Hello -
I wanted to take some time to get down my thoughts regarding the recent AFC Gamma earnings call and price activity since.
In my opinion the call was not positive and the tone didn’t have much optimism to it.
The transition of the role of President of AFCG was not discussed.
The, what appears to be deteriorating, status of a number of loans was not discussed. The $11M increase in reserves against loans was not discussed.
The questions asked by analysts seemed phoned in. I took 10 minutes to review management discussion and loan disclosures in the financial statements and easily could have had actual questions – not a few softballs.
___
Volume: Prior to the earnings call volume was in a range of 80-200k/day. Volume since the earnings call – March 7th 306k, March 8th 850k, March 9th 220k, March 10th 875k, March 13th 220k, March 14th 450k, March 15th 295k, March 16th 211k. That is 3.5M over 8 trading days. I am guessing that a lot of the selling is driven by the institutional investors not liking what they heard (or didn’t hear) and getting out. The call was on March 7th – discussions had at investment firms and orders to be documented and approved – March 8th sell-off.
Close March 7th 2023: $15.45
Close March 16th 2023: $12.33
Loss since call: ($2.12) or (13.7%).
During that same time NASDAQ (^IXIC) is up roughly 1.5%. That is a ~15% downside swing in a little over a week.
If you go back a month AFCG closed at $16.06 on February 15, 2023. Down ($3.73) or (23%).
Similar tickers I follow for industry news and general comparisons are IIPR, NLCP, REFI and SSIC. Different strategies but give a good picture of underlying cultivators/dispensaries ability to meet their financial obligations. IIPR is traded on the NYSE and has a market cap of $2.3B. NLCP is OTC and has a market cap of $300M. AFCG, REFI and SSIC are traded on NASDAQ and have market caps of $250M, $240M and $60M.
During the period from February 15, 2023 to close on March 16, 2023:
IIPR: Down ($8.59) or (9.4%)
NLCP: Down ($5.18) or (27.1%) [this is AFTER a $10MM stock buyback in Q4 22]
SSIC: Down ($0.25) or (2.6%)
REFI: Down ($1.70) or (11.4%)
I did not listen to the earnings calls but read some of the earnings releases and it appears a lot of the NLCP difficulties stem from tenants that are unable to pay rent as agreed. Typically in a REIT this would not be a major issue because another tenant could take over the lease and cash flows are only lost temporarily. With a lot of the space being leased by cultivators/dispensaries – the next best use of the leased premises would result in much less rents resulting in those leases being less valuable. Would AFCG be in a similar position if the deals started going bad? I would assume so.
REFI is probably the most similar entity and seems to mirror AFCG or AFCG mirrors REFI. Upon quick review of the 2022 financial statements there were no disclosures regarding troubled borrowers or any other items that really give pause. The have roughly $4M credit reserves and over 90% of loans are categorized as risk 3 or better (majority of AFCG are risk 3 with the remaining worse).
In general the cannabis industry is having industry-wide financial difficulties. There was a major rush to get up and running at various state levels to meet demand and a lot of companies that had no business entering the space were able to get financing at terrible terms. Cash was easy and the economy was pumping (regardless of whether or not artificially). Now reality is setting in.
Comparing price activity I would say a majority of the recent decline in price is driven by AFCG directly while 5-10% of that is driven by the market/industry.
CONCERNS:

1. BORROWERS: In my opinion this was the biggest issue with the call. Zero discussion regarding the current borrowers. Zero questions from analysts regarding the status of the loans. Zero questions regarding ability of the borrowers to stay current and meet terms as originally agreed upon.

During Q4 2022 there was an increase of $8.5 million to CECL and $11.5 expensed/added during the full year. These losses are added back for calculation of distributable earnings. Basically this is saying the loans are impaired and will incur losses – but we currently have the cash to pay a dividend as if the loans were current and performing.
At December 31, 2022 there was $14.2M reserved for CECL.
In Note 6 of the financial statements they break out the loans by risk rating. 3 is the best risk rating held by AFCG 5 is the riskiest. At December 31, 2022 there was $105M between category 4-5. Category 4 is defined as “high risk/potential for loss”. Note – all of REFI’s are Category 3.
At December 31, 2022 roughly 5% of all loans or 13.5% of Category 4/5 Loans were reserved for. Does this seem light? Given the struggles of the cannabis industry and borrower developments I feel this is low.
Other notes from the financial statements:
- Private Co. A ($1.2M): Non-accrual status ($1.2MM) that is fully reserved.
- Subsequent Events:
o Private Co I ($10.5M): January 2023 – Deferred upcoming principal payment. March 2023 – Deferred another principal payment and PIK a cash interest payment. Not good.
o Private Co K ($25.2M): February 2023 - Reduced loan commitment. Smart fiscal move by borrower but shows that the industry is slowing.
o Private Co B ($15.9M): March 2023 – Entered into a forbearance and modification agreement with borrower. Waive financial covenants. Not good.
Note: This is only what was required to be disclosed by the auditors. There was no additional discussion during the call. Unsure on the status of the other loans – assume they are paying current.
Between Private Co’s A, I, and B loans at December 31, 2022 totaled ~$27.6M. CECL reserve at 12/31/2022 was $14.2 million. Does this seem reasonable? Loans having significant issues are 50% reserved and nothing else on the remaining ~$250M portfolio?
Even if the borrowers are able to make regular payments – what is the plan when the loans near maturity? I would assume the loans have extremely large balloon payments that the borrowers will not be able to meet. Depending on the regulatory environment would AFCG seek to sell the loans? Would the terms/rates be adjusted and rolled into a new agreement?

1. STRATEGY: AFCG is now exploring opportunities outside the cannabis industry. Basically this shift in strategy is AFCG coming out and saying there are no sizeable opportunities in the cannabis industry and we don’t foresee any in the near term so we are going to try and put your capital to work elsewhere.

They took hundreds of millions of dollars of investor money under the premise of a REIT with a cannabis industry focus and are now working with a pipeline is not producing. Hopefully new opportunities arise and/or opportunities outside cannabis provide reliable/healthy rates.
If the team of experts produced a deal with terms that are having to be amended and concessions given less than two years into the agreement – what is to give investors confidence that these experts can legitimately vet “other” lending opportunities that won’t sour?
For purposes of my analysis I am not assuming any growth/additional lending subsequent to 12/31/22.

1. PIPELINE: As of March 1, 2023:

- Commercial real estate: $454M
- Cannabis: $245M
Leonard Tannenbaum noted during the call that it could take “months” before anything is completed. I would guess that means we won’t see anything before the next earnings call.
Also – with the recent SVB/Signature Bank developments – how has the overall lending environment been impacted? Will this change the due diligence process?

1. CASH FLOW: AFCG has ~$100M of creditors that get paid before a dividend is even considered.

In the financial statements it was noted that $60M was drawn on the line of credit at year-end and repaid January 3, 2023. I am not sure the purpose behind this but assume this is for a REIT qualification benchmark.
Distributable earnings is a non-GAAP measurement. GAAP earnings were $0.14 but due to addbacks (stock compensation and CECL reserves) the income needed for a $0.56 dividend was met.
$46M of unfunded commitments.
What is the plan for raising cash for additional lending? Would there be demand for AFCG notes at 6-7%? Investors can get 4% on government securities. The additional 3% is not worth the risk. Would additional stock be issued and at what price?
What is management’s realistic expectation of dividends in the future?

1. INSTITUTIONAL INVESTORS: Previously noted, volume has been through the roof since March 7th. My guess is a lot of out-flows of institutions. Where does that lead us? Unfortunately the 13-F for Q1 is not due until May 15, 2023. By that time the stock could fall another 25% and the 13-F shows the big-dogs left and only bag holders remain. An extremely uncertain time.

There was a post on Reddit where the user said “Tannenbaum bought in here – good sign” around March 13, 2023. Based on the detail on SEC’s EDGAR, Tannenbaum did not directly buy more AFCG. A related foundation purchased 50,000 or so shares as part of an equity agreement.
Leonard Tannenbaum owns ~3.5MM of shares of AFCG. 50,000 shares is a drop in the bucket (~1.5% of total investment). If $20.50 was paid per share that is a paper loss of $21MM. A quick Google search would show that he is extremely wealthy. $20MM of unrealized loss isn’t anything to scoff at but doesn’t hurt nearly as much much when your name comes up in billionaire discussions.
It is also important to note that the management and related fees are paid to Leonard Tannenbaum’s management company – owned by him and his wife – outside of AFCG. The $21MM of unrealized loss on the shares owned is actually significantly less if you factor in the amount of fees. During 2022 there were $15.7M in management and incentive fees. During 2021 there were $8.3M of management and incentive fees.

