On an epic, jam-packed episode, the Shuttle Pods Matt joins Tony andLaurie to talk about the Trek news from New York Comic Con (Janeway! Janeway!), check out interview clips from TrekMovies interviews with Brannon Braga and Kate Mulgrew, and review the season finale of Star Trek: Lower Decks,No Small Parts.

News:

Kate Mulgrew To Return As Captain Janeway In Star Trek: Prodigy

Kate Mulgrew interview from May 2019

Kate Mulgrew interview from May 2020 /Shuttle Pod: Supplementalinterview with Kate Mulgrew (audio)

Mike McMahan And The Star Trek: Lower Decks Cast Reveal What We Will (And Wont ) See In Season 2

Watch The Opening Scene From Star Trek: Discovery Season 3 Premiere

Watch New Star Trek: Discovery Season 3 Teaser; NYCC Panel Reveals More 32nd Century Clues

Interview: Brannon Braga On Taking Risks In Star Trek: Voyager And The Thrill Of Seeing Seven In Picard

Other mentions:

Kether Donohue,Youre the Worst

Independence Day: I gave it a virus

Mariners contraband collection a closer look, thanks to Jrg Hillebrand

Enterprise to the rescue inStar Trek: First Contact

The Purge movie franchise

Klingon helmets inStar Trek Into Darkness

The Reliant damaged in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

Trekbits:

Matt: Fashion It So (and his review ofStar Trek: Picard season 1 Blu-ray)

Laurie: The Three Questions With Andy Richter podcast with Scott Thompson

Tony: Propology 101 (and more on propmaker Michael Moore)

Let us know what you think of the episode in the comments.

TheAll Access Star Trekpodcast joins the long-runningShuttle Podas part of the new TrekMovie.com Podcast Network. If you already subscribe toThe Shuttle Pod, your subscription will now include both shows from Network. If you prefer, you can also sign up for onlyThe Shuttle PodorAll Access Star Trekusing the links below.

Keep up with everything to do with theStar Trek Universe at TrekMovie.com

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All Access Star Trek Celebrates Kate Mulgrew, NYCC, Brannon Braga, And The 'Lower Decks' Season Finale - TrekMovie

In Magic: The Gathering, there are many ways to divide thegame's vast wealth of content into various categories. The color pie is a good start, but there are also diverse formats such as Commander, Standard, booster draft Limited, Modern, Legacy, Pauper, Cube and more.Plus, there are also broad archetypes for how decks operate, regardless of format or color.

These archetypes include aggro, the cheap and fast one, as well as control, the slow one that dominates the late game. Combo and tempo decks are different, and midrange decks actas the meeting ground between more specialized deck types. A midrange deck isn't flashy, but it can be reliable and will have few major weaknesses. Midrange decks can handle any other archetype and stand a fair chance of winning.

RELATED: Magic: The Gathering - How to BEAT An Affinity Deck

Unlike the other archetypes for Constructed decks, midrange decks do not focus all of their efforts into one extreme area. An aggro deck wants to attack with cheap, fast creatures and use removal spells to win fast or not win at all, while a control deck wants to drag the game out and win via unstoppable finishers and accrued card advantage. Acombo deck wants to set off an infinite combo to win the game around turn four, and protect that combo with counter-magic and other defenses.

A midrange deck can't beat any of those decks at their own game. In exchange, a midrange deck can do a bit of everything, and it won't completely fold to a certain strategy or deck type. Midrange decks diversify their portfolios. For example, a midrange deck is capable of going on the offensive early on and putting pressure on the opponent, and thus it becomes "on the beatdown" while the opponent must try to survive somehow.

Related:Magic: The Gathering - Zendikar Rising's White-Blue Draft Archetype, Explained

Midrange decks have creatures all over the CMC spectrum, and they can cast efficient creatures in the first four turns and attack with them slowly but surely. Midrange decks have some aggro elements, but unlike true aggro decks, they can go long and don't run out of gas, and their cards are nearly as good in the late game as the early game.

Midrange decks lack the unstoppable finishers of control, but their cards do scale well to the late game and stay relevant, especially their creatures and planeswalkers (if any). A midrange deck is rarely more than the sum of its parts, but those individual parts work well either together or alone, meaning midrange decks avoid the main weakness of combo and control decks.

