This report addresses: Live Action Disney Remakes

One of the best parts of drafting is that the excitement and discovery of opening booster packs becomes part of the game itself, with the dilemma of picking the best Lorcana cards for your own deck weighed up against denying your rivals the cards you think they might need based on what gets snapped up.

How to draft Disney Lorcana

Learning how to play draft in Lorcana will come as second nature if you’ve played a draft format in other trading card games such as Magic: The Gathering.

Well, it appears the story isn't actually over yet, as Disney has just confirmed that a fifth film is officially in the works!

Although Toy Story 4 felt like the perfect conclusion to a perfect saga, producer Jonas Rivera previously told Digital Spy that each Toy Story film is written with the purpose of being both an ending and a new beginning.

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Green Mountain Film Festival returns to the silver screen after a pandemic pause

Since 1997, Vermonters have flocked to Montpelier for the Green Mountain Film Festival, which showcases work from around the world.

Vermont Public's Nathaniel Wilson spoke with Green Mountain Film Festival programmer Sam Kann about what's in store for audiences this year.

This report addresses: Live Action Disney Remakes

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Disney Lorcana draft rules: How to draft Lorcana

Crack a pack and jump in with our guide to Lorcana’s Booster Draft format.

Disney Lorcana, the House of Mouse’s brand new card game, can be played in a number of ways. One of the most exciting and popular TCG formats is Booster Draft, which combines the discovery of pulling cards from booster packs with the strategy and fun of crafting a deck before you do battle against your opponents. It’s easy to get started, so read on to wise up on the Lorcana draft rules you need to know.

How to draft Disney Lorcana

Learning how to play draft in Lorcana will come as second nature if you’ve played a draft format in other trading card games such as Magic: The Gathering. Like those TCGs, the format is all about building your deck with the cards you pull from a series of booster packs, picking carefully to make your own deck as strong as it can be without handing too many powerful cards to your opponents. It’s a very social way to play that supports bigger groups of players, and is often one of the most popular formats when playing at local game stores as a result.

One of the best parts of drafting is that the excitement and discovery of opening booster packs becomes part of the game itself, with the dilemma of picking the best Lorcana cards for your own deck weighed up against denying your rivals the cards you think they might need based on what gets snapped up.

While knowing how to play Lorcana will help when building your draft deck, you don’t need to be an expert player to give it a go - sometimes just throwing some cards together can be a fun way to see what the game can do and discover new combinations and possibilities. If you’re new and feel intimidated by not knowing the most powerful cards, just go with your gut and pick the cards or abilities that appeal to you - even if that’s just choosing your favourite Disney characters.

Working out how to build a Lorcana deck can also be easier when playing Booster Draft, as there aren’t the same restrictions or expectations as carefully refining your custom deck for constructed games. Sometimes, you might not even have a choice - you can just end up with whatever’s left at the end of a round of drafting!

Whether you’re a drafting pro or brand new to the format, learning how to draft Lorcana can open your eyes to a new way to enjoy the Disney card game. Below we’ll run through everything you need to know about drafting Lorcana, from the essential Lorcana draft rules to making your deck and what you’ll need to get started.

Can Lorcana be drafted?

Yes, Disney Lorcana is draftable. This means that the card game supports a Booster Draft format, similar to Magic: The Gathering’s Draft format.

In fact, if you’re familiar with how to draft in MTG, learning how to draft in Lorcana will be very easy, as many of the rules are shared or similar.

What is Booster Draft for Lorcana?

In any Booster Draft format, whether it’s for Disney Lorcana or Magic: The Gathering, players build their decks as part of each game by opening a set of booster packs (giving the format its name!)

This is the format’s biggest difference from other ‘constructed’ formats where players are able to build their deck ahead of time. Between the two formats is another format known as Sealed Deck, where each player opens a number of booster packs (at least six per person) to build their deck of 40 cards, but don’t have to draft cards against their opponents.

Like other TCGs, one of the biggest appeals of the Booster Draft format in Lorcana is its affordability: you only need to buy four boosters (costing around £20/$24) to play, and you’ll usually be able to take the cards home with you if you’re playing at a local store.

Another benefit of this is that no-one’s deck can have an advantage simply by paying more for the most expensive or rarest Lorcana cards - everyone starts on the same footing, having to build their deck from whatever they pull from the booster packs.

How many boosters do I need to play Lorcana draft?

When playing Disney Lorcana in its Draft format, each player needs at least four booster packs. That’s four boosters each - so if there are six players, you’ll need 24 packs in total. (Which just so happens to be the number you get in a standard Lorcana booster box.)

Disney Lorcana draft rules

In Lorcana’s Booster Draft format, players each open a booster pack before choosing a card from their pack’s cards. Once they have chosen a card, they pass the remaining cards to their neighbouring player before repeating with the cards they are handed by their own neighbour: choose a card and pass the rest on.

Once the current cards have all been drafted, players repeat the process by opening another booster pack each, drafting cards one at a time and passing the rest to their neighbour.

With each new booster pack, alternate which direction you pass your cards for that round of drafting: first to the player to your left so the cards travel clockwise, then the player to your right so they go anti-clockwise, and so on.

Repeat this process, alternating the direction with each pack you open, until you have drafted all of the cards from every pack. You should end up with 48 cards in total.

How to build a draft deck in Lorcana

In Lorcana’s Booster Draft format, each player will build a 40-card deck. This is a change from the standard 60-card deck when you build a Lorcana deck for use in its Core Constructed format.

As you should end up with 48 cards from the cards you draft - as each booster includes 12 cards - you will essentially be looking to decide which eight cards you want to discard and not include in your deck.

In another major change from Lorcana’s standard deck-building rules for its Core Constructed format, which limits your deck to a maximum of two different ink colours, you can include cards of all six inks in your deck when playing Lorcana’s Booster Draft format.

One final change from the standard Lorcana deck-building rules is that you can include more than four copies of a card with the same name. This includes both the name of the character - for example, Captain Hook - and their title, which is printed underneath, such as Forceful Duelist.

Buy Disney Lorcana products on Zatu, Magic Madhouse and Best Buy.

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About the Author

Matt Jarvis

Editor-in-chief

After starting his career writing about music, films and video games for various places, Matt spent many years as a technology, PC and video game journalist before writing about tabletop games as the editor of Tabletop Gaming magazine. He joined Dicebreaker as editor-in-chief in 2019, and has been trying to convince the rest of the team to play Diplomacy since.

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Toy Story 5 potential release date, cast, plot and everything you need to know

To infinity!

Remember when Toy Story 3 came out and everyone heralded it for being the perfect ending to the beloved Pixar saga? And then Toy Story 4 came around and took over the mantle as Woody opted for a life outside the toybox with Bo Peep?

Well, it appears the story isn't actually over yet, as Disney has just confirmed that a fifth film is officially in the works!

The exciting news was announced by Disney boss Bob Iger on February 8, 2023, along Frozen 3 and Zootopia 2.

Although Toy Story 4 felt like the perfect conclusion to a perfect saga, producer Jonas Rivera previously told Digital Spy that each Toy Story film is written with the purpose of being both an ending and a new beginning.

So with that being said, how did the end of Toy Story 4 set up a fifth movie? Here's everything you need to know.

Toy Story 5 release date: When can we expect it?

Disney

Toy Story 5 might have been confirmed, but we still don't know when it will be released in cinemas.

"We'll have more to share about these productions soon, but this is a great example of how we're leaning into our unrivaled brands and franchises," Iger said when he officially announced the film (via Deadline).

There were nine years between the third and fourth Toy Story movies, which means it could still be a few more years until Woody and the gang are back. Obviously, we hope this isn't the case, so we promise to update you as soon as we know more.

Toy Story 5 cast: Who's returning?

Disney

Tim Allen has pretty much confirmed his comeback as Buzz Lightyear, along with Tom Hanks' return as his partner in toy-crime, Woody.

Following the fifth film's announcement, the actor tweeted: "See ya soon Woody, you are a sad strange little man and you have my pity. And off we go to a number 5! To infinity and beyond!"

This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

Woody rode off into the sunset with Bo Peep (Annie Potts) at the end of Toy Story 4 (no, we're still not over it), so if Woody returns, then we'd expect to see Bo and her sheep too.

