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I am now an alumnus of University at Buffalo. And this is a long overdue edit to this answer. I am cognizant of the fact that this will make reading this longer than needed for a brief read. But my target audience is someone who really wants to dig deep into the possibility of studying at UB. Also, in due time I will add a tl;dr portion.March, Spring break, 2014I have delayed writing this answer, only to give it the respect it deserves having been A2A. I will ask the reader to keep in mind that I presently have 1 year still remaining in my program and the views I express here are my own. I have zero bias in evaluating the current state and personally I have tried to keep this answer as objective as possible.Now to evaluate how good is the MS program (short for - MS in Computer science and engineering), I need to elaborate on it's relative performance compared to other universities around the world. I am not sure you are looking for that. If you are, then there are these websites which do a better job - Computer Science.I highly recommend reading Philip Guo's memoir about his graduate school experience before you start. It gave me perspective on the large gap between my mental framework during my undergraduate years and the preceding time running up to my first grad school semester. There was a huge difference. And so will yours be.I expect you want my perspective based on my interactions here and the general sense I get. I will do just that.1) Courses:Some of the courses offered here are the best in the world. Although, they are not as rigorously evaluated. What I mean by it is that the coursework per se is not as heavy as maybe it would be at MIT or even at University of Washington.However, there are exceptions. Let's name these courses as A-level. The OS course taught by Geoff Challen can compete with any other OS class globally. His academic history sometimes precedes his teaching prowess (He attended some of the same classes as Mark Zuckerberg did at Harvard). You can actually view his past courses on Youtube and get a feel of it.I quote this from our welcome session organized by the department last Fall. "If you take the OS class from Professor Challen, you will not see the light of day". We knew the director of courses was jesting but he was not far from the truth. The database course and Networking course are also, arguably, one of the toughest. Database systems is taught by Oliver. Oliver Kennedy. He is akin to a rockstar, but a really non-outspoken one. I'll give you a million dollars if you can make him smile. Don't get me wrong, he is very jovial and perspicacious in all aspects of life. But only in the classroom.Perhaps, one of the best professors to learn something from is Professor Dimitrios. He is an exceptional mentor and teacher. His research is something I cannot comment about, since I haven't worked with him. In fact, apart from Varun Chandola, I haven't worked with any other professor personally. The research section of the answer is down below, so I'll wait for then. Steve Ko is the best person to learn about Distributed Systems. Professor Demirbas also teaches Distributed systems at a B-level, but you would do well to take his version of the course when you have solid basic knowledge about distributed systems in advance or are doing research in the area.Then there are courses where you would expect a lot of work but they are administered with a grain of salt by the instructor, thereby not being as heavy. B-level. The algorithms courses fall into his category. The faculty teaching AI subjects are the best in the world. Like super. But apart from courses by Jason Corso (who is no more with UB; his departure was sorta controversial) and Varun Chandola, the other courses in AI are rather off the radar for someone coming in to do their Master's at UB. Pseudo data scientists are waiting to be formed when students take the Intro to Machine Learning class with Professor Srihari too seriously.The rest could be classified as C-level. Although, it is good to note that these courses might cover material which is top quality but may not have the best outcomes for the majority of people taking them. Either due to the inherent pedagogy of the course or the motivations of the students/instructor.The C-level courses are important too. Quoting again from our welcome session - "Even if I were to take 4 graduate courses at this moment, it would be very tough for me, even 3 graduate courses can be a handful...So don't take 4 hard courses". He was not jesting on this occasion. Another quote from a senior faculty I highly respect -Professor Miller - when asked for advice by someone on which courses to take this semester in addition to his: "...if you were my son, I would advice you to not take more than 2 programming based project courses. It is just not right. At this age you should explore things, visit places, conferences...". Another quote which I hold dearly from the same professor: "...consider this to be your internship, you are graduate students, I want to teach you things which you could use in the real world, by giving you a tool-box..."I have written a lot about courses. But the hard fact is that courses for a graduate student should not matter most. As graduate students, we need to look at aspects which are a level above grades in courses. We need to understand the philosophy behind them, observe the abstractions they help us develop and learn the various aspects necessary to do research. Research is the only thing that should matter. Even at job interviews, a company would want to see a graduate student that would contribute to the state-of-the-art at their organizations, not the same old bull students are fed down their throats during undergrad. Although, it is advisable to be aware of the basic concepts and I believe the courses in the MS program do just that in case you have not involved yourself with actual Computer Science in your previous lives.I kind of surmise from the question