if it didn't work out as I understand they only invite the top 300 applicants for interviews and even fewer of those 300 match (only ~80-90 from I heard but could be wrong so feel free to correct me). I understood the possibility my poor QE1 score and 2-year gap from formal clinical training may filter me despite my other scores being good.
I’m sure there are other things in this that I didn’t quite cover or explore (ex. the F2 Standalone process, IELTS/OETS, BC CAP/AIMG requirements, gaining permanent residency/PR, clinical/physician/medical assistant positions, CV/PL structure, thoughts around the different private programs/courses I took etc.) but I’m more than happy to discussing finemiscellaneous points via Reddit, Discord (herrdok#6944), email ([[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])), text, or virtual/phone call. For the time being though, I’m not taking on any new, regular NAC practice partners but would consider it once I figure out things more.
Otherwise, thanks to anyone reading this wall of text (if anything is incorrect/inconsistent, do let me know and I can have a look), looking forward to giving advice where I can, and best of luck to everyone moving through what is an extremely vague, challenging, and unforgiving process for matching into Canadian residency!😊

I know what you're thinking: no way; there's no chance Tim Duncan is the GOAT. He's not even the best player of his generation you might say. You're thinking there's no way Tim Duncan belongs in the same category as MJ or LeBron. If you believe this, there are three things that you'll probably bring up as I make this argument.

1. The Second Act: If you're the kind of person who rates players through spreadsheets, his career in the 2010s is statistically underwhelming.
2. The Peak: You might say that Duncan never had a real peak where he was the most dominant player in the league on a daily basis, like Shaq.
3. Greg Popovich: Duncan has always had Pop, arguably the greatest coach of all time in his corner.

I hear you, and I will address these later on in this post. First, let me address Duncan's stats and accolades.
Duncan's notable accolades from his NBA career are as follows:

• 5 Championships
• 15 All-Defensive Teams (8x First Team, 7x Second Team)
• 15 All Star selections
• 2 Regular Season MVP's
• 3 Finals MVP's

Duncan's 5 championships are more than Larry Bird or Wilt Chamberlain, his 15 All-Defensive selections are the most of anybody ever, his 15 All Star appearances are tied for 3rd all time, he has as many regular season MVP's as Kobe and Shaq combined and only MJ has more Finals MVP's.
Don't forget about his college accomplishments though, because remember: Duncan came out of Wake Forest after four years despite people like Jerry West who said he could have been the number one overall pick had he left after his sophomore year.
Duncan's accolades form his collegiate years:

• 3x NABC Defensive Player of the Year
• 2x ACC Player of the Year
• 2x consensus All-American
• 1997 Naismith Player of the Year
• Most rebounds in NCAA history.

These NBA and collegiate snapshots of his basketball career, should be enough to have him at the table of the GOAT conversation. You're not convinced yet, let's dig into some more numbers.
Here's where Duncan ranks all-time on some of the major statistical categories across his NBA career:

