2023.06.01 08:26 IulianHIPrezentare produse TP-Link Tapo pe Storel.ro
Bună ziua tuturor! Sunt încântat să vă prezint gama de produse Tapo de la TP-Link, disponibile pe platforma Storel.ro. TP-Link este un lider global în furnizarea de soluții de rețea și securitate, iar seria Tapo este o linie specială de produse inteligente pentru casă, care combină tehnologia de ultimă generație cu ușurința utilizării și designul atractiv.
Camere de supraveghere inteligente:
TP-Link Tapo C200: Această cameră de supraveghere oferă imagini de înaltă definiție, rezoluție 1080p, pentru a vă asigura că aveți întotdeauna o vedere clară asupra locuinței dumneavoastră. Dispune de vizualizare în timp real, înregistrare în cloud opțională și funcții inteligente, precum detecția mișcării și notificări push pe telefonul mobil.
TP-Link Tapo C310: Această cameră de supraveghere avansată oferă imagini de înaltă definiție, rezoluție 3MP, și dispune de funcții precum înregistrare în cloud, detecție umană și iluminare în întuneric. Puteți monitoriza casa dumneavoastră de oriunde și oricând, utilizând aplicația Tapo.
Prize inteligente:
TP-Link Tapo P100: Această priză inteligentă vă permite să controlați dispozitivele conectate prin intermediul smartphone-ului dumneavoastră, de oriunde în lume. Puteți programa întrerupătoarele, seta temporizatoare și monitoriza consumul de energie, oferindu-vă control total și economii de energie.
TP-Link Tapo P200: Această priză inteligentă dispune de o funcție de monitorizare a consumului de energie, permițându-vă să urmăriți și să gestionați consumul de energie al dispozitivelor conectate. De asemenea, puteți programa întrerupătoare și să controlați dispozitivele prin intermediul aplicației Tapo.
Becuri inteligente:
TP-Link Tapo L510: Aceste becuri inteligente oferă o gamă largă de culori și nuanțe reglabile, permițându-vă să creați atmosfera dorită în casa dumneavoastră. Puteți controla becurile de la distanță, programa iluminatul și ajusta luminozitatea și temperatura de culoare prin intermediul aplicației Tapo.
TP-Link Tapo L530: Aceste becuri inteligente sunt similare cu modelul L510, dar oferă și funcții avansate precum programarea scenariilor de iluminat și controlul vocal prin asistenții virtuali Alexa sau Google Assistant. Puteți crea experiențe de iluminat personalizate și puteți integra becurile în ecosistemul smart home.
Acestea sunt doar câteva dintre produsele TP-Link Tapo disponibile pe Storel.ro. Vă invităm să explorați gama completă de produse pentru a vă transforma casa într-un mediu inteligent și conectat. Cu produsele Tapo, veți beneficia de securitate, confort și control total asupra mediului dumneavoastră de locuit. Vă mulțumim pentru atenție și nu ezitați să ne contactați pentru orice întrebări sau asistență în achiziționarea produselor TP-Link Tapo de pe Storel.ro!
Hey everyone! Sorry for format, I’m on mobile. I’m (24 f) going to Paris for 8 days with my cousin (15 f) and was hoping you guys can give me some advice for two young female travelers! Which areas should I be weary about late at night? Restaurant recommendations? Anything I should swap out or add in? We’ll be there in mid-late June! Most ticket have been bought. Thanks in advance! Sunday (day 1) - arriving at 8 am, drop off luggage/get ready at hotel, louvre (1 pm), seine river cruise, dinner at la jacobine? (Need breakfast/brunch recommendation near the louvre please) Monday (day 2) - Disneyland Paris Tuesday (day 3) - breakfast, musée d’orsay (10 am), sainte chapelle/Norte dame (1 pm) , lunch at L'As du Fallafel, (possibly) stroll through Luxembourg gardens, dinner at pink mamma, & end at Eiffel Tower (need breakfast recs near musée d’orsay) Wednesday (day 4) - Train to Giverny and Monet’s Gardens (10 am) , need lunch recommendation for giverny, walk around Vernon, take train back and explore Montmartre, dinner??, end at Sacre coeur (dinner recs please) Thursday (day 5) -surprising my cousin with Eurostar tickets and going to London for the day (9 am arrival, 7pm departure). I’ve gone before and have a general idea of what she’ll want to do but feel free to leave recommendations! Friday (day 6) - free morning/afternoon, going to a opera show at Palais Garnier (8 pm) - dinner recs appreciated Saturday (day 7) - Versailles, free afternoon/night Sunday (day 8) - Petit palais, la Galerie Dior, Champs Elysees, arc de Triomphe, nice final dinner with a great view (need recs that aren’t too expensive), end with dessert/picnic at Eiffel Tower Monday morning (fly home)
2023.05.31 16:41 MrC_Red[Update] 100 Great Rock Albums list CHANGES
It's been over a year since the original 100 Great Albums post. Since December 2021, I've listened to 375 Rock albums in total (just for fun, I'm getting paid for this!). Looking back at the original albums, I noticed I have a few with only 1 or 2 listens, whereas now I always try to aim for 3 at the minimum. So as this is a good midpoint (as I plan on stopping at the 20th post), I decided to revisit these certified classic albums and maybe upgrade/downgrade the ratings after more listens. I'll continue to edit grades on other posts if my opinion changes on them later on, but the 100 list got so popular that I feel like it should be left unedited. Here's the format: Album (year) original grade [orig. Listens] // NEW GRADE {additional listens}
Bob Dylan - Freewheelin' Bob Dylan (1963) B+ [2 listens] // A- {1 listen} More time to digest his lyrics only makes it better. Hard Rain, Blowin in the Wind and Masters of War are still the best here. He had the wisdom and poise of a 70+ year old man, as a 22 year old...
Bob Dylan - Bring It On Home (1965) A- [3 listens] // A+ {2 listens} I can't overemphasize how great side two is of this album is. The songs aren't as musical as side one, so the lyrics are center stage and Bob Dylan ALWAYS captivates your attention. The electric guitar side is even better than I originally thought, but man does the second side has some of his best songwriting.
The Beatles - Help! (1965) B+ [3 listens] // A- {1 listen} This is the album where I think they started making legit "respectable" music. The early Pop music they made before is nice, but it's not that fulfilling. The variety made this age very well: Hide Your Love Away, Ticket to Ride, Seen a Face, Dizzy Miss Lizzy, Help!, Yesterday. It doesn't help that every album that followed it is considered one of the greatest albums of all time, but at this point, it was head and shoulders their best.
Beatles - Rubber Soul (1965) A++ [5 listens] // A+ {4 listens} Highway 61 Revisited gets the credit as being the album to kick off the Rock renaissance of the 60s, but imo, the "album arms race" started with this one. Without it, the musical landscape isn't the same as the concept of an entire album of worthy material wouldn't have been as widely adopted. With the praise out of the way... it's pretty one note. A great Folk Rock album, but as it's often compared to other albums (cough Pet Sounds), it doesn't hold a candle to them.
The Beatles - Magical Mystery Tour (1967) B+ [3 listens] // A {3 listens} This is fun, bro. No it's not a legendary album, hell, it's not really a fully formed one as it's really a soundtrack compilation album. But looking at all the songs, they're just fun. Even a half assed Beatles album is still incredible (no I haven't listened to Yellow Submarine, why do you ask?).
The Doors - Self-Titled (1967) A- [2 listens] // A++ {3 listens} Wow, this is why multiple listens are super important. Many of the songs I thought were "so so" are so much better compared to other Blues Rock I've heard so far. Ray Manzarek is a god on the keys and Jim Morrison is pretty magnificent on every song. It still feels dated, as it's not super complex in it's song structure (like in LA Woman), but every song is great. JUST short of a masterpiece.
The Who - Tommy (1969) B [1 listen] // D++ {1 listen} I was being generous on the original post, I really didn't like this album. After one more listen, I really hate it. The story is complete nonsense and the music really doesn't make up for it. But that's not why I hate it so much; it's the length. If you're gonna be a late 60's mess, be your flamboyant mess and get in & get out. But it's an overly long, drawn out, bore of an album. It's mind boggling that anyone would prefer this over Quadrophena. Pinball Wizard is a great song tho, but don't tell anyone I said that.
King Crimson - In The Court of the Crimson King (1969) A- [1 listen] // A {1 listen} listening to Moody Blues' Days of Future Passed made this album a better listen. That jazz prog rock, with a laid back feel instead of completely psychedelic. The rest of the album (outside the intro) was a better listen this time around with better context, as I remember being bored with much of it. Now that I'm familiar with early Prog Rock, this doesn't feel as foreign anymore.
The Beatles - Let It Be (1970) B+ [3 listens] // A {3 listens} yea, I'm a Beatles stan. Yea, it's probably the weakest Studio Era album. Yea, I enjoy the atmosphere of this album more than the music itself; as a last who-rah of a crumbling friendship that can only be held together by creating music, as that is where the only fun is still found amongst these guys. Do I like to pretend that Don't Let Me Down is apart of this album, so I can grade it higher? Also, yea.
David Bowie - Hunky Dory (1971) A+ [2 listens] // A {2 listens} this is Art Rock. Not being a glam/hard rock fusion makes it less heavy than its successor. It also suffers for not having multiple strong anthems to hold the entire thing. Changes, Life on Mars, Andy Warhol, Queen Bitch are all great songs, but I doubt any are in Bowie's top 5. The other songs don't hold up as much I remembered.
Carole King - Tapestry (1971) A- [2 listens] // A {2 listens} Joni Mitchell's Blue was the driving force this time around. That personal folk storytelling, with that lively piano yet cozy, warm atmosphere. With more listens, I don't really love the lyrical composition as I just love the tone of the thing. I can sit next to a warm fire (or on a window sill) and turn this on and relax. I understand what the genre of Soft Rock is going for now.
David Bowie - the Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1972) A+ [2 listens] // Masterpiece {3 listens} Probably didn't give this one too much thought when grading it, as I think I just fell in love with a few songs on it and forgot about the rest. Listening to this front to back... it's flawless. I tried to find a song that wasn't good or that was kinda boring, but they're all perfect. I've listened to Ziggy Stardust and Starman COUNTLESS times in the past year, and will randomly get guitar riffs from random songs off this album to pop in my head. Of his 4 albums I've listened to, I still think Low is his best, as the atmosphere of that Side B is unmatched. But this album is what I'd consider objectively perfect, as every song is great. Easy masterpiece, and a great example of why sitting with an album is just as important as giving it a bunch of listens.
Queen - A Night at the Opera (1975) A- [2 listen] // A {2 listens} Fun stuff. I enjoyed the multiple vocalists being apart of it instead of only Mercury, made it feel like a "stage play" with a revolving cast. I think I might have been a bit to harsh on this one, as most of the album wasn't that memorable, with how amazing Bohemian Rhapsody is. I didn't understand what this album "was" with it's vaudeville style, but now, I see that it's this halfway point between the Hard Rock and the Prog Rock of the 70s, with that theatrical flair to make it standout. Definitely worth checking out.
Sex Pistols - Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols (1977) B [2 listens] // A- {2 listens} In 1987, Rolling Stone listed this as the 2nd best album of the last 20 years (since 1967) only after Sgt. Pepper's and man, did that made it easy for me to view this as overrated. I think since listening to more Punk Rock that followed this, I start to see how much better they've done with this compared to others. The guitar playing actually changes throughout the song, Johnny Rotten is actually expressive and feels spontaneous, and the drumming is creative. But the real change in opinion is the guitar playing: the riffs on many of these songs are undeniably awesome, which gives Rotten so much to work on top of. My biggest gripe with Punk Rock is how repetitive some bands can be. Now after more listens to this, I can absolutely NOT say the same can be said about this album. It's varied and expressive; how Punk Rock should be.
Steely Dan - Aja (1977) A [1 listens] // A+ {1 listen} better than I remember. The jazz rock combo is really good, it really leans into the jazz instead of simply using it as an aesthetic. It's not Prog whatsoever, just jazz with traditional Rock instruments. Honestly, you can barely tell if this would considered Rock at all. You really got to like jazz to love this tho. It has that free flowing feel of that genre, from the instrumentation to the flow of the singer. Great album! I'm assuming Steely Dan is hated by the rock community because of this heavy leaning into jazz. Which is understandable, but that doesn't mean they don't make phenomenal music.
AC/DC - Highway to Hell (1979) B+ [2 listens] // B {1 listen} They haven't quite moved away from the Blues sound yet. Back in Black is a pure distillation of what Hard Rock should be as a stand alone genre, but they don't quite have that confidence in being that brash yet. Bon Scott does a lot of heavy lifting as Angus Young doesn't have that swagger in his solos yet. A lot of the songs aren't super great, but they at least still carry energy. Highway to Hell is a fantastic song, but the majority is just meddling around in this laid back blues style.
Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms (1985) B [1 listens] // B- {2 listens} I originally wrote this off as one that I "just didn't get", with how insanely commerically successful it is. Now after listening to their Self-Titled album, it actually becomes even more disappointing as you know how much more they're capable of. There's such a signature style on it and this throws all of it away in exchange of a 80s soft rock sound. Walk of Life and So Far Away are good tunes, due to the guitar hooks; everything else is just shallow.
Pixies - Doolittle (1989) A- [2 listens] // A+ {2 listens} Now, I view this band on the level of the Beatles or Velvet Underground as one of those influential bands that changed music. At the time, Doolittle was too weird for me, but with much more context from this era, this is just insanely great. Compared to Surfer Rosa, the versatility is on a different level. While it is great and varied, it's not exactly "great" in any one area, so I can see why the bands that were influenced by them are viewed as better, as their stuff would've been more focused in one style instead of all over the place. Great album, legendary band.
Alice in Chains - Dirt (1992) A [2 listens] // Masterpiece {4 listens} This album is a grower. Every time I listen to it, I like another song from it. The harmonies are God tier, the guitar riffs, God Tier, the choruses, God tier. Layne Staley and Jerry Cantrell... peanut and jelly. I've given out 2 masterpieces to grunge albums (Nevermind and Ten), so what makes this different from those is that Dirt takes its time in developing songs. So many of these songs start slow and somber, and quickly turn aggressive and passionate! Gnarly riffs on one song, than a few minutes later, you're listening to soft vocals behind a rough, tortured voice. Not a bad song on here, hit after hit, I got to say it's a masterpiece.
Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral (1994) A [3 listens] // A+ {2 listen} the word "gritty" might get thrown around a ton by me, but I still haven't heard such a brutal, harsh sounding album while still having pristine production value. It's nasty and mean. Even in the slow moments, you can feel the pain, anger, or sadness in his voice. Compared to other stuff, it doesn't have that much replay value to it, as it's not exact what one would call "musical". But you got to call it what it is: art.
Green Day - Dookie (1994) A [2 listens] // A+ {1 listen} It's just good music. Yes, the ceiling isn't as high as it could be, but it's so enjoyable that it is always a fun listen. The album is on point from start to finish, it's one of those "if you like one, you like it all" love it or hate it kind of deals. From Burn Out to When I Come Around is just Pop Punk perfection; the backhalf doesn't hold up compared to the start, but it's all still very good.
Weezer - Self-Titled "The Blue Album" (1994) A- [1 listen] // A {2 listens} I only gave this one listen and only revisited it after listening to Pinkerton. Isn't not as dismissable as I originally remembered, as I only gave it one listen. It's more POP- punk thank pop-PUNK compared to Dookie, which led me to not care for it as much. And it's pretty good pop, with a punk style to give it some edge, I guess. I still like Pinkerton more than it, but it can definitely stand alone as a good album itself.
Oasis - Definitely Maybe (1994) A [2 listens] // A+ {2 listens} Liam Gallagher is really good... but Noel Gallagher is the truth, bro. That dude knows how to make a great song. They aren't super complex, but they're all have perfect execution. Mix in that Wall of Sound effect with the guitars, it makes this stand out even more from the overwhelming stacked albums of the 90s. The non-single tracks aren't as strong compared to (What's the Story) Morning Glory?, as that album is damn near perfect imo. Great debut album.
Radiohead - The Bends (1995) B+ [1 listen] // A {2 listens} If Radiohead didn't make this album, I highly doubt I would've listened to this. Which is a shame, because this is a really good album. On the flip side, being a Radiohead album also did more harm than good, as it gets massively overshadowed. I admittedly did a half assed listen to "get to the famous stuff". Fake Plastic Trees, the Bends, and Black Star are great songs. I've listened to Ok Computer so much that I come to think of it as their official "start" of their sound, when in reality, they set the stage on The Bends of what can be possible down the road. Also, they toured with Alanis Morissette with the album, so extra bonus points!
Arcade Fire - Funeral (2004) A- [2 listens] // A+ {2 listens} better than I remembered. I definitely thought it was borderline pretentious, with how the song structure is when I originally listened to it. Now, without that stigma, it's not THAT abstract and I've come to admire the creativeness of it. I always love when there's women vocalists, to mix up the sound and so many different instruments add even more to the variety. It always feels like a new listen, with how many things I'll forget to notice and remember again.
Lcd Soundsystem - Sound of Silver (2007) A- [1 listen] // A {2 listens} The first 4 songs are awesome; Get Innocuous with it's multirhythmic layering is my textbook PERFECT song, a 21st century "Remain in Light" homage. The rest just loses this energy and it's never found again. Compare the first track with the last one and it sounds like two different projects. I know you can call me a hypocrite with how much I love Remain in Light, but at least with that one, it's only the last song and not half of the album. Seriously tho, Get Innocuous is a top 10 song of all time
Tame Impala - Currents (2016) A- [1 listen] // B+ {1 listen} Didn't expect my feelings to decrease, but compared to Lonerism, this is so mid. The lack of a real "great" song (Rihanna's Same Old Mistakes clears) makes it tough to love. It is consistent though, so it's still a good listen; just not a memberable one.
Albums I revisited, but no change in opinion. I feel like with these, I need to explain/defend myself more than I did on the original reviews:
Beach Boys - Pet Sounds (1965) A+ [4 listens] // {3 listens} After listening to a good chunk of their discography, I've come to two conclusions on Pet Sounds: 1) This album is truly lightning in the bottle as they NEVER reach it's level of consistency in quality from track to track. 2) Baroque Pop, while groundbreaking, came and went as fast as it arrived, mainly due to how abstract it is compared to its successor, Psychedelic Rock. Beyond that, there are a few skips that are solely due to wild creative mind of Brian Wilson. As a musical genius, dare I say better than Lennon and McCartney, but as a songwriter? Not even close imo. Rubber Soul, Revolver, Sgt. Pepper's are all great albums, while Pet Sounds can be argued to be their only great album (Wild Honey is also a good listen). I know bringing up the Beatles can be annoying, but the Beatles made great "hit singles" with their song layout, while about only half of the tracks on Pet Sounds are what I'd consider a traditional song. That's probably why I don't think it's so amazing (I kinda feel the same about progressive Rock) as I tend to favor music with a concise structure; even as unoriginal the structure may be.
Jimi Hendrix Experience - Are You Experienced? (1967) B+ [1 listen] // {1 listen} I can't get into it. The songwriting isn't there, especially compared to the stuff that would follow it. This is him at his rawest, but it's a reason why Medium Rare is the most commonly cooked steak.