that you are not concerned with research opportunities. But they are available. By the looks of it the faculty is doubling every semester! Note however, that MS students have to really stand out to get those opportunities given the competition and large numbers. Plus, for new faculty to give funded research student positions is a toughie. Because faculty is not allowed to use the department funds for MS students - they believe a much better use for them would be for full time PhD students. They may employ their personal research funds. Although, largely only the senior faculty have those lying around. But they can be quite stingy and hard to approach. Understandably so.Rating: 3.5/52) Internships and full-time jobs:I understand that an internship at a reputed company is a very good opportunity to beef-up your resume for a full time job. It is a big concern for you and most students. Even the Phd students, as it is a good source of funding if they do not have a better one already. Overall, UB has a good reputation at most big tech companies like Amazon*. The other answers have already provided useful information about numbers. I will try to give you a different perspective.I am in touch with students who had not secured an intern position and they have full time jobs presently and are pretty happy with them. Internships for MS students are not easy at UB. Firstly, because we do not have co-op relations and that we compete with students who study in California. Secondly, companies in the NYC area are sparse. It is quite natural to hire an intern who will not require housing funds for his/her period at the company. And most companies prefer to do that. However, UB is a reputed name and you will not be hampered by that fact. I think that is a just description. General advice: apply early, apply in thousands, apply everywhere.Adding to what I had written above after securing a meaningful job, I still agree with all the points above. There is a hidden feeling of indefinite optimism in my tone when I wrote it. The unknown yet secure time, pre-graduation, still lay in front then. Now, I can with utmost conviction say that - getting a job that I expect to like is an inherently difficult question and means different things to people.There were vast spans of time after my last semester when I felt I would not get a decent job at all. And the thought that I might as well do the unthinkable, and call up my constantly encouraging investors (guardians/parents) to inform them of my incapability. There were many like I, who had to rough out the large share of the winter figuring the best way forwards. A small portion sealed their fates pretty early, and secured high paying jobs well before their last semester. Around a third found their calling by the end of the semester. A third picked up decent to great paying jobs in two months after the last semester. And then there were some who like me experienced the grind. Interviewed successfully and unsuccessfully for some time. And then started working, satisfied.I had a very different path coming. I started working at a startup, which failed, or I failed at it. One of the two. I traveled to the Mecca that is Silicon valley, and interviewed a fair bit. And then finalized on one which was a right fit for me in my stage of life. It is a testament to the american graduate school system that allows these hiccups to not stop someone trying hard, abruptly. Caveat being that it was a rosy time for the economy, and if stuck in that conundrum during the 2007-09 crises, things could have looked sea different. But I did choose an apt time, so it was part luck, part diligence.Rating: 3/53) Daily life at UBThis analysis is from a friend of mine. I agree with it. "Both the fall and spring semesters span 265 days. From the first snowfall in the first half of November to today it has been cold and wintery (it even snowed yesterday). This winter spans at least 155 days. 155/265=59% winter, 155/365=42% winter. It is an abomination, I say! We are just cold for half of our lives."If you can make peace with it then there is nothing wrong with Buffalo. Let me not keep this part just about snow and winter. There are other aspects of daily life. Food and housing are considerably low priced. UB makes their students feel at home and has constant chirp of activities in the student union; free food, games, dance, music and sometimes fashion shows and bubble water discos. Walmart and Aldis provide cost effective places to shop. UB provides bi-weekly rides to these places. During weekends, UB has shuttles to malls and watering holes as well circa 2014. Which is an awesome initiative. The housing opportunities are many and thus here come my mandatory line - choose well. Choose good roommates and area to live in.All in all, daily life is quite fun on campus. At least for me. You will always find people who will have reasons to moan. And some that will always have reasons to party. Keep your company balanced and healthy. And you will find that Buffalo and the neighboring places such as Niagara, Rochester, National parks can be fun. People are polite and Buffalo is called the 'city of good neighbors'. (Don't live next to a frat house though!)Rating: 3/54) MiscelleneousThere are certain things which cannot be clustered into the above three segments. Like the tech scene, the sports scene and the factor called settling in. Try to ease off when you get here and settle in. Speak to people, professors and other students. Be a part of UB and not an outsider. You will be staying here for at least 1.5 years; 1 summer, 2 falls and 1 winter. That is a long time in your life. Do not second guess your choice if you get here. Keep your mental strength and have fun.Buffalo's tech scene is witnessing a revival of some sorts. Western New York is experiencing a surge of start-ups and people want to see development in their home cities and not just migrate to California. Attend seminars open for students and professionals. I attended and presented the Buffalo Bar Camp 2014. That