Tag: Wealth of Geeks

Wealth of Geeks

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When Star Wars: Visions was first announced at Disney Investor Day, Star Wars fans were overjoyed by the idea of an anthology that allowed new creative visionaries to give their unique perspectives on the galaxy far, far away. Visions does just that by ushering in a new era of Star Wars storytelling from seven of the best Japanese anime studios.

Visions is a nine-episode anthology series containing completely isolated stories that expand the Star Wars universe as we know it. Each episode runs between thirteen minutes and twenty-two minutes long, clocking in at around two and a half hours in total. While the vocal cast on the English dub is awe-inspiring, you should also watch it in the original Japanese format to get the full effect.

Whether you grew up loving anime like Cowboy Bepop, Monster Rancher, or Inuyasha or you have never watched anything more than an episode or two of Pokémon you will find something to love in each of the shorts. From the wide variety of awe-inspiring animation styles to the adept way that the storytellers have crafted stories out of the best elements of Star Wars, the beauty of Visions is that there is a story for everyone within it.

Studio Trigger, Kamikaze Douga, Studio Colorido, Geno Studio, Kinema Citrus, Production I.G, and Science SARU were given full access to the entire galaxy of Star Wars and each studio managed to take elements from previous ventures into the universe and lay bare the very core of what Star Wars is.

Ahead of Star Wars: Vision’s premiere, Wealth of Geeks got to chat with the series’ executive producer James Waugh and producer Kanako Shirasaki about the production.

When asked about how much creative freedom the studios had, Waugh explained, “One of the things that I think was fundamental to the vision of Visions was that we really wanted it to be their stories. We wanted to make sure we were doing everything we could to empower these really unique creators, who have become like masters of their craft, to feel empowered to tell their story.”

He went on to say, “We wanted it to be more of a celebratory expression of Star Wars, not necessarily timeline-focused or feeling like it needed to be part of the ongoing chronology and saga. We really offered an opportunity to have studios like Trigger to do ‘The Twins,’ which is completely like a remixed Star Wars. I think some of the themes that people came to ultimately are Star Wars themes that are about friends and family and masters and students because that’s so inherent to what makes them a Star Wars story.”

Courtesy of Disney/Lucasfilm

The Twins (Studio Trigger)

Japanese Voice Cast: Junya Enoki, Ryoko Shiraishi, Tokuyoshi Kawashima
English Voice Cast: Neil Patrick Harris, Alison Brie, Jonathan Lipow

It is hard not to think about Luke and Leia as you watch “The Twins,” which explores Star Wars’ well-known brother-sister trope — with a twist. When the short begins, the duo has already achieved great power in the dark side and they are making moves to be the ultimate rulers of the galaxy. Or at least Am has aspirations for ultimate power, Karre doesn’t exactly see eye-to-eye with his sister.

The Star Wars universe is no stranger to characters on the dark side breaking free of its thrall, but Studio Trigger does something different by exploring it through a sibling dynamic.

Star Wars: Visions
Courtesy of Disney/Lucasfilm

Lop & Ochō (Geno Studio)

Japanese Voice Cast: Seiran Kobayashi, Risa Shimizu, Tadahisa Fujimura, Taisuke Nakano
English Voice Cast: Anna Cathcart, Hiromi Dames, Paul Nakauchi, Kyle McCarley

“Lop & Ochō” also plays on sibling dynamics, but it also explores the notion of found families and how easy it is to fall to the Dark Side — or in this case, align ones’ self with the Empire. While all of the shorts felt like they have the potential to be the start of something larger, the ending of “Lop & Ochō” made me want to mount a campaign to beg for more.

There are only a few “bad” female characters in the Star Wars universe and somehow, in the span of only a couple of minutes, Geno Studio managed to make Ochō my new favorite villainess.

Star Wars: Visions
Courtesy of Disney/Lucasfilm

Akakiri (Science Saru)

Japanese Voice Cast: Yū Miyazaki, Lynn, Chō, Wataru Takagi, Yukari Nozawa
English Voice Cast: Henry Golding, Jamie Chung, George Takei, Keone Young, Lorraine Toussaint

Nearly twenty years ago, Palpatine tempted Anakin with the ability to defy death in Revenge of the Sith, and now in “Akakiri,” we see the costs of learning that ability. “Akakiri” also feels like a distinct homage to Akira Kurosawa’s film The Hidden Fortress, which inspired George Lucas’ Star Wars.

Both aesthetically and in the nature of the story being told, Science SARU creates a truly unique cast of characters in Tsubaki, Misa, and the intimidating Masago. As Tsubaki walks towards his new destiny, you will find yourself dying to know where the story goes next.

During my interview with James Waugh and Kanako Shirasaki, I wanted to know which of the shorts they were uncertain about when they were first pitched to them.

“I think that is going to be ‘Tatooine Rhapsody’ because we were a little bit skeptical about the rock opera idea. The character designs in the pitch were also different from what we see now. It was a little more [of a] grunge type of look and now that [look] turned into more of a cute chibi style,” Shirasaki explained.

Waugh also shared his initial apprehensions about the short, “I was a big naysayer about [‘Tatooine Rhapsody’] at first. We got the pitch in and it was a paragraph about a rock opera and my initial thought was, “This is crazy. Let’s not do this. This is going too far guys.” Then, of course, we read the first pass of the outline and I am so glad we chose that because it’s amazing.”

When asked which short resonated the most with him, “Tatooine Rhapsody” ended up being Waugh’s pick. “I would say all of them, but ‘Tatooine Rhapsody’ does it for me, as far —  not a favorite —  but it’s something that resonates with me. I think the idea of a dreamer is fundamental to Star Wars. It’s Luke Skywalker looking up at those twin suns. I think the idea of found family is also fundamental to Star Wars. It’s Ezra Bridger and Kanan and Hera. I think the idea of people helping each other is also just a totally Star Wars story.”

Star Wars: Visions
Courtesy of Disney/Lucasfilm

Tatooine Rhapsody (Studio Colorido)

Japanese Voice Cast: Hiroyuki Yoshino, Kōsuke Gotō, Akio Kaneda, Masayo Fujita, Anri Katsu
English Voice Cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bobby Moynihan, Temuera Morrison, Shelby Young, Marc Thompson

While most of the shorts in Visions play with emotionally heavy themes, others harness the whimsy of the Star Wars universe. “Tatooine Rhapsody” turns “space opera” into a reality by bringing together a cast of unlikely characters to create the greatest band in the galaxy. There might be some edge-of-your-seat drama when they have to play to survive Jabba the Hutt’s ire, but the entire short is just an absolute delight to enjoy.

Star Wars: Visions
Courtesy of Disney/Lucasfilm

The Village Bride (Kinema Citrus)

Japanese Voice Cast: Asami Seto, Megumi Han, Yuma Uchida, Takaya Kamikawa, Yoshimitsu Shimoyama, Mariya Ise
English Voice Cast: Karen Fukuhara, Nichole Sakura, Christopher Sean, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Andrew Kishino, Stephanie Sheh

This is one of the shorts that puts the customs of Japan at the forefront of the story. A Jedi and a skilled sniper bear witness to the wedding ceremony between Haru and Asu and, much like the audience, get to experience the couple’s unique connection to the Force through their planet’s memory. The joy of the wedding ceremony is undercut by raiders who come to steal the bride away as collateral for the resources they intend to strip the planet of. While ‘The Village Bride” is a complete story within itself, Jedi F’s teased backstory is ripe for more storytelling.

Kanako Shirasaki shared which of the shorts resonated with her and it was ‘The Village Bride.’ “The ritual played by the village characters is influenced by the Japanese Animism idea of worshiping mountains or nature. So that feels very close to me. I also particularly love the music of ‘The Village Bride,’ ‘The Elder,’ and ‘The Duel’ because these three [shorts] are using Japanese traditional music. It’s very interesting to see what people would say about that because you don’t really hear that outside of Japan very often. So it’s great to hear these sounds on this larger platform.”

Star Wars: Visions
Courtesy of Disney/Lucasfilm

T0-B1 (Science SARU) 

Japanese Voice Cast: Masako Nozawa and Tsutomu Isobe
English Voice Cast: Jaden Waldman and Kyle Chandler

“T0-B1” is another short that has some very serious story junctures, but at the same time Science SARU has created an absolute joy of a character in T0-B1 — an endearing little droid with a dream of becoming a Jedi. He is an unbelievably adorable droid and has now surpassed BB-8 as the cutest droid in the galaxy.

Star Wars: Visions
Courtesy of Disney/Lucasfilm

The Elder (Studio Trigger)

Japanese Voice Cast: Takaya Hashi, Kenichi Ogata, Yuichi Nakamura
English Voice Cast: David Harbour, Jordan Fisher, James Hong

The titular villain of “The Elder” is a mysterious warrior and expert swordsman who poses a serious challenge to Jedi Master Tijin and his Padawan Dan. We have seen so many spectacular relationships between Padawans and their Masters in The High Republic and this short evokes so many of those same emotions. It’s also very different from Studio Trigger’s other short ‘The Twins’ playing with relationships on the light side of the Force versus the dark side.

Since the announcement of Star Wars: Visions fans have wanted to know whether these shorts are canon and James Waugh was able to answer that question for us.

“I think it’s open to interpretation for a lot of these. There are some that fit perfectly within the timeline, like ‘Tatooine Rhapsody.’ There’s no reason that that [short] couldn’t have happened. Aside from the chibi style all of the integrity of the universe holds up in that story. I think ‘The Elder’ is also one that could fit within The High Republic completely seamlessly. Same with ‘The Village Bride’ [which] could fit post-Order 66,” Waugh continued. “We helped them get to those places throughout development. But then there are others that it doesn’t it’s not about that. ‘The Twins’ or ‘The Duel;’ those things [that] are celebratory expressions of Star Wars. We allowed for both in this framework.”

Star Wars: Visions
Courtesy of Disney/Lucasfilm

The Duel (Kamikaze Douga)

Japanese Voice Cast: Masaki Terasoma, Akeno Watanabe, Yūko Sanpei
English Voice Cast: Brian Tee, Lucy Liu, Jaden Waldman

“The Duel” has a wholly unique animation style that sets it apart from its peers and it fits the feudal Japan aesthetic of the story. It follows The Ronin, a traveler who comes to the defense of a remote village that has become the target of fearsome bandits. This short features the awe-inspiring umbrella-like lightsaber, wielded by the kick-ass high-heel-wearing Sith — but she isn’t the only one wielding a red lightsaber.

The story of The Ronin also sparked the upcoming spin-off novel. “It was always Kamikaze Douga’s vision. That was one of the first ones that we developed with them. They built that from the ground up.” Waugh said, when asked about which came first. “Emma Mieko Candon came on to do the novel because we were talking to Del Rey about what we could expand on. We knew that the Ronin character had a lot more adventures under his belt and we wanted to see them.”

