#Building a Price Action Trading Plan

[stockexperttrading]

This comprehensive blog from Funded Traders Global covers the Price Action Strategy and mastering market trends for successful trading. It begins by defining the Price Action Strategy, emphasizing its importance in predicting future price movements. The blog explores the components of Price Action, including candlestick patterns, support and resistance levels, and chart patterns. It highlights the benefits of this strategy, such as simplicity, enhanced decision-making, and its applicability to various markets.

The blog outlines key principles of Price Action, including candlestick patterns, support and resistance levels, and trendlines and channels. It then focuses on reading market trends, with an emphasis on identifying trends, assessing their strength, and recognizing trend reversals. The importance of setting clear trading goals and effective risk management is stressed, along with crafting precise entry and exit strategies.

Common mistakes to avoid in trading are discussed, including overtrading, ignoring fundamental analysis, and emotional trading. The blog also provides information on essential tools and resources, including recommended charting software, books, courses, and online trading communities to support traders in their journey.

In conclusion, the blog encourages traders to apply the knowledge gained, practice consistently, and continue their education to become proficient and successful traders. Trading is described as both an art and a science, emphasizing the importance of discipline and adaptability in the ever-evolving world of finance.

[dumbbitchenergy17]

Clan of Three (BOBF) - Chapter 4

Chapter Four: In the Name of Honor

Plot: A Mandalorian, an infant with a history of the jedi, and a teenager with similar powers with a slowly discovering lineage. With the child off with the Jedi, the close-knit pair continues their travels through the galaxy.

Word Count: 8.9K

Pairing: Father Figure!Din Djarin x Platonic!Teen!Reader

Warnings: fighting/violence, injuries, angst, slight ptsd, some wholesome moments, father-daughter moments

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Returning quickly back to Mos Espa hearing an attack happened on the Sanctuary, reaching the exploded building the sandstone blacken by the explosion. Entering the building you see Boba, Fennec, and the two Mods; Drash and Skad.

“That was fast. Were you able to hire any foot soldiers?” Fennec asks and Din says, “I think so…Cobb Vanth is raising a garrison for us.”

“What price did you negotiate?” Fennec questions waiting for the price but he shakes his head, “Free.”

“Free?” Din nods, “He’s been holding off the spice trade single-handedly. I told him we could shut it down.”

“That’s not free. That’s most of Jabba the Hutt’s business.” Fennec protests with Cobb’s demand.

“That’s what the town wants,” Din replies and Fennec goes to retort but Boba cuts her off.

“I agree to their terms.” Fennec comes over to her boss trying to reason with him, “There’s a lot of credits to be made from that orange powder.”

“In the long run, it is better for us as well. Mos Espa can become a prosperous city under our protection. Spice is killing our people. Let Marshal Vanth and the people of Mos Pelgo…” Boba says.

“Freetown is its name now.” You pipe in and Boba nods, “Let the people of Freetown know they have my word.”

“You can tell Cobb Vanth himself when he arrives here with the reinforcements.” Din says and Boba is only worried he will not, “You are confident he will come?”

“I am.” He vouches and the bounty hunter nods, “Well if he does not, we are doomed. Our skill is no match for the Syndicate numbers. We must buy time until they arrive. We’ll lockdown at the palace.”

“It’s a bad idea.” Skad says and Fennec looks over at the bionic man, “Is that so?” 

“It is.” He says and the assassin leans against a wall looking at the man, “And where do you propose we wait for reinforcements?”

“Here.” He says gesturing to the ruins you were in. “Here? In these ruins? Nonsense. The palace offers greater protection.” Boba says shaking his head and Drash steps forward.

“If you want to abandon Mos Espa and hide in your fortress, go ahead. We’re staying. The people who live here need our protection.” She says that the two young adults' decisions are final. You had to respect it, this was their home and they were fighting for it. Fett is silent looking at them before he nods, “We’ll stay.”

You set up camp in the ruins of the Sanctuary and when dawn arrived the plan was put into action with only Fennec, Boba, Din, yourself, and the majordomo that was apparently their hostage/informant.

“As we wait for the reinforcements to arrive with Cobb Vanth from Freetown, our forces are quietly patrolling the streets of the old city. The Pyke Syndicate has not yet arrived in numbers, but the minute they do, we will see them before they see us. The truce you negotiated with the other families of Mos Espa will ensure that they will remain neutral and allow us to gain the upper hand by surprising the arriving soldiers,” Fennec explains the plan as you sit on a piece of rubble listening in, “The Gamorrean guards are posted in the Klatooinian territory at the starport and will alert us if any of the Pyke Syndicate forces arrive. Krrsantan is in Trandoshan territory, keeping tabs on the streets of the municipality in front of City Hall. Drash and Skad are with the other Mods keeping an eye on the Worker’s District and the Aqualish Quarter. As you can see, all our flanks are covered. Nobody is sneaking up on us. When the people of Freetown arrive, we will have the forces required to pivot our strength to whatever region the Pykes choose to attack from.”

“For now?” You ask resting your hands on your crossed legs and Fennec looks over at you, “We wait.”

“Lord Fett?” Boba’s 8D8 droid enters the sanctuary, “There is someone here to see you.” You all stand up surprised someone had arrived at your positions.

“I thought you said nobody could sneak up on us.” Boba says to Fennec as you all draw your weapons and Din puts you behind him as the three of you hid outside behind the pillars while Boba steps out into the open and you hear him speak, “I thought I smelled something. If you’re looking for a job, you’re late.”

“I’ve already got a job. I’m here to negotiate on behalf of the Pyke Syndicate.” A gravelly but distinctive voice calls out and Boba scoffs, “I don’t negotiate with gutless murderers.”

“If that’s not the Quacta calling the Stifling slimy.” The man retorts for the hypocrisy from Boba. “Clear out. And tell your bosses we know they’re outnumbered.” Boba warns him and you hear the man chuckle and you tighten your grip on your blaster.

“I wouldn’t be counting on the people of Freetown to be coming anytime soon. I paid Marshal Vanth a visit. You should’ve never left him without his armor,” The air is silent as your blaster falls from your hands. No, you just saw him he couldn’t be. The guilt that crashed into you made you physically ill, no he was still there and safe. Cobb was…

“Without training, you are a danger to yourself and others. People will die because of your actions if you continue down this path.”

“You bastard!” Your body reacts running past Din and you get right around to see the man with blue skin and completely red eyes. His hand moves to the blaster on his waist and Boba grasps his own. Hands snatch your shoulders and you’re pulled behind the pillar as Din’s hand covers your mouth muffling your screams that turn to cries his other wrapped around your waist to stop you from running. Fennec has her rifle aimed out to cover you both as Din tries calming your breakdown.

“Shush you’re alright. You have to be quiet.” He whispers in your ear as he holds your back against his chest as you flail in his grasp as your tears and cries are quieted by his hand. His heart breaks hearing your cries it was cruel you had just seen the man who had helped raise you only to find out he was killed in cold blood.

“Before you get any ideas, I’ve got backshooters too. Let the spice move through Mos Espa, and all this can be avoided.” The man calls out as your struggle stops as you slump back to Din’s body tears streaming down your face.

“No.” Boba says and Bane looks at him his hands resting on his waist, “What do you propose then?”

“I will only negotiate with the head of the Pyke Syndicate.” Boba says and Bane grins ready for the killing blow, “You mean the one that massacred your Tusken family and blamed it on a speed bike gang?” Boba is frozen by the memories of the ones that taught him the ways of Tusken, he had thought it was the speed bike gang.. “You know it’s true.”

Boba’s hand moves his finger resting on the trigger and Fennec appears from behind the pillar her rifle ready as she calls out to him, “Boba.”

“Let’s do this right here, right now.” Bane taunts him as anger runs through his veins. He could do it right now.

“Not now. You pick when.” Fennec reminds him but he shakes his head, “He killed Vanth. The reinforcements aren’t coming.”

“We fight on our terms, not theirs.” She says trying to convince him but anger had taken over him as they were clearly at the disadvantage, the Mandalorian behind the pillar was busy calming the grieving girl and he was blinded by the idea of killing Bane.

“I can take him.” He says his voice rough, “You’re emotional.”

“I can take him.” He grits out and Fennec moves to stand right beside him.

“We need to adjust. You’ll have your moment.” She reminds him. Understanding where he was coming from but it wasn’t the time. The anger clears his vision just enough to listen to her reasoning and his finger leaves the trigger.

“Tell your client negotiations are terminated.” He says turning and Bane calls out to him making him look back. “You’re going soft in your old age.”

Looking at the other bounty hunter the man that knew his father that knew him before he responds, “We all do.”

You’re pulled inside the sanctuary Boba and Fennec following afterward as the majordomo starts speaking, “That was an impressive display of restraint. Exemplary stratagem. If I may be so bold as to offer additional counsel-”

“I wonder how much he would pay for the Twi’lek.” Boba says and that shuts him up, “Understood. Many pardons. I should never have interjected.”

You shove Din off you moving towards the back of the room the guilt and sorrow in your chest turn into something ugly. It was burning in your veins the anger you had felt on that cruiser, the rage that fueled your body. Your knees hit the floor and your hand grabs the saber resting on your belt. The small pearl resting inside the kyber crystal chamber is the first gift you’ve ever got from him. He raised you…protected you..and he was gone. You clutch the blade to your chest mourning over the loss of the man you once saw as a father. Those ugly thoughts whisper in your ears, he would be alive if you were there to protect him, you got him involved with the Pykes and now he’s dead, Freetown blames you for his death, you killed their Marshal…their protector. The fear and anger bleed through your body unaware of it seeping into the weapon in your hands.

Din looks over at where you sit on the ground staring off completely shutting out the world. Your droid stands beside you but you don’t even notice it. He didn’t know what to say or do, he wasn’t good at going through loss. He moved on when someone died having connections was not safe for a man who is constantly put in danger. But you were just a child…you wore your heart on your sleeve and he was forced to watch you lose yourself with the man’s death.

Boba and Fennec are silent, the other man going through his own form of mourning with the truth of the Tuskens’ death. Silence fills the destroyed sanctuary before Drash’s voice comes in through the comms, “Come in, boss. Come in. Something feels strange over here.”

“Have the Pykes arrived?” Boba asks, “Not yet, but something feels off.” The woman responds and suddenly there’s blaster fire

“The locals are attacking! I thought we had a treaty.” Drash shouts over blaster fire and Boba frowns at the news,

“So did I.”

“They laid a trap!” Drash yells out before the comms go mute as Boba yells trying to get in touch with the Wookie, “Santo! Santo, come in!”

“It’s a coordinated attack. We’ll have to gather our people.” Boba says looking at Fennec and Din who listens in keeping an eye though on the girl in the back.

“There’s no way to overcome their advantage. We need to take out command and control.” Fennec shakes her head and Boba curses.

“Does the Pyke Syndicate still operate out of Mos Eisley?” Boba asks Shaiz’ majordomo who tries not to reveal the full information.

“Oh, it’s difficult to say for certain that…” Three blasters are pointed at him and he corrects himself, “Mos Eisley? Yes, now that I think of it, indeed they do. More specifically, the Desert Survey Office.”

Boba turns to the assassin, “Can you do that? Can you get there in time?” She shrugs, “Worth a shot.” She quickly departs taking a speeder and zooming through the streets.

“They’re here,” Din calls out and Boba joins him looking through the broken window as the Syndicate forces begin to move in surrounding the whole front of the building.

“It was just a matter of time. Is Cad Bane with them?” He asks trying to spot him but Din shakes his head, “Don’t see him. Any news on the others?”

Boba looks defeated, “Would be a miracle if any survived. All three gotras of Mos Espa turned on us.” He says and Din nods,

“It was the smart move.”

“It was. I suppose you’ll be heading out.” Boba asks seeing the very imminent failure.

“I’m not.” He refuses but Boba gives him the chance, “You should.”

“It’s against the Creed. I gave you my word. I’m with you until we both fall.” Din says and Boba looks at him, “You really buy into that bantha fodder?” He asks and the Mandalorian nods

“I do.” Fett chuckles checking the cartridge of his blaster, “Good.”

“The way I see it, we have two choices. We wait until they get into position and launch a siege on their terms.” Din says and Fett looks at him, “Or?”

“We rush out there, catch them unaware,” Din gives a quick but shoddy plan, “Then we can escape to your ship at the palace.” Fett shakes his head hearing the end of the plan.