The Rolling Stones - Let It Bleed (1969) B+ [2 Listens] // {3 listens} Thought I would flip on this album, but surprisingly didn't change at all. I still think Gimme Shelter is the best Rolling Stones song and I still think You Can't Always Get What You Want is still a phenomenal album closer, but everything in between is pretty lackluster (besides Live With Me).
Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon (1973) A [4 listens] // {1 listen} I do enjoy this album more now I know how other Progressive Rock bands sound like, but not enough to raise it a grade. I enjoy Time and the whole second side much more and the "emptiness" of the genre doesn't bother me as much. But the first half is still a little too abstract for my liking. However, I do see how people can view this as their GOAT album with how groundbreaking it's release was at the time and outside of only other Pink Floyd albums, there's nothing else in this genre that really matches the "entering another world" feel it creates.
Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here (1975) A [2 listens] // {1 listen} Similar thoughts to DSotM, but this one has the more catchy "songs" and partly why I love it more. Welcome to the Machine and Wish You Were Here are fantastic, but overall not enough meat for my liking.
The Ramones - Self-Titled (1976) B [2 listens] // {2 listens} I decided to give the Godfathers of Punk another try since I surprisingly came over to like the other Godfather, the Sex Pistols. And yeah... still isn't my thing. Way too one note, monotone singing, guitar takes over too much of the sound, etc. There are a few good hooks here and there, but you basically hear the entire song in the first 15 seconds. Everything I hate about Punk, stemmed from this album and made a lazier copy.
The Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dreams (1993) A+ [2 listens] // {1 listen} apparently the Smashing Pumpkins aren't considered grunge? If that's the case, comparing them to a Noise Rock band like a Sonic Youth or a Faith No More, they don't they don't rock out as much as I'd like. Also, I don't like how a few of these songs sound similar to each other. Today and Hummer of course are all top tier songs, but it's just not as much of a comprehensive project as Mellon Collie. Yea, it's definitely not grunge, as it would be much harder if it was.
Radiohead - Ok Computer (1997) A++ [2 listens] // {4 listens} Close, but no cigar. The first 3 songs and the last 3 songs are PERFECT, it's the stuff in between that makes it fall just short. The run of Karma Police into Fitter Happier to Electioneering is also a great moment in the album. Honestly, it's just Exit Music being "okay" that really stops it from being considered a masterpiece in my eyes. Still one of the greatest albums of all time, but not perfect in my eyes. This album is my perfect barometer for an A++ grade; it's objectively a perfect, but on the subjective level, there's nothing that makes me "adore" it. I completely understand how anyone thinking an A++ album I graded is a masterpiece, as I have to personally love it that extra step for it to get to that level.
Radiohead - In Rainbows (2007) A++ [3 listens] // {3 listens A+/A+/A++} Let me end it on a positive review: I didn't really give a thorough listen to it at first, as I don't remember much from it. Over time, my opinion on it dropped as I truly didn't see why people find it so special as they do. Ok Computer easily has the better individual tracks, Kid A is easily the most experimental. After finally revisiting it, maybe because it's a great midway between the two, with a weird electronic-rock-jazz fusion. Feels like there's not a single wasted second; every beat and note is meticulous. It's more chilled and laid back, which threw me off on the repeat listens. The hodgepodge of electronic and experimental sounds, being used in this traditional lofi style instead of being a fast paced one, was the curve that made it hard to love it at first, but now I think that's what makes it unique in its execution. A LOT of these rhythms could have been large and bombastic, and I kinda admire it's restraint in remaining "down in Earth". Also the album cover is noteworthy, where it feels completely spontaneous, never fully knowing what to expect going in. Definitely deserves its high praise
Albums I also revisited, but no change in opinion. Don't have too much to add on these, but listed them as my grades are concrete on these compared to the ones I didn't choose to listen to:
The Velvet Underground & Niko - Self-Titled "The Banana Album" (1967) A+ // Venus in Furs maybe one of the greatest songs ever composed
Cream - Disraeli Gears (1967) A+ // It still holds up, so damn awesome
Bob Dylan - John Wesley Harding (1967) B+ // yeah, he's kinda rambling on this one
The Stooges - Fun House (1970) A- // it's "the Stooges", possibly their best
The Rolling Stones - Exile on Main Street (1972) B+ // Nope, still didn't love it, still a mess
Elton John - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (1972) A++ // One I thought wouldn't have held up. I shall never question Sir Elton's greatness again
The Eagles - Hotel California (1975) B // Great start, gets worst as it goes on
Patti Smith - Horses (1975) A- // labeling this "Punk Rock" is a nicer way of calling this weird af
The Clash - London Calling (1979) Masterpiece // Not only is there not a bad song here, but every song is perfect. Not great... PERFECT
U2 - Joshua Tree (1987) B+ // I can't deny that there are some good songs on here, even if I'll never listen to it again
The Cure - Disintegration (1989) A // after 375 Rock albums, Plainsong is still the greatest opening track
U2 - Achtung Baby (1991) A- // you gotta admit Bono is pretty cool on this one
Nirvana - In Utero (1993) A // love the Bass guitar's tone on this one, rawer contrast to Nevermind. I'm glad I didn't grow up in the 90s, as this will always sound so new and fresh to me :)
System of a Down - Toxicity (2001) Masterpiece // Similar to Hybrid Theory, if this wasn't labeled as "Nu-metal" (and maybe didn't get so overplayed and copied), even the most pretentious critic couldn't deny how great this is
Green Day - American Idiot (2004) A+ // Feels almost like a different band, the songs are much more nuisanced in its lyrics and its musical structure. That transition from Holiday to Boulevard still gives me goosebumps, such a great song.
Arctic Monkeys - Whatever You Say I Am, That's What I'm Not (2006) A++ // a tour guide to the UK nightclubbing/pub scene, way better than it has any right to be honestly
Bonus: Ween - 12 Golden Country Greats (1996) A [4 listens B/A-/A-/A] Country is still a somewhat foreign genre for me and I've been kinda bored with the concept of it. But it's Ween, so they've fully earned my trust at this point so I'll give this a try. This style is more or less my biggest indifference with the genre: it's not heavy enough to be impactful as rock, yet not soft enough to be as intimate as Folk. It's in this inbetween grey area where it's just not super captivating for me. With that said, it's rarely has been the "so bad, I can't stand to listen to it" levels of boredom that it has been made out as. That signature tongue-in-cheek humor of Ween is here and it makes the project more enjoyable. With Ween, whether it's supposed to be satirical or serious, the quality of songwriting is always top tier, so it's very easy to take whatever they're doing with my full respect rather than viewing it as just a joke. Japanese Cowboy, Mister Richard Smoker, Powder Blue, Piss Up a Rope and You Were the Fool (the best one) are my favorites; but other than Fluffy, every song is a good time. What really sells this album in particular, is that none of these songs would sound out of place on one of their other Rock centric albums, which allows me to extend a lot more grace towards it. Pretty good listen. For what it is, it's pretty consistent, but there's of course better Ween albums out there.
2023.05.31 05:48 Write416My Alternate Ending: How I'd Change Barry's Final Season Were I Trying to Keep Hader's Focus, but Make It More to My Liking
Ending the Storylines of the Main Timeline: The main timeline ended far too abruptly and sloppily. I'd want a much tighter tie up for stories pre-jump. Give us a hint that Leo might be alive. A breath, a finger move. Whatever. Otherwise, it's just schmuck bait. Show us not only why Sally wants to run away from her life, but why - specifically - she'd be willing to run off with a murderer. Yes, her parents don't make her feel safe, but the rest is just retreading reminders of her professional setbacks. Her pre-jump timeline ought to be all about how everyone she knows or meets - the classmates, agents, Gene, Sian Heder - pounding home that they do not love her and cannot be trusted. Play Hank's involvement in Cristobal's death in a more realistic way. Ditch Hank's comical aggression in a conversation where he knows that if Cristobal even leaves the house that it means death. Don't have Cristobal knowingly going to his death without even attempting escape or turning the tables. Hank needs to get squeezed by Chechens. They need to look genuinely scary after 3 seasons of spectacular incompetence. Then place a hidden spy in the house - not shown to the audience until Hank is on the couch balling his eyes out - placed to ensure Hank doesn't explicitly warn Cristobal. The existing was simply and entirely inconsistent with the established characters. Show Fuches killing a guard after his endless beatings. This would explain both how Fuches won so much respect - not only taking days worth of beatings, but killing a screw - but it would more importantly tel us why the fuck he's in prison at all! The Jump: It's the sort of cool "different for the sake of being different" thing that a lot of creators fetishize, but spend literally the entirety of episode 5 - up to until the very last sequence - with Barry, Sally and John's in their fugitive life added nothing to the show. Open the episode on Fuches, the Wizard, picking up his new girlfriend, meeting with Hank, demanding Hank find Barry, then... BOOM! After the title card we see Barry son's and Barry. Fuches wanting to know where they are; the show revealing it to us. Bring Sally watching the Natalie stuff forward to serve as a lead in to cut back to LA. Show Gene's return to the studio somewhere mid-episode. This way, you can finish on Gene's lunch meeting with the exec, and then cut back from that to Sally discovering the movie. This all makes room for... The Endgame / Climax: Everything else up to the final episode, I played the same way as the show with one enormous exception: Instead of the cops and prosecutor accusing Gene of killing Janice, at first, they only accuse him of accepting a $250,000 bribe from Barry to stay quiet (a.k.a. the truth). The finale starts with Barry at Walmart buying guns, then heads straight to Fuches walking into NoHoBal. Fuches asks where Barry is. Hank replies by bringing our Sally and John, revealing to Fuches that he'd kidnapped them. Just then, Barry enters. Fuches greets Barry like a long lost son. He doesn't want to kill Barry. He just wants to set things right. But Hank is incensed. He's supposed to let Barry the psycho snitch go after kidnapping his family? As if the maniac won't come back to stab Hank in the nut the next day! Fuches is unapologetic. After all, he didn't say anything about kidnapping Barry's family. Tempers rise, shoot out, mass death. Hank dies holding Cristobal's, but thanks to a petty argument. The Twist: Once Fuches gets everyone out of there with most of his men intact, he tells Barry the full truth about why he needed to find him: Fuches has been working for years on a plan to clear Barry's name - a way to make up for everything he did wrong to him. The plan is to implicate Gene, of course, since it was Gene who tricked and betrayed Barry. Fuches has got guys willing to go to prison to testify that Gene was behind everything - deep in with the Chechens! All Barry has to do, now, is murder Gene (with this Chechen gun that Fuches got in an earlier episode?), so that the acting teacher isn't around to contradict the new narrative. Sally doesn't want Barry to do it, but can't go back to living as they have been, either. Both still entirely morally compromised. The pair agree they will give Gene a chance to run, but when Barry turns up at Gene's house, Gene shoots him through the door the moment he opens the rings the doorbell (a la Leo). We see Gene going to prison. We see Fuches riding off into nowhere. We see Sally producing the movie version of the story of Barry's life, raising their son to believe his dad's a hero - and nodding along as the kid recites some super fucked up, self-justifying bullshit advice Barry gave him.
2023.05.31 01:59 sofiloftGalería se superpone con el menú hamburguesa. hace 2 días que no duermo
holusss de nuevo. Creo que rompí mi código un poco, como que se nota que funciona el menú hamburguesa, pero puse de tal forma la galería que lo tapa y queda inaccesible. También no puedo ajustarle el tamaño al párrafo de mi banner cuando esta en "modo Mobile" (en Tablet y pc si puedo🤷♀️) El html:
2023.05.30 20:29 capedcrusader522023 Nats Park Guide
Hello all, given the fact one of most common posts we seem to get on the subreddit is tips/advice for coming to Nats Park either from Visiting Fans or First Times. I thought it would be a good idea to get a decent size run-down of all the things new and "old" this season at Nats Park and the surrounding area to help ensure a good experience by all (If I forgot something please comment, my brain can only hold so much Nats Park knowledge). Old:
Nats Souvenir Soda purchase means unlimited refills during game. I've heard tales you could use the cup throughout the season for unlimited refills but those days seem to have passed. Given the price of a regular soda is 6.49 and a Souvenir Soda is 10.99, this is one of the better deals in the park.
First Game/Foul Ball/Home Run Certificates. If you go to Guest Services (located behind Sections 103, 131 and 320) you can get a certificates for these events. Additionally on first game you get a button, which might be something your kid will enjoy.
Cashless Ball Park. The Ballpark is all cashless for better or worse. A pro-tip is to use mobile ordering (on the MLB Ballpark App) cause sometimes previous coupon codes will work a day or two after they were supposed to expire. Common ones that have worked: BUD, BUDHAPPY, VALUE. This can be helpful when you consider a cost of a single beer can be 14.99.
Kids Run the Bases. All kids age 4-12 are invited to run the bases at Nationals Park after every Sunday afternoon home game, weather permitting. Kids will start their run at first base and they will be directed around the bases to home plate.
Signature Sundays. Two Nationals players will sign autographs for fans at every Sunday home game all season long. Autographs will take place at the top of the Nationals dugout starting one hour prior to first pitch, weather permitting and subject to player schedules. Fans must obtain a free voucher in order to participate in the autograph sessions – vouchers will be distributed on a first come, first served basis at Section 103, starting when the gates open 90 minutes before first pitch. Fans are limited to one autograph voucher per person. These tend to go very very fast even in our current state of the franchise.
Grandstand Tickets: These are $5 tickets available starting 90 minutes from first pitch, there are some rare exclusions and you will be sitting way up top but probably the best ticket deal you can get. You do need the MLB Ballpark APP to get the tickets though.
Bags. I'm just gonna link it here cause shits complicated yo. here
Middle of Fourth Inning is typically when the mascots (Presidents) come out and race. Very looney Tooney. (LET TEDDY WIN!!)
Food: You can take food into the park whether it be a snack bag or Chipotle bowl. It just has to be a single serve item (no whole pizzas) and can't be in a glass or metal container. They say only water is in, but I've seen folks take soda in. So who actually knows. As far a takeout options will list below since some are new.
New:
Food options in the park. Besides your standard hot dog (Hebrew national) and chicken tenders there are a few "local" places in the park that are worth noting: Ben's Chili Bowl (chili dogs), Capo Deli (italian subs), La Casita (Pupusas [Salvadorian "Quesadillas"]) , Swizzler (burgers and chicken sandwiches), Arepa Zone(Venezuelan food), Capital City Mambo Sauce (wings), ShakeShack, Rocklands BBQ, Roaming Rooster. Additionally some other places to note in the Park: Haute Dog (for my money the best hot dogs in the park), Jammin’ Island BBQ (Jerk Chicken and one of the better food deals), South Mountain Creamery (one of the few ice cream joints in the park , but warning melts fast).
Also this is a Budweiser Park for better or worse so Bud, Bud Light, Michelob will dominate the landscape. That being said there has been a small influx of local beers into the stadium notably from Atlas to Devil's Backbone. Additionally Golden Road has a presence as well. I will also note that in the year of our lord 2023, I did end up finding Miller Lite being sold in Nats Park during the last home stand the Nats had.
To the surprise of no one, this is a Coca-Cola Park so there's that. Sorry you weird Pepsi Lovers.
Food options outside of Park: Walter's Sports Bar, Mission, Royal Sands, Atlas Brew Work (has an Andy's inside which for my money is one of the best if not the best pizza in DC for what's that worth), Bullpen, Buffalo Wild Wings, Silver Diner, Chicken & Whiskey (Peruvian Chicken great for taking inside the park), Swizzler (if you want a burger go here and save like $10 vs inside the park), Chipotle, Rasa, Greene Turtle, Dacha Beer Garden, Salt Line (Zimmerman owns a stake in them), Solace Outpost (great on hot days cause it gets really breezy there), Bluejacket Brewery. As of now despite previous reputation of being a good burger place, don't visit Duke's Grocery.
Seating in Ballpark:
So the Homeplate faces NorthEast-ish. This means on sunny days, the home side of the stadium gets absolutely baked. This to me is the biggest flaw about the stadium cause that also means the outfield view is random apartment buildings. So for 1pm-4pm gametime, any ticket in the sections 128-143, 106-100,218-243, 317-321, and 416-420 are just in for a bad time. If 7pm don't worry becomes relatively tolerable. Also if you are determined to get a foul ball sections 133-134 and 112-114 see a sizable amount of action. Best chance for home run is probably sections 106-105.
Terra Club: These seats are directly behind home plate. If you ever watched a ball game and noticed the people sitting behind the batter, those are Terra Club Seats. These seats come with a pregame meal from a chef, all inclusive food and beverage during the game (just beer and wine I believe), also this stuff comes with in-seat service (like a waiter), a climate controlled indoor club area, and a private bathroom. (Full disclosure never been so very much transcribing the website)
Diamond Club: Very similar to Terra club except you sit a bit higher up and don't get a pre-game meal. That's pretty much the only differences I know of. (Full disclosure never been so very much transcribing the website)
Champions Club: Sits in the 200s section of the ballpark (Champions club is 206 to 221, the other 200 sections don't give you access to the club). The highlight feature in the Champions Club are unlimited Soda, access to the Duke's Grocery in the ballpark, and shorter concession lines. Additionally this is where they keep the world series trophy next any other awards like Golden Gloves and the like. Indoor seating is included as well. (Full disclosure never been so very much transcribing from other reports)
Fans in Ballpark:
Overall Fans are pretty welcoming in the ballpark. Not a whole of jeering or boos for rival teams. In fact umps probably see the worst of it. We very much aren't Philadelphia.
Hey guys, here are some recent job openings in la. Feel free to comment here or send me a private message if you have any questions, I'm at the community's disposal! If you encounter any problems with any of these job openings please let me know that I will modify the table accordingly. Thanks!
Hey guys, here are some recent job openings in la. Feel free to comment here or send me a private message if you have any questions, I'm at the community's disposal! If you encounter any problems with any of these job openings please let me know that I will modify the table accordingly. Thanks!
Hey guys, here are some recent job openings in la. Feel free to comment here or send me a private message if you have any questions, I'm at the community's disposal! If you encounter any problems with any of these job openings please let me know that I will modify the table accordingly. Thanks!
2023.05.29 19:01 Able_Possession8736A Comprehensive Guide to Pro Football Video Game Covers
Another Madden $70 re-skin is upon us, so let's take a moment to explore the history of all the people who have been featured on the cover of an pro football video game. While the selection of the Madden cover athlete is now an event, there was a wild wild west period of football games from the 80s to the mid-2000s where anybody with a computer could and would build football games, with the selection of the cover being all over the place. Roger Craig was the first cover athlete in 1985 on NFL Challenge for MS-DOS. Madden's first game was in 1988, then by the mid-90s getting a cover athlete or spokesman for your football game was pretty standard. I wanted to compile those games and covers based on this Wiki article (and a few that it was missing from that list) and see who was on the main cover of all of those games (some games were almost completely irrelevant, so I left them off this list). Some of these may have more alternates with other people, but I'll stick with the main cover.