Star Wars: Visions
Courtesy of Disney/Lucasfilm

The Ninth Jedi (Production I.G) 

Japanese Voice Cast: Chinatsu Akasaki, Chō, Shinichiro Miki, Hiromu Mineta, Kazuya Nakai, Akio Ōtsuka, Daisuke Hirakawa
English Voice Cast: Kimiko Glenn, Andrew Kishino, Simu Liu, Masi Oka, Greg Chun, Neil Kaplan, Michael Sinterniklaas

“The Ninth Jedi” plays with a number of concepts that we have seen in recent years from the post-Jedi era of The Sequel Trilogy to the secret lightsaber smithing at Savi’s in Batuu.  Someone is attempting to raise the Jedi Order from the ashes, but things aren’t quite as they seem. This short is the longest and it certainly sets up a lot of really intriguing ideas that will leave you thinking long after the credits roll.

The real testament to the creativity employed in Star Wars: Visions is that audiences will care — and care deeply — about the characters that they are with for less than twenty-two minutes. There is so much potential in each and every short and they will undoubtedly launch a thousand new ideas and theories for fans.

Perhaps the biggest remaining question is: Will there be more Star Wars: Visions? Well, here’s James Waugh’s answer to whet your appetite.

“I think like everything with Star Wars, our plan is to continue our sort of cross-platform experience with some of these stories like [with] the novel. We’re definitely looking into manga. There’ll be other expressions,” Waugh teased. “I think like so many of these stories and characters you want to see them go on. I kind of want to follow that band around forever from ‘Tatooine Rhapsody’ But is there anything planned right now, as far as an animated series or film? The answer is no. But hopefully [on] Wednesday people love it and are begging for more Star Wars: Visions. Then I will have those conversations.”

You heard it Star Wars fans, make it known that you want to see more Star Wars: Visions in the future.

After you finish watching the nine episodes of Star Wars: Visions be sure to check out the nine episodes of Star Wars: Visions Filmmaker Focus on Disney+, a special series of behind-the-scenes featurettes discussing the shorts with the creative teams involved in their production.

This article was produced and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.

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Best League of Legends Builds | Wealth of Geeks

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Since its release in 2009, League of Legends (aka LoL) has helped catapult professional eSports into today’s massive multi-million dollar industry. In fact, the League of Legends World Championships is one of the most watch sporting events of the year, with more live viewership than the American Superbowl.

With so many players and a hyper-competitive eSports scene, competition in League of Legends has grown fierce. Players looking to climb League’s ranked ladder to glory must develop their strategy and tactics, hone their mechanical skills, and learn how to create the best League of Legends builds in the game.

In this in-depth guide, we will focus on how to intuitively build League of Legends champions to suit the dynamics of your games and the game’s evolving meta.

 

Image Courtesy of Riot Games

What are League of Legends Builds?

In LoL, champions can be customized with unique rune, item, and skill upgrade choices. The combination of your runes, items, and current skills comprises your champion build. How you plan to continue upgrading your items and abilities constitutes your champion’s build path.

League of Legends is a lot more than just a battle arena game. Much of the game is decided during champion selection and through each champion’s respective build path.

For instance, teams and champions without the means to scale quickly enough may find themselves too far behind and unable to catch up, even if their final compositions may be very powerful.

Likewise, champions that build too much for early game performance or without the ability to affect heavily protected enemies will often find themselves ineffective in the late game.

Runes Explained

Runes are essentially stat and skill buffs for your character that are pre-selected before a game starts. There are five runes paths for each player to choose from. They include Precision, Domination, Sorcery, Resolve, and Inspiration. These roughly translate to buffs in sustained damage, burst damage, utility, tank, and miscellaneous effects, respectively.

League of Legends Builds Rely on Pre-Selected Runes that are Chosen During Champion Select
Image Courtesy of League of Legends Fandom

Players may choose four buffs from a primary rune set and two buffs from a secondary rune set. Selecting the proper runes before each game is the first step towards crafting the best League of Legends builds for your champions.

The following section will discuss how to identify what runes will work best for your current champ and ally/enemy selections.

Optimizing Your League of Legends Builds

Champions in League of Legends start each game off at level one and without any items. The only customization that goes into each champion is the runes pre-selected by the player before the round started.

How To Start the Game off Right With Great Rune Choices

Before your next match starts, consider your allied champions and your enemies. Are there any glaring holes in your team composition that can be exploited?

Many champions can be ‘flex’ picks. Flex picks can be played in multiple positions or ways. For instance, the champion Malphite can be played as a tank, a mage, or some hybrid of the two. Furthermore, he can be played in many positions, from Top to Support.

Malphite charging his enemies to defeat them as a flex pick in LoL
Image Courtesy of Riot Games

Flex pick champions are great because they offer you versatility and prevent you from easily being countered. If you are missing a tank, crowd control, or burst damage and can easily flex to fill those roles, do so.

Pick champion runes sets that help you overcome your team’s deficiencies. If you do not have any glaring holes, pick something like the best-recommended runes, overall, for your champion.

Ways to Optimize Your League of Legends Builds In-Game

Once the round has started, players are granted 500 gold to buy their first items before running to their lane to earn more gold. Riot Games provides champion build recommendations in the in-game shop. From the beginning of Season 11 (2021), Riot began to customize their suggestions a little based on the enemy team’s composition.

It is often a good idea for absolute beginners to stick relatively close to these recommended builds from Riot. However, they are not often the most optimal build possible. They do not take into account how the gameplay is progressing. Most notably, they don’t consider what champions you must focus your build on countering.

During each round, consider the long-term scaling potential of each of your enemies. Do you have a good counter for the most formidable ones? For instance, hyper-carries like Nasus, Kayle, and Twitch are all very challenging to defeat in the late game. Unless you can finish the match before they out-scale your team, you must build some countermeasures for them.

For instance, Zhonya’s Hourglass is one of the best items to include in your League of Legends builds because it can prevent burst champions from eliminating you. Furthermore, items like Liandry’s Anguish and Demonic Embrace can do a great deal of damage to tanks and other high health champions with their max HP-scaling damage.

Incorporate these pivotal items into your LoL champion builds early on and continue to build off of a common theme. Don’t just pivot from one idea to the next. Focus on maximizing your damage or protection against those champions that are your team’s biggest threats.

Some Examples of Great LOL Champion Builds

Some champions synergize so well with a particular item or rune that it’s worth mentioning to help illustrate the point we are trying to make here. Incorporate specific items or runes into your League of Legends builds that either significantly increase your power or allow you to counter your most significant threats.

After reading through this section and the example LoL builds, you should be able to see a common theme emerge.

Veigar + Rabadon’s Deathcap + Void Staff

Veigar is a champion who excels at two things: 1) throwing down a massive AoE stun and 2) dealing tremendous burst damage. If Veigar can lock down an enemy with his CC, he often can kill them with his full combo.

Veigar has the power destroy his enemies with a great League of Legends build
Image Courtesy of Riot Games

As a Veigar player, you should focus your Veigar build on increasing your burst damage. (Your stats can’t affect your CC duration.) The two best items to boost your AP burst damage are Rabadon’s Deathcap and Void Staff. Together they will maximize your AP and increase your breakthrough damage against tanks.

A full-build Veigar with lots of AP stacks can even take out tanks quickly with burst damage. That’s something almost no other burst mage can do. It pays to focus on your League of Legends builds to maximize your potential!

Jhin + Infinity Edge

The champion Jhin in LoL has a unique passive ability (Whisper) that further increases his attack damage based on his level, critical strike chance, and attack speed.

Items that boost these attributes can synergistically affect and increase his stats beyond what is expected for a standard ADC-type champion.

Infinity Edge is one of the best items to give to Jhin, as it massively increases his damage with bonuses to attack damage, critical strike chance, and critical strike damage.

Senna + Glacial Augment Rune

Senna is a great flex pick that can be played as both a carry and as a support. In either role, she benefits greatly from the Glacial Augment rune, which applies a slow effect on every auto-attack.

 

LoL build with glacial augment on Senna gives her big gun much more damage and utility
Image Courtesy of Riot Games

The reason Senna + Glacial Augment is one of the best League of Legends builds is that through her stacks, she gains a great deal of range. By combining her great coverage with a slow effect, she can effortlessly chase down or kite her enemies, depending on the situation she finds herself in.

Malzahar + Rylai’s Crystal Scepter + Liandry’s Torment + Demonic Embrace

There aren’t a lot of different ways to build Malzahar well. The core of any good Malz Build is his damage over time (DoT). His Q, W, and Ult all deal DoT. This makes Malzahar one of the scariest poke and one vs. one champions in League of Legends.

Both Liandry’s Anguish and Demonic Embrace significantly increase his DoT. Rylai’s Crystal Scepter slows his enemies, preventing them from escaping or closing while his abilities and minions eat away at their health. Together, these items significantly increase his utility and dueling potential.

 

Malzahar summoning his voidlings to destroy his enemies in League of Legends with a good champion build and lots of damage over time
Image Courtesy of Riot Games

Takehome Message from Example League of Legends Builds

We hope it’s become apparent how you should select your items and runes to optimize your League of Legends builds. Think critically about what makes your champion great. Then, think about what items and runes can maximize your potential. Most of the time, it’s just that simple!

Great Resources

If you are looking for complete League of Legends builds, you can easily Google your champion’s name + “Build.” There are many great resources out there to choose from. As the meta evolves, it pays to check back on these guides, as you may discover exciting rune and item combinations you hadn’t considered before.

We hope you find these tips helpful. If you have any other great League of Legends builds you’d like to share with your fellow readers, please feel free to paste them into the chat below.

This article was produced and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.


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10 Products Under $100 That Will Change Your Life | Wealth of Geeks

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While scrolling the front page of the internet, I discovered an interesting post. Someone asked, “What life-changing item can you buy for less than $100?” Here are the top-voted responses.

10. Mechanical Keyboard

“I bought one for home and didn’t notice much of a difference, but when I had to use my non-mechanical office keyboard, it felt like garbage. The keys feel so much less mushy on a mechanical keyboard,” shared one.

Another replied, “I’m typing this on a Unicomp Ultra Classic, a modernized remake of the Model M, complete with buckling springs. You can get one for $85, or you could when I got it a few years ago and a second one last year.”

9. A Hammock Chair

One user said, “Bought my Eno a year ago, and I have no idea what I did without it; you can post up anywhere and everywhere, and it will encourage you to go outside a lot more.”

Another said, “This accurately represents my activities during the pandemic. Thinking about bringing my computer so I can lay in my hammock in the park and watch tv.”

A third Redditor said, “I installed one in my bonus room after it got hot outside. So now my work-from-home afternoons are done in a hammock. I keep it professional and use the desk in the mornings, though.”