Midrange decks don't have to play their cards "in order" or have the perfect opening hand. A combo deck that's missing one or two vital cards is helpless, and a control deck that can't find its finisher is going in circles. But midrange decks can always do something with the cards they have on hand. Put another way, such decks simply choose their color(s), then include the best cards of those colors. For that reason, generalist midrange decks like these are informally known as "good-stuff" decks.

RELATED: Magic: The Gathering - How to Build an Eldrazi Tron Deck

For many years, midrange decks have made their presence known in all major formats of Magic: The Gathering. In fact, it can be said that any deck which doesn't conform to the style of aggro, combo or control is, by default, a midrange deck.

Jund is a powerful midrange deck in the Modern format.Thanks to its colors, it has some aggro potential with efficient creatures like Tarmogoyf and Bloodbraid Elf, but it also has control elements with Thoughtseize, Lightning Bolt, Liliana of the Veil and Abrupt Decay.However, it lacks the counter-magic or late-game finishers of true control, and it doesn't have as many speedy, cheap creatures like a true aggro deck. Instead, it comfortably sits in the middle of that spectrum, and it can handle practically anything the opponent can throw at it.

Related:Magic: The Gathering - The Desert Plane of Amonkhet, Explained

On the defensive, Jund can block with disposable creatures or use removal, and on the offensive, Tarmogoyf and Scavenging Ooze can hit hard,while Lightning Bolt can finish off the opponent's life points soon after that. Jund's hand control gives it some potency against true combo and control decks, too. It can even put pressure on the opponent's graveyard to slow down graveyard-oriented decks.

In the mid-2010s or so, there was another powerful Modern midrange deck: Abzan Good-Stuff. It was a variant of Jund, sharing its green and black cards while swapping red for white. This deck had Lingering Souls to create flying blockers and attackers, and it had Loxodon Smiter as a 4/4 for just 1GW that was immune to counterspells and hand control. This deck also used Kitchen Finks, which could gain life and was potent as an attacker and blocker. Birds of Paradise was a flying mana dork for this deck.

Standard usually has its share of midrange decks. Such decks have two or three colors and are, by default, any deck that doesn't fit the other major archetypes. During the era of Theros-Khans of Tarkir, for example, there was a green/red/X midrange shell that included Courser of Kruphix, Sylvan Caryatid, Xenagos the Reveler, Polukranos World Eater, Stormbreath Dragon and more. White mana could add Ajani, Mentor of Heroes and Fleecemane Lion, and blue mana added Temur-colored cards such as Surrak Dragonclaw. Abzan midrange was common, too.

KEEP READING: Magic: The Gathering - How Kamigawa Set the Stage for Future Mechanics

D&D: Why You Need Xanathar's Guide to Everything

I graduated high school in Kansas City in 2009, then earned my Associate's in Arts in 2011 at MCC Longview, then my BA in Creative Writing at UMKC in 2013. I have a passion for creative fiction and I've studied and practiced my craft for over ten years. Currently, I'm expanding my resume and skill set with jobs such as SEO writing and journalism.

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Magic: The Gathering - What to Know About Playing With Midrange Decks - CBR - Comic Book Resources

All aboard! Below Deck and its spinoff series have never failed to bring the drama to Bravo fans everywhere since the franchise launched.

The original series premiered in July 2013, documenting the daily lives of crew members on luxurious yachts during charter season. At the time, Bravo revealed that the first season averaged over 1 million viewers per episode, making it a simple decision to branch off into two more series: Below Deck Mediterranean and Below Deck Sailing Yacht.

With each season, the crew members personal lives have begun to cross over into their work lives, leading to shocking reality TV romances, breakups, firings and dramatic exits. In February 2020, longtime Below Deck personality Kate Chastain announced that she would finally be heading back to dry land after six seasons on the ocean.

After many months of reflection and internal discussions, I have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new land based role. I intend to step back as a senior member of the Below Deck Family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support His Majesty Andy Cohen, she teased via Instagram as she stepped down from her position as part of reality TV royalty.