“I can’t abandon Mos Espa. These people are counting on me.” He explains and Din nods pulling out his blaster, “Okay, then. We’ll both die in the name of honor.”

“You sure you wanna stay?” He says he was giving him the chance to leave, especially with the girl he was protective of.

“This is the way.”

“If I may offer an alternative?” The majordomo cuts in and the two bounty hunters look at him silently, “Shall I continue?...I’ll continue. You may not know this about me, in fact, how could you, except perhaps what vestiges remain of my accent, but… I was educated on Coruscant. Not that that makes me better in any way.”

“Get to it.” Fett cuts him off and he nods sharply getting back on track,

“Yeah, uh… I attended finishing academy. My parents were not wealthy by any means. I specialized in Civic Council Negotiations. Now, if you would feel confident empowering me to negotiate on your behalf, I’m fairly certain we would be granted passage off world with, at worst, some theatrical, symbolic, groveling gestures and an exchange of funds.”

Fett is silent before nodding, “Very well. Give me your tablet. I will write out my statement and what I am willing to pay.” Taking the majordomo’s tablet and starts writing as he smiles, “I shall go as your emissary. I have no compunction whatsoever genuflecting or even groveling if needs be, which would save you from any potential bruising of ego, so to speak.”

Fett returns the table before gesturing outside, “Now go before I change my mind.”

“Yes. Excellent.”

Din looks over to where his adopted daughter rests panic runs through his veins finding you and your droid missing. “Kid?!” He shouts but it’s too late to try finding you as their plan was already in action

“Salutations! Salutations! I am unarmed but for this tablet bearing the terms of surrender. I wish to present to whomever spokesperson is empowered to deliberate an acceptable outcome in the eyes of the Oba Diah high council.” The majordomo calls out with open arms to the armed men outside the Sanctuary. The commander of the group steps forward looking at him,

“Read it to me, tail-head.” He spats and the majordomo points to his head laughing at the joke, “Oh, because of the enchanting sobriquet, and one of which I never tire. Yes. Someday I hope to see the fabled Obsidian Cliffs of Oba Diah with my own eyes.”

“Read it.”

“Agreed. Let us dispense with the pleasantries,” Clearing his throat he looks at the written surrender, “I, Boba Fett, speaking as Daimyo of the Tatooine territories formerly held by Jabba the Hutt, do present the following offer,” His voice trails off having read ahead quickly growing silent, “Perhaps we should discuss what you’d be willing to…”

“Read it.” The man repeats growing tired.

“…following offer. Nothing. Uh…You will leave this planet and your spice trade. If you refuse these terms…,” Clearing his throat fear taking over his body as he’s forced to keep reading, “…the arid sands of Tatooine will once again flourish with flowered fields fertilized with the bodies of your dead.”

The Pyke commander lifts his blaster at the majordomo as he holds his hands up, “His words.”

Before the majordomo can be executed, Fett and Din soar in on their jetpacks gunning down the Syndicate soldiers. Though they are fired back the beskar armor protects them and with their weapons and the surprise strike the two are able to take down many of the Syndicate soldiers on their own. Firing his whistling birds Din takes down several Pykes and Boba sends an attack with his flamethrower. Bolts hit the two of them striking them back as they grow too much as they are knocking them down.

“They just keep coming.” Boba groans firing at as many soldiers as he cans but when one falls down another appears.

A few soldiers draw closer to the two of them as they try taking them down when they suddenly are pulled into the air dropping their blasters and clutching their throats. The soldiers and the two bounty hunters look around for who was doing this when a loud crack fills the air as their necks all snap in sync their bodies hitting the ground.

A screech fills the air and they all look over as fear strikes through them, even the bounty hunters seeing their ally. Din felt his throat close up and he was back on the cruiser, frozen watching you beat the life out of Moff Gideon. The rage in your eyes as your fist pounded caving in the man’s face the blood coating your body. What frightened him was seeing the weapon in your hand but it crackled in the air the plasma blade wild and chaotic reflecting your emotions. It was the color no longer orange but a blood red, a color all knew that referred to the opposite of the Jedi.

The color of the Sith.

“Is that a Jedi?” One of the Syndicate soldiers calls out the confusion in their tone. Unsure if the red-lightsaber wielder was their enemy or their ally. A snap fills the air as their neck turns a full 180 and they drop dead. You drop your hand the other clutching the saber your anger and hate bleeding into the weapon as it grows more powerful but also more unstable.

“Where is Cad Bane.” You growl out as blaster fire aims right at you. Dodging or reflecting the bullets back at them as they try to fight back but your rage is flooding through your veins. The blood pumping in your ears as you decapitate a soldier turning the blade around to stab another that tries to get the jump on you from behind. Din and Fett watch in awe but also in slight horror as your fluid movement with the weapon massacres their enemies. You arch the blade up slamming it down on one as they are split in half. The shades and hues of different blood coat your hands and parts of your body.

Grabbing one by the neck after cutting his hands off you pull him into the air, “Where. Is. Cad Bane.” You hiss as he screams in pain and you dig your saber deep into his chest silencing him.

The roar of a speeder and blaster fire comes from behind unaware reinforcements arrive. “The people of Freetown,” Boba calls out firing out as they move towards the armorer vehicle filled with people firing at the Pykes. Din wants to pull you away from the fight as you are in the middle of it but is unable to move beside the speeder seeing Taanti,

“I’m sorry about the Marshal.” Din gives his condolences as the Weequay fires out at the soldiers,

“They gunned him down in cold blood.” He hisses and Din feels his heartbreak trying to think about how you were feeling.

“You didn’t have to come here.” He says and Taanti shakes his head, “Yes, we did. This planet deserves better. I don’t know how she’s dealing with it.” And they two see you slash your blade through another man not getting a second to breathe as you block blaster fire to kill another man. This is what he feared, he had seen your old self start to come back but it was crushed so quickly. The bloodlust and anger in your eyes, when the punches stopped being held back the attack not to defend yourself but to make them hurt. For them to feel the suffering that you felt. Blood soaked the sands as you tear through their defenses, but it was the moment he saw you hesitate to take in much-needed air he saw you go down.

“Kid!” Din yells running straight into the chaos, as the others give him cover, and the arrival of the mods pulled the soldiers' focus away from you. He sees your hand grabbing your leg your saber held in the other, you swing at him still blinded but he’s able to block it with the beskar. Your arm drops seeing it’s Din as he pulls you up to stand trying to take most of your weight off pulling you to safety and your free hand blocks blaster fire with your saber. Once around the safety of the Freetown armored speeder, your back is against the speeder as Din kneels in front of you. Your thigh was bleeding from a bolt striking you there, he rips part of your cloak and ties it above the wound to stop you from bleeding out. You go to move but Din pushes you back down the fighting still going on around you.

“I have to get Cad! I have to kill him! For Cobb-” “You’re done!” Din yells pushing you back down as you try to get back up again. Your gaze is fierce as you stare down Din and he holds you against the speeder. “You’re done, kid…” He says his voice weak.

“They’re falling back!” Someone yells out and you struggle to stand as Din helps you up an arm around your waist to keep you up. You could see the Pykes retreating away as the people around you cheer and celebrate.

“Freetown!” “Yeah!”

“I wouldn’t celebrate yet. We got problems,” Din says as you see coming around the corner two very large spider-like droids, “We got real problems.”

Blasters and even Fett’s missiles are useless with their powerful deflector shields as they turn and take aim at the vehicle. “Run! We’ll distract them.” Din helps you run away as the attack hits the speeder and it explodes in a ball of fire. The people of Freetown, the Mods, and Krrsantan start to flee down the streets of Mos Espa as the three of you stay back.

“Go get out of here!” Din yells and you shake your head pulling out your saber the red blade appearing with a crackle and roar,

“I’m not leaving you!” You shout back quickly dodging a bolt from hitting you as it collides. Rolling as the sand kicks up in the air from the powerful attack you hiss in pain looking at your leg and seeing the blood soaking through your pant leg. Din and Boba attack the droids their blasters making no dent and Din pulls out the Darksaber trying to pierce through their shields but it doesn’t go through.

“I can’t get through.” Din yells out as you keep moving backward avoiding the droids' attacks, “These two will destroy the whole city!” Fett shouts and Din tackles you when another attack is aimed at you. He helps you up as you keep running well yours is a half-sprint half-hobble

“Our energy weapons can’t get through, and our kinetic weapons have too much velocity,” Din says

“Can you protect the others?” Fett asks and Din nods, “I can distract them for a spell. Why?”

“Watch out!” Fett yells as you both dodge a bolt heading to the two of you, you grunt from the strain in your leg.

“We need reinforcements.” You wheeze out your arm wrapped around Din’s shoulder the other holding your saber.

“From where? You’ve run out of friends.” Din says aiming the comment at Fett.

“Protect the others.” He says before blasting off into the air leaving the two of you against the giant droids. Din fires at them and is able to get the attention of one as you both take off in the streets. You’re pulled forward by Din a clear trail of blood following behind you both as the droid fires upon you. Turning the corner you see a cart driven by a rickshaw droid heading toward you and a woman waving at the two of you.

“Mando! Ha! We found you! I got a surprise for you.” Peli calls out to you two as Din waves his hand forward,

“Turn around!” He yells over the sound of the droid getting closer and how far away you were. “What?”

“Turn around!” “Can’t hear you!”

“Turn around!” You both scream as the droid turns around the corner and Peli screams out as the cart quickly turns around. Din with the help of Peli helps you onto the back as he jumps on as well as the droid drives down the street.

“Can this thing go any faster? Go faster, you bucket of bolts!” Peli yells at the rickshaw droid as it speeds up and you have to clutch onto the back of the seat to hold on. Din fires back at the Scorpenek as it chases after you all, his focus was torn in two defeating the droid and making sure you were okay. Your hand was a death grip on the back of the seat the other deflected bolts from the droid. You were bloody and sickly-looking he could see your blood staining your pants from your injury.

“Hey, Mando! Look who’s here.” Peli calls out and you both look as she pulls a blanket off revealing the child you both look away only to whip back in shock.

“What? Hey, what are you doing here?” Din leans forward looking at Grogu in shock, “Buddy? How..” The small child jumps into Din’s arms and he pulls him into a hug,

“Oh! Okay, little guy. I’m happy to see you too. I didn’t know when I’d see you again. It’s okay. Yeah. I missed you too, buddy,” Din chuckles at the coo Grogu releases and you smile stroking his ears and he giggles, “But, uh… we’re in a bit of a bind here right now. You be careful. You keep your head down. You stay hidden until the fight’s over. Hey, that’s the shirt. You got the shirt.” He brings Grogu back to his seat and peeks inside his cloak spotting the beskar shirt hidden underneath.

“Save your tender moment. We’ve got a Scorpenek droid chasing us.” Peli shouts out as she fires her blaster past you.

“What is he doing here?” You ask and Peli shrugs, “The Force works in mysterious ways.”

The Scorpenek droid fires at you missing you all but it manages to shoot off the head of the rickshaw droid. It shakes before exploding as the cart flips from the momentum as you all are sent into the air. You see Din grab Grogu right as you crash into the ground groaning in pain as you turn to see the Scorpenek droid right upon you as you deflect its blaster fire. You come to stand but fall back down your hand presses against your thigh pulling back and seeing it stained red. Din yells out to you as the droid aims right at you but before it could fire a terrifying roar that makes you cover your ears distracted. Looking up seeing a rancor jump over several buildings dodging the fire from the droid. You’ve only heard the stories of the creatures hearing the legend that Jabba the Hutt had a rancor and those that disobeyed him would be fed to it.

The rancor appears before you and you see Boba Fett on top riding the beast as it manages to damage its shielding. You see Din appear behind the droid and use the darksaber to break inside the deflector shields. Climbing on top of the droid as it tries shaking him off and he slices off one of the gun turrets but is knocked off. It raises its leg to crush Din when you throw your saber it spins cutting off the leg and it returns back into your hand. The droid collapse gave Fett’s rancor time to finish tearing it apart and destroying the tech. Din grabs you pulling you into his arms as he embraces you and the child. His breath is shaky as he holds the two of you feeling like a part of him is whole again. He wasn’t sure how the child had gotten here but was thankful for the higher beings out there.

The attack of the second Scorpenek droid ends the touching moment as Din stands helping you up holding Grogu in his arms, “Keep ’em on their heels. They’re on the run.”