8. An Air Compressor

“As a UK citizen,” said one, “a kettle is on a par with having food in the house.”

Another added, “As an Irish citizen, I’m pretty sure our right to a kettle is explicitly stated in our constitution.”

A third user replied, “It’s a jug for water that plugs into your wall and boils said water. That said, the American ones aren’t as good as the European ones because they have higher voltage electric sockets that can get the water boiling faster. However, even an American version will boil water faster than you can on the stove.”

7. Electric Toothbrush

One Redditor replied, “So true! I’ve been using one for years, so I don’t even remember how big the difference was, but recently I convinced my boyfriend to buy one, and he was like, wow, my teeth never felt so brushed!”

The second user said, “I thought my teeth were white until I started using an electric toothbrush that my girlfriend convinced me to get. I convinced my whole family to buy a set.”

6. A Cookbook

Someone suggested, “A Cookbook. Not like a fad celebrity book but a real old-school family cookbook. Best one I ever found was at a garage sale and was like a 6″ thick Ring binder full to the brim with yellow pages, some with stains.”

“It should have been a family treasure, and I got it for $20. Hundreds of family recipes with easy-to-follow handwritten notes. I’m sad I never met the grandma to which this thing once belonged.”

5. Pressure Cooker

“You can get one for around $100, and it can easily cook a staggering variety of food and cook it well,” said one.

“Today, I learned several types of people use pressure cookers. People who use them for cooking food, and people who use them to sterilize things.”

A second user replied, “Yes! My Instant Pot was under $100, and I know it does other things, but having a pressure cooker has changed my life. Chicken stock? The best, and in an hour. Ribs? Not just fall off the bone – the bone falls out of the meat. Soup? Throw something together after work, and it’s perfect.”

4. Socks

One user posted, “Step 1: Throw away all your socks. Step 2: Buy three to five packages of the same sock. Step 3: Enjoy life without ever having to match socks again.”

Another Reddit user said, “Right! I was going to add to make sure they’re a reputable brand because I have about 15 pairs of Adidas ankle socks and three pairs of crew socks.”

“Most are over three years old, some are two years old, and none have given out yet. And I’m someone who forgets to clip toenails sometimes, so they’re under some stress regularly.”

3. A Good Shower-Head

“I cannot stress enough how a high-quality shower-head can turn getting clean into an utter Zen state, a 30-minute self-healing and relaxation session. Clarification, I don’t shower for 30 min every day. Modern rain shower-heads use very little water, and I only have about 15 min to get ready in the morning, so this is a rare treat I let myself do once or twice a month,” one said.

Another added, “Detachable with different settings is the only way to go. I’m not big on the massage functions, but I like using the high-pressure spray to rinse; also, mine has a trickle mode that’s super low flow but still enough to keep it steamy, so I set it to that while I lather to save water.”

2. Cutting Utensils

“A good chef’s knife,” one replied. “When you have tools that are satisfying to use, cooking becomes less of a chore and more of a hobby. You’ll eat healthier, cheaper than takeout/restaurant, and ditching the dull Walmart knife and the scratched-up nonstick aluminum skillet is the best place to start.”

Another Reddit user said, “For anyone thinking of upgrading their kitchen knife, search Victorinox 8″ chef knife. Watch a few YouTube videos on sharpening your knives and keeping them safe.”

“Also, a magnetic knife rack will cost you about $15. All these things together will improve your cooking at home 1000%, and you’ll spend far less time hunched over that onion with a dull steak knife looking like a fool.”

1. Sunscreen

“For anyone that disagrees with this comment, I’ve had multiple skin cancer surgeries. It’s not the scalpel cutting flesh away from your body that hurts the most. Whatever liquid they inject into you to deaden the nerves around cancer hurts,” one confessed.

“The needles don’t hurt, but that liquid they inject into you is nasty!” The second Redditor said, “Sat in the sun for like an hour yesterday, forgot to put sunscreen on my back and shoulders. They’re red now. Today not leaving the house without it, so I can also reapply during the day.”

We hope you enjoyed this Reddit picks list of awesome things for under $100 that will change your life. Also, check out these additional life-changing items for less than a hundred bucks!

This article was produced and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.


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A Slow-Moving Tumbleweed: The Big Lebowski at 25 | Wealth of Geeks

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Dudeism. It’s the world’s “slowest growing religion,” according to its founder’s website, a place where one can be ordained in the ancient religion of the Dude. For those who abide, the Dude is not just a film character but a way of life. Of course, the religion was formed by disciples of The Big Lebowski, which turns 25 this year.

The ’90s was the backdrop of an independent movie apocalypse and the breakthrough decade for many talented directors. It was the era of Quentin Tarantino‘s mind-blowing postmodernist soundtracks and dialogue, Richard Linklater’s shapeshifting sense of perspective, and Sofia Coppola’s otherworldly explorations of female representation among dozens of other brave, new visionaries.

Outlandish and unafraid to offend, this new Brat-Pack of auteurs treated moviegoers to some of the greatest visual experiences. Following on from the fountain of money the big studios built in the decade before, these directors took independent cinema from fringe arthouse vanity projects into thoroughbred Academy Award factories — notwithstanding the obvious Harvey-shaped elephant in the room.

This indie invasion changed how the big studios operated — with several indie companies bought out by the Goliaths of Hollywood. This investment came as no surprise: low budget and high yield is something Tinseltown doesn’t ignore.

Coming at the end of this period was the Coen Brothers’ comedy masterpiece; those three words bring a smile to most movie buffs north of forty years old, especially for those who have seen it in excess of ten times.

A Slow Start

The movie was produced by the British independent production company Working Title Pictures and launched at Sundance Film Festival in January 1998. However, this preceded a modest theater opening, the film making a smaller splash than titans Pulp Fiction (Miramax), The Blair Witch Project (Artisan Entertainment), or Se7en (New Line Cinema).

The film’s box-office returns in Australia and Britain eclipsed US revenues entirely.

John Goodman Hollywood Walk of Fame speech by the Dude

However, as the new millennium passed, The Big Lebowski grew. It became a mainstay of facetious preppies, with posters of the Dude and Jesus adorning dorm walls of film students and movie geeks across the western world and beyond. Ten years after its release, it sold over 30,000 units per week on DVD; 20 years later, it was still selling 7,000 units per week in the US.

It has spawned countless commercial opportunities: merchandise, boxsets, tours, conventions, festivals, and even its own philosophical religion. Anybody who visited a bowling alley in the western world between 1998 and 2003 may have seen people dressed as the Dude, Walter, or Jesus; they will surely have heard Walter’s famous retort: “Shut the f**k up, Donnie!” or “F**k it, Dude. Let’s go bowling.”

“Is this your homework, Larry?”

At these north Los Angeles bowling houses, brothers Joel and Ethan first went down the rabbit hole into the world of ’60s burnouts, Vietnam veterans, and mild-mannered surf bums. From hanging out with California’s forgotten men, they gave us an understated, postmodern play on a Raymond Chandler detective mystery, a screwball comedy, a buddy movie, and a film noir all rolled into one.

Many critics at the time did not abide; its understated genius didn’t enamor them. Several prominent film critics of the time were bemused by its frivolous use of characters, shallow plot sequence, or unrealistic presentation of American tropes. This argument faded over time, with most of the same critics taking back their commentaries.

Rather, Rinse, Repeat

After all, it is a film that requires multiple screenings for the viewer to marvel at the subtle mastery. Very few people get it the first time.

Even Steve Buscemi said in a reunion interview a few years ago that he wasn’t sure what was happening in the script when he read it. It wasn’t until his final scene (or the final scene in which his ashes are scattered from a coffee can into the Dude’s nonplussed face) that he understood Donnie’s role.

“Then I got to the last scene,” said Buscemi, “…and I saw the relationship; I saw how much Walter loves Donnie and how they are like brothers.” Donnie’s relationship with Walter is one of the film’s funniest motifs and provides a go-to line for any Lebowski lover in need.

“The Big Lebowski is a masterpiece, as far as I am concerned,” said Jeff Bridges in an interview in 2016. “Though I may be biased, because I am in it.”

“Mark it zero!”

Upon a new viewing, the film still glides with its effortless Roger Deakins pans, noir lighting, and melodramatic extreme long-shots. It does look dated — this film was shot before the frame rates and digital aspect ratios achieved their current singularity. In any case, films should look dated if they are to be considered part of the zeitgeist.

Art is supposed to represent the time, and The Big Lebowski is a piece of art.

It struck a chord with slackers, stoners, and students — and their older, employed peers — of the new millennium, with plenty of one-liner ammunition and fodder for late-night discussions on the beauty of the cinematography or the sheer pointlessness of it all.

Abide and Chill

The movie’s genius is the scope of its storyline: which is as narrow as the range of the Dude’s casual meanderings between his apartment, the grocery store, and the bowling alley. On paper, the plot about a nobody living somewhere near north Los Angeles being shaken down by a seemingly rich local grandee is simple.

The tapestry of stock character introductions and cameos gives The Big Lebowski its magic dust. Joel and Ethan Coen have a gift for introducing these characters in unforgettable ways:

Juliane Moore’s Maude Lebowski flying like a Valkyrie from the ceiling of her art studio, the German nihilists unleashing the marmot, and bowling alley creep Jesus (replete with a long, varnished pinky nail) licking the bowling ball before hitting the perfect strike, is the stuff of legend.

“I am the Walrus?”

So how does the movie stand up in 2023? Twenty-five years later, the cast members scattered into various successful careers, many continuing as usual.

Jeff Bridges continued his Coen odyssey with the marvelous True Grit in 2010. That came in the wake of his acting magnum opus, Crazy Heart, for which he won many awards, including a Golden Globe and Academy Award.

John Goodman had already sailed with the Coens on Raising Arizona, The Hudsucker Proxy, and Barton Fink. However, he went on to appear in two more of their films: the subsequent O Brother, Where Art Thou? and Inside Llewyn Davis.

Jeff Bridges famously inducted Goodman onto the Hollywood Walk of Fame dressed as Jeff Lebowski, a speech for which he alluded to Walter’s infamous eulogy for Donnie.

Strangely, Steve Buscemi — who had already scaled great heights in the amazing Fargo — only went on to star in the Coens’ short Tuileries in 2006. However, Buscemi would become a huge beneficiary of the feature-length TV show movement with his highly successful Boardwalk Empire.

“Shomer Shabbos”

Of the smaller cast members, John Turturro starred in a comedy spinoff movie featuring his much-loved Jesus Quintana character. He wrote and directed a star-studded feature after seeking permission from the brothers. However, the movie bombed at the box office and received poor reviews. The Jesus Rolls never caught the magic of Jesus’ enigma, and the plot didn’t do justice to the character.