really helped me on the recreational front during the sordid Spring semester. Try to understand what technologies are in demand and what businesses are looking to build systems etc. It will give you a good perspective of gaps in tech businesses and where bleeding-edge CS can fill the voids.I am a sports fan, but I wasn't introduced to american football very well during my time here. The Bills (American football) and the Sabres (Ice hockey) are local teams which have a large fan base. Although an international student from UB would rarely brave the weather to go downtown and attend a game. Also, UB doesn't have a great sports legacy. The stadiums are rarely packed. So, that is kind of a bummer for me.Rating: 2/5I will make sure to add a tl;dr to this answer when I get the time. I believe the information above is quite sufficient to understand all the aspects you are looking at.:) It feels great to have a badge adjacent to my name with the topics section of University at Buffalo. I thank you guys!If you want more information, please PM me. Comments or suggestions are also appreciated. I have a lot of unanswered question remaining in my inbox, but I do try to answer as soon as possible.EDITS: Transportation in Buffalo and around UB can be a big hassle. This is even more of a hassle for students as they live on a small budget. There are services such as Zipcars and Taxis which can be used for mission critical situations.Some of the courses listed on the CSE website are being handled by RAs / Post docs / TAs. I would suggest finding out who is teaching before enrolling for courses.(*) It is now evident that Amazon had accelerated their entry-level college recruitment program from 2014. Owing to the fact that their business is scaling tremendously. It is fair to say (and my fellow classmates will attest to this fact) that the interview process has become highly inconsistent. Inconsistent meant differing levels of interview questions and stages. HR, imho, was holding A/B tests for their talent recruitment strategies.

As a life long fan of this anime that epitomized the Magical Shoujo genre…I really wanted to do justice to this answer. Soooo—after giving it some thought…here’s what came to mind.(Some of the changes might seem a bit extreme, but these overall shifts will even out the momentum of the story. I wanted to do a supreme modern take that kept it grounded in its roots w/ a some tweaks, here and there. Enjoy!! 💜💜)The SettingAfter some deliberation…it seemed a better idea to shift the setting of the original series. Sailor Moon does take place in Tokyo, Japan but if we’re updating the storyline to the 2000s than it seemed better to leave the familar stomping ground. These girls are going to meet each other eventually—just not in Japan. I prefer if the setting was relocated to America. It’s a vast country w/ different areas of appeal. The East Coast seemed like the best location; while alternate spots included California. Areas like New York, Boston, Conneticut and Cali hold major asian populations. I’m on the fence between Boston or California at this point.Boston MA. aka New England is a really pretty city that’s a combination of academic achievement, athletics and kosher city life. It’s a nice setting w/ greenery and all four season w/ winter being slightly longer. The city is often competing w/ New York, a bit more laid back and has a old world mystique in some parts. Boston tends to be a international hub and would fit into the narrative quite nicely. The book scene, concerts, sushi shops and Cape Cod could definitely be a thing.California is the complete opposite. Not known for sports teams or academia, but it does have a thriving tech culture and party scene. There’s the Hollywood hills, it’s great for artists, entertainers, actors and those who live in the moment. Far more laid back w/ beaches, warm weather and festive atmosphere. There’s always a scene going on and w/ the popularity of VCOS girls at the moment…I could see one of the senshi getting into that scene. lolRemaking the CharactersThe girls will probably be about 15 yrs. of age when they meet. The anime started off at 13–14 but w/ the stuff they’ll be facing…15 for awakening felt better.Rei Hino/ Sailor Mars— She’ll be a Japanese American teenager born in Japan from a Japanese mother and father. Her storyline is mostly the same. Her father works a high profile government job in Japan. Not being able to seriously look after Rei after her mother dies from a serious illness. The father is secretly distraught, but is honor bound and more concerned w/ his career than daughter. So, she stays w/ her grandfather for a bit. By the time she’s five her grandfather decides its best to close up his shrine (not permenently) and send Rei to live w/ a relative in America. The father whose MIA for the most part, sends money to cover expenses and makes arrangements for their travel. All throughout this Rei has developed peculiar habits of staring off into empty spaces and spacing out. She tells her grandfather she sees things moving in the shadows and he kindly listens to her.After relocating Rei meets w/ a cousin who married an American. There both friendly people and quite taken w/ her. The grandfather decides to stay for a while to see how Rei adjusts to her new settings. The once precocious child soon opens up…all the while keeping her grandfathers teachings and stories close to her heart. Rei grows up carrying the art of her grandfather’s religion, Shintoism. It’s seen as eclectic by others, but Rei grows in confidence and clarity. She understands now—Rei is sensitive to energy and psychic. She spends most of her life covering up her love of religious topics and the paranormal w/ other hobbies.Rei is quite a study in contrasts. She was well looked after and it shows in her pedigree. Being the daughter of a foreign official served to make her mature before her time. Keeping her father in mind and locking away the loathing she feels….Rei can be quite direct but reserved. She observative, kind yet doesn’t mince her words. She means what she says and takes time to listen to people. She loves music of all types, conversing, feeding birds, practicing spiritual meditation and martial arts. Has a interest in gothy topics but it doesn’t reflect quite in her wardrobe. Though she prefers wearing red if able. Known for her long lithe yet curvy figure and long raven hair…Rei has a gaggle of admirers. And the fusion of east and west has imbued Rei w/ a sort of dualism. One comfortable in her own skin and extremely private.