“Come on, let’s get the Pykes.” You say moving forward your saber ready as you join the battle against the remaining Pyke soldiers and the final droid. The rancor beats the droid into buildings and it fires at it but its hide absorbs the attack. It rips apart the turrets stopping the droid from firing it tries stabbing the rancor with its legs but the creature destroys it. With a roar, it destroys the droid before going after Pykes. You deflect blaster bolts from hitting you or your allies as you shove your hand out and it shoves back a few Pykes into stands of fruits or walls. A fresh breath of air fills your body and you sense the presence. Your head turns off in a direction and the anger that had been left distracted by others had felt it too. You could do it. Get your revenge..for Cobb. Your saber drops slightly as the blaster fire flies past you, you can reach out tapping into the force that surrounds you. Feeling the grains of sand, the smell of the blasters, the drip of sweat mixed with blood falling from your body, the muffled sounds of gunfire and shouting.

Then you find him as the world around you returns and you stare at his presence.

“Bane…”

Cad Bane fights against the Rancor firing his blaster at it before he scares it off from the fire in his vambraces. The creature roars throwing Fett off his back and flees into the streets of Mos Espa. Fett rises staring at the other bounty hunter across the street just the two of them.

“Clear out and take your hoodlum gang with you,” Fett calls out to the man.

“I’ve known you a long time, Boba. One thing I can’t figure. What’s your angle?” He admits and Fett shakes his head, “This is my city. These are my people. I will not abandon them.”

“Like the Tuskens.” Bane tries to goad Fett but he remains firm and doesn’t let the anger take over, “Don’t toy with me. I’m not a little boy any longer, and you are an old man.”

“I’m still faster than you.” Bane retorts.

“That may be, but I have armor.” He agrees but he had the advantage of the beskar armor that protected him.

“Let’s find out.”

The two stand still before whipping out their blaster, Bane hits Fett knocking him down his blaster flying from his hand. Looking down at him Bane stalks toward him, “Now’s about the time you jet off to your bacta tank.”

“This is my city!” Fett yells sitting up flames emitting from his vambraces as Bane dodges rolling out of the way and firing at him again knocking him back down.

“You gave it a shot. You tried to go straight. But you’ve got your father’s blood pumping through your veins. You’re a killer.” Kicking him back away from his weapon, Bane kicks his weapon away, “This isn’t the first time I beat you out on a job.” He slams his foot onto Fett’s wrist as he groans in pain pinning him down to his knee and digging into his chest as he shoves the blaster between the gaps of armor.

“There’s no shame in it,” Bane says ripping the helmet off Boba revealing his face as he glares at the man. Rising to stand still pinned he slowly raises his blaster, “Consider this my final lesson. Look out for yourself. Anything else is weakness.”

“Bane!” A voice calls out and the bounty hunt looks forward and Boba looks upside down trying to see who it was. On the end of the street is a girl covered in blood though not her own. She stands tall though Bane notices the weight she shifts off the injured leg. “You and I have business.” Your hand pulls the saber off your belt a screech fills the air as the red blade appears and you see Bane grin.

“A jedi?” He says and you raise it pointing it at him,

“You’re going to die for what you did.” You spat and he laughs only making you tighten your grip on the weapon.

“I think you’ve wandered off little lady..best get back to your Mandalorian.” He says and your glare is piercing.

“I’m exactly where I need to be.” You hiss and Bane steps away from Fett not before delivering a swift kick to his side making him groan.

“You know I’ve met your grandfather before,” Bane calls out and you bring your other hand to stabilize your grip on the saber, “I know who you are, you look just like Kenobi…but your anger is just like Skywalker.” He hisses the names to remember his enemies during the time of the Clone Wars.

“The Marshal died a painful death because of me…his screams filled Freetown.” He says and your vision goes red. You race towards him as he fires at you though you deflect them sending them back to him. Throwing your saber it spins toward him but he dodges the attack sending flames your way. Rolling underneath the attack grabbing your saber mid-air a beam of plasma clips your hair the loudness causing a ringing in your ear. Closing the distance you raise your saber to strike him down when he kicks you in the stomach you fall back and he fires right at your saber hitting the open chamber of the saber.

The plasma completely destroys the saber as the power cells become unstable and explode. You’re thrown back hitting the ground the wind ripped from your lungs as the destroyed saber rest before you. You were certain you blacked out when you hit the ground, your ears ringing as you gasp for air. Scratches from the shrapnel of the hilt decorate your face and hands. Shakily trying to push yourself up a kick to your face and you spit out blood before a foot digs into your chest pinning you back into the sand, Bane stands above you and you see the blaster raised and aimed at you when he’s attacked by Boba Fett. You force yourself to roll to your side pushing yourself up on shaky hands and catching Fett impale Bane with his gaderffii stick. 

Blood pours from your face and nose as you drag yourself and rest on the sands the destroyed saber and the crystal shattered in pieces. Tears and blood blind you as your fingers shake trying to collect the pieces of the krayt pearl until the fragments rest in your palms. The gift you treasured for years, using it for your saber, destroyed by you…by your anger. Your head drops as you cry over the broken weapon mourning over losing one of the only things you could call yours.

Following the battle, Din realized you went missing before he received a call through his comm from Boba, that he had you. Arriving with Grogu in his arms and Peli and the others they found Boba Fett standing over the body of Cad Bane a grim look on his face. Din’s focus was instantly drawn to the girl keeled over in the sands. Rushing to her his movements slow down hearing the cries come from the girl and coming around to face her sees the destroyed saber resting in front of her as you clutch something in your hands to your chest. Slowly kneeling down and placing the child down beside his hands hover out in front of him.

“Kid..” He whispers making you look at him and his heart cracks. Cuts litter your face as blood a now steady trickle from your nose and your mouth. Your eyes were red fresh tears wet your waterline and lashes. Your bloody hands pull away from your chest opening it up and revealing the shattered pearl, “Oh kid..” He pulls you into his chest as you crumble crying into his chest. Din holds your head to him the other stroking your back.

“It’s…it’s my fault…I would get people hurt,” Your voice hoarse as he tries wiping the blood from your face, “People were…going to die…because of me.”

“No..no none of this is your fault okay…it’s not your fault cyar’ika.” He says holding your face between his hands as tears fill your vision.

“Din..” You fall back into his chest as he holds you to him. The small child looks on with a sad expression before coming between you two and you pull back as it brings his small hand over yours. His fingers barely cover a single finger and he closes his eyes focusing. You can feel the immense force coming off him as he pulls back then looks up at you and you understand the look in his wide eyes. You look at your hand at the pieces of the pearl it was dull lacking its shine and hue.

Closing your eyes you squeeze the portions of the pearl tightly in your fist pouring all your energy into it, turning the fear and anger that first harmed the crystal into love and peace. Thinking of all your positive memories, being on the Razor Crest with the child and Din, on Sorgan seeing trees and so much green for the first time, reuniting the Frog family with its children, coming home to Tatooine, and seeing Cobb. The memories you had with him, your first time meeting, he teaches you how to defend yourself, the times he took care of you when you were sick or soothed your fears when you had a nightmare, his horrid jokes as you worked on your speeder together, your fifteen birthday and actually celebrating it since your parents died, him gifting you the Krayt Pearl. Tears of sadness as the memories of Cobb fuel you to heal the crystal. Din watches you focus your eyes closed as you clutch the destroyed pearl between your hands. A weight is lifted off your shoulders and you open your eyes slowly opening your palm tears spring from your eyes seeing the intact crystal as it shimmers in the light. You look at the pearl a wide grin covers your features as he looks at the item resting in your hands. He would always remain amazed by the things you or the child could do just earlier seeing Grogu put the fierce rancor to sleep. You smile looking up at Din when all the energy in your body is drained as your vision goes black. Din was able to catch you the second your eyes rolled back, he panicked for a second seeing you collapse in front of him bringing his fingers to your pulse sighing in relief feeling your heartbeat. The pearl barely rests in your unconscious hands, the act of healing must have drained all your energy just like it had for the child who looks at the two of you.

“Come on kid,” Din says to Grogu as he grabs the pearl and the remaining pieces of your saber putting it in his satchel, his own gift still with him. Scooping you up into his arms he holds your unconscious body looking down at the small child beside his feet and then at the one in his arms. He felt at peace knowing the two of you were back with him, he would protect you two and make sure you never shed a single tear again. He swears on it.

You felt weightless a calming sensation surrounds you but the urge to wake up draws you away from the dreamless sleep you are in. Your eyes blink open and you notice you submerge in some cold liquid and a breathing device is in your mouth. Taking in a breath of air from the device as you try thinking back on how you got to hear everything in a blur. Suddenly the liquid drains as the capsule opens and you sit up pulling the apparatus from your mouth and taking in a shaky inhale suddenly aware you were soaking wet only in the new pair of clothes as they stick to your skin.

“Princess Kenobi-Kryze you are awake, your bacta session has fully healed your wounds.” A protocol droid rolls in as it hands you a robe that you quickly wrap around yourself. Being the cold water now out in the air your body shakes slightly as you try to warm yourself up. “I will notify Lord Fett and your party that you have awoken.” The droid doesn’t give you much time to answer especially the title as you sit there looking around the room, it was pretty empty besides the bacta tank and some other items which you assumed were Fett’s. You bring your hand to your face not feeling any cuts or scaring on your face. Looking at your leg pulling up the pants to see your thigh. Your fingers run along the smooth skin, the blaster wound not even leaving a mark

“Kid.” You turn seeing Din standing in the doorway the small green infant in his arms. He crosses the room before you’re even out of the machine his free arm wrapping around your head and pressing you to his chest. You can feel the shaky exhale he releases as he holds you to him Grogu grabs a finger with his small hands and you smile stroking his ears. He pulls back looking over you not a single scratch was left, the bacta completely healing your injuries.

“Come on kid, they're gonna need this tank.” He helps you to stand as he keeps a hand on your shoulder. You don’t get to ask when Drash and Skad bring in a man and the air leaves your system as they move past you quickly to place him inside.

“Cobb..” You whisper looking at the man as he’s placed inside the tank and they quickly close it up, it filling with bacta. “But they said…”

“He was able to get some help but the bacta will quicken the process,” Drash says as she looks at the man with understanding in her eyes and it hits you.

“You modified him..” Drash nods as you pull from Din’s arms stepping towards the tank and seeing the man resting peacefully in the healing bacta. Your hands rest against the glass wishing he could reach out and take yours. Resting your forehead against the tank whispering into it, “Please be alright.”

“Come on kid..” Din calls out as you stand up swiping the stray tear that threatens to fall and you pull returning to the Mandalorian as he wraps his arm around your shoulder, “Let’s get you dressed.” He says leading you like a child to another room as the droid comes over your clothes in its arms. Thanking the droid you head behind the privacy screen getting dressed grateful to be back in your clothes. Your fingers run along the clean fabric as you pull your pants up your legs surprised to see the sewing put in to fix your pants.

Returning around the screen Din still waiting there with the child in his arms as you holster your blaster and knife. It was like instinct to grab your belt to fix your saber but your hand comes empty. The pain from losing your saber is too fresh as a frown takes over your features.

“Hey kid,” Din calls out and you look at the man trying to hide the sad look on your face to no avail. He waves his hand for you to follow him. Leaving the tower as you move through Boba Fett’s palace until you reach the throne room and laying in the middle as a rug and a singular item wrapped in a cloth tied with a cord.

“What is this?” You look at the man as he leads you toward the rug placing the child down as it moves to the cloth sitting across from it.

“A gift.” He says taking you by the shoulders to make you sit on the rug in front of the object wrapped in cloth. Din moves back standing to the side and you look up at him as he gestures to you and then to the cloth, “Go on.” You give him a suspicious look before turning to the cloth and glancing at the child who is also looking in interest. Undoing the cord with care and putting it to the side you slowly undo the cloth, your breath gets caught in your throat when you see the item. The saber is in perfect recreation as it rests in separate pieces including the inner works. The only difference that you did notice was the metal of the hilts it had a slight marbling effect something you’ve never seen before. Grabbing a part of the hilt the cold metal presses against your skin, and you feel the weight of it but it was light at the same time.

“Is this beskar?” You look at Din as he nods at the shocked expression on your face. “But I thought beskar wasn’t meant to be weapons.” You ask as he moves towards you crouching down.