1. INDUSTRY: Obviously the cannabis industry is a big risk-on investment and there are going to be large swings in price due to issues like regulatory activity at the state and federal level. The investors expect to be compensated for this risk leading to high dividend yields.

Understanding the cannabis industry struggles right now - If AFCG’s borrowers are not able to make payments and need to amend terms to avoid default – how many of these leases and lending agreements that were entered into during the “boom” have terms that can realistically be met? How hard have the auditors pressed to realistically reflect expected credit losses? If reserves are light and there is a lot of trouble ahead – how does that impact cash flows (dividends)?
___
I have a cost basis of about $15.60. That would mean I am sitting on an unrealized loss of about (21%) - with dividend rates of roughly 15%. Understanding it is a difficult time for the cannabis industry overall I am OK with the risk and downturns – assuming dividends continue to get paid at rates similar to where they currently are.
I obviously have concerns.
I apologize for the massive post but I feel these are all valid questions/discussion points. None of this was discussed on the earnings call which I feel like should have been discussed.
Playing devil’s advocate:
- What if the 13F comes out and institutional holdings have reduced from 35% to 15%?
- What if the loans discussed in subsequent events continue to have difficulties and the Q1 23 earnings call the CECL reserve is required to be increased to 50% of the Risk 4 Loans (~$50M)?

This stand is not just a train, it’s way cooler than that
Stand Typing: 『Runaway Train』is a long range, sentient, post mordum, sub dimension manipulation. Please bear with me.
Category: Humanoid.
Stats
Power: C
Speed: A
Range: ?
Durability: C
Precision: A
Potential: E (post mortem’s should have like 0 potential, fight me)
Stand Ability:『Runaway Train』has the ability to, once being physically seen by a person under the age of 17(usually a child under 13, though) that is currently,or unavoidably about to be, kidnapped, or should leave the care of their current guardian, will be teleported to a place that seems to be a random spot on a rail that stretches forever. It’s actually『Runaway Train』’s sub dimension. This spot will have a lamp-post and one of those bus benches with a cover over it. It begins raining softly l after 6 seconds, getting more and more heavy every second. After the child has sat down on the bench for 10 or more seconds, the chugachug of a train can be heard faintly in the distance. The sound gets louder and louder, until the train is close enough to stop, releasing that hissssss of the break, with the fourth train car out of 7 being equal to where the stop is. After that, the train will open its doors, and the rain will seem to clear in a tunnel to the door. The door is quite high, so the child needs grab something to pull themselves up. When they get close enough, a hand outstretches. If the child takes their hand, they get pulled aboard, the train doors close. The hand belongs to the human disguise of『Runaway Train』 , a kind man named Hanks Allsburg. The child is sat down at one of the empty seats, and a ticket that the child will find in their pocket will be punched. The train will start moving, with the destination labeled “Neither here nor there”. Eventually the train will stop again, and if our child was meant to be getting off there, then they will either be dropped off at either where they live currently with time having been sped up 10 times the time they were on the train or at a relatively unknown orphanage without any time seeming to pass. They are dropped off at the orphanage if their home would not be safe, their guardians are no longer alive, or their guardian(s) are the reason that『Runaway Train』effected the child. The child can also choose to not get off, they won’t have to or be forced off, but they will never have another opportunity to get off the train again. Yeah, it is based on The Polar Express.『Runaway Train』can manipulate this this sub space in every way and quickly at that, due to its precision and speed, and can position itself so perfectly so that nobody but the child can see it and guarantee the child will see it, also due to its precision and speed. More so, if it ever feels it needs to protect the children from something, it’s speed and precision allows for it to make swift and weakening blows to weak spots with its arms or slightly slower and heavier blows with its feet.『Runaway Train』’s user died over 10 years ago, and at this point who he was no longer matters. His name, if you want to know anyway, was John Allsburg.
Humanoid Appearance:『Runaway Train』has the appearance of a tall bipedal humanoid with an over all metallic like body, with a dark green color around most of its body, with a wide head. It’s head is like a soap bar with much smoother, more head-like curving corners and edges. On the back of its head is four lines up rusty steam whistles you find on trains, three pointing down and one pointing up, that every often make a in-and-out whistle sound as some light blue-grey steam comes out of it. The front half of it’s face has bronze-yellow gears that twist continuously, like a machine, covering front half. It has a thin neck that looks way too small to support its larger than usual head, with two flat yellow conveyer belts longways on both sides, going in opposite directions. It’s torso is quite slender, with a grandeur bronze cage with barbed wiring on it. It’s torso on the inside is open, revealing elevator-like pulley system going up and down, with the inner walls being filled with gears twisting. It’s arms are quite slender as well, with sections of it being spiked with microscopic, but still able to pierce, spikes, lining it’s bronze sections. It’s hands are metallic and has 4 fingers, missing the ring finger. Its fingers begin thick and blocker, but become thinner the further you go, but it isn’t sharp. It’s legs are blocky and quite a bit heavy, being thicker the more you go down. It’s feet are separated in the middle, with the sides still being connected. This empty section is a lot like a double sided hydraulic press, with a crusher on the top and bottom, with a lollipop wrapper nailed onto the top crusher, and lollipop stick stabbed into the bottom one. The bottom of its feet converge into a slightly smaller square at the bottom, like some fancy chair legs have.『Runaway Train』is around 6’6 ft tall.
Train Appearence: On the side of the fourth car, where it stops to pick up the children, It says that it’s named the The Runaway Express. The Runaway Express has a likeliness to the Puffing Billy train model(google it) in appearance, with the green sections being replaced by a dark blue; the marine by a turquoise, as well as the bumps in the front being replaced by more steam pipes, near constantly blowing out endless steam.
Human Appearance: (Hanks from the voice of the Conducter in Polar Express,Allsburg is who wrote the “The Polar Express” book) Hanks Allsburg is a quite rotund older white man who appeared around 86 in age, with a grey beard and grey hairs connected by grey sideburns, with the common grandpa face. He wears matching marine red overalls and undershirt shirt underneath a checkers pattern brown and light brown sweater old men wear. He has old dark blue bowler shoes. He wears a sailors cap with the anchor replaced by a conductor train car matching the one at the front of The Runaway Express. He is around 6’7 ft tall. He is quite kind and caring in nature, and plays games with children on the train whenever『Runaway Train』doesn’t have to go out to save another child. When he does have to go, he will say that he has to do something on a different part of the train, before jumping off the train somewhere, bringing it to the real world, somewhere within 2 kilometers of a child fitting the conditions of『Runaway Train』’s ability’s activation.

press release

“The public is tired of annual political promises around the 4/20 holiday that have proven to be elaborate dog and pony shows,” says Adam Eidinger, co-founder of DCMJ and proposer of Initiative 71, which legalized cannabis in the District of Columbia. “Elected officials must actually legalize cannabis or at the very least ‘deschedule’ it by White House executive order in order to make amends for their failed policy that has locked up tens of millions of Americans, disproportionately Black and Brown people, for no good reason for over 50 years.”
As a community group, DCMJ is inviting members of the public to participate in the planned 4/20 Theater to be performed at the White House and Capitol Hill on April 20, 2023.