Seven months later, Chastain admitted that she might not be ready to say goodbye to Bravo forever.

I dont know that I would like to do a show like Summer House, she told Decider during a September 2020 tell-all interview. I would love to be a New York Housewife because of Sonja [Morgan] alone. Sonja is a national treasure to be protected at all costs. I want to just be Sonjas intern for a day. That is on my bucket list. I need the full experience. I love her so much, I would do that.

While some cast members have left on their own terms, others have had the decision made for them. On season 5 of Below Deck Mediterranean, chief stewardess Hannah Ferrier was fired after a coworker reported her for having Valium on the yacht. After the drama went down, Captain Sandy Yawn told E! News that she has no regrets about the firing.

Imagine walking in my shoes, it was challenging, she said. The Maritime industry has a certain standard My No. 1 priority is the client.

Scroll down to learn more about how some former Below Deck stars have kept busy after the show.

Read more here:
Former Below Deck Stars: Where Are They Now? - Us Weekly

Rob Westergaard is paying tribute to his late mother on the ninth anniversary of her passing. The Below Deck Mediterranean cast member posted an emotional message in memory of his mom, who passed away of liver failure after struggling with alcoholism.

In the touching tribute, Rob shared a sweet photo of his mom smiling. Alongside the image, he wrote in part, 9 years ago today this beautiful creature, my mom aka 'little troublemaker'embarked on that journey elsewhere. Not a day goes by that I dont think about her or speak to her.

Rob went on to open up about how his mom continues to serve as a guide for him, explaining,When I have to make life decisions I ask for the affirmation if Im on the right path and if I am, I either see frogs or butterflies.

He concluded the moving message by writing, I know you are with me on my journey and I will forever be grateful for the roles you played and continue to play in my life! To live in the hearts of those we leave behind is not to die. Im sending love and light to all those people who have lost loved ones.

Earlier on this season of Below Deck Med, Rob opened up about the loss of his mother while marking his 10 years of sobriety.

"I wanted to protect her. I wanted to help her. I couldn't. I miss her a lot. That gave me strength, her dying gave me strength to continue, to be sober, to hopefully have a family. Give them what I never had," he said during an interview in the July 6 episode. "So, it gave me power. It gives me strength because I don't want to do that. I don't want to repeat that pattern."

The Daily Dish is your source for all things Bravo, from behind-the-scenes scoop to breaking news, exclusive interviews, photos, original videos, and, oh, so much more. Subscribe to The Daily Dish podcast, join our Facebook group, and follow us on Instagramfor the latest news hot off the presses. Sign up to become a Bravo Insider and be the first to get exclusive extras.

Originally posted here:
Rob Westergaard Pays Tribute to His Late Mom on the Anniversary of Her Passing - Bravo

Tipalti, an Israeli payment automation firm, announced on Tuesday that it has raised over $150 million in funding based on an evaluation of $2.05 billion. The companys founder shared with us the pitch deck they used, and helped them raise the funds in just four days.

Chen Amit, the companys founder and CEO, told Haaretzs sister publication TheMarker that he met Henry Ellenbogen from Durable Capital Partners, which led the latest funding round, over a Zoom meeting three weeks ago. After Ellenbogen saw Tipaltis deck, within four days he got back to us with the money - Ive never had such a quick fundraising round.

For the full PowerPoint Presention, click here

According to Amit, he presented the deck to a dozen investors. The investors who moved forward with Tipalti, he says, made specific requests for him to elaborate on some of the details provided. For example, some wanted to know more about their sales and marketing plans, while others wanted to meet the R&D team, Chen says.

This is our fifth fundraising round, Chen explains. During the last two rounds, the deck was a lot more numbers driven, because the numbers tell the whole story and theres no need to embellish. I present the growth in our revenues, the organic growth with our existing clients, our rate of retention, the state of our competitors and the state of the market - too many words could only do harm.

However, for this deck, Chen used what he calls a shock and awe strategy. The goal was to win the fight with one knock-out punch. I tried to get our entire message across in the first slide, to knock them off their chairs from the beginning - and only then delve into the actual numbers to underscore our story and help build confidence in it.

