Context: I’m in biotech, 2yrs industry experience post-PhD (all at my current job). Surprised by an unexpected opportunity and don’t know what to do.
My current job is for a small, slightly-more-mature-than-a-startup in my preferred area of specialization. Love my coworkers and hybrid work schedule, pay is competitive, was recently promoted, and I’m in charge of multiple interesting and important projects. Because we’re so small, I really play a central role in my department .
However Management is not great- project approvals run on geological time scales to the point that I haven’t been able to actually execute most of the work that we have been planning for 2 years, and there’s a looming financial resource situation with uncertain consequences (possibility company may have to dissolve within a few years).
Until recently, my plan was to hang on a few more years, try and achieve real results on a key project, and eventually end up at dream Company X.
Unexpectedly, I was just tapped for an opportunity at company X. Company X is large, big name in industry, known for good employee culture. Position is similar to my current but in broader biological domains, potential for higher Pay, can maintain hybrid schedule
I’m excited but thrown off as I hadn’t anticipated switching jobs so soon, and I’m not sure if it’s to my benefit to attempt to see my current projects through (1-2years…if ever…), if I’m being to casual about the red flags at my current job, etc. and I also don’t want to burn bridges at dream company x if I’m not ready to actually work there yet.
Any advice on how to think about this?

Healios PR (3/24/23): Protocol change for ischemic stroke trial in the U.S. and Europe
Protocol change for ischemic stroke trial in the U.S. and Europe
Primary endpoint observation period extended to 365 days
following TREASURE study results
HEALIOS K.K. (“Healios”) conducted the TREASURE study*1 to investigate the safety and efficacy of HLCM051*2 (Multistem®) in patients with ischemic stroke. Healios is continuing discussions with the regulatory authority (PMDA) regarding future data acquisition and submission policies.
Athersys is conducting a clinical trial (trial name: MASTERS-2 study) in the U.S. and Europe using the same drug for ischemic stroke. The results of the TREASURE study announced by Healios in May 2022 showed an overall positive trend in the evaluation after 365 days of administration, suggesting a long-term improvement in independence in daily living. Therefore, Athersys has discussed with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to change the timing of the primary endpoint of the MASTERS-2 study (shift analysis in mRS*3 score) from 90 days to 365 days after administration. This and other requests have been accepted by the FDA. The main changes are as follows:

1. Athersys will change the timing of the primary endpoint assessed by shift analysis in modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score to day 365, from day 90 previously.
   
2. Athersys will retain shift analysis in mRS score at day 90 as a key secondary endpoint, along with other revised secondary endpoints.
   
3. Athersys will remove eligibility caps on concomitant reperfusion therapy (e.g., tPA, MR or tPA+MR) to ensure the final study population is reflective of current standard of care in the population eligible for this therapy.
   
4. Athersys may elect to have an independent statistician conduct an interim analysis to assess potential sample size adjustment. MASTERS-2 currently plans to enroll 300 patients and enrollment, as previously communicated, is >50% complete.
   

Please refer to the press release from Athersys for more information.
Based on this new agreement with the FDA, Healios plans to discuss with the PMDA the future direction of HLCM051 development for ischemic stroke in Japan, including the use of clinical trial data from the U.S.
This matter has no impact on our business performance for the fiscal year ending December 2023 at this time. Healios shall promptly announce all future matters that require disclosure, including any potential impact on expenses associated with launching this clinical trial.
* 1 TREASURE study - The TREASURE study was conducted to investigate the safety and efficacy of HLCM051 (Multistem®) in patients with ischemic stroke. The study targeted patients with moderate to moderate-severe strokes (baseline NIHSS score 8-20), with administration of a single dose of HLCM051 intravenously within 1836 hours from stroke onset. The trial was conducted at 48 sites in Japan and enrolled 206 patients. HLCM051 is an off-the-shelf, somatic stem cell regenerative medicine product that Healios is developing for both ischemic stroke and acute respiratory distress syndrome in Japan.
* 2 HLCM051 - HLCM051 is a somatic stem cell regenerative medicine product. Healios added it to its pipeline by signing an exclusive licensing agreement with the United States based Athersys, Inc. (“Athersys”) in January 2016, whereby Healios acquired rights to develop and distribute Athersys’ proprietary stem cell product MultiStem® to treat ischemic stroke in Japan. Further, in June 2018 Healios and Athersys expanded their collaboration broadly, and as part of this expansion Healios acquired the development and distribution licenses to use MultiStem® to treat ARDS in Japan.
The following is a summary of the results of the TREASURE study that have been published to date.

• No significant difference was demonstrated in the primary endpoint of Excellent Outcome after 90 days of treatment.
• The drug effect was stronger as time passed from 7, 30, 90 and 365 days after administration of the drug compared to the placebo group. In particular, the increase in the percentage of patients who are able to live independently without the need for nursing care, as indicated by BI and Global Recovery after one year, was statistically significant.
• Although the placebo group tended to be slightly larger in the distribution of subjects' stroke volume, compared to no effect for stroke volumes of less than 25 mL, there was a trend toward a stronger drug effect for larger volumes of 25, 50 and 75 mL, with a statistically significant difference, especially for volumes of 50 mL or larger.
• Though a small sample size, patients under 64 years of age appear to achieve better results.

* 3 mRS - The mRS measures the degree of disability or dependence in the activities of daily living of people who have had a stroke or have a neurological disability due to other reasons. It is used to categorize the level of functional independence with reference to pre-stroke activities. The scale includes scores from 0 to 6, ranging from perfect health without symptoms of disability (i.e., a score of 0) to death (a score of 6). A lower score indicates a lower degree of disability. In the TREASURE study, mRS was set as a secondary evaluation item.
(Source) Prepared by Healios on the basis of materials provided by The Japan Stroke Society.
Contact: Department of IR Finance and Accounting
E-mail: [email protected]

Now that all the cover songs are out, I’d thought why not do the same thing that I did for shuffle songs and do a review of all the cover songs and rank them accordingly! Just a few disclaimers: This is completely my own opinion - just because the song is low on the list does not make it a bad song, you are entitled to your own preferences! I will only be judging the song itself (i.e. instrumentals, vocals, arrangement etc) so things like the 3DMV, outfits and card arts will not be considered. I also do not know much about music theory, this is largely from a casual listener's POV so don't expect much in-depth analysis. As usual, highly recommend everyone to give the full songs a listen for the full experience!
7) Starlight Parade - fine & Knights (original - SEKAI NO OWARI)
Oh boy, starting off controversial (finePs & KnightPs please have mercy).
I’ll say this for all of the cover songs, they did a great job pairing units with the songs they’re covering. Their voices gel really well together and, paired with the light instrumentals, create this dreamlike escape akin to what they’re singing about. I think replacing the electric guitar with violins was a nice touch, creating an arrangement that is more symphonic compared to the more upbeat pop rock sound of the original. Why is this in last place then? Well…line distribution. While it is definitely possible for a song to be covered by 9 people (utaite collaborations come to mind), those songs do have one thing in common - they have long, and I mean LONG lyrics that give everyone a relatively equal amount of lines to sing. This song has two 4 line verses. That is not enough for a group consisting of 9 people, especially if you're considering this is (probably) a one-off collaboration so everyone should receive an equal amount of lines, so you end up in a situation with very awkward line distributions such as lines being cut into bits as the singer switches every other second which throws me off a lot. I would rather they sing those lines as a duo or trio instead of splitting it up, especially given how well their voices go together. Maybe it would’ve worked better in groups of 4 or 5, but sometimes too many cooks spoil the broth.
6) Tell Your World - Switch & 2wink with Hatsune Miku and Kagamine Rin/Len (original - kz-livetune ft. Hatsune Miku)
As a long time fan of vocaloids, I would say this - whoever did the tuning for the vocaloids did a good job. However, I have to be honest - on my first listen, my only feeling was disappointment. Compared to the original, the impact just…isn’t there. The arrangement is clean, but I just felt like it was an inferior version of the original and several other covers that I’ve heard. But then, after repeated listens, it slowly started to grow on me. Yes, it is not as impactful as the original, but instead of impact they’ve decided to go for clarity - which is definitely hard to achieve when you’ve got layers of synths blaring in your ears. In fact, the more I listen the more I started to appreciate the stripped down instrumentals and synths so that more focus could be given towards the vocals. And speaking of vocals, I have to give props to Yamamoto Kazutomi (Sora’s VA) because he sounds absolutely amazing in this cover. The best part of the song is definitely the ending where they sing almost acapella with minimal instrumentals - it was completely unexpected but a very creative change that worked out well for them. TLDR, a pretty good cover, although it took quite a few listens before I got used to the change.
5) Yoru ni Kakeru - ALKALOID & Double Face (original - YOASOBI)
As songs become more popular, sometimes their original lyrics get lost along the way. To most casual listeners (especially those who don’t understand japanese), when they first hear the original by YOASOBI, they don’t know they’re vibing along to a song about suicide and depression. Most covers I’ve seen tend to generally forget that, instead focusing on the vocal complexity of the song, because let’s be honest - this song is incredibly hard to sing (Ikura is an extremely talented singer, especially with how effortlessly she reaches the high notes).
Enter ALKALOID and Double Face, who are here to remind us, hey, this song is actually sad and depressing with an extremely melancholic cover of likes that I’ve never heard before - and trust me I’ve listened to tons of covers. And if you think about it, it makes a lot of sense given who’s singing it - one of YOASOBI’s selling points is how clear and crisp Ikura’s vocals are against the backing synth tracks which although tend to stay light can get quite heavy at times (e.g. Shufuku, Monster). Meanwhile, the only 2 members in this group who I think can realistically achieve that are Madara’s and Aira’s - the other 4 members’ have a much darker and deeper tone (Mayoi’s voice would get absolutely lost in all the synths for instance). Their solution? Scale back on the instrumentals, replacing the bass synth with light percussion and adding violins in the chorus. Not only did it create a melancholic vibe that is more representative of the lyrics, it balances out well with the vocals instead of overpowering it. Also, its a more familiar sound because its more in line with the other songs these 2 units have put out before (Stippling and Tsubasa Moratorium comes to mind). This is the definition of a good cover - staying faithful to the original, yet putting your own spin on it to differentiate it from the original.
4) Hamutaro Tottokouta - Ryuseitai & Ra*bits (Hamtaro OP)
Okay I can’t justify having this cover any higher, I apologize to the 8 year old me.
When I was a kid (really exposing my age here), I was absolutely obsessed with Hamtaro. I had Hamtaro bags, pencil cases, stationeries, keychains, fridge magnets, stickers, plushies - if it has Hamtaro on it you’d bet I’ll be begging my parents to buy it for me. And hearing this cover for the first time just hit me with a huge wave of nostalgia. I remember scrambling to wake up at 8am just so I could watch Hamtaro and Doraemon on weekends (meanwhile my adult ass even struggles to roll out of bed before noon on weekends). The modernized yet familiar instrumentals, the refined vocals replacing the childlike slightly off-pitch ones in the original, the nonsensical lyrics, it just reawakens the inner child in me that had me pressing replay so many times. Don’t expect anything life changing from this cover - it is not that kind of song. But is it a lot of fun? Yes. Take me back to my childhood where I was free from responsibilities and all I cared about was some orange hamster and his friends.
3) U.S.A. - Crazy:B & Undead (original - DA PUMP)
I have to say, it’s amazing how much of the original choreography was kept in the 3DMV.
For a nonsensical song, it’s actually really freaking good. I love the change in the instrumentals from an 80s electropop sound in the original to a more modern funk rock one. The addition of the trumpets to add to the vibe were a very nice touch, as well as increased emphasis on the electric guitars to give it more of the signature Undead sound. It’s just…so damn catchy. One issue I had with the original was that it felt a little empty for a dance song given it was only one person singing, but this cover turns everything up to 11, both instrumentals and vocals along with a banger arrangement that gives everyone a chance in the spotlight as well as a trumpet and electric guitar solo, the impact is just so much bigger and it makes me want for more. Not everything has to be serious, sometimes its just fun to kick back, relax, switch off your brain and play U.S.A. a few times.
2) (RE)PLAY - Eden & Trickstar (original - Miura Daichi)
When I heard that they were going to cover this song, I had mixed feelings. The original is very performance heavy in nature and the instrumentals and lyrics are pretty minimal so that more focus could be given to the dancing, especially in the chorus. But when the cover came out, I fell in love with it. They’ve foregone the dance-pop synths of the original, instead going for a more jazzy tone with the introduction of the flute and piano, even giving a whole portion for instruments to freestyle where there was a dance break in the original. I especially love the counter melody by the flute, it gives the song a lot more character and personality that makes listening to it incredibly fun. And of course, the vocals. Honestly, they all did such great jobs it's hard to compare them with one another. The way they play off each other as the spotlight seamlessly transitions from one person to another, while keeping in tone with the overall vibe of the song with amazing breath control and of course Uchida Yuuma (Jun’s VA) slaying us all with his falsetto (let me praise my oshi a little here)...they made a cover so fun and addictive to listen to I could (RE)PLAY it endlessly (haha I’m hilarious).
Before I move on, I just want to add on something - please don’t sleep on Trickstar. I’ll admit HappyEle doesn’t really give them the best songs, but this cover is but a glimpse of how amazingly talented they are. They are all veteran voice actors who have been in the industry for decades and are all highly sought after - there’s a reason they are the ‘main character unit’. So please, do pay them some heed or give them a chance, you won’t be disappointed.
1) Yuukyou Seishunka - Valkyrie & AKATSUKI (original - ALI PROJECT)
A good cover places their own spin on a song while being faithful to the original. What separates a good cover from a great cover then? Well, it's when the artist makes the song their own and it becomes indistinguishable from the rest of their discography which is what happens here - it's almost as if the song was written for them specifically. Well, it might as well be, because this isn’t ALI PROJECT’s only run-in with Enstars - Miwaku Geki and Sacred Youth Games were both composed and arranged by them (they have released their own cover of the former as well, it’s worth a listen), so you could say that Valkyrie’s musical style was in fact directly influenced by ALI PROJECT themselves. The fusion between eastern and western instrumentals were so well done with nothing sounding out of place - I especially love the back and forth between the harpsichord and the fue (bamboo flute) during the verses, as well the alternation/pairing between them, such as alternating between the violin and shamisen even though both are string instruments in the choruses. The more I listened, the more things I discover about the instrumentals that I didn’t before. The sing-song vocals are filled with dramatic flair as they blend and flow into one another, becoming harsher and more grounded when the song demands so, going from soft to loud and soft yet again with just the right amount of vibrato, all the while the instrumentals drown and mesmerize us in an entrancing, almost maniacal performance. All the other covers on this list have done their best to fit into the units’ musical style, whether it be changing the instrumentals, toning down on the vocals, changing the overall vibe of the song etc. But sometimes, a song is just meant to be sung by certain people, like two puzzle pieces finally clicking together. This isn’t just a good cover. It’s a work of art.
That’s it for my rankings! Again, a huge thanks to anyone who reads through all of this and I hope I haven’t offended anyone (Knights/finePs I beg for your forgiveness). I may or may not do a third part on the fusion songs, probably when inspiration strikes me and I go into the mood to ramble on and on for a few hours, or probably closer to anniversary (I’m not sure). Anyways, thank you again for reading through everything, may the gacha be kind to us all, and go watch the 3DMV for Yoru ni Kakeru (at time of posting, there is about 5h left before it poofs off the internet)!