• Points: 16th
• Rebounds: 6th
• Blocks: 5th
• Steals: 158th
• Assists: 100th

These career totals, admittedly, are substantially less impressive than other players at his position, like Kevin Garnett (19th in points, 9th in rebounds, 18th in blocks, 18th in steals, 55th in assists), Karl Malone (3rd in points, 7th in rebounds, 70th in blocks, 12th in steals, 61st in assists) or Dirk Nowitzki (6th in points, 26th in rebounds, 53rd in blocks, 94th in steals, 155th in assists). And that's because you can't judge Tim Duncan's numbers like you can with most players. Imagine in 15 years if somebody said to you that Russell Westbrook was better than Steph Curry, citing how many PTS, AST, and REB Westbrook had. You'd laugh right? Because you know that numbers do not always tell the full story. It is impossible and irresponsible to discuss a player's ranking without mentioning the stats that exists, but by measuring players purely by their basketball reference page, you're leaving out context and the story in which those numbers were achieved. That context is what makes those numbers meaningful.
Such is the case with Tim Duncan, whose success and greatness transcends a box score. You can't judge Tim Duncan with numbers alone. The fact of the matter is, that if you ran a team and if you could pick from any NBA player that ever played the game, and your goal is to win, you would pick Tim Duncan.
Offensively, Duncan was dominant for his first ten years in the NBA. From '98 to '08, he averaged 21.6/11.8/3.1 while playing on one of the slowest teams in the league. In that span, the Spurs never ranked in the top half of the league for PACE. Adjusting his stats for PACE and looking at his stats per 100 possessions (31.2/17.1/4.5 with 3.5 BLK at 50.8 FG%), you're looking at a big man who was every bit as productive as any other offensive player in the league at the time.
You already know about his skillset. He was, after all, The Big Fundamental. He could pass out of double teams, face up and break down the defense with surprising agility, consistently knock down shots from the elbows, and torch any big man in the league with his array of moves in the post and suddenly imposing physicality. He could masterfully run a PnR with any guard with working limbs. And, of course, he had his signature bank shot, one of the most consistent and reliable shots of all time along with Kareem's Sky Hook and Dirk's fadeaway. Those skills never deteriorated throughout his career, except perhaps his last year.
This is where I want to attack the 2nd idea that his second act was unexceptional. His scoring numbers dipped in last 8 years, where he never averaged over 20 PPG. But, as the Spurs offense became more collaborative and free-flowing, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili shouldered more of that scoring burden as Duncan aged. Duncan's shot attempts fell, though he remained efficient. His skills hadn't waned; the Spurs just didn't need him to score 28 points every night. He retained his role as alpha dog during this stretch and contributed in other facets of the game. He could pick his spots, put his teammates in position to succeed, and save himself undue punishment and wear until is was needed. That's why in 2013, at the age of 36, he became the oldest player ever named to First Team All-NBA.
Duncan was never a prolific scorer, even in his prime. His game was never predicated on gawdy point totals like Malone or Dirk. With a different offense, he took fewer shots, and with fewer shots, he scored fewer points. In his last eight years, he remained a tremendous rebounder, was the go-to guy in crunch time, and the best defender, maybe ever. And this is what hurt his stats: the lack of flashy numbers for defense outside of blocks and steals. It's so hard to measure how much a drive was cut off because of his presence or a shot that was altered because of his contention. There are some metrics that attempt to measure this, like DRTG, Defensive Win Shares, and Defensive +/- , and while it is an inexact science, these measures do a fairly good job at assessing a player's impact on defense. Duncan's ranking in those metrics is unmatched:

• 95.6 DRT (3rd all time)
• 106.3 Defensive Win Shares (2nd all time)
• Defensive +/- (5th all time)
  These metrics along with his All-Defensive selections serve as a testament to how Duncan thrived when the opponent had the ball. Legendary basketball writer, Jack McCalllum wrote this for SI in 2016 after Duncan retired:
  

"Duncan guarded centers and power forwards (sometimes even small forwards) with equal success. And as the NBA became more and more of a high pick-and-roll game, Duncan accepted the extra responsibility of getting involved at the perimeter, while never abandoning basket responsibility. Nobody was better than Duncan at being both an advance guard and the final fortress."
FiveThirtyEight published this article in 2016, where analyst Neil Paine calculated career WAR values that took into consideration defense and offense, and Tim Duncan led the WAR rankings, by a mile:

1. Tim Duncan: 109.2
2. KG: 96.2
3. Karl Malone: 95.4
4. David Robinson: 89.3
5. Hakeem: 85.9
6. LeBron: 82.8
7. Kareem: 78
8. Larry Bird: 74.2
9. Shaq: 73
10. Pippen: 72.7