************** *************** **************** *************** ************Makoto Kino/ Sailor Jupiter— Will be known as Lita in this version. Another change is that Lita is hispanic. Lita is a troubled high school student w/ a shady past. She’s been bouncing around since she was 8. Her mother and father were both addicted to drugs when they had her. The mother tried to clean up but was in a bad relationship w/ the father. After a while the mother decided she couldn’t kick the habit and that Lita was a problem. This cause Lita to become aware of vices at a young age that formed a internal independence to survive. The situation became even more eratic when the father in a fit of anger was taken to jail after jumping and nearly killing someone. Nearly giving into despair, a teacher who had been keeping tabs on Lita managed to keep her after class in order to ask about the bruises on her wrist. Lita terrified of revealing the situation tried to dissuade the teacher. By the time the mother came around to collect her daughter she was a wreck. Drunk and high w/ smeared make up and a truly nasty disposition. She began cussing out the teacher before snatching Lita and dragging her away. Social Services were called the next morning causing her mother to laugh hysterically about being put on the spot. She blames Lita before smacking her. There was a knock on the door before a commotion began revealing a couple of cops and a social worker. All overlooked the unkept surrounding, the cops found drugs and the mother tried standing her ground but was cuffed and dragged out. Lita was gently appraised and then taken; eyes wide and shedding tears, as the only home she knew was gone.She grew up shuffling from home to home until she ended up in a teen home for girls. There she stays helping w/ gardening tasks. Growing food that she uses for trying recipes and baking. Lita, if nothing else finds solace in making food for others. It warms her heart to see others taken care of…even if it’s something small. At the Whitefield Group Home she shares a understanding w/ one of the Social Workers, Jessica Shepperd. She’s a cynical but anxiously overworked older woman from a broken marriage and eyeballs up in debt. Lita sees her as a older sister, one who understands her hidden pains and anger issues. Jessica is quite the chainsmoker and Lita overtime picked up the habit by stealing cigs when Jess wasn’t looking. (Lita does smoke in the original manga) Jessica was often kind and kept trying to reach Lita whenever she could.Whats been learned during her time in school is that she isn’t one to fuck around. Girls judge Lita by her aloof outer shell, but more often than not…she’s daydreaming about brighter days and finds herself chilling in parks skating or ditching classes whenever the mood strikes.************* ************* ************* *************** **************** *****Usagi Tsukino/ Serena/ Sailor Moon— Serena is a 15 yr. old American whose fortunate enough to have both of her parents. Since in the original she didn’t really favor her mother or father…I decided to tweak it a bit. In the manga her mother has dark bluish/indigo colored hair…so the mother is still a homemaker basically, like in manga but she works from home. The mother is a artist by trade who paints and she’s a bit ditsy. A trait Serena has in spades. lolThis expains the purplish-blue hair since she tends to experiment w/ hair colors. Her roots are originally blond and still show. Despite her lenient demeanor Serena’s mother is the disciplinarian of the household and chews Serena out about her laziness. The father a cheerful but distracted brunette w/ glasses works for an insurance company and is often away. She has a little brother that bothers the hell outta her but the sentiment goes hand in hand. Serena is usually setup by him and ends up getting chewed out by her mother. The blond is somewhat of a slacker, who daydreams the time away thinking up magical places, fantasy and she’s into teen drama’s. Being a fan of classical fairytales, Serena has always loved the idea of being a princess. Therefore she decided to never cut her hair…much to her mother’s misery. Serena’s hobbies include reading manga’s, comics, playing video games, eating and indulging in art and journaling. She’s obsessed w/ K-Pop. Not very athletic or prone to extending herself either. Serena is of medium size but dislike her thighs a bit. ;pWhen not watching tv she’s either sleeping or eating junk food. (ice cream and sweets) She’s chatting it up on her cell w/ friends on social networking sites or daydreaming about the hottest boys in school. She tends to have a different crush every single week and despises them soon after. Serena knows that cuteness is the ultimate get outta jail free card and can be lowkey sarcastic about things that annoy her. She likes to laugh and finds school work a chore. The one thing Serena hates is admitting she’s quite the crybaby. Emotionally sensitve and unable to deal w/ pressure she cracks from time to time in tears. A very suburban girl.