Elsewhere, there are likely returns from Joan Cusack as Jessie, Wallace Shawn as Rex, John Ratzenberger as Hamm, Blake Clark as Slinky Dog and Jeff Pidegon as the Pizza Planet Aliens.

Then there's the toys Bonnie already had before Andy gave her Woody and co, including Giggle McDimples (Ally Maki), Dollie (Bonny Hunt) and Trixie (Kristen Shaal).

Tony Hale, Keanu Reeves, Jordan Peele, and Keegan Michael Key could also reprise their respective roles as Forky, Duke Caboom, Bunny, and Ducky from the fourth film.

Sadly, Don Rickles and Estelle Harris will not be able to reprise their roles as Mr and Mrs Potato Head in the fifth instalment. Rickles passed away in 2017, and his voice was used in the fourth film via archive recordings, while Harris died in 2022.

It's possible archive recordings will be used again, otherwise the roles are likely to be recast, or even written out of the film altogether.

Toy Story 5 plot: What will the fifth movie be about?

Disney

Like all previous Toy Story movies, the fourth movie was both an ending and the possibility of a new beginning.

Toy Story producer Jonas Rivera told Digital Spy back in 2019: "I want all of them to feel complete. If this is the last time you see them, you will feel satisfied."

The fourth movie saw Woody struggle to move on and adjust to his new life with Bonnie, but his unexpected reunion with Bo Peep – as well as his friendship with Forky – provided him with a new perspective on life.

Instead of returning with Buzz and the others to Bonnie at the end of the film, then, he decided to head out on the road with Bo Peep.

As Buzz put it: "He's not lost, not any more." We're not crying, you're crying.

Disney

One of the credit scenes revealed that Woody is now helping other toys find their very own 'Andy'. It's therefore possible that Toy Story 5 could see Bonnie all grown up and her toys discarded, so Woody and Bo assist them in finding a new owner.

This, of course, happened at the end of Toy Story 3 when Andy gave the toys to Bonnie as he left for college, so it would feel too similar.

It's hard to even fathom, but there's also the possibility of introducing an entirely new group of toys without Woody, Buzz and the others in tow.

"If there's a Star Wars movie without Luke Skywalker, and they're similar, there's such a large world of implied history and toys around the world," Rivera previously told us. "I'm also programmed with the never-say-never, there could also be a million ways you could go."

Allen's tweet does seem to confirm that Woody and Buzz will definitely be back, so don't take our word for it. Either way, we'll keep you updated on all the details.

Toy Story 5 trailer: Any footage yet?

Given that Toy Story 5 has only just been announced, we're still a long way from seeing any new footage.

But there's plenty of Toy Story content on Disney+ to keep you entertained until then, including all four films and numerous shorts.

Toy Story 1, 2, 3 and 4 are available to watch on Disney+.

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Green Mountain Film Festival returns to the silver screen after a pandemic pause

Since 1997, Vermonters have flocked to Montpelier for the Green Mountain Film Festival, which showcases work from around the world. But in 2019, the festival was forced to pause due to COVID-19. Organizers took that time to redevelop the festival, which opens today for the first time in five years.

Vermont Public's Nathaniel Wilson spoke with Green Mountain Film Festival programmer Sam Kann about what's in store for audiences this year. This interview was produced for the ear. We highly recommend listening to the audio. We’ve also provided a transcript, which has been edited for length and clarity.

Nathaniel Wilson: Festivals around the country are getting a big push from filmmakers to hold in-person screenings coming out of the pandemic. How does it feel to actually be able to gather in-person, in theater seats for an event like this?

Sam Kann: It's truly the best. I strongly believe that art and cinema is meant to be experienced in community and in-person. The feeling of being in a packed theater and watching a film for the first time altogether is unlike anything else. I'm really excited, not only for people to see the film, but also for the conversations that happened afterwards in the lobbies at dinner afterwards. I really think that's how film is able to best reach audiences and transform people in communities.

Nathaniel Wilson: What kind of changes have been instituted since the festival took a pause in 2019?

Sam Kann: There's a lot that's still the same. We're still based out of the Savoy [Theater]. but we've also expanded to the Capitol. Now we're operating on three screens, which is really, really exciting.

Other than that, it's a new team. We've got a new board and a new executive director. I'm new as the festival programmer. We were working off of the really warm legacy that Green Mountain Film Festival has in the community, but reinventing it in new and awesome ways. We knew historically, the festival had always played incredible documentary and international films, helmed by Rick Winston. So, continuing that legacy and also striving to expand and really push the festival to be diverse, current and bringing the best of world cinema to Montpelier and Vermont.

Nathaniel Wilson: You mentioned it a little bit there — but what does this festival mean to the Montpelier community?

Sam Kann: It's incredible to see so many folks, who have come up to me and the other people who are working for GMFF, just like glowing. I think particularly this year — with the flood, the amount the community went through with that and the resiliency that the community has shown, having a celebratory event come back is really, really special and beloved.

Nathaniel Wilson: When programming the festival, what kind of stories or experiences do you aim to bring to Vermonters?

Sam Kann: I focus both really close and really far. What I mean by that is — it was important for me to have Vermont stories. We have youth media showcase, a film slam and Vermont shorts block. A lot of work that is really near to to Vermont, and then also to go as far as possible and really bring in stories that, like I was saying before , otherwise wouldn't reach this community.

I think people don't necessarily know that there are are hundreds of films that get made every year that for one reason or another usually because they're not deemed as as commercial as other films. They don't reach your local cinema. Often, those stories are told by smaller filmmakers. So, us also wanting to bring more experimental more diverse, more wide-ranging stories to our community as well.

Nathaniel Wilson: What are some films in this year's lineup that audiences should have on their radar?

Sam Kann: There's really something for everyone, but there's a couple movies I'll highlight.

We have JOONAM, this fantastic documentary by a local filmmaker here, Sierra Urich. She grew up in Bristol, and it's a film she made with her mother and grandmother. She's an Iranian-American filmmaker, and it's really her understanding her cultural past.

I'd also highlight I Saw the TV Glow by Jean Schoenbrun. It's a fantastic trans-horror film that's really genre bending about two high school misfits who bond over a shared love of a Buffy the Vampire-inspired television show.

I'd also highlight Three Promises. It's a fantastic Palestinian documentary. It's composed entirely of found footage. The filmmaker's mother filmed him and his sister during the early 2000s, during this response to the Second Intifada. He repurposed that footage into a documentary, and it's just a small slice of a mother's love in a war zone. I just can't imagine a more relevant film given the ongoing genocide in Gaza.

Those are a couple of recommendations I have. I'd really encourage folks to check out our entire lineup. We have everything from narratives, documentaries, animated films, restorations and short films, so something for everyone.

Nathaniel Wilson: And there are some non-film events that are being held alongside the films in the festival this year. Can you talk some about those?

Sam Kann: We have a Vermont Black farmers panel, as part of the Farming While Black documentary. We have a video-art gallery at the chrome factory, which is a new space in Montpelier. At this gallery, we have nine video, art pieces by seven artists, international artists. Then DJ sets on Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the festival. Those are just a couple of our of our non-film events or other events that are part of the festival.

Nathaniel Wilson: Throughout the pandemic, online screenings for film festivals increased in popularity. And we'll see that this year at the Green Mountain Film Festival. Why is this an important addition to the festival experience?

Sam Kann: This was really something we worked with All Brains Belong on. The hope was that by doing an online screening we would be able to reach audiences who have other needs. It's really an accessibility thing for us. We want everyone who wants to watch movies to have the chance to be part of this community event. We understand that there are various accessibility needs and neurological needs in the community. That's why we were really excited about having a virtual screening.

The Green Mountain Film Festival starts Thursday, March 14 and runs through Sunday, March 17th.

Have questions, comments or tips? Send us a message.

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On the one hand, you could enjoy the show for the ensemble’s dedicated performances, the pitch-perfect soundtrack choices, and the thoughtful portrait of, in the words of Dr.

Is Lottie, revealed in “Doomcoming” as the Antler Queen from the premiere episode, really clairvoyant, and are her visions actually the future?

Using various tools such as statistics and software programs to gather, analyze, and report data will provide value to your employer.

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Solid Evidences Learning Ice Skating In Marshall Texas Is Good For Your Career Advancement

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Skating is a really fantastic way to exercise, and it’s also fun to do with friends!