“It’s not, it’s technically considered taboo to Mandalorians, but like the child, you deserved armor as foundlings,” He points at the hilt resting in your hand, “This is your armor. To protect you as a Jedi…and a Mandalorian.” Din reaches into his satchel pulling out the krayt pearl and you perk up as he passes it to you and you accept it with such delicacy. The intact pearl shimmers in the light and has a faint warm glow that is brighter in the healed cracks. You look at the disassembled saber and the crystal in your palm slowly placing it back down onto the cloth as Din steps back. Taking a deep breath feeling your heartbeat loud and strong as it slows down with your breathing. Your hands rest on your knees as your palms face upward as your drift shut. Focusing on your breathing as the doors open as the Force rushes over you wrapping around your body like a blanket. It’s comforting and welcoming like an embrace protecting you as the small objects shake gently and then rise into the air. You can feel the sunlight through the sandstone, the texture of the handmade rug underneath you, hear the inhales from the child in front of you and the modulated breathes from the Mandalorian, tasting the crisp air, and the smell of fresh linens that wraps your body.

Din watches in amazement as the pieces of the weapon move throughout the air stopping in their desired places and the weapon forms before him. Working outwards on both ends towards the middle, the power cells are covered through wiring and the beskar hilt. The weapon of the Jedi imbue with the Force as it comes towards the middle the final piece of the puzzle being the krayt pearl is it slots itself in the open chamber but protected by the metal of his ancestors.

You open your eyes as the weapon rests before you. Reaching out towards it you feel the sudden weight of the beskar but in your hands, it lightens in your grasp. Your eyes trace the details of the saber as your finger rest on the button and you activate it. A screech fills the air as the plasma emits from the hilt. A gorgeous orange like the sunset on Tatooine bathes you in the color light. The healed crystal purifies it of the color of the Sith.

The blade retreats back into the hilt and you look at the saber resting in your hand but also the weapon on his belt, the whispers faintly coming from it calling you. Din follows your gaze seeing the Darksaber resting on his hilt before he pulls it off his belt holding it out to you. “I am not the owner of this weapon thus it should not be in my possession.” He explains that you froze it was fear that stopped you. The weapon that had cut through your flesh, in the possession of the man that slaughtered your people, was yours by right, your claim to the blade but also to the throne of a destroyed planet. But while no throne rests or no armor of your ancestors adorns your skin this weapon was yours to lead and rule the hidden Mandalorians scattered across the galaxy.

“Ibic cuyir te ara.” The whisper of the voice as a hand is ghost-like on your shoulder, and you feel the presence of the person before it fades as you take the weapon in your grasp feeling the weight of it as you attach it to your belt beside your saber. You felt the conflict in yourself as you hold the weapon meant for true rulers not orphans from Tatooine. Din could see the fear in yourself with this weapon and the responsibility it means to yourself. You look up at Din who is looking at you though you can’t tell what his expression is underneath the beskar.

“You can stay here, with Cobb have a home here on Tatooine. I won’t stop you.” Din says the fear of seeing you hurt again is too great for him to deal with. If he knew you were here and safe he could deal with his exile without fear. You look away to the child holding onto your pant leg. Bending down pulling the child into your arms you step forward and Din holds his breath ready for you to agree and leave his life. Your hand reaches out grabbing his holding onto the leather glove as his finger wraps around yours instinctively his thumb rubbing the back of your hand.

“I’m not leaving you,” You say looking at the man you see as a father figure, the man who protects and loves you, the man who would tear a part of the galaxy to see you safe with him, your buir, “I’ll follow you anywhere you go.” You promise him as he looks down at you.

He was at a loss for words, the girl he had originally meant to be a quarry, their relationship rocky and hesitant, but with time you had slowly broken down his walls and created a space in his heart, he would do anything to see you smile or to hear your laughter, put down his own life to make sure you and the child were safe, to allow you to be a kid…his kid, his ad. Din looks down at you before nodding,

“Okay.”

Din prepares the N-1 with the coordinates of the planet they were meant to travel sending the navigation to link with your X-Wing. From behind him, Grogu taps the dome with the small ball from the Razor Crest in his hands.

“No.”

A series of more taps as Din speaks again to the child in the pod seat built into the N-1.

“Uh-uh.”

More taps follow as Din grows more annoyed by the persistence of the child.

“No.”

A chuckle follows his comms as he looks over seeing you in your X-Wing watching the display, “Come on he’s not gonna stop until you do it.” You say as the child bangs on the glass more frantically. R4 produces his own response as you make a sound of agreement.

“Don’t need the opinion of the droid here.”

More banging comes from the glass making Din glance back at the child.

“All right. But this is the last time.” He says flipping the switch you watch the ship accelerate rapidly and you hear Gorgu’s squeals from the comms as it jumps to lightspeed. R4 beeps at you as you chuckle adjusting your grip on the joystick and punching in the coordinates,

“I know R4,”

Flipping the switch as the 5th engine roars ready and your finger hovers over the button to release the energy and jumps to hyperspace. To explore the galaxy as one adventure ends and another begins,

“This is where the fun begins.”

A/N: There is Clan of Three: Book of Boba Fett! Another part of this fantastic series is done! You are fucking incredible people and season three's first chapter is coming out next Wednesday!

[memekais]

epic the musical sentence starters. the troy saga. feel free to change pronouns as needed!

the horse and the infant

ten years of war they killed us slowly but now we'll be the ones who slay.

your families wonder where you've been.

do what i say and you'll see them again.

find that inner strength now, use that well of pride.

ask yourself inside - what do you live for?

what do you try for? what do you wish for? what do you fight for?

i fight for us, i fight for us...

a vision of what is to come, can not be outrun, can only be dealt with right here and now.

say no more, i know that I'm ready.

what sort of imminent threat does he pose that I can not avoid?

if you don't end him now you'll have no one left to save.

i'd rather bleed for ya, down on my knees for ya - i'm begging, please!

please don't make me do this, don't make me do this!

the blood on your hands is something you won't lose, all you choose is whose.

just a man

i look into your eyes and I think back to the son of mine. you're as old as he was when i left for war.

will these actions haunt my days? is the price i pay endless pain?

close your eyes and spare yourself the view.

how could I hurt you?

i'm just a man who's trying to go home even after all the years away from what i've known.

i'm just a man who's fighting for his life.

deep down i would trade the world to see my son and wife.

but when does a comet become a meteor? when does a candle become a blaze?

when does a man become a monster?

when does a ripple become a tidal wave? when does the reason become the blame?

forgive me... i'm just a man.

full speed ahead

the problem's not the distance, it's what lies in between.

[name]'s waiting for me so full speed ahead!

we've run out of supplies to eat.

curse the war, our food store's depleted.

six hundred men, six hundred reasons to take what we can so captain, what's the plan?

watch where the birds fly, they will lead us to land. there we'll hunt for food, my second in command.

look! there in the distance, i see an island!

i see a light that faintly glows. maybe they're people lighting a fire. maybe they'll share some food, who knows?

something feels off here. i see fire but there's no smoke.

i say we strike first, we don't have time to waste so let's raid the place!

we should try to find a way no one ends up dead!

give me til sunrise, and if we don't return then six hundred men can make this whole place burn!

open arms

i can tell you're getting nervous so do yourself a service and try to relax, my friend.

think of all that we have been through. we'll survive what we get into.

i know that you're tired of the war and bloodshed.

tell me, is this how we're supposed to live?

why should we take when we could give?

you could show a person that you trust them when you stop and lower your guard.

here we have a chance for some adjustment... give it a try, it's not that hard.

this life is amazing when you greet it with open arms.

whatever we face, we'll be fine if we're leading from the heart.

no matter the place, we can light up the world. here's how to start: greet the world with open arms.

stay back, i'm warning you.

if we don't get back safely, my men will turn this place into blazes.

it took me a while to notice what kind of fruit they eat. it's a lotus, it controls your mind and never lets you free. that's what we'd get with open arms.

i'd like to show my friend that kindness is brave.

i see in your face, there is so much guilt inside your heart.

you can relax, my friend.

warrior of the mind

have you forgotten the lessons i taught you?

have you forgotten to turn off your heart? this is not you.

i see you changing from how I've designed you.

have you forgotten your purpose? let me remind you.

my life has one mission, create the greatest warrior.

maybe one day he'll follow me and we'll make a greater tomorrow, then they'll see.

i know he'll change the world 'cause he is a warrior of the mind.

maybe one day i'll reach him and we can build his skills as i teach him.

if there's a problem, he'll have the answer.

show yourself, i know you're watching me. show yourself. i can see you...

haha! i was lying and you fell for my bluff! hahahaha!

well done, enlighten me, what's your name?

nah, don't be modest - i know you're a goddess!

badass in the arena! unmatched, witty and queen of the best strategies we've seen!

if you're looking for a mentor, i'll make sure your time's well spent.

sounds like a plan! goddess and man, bestest of friends!

i know we'll change the world 'cause we are the warriors of the mind!

i still intend to make sure you don't fall behind. don't forget that you're a warrior of a very special kind.

[soon-palestine]

The Ecologists, La France Insoumise, the French Communist Party, and the Socialist Party unveiled, at a joint press conference, the programme of the left-wing alliance to the legislative elections. He condemned the "terrorist massacre of Hamas".

A programme in "20 measures of rupture", during the "first 15 days", to "reply to the emergency that damage the life and confidence of the French people". Wage indexation on inflation, rise of Smic, repeal of unemployment and pension insurance reforms… At a press conference held on Friday 14 June, the leaders of the left-wing parties behind the "New Popular Front" unveiled their legislature contract.

Decreeing the social emergency

-Block the prices of basic necessities (food, energy, fuels)

-Repealing pension and unemployment insurance reform

-Inflation of wages

-Fixing the SMIC and the minimum pension at EUR 1600 net

-Remove the minimum old-age age at the poverty line (60% of the SMIC)

-Restoring the wealth tax, "reinforced with a climate component"

Declaring an immediate ceasefire in Gaza

-Breaks with the support of the French government to Benjamin Netanyahu, and enforce the order of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which evokes a risk of genocide

-Action for the release of hostages detained since the Hamas terrorist massacres and for the release of Palestinian political prisoners

-Subsistent International Criminal Court (ICC) in its prosecution of Hamas leaders and the Israeli government

-Immediate recognition of the State of Palestine alongside the State of Israel on the basis of UN resolutions

-Alspering the organisation of free elections in Palestine under international control

Defending Ukraine

Defending the sovereignty of the Ukrainian people and their territory through the delivery of the necessary weapons

Seity of oligarch assets in banks

-Sending of blue helmets, in particular to secure nuclear power plants Addressing the climate challenge

-Adoption of a climate plan for carbon neutrality in 2050, and the principle of the green rule

-Adopting an "energy-climate" law, the beginnings of ecological planning

-Decree a moratorium on motorway infrastructure projects (A69…), and mega-bassines

-Adopting a water-sharing plan at the national level Is it a 6th Republic

-Rebrogate article 49, paragraph 3

-Election of the National Assembly and the Senate by proportional representation

-Introduce the Citizens' Initiative Referendum (RIC)

To convene a constituent assembly to draft a new Constitution Guaranteeing the right to housing

Build 1 million "green" housing units over 5 years

Repeal the Kasbarian Act, and abolish evictions

-Ammguring rent in tense areas

-Maintenate the SRU Act (20 or 25 per minimum of social housing per commune) Reshaping Europe

-Generating super-profit taxation at European level

-Finance of free trade agreements (CETA, Mercosur, etc.)

-Refusing the Fiscal Stability Pact

-Reforming the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)

[matoroblogs]

STORY LURES KIDS TO NEW LEGO LINE\ THE TOYMAKER HOPES AN UNFOLDING STORY WILL LURE BOYS TO BIONICLE TOYS.

BY KRISSAH WILLIAMS The Washington Post Oct 28, 2001

Late last year, five Danish toy designers began to weave a tale of good and evil, creating the kind of heroes and bad guys that American boys love. They used the standard formula: exotic names, special powers, an unknown land.

They added easy-to-build action figures, trading cards, T-shirts, comic books and a soundtrack, as well as Internet, computer and video games. All to tell the story of Lego's Bionicle, which they hope will be the next cool toy line. Their plan is to create a popular story that reveals itself slowly, adding characters to keep the kids coming back for more, with toys cheap enough that parents keep buying.Bionicles also are the featured boys' toys in McDonalds Happy Meals through Sept. 27.