Covers by Position
https://preview.redd.it/1dzua4o2hl2b1.png?width=600&format=png&auto=webp&v=enabled&s=023c573335e64d21fccc937a44db0ae995510db6 *These are heavily boosted by John Madden being on 10 Madden covers Obviously QBs dominate here, but I didn't realize how little defensive players have been on football game covers (9%), with none being on a cover since Richard Sherman in 2014. I'd love to see more defensive players on the Madden cover. Who would be the most likely defensive guy in the near future? Aaron Donald, TJ Watt, Nick Bosa, Myles Garrett, or Sauce Gardner?
Covers by Team
https://preview.redd.it/8f29df4ygl2b1.png?width=600&format=png&auto=webp&v=enabled&s=3b93f8a4ddb26b2cee1f6abd74652f44b7fbfdcb If a team's player was not a lead on the cover or was not any identifiable player, I gave them a * The Re-skins/Commanders?, Jags, Panthers, and Bills have appeared on a cover but never with an athlete as the lead or with a real person. Only the Texans have never appeared at all on the cover of any football video game. I'd say the Bills are most likely to get one next (Josh Allen), then the Jags (Trevor Lawrence), then the Panthers/Texans if either hits a home run with Young or Stroud. The Commanders have a long road ahead to getting a feature cover athlete, unless you ask Sam Howell who thinks he should be this year's Madden cover athlete.
Most Prolific Cover People
https://preview.redd.it/5axoymcakl2b1.png?width=2871&format=png&auto=webp&v=enabled&s=9ecf9c52cad0647d1572d2d9c85ebdef0dd277c3 Kordell Stewart, Daunte Culpepper, and Donovan McNabb (and possibly Lamar Jackson, still too early for him) are the only players with multiple appearances that are either not or are unlikely to make the Hall of Fame. McNabb is the only guy to appear in multiple covers in the same year. Also of note, 7 athletes were on a cover without ever making a pro bowl in their careers: Brad Muster, Pat Terrell, Gordon Laro, Chris Zorich, Albert Fontenot, William Floyd, and Peyton Hillis (Hillis was the only one to be the primary cover athlete). I'll list all the games and their respective covers by their era below. I'll also attach some of my favorite covers from each era. If the cover person was a Hall of Famer, I'll mark them with a \). If they're very likely to make the HoF but they're not yet eligible, I'll mark them with a +
Covers by Era
Decade
# of Games
# of Games w/Cover Athletes
# of Cover Athletes
60s
1
0
0
70s
4
0
0
80s
11
2 (18%)
2
90s
36
32 (89%)
21
00s
40
38 (95%)
36
10s
14
10 (71%)
12
20s
8
4 (50%)
5
Total
114
86 (75%)
76
We didn't see the first cover athlete until 1985 with Roger Craig. They didn't really become standard until the early to mid-90s after Madden became a big selling point for the early Madden games. The dip in the last 2 decades is because there's just less games, so any generic football games will have a large effect.
2023.05.29 13:39 Johnny_Boy398Africa Rework: The Leopard of the Congo Mobutu Sese Seko
(This is part of an ongoing series, links to which will be posted in the comments below) The Nationalists of the “Mouvement Authenticité de la Révolution” (MAR) Who is Mobutu Sese Seko? Just another warlord who got a lucky break? A champion of the nation willing to do what is necessary for unity and freedom? A traitor to the people who was happy to crack congolese heads until his pay got cut? A revolutionary Father-Marshal or a reactionary kleptocrat? No one can say for sure, but when the Congo war begins in 1966 it will become clear what he wishes himself to be: the great liberator, unifyer, and undisputed master of the great Congo nation. And with Japanese help he may just pull it off. But no man is born great, and even the Fuhrer does not rule alone. So let us discover how Mobutu came to be, and what his victory will mean for the Congo and Africa at large. For the Japanese, who will become his greatest supporters and headaches, he is the African Oda Nobunaga: a martial and cruel man whose vision for unity and glory far outweighs whatever sins he may have committed. Always one for the cameras and adept at winning over an audience, Mobutu will successfully win over the Japanese public by playing the role of the justly tyrannical “Great Man”, even while he personally prefers western delicacies. Joseph-Désiré Mobutu lived an unremarkable life before being thrust into greatness. He was only 16 when the Congo was violently transferred from Belgian to German hands, and like many rebellious students he joined in the 1949 protests against the construction of the Congo dam, stowing away from boarding school to do so. In the aftermath of the MNC repression Mobutu was assigned to the still technically Belgian controlled Force Publique as punishment. Unlike many of his fellows however Mobutu immediately took to military life, embracing the strength, discipline and martial values it provided. In part because of this he served without noticeable disobedience, and was even bribed to be an informant on clandestine communist cells within the force, ratting out a few of his “comrades”. From the point of view of the Belgians he was a model soldier. But this was an act: in truth Mobutu never ceased holding resentment for his arrogant Belgian commanders or the priests who had “educated” him. Behind their back he was a contributor to the native underground press, writing under assumed names and attacking the Belgian presence. It came as quite a shock then when in 1955, as his mandated time in the force was drawing to a close, Mobutu did not accept demobilization quietly but instead went into revolt. It is still a matter of debate about what pushed him into this. He claims that this had been the plan all along, while cynics say the impending annexation of the belgian Congo by Zentralafrika forced him into it. Some think that his double life was about to be exposed, while the more conspiratorial leftists say that he never went into rebellion at all, and that his “revolt” was ordered by the Belgians as a way to counter the APL insurgency. But whatever the case it was here that the public figure was born. After killing several belgian officers and stealing as many weapons and valuables as they could Mobutu and his co-conspirators quickly fled east. This was not entirely unusual: the sudden annexation of the colony led to many sporadic demonstrations and revolts. But it immediately became clear that Mobutu had larger ambitions than these local disturbances. His strategy at this time was one of survival: he would only accept those who could move fast and hit hard, with his armed band always staying on the move as they fled to the east. But unlike other petty warlords he understood the importance of a political and social message for his long term survival, as well as local alliances. For this he essentially copied the platform of the now underground MNC while adhering to none of its tenants in reality: he would tell the people whatever they wanted to hear so long as it got him what he wanted. More practically he made tight alliances with local eastern notables as well as Tutsi refugees which had fled reprisals to the east. In this he was successful, forging for himself a loose alliance in the north east which permitted him to slip the noose where so many others were eventually caught. One of his most important lieutenants in these early days was Victor Nendaka Bika, his de facto “foreign minister” and torturer who would make initial contact with those Mobutu saw the need to coerce or charm. Unlike many warlords Mobutu never gave into the temptation to rule by fear alone, instead seeking to co-opt useful men into his own organization. But he was just as happy to let loose his jackal to show the consequences of disloyalty. These early years from 1956-1962 were defined at first by mere survival: banditry, illegal trade and bribery were the only ways to stay alive. But slowly, with plenty of self promotion to help it, Mobutu’s reputation as a survivor and a winner grew locally, and then regionally. As the remnants of failed rebels and warlords drifted into his growing camp Mobutu was able to step beyond being a bandit king and into becoming a local powerbroker. He had already made himself the allied protector of the Tutsi refugees, and soon after the APL’s protracted people's war in the north began he sought to become the patron of his own native Ngbandi people as well. Where he had the most power in the eastern fringes the pan-Africanist APL held the north, with the Ngbandi in the middle still “up for grabs” between the APL, Mobutu and the German administration. It is here that he first developed his own separate political platform: unwilling or unable to come to an agreement with either of the other two factions Mobutu began developing his own ideology of an “authentic” congolese nationalism which was opposed to both pan-african and communist radicalism, “self defeating” regionalism and demanded the full liberation of the congo from european imperialism. But most importantly to those who heard his call was for unity under Mobutu: if the African people remained divided and timid they would be slaves forever, and only a great leader like Mobutu could bring them true liberty. As one may expect, this call for subordination won him very few new friends. The see-saw of influence in the Congo north and east is set to be radically upended in 1962, as kommissar Krogmann finally thinks he has enough stability in the west to launch a pacification campaign. In this he will be superficially successful: all anti-German factions will be forced to retreat and large swaths of land will be returned to German control. But it will not accomplish its primary objective of capturing and killing the leadership: Mobutu will once again avoid the hangman and will return when the Zentralafrika army goes marching south to the SAW. And when he does it will be with a new purpose. Much of his army was scattered or deserted by the German offensive, with many of the local allies he thought were in his hands all but begging to come to terms with the Germans after he was forced out. He had survived yes, but only by the skin of his teeth: this time he would do things differently. Taking lessons from the APL he will return in 1964 as a popular revolutionary rather than as a mere warlord with a printing press. Though still not fully developed it is here that “Joseph-Désiré” would become “Sese Seko Kuku Ngbendu wa za Banga” or “The all-powerful warrior who, because of his endurance and inflexible will to win, goes from conquest to conquest, leaving fire in his wake”. A new ideology of “Authentic” nationalism came with this new name, seeking to truly win over the hearts of the people as well as the loyalty of their leaders. It was a threat and a promise, as he would go about tearing down symbols of westernism in his wake and giving personal “gifts” to people or organizations which he wished to win over. He also sought to portray himself as an avenging angel, throwing “bad actors” such as denounced priests and hated collaborators against the wall. This new ideology, disseminated through the “Manifesto of Goma” is long in emotion and short in concrete policy. As such it was quickly denounced by the intellectuals of the Pan-Africanists and Liberals as not a “real” ideology and merely a cheap populism. But it is taken deadly seriously by the newly declared Mouvement Authenticité de la Révolution: for its supporters it promises a true rebirth of the congolese people from within rather than without. The Congo would be purged of malignant western influence by remaking the congolese individual in body, mind and spirit. This was the way to true freedom and dignity, far more than mere “material conditions” or to ape their constitutions. With his newfound identity and strategy Mobutu will of course be a prime target for Huttig’s retribution, but as is always the case too few men and not enough supplies will stop Huttig from ever putting him down for good. Plus Mobutu had found a new friend: the Japanese. In the immediate aftermath of Huttig’s takeover the Japanese will support the APL, but will quickly grow disenchanted: the naked radicalism and distrustful nature of the APL will lead to the Japanese looking for a more reliable partner, and Mobutu will aggressively angle to become just that. After having been rejected by the Americans in favor of the MNC Mobutu is the only big game left in the Congo for Japan to back, and was always a master at co-option and personal magnetism. He will charm the Japanese mission to sing his praises in Tokyo, even if there is little they can do for him at the moment. This will change when Huttig dies: taking a gamble Mobutu will strike at Stanleyville, successfully forcing the retreating garrison to leave behind most of their weapons and capturing an airport through which he will finally have solid connections with the outside world. The bad blood between him and the MNC and APL will mean that there is no choice but to fight it out as the Congo war begins in 1966, this time with Japan backing him to the hilt. Mobutu now seeks to become a legend. Already having gained a personal mythos after having been declared dead by the Germans several times, his wartime strategy will be to force the mass mobilization of the population. Under his personal name and with the backing of Japan he will force every man who comes under his control into his army, seeking to form a tidal wave of men which will overwhelm his enemies and make up for his lack of supply. If an enemy cannot be rooted out with simple force of numbers, it will be the job of his all Ngbandi “Leopard Division” or even better of Japanese “volunteers” to root them out. The success of this strategy is heavily dependent on momentum, and will rely on Japanese backing to arm itself. But if it is successful Zentralafrika will be no more, and neither will the Congo: The Republic of Zaire will rise as the newest power in Africa under the leadership of the nation's great guide: Mobutu Sese Seko. After a partial demobilization and a reconfirming of his alliance with “internal allies” such as the Tutsi under François Rukeba and the Bakongo under Holden Roberto he will initiate a grand campaign of national revolution and self aggrandizement: Zairianization. Asian inspired architecture of the newly built Presidential Palace. Among those celebrating the creation of Zaire will be the Japanese. All sides have poured a great deal of resources into the conflict, and the victory of Mobutu will doubtless be a strategic boon for Japanese influence on the continent. Mobutu for his part recognizes the usefulness of his new “friends”, but neither side is blinded by the propaganda: the dangers and opportunities of Nationalism are all too familiar. As mentioned in my previous post there are several common issues which any native unifyer must account for. The first among these is The Looming Famine: in the aftermath of years of war and mismanagement the supply of food to urban areas is critically unstable. And it is in this issue that the weaknesses of Mobutu’s regime will first be seen. Mobutu’s agricultural reform centers mostly on seizing land owned by the whites and his political enemies, and then redistributing it to himself, his political allies, and occasionally to the people. As everything with the Zairean revolution the purpose is twofold: to meet the needs of the people and to entrench Mobutu's personal political power. But often the second goal far outstrips the first: many of the people who gain this land do not know how to use the land productively, or if they do, are more interested in producing cash crops than they are in food staples. This is certainly the case for the massive amounts of land brought under Mobutu’s personal ownership, which will most often continue to grow the same way as the colonial plantations they were before. This reckless reorganization and focus on exports ensure that hunger will be an early and acute crisis for Zaire. The issue will be solved slowly, as roads are repaired and the rhythm of agricultural life is no longer disrupted by war, but the people need food now and more than anything else it is cassava and rice which the people demand from their leaders. It is by meeting this need that Japanese influence first becomes a powerful thing. Though motivated in part by genuine charity from well off Asians, the provision of food and aid is also cynically used by the Japanese state to buy the support of the people and the local power brokers away from Mobutu, and towards themselves. This aid, plus the government's own subsidies of food imports, plus the natural healing from war, will lead to the crisis fading away but leaving all sides on notice that the future of Zaire is still being made, and that the Japanese are a major player in it. The Mutilated Independence: The inability of Mobutu to take Leopoldville during the independence war is a blow to Mobutu’s prestige, not to mention Zaire as a whole. However he is pragmatic enough and has enough friends in Japan to hash out a deal with Nigeria and Gabon: the loss of the major port will not strangle Congolese exports or imports, only make them more expensive. But for both political and economic reasons the retaking of Leopoldville and the Kabinda port remain absolutely vital to the continued reign of Mobutu. To this end Mobutu’s solution to retaking Leopoldville is direct conquest, not because he can think of no other option but because it will give him the greatest personal prestige as a great conqueror. As such along with his policy of “Zairianization” and economic consolidation he will also invest a great deal into the army. This army will see its strength tested as Mobutu tries to expand his influence beyond the Zaireian borders. Gabon may be protected by America, but unleashing blitz style attacks on Angola and Rwanda is fair game. In Angola he will seek to set up Holden Roberto as a fellow autocratic “Authenticité” leader by supporting his meager army against the warring angolan factions in an attempted knockout blow. In Rwanda he will need to be somewhat more cautious (unless something very bad happens) but ultimately seeks to return Kigeli V to the throne on the backs of his long time exile allies. In this way he will both expand his influence as well as surround Leopoldville with friendly regimes. When the oil crisis hits Mobutu will leap at the opportunity to crush the Germans by launching an all out assault on “Festung Leopoldville”, and if successful will greatly increase his prestige, as well as rehabilitate his image in the eyes of other revolutionary leaders as a “true revolutionary”. If he fails in these wars however he will decline, and need to lean ever more heavily on Japan to prop himself up. This is somewhat awkward for Japan itself: having previously backed leftist movements as their best options they must now choose between their old allies and the new anti-leftist gambles taken by Mobutu. But despite the heartburn Zaire is simply too valuable in the african chaos for Japan to not continue supporting it, and so the rising sun shall backstab their allies in the name of pragmatism to the benefit of Mobutu. And besides, these new factions typically promess a better deal than the socialists did. Mobutu walks a fine line in African politics: though he has denounced the APL’s brand of pan-africanism he also wishes to be seen as a great revolutionary. Surrounded as he is by pan-african or otherwise revolutionary movements it is only good sense to say you are one of them. And to many Mobutu is just that: a liberating revolutionary who both freed and united great swaths of africa from pernicious white influence. But for the wider Marxist inspired world of African liberation his clear anti-communist is difficult to accept, no matter how well he speaks the language of pan-african pride. Lingering Regionalism: In this question Mobutu is the most radical, and his policy is what you may know him for OTL. While all revolutionaries desire to establish a united identity, and some of them will do so by autocratic centralization, Mobutu makes the establishment of a “true” Zaireian nation a core part of his rule. As established in the Manifesto of Goma Mobutu promesses a national revolution in which regionalism will be swept away by a new, authentic program of nation building which will decolonize the Congolese mind as well as their hands. In practical terms this means the creation of a totalitarian state which will regulate and make “african” all aspects of life. Western influence will be attacked via the banning of christian names and nationalizing catholic church property. A citizen dress code will be implemented as well as a “traditional” family code which will favor male-dominated polygamy and property laws. Though his own praetorian guard of the leopard division is tribally biased the army as a whole will have a new organization forbidding any unit to be more than 20% uniform in tribal origin. This campaign is carried out with special zeal against the influence of Catholicism. Seeing it as both a challenge to his own power and as a malignant foreign influence Mobutu will make a great show of putting priests on trial and instructing his followers to declare that Mubutu is like Jesus and the MAR like the church. Schools, previously run almost exclusively by religious organizations, will be nationalized and their curriculum no longer permitted to teach Christianity but instead to teach “Mobutuism”. Though he will not have the strength needed to wipe out the church entirely during the 60s or early 70s Mobutu will be able to effectively cow this institution and dare any priest to say “sacrilege”. This campaign will provide a degree of unity, pride and self confidence to the shattered nation beyond what any other program could do, but it is all provided through the image of Mobutu as the great sun king of the new nation. Mobutu will seek to become the center of a pseudo-religious cult of personality with mass public celebrations of his figure following him wherever he goes and an entourage singing songs in his praise. A consequence of the personalism in this campaign is than any embarrassing failures will not only reflect poorly on the nation but on Mobutu himself. As such he will often get worked up by seemingly trivial matters: if the football team should be lucky enough to participate in the world cup they will do so under the threat that if they do not perform well enough it will see retribution on them at home. But as part of building this cult he must never let any other person, even his own children, get a moment in the spotlight. Below him is transient chaos, while above him is none: he alone is the rock on which Zaire can be built. This policy is most clearly seen in his handling of the Warlord Plague. Here Mobutu has a two sided policy: All those military figures which he believes could pose a threat to his rule will at first be executed publicly and brutally. In the opening months of his reign he will institute a mini reign of terror to make an example of many warlords and political enemies. However, once the example has been made he will move on to a policy of co-opting these same men. Often through direct bribery, or through positions of prestige and other perks, local strongmen who will accept his rule are brought into the state machine by promising the opportunity to profit in exchange for loyalty. This opportunity is often revoked without notice or reason and personal rivalry at the top is encouraged: in this way no other individual is able to form a stable powerbase. But at the same time individuals previously kicked out of power may be rehabilitated just as quickly, rising once again to wealth and prestige on the auspices of Mobutu’s favor. In this way no elite is a permanent outsider, and the best move for many will seem to be “wait and see”. This of course makes the internal administration of the nation hell, but it does keep Mobutu in undisputed power without even the glimmer of a rival. This policy of personal co-option extends even to The Belgian Question. The Europeans remaining property will be nationalized and they will be deported, but it will not come with the punitive brutality of the pan-africanists. Mobutu has no love for the Belgians, and will not tolerate their continued dominance, but he also has no special hatred for them, seeing them mostly as political liabilities and rivals rather than ideology defining enemies: that distinction goes to the Germans. But after this show of nationalistic force the door will be left open to their return: many of the nationalized properties are redistributed to those without the knowledge, skill or desire to maintain their productivity. As such when those same Europeans are offered the chance to buy back their property or even return to the Congo Mobutu will not get in their way: so long as they avoid getting lynched along the way by Mobutu’s notoriously brutal and poorly disciplined soldiers he will let them have their piece too so long as they accept that it is by his grace alone that they keep it. Part of this leniency is out of a calculated mercy to Europeans: Mobutu is smart enough to know that making himself solely reliant on Japan is a poor strategy, and will seek to make connections with America, Italy and Brazil. Having mercy on the Belgians and keeping the door open to cooperation with the Euros is an easy way to mollify western opinion and thus maintain his own independence on the world stage. Of course even this policy has limits: Germany and those under her will see the door slammed shut. Which brings us neatly into the great struggle which defines the early Mobutu regime: addressing the Economic Devastation. In keeping with his Authenticité program Mobutu wishes to nationalize all previously foreign owned industry, which is the vast majority of all industry, under the one-party state. These national corporations, modeled off of the Japanese Zaibatsu and Italian corporatism, will be either controlled directly by Mobutu, by his close political allies, or (to his own displeasure) by East Asians, most often the Japanese. Mobutu’s Japanese backers are willing to prop up his regime, to allow whatever social and political organization he wishes, but they have come to the Congo for a reason. That reason is money and resources, and with Authenticité pushing for the cartelization of all money in the Congo the Japanese demand to be let in. Mobutu cannot simply dismiss them: it is Japanese credit and weapons which ensure he stays secure and on top. But he is also unwilling to simply roll over for them: he is a nationalist and a deeply ambitious man, and will not be satisfied with anything less than personal ownership of the Zaire economy. As such the 60s and early 70s will be a contest between true Mobutu loyalists and pro-Japanese opportunists for who will gain a majority share of the new nation's economic resources. Japan offers cash, guns, food, technical advisors and diplomatic support (all of which Zaire really needs) in return for shares in the national corporations and local extractions. They will also play dirty by employing bribes, intimidation tactics, organized crime and even clandestine support of anti-mobutu civil resistance to put pressure on the regime to open up more space for the Japanese. To counter this Mobutu has all the tools of the state at his disposal, as well as the mobilization of his own hard core group of supporters for intimidation or political pressure on local leaders. “Kazi ndjo baba, ndjo mama” (work, it is my father, it is my mother), is a common phrase in Katanga which alludes to the paternalist role played by large companies such as the Union Minière, which would provide housing, education, and sometimes even wives to their workers in exchange for productive loyalty. Even after the full German takeover “company work” maintained a facade of this relationship. Japan is well positioned to take up the old Union Minière paternalism tactics, offering workers higher and more regular pay than what native organizations sometimes can, while also reinforcing a culture of dependency which Mobutu is trying to break (or bend to his own ends). It is this contest for the hard cash and rare metals provided by the Congo which will determine the final form the Authenticité regime takes. If Mobutu is victorious and secures the lion's share of the economy for himself and a large enough share for his allies the Zairean Revolution will be complete with major bonuses to stability and political power, and even more importantly to Mobutu’s personal fortune. Though never giving public access to his personal books Mobutu will be plausibly rumored to be worth billions, with he and his family being some of the foremost african business people in the world and minor celebrities in the co-prosperity sphere. However the economy will suffer greatly from this as all economic efficiency and business skill has been sacrificed in the name of Mobutu’s personal power: though he is the undisputed master of Zaire it will be a deeply dysfunctional country economically, and if commodity prices were to fall he may need to go crawling back to the outside world to bail him out. On the other hand if Japan wins Zaire will become a neo-colonial strip, with its most lucrative industries owned in part or in full by the Japanese and the state unable to do anything about it without critically undermining its own elite support. This will make Mobutu into only a multi-millionaire rather than a billionaire, as well as undermine his public image of all powerful invincibility. With the Japanese ambassador keeping a hawkish eye on him and his party Mobutu will be left to stew in his unhappy lot knowing that if he ceases to play the part assigned to him the Japanese can always find someone else. This will also be the end of the Authentice campaign as even uneducated workers can see that their bread comes not from “Father Marshal” but from their places of work, owned by foreigners once again. But it is arguably better economically, as the extractive industries are at least run competently and its workers will be paid in full and on time more often. In all cases Zaire will be a sphere observer, but in this case it will be a part of the Japanese economic sphere as well. The later 70s and 80s will be difficult times for either end as prices crash and the cumulative effects of bad government and foreign domination come to the fore. But that is a story for another day. Japan or Mobutu, success or failure, unity or farce, one thing remains constant: the Zairean military officers are the new nobility of the new nation. Corruption is an endemic and potentially crippling issue in Zaire, and this is seen most clearly in the military, where officers will steal wages and army units will act close to bandits in the more remote regions, creating an atmosphere of fear. But the best position is that of an Air Force officer, with prominent families often paying through the nose for their sons to be educated in Japanese military academies to earn their wings.