Since it can help you in so many ways and is such a great activity for kids of all ages, here are some more solid evidences why learning ice skating in Marshall Texas is good for your career advancement.

This report addresses: Tai Chi & Fall Prevention

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Content: meat deets

Who Is the Girl (Seemingly) Hunted and Eaten in the Yellowjackets Premiere?

Photo: Paul Sarkis/SHOWTIME

Spoilers follow for Yellowjackets through episode nine, “Doomcoming.”

Yellowjackets is awash in, for lack of a better term, weird shit, with just enough ambiguity to make you wonder whether what you’re watching is real, imagined, or somewhere in between. On the one hand, you could enjoy the show for the ensemble’s dedicated performances, the pitch-perfect soundtrack choices, and the thoughtful portrait of, in the words of Dr. Ellie Sattler, “sexism in survival situations” without treating it like a puzzle to be unlocked. On the other hand, whether in the 1996 or 2021 timelines, there are inexplicable things that are just pretty damn fun to theorize about! What is the deal with that monstrous eyeless man, and that red glint to Taissa’s gaze? How long can an individually owned furniture store really survive in an era of IKEA, Ashley, and Bob’s? Why is Shauna’s daughter Callie such a brat? Is Lottie, revealed in “Doomcoming” as the Antler Queen from the premiere episode, really clairvoyant, and are her visions actually the future? And doesn’t that symbol carved in the trees and the cabin’s attic floorboards look like a woman’s body, speared through and hung up with a hook?

That final query stands side by side with the series’ most long-running mystery, the one introduced in the premiere’s opening minutes that has since hung over Yellowjackets like a ghost. Who dies in that opening scene? The sequence is all of 90 seconds or so, and it’s eerie and brutal. A girl runs through a snowy forest, bleeding from her foot, wearing what looks like a thin nightgown. (It’s giving, very bleakly, Wind River.) As she sprints, crying and panting, the young woman passes various symbols carved in tree trunks (including one that looks like a watchful evil eye) and totems made of bones, feathers, and bark. Closed captions tell us there are “whispering voices” everywhere, including “calling in distance,” “cawing,” “panting,” “screeching,” and “howling.” Then the young woman falls into a deep pit full of spikes and dies.

Is she fleeing? Is she being hunted? Either way, she ends up hung upside down and drained of her blood, then seemingly butchered, roasted, and eaten by the Antler Queen, her six masked followers, and Misty, the only survivor who reveals her face by the end of the episode. (Samantha Hanratty, who plays Misty, was the only cast member on set in Mammoth, California, during the filming of this sequence; everyone else is played by stunt doubles.) We now know after “Doomcoming” that Lottie is the Antler Queen, but we’re no closer to knowing the identities of the six non-Misty girls — or the one they kill.

This is what we do know: The girl is tall-ish, has dark hair, and is wearing the gold heart necklace worn around Jackie’s neck in her first official moment onscreen (receiving unsatisfying hand stuff from Jeff in her New Jersey bedroom pre-crash). We also know the person cannot be Shauna, Tai, Nat, or Misty, for whom we’ve met adult counterparts. (Reminder that in episode three, “The Dollhouse,” Jessica says to Tai, “Some of you guys just love living off the grid,” but other grown-up survivors haven’t yet been introduced.) That doesn’t seem like much to go on, and yet. Winter is coming in the Canadian wilderness, and in advance of season one finale “Sic Transit Gloria Mundi,” I’ve ranked my guesses for who that mysterious teen-turned-meal might be, from most to least likely.

1.

Mari, booze maker and Jackie sycophant

Photo: Kailey Schwerman/SHOWTIME

Mari is that No. 2 girl in the popularity hierarchy (like Courtney and Whitney in Bring It On, from Jackie’s curiously anachronistic favorite movie characters list) whose purpose is cruelty. Think of how quickly she slides up next to Jackie at the lake once she realizes Jackie and Shauna are sparring, and how easily she suggests that she and Jackie move their lockers together when they get back to New Jersey. She’s a follower, not a leader (she joins Tai on the attempt to find help; she agrees to turn back once things get rough; she supports Lottie in hunting Travis), and she’ll never be queen bee. If she were, she’d probably be a real jerk about it; I’m thinking Shannen Doherty in Heathers vibes. She’s got the height and the black hair, and her status as a B-level Yellowjacket means her death would still be shocking, if not necessarily narrative-breaking. I could see Mari complaining about something innocuous (not getting the fur pelt she wanted?) so annoyingly that the other survivors are like, “Ugh, let’s just eat her already.”

2.

Lottie, in a twist!

Photo: Kailey Schwerman/SHOWTIME

Yes, we know Lottie is the Antler Queen. But looks-wise, with her height and her beachy waves, she could be the running girl, right? This would be unexpected, but might be an option if the deer crown is something that can be passed between the girls. Does someone come for Lottie and claim the Antler Queen mantle for themselves? A deposition! A coup! Eat your heart out, The Crown.

3.

The obvious choice: Jackie

Photo: Kailey Schwerman/SHOWTIME

This is the easy pick, but let’s indulge it. We see the heart necklace on Jackie first, then she gives it to Shauna, then Shauna gives it back to Jackie, and now Shauna and Jackie are in the awkward spot where the latter knows the former was sleeping with her boyfriend, but she hasn’t said anything because Jackie is a messy bench who loves drama and psychological mind games. What if Jackie’s complete lack of outdoor skills turn her from teammate to prey? She hasn’t been chopping wood. She’s pretty bad at collecting water. She pissed off Van very early by running away from the fire in the plane rather than trying to save her. (Van is definitely the girl standing over the pit wearing that co-ed soccer T-shirt, right?) And Jackie slept with Travis, who “doesn’t belong” to her, according to Lottie. Maybe that’s enough to get her on everyone’s “ostracize and eat” list?

Photo: SHOWTIME

I do wonder, though: What happened to the necklace the girl was wearing? Could someone have pocketed it after pulling her out of the pit but before draining her body? Maybe this necklace, like the ring Travis gives to Javi, is a piece of jewelry to watch for in the 2021 timeline. And if Jackie is actually a time traveler, well, that opens up various other possibilities.

4.

Yellowjacket #1, Yellowjacket #2, or another extra?

Photo: Kailey Schwerman/SHOWTIME

How many Yellowjackets are there? There are 11 players on the field during a soccer game, and let’s say every position has a backup player. That would bring the Yellowjackets team total to about two dozen, which sort of syncs up with the number of girls we see frolicking in the lake and on the beach in “The Dollhouse.” But that number certainly shrinks or expands as the series desires. The cabin is always full of sleeping figures, yet they don’t all attend the seance, and some of them disappear during the shroom-induced assault and chase of Travis.

Remember them, the two on the far right of Shauna and Travis?

Photo: SHOWTIME

Or her, on the right of Natalie?

Photo: SHOWTIME

Or them?

Photo: SHOWTIME

You probably don’t, because they haven’t been given names or screen time! So maybe it’s cheating, but the actresses who play Yellowjacket #1 (Mya Lowe), Yellowjacket #2 (Princess Davies), and so on? They certainly seem like they’re just sticking around to serve as meat.

5.

No one, because the cannibalism is an illusion!

Photo: Paul Sarkis/SHOWTIME

I am contractually obligated to mention this theory, because certain members of the Vulture staff believe it: They do not think the girl from the opening was eaten at all! There’s a lot of suggestiveness in how this opening is shot and edited, and I certainly think we’re being led to believe the meat we see being cooked on that spit was human. But my colleagues are not wrong that we don’t see a human-butchery scene à la the first season of The Terror, and we don’t see anyone picking up a leg like a gigantic drumstick and gnawing on it. So maybe that flesh is actually bear or deer or wolf, and we’re just projecting our worst cannibalism assumptions upon these girls — as have so many others, from the people writing unauthorized books and magazine articles about them to Taissa’s opponent for New Jersey State Senate. In my heart of hearts, though, I 100 percent believe that they ate that girl, and that they’re going to eat again. Remember how zealously Misty bit into that gas station jerky? She’s got the taste! There is no doubt in my mind, but only time will tell.

Who Is the Girl Eaten in the Yellowjackets Premiere Episode?

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Content: Five Reasons Why Businesses In Maine Hire More Business Analysts

In the current economic climate, businesses are looking for ways to cut costs wherever possible. That often means outsourcing to save money on IT services and software development.