Julianne Moore was already established as a screen heavyweight and continued her formidable screen and TV career. She even became the first woman to secure two Oscar nominations in the same year, for The Hours and Far From Heaven in 2002.

Phillip Seymour Hoffman went on a trajectory of greatness after The Big Lebowski, an Oscar for his role as Truman Capote, part of an impressive run in the new millennium. He became one of his generation’s hardest-working and most revered actors before sadly taking his own life in 2014.

Another cast member no longer with us is David Huddleston, who, after a stellar career in film and TV, departed the stage for good in 2016. His role portraying Jeffrey “The Big” Lebowski gives the film much-needed noirish gravitas.

Gathering No Moss

The Coen brothers went on to shoot another eleven films together, culminating in a Netflix feature, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, in 2018. They went their separate ways for their next two projects, Joel directing the thriller The Tragedy of Macbeth in 2021 of A24 Productions and Apple TV, while Ethan directed docufilm Jerry Lee Lewis: Trouble in Mind in 2022.

As producers, they turned Fargo over to Noah Hawley, who created an award-winning TV series, inspired by their film, that has lasted four seasons, with season five on its way soon. The brothers also produced Bad Santa (2002) and then nabbed producing or writing credits on Romance and Cigarettes (2006), Unbroken (2014), Bridge of Spies (2015), and Suburbicon (2017).

“Basic freedoms”

Perhaps most interesting thing about The Big Lebowski is some theorists’ deeper reading of the film as an allegory of the first Gulf War. The movie, set in the early ’90s, sees various allusions to Saddam Hussain and George H.W. Bush. Whether it was an allegory or not (we must remember, it was shot some years later), the parallels are clear today.

Near the film’s end, upon discovering the true motivation of his namesake and tormenter, the Dude says to The “Big” Lebowski, “This aggression will not stand, man!”

Twenty-five years later, the world looks on as eastern Europe takes up headline after headline in global news coverage. With the Russo-Ukrainian still raging on and with hard-working people everywhere suffering the cost, the message to our leaders is clear:

In a world of Big Lebowskis, be the Dude.

This article was produced and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.


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Teamfight Tactics: T.F.T. Set 8 Tier List | Wealth of Geeks

Post By Money Making ,

The new set of T.F.T. has brought some fantastic new things to our favorite online auto chess battle arena. The unique traits and possibilities have made this game even more fun, even though that seemed impossible.

Riot has prepared some exciting stuff for us: traits we’ve never seen before, plus a few traits players have had the opportunity to try on some previous sets. Apart from that, there is a unique system in the game where you can choose a champion that would be the heart of your team and buff his abilities, with more opportunities to gain loot.

The game feels much more complex and leaves players little to no time to spare once the fun begins. This patch is a drastic change compared to the slow game pace, which could leave players hanging and waiting for the next round. In this new set, that is no more since the players are required to use every single second of the game the best as they can, or they could miss out on a game-changing opportunity.

But, like before, some Traits stand out from the bunch, whether it is because they are overpowered and guarantee a placement in the top three or because they are a little underwhelming and have yet to meet the players’ expectations.

Let’s break down the Tier list for T.F.T. Set 8 regarding the Traits:

S Tier

  •           Aegis
  •           Brawler
  •           Corrupted
  •           Defenders
  •           Forecast
  •           Mascot
  •           Spellslinger
  •           Threat

Aegis

The Aegis Traits is new only by name, but the players have already met with it before under Mystic. It is a specific trait providing Magic Resistance to its champions.

It has earned a place in the S tier because the current ”Bruiser Meta” hot in League of Legends, has also spilled into T.F.T. This Trait provides durability in combat for its users and is one of the best Traits in the current set.

Brawler

This Trait is as old as the game itself. It was always a shift between two names, Bruisers and Brawlers, but they always did the same thing. Provide a flat amount of health points to its champions.

The rules for Aegis apply to Brawlers as well. It seems that Riot understands that they shouldn’t fix something that is not broken. Go, Brawlers!

Corrupted

This brand-new Trait in T.F.T. is tied to only one champion. In this case, that is Fiddlesticks. The Corrupted Trait goes incredibly well with Fiddlestick’s whole persona since he feeds off his dead allies and, by doing so, becomes unimaginably powerful.

So it’s not surprising that this Trait appeared in the S tier due to circumstances that have to align for a player even to have a chance to play it.

Although, Fiddlesticks, being a five gold costing champion, is a rare sight to see; you still need to save your money to have a chance to upgrade him to level two. That is if you manage to survive that long in the game.

Defenders

The Defender trait has been around since the beginning of the T.F.T. universe. But it has changed its appearance and name throughout history. Players may know this Trait under the terms of Warden, Vanguard, Ironclad, and Bodyguards.

Like the Brawler, the Aegies Trait has always remained the same despite constant change between its champions and names. It consists of providing a flat amount of Armour to its champions.

This bonus goes incredibly well with the two we mentioned before, allowing a player to eliminate his rival on the technical timeout. That is, if he doesn’t die of boredom before that. But it is not stupid if it works.

Forecast

The forecast is a unique new Trait that Janna selfishly holds to her. However, it is one of the best traits in the game.

Forecast trait provides special bonuses that shift from competition to play to her allies and makes a game easier for anyone who picks her.

Mascot

Another new trait with a few old elements is The Mascot Trait. It is a simple trait that provides Health Regeneration to its champions, which increases every time one champion dies in the battle.

They go to the side of the field and cheer their allies, giving them a much-needed hp regeneration boost. It is compatible with many traits but goes best with some defensive traits mentioned above.

Spellslinger

Spellslinger isn’t a new thing, but the community indeed loves them. They are most commonly known under the name  “Mage Trait,” which has appeared numerous times in the previous sets.

It provides a flat amount of ability power to its champions, and it is all you need with a dash of mana items to take first place in every game.

Threat

The Threat Trait has never been seen before in Teamfight Tactics. The new Trait doesn’t provide a bonus if you have more champions of the said Trait on the field but rather has incredible stats for each champion.

These champions are overpowered, and individually they are the most vital units in the game. They can be beaten only if you create fantastic synergy with your other units. They are an excellent addition to an already fun and exciting game.

A Tier

  •           Ace
  •           Anima squad
  •           Arsenal
  •           Civilian
  •           Duelist
  •           Hacker
  •           Heart
  •           Ox Force
  •           Underground

Ace

The Ace Trait is quite a powerful Trait, and it just missed the S Tier. It is similar to The Ninja Trait that was available in the previous sets. The Ace trait provides a nice bonus, but only if you have one or four Ace champions on the field.

This is extremely difficult to manage since you can either play many Aces on the field but play without a bonus or only one and let the others warm up the bench.

It can take up a lot of space, which can cripple your game and contribute to an early loss. But, on the other hand, if you manage to do it, the game will most likely end up with your Victory.

Anima Squad

Another newcomer that came along with the Set 8 of Teamfight Tactics is The Anima Squad Trait. A compelling trait that will provide its champions with a stacking H.P. boost, along with an increase in attack damage and ability power.

The only reason it isn’t placed in the S tier is that unless you have 7 Anima Squad bonuses active, they aren’t that good. This is not easy to execute, and you will need a lot of luck.

Arsenal

Another new addition to the game is The Arsenal Trait which Aphelios holds. It’s a simple but helpful trait that is A Tier Trait. Aphelios can choose from one of three weapons each round he will take to combat with him.

Civilian

Civilian is an outstanding trait, but you have to understand that it acts as a support for your main Trait. Therefore, it can not be played as the main Trait simply because this Trait needs more champions to be standalone.

Instead, it consists of the mana boost your Civilian champions provide to their allies.

Duelist

The Duelists have returned among the most loved traits available in previous sets. It’s simple but effective, providing its champions additional attack speed bonus—a well-deserved place in the A Tier.

Hacker

The Hacker trait is new in the game. It works similarly to the Assassins, but they are one step ahead because they provide a much better boost in the form of Omnivamp. You may also choose one Hacker champion of your liking to send behind the enemy lines to wreak havoc.

Heart

One more support trait has made its place in the A tier. That is a Heart Trait. The lovely Hearts provide a stacking boost to their allied champions every time they cast an ability.

Ox Force

This Trait was influenced by Olaf’s passive in League of Legends. Ox Force is an attractive trait that provides additional attack speed to its champions which increases when their health points decrease.

Underground

The Underground Trait is a more creative version of the Mercenaries Trait from previous sets. This Trait provides loot to the player that can come in gold, items, and champions.

Players can withdraw their loot once they get ten underground points and begin the process from the beginning, or they can pass on withdrawal and try to get more valuable prizes.

B Tier

  •          Admin
  •          Gadgeteen
  •          LaserCorps
  •          Mecha: PRIME
  •          Recon
  •          Renegade
  •          Star Guardian
  •          Supers
  •          Sureshot

A.D.M.I.N

The A.D.M.I.N. trait is a little bit unusual; it gives you the opportunity to choose between different configurations in the game.

It resembles the Mutant or Mirage from the last set. You can choose various causes or effects that can be activated, but compared to the other traits, it is not as strong, so it has to be placed in the B tier.

LaserCorps

The LaserCorps trait consists of champions that are followed by a drone. The more champions you have, the more drones are there to help.

But even though the drones look amazing in the game, they aren’t as powerful as they seem. Lacking the X factor that can change the tides of the game. Because of their not-so-mind-blowing strength, they belong to the B Tier.

Gadgeteen

This Trait is quite simple; you can get a random modified item that any champion in your team can equip. But in this case, simple is not better since, apart from that bonus, the player receives little more from them.

And if more is needed, the items change every round, making player waste time deciding which champion is best to be equipped on.

Therefore, losing valuable seconds of the game and making it annoying to play because of these things, it deserves to be placed in the B tier.

Mecha: PRIME

When you read what the Mecha: PRIME Trait makes, your first guess would be that it is incredible. And you wouldn’t be wrong. It is a powerful Trait that has some unique character to it.

This thing was only seen once in T.F.T. in Set 3, where Annie, Rumble, and Fizz would join to create one mega robot combining all of their stats. The Mecha: PRIME has a similar approach, where your PRIME champion takes the stats of 2 Mecha: PRIME champions of your liking and grows in size.

It is an excellent trait, but it can usually work if Jax is your PRIME, but even then, it can be stopped with a bit of crowd control and intelligent placement of units. Thus it has to be placed in the B Tier.

Recon

One more Trait that has left us a bit disappointed is the Recon Trait. It is similar to the Enforcer Trait from the previous sets but provides a lot less valuable function.

Your champion will leap out of harm’s way, and it will get a bonus critical strike chance. This is why the Recon Trait has earned its place in the B Tier.

Renegade

A trait that provides bonus attack damage may be sufficient, but the Renegade Trait needs to give more to make a big difference.

The cap of the bonus damage is 80% plus 40% for the last Renegade alive, which is less than enough to make too much of a difference if you need more items to par with your champions.