****************** ********************* ****************** ********************Ami Mizuno/Amy/Sailor Mercury— Amy is a foreign asian student who transfered from Japan during her freshman year of highschool. Her parents both work in the health profession and transferred in order to work. Because of this Amy is usually quiet and shy. She keeps to herself not really communicating w/ fellow classmates. In Japan she was bullied in school and called ugly, because she refused to take part in the beauty rituals or grow her hair past her shoulders. She was seen as a geek for always keeping her head in books. Being low on the totem pole gave her a sort of animity. Despite this—Ami keeps her head high and her mind focused on serious matters. A language barrier is assumed by most but its just Ami deciding to not speak or ruffle any feathers. She usually listens to music to calm her nerves; which are constant because her home life is one of expectation. Ami’s mother is quick in deciphering her daughters failings and feels endless criticisms build character.Most of Ami’s hobbies include reading non-fiction novels, medical texts and cramming for maintaining her excellent grades. She wants to be able to get a full scholarship in the future and no longer rely on her parents money. Despite the calm demeanor…Ami is quite moody and has issues dealing w/ problems head on. She’s apart of a swim team and enjoys surfing the web in peace and quiet. Secretly Ami likes to collect flower petals and press them into her books.The most challenging thing for her…is keeping friends. Sometimes, Ami can seem ruthlessly cutting when speaking and a bit judgemental. She view friends as frivolous time wasters at best and untrustworthy, at worst.************ ************* ************** ************ ************** ********Minako Aino/Mina Anderson/Sailor Venus— Minako will be known as Mina Anderson, as her mother is originally from London, England and her father is a American. Mina is a exceptionally spirited and lovely blond girl w/ blue eyes and a blessed build. Her mother is a fashion model and over the years Mina has acquired a taste for make up, dressing stylishly, and partying. She runs a YouTube page on different make up products and discussing popular topics. Mina loves going to see movies w/ her father. This prim proper girl is quite the troublemaker. She seems angelic but Mina has the energy for outbursts, laughter and getting into all sorts of trouble.Despite her appearance, she really enjoys playing sports (especially volleyball) and can be quite the tomboy. Mina isn’t one to shy away from controversy either. She adores learning new things, sparkly items, and being funny on the sly. Being blessed Mina doesn’t mind sharing her time or wracking her brain in order to shine light in someone’s life. She uses her charm, cool persuasion and sweet demeanor to get things done. The only drawback is her horrid luck w/ men. Mina tends to fall in love at the most inconvenient of times and is yearning for a transcendental love. Despite her lack of experience it seems those she finds herself fancying either leave, move away or end up in horrible situations. Her friends deemed her unlucky # 13.The StoryThis is where the changes from minute to grand become apparant. I want to keep this within the realm of Shoujo-esque…just w/ an added subtle current of Seinen situations. There’s magical realism, fantasy elements and some paranormal thrown in the mix. Each of these girls are living their lives and nothing seems out of sorts.Well—not quite. lolRei/Sailor Mars is naturally hyper-sensitive to energy and aware of the subtle nature of reality already. (i.e paranormal) She’s been having these vivid dreams of fire scorched plains, a lady wrapped head to toe in crimson silk, and streams of blood and bones. The black and white visage of death ever breathing along her neck leaves her awakening w/ a panic. Disturbed and out of sorts, Rei finds herself meditating more than usual to uncover the meaning of it all. She feels a internal yearning, a pull that leads her to gaze at the crescent moon and wonder. She lights her candles hoping for peace.The rest of the girls are given visions. Some waking others while they sleep. Ami Mizuno during a private swim sees something flickering at the bottom of the pool. Not one for flights of fancy she originally believes it to be a optical illusion. As she dives deeper she finds herself wandering…the silent space of water is all she needs. It engulfs her and feels like home. The flickering continues than it shifts ribbons of light traveling through the pool. It extends and vibrates casting wave like motions. Ami is bewildered yet skeptical…until one of the watery ribbons grab a hold of her wrist and drag her down. All of the points of light manifest sharply converging on the bluenette continuously forcing her down, down….far past any reasonable depth that this pool contained. She screams; oxygen bubbling from her throat. Everything fades to black before she catches the faintest whisp of a melody and shimmery scales. She awakens on the surface. Floating along her back, facing the ceiling as she comes to.Lita after ditching school is seen walking towards a unbusy park. She crosses the field to sit under some trees, as she watches nearby children play at the playground. The weather is brisk and a bit overcast. Soon the parents collect their children and leave. It begins to drizzle and Lita pulls a jacket out of bag to serve as extra protection from the elements. She tucks her ponytail under her hoodie and begins to light a cig she’s been fingering for 10 whole minutes. The sudden sound of thunder is deafening. Lita jumps wondering “wtf” before calming her nerves and deciding maybe she should’ve stayed in class. The wind begins to pick up and strands of chestnut brown hair fly. Lita tugs on fingerless gloves before deciding to just head back and chill in one of the empty locker rooms. The leaves shake as the sky erupts. The rains weren’t as bad compared to the lightning and thundering. Lita now lightly jogging gazed upwards at the sky and saw a bizarre cloud formation. The lightning streaked incredibly across the heavens as the clouds took on a interesting face of sorts. The sky seemed to vibrate w/ tension and the thunder roared like the world had split open. The lightning mingled along creating a pattern that sent tingling jolts through Lita’s skin. The rain rolled down her face brightening green eyes that glowed under the light