Most businesses in Maine are hiring business analysts at an astounding rate, and no wonder.

Business analysts help companies to grow by assisting them in analyzing their processes and making sure they’re practical and efficient.

Suppose you aren’t yet familiar with the role of business analysts. In that case, this article can help you learn more about why businesses in Maine hire more business analysts.

What Is A Business Analyst?

A business analyst is a professional who helps organizations improve their performance by analyzing business processes and identifying opportunities for improvement.

If you want to acquire this skill, consider taking an Online Master’s in Data Science course with a concentration in business analytics. Using various tools such as statistics and software programs to gather, analyze, and report data will provide value to your employer.

A business analyst’s duties vary depending on their industry and the projects they take on. One thing that remains constant across sectors is that this role is collaborative and consultative.

Why Is Business Analysis Important?

Business analysis is the process of understanding and analyzing business objectives, then finding ways to achieve them. It is vital for any organization because it aids in gathering information about problems that need solving.

For businesses in Maine, business analysis is essential because they need a strategy to stay competitive.

Why Businesses Need More Business Analysts

Adapting to changes and staying competitive makes employing good business analysts more crucial. If you run a business in Maine, check out these five reasons why you might want to hire a business analyst.

They make digital transformation easier

In an ever-changing business landscape, having someone on your team who can help you make sense of all the data is essential. By interpreting the data, you will understand how to use it to improve your business.

For instance, digital transformation has become a priority for many businesses because it opens up new growth opportunities; however, you might not know where to start when it comes to this process.

A business analyst will help you identify what changes need to happen for your company to grow and succeed while remaining successful.

They also handle more mundane tasks, such as coordinating with external vendors and suppliers. That way, you can focus on strategies without worrying about administrative tasks.

To translate complex processes during development

Running a business involves many complex processes such as developing new products, marketing, and customer service. These processes can be difficult to understand or make sense of for the average person without professional experience and training.

Therefore, businesses are looking for individuals to help them navigate these processes and make them understandable to everyone involved.

A business analyst takes a complex process and breaks it down into more manageable parts. It is imperative, especially during the software development process, since multiple teams often work on different aspects of the same project.

The business analyst can help ensure that the final product meets the client’s needs by clearly communicating each team’s goals and objectives.

To be data-driven

To be successful in the modern business world, it’s not enough to make decisions based on your gut feeling. It would help if you were data-driven to make the best possible decisions for your company.

Business analysts help company owners understand the impact of their products or services on customers’ behaviors. They also use data to help forecast future business trends and find new markets for their goods or services.

Data analytics helps you identify who you need to target going forward. Most Maine-based companies use business analytics to identify customer segments with high retention rates.

Whether you’re an individual or a company trying to stay competitive in today’s marketplace, it pays off when you know your numbers.

For example, suppose you want to expand into a new region. In that case, a business analyst utilizes market research and competitive analysis reports to advise whether it is feasible.

Reduce the project cost

When running a business, you want to ensure that you are doing everything possible to make it as efficient and cost-effective. A critical way a company can reduce project costs is by hiring business analysts.

A qualified analyst will help your company avoid wasting time and money on unnecessary projects. They use predictive analytics to help you identify inefficiencies in your process and develop solutions to improve them.

One such instance is when an organization needs to update its IT infrastructure. A business analyst specializing in IT infrastructures analyzes the current environment and recommends specific upgrades for future growth.

This action might help to reduce expenses while maintaining consistency and efficiency in your company.

Business Analysts Inspire Change In Management

Several companies often task business analysts with introducing and managing change within an organization. They help identify improvement areas and then work with stakeholders to develop plans for implementing those changes.

It can be anything from streamlining processes to improving customer satisfaction. The business analyst ensures that an organization meets all aspects of its needs through thoughtful, research-based decisions.

They also offer insight into new ways of doing things that you may not have previously considered or how to improve current operations. With the power to inspire change in management, it is no wonder that they are such valuable members of any team.

Hire A Business Analyst In Maine Today

There are many benefits to hiring a business analyst. From assisting with the IT strategy to understanding customer needs and implementing the solutions, a business analyst will be an asset to any company.

Maine is not an exception to the national trend of a business boom. With more and more companies coming up, there will be more opportunities for those willing to invest in their future.

Businesses are recognizing the importance of data-driven decision-making. As such, they need someone with analytical skills to help them make these decisions.

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Content: Solid Evidences Learning Ice Skating In Marshall Texas Is Good For Your Career Advancement

0
5

Skating is a really fantastic way to exercise, and it’s also fun to do with friends! Learning to ice skate in Marshall, TX can be a way for you to spend time with family, have some downtime from school or work, and even make new friends. Since it can help you in so many ways and is such a great activity for kids of all ages, here are some more solid evidences why learning ice skating in Marshall Texas is good for your career advancement. Ice skating in Marshall Texas is a good form of exercise.

If you have a skating rink nearby, this might be a fun way for you to get some exercise. Remember that even just an hour or two of ice skating in Marshall Texas each week can be the start of a real fitness routine. It’ll help you work on your balance, flexibility, core stability and it can get your heart rate going. Ice skating isn’t just jumping around on the ice! It’s also a great team sport, so if you want to make friends while getting fit then this might be a great idea for you as well.

Solid Evidences Learning Ice Skating In Marshall Texas Is Good For Your Career Advancement :

1. Skating is a great form of exercise.

If you have a skating rink nearby, this might be a fun way for you to get some exercise. Remember that even just an hour or two of ice skating in Marshall Texas each week can be the start of a real fitness routine. It’ll help you work on your balance, flexibility, core stability and it can get your heart rate going. Ice skating isn’t just jumping around on the ice! It’s also a great team sport, so if you want to make friends while getting fit then this might be a great idea for you as well.

2. Ice skating in marshall texas is a good way to have some downtime from school or work.

We all need to take some time for ourselves and relax during our busy days. If you’re taking lessons in Marshall, you’ll be able to spend that time doing something fun instead of just sitting around. This can be a great way for you to take a break from responsibilities, and it’s also a great way to bond with your friends and family members. Check out local skating rinks near your home in Marshall and see if they offer group lessons. This can be a fun, stress-free activity that everyone will enjoy!

3. Ice skating in Marshall can also make you a better leader.

It’s something that many people enjoy and use to bring people together. If you are the type of person who wants to be a leader and has the kind of personality that others naturally turn to, then learning ice skating in Marshall Texas might be the answer for you. It doesn’t have to be skimming across the ice, either! Try having a team dinner where everyone works on different parts of the meal. Or have an ice-breaker with special teams and pick roles for them each week. This is a good way for you to get physical and think about how your job as a leader affects others.

4. Ice skating is a great way for your kids to spend time with family.

It can be an excellent bonding experience for your whole family. Your kids can learn new things from their parents and siblings, and your spouse and significant other can have fun while they are spending time with you. This should be a fun way of everyone giving each other some quality time together!

5. Ice skating can make you feel confident and skilled in other sports.

There are many kinds of ice skating events where you’ll get to put your skills to use as well as work on your balance and flexibility. You might be able to compete in ice skating events and even do well. This is good for many reasons, including that it’ll help you feel great about yourself and give you a boost of confidence for other things in your life.

6. Ice skating is a fun way to bond with friends!

If you want an activity that’s fun and different, then this might be the solution for you. You’ll have the chance to work together with friends and make new ones, too. And, of course, skates will certainly be a great gift for the special boy or girl in your life!

7. Ice skating is a great way to spend time with family and friends.

If you have a skating rink nearby, this might be a fun way for you to get some exercise. Remember that even an hour or two of ice skating in Marshall Texas each week can be the start of a real fitness routine. It’ll help you work on your balance, flexibility, core stability and it can get your heart rate going. Ice skating isn’t just jumping around on the ice! It’s also a great team sport, so if you want to make friends while getting fit then this might be a great idea for you as well.


This report addresses: Tai Chi & Fall Prevention

On the one hand, you could enjoy the show for the ensemble’s dedicated performances, the pitch-perfect soundtrack choices, and the thoughtful portrait of, in the words of Dr.

Is Lottie, revealed in “Doomcoming” as the Antler Queen from the premiere episode, really clairvoyant, and are her visions actually the future?