This is especially true during this period, in which all presentations are done via Zoom and you need people to stay with you throughout the entire duration of the presentation, he said.

The current round of funding also included Greenoaks Capital as well its existing investor 01 Advisors, which belongs to former Twitter CEO Dick Costolo. Amit says all of the capital raised will go directly to the companys coffers - with no secondary sale. It brings the overall investment in the company to $265 million, with another $23 in debt.

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Read more from the original source:
This is the PowerPoint deck that earned an Israeli startup $150m in 100 hours - Haaretz.com

All aboard! The cast ofBelow Deckand its spinoff series will do just about anything for love or at least to have a fun crew hookup.

After seven seasons of the Bravo series with more than 100 episodes there have been plenty of romances to watch unfold. Add in theBelow Deck Mediterraneanflings andBelow Deck Sailing Yachtrelationships and viewers have a lot to keep up with.

While some relationships have outlasted the high seas, includingSailing YachtsPaget BerryandCiara Duggan, who got engaged in July 2020, others crashed and burned.

Below DecksRocky DakotaandEddie Lucasserved as the guideline for crew members of what not to do while yachting. Chief StewardessKate Chastainrevealed on the BravosDaily Dishin January 2020 that the season 3 secret hookup ruined it for everyone moving forward.

This is why we cant have nice things, Eddie and Rocky, she quipped. I think it was short-lived, but a great time was had by all.

CaptainLee Rosbachweighed in on the dramatic relationship Eddie cheated on his girlfriend with Rocky saying, that wasnt a romance.

Although Rocky and Eddies time together was rough for many on board the ship, the next season broughtBen RobinsonandEmily Warburton-Adams sweet relationship. The couple lasted a while onshore as well, but ultimately ended called it quits in 2017.

Hes a magical human being. It was a lot of fun, always unexpected, things coming up. I loved it, Emily said in a May 2020 installment ofLife After Bravoabout the couples time together in Florida. I was back-and-forth from the U.K., but we were very comfortable living together. It was exciting because we were always traveling around. It was like we were always on the move.

Throughout its five seasons,Below Deck Medalso gave life to many memorable couples, includingMalia Whites two beaus. She briefly datedWes Waltonduring season 2, and her boyfriend,Tom Checketts, joined the cast during season 5.

After dating for more than a year, Malia announced in September 2020 that she and Tom had gone their separate ways. Yes, Tom and I have split. The details surrounding all of it I am trying to keep a little private just out of respect to him and I, she said via an Instagram video. But yes, I am single.

Scroll down to see which of your favoriteBelow Deckyachties has dated who over the years.

Continue reading here:
Below Deck and Its Spinoff Casts Through the Years: A Guide to Whos Dated Who - Us Weekly

Below Deck and Below Deck Mediterranean has welcomed the return of a slew of deckhands and chefs but how many times has a third stew made a repeat appearance on the series? Only once.

Thus far, the only third stew to appear on the show more than once is Amy Johnson, who was the third stew during season 2. Johnsons first appearance as third stew was filled with anxiety. She was shunned by chief stew Kate Chastain and second stew Kat Held.

But Johnson remained professional and returned the following season in the second stew role. She and Chastain not only made peace but became friends. Johnson also tried to mentor third stew Raquel Rocky Dakota.

At least 3 second stews have returned to the franchise thus far. Second stew Kat Held helped to launch the series and appeared on both season 1 and season 2 in the second position. She recently became a topic of conversation after chief stew Hannah Ferrier from Below Deck Med was fired for having unregistered prescription valium on board.

RELATED: Below Deck Med: Captain Lee Reveals Why He Didnt Fire Kat Held for Having Unregistered Medication

Held too had unregistered prescription anti-anxiety medication during season 1. She exhibited loopy behavior during the charter, forcing her to ultimately come clean to Captain Lee Rosbach about the meds. She was not fired, but later admitted she was actually drunk on charter.

Aesha Scott from Below Deck Med appeared as second stew for two consecutive seasons. Scott was actually the third crew member to take over the second stew position during a rocky season 5. Christine Bugsy Drake also returned as second stew twice. However, she was promoted to chief stew during season 5 after Ferrier was fired.