show.Mina’s dreams are filled to the brim w/ the loveliest things in the world. The trip to Paris she recalls when her mother went to visit a dear friend from work. The show in Monacco and the English Gardens so very pleasant in a maiden gown. The twist and turns of ivy and moss surrounded by greenery on all sides. A vast garden, a maze work of delights and dreams. She remembers being 12 and called the prettiest girl in the world. Running about in Mary Janes and ribbons in her hair. The manager gave her a basket full of eggs of pastel pinks, blues, violets and greens. He told her there were special eggs in the garden…she just had to find them. The most beautiful of all, a golden egg. Mina is excited and thankful to be sent on a adventure. She giggles cheerfully before embarking. Running and skipping here and there, she turns to find the ever mystical egg. As she passes by greenery after greenery she wonders…if she wandered too far, but it comes and goes like an echo after hearing laughter on the other side. It sounds like children. So, she wasn’t the only one on the hunt after all. This renews her and she runs along.The ivy tangle into intricate vines as pink carnations bloom. The atmosphere is enticing and it feeds her internal need for beauty. The sunlight glistens on dewy grass and the basket weighs a bit heavier in her small hands. Giggles erupt once more and the sound of footsteps accompany it. Mina stops and listens before trying to peak inbetween brush in order to get a good look. There she spies a man who has odd colored hair…it’s whiter than anything she’s ever seen. It almost seemed colorless, if it hadn’t been for shade and shadow or a silvery gleam. He picks something up and turns to look straight at her. In his palm lies a golden egg. His gaze seers her something wicked and makes her ill. His words carry along the wind as he steps closer to the hidden girl. He bends down and whispers, “You are a curse…you are a virus and I will destroy you…” Silvery blue eyes gleam as if containing the secrets of all the worlds. Mina is distraught and steps back upon noticing a dead garden. Bone white in death. The man throws the egg into the air and it shatters like glass. The pieces disintergrate into golden sand that evaporate in the wind. Mina feels like she dying before passing out. She awakens in tears. The purring of a white cat reverberates as it rubs her gently before settling on her in safety.Serena is walking home from Miranda’s (molly) house. Its around 6pm and she’s beat. As she takes her time winding through the neighborhood and admiring the view she catches a glimpse of something. It seems a cat has been following her along the way. She recognizes the Blue Persian anywhere. It never seemed to have a home but it had to…it seemed fairly healthy. She fed it from time to time but never thought much of it. The kitty made for interesting subject matter during sketches and it liked to hang in the yard. She recognized it must’ve thought she’d take her in, but her mother wasn’t the easiest to pursuade when it came to pets. The sky had taken on pastel violet and sugery pink. The Moon a ghost in the distance. It reminded her why this was her favorite time of day. The cat had become bolder entwining itself between her feet causing her to almost stumble into someone’s yard. She corrected herself and looked down at the furry beauty. It had a lovely color w/ the oddest crestent shaped tattoo on it’s forhead…like someone carved the symbol into it’s fur. Serena found that unusual. Yet she didn’t put it past people to do crazy shit….poor kitty. She wanted to take it home, but didn’t know how to get it into the house. She spoke to the cat the rest of the way home and when she turned to say goodbye...the cat was nowhere to be found.She went home showered, played some games and painfully finished homework before conking out for bed. Her hair was loose in freshly washed waves secured in a low braid. The Moon was out and it created enough light to see in the dark. Serena still snoring wasn’t aware of a shadow that appeared in the center of her yard and stretched outwards. It was in the form of a cat, as the shade continued on covering property until it reached her second floor window. The terrance of vine and flowers flowed up the white lattice fence stopping near her window. Then there was a tap on the glass. A hollow thump that repeated three times before departing. Serena a deep sleeper found herself aroused by this noise. It echo’d within a dream and pulled her from the depths of sleep. The tapping continued another round before Serena turned over, drool hanging from her mouth. She blinked before wiping the wetness away automatically. The thumps still chimed in her head and like an afterimage summoned her curiosity. Facing the window she wondered if she even heard what she thought she heard. Ready to ignore it, she turned over and was scared shitless by the shadow on her wall. It resembled a female as it stood there faceless and whole. Serena began to scream and was surprised by a voice. It seemed to not come from the shadow…maybe her head. It was random and bizarre— just like this entire freaking dream. The girl froze as the voice continued to whisper her name like a melody, like a nursury rhyme. Serena, Serena, Serena, Serena….The shadow was no longer there and that creeped her out even more. The thump continued until Serena looked towards the window to see a cat staring back at her. Eyes wide and gleaming burgundy, the cat pierced her soul as the crescent symbol glowed. A purity of light illuminated the space and Serena felt like the world shifted. Before she knew it—she found herself walking towards the window. Upon touching the frame…she opened it dazed and confused as the cat jumped in. The cat walked towards the middle of her room and spoke bizarrely w/o ever moving it’s mouth— “I found you, our long forgotten princess of the Moon, you have been called to come to terms w/ your past. You need to wake up and remember who you are for terrible times are coming…..” The voice sounded ancient underlying a hint of danger and despair. The cat never once blinked and Serena wanted this to all be a dream. Continuing the cat said, “My name is Luna dear child and you will welcome me into your life…what you hear now is my voice, a bit of my true essence yet its very hard to communicate for this world is short on belief and magic. You really believe and I have come to court you to your fate. Go to bed and all will be well.” The cat no longer shines w/ a inner light, it dims and appears no more threatening then the average pet. A fog overtakes her and she settles back to bed.