Using various tools such as statistics and software programs to gather, analyze, and report data will provide value to your employer.

A business analyst is a professional who helps organizations improve their performance by analyzing business processes and identifying opportunities for improvement.

Solid Evidences Learning Ice Skating In Marshall Texas Is Good For Your Career Advancement

0
5

Skating is a really fantastic way to exercise, and it’s also fun to do with friends!

Since it can help you in so many ways and is such a great activity for kids of all ages, here are some more solid evidences why learning ice skating in Marshall Texas is good for your career advancement.

This report addresses: Tai Chi & Fall Prevention

Title:

Content: meat deets

Who Is the Girl (Seemingly) Hunted and Eaten in the Yellowjackets Premiere?

Photo: Paul Sarkis/SHOWTIME

Spoilers follow for Yellowjackets through episode nine, “Doomcoming.”

Yellowjackets is awash in, for lack of a better term, weird shit, with just enough ambiguity to make you wonder whether what you’re watching is real, imagined, or somewhere in between. On the one hand, you could enjoy the show for the ensemble’s dedicated performances, the pitch-perfect soundtrack choices, and the thoughtful portrait of, in the words of Dr. Ellie Sattler, “sexism in survival situations” without treating it like a puzzle to be unlocked. On the other hand, whether in the 1996 or 2021 timelines, there are inexplicable things that are just pretty damn fun to theorize about! What is the deal with that monstrous eyeless man, and that red glint to Taissa’s gaze? How long can an individually owned furniture store really survive in an era of IKEA, Ashley, and Bob’s? Why is Shauna’s daughter Callie such a brat? Is Lottie, revealed in “Doomcoming” as the Antler Queen from the premiere episode, really clairvoyant, and are her visions actually the future? And doesn’t that symbol carved in the trees and the cabin’s attic floorboards look like a woman’s body, speared through and hung up with a hook?

That final query stands side by side with the series’ most long-running mystery, the one introduced in the premiere’s opening minutes that has since hung over Yellowjackets like a ghost. Who dies in that opening scene? The sequence is all of 90 seconds or so, and it’s eerie and brutal. A girl runs through a snowy forest, bleeding from her foot, wearing what looks like a thin nightgown. (It’s giving, very bleakly, Wind River.) As she sprints, crying and panting, the young woman passes various symbols carved in tree trunks (including one that looks like a watchful evil eye) and totems made of bones, feathers, and bark. Closed captions tell us there are “whispering voices” everywhere, including “calling in distance,” “cawing,” “panting,” “screeching,” and “howling.” Then the young woman falls into a deep pit full of spikes and dies.

Is she fleeing? Is she being hunted? Either way, she ends up hung upside down and drained of her blood, then seemingly butchered, roasted, and eaten by the Antler Queen, her six masked followers, and Misty, the only survivor who reveals her face by the end of the episode. (Samantha Hanratty, who plays Misty, was the only cast member on set in Mammoth, California, during the filming of this sequence; everyone else is played by stunt doubles.) We now know after “Doomcoming” that Lottie is the Antler Queen, but we’re no closer to knowing the identities of the six non-Misty girls — or the one they kill.

This is what we do know: The girl is tall-ish, has dark hair, and is wearing the gold heart necklace worn around Jackie’s neck in her first official moment onscreen (receiving unsatisfying hand stuff from Jeff in her New Jersey bedroom pre-crash). We also know the person cannot be Shauna, Tai, Nat, or Misty, for whom we’ve met adult counterparts. (Reminder that in episode three, “The Dollhouse,” Jessica says to Tai, “Some of you guys just love living off the grid,” but other grown-up survivors haven’t yet been introduced.) That doesn’t seem like much to go on, and yet. Winter is coming in the Canadian wilderness, and in advance of season one finale “Sic Transit Gloria Mundi,” I’ve ranked my guesses for who that mysterious teen-turned-meal might be, from most to least likely.

1.

Mari, booze maker and Jackie sycophant

Photo: Kailey Schwerman/SHOWTIME

Mari is that No. 2 girl in the popularity hierarchy (like Courtney and Whitney in Bring It On, from Jackie’s curiously anachronistic favorite movie characters list) whose purpose is cruelty. Think of how quickly she slides up next to Jackie at the lake once she realizes Jackie and Shauna are sparring, and how easily she suggests that she and Jackie move their lockers together when they get back to New Jersey. She’s a follower, not a leader (she joins Tai on the attempt to find help; she agrees to turn back once things get rough; she supports Lottie in hunting Travis), and she’ll never be queen bee. If she were, she’d probably be a real jerk about it; I’m thinking Shannen Doherty in Heathers vibes. She’s got the height and the black hair, and her status as a B-level Yellowjacket means her death would still be shocking, if not necessarily narrative-breaking. I could see Mari complaining about something innocuous (not getting the fur pelt she wanted?) so annoyingly that the other survivors are like, “Ugh, let’s just eat her already.”

2.

Lottie, in a twist!

Photo: Kailey Schwerman/SHOWTIME

Yes, we know Lottie is the Antler Queen. But looks-wise, with her height and her beachy waves, she could be the running girl, right? This would be unexpected, but might be an option if the deer crown is something that can be passed between the girls. Does someone come for Lottie and claim the Antler Queen mantle for themselves? A deposition! A coup! Eat your heart out, The Crown.

3.

The obvious choice: Jackie

Photo: Kailey Schwerman/SHOWTIME

This is the easy pick, but let’s indulge it. We see the heart necklace on Jackie first, then she gives it to Shauna, then Shauna gives it back to Jackie, and now Shauna and Jackie are in the awkward spot where the latter knows the former was sleeping with her boyfriend, but she hasn’t said anything because Jackie is a messy bench who loves drama and psychological mind games. What if Jackie’s complete lack of outdoor skills turn her from teammate to prey? She hasn’t been chopping wood. She’s pretty bad at collecting water. She pissed off Van very early by running away from the fire in the plane rather than trying to save her. (Van is definitely the girl standing over the pit wearing that co-ed soccer T-shirt, right?) And Jackie slept with Travis, who “doesn’t belong” to her, according to Lottie. Maybe that’s enough to get her on everyone’s “ostracize and eat” list?

Photo: SHOWTIME

I do wonder, though: What happened to the necklace the girl was wearing? Could someone have pocketed it after pulling her out of the pit but before draining her body? Maybe this necklace, like the ring Travis gives to Javi, is a piece of jewelry to watch for in the 2021 timeline. And if Jackie is actually a time traveler, well, that opens up various other possibilities.

4.

Yellowjacket #1, Yellowjacket #2, or another extra?

Photo: Kailey Schwerman/SHOWTIME

How many Yellowjackets are there? There are 11 players on the field during a soccer game, and let’s say every position has a backup player. That would bring the Yellowjackets team total to about two dozen, which sort of syncs up with the number of girls we see frolicking in the lake and on the beach in “The Dollhouse.” But that number certainly shrinks or expands as the series desires. The cabin is always full of sleeping figures, yet they don’t all attend the seance, and some of them disappear during the shroom-induced assault and chase of Travis.

Remember them, the two on the far right of Shauna and Travis?

Photo: SHOWTIME

Or her, on the right of Natalie?

Photo: SHOWTIME

Or them?

Photo: SHOWTIME

You probably don’t, because they haven’t been given names or screen time! So maybe it’s cheating, but the actresses who play Yellowjacket #1 (Mya Lowe), Yellowjacket #2 (Princess Davies), and so on? They certainly seem like they’re just sticking around to serve as meat.

5.

No one, because the cannibalism is an illusion!

Photo: Paul Sarkis/SHOWTIME

I am contractually obligated to mention this theory, because certain members of the Vulture staff believe it: They do not think the girl from the opening was eaten at all! There’s a lot of suggestiveness in how this opening is shot and edited, and I certainly think we’re being led to believe the meat we see being cooked on that spit was human. But my colleagues are not wrong that we don’t see a human-butchery scene à la the first season of The Terror, and we don’t see anyone picking up a leg like a gigantic drumstick and gnawing on it. So maybe that flesh is actually bear or deer or wolf, and we’re just projecting our worst cannibalism assumptions upon these girls — as have so many others, from the people writing unauthorized books and magazine articles about them to Taissa’s opponent for New Jersey State Senate. In my heart of hearts, though, I 100 percent believe that they ate that girl, and that they’re going to eat again. Remember how zealously Misty bit into that gas station jerky? She’s got the taste! There is no doubt in my mind, but only time will tell.