Undergraduate courses such as a Bachelor’s in Business Administration certificate can be one of the important aspects of an academic career. The name gives away a lot about the undergraduate certification, which is essential for candidates aspiring careers in business management.
Many people are confused regarding the duration of a course in Bachelor Business Administration online in comparison to the regular courses. Interestingly, an online BBA course also features the same three years as a regular full-time course. The following post helps you learn more about the things involved with an online BBA course and the course details.

How is BBA Relevant for Learners?

The purpose of a Bachelor’s in Business Administration course is more or less the same as any other undergraduate course. It can help you develop job-related skills, which can define the next phase in the career of an individual.
The Bachelor’s in Business Administration or BBA course focuses particularly on management and entrepreneurial skills in the domains of marketing, finance, HR and management. Students from any discipline, such as Science, Humanities and Commerce, can offer credible future opportunities for a career in different renowned companies.
Candidates could opt for Bachelor’s in business administration online courses after completing their 12th-grade exams from recognized institutions. On the other hand, many people opt for professional courses after completing their bachelor course or master’s course. BBA courses can offer multiple career opportunities in various areas, such as sales, marketing, finance and education.

How Can You Get Into a BBA Course?

The general perspective on Online BBA classes would focus on how to get admission to a course. Students don’t have to worry about admission in BBA courses as they can do so through an entrance exam. On the other hand, you can also register for online BBA courses according to your academic qualifications. Is BBA just a single course that you can pick effortlessly?
You can try to find the answer in specialisations available for the course. Candidates must remember that they can find three distinct specialisations for BBA courses, such as General, Banking and Insurance and Computer-Aided Management. Each specialisation contributes specific skills to your portfolio while helping you broaden your exposure.

What Can You Get in a BBA Course?

The duration of a BBA course online in India might not be the only troubling detail for an aspiring learner. You must also notice some of the other significant elements, such as structuring of the course. In most cases, BBA courses, online or offline, feature a duration of 3 years with a total of six semesters.
Candidates have to successfully qualify for all the topics in two semesters each year before moving to the next year. What are the subjects you have to deal with in a BBA course? The notable subjects included in a BBA course include the principles of management, banking and insurance, macroeconomics, management accounting and human behaviour and workplace ethics.
Candidates can further use their BBA degree to achieve specialisation in marketing, international business and finance. Furthermore, you can always move towards bigger specialisations, such as HR, sales and marketing, entrepreneurship, international business and finance.
The facility of best online BBA training and resources would also emphasise many other topics. You can understand how the BBA courses can help you expand your knowledge of business administration. The scale and variety of topics covered in BBA courses have a critical role in determining the duration of the course. Some of the other important topics in BBA courses include,

• Financial and management accounting
• Marketing management
• Production and material management
• Operations research
• Personnel management
• Business mathematics
• Statistics
• Industrial relations

Who is the Ideal Candidate for BBA Courses Online?

The people who want to study Bachelor’s in Business Administration Online would have to take note of how they are suitable for the course. Students who want to pursue a career in the domain of management must take the BBA course.
Individuals could pursue career roles in administrative and managerial positions with better salaries and career benefits. Therefore, benefits for career development and salary growth can play a vital role in determining whether a candidate should pursue BBA certification.
After all, you cannot invest almost 3 years of your academic career in a course without the relevant benefits. In addition, many people want to pursue a BBA course just because they have an inherent interest in pursuing business administration. As a matter of fact, the conviction for learning more about business, economics, management accounting and finance can work wonders in a BBA course. The best online courses for BBA certification are also suitable for candidates interested in honing their leadership and teamwork skills.

What Do You Achieve With a BBA Course?

Upon successful completion of the best online BBA course in India or a regular on-campus BBA program, you can land up with more than just an undergraduate degree. The BBA-certified students can find many benefits for their career as well as themself with many lucrative opportunities. Some of the clearly evident advantages of a BBA course include,

• Versatility of knowledge
• Professional degree
• Better salary and employment opportunities
• Professional networking
• Better salary and job benefits

The different advantages of a BBA course showcase how it can be a valuable option for anyone’s career portfolio. You have the opportunity to explore multiple jobs as a BBA graduate with good financial remunerations.

Should You Invest Your Time in a BBA Course?

The facility of online courses for conventional undergraduate programs is a prominent benefit for all aspiring learners. Apart from offering accessibility to BBA courses online, many reliable training platforms have ensured an opportunity for everyone to enter the field of business administration.
On top of it, online courses pay adequate attention to detail, thereby ensuring that candidates can build their skills and knowledge in management, accounting, finance and economics. At the same time, BBA courses also shed light on workplace ethics and employee behaviour, HR management and many other significant highlights of business administration. Select a trustworthy and comprehensive BBA course for your career and build your reputation. Learn more about the best BBA courses available for you online right now.

I have 15 acres of hay ground in Iowa that was previously enrolled in CRP. It's a nice mix of brome and native grasses but it's on a steep slope. Back in 2017, it hadn't been hayed in two years due to a farm transition, and cedars started to creep in. A neighbor offered to hay it and cut everything off. I let him have it all. In 2019, I had the co-op spray it and the neighbor offered to spread fertilizer. He told me the price of the fertilizer ($300) and since it was the same as my (ridiculously low) pasture rent, we agreed that he'd just get free pasture use for the year. When I had visited with him previously, I'd asked for a maintenance rate of N, P, and K, but he later told me that he just applied N. I was disappointed but didn't say anything. He took 2 cuttings that year, and took one each year after. We split the bales 50/50.
The quality of the hay has gotten better and better each year, but it yields less and less, too. I'm wondering if part of it isn't due to the timing of his single cutting. Since he lives close, he cuts mine last, and that usually ends up being late August through mid-September. I wouldn't usually worry, but we've been in a drought for a while now and I haven't seen a lot of regrowth before the first frost. Where we were previously getting 2+ bales per acre, we are now barely getting one per acre. It only yielded 9 bales last year, but the hay has been soft and green. The neighbor has quite a bit of hay ground in the county and surrounding counties, but said that it was the best hay off of any of his ground. I offered to let him rent the ground for haying, but he prefers sharing 50/50.
Originally I had horses to feed it to, but I don't anymore. I have bales left from the past few years, and he wanted to buy them. I looked up market rate (locally it's about $80-90/bale for grass hay) and asked him if he'd be okay with $65/bale for the 2022 crop. He stated that he didn't want to pay that. And I get it. I think he was expecting a deal, but I just can't keep sinking money into things that don't at least break even in the end, and I kindly explained that to him. In the past, I've charged him $25/bale when the quality was good. Unfortunately, I know that I need to soil test and likely add fertilizer this year, and prices are high. So I just want to break even with my costs.
Since I have no way to move these bales or load them, moving this hay (and any future stock) is going to be difficult. It's only accessible through a crop field or by driving a long ways in my pasture. If the neighbor isn't willing to pay a larger portion of market rate, I'll have to find a buyer elsewhere, and it just becomes a pain in the rear to manage. I talked with FSA and they stated that I could enroll it in CRP Grasslands and still hay it once per year outside of the nesting season. It's not alot of money, but I feel like this might be a good fit because I'd have a reliable source of income to pay for fertilizer and we could still hay it if I don't think the seeding would be compromised by drought conditions. Thoughts?