More info

I'm trying to run this program from a set of tutorials on PySide6 (link below).
As I understand it, the setMouseTracking() method should register that the mouse is moving over the MainWindow, event without a button being pressed, but it doesn't seem to. What am I doing wrong? (Python 3.11.2, Windows 10, PySide6 6.4.2) If this isn't supposed to work the way I think it does, is there a method that is triggered by mouse movement alone (without the requirement that a button be pressed)?
Thanks in advance for any insight you can provide.

import sys from PySide6.QtWidgets import QApplication, QLabel, QMainWindow, QTextEdit class MainWindow(QMainWindow): def __init__(self): super().__init__() self.setMouseTracking(True) self.label = QLabel("Click in this window") self.setCentralWidget(self.label) def mouseMoveEvent(self, e): self.label.setText("mouseMoveEvent") def mousePressEvent(self, e): self.label.setText("mousePressEvent") def mouseReleaseEvent(self, e): self.label.setText("mouseReleaseEvent") def mouseDoubleClickEvent(self, e): self.label.setText("mouseDoubleClickEvent") app = QApplication(sys.argv) window = MainWindow() window.show() app.exec_() 

https://www.pythonguis.com/tutorials/pyside6-signals-slots-events/

CoverVol.1PreviousNextMapsWiki+DiscordRoyal RoadWebNovelTapasKo-FiFandom/wiki
Good morning everyone. Just a few quick things.
Sorry to those of you on Reddit. I messed up the tags for Part.3 of Chap.150 and it didn't send notifications out from the bots. I went ahead and reuploaded the chap so hopefully, you got it then.If not here and you missed it, here is part 3 of chapter 150.
One, thanks to all of you who have filled out the survey. And to those of you who haven't and still want to, make sure you do so because I will cut the survey off on the 19th.
Link=https://forms.gle/bpqSdg2aEHBGnLKY7
Two, as I mentioned at the end of the last chap, I am taking a small break to recoup and get everything fixed up for the recap of Vol.6. I shall see you again on Thursday the 23rd for the Side Stories and for the final week of double posting.
I think the Side Stories are pretty fun this time, as we get some action, adventure, and behind-the-scenes events. As well as checking in on some others :D
Anyways, I hope you all enjoy this epilogue as we are going to get some action with our old friends in Hades Squad.
---
Year 2517, floating somewhere in Federation deep space.
“Heimdall, I don’t mean to question orders, but is something like this actually possible?” Apollo asked as he settled into his harness.
“Yeah, they are keeping us in the dark about this new tech. I don’t really like that,” Hephaestus added.
“And it almost killed you! What the hell is that, huh? They just expect us to—”
“Relax, Artemis, everyone. It’s as they say. I had the same concerns, but Suárez cured all my worries. I saw it with my own eyes. And the tech is being kept on the down-low for reasons just like this. Besides, we might all be freedom fighters and allies in this war, but we are still just soldiers,” I told them, wagging a finger at them.
“So it’s possible to rip a ship out of warp?” Apollo asked, his blue eyes piercing into me.
I nudged Va'cot. “Well, you tell them, won’t you?”
Va'cot nodded slightly. “The Council was working on anti-warp technology for many years, but as far as I’m aware, it never left the initial stages. They lacked any reliable power source to affect ships,” she said in her usual toneless voice.
“But now things are different, huh?” Artemis mused.
She’s right. Things are different now, and we experienced that firsthand.
The anti-warp tech was the real deal, and it nearly took my life. We got our first taste of it on the raid on that space station. I got hit by multiple bullets, and they all left nasty wounds that took an extended amount of time to heal. It was like they left a lingering curse on me or something like that.
It turned out it had to do with these new crystals the Federation found, and we managed to capture one on that very station. That’s why they were so hellbent on blowing it to kingdom come. They resembled the crystals everyone used for warp travel, but these new crystals were… different.
The crystals used in warp drives came in a myriad of bright colors and sizes. Some were as large as a man, and others could even get as big as a bear. It just depended, and as far as we could tell, the color never mattered, and the size just indicated how big of a ship it could move. Those were the only fundamental differences.
But these new crystals were pitch black and smaller, no longer than a finger. But they exuded some kind of sickening aura. The second they busted it out of its containment, I wanted to vomit, which was a new experience for me. The thing felt perverse and wholly wrong, like an evil artifact of some type.
But I’ll be damned, evil, god-given, whatever its power was, the thing was powerful. Two finger-sized crystals were enough to rip a ship out of warp, something that I wasn’t able to believe ‘till I saw it with my own eyes.
When I sat on the bridge of the Stormpike and watched a frigate get pulled out from warp, suddenly, I felt as if I had witnessed a significant change in the way of the galaxy, and I was glad the Council never got their hands on the technology. While in the warp, it was thought that a ship was untouchable until it came out from its warp point.
And it’s not like warping around was omnipotent. It had its limits, and everything had a cost. But regardless…
It’s a shame we only have ten crystals in total. We have no idea where the Federation got them or how many they have in stock, but we think it’s only a few, and they don’t seem to know about pulling ships out of warp yet. And we are sadly already down six. And two of them are about to be used to pull this mission off.
“Whatever, it doesn’t matter if we know how it works,” Artemis said, shrugging her shoulders. “If it gets me face to face with that old hag so I can rip her arm off and beat her to death, then that’s all that matters.”
There was a moment when none of us said anything. Typically it would be best to…steer away from that kind of talk before a life-or-death capture mission, but I felt that everyone was of the same mind. I think, given a chance, everyone would do what Artemis was thinking.
Well, maybe not Va’cot. She’s a good girl when she isn’t trying to slice someone’s throat.
“Now, now. You know we can’t do that,” I chastised half-heartedly. “If you killed her then everything would be for naught, Artemis.”
Artemis clicked her tongue. “Fine, one swift kick to the ribs oughta do it. I promise I won’t break her in half.”
I just chucked wryly. “What you don’t know is that we already lost life to get this information. I’m sure that person is rolling in their grave right after hearing you.”
Artemis begrudgingly nodded in agreement. “But is all of this information accurate? It’s so little, and we were not able to confirm it. Right, Heimdall?” Apollo argued.
I sighed internally but also couldn’t help but remark on just how much everyone had changed. Once upon a time, it was unthinkable for any of these people to question the validity of a mission. Sure, some gripes or questions needed to be answered for clarity, but outright skepticism?
Twenty years ago, that was unthinkable. Guess it all changed because of him, huh?
“Our ever lovely Suárez personally guaranteed that the mole was a trustworthy source. It’s taken us all this time just to find a single trace of her after the war, so this is all we’ve got. It’s now or never,” I explained.
Everyone nodded to themselves and relaxed a bit. It’s not like it would have changed anything, whether the mole was suspicious or not. We’d been waiting for an opportunity like this for over a decade by that point.
”Besides, I’m running out of time,” I muttered quietly to myself as I closed my cybernetic hands.
I had lost the use of both my arms the previous year. Every part of my body ached, and getting up in the morning was becoming more of a challenge with every sleepless night I went through. That was another thing: sleep.
I didn’t have to sleep all that much compared to a normal Human. Back in the day, I could go weeks without even a wink of sleep and still be right in the ol’ mind. But as the sand of my youth trickled down the hourglass, I’d wanted to sleep more than ever.
Getting old sucks. Suárez told me that I only had a few more years, even if I stopped what I was doing and retired for good. Not that I have any plans of doing so. I’m in too deep to go back to AJS and plant flowers with the kids again…
Well, it is what it is—just another mission.
I stood up from my seat and looked out at the four people in my squad. “As all of you already know, this mission is both critical and dangerous. We have forty minutes to succeed, thirty minutes for the warp drive to warm up after taking the ship out, and ten to extract. That also includes the time it takes for their comms to come back on and send a signal.”
I rolled my shoulders and cracked my neck. “I don’t need to remind you that we are far from any kind of backup. If we miss that forty-minute deadline, the two cruisers are to leave without us, and we are to sabotage the enemy vessel and go down with it”