Who Is the Girl Eaten in the Yellowjackets Premiere Episode?

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Content: Five Reasons Why Businesses In Maine Hire More Business Analysts

In the current economic climate, businesses are looking for ways to cut costs wherever possible. That often means outsourcing to save money on IT services and software development.

Most businesses in Maine are hiring business analysts at an astounding rate, and no wonder.

Business analysts help companies to grow by assisting them in analyzing their processes and making sure they’re practical and efficient.

Suppose you aren’t yet familiar with the role of business analysts. In that case, this article can help you learn more about why businesses in Maine hire more business analysts.

What Is A Business Analyst?

A business analyst is a professional who helps organizations improve their performance by analyzing business processes and identifying opportunities for improvement.

If you want to acquire this skill, consider taking an Online Master’s in Data Science course with a concentration in business analytics. Using various tools such as statistics and software programs to gather, analyze, and report data will provide value to your employer.

A business analyst’s duties vary depending on their industry and the projects they take on. One thing that remains constant across sectors is that this role is collaborative and consultative.

Why Is Business Analysis Important?

Business analysis is the process of understanding and analyzing business objectives, then finding ways to achieve them. It is vital for any organization because it aids in gathering information about problems that need solving.

For businesses in Maine, business analysis is essential because they need a strategy to stay competitive.

Why Businesses Need More Business Analysts

Adapting to changes and staying competitive makes employing good business analysts more crucial. If you run a business in Maine, check out these five reasons why you might want to hire a business analyst.

They make digital transformation easier

In an ever-changing business landscape, having someone on your team who can help you make sense of all the data is essential. By interpreting the data, you will understand how to use it to improve your business.

For instance, digital transformation has become a priority for many businesses because it opens up new growth opportunities; however, you might not know where to start when it comes to this process.

A business analyst will help you identify what changes need to happen for your company to grow and succeed while remaining successful.

They also handle more mundane tasks, such as coordinating with external vendors and suppliers. That way, you can focus on strategies without worrying about administrative tasks.

To translate complex processes during development

Running a business involves many complex processes such as developing new products, marketing, and customer service. These processes can be difficult to understand or make sense of for the average person without professional experience and training.

Therefore, businesses are looking for individuals to help them navigate these processes and make them understandable to everyone involved.

A business analyst takes a complex process and breaks it down into more manageable parts. It is imperative, especially during the software development process, since multiple teams often work on different aspects of the same project.

The business analyst can help ensure that the final product meets the client’s needs by clearly communicating each team’s goals and objectives.

To be data-driven

To be successful in the modern business world, it’s not enough to make decisions based on your gut feeling. It would help if you were data-driven to make the best possible decisions for your company.

Business analysts help company owners understand the impact of their products or services on customers’ behaviors. They also use data to help forecast future business trends and find new markets for their goods or services.

Data analytics helps you identify who you need to target going forward. Most Maine-based companies use business analytics to identify customer segments with high retention rates.

Whether you’re an individual or a company trying to stay competitive in today’s marketplace, it pays off when you know your numbers.

For example, suppose you want to expand into a new region. In that case, a business analyst utilizes market research and competitive analysis reports to advise whether it is feasible.

Reduce the project cost

When running a business, you want to ensure that you are doing everything possible to make it as efficient and cost-effective. A critical way a company can reduce project costs is by hiring business analysts.

A qualified analyst will help your company avoid wasting time and money on unnecessary projects. They use predictive analytics to help you identify inefficiencies in your process and develop solutions to improve them.

One such instance is when an organization needs to update its IT infrastructure. A business analyst specializing in IT infrastructures analyzes the current environment and recommends specific upgrades for future growth.

This action might help to reduce expenses while maintaining consistency and efficiency in your company.

Business Analysts Inspire Change In Management

Several companies often task business analysts with introducing and managing change within an organization. They help identify improvement areas and then work with stakeholders to develop plans for implementing those changes.

It can be anything from streamlining processes to improving customer satisfaction. The business analyst ensures that an organization meets all aspects of its needs through thoughtful, research-based decisions.

They also offer insight into new ways of doing things that you may not have previously considered or how to improve current operations. With the power to inspire change in management, it is no wonder that they are such valuable members of any team.

Hire A Business Analyst In Maine Today

There are many benefits to hiring a business analyst. From assisting with the IT strategy to understanding customer needs and implementing the solutions, a business analyst will be an asset to any company.

Maine is not an exception to the national trend of a business boom. With more and more companies coming up, there will be more opportunities for those willing to invest in their future.

Businesses are recognizing the importance of data-driven decision-making. As such, they need someone with analytical skills to help them make these decisions.

Title:

Content: Solid Evidences Learning Ice Skating In Marshall Texas Is Good For Your Career Advancement

0
5

Skating is a really fantastic way to exercise, and it’s also fun to do with friends! Learning to ice skate in Marshall, TX can be a way for you to spend time with family, have some downtime from school or work, and even make new friends. Since it can help you in so many ways and is such a great activity for kids of all ages, here are some more solid evidences why learning ice skating in Marshall Texas is good for your career advancement. Ice skating in Marshall Texas is a good form of exercise.

If you have a skating rink nearby, this might be a fun way for you to get some exercise. Remember that even just an hour or two of ice skating in Marshall Texas each week can be the start of a real fitness routine. It’ll help you work on your balance, flexibility, core stability and it can get your heart rate going. Ice skating isn’t just jumping around on the ice! It’s also a great team sport, so if you want to make friends while getting fit then this might be a great idea for you as well.

Solid Evidences Learning Ice Skating In Marshall Texas Is Good For Your Career Advancement :

1. Skating is a great form of exercise.

If you have a skating rink nearby, this might be a fun way for you to get some exercise. Remember that even just an hour or two of ice skating in Marshall Texas each week can be the start of a real fitness routine. It’ll help you work on your balance, flexibility, core stability and it can get your heart rate going. Ice skating isn’t just jumping around on the ice! It’s also a great team sport, so if you want to make friends while getting fit then this might be a great idea for you as well.

2. Ice skating in marshall texas is a good way to have some downtime from school or work.

We all need to take some time for ourselves and relax during our busy days. If you’re taking lessons in Marshall, you’ll be able to spend that time doing something fun instead of just sitting around. This can be a great way for you to take a break from responsibilities, and it’s also a great way to bond with your friends and family members. Check out local skating rinks near your home in Marshall and see if they offer group lessons. This can be a fun, stress-free activity that everyone will enjoy!

3. Ice skating in Marshall can also make you a better leader.

It’s something that many people enjoy and use to bring people together. If you are the type of person who wants to be a leader and has the kind of personality that others naturally turn to, then learning ice skating in Marshall Texas might be the answer for you. It doesn’t have to be skimming across the ice, either! Try having a team dinner where everyone works on different parts of the meal. Or have an ice-breaker with special teams and pick roles for them each week. This is a good way for you to get physical and think about how your job as a leader affects others.

4. Ice skating is a great way for your kids to spend time with family.

It can be an excellent bonding experience for your whole family. Your kids can learn new things from their parents and siblings, and your spouse and significant other can have fun while they are spending time with you. This should be a fun way of everyone giving each other some quality time together!

5. Ice skating can make you feel confident and skilled in other sports.

There are many kinds of ice skating events where you’ll get to put your skills to use as well as work on your balance and flexibility. You might be able to compete in ice skating events and even do well. This is good for many reasons, including that it’ll help you feel great about yourself and give you a boost of confidence for other things in your life.

6. Ice skating is a fun way to bond with friends!

If you want an activity that’s fun and different, then this might be the solution for you. You’ll have the chance to work together with friends and make new ones, too. And, of course, skates will certainly be a great gift for the special boy or girl in your life!

7. Ice skating is a great way to spend time with family and friends.

If you have a skating rink nearby, this might be a fun way for you to get some exercise. Remember that even an hour or two of ice skating in Marshall Texas each week can be the start of a real fitness routine. It’ll help you work on your balance, flexibility, core stability and it can get your heart rate going. Ice skating isn’t just jumping around on the ice! It’s also a great team sport, so if you want to make friends while getting fit then this might be a great idea for you as well.