So, unfortunately, it’s a B Tier for Renegade Trait.

Star Guardian

Star Guardian Trait is just an Evoker Trait with a bit of makeup. While the mana bonuses this Trait provides are excellent, they are useless without high-level champions and perfect ability power items.

Thus making this Trait highly luck dependent and placing it in the B Tier.

Supers

Despite the perfect name, “Supers” are underwhelming. The Supers Trait provides additional 20% attack damage plus 5% for every three-star champion on your team.

Compared to the other Traits, even in B Tier, this is by far the most disappointing Trait in the current set.

Sureshot

The Sureshot Trait is just a bleached-out version of the Sniper Trait. However, it provides an additional attack damage bonus to its champions.

While this bonus is better than the Renegade bonus since it has an additional one that happens every 4 seconds, it is still a highly item-dependent Trait that deserves no more than a place in B Tier.

This article was produced and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.


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What Is Your Favorite Star Wars Movie of All Time? | Wealth of Geeks

Post By Money Making ,

I know it’s blasphemous to the OG fans watching from theaters at its start, but I love Revenge of the Sith. It’s, without question, my favorite.

Anakin’s descent into the anger and hate that pulls him to the Dark Side is fantastic, the music is incredible, and the battle on Mustafar is top-tier. So what’s your personal all-time favorite Star Wars movie? Here are the Reddit Star Wars fans’ top ten countdown. 

10. The Force Awakens (2015)

Image Credit: Lucasfilm Ltd./Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

One user said, “Don’t hate me, but, The Force Awakens.”

Another added, “It’s an incredible Star Wars Movie. Depending on your view of the sequels, J.J. Abrams made a movie that felt like going home, going back to Star Wars.”

9. Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)

Solo
Image Credit: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

One person suggested, “I’m going to get a lot of flak for this, but I’m a huge fan. I grew up on the original trilogy, and honestly, the Han Solo movie is my absolute favorite. I thought it was terrific.”

Another added, “In my opinion, it’s the only movie since the OT that has fully recaptured what the OT was trying to be (especially ANH).”

8. Attack of The Clones (2002)

Matt Doran cameo attack of the clones
Image Credit: 20th Century Fox/Lucasfilm Ltd.

“I like Attack of the Clones,” one replied. “It gives us Obi-Wan reprised by Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christiansen as teen/adult Anakin. Yes, the writing and acting were mediocre BUT, I LOVE the world-building it does.”

“Until then, we only knew about Tatooine, Coruscant, Alderaan, Naboo, and a few misc ship locations. In AotC, we now have Kamino, Geonosis, droid factories, and a massive assembly of Jedi to get our Terrific Trio out of a jam!”

7. The Phantom Menace (1999)

the phantom menace podracing flags
Image Credit: Jedipedia Das Star Wars Wiki

“Despite its flaws, Episode 1 and purely because of Liam Neeson. Qui-Gon Jinn will always be my favorite Jedi, and Duel of the Fates will always be iconic. Darth Maul is the most incredible-looking Star Wars character.”

Another agreed, “It was way over-hated. Young Anakin and the Gungans were annoying, but I loved ‘Duel of the Fates’ at the end.”

6. The Last Jedi (2017)

Last Jedi
Image Credit: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

“The Last Jedi is my favorite movie in Star Wars, and it made me enjoy Rey as a character a lot. Kylo became a fascinating character, the cinematography is beautiful, and it has one of my favorite Star Wars fight scenes,” one fan confessed.

Another agreed, “With you 100%. It’s super close between TLJ and ESB for me, and they are interchangeable.”

“I was 11 when it came out, and TLJ will always be that movie that opened my eyes to what stories could be,” shared one. “It might sound silly to people who watched the movies as adults, but Luke tossing away the saber and Kylo killing Snoke were groundbreaking to me at the time.”

5. Rogue One (2016)

Your Complete Guide to the Canon Star Wars Universe
Image Credit: Lucasfilm Ltd.

One fan confessed, “Up until a few months ago, I still would have said ESB just because I’m old and crusty, but I find myself rewatching Rogue One every other month or so. I don’t see any of the things people dislike about it. And obviously, it’s getting better by the week as Andor remains flawless.” 

“I feel exactly the same,” another admitted. “Rogue One was already ahead of all the other Star Wars movies for me, even ESB, but Andor is cementing it in stone as the best thing to ever happen to SW.”

A third replied, “Rogue One, by a comfortable margin.” 

However, most people shouting out Rogue One followed it with their love for the Andor series on Disney+. So it’s safe to assume the series has influenced several fans’ love of the film. 

4. Return of The Jedi (1983)

Return of the Jedi
Image Credit: 20th Century Fox

Someone stated, “Return of the Jedi. The whole movie is fantastic. Jabba’s Palace. Endor speeder bikes. The best space battle with the entire Rebel fleet. Vader vs. Luke and Vader redemption. The Ewoks believe C3PO is a god.”

“I love that movie. Probably the best pre-CGI special effects in the history of cinema too.”

Another agreed, “Return of the Jedi. The fleet battle at the end is still one of the best space combat scenes ever.” Finally, a third user said, “Return of the Jedi feels like it encompasses the journey of the Skywalker family.”

“Luke helping Vader achieve redemption is quite an emotional journey. Also, I like ROTJ because of a specific Leia costume.” But, of course, the user is talking about Princess Leia in the gold bikini. 

3. Revenge of The Sith (2005)

vader revenge of the sith saying no
Image Credit: Lucasfilm Ltd.

Revenge of the Sith and Return of the Jedi had close vote counts. However, RotS had more individual posts claiming it as a personal favorite. So it gets the slight edge over RotJ. I’m sorry, OT peeps. Anakin evolving into Darth Vader is the greatest. 

“Revenge of the Sith feels like a modern Greek tragedy; Anakin is as heroic and flawed as Oedipus or Achilles and touches on the debate of free will vs. agency that has been argued for the length of western civilization. Does Anakin’s story happen because he’s a slave to fate and prophecy?”

“Or does the prophecy solely exist because nobody else would make the choices Anakin made? Revenge of the Sith, in the context of the Skywalker Saga surrounding it, has the same key elements that make the debate on free will so fascinating in western literature. RotS was finally the keystone film that completes the Star Wars take on this story.”

2. A New Hope (1977)

a new hope chewbacca
Image Credit: 20th Century Fox/Lucasfilm Ltd.

One person suggested, “If you can watch A New Hope with fresh eyes, please remember that Lucas made a swashbuckling sci-fi fantasy adventure that doubles as film history (and real history).”

It’s a pastiche that blends The Hidden Fortress, The Searchers, Buck Rogers, Twelve O’Clock High, and like 18 other film influences, and yet somehow came out the other side as a fully coherent and dizzying family-friendly masterpiece that became the biggest hit of all time.

“Viewed from one angle, it’s all extremely familiar, but if you tweak your approach slightly, I swear you’ll have a fresh appreciation for what a miraculous film it is.”

1. The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

Image from The Empire Strikes Back
Image Credit: LucasFilm Ltd.

Was there ever any doubt? But, of course, The Empire Strikes Back earned the most love. Enamored by the Jedi training, Hoth, and sparks flying between Han and Leia, Star Wars fans praise its entirety. Bespin, Boba, and the scene pitting Luke against Vader were all mentioned. 

Someone stated, “The most iconic moment in the franchise, and in cinematic history, ‘I am your father,” makes this the number one answer, however basic.”

Another fan replied, “Nothing basic about Empire Strikes Back. It’s a complex narrative with a shocking twist that flips the entire script on the audience’s perception of the main protagonist and antagonist. It’s all killer and no filler.”

We hope you enjoyed this Reddit picks countdown of Star Wars fans’ personal favorites. Also, check out these twenty crazy stories, facts, and myths about Darth Vader.

This article was produced and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks. 


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Sam Bankman-Fried Is Alleged To Have Lost $100M of FTX’s Money At Online Casinos And Poker Player, Tom Dwan Admits He Knew | Wealth of Geeks

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There are some huge tremors on the ground in the wake of FTX’s bankruptcy filing. The crypto exchange’s collapse has uncovered a massive scandal involving the CEO, his gambling penchant, and prominent names in the celebrity space.

The CEO of FTX, Sam Bankman-Fried, filed for bankruptcy on November 11th, 2022, after a surge of consumers withdrew their money from the platform earlier in the month. The company, last valued at $32 billion, was reduced to nothing in only a few short weeks. However, news has surfaced that the company had been in trouble for a while before its demise.

Binance Even Backs Away

World-leading crypto exchange, Binance, was scheduled to bail FTX out. They released a non-binding agreement to effectively buy a portion of the business portfolio for an undisclosed sum. They later backed out of the deal when concerns were raised about how FTX was mishandling their customers’ funds.

To add insult to injury, FTX accounts were thought to be hacked by US authorities within hours of the bankruptcy filing, with a suspected $470+ million in crypto stolen. This sent the crypto world into a plummeting tailspin. However, the Securities Commission of the Bahamas silenced the outrage, claiming that it seized those assets. Something they should have perhaps confessed at the time to prevent widespread panic.

Unfortunately, all of this has been consummated in a federal class-action lawsuit against Sam Bankman-Fried and other A-list celebrities who have supported and endorsed what is now openly being referred to as a crypto scam.

Class Action Filing

An $11 billion class-action suit by various FTX investors has been filed against Sam Bankman-Fried and numerous celebrities who openly endorsed and supported FTX in the past. Among them are prominent names like Tom Brady, Giselle Bundchen, Larry David, Shaquille O’Neal, David Ortiz, Stephen Curry, Naomi Osaka, Trevor Lawrence, Kevin O’Leary, and the Golden State Warriors team.

Each has been included in the filing for their support of the exchange, which is now being referred to as a fraudulent pump-and-dump scheme. While the endorsers listed above may not have known that FTX would eventually fail, pump and dumps thrive off the marketing of prominent people to drive their stock prices before they dump it all and leave the investors to pick up the pieces.

It’s not the first time Highline celebs have been coaxed into supporting these types of ventures. In fact, earlier this year, EthereumMax was the target of a class action lawsuit that embroiled the likes of Floyd Mayweather, Paul Pierce, and Kim Kardashian. They were used to hype a new cryptocurrency to escalate the price of EMAX.

Will The Charges Stick?

The problem with lawsuits like this is that it is extremely difficult to prove that the celebrities knew they were hyping a fraud. Proof would also need to be sought in evidence that they illegally received funds. In most cases, like with any other endorsement, celebs endorse a brand because they are paid to do so. However, this is yet another example of how you should not follow the advice of sports stars when it comes to financial investments.

When it comes to Kevin O’Leary, things are different. It’s hard to think that such a shrewd businessman would not do his due diligence before supporting any business model. He certainly does so when backing contenders on the TV Show, Shark Tank.