2023.05.28 19:01 Able_Possession8736A Comprehensive Guide to Pro Football Video Game Covers
Another Madden $70 re-skin is upon us, so let's take a moment to explore the history of all the people who have been featured on the cover of an pro football video game. While the selection of the Madden cover athlete is now an event, there was a wild wild west period of football games from the 80s to the mid-2000s where anybody with a computer could and would build football games, with the selection of the cover being all over the place. Roger Craig was the first cover athlete in 1985 on NFL Challenge for MS-DOS. Madden's first game was in 1988, then by the mid-90s getting a cover athlete or spokesman for your football game was pretty standard. I wanted to compile those games and covers based on this Wiki article (and a few that it was missing from that list) and see who was on the main cover of all of those games (some games were almost completely irrelevant, so I left them off this list). Some of these may have more alternates with other people, but I'll stick with the main cover.
Covers by Position
https://preview.redd.it/1dzua4o2hl2b1.png?width=600&format=png&auto=webp&v=enabled&s=023c573335e64d21fccc937a44db0ae995510db6 *These are heavily boosted by John Madden being on 10 Madden covers Obviously QBs dominate here, but I didn't realize how little defensive players have been on football game covers (9%), with none being on a cover since Richard Sherman in 2014. I'd love to see more defensive players on the Madden cover. Who would be the most likely defensive guy in the near future? Aaron Donald, TJ Watt, Nick Bosa, Myles Garrett, or Sauce Gardner?
Covers by Team
https://preview.redd.it/8f29df4ygl2b1.png?width=600&format=png&auto=webp&v=enabled&s=3b93f8a4ddb26b2cee1f6abd74652f44b7fbfdcb If a team's player was not a lead on the cover or was not any identifiable player, I gave them a * The Re-skins/Commanders?, Jags, Panthers, and Bills have appeared on a cover but never with an athlete as the lead or with a real person. Only the Texans have never appeared at all on the cover of any football video game. I'd say the Bills are most likely to get one next (Josh Allen), then the Jags (Trevor Lawrence), then the Panthers/Texans if either hits a home run with Young or Stroud. The Commanders have a long road ahead to getting a feature cover athlete, unless you ask Sam Howell who thinks he should be this year's Madden cover athlete.
Most Prolific Cover People
https://preview.redd.it/5axoymcakl2b1.png?width=2871&format=png&auto=webp&v=enabled&s=9ecf9c52cad0647d1572d2d9c85ebdef0dd277c3 Kordell Stewart, Daunte Culpepper, and Donovan McNabb (and possibly Lamar Jackson, still too early for him) are the only players with multiple appearances that are either not or are unlikely to make the Hall of Fame. McNabb is the only guy to appear in multiple covers in the same year. Also of note, 7 athletes were on a cover without ever making a pro bowl in their careers: Brad Muster, Pat Terrell, Gordon Laro, Chris Zorich, Albert Fontenot, William Floyd, and Peyton Hillis (Hillis was the only one to be the primary cover athlete). I'll list all the games and their respective covers by their era below. I'll also attach some of my favorite covers from each era. If the cover person was a Hall of Famer, I'll mark them with a \). If they're very likely to make the HoF but they're not yet eligible, I'll mark them with a +
Covers by Era
Decade
# of Games
# of Games w/Cover Athletes
# of Cover Athletes
60s
1
0
0
70s
4
0
0
80s
11
2 (18%)
2
90s
36
32 (89%)
21
00s
40
38 (95%)
36
10s
14
10 (71%)
12
20s
8
4 (50%)
5
Total
114
86 (75%)
76
We didn't see the first cover athlete until 1985 with Roger Craig. They didn't really become standard until the early to mid-90s after Madden became a big selling point for the early Madden games. The dip in the last 2 decades is because there's just less games, so any generic football games will have a large effect.
2023.05.28 18:22 chadowanA Comprehensive Guide to Pro Football Video Game Covers
Another Madden $70 re-skin is upon us, so let's take a moment to explore the history of all the people who have been featured on the cover of an pro football video game. While the selection of the Madden cover athlete is now an event, there was a wild wild west period of football games from the 80s to the mid-2000s where anybody with a computer could and would build football games, with the selection of the cover being all over the place. Roger Craig was the first cover athlete in 1985 on NFL Challenge for MS-DOS. Madden's first game was in 1988, then by the mid-90s getting a cover athlete or spokesman for your football game was pretty standard. I wanted to compile those games and covers based on this Wiki article (and a few that it was missing from that list) and see who was on the main cover of all of those games (some games were almost completely irrelevant, so I left them off this list). Some of these may have more alternates with other people, but I'll stick with the main cover.
Covers by Position
https://preview.redd.it/1dzua4o2hl2b1.png?width=600&format=png&auto=webp&s=79174425f34c9090dacddd78d3679923182d5f3a *These are heavily boosted by John Madden being on 10 Madden covers Obviously QBs dominate here, but I didn't realize how little defensive players have been on football game covers (9%), with none being on a cover since Richard Sherman in 2014. I'd love to see more defensive players on the Madden cover. Who would be the most likely defensive guy in the near future? Aaron Donald, TJ Watt, Nick Bosa, Myles Garrett, or Sauce Gardner?
Covers by Team
https://preview.redd.it/8f29df4ygl2b1.png?width=600&format=png&auto=webp&s=cfa6fba341321f2fb7be68a4be1d0e89404f9e40 If a team's player was not a lead on the cover or was not any identifiable player, I gave them a * The Re-skins/Commanders?, Jags, Panthers, and Bills have appeared on a cover but never with an athlete as the lead or with a real person. Only the Texans have never appeared at all on the cover of any football video game. I'd say the Bills are most likely to get one next (Josh Allen), then the Jags (Trevor Lawrence), then the Panthers/Texans if either hits a home run with Young or Stroud. The Commanders have a long road ahead to getting a feature cover athlete, unless you ask Sam Howell who thinks he should be this year's Madden cover athlete.
Most Prolific Cover People
https://preview.redd.it/5axoymcakl2b1.png?width=2871&format=png&auto=webp&s=1ead25140a20a056d3e02e6cf5fdc14918a9ca51 Kordell Stewart, Daunte Culpepper, and Donovan McNabb (and possibly Lamar Jackson, still too early for him) are the only players with multiple appearances that are either not or are unlikely to make the Hall of Fame. McNabb is the only guy to appear in multiple covers in the same year. Also of note, 7 athletes were on a cover without ever making a pro bowl in their careers: Brad Muster, Pat Terrell, Gordon Laro, Chris Zorich, Albert Fontenot, William Floyd, and Peyton Hillis (Hillis was the only one to be the primary cover athlete). I'll list all the games and their respective covers by their era below. I'll also attach some of my favorite covers from each era. If the cover person was a Hall of Famer, I'll mark them with a \). If they're very likely to make the HoF but they're not yet eligible, I'll mark them with a +
Covers by Era
Decade
# of Games
# of Games w/Cover Athletes
# of Cover Athletes
60s
1
0
0
70s
4
0
0
80s
11
2 (18%)
2
90s
36
32 (89%)
21
00s
40
38 (95%)
36
10s
14
10 (71%)
12
20s
8
4 (50%)
5
Total
114
86 (75%)
76
We didn't see the first cover athlete until 1985 with Roger Craig. They didn't really become standard until the early to mid-90s after Madden became a big selling point for the early Madden games. The dip in the last 2 decades is because there's just less games, so any generic football games will have a large effect.
Trials of The Illuminati: Animated Christmas Time Jigsaws
Two Brothers
World War 1 Centennial Edition
ZombieRush
Challenges, Lootboy, second hand, might have some dupes in it (also might not be up to date) => i can exchange them for games but also for trading cards, based on grey market value Vs trading cards market value :
1954 Alcatraz
A New Beginning
A New Beginning - Final Cut
A Valley Without Wind
Alien Spidy
Aliens versus Predator Classic 2000
Angvik
Animals
Anna - Extended Edition
AquaNox
AquaNox 2
Bad Rats
Bang Bang Racing
BATTLETECH
Beat Hazard
Beat Hazard Complete
Bionic Heart
BlazeRush
Bunch Of Heroes
CAPSULE
Cargo! - The quest for gravity
Ceville
Clockwork Survivors
Commander: Conquest of the Americas
Commandos 2: Men of Courage
Commandos 3: Destination Berlin
Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines
Commandos: Beyond the Call of Duty
Company of Crime
Crash Time 3
Critical Mass
Dangerous platform
Dark Fall: Lost Souls
Darwinia
Deadly 30
Defunct
Demigod
Deponia
DESOLATE
Disciples II: Galleans Return
Disciples II: Rise of the Elves
Dragon Blast DLC
Drop Hunt - Adventure Puzzle
Dungeons - The Dark Lord
Eidolon
El Matador
Elite Forces
Escape From Russia: Mobilization
Eternal Step
Ethan: Meteor Hunter Deluxe Edition
EUIII Chronicles
Fantasy Wars
Fated Souls 3
Fester Mudd - Episode 1
Figment
Final Slam 2
Finding Teddy
Fireburst
Flower Shop: Summer In Fairbrook
Flower Shop: Winter In Fairbrook
FORCED: Slightly Better Edition
Future Wars
Galactic Civilizations I: Ultimate Edition
Girlfriend Rescue
Going Under
Grand Ages Rome
Grand Ages Rome Gold
Grav Blazer
Greed: Black Border
Grotesque Tactics: Evil Heroes
Hard Reset Extended Edition
Heileen 2: The Hands Of Fate
Hero by Chance
Holy Avatar vs. Maidens of the Dead
Holy Potatoes! A Weapon Shop?!
Home
Huntsman: The Orphanage
Imperial Glory
In Between
inMomentum
Ion Assault
Jets'n'Guns Gold
Jumping Cat
Kalaban
KAMI
Keebles
King's Bounty: Armored Princess
King's Bounty: The Legend
Kingdom Wars 4 - The Plague: Kingdom Wars
Knights of Honor
Konung 2
Konung 3
Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards: Reloaded
Lilly Looking Through
Little Racers STREET
M.U.D. TV
Magicka
Majesty 2
Mata Hari
Megabyte Punch
Memory Booster
Men of War: Assault Squad GOTY
Mind: Path to Thalamus
Miner Wars 2081
Multiwinia
NASCAR '15 Victory Edition
NASCAR Heat Evolution
Night Wanderings
Nordlicht
Norega Barracks + Academy DLC
Of Orcs and Men
Oil Rush Bundle
One Finger Death Punch 2
Onikira - Demon Killer
Overcast - Walden and the Werewolf
Painkiller Recurring Evil
Painkiller Redemption
Painkiller: Black Edition
Patrician IV
Patrician IV Gold
Pirates of Black Cove
Pixel Heroes: Byte & Magic
PixelJunk Monsters Ultimate
Planets Under Attack
Plush
Poly Memory: Cats
Poly Puzzle: Dogs
Poly Puzzle: Furries
Poof
Post Apocalyptic Mayhem
Praetorians
Primal Carnage
Punch Club
Purgatory: War of the Damned
Puzzle Art: Cats
Puzzle Kingdoms
Quell
Quell Memento
Quell Reflect
R.I.P.D.: The Game
Race! Beauty! Bugs!