This report addresses: Tai Chi & Fall Prevention

The arrival of new cards can mark a change in the meta for the popularity factor and it is necessary to keep in mind that any deck that wants to use may need the addition of cards to combat this meta.

On reveal is an archetype accessible to players since pool one so Black Panther is a relatively easy addition for many players, but some combos and interactions can be especially surprising, especially when gaining access to pool three cards.

This approach, called doxyPEP, has garnered so much attention that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expected to post draft guidance for public comment in the next several weeks on how health care workers may deploy the preventative treatment, such as how many pills should go into a prescription or which people could benefit most from the drug.

A pill taken after sex could help slow them down

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(CNN) — As rates of sexually transmitted infections continue to skyrocket across the United States, a growing number of physicians are prescribing a commonly used antibiotic as a way to prevent chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis infections in gay and bisexual men and transgender women.

It's killer out of the can for casual outdoor parties, just as good for beating the afternoon heat as ending the night on the porch or poolside.

Befitting true Mai Tai form, Cutwater's canned ready-to-drink cocktail cracks open with a rip curl of tropical flavor — sweet with a distinct tanginess and spiced notes from the rum that keep the profile from being one-dimensional.

This report addresses: Tai Chi & Fall Prevention

Title:

Content: Black Panther deck guide | Best Black Panther decks in Marvel Snap

“Wakanda forever.”

Image via Nuverse

The new ranked season of Marvel Snap has arrived, bringing with it the Warriors of Wakanda update and more importantly Black Panther as a card purchasable through the Battle Pass.

That means there could be players in every card pool with decks utilizing Black Panther’s monstrous strength.

Black Panther’s ability activates on reveal, so he’s a natural addition to on-reveal decks that already existed prior to his arrival. With a power that can reach hundreds with the right cards, here are the best Black Panther decks to use in each pool.

Related: Marvel Snap destroy deck guide | Best destroy decks in Marvel Snap

Best Black Panther decks in Marvel Snap

Black Panther is a card designed to accumulate large amounts of power with its on-reveal effect. On reveal is an archetype accessible to players since pool one so Black Panther is a relatively easy addition for many players, but some combos and interactions can be especially surprising, especially when gaining access to pool three cards.

The decks listed here should be viewed as suggestions for players to adapt to their own unlocked collections and personal playstyles. The arrival of new cards can mark a change in the meta for the popularity factor and it is necessary to keep in mind that any deck that wants to use may need the addition of cards to combat this meta. In the case of Black Panther, cards like Cosmo and Shang-Chi are especially effective.

Best pool one Black Panther decks in Marvel Snap

Players have access to powerful cards with synergies on reveal from the start of the game. The most relevant card to use along with Black Panther is Odin, with its powerful effect of reactivating effects on reveal in the location.

The addition of other cards with on-reveal effects that can receive Odin’s effects should be considered as they can pose a challenge for opponents in cases where you cannot draw a Black Panther.

Black Panther pool one

Screengrab via Marvel Snap Zone

The central strategy is to have Black Panther and Odin together to use them in sequence in a location to secure it. Ideally, this is done after using Forge to further increase Black Panther’s power.

Meanwhile, the other cards will be used to accumulate power in another location, mainly Wolfsbane which has good synergy with Mister Sinister and Ironheart buffing low-cost cards.

The ideal time for a Snap is to have Black Panther and Odin in hand, along with Forge and another two-cost card on turn four. This way it is possible to play two cards on turn four, Forge last so that on turn five he strengthens Black Panther who will grow even more with Odin in his location during turn six.

Scarlet Witch works as a tech card that can fix problematic locations and America Chavez provides solid power during turn six while helping to draw the necessary cards throughout the game.

Some notable combos available are using Mister Sinister on turn two followed by Ironheart on turn three to get the most out of his buff effect by buffing three other units. As well as the simplicity of strengthening Mister Sinister with the Forge effect and getting a good amount of power in a location.

Best pool two Black Panther decks in Marvel Snap

Pool two brings some of the best counters to Black Panther through Shang-Chi, as well as cards like Scorpion and Iceman that can disrupt your opponent’s turns. Nakia can also be considered to be added to the deck since its effect could buff a Black Panther in the hand, but its attributes are not worth it in most cases, especially considering it is necessary for Black Panther to be in a specific position in the hand to receive the buff.

Black Panther pool two

Screengrab via Marvel Snap Zone

The additional pool two cards in this deck are Iceman, Scorpion, Okoye, Storm, and Shang-Chi.

The cards present in pool two open up some possibilities of interesting strategies to win a second location beside the one where Black Panther will be. The main strategy remains the same: buff Black Panther before he enters the board so he can be buffed again on turn six.

To guarantee a second location we have a very useful combo through Storm and Jessica Jones. They can be played on turns three and four and guarantee good results for a location that was previously empty. If the opponent doesn’t have a quick response and you have Black Panther and Odin in your hand it’s definitely a Snap opportunity. For this strategy, Okoye’s buff is extremely useful as it allows strengthening a Black Panther without using Forge first.

Iceman and Scorpion are cards to hinder your opponent and Scorpion is even more useful if you are facing a Black Panther deck. As well as Shang-chi is present to counter Black Panther and Devil Dinosaur.

Best pool three Black Panther decks in Marvel Snap

Pool three is where accounts get really exciting with cards capable of doubling effects and increasing Black Panther’s power exponentially.

There is a version of the deck that uses Armin Zola to create two Black Panthers in other locations, activating their power in a similar way to what Odin does, but its effect depends on a little luck of the card choosing a Black Panther for its effect so we chose for a more solid deck.

Black Panther pool three

Screengrab via Marvel Snap Zone

The additional pool three cards in this deck are Psylocke, Electro, Wong, and Taskmaster.

The strategy in this pool three deck takes on a new form. The main idea is still to strengthen Black Panther, but guarantee a second location with the Taskmaster effect of copying the power of your played card. The ideal way to achieve this result is to use one of your cards that grant bonus energy so you can play Wang before Black Panther and then use Taskmaster in a different location to secure it.

Armor is present to prevent Black Panther from being destroyed by cards like Shang-Chi. Psylocke and Elektro are two powerful cards to allow you to trigger the effects of the more expensive cards a turn early.

The use of the other cards continues in the same way. A notable new combo, however, is to play Scorpion in a location with Wong so that the cards in your opponent’s hand receive two less power.

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STIs are on the rise in the US. A pill taken after sex could help slow them down

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(CNN) — As rates of sexually transmitted infections continue to skyrocket across the United States, a growing number of physicians are prescribing a commonly used antibiotic as a way to prevent chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis infections in gay and bisexual men and transgender women.

Doxycycline is a class of medications traditionally used to treat bacterial STIs after someone has been infected. Yet recent research suggests that one pill of the drug can be effective in preventing such infections among men who have sex with men if taken within 72 hours after unprotected sex.

This approach, called doxyPEP, has garnered so much attention that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expected to post draft guidance for public comment in the next several weeks on how health care workers may deploy the preventative treatment, such as how many pills should go into a prescription or which people could benefit most from the drug.

“The number of syphilis cases in the United States are at their highest level in over 50 years. The nation needs new tools to prevent STIs,” Dr. Jonathan Mermin, director of CDC’s National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, said in an email.

“CDC is working on formal clinical guidelines on the use of doxycycline as STI PEP and will be requesting public comment on the agency’s draft recommendations,” he wrote. “This step allows us to gather important input before finalizing guidance, and gives clinical providers, people affected by STIs, and partner organizations the opportunity to weigh in before our guidance is finalized.”

However, some local health departments already have their own recommendations for the use of doxyPEP to prevent STIs.

The San Francisco Department of Public Health released doxyPEP guidance in October. In April, the California Department of Public Health released similar guidance for health care providers recommending doxyPEP to men who have sex with men or transgender women who have had at least one bacterial STI in the past 12 months.

“We have high rates of sexually transmitted infections in San Francisco, and we consider this to be one of our urgent public health issues that we face as a city. And so, we felt like there was an imperative to move forward with providing a framework for the safe and equitable use of this innovative new tool for sexual health,” said Dr. Stephanie Cohen, director of the HIV/STI Prevention Section in the San Francisco Department of Public Health’s Disease Prevention and Control branch.