I’ve been on this journey for more than a year and created some SaaS that didn’t work for many reasons.
In one of them, I couldn’t get users.
In the 2nd, I got some users(+200 in less than 14 days) but the retention was too bad and no users paid for it.
In the 3rd, I got some users(+50 in 2 weeks), the retention was very good(25 returning users in a month) and 1 user paid $2 to use the platform(One time purchased, next month he didn’t buy it again). And was only this user, nobody paid for it anymore. After I started charging to keep using this SaaS, the retention decreased to 0 lol
So I was wondering here:
How can I grow a SaaS and always keep a good retention, make the users pay to use it and get more and more users every day? (In the early stage, not in more advanced stage. I’m talking about the stage which the SaaS isn’t ready to scale)
I can clearly see I’m getting better over time but the main thing is getting users who really pays to use my product(Not only willing to pay).
Should I just keep pivoting and using lean startup method until find product market fit?
Thanks in advance

Petechiae

Petechiae square measure pinpoint-sized spots of hurt beneath the skin or secretion membranes. The purple, red or brown dots aren't raised or unquiet, and they’re not a rash. many various things will cause petechiae, and a few square measure serious. If you or your kid have petechiae that unfold quickly, or if you've got dots and alternative symptoms, look for medical attention.

What square measure petechiae?

Petechiae square measure small spots of hurt beneath the skin or within the secretion membranes (mouth or eyelids). they're purple, red or brown dots, every concerning the scale of a pinpoint. They’re not raised or unsmooth.
Petechiae

Are petechiae a rash?

Petechiae could appear as if a rash, however they’re not. These pinpoint red dots on the skin square measure caused by broken capillaries, small blood vessels beneath the skin. they're not unquiet or painful.
If you maintain petechiae, they’ll keep purple, red or brown. however if you maintain a rash, it'll flip pale or lighter.

Where will petechiae happen?

Petechiae will seem anyplace on the body however square measure sometimes found on or in the:
• Arms.

2022 I received an estate distribution from my grandfather's estate. The distribution came from income of the estate. All other beneficiaries except me received a K1 which they need to report and pay taxes. I didn't get a k1 or any other tax documents. Do I still need to report it on my taxes? I asked the attorney who is handling this and he said I will not get a k1 or any tax documents. I'm a student and use a free tax service from school and they don't know. I'm lost here.

In February 2022, a video game called Lost Ark released. It's a very "pay-to-win" kind of game. This means a lot of people spend their real-life money to purchase in-game currency called "gold" in order to buy better items/progress their in-game character.
Because I saw what a great demand there was for this in-game currency/gold, I spent a great deal of time grinding and making gold (by doing activities in the game, flipping the in-game market/auction house etc.). So, basically from March 2022-March 2023, I made probably roughly $25,000 from selling my own gold in the game to other players.
I read many people don't report selling their own personal belongings, i.e. on eBay, Kijiji etc. Since I would assume that this is considered my own personal belongings (something I made from my own doing through activities within the game, and then sold), and I sold it to other players, do I have to report this? My sister was also saying that I wouldn't need to report it, but I just wanna make sure.

Hi, I don't even know if I'm in the right forum for this, but here goes.
My husband and I are from Texas and California respectively, we got married last year, and I worked part of the year in California before moving to Texas after the wedding, meaning I need to file a California return. We want to file jointly, but we have reached an impasse. We are filing on HR block, and the federal return went well, but the state return began asking questions about when we moved, (mind you, I moved, my husband did not.) It's asking specifically, in two separate questions that both require answers.
"Which applies to myself " and "which applies to *My husband*"

• Moved Into California in 2022
• Moved out of California in 2022
• Moved in and out of California in 2022

There are no other options. He did none of those things, and we can't move past the page without choosing one of those answers. I'm going bonkers over this, I don't understand why there is the assumption that my husband had to have done one of those things and not have lived in Texas the whole year, but it's more plausible to this questionnaire that I may have moved out of California and he moved into it, or any other such combination.
nowhere along the way were we asked if we got married in 2023.
I don't think our situation is that unique, has anyone had a similar experience or knows what we can do to get out of this pickle?

Hi, I don't even know if I'm in the right forum for this, but here goes.
My husband and I are from Texas and California respectively, we got married last year, and I worked part of the year in California before moving to Texas after the wedding, meaning I need to file a California return. We want to file jointly, but we have reached an impasse. We are filing on HR block, and the federal return went well, but the state return began asking questions about when we moved, (mind you, I moved, my husband did not.) It's asking specifically, in two separate questions that both require answers.
"Which applies to myself " and "which applies to *My husband*"

• Moved Into California in 2022
• Moved out of California in 2022
• Moved in and out of California in 2022

There are no other options. He did none of those things, and we can't move past the page without choosing one of those answers. I'm going bonkers over this, I don't understand why there is the assumption that my husband had to have done one of those things and not have lived in Texas the whole year, but it's more plausible to this questionnaire that I may have moved out of California and he moved out of it, or any other such combination.
nowhere along the way were we asked if we got married in 2023.
I don't think our situation is that unique, has anyone had a similar experience or knows what we can do to get out of this pickle?

sora.org.plan
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Many worlds, one economy. Everything is united under SORA
In the blink of an eye, it has already been almost four weeks since we brought you up to speed on the progress of the SORA Integrated Plan, in this relatively short span of time, massive events have taken place and we have made great strides on the milestones of the integrated plan🗺
-If the Silicon Valley Bank situation (https://www.vox.com/technology/23634433/silicon-valley-bank-collapse-silvergate-first-republic-fdic) has taught us anything, it is that decentralized and community-led alternatives are a great solution for the current problems that riddle the corrupt and opaque traditional financial systems. In decentralized economies like SORA, where the XOR token goes beyond crypto’s tokenomics (which allocates the value of a token partly to its utility and mostly to its scarcity), the value of XOR comes from the worth of the products and services that are produced using it as a base. XOR is minted to support them, so inflation is good in this supra-planetary case (https://sora.org/pub/The-Case-for-XOR.pdf)
-While TradFi has fiat currencies that are not rationally constructed to create socially beneficial outcomes, DeFi gives everyone an opportunity to partake in the development of an economy. Or a potential one, which may come when the uncertainty from the status quo to adopt cryptocurrencies as legally recognized tender does not lead to such desperate measures. XOR functions in a similar way as the other financial instruments that could be international trade standards like the US Dollar, Euro, Yuan, or Yen, or shitcoins like the Argentinian Peso or Iranian Rial. Many other cryptocurrencies function in the same way for that matter, but a lot of them are not interested in the power or responsibility of being legal tender, or don’t have the mental capacity to grasp how economies truly work
Aside from expanding your horizons, showing you great experiences, and for creating business opportunities, travelling is also a good way for you to experience many DeFi aspects “in the real world.” When you travel to a foreign country that has its own currency, you need to trade the one used in your country, so that you can pay for things (even with widespread access to electronic payments, there are still some places in the world that prefer cash). Swapping fiat currencies in this case also carries fluctuating rates, different exchanges, and specific procedures. When travelling to another country, you also realise the true strength or weakness of your currency
Although bid/ask orders are more in the realm of banks IRL, progress with order book functionality in the SORA network is going well. We are working hard on the requirements for their implementation, and development work will begin soon. As you know, the main focus has been on releasing SORA Card. So, If you were to travel with SORA card after the phase 2 launch for example, you could top up your SORA card with crypto, then withdraw EUR to swap for local fiat currencies. This will be happening very soon, as the SORA Wallet update with SORA Card signups has been submitted for review to the Apple App Store and Google Play store.
Learn more — Medium (https://medium.com/sora-xomarch-23-2023-ecosystem-updates-for-sora-polkaswap-and-fearless-wallet-7a04becec28a)
-The SORA Kusama parachain auction for the 73rd slot was a success! With 3’023 KSM locked for the slot running from March 17th 2023, to February 14th 2024. Thank you for your support. In the previous update we mentioned that we would participate in a Polkadot crowdloan, however the Hashed network was leading when the candle blew out. Congratulations to their team and to the crowdloan contributors receiving HASH rewards once the smoke clears. We will be participating in the Polkadot parachain auction for the 42nd slot, until securing a parachain. We are once again asking you to unstake your DOT (https://youtu.be/Fexsxz8nLVw?t=6)
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-Last time, we spoke about the stability of a currency as partakers in the cryptosphere. We have observed first hand when the backing of a token that is deemed to be stable is removed quickly and with force, its stability is lost, or depegged in our lingo. This happens to fiat currencies as well, so don’t be so quick to point that finger. Once again when the situation goes beyond control, as the IRL institution that holds the claims to a token’s stability crashes, the token’s value is also taken down with it, in flames, much like the end scene from Fight Club.
The benefit that algorithmic stablecoins bring to the table is that you only take what you put in, and in SORA’s case, with the use of the Token Bonding Curve, the crashing and burning can be avoided. In the case of XSTUSD, each token is a claim for $1 worth of XST, not Federal Reserve bonds in a bank or cuckbucks. Speaking of the XST Synthetics platform, implementations from the Band Protocol are ready, and we can begin internal testing. Please look forward to more updates on this, along with an insightful article explaining how everything works.
-Bridging over the next update, the trustless multi-EVM bridge is under construction, having its UI built. We are working hard on this long-awaited upgrade to the HASHI Bridge, and as if that was not all, the Substrate bridge is undergoing steady development and we look forward for you to help us test it. Stay tuned for more updates on the status of the SORA bridges!
-The second SORA builder, Advanced Digital Asset Routing (ADAR), launched a testnet last week for everyone to help improve their dApp ahead of their release. Please try out the different ADAR features and give the team your feedback and suggestions! We hope you all try it out and help ADAR with this great tool! The testnet is available here (https://t.co/WLoQaFeQHw) and you can get started using this guide.
SORA Ecosystem Update #57
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Business Track Progress:
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● Polkaswap as a Service — 25%
● SORA Card — 95%
● SORA IBAN — 95%
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SORA Card articles are being continuously released with topics covering the SORA Card introduction (https://medium.com/sora-xointroducing-sora-card-ddd53b2ed16), SORA Card key features (https://medium.com/sora-xokey-features-of-sora-card-e3a1d07416ad), a comparison between SORA Card and other crypto-powered banking services (https://medium.com/sora-xosora-card-vs-other-crypto-cards-and-wallets-3459c570214a), an interview with the people behind the SORA Card tech and management (https://medium.com/sora-xosora-card-meet-the-people-behind-the-project-53b6ca9e3818). The SORA Card Phase One article (https://medium.com/sora-xosora-card-phase-1-everything-you-need-to-know-d00a3df19a1a) was also recently released. The SORA Community recently held an AMA with Dr. Makoto Takemiya and Beno van Gansen regarding SORA Card, read all about it in this recap (https://medium.com/sora-xosora-card-ama-1-7f6808d6be5).
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Stay tuned for more articles with interesting and insightful information on this great tool for financial freedom. SORA Card Value Freedom
SORA Blockchain Update
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• Working on maintenance, fixes, and improvements to the codebase
• Preparing for Polkadot and Kusama parachains
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Substrate Trustless Bridge: Kusama Parachain:
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• Quality assurance testing ongoing
• Fixing the SORA Rococo parachain to continue producing blocks and syncing with the Rococo relay chain
• Preparing the environment to enable client applications to implement the UI
• Fixes and optimisations gathered from feedback during QA testing
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Order Books:
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• Established the initial architecture for Order Books
• Establishing the specifications and requirements for development
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XST Platform:
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• Received the partner integration on the testnet
• Will start quality assurance testing before the public test release
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Multi-EVM Trustless bridge:
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• Working on the incentive scheme for Relayers
• Preparing the environment to enable client applications to implement the UI
SORA Wallet Update
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Android:
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● Getting ready for the 3.0.0 release — Redesign & SORA Card
● QA testing and fixing bugs
● We regularly update SORAlution (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=jp.co.soramitsu.sora.communitytesting&hl=en_GB&gl=US) (testnet application) where you can help us test and provide feedback to ensure the production release will be in the best shape possible!
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iOS:
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● Getting ready for the 3.0.0 release — Redesign & SORA Card
● QA testing and fixing bugs
● We regularly update SORAlution (https://testflight.apple.com/join/670hF438) (testnet application) where you can help us test and provide feedback to ensure the production release will be in the best shape possible!