Razor2: Hidden Skies
Really Big Sky
Red Faction Guerrilla Re-Mars-tered + Armageddon Bundle With DLC (Nordic D)
Red Johnson's Chronicles - 1+2
Regions of Ruin
Rise of Flight: Channel Battles Edition
Runaway, The Dream of the Turtle
Save the Dodos
Shank 2
Simple Builder
Skilltree Saga
Sky Mercenaries
Smalles Class DLC
Solar Shifter EX
Space Empires IV Deluxe
Space Empires V
Spirited Heart Deluxe
Square's Route
Star Ruler
Star Wolves
Starsphere
Steel Storm
Stoirs VR
STRIDER
Stunt Hill
Suicide Guy
Swamp Jump
Switch Galaxy Ultra
Sword of the Stars Complete Collection
Terror Time
The Deed II
The Deed: Dynasty
The End of Labyronia: Nerubis
The God's Chain
The Joylancer: Legendary Motor Knight
The King's Crusade - Lionheart
The Old City: Leviathan
The Void
Theatre of War 2: Africa 1943
Theatre of War: 3 - Korea
Theatre of War: Centauro
Theatre of War: Kursk + Caen
Toby: The Secret Mine
Trainz Simulator 12
Trainz Simulator 12 - Coronation Scot DLC
TRAUMA
Tropico 3
Trulon: The Shadow Engine
Turba
Twin Sector
Two Worlds 2
Two Worlds II Pirate DLC
UFO Afterlight
Undefeated
Uplink
Us and them
Valnir Rok
Vault Cracker
Vegas: Make It Big
Velvet Assassin
Vessel
Victoria II
Warrior Kings
Warriors' Wrath
Wasteland Angel
Weable
Whispering Willows
Windforge
Windstorm: Start of a Great Friendship
Zombie Driver HD Complete Edition
Zombie Pirates
Wishlist : Various offers welcome, i'll browse lists, and most wanted are : Currently or recently bundled : * ABRISS * Achilles: Legends Untold * AFTERLIFE: KILLING DEATH * ALTF4 * Blade of Darkness * Boneraiser Minions * Brotato * CARRION * Celeste * Deadlink * Dome Keeper * Dread Delusion * Gearshifters * Gone Viral * GRAVEN * HYPER DEMON * Impaler * Just King * LEGO® Star Wars™: The Skywalker Saga * Loot River * Mago * Prince of Persia (various) * Project Warlock II * Rogue: Genesia * Salt and Sanctuary * Sands of Aura * Shantae and the Seven Sirens * The Citadel * Ultratron * ULTRAKILL * Windbound * Zombieland: Double Tap - Road Trip Bigger or rarer (for a big load of my games) : * Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord * RESIDENT EVIL Village * Hades * Cyberpunk 2077 * ELDEN RING * A Plague Tale: Requiem * Cuphead * GTFO * Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy * Noita * Choo-Choo Charles * Garry's Mod * Prototype 1 and 2 * Bleak Faith: Forsaken DLCs : * The Surge The Good, the Bad and the Augmented DLC * The Surge 2 - Season Pass * Vermintide 2 DLCs : Warrior Priest Career - Sister of the Thorn * Borderlands 3 Season Pass 2 * Mortal Shell: The Virtuous Cycle * Rocksmith DLCs * Lego Season Passes (DC Super Villains - Jurassic World - Marvel Super Heroes - Movie - Hobbit - Incredibles - Worlds) * Dead by Daylight DLCs (A Nightmare on Elm Street - Ash vs Evil Dead - Chains of Hate - Charity Case - Curtain Call - Ghost Face - Headcase - LEATHERFACE - Resident Evil Chapter - Silent Hill Chapter - Stranger Things Chapter - The Bloodstained Sack - The Halloween Chapter - The Saw Chapter - Sadako Rising Chapter - Forged in Fog - Resident Evil: PROJECT W) See here for the rest of my wishlist. Compare2Steam + offers, i'll browse lists, and eventually take Paypal, but i'm more interested in Paypal & TF2, but i'm more interested in games trades
Trials of The Illuminati: Animated Christmas Time Jigsaws
Two Brothers
World War 1 Centennial Edition
ZombieRush
Challenges, Lootboy, second hand, might have some dupes in it (also might not be up to date) => i can exchange them for games but also for trading cards, based on grey market value Vs trading cards market value :
1954 Alcatraz
A New Beginning
A New Beginning - Final Cut
A Valley Without Wind
Alien Spidy
Aliens versus Predator Classic 2000
Angvik
Animals
Anna - Extended Edition
AquaNox
AquaNox 2
Bad Rats
Bang Bang Racing
BATTLETECH
Beat Hazard
Beat Hazard Complete
Bionic Heart
BlazeRush
Bunch Of Heroes
CAPSULE
Cargo! - The quest for gravity
Ceville
Clockwork Survivors
Commander: Conquest of the Americas
Commandos 2: Men of Courage
Commandos 3: Destination Berlin
Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines
Commandos: Beyond the Call of Duty
Company of Crime
Crash Time 3
Critical Mass
Dangerous platform
Dark Fall: Lost Souls
Darwinia
Deadly 30
Defunct
Demigod
Deponia
DESOLATE
Disciples II: Galleans Return
Disciples II: Rise of the Elves
Dragon Blast DLC
Drop Hunt - Adventure Puzzle
Dungeons - The Dark Lord
Eidolon
El Matador
Elite Forces
Escape From Russia: Mobilization
Eternal Step
Ethan: Meteor Hunter Deluxe Edition
EUIII Chronicles
Fantasy Wars
Fated Souls 3
Fester Mudd - Episode 1
Figment
Final Slam 2
Finding Teddy
Fireburst
Flower Shop: Summer In Fairbrook
Flower Shop: Winter In Fairbrook
FORCED: Slightly Better Edition
Future Wars
Galactic Civilizations I: Ultimate Edition
Girlfriend Rescue
Going Under
Grand Ages Rome
Grand Ages Rome Gold
Grav Blazer
Greed: Black Border
Grotesque Tactics: Evil Heroes
Hard Reset Extended Edition
Heileen 2: The Hands Of Fate
Hero by Chance
Holy Avatar vs. Maidens of the Dead
Holy Potatoes! A Weapon Shop?!
Home
Huntsman: The Orphanage
Imperial Glory
In Between
inMomentum
Ion Assault
Jets'n'Guns Gold
Jumping Cat
Kalaban
KAMI
Keebles
King's Bounty: Armored Princess
King's Bounty: The Legend
Kingdom Wars 4 - The Plague: Kingdom Wars
Knights of Honor
Konung 2
Konung 3
Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards: Reloaded
Lilly Looking Through
Little Racers STREET
M.U.D. TV
Magicka
Majesty 2
Mata Hari
Megabyte Punch
Memory Booster
Men of War: Assault Squad GOTY
Mind: Path to Thalamus
Miner Wars 2081
Multiwinia
NASCAR '15 Victory Edition
NASCAR Heat Evolution
Night Wanderings
Nordlicht
Norega Barracks + Academy DLC
Of Orcs and Men
Oil Rush Bundle
One Finger Death Punch 2
Onikira - Demon Killer
Overcast - Walden and the Werewolf
Painkiller Recurring Evil
Painkiller Redemption
Painkiller: Black Edition
Patrician IV
Patrician IV Gold
Pirates of Black Cove
Pixel Heroes: Byte & Magic
PixelJunk Monsters Ultimate
Planets Under Attack
Plush
Poly Memory: Cats
Poly Puzzle: Dogs
Poly Puzzle: Furries
Poof
Post Apocalyptic Mayhem
Praetorians
Primal Carnage
Punch Club
Purgatory: War of the Damned
Puzzle Art: Cats
Puzzle Kingdoms
Quell
Quell Memento
Quell Reflect
R.I.P.D.: The Game
Race! Beauty! Bugs!
Razor2: Hidden Skies
Really Big Sky
Red Faction Guerrilla Re-Mars-tered + Armageddon Bundle With DLC (Nordic D)
Red Johnson's Chronicles - 1+2
Regions of Ruin
Rise of Flight: Channel Battles Edition
Runaway, The Dream of the Turtle
Save the Dodos
Shank 2
Simple Builder
Skilltree Saga
Sky Mercenaries
Smalles Class DLC
Solar Shifter EX
Space Empires IV Deluxe
Space Empires V
Spirited Heart Deluxe
Square's Route
Star Ruler
Star Wolves
Starsphere
Steel Storm
Stoirs VR
STRIDER
Stunt Hill
Suicide Guy
Swamp Jump
Switch Galaxy Ultra
Sword of the Stars Complete Collection
Terror Time
The Deed II
The Deed: Dynasty
The End of Labyronia: Nerubis
The God's Chain
The Joylancer: Legendary Motor Knight
The King's Crusade - Lionheart
The Old City: Leviathan
The Void
Theatre of War 2: Africa 1943
Theatre of War: 3 - Korea
Theatre of War: Centauro
Theatre of War: Kursk + Caen
Toby: The Secret Mine
Trainz Simulator 12
Trainz Simulator 12 - Coronation Scot DLC
TRAUMA
Tropico 3
Trulon: The Shadow Engine
Turba
Twin Sector
Two Worlds 2
Two Worlds II Pirate DLC
UFO Afterlight
Undefeated
Uplink
Us and them
Valnir Rok
Vault Cracker
Vegas: Make It Big
Velvet Assassin
Vessel
Victoria II
Warrior Kings
Warriors' Wrath
Wasteland Angel
Weable
Whispering Willows
Windforge
Windstorm: Start of a Great Friendship
Zombie Driver HD Complete Edition
Zombie Pirates
Wishlist : Various offers welcome, i'll browse lists, and most wanted are : Currently or recently bundled : * ABRISS * Achilles: Legends Untold * AFTERLIFE: KILLING DEATH * ALTF4 * Blade of Darkness * Boneraiser Minions * Brotato * CARRION * Celeste * Deadlink * Dome Keeper * Dread Delusion * Gearshifters * Gone Viral * GRAVEN * HYPER DEMON * Impaler * Just King * LEGO® Star Wars™: The Skywalker Saga * Loot River * Mago * Prince of Persia (various) * Project Warlock II * Rogue: Genesia * Salt and Sanctuary * Sands of Aura * Shantae and the Seven Sirens * The Citadel * Ultratron * ULTRAKILL * Windbound * Zombieland: Double Tap - Road Trip Bigger or rarer (for a big load of my games) : * Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord * RESIDENT EVIL Village * Hades * Cyberpunk 2077 * ELDEN RING * A Plague Tale: Requiem * Cuphead * GTFO * Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy * Noita * Choo-Choo Charles * Garry's Mod * Prototype 1 and 2 * Bleak Faith: Forsaken DLCs : * The Surge The Good, the Bad and the Augmented DLC * The Surge 2 - Season Pass * Vermintide 2 DLCs : Warrior Priest Career - Sister of the Thorn * Borderlands 3 Season Pass 2 * Mortal Shell: The Virtuous Cycle * Rocksmith DLCs * Lego Season Passes (DC Super Villains - Jurassic World - Marvel Super Heroes - Movie - Hobbit - Incredibles - Worlds) * Dead by Daylight DLCs (A Nightmare on Elm Street - Ash vs Evil Dead - Chains of Hate - Charity Case - Curtain Call - Ghost Face - Headcase - LEATHERFACE - Resident Evil Chapter - Silent Hill Chapter - Stranger Things Chapter - The Bloodstained Sack - The Halloween Chapter - The Saw Chapter - Sadako Rising Chapter - Forged in Fog - Resident Evil: PROJECT W) See here for the rest of my wishlist. Compare2Steam + offers, i'll browse lists, and eventually take Paypal, but i'm more interested in Paypal & TF2, but i'm more interested in games trades
Trials of The Illuminati: Animated Christmas Time Jigsaws
Two Brothers
World War 1 Centennial Edition
ZombieRush
Challenges, Lootboy, second hand, might have some dupes in it (also might not be up to date) => i can exchange them for games but also for trading cards, based on grey market value Vs trading cards market value :
1954 Alcatraz
A New Beginning
A New Beginning - Final Cut
A Valley Without Wind
Alien Spidy
Aliens versus Predator Classic 2000
Angvik
Animals
Anna - Extended Edition
AquaNox
AquaNox 2
Bad Rats
Bang Bang Racing
BATTLETECH
Beat Hazard
Beat Hazard Complete
Bionic Heart
BlazeRush
Bunch Of Heroes
CAPSULE
Cargo! - The quest for gravity
Ceville
Clockwork Survivors
Commander: Conquest of the Americas
Commandos 2: Men of Courage
Commandos 3: Destination Berlin
Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines
Commandos: Beyond the Call of Duty
Company of Crime
Crash Time 3
Critical Mass
Dangerous platform
Dark Fall: Lost Souls
Darwinia
Deadly 30
Defunct
Demigod
Deponia
DESOLATE
Disciples II: Galleans Return
Disciples II: Rise of the Elves
Dragon Blast DLC
Drop Hunt - Adventure Puzzle
Dungeons - The Dark Lord
Eidolon
El Matador
Elite Forces
Escape From Russia: Mobilization
Eternal Step
Ethan: Meteor Hunter Deluxe Edition
EUIII Chronicles
Fantasy Wars
Fated Souls 3
Fester Mudd - Episode 1
Figment
Final Slam 2
Finding Teddy
Fireburst
Flower Shop: Summer In Fairbrook
Flower Shop: Winter In Fairbrook
FORCED: Slightly Better Edition
Future Wars
Galactic Civilizations I: Ultimate Edition
Girlfriend Rescue
Going Under
Grand Ages Rome
Grand Ages Rome Gold
Grav Blazer
Greed: Black Border
Grotesque Tactics: Evil Heroes
Hard Reset Extended Edition
Heileen 2: The Hands Of Fate
Hero by Chance
Holy Avatar vs. Maidens of the Dead
Holy Potatoes! A Weapon Shop?!
Home
Huntsman: The Orphanage
Imperial Glory
In Between
inMomentum
Ion Assault
Jets'n'Guns Gold
Jumping Cat
Kalaban
KAMI
Keebles
King's Bounty: Armored Princess
King's Bounty: The Legend
Kingdom Wars 4 - The Plague: Kingdom Wars
Knights of Honor
Konung 2
Konung 3
Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards: Reloaded
Lilly Looking Through
Little Racers STREET
M.U.D. TV
Magicka
Majesty 2
Mata Hari
Megabyte Punch
Memory Booster
Men of War: Assault Squad GOTY
Mind: Path to Thalamus
Miner Wars 2081
Multiwinia
NASCAR '15 Victory Edition
NASCAR Heat Evolution
Night Wanderings
Nordlicht
Norega Barracks + Academy DLC
Of Orcs and Men
Oil Rush Bundle
One Finger Death Punch 2
Onikira - Demon Killer
Overcast - Walden and the Werewolf
Painkiller Recurring Evil
Painkiller Redemption
Painkiller: Black Edition
Patrician IV
Patrician IV Gold
Pirates of Black Cove
Pixel Heroes: Byte & Magic
PixelJunk Monsters Ultimate
Planets Under Attack
Plush
Poly Memory: Cats
Poly Puzzle: Dogs
Poly Puzzle: Furries
Poof
Post Apocalyptic Mayhem
Praetorians
Primal Carnage
Punch Club
Purgatory: War of the Damned
Puzzle Art: Cats
Puzzle Kingdoms
Quell
Quell Memento
Quell Reflect
R.I.P.D.: The Game
Race! Beauty! Bugs!
Razor2: Hidden Skies
Really Big Sky
Red Faction Guerrilla Re-Mars-tered + Armageddon Bundle With DLC (Nordic D)
Red Johnson's Chronicles - 1+2
Regions of Ruin
Rise of Flight: Channel Battles Edition
Runaway, The Dream of the Turtle
Save the Dodos
Shank 2
Simple Builder
Skilltree Saga
Sky Mercenaries
Smalles Class DLC
Solar Shifter EX
Space Empires IV Deluxe
Space Empires V
Spirited Heart Deluxe
Square's Route
Star Ruler
Star Wolves
Starsphere
Steel Storm
Stoirs VR
STRIDER
Stunt Hill
Suicide Guy
Swamp Jump
Switch Galaxy Ultra
Sword of the Stars Complete Collection
Terror Time
The Deed II
The Deed: Dynasty
The End of Labyronia: Nerubis
The God's Chain
The Joylancer: Legendary Motor Knight
The King's Crusade - Lionheart
The Old City: Leviathan
The Void
Theatre of War 2: Africa 1943
Theatre of War: 3 - Korea
Theatre of War: Centauro
Theatre of War: Kursk + Caen
Toby: The Secret Mine
Trainz Simulator 12
Trainz Simulator 12 - Coronation Scot DLC
TRAUMA
Tropico 3
Trulon: The Shadow Engine
Turba
Twin Sector
Two Worlds 2
Two Worlds II Pirate DLC
UFO Afterlight
Undefeated
Uplink
Us and them
Valnir Rok
Vault Cracker
Vegas: Make It Big
Velvet Assassin
Vessel
Victoria II
Warrior Kings
Warriors' Wrath
Wasteland Angel
Weable
Whispering Willows
Windforge
Windstorm: Start of a Great Friendship
Zombie Driver HD Complete Edition
Zombie Pirates
Wishlist : Various offers welcome, i'll browse lists, and most wanted are : Currently or recently bundled : * ABRISS * Achilles: Legends Untold * AFTERLIFE: KILLING DEATH * ALTF4 * Blade of Darkness * Boneraiser Minions * Brotato * CARRION * Celeste * Deadlink * Dome Keeper * Dread Delusion * Gearshifters * Gone Viral * GRAVEN * HYPER DEMON * Impaler * Just King * LEGO® Star Wars™: The Skywalker Saga * Loot River * Mago * Prince of Persia (various) * Project Warlock II * Rogue: Genesia * Salt and Sanctuary * Sands of Aura * Shantae and the Seven Sirens * The Citadel * Ultratron * ULTRAKILL * Windbound * Zombieland: Double Tap - Road Trip Bigger or rarer (for a big load of my games) : * Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord * RESIDENT EVIL Village * Hades * Cyberpunk 2077 * ELDEN RING * A Plague Tale: Requiem * Cuphead * GTFO * Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy * Noita * Choo-Choo Charles * Garry's Mod * Prototype 1 and 2 * Bleak Faith: Forsaken DLCs : * The Surge The Good, the Bad and the Augmented DLC * The Surge 2 - Season Pass * Vermintide 2 DLCs : Warrior Priest Career - Sister of the Thorn * Borderlands 3 Season Pass 2 * Mortal Shell: The Virtuous Cycle * Rocksmith DLCs * Lego Season Passes (DC Super Villains - Jurassic World - Marvel Super Heroes - Movie - Hobbit - Incredibles - Worlds) * Dead by Daylight DLCs (A Nightmare on Elm Street - Ash vs Evil Dead - Chains of Hate - Charity Case - Curtain Call - Ghost Face - Headcase - LEATHERFACE - Resident Evil Chapter - Silent Hill Chapter - Stranger Things Chapter - The Bloodstained Sack - The Halloween Chapter - The Saw Chapter - Sadako Rising Chapter - Forged in Fog - Resident Evil: PROJECT W) See here for the rest of my wishlist. Compare2Steam + offers, i'll browse lists, and eventually take Paypal, but i'm more interested in Paypal & TF2, but i'm more interested in games trades
2023.05.28 06:04 InfernoAAGod Made the World in Six Days, I’ll Perfect New Japan's on the Seventh Part Five: Destined