The toymaker is spending $15 million to get the word out about Bionicle, making it the biggest U.S. toy launch ever for the determinedly traditional 67-year-old company known for its classic plastic bricks.

Like much of the toy industry, Lego is financially ailing as more American boys ignore traditional toys in favor of video and computer games and television. Lego, the third-largest toy company in the United States behind Mattel Inc. and Hasbro Inc., lost money in 1998 and again last year, its only losses in decades. The company has watched revenue stall at about $1 billion.

To attract the been-there, done-that generation of American boys, Lego's designers and marketers are trying their darnedest to be cool, even aloof, almost teasing kids to get their attention.

In December, the first bit of information about Bionicle (from ``biological' and ``chronicle') was revealed on the company's Web site: ``Once a paradise, Mata Nui has become a place of darkness and fear, ruled by the deadly Makuta. Now six mighty heroes, the Toa, have come to gather the masks of power and challenge the Makuta. Explore the island ... learn the legends ... and begin to solve the mystery of Bionicle.'

It stopped there. But Lego's marketers hoped youngsters would be salivating for more.

About once a month, new chapters are added to the Web site, along with information about characters and the special masks. This summer, Lego mailed 1 million free comic books to Lego club members, giving details not available on the Web site.

In May and June, the Toa (hero) and Turaga (villager) building toys were released in the United States. The futuristic-looking figures stand about 7 inches tall and are assembled from plastic pieces that snap together Lego-style. The figures cost $2.99 to $6.99, although more-complex remote-control-operated figures will be priced as high as $69.99.

Now, information has been revealed about the bad guys, called Rahi, and other twists and turns are promised.

The Bionicle launch is based on the viral marketing strategy, which is the rage among manufacturers hoping to appeal to fad-prone American children and teens. Viral marketing works to create a buzz one customer at a time rather than relying on mass advertisements such as television commercials.

Lego's idea: Interest one kid in the Bionicle story, and that child will tell another and another. To find those kids, Lego sent out six sport-utility vehicles, each painted with one of the superheroes.

``In early June, 50 kids came up to the truck; just a few knew about Bionicle,' Gillespie said. ``Now, they are pulling up to places and kids are jumping in to tell the other kids about it.'

Seven-year-old Lucas McCoy, who has dropped Pokemon cards in favor of Bionicle, rambles on whimsically about the story line, the music and Mata Nui-Lego's online game, where players see from the perspective of Toa (the heroes) and try to save the island.

Taking a break from play with his Toa figures, Lucas, who lives in Bedford, Texas, talks nonstop for 20 minutes, pausing only to breathe. ``It was the time before time, when the world was new. There was this bad spirit that sent a spell on Mata Nui to sleep ... and I think their most greatest fear is sleep. It made these infected masks, and Makuta is the stone - well, I think Makuta is like a dinosaur.'

The characters' weapons (tools, in Lego's lingo), which include a pitchfork and a spear, don't seem to bother the parents.

Lucas's mom, Maria McCoy, said she and her husband play with their son and can ``see his little mind working.' His focus is on building, not violence, she said. ``It brings out his imaginative self.'

On the other hand, the Bionicle tie-in with a broad range of products can increase the pester pressure from kids, parents say. For instance, to see the paradise island before the darkness descended upon it, kids need the Nintendo Game Boy's Bionicle game, which sells for $39.99. To access screen savers and pictures on the Bionicle Web site, kids need to buy the Bionicle characters and access the codes on the toy canisters.

McCoy said she has kept a lid on Lucas's desire to buy all the products by insisting he use his allowance. ``He gets an allowance, and he can buy what he wants with it. I tell him, 'If you save your money, you can get the more pricey things,' ' McCoy said.

Traffic on Web sites and at toys stores indicates boys, teenage guys and longtime Lego fans are the biggest buyers of Bionicle. Lego officials say sales have surpassed their expectations, but they decline to release figures.

The toy's official Web site had almost 2 million hits in July. Bionicle fans also have responded to the company's create-your-own-site contest. Yahoo lists thousands of sites mentioning the toy line.

But Lego's leap away from its classic plastic brick sets hasn't won everybody over.

Spencer Tibbs, 12, of Warrenton, Va., said he can be more creative with older Lego sets, which he uses to build his own creations, such as a replica of his mom's office. He doesn't like sets that require directions.

``I should be more into that stuff (Bionicle), but I like the older stuff,' he said.

For Lego, the big question is: Are more American boys like Lucas McCoy or Spencer Tibbs?

[mariacallous]

The senator tasked with overseeing federal antitrust enforcement is urging the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate whether a Texas-based company’s price-setting software is undermining competition and pushing up rents.

Amy Klobuchar, the Minnesota Democrat who chairs the Senate Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust and Consumer Rights, sent a letter to the DOJ’s Antitrust Division this month. It was also signed by two other Democrats, Sen. Richard Durbin of Illinois and Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey.

“We are concerned that the use of this rate setting software essentially amounts to a cartel to artificially inflate rental rates in multifamily residential buildings,” the letter said. It encouraged the DOJ to “take appropriate action to protect renters and competition in the residential rental markets.”

In mid-October, a ProPublica investigation documented how real estate tech company RealPage’s price-setting software uses nearby competitors’ nonpublic rent data to feed an algorithm that suggests what landlords should charge for available apartments each day. Legal experts said the algorithm may be enabling violations of antitrust laws.

ProPublica detailed how RealPage’s User Group, a forum that includes landlords who adopt the company’s software, had grown to more than 1,000 members, who meet in private at an annual conference and take part in quarterly phone calls. The senators raised specific questions about the group, saying, “We are concerned about potential anticompetitive coordination taking place through the RealPage User Group.”

RealPage did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

RealPage has said that the company “uses aggregated market data from a variety of sources in a legally compliant manner” and that its software prioritizes a property’s own internal supply and demand dynamics over external factors such as competitors’ rents. The company has said its software helps reduce the risk of collusion that would occur if landlords relied on phone surveys of competitors to manually price their units.

The DOJ declined to comment on the letter.

The department five years ago reviewed RealPage’s plan to acquire its biggest competitor in pricing software, but federal prosecutors declined to seek to block the merger, which doubled the number of apartments RealPage was pricing.

The senators noted that transaction, saying RealPage has made more than 10 acquisitions since 2016. They said in data-intensive industries, “the ability to acquire more data can result in the algorithms suggesting higher prices and can also increase the barriers to entry” for other competitors. The lawmakers encouraged the department “to consider looking back at RealPage’s past behavior to determine whether any of it was anticompetitive.”

The letter follows two others sent by lawmakers urging the DOJ or Federal Trade Commission to investigate RealPage. Since ProPublica’s investigation was published, three lawsuits have been filed on behalf of renters alleging that the software is artificially inflating rents and facilitating collusion. RealPage has denied allegations in a lawsuit filed in San Diego, and it has not responded to calls for comment about the other two legal actions, filed in federal district court in Seattle.

[helianskies]

👀👀👀 that's three AUs but just will also suffice

three au's? hm. let me just check to see if we've got any out back— ah, yep, yes, three au's. let me just... wrangle them out for you... hmm...

˗ˏˋ ꒰ 🪐 ꒱

Transient as the Stars

premise: on the humble planet of K'tose Paradi, a young inventor and scientist finds himself at the centre of an intergalactic bounty hunt. luckily for him, the first bounty hunter that manages to find him may just be convinced to pass on the payday in favour of saving their home.

details: Gilbert lives on K'tose Paradi, a small and quiet planet known for its rather arid landscapes and four suns. He spends his time mostly scavenging through scrapyards in search of materials he can use for work, or pocket for use on his inventions and projects. one day, he stumbles upon a relatively new crash site. not knowing immediately who it may have belonged to, he boards the vessel and goes about his business. only, something he pockets has such a great value that it comes to put a greater price on his head.

Antonio is a bounty hunter. he is in the middle of a spring clean when notification of a new bounty arrives, and it sends him flying into action - and flying not all that far, as the job is on the same planet he's currently calling home. it isn't so hard to find his target, and even though there is a short run-around, he is able to aprehend the small time inventor and wrangle him onto his ship. before he knows it, Gilbert is out in space, and his host and captor decides to let him in on why he's suddenly wanted.

however, just as Gilbert thinks he's done for, Antonio discovers exactly what it is he found on that ship and pieces together who is looking for Gilbert. and with that knowledge, he decides to risk his life and turn his back on his trade in order to help the other get to safety—to the people who can help. what results is an intergalactic journey, in which Gilbert sees planets he has only ever been able to dream of seeing, in which Antonio finds that loneliness is a fate worse than death, and in which the pair of them form a bond unlike one they will ever know again.

i had a lot of the world-building plans sorted for this one - it was the highlight of planning a fic. there's a fair bit of inspiration from star wars, i admit, but really this came from my brain in my big pruspa phase and ugGhhh the drama this au has in it. the betrayals, the friends, the action... so good!

˗ˏˋ ꒰ 💡 ꒱

Virtue's Mask

premise: some are born with powers, where others are bestowed them. not everyone uses these powers for good, however—or, perhaps, that is a matter of perspective.

details: Antonio works as an investigative journalist until... he doesn't. one night and one lead come to change his life forever, and a man who used to seek out secrets in order to better the lives of others has come to hold many secrets himself. even his brother, the only person he trusts, does not know the full extent of his nightly ventures. but Toni will do anything to keep it that way, just to keep him safe. it's for the best—as is his work.

meanwhile, as crime rises in the city, Arthur takes it upon himself to do what local law enforcement won't. vigilante work is tiring and endless, but he wouldn't give it up for the world—not even when a nameless figure appears on his territory and threatens the peace he is trying to restore. encounter after encounter, Arthur finds himself a nemesis, an equal, a challenge... even if his best friend worries for his safety, life has become far too exciting for him to walk away from.

by day, the pair of them are model citizens. they cross paths and their lives begin to tangle in ways more complicated than they could have imagined. what will happen, then, when they discover each other's dirty little secrets?

i have written a lil' chunk of this one, and in particular Antonio's backstory. i'm a fan of the 'they're totally the villain but well actually if you look at it this way—' and it suits nicely. i was more indecisive with Arthur's abilities, but for Antonio, i settled firmly on shadow manipulation as a contrast to his bright personality. i also had it in my head that Antonio works in a bookshop (having left his journalist profession) which is where he meets Arthur. and it grows from there!

˗ˏˋ ꒰ 🍞 ꒱

Slice of Life

details: Arthur branches away from the family business in order to establish his own small bakery. as rocky as it is for the first few months of trying to stand out and make his business thrive, he gets through it, and finds that the dough has finally given him a new purpose. that is, until about a year into his stint, a new café opens directly across from his bakery, and threatens to steal not only his customers, but his sanity, too.

over at The Warren, our charming new café, lifelong friends and owners Antonio and Francis are greeted with overwhelming support on their opening day and beyond. it's like a dream come true. organic food and coffee combined with great service is truly a winning combination!

and then, one day, Arthur braves the no man's land between the two businesses and checks out the competition. the pastries? they're okay. their teabags might as well be old dishcloths. but even he may have to admit that a certain someone's smile may just turn out to be a positive in his life. and a positive that he keeps coming back for.

i have literally no plans for this one, it lives only in my brain. but i love the potential for three different relationship dynamics. Toni and Fran have been friends since forever - nothing should come between them, in theory. but as Toni and Arthur start to get close and maybe even closer, the threat it may pose to Francis, who finds Arthur to be a thorn in his side, grows. maybe that in turn affects Toni and Arthur's relationship. but, in the end, Francis may just realise that he does miss how Arthur comes over to exchange words, to complain, to be their best critic. he misses the saltiness and how it compliments Antonio's sweetness. and so, he may just have to do his best to fix what he ruined. doesn't that sound like a fun plot?

well, that's all from me, anon. i hope you were mildly intrigued by one of these :')

[ 👀 ask game here! ]

[hakesbrother]

9,273 Homes For Sale In San Antonio, Tx

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Brackingridge Park and Natural Bridge Caverns are two spots worthy of your time. San Antonio restaurants deliver the flavors including Tex-Mex, nice dining, seafood and a wide range of ethnic fare. While San Antonio is a sizeable metropolis it comes with a pleasant demeanor, appeal and facilities making it a preferred place to calm new homes san antonio down. Give this Texas treasure some severe consideration for its great new home developments. With miles of trails for strolling and biking, the beautiful community of Cibolo Canyons presents the handy of a city-feel lifestyle without the traditional hustle and bustle.