Even as principal lively studios such as Disney, Pixar, and Illumination enjoyment have dominated the cinematic limelight, with their lively functions topping the charts at the worldwide field office and being fan favorites to many, some smaller studios have had their share in the spotlight; producing some of the greatest and most innovative cartoon testimonies for the a long time. One such studio is caricature Saloon, a Irish animated film enterprise that, whilst now not boasting the earnings making numbers of Pixar or of the long illustrious catalogue from Disney, have established a number of the maximum greatest portions of animated storytelling.
With three movies underneath their belt, cartoon Saloon has produced a few notable stunning cool animated film memories, which includes 2009’s the secret of the Kells, 2014’s track of the sea, and 2017’s The Breadwinner; crafting imaginative memories of artistry and integrity, whilst blending surreal visions of delusion lore and profound realities. Now, caricature Saloon, and directors Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart, present the studio’s fourth animated movie and the belief to their “Irish Folklore trilogy” saga with the release of Wolfwalkers. Does this contemporary movie hold the endearing legacy from the studio or is it a “black mark” on their esteem report of animated capabilities?
THE story
In 1650 ireland, invoice Goodfellow (Sean Bean) has pledged his loyalty to the effective Lord Protector, Oliver Cromwell (Simon McBurney), acting because the legitimate wolf catcher for the expanding realm of the English nation freshly installed in eire. bill is a widower, raising his young lady named Robyn (Honor Kneafsey) on his very own, regularly unable to contain his daughter’s unbribed interest, specifically exploring the world past the metropolis gates. even as bill sets out to rid the location of hungry wolves in the close by forest wooded area, Robyn manages to have a near-encounter interaction with Mebh (Eva Whittaker), a toddler who’s additionally a wolfwalker, along with her spirit reworking right into a wolf as she sleeps
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added to their recovery powers and manipulate over the nearby %. Mebh remains alone, without her mom, Moll (Maria Doyle Kennedy), who became a wolf one night time and by no means lower back domestic. Curious herself to the new human lady, Mebh unearths a friend in Robyn, who’s excited by way of the life, however is quickly aware about its growing hazard, with the Lord Protector refusing to relaxation till the wolves have been exterminated, with invoice stuck in the center of being dutiful to his lord and unknowingly searching his daughter in the process.
the best / THE horrific
As a lot of you know, i am a huge fan of lively films, which probably stems from my adolescence years of watching cartoons (both episodic tv collection and diverse Disney / non-Disney movies of the past due 80s to mid-90s). just like what I stated above, at the same time as I’ve been fan of numerous of the massive animated studio releases, the idea of smaller studios cartoon features are from time to time have a better nice in both storytelling and integrity, with studios like Laika, Aardman Animations, and cartoon Saloons being prime examples. With cool animated film Saloon’s films, i like how special the film’s animation appears, which creates an almost dreamy folklore style from caricature age long forgotten. Plus, their memories are constantly pretty profound; by no means shoving pop culture references or unnecessary gags that don’t paintings. i've seeing the name of the game of Kells and tune of the sea, but I haven’t had the danger to look The Breadwinner, which I do plan on seeing. In brief, whilst larger animation studio will maintain to produce feature movies for the loads, studios like cool animated film Saloon and others show that finer traits of storytelling may be found in smaller scale productions (i.e., exceptional over quantity).
This brings me returned to speaking about Wolfwalkers, the fourth film from cartoon Saloon and the third entry in their Irish Folklore trilogy. To be pretty sincere, I truly didn’t pay attention lots approximately this movie. yes, that’s true! in spite of my love for child’s lively movies, Wolfwalkers went “under my radar” for quite a while. As I stated, caricature Saloon doesn’t have the equal wide variety of releases like Disney or Pixar has, so I wasn’t sincerely “searching” for their next release, specifically because the studio’s last film came out in 2017. however, I did subsequently pay attention about this movie at the beginning of November 2020, seeing the movie’s movie trailer online, which I do have that I absolutely liked and got me quite intrigued to se the movie.
but, with the COVID-19 pandemic in impact, cartoon Saloon launched the movie in diverse elements, with a few being theatrically (in international territories), even as for me (in the usa) the movie was sold off to most excellent on Apple+ tv solely. luckily, I recognize a person who has Apple+ tv, so i was sooner or later capable to check out Wolfwalkers after the vacation season of 2020. So….what did I think about it? properly, I clearly preferred it. in spite of some minor issues, cartoon Saloon’s Wolfwalkers is fantastic and engaging lively movie that encompasses the studio’s persevering with thoughts of innovative integrity and standout storytelling in its animation and narrative. The film can also get overlooked by using the masses, but its clearly one which’s worth finding out!
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Wolfwalkers is directed by Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart and the duo have been a part of cool animated film Saloon for quite some time, with Moore directing past films from the studio including the name of the game of Kells and the music of the sea, at the same time as Stewart labored as art director for those films respectfully. for that reason, the combination efforts of each Moore and Stewart seems to bolster the effect that Wolfwalkers has and indeed each seeing to do this quite correctly mind. for my part, I assume that Wolfwalkers is possibly the fine release of caricature Studio (that I’ve seeing). together, Moore and Stewart make the movie a fruits of its past two different “Irish Folklore” entries by using capping the movie off in is trilogy style (i.e saving the high-quality for ultimate).
Moore and Stewart additionally make sure to keep the movie transferring at a consistent tempo; never breaking away for unnecessary filling or side-tales; usually making the characteristic’s fundamental cognizance upon the adventures of Robyn and Mebh. additionally, just like the relaxation of caricature Saloon’s releases, Moore and Stewart maintain up the studio’s integrity intact and never deviate into the extra commonplace tropes and references that many animated movies of past due fall into. What do I imply? properly, Wolfwalkers seems like its personal issue and by no means makes pop-culture references or out-of-area musical / dance numbers, or snappy catchphrase zingers. universal, Moore and Stewart do an high-quality job in shaping Wolfwalkers to be what it's miles; an lively film that breathtaking to look at, concept-frightening in its tale being instructed, and bountiful pallet of leisure.
furthermore, Wolfwalkers likeability and poignant that means additionally stems from the characteristic’s tale, which is steeped in Irish subculture and folklore in addition to developing into popular issues. The script, which become penned by Moore and Stewart in addition to Will Collins and Jericca Cleland, is wealthy with various motifs and nuances that harken back to the actual international of English occupation in ireland much like how the secret of Kells and track of the ocean displayed. naturally, the putting of eire within the film is one that is rife with realism; providing a kingdom this is torn between the opposing factions (i.e., Christianity vs. paganism or Irish Catholicism vs. English Protestantism or Celtic vs. English records) and offers the narrative of Wolfwalkers a palpable backdrop to spring off of and propel ahead in its own story.
Plus, the acquainted thematic beats are pretty poignant and complexed, such as friendship, tolerance, and family, are fantastically rendered inside the movie that, whilst perhaps common for youngsters’s tales, are nonetheless dealt with rather nicely in the movie’s script and average execution in the film. in addition, the movie’s story takes non secular narrative influences from other lively movies which include 2010’s a way to educate Your Dragon and 1997’s Princess Mononoke and, whilst a few argue that its take story beats from those initiatives (more on that below), it simply takes numerous similarities, particularly considering the competition of mankind vs. nature, using fear and superstition for fearmongering, and the two people (from contrary worlds) turning into pals. Altogether, all of these storytelling factors assist enhance Wolfwalkers’s narrative; compounding the effective effect that the movie has on its visitors for artistry integrity.
certainly, the animation fashion of caricature Saloon’s functions is possibly one of the satisfactory matters that they have got been regarded for; displaying colourful animation that almost appears quite unique from the greater commonplace usage of three-dimensional computer-generated visuals. There’s absolute confidence that Wolfwalkers maintains that culture from cool animated film Saloon; making it the high-quality “looking” launch. With the modern roster of film having 3D visuals for its animation, it’s nearly a breath of fresh air to peer an animated challenge offer up something pretty particular and different; choosing a extra traditional 2d fashion. moreover, the animation in Wolfwalkers, giving its Irish folklore roots and nuances, has greater of a conventional folklore storytelling style of animation, which makes it even that extra mind-blowing to visible see; nearly as if the movie’s tale is being drummed up from an antique legend of a few kind (in case you understand what I suggest). as a result, what’s provided is genuinely stunning and suitable.
Backgrounds are imbued with a experience of portray fashion, which is lovely, and the colors for the duration of the movie are absolutely mesmerizing. Plus, the individual designs for each respective man or woman are also drawing in a terrific and unparallel way that without a doubt provides to the film’s “folklore” element. i really like the film’s animation and could go on and on approximately it as I praise the function for such a rich and picturesque cool animated film movie that appears like nearly a hidden gem of new with animated feature endeavors. accordingly, I honestly do must commend the artistry and animators for this undertaking for their prolithic paintings at the movie. nicely done!
moreover, the movie’s style of cinematography must also be referred to, which offers the film have clean and almost storybook best in almost each scene. Poignant photographs and dramatic moments are outbound on this film and feels quite captivating in nearly every scene as if the film is being theatrically shot / provided in a live-action undertaking. additionally, the movie’s rating, which become composed via Bruno Coulais, offers a stunning musical composition that’s steeped in that oh-so whimsical nature of Irish folklore that speaks to the feature’s putting and tone as well as being cinematically driven with dramatic moments. this sort of extraordinary score (even with the aid of my standards). Plus, foremost track feature inside the movie “running with the Wolves” by using AUROA is superb and actually compliments the scene that it's miles presenting in such mystical and highlighting way. adore it!
there has been very little that I didn’t like approximately the movie, but, for the sake of an argument, Wolfwalkers does have some blemishes of youngster criticisms that I observed. perhaps the only that’s the maximum usual is in the film’s overall tone, that's does have a good dose of healthful youth marvel and humor, however also one this is greater critical and a touch bit darkly miserable. What I’m speaking about is that Wolfwalker’s tone, specifically in the latter half of the feature, is darker and has more of a heavier tension show in the feature’s narrative, which is right, but it is able to be a bit bit too much. yes, I do recognize of artistry integrity and what caricature Saloon has executed with its animated films (each beyond and gift). That being said, the movie will become greater of an person film with a piece more violence and macabre tones in the second 1/2 of the film. perhaps it is able to’ve been toned down a piece…simply a piece. consequently, this acts as a warning to a few parents out there that, despite a powerful / moving story and a spectacular display of animation, Wolfwalkers won't be great ideal for some of the more youthful “juice box” crowd accessible. next, sure scenes stumble upon as a touch bit repetitive, with pretty a good deal the identical interplay of character speak moments and / or strains being pretty the equal. this is mainly referred to in Robyn’s conversations with her father,
that are common and turn out to be a tad redundant. ultimately, even as I did mention that Wolfwalker’s tale takes inspirational impacts from both the way to teach Your Dragon and Princess Mononoke, some may argue that it takes a greater “carbon copy” technique and makes the film’s narrative a bit predictable. in my opinion, it didn’t hassle me at all, but there are few out there in an effort to cry hen on this specific issue, specially since each of those lively films had been out for quite some time. general, those are extra minor nitpicks of criticism and derail the movie in any respect….at least in my opinion.
What aides the movie in its fanciful appealing nature of fantastically drawn animation and gripping story is in its vocal abilties, with Wolfwalkers delivering an all round small (yet quite effective) a solid for its animated characters. similar to the movie itself, those precise characters are grounded in common roots of realism and familiarity, yet the movie’s unique technique of fashion and storytelling simply helps raise these respective gamers. that is maximum generic within the characteristic’s two essential characters of Robyn
Goodfellowe and Mebh, who're voiced by way of younger actresses Honor Kneafsey and Eva Whittaker. Kneafsey, regarded for her roles in Benidorm, miss You Already, and A Christmas Prince, has the most enjoy of the 2 and without a doubt is aware of the way to make a individual quite endearing with her voice by myself; utilizing an unbridled curiosity and well mannered demeanor in Robyn, which always makes for an excellent sort of man or woman and easy to root for from start to finish. further, Whittaker, who's recognised for her function inside the female at the cease of the garden, offers to as an alternative appropriate inside the position of Mebh. at the same time as she doesn’t have a massive lower back catalogue of past works, Whittaker is a delight within the film; portraying Mebh with a feel of wild and caged unfastened persona in comparsion to Robyn. clearly, both these specific characters (and their personas) are easily meditated upon the English and Irish people and the political landscape era of which Wolfwalkers is ready in, which makes each Robyn and Mebh relatable and proper.
not like a whole lot of animated feature films that boast plenty of recognizable / big call stars attached to the feature in voicing characters, Wolfwalkers doesn’t really want to do this, particularly since the film’s expertise is already quite properly and the film itself offers enough time to make the characters intriguing and personable. That being stated, the movie does have recognizable names connected to the venture with actors Sean Bean and Simon McBurney gambling the components of Robyn’s father, bill
Goodfellowe, and the oppressive chief Oliver Cromwell referred to as the “Lord Protector”. Bean, regarded for his roles in game of Thrones, Black death, and The Lord of the jewelry: The Fellowship of the ring, has been a quite a familiar name (maximum extremely good for his on-screen death in a number of his past initiatives) and his involvement in this movie is as a substitute well-located and well-way, specially in how his voice sounds and resonates with invoice, a kind-hearted yet sternly defensive father. The equal can be stated with McBurney, acknowledged for his roles in Tinker Tailor Soldier secret agent, The ultimate King of Scotland, and The Conjuring 2, who is more of a reoccurring helping gamers in his frame of filmography, however nonetheless proves to be quite powerful in his person portrayal, together with his overall performance of the Lord Protector quite sinisterly evil and a awesome antagonist (each in man or woman built and in vocal skills). collectively, both actors have very awesome sounding voices and are ideal
(almost tailored made) for his or her respective roles. moreover, actress Maria Doyle Kennedy, who's recognised for her roles inside the Tudors, Outlander, and Orphan Black, is another outstanding / acknowledged acting skills that is connected to Wolfwalkers; presenting the voice for Moll MacTíre, Mebh’s mother and chief of the wolf percent. Like Bean and McBurney, Kennedy’s voice is pretty particular and definitely is a “ideal healthy” for a movie like this and does provide a positive kind of warm temperature to her person…. even though she’s extra in the latter half of the film.
The relaxation of the solid, including actor Jon Kenny (Les depressing and track of the ocean) as Ned the stringy woodcutter, actor John Morton (Lily’s bad Day and Vultures) as Stumpy, actor / manufacturer Oliver McGrath (the secret of Kells and The Musician) as nearby town bully Padraig, and director Nora Twomey (Breadwinner and the name of the game of the Kells) as the top housekeeper inside the Lord Protector’s scullery Bridget, spherical out the relaxation of the Wolfwalkers’s gamers in more minor assisting character roles. those particular characters (as you can actually imagine) are confined to being minor capacity, but each one has their own creative specialty (be it vocal abilities and / or character layout) to make them memorable.
final thoughts
In a time of English occupation in eire and mystical superstitions, a younger female befriends a atypical shapeshifter as the pair learns from each other and in the end come collectively help keep one another’s households in the film Wolfwalkers. Director Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart’s brand new projects sees the fourth film in caricature Saloon’s release in a super fashion of mixing poignant storytelling and creative artistry to help enrich an animated film with natural fanciful delight. The film is natural wonderment of magic and friendship and merits excessive reward from the movie’s administrators, a significant story, exceptionally extremely good style of animation, beautiful score, a solid voice acting across the board in all sides and positions. in my opinion, I cherished this movie.
It changed into something quite unique and extraordinary from the regular animated films of late and offers up this sort of delightful and significant tale of two younger girls which might be stuck up inside the greater occasions of the land. Plus, the film’s animation again is quite beautiful and i cherished it! for this reason, my advice for the film is a “notably
recommended” one because it ought to be seeing with the aid of all, mainly those who've a unique affinity for caricature capabilities with professional artistry and narrative integrity. With the realization of this film, cool animated film Saloon closes its bankruptcy on what it’s calling it “Irish Folklore” trilogy of films. What does that suggest for the future of the employer? Who knows? allow’s wish that the studio will keep more captivating features of diverse tales and myths, which includes more Irish folklore possibly. nevertheless, Wolfwalkers is a cinematic revel in that acts as a breath of fresh air; boldly taking visitors on an enchanting journey that both entertains and symbolizes what robust and palpable storytelling can arise from one of these small animated studio.