****** *************** *************** ************** ************* ************From here the story plays out like a puzzle. All of the girls are left w/ feelings of impending doom. The cats are cosmic kitties, ancient beings, remnants of a forgotten time carrying memories of before. They spark different changes in Mina and Serena, because the brunt of their destinies are coming soon. The rest of the girls try to shake off their portents and continue on w/ life. After a while they all eventually run into one another gradually. It’s a natural occurance and they find themselves meeting at certain times. Lita goes to a different school (needed for her situation) and Rei is in private school. The other girls attend the same public school campus.There powers are awakened and they find themselves remembering bits and pieces of past lives. Things that flitter in and out of memory. The enemies reveal themselves soon enough and the girls are pulled into a eternal war neither asked for. It blends fantasy, beauty and horror to create the senshi we’re familiar with. There everyday lives are now fronts for something they can’t explain but must deal w/ if they want to live and survive. Malachite stalks Venus concerning an age old grudge. She walks a tightrope of seducer and death. Ami learns that her alignment w/ water is a blessing and a curse. Water isn’t easy to handle and will drown (claim) her if she doesn’t learn to balance. Jupiter is seduced by nature and all of it’s destructive qualities. It enhances her strength and will w/ devastating effects. Mars is able to gaze beyond the veil where she’s gifted w/ two guardians as a by-product and the ability to weave charms and spells. Sailor Moon must learn to lead or she’ll be overtaken. Her carefree existence is overturned and the ghostly trail the Moon reveals leaves her frozen in fear and emotion. She’s unable to turn back…the only way is forward. Learning what seemed like a dream come true…is actually a nightmare.Bonus Content: The Senshi’s first transformationsLita looks down at the skin tight semi-school uniform and the cerise bow, tied around a emerald broach. “Oh my fucking God…” she trails off as she lifts her skirt in dis-belief. Noting it just barely covered her ass… Mina cackles widely grabbing her sides unable to vocalize a response. Heady on the magic still shimmering in the air and Serena’s complete embarassment. Sailor Mercury turns her face away from Serena in mortification and silent fury. Serena whispers— “Ami..” but the bluenette looks away unable to speak. Rei just stares blankly at Serena piercing her w/ a — ‘Are you serious’ expression.Raven hair twirls as Sailor Mars face twist derisively before whispering, “Weeb”. A nightly chill passes through ruffling skirts and hair. Mina now sober smiles angelically stating their outfits were cute. Luna and Artemis share a stare before padding over. Luna states patiently that Serena’s imagination influenced the transformations. Her love for anime and Japanese culture were the primary drives for their uniforms. Suddenly the girls are swallowed by bright lights. Each one giving off a different glow. “Don’t be afraid…your auras have awakened acting as a shield. My dear Sailor Scouts—you are needed.” At the amused twinkling of Luna’s burgundy eyes the group vanishes in the night. Leaving a quiet backdrop and sleeping street.Double Bonus Content aka Just me spazzing:I seriously want a love triangle between Darien, Serena, and Seiya. I want this dude to show up and make Serena doubt her everlasting love w/ Tuxedo Mask or in this case…the Black Knight (Darien is not going to be corny on my watch)….Do they have to be together because they’re long lost lovers of eternity? Or in having mundane lives w/ their own unique thoughts and feelings…they decide to step off that well worn path into something unknown. Seiya and Darien are gonna be bishie’s!!I’ll leave it here for now…It was seriously fun writing this and I hoped this was a good read. lolI wish someone would make a modern version of Sailor Moon. Not just a faithful adaption. Anyway, Kudos!! <3

opportunity in AmericaInequalityWhy do we think poor people are poor because of their own bad choices?Maia SzalavitzIf an unexpected medical emergency bankrupts you, you view yourself as a victim of bad fortune – while seeing other bankruptcy court clients as spendthrifts. Why?Outclassed: The Secret Life of Inequality is our new column about class. Read all articles hereInequality and opportunity in America is supported byAbout this contentWed 5 Jul 2017 05.00 EDTLast modified on Sun 30 Sep 2018 11.34 EDTShares9,906Comments1,378‘Among the wealthy, biases allow society’s winners to believe that they got where they are by hard work alone’. Illustration: Rosie RobertsCecilia Mo thought she knew all about growing up poor when she began teaching at Thomas Jefferson senior high school in south Los Angeles. As a child, she remembered standing in line, holding a free lunch ticket. But it turned out that Mo could still be shocked by poverty and violence – especially after a 13-year-old student called her in obvious panic. He had just seen his cousin get shot in his front yard.For Mo, hard work and a good education took her to Harvard and Stanford. But when she saw just how much chaos and violence her LA students faced, she recognized how lucky she had been growing up with educated parents and a safe, if financially