Chef Ben Robinson has made the most appearances on the series. He was on Below Deck four times and Below Deck Med twice. Robinson helped to launch both series but revealed hes probably finished with Below Deck. Sadly, I dont think were going to be doing a ton more ofBelow Deck, he told 30A. I kinda gotta grow up a little bit. Just something thats more sustainable.

RELATED: Below Deck Sailing Yacht: Does Chef Adam Regret Being on the Show and Is He Done With Yachting?

Chef Adam Glick appeared on Below Deck Med twice and was the crossover cast member for Below Deck Sailing Yacht. He too seemed to be finished with yachting. I think that the learned lessons for me, in the long run, is that after 12 years living and working on the open ocean, Im f**king over it, he said when he appeared onWatch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen.

Im ready to have a ranch, Im ready to live my life on land and grow a beautiful garden, he continued. And do the things that I want to do, like feed people organically over a fire. And none of those things can I do on a boat.

The deck team almost always has a familiar face. Bosun Eddie Lucas who returns to the show for season 8 was a constant for three consecutive seasons. David Bradberry also made two appearances on the show.

RELATED: Below Deck Med: Alex Radcliffe Is Finally Named Lead Deckhand

Kelley Johnson initially appeared as the second engineer and was promoted to bosun. Also, Nico Scolly and Ashton Pienaar were deckhands and were promoted to bosun for the following season. Joo Franco and Malia White from Below Deck Med also appeared as a deckhand and returned as bosun.

Colin Macy-OToole became a fan favorite who did two seasons as a deckhand on Below Deck Med. Rhylee Gerber also appeared on deck for two seasons of Below Deck.

Read the original here:
'Below Deck': Has a Third Stew Ever Returned To the Show? - Showbiz Cheat Sheet

The two-week pay cycle is becoming a thing of the past. Both fintechs, gig platforms, and incumbents in the payroll space have been rolling out earned wage access products, giving employees the ability to draw on money they've earned between paychecks.

Fintechs like Dave and Earnin market directly to consumers, whereas the likes of PayActiv and DailyPay target employers. There are also companies like Gusto and Square that are embedding earned wage access into their platforms.

Clair is the latest entrant into the space with an earned wage access platform built for payroll companies and gig platforms.

"What we've realized is all the other payroll providers, workforce management apps, and gig platforms are interested in building it, but building an entire digital bank is pushing it too far," Nico Simko, cofounder and CEO of Clair, told Business Insider.

"So there is clearly room for a provider who is building a digital bank on a new tech stack and able to give them just the required APIs," Simko.

Read more: Gusto, a $3.8 billion small-business payroll startup, is muscling in on fintechs like Earnin by adding a feature to let workers get paid early

In April, Clair closed a $4.5 million seed round led by Upfront Ventures, with participation from Founder Collective and Walkabout Ventures. Cofounders Alex Kostecki, Erich Nussbaumer, and Simko started building Clair last October. Clair declined to disclose the names of existing customers. Its valuation was not disclosed.

Distributed via payroll companies, employees get access to the Clair app and a Mastercard debit card. Clair makes money through interchange fees earned each time the card is used.

Earned wage access is meant to help employees avoid overdrafts late fees on bills, and serve as an alternative to payday loans. Like many of the players, Clair offers a savings account, too.

Different to many of the fintech players, Clair's platform is free for employees.

"We have one very simple principled approach, which is if you've earned your wages, you shouldn't have to pay tips, transaction fees, or monthly fees," Simko said.

Find more pitch decks in our searchable pitch-deck library here.

View post:
An instant-paycheck startup used this 11-slide pitch deck showing a big opportunity in hourly workers' 'liquidity gap' to nab a $4.5 million seed...

This season of Below Deck Mediterranean has brought up many questions for fans: What exactly is going on with Bugsy Drake and Alex Radcliffe? Why can't Chef Tom Checkettseverget the right kind of fish in his provisions? Did we really just see the charter guests have an argument about Spanx?

However, the biggest question of them all came in the October 5 episode of Below Deck Med when Aesha Scott and Rob Westergaard posed for a picture with the charter guests before heading out on an excursion. So, did Aesha actually touch Rob's butt?