What does all of this mean? It means that Duncan was a tremendous offensive player, despite the lack of volume, and one of if not the greatest defenders of all time. In short, his value as a two-way player is virtually unmatched in the last 50 years of NBA basketball.
Enough with the numbers. I want to talk about Duncan when it mattered the most: the playoffs. You can look at any numbers, read any article, or talk to any fan who paid attention to the game at the time, and you'll come to the same conclusion: Tim Duncan was a killer in the playoffs. All of his most memorable performances came in the postseason, and more often than not, came in crucial games when his team needed him most. From his near quadruple double in 2003 to close out the Nets and earn his 2nd championship to his 25 point first half against the Heat in Game 6 of the 2013 Finals ten years later, there was never a moment too big for Duncan. Here are his playoff numbers, significantly higher in almost every category than he his in the regular season:

• Points: 6th
• Rebounds: 3rd
• Blocks: 1st
• Steals: 46th
• Assists: 33rd

His '99 championship run was phenomenal, where he tore through a young Kevin Garnett, the newly assembled Kobe-Shaq Lakers, Rasheed Wallace's Trailblazers, and the Patrick Ewing-less 8-seed Knicks on his way to being named the second youngest Finals MVP ever. His 2002 campaign was incredibly underrated, as he carried one of the worst teams of his career to 60 wins and outplayed Shaq before being beat by the two-time champs. His 2003 season was his best season, and we'll get to that in a second. Just know that his running mate, David Robinson, averaged 8.5 PTS and 8 REB in the regular season and that Duncan's 5.9 win shares in that playoff run remain the most of anybody in a single postseason.
In the mid-to-late 2000s, Duncan's Spurs remained a fixture in the playoffs against competition like Dirk's Mavs, Nash's Suns, and Kobe's Lakers. He repaid them with two more titles in '05 and '07. He also gave us one of the clutch shots of his career in Game 1 against the Suns in 2008 with this 3 point game-tying three pointer in OT.
Like I said earlier, in Game 6 of the 2013 Finals, at age 36, playing against Wade, Bosh, and apex LeBron on the road, Duncan put up 25 points in the first half. It would have gone down as an all-time series clinching performance had it not been for Ray Allen's iconic game-tying 3-pointer. Looking for revenge in the 2014 Finals, Duncan set the tone in Game 1 with the classic 21/10 game, while shooting 9/10 from the field. As his final playoff hurrah in 2015, trying to defend the title at the ripe age of 38 in Game 7 of a first round series against the Clippers, Duncan reached all the way back and put up 27/11, sinking crucial free throws to tie it, before Chris Paul hit a clutch, game-winning shot near the buzzer.
The same Tim Duncan giving the business to a 22-year-old Kevin Garnett, was the same Tim Duncan taking a 26-year-old DeAndre Jordan to school. Duncan was ready to win championships from the day he entered the league to the day he left. And I think that is why his peak is used against him as an argument for GOAT status. The fact that his championship window lasted his entire 19-year NBA career and that his teams were always somewhere between 50 and 60 wins meant that it's hard for any one of his seasons to stand out from the rest. And for some unfathomable reason, being consistently great is less of an accomplishment than being great for short stints.
Like I said, his 2003 season was his best, after leading his team to 60 wins and his 2nd consecutive MVP, Duncan eviscerated everything in his path as he tore through the playoffs. He upended the Suns, ended the Lakers 3-year reign as champions, and outdueled Dirk before absolutely torching the Nets in the finals. By the time he was holding the trophy, it was clear beyond a shadow of a doubt that Duncan was the league's best, most complete player.
Now, I'd be lying if I said that Duncan's peak was higher than Shaq's. But I also wouldn't feel comfortable saying that the difference between the two is great enough for me to lose sleep over. To me, the truth is that Shaq was so much more of a spectacle. To watch peak Shaq was an experience unlike anything else. To see someone of his size and stature move so powerfully and fluidly is still something of a miracle. To see Duncan at the peak of his powers was a lot like seeing him seven or eight years later. He was just a little faster, a bit stronger, and a touch quicker in his prime. But do aesthetics denote superiority? I'd say, no. And though Shaq in his prime was certainly a more dominant offensive player, there was never a time where he could match Duncan's abilities as a defender, leader, or teammate. The two are the antithesis of each other. Shaq loves fame; Duncan loathes it. Shaq would sometimes show up to training camp out of shape, often battle with his co-stars and finished his career having played for six different teams. Duncan took great care of his body, cemented himself as the cornerstone of his franchise, and is one of the most celebrated teammates in NBA history. Shaq left a little on the table. You can never say the same thing about Duncan. Shaq cared a little too much about what everyone thought of him, while Duncan couldn't have cared less.
Let's tackle the third criticism: that he always had Pop. To me, Pop is the greatest coach of all time, but he would be the first one to tell you that he wouldn't be here without Tim Duncan.
For one, Duncan can play any style of basketball, in any era. You want to go slow school, old-pace, dump it off to the big man down low, let him bang and be solid on defense? Titles. Remove the hand-checking and illegal defenses, increase scoring and start moving toward the perimeter? Titles. The league goes small ball, the pace explodes and shooting and ball movement is more important than anything? The largest margin of victory in NBA finals history.