Warming Up to The World

Can we really blame celebrities for their support of FTX, though? The company did everything in its power to gain a polished reputation. Their CEO donated so much money to worthy causes over the years. Some of these include:

  • A donation of $50 million in 2021 towards pandemic relief and AI research.
  • Bankman-Fried established the FTX Future Fund, the philanthropic arm of the company.
  • They donated around $190 million to various noble causes.
  • Committed $160 million towards researchers in areas covering everything from climate change to AI.
  • He donated $5.2 million in funding to the Democratic Presidential campaign in support of Joe Biden in 2020.

Unfortunately, the demise of FTX has also seen the collapse of all humanitarian efforts and leaves those counting on the pledges in despair.

In The Know – Corruption at The Roots

While many celebrities embroiled in the scandal were probably ignorant of what was happening behind the scenes, poker legend Tom Dwan has publicly admitted that he knew FTX was crumbling.

In a tweet, he said: “Sam had used his ftt token raise to plug a hole in Alameda’s balance sheet. I found this out at some point in I think 2021. From a few places. Some were nice people who weren’t involved. I know about a lot of corruption in the world, and sometimes it’s not my business to out.”

It is alleged that Dwan played poker with numerous people connected to FTX in some way or another. Through his interactions with them, he found out about their insolvency and even warned certain people to be careful with FTX as he realized they were misappropriating funds.

“I basically knew they were insolvent when ftt was still at 22. I hoped it was just in treasuries etc, and a mild misappropriation of funds. And I got a bunch of flack in groups n public for suggesting ppl be careful and withdraw at least some. And so many rushing to defend him.”

Yet, even with his connections at FTX, Tom Dwan was shocked to hear that Daniel Friedberg was FTX’s regulatory officer. It turns out that Friedberg was an attorney for UltimateBet, which collapsed as a result of an online poker gambling scandal. Between 2005 and 2008, employees were accused by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission of using software exploits whereby they could gain access to what cards players were holding and thereby cheat them out of tens of millions of dollars.

Friedberg reportedly resigned from FTX just before it filed for bankruptcy. It arouses suspicions that he could be involved in unscrupulous activities in connection with the brand.

Bankman-Fried Panic Gambles to Repay Debt

Sam Bankman-Fried openly apologized about the debacle, stating that he had messed up and should have done better. The sentiment points to the fact that Sam is trying to claim that this was all a mistake and that it was down to bad management instead of malicious malpractice. These facts will hopefully be explored in more detail in the up-and-coming trials.

It is, however, not the first time Bankman-Fried has lost funds. The collapse of Terra/Luna in May caused massive losses for Sam’s Alameda Research Fund. In hopes of winning back some of the missing money, it appears that Sam hit the blackjack floor with FTX cash. Unfortunately, he just dug the hole deeper. According to Nansen Research, he lost $100 million in Ethereum and USDT playing at crypto casinos like Stake, Bitcasino, and others. The dots begin to connect, and Binance’s unveiling of the misappropriation of customer funds now makes more sense.

What About The Mass Withdrawal?

The fact that numerous withdrawals were made from Alameda and FTX wallets by company executives in the build-up to the collapse has got to count for something in this investigation. When something smells off, it is very often rotten. With the Securities Commission on the trail, it’s only a matter of time before it is found.

This article was produced by PokCas and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.


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14 Romance Novels Better Than ‘Bridgerton’ | Wealth of Geeks

Post By Money Making ,

At the heart of almost every good story is romance (and if you are reading this, you probably agree). Being one of the oldest and most popular genres, a lot of work has gone into the literary universe to convey its true essence and beauty. One of the most notable additions to the genre’s archives is Julia Quinn’s glamorous Bridgerton, the regal tale that shook Netflix walls and pierced through the iron-hearted.

Of the multitudes that have read (and probably re-read) it, some consider it one of the best romance novel series ever written—a verity which may be an exaggeration or not. That dearest gentle reader is up for you to decide. Besides, can you conclude what’s best if you haven’t read these novels yet?

So yes, we have compiled a list of romance novels we think are good—even better than Bridgerton.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Those who read Jane Austen know the magic she’s capable of with words. In Pride and Prejudice, she reprimands the prejudiced social construct of England in the 18th century through diverse characters ultimately driven by pride and an unseemly romance.

The story revolves around the Bennett daughters, Elizabeth and Jane, courted by privileged men whose marriage would sprout a generation in wealth and affluence. However, status and values do not move the protagonist, quick-witted Elizabeth Bennett. Then comes along the standoffish Mr. Darcy, who she considers full of pride, but his insecurity causes him to behave the way he does.

The novel, set in a time of societal upheaval, displays the intense attraction between Elizabeth and Darcy, which gains her family’s and the meddlesome public’s interest. Pride and Prejudice is full of radiant humor, immersive storytelling, and riveting characters.

A Duke, The Lady, and a Baby by Vanessa Riley

Vanessa Riley’s A Duke, the Lady, and a Baby will sweep you off your feet with every bit of emotion and elegance. Even Julia Quinn, who authored Bridgerton, acknowledged the novel as a “perfect historical read.” In A Duke, the Lady and a Baby, Patience Jordan, a West Indian heiress, loses her husband to the cruel hands of death.

Then, in another streak of misfortune, she loses her freedom and Lionel, her newborn son, when she goes to prison.

As stubborn as always, Patience would do anything within her power to get back to her son. She takes the risk of being near him, even at the expense of her own life. Eventually, Patience gets her deepest desire granted when she gets employed by The Widow’s Grace. Working for The Widow’s Grace brings her closer to Busick, her late husband’s military cousin.

Together, they begin a journey fueled by passion and courage. But how far could fate push Busick and Patience’s little romance, and how far could she go to fulfil her purpose?

Vanessa describes through this novel how providence will always yield results where there is a resilient spirit. She takes us on an emotional rollercoaster with all the poignancy that accompanies loss and grief and every mother’s terror of being separated from her child. Vanessa Riley perfectly executed the emotions in a non-sappy way.

The novel has a 3.9/5.0 on Amazon and boasts a truckload of accolades.

Bringing Down The Duke by Evie Dunmore

This romance novel by Evie Dunmore, set in England in 1879, tells the story of green-eyed Annabelle Archer, whose father is a country vicar. Annabelle is brilliant but of a deprived background. Nevertheless, she works her way amidst hurdles—and other students of the University of Oxford—to earn a scholarship for herself.

Her scholarship, however, isn’t entirely free, as she must be a part of the women’s suffrage movement.

Her primary assignment for being a part of this movement is to bring in influential men to support the cause of the suffragette movement. She knows not to get emotionally attracted to these men and seems to get it right until she meets Sebastian, the enigmatic Duke of Montgomery.

Sebastian does not like the idea of a suffragist lady, not to mention that she is a commoner. He is only looking for a lady with the competence to become a duchess, with whom he would entrust his legacy. Unfortunately, Annabelle doesn’t fit his expectation. But there’s no telling what happens—or is bound to—when love steers the wheel of time.

Bringing Down the Duke is an impressive debut by Evie Dunmore.

The Rebel by Beverly Jenkins

Beverly Jenkins ranks high on the list of romance novels—no big surprise if you’ve read any of her books. Jenkins’ prestigious name in the literature world was won with over forty-five culturally-appreciating bestselling romance novels to her credit. In The Rebel, published in 2019, Jenkins tells the story of war, love, and freedom redefined through Valinda’s journey.

Valinda engrosses herself with a mandate of helping her newly liberated community gain a stance and survive the times. But, in her quest to do so, she discovers the true meaning of freedom has been compromised. Freedom here means bondage; it means trouble; it means war.

Soon after the destruction of the school Valinda established for the people of her community, she becomes the next target. Finally, she has no choice but to flee for her safety—and safety is in the arms of Captain Drake LeVeq, a man who understands her as a fortune teller does the strokes on a palm.

Valinda’s father does not support this union despite their connection, which tests their relationship.

The novel once climbed to the number one spot in the USA Today bestselling list.

To Have and to Hoax by Martha Waters

Martha Waters presents quite an exasperating yet brilliant novel. After calling the historical romance comedy a “laugh-out-loud regency romp,” New York Times bestselling author Lauren Willig added, it is an adorable book compared to Bridgerton. In To Have and to Hoax, readers follow the life of an estranged married couple.

Lord James Audley and Lady Violet Grey are devoid of communication for four years after their marriage, resulting in a fight the author describes as one that would end all their problems.

As unpredictable as love goes, the couple who once were in total awe of the other, glowing with a love others envied, soon become strangers to each other. That is, until a hilarious event spurs back their feelings.

When news reaches Lady Violet that her husband had fallen off a horse and was close to giving up at their country estate, she hurries there, only to find him hale and healthy. Violet tricks her husband into thinking she has taken ill to get back at him. Lord James Audley discovers it is only a trick but plays along.

What began as a silly ruse, births a new chapter for their marriage that would either strengthen the union or break it more.

Mr. Malcolm’s List by Suzanne Allain

Like some items on this list, this romance novel is now a major motion picture, an incredible feat. Mr. Malcolm’s list has all the features he wants in a wife—he has no regard for matchmaking experiments by mothers and impulsive debutantes. However, he gets frustrated when there doesn’t seem to be any woman in the entire universe who ticks all the boxes.

Then fate brings him to Selina Dalton through her friend, Julia, who introduces them only because she plans on using Selina to exact her revenge on Mr. Malcolm. Selina discovers that Mr. Malcolm is nothing like in Julia’s stories. She grows affection for him until Mr. Malcolm places her under the scrutiny of his list.

In return, she decides she must make him reveal his true nature to know how compatible they are.

Mr. Malcolm’s List is a riveting delight, a page-turner till the very end.

Reputation by Lex Croucher

Readers have compared Reputation by Lex Croucher to Bridgerton and Mean Girls. Some even consider the story to be Bridgerton meets Mean Girls, a perfect fusion of both. If you’re familiar with both novels and haven’t heard of this, Christmas just might have come a bit early. You’re welcome.

Reputation follows the story of Georgiana, who goes to spend the summer break with her relatives. She meets with Frances, who introduces her to his naughty friends. The significant events of the story pool into action when Georgiana falls in love with a young man, Frances. Frances lives in a different world with his high-class friends and daily debauchery.

Georgiana toes the line between right and wrong as she questions her ideals and the things she’s willing to give up and allow for the sake of love.

Reputation is a brilliantly entertaining, historically aware novel for anyone of any culture and age.

Duke of My Heart by Kelly Bowen

Kelly Bowen’s Duke of My Heart has a rating of 4.4 on Amazon. The award-winning author crafts a fantastic tale built around an intelligent, gracile heroine and solid and inspiring characters.