[beardedmrbean]

Three days of strikes in the technology and chemical industries began early on Wednesday, the first of the present labour market cycle, with more strikes on the way if settlements between unions and employers are not seen soon.

Helsingin Sanomat reports (siirryt toiseen palveluun) that the action called by the Industrial Union, which started at midnight, affects around 7,200 employees at 50 workplaces in the technology industry, the basic chemicals industry, the plastic products industry and the chemical products industry. The strike includes ABB Group's offices, the production facilities of the pharmaceutical company Orion, and Outokumpu's steel plant in Tornio, as well as other locations.

A strike by the Federation of Professional and Managerial Staff YTN is now affecting a dozen companies in the technology sector, with about 5,000 senior employees taking part.

Meanwhile, Trade Union Pro is staging a three-day walkout by white-collar workers in the technology, engineering and consulting sectors.

The strikes went ahead after failure to reach a pay agreement in talks on Tuesday between unions and employers.

Helsingin Sanomat writes that the dispute in the tech sector can be seen as the most significant of the ongoing labour market clashes because wage settlements in the technology industry usually set the standard for other sectors.

More strikes likely

Ilta-Sanomat (siirryt toiseen palveluun) tells readers that the service industry union PAM has announced an expansion of strikes in the retail trade sector scheduled for 16 February.

If it goes ahead, the two-day strike will affect 415 locations, with a total of around approximately 26,000 employees.

The strike will affect, for example, all K-Citymarkets, Prisma and Lidl supermarkets, Veljekset Keskinen stores, 42 Tokmanni outlets and 14 Kokkola Halpa-Halli stores, as well as Kesko Logistics terminals in Tampere, Turku, Kuopio and Oulu.

PAM is aiming for approximately two hundred euro increases in the monthly wages of employees in the retail sector.

Also, the Transport Workers' Union AKT has threatened a strike starting on 15 February which will hit port operations and road transport.

Helsingin Sanomat reports (siirryt toiseen palveluun) that the Employers’ Federation of Road Transport has called the union's planned action irresponsible, saying that the whole of society will suffer from delays in deliveries caused by the strike. It warned that some petrol stations may run out of fuel and home waste bins may overflow while drivers are on strike.

Fewer traffic cameras

Kuopio's Savon Sanomat (siirryt toiseen palveluun) reports that the number of fines issued to motorists caught speeding by traffic cameras took a nosedive last year.

The number of tickets based on snapshots taken by traffic police traffic cameras in 2022 was down by a third, to just under 78,000 fines for speeding.

The paper quotes Inspector Heikki Ihalainen of the National Police Board as saying that increased fuel prices may have played a part in drivers having a lighter foot on the gas pedal.

There are currently around 300 cameras monitoring traffic speeds on the nation's roads and highways. These cameras are rotated among approximately 1,200 locations.

This year however there will be even fewer snapping pictures along the road as older cameras are being taken out of service and replaced.

The tendering process for the purchase of new cameras will not be held until this summer, and installation will not take palce until late in the year, or in 2024.

Keeping your brain young

The farmers' union paper Maaseudun Tulevaisuus (siirryt toiseen palveluun) waxes nostalgic with happy childhood memories of the hours spent playing with building blocks, and writes about its editorial staff's experience with a set of adult Legos to see if they were still up to the challenge.

Completing the build took more time, dexterity and brain power than the team expected, but they called the experiment a success.

The verdict was that overall, it was a relaxing experience.

Anita Pohjanvuori, a memory expert at the Alzheimer Society of Finland was not surprised. She told the paper that building blocks and puzzles of various kinds are good memory and concentration training.

She added that, for example, as a counterweight to challenging work, you should focus on something other than things that exercise your memory.

Pohjanvuori said she is often asked by people if they should do crossword puzzles, even though they don't really like them.

"I answer that of course you shouldn't if you don't like it. The best advice is to do something you like doing," Pohjanvuori pointed out.

[capitalxtendsmartinvestment]

What is Forex Trading? A Beginner’s Guide

The foreign exchange market is what Forex stands for. Forex trading is also called FX trading, currency trading, and foreign exchange trading. All of these terms can be used interchangeably in the financial world. The global Forex market is not like a stock exchange like the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). Instead, it is a decentralized market. Most foreign exchange deals happen over the counter or off-exchange. Stocks are traded on physical public exchanges, but Forex currencies don’t have a place where they are kept. Online Forex Trading is mostly conducted on the internet through a broker.

In the foreign exchange market, the biggest players are big banks, governments, large corporations, and hedge funds. These organizations have the power to make big changes in the forex market. These are also called institutional players in the market. But there are also quite a few people who trade on the market on their own. People like these are called the retail crowd.

A retail crowd is a varied group. This could be a consumer who wants to buy something from another country, a traveler who wants to go abroad, a company doing business in another country, or an investor or trader who wants to take advantage of price changes on the Forex market. Now that we know who the buyers and sellers are, let’s move on to how Forex trading works.

How Does Trading Work in Forex Industry?

Foreign Exchange Trading is the exchange of one currency for another. Typically, money is exchanged for a good or service. In stock trading, money is exchanged for firm shares. When we trade on the Forex market, we swap one currency unit for another currency unit. The United States Dollar (USD), the Euro (EUR), and the British Pound (GBP) are three of the most frequently traded currencies. The Japanese Yen (JPY), the Canadian Dollar (CAD), and the Australian Dollar are also prominent currencies (AUD).

Forex traders interact through a structured group of dealers and computer networks that serve as market makers for their own consumers. Orders are placed for currency pairs (or pairs of currency that you plan to swap). Different exchange rates are connected with certain currency pairs, which is where arbitrage comes in.

For instance, if the EUR/USD exchange rate is 1.1150, it indicates that 1 Euro can be obtained for every 1.1150 US dollars.

How to Profit from Forex Currency Trading?

Like in any business, you make money when you buy something for less and sell it for more. The same rules apply to trading FX. The difference is that you aren’t buying and selling physical goods, but rather currencies.

If one of these two things happens, you can make money trading currencies on the Forex market: If you bought or sold a currency pair and its value went up, you would have made money. If you sold or borrowed a currency pair and its value went down, you lost money.

The exchange rate is affected by a number of important factors. The monetary policy of the central bank, economic data, political events, and geopolitical risk events are all important, but in the end, it all comes down to price action.

How to Trade Forex for Beginners?

Understanding how currencies are quoted and what exchange rates signify is the fundamental building block of trading on the foreign exchange market. All currencies on the Forex market are quoted in pairs. Therefore, Forex trading requires the simultaneous purchase of one currency against the exchange of another currency.

Characteristics of the Foreign Exchange Market

The most important thing about the Foreign Exchange Market is that it’s open 24 hours a day, Monday through Friday, except for weekends. When you trade around the clock, you can trade from anywhere and not have to worry about time. This means that you can trade even after you get home from work.

Start-up capital for online forex trading can be as low as $100. In addition, the costs are far lower than other asset classes, such as stock trading. Liquidity is one of the most important characteristics of the foreign exchange market. This will provide stable exchange rates because its volume exceeds $6,6 trillion. Second, you can rapidly open and close transactions with no slippage.

Leverage is the most alluring aspect of foreign currency trading. Leverage allows you to trade with larger sums of money than your initial deposit. For instance, if your preferred forex broker offers a 1:50 leverage, you can control $50 on the FX market for every $1 in your account.

Basic Forex Market Terms

The first step in learning a new foreign language is mastering the alphabet. The Forex market, which has its own alphabet and vocabulary, is comparable. It is essential to master this new language in order to comprehend the industry.

1. Currency Pair

Forex prices are given in currency pairs, which match one currency unit against another. Each currency is also shortened to three letters.

For example, the currency pair EUR/USD is made up of the euro and the US dollar. The euro, which is the first currency in the system, is called the “base currency.” The second currency in the quotation system is the US Dollar, which is called the quote currency or counter currency.

2. The Rate of Exchange – The Quote

The exchange rate is the price at which one currency can be bought or sold for another. The price quote tells you how much of the quote currency you need to buy one unit of the base currency.

Since currencies are always quoted in pairs, the value of one currency is always given in relation to another. The supply and demand law tells us what the exchange rate is.

3. Pip

The smallest price change that a currency exchange rate can make is called a pip, which stands for Price Interest Point (or Percentage in Point). The last decimal of a Forex quote represents a pip.

For instance, if the EUR/USD exchange rate is 1.1500 today and 1.1580 tomorrow, we can say that the EUR/USD exchange rate has increased 80 pips.

4. Ask price

A two-price quotation system is used for understanding currency pairs. Due to this, there are two prices when you open the order window. The Ask price, or the price at which you buy a currency pair, is displayed on the right side.

For instance, if the EUR/USD quote shows the following rates: 1.1520/1.1521, you have the option to purchase the currency at the price of 1.1521.

5. Bid

The “Bid price,” also known as the “price you need to pay if you want to sell a currency pair,” is listed on the left-hand side of the two-price quote system.

For instance, if the EUR/USD quote shows the following rates: 1.1520/1.1521, you are able to sell at the price of 1.1520.

6. Spread

The spread is the amount by which the price at which you buy (Ask) differs from the price at which you sell (Bid). The magnitude of the Forex spread is typically determined by the liquidity and volatility of the market.

7. Margin

Online Forex trading does not require the whole amount to trade. Margin is the amount deposited in a small fraction (percentage ) of your trading size which covers possible losses. The broker you choose to trade with provides you with a certain multiple of that margin, which works in conjunction with leverage.

For instance, if you want to buy $10,000 worth of EUR/USD and your broker offers you the leverage of 1:50, it means that you will only need to set aside $500 in order to complete the transaction. So, if you put down $500, you can trade as if you had put down $10,000.

Type of Currency Trading Pairs

Depending on how much trading a currency does, we can put it into one of three main groups:

Major Currency Pairs: These are all the currencies that are traded against the US Dollar, which is the world’s reserve currency. For instance, EUR/USD, GBP/USD, and USD/PY. The major pairs have the most liquidity, and EUR/USD is the pair with the most liquidity.

Minor Currency Pairs: Also referred to as cross pairs, these currency pairs do not trade against the US Dollar and are considered to be of lower importance. Examples include the euro versus the pound sterling and the euro versus the Swiss franc. They provide a lower level of trading liquidity.

Exotic Currency Pairs: Also known as minor currency pairs are currency combinations that are linked to developing economies located all over the world. Examples of such currencies include the South African Rand, the Brazilian Real, and the Turkish Lira.

Understanding and Reading Forex Quotes

The standard quotation system uses a three-letter abbreviation system and always involves two currencies: the base currency on the left and the quote currency on the right. The quoted price shows how much Quote currency is needed to buy/sell one Base currency.

How to Place Orders When Trading Forex

A Forex Order is, in general, a command that is given to your broker and demonstrates the following information:

What pair of currencies to buy or sell.

How you’re going to trade (Long or Short).

Price to buy or sell.

Where to take a Profit.

How to get out of a place.

how many units (lots) to buy or sell.

Type of order

A Forex Order can be used to do two things in terms of direction:

Buy (Long): We use a buy order that is executed at the Ask price and closed at the Bid price if we think the currency pair will go up.

Sell (Short): We use a sell order executed at the Bid price and closed at the Ask price if we think the currency pair will go down.

There are five common types of orders that anyone can use to enter or exit the Forex market:

Market orders

Limit order

Stop order

A Stop-loss order

Take profit order

How to Make Your First Trade in Forex

The first thing you need to do is open a demo account with the Forex broker you like best. This will let you trade on the Forex market from a trading platform.

Once you gain the idea of entering and exiting the market through practicing on a demo account, you can open a real forex trading account. There are different types of accounts that a broker offers, you can choose the account that is best suited for you.

Best Forex Trading Platform for Beginners

MetaTrader4, which was made by MetaQuotes Software, is the best forex trading platform for beginners. Millions of retail Forex traders around the world use the MT4 platform, which is one of the most popular Forex trading platforms. Its features can be used by both seasoned forex traders and those who have never done it before.

MetaTrader 4 is free, and it has a lot of built-in features. There are a lot of different technical indicators that can help you figure out how to read a Forex price chart. You can also use MT4 to build your own automated trading strategy and test any trading ideas you might have.