We need to talk… about Time in Grade
Okay- there is a LOT of confusion about Time in Grade, what it is and when it applies. So, I am going to attempt to do a brief summary- referencing the regulations.
https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-5/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-300/subpart-F
Repeat after me, time in grade and qualifications are two different things, time in grade and qualifications are two different things, time in grade and qualifications are two different things….
Still awake, let’s go.
Following the Head Staff motto of remember where you are – as it says in 5 CFR 300.601-
“The restrictions in this subpart are intended to prevent excessively rapid promotions in competitive service General Schedule positions and to protect competitive principles. They provide a budgetary control on promotion rates and help assure that appointments are made from appropriate registers. These restrictions are in addition to the eligibility requirements for promotion in part 335 of this chapter.”
Who is covered- it says right here in the Coverage section of 5 CFR 300.603
“Coverage. This subpart applies to advancement to a General Schedule position in the competitive service by any individual who within the previous 52 weeks held a General Schedule position under nontemporary appointment in the competitive or excepted service in the executive branch, unless excluded by paragraph (b) of this section.
So- first question, are in the competitive service? Are you currently a GS employee? If not a GS employee have you held a GS position in the past 52 weeks under a non-temporary appointment in the either the excepted of competitive service? If the answer to these is no, then you don’t have to worry about time in grade. (part 335 are the merit promotion regulations). Well unless your agency has decided to extend these restrictions to excepted service.
WG or some other pay plan, time in grade doesn’t apply (unless you have held a GS position in the last 52 weeks): Excepted service, doesn’t apply, unless your agency has implemented some sort of time n grade type rule.
Okay- let’s look at who else is not covered under time in grade restrictions- (5 CFR 330.603(b))
Exclusions. The following actions may be taken without regard to this subpart but must be consistent with all other applicable requirements, such as qualification standards:
“(1) Appointment based on selection from a competitive examination register of eligibles or under a direct hire authority. “
So, if you are getting a promotion from an open, competitive examination, then you are not covered under time in grade, You still need to meet qualifications.
“(2) Noncompetitive appointment based on a special authority in law or Executive order (but not including transfer and reinstatement) made in accordance with all requirements applicable to new appointments under that authority.”
Examples would be 30% disabled veterans appointment or a schedule A appointment or VRA. Note- this does not include VEOA, once you take a VEOA appointment, you are bound by time in grade.
(3) Advancement in accordance with part 335 of this chapter up to any General Schedule grade the employee previously held under nontemporary appointment in the competitive or excepted service.
So if you are a GS-07 now, but previously held a GS-09 for a year, you could theoretically move to a GS-11 position under merit promotion if otherwise qualified.
(4) Advancement of an employee from a non-General Schedule position to a General Schedule position unless the employee held a General Schedule position under nontemporary appointment in the executive branch within the previous 52 weeks.
WG to GS- no problem. WG to WG no problem. GS to WG no problem.
(5) Advancement of an individual whose General Schedule service during the previous 52 weeks has been totally under temporary appointment.
If you were on a temporary appointment and had competitive status or some other authority like VEOA, time in grade would not apply to a reinstatement or VEOA appointment.
(6) Advancement of an employee under a training agreement established in accordance with OPM's operating manuals. However, an employee may not receive more than two promotions in any 52-week period solely on the basis of one or more training agreements. Also, only OPM may approve a training agreement that provides for consecutive promotions at rates that exceed those permitted by § 300.604 of this part.
This will be in your announcement and training agreement if it applies.
(7) Advancement to avoid hardship to an agency or inequity to an employee in an individual meritorious case but only with the prior approval of the agency head or his or her designee. However, an employee may not be promoted more than three grades during any 52-week period on the basis of this paragraph.
This is extremely rare.
(8) Advancement when OPM authorizes it to avoid hardship to an agency or inequity to an employee in individual meritorious situations not defined, but consistent with the definitions, in § 300.602 of this part.
Ditto
Okay- now we’ve figured out who is covered and who is not. What exactly are those restrictions-
Let’s take a look at 5 CFR 300.604
Note that advancement means a promotion (including a temporary promotion) or any type of appointment resulting in a higher grade or higher rate of basic pay. Even for a temporary promotion you must meet time in grade.
(a) Advancement to positions at GS-12 and above. Candidates for advancement to a position at GS-12 and above must have completed a minimum of 52 weeks in positions no more than one grade lower (or equivalent) than the position to be filled.
So under merit promotion, you cannot jump from a 9 to a 12, unless you meet one of the exceptions above. The wording is similar to qualifications language, but it is an additional requirement.
(b) Advancement to positions at GS-6 through GS-11. Candidates for advancement to a position at GS-6 through GS-11 must have completed a minimum of 52 weeks in positions:
(1) No more than two grades lower (or equivalent) when the position to be filled is in a line of work properly classified at 2-grade intervals; or
(2) No more than one grade lower (or equivalent) when the position to be filled is in a line of work properly classified at 1-grade intervals; or
Again, remember where you are- you need to know if the position you want to go to is one grade or two grade interval. You can usually figure this out by looking at the announcement. If the job goes 5/6/7/8… then one grade. If it goes 5/7/9… two grades.
So for a one grade GS-7 position, you need to have held a GS-06 for a year.
For a two grade GS-07 position, you need to have held a GS-05 for a year.
Remember these requirements are in addition to qualifications needed for the position. Just because you meet time in grade does not mean you meet the qualifications and specialized experience requirements for the position.
(3) No more than one or two grades lower (or equivalent), as determined by the agency, when the position to be filled is in a line of work properly classified at 1-grade intervals but has a mixed interval promotion pattern.
If this is the case, the announcement should tell you what the time in grade requirements are.
Advancement to positions up to GS-5. Candidates may be advanced without time restriction to positions up to GS-5 if the position to be filled is no more than two grades above the lowest grade the employee held within the preceding 52 weeks under his or her latest nontemporary competitive appointment.
Since I haven’t seen anything lower than a GS-4 in about a million years, this effectively means that time in grade does not apply to movement from GS-3 or GS-4. So, you don’t need to spend a year at GS-3 or GS-4 to move to a GS-05 under merit promotion. You do need to meet qualifications- just like any other movement.
Creditable Service- so you need a year at a certain GS level to meet time in grade requirements. What service counts?
“All service at the required or higher grade (or equivalent) in positions to which appointed in the Federal civilian service is creditable towards the time periods required by § 300.604 of this part, except as provided in paragraph (c) of this section. Creditable service includes competitive and excepted service in positions under the General Schedule and other pay systems, including employment with a nonappropriated fund instrumentality. Service while on detail is credited at the grade of the employee's position of record, not the grade of the position to which detailed. Also creditable is service with the District of Columbia Government prior to January 1, 1980 (or prior to September 26, 1980, for those District employees who were converted to the District personnel system on January 1, 1980). “
All service except…. details (note the italicized portion)
(b) Service in positions not subject to the General Schedule (GS) is credited at the equivalent GS grade by comparing the candidate's rate of basic pay with the representative rate (as defined in § 351.203 of this chapter) of the GS position in effect when the non-GS service was performed. The equivalent GS grade is the GS grade with a representative rate that equals the candidate's rate of basic pay. When the candidate's rate of basic pay falls between the representative rates of two GS grades, the non-GS service is credited at the higher grade.
This doesn’t come up too often but if you were 3 months at a GS and then 4 months at CZ or something and we need to figure out if you meet time in grade- being in a GS position in the last 52 weeks triggers time in grade.
(b) In applying the restrictions in § 300.604 of this part, prior service under temporary appointment at a level above that of a subsequent nontemporary competitive appointment is credited as if the service had been performed at the level of the nontemporary appointment. This provision applies until the employee has served in pay status for 52 weeks under nontemporary competitive appointment; thereafter, the service is credited at its actual grade level (or equivalent).
Does your head hurt? Remember you are only excluded from time in grade if all of your service in the previous 52 weeks has been under a temporary appointment- so if I had a GS-09 temporary appointment and then got a GS-07 career conditional appointment, my GS-09 service will not count towards time in grade until I have been a GS-07 for a year, then my time as a GS-09 will count.
And the last part-
300.606 Agency authority.
An agency may expand on these restrictions consistent with the intent of this subpart or may adopt similar policies to control promotion rates of employees not covered by this subpart.
Agencies can set up time in grade or similar policies for positions not in the competitive service.
See for example https://www.osec.doc.gov/opog/dmp/daos/dao202_300.html where the Department of Commerce has set up time in grade for excepted service. If this applies, it should be listed in the announcement.
That wasn’t as clear as I would like- suggestions, comments and ways to make this clearer are welcome.