In Part Four, the comeback tour of rockstar Hiroshi Tanahashi was cut brutally short at the hands of the Leader of the New School, Zack Sabre Jr., who embarked on a quest to prove himself New Japan's most valuable gaijin. After beating back Will Ospreay for Royal Quest, he ran into another familiar face in Minoru Suzuki, almost clobbering him into retirement until Naomichi Marufuji made the save. Ending his saga with Just6Guys with a win over Maru, he placed a bow on the long-standing Blackpool Combat Club rivalry by besting Jon Moxley, cementing Sabre-Gun as New Japan's undisputed leaders... That is, without taking Los Ingobernables de Japon into account. Since becoming one again, LIJ’s been on a tear through NJPW’s ranks this year in spite of Shingo Takagi dropping the belt and PAC losing the New Japan Cup Finals to the current World Champion. IWGP United States, IWGP Tag Team (Death Triangle have become LIJ affiliates through PAC), and NJPW World Television Championships in their grasps, they seek to round out the group by all holding titles simultaneously. But that begs the question – who’ll be going after the World Title? Though Shingo’s battle ready, he insists Tetsuya Naito take it this time, the Stardust Genius having worked his back off to rebound from Wrestle Kingdom. Failing every attempt in the past 3 years though, the question remains whether he can truly pull it off this time, or if it’s just not meant to be. Kizuna Road - Night Four (July 1, 2024) Sabre-Gun (Zack Sabre Jr. & El Phantasmo) vs Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito & PAC) With Naito confirmed as Sabre’s #1 Contender for Wrestle Dynasty, SG and LIJ have themselves a scaled-down rematch from New Year’s Dash, Zack picking his trusty right-hand man ELP, and Tetsuya bringing the US Champion, knowing PAC has unresolved issues with ZSJ from the NJC. Though it drives the Bastard to work doubly-hard, especially considering how it’ll look if he pins the World Champion, it also makes their teamwork suffer, PAC becoming self-absorbed in getting the pin. Backfiring, a Sudden Death from Phantasmo knocks his lights out, SG getting their win back from NYD and putting the challenger on the backfoot heading into Madison Square Garden! Sabre-Gun def. Los Ingobernables de Japon (16:12) PAC appears distraught after the match, but Naito simply tells him ‘tranquilo’, not taking it personally. Though he’d hoped to use this match to get into ZSJ’s head, it appears he’ll just have to do that himself, like he’s always done. Wrestle Dynasty (July 14, 2024) Also on the show: Shota Umino (c) vsEl Desperado- NEVER Openweight Championship Just6Guys (SANADA, Taichi, Ryohei Oiwa) (c) vsLos Ingobernables de Japon (Shingo Takagi, Yota Tsuji, Titan)- NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship Hiromu Takahashi (c)vs Kyle Fletcher - NJPW World Television Championship PAC (c)vs El Phantasmo - IWGP United States Championship The Lucha Brothers (c)vs Meiyu Tag - IWGP Tag Team Championship Zack Sabre Jr. (c) vs Tetsuya Naito XI - IWGP World Heavyweight Championship In what’s been a very successful night for LIJ thus far, clean-sweeping their way through the competition, it all rests on Naito’s shoulders now to bring it home. Perhaps the most unreliable man to slot in this spot, and yet, the most beloved, MSG fully invested in Tetsuya’s chase, either the grandest of celebrations or coldest of heartbreaks will end the night! Naito keeps his cool, emanating his usual larger-than-life aura as he walks out in a pristine crimson suit, paying homage to Shingo, whilst Sabre’s cockier than ever with his recent streak of huge wins, knowing he has Tetsuya doubting himself after their tag. As he hands his title over, the two come face-to-face, SABRE SPITTING GUM INTO NAITO’S FACE, but Tetsuya doesn’t let ZSJ’s tactics faze him, having come too far for too long to let mind games be his downfall. Circling each other, Zack lunges for a lock-up but Naito walks past, smirking and stretching in the opposite corner. Sabre rolls his eyes as Tetsuya turns around and tells him ‘tranquilo’, before going for it again… Zack snatching the headlock this time as Naito tries to repeat, but Tetsuya instantly whips him to the corner, teasing the COMBINACION CABRON as ZSJ braces himself… Naito stops in front of him and does the ‘Abre los Ojos’ taunt! Furious, Sabre piefaces him, NAITO RETURNING A FOREARM, AND WE’RE OFF! Trading strikes, Zack rocks Tetsuya with European Uppercuts, Naito returning forearms, before a Japanese Arm Drag stops Zack in his tracks! Naito goes for another, but Zack hooks onto Tetsuya’s legs, tripping him up and contorting the foot! Tetsuya boots him off with the other, a Neckbreaker and a Somersault Senton connecting, though Sabre absorbs the latter, trapping Naito’s arm onto the mat to STOMP THE HAND! Picking him back up, he cracks Naito with chops, before whipping him at the ropes, Naito hitting off them one after the other to build momentum, teasing the Flying Forearm Zack’s expecting… only to roll into the Tranquilo pose! ZACK MEETS HIM WITH A NECK TWIST!!! Tetsuya scrambling to the corner, Sabre steps on his throat against the ropes, BEFORE SLAPPING HIM! NAITO SPITS IN ZACK’S FACE!!! A harsh uppercut knocks Tetsuya back, a Running European following and a PENALTY KICK! Naito dodges and nails the FLYING FOREARM SMASH! Teasing the Tornado DDT, it’s cancelled by an Enzuigiri, Zack leaping for the KIMURA- NAITO COUNTERS INTO VALENTIA!!! ONE! TWO! THR-KICK OUT!!! Sending Sabre into the corner, the COMBINACION CABRON CONNECTS! AND A MISSILE DROPKICK! Naito teases the DRAGON SUPLEX, but Sabre flips through and STOMPS HIS ELBOW! SNAP GERMAN ON THE NECK FROM SABRE!!! ONE! TWO! THR-NO DICE! Naito woozy, his head’s only further knocked around by a ROLLING ELBOW! A CORNER HIGH KNEE connects, before a Hammerlock Suplex floats into a TESCO MEAL DEAL!!! Naito’s hand flails about the mat as Sabre keeps him grounded, no Valentia escape this time, forcing Tetsuya to work the old-fashioned way to the ropes! MSG backing the Stardust Genius, after much deliberation he gets a foot on the ropes! But Zack’s right back on him, going for a NORTHERN LIGHTS SUPLEX- NAITO STANDS HIM UP WITH A SNAP DDT! An EVOLUCION’S shut down though, Sabre hitting the brakes to nail the ARM PELE! Fishing the arm, Zack tries to float into a FLYING ARTICLE 50- NAITO STUFFS HIM WITH A GLORIA!!! ONE! TWO! THR-SABRE SURVIVES!!! Rallying momentum, Tetsuya nails the TORNADO DDT! Sabre nursing the head, a DRAGON SUPLEX FOLLOWS!!! In the drop zone, Naito tests the waters for a RUNNING DESTINO- SABRE SHUTS IT DOWN WITH A EUROPEAN CLUTCH!!! ONE! TWO! THR-NAITO’S DREAMS STAY ALIVE!!! Getting dangerously close with the flash pin, Tetsuya throws defiant forearms, Zack catching and contorting one, but a ROLLING WHEEL KICK knocks him off! ESPERANZA!!! ONE! TWO! THR-SABRE KICKS OUT!!! Hooking the head, Naito hoists Sabre up… ZACK WITH A GUILLOTINE CHOKE MID-AIR!!! Tetsuya’s eyes bulge out his skull, looking for the nearest turnbuckle to ram Sabre into it, but ZSJ’s quicker, yanking him to the mat and transitioning into a JIM BREAKS ARMBAR!!! Brutally bending the arm at an awkward angle, there’s a manic look in Zack’s eyes as NYC desperately cheers on Naito, who does his best to hang on! Sabre keeps tugging further and further, eager to ruin Tetsuya, but it backfires, helping him stretch his leg to the ropes! The crowd erupts as the referee forces Sabre off, though Naito’s clearly hurting all the same, a European helping no less! Zack rallies with further Uppercuts, one knocking Tetsuya down, before firing a PENALTY KICK!!! NAITO ABSORBS IT AND ROLLS THROUGH, SABRE GOING FOR SECONDS BUT HE EATS A RUNNING DESTINOOOOOOOOO!!! ONE! TWO! THR-NOOOOOOOOOO!!! Shaking himself off, Naito attempts another, though Sabre stops it with elbows, before hopping into a REAR NAKED CHOKE! Tetsuya tries to run forwards to free himself, though ZSJ swivels on his back into a GEDO CLUTCH!!! ANOTHER FLASH PIN! BUT NAITO ROLLS THROUGH THIS TIME INTO HIS OWN – POLVO DE ESTRELLA!!! ONE! TWO! THR-SABRE STAYS IN!!! AND AN EVOLUCION!!! ONE! TWO! THR-ANOTHER KICK OUT!!! NAITO’S GOING FOR THE SWING DESTINO!!! BUT A ZACK DRIVER COUNTERS!!! ONE! TWO! THR-NOOOOOOOOOO!!! Slapping up Naito’s neck, Sabre dumps him on it with a TIGER SUPLEX!!! Naito woozy, Zack nails the PENALTY KICK!!! NAITO’S REFUSING TO STAY DOWN! Hearing MSG’s cries, he wills himself back up as Sabre watches in fascination… ONLY FOR ANOTHER PK TO CUT HIM OFF!!! And just like the 2022 NJC Finals, he’s going to end it here with a SECOND ZACK DRIVER- NAITO NAILS A DESTINO MID-AIR!!! HE’S STILL MOVING SOMEHOW!!! Stumbling to his feet, Tetsuya measures his man… DESTINOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! ONE! TWO! THR-SABRE’S FOOT’S ON THE ROPE!!! Saving Naito more than once, it’s come to Zack’s aid now too! Hammering Sabre with forearms, Naito tees up another DESTINO- PELE KICK!!! Tetsuya falls forward, Zack catching him in a STRETCH MUFFLER!!! IF HE CAN JUST GRAB THE OTHER LEG, IT’S ALL OVER, COMPLETING THE ORIENTEERING WITH NAPALM DEATH!!! Zack bends Naito further and further as he tries to grab hold… TETSUYA SWINGS BACK! AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN! SABRE LETS GO!!! AND A ZACK DRIVER FROM NAITO!!! Sabre on his back, Naito thinks about waiting for the Destino… but then he sees the top rope. The crowd cry at him not to, screwing him over time and time again, but Tetsuya can’t help it! Heading up top, the world holds their breath, NAITO SOARING THROUGH THE AIR… STARDUST PRESS CONNECTS!!! ONE! TWO! THREE!!! IT’S A MIRACLE IN MADISON SQUARE GARDEN!!! NAITO’S WORLD CHAMPION AGAIN!!! Tetsuya Naito def. Zack Sabre Jr. (c) to win the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship (31:18) New York LOSES their minds as Naito’s handed the title, Tetsuya himself struggling to process what just happened! But then LIJ rush out – PAC with the US Title, Hiromu with the TV Title, Shingo, Yota, and Titan with the NEVER 6-Man Titles, and even the Lucha Brothers with the Tag Titles! THEY’RE DRAPED IN GOLD, BABY! Sharing embraces all around as a dismal Sabre trudges to the back, there’s not a single dry eye in the arena as the outcasts raise their fists to the sky with one hand and their titles with the other, golden tickertape hailing down! Naito’s on top of the world after 3 long years, and it feels damn good! Doing the customary championship edition roll-call, the show fades on LIJ holding all their gold… and PAC looking over at Naito’s. G1 Climax 34 Entering his second of fifteen G1s as the reigning champion, Naito heads B Block opposite stiff competition. Though dispatching of Hiromu in friendly competition on Night One, the two are subsequently assaulted by KONGOH post-match, allowing NOAH’s KENOH to upset him the following night! Behind the 8-ball already, Tetsuya’s motivated to make a comeback, mowing through Narita, Tanahashi, Yota, Sabre, and KENTA to take back the lead! Suffering another surprise defeat at Jeff Cobb’s hands after multiple failed attempts from the Hawaiian Hulk to best him, it opens the door for a returning JAY WHITE to spoil his final night, wrecking Naito’s legs with a ladder, allowing Zack to advance on 14 points! As for B Block, a draw between Will Ospreay and Kazuchika Okada on the final night puts the Commonwealth Kingpin through, the rivals meeting one more time! Other key underlying stories see Shibata finally beating Okada, Ospreay avenging his Takagi loss, PAC beating his fellow LIJ members but losing to SANADA, and KONGOH causing ruckus throughout the competition. G1 Climax 34 Finals (August 19, 2024) Also on the show: Jay Whitevs BUSHI Will Ospreayvs Zack Sabre Jr. - G1 Climax Briefcase Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi, PAC, Hiromu Takahashi, Titan) vs KONGOH (KENOH, Manabu Soya, Masakatsu Funaki, Hi69, Shuji Kondo) Perhaps the focal reason for Naito not making the Finals, KONGOH’s tournament chicanery, as led by KENOH, was a masterfully crafted plan. After losing to Tetsuya in last year’s LIJ vs KONGOH series at Wrestle Kingdom 17, the thought of ruining the Stardust Genius for vengeance never left the Rogue Fist’s mind, and with his win over Tetsuya in the G1, their score is now 1-1. Reigniting the intense rivalry between the two stables, they have an upgraded rematch to their Wrestle Kingdom 16 5-on-5, both sides having greatly changed since then. Once again, PAC’s especially adamant to claim the spotlight, the loss to SANADA making him temperamental despite having the 2nd best LIJ record in this year’s tournament. An argument breaking out between PAC and Shingo as to who should get the pin is put on ice by Naito, though it doesn’t keep Titan from eating a nasty PFS from KENOH, handing the invaders the win! KONGOH def. Los Ingobernables de Japon (19:57) Redeeming WK16, KENOH offers the angriest of satisfied smiles, the group cackling as they gesture belts around their waists, warning that their business isn’t yet over. LIJ left behind, there’s a sour mood in the air from the loss, though when Shingo offers a fist in apology, PAC, taking a look at a nodding Naito, ultimately returns one, showing that despite popular belief, LIJ’s still fine. Splitting off for Shingo and co. to gear up for KONGOH’s second wave whilst Naito and PAC are scheduled for AEW’s ALL IN supershow, this time taking place in Tetsuya’s home of the Tokyo Dome, both men are set for defences on the show. In PAC’s case, it’s a rematch against J6G’s SANADA, the Bastard adamant to gain Naito’s favour by beating the traitor. As for Naito, he has Jay on his tail! Until the recent G1, White refused to show his face on any sort of NJPW programming (including Forbidden Door) since being embarrassed at Okada’s hands and having his faction torn to shreds. Leaving Japan to join AEW, no longer having connections to hide behind nor help him, he was forced to be the lone wolf for once, becoming even more merciless, knowing he’s all he has. After spreading chaos abroad, most recently coming up short in the AEW World Championship picture, trauma from his Okada loss clinging onto him anytime the stakes are raised too high again, he decided it was time to return to his roots to clear his head and eliminate any shred of weakness left in his body so that he can claim the top prize again, and there’s no better place to do so than the building his title was taken from him – the Tokyo Dome. The last time he faced Naito in the Tokyo Dome, he had Gedo by his side, yet still lost. Now though, he declares if he’s to have this match, he wants a compensatory factor. A means of looking out for himself, like Naito has LIJ. He’s already beaten Tetsuya thrice in singles competition, knowing he’s the better wrestler, so this time… HE WANTS A LADDER MATCH!!! Japan’s become more and more geared to the Western market, the culture shifting from traditions, so unless he’s a snob like Okada, he'll embrace the new vision and accept the challenge. Jay using the perfect words to get under Tetsuya’s skin, he accepts, looking to tear down the foundations of the Rainmaker’s regime with his reign, starting with this! RevProxNJPW 12th Anniversary Show (August 24, 2024) Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito & PAC) vs The Knight Dynasty (Ricky Knight Jr. & Zak Knight) The night before ALL IN features a special RevPro crossover event with their partners, NJPW, the 12th Anniversary being celebrated in Japan. Naturally, Naito tags with the most RevPro familiar member of LIJ, PAC, the two champions battling the celebrated Knight Dynasty, who are considered the present and future of the promotion! What begins as a fun exhibition sees more of the differences between PAC and Naito come to light, the hot-headedness of the Bastard and the collectedness of El Ingobernable wanting different things out of the match, yet still managing to remain reasonably on the same page. A close call on a 619 from Ricky sees Naito shove PAC out the way in the nick of time, absorbing the blow himself, though without acknowledging it, PAC springs to action, a Black Arrow on Zak scoring the victory! Los Ingobernables de Japon def. The Knight Dynasty (13:10) As the referee approaches LIJ with their titles, PAC’s quick to receive both, Naito only recovering just in time to find the Bastard lingering for a moment as he looks between the pieces of gold, before finally handing Tetsuya’s over him and walking off, leaving the leader confused yet unconcerned. ALL IN Tokyo (August 25, 2024) Also on the show: PAC (c) vsSANADA- IWGP United States Championship The Lucha Brothers (c)vs Golden Lovers - IWGP Tag Team Championship Tetsuya Naito (c) vs Jay White V - IWGP World Heavyweight Championship - Ladder Stepping into the mastermind of the Switchblade, White baits Naito to play his game, the long-time rivals settling their score over a belt they both have history with. With no Gedo around, Jay’s focus is to demolish Naito’s already tattered knees with the ladder like he did to cost Tetsuya the G1, slowing down each climbing attempt bit by bit. Given the two’s creativity, it’s a sick warfare of increasingly dangerous spots, Naito taking Jay with him to neck bump city, White cruelly massacring Tetsuya’s body with reckless abandon. White’s notably more in his element here, letting the Tokyo Dome atmosphere heal him whilst hurting Naito. A HANGING BLADE RUNNER cuts a Stardust Press attempt short, the magic only lasting once, but a ladder bridge CANADIAN DESTROYER buys Naito some momentum back! Ultimately, a war atop the ladder sees Naito boot Jay off, allowing him to unhook the gold to retain! Tetsuya Naito (c) def. Jay White V to retain the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship (25:30) Though Naito walks out with his belt, PAC doesn’t, making the Bastard’s issues all the more prominent, taking more frequent looks over at Tetsuya’s gold, which begs the question – was there more to PAC joining LIJ than originally thought? Still, he wishes Naito good luck for Wrestle Grand Slam, telling him he wants to see the belt on him when they go England. But for now, the end of his trilogy against KENOH awaits! Wrestle Grand Slam (September 8, 2024) Also on the show: Hiromu Takahashi (c) vsKUSHIDA- NJPW World Television Championship El Desperado (c) vsKatsuyori Shibata- NEVER Openweight Championship Los Ingobernables de Japon (Shingo Takagi, Yota Tsuji, Titan) (c) vsKONGOH (Manabu Soya, Masakatsu Funaki, Shuji Kondo)- NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship Tetsuya Naito (c) vs KENOH III - IWGP World Heavyweight Championship For over two years, the rivalry between LIJ and KONGOH has slowly simmered to this boiling point, coming down to the leaders now to settle their 1-1 score over NJPW’s top title! With the 6-Man Titles changing hands earlier in the night, Naito must put his 200% into assuring the same doesn’t occur here, or it’ll be disaster on New Japan’s waterfront. As two men that could not be more opposite collide, it’s an intense war over the company’s possession, everyone from fans to wrestlers on the edge of their seats as the last of the NOAH invaders try to leave their mark. KENOH shows nothing but hatred towards Naito for ruining his past chances, whilst Tetsuya savours his every moment in the Sun, having slaved away to hold this belt. A PFS almost does Naito in, whilst the DESTINO does the same for KENOH! Ragdolling the older star with Dragon Suplexes, KENOH sets up for the ENRIN… BUT IN HIS STARDUST PRESS MOMENT, HE MISSES!!! DESTINOOOOOOOOOO!!! ONE! TWO! THREE!!! New Japan remains safe in the hands of Naito! Tetsuya Naito (c) def. KENOH to retain the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship (28:33) Offering a handshake to KENOH out of respect for their series… the Rogue Fist declines it, though from the look in his fiery eyes, an inkling of acknowledgement is there for Tetsuya. Telling Naito to keep the belt warm for him, he declares he’ll be back sometime again, and when that happens, he’s going to usurp Naito once and for all! And as they leave with their 50/50 successes, it’s back to LIJ to end the show on their usual note… except, PAC interrupts the tradition. He’s confused, no, he’s incredulous. What are they celebrating here? Failure? Or are they calling it ‘survival’? Is no one going to point out the elephant in the room? Just two months ago they were on top of the world, all draped in gold, but now they’re left with just Naito and the Lucha Bros’s gold. And yet, they’re celebrating? He’s been out here losing sleep over his missing US Title! If they wish to continue to be taken seriously, they need to act the part. Luckily… he has a solution. They say iron sharpens iron, so rather than fighting these large-scale wars outside their stable… why not have a ‘friendly’ within? Naito has the title and an incredible row of suitors before him, so he should pick one to defend against! Tetsuya seems perturbed by the idea knowing what almost happened the last time LIJ fought within, but as PAC insists, even pointing out how he’s the only one with a clean record over Naito… Tetsuya turns to him and raises the title! If such claims are going to be made, they need to be backed up too! Challenging PAC with his title on the line, a grinning Bastard accepts, bumping his fist! Burning Spirit - Night Seven (September 25, 2024) Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi, Hiromu Takahashi) vs Death Triangle (PAC & The Lucha Brothers) Slyly manoeuvring his way into the title rematch he’s desired ever since getting a taste of the gold against Shingo last year, this is more so PAC’s chance to prove himself over the statement he’s seeming to be making. Nonetheless, with various combinations of LIJ facing Death Triangle over the Burning Spirit tour, they supposedly rely on each other to improve their own skill, these 6 especially drawing the very best out of each other. Working more seamlessly with DT than he had LIJ as of late, the freakish chemistry between the AEW lads has a Fear FactoDouble Stomp/Black Arrow combo end Hiromu, PAC grinning as he stares down Naito, the challenge growing closer by day… Death Triangle def. Los Ingobernables de Japon (18:24) Giving a brief interview heading into the match at Royal Quest, Naito states that he can’t be certain on what PAC’s intentions are, but all he knows is that no matter what, LIJ sticks together. If this match is what PAC needs for his peace of mind, then it’s all his. All he can hope is the Bastard has the same idea of family in mind. Royal Quest IV - Night Two (October 6, 2024) Also on the show: The Lucha Brothers (c) vsUnited Empire (Jeff Cobb & Great-O-Khan)- IWGP Tag Team Championship Will Ospreay (c) vsKazuchika Okada- G1 Climax Briefcase Tetsuya Naito (c) vs PAC II - IWGP World Heavyweight Championship The relationship between LIJ and PAC has developed into one of the more intriguing dynamics this year, raising a multitude of questions, but now, the true light of it all will be revealed. Whether it’s friendly fire or another coup, Naito’s ready for whatever PAC may happen to have up his sleeve, whilst the Bastard lets his actions do the talking. For once, it’s an utterly no-nonsense showdown between Los members, Tetsuya taking the threat of PAC very seriously, the Jordie clearly driven to make the grand prize his. And as the match rolls on, Naito starts to see parts of himself in PAC with each cheer or cry from his home crowd. Just like Naito, he’s the incredibly-talented misfit who was overlooked, but unlike a young Naito, PAC doesn’t realise he has the world on his side already despite his quirks. Whilst Naito had to suffer through his changes, PAC’s a made man, and with each near-fall, the crowd see it too, becoming more and more invested in him! On the cusp of his crowning moment, PAC shows no hesitation unlike the Stardust Press, NAILING THE BLACK ARROW!!! ONE! TWO! THR-BUT NAITO KICKS OUT!!! PAC may have ‘it’, but Naito’s operating on an entirely different level as World Champion, and no matter what PAC may have thrown at him, it’s not his moment just yet. DESTINOOOOOOOO!!! ONE! TWO! THREE!!! Tetsuya Naito (c) def. PAC to retain the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship (30:11) Maybe a different day. Both men propped in opposite corners of the ring, they suck deep for breaths, PAC only taking his eyes off Naito when he spots the title bring brought over to him. That should’ve been his. He should’ve been champion right now, but… he starts tuning in the crowd again. A standing ovation for the hometown boy. Though he may not hold the title right now, he’s still a champion in their eyes… Solace. Always overlooked, all he needed was approval. And now more than ever, he feels he has it. Noticing PAC’s realisation, Naito grins and nods to him, the two bumping fists together, no sour ending on this one. At least, not between LIJ… OKADA’S HERE!!! After shockingly beating Ospreay for his G1 briefcase earlier in the night, the Rainmaker has his sights on the Tokyo Dome main event, and if things are to be believed, it may be Naito defending against Kazuchika on the grand stage! The long-time WK rivals locking eyes, there’s a different atmosphere between the Ace and the Dark Ace now. No longer does Okada look upon Naito condescendingly, but with disgust. Though he failed to beat Shingo earlier in the night, Kazuchika’s been vocal all year about the damage he feels LIJ have caused the company. Where he did everything to purify the promotion with his reign, beating away outsiders, Naito did the exact opposite, bringing them further into their ranks and breaking tradition with a ladder match. With this briefcase in his hand though, he has the power to change that… but so does he. OSPREAY JOINS IN!!! The man who lost his case earlier in front of his own family, he can’t even look the smug Okada in the eyes. Rather, turning to Naito, he declares his desire to return to WK’s main event to not be over just yet! Against better judgement, he gave Shingo a shot at this title last year and it cost him everything. All he asks is Naito returns the favour! Smirking, Tetsuya tells him ‘earn it’, WK’s main event scene growing all the more interesting! Battle Autumn - Night Five (October 15, 2024) Elimination: Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi, Death Triangle) vs United Empire (Will Ospreay, Jeff Cobb, Great-O-Khan, Aussie Open) Desperation drives a man to his darkest pits, and Ospreay is very much there. Banding his troops together one year on since the last LIJ/UE tag of this magnitude, the ante’s upped even higher now, needing to survive an elimination match to receive the match of his desires. Both stables going to war here, all their integrated rivalries of the past years come to a head, the one between Ospreay and Naito lying at the centre of it all. UE get a tough break to start with when Great-O-Khan hits the deck early, Mark Davis following, though a comeback removes the Lucha Bros from the equation! Cobb goes next, before Ospreay takes out PAC, a double countout subsequently removing the leaders from the equation! Boiling down to Shingo and Kyle, the Aussie Arrow pulls out the underdog performance of his life, channelling all of Ospreay’s moves before a GRIMSTONE ELIMINATES SHINGO! OSPREAY’S HEADED TO KOPW!!! Raising Fletcher onto their shoulders, it’s a grand celebration from UE, Will receiving one last lease on life! As for Naito, he can only stand and wait, a final challenge paved in his path to the Dome. United Empire def. Los Ingobernables de Japon (25:33) King of Pro-Wrestling (October 27, 2024) Also on the show: KUSHIDA (c) vsTaiji Ishimori- NJPW World Television Championship Sabre-Gun (Blake Christian & Clark Connors) (c)vs Catch 22 - IWGP Junior Tag Team Championship Kazuchika Okada (c)vs Katsuyori Shibata - G1 Climax Briefcase Tetsuya Naito (c) vs Will Ospreay IV - IWGP World Heavyweight Championship One year ago, Ospreay’s overzealousness cost him the chance to main event Wrestle Kingdom with the World Title, but now, as it all comes full circle, it’s official, the winner of this match defending against Okada! With that in mind, both men are equally ravenous to make the grand opportunity theirs! Their fourth match together, it’s rife with callbacks, Naito especially making sure to remind Will of the way he beat him in last year’s A Block Finals to get in his head. To Tetsuya’s surprise though, this matured Ospreay is impervious to his strategies! No matter what the champion throws, the challenger always has an answer, their see-saw saga featuring plenty of nail-biting near-falls that could send either man through, but it’s a TRIAD OF HIDDEN BLADES that ultimately calls it, Ospreay finally reclaiming his throne, a date with destiny set in stone! Will Ospreay def. Tetsuya Naito (c) to win the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship (35:38) Before WK though, Power Struggle is on the calendar! Featuring the likes of Death Triangle dethroning KONGOH for the NEVER belts for PAC to fully find his place in LIJ, Ren Narita dethroning Katsuyori Shibata for the NEVER Openweight Title, and Shingo Takagi taking the US Title from SANADA, it also sees Ospreay team with Catch 22 against Okada and the two men who ended Francesco Akira and TJP’s legendary reign, SHO & Taiji Ishimori, with UE scoring the vengeful win! And on the final Road To Tokyo Dome special, Ospreay finds a surprising ally in Shibata against Okada and Tanahashi in a HUGE blockbuster tag, CHAOS getting their win back here as Shibata keeps chasing down a rematch with Tana! Wrestle Kingdom 19 (January 4, 2025) Also on the show: Sabre-Gun (Blake Christian & Clark Connors) (c) vsLi-YOH- IWGP Junior Tag Team Championship United Empire (Jeff Cobb & Great-O-Khan) (c) vsCHAOS (Shota Umino & Yuya Uemura)- IWGP Tag Team Championship SHO (c) vsFrancesco Akira- IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship Ren Narita (c)vs Tomohiro Ishii - NEVER Openweight Championship Shingo Takagi (c)vs Katsuhiko Nakajima - IWGP United States Championship Minoru Suzuki vsTaichi- Retirement Hiroshi Tanahashi vsKatsuyori Shibata Will Ospreay (c) vs Kazuchika Okada XII - IWGP World Heavyweight Championship Finally, this is what it’s all led to. A story set in motion from the very first moment Ospreay set foot in NJPW under Okada’s guidance in CHAOS 9 years ago. Fighting through loss after loss after loss, he finally achieved his clean win over Okada last year to reclaim his World Championship, but now, he must accomplish an even greater task – beat the Final Boss in the Tokyo Dome itself! Failing on both occasions against Okada on NJPW’s biggest stage akin to Okada’s own chase of Tanahashi, it’s his Wrestle Kingdom 10 moment now as he walks into the Dome as the reigning champion, with the Ace as the challenger! Win and he’s immortalised in history. Lose and Okada resets the company’s entire trajectory. High stakes weighing on Will’s shoulders, it’s time to elevate under pressure! Entering with WK level entrances to boot, Okada dripping sheer gold, and Ospreay with an entire kingdom of suited individuals accompanying him, they get underway as the bell sounds! And for the first time, it’s Ospreay controlling the opening sequence with the Tanahashi-style headlock! Big brothering Okada, he doesn’t let the Rainmaker out the gates in his own ballpark for a few minutes straight… BEFORE WILL EXPLODES FOR A HANDSPRING ENZUIGIRI! Okada dodges, going for a GERMAN, but Will flips through, nailing the HOOK KICK, an OSCUTTER coming up empty, Kazu swinging for a ducked RAINMAKER, and it’s a stalemate! Trading forearms, a Lariat dumps Okada out, Ospreay running Kazu’s routine of the guardrail whip and Big Boot, a RUNNING CROSSBODY EATING A DROPKICK! Nailing a TOMBSTONE on the floor, Okada sets up a table at ringside before rolling Ospreay in, the MISSILE DROPKICK and AIR-RAID CRASH NECKBREAKER harping on the neck! ONE! TWO! THR-KICK OUT! Wrenching the MONEY CLIP, it doesn’t get him far, a BRAINBUSTER catching Okada by surprise! SHOOTING STAR PRESS! ONE! TWO! THR-NO DICE! A PIP PIP CHEERIO eats a BEAUTIFUL DROPKICK, before Okada whips Ospreay at the corner, only for Will to pop him up onto the turnbuckles, slamming Kawada Kicks into his face! CHEEKY NANDOS! Ospreay tries for a LIGER BOMB through the outside table, but Okada drops to the apron! Will charges for a Yakuza Kick, but a LANDSLIDE BLOCKS!!! ONE! TWO! THR-OSPREAY STAYS IN!!! Hammering the neck, Okada lunges for a RAINMAKER, though a SNAP CUTTER blocks! ROBINSON SPECIAL! Will winds up the CHELSEA GRIN, but it receives a slap and a JOHN WOO DROPKICK! A pair of Short-Arm Rainmakers ricochet off Ospreay, but a Rainmaker is feigned for a DDT! DIVING ELBOW DROP!!! ONE! TWO! THR-WILL KICKS OUT AGAIN!!! A TOMBSTONE is countered by knees, Ospreay whipping Okada at the ropes, Kazu countering a BACK BODY DROP OVER THE ROPES!!! Will narrowly missing the table, Okada follows with a TOPE CON HILO… BUT OSPREAY MOVES OUT THE WAY, THE RAINMAKER EXPLODING THROUGH THE WOOD!!! Shoving Okada’s lifeless body inside, Ospreay sets up a HIDDEN BLADE!!! ONE! TWO! THR-NOOOOOOOOO!!! A STORM BREAKER is blocked, Okada nailing a sick CORNER GERMAN! Dropkick rocks Will, before the TOMBSTONE connects! RAINMAKER’s dodged, Ospreay rebounding into an OSCUTTER- DROPKICK!!! AND A RAINMAKERRRRRRRRRRRRR!!! ONE! TWO! THR-NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! Okada keeps the wrist, going for seconds… OSPREAY NAILS A RAINMAKER OF HIS OWN!!! Wrist still held, Will nails close-range elbows to the neck, before winding up another HIDDEN BLADE- HEAVY RAIN!!! OKADA NAILS HIS OWN HIDDEN BLADE!!! Teasing the STORM BREAKER, Ospreay spins out, dumping Kazu with a LANDSLIDE!!! AND A HIDDEN BLADE… Okada collapses! As Will tries picking him up, a DROPKICK awaits! ANOTHER DROPKICK! AZTEC SUPLEX – A LA ULTIMO DRAGON!!! ONE! TWO! THR-KICK OUT!!! Okada decks Ospreay with a RAINMAKER, but Will doesn’t go down fully, Kazu nailing a SECOND! Going for the Ripcord this time… RAINHAM MAKER!!! ONE! TWO! THR-OKADA KICKS OUT!!! ESSEX DESTROYER!!! ONE! TWO! THR-ANOTHER KICK OUT!!! Cracking a HIDDEN BLADE off Okada’s nose, an OSCUTTER follows, before he floats into a STORM BREAKER- FALLING RAINMAKERRRRRRR!!! ONE! TWO! THR-NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! Okada smelling blood, he tries for another, AND A HIDDEN BLADE CONNECTS AT THE SAME TIME!!! Keeping hold, the two knock each other loopy with one free arm… OSCUTTER’S CAUGHT WITH A TOMBSTONE!!! Okada picks him back up, going for a SPINNING TOMBSTONE- OSPREAY REVERSES INTO A SPIKE PILEDRIVER!!! Ripcord… HIDDEN BLADE!!! AND A STORM BREAKER!!! Hoisting him up for one more… A SECOND STORM BREAKERRRRRRRRRRR!!! ONE! TWO! THREE!!! Will Ospreay (c) def. Kazuchika Okada to retain the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship (40:51) HE’S DONE IT! OSPREAY’S FINALLY SURPASSED THE ACE ON HIS OWN STAGE! No longer is Okada himself anymore, but rather the Tanahashi to Ospreay’s Okada, the cycle continuing. And like his counterpart 9 years ago, Kazu leaves as empty-handed as he walked in for the first time in a decade, the times officially changing! And as sunlight washes over the Land of the Rising Sun, a new dawn is revealed. The dawn of the Ospreay Era. Epilogue Heading into 2025, NJPW is rife with changes, seeing more of the once Young Lion names step up as the likes of Tanahashi and Naito begin to slow down. CHAOS features a massive shakeup the following night as Shinsuke Nakamura returns, kickstarting his road to retirement, having been vocal in his interest of facing Tanahashi, proceeding to feud with Okada over his failures. As for Ospreay, his reign runs until Sakura Genesis, where one NJC Winner Katsuyori Shibata finally dethrones him 8 years on from his loss to Okada, though Will’s time with the title is far from over yet, remaining an integral part of the picture alongside ZSJ, Shingo, and more.
2023.05.27 11:47 MiaMiam1234I am glad this sub exists, and at the same time I don't like it (R&D engineer)
Finding good data about salaries in Belgium is very difficult. I am glad this sub exists since it allows us to have real data about the salary expectations we can have for our different role. But at the same time, I don't like it because we can see how different salaries can be with sectors, people and experience. Sometimes it is hurtful to see people being low balled by their employer while they have several diplomas, and on the other hand to see people with little education doing great with low-responsability jobs, while in the middle, some are working very difficult jobs and are paid pennies for the amount of work they do. This is not a critic. It is just a remark that salaries in Belgium are difficult to handle and if you don't fight for it, you will be scammed. This happened to me. My first salary was quite low for my degree (3100€ gross) and the same position I have right now. I had to do two job hops to get where I am. I hope that the new EU policy on wage transparency will refrain employer to try to scam young employees Here is my contribution: 1. PERSONALIA
Age: 31
Education: Master degree and PhD
Work Experience : 3 years since PhD graduation/ 7 years including the 4 years of PhD studies
Civil status: Married (with income)
Dependent children (Kinderen ten laste/enfants à charge): none
**2. TYPE OF CONTRACT
Current job title/description: R&D Engineer
(Ancienniteit/Anciennité): in my rank: 3yrs (yes I did 2 job hops in this time)
Official hours/week : 40 Real hours/week
SectoIndustry: Aerospace industry
3. WAGE CONDITIONS)
Gross wage (brut): 5300 €
Net wage (incl. net fees): 3250€
13th month (full? partial?): Full
Mobile phone? Laptop?: Both
Meal vouchers: 8€ for each day
Ecocheques: 250€/year
Group Insurance (% part employer): yes, 10%
Hospitalisation Insurance: yes including partner and children
Other advantages (bonus, 14th month, stocks...):
14th month (92% of a full month)
Telework allowance : 30€/month net (included in net wage)
representation allowances: 120€/month net (included in net wage)
company car
fuel card
4. MOBILITY
City/region of work: Louvain-la-Neuve
Distance home-work (km's): 90 km
Distance home-work (time): 1h
Do you need your own car?: no
How is the travel home-work compensated:
Company ca-bike (what's the budget, do you have fuel card?): Company car (leasing value of about 550€/month) and fuel car (400€ a month)
5. OTHER CONDITIONS
Amount of official holidays: 32 Holidays
(ADV, RTT) : 12
Other extra holidays: none
How easy can you plan a day off: depend on my personal schedule, but easily if it’s planned in advance.
Shiftwork or daytime job? Daytime
Flexible working hours: yes
Amount of stress (standby for troubles at work)?: Can be quite high. Projects are top notch technology development. Sometimes they are Secrets (military) and lots of money are involved. Managing time and resources is a critical factor.
How often does overtime happens: they are crunch periods when you have to finish a project for the client that can make you work during nights. These are NOT compensated.