Everyone nodded a single time. “Our primary goal is to secure the doctor alive by any means necessary. If things turn for the worse, we are to eliminate her along with the ship. The mole couldn’t give us concrete details on her security, but it shouldn’t be a surprise. We are expecting at least two squads of Gen 3s on a frigate, along with marines. The old doctor moves fast and light these days, which is good for us.”
“This isn’t going to be a walk in the park. We may have the element of surprise, but that will only last so long. In order to save time, we are aiming for the center of the ship while another squad will hit the lower decks. We split up and cover as much ground as we can on the upper floors and take the escape pods so we can get scooped up by our friendlies…” I trailed off.
Everyone just watched me in silence, so I just sighed and sat down. “What’s the point? Everyone already knows what to do,” I groaned.
I felt Va’cot’s pink eyes staring at me, so I turned to look at her. She nodded quickly and gave me a thumbs-up. I chuckled to myself and gave her one back.
At least somebody appreciated my recap.
Just then, the hue of the hull changed into a soft yellow. That meant it was time to get ready. Like the well-oiled machines we all were, we donned our helmets, grabbed our weapons of choice, and locked ourselves into our harnesses. The time for conversation was over, and it was now time for action.
In just a scant five minutes, the area was bathed in an ominous red light. “Readings indicate an inbound warp jump. Warp point being formed,” the ships onboard AI mono voice echoed.
It could have been a minute or an eternity before the cold metallic voice rang out once more. “Target acquired. Launching in three…two…one.”
The engines roared to life as I was thrown into the back of my seat. Even with my harness, I shook like a madman as the ship rocketed off toward its target. It was always a weird thing, being in a metal coffin about to smack into another metal coffin in the middle of empty space.
The only bright side was that it took the enemy's ship a few moments to fire at us. Thankfully it was standard procedure to power down weapons in warp jump as there was no need to waste power, and it took some time for even small-caliber point-defense systems to come online. And all we needed was those few moments.
Boom.
Crash.
Everyone rocked in their seats as the Tiger rammed into the enemy ship and burrowed its way through the hull using its plasma shield as a ram. Eventually, everything stopped, and the harnesses were quickly released. We stacked up at the front, and the room was bathed in bright green light as the gangplank smashed down.
We were in a long hallway, and my eyes immediately locked on a figure. He had just missed being crushed by the gangplank and looked up at me with teary eyes. I never heard what he tried to say as I crushed his skull under my weight.
Bolter fire thundered off as we mowed down hordes of people frantically leaving their rooms. We had landed in a barracks, and nearly all the hostiles were unarmed besides a handful with pistols. I watched a round ricochet off Hephaestus’s helmet, only for him to turn slightly and reduce the offender’s head into a pink mist.
We made short work of anyone who was still left breathing, and our squad split. I took Va’cot and headed toward the bridge while the others moved on to the ship’s armory and ammo storage. There was no conversation between us, we knew what needed to be done, and we all went about our tasks diligently.
Va’cot and I cleared room after room, hoping to score a lucky break, but all we ended up finding were those attempting to arm themselves or those hiding in their bunks. We didn’t have time to execute every single sailor, but a quick shredder grenade into each room was enough to paint the walls red.
The sound of heavy boots on the floor echoed in the distance, and I gave Va’cot a signal to cloak herself and hide in the doorway. Two figures, both towering over six feet tall and clad in sleek black armor, raced down the hallway with bolters at the ready.
Unfortunately for one of them, they got too close to Va’cot, and she deftly swung her plasma sword. The air hissed with plasma fire, and she cleanly separated the Death Commando’s head from his shoulders. Unfortunately for us, the second wouldn’t be so easy.
I fired two rounds, hoping to hit center mass and a leg, but the commando was quick on the reaction. He threw his body into a doorway and returned fire. It was only thanks to our new Elunari-equipped plasma shields that those bolter rounds didn’t cave in my chest.
The rounds tried to force their way through the shield, only to detonate harmlessly on the outside. My shield hummed from the strain, and I went into the adjacent room. I flicked my visor’s heat sensor on, a new tool courtesy of the Coalition, and I tried to track the Death Commando, but no dice. His armor was far too well shielded thermally to be seen through a thick metal wall.
But his gun’s barrel wasn’t.
I took aim and shot through the wall, tracing the barely visible smear of red. My shots seemed to be missing until Va’cot tossed a plasma grenade into the door. I watched as the small ball of red fire grew in my vision into a miniature sun until it exploded.
The blast rocked the room and kicked up dust, and I wasted no time in reloading and sending more rounds at the target’s last known position. I ceased my fire, reloaded, and counted to ten, waiting for any heat signatures or noises, but nothing came.
We checked and cleared the room, both enemy combatants were dead, but there was no time for celebration. We immediately went back to our search, and when we stepped into the hallway, a hail storm of gunfire barraged us. Rounds clanked and bounced off our armor harmlessly and the two of us returned fire.
The squad of unfortunate souls was reduced to nothing but their legs as rounds burrowed into their chests and exploded. “Marines and Death Commandos engaged. Two combatants neutralized,” I radioed.
I checked the status of the rest of my squad, and they were all green, as was our friendly squad. There were quick flashes of acknowledgements, and Apollo’s voice filled one of my ears. “Marines have been engaged, no Death Commandos,” he said quickly.
Huh, does that mean she is on the bridge after all? It was considered to be less likely, considering she is a researcher. Well, let’s find out.
Va’cot and I wordlessly continued our slaughter, meeting only the bare resistance of marines and crew members. Eventually, power flicked out on the ship, and the bulkhead doors slammed closed. But we planned for that as well.
We had plenty of pre-made charges to blow all the way to the bridge if need be. I quickly placed the charge and—
Boom.
Huh?
I stared in surprise. The bulkhead door was dented inward, but it still remained standing. Considering that we had the schematics, we knew very well what was needed to blow through these doors. We even added a bit more just in case something like that occurred, but to think they reinforced them that much.
“This means we are in the right place,” Va’cot said through our system firmly as she sliced the near-broken door with her sword.
“That’s one way to look at it,” I responded.
It took a bit longer than we had planned, but we eventually arrived at the door to the bridge. The place was sealed shut, and I had to plant multiple explosives to even dent the thing. It was also a problem that we hadn’t run into anyone since the doors started dropping.
“They are either all in here, or we are going to get ambushed when we—”
My words were cut off as the door opened slightly, and a storm of bolter and rifle fire smashed into us. My shield whined and flickered from the intensity, and we were forced to find cover only for grenades to be tossed at us.
The fragmentation grenades exploded and peppered us with shrapnel but left us mostly unharmed. I ended up taking a piece to the fingers in between my armor plates, but nothing that I couldn’t handle. I looked over at Va’cot, and she had a nice long gash in her visor. One of the pieces must have slipped through her shield and cracked it.
“From the pattern of fire, there is one bolter deep, one on the right and one on the left,” I said.
Va’cot nodded her head. “I will eliminate the one on the right.”
“I’ll aim for the left, and we both get the center,” I said back to her.
Our conversation ended just like that, and I immediately set the charges off on the now-closed bridge door. A powerful shockwave rolled past us, and the lights flickered on and off, and the warship rocked from the force. Va’cot tossed plasma grenades, and I threw in shredder grenades before entering, making short work of the crew and marines.
The flurry of hell we sent in was our cover, and we relied on our shields for any blows. I trusted Va’cot fully, so I didn’t bother checking if she was going to be okay. I swept my side, and it was clear with the bodies of dozens of marines and crew members ripped to the shreds. I found a Death Commando still standing on the left, albeit seriously injured but alive and with a gun raised.
The third generation had the lowest tolerance to Ambrosia of all the generations, but regardless of tolerance, if enough of the stuff was pumped into their veins, they were still dangerous. Despite missing an arm, he wielded his bolter from the hip and fired at me.
The shots impacted my shield, and I sent immediate rounds back to him. And he didn’t have a shield. Most of my shots bounced off his armor or didn’t penetrate deep enough for an injury, but one of them hit him in the neck. He dropped to the ground like a sack of potatoes as the round burrowed through him.