I posted this long multi-comment thread on the megathread last Sunday, and several people suggested that I make it its own post, so here goes. Note this post is lightly edited from the original comment to improve readability and preserve some arguments made by another commenter in that thread without me having to do the hard work of editing the whole post to reflect their well-taken counterpoints. For those who read the original, it hasn't changed in any significant way except that one link. This post is largely my own analysis supported by links to a variety of credible sources.
Dr. Sovietlove; or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Bakhmut
Many people on the daily megathread or on Twitter have been arguing that holding out in Bakhmut has caused enormous and unsustainable Ukrainian losses which will compromise their future offensive potential, and/or that Soviet-style leadership is the only reason the Ukrainians have held on to Bakhmut for so long. Much like during the Battle of Severodonetsk, I think a lot of people are overreacting to events in the Donbas and that the Ukrainians might have a perfectly reasonable strategic justification for continuing to defend Bakhmut. I have a few hypotheses about the situation and put together some analysis and sources to support those conclusions below.
My hypotheses in brief:

1. Ukraine effectively has two armies, one post-Soviet and one NATO. UAF high commmand has recognized that they have to fight the Russians with an only partially modernized military which includes significant numbers of officers, soldiers, and equipment not suitable for NATO-style warfare. They recognize that you can't "beat a large Soviet army with a small one." They have therefore formulated a strategy to use the post-Soviet and NATO-style units where their particular strengths are most relevant, and are largely resourcing and employing them separately as a result.
2. The UAF is aggressively applying economy of force principles, which dictate that an army should devote the maximum amount of resources to their primary effort, while allocating the smallest amount possible to any secondary efforts. Thus, the Ukrainians are committing the fewest possible resources to holding the line of contact in the Donbas while reserving as much as possible for their primary effort, which is the coming counteroffensive.
3. Ukraine along with their allies and soft power proxies such as friendly journalists, whether knowingly or not, have been engaged in a disinformation campaign designed to lure Putin into committing the last of his mobilized reserves to an assault on Bakhmut in the last days of the mud season before the Ukrainian spring counteroffensive.

I'd like to emphasize that these are assessments backed by analysis and facts which you can check yourself below, but are definitely not by any means 100% certain.
Two Armies
The post-Soviet army can be characterized by its leadership, organization, and resources.

• Leaders tend to be older senior officers trained under Soviet regime pre-2014, although the culture also pervades lower ranks (although that is unsurprising given leadership influence). These officers are often difficult to retrain in the field, tend to punish rather than encourage junior officer initiative, and prefer top-down command-and-control style.
• These units include many irregular formations, e.g. TDF and National Guard. Of the regular army units in this mold, they tend to be those low on the priority list for upgrades, e.g. motorized brigades that haven't been uparmored to mech brigades yet, and/or ones with the largest proportion of Soviet-derived equipment.
• Many such units are organized as light infantry, typically either motorized or TD brigades, sometimes airmobile. So not much armor or IFVs, unlike what is seen with the regular army mech brigades. Instead they largely rely on many of the thousands of IMVs and APCs donated by western allies for some amount of armored mobility.
• Much less training than regular army in some cases. In the first few days of the war, many of these units were literally just the volunteers that showed up and were handed rifles with no questions asked.
• More conscripts and fewer volunteers being used to provide replacements for these units.
• Fewer professional military officers. Hence reports like this one about an officer seeing 100% turnover in his battalion until he was the only professional officer left.