“We knew that it would take the CDC some time to develop and release consensus guidelines. But we also knew that we had people in our community and providers who were prescribing doxyPEP, so we didn’t feel that we could wait,” she said. “We’re now not the only health department who has released guidelines. A growing number of health departments throughout the country are putting out guidelines as they also see the need for this in their community.”

Cohen noted that Seattle and King County in Washington state have also released guidelines on the use of doxyPEP to prevent bacterial STIs in men and transgender people who have sex with men.

But not all of these local and state guidelines are aligned, she said, and there are some “subtle differences” emerging, especially when it comes to who is recommended to use doxyPEP. The hope is that any forthcoming CDC guidance can help settle those differences and clarify which people may be eligible.

“Right now, clinicians are learning from each other in real time how to provide doxycycline as STI PEP,” David C. Harvey, executive director of the National Coalition of STD Directors, said in an email. He added that any guidance from the CDC will help “fill gaps,” provide direction to clinics and offer a framework for using doxyPEP for STI prevention.

“An increasing number of doctors are providing their patients with doxycycline as STI PEP, including many of the nation’s most renowned STI clinics. Doxycycline is a safe, inexpensive, well-understood drug, and the evidence it works as PEP for men and transgender women is well-documented and consistent across research,” Harvey wrote. “Doctors recognize the urgency of the STI epidemic, which is why so many clinics are moving forward and so many bigger agencies are pressing CDC to provide them with the information they need to roll it out more broadly.”

‘It’s a way to prevent a full-blown infection’

DoxyPEP was found to be about 65% effective at reducing the incidence of gonorrhea, chlamydia and syphilis in a recent study.

About 500 men who have sex with men and transgender women were enrolled in the study from August 2020 through May 2022. The participants — who all had a history of STIs in the past year — were randomly assigned to receive either doxyPEP or their usual standard of care without doxyPEP. The study, published in April in the New England Journal of Medicine, was conducted at clinics in San Francisco and Seattle.

“This is not a new concept, the concept of post-exposure prophylaxis. We use it for a number of other infectious diseases like Lyme disease. If someone’s been bitten by a tick and there’s concern that they might have been exposed to Lyme disease, they can be given a single dose of doxycycline,” said Dr. Annie Luetkemeyer, professor of infectious diseases at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital at UCSF and co-principal investigator of the study.

“It’s a way to prevent a full-blown infection,” she said. “We know that some populations of men who have sex with men are really disproportionately impacted by sexually transmitted infections.”

Among the study participants without HIV, a bacterial STI was diagnosed in about 10.7% of quarterly visits to clinics in the doxyPEP group, compared with 31.9% of visits in the standard care group.

Among the participants living with HIV, a bacterial STI was diagnosed in about 11.8% of quarterly visits to clinics in the doxyPEP group, compared with 30.5% of visits in the standard care group.

At the end of the study, the researchers found that every quarter — or about every three months — the combined incidence of gonorrhea, chlamydia and syphilis was lower by two-thirds among those who took doxyPEP within 72 hours after having sex without a condom than in those with standard care.

“There was a large reduction in chlamydia and syphilis. We weren’t sure if it was going to work against gonorrhea,” Luetkemeyer said. “But we saw about a 55% reduction in gonorrhea.”

However, the researchers also found a slight increase in the number of gonorrhea infections with doxycycline-class resistance in the doxyPEP group compared with the standard-care group in the study. This suggests that doxyPEP may offer less protection against existing gonorrhea strains that have developed resistance to doxycycline.

Still, the number of gonorrhea cases that were tested for resistance was low, and population-based evaluations of people taking doxyPEP will be needed to understand the potential impact of doxycycline use on gonorrhea antibiotic resistance.

Antimicrobial resistance happens when germs, such as bacteria and fungi, develop the ability to defeat the medications that have been engineered to destroy them. Bacteria can sometimes develop this ability when certain antibiotics are being overused.

There are some remaining questions about long-term effects on antimicrobial resistance in particular, said Dr. Connie Celum, professor of global health and medicine at the University of Washington and co-principal investigator of the doxyPEP study.

“The challenge is, we don’t have a great outpatient antibiotic resistance surveillance system. Most of what we know about antibiotic resistance system is from hospitalized patients,” she said. “Now, we’re talking about doing doxyPEP in outpatient settings. So we’re trying to think about how to nest in antibiotic resistance surveillance in selected implementation projects to give us more information on antimicrobial resistance.”

As doxycycline is an antibiotic, doxyPEP doesn’t prevent viral sexually transmitted infections such as mpox, herpes or HIV. There also hasn’t been much research on the medication as post-exposure prophylaxis in cisgender women.

In one study, more than 400 women in Kenya were separated into two groups: One group was given doxyPEP to take after having sex, and the other group wasn’t. The researchers — from Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute, the University of Washington and Kenya Medical Research Institute — found that there was not much of a difference in the incidence of bacterial STIs between the two groups.

“It was a disappointment to see that doxycycline PEP was not protective for cisgender women in the dPEP Kenya Study. We now have data to help understand these results a bit more,” Dr. Jenell Stewart, project director for the DoxyPEP Kenya study and infectious disease physician at Hennepin Healthcare and the University of Minnesota, said in an email.

That new data reveals that there were low rates of women in the study actually taking doxycycline, Stewart said, as well as a high prevalence of a gonorrhea strain that is known to be resistant to the medication. She added that it remains unclear why some of the study participants were not taking their doxyPEP pills, which probably skewed the study findings.

“Additional studies are needed among cisgender women, transgender men, and nonbinary people with vaginas to provide additional data on the potential of doxycycline PEP to be an effective preventive tool regardless of sex and gender,” Stewart wrote.

“Condoms work very well at preventing STIs, but it’s clear from rising rates of STIs around the world that condoms don’t fit into everyone’s sex life, so we need additional options for preventing infections and reducing the spread of STIs,” she said. “I don’t think everyone needs to use doxycycline PEP, but this is a potentially important tool, especially for people who are not in monogamous sexual relationships.”

US sees surging STI rates

When used for STI prevention, doxyPEP is an off-label prescription, since the US Food and Drug Administration has not officially approved it for STI post-exposure prophylaxis and the CDC has yet to release its final guidance.

Along with STI clinics providing doxycycline as a post-exposure prophylaxis medication, people can order it online from some providers, such as the sexual health care company Wisp.

Even though most of the studies on doxyPEP have been in men, Wisp offers doxyPEP for everyone, including women, Dr. Suneer Chander, a provider at Wisp, said in an email, adding that that decision is due to the ongoing rise in STIs among both men and women in the United States.

“Considering the potential impact of this treatment and the low risk associated with a single dose of doxycycline, Wisp believes it’s important for all our patients, especially those with limited access to care, to have access to this preventative treatment,” Chander wrote.

“Some people may be worried about antibiotic resistance if they take doxyPEP without actually having been exposed to a bacterial STI. Currently, clinical trials have not proven that doxyPEP will increase antibiotic resistance,” Chander said in part. “Drug resistance when taking doxyPEP is currently being studied in people using this treatment for STI prevention. Still, given the increase in STI cases in the US over the past few years, this treatment is vital in preventing STI spread.”

Rates of sexually transmitted infections have been rising across the United States, with more than 2.5 million cases reported in 2021, a jump of 7% in one year, according to data released in April by the CDC.

Chlamydia accounted for more than half of those cases, with rates increasing about 4% in 2021. Cases of gonorrhea rose nearly 5%. Cases of syphilis surged 32% in one year, including an alarming rise in infections passed from pregnant mothers to babies developing in the womb. In 2021, congenital syphilis caused 220 stillbirths and infant deaths.

The CDC’s Mermin said that publishing guidance on doxyPEP is not the end of the agency’s efforts to reduce rates of STIs across the country.

“To decrease incidence of STIs and reduce health disparities, we will need to remove barriers to STI services and prioritize equitable access to this new prevention strategy so it can reach the people who need it most,” he wrote in his email.

“There are still many STI prevention and treatment gaps left to fill. Continued research and investment are needed to discover new interventions and fully implement testing, prevention, and treatment solutions for everyone impacted by STIs,” he said. “In STI prevention, we’ve been relying on tools that are decades, sometimes centuries old. This new intervention is not enough, but it brings hope that we can finally turn the STI epidemic around.”

CNN’s Deidre McPhillips contributed to this report.

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