Conclusion

Trading on the foreign exchange market follows the same fundamental processes as trading on any other market. Attempting to generate a profit by buying at a low price and selling at a high price. The foreign exchange market is distinguished from other markets in that it offers a variety of trading opportunities that are not available in other markets. Because of this, the foreign exchange market is an excellent choice for beginning traders who are interested in either supplementing their income or starting a trading career full-time.

Originally Published on shortkro

Source: https://shortkro.com/what-is-forex-trading-a-beginners-guide/

[batboyblog]

Things Biden and the Democrats did, this week #10

March 15-22 2024

The EPA announced new emission standards with the goal of having more than half of new cars and light trucks sold in the US be low/zero emission by 2032. One of the most significant climate regulations in the nation’s history, it'll eliminate 7 billion tons of CO2 emissions over the next 30 years. It's part of President Biden's goal to cut greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030 on the road to eliminating them totally by 2050.

President Biden canceled nearly 6 Billion dollars in student loan debt. 78,000 borrowers who work in public sector jobs, teachers, nurses, social workers, firefighters etc will have their debt totally forgiven. An additional 380,000 public service workers will be informed that they qualify to have their loans forgiven over the next 2 years. The Biden Administration has now forgiven $143.6 Billion in student loan debt for 4 million Americans since the Supreme Court struck down the original student loan forgiveness plan last year.

Under Pressure from the administration and Democrats in Congress Drugmaker AstraZeneca caps the price of its inhalers at $35. AstraZeneca joins rival Boehringer Ingelheim in capping the price of inhalers at $35, the price the Biden Admin capped the price of insulin for seniors. The move comes as the Federal Trade Commission challenges AstraZeneca’s patents, and Senator Bernie Sanders in his role as Democratic chair of the Senate Health Committee investigates drug pricing.

The Department of Justice sued Apple for being an illegal monopoly in smartphones. The DoJ is joined by 16 state attorneys general. The DoJ accuses Apple of illegally stifling competition with how its apps work and seeking to undermining technologies that compete with its own apps.

The EPA passed a rule banning the final type of asbestos still used in the United States. The banning of chrysotile asbestos (known as white asbestos) marks the first time since 1989 the EPA taken action on asbestos, when it passed a partial ban. 40,000 deaths a year in the US are linked to asbestos

President Biden announced $8.5 billion to help build advanced computer chips in America. Currently America only manufactures 10% of the world's chips and none of the most advanced next generation of chips. The deal with Intel will open 4 factories across 4 states (Arizona, Ohio, New Mexico, and Oregon) and create 30,000 new jobs. The Administration hopes that by 2030 America will make 20% of the world's leading-edge chips.

President Biden signed an Executive Order prioritizing research into women's health. The order will direct $200 million into women's health across the government including comprehensive studies of menopause health by the Department of Defense and new outreach by the Indian Health Service to better meet the needs of American Indian and Alaska Native Women. This comes on top of $100 million secured by First Lady Jill Biden from ARPA-H.

Democratic Senators Bob Casey, Tammy Baldwin, Sherrod Brown, and Jacky Rosen (all up for re-election) along with Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker, and Sheldon Whitehouse, introduced the "Shrinkflation Prevention Act" The Bill seeks to stop the practice of companies charging the same amount for products that have been subtly shrunk so consumers pay more for less.

The Department of Transportation will invest $45 million in projects that improve Bicyclist and Pedestrian Connectivity and Safety

The EPA will spend $77 Million to put 180 electric school buses onto the streets of New York City This is part of New York's goal to transition its whole school bus fleet to electric by 2035.

The Senate confirmed President Biden's nomination of Nicole Berner to the Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. Berner has served as the general counsel for America's largest union, SEIU, since 2017 and worked in their legal department since 2006. On behalf of SEIU she's worked on cases supporting the Affordable Care Act, DACA, and against the Defense of Marriage act and was part of the Fight for 15. Before working at SEIU she was a staff attorney at Planned Parenthood. Berner's name was listed by the liberal group Demand Justice as someone they'd like to see on the Supreme Court. Berner becomes one of just 5 LGBT federal appeals court judges, 3 appointed by Biden. The Senate also confirmed Edward Kiel and Eumi Lee to be district judges in New Jersey and Northern California respectively, bring the number of federal judges appointed by Biden to 188.

[govtdebtreliefa]

How to Earn 50k in 5 Days: A Beginners Guide

There’s no secret to earning a lot of money in a short amount of time. In fact, it’s something that many people know how to do. But if you want to make the most of your earnings, you need to start by understanding the basics. This article will teach you everything you need to know about earning 50k in 5 days. After reading this article, you’ll be able to take action and earn more money than ever before!

How to Earn 50k in 5 Days.

The first step in earning money in the stock market is to get started. This section provides a guide on how to get started in the stock market. In order to be successful, it’s important to have a clear plan and follow through with your goals.

In order to invest in stocks, you must first know what stocks you should be investing in. This guide will help you do just that. After understanding what stocks you should be investing in, it’s time to begin investing. In this part of the guide, we will tell you how to invest in stocks and save money along the way.

In order to make money from stock trading, it is important that you have accurate information about the companies and their products. You can do this by reading company reports or studying media releases. By doing this, you will be able to determine whether or not the company is worth owning and also understand any potential risks involved with owning them. Once you have accurate information about a company, it is then necessary to start trading them using an trader account. An trader account allows for more efficient investment because it takes into consideration all of the factors mentioned earlier- including company information and risks- which makes for a better decision making process overall!

Once you have confirmed that a company is worth investing in, it’s time for another step: saving money! This part of the guide will teach how to save money on your behalf so that you can start making some serious profit soon! One of the best ways to save money on your behalf is by setting up budgeting processes and tracking spending as closely as possible- something that everyone should do at some point during their life! Another great way to save money is by choosing lower-cost options when making purchases- something that everyone can try out at home! By following these tips, you are sure To make some serious progress towards earning 50k within 5 days!

How to Earn 50k in 5 Days.

One of the quickest and easiest ways to make money is through a hobby. If you have an interest in something that brings you joy, such as cooking, gardening, or photography, then start your own business and make income from it. There are many options for starting your own business without much effort, including online courses and books on entrepreneurship, or simply finding a part-time job that you enjoy and can bring in some extra dough.

Make Money on the Side

Another great way to earn money is through side hustles. This means doing things that don’t require a lot of energy but give you a lot of satisfaction – such as selling products online or working odd jobs during your free time. You can also find short-term projects that can help supplement your income while also providing something fun and rewarding to do outside of work.

Make Money through Trading

Another great way to make money is by trading stocks and other financial assets. This involves buying and selling securities on the open market, often using automated tools like Google Spreadsheets or Overstock’s stock trading app. You can also engage in Forex (a form of foreign exchange) transactions to make more money by taking advantage of higher prices for specific currencies.

Make Money with Investing

Investing is another great way to make money over time – especially if you have some experience with investments like stocks or bonds! By investing in various types of assets like real estate, technology startups, or small businesses, you can build a strong portfolio that will pay off handsomely over time.

Get Paid 50k a Month in the Stock Market

Last but not least, there are several ways to get paid 50k per month in the stock market! One option is to sell securities on the open market – this can be done through online brokers like Fidelity or Merrill Lynch, or through phone sales teams at major retailers like Walmart or Sears). Another option is to join an investment firm and invest their capital into stocks and other assets – this could involve paying fees (like 1% per month) and watching your portfolio grow over time!

How to Earn 50k in 5 Days.

One of the best ways to make money while on vacation is by starting a hobby. many people choose to start a small business while traveling, as it can provide a lot of stability and income over time. If you’re not sure what you want to do, check out our article on how to start your own business on a budget. In addition, some people choose to make money through trading or investing. These methods involve buying and selling goods and services online or in person. Finally, some people choose to make money through the stock market by earning 50k a month from investments.

Conclusion

If you're serious about making money in the stock market, you'll need to start with a hobby or make money on the side. Then, move on to trading and investing. Finally, focus on earning 50k a month through the stock market. By following these steps, you can easily achieve your goals and make a healthy living.

[deveretechnologies]

The Secrets to a Successful Launch: GTM Strategy How to Increase Performance in Your Company

GTM strategy provides a roadmap that demarcates the business from its competitors and in the rapidly growing business realm, one cannot afford to launch into obscurity. For Devere Technologies, where we focus on simplifying convoluted procedures, it is notable that a smooth GTM is critical for any product or service. 

This blog is your guide to getting it right on developing a proper GTM strategy. Here we will look into the constituent components, explain how it is done and provide you with information on how you can optimize your launch to achieve the greatest effect. 

Demystifying the GTM Strategy: In America as in other parts, people should grasp the big picture or understand the context of the events or information they are exposed to. 

Picture the following scenario of a detailed rocket launch. The final event that precedes the rocket’s launch is very accurately calculated to the tiniest detail: the fuel mix and the time, during which the rocket is launched. Just like in the case of Amazon, your GTM strategy also stems from a similar concept, though without a specific name. In simple terms, it is the strategic road map that gets your product or service offering, or even an entirely new business, to market efficiently and with direction. 

A well-defined GTM strategy addresses several crucial questions.

Who do you want to reach or target with your product? It is important to have the best view of your target client. 

What need does your offering address? State or explain the value proposition by trying to put into words who you — or more accurately, your product or service — are helping and how you are meeting their needs. 

What are the modes of communication in getting the messages to the audiences? Determine communication techniques that could be used to reach your target buyers. 

About the question above, what is your strategy for pricing? Set up the right pricing strategy that corresponds to the articulated value proposition and the industry environment. 

How are you going to determine success? Identify the specific measures that you will be using to measure the success of your GTM strategy. 

When answering these questions, you develop an action plan for your strategic venture’s launch and help your offering acquire the necessary market share. 

Building Your GTM Arsenal: 

Now that we understand the fundamentals, let's dig deeper into the key elements that make up a winning GTM strategy

1. Identifying Your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP): 

The analysis of the target client base is one of the key prerequisites for the formation of an effective GTM strategy. Here's how to create a detailed ICP:

Demographics: Their age, income, geographical location, field of work, and position. 

Firmographics: Organization type/size, annual sales and business segment (for products and services predominantly targeting the business-to-business market). 

Needs & Pain Points: What are the general and specific problems that the population of your potential clients have? 

Behaviors: How do they get Information? What consumption patterns do they have? 

Goals & Aspirations: What is their purpose? Your offering will be most successful if it can explain how it will aid the consumers in achieving their objectives. 

2. Crafting a Compelling Value Proposition:

Your value proposition is the key communication that clarifies what your product does and why it is significant to the target customers. Here's how to craft a compelling one:

Always communicate the benefit, not the feature. Try not to mention ‘features’ but rather think of how those attributes help your audience and ease their troubles. 

I think comprehensibility, briefness and no ambiguity should also be taken into consideration. Do not use business-speak or trade industry language. 

Carve out your niche in the market. Emphasize how your product/service is different from the rest and why people should go for it. 

3. Choosing the Right Channels:  

So the next time you hear a piece of communication advice like ‘the best communication is the second kind,’ or ‘the third time’s the charm,’ just remember that it can often take several attempts to get a message through. 

One of the ways that can directly affect the firm's GTM strategy is the identification of the right channels required to communicate with the target consumers. Here are some factors to consider:

Target audience behaviour: where do they pass their time: offline and online? 

Cost-effectiveness: Determine the cost per lead or cost per acquisition of each channel covered. 

Content alignment: Always ensure that the message you are passing and the content in general go hand in hand with the channel in question. 

Channel synergy: Think through an integrated way by which the various channels can be used to increase the disseminating audience. 

Examples of channels include: 

Content marketing: Anything on the blog, e-books, infographics and content shared on social media sites. 

Email marketing: Email marketing that is more specific in this case of follow-up and conversion efforts to begin marketing leads. 

Paid advertising: Include Google Ads and social media advertising to be able to cover more fans and followers. 

Webinars and events: Perform informative and entertaining themed events online or in person to the targeted consumers. 

Public relations: Ensure that there is good media coverage as this will help in enhancing the brand and its reputation. 

4. Developing a Winning Pricing Strategy: 

Pricing is always a significant determinant of an organization’s revenue besides determining the perception that customers have towards the product. Here are a few approaches to consider: 

Value-based pricing: Set your price with the value that the customer will get from your offering. 

Cost-plus pricing: Subtract the production costs and multiply the result with an intended profit margin. 

Competitive pricing: When setting the price, it is also normative to look at competitors’ price levels and value offerings. 