These units are generally not going to be as useful for offensives, but are certainly capable of holding a fortified defensive line, albeit likely at dreadfully high cost in some cases. Light infantry are surprisingly resilient to artillery fire when dug in properly, and so are an effective check against the (apparently declining) Russian artillery advantage. ATGMs and mines also make it possible for them to resist all but the most carefully coordinated combined arms assaults, which are a vanishingly rare occurence coming from the RuAF. And these units were relatively cheap to equip and quick to train. So they are well-suited for countering the three primary Russian numerical advantages in artillery, armor, and raw manpower, at least while fighting defensively in prepared positions.
On the other hand, their NATO-style forces are better suited for combined arms maneuver warfare and thus offensives. They emphasize distributed decision making, tactical flexibility, and robust communications between different units and levels of the command. That enables flexible coordination of multiple capabilities on the attack, such that defending against one capability makes defending against the others harder. e.g. suppressing entrenched infantry with artillery while mechanized units traverse open killing ground during an assault in order to bring their tank and IFV guns to bear on those infantry to suppress them after the artillery lets up. Ukraine is in the process of building out or deploying around 20-28 new brigades of this type. I feel a little bad sourcing to a comment from this megathread rather than a credible third-party source, but offogredux puts together truly excellent summaries of the current structure of Ukrainian forces, so why reinvent the wheel? Plus their information matches what I've seen elsewhere, including the less consolidated information available here on militaryland. Notably, some units are being built around smaller veteran battalion- or regiment-sized separate units that are upsized to brigades, while others are entirely new formations, but likely include substantial numbers of veteran leaders at all levels.
Ok, so where is this "NATO" army?
There are reports of extreme deficits of NATO-trained personnel at the front, which are typically presented as a sign of Ukrainian weakness (n.b., see below for more on why to treat any Ukrainian-sourced reports of Ukrainian weakness with a healthy dose of skepticism). Often sources attribute the deficit to high casualty rates among those personnel during the earlier stages of the war. Best estimates are that the Ukrainians have lost around 120k soldiers. They started the war with around 250k personnel, of whom perhaps 20k were US-trained veterans.
Since then, the UK, EU, and US have trained something like an additional 20k+ soldiers (possibly with some overlap with the other 20k, but likely insignificant numbers if so), with plans to expand training for tens of thousands of additional troops over the next year. So even if every single one of the pre-war NATO-trained personnel are casualties, the total number of NATO-trained personnel in the UAF has at worst remained constant, at best it has doubled, and in any case it will only continue to grow as the western training programs ramp up and the Ukrainians disseminate those skills by assigning NATO-trained personnel to their own training centers. (Note: when I first posted this, VigorousElk made an excellent counter-argument to this point here which is worth considering and I didn't want to cut out of the conversation by moving this to a text post. I don't think it undermines the overall thrust of the argument, though.)
However, the overall proportion of NATO-trained personnel in the UAF has almost certainly declined because mobilization has likely increased the total size of their forces by more than a factor of two, so the overall proprtion declined even if the total number of NATO-trained soldiers actually did double (which is very, very doubtful and the 40k number should be treated as an extremely loose upper bound). That proportion is probably even lower on the front lines if the UAF have allocated those soldiers to new unit formation and units held in reserve for the upcoming offensive. So even if the Ukrainians haven't experienced particularly high casualty rates among such soldiers, we should expect to see far fewer of them on the lines right now. Meaning we can't infer the execess casualty rate from the composition of front line units, as many commentators have, nor do we need a particularly high casualty rate to explain why there are so few of them at the front. Just the formation of so many new brigades must have sucked up all of the available experienced junior officers and NCOs, especially if the UAF are trying to concentrate NATO-trained personnel into specific units. Again that doesn't mean they haven't experienced high casualties, just that the issue probably isn't as bad as some of these articles have made out.
I suspect some of the authors of these articles have taken that position because of selection bias, e.g., Franz-Stefan Gad, who visited the front near Bakhmut with Michael Kofman recently. If you are only visiting the units that are intentionally being staffed with fewer NATO-trained personnel, you shouldn't be surprised to see fewer NATO-trained personnel. Their absence doesn't indicate permanent backsliding across the entire UAF, demonstrate the incompetence of the Ukrainians, nor prove that the Ukrainians have suffered anything near 100% casualties among their NATO-trained NCOs. Instead, it just reflects the relative prioritization of scarce resources by UAF command. In a recent War on the Rocks podcast episode, Kofman specifically pointed out that his visit (and by extension his companions' visits) did not involve any kind of general or systematic survey of the Ukrainian forces, and so any conclusions based on his observations should not be taken to be totally representative of what is happening across the entire UAF right now.
Cool. Where are the "Soviet" units then?
It helps to put yourself in Zaluzhny's shoes here. You have two big chunks of your armed forces that operate in very different ways and which are suitable for very different tasks. You are finding it difficult to encourage the newly mobilized senior officers to let go of their Soviet habits, but you also need them because there is no one else who is immediately prepared to lead newly mobilized formations. So you make the obvious, logical decision to use the Soviet-style mobilized commanders how and where you can best make use of them, while hopefully keeping their habits contained and isolated from your more professional units. The best place for those commanders in this war is probably on the defensive in the trenches, where rapid decision-making around complex maneuvers is less often necessary, light infantry can be effective at attriting enemy armored and maneuver forces, individual soldiers don't need as much training to be effective, combined arms operations are less frequent and more easily choreographed, the risk of catastrophic failure is less, and logistics are dramatically simpler than for an offensive force on the move with many vehicles requiring ammo, fuel, and maintenance.
The allocation of armored assets supports this conclusion. Per Oryx, Ukraine has received almost exactly the same number of Soviet-derived tanks from their western partners as they have lost so far in this war (488+ donated Soviet-variant tanks versus around 477 lost). Plus captured Russian equipment, they almost certainly have more armor available now than they did at the beginning of the war, not even taking into account the impending introduction of western tanks. Yet there are reports from the front lines that armor is relatively scarce and lightly used. It seems the UAF have combined multiple brigades into ad hoc corps or divisions along stretches of the line of contact (what Jomini calls a "defensive grouping") to fill in the gap left by the absence of real formations above brigade size in the Ukrainian ground forces TOE.
That grouping often consists of several lighter brigades holding the front line backed by a smaller number of more professionalized and/or heavily armored mech or armor brigades as the reserve. e.g., the UAF defensive grouping around Bakhmut in February, which consisted of two mech brigades backing two TDF brigades, one airmobile brigade, and one marine brigade, all equipped exclusively with Soviet-derived armor and IFVs, along with limited quantities of older western IMVs and APCs like the M113. So light infantry in the trenches, with armor in the rear to plug holes or provide indirect fire support. This approach allows the UAF to allocate the fewest number of regular mechanized and armored army units to the front, freeing up capacity for re-equiping and training for an offensive. It also puts the least amount of strain on their tank and IFV supplies, by making heaviest use of their soon-to-be legacy vehicles, which are also conveniently the ones more Soviet-minded commanders are most familiar with. Hence the relative dearth of armor at the front, even though we should expect more tanks and IFVs than were available at the beginning of the war. The reduced armor commitment comes at the expense of the light infantry in the trenches, who absorb Russian attacks without the benefit of enough tank or IFV support. Further evidence for the idea that lighter forces reliant more on IMVs/APCs form the bulk of forces around Bakhmut includes the UAF charging Russian lines riding M113s in the vicinty of Bakhmut literally yesterday. Which feels a bit like the modern equivalent to the apocryphal story about Polish cavalry charging tanks during WW2, but I guess they have to make do with the tools available.
Does the presence of Soviet-influenced commanders at the front indicate that the decision to hold Bakhmut was made by such officers blindly applying Soviet doctrine? I would argue probably not. Syrsky and Zaluzhny have long-established reputations as very much not that sort of officer, and both have reviewed and approved the decision to hold in Bakhmut. More importantly, and without relying on an appeal to their authority, there are sufficient strategic and operational justifications to continue the defense there, even if it is on less favorable terms than other defensive efforts across the front. Specifically, attriting Russian reserves to reduce their resistance to an offensive, much like what happened in Kharkiv last August.
If attriting Russian reserves is the goal, how can these conscript-heavy formations with Soviet-style leadership best do so?
Right now, Russia only has a single division held in reserve. That would be the 2nd Motorized Rifle Division, elements of which have likely been committed to combat already. This reserve exists to exploit any breakthroughs achieved by assaults on the Ukrainian defenses and to plug any holes in the Russian lines resulting from UAF attacks. If the reserve is depleted before the Ukrainian counter-offensive, the UAF will be able to achieve much more progress much more quickly. Once they breach the Russian lines, there is nothing to stop a penetration into operational depths. Even though the Russians have fortified extensive fallback positions on secondary lines throughout occupied Ukraine, they need reserves to hold those lines if the front lines are penetrated and the Russian units there are unable to withdraw to secondary positions in good order. Withdrawal under fire is a challenging task and one for which only the VDV has demonstrated any capacity on the Russian side. There is also no new wave of Russian mobilization yet to provide any further reserves any time in the near future. Thus, the more Russian reserves the UAF can burn through now, the better their chances on the offensive will be.
There's been a lot of talk about the loss ratio between the belligerents and how that ratio makes a retreat from Bakhmut likely necessary, but ultimately the loss ratio matters less than absolute numbers of Russian reserves attrited. Because the Russians are nearly out of reserves, a UAF attrition strategy may tip them into a full-on rout. If the Ukrainian leaders knew objectively they needed to inflict 1000 more casualties on the Russians to achieve victory, it would be worth losing many times as many Ukrainian soldiers to inflict those casualties. Achieving victory is often worth accepting unfavorable loss ratios, otherwise no one would ever go on the offensive. In any case, the friendly-to-enemy casualty ratios are still almost certainly in Ukraine's favor simply because they are defending, and there have been no serious reports at all that suggest any departure from that norm. So we aren't even talking about the Ukrainians suffering an unfavorable loss ratio at all, just a slightly less favorable one when compared to real ratios from different areas of the front or when compared to hypothesized loss ratios at proposed fallback defensive positions. Rob Lee and DefMon thus both make variations of the same error. They failed to compare the loss ratios around Bakhmut to the expected loss ratios for the offensive, because ultimately the Ukrainians face a choice between attriting the Russian reserves around Bakhmut now, or when they are on the offensive.
Why don't the Ukrainians retreat and get an even more favorable ratio in a better position?
First, because the Russian offensive will culminate in Bakhmut (or it already has) and the RuAF will likely enter an operational pause because of depleted offensive power. That pause will likely last longer than the Ukrainians plan to wait for their counterattack. Basically, only the possibility of victory in Bakhmut can induce the Russians to continue wasting their soldiers lives so recklessly before the spring. Second, because the current loss ratios are pretty well understood and relatively predictable, which is not necessarily true if they retreat. Retreating under fire is challenging even for elite units, and results are naturally unpredictable. Assessing the hypothetical defensibility of any fallback positions is also challenging, especially with sufficient accuracy to be able to meaningfully predict what kind of loss ratio improvements you might gain from repositioning. Third--and this reason is entirely hypothetical--it is possible that the Ukrainians have sufficient intelligence about Russian reserves to know exactly how long they need to hold out, and so perceive the hopefully quite proximate end to a battle that appears to us as outsiders as a limitless meatgrinder that will continue to waste Ukrainian lives indefinitely into the far future. Essentially, they know the price they are paying and what they are getting for it more precisely than we do.
In contrast, on the offensive, the UAF will likely experience a loss ratio that favors the Russians, even if the offensive is generally successful. The exchange in Bakhmut will be particularly favorable if they are able to trade less well-trained conscript formations for the few remaining high quality Russian formations such as Wagner's assault units and the remnants of the VDV. Notably the VDV played a critical role in holding the line in Kherson and delaying the UAF's offensive there until the successful Russian withdrawal across the Dnipro, and it seems reasonable that the Ukrainians don't want to see a repeat delay that may buy time for subsequent waves of Russian force generation. Bottom line, the Ukrainians need to fight these Russian reserves no matter what, and it will nearly always be more favorable to fight them on the defensive than offensive. The challenge with fighting them on the defensive is that the Russians need to agree to go on the offensive first, which means the Ukrainians need to fool the Russians into thinking an attack benefits their strategic objectives. Blessedly, the "we are lucky they are so fucking stupid" guy continues to be the reigning champ of summarizing this war in a single laconic sentence and the Russians have been willing to oblige the Ukrainians with attacks all throughout the mud season.