They just don’t make them like they used to. The Gen 3s are just so fragile compared to us. Too Human.
Va’cot was in a similar state as she had taken out her target, and a quick scan showed the middle Death Commando had perished before we entered. The room was now quiet, filled only with the groans of dying Humans. We moved quickly.
I turned heat vision on and confirmed five signatures hiding in the panic room. The door was locked up like a vault safe and was well hidden behind a panel. It was meant for situations like this, but it only worked if the boarders didn’t know of its existence.
“Cut it open. We can’t risk explosives now,” I ordered.
Va’cot set to work, and I finished off any survivors before standing guard for her. “Va’cot and I have secured the bridge. One Death Commando squad was eliminated. Doctor Octario has not been found, and we are breaching the panic room.”
“The lower floors are clear, no Death Commandos or targets. Planting charges on warp drive,” an AI voice said through comms.
It must be a species that doesn’t speak English leading the lower floor squad, interesting.
“We are under heavy fire. Resistance is concentrated at the armory. Requesting backup,” Apollo said calmly.
“We’ll be there in a moment,” I told him. “Va’cot, status?”
“Five Humans, three males, and two females. No elderly females in the safe room,” Va’cot radioed.
“Then let’s move to Apollo.”
Boom.
Boom.
Boom.
Boom.
Boom.
We made sure to raise the bulkhead doors and destroy the systems as well as any communication units before racing through the halls back to our squad. Resistance was minimal, only stragglers who had managed to arm themselves from their deceased comrades. However, the sounds of heavy gunfire could be heard as we approached.
We made it to a hallway that was a literal blinding flash of light. Sadly, scanning for life forms wasn’t possible because of the metal used by the Federation. However, we could see the positions of our squad mates. They were pinned down in adjacent rooms by gunfire.
“They are stalling for time. We have ten minutes, Sir,” Va’cot stated.
Yeah, I know…damn. To think she would be toward the armory. How annoying.
“Squad two, can you place charges on the lower deck at the junction to the armory?” I asked.
“Affirmative. Two minutes for placement,” the synthetic voice said.
“You heard them, return fire and keep them busy,” I said into my helmet.
I received the affirmative, and we continued to trade fire. There was no way for us to press forward safely. Even if we maxed out plasma shields and used external shields, we would succumb to this kind of concentrated fire. They even had a heavy bolter in place, which would make quick work of us if we were to rush forward blindly.
“Hey! What if those explosions kill that hag or blow us the hell up?!” Artemis growled into her helmet as she blew the head off a marine that peaked in too far with her railgun.
“We can’t be passive because we are running out of time. If the explosions kill her and ignite the ammo, so be it. Remember why we are here,” I told her firmly.
Artemis said nothing for a moment before sending a few more shots. “Yeah, I know! I just want my chance!”
“Charges are placed,” the voice called out.
“Do it now.”
Boom.
A quick shock wave rolled past us and rocked the ship, only for a fire wave to snake down the hallway. The gunfire was momentarily halted, only to be replaced by the agonizing screams of dying Humans, which didn’t last long. Instead of waiting for the wave to fizzle out, we all pushed through it with Hephaestus at the front.
The walls were scorched black, and the entire floor had been blown inwards. There were no survivors. We had to skate by on the edges to avoid dropping to the lower floors, and we quickly pushed through the junction. There was only token resistance left until we reached a sturdy vault-like door made of black metal.
Hephaestus peeked through the thick glass and ducked down before a round echoed off the metal. “There are people in there, two Death Commandos and a handful of crew members. And so is she.”
“Target located. She is holed up in the armory,” I radioed in.
“Understood. Warp drive charges are set. We are prepping for extraction and shall take the furthest escape pods from you. There are less than ten minutes remaining, Commander,” the synthetic voice said.
Yeah, I know…damn this is gonna be a pain.
“Well, it looks like the ammo didn’t cook. Sucks for her,” Artemis spat.
“No explosives. We’ll kill her for sure. We have little time. Do we retreat?” I asked them.
Four heads turned to me, and they all looked at each other and then back at me. “I have no plans of going back now,” Apollo said firmly.
“Aye, aye, I’m with him,” Hephaestus agreed as he moved to cover us.
Artemis was already back to cutting a hole in the door. “You already know my answer. This is what I signed up for. Either I’m killing her, or she is coming with us, no in-between.”
I looked at Va’cot, but all I could see was the reflection in her blue visor. “I would like to help everyone,” she said with a nod.
“Well, then it’s settled, I guess. Let’s nab her,” I said with a chuckle and shrug.
“Don’t worry. These bastards are dead. I don’t need explosives to kill them,” Artemis stated with conviction.
“Then we will cover you,” I said as I nodded to Va’cot.
“Hey, big guy! I’m gonna need you to rip this door off in a minute. Can you do it!?” Artemis yelled, purposely letting her voice out through her helmet and into the room.
“Yeah, probably,” Heph said with a shrug.
Artemis never stopped working on the door as she clicked her tongue. “Probably?! What the hell are we feeding you for, huh?! You can’t be that big for nothing!”
We all fired down the hallway as a few stragglers attempted to ambush us. Artemis’s yells must have forced them out of hiding and given them some false hope. Nevertheless, we made short work of them.
“Now then…time to die,” Artemis mumbled to herself as she sat on her butt and forced her railgun into the hole.
Her weapon came to life and crackled with red lightning. The air around her whizzed with power as she fired off two thunderous shots in quick order and pulled the rifle out.
“Both the DCs are dead. Just the grunts left,” Artemis said as she made room for Hephaestus.
The giant of a man dug his hand into the door frame and began to yank. It was impressive, to say the least. Those doors were meant to stop the explosion of ammo being cooked off, yet he was ripping them off the hinges slowly but surely.
“There are five minutes remaining,” Va’cot stated in her toneless voice.
“You’re—not—helping! Va’cot!” Heph said through gritted teeth.
“If I were to stand there, I would only get in the way. You are too big,” she stated.
That was… rhetorical, well, whatever.
Rip.
Hephaestus’s muscles bulged, and the door started to pry open. Once he got enough of a purchase, he forced his entire hand into it and peeled the door back like a can of sardines and tore it straight off the hinges, tossing it down the hall with ease.
“Damn, that hurt,” Hephaestus grumbled as gunfire bounced off his armor.
A few quick shots and the rest of the combatants were eliminated. The only people left were the cowering crew in the corner and a lone elderly woman in a dirty blood-splattered lab coat standing tall before us.
She glared at us with eyes that said she was more annoyed than anything. It was almost like she was a mother that came home only to see something disappointing. It made me want to punch her in the throat.
The first to reach her was Artemis. Her leg moved so swiftly that I nearly missed it, and I didn’t even have a chance to stop her. Doctor Octario rocked to the side like a bow and was launched like an arrow into the wall and was promptly knocked unconscious.
“That was for the Commander,” Artemis said, her voice cold and devoid of even rage.
There is a big difference between thinking and doing things, Artemis! But I have no time to complain!
“Grab her, and let’s move. We are running out of time,” I ordered calmly.
Apollo instantly injected the doctor with a syringe and tossed her over his shoulder before I could even finish the sentence. Time was not on our side, and we ran as fast as our legs could take us to the nearest escape pods.
We ignored the marines attempting to block our way with bolter fire, and we piled into a pod that was not meant for this many people or even people of our sizes. Hephaestus was the last in and the poor guy barely fit, but the second he cleared the door, I smashed the button to launch us.
“Stern side! Launching now!” I barked into the radio.
Our bodies rocked violently as the pod jettisoned into the void of space. I peeked out the front glass and saw multiple warp points forming in the inky blackness. The distress signal was sent. And an entire fleet was descending on us. But a shadow quickly loomed over us, and we were jostled again, caught by our friendly ship.
“We are reeling you in, Hades Squad! Get ready for a warp jump the second you get inside!” the captain yelled at us.
“Wait! We are packed in here like sardines. We are screwed if you jump!” Artemis yelled back.
“Too bad! We are jumping, soldiers! You’ll live!” he yelled back.
Damn, this is not going to be fun. I’m going to need a new spine after this. Well, mission accomplished, I guess.
​