Secondly, he can play with any team. Honestly, has any superstar done more with less? Jordan had Pippen his entire run and Rodman for the last half. Bird had McHale and Parish. Wilt had West and Hal Grier. Russell had Cousy, Jones, and Havlicek. Magic had Kareem and vice-versa. Kobe had Shaq and vice-versa. And LeBron has had Wade, Kyrie, and AD. Duncan's best teammates? Old David Robinson, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili, who combined for 5 Third Team All NBA appearances and 4 Second Team appearances during their time with Duncan. Parker and Ginobili are long shots for the HOF, and even though Robinson's in the HOF, he wasn't playing at a HOF level alongside Duncan.
Third, and most importantly, Duncan forged the culture of the Spurs. Pop was essential in acquiring players and reinforcing the culture that Tim wanted, but Duncan was truly the most vital component. The NBA is a star-driven league and finding a great player who hasn't gotten a coach fired is like finding a good Star Wars movie: they're few and far between. Not only did Duncan not get Pop fired, he let Pop coach him harder than any superstar ever. If Tim had ever thought to himself, "you know what I don't feel like getting my chops roasted in front of the whole team today because I didn't box out well in practice" he could have gone right to RC Buford, and Pop would have been gone - end of story. But Tim understood what Pop was about, and trusted him enough to be mentored in an unprecedented way. He set the example for his teammates, that no one is immune to criticism and that it's expected of everyone to leave their egos at the door.
In 2017, the Spurs SB Nation blog, Pounding the Rock, spoke to Sam Walker, author of "The Captain Class," a book which examines winning culture in team sports, from field hockey to rugby. In an exchange, Walker said this:
"[T]he book's main conclusion is that the only one factor that must be present in order to maintain greatness over a long period of time is the presence of a particular kind of selfless, relentless, independent-minded, publicity-averse, emotionally composed captain with strong communication skills. And that's Tim Duncan. Duncan was a pure example of the species."
I love Pop, but I have to believe that Duncan was the catalyst that powered Pop to be what he is now. This isn't Belichick-Brady where you wonder who made who. Pop is the greatest coach of all time, because of Tim Duncan. If you want to take credit away from Duncan by saying he played for the best teams, you might be right, but only because he made them the best team. He gave up touches, let other guys hold the torch, put everyone around him in the best position to succeed, and he enjoyed it when they did.
When I said earlier that the thing that hurt Duncan's stats more than anything was a lack of defensive numbers, I lied. The thing that hurt Duncan's stats more than anything was the fact that he never gave a shit about stats or awards. Ever. He wanted his teams to succeed and he wanted to win. That's it. Just read about how his teammates talk about him:
"The best PF ever! Thanks for the memories old man. A great player and teammate."
- Lamarcus Aldridge
"Sometimes all you NEED to say is THANK YOU....To the BEST EXAMPLE of a Leader, Brother, Friend."
- Bruce Brown
"Even tho I knew it was coming, I'm still moved by the news. What a HUGE honor to have played with [Duncan] for 14 seasons!
- Manu Ginobili
I don't think there is a more beloved teammate than Tim Duncan. In the words of NBA commissioner Adam Silver, "...his understated selflessness made him the ultimate teammate." Duncan was always the big brother. Correcting his teammates when they made mistakes and throwing his arms around their shoulders when things didn't go their way. He led in the most effective way possible, not with tweeting, bombastic words, or showy halftime speeches, but by example.
Of all the end-of-career farewell wishes, the one from his former teammate, Brent "Bones" Barry stuck out to me the most. He quoted Mark Twain, saying "'To be good is noble, but to show others how to be good is nobler and no trouble'; for your brilliance TD, I am grateful. For your skills as a player I am in awe. And for your friendship I am honored."
Milwaukee Bucks coach and former Spurs Assistant, Mike Budenholzer said to ESPN's Kevin Arnovitz in 2016: "The magnitude of that, the number of people in this league who have enjoyed opportunity or found fortunate spots in the league, you can trace it back to this one guy -- to the way Timmy played ball and the way he conducted himself. The 'culture' is Timmy."
The NBA is a league of superstars and dynasties - from Russell to Jordan, from Wilt to LeBron. We'll remember its history through its champions, and in the history of North American sports, no team has been as good for as long as the Spurs. San Antonio's success is completely unprecedented in the world of basketball. Aside from his lockout shortened sophomore season, Duncan won 50 or more games and qualified for the playoffs in every season of his NBA career. He finished his career with a win percentage of 71%, the highest of anyone, in any sport, ever. The Spurs run of success started in 1997, the year they drafted Duncan. Since then, he was the cornerstone, the engine of the franchise that has perpetually defined what winning culture looks like - in and outside of basketball.
And so I say again, if you could pick any NBA player from any era of basketball and your goal was to win, you would pick Tim Duncan. His abilities as a basketball player are what made him a superstar. But his consistency, willingness to be coached, love and support of his teammates, and humility are the things that make him transcendent.
I'll let Pop have the last word. This is what he said to the press after Duncan announced his retirement:
"Everybody always talks about who they'd like to eat dinner with, if you had one night and you could go to dinner or lunch with someone. Some people say Mother Teresa, Jesus, the Dalai Lama...I could honestly tell you, my dinner would be with Timmy. He is the most real, consistent, true person I've ever met in my life."