As usual, the prospect of any scandal entertains every regency family but terrifies them when such a scandal involves their name. Captain Maximus Harcourt, the Duke of Alderidge, might be as strong as ten men put together, but he isn’t immune to the impact of scandals. He returns home only to discover a naked earl attached to the bed of his lost sister.

Unable to stay, the young Duke leaves for Miss Ivory Moore’s service, whose company captivates him, not just her attitude but her grace.

For Miss Moore, a scandal leaves her to Captain Harcourt’s companionship. While they tend to each other, the captain grows feelings for Miss Moore. A love that begins tender but grows with the rage of a wild flame.

The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez

This contemporary novel by Abby Jimenez is sure to induce all kinds of emotions in its readers, with its oozing warmth and electrifying dynamic! The Friend Zone is a USA Today bestseller. In the romance comedy, Abby portrays a woman’s pertinacity in fighting for the people dear to her heart, despite any circumstance.

The story’s protagonist, Kristen, doesn’t have room in her life to consider any form of romantic relationship with anyone. Aside from that, she is undergoing medical procedures that will close her womb to childbearing—there seem to be more reasons for her to turn away from romance.

While planning her best friend’s wedding, Kristen meets Josh Copeland, a hilarious, down-to-earth, devilishly handsome man. The only problem is that Josh desires to settle with a wife and children, which is the opposite of what Kristen wants, so she slowly shoves him away.

However, there is only so far she can push him with the love that has already taken root in both their hearts.

A Lady’s Guide to Mischief and Mayhem by Manda Collins

This unputdownable novel tells the story of Lady Katherine Bascomb, who reports on a series of London murder cases. Along the line, she draws Andrew Eversham’s attention, and not necessarily in a positive light.

Andrew, the detective, doesn’t know how to tame either his tongue or his character. He is unimpressed no matter how much she puts into delivering a clean job. With time, they both decide the only way to get through their differences and finish a job ideally, is by working as a team.

This unlikely liaison introduces readers to a different side of romance, where a shared passion for justice catalyzes a deeper connection. A Lady’s Guide to Mischief and Mayhem is anything but the romantic comedies you’re used to; it is a breath of fresh air.

Cold Hearted Rake by Lisa Kleypas

Lisa Kleypas’ Cold Hearted Rake navigates through the story of a charming rake and his grueling fate. Devon Ravenel, a recent inheritor of the earldom, meets with a young widow, Kathleen, whom he once again—as is his nature—falls for. But there’s something different about her.

Not only does she not trust Devon, but his attitude also irks her to no end. To Kathleen, he is nothing but a scumbag and flirt, but to Devon, Kathleen is everything he has always looked out for in a woman. He is sure of it from the first moment he encounters her, and while Kathleen does everything humanly possible to resist his charms, he would stop at nothing to win her heart.

Cold Hearted Rake is a profoundly passionate tale that once again portrays the complexities of love. Initially published in 2015, this novel by bestselling author Lisa Kleypas might be her best work yet.

The Duke Who Didn’t by Courtney Milan

Courtney Milan’s The Duke Who Didn’t is another novel deserving of way more international acclaim than it receives. A fun read about love, life, and self-discovery. The title, appealing to the reader’s curiosity, already passes the constant suspense throughout the novel.

The soft-toned friends-to-lovers story focuses on the romance between Chloe Fong and Jeremy Wentworth, Duke of Lansing, her childhood sweetheart. After Jeremy goes AWOL for years, he has a lot to atone for and must do all he can to regain Chloe’s trust and love.

Chloe determines not to fall back into his lure easily, but Jeremy is a trickster and a light-hearted, easily loveable fellow. Finally, she’s left with no choice.

Chloe is an overachiever who has her life planned to the letter, so imagine her annoyance when Jeremy waltzes back in, threatening to upset her life’s perfect balance.

Seducing an Angel by Mary Balogh

Angels might have inspired Mary Balogh during the creation of Seducing an Angel because the novel places the reader under a spell that imprisons one till the last page.

It is yet another regency drama with its fair dose of local scandals. Stephen Huxtable is no exception to the ruthless lips of gossip. When he falls in love with the widow Cassandra Belmont, his name becomes the hottest commodity on the gossip mill. The heat becomes much more intense with the implication of his own family’s reputation being dragged down to the mud, as supposedly, Cassandra is guilty of her husband’s murder.

Times are extremely trying for Cassandra, but it is some relief to have Stephen by her side.

Stephen, however, has his desires, and Cassandra ponders the realities in store for her when she cannot fulfill them — or when she crosses the boundaries she had set for herself.

The most notable feature of this book, aside from its engaging characters, is its solid plot and clever pacing.

My Darling Duke by Stacy Reid

Amalie Howard, the bestselling author of The Beast of Beswick, confessed to losing her heart to the endearing My Darling Duke. With a rating of 4.9/5 in Barnes and Noble, no one word could do justice in describing the novel, hence this entire section.

Miss Katherine comes up with the perfect plan to save her family from the financial crisis they face. It’s a supposedly simple plan: Katherine takes on the mysterious identity of Alexander Masters’ fiancée to have her sisters married to influential Dukes.

Then, with her plan succeeding and her sisters married off to these men who would help hide her family’s predicament, she would retreat to her quiet life—a storybook happy ending for everyone.

Unfortunately, Alexander Masters returns to town. On discovering what Katherine (now known as Kitty Danvers) has done, he demands retribution. The rest, as they say, is history. My Darling Duke is a delightful, beautifully written book, paying keen attention to the plot and characters’ needs.

This article was produced and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.


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FODMAPs, IBS and You: The Low FODMAP Diet Explained | Wealth of Geeks

Post By Money Making , , ,

Up to 10% of the population worldwide has irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a gastrointestinal condition that causes recurrent attacks of abdominal pain or discomfort, typically associated with life-disrupting bowel habits.

The great news is that up to 75% of IBS sufferers can experience symptom relief with the low FODMAP diet, according to Monash University, the developers of the diet.

But what is the low FODMAP diet? And how can we best follow it? Read on to find out more.

A Little Bit More on IBS

Those of us with IBS are experiencing extreme bloating and gas pain (elastic waist pants only, please), diarrhea (you know the location of every bathroom), and constipation.

If you have “won” the IBS lottery, you might have all these symptoms and more. Sufferers’ lives get upended, and they are told there is no cure.

Resist the urge to self-diagnose – a medical doctor should always diagnose IBS, preferably a gastroenterologist (GI). 

Many medical conditions – some life-threatening – have the same symptoms, and it takes careful screening to determine an IBS diagnosis. Statistically, it often takes years for people to get a proper IBS diagnosis; don’t let that be you!

While there is no known cure, and scientists also do not know why we develop IBS, there is a bright, shining light at the end of this gloomy-sounding tunnel. The low FODMAP diet can eliminate symptoms in up to 75% of those with IBS and can change your life.

What Are FODMAPs?

FODMAP stands for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, and Polyols. The acronym was coined by Monash University researchers who developed the low FODMAP diet.

FODMAPs are a group of short-chain carbohydrates that are indigestible or poorly absorbed by certain people. As FODMAPs travel through the gastrointestinal tract, they draw excess fluid into the small intestine and generate gas when they are fermented by bacteria in the large intestine (colon).

This fluid and gas build-up can lead to the symptoms of IBS, such as abdominal bloating and distension, pain, flatulence, and nausea, as well as diarrhea (IBS-D), constipation (IBS-C) or both (IBS-M; mixed).

What Is The Low FODMAP Diet?

The low FODMAP diet has three phases, during which you minimize FODMAPs in your diet; this can provide IBS symptom relief – often dramatically. The diet will help you identify which foods and FODMAPs you tolerate and which trigger your IBS symptoms. The goal is to eat as broadly and nutritionally balanced as possible without triggering symptoms.

It is an evidence-based diet; this is not a fad diet to try on. It is meant for particular patients, and your doctor will suggest it if applicable. Don’t try this at home – ony try the diet on your own without a medical recommendation.

Registered Dietitians to The Rescue

The diet should be overseen by a Registered Dietitian (RD), preferably one who is specifically FODMAP trained. Herein lies the problem though: GIs will not always recommend an RD. This is the single largest gap we see in the patient’s diagnostic path and this failure to recommend the right specialist leaves patients with recurring symptoms.

That said, we often hear that people cannot find a dietitian and/or that they are too expensive. It is true that dietitians are often not covered by insurance (especially in the US), but we see time and again that folks waste money on supplements and foods that end up being wrong for them – and can even make things worse. Plus, you will waste time and remain in pain longer. In addition, RD visits do not have to be long-term. Even 2 or 3 appointments can make a huge difference.

Many RDs now work remotely, so finding a FODMAP-trained dietitian is easier than ever. If you take away five words from this article, it is these: Work with a Registered Dietitian. Your wallet and gut will thank you.

The 3 Phases of The Low FODMAP Diet

The First Phase: Elimination

The first phase, the Elimination Phase, is the most restrictive and is meant to be followed for an average of 4 weeks. If you have heard that the diet is not meant to be followed long-term, those folks are referring to this phase and not accurately describing the diet overall. (The third phase is long-term, as you will see).

During the Elimination Phase, you are significantly reducing FODMAP-containing foods. For the 75% of us who are FODMAP sensitive, this provides huge relief, often within a couple of days. Your system will calm down, and you might feel better than you have in years (cue the angels singing).

The Second Phase: Challenge

The second phase, the Challenge Phase (sometimes called Reintroduction), will last an average of 8 to 12 weeks. You will “challenge” yourself with FODMAP-containing foods, one FODMAP at a time and one food at a time. By the end of the Challenge Phase, you will clearly see what your GI tract tolerates – and what it doesn’t!

This FODMAP roadmap will be specific to you – and is often portion related. You might find out that you can tolerate spaghetti sauce made with garlic, but that recipe for chicken with 40 garlic cloves pushes you over the edge.

Because we will each have a unique relationship with FODMAPs, it is important not to use social media to guide you. “Jane” might have no problem with mangoes, but that bears no relation to what you might experience. Similarly, just because some influencer dubs celery as the devil incarnate does not mean you will have an adverse reaction.

Please note that when you initially challenge yourself with foods and note your reactions, these will not hold across your lifetime. If you do not tolerate apples at first, don’t panic. Your gastrointestinal tract is not static, and neither are your reactions. Six months down the line or so, you can re-introduce a food, and you might have a very different digestive reaction. It is not unusual for folks to be able to tolerate foods later that they could not initially.

The Challenge Phase can be difficult to manage on your own, so work with a FODMAP-trained dietitian. Statistically, you will have a much greater chance of success if you do.

The diet – especially the Elimination and Challenge Phases – will only work if it is conducted in a very structured manner. A medical professional guiding you is immensely helpful for better and quicker results and emotional support. Stress can affect IBS symptoms.