Next

Aside from short and vague press releases?
Musically I can understand there being motivation to split-up, but since Alex was absent from the Rhapsody reunion tour a few years ago and with Fabio "switching sides", maybe there is more to it?
Does anyone know?

After the lessons were done, Ichika went to his room without saying a word to any of the other students. To say that this day was a complete and utter mess was an understatement. Kicked around by his own sister, stared down like an animal by those girls and having to deal with some snobby British lady thinking she was superior to him just because she knew how to fly a fancy suit.
If he had to deal with any other shenanigans in this monstrosity of a school, he swore he was going to kill someone. That being said, after walking for a while, he reached his room and was about to insert the key.
But he noted something strange about it. « Eh, that's strange? The door’s unlocked. » he commented, before sighing annoyed. « I’m gonna have a lovely talk with the ones organizing the rooms. »
Ichika entered the room, and immediately saw something he didn’t like. 2 large beds, arranged side by side. Something was also missing. Ichika pinched his nose annoyed as he realized what was going on, but before he could exit, he heard a voice.
«Is anyone there? » a voice asked. «Ahh, you're my roommate, right? Please take care of me from this year on. »
He had a bad feeling about this, as he sighed hard.
«I was using the shower, so I'm sorry for looking like this. My name is Shinonono— »
«—Houki. » Ichika said with an annoyed tone. The one who came out from the bathroom was his childhood friend, Houki.
She had just finished showering, and now walked out of the bathroom. It seems like the bathroom was constructed to be both a shower and a changing room. And without confirming that the other person was a girl, Houki had walked out with only a towel wrapped around her.
Below the edges were the naked and tender thighs; and seemingly indicating that she had just showered, the water droplets... skirted down her legs. Healthy white skin is a real eye-opener.
Above that was her slender body that had been rigorously trained, and Ichika could see it even though she had a towel on. Pressing a hand in front of her chest, the large breasts behind her towel were lifted up.
«...»
Houki was shocked. Ichika was pissed.
«I-I-Ichika-»
«Excuse me for a second there, darling. I think I have to make a phone call. » Ichika hissed out, before storming out of the room.
Once outside, he pulled out his phone and made a phone call to the academy secretariat. « On the phone. Get her on the phone! I want her on the phone RIGHT NOW! »
Before the secretary could utter a word, a familiar voice responded. « Something the matter, Orimura. » it was the voice of Chifuyu, who didn’t seem pleased.
« Sis what the fuck is this? » Ichika demanded, an angry look on his face.
« I assume you refer to your room accommodation, right? » Chifuyu sighed.
« Why the fuck am I sharing a room with Houki? »
« There have been issues regarding your room. You should get your own accommodation in a week. »
« You mean I have to share a room with a fucking girl which only knowledge about guys are some gay comics!? ARE YOU HIGH!? » Ichika exclaimed angrily.
« Why, as a male, this could be a pleasant experience. » Chifuyu teased.
« Pleasant my fucking ass! And where’s my stuff!? My super computer!? My miniature collection!? »
« They will also be placed in your definitive room in a week. »
Ichika remained silent, fuming. « You’re fucking we me, ain’t ya? » he finally said, with venom in his voice.
« Perhaps in this week you’ll learn some respect, brat. This is no appropriate way to either talk to a teacher, nor your elder sister. » Chifuyu said sternly.
« Yeah! You’re right! Maybe in a week I’ll learn how to PROPERLY SHOVE MY FIST IN YOUR ARSE! » Ichika roared out, closing the call and being on the verge of tossing it on the ground.
Instead, he took heavy breaths to calm down.
But as he did, he noticed several girls having come out of their rooms to see what the ruckus was about. An angry grimace formed on Ichika’s face. « Wacha lookin’ at, twats? » he hissed out, causing the girls to run back to their dorms.
Sighing hard, Ichika banged the door of his room hard with his good hand. « Oi! You done there!? »
The only response he got from inside was silence. After a while, however, Houki opened the door.
«...Come in. »
«Thanks. » Ichika said annoyed.
The door opened, and Houki was wearing kendo attire. It looked like these were the only clothes she could put on quickly. Truthfully, since she had been hasty in putting them on, she hadn't managed to tie her belt properly.
But as Ichika entered, he noticed something from Houki
A fierce glare. Ichika was glared at. Houki sat down the bed, clearly wanting do deal with the boy.
«What? » Ichika hissed angrily.
«...»
Looking rather angry, Houki quickly tied her wet hair back into a ponytail.
«So, you said that you're my roommate? »
«For a week, yes. Thank sis for that. »
Ichika was glared at. This girl, her eyes were as sharp as bamboo. Really alert and piercing.
«What-, what's your purpose? »
«Huh? »
«I'm asking what you were thinking? Boys and girls can't share the same bed after they turn 7, it's common sense! »
« Houki, by the holy Emperor, what the fuck are you talking about? »
«Wa, wa, wa...! »
«Wa? »
«Was it because you asked for this...? To be in my room... »
Ichika looked at the girl with a deadpan look on his face. «That's the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard in my life! »
But before he could continue his argument, Houki threw a bokken at him.
Ichika barely managed to dodge, the wooden sword stuck on the wall by the sheer strength of the impac. A close call. It was really a close call situation that he had dodged the bokken, and there would be a fatality if it had hit.
«Stupid... you're saying that's stupid? So it's like that huh, like that... » her expression was scary.
«..." Ichika just stared at the bokken in pure shock, before turning towards her, a furious look on his face.
« WHAT THE FUCK, HOUKI!? » Ichika roared out. Houki was momentarily shocked by Ichika’s outburst, but kept her composure. « WHERE YOU TRYING TO FUCKING KILL ME!? YOU GOD DAMN KENDO WHORE! »
Houki looked at Ichika shocked. She clearly did not expect such a response from him. « Y-you’ve changed! The Ichika I knew would never call me that! »
Ichika simply spat on the ground. « Goodie shoes Ichika is dead, ya slang. Killed by good ol’ sis. If you think I’m gonna let you hit me with a fucking stick because I’m not the perfect little fuckboy I was, you’re fucking wrong. Don’t you DARE attacking me, cunt! »
Houki glared at him angrily. Clearly she didn’t like the answer. «H-how dare you! I'll execute you right now! »
Houki darted forward to grab her bokken, before charging at Ichika. The boy managed to dodge the attack, Houki striking the nearby wall with so much strength the wooden sword pierced it.
But before she could pull it out, Ichika grabbed her pony tail, pulling her head back before placing something on her throat.
A pocket knife blade. Whilst not big enough to kill someone in one strike, he could very well slit her throat before she could even react.
All of Houki anger vanished, as her face became pale and her eyes looked as best as they could at the blade in terror. She was in utter shock, not believing that Ichika would be willing to slit her throat.
But as her eyes turned toward the boy, all she could see was a grimace, Ichika’s eyes darkened by a shadow caused by his hair. He was definitely going to kill her.
« Yeah, not so fun when YOU are on the other side of the blade. » Ichika said angrily. « And unlike that sluggish thing? This I can hide well. »
The confrontation lasted for a couple of seconds, before Ichika eventually let go. Houki felt on her knees, never before having to face such a life-or-death situation. She slowly turned toward Ichika, who simply sat on his bed. The boy simply sighed.
« Look. It’s only a week. One bloody week. Is it that hard to handle? I have to deal with three fucking years of this bullshit! » Ichika tried to reason with the girl.
«Y-you tried to kill me! » Houki shot back.
« Oh pu-lease! I won’t kill you. I don’t want to deal with sis. »
«S-so if it wasn’t for Chifuyu, you would have killed me!? »
« YES! As were you. » Ichika shot back.
Houki looked at Ichika outraged. « I-I would never- »
« Houki. Look behind you. » Ichika said with a serious tone, one so cold that it could match his sister.
As Houki did so, she saw the hole she created on the wall. A mortified look formed on her face.
« Yup. That wall could have been my fucking skull, you katana-wielding-psychopath. » Ichika said sternly.
Before Houki could apologize, Ichika glared at her hard, causing her to wince in fear. « But if you ever pull that shit again, I swear to god, you’ll wish for the sweet release of death. » the boy then said.
He then motioned his thumb at the door. « Now get the fuck out. I’m getting changed for bed. I had an awful day and something tells me tomorrow is going to be just as bad. » he commanded.
Houki glared at him for a few seconds, before doing as he said.
« By the way, honey. Nice fucking tits. » Ichika then commented, seconds before she could get out.
Houki blushed and grumbled angrily at the comment, knowing that attacking him was no use.

The Ultimate Rocky ’76 Guide
This is the ultimate guide for Rocky ’76. Due to the large number of questions, this scenario is rather RNG dependant, leading to variable outcomes. These guides aren’t 100% guaranteed to get the listed number of electoral votes, but they make the listed numbers of Electoral Votes somewhat likely.
Romney will get you 382 Electoral Votes with good RNG, possibly up to 409 if you get perfect RNG.
Hansen has two possible strategies you can go for. You can consistently get 358 Electoral Votes, or you can go for a more RNG dependant path that can usually get you around 387 Electoral Votes (but in a perfect RNG Scenario, you can get as high as 416).
VP: Romney
Visits: 11 in Pennsylvania, 8 in Washington, (potentially take a rally away from one of these states if Connecticut, Hawaii, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan or Missouri get too close for comfort)
​