Education possibilities: a lot internally
Teleworking (besides corona-period): max 3 days a week if the agenda allows it
2023.05.27 04:48 mostreliablebottleIf Best Picture was decided by Critics Polls (1940-2021)
Roughly 7 years ago u/TheGreatZiegfeld did an experiment of a post to determine what the best films of each year would be from 1940 to 2011 (before the 2012 S&S polls). With the recently updated TSPDT and the 2022 S&S list, I decided to do the same from 1940 to 2021 regarding what critics thought were the best of each year. Keep in mind this is all from a critics' poll, not from one specific critic's list. Also no short films or miniseries (meaning no Twin Peaks or Meshes of the Afternoon), as well as those from 2022 and beyond because of the last S&S poll. With all that in mind, let's begin. 1940 Winner: His Girl Friday (Howard Hawks) Other nominees: The Great Dictator (Charlie Chaplin), The Grapes of Wrath (John Ford), The Shop Around The Corner (Ernst Lubitsch), The Philadelphia Story (George Cukor) 1941 Winner: Citizen Kane (Orson Welles) Other nominees: The Lady Eve (Preston Sturges), Sullivan's Travels (Preston Sturges), The Maltese Falcon (John Houston), How Green Was My Valley (John Ford) 1942 Winner: Casablanca (Michael Curtiz) Other nominees: The Magnificent Ambersons (Orson Welles), To Be Or Not To Be (Ernst Lubitsch), The Palm Springs Story (Preston Sturges), Cat People (Jacques Tourneur) 1943 Winner: The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (Powell and Pressburger) Other nominees: Day of Wrath (Carl Theodor Dreyer), Shadow of a Doubt (Alfred Hitchcock), I Walked with a Zombie (Jacques Tourneur), Ossessione (Luchino Visconti) 1944 Winner: Double Indemnity (Billy Wilder) Other nominees: Ivan the Terrible, Part I (Sergei Eisenstein), Meet Me in St. Louis (Vincente Minnelli), A Canterbury Tale (Powell and Pressburger), To Have and Have Not (Howard Hawks) 1945 Winner: Children of Paradise (Marcel Carné) Other nominees: Rome, Open City (Roberto Rossellini), Brief Encounter (David Lean), I Know Where I'm Going (Powell and Pressburger) Les Dames du bois de Boulogne (Robert Bresson) 1946 Winner: It's a Wonderful Life (Frank Capra) Other nominees: A Matter of Life and Death (Powell and Pressburger), Notorious (Alfred Hitchcock), My Darling Clementine (John Ford), Paisan (Roberto Rossellini) 1947 Winner: Black Narcissus (Powell and Pressburger) Other nominees: Out of the Past (Jacques Tourneur), Monsieur Verdoux (Charlie Chaplin), The Lady from Shanghai (Orson Welles), The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (Joseph L. Mankiewicz) 1948 Winner: Bicycle Thieves (Vittorio De Sica) Other nominees: The Red Shoes (Powell and Pressburger), Letters from an Unknown Woman (Max Ophüls), Spring in a Small Town (Mu Fei), Germany Year Zero (Roberto Rossellini) 1949 Winner: The Third Man (Carol Reed) Other nominees: Late Spring (Yasujirō Ozu), Kind Hearts and Coronets (Robert Hamer), She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (John Ford), White Heat (Raoul Walsh) 1950 Winner Rashomon (Akira Kurosawa) Other nominees; Sunset Boulevard (Billy Wilder), All About Eve (Joseph L. Mankiewicz), Los Olvidados (Luis Buñuel), In a Lonely Place (Nicholas Ray) 1951 Winner: The River (Jean Renoir) Other nominees: Diary of a Country Priest (Robert Bresson), Miracle in Milan (Vittorio De Sica), Early Summer (Yasujirō Ozu), Strangers on a Train (Alfred Hitchcock) 1952 Winner: Singin' in the Rain (Stanley Donen, Gene Kelly) Other nominees: Ikiru (Akira Kurosawa), Umberto D. (Vittorio De Sica), The Life of Oharu (Kenji Mizoguchi), The Quiet Man (John Ford) 1953 Winner: Tokyo Story (Yasujirō Ozu) Other nominees: Ugetsu (Kenji Mizoguchi), The Earrings of Madame de (Max Ophüls), The Band Wagon (Vincente Minnelli), Monsieur Hulot's Holiday (Jacques Tati) 1954 Winner: Seven Samurai (Akira Kurosawa) Other nominees: Rear Window (Alfred Hitchcock), Journey to Italy (Roberto Rossellini), La Strada (Federico Fellini), Sansho the Bailiff (Kenji Mizoguchi) 1955 Winner: Ordet (Carl Theodor Dreyer) Other nominees: The Night of the Hunter (Charles Laughton), Pather Panchali (Satyajit Ray), All That Heaven Allows (Douglas Kirk), Floating Clouds (Mikio Naruse) 1956 Winner: The Searchers (John Ford) Other nominees: A Man Escaped (Robert Bresson), Written on the Wind (Douglas Sirk), Aparajito (Satyajit Ray), Bigger Than Life (Nicholas Ray) 1957 Winner: Wild Strawberries (Ingmar Bergman) Other nominees: The Seventh Seal (Ingmar Bergman), Nights of Cabiria (Federico Fellini), Throne of Blood (Akira Kurosawa), Sweet Smell of Success (Alexander Mackendrick) 1958 Winner Vertigo (Alfred Hitchcock) Other nominees: Touch of Evil (Orson Welles), Ashes and Diamonds (Andrzej Wajda), Ivan the Terrible, Part II (Sergei Eisenstein), The Music Room (Satyajit Ray) 1959 Winner: The 400 Blows (François Truffaut) Other nominees: Some Like It Hot (Billy Wilder), North by Northwest (Alfred Hitchcock), Rio Bravo (Howard Hawks), Pickpocket (Robert Bresson) 1960 Winner: Breathless (Jean-Luc Godard) Other nominees: Psycho (Alfred Hitchcock), La Dolce Vita (Federico Fellini), L'Avventura (Michelangelo Antonioni), The Apartment (Billy Wilder) 1961 Winner: Viridiana (Luis Buñuel) Other nominees: Last Year at Marienbad (Alain Resnais), La Notte (Michelangelo Antonioni), West Side Story (Robert Wise, Jerome Robbins), Yojimbo (Akira Kurosawa) 1962 Winner: Lawrence of Arabia (David Lean) Other nominees: The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (John Ford), Jules and Jim (François Truffaut), Cléo from 5 to 7 (Agnes Varda), L'Eclisse (Michelangelo Antonioni) 1963 Winner 8 1/2 (Federico Fellini) Other nominees: Le Mepris (Jean-Luc Godard), The Leopard (Luchino Visconti), The Birds (Alfred Hitchcock), The Executioner (Luis García Berlanga) 1964 Winner: Dr. Strangelove (Stanley Kubrick) Other nominees: Gertrud (Carl Theodor Dreyer), The Gospel According to St. Matthew (Pier Paolo Pasolini), The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (Jacques Demy), Black God, White Devil (Glauber Rocha) 1965 Winner: Pierrot Le Fou (Jean-Luc Godard) Other nominees: Chimes at Midnight (Orson Welles), Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors (Sergei Parajanov), Le Bonheur (Agnes Varda), Doctor Zhivago (David Lean) 1966 Winner: Persona (Ingmar Bergman) Other nominees: Andrei Rublev (Andrei Tarkovsky), Au Hasard Balthazar (Robert Bresson), The Battle of Algiers (Gillo Pontecorvo), Blow-Up (Michelangelo Antonioni) 1967 Winner: Playtime (Jacques Tati) Other nominees: Mouchette (Robert Bresson), Le Samouraï (Jean-Pierre Melville), Belle de Jour (Luis Buñuel), The Graduate (Mike Nichols) 1968 Winner: 2001: A Space Odyssey (Stanley Kubrick) Other nominees: Once Upon a Time in the West (Sergio Leone), Rosemary's Baby (Roman Polanski), Memories of Underdevelopment (Tomás Gutiérrez Alea), Faces (John Cassavetes) 1969 Winner: The Wild Bunch (Sam Peckinpah) Other nominees: The Color of Pomegranates (Sergei Parajanov), Kes (Ken Loach), My Night at Maud's (Eric Rohmer), Army of Shadows (Jean-Pierre Melville) 1970 Winner: The Conformist (Bernado Bertolucci) Other nominees: Wanda (Barbara Loden), Performance (Nicholas Roeg), Husbands (John Cassavetes), Tristana (Luis Buñuel) 1971 Winner: A Clockwork Orange (Stanley Kubrick) Other nominees: Death in Venice (Luchino Visconti), McCabe & Mrs. Miller (Robert Altman), A Touch of Zen (King Hu), Out 1 (Jacques Rivette) 1972 Winner: The Godfather (Francis Ford Coppola) Other nominees: Aguirre, the Wrath of God (Werner Herzog), Cries and Whispers (Ingmar Bergman), The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (Luis Buñuel), Solaris (Andrei Tarkovsky) 1973 Winner: Amarcord (Federico Fellini) Other nominees: The Mother and the Whore (Jean Eustache), The Spirit of the Beehive (Victor Erice), Don't Look Now (Nicholas Roeg), Badlands (Terrence Malick) 1974 Winner: The Godfather: Part II (Francis Ford Coppola) Other nominees: Chinatown (Roman Polanski), A Woman Under the Influence (John Cassavetes), Ali: Fear Eats the Soul (Rainer Werner Fassbinder), Celine and Julie Go Boating (Jacques Rivette) 1975 Winner: Jeanne Dielman (Chantal Akerman) Other nominees: Mirror (Andrei Tarkovsky), Barry Lyndon (Stanley Kubrick), Nashville (Robert Altman), Jaws (Steven Spielberg) 1976 Winner: Taxi Driver (Martin Scorsese) Other nominees: News from Home (Chantal Akerman), Kings of the Road (Wim Wenders), In the Realm of Senses (Nagisa Oshima), The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (John Cassavetes) 1977 Winner: Annie Hall (Woody Allen) Other nominees: Star Wars (George Lucas), Close Encounter of the Third Kind (Steven Spielberg), Eraserhead (David Lynch), The Ascent (Larisa Shepitko) 1978 Winner: Killer of Sheep (Charles Burnett) Other nominees: Days of Heaven (Terrence Malick), The Deer Hunter (Michael Cimino), The Tree of Wooden Clogs (Ermanno Olmi), In a Year with 13 Moons (Rainer Werner Fassbinder) 1979 Winner: Apocalypse Now (Francis Ford Coppola) Other nominees: Stalker (Andrei Tarkovsky), Alien (Ridley Scott), Manhattan (Woody Allen), All That Jazz (Bob Fosse) 1980 Winner: Raging Bull (Martin Scorsese) Other nominees: The Shining (Stanley Kubrick), The Empire Strike Back (Irvin Kershner), Heaven's Gate (Michael Cimino), The Elephant Man (David Lynch) 1981 Winner: Raiders of the Lost Ark (Steven Spielberg) Other nominees: Possession (Andrzej Żuławski), Blow Out (Brian de Palma), Mad Max 2 (George Miller), An American Werewolf in London (John Landis) 1982 Winner: Blade Runner (Ridley Scott) Other nominees: Fanny and Alexander (Ingmar Bergman), E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (Steven Spielberg), The Thing (John Carpenter), The King of Comedy (Martin Scorsese) 1983 Winner: Sans Soleil (Chris Marker) Other nominees: L'Argent (Robert Bresson), Videodrome (David Cronenberg), Nostalgia (Andrei Tarkovsky), A Nos Amours (Maurice Pialat) 1984 Winner: Once Upon a Time in America (Sergio Leone) Other nominees: Paris, Texas (Wim Wenders), Love Streams (John Cassavetes), Amadeus (Milos Forman), Stranger Than Paradise (Jim Jarmusch) 1985 Winner: Shoah (Claude Lanzmann) Other nominees: Come and See (Elem Klimov), Ran (Akira Kurosawa), Vagabond (Agnes Varda), Brazil (Terry Gilliam) 1986 Winner: Blue Velvet (David Lynch) Other nominees: The Green Ray (Eric Rohmer), The Sacrifice (Andrei Tarkovsky), Aliens (James Cameron), Hannah and Her Sisters (Woody Allen) 1987 Winner: Wings of Desire (Wim Wenders) Other nominees: Where is the Friend's House (Abbas Kiarostami), The Dead (John Huston), Withnail and I (Bruce Robinson), Yeelen (Souleymanne Cisse) 1988 Winner: My Neighbor Totoro (Hayao Miyazaki) Other nominees: Cinema Paradiso (Giuseppe Tornatore), Distant Voices, Still Lives (Terence Davies), The Thin Blue Line (Errol Morris), Grave of the Fireflies (Isao Takahata) 1989 Winner: Do the Right Thing (Spike Lee) Other nominees: A City of Sadness (Hou Hsiao-hsien), Crimes and Misdemeanors (Woody Allen), When Harry Met Sally (Rob Reiner), The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (Peter Greenaway) 1990 Winner: Close-Up (Abbas Kiarostami) Other nominees: Goodfellas (Martin Scorsese), Days of Being Wild (Wong Kar-wai), An Angel at My Table (Jane Campion), Paris is Burning (Jessie Livingston) 1991 Winner: A Brighter Summer Day (Edward Yang) Other nominees: Daughters of the Dust (Julie Dash), The Double Life of Veronique (Krzysztof Kieslowski), The Silence of the Lambs (Jonathan Demme), Raise the Red Lantern (Zhang Yimou) 1992 Winner: Unforgiven (Clint Eastwood) Other nominees: The Quince Tree Sun (Victor Erice), Orlando (Sally Potter), Life, and Nothing More (Abbas Kiarostami), Reservoir Dogs (Quentin Tarantino) 1993 Winner: The Piano (Jane Campion) Other nominees: Schindler's List (Steven Spielberg), Three Colors: Blue (Krzysztof Kieslowski), Groundhog Day (Harold Ramis), The Puppetmaster (Hou Hsiao-hsien) 1994 Winner: Pulp Fiction (Quentin Tarantino) Other nominees: Satantango (Bela Tarr), Chungking Express (Wong Kar-wai), Three Colors: Red (Krzysztof Kieslowski), Through the Olive Tree (Abbas Kiarostami) 1995 Winner: Heat (Michael Mann) Other nominees: Underground (Emir Kusturica), Safe (Todd Haynes), Casino (Martin Scorsese), Dead Man (Jim Jarmusch) 1996 Winner: Breaking the Waves (Lars von Trier) Other nominees: Fargo (Joel Coen), A Moment of Innocence (Mohsen Makhmalbaf), Secrets and Lies (Mike Leigh), Crash (David Cronenberg) 1997 Winner: Taste of Cherry (Abbas Kiarostami) Other nominees: Happy Together (Wong Kar-wai), Lost Highway (David Lynch), Boogie Nights (Paul Thomas Anderson), Princess Mononoke (Hayao Miyazaki) 1998 Winner: Histoire(s) du Cinema (Jean-Luc Godard) Other nominees: The Thin Red Line (Terrence Malick), The Big Lebowski (Joel Coen), The Celebration (Thomas Vinterberg), Flowers of Shanghai (Hou Hsiao-hsien) 1999 Winner: Beau Travail (Claire Denis) Other nominees: Magnolia (Paul Thomas Anderson), The Matrix (Wachowskis), Eyes Wide Shut (Stanley Kubrick), All About My Mother (Pedro Almodovar) 2000 Winner: In The Mood for Love (Wong Kar-wai) Other nominees: Yi Yi (Edward Yang), The Gleaners and I (Agnes Varda), Werckmeister Harmonies (Bela Tarr), In Vanda's Room (Pedro Costa) 2001 Winner: Mulholland Drive (David Lynch) Other nominees: Spirited Away (Hayao Miyazaki), La Ciénaga (Lucrecia Martel), A.I: Artificial Intelligence (Steven Spielberg), The Fellowship of the Ring (Peter Jackson) 2002 Winner: City of God (Fernando Meirelles) Other nominees: Tie Xi Qu: West of the Tracks (Wang Bing), Talk to Her (Pedro Almodovar), Russian Ark (Aleksandr Sukurov), Morvern Callar (Lynne Ramsay) 2003 Winner: Goodbye, Dragon Inn (Tsai Ming-liang) Other nominees: Dogville (Lars von Trier), Lost in Translation (Sofia Coppola), Elephant (Gus van Sant), Oldboy (Park Chan-wook) 2004 Winner: Tropical Malady (Apichatpong Weerasethakul) Other nominees: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Michel Gondry), The Intruder (Claire Denis), Before Sunset (Richard Linklater), Sideways (Alexander Payne) 2005 Winner: Caché (Michael Haneke) Other nominees: The Death of Mr. Lazarescu (Cristi Puiu), Brokeback Mountain (Ang Lee), The New World (Terrence Malick), Grizzly Man (Werner Herzog) 2006 Winner: Syndromes and a Century (Apichatpong Weerasethakul) Other nominees: Inland Empire (David Lynch), Pan's Labyrinth (Guillermo del Toro), The Lives of Others (Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck), Children of Men (Alfonso Cuaron) 2007 Winner: There Will Be Blood (Paul Thomas Anderson) Other nominees: No Country for Old Men (Coens), Zodiac (David Fincher), Silent Light (Carlos Reygadas), 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days (Cristian Mungiu) 2008 Winner: The Headless Woman (Lucrecia Martel) Other nominees: WALL-E (Andrew Stanton), Synecdoche, New York (Charlie Kaufman), The Dark Knight (Christopher Nolan), Hunger (Steve McQueen) 2009 Winner: The White Ribbon (Michael Haneke) Other nominees: A Prophet (Jacques Audiard), Fish Tank (Andrea Arnold), Inglourious Basterds (Quentin Tarantino), Avatar (James Cameron) 2010 Winner: Uncle Boonmee (Apichatpong Weerasethakul) Other nominees: Nostalgia for the Light (Patricio Guzman), The Social Network (David Fincher), Mysteries of Lisbon (Raul Ruiz), Meek's Cutoff (Kelly Reichardt) 2011 Winner: The Tree of Life (Terrence Malick) Other nominees: A Separation (Asghar Farhadi), Melancholia (Lars von Trier), The Turin Horse (Bela Tarr), Once Upon a Time in Anatolia (Nuri Bilge Ceylan) 2012 Winner: Holy Motors (Leos Carax) Other nominees: The Act of Killing (Joshua Oppenheimer), The Master (Paul Thomas Anderson), Amour (Michael Haneke), Tabu (Miguel Gomes) 2013 Winner: Under the Skin (Jonathan Glazer) Other nominees: The Great Beauty (Paolo Sorrentino), Blue is the Warmest Color (Abdellatif Kechiche), Ida (Pawel Pawlikowski), 12 Years a Slave (Steve McQueen) 2014 Winner: Boyhood (Richard Linklater) Other nominees: Goodbye to Language (Jean-Luc Godard), The Grand Budapest Hotel (Wes Anderson), Girlhood (Celine Sciamma), Interstellar (Christopher Nolan) 2015 Winner: Mad Max; Fury Road (George Miller) Other nominees: Carol (Todd Haynes), Cemetery of Splendor (Apichatpong Weerasethakul), The Assassin (Hou Hsiao-hsien), No Home Movie (Chantal Akerman) 2016 Winner: Moonlight (Barry Jenkins) Other nominees: Toni Erdmann (Maren Ade), American Honey (Andrea Arnold), Arrival (Denis Villeneuve), Certain Women (Kelly Reichardt) 2017 Winner: Get Out (Jordan Peele) Other nominees: Zama (Lucrecia Martel), Phantom Thread (Paul Thomas Anderson), You Were Never Really Here (Lynne Ramsay), Lady Bird (Greta Gerwig) 2018 Winner: Roma (Alfonso Cuaron) Other nominees: Happy as Lazzaro (Alice Rohrwacher), Burning (Lee Chang-dong), An Elephant Sitting Still (Hu Bo), Shoplifters (Hirokazu Kore-eda) 2019 Winner: Portrait of a Lady on Fire (Celine Sciamma) Other nominees: Parasite (Bong Joon-ho), Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (Quentin Tarantino), Atlantics (Mati Diop), First Cow (Kelly Reichardt) 2020 Winner: Nomadland (Chloe Zhao) Other nominees: Time (Garrett Bradley), Never Rarely Sometimes Always (Eliza Hitman), Days (Tsai Ming-liang), Quo Vadis, Aida? (Jasmila Zbanic) 2021 Winner: Petite Maman (Celine Sciamma) Other nominees: The Power of the Dog (Jane Campion), Drive My Car (Ryusuke Hamaguchi), Titane (Julia Docournau), Memoria (Apichatpong Weerasethakul)