But by "fool the Russians", I really mean fool Putin. He is micromanaging the war, even dictating decisions at the level of colonels or brigadiers such as when to commit reserves, and that likely includes the much more momentous decision to commit the very last of their available combat reserves. He has repeatedly pushed the RuAF to make objectively poor military decisions for political purposes, and he does not receive reliable information, because he has reduced his circle of confidants to only a couple of advisors who largely tell him what he wants to hear and he does little to gather his own independent information.
Putin is also a classic bully in the distinctive style of the KGB, as Yale professor of history Timothy Snyder describes in an interview here. Their method is always to look for an opponent's weaknesses, and then to ruthlessly expand and exploit those weaknesses. Probably worth mentioning that Timothy Snyder has met with and advised Zelensky directly, so his views aren't just an academic theory, they reflect and influence the views of the actual Ukrainian decisionmakers. Those decisionmakers clearly understand that Putin's instinct is to attack weakness with maximum force, and therefore carefully shape perceptions of Ukrainian weakness to mislead Putin into attacking the wrong targets. I mean, it's pretty widely accepted that the Ukrainains signal weakness intentionally when trying to attract western support, so why should it be surprising that they apply the same techniques to deceiving Putin?
And that is also another reason why the Ukrainians can't just throw their best troops into the battle. If there were no weakness around Bakhmut, the Russians would simply stop attacking with those critically valuable remaining high quality VDV formations.
What weaknesses should the Ukrainians use to mislead Putin?
Putin is not an idiot, so the UAF can't simply invent weaknesses out of thin air. Instead, they have to find ways to exaggerate some real weaknesses while downplaying others. In this case, I think they are combining their very real Soviet-hangover leadership weakness with their related difficulties around conscription to lure the Russians into attacking Bakhmut under unfavorable conditions. Specifically, I am referring to the stories around conscription problems which imply manpower deficits across the board for the UAF and stories suggesting the defense of Bakhmut will compromise future UAF counteroffensives. Playing up those particular weaknesses presents an ideal picture to appeal to Putin's prejudices and his desperation for a politically palatable conclusion to the hostilities. If you blame Soviet-style leadership, it makes the Ukrainians look dumb and incompetent for not retreating, and suggests they remain saddled by the same legacy that has so limited Russian military capabilities during this war, which plays to Putin's belief in Russian superiority. It also suggests to Putin that not only can he achieve the minimally viable political victory he so desperately needs by taking Bakhmut, he can also compromise the Ukrainian ability to conduct future counteroffensives with the very same blow, opening the way for a negotiated settlement that freezes the current lines (plus/minus changes around Bakhmut). It's really the best remaining even theoretically conceivable outcome for Putin, and many of the recent stories and leaks from Ukrainian-aligned media seem perfectly crafted to suggest continuing to attack Bakhmut could very well achieve that outcome. Suspiciously perfect, I would argue.
There have been few reports of widespread difficulty around draft dodging in Ukraine until quite recently, well into the battle for Bakhmut, when suddenly a flood of stories appeared in the media about people avoiding conscription and Ukrainian officials aggressively conscripting people against their will, e.g. from the Economist and Newsweek. Which struck me as odd, considering that the Ukrainians have more than a million reservists and earlier in the war had far more volunteers than capacity to train them for at least the first six months of the war. Even as recently as December, Zaluzhny said that the UAF does not have manpower issues so much as a need for armor and munitions. So where are the volunteers, why are the units around Bakhmut being reinforced with untrained conscripts, and why all the news stories about aggressive conscription? My hypothesis is that the volunteers are funneled into the more NATO-style units, most of which are currently in reserve or training behind the lines, while the Soviet-influenced commanders are given conscripts (at least as a preference if not as a hard rule) and are burning through them faster than other units, mostly in the Donbas meat grinders around Avdiivka and Bakhmut. The prioritization of allocating volunteers to the more NATO-oriented units makes a lot of sense in that context. Mission command requires motivation and self-direction, which you are more likely to find in volunteers. Conscripts can perform at wildly varying levels, and generally can't be relied on as much to take initiative, and so are a better fit for the top-down Soviet command style. This preference or bias could also come about naturally because of self-sorting, as more Soviet-style commanders may be more willing to take on reluctant conscripts than more NATO-oriented leaders, and older officers steeped in Soviet doctrine will have more relevant experience for leading formations with older Soviet kit.
If that's how recruits are being allocated, it explains some of the resistance to conscription, because conscripts are disproportionately funneled straight into the meat grinder by default. For example, the story that has made the rounds of a soldier who received only five days of training before being deployed to Bakhmut. That soldier's experience doesn't mean the regular army volunteer units are having difficulty filling out their TOE or training their soldiers, just that some of the units most reliant on conscripts are. Notably his formation was the 101st Brigade for the Protection of the General Staff, which may be just about the most irregular unit in the entire UAF command structure, outside whatever chaos-demon worship seems to be happening over in the Ministry of Interior. The 101st is actually directly part of the General Staff, rather than assigned to an operational command, unlike every single other combat unit in the regular army.
So I don't know that his experience can be considered particularly representative, although it very well might be for conscripts with the bad luck of ending up in a Soviet-style unit that also happens to be committed to intense combat operations. But that's not all the units by a long shot. It's likely that for every soldier like that around Bakhmut, there are multiple comparable conscripts assigned to relatively quiet or less intense AOs where they are given the opportunity to learn some basic military skills on the job from the more senior members of their unit. So this would actually be a good way to increase their training pipeline, if somehow they could both predict where attacks would come with 100% certainty to avoid allocating untrained conscripts there and yet still somehow need to maintain high force density throughout the front, which seem like mutually contradictory propositions. It's a morally questionable but potentially effective technique for growing the training pipeline if they allocate excess untrained conscripts evenly across the front without regard to the risk that they will be thrown into combat unprepared, which this story seems to suggest may be their practice. It would also be an excellent way to make use of excess conscripts who were recruited primarily to mislead Russia about the level of manpower issues the UAF are experiencing, too.
This strategy of allocating resources across units suggests losses around Bakhmut won't compromise any offensive, because the offensive units are drawing on entirely different recruitment streams, training resources, and equipment types than the defensive units are. The conscript-heavy formations on the frontline at this very moment are serving to absorb Russian attacks and burn through Russian reserves while the more professional units prepare for an offensive that has the potential to be decisive. If it seems unfair to give worse equipment to the people doing the harder fighting right now, just remember economy of force. Bakhmut is secondary to the offensive. In the longer term, the recruitment challenges won't matter as much once the current Russian reserves are exhausted because the meat grinder will be over, and the UAF will no longer need to feed it. By the time Russia can generate any further forces for their own offensives, the Ukrainians will be over the hump in terms of adopting western tanks, IFVs, and combined arms doctrine and will have slack to retrain the units currently holding the lines to meet the same standards.
But what about the spring offensive?
The only contrary evidence to that assessment are reports, usually sourced from anonymous US or NATO defense officials, that western officials are telling the UAF that defending Bakhmut may compromise their ability to conduct a spring counteroffensive. Which really makes no sense at all to me, based on what formations and equipment types are allocated to Bakhmut. The reports are anonymous and lack any supporting detail beyond the basic claim. As I described above, the units around Bakhmut aren't the kinds of units the Ukrainians are likely to use on an offensive in the near future. I therefore tend to dismiss those anonymous reports as leaks intended to spread disinformation, and in particular to invite the Russians to feel confident in committing their reserves to an attack on Bakhmut.
The Russians (and more to the point Putin) may conclude that it's worth burning through their reserves if doing so compromises the Ukrainian ability to counterattack, and these leaks seem suspiciously well designed to invite that conclusion. If the leaked reports about compromising the offensive were true, they probably would not have been leaked at all, because they reveal an actual Ukrainian weakness in a manner which does nothing to protect that weakness. Contrast that scenario to leaks about the dire need for more long range artillery from about a year ago. Russia could absolutely figure out that the Ukrainians needed better long range fires on its own, so the leaks didn't risk revealing new information, yet did actively invite a solution in the form of western donations. Whereas the leak about Bakhmut (if true) just airs Ukrainian dirty laundry, with no real hope of changing the Ukrainian decision or bringing in additional western support. Meaning, it would be a disloyal leak, of which we have not seen many if any from the US/NATO side during this war (potentially not including the general jockeying between the allies for position around major weapons contributions like tanks). Basically the leak was like saying, "Oh no, Putin, whatever you do please don't attack Bakhmut, anywhere but there!" Something tells me the Ukrainians aren't inclined to give Putin good advice about how to hurt them.
Playing the conscription issues up in the media only serves to draw Russian attention to that weakness, too. So why are the Ukrainians permitting these stories to leak, or at least not taking any measures to limit their impact on the information space? One such story was about a man with no hands being denied an exemption from conscription, despite having been classified officially as permanently disabled for his entire life. It is an insane and ridiculous story of bureaucratic incompetence, which if true I would have expected the Ukrainians to suppress during war time because it makes them look so incompetent (again, note how the whiff of corruption and incompetence appeals to Putin's preconceived notions about Ukrainians) and because it was limited enough in scope that it could have been kept away from western reporters (unlike something as pervasive as widespread resistance to conscription). Instead the story was almost actively promoted by UAF-friendly sources like the Economist, which I believe broke the story originally. The Economist is quite explicitly pro-Ukrainian and is also cozy enough with the Ukrainian leadership to have gotten exclusive in-depth interviews with Zelensky, Zaluzhny, Budanov, Syrsky, and others, some of which I even linked as sources above. So it is out of character for them to publish such a lurid anecdote of Ukrainian incompetence.
On the other hand, if the Ukrainians wanted to convince the Russians that they are having manpower issues, one of the easiest ways to do so would be to send out their recruiters and encourage them to employ excessive aggression. Then to leak, plant, falsify, or simply permit publication of stories about the absurd lengths those officials are going to conscript new troops. The Russians would then pick up on the stories and possibly inaccurately infer manpower deficits. Even if the Russian intelligence agencies interpret the stories differently, Putin is more likely to disregard them and rely on media reports than he would have been in past years, before the FSB's incredibly inaccurate pre-war assessments of Ukraine contributed to his decision to invade. It would not surprise me at all to learn that Putin regularly reviews Russia-related press clippings from the Economist to understand how critical issues are being presented in the western media, even if only as part of a larger security or political briefing packet. In fact it would surprise me if he doesn't review at least a sampling of stories from western media, likely heavily biased toward traditional print media with wide influence like the Economist. Which makes it a viable channel for shaping Putin's perceptions, and the man without hands seems like the perfect attention grabbing detail to make sure he sees that particular story.
So basically, propaganda cuts both ways. We are operating in an information space that is quite intentionally shaped by Ukraine, and so should be careful in our conclusions about what is happening beneath the fog of war. Although, I would suggest that it's probably a good starting assumption that the Ukrainian leaders have not become suddenly much less intelligent or less capable than they have been over the last year of this war. Which isn't to say they are perfect, or that we won't see them lose their edge over time. Just that a sudden, rapid, simultaneous decline in Zaluzhny's, Zelensky's, Syrsky's, Budanov's, and the rest of the Ukrainian leadership's intelligence, judgment, and ability would be extremely unlikely. Especially if that decline persisted for a long time, as the decision to hold Bakhmut has, with ample opportunity for correction based on the widespread alarm about UAF losses.

Hello everyone! I'm here because I don't really know where to start the next part of my weight loss journey. I have 30 pounds to lose. I have been stuck on the scale at 230-232 for the last three months. I've been working on getting my view of food worked on and how I eat reigned in. Trying to eat as many whole foods/least amount of ingredients as possible. I swim 4-5 times a week, instruction on swimming two of those days and I usually swim an hour at a time. I feel like my body has gotten used to this and I'm looking to add new exercise into this mix. Though #1 was to start lifting, but I have no idea what regimine to stick to or what work outs to do. I have a lot of free weight and have lifted in years prior. Idea #2 is to do some jogging/running/walking but as I am overweight, my ankles usually pay for any running I do. I recently got a pair of Solomon shoes and would like to do some trails near my house. I look forward to seeing what everyone has to say!