The Third Phase: Integration

The third phase, the Integration Phase (sometimes called Personalization), is when you will take the data you have gathered from the first two phases and integrate that knowledge into your life and eating habits. The timeline for this phase is theoretically for life (i.e., long-term).

The reason why we say theoretically is because it will change. As mentioned before, the goal of the diet is to get you to a place where you can eat as many foods as possible without triggering symptoms. This is both for your positive relationship with food and for what is healthiest for your gut microbiome. It means re-challenging yourself with food. Keep adding foods back into your diet as you come to tolerate them. It is possible to thrive on the low FODMAP diet, not just get by, and I promise you that you can eat very well.

How Do You Know Which Foods Contain FODMAPs?

The million-dollar question! The bad news is that you cannot look at a food and know whether it contains FODMAPs. Even reading labels of prepared foods can be tricky (that’s another article unto itself).

The good news is that there is an easy way to assess FODMAPs. There are two smartphone apps that every single person following the low FODMAP needs: The Monash University smartphone app and the FODMAP Friendly smartphone app. Period. No excuses.

Monash University and FODMAP Friendly are the only two institutions doing original research, lab testing foods, and publicly publishing the results. They are the primary resources.

Unfortunately, there is a plethora of information online (and elsewhere) that claims to present low FODMAP foods and recipes, but they are not accurate.

Upon IBS diagnosis, doctors often hand out a piece of paper with lists of high and low FODMAP foods, and the patient is told to “go follow the diet.” This is not enough information to follow the diet successfully. The lists are woefully incomplete and, at worst, incorrect.

The diet is evolving, and new findings are reported by Monash University and FODMAP Friendly several times a year. If you have the apps, they are updated.

You must vet your sources when it comes to the low FODMAP diet. At FODMAP Everyday® we have a team of Monash University-trained dietitians who write our evidence-based articles. Our brand is FODMAP Friendly accredited, and our head recipe developer is also Monash University trained and FODMAP Friendly accredited as a FODMAP educator.

The Takeaway

The low FODMAP diet can eliminate IBS symptoms in up to 75% of those of us suffering from this debilitating disorder.

The first step is to get a diagnosis from a medical doctor. Gastroenterologists are more up-to-date on gastrointestinal issues and can often provide a more accurate diagnosis than a general practitioner. Do not self-diagnose.

The low FODMAP diet is a medically directed diet and should be undertaken only if recommended by a medical doctor. Do not decide to try the diet yourself without this recommendation.

You will have a far greater chance of success with the low FODMAP diet if you implement it along with a FODMAP-trained Registered Dietitian. Do not underestimate this fact. You will ultimately save time and money – and get to a pain-free place faster – if you work with an RD.

The low FODMAP diet was created by Monash University and FODMAP Friendly researchers, who are the diet’s primary resources. Their smartphone apps should be the very first tools that you access.

Unfortunately, misinformation is abundant online about the low FODMAP diet. Vet your sources and stick with Monash University, FODMAP Friendly, and accredited resources like FODMAP Everyday®.

And lastly, know that you can get better! You are not alone. You do not have to live with your IBS symptoms and suffer in silence. There is clinically proven research and systems, like the low FODMAP diet, that can help you enjoy food and your life and improve your gut microbiome at the same time. The low FODMAP diet could be key in this endeavor, and FODMAP Everyday® is here to help you every step of the way.

This article was produced by Wealth of Geeks.


Dédé is the Co-Founder of FODMAP Everyday®, a website that teaches the millions of IBS sufferers worldwide to thrive on the clinically proven low FODMAP diet. Dédé lives with IBS herself, has been a professional recipe developer for over 30 years, has written 17+ cookbooks, hosted two PBS cooking shows, and was an editor at Bon Appetit magazine. She lives in Massachusetts with her husband and mini bull terrier, Nora.


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10 Most Irritating Fanbases That Annoy Everyone | Wealth of Geeks

Post By Money Making ,

Are there any fan bases that annoy the living daylights out of you? I mean, like so obnoxious it boggles your mind? Get in line!

One Reddit user asked, “What is the most annoying fan base?” And over 25,000 people responded. So here are the top-voted choices according to Reddit.

10. Elon Musk’s Fanbase – 8.6K

FinalGamer14 shared, “My current boss is a massive Mush fanboy. To the point where it’s freaking annoying everything we do, he tries to compare to what Musk would do.”

They elaborated, “His approach to the company is What would Musk do? And this is so bad that I’m searching for a new job. It’s annoying and makes the workspace very toxic. To the point where in the last two years, seven people have quit.”

9. Gacha Life Fans – 9.1K

When many people asked what the heck a Gatcha fan was, Redditor poisonous-pickle12 informed, It’s like an Original Character (OC) building the app, the app itself it’s good, and you can make good things with it, but its fandom (8-13 yo girls) who make annoying stories.”

8. Crypto-bros – 10.2K

Redditor funkgerm added, “The worst are the ones that have just a superficial knowledge of tech/finance and rattle off buzzwords they learned watching some random shill’s YouTube video.”

They joked, “Bro, you gotta get into WhateverCoin (WC). It’s going to be the next Bitcoin killer in every way. IMO, Bitcoin’s gas fees are just way too high, man, and the tech is so outdated.”

They continued, “But WC tho, it’s like totally decentralized. And no gas fees. It’s the future, bro; do you think the banks will last forever? WC will become the new global currency, and nobody knows it yet.”

Its only trading pair is with RC on this one exchange in Zanzibar, but it’s totally legit. It’ll be on Coinbase any day now, and then it’ll moon. I’m talking 1000x gains, bro. And even better, it just did a 78.6% fib retracement, so now is the perfect time to buy the dip. Anyway, can I borrow five bucks?”

Finally, vinoa joked, “No fair, you can’t just post the Crypto-bro Manifesto as if it were your own creation!”

7. Swifties – 12.7K

MiniatureAppendixAs stated, “As a Taylor Swift fan of 15+ years who knows every word to every song, dang, her fans can be awful. I listen to her music and actively avoid the rest of the fan base.”

Accomplished_Tie1426 added, “They believe she has a secret lesbian relationship with Diana Agron and Karlie Kloss. They need to get a grip!”

Redditor discerningprevert joked, “There’s just too much Bad Blood.”

ThreeSummersNowHoney confessed, “I am a Swiftie, but spamming the Gyllenhaal’s with red scarf emojis is some next-level cyberbullying.

Rand_Altreides added, “Fun fact! I used to work in CCTV systems, and Taylor Swift’s security detail helped pioneer facial recognition technology in cameras.”

They elaborated, “She is harassed and stalked so severely that she has advanced surveillance technology to combat these psychos!”

6. Fanbases With “Shipping Wars” – 12.7K

This answer garnered initial confusion in the comment thread. For example, DuckFreak10 stated, “Before reading the responses, I assumed you were talking about Shipping Wars, the A&E show.”

They continued, “It’s about freelance truckers shipping exciting items around the country. So I was curious why you would hate the fan base of such a simple, kind of obscure show.”

Many others didn’t understand that “Shipping Wars” in fandom is a split in the fan base. Seedless_Melon explained, from my POV, it’s basically:

Group A: Person X should be with person Y.

Group B: Well, I think person X should be with person Z.

Group A: How dare you! Person Y is the best for person X. Person Z has <insert random flaw for no reason>!

Group B: Well, person y has <insert another flaw that’s honestly not necessary> And then the two groups go at it.

5. K-pop Fans – 12.8K

Caprisalkpop answered, “K-pop fans who take things a bit too far. I had friends who’d have fights over who was ‘worthy’ to be called the wife of one of the K-pop idols, and no, they weren’t joking.”

Gukkielover89 added, “I love K-pop, among many other genres, but it involved meeting a few toxic people. For example, a now former friend and her sister literally would get pissed if you liked their favorite because that idol is theirs.”

They concluded, “That’s such a nasty thought process. The first person in 2010 to introduce me to it was so attached to one specific idol that I wasn’t allowed to like them because, again, that idol was hers.” 

4. Serial Killer Fans – 16.6K

Volfgang91 agreed, “This. I am interested in true crime, and serial killers fascinate me because I’m very interested in their motives and what happened that made them the way they are.”

They continued, “But to actively call yourself a fan of someone like Bundy or Dahmer, as though you somehow admire them and what they did, that’s gross.”

Wooden_Artist_2000 concurred, “It’s disgusting to see people fawn over the worst of humanity, feeding into their egos.”

Finally, lemonhoneyari stated, “Yes! Easily the worst. The amount of merchandise you can buy, coloring books for example, yes COLORING BOOKS, of the vilest people on the planet disgusts me.”

They continued, “Even worse is when they view victims as characters and use them in merchandise. For example, Elizabeth Short.”

They concluded, “People often use the likeness of the brutal injuries as Halloween makeup, and her death photos have been ‘stylized’ and printed onto t-shirts.”

3. Star Wars  – 17.5K

Kenobi_01 admitted, “Nobody hates Star Wars as much as Star Wars Fans. If you haven’t seen it, there is a documentary called The People Vs. George Lucas, that is great.”

They continued, “They are interviewing some guy outside of a Phantom Menace showing, and he says something “like, “this movie is awful, and I’ve seen it six times.”

Snappleabble added, “If you say you enjoyed a Star Wars film that isn’t one of the original three, prepare to get your world blown up because it’s about to get volatile!”

2. People Who Romanticize Joker and Harley Quinn – 17.6K

Byrdman1251 shared, “I used to live with a guy in college who legit called his fiancée Harley Quinn, and she would call him Joker. It made my stomach drop hearing it every day when they video-called, and yes, it was mostly them yelling at each other.”

JJDubayu added, “That’s part of why I like the Harley Quinn TV show on HBO. It shows that it’s a toxic relationship and how Harley Quinn deserves better.”

Finally, shebringsdathings added, “Or Sid and Nancy/Romeo and Juliet. Like really? Just because you’re in a toxic relationship doesn’t mean you need to advertise it to the world.”

1. Politician Fan Bases – 27.9K

First, 8.5k people voted that politician fan bases shouldn’t even be a thing. Next, KimonoDragon814 added, “For real, politics should have the same sterility as math.”

They continued, “Instead, you got people killing themselves and their families over memes!”

SirisAusar stated, “I agree that it should be sterile. But I don’t believe that mathematics is sterile. I have zero evidence to back my theory, but I think mathematicians can be petty and tribalistic.”

SPAMSCAM007 disagreed, “Um, no. Politics is class war. It’s not solving an equation on the math board but a fight between classes, visions, and values in allocating resources. So thinking it should be similar to math is a very neoliberal way of looking at politics.”

Finally, many people did that back and forth, arguing over politics that proved the OP’s point. What do you think? Did Reddit get it right, or are the more annoying fanbases than what made this list?

This article was produced and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.


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