1. ’Mrs. Ford, I’m-I’m so sorry. My God. Jerry was a good man.’
2. This goes beyond politics. I want to talk about Jerry’s life, his dedication to his family and to his work, and our personal relationship.
3. George Romney’s leadership during the 1967 Detroit riots shows he is more than capable of handling crises and disorder, and his volunteerism and devotion to his church exemplifies how he is a model citizen. He will assist my administration greatly in this uncertain time, and will be an excellent Vice President.
4. John Paul Stevens: He’s a liberal Republican like myself who writes eloquent decisions and is very uncontroversial.
5. ANY ANSWER
6. ANY ANSWER
7. Of course I will. Ron’s a good friend and a good Republican, even if we disagree on a lot of issues. Besides, we need to mend fences after such a divisive primary. (9081)
8. As the late President Ford said, this is a time to heal. I am dedicated to reuniting our great country and moving past the trials and tribulations of the past decade. Together, we will move our nation through this long national nightmare of ours into a better tomorrow.
9. This definitely throws a wrench into our campaign, but I’m not worried. We’ll beat them, we’ll beat Brown, and we’ll get ourselves another four years in the White House.
10. I am the President and we ought to exploit that fact. Let’s show myself presiding over the Bicentennial, meeting with world leaders like Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, and overall looking like a President.
11. President Ford’s pardon of former President Nixon was a tough call, but I feel that it was the right call to help our nation move on. I will continue to move our nation past this scandal in the manner President Ford would have done.
12. I’d rather not talk about this.
13. George should respond to this himself. He’s the one being attacked and he’s far more well versed on this topic than I’ll ever be.
14. I support the passage of this Amendment, and think it is a good thing for America.
15. This is a good idea, I will hold a press conference to make this announcement.
16. This is not my decision given the recent Roe v. Wade ruling. I will continue to uphold the Supreme Court’s ruling as President.
17. 9029
18. I will issue an executive order providing conditional amnesty for draft evaders. Those who dodged the draft must reaffirm their allegiance to the US and either work in a public service job for two years or serve two years in the military.
19. Let’s continue to stay quiet. Helms will point this out for us anyways, and taking a clear stand would be too alienating.
20. I don't support cuts, to be sure, but neither do we need increases. We have made great strides in reducing tension with the Soviet Union.
21. While this definitely shook me, let’s not harp on this too much. Let’s just make a statement assuring the public I am okay and watch Brown’s numbers drop.
22. 3558
23. Let’s just be honest and talk straight to the people. I apologize profusely for giving this profane gesture. It was very unbecoming of a President and I let my temper get the best of me in that moment.
24. I’m definitely getting older, but actions speak louder than words. Let’s film myself working in the Oval Office to show I am still up to the job. (3554)
25. We are in a good position to intervene as a neutral arbiter to secure a peaceful transition of power in both Angola and Rhodesia. I will invite leaders from both sides of the aisle to the US to begin negotiations.
26. Let’s have Romney privately apologize to Brown. It will look less performative and will humanize us if Brown releases the letter. OR Honestly, does George even need to say anything? Let’s just move on, we don’t need to worry about this.
27. This is an issue I would have to consider more closely over the next couple of years. Let's see how the current negotiations go.
28. The reason behind the 1973 Crisis was the conflict between Israel and the Arab World. I pledge to help mediate a lasting peace to this conflict by bringing together both sides for negotiations so we avoid another OPEC boycott.
29. President Ford was trying to support South Vietnam following the North’s incursion, but Congress blocked it. I will continue his policy of funding anti-communist groups in Southeast Asia while imposing an embargo of Vietnam to counter the growth of communism in the region.
30. 8434
31. I am a proponent of right-to-work laws, and believe more states should enact them. There’s no question unions have grown too powerful in recent years.
32. We don’t want to mention them, but let’s emphasize some of our more socially liberal ideas to keep those voters on our side.
33. I support our space program, but we have bigger issues at the moment. We need to focus on other problems like the economy and crime, not some theoretical solar satellite.
34. Let’s attend, but we must be tough on the Soviets. Let’s push for an explicit recognition of Baltic independence by all in attendance to show American commitment to those oppressed by communism in Eastern Europe.
35. Republicans have been saying this long before Brown and the Democrats have. I’m not opposed to immigration, but we already have an unemployment issue and this Act exacerbates that.
36. If Happy is okay with it, we should do a joint interview to talk about our marriage and our family life. Hopefully this puts the issue to rest.
37. Israel is one of our strongest allies, and changing our entire policy in the Middle East due to one instance of pressure will make us look weak. My administration will continue aiding Israel and will oppose any attempts to undermine their sovereignty.
38. As Governor of New York, I doubled the size of the state police and established the New York Police Academy. With more law enforcement, we can better deal with this swell in crime.
39. This was a great legislative achievement. Inflation has decreased significantly since this act passed and millions of new jobs have been created.
40. The Midwest is critical. We'll hit as many states as we can between Iowa and Ohio.

VP: Hansen
358 Visits: 6 in Georgia, 5 in Hawaii, 4 in Illinois, 4 in New York
Potential 416 Visits: 12 in California, 5 in New York, 2 in Illinois
​

1. ’Mrs. Ford, I’m-I’m so sorry. My God. Jerry was a good man.’
2. This goes beyond politics. I want to talk about Jerry’s life, his dedication to his family and to his work, and our personal relationship.
3. Clifford Hansen has always fought hard for the small towns and communities of this country and truly feels their concerns. I am confident he will be an excellent Vice President.
4. John Paul Stevens: He’s a liberal Republican like myself who writes eloquent decisions and is very uncontroversial.
5. ANY ANSWER
6. ANY ANSWER
7. Of course I will. Ron’s a good friend and a good Republican, even if we disagree on a lot of issues. Besides, we need to mend fences after such a divisive primary. (9081)
8. As the late President Ford said, this is a time to heal. I am dedicated to reuniting our great country and moving past the trials and tribulations of the past decade. Together, we will move our nation through this long national nightmare of ours into a better tomorrow.
9. This definitely throws a wrench into our campaign, but I’m not worried. We’ll beat them, we’ll beat Brown, and we’ll get ourselves another four years in the White House.
10. I am the President and we ought to exploit that fact. Let’s show myself presiding over the Bicentennial, meeting with world leaders like Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, and overall looking like a President.
11. President Ford’s pardon of former President Nixon was a tough call, but I feel that it was the right call to help our nation move on. I will continue to move our nation past this scandal in the manner President Ford would have done.
12. I’d rather not talk about this.
13. This is a great opportunity, and I want it to be highly publicized. We really have a chance here to boost our numbers with rural voters.
14. I support the passage of this Amendment, and think it is a good thing for America.
15. This is a good idea, I will hold a press conference to make this announcement.
16. This is not my decision given the recent Roe v. Wade ruling. I will continue to uphold the Supreme Court’s ruling as President.
17. 9029
18. I will issue an executive order providing conditional amnesty for draft evaders. Those who dodged the draft must reaffirm their allegiance to the US and either work in a public service job for two years or serve two years in the military.
19. Let’s continue to stay quiet. Helms will point this out for us anyways, and taking a clear stand would be too alienating.
20. I don't support cuts, to be sure, but neither do we need increases. We have made great strides in reducing tension with the Soviet Union.
21. While this definitely shook me, let’s not harp on this too much. Let’s just make a statement assuring the public I am okay and watch Brown’s numbers drop.
22. 3558
23. Let’s just be honest and talk straight to the people. I apologize profusely for giving this profane gesture. It was very unbecoming of a President and I let my temper get the best of me in that moment.
24. I’m definitely getting older, but actions speak louder than words. Let’s film myself working in the Oval Office to show I am still up to the job. (3554)
25. We are in a good position to intervene as a neutral arbiter to secure a peaceful transition of power in both Angola and Rhodesia. I will invite leaders from both sides of the aisle to the US to begin negotiations.
26. This was a small mistake on my running mate’s part, and the attempt to use President Kennedy’s assassination for political points is highly inappropriate, especially after the tragic passing of President Ford.
27. This is an issue I would have to consider more closely over the next couple of years. Let's see how the current negotiations go.
28. The reason behind the 1973 Crisis was the conflict between Israel and the Arab World. I pledge to help mediate a lasting peace to this conflict by bringing together both sides for negotiations so we avoid another OPEC boycott.
29. President Ford was trying to support South Vietnam following the North’s incursion, but Congress blocked it. I will continue his policy of funding anti-communist groups in Southeast Asia while imposing an embargo of Vietnam to counter the growth of communism in the region.
30. This is a good idea and I’m sure Cliff will do great. (8433/8435)
31. I am a proponent of right-to-work laws, and believe more states should enact them. There’s no question unions have grown too powerful in recent years.
32. We don’t need to focus on MacBride or the Libertarians, they aren’t a major political force. Let’s keep our focus on Brown.
33. I support our space program, but we have bigger issues at the moment. We need to focus on other problems like the economy and crime, not some theoretical solar satellite.
34. Let’s attend, but we must be tough on the Soviets. Let’s push for an explicit recognition of Baltic independence by all in attendance to show American commitment to those oppressed by communism in Eastern Europe.
35. Republicans have been saying this long before Brown and the Democrats have. I’m not opposed to immigration, but we already have an unemployment issue and this Act exacerbates that.
36. If Happy is okay with it, we should do a joint interview to talk about our marriage and our family life. Hopefully this puts the issue to rest.
37. Israel is one of our strongest allies, and changing our entire policy in the Middle East due to one instance of pressure will make us look weak. My administration will continue aiding Israel and will oppose any attempts to undermine their sovereignty.
38. As Governor of New York, I doubled the size of the state police and established the New York Police Academy. With more law enforcement, we can better deal with this swell in crime.
39. This was a great legislative achievement. Inflation has decreased significantly since this act passed and millions of new jobs have been created.
40. Midwest if you're going for the 358 Path, West Coast if you're going for 416.