Freemium model: Deploy a free version with a different paid and more advanced version with additional accessories for a fee. 

5. Measuring Success: Monitoring And Adjusting Your Progress 

Signal your GTM strategy isn’t fixed. Entities do not ‘set and forget’ and are, instead, premier ongoing documents that must be altered according to the existing outcomes. Here's how to measure the success of your GTM strategy: 

Define Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): Specify performance indicators that are relevant to the GTM strategy of the company. Some examples include: 

Availability of the website and the leads generated 

Metric of scale (such as signups for the free trial or purchase of the product) 

Customer acquisition cost (CAC) 

Customer lifetime value (CLTV) 

Customers’ recognition of the brand and their activities on social media networks. 

Track and Analyze Data: With analytics, KPI trends can be monitored and analyzed to understand the current state of your analytics. 

Conduct A/B Testing: Experiment with the messaging, price points, or the web page where you would like the customers to end up. 

Make Data-Driven Decisions: Make it a practice to quantify your GTM strategy and adjust your actions according to the results that benefit the company. 

Bonus Tip: The focus of this article will be on the strategies for creating a buzz before a product is officially launched. 

As the above proposals show, there are ways to build anticipation before the official launch and thus get a higher success rate. Here are some tactics to generate pre-launch buzz:

Create a landing page: Collect people’s e-mail addresses and to further engage them, reveal fragments of your works and other interesting information. 

Engage on social media: Post the teasers, generate interest and communicate with the potential consumers. 

Run influencer marketing campaigns: Engage the right influencer who would help you mark the word out about the offering you have. 

Secure media coverage: Create press releases/advertorials and write press releases for your target media outlets. 

The Road to Success: Implementation of Your GTM Strategy 

Formulating this winning GTM strategy is a team effort. Here are some additional tips to ensure a smooth execution:

Cross-functional Collaboration: It should engage members of the marketing, sales, and customer success teams as well as the product development department. 

Align with Business Goals: Your GTM plan should align with your organization’s goals & objectives. 

Embrace Agility: Always be open to alterations to your strategy depending on the response of the market and the knowledge gathered. 

Invest in the Right Tools: Integrate and leverage marketing automation, CRM, and sales enablement tools in your go-to-market strategies. 

The steps highlighted above and the constant improvement of the strategies used can help make the right impact when launching your offering, which will determine continued success. And so, GTM plays a significant role in your blueprint for your business’s triumphant market entrance. 

At Devere Technologies, we appreciate the logic of GTM strategies and creating and implementing them effectively. It is our experience and understanding of these processes together with our effectiveness as a DPI could be very useful for entry and achieving the required revenues for a business regardless of its size. If you have a plan to develop a new product, service or business, you can get in touch with Devere Technologies today and we can show you how to have a splendid market entry. 

[mariacallous]

US Plans 200% Tariff on Russia Aluminum as Soon as This Week

The US is preparing to slap a 200% tariff on Russian-made aluminum as soon as this week to keep pressure on Moscow as the one-year anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine nears, according to people familiar with the situation. 

President Joe Biden has yet to give the official go-ahead, and there have been concerns in the administration about collateral damage on US industries, including aerospace and automobiles, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing internal deliberations. 

The move, which has been contemplated for months, is also aimed at Russia, the world’s second-largest aluminum producer, because Moscow has been dumping supplies on the US market and harming American companies. The timing of the decision could slip past this week, one of the people said. 

The White House National Security Council didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.

The escalation of pressure on Moscow comes after Washington unleashed unprecedented levels of sanctions to punish and isolate President Vladimir Putin’s government, including freezing its central bank assets globally, targeting its banking, technology and defense sectors and sanctioning individuals linked to Putin.

The move against aluminum also continues efforts by the US and European Union to blunt Russia’s role as global commodities powerhouse. The EU has banned imports of Russian oil, gas and fuels in an attempt to cut its reliance on Moscow. The impact of that move, however, has been mitigated by a redrawing of the global oil trade map, with most crude supplies going now to China and India at lower prices.

There’s no indication so far that the EU is planning a similar move on Russian aluminum. 

US Market

Russia, the world’s largest aluminum producer after China, has been a significant source of material for the US market. Most of it is value-added items, rather than in bulk product, with US buyers ranging from building and construction to automotive.

Such a steep tariff would effectively end US imports of the metal from Russia. While the country has traditionally accounted for 10% of total US aluminum imports, the amount has dropped to just more than 3%, according to US trade data.

The tariff option would be less severe than actions considered last year by the administration, including an outright ban or sanctions on Russia’s sole producer of the metal, United Co. Rusal International PJSC. Such a move risked wider market disruptions, by making Russian supplies essentially toxic for buyers globally. 

Rusal shares in Moscow were trading down as much as 3% on Monday after the news. The company declined to comment.

As the White House has weighed action on Russian aluminum, buyers in the US had been discussing the potential of alternate supply in the event of a ban, tariff or sanction. Industry participants in recent months have also tried to game plan where Russian metal would go if it was suddenly blocked out of the US market, as well as Europe, with many speculating that it could be transshipped via China or other countries and reexported, obscuring its origins.

Industry Support

Aluminum prices dropped about 15% last year amid worries of a slowing global economy and the ongoing pandemic lockdowns in China, the world’s largest consumer. 

Aluminum futures traded on the London Metal Exchange on Monday briefly erased gains and rose as much as 0.6% on news of the tariffs, before declining 1.7% to $2,526.50 a metric ton as of 3:25 p.m. London time.

The Aluminum Association, a trade group that represents the industry in the US, said in a statement Monday that “the aluminum industry stands in support of any and all efforts deemed necessary by the US government and its NATO allies” to address Russia’s invasion. “This is a global security and humanitarian disaster that goes far beyond the interests of any single industry.”

US imports of Russian aluminum had dropped to near zero in October as the administration weighed a ban, worrying domestic buyers who didn’t want to be stuck with the material. Imports rebounded to 11,600 tons in November before easing back to 9,700 tons in January.

[saicpa01]

Business Valuation: Unlocking Profit Potential and Investment Wisdom with SAI CPA Services 

In today's dynamic business landscape, understanding the true worth of a company is crucial for both owners and investors. Business valuation, the process of determining a company's economic value, serves as a powerful tool for maximizing profits and making informed investment decisions. SAI CPA Services stands at the forefront of this essential financial practice, offering expert guidance and comprehensive valuation services. 

Why Business Valuation Matters 

Strategic Decision-Making: A thorough valuation provides insights into a company's strengths, weaknesses, and growth potential. SAI CPA Services leverages its extensive experience to deliver actionable insights, enabling businesses to develop strategies that increase profitability and market share. 

Attracting Investors: Accurate valuations help businesses present a compelling case to potential investors. SAI CPA Services' reputation for precision and reliability adds credibility to these valuations, demonstrating growth prospects and return on investment opportunities more effectively. 

Mergers and Acquisitions: For companies looking to expand through M&A, valuations are essential in negotiating fair prices and identifying synergies. SAI CPA Services' expertise in this area ensures that clients have a solid foundation for these complex transactions. 

Exit Planning: Business owners planning to sell or retire can use SAI CPA Services' valuations to time their exit strategically and maximize their returns. 

Maximizing Profits Through Valuation 

Understanding your company's value drivers allows you to focus on areas that will have the most significant impact on profitability. SAI CPA Services helps identify and analyze these drivers, which might include: 

Improving operational efficiency 

Investing in high-growth segments 

Divesting underperforming assets 

Optimizing capital structure 

Smart Investments: The Investor's Perspective 

For investors, SAI CPA Services' business valuations are critical in: 

Identifying Undervalued Companies: SAI's thorough analysis helps spot businesses trading below their intrinsic value, potentially leading to substantial returns. 

Risk Assessment: SAI CPA Services' valuations help investors understand the risks associated with potential investments, enabling more informed decision-making. 

Portfolio Diversification: By providing comprehensive valuations across different sectors, SAI assists investors in building balanced portfolios that align with their risk tolerance and financial goals. 

Valuation Methods 

SAI CPA Services employs several methods in business valuation, including: 

Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) Analysis 

Comparable Company Analysis 

Asset-Based Valuation 

Earnings Multiplier 

SAI's expertise lies in selecting the most appropriate method(s) for each unique situation, often combining approaches to arrive at a comprehensive valuation. 

The SAI CPA Services Advantage 

What sets SAI CPA Services apart in the field of business valuation? 

1. Industry Expertise: With years of experience across various sectors, SAI brings deep industry knowledge to every valuation. 

2. Cutting-Edge Technology: SAI utilizes the latest financial modeling and data analysis tools to ensure accurate and insightful valuations. 

3. Customized Approach: Recognizing that each business is unique, SAI tailors its valuation process to address the specific needs and circumstances of each client. 

4. Ongoing Support: Beyond providing a valuation figure, SAI offers guidance on how to interpret and act on the insights gained from the valuation process. 

Conclusion 

Business valuation is not just a number-crunching exercise; it's a strategic tool that can drive profit maximization and smart investment decisions. By partnering with SAI CPA Services, both business owners and investors can leverage the insights gained from thorough valuations to position themselves for long-term success in an ever-evolving market. 

Whether you're looking to grow your business, attract investors, or make wise investment choices, SAI CPA Services' mastery of business valuation is key to unlocking your financial potential. Their commitment to excellence and tailored approach ensures that you receive not just a valuation, but a roadmap to enhanced profitability and investment success. 

Contact Us: Website: Sai CPA Services  Facebook: AjayKCPA  Instagram: sai_cpa_services  Twitter: SaiCPA  LinkedIn: Sai CPA Services  WhatsApp: Sai CPA Channel  Phone: (908) 380-6876 

#BusinessValuation #ProfitMaximization #SmartInvesting #FinancialStrategy #CompanyWorth #ValueCreation #InvestmentInsights 

[pop-up-trade-show-booth]

What Can I Gain from Attending a Trade Show?

As a trade show attendee, I’ve discovered that these events offer a wealth of opportunities and insights. Here’s what I typically gain from participating:

1. Insights into Industry Trends and New Technologies

Every time I attend a trade show, I get to see the latest trends and technological advancements in the industry. These events showcase new products and innovations, helping me understand where the industry is heading. This knowledge allows me to stay ahead and make informed decisions about my own business strategies.

2. Networking Opportunities

Trade shows are fantastic for expanding my professional network. I get to meet potential clients, partners, and industry peers face-to-face. This direct interaction provides a great opportunity to build valuable relationships and strengthen my business connections.

3. Hands-On Experience and Product Demonstrations

At trade shows, I can experience products and services firsthand. Seeing live demonstrations helps me understand how a product works and its benefits, which makes it easier to make well-informed purchasing decisions. I get to handle products, ask questions, and see them in action, which is much more effective than just reading about them.

4. Expert Talks and Workshops

Many trade shows offer expert talks, seminars, and workshops. Attending these sessions allows me to learn from industry leaders and gain practical insights and skills. These educational opportunities help me stay updated on industry best practices and enhance my professional expertise.

5. Competitor Analysis

Trade shows give me a chance to observe competitors closely. I can see their product offerings, market positioning, and marketing strategies. This information is invaluable for conducting market analysis and refining my competitive strategies.

6. Finding Potential Suppliers and Partners

I often discover potential suppliers and business partners at trade shows. By engaging with them directly, I can evaluate their products and services, compare different options, and make more informed decisions for future collaborations or purchases.

7. Industry Innovation and Inspiration

Trade shows are a great source of inspiration. I get to see cutting-edge innovations and creative solutions that spark new ideas for my own business. These fresh perspectives help me think outside the box and drive innovation within my organization.

8. Exclusive Discounts and Promotions

Many exhibitors offer special discounts and promotions during trade shows. I can take advantage of these deals to purchase high-quality products at reduced prices, which is a great way to save on costs while acquiring valuable resources.

9. Market Research and Feedback

Interacting with exhibitors and other attendees allows me to gather direct feedback about products and services. This feedback is crucial for understanding market demand and customer preferences, which aids in my market research and strategic planning.

10. Personal and Professional Growth

Attending trade shows contributes to my personal and professional development. Engaging with industry experts and exploring new trends enhances my knowledge and skills. These experiences open up new opportunities and provide valuable insights that support my career growth.

Overall, attending trade shows offers me a comprehensive range of benefits, from gaining industry insights to expanding my professional network. Each event is a valuable experience that helps me stay competitive and informed in my field.