https://theblackwallsttimes.com/2023/05/01/entire-west-virginia-state-police-department-under-sexual-misconduct-investigation/
"The entire West Virginia State Police department is under sexual misconduct investigation after multiple lawsuits filed from dozens of women, including minors.
The Department of Homeland Security is investigating the West Virginia State Police department after serious allegations of sexual assault and misconduct, theft, physical assault, and cover-up and fraud have come to light.
A five-page anonymous letter was sent to Governor Jim Justice (R) in February alleging sexual assaults, thefts, and hidden cameras inside the women's locker room at the West Virginia State Police Academy.
A group of women who used the locker room at the West Virginia State Police Academy filed a "30-day notice of intent to sue" through their lawyer Teresa Toriseva back in March.
Toriseva has filed another "30-day notice of intent to sue" on behalf of the group of women, saying developments in her investigation reveal "an environment that's downright hostile to women."
Photos of women undressing in the locker room were allegedly shared between troopers.
The latest filing from Toriseva represents 42 women, including 10 minors who attended the Junior Trooper Academy.
We're finding and getting reports of sexual misconduct, including reports of improper sexual relationships with instructors. We're getting reports of physical assaults," Toriseva said. "Evidence of a cover-up, of fraud, not letting this become public, so to speak, to oversimplify it and that is a problem too."
In February, Gov. Justice said that he fully supported "cutting out bad actors," adding that law enforcement is a "tough job".
Homeland Security Secretary Jeff Sandy said "over the past few months, extensive work has been done by the Department of Homeland Security's Inspector General and other retired law enforcement officers employed by the Department of Homeland Security...The actions of a few should not tarnish the reputation of the organization."
However, it is the entire organization that is under investigation, not just a few."
​
The usual excuses are already being used, (see the ironically-named Governor Justice)- portray it as just a few bad apples, ignore/dismiss the systemic corruption and discrimination, and then talk about how hard it is to be a police officer, implying that this justifies officers' crimes. Just like when officers shoot an unarmed (often Black) person.
"Poor cops, they were under so much stress, they just couldn't help being predators and pedophiles."
The real issue here, in addition to the obvious misogyny and sense of entitlement to womens' (and underage girls') bodies, is the idea that those charged with upholding the law, and given extraordinary power to do so, should therefore be held to a lower standard than everyone else, not a higher one.
Police, by and large, are not your friends. They are, for the most part, powerful men in a culture which values toxic masculinity, with very little accountability, doing what powerful and unaccountable men have always done.
And these are the people who are going to be responding first to DV and SA reports.