That debate rages on in the Below Deck Mediterranean Season 5 After Show, above, where The Wellington crew breaks down everything from the events leading up to the photo op to the alleged butt touch to its aftermath.

In fact, still to this day, it's even unclear to those behind the scenes of Below Deck Med what exactly happened. "I remember all of us were like, 'Did you guys see it happen?'" Below Deck Med executive producer Nadine Rajabi recalled in the After Show. "We actually pulled the footage right away to see did she actually, was there a butt touch? And we're like, 'Questionable!'"

Watch The Wellington crew, including Aesha, Rob, and Jess More, share their stance on the situation in the above clip, and let it help you figure out where you stand on this very important issue.

Want more Below Deck Med? New episodes air every Monday at 9/8c or catch up on the entire series through the Bravo app.

Get your first look at the Below Deck Med Season 5 finale, below.

Preview

The Final Docking of the Season!

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The Daily Dish is your source for all things Bravo, from behind-the-scenes scoop to breaking news, exclusive interviews, photos, original videos, and, oh, so much more. Subscribe to The Daily Dish podcast, join our Facebook group, and follow us on Instagramfor the latest news hot off the presses. Sign up to become a Bravo Insider and be the first to get exclusive extras.

View original post here:
Did Aesha Scott Really Touch Rob Westergaard's Butt? Here's What Below Deck Med Production Found - Bravo

Construction of Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport's $25 million parking deck began rising up in front of the passenger terminal Wednesday as the first vertical support beam for the four-story structure was installed.

The 48,000-pound concrete column, at about 50 feet in height, is the first of some 520 structural pieces which builders will put into place as they erect the massive garage, said airport Chief Executive Terry Hart.

Hart said builders plan to install about 13 pieces a day over the next 40 days with hopes of having those up by around Thanksgiving. The 1,300-space garage is slated for completion by summer 2021.

"A lot of preparation goes into making this happen," he said as a large crane lowered the first column into place.

Blake Poole, the airport's vice president of air service and economic development, said about 12 to 15 columns will be installed in each of four rows to support the parking garage. He said the concrete beams were prefabricated off-site and transported to the job.

"It's a key milestone," Poole said about the initial column.

The building of the parking garage, the airport's first, comes as Lovell Field and aviation in general tries to recover from the coronavirus pandemic-induced plunge in traffic.

While parking was an issue at the Chattanooga Airport before the pandemic, that's not the case currently as passenger boardings on the airlines are slowly rebuilding.

"We're getting ready for when things get back to normal," said Hart.

One way of gauging passenger traffic is the number of vehicles left in the airport parking lots overnight. Hart said that while the number was down to 50 in April during the initial lock down of the economy, that figure has risen to about 565 vehicles.

"At least it's going on an upward trend," he said.

Still, before the pandemic, the number of overnight vehicles ranged from 1,200 to 1,400 per night, Poole said. Prior to 2020, airport officials had seen six consecutive years of record passenger boardings.

Poole said the recent addition of new nonstops between Chattanooga and Houston along with the return of direct flights to Chicago will help boost traffic.

The airport continues to wait for the restart of nonstop flights to New York City, Washington, D.C., and Detroit, he said.

Brad Gordon of Dayton, Ohio, said Wednesday he flew into Chattanooga for business on Delta Air Lines, adding that he "definitely" feels it's safe to fly amid the pandemic. But he said that this was his first flight since the start of the virus.

"The airlines are taking all of the right safety precautions," Gordon said.

Hart said the garage will offer 650 net new public spaces when complete. The deck is going up on existing parking spaces, and its ground floor is earmarked for the relocation of rental cars. That shift will free up space adjacent to the terminal for a future use that is under evaluation, potentially valet service, the airport CEO said.

As the garage goes up, the design of an extensively enlarged passenger terminal will take place, Hart said.

If the Airport Authority green-lights the terminal work, new gates for airliners, more restaurant and restroom space, a possible second security checkpoint and other enhancements would go up, according to officials.

Contact Mike Pare at mpare@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @MikePareTFP.

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Chattanooga Airport's new parking deck project hits milestone with installation of first beam - Chattanooga Times Free Press