This is a long story but im really looking for some guidance.
Back in 2021, I worked in a local goverment department in NC. I loved my job and the people I worked with greatly. However drama began in my office that year with allegations of my boss and his assistant were bullying the office and having any affair. The affair allegations were not true per an investigation by the county and it was only certain employees who seemed like they had an issue with my two bosses. However the drama got so bad that my main boss did end up quitting partially also because he has gotten cancer.
Forward to a few months later. The county hired a new department head. She proceeded to them make everyone’s life hell. Multiple employees including myself were written up without warning for arbitrary reasons and she micromanaged everyone and eveything on the office. She also came into this position being extremely untrustworthy towards us as employees and started s hanging the locks to her office and kept cooped up in her office daily.
After I was written up, I sent a complaint to her bosses which are the county comissioners. I listed my problems with her and what’s she’s been doing in the office within the 4 months she had been working there. It was very straight forward and I assumed that since it was a formal complaint, my identity would be safeguarded.
Instead, the comissioners showed her the letter she then proceeded to treat me worse until I eventually found another position and left. On my last day she came into my office and tried to convince me that she hadn’t lied about anything when I had multiple others telling me otherwise. She tried to tell me she was “the most honest person you’ll ever meet”.
After that day I left and started my new job immediately after. 1 coworker followed suit and quit at the same time I did. The assistant manager was targeted and written up multiple times for things out of her control. She is now going forward with a lawsuit towards the county for the treatment she recieved.
Now 1 year later the assistant manager who is suing has received multiple civil court cases against her for cyber stalking and she recieved a no contact order last week. My ex boss is trying to claim that the assistant is signing her up for “funny text messages” (that’s what the charges say).
Additionally the no contact order that she received haas a letter from my ex boss with accused her of running over her dog, having a flat tire, etc.
She then goes on to list possible accomplices. This includes me and the other employee who quit, a former candidate for the board of comissioners, and a current comissioner. She believes all this people have something to do with the stalking that is allegedly happening. My letter to the comissioners was mentioned and she refers to it as “A disturbing letter filled with scorn”
I was made aware of this last week, I have not been happy since and I’ve been debating on seeking legal action. When I left that job behind I never spoke publicly about it or to anyone. I left it to leave the drama that was going on and I feel as if it has now followed me.
What really has upset me is the fact that apparently the news paper editor has contacted some members who were listed in that letter about this situation. I have not been contacted but the former comissioner candidate has. This means not only has she used my name in a court cause. She is possibly leaking that complained and my name to the press.
Nothing has come out in the newspaper but I am worried that it will. I live in a small town where everyone knows each other and my current coworkers all read the paper. It’s makes me feel disgusted that something that should have been kept private is not making its way into the media. People talk and gossip and I don’t want it to affect my reputation at work. I don’t want to be seen as a trouble maker.

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This is our next Casefile Episode Rewind Discussion! Please discuss Case 37 below!
Things to consider:

• Do you have any theories for the case?
  
• Has there been any additional information on the case since the episode's release? (If so and you have a link, add it in the comments!)
  
• Do you have any thoughts about how this case was presented by Casefile?
  

Original Release Date: October 23 - Nov 6, 2016
Length: 3:14:55
Status: Solved
Location: Wroclaw, Poland
Date: 1975-1980
Victims: Wilma McCann, Emily Jackson, Irene Richardson, Patricia Atkinson, Jayne McDonald, Jean Jordan, Yvonne Pearson, Helen Rytka, Vera Millward, Josephine Whitaker, Barbara Leach, Marguerite Walls, Jacqueline Hill
Type of Crime: Serial Murder
Perpetrator: Peter Sutcliffe
Research: Anonymous Host, Victoria Dieffenbacher
Writing: Anonymous Host, Victoria Dieffenbacher
Case Details:
The English county of West Yorkshire comprises the cities of Leeds, Bradford, Wakefield, Kirklees and Calderdale. Each one of these cities has its own history, identity and voice, but during the 1970s, they were all united by a collective fear as a serial killer unleashed a reign of terror.
Known as ‘The Yorkshire Ripper,’ the perpetrator mostly targeted vulnerable sex workers, with the attacks increasing in frequency and severity over the years. Sex workers were warned not to stand alone in the streets or accept lifts from strangers, but unfortunately many couldn’t afford to take this advice and the Yorkshire Ripper’s killing spree continued…
Listen to the case HERE.
Read last week's Rewind Discussion HERE.

Enterprise Group, Inc (TSX: E OTCQB: ETOLF) (the “Company” or “Enterprise”). Consolidator of energy service (including specialized equipment rental to the energy/resource sector) emphasizes technologies that mitigate, reduce, or eliminate CO2 and Green House Gas (GHG) emissions for small local and Tier One global resource clients.
https://preview.redd.it/6zy3osv5qwoa1.png?width=325&format=png&auto=webp&s=3259544fb7998fb56ad096007e171ce7c11b00f0
The Company’s Q4 and 2022 YoY earnings against the equivalent periods of 2021 are nothing short of exceptional. And the Company said that Q1 2023 is also shaping up to be very robust.
Audited numbers don’t lie.
Take a moment and digest these stats. If you own the shares, you should be impressed. If not, consider a second look. Once viewed, take in the Company’s very recent Letter to Shareholders detailing the impressive growth potential of the Canadian Oil and Gas industry. Enterprise is a significant source of on-site infrastructure supply and management that facilitates growth.
Here are the numbers. The comprehensive earnings can be seen in Monday morning’s comprehensive Press Release (March 20/23). The most exciting stat compares the YoY 2021 per share loss of (0.05) cents to the equivalent 2022 gain of 0.05 cents: A 200% movement of an overall 10 cents.
Enterprise shares trade at approximately CDN$0.40. For Investors and Shareholders, the Company keeps its LinkedInpage up to date with articles, videos, and commentary. Consider a Follow.
As well, the Company’s YouTube page is very informative. There will be new videos later this week.
OVERALL PERFORMANCE AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
https://preview.redd.it/6b43bm17qwoa1.png?width=1776&format=png&auto=webp&s=1e3dec7594e15c10715d437a021e356fd1692174
(1) Identified and defined under “Non-IFRS Measures.”
(2) The Canadian Emergency Wage Subsidy and Rent Subsidy Programs ended in October 2021.
To provide further comparability to pre-COVID operations, the Company has presented adjusted gross margin and EBITDA to reflect the results of operations without any subsidy programs.
Enterprise Group Growth Points: FY 2022
· Higher capital spending in the energy industry and increased customer activity levels have resulted in improved results. During the year, Enterprise secured additional supply and services agreements with three of its tier-one clients, contributing to improved operating results.
· The Company believes its stock remains undervalued as the Company’s book value is $0.68 per share. In addition, the Company has available tax losses of $0.17 per share and is developing a consolidated tax plan to utilize those losses. Management will continue to be aggressive in acquiring its shares.
· During the year, Enterprise secured additional supply and services agreements with three of its tier-one clients, contributing to improved operating results.
· During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company purchased and cancelled 1,799,000 shares at $714,614, or $0.40 per share. These shares had a carrying value of $1.36 per share for $2,445,077, which has been removed from the share capital account. Since initiating the share buyback program, the Company has purchased and cancelled 10,057,500 shares at $2,391,560 or $0.24 per share.
· For the year ended December 31, 2022, the company generated cash flow from operations of $5,910,830 compared to $3,500,869 in the prior year. This change is consistent with the higher activity during the year — equipment fleet to meet customer demands.
· After year end on January 23, 2023, the Company’s common shares began trading on the OTCQB Venture Market under the ticker ETOLF. This listing will help to increase Enterprise’s visibility and accessibility to a growing audience of U.S. investors.
Bottom Line
There is the argument that Enterprise’s numbers are nothing short of extraordinary (use your own adjective). And the coming year, courtesy of increased Oil and Gas Capex spending, stellar management, and new clients with business expansion among existing, including Tier One concerns. As noted in the recent LTS:
Over one year, the Company’s share price rose 40 plus percent, from 26 to 46 cents, a new high. For comparison, S&P lost 19.4%, the Nasdaq gained 8.7%, and the Dow was down almost 9%.
https://preview.redd.it/ds37konfqwoa1.png?width=379&format=png&auto=webp&s=18f66cc8541172986080bf8396f460056f9cde55
It seems the Company is gaining horsepower, eyeballs, and growth as well as a proxy for the exceptional CAPEX growth.
Stay tuned closely, as Q1 2023 is coming.