Be a Freemason.
THE FAMILY OF FREEMASONRY
Beyond the symbolic lodge, there are a number of additional Masonic-affiliated organizations.
The three most well-known appendant bodies are: Shriners International 32º Scottish Rite Freemasonry York Rite
Each of these appendant bodies hold as its membership prerequisite that a man remain a Master Mason in good standing.
Shriners International SR Family 32º SCOTTISH RITE FREEMASONRY
Scottish Rite - Northern Masonic Jurisdiction Scottish Rite - Southern Jurisdiction Scottish Rite - Canada York YORK RITE FREEMASONRY
York Rite Freemasonry General Grand Chapter Royal Arch Masons General Grand Council Cryptic Masons The Grand Encampment Knights Templar
MASONIC YOUTH GROUPS
DEMOLAY INTERNATIONAL
RAINBOW GIRLS
JOB'S DAUGHTERS
OTHER MASONIC ORGANIZATIONS There are a number of other organizations in the Masonic family you can explore.
Allied Masonic Degrees
Council of the Nine Muses
Daughters of the Nile
Grand College of Rites
Heroes of '76
High Twelve International
Holy Royal Arch Knight Templar Priests
Knight Masons
Knights Beneficent of the Holy City (CBCS)
Knights of the York Cross of Honour
Masonic Order of Athelstan
Masonic Order of Pilgrim Preceptors
National Sojourners
Philalethes Society
Social Order of the Beauceant
Societas Rosicruciana in Civitatibus Foederatis (SRICF)
Society of Blue Friars
Tall Cedars of Lebanon
The Masonic Society
The Operatives (Worshipful Society of Free Masons, Rough Masons, Wallers, Slaters, Paviors, Plaisterers and Bricklayers)
The Mystic Order of Veiled Prophets of the Enchanted Realm
Order of the Amaranth
Order of the Eastern Star
The Royal Order of Scotland
UGIC, Red Cross of Constantine
Order of the White Shrine of Jerusalem
Ye Antient Order of Noble Corks
Ye Commemorative Order of St. Thomas of Acon
York Rite Sovereign College

I'm starting a job at MUSC and will be living in West Ashley just across the bridge. Normally I would bike or walk, but it sounds like the bridges are too dangerous for cyclists/pedestrians. There are a couple of bus route options, but curious how trustworthy the bus schedule is and how clean/safe riding the buses is. I'm trying to avoid driving as much as possible.
Side note: what's the oveunder on the proposed pedestrian Ashley River Crossing to actually get built?