stretched, home.Now, as an assistant professor of public policy and education at Vanderbilt University, Mo studies how to get upper-class Americans to recognize the advantages they have. She is among a group of scholars trying to understand how rich and poor alike justify inequality. What these academics are finding is that the American dream is being used to rationalize a national nightmare.It all starts with the psychology concept known as the “fundamental attribution error”. This is a natural tendency to see the behavior of others as being determined by their character – while excusing our own behavior based on circumstances.For example, if an unexpected medical emergency bankrupts you, you view yourself as a victim of bad fortune – while seeing other bankruptcy court clients as spendthrifts who carelessly had too many lattes. Or, if you’re unemployed, you recognize the hard effort you put into seeking work – but view others in the same situation as useless slackers. Their history and circumstances are invisible from your perspective.Here’s what has gone wrong: hard work and a good education used to be a sure bet for upward mobility in the US – at least among some groups of people. Americans born in the 1940s had a 90% chance of doing better economically than their parents did – but those born in the 1980s have only 50/50 odds of doing so.As the dream has faded, however, its effects have not. Several elements of normal psychology combine to keep many across the economic spectrum convinced that the rich and the poor deserve what they get – with exceptions made, of course, mainly for oneself.Faking 'wokeness': how advertising targets millennial liberals for profitAlissa QuartRead moreThis error “lays the groundwork for beliefs that would tend to justify [systemic] inequality,” says Arnold Ho, principal investigator for the psychology of inequality lab at the University of Michigan.A great example of what the fundamental attribution error looks like in real life can be found in the bestseller Hillbilly Elegy. JD Vance writes of seething with resentment as he worked as a teen cashier, watching people commit fraud with food stamps and talking on cellphones that he could only “dream about” being able to afford.From his perspective, the food-stamp recipients were lazy and enjoyed selling food to support addictions rather than working honestly. But he had little idea how they saw it from within – whether they were using illicitly purchased alcohol to soothe grief, pain and trauma; whether they were buying something special to celebrate a child’s birthday; whether the hard life that he had been able to manage had just gotten the better of others who were born wired differently or who didn’t have any supportive family members, as he did with his beloved grandmother.Another instance can be seen in this quote found in an article in the Washington Post about immigrants from a retired factory worker in Pennsylvania: “They’re not paying taxes like Americans are. They’re getting stuff handed to them,” the retiree complained. “Free rent, and they’re driving better vehicles than I’m driving and everything else.” He may not have known – or didn’t care – that immigrants do pay taxes (and so do millions of undocumented immigrants) or that they don’t typically get free rent either.Indeed, this type of complaint – that undeserving people “cut the line”, as sociologist Arlie Hochschild puts it – is so common in coverage of Trump voters that it was recently caricatured by Katha Pollitt in the Nation: “‘I played by the rules,’ said retired rancher Tom Grady, 66, delving into the Daffodil Diner’s famous rhubarb pie. ‘Why should I pay for some deadbeat’s trip to Europe?’”Another aspect of this phenomenon is known as “actor-observer bias”. When we watch others, we tend to see them as being driven by intrinsic personality traits, while in our own case we know that, for example, we acted angrily because we’d just been fired, not because we’re naturally angry people.“We tend to see the world through our own experiences,” explains Stephen Pimpare, lecturer in American Politics at the University of New Hampshire and author of the forthcoming Ghettos, Tramps, and Welfare Queens: Down and Out on the Silver Screen. “We often think it is structure or circumstance that constrains our choices, but it’s the behavior of others that alters theirs.”Air rage: why does flying make us so angry? Science says it's about classMaia SzalavitzRead moreIn other words, other poor people are poor because they make bad choices – but if I’m poor, it’s because of an unfair system. As a result of this phenomenon, Pimpare says, poor people tend to be hardest on each other. He gives the example of a large literature in anthropology and sociology about women on welfare published since the 1980s. “It finds over and over again that some of nastiest things you ever hear about women on welfare come out of the mouths of women on welfare.”For instance, one woman will talk about how another down the hall is lazy and sits around, exploiting the system – even though her own behavior could be viewed from the outside as virtually identical. Some will even go so far as to deny that they even get welfare payments, he adds.Biases about the nature of inequality, of course, don’t only affect poor people.Among the wealthy, those biases allow society’s winners to believe that they got where they are by hard work alone and so they deserve what they have – while seeing those who didn’t make it as having failed due to lack of grit and merit.“The myth of meritocracy turns out to be deeply anti-meritocratic,” says Richard Reeves, author of Dream Hoarders, a new book that suggests that it’s not only the 1% who need to take a look in the mirror when complaining about inequality – more like the top 20%.“It’s something of vicious circle,” he says, describing how rising inequality increases physical and geographical segregation by class, which then reduces cross-class contact and decreases the ability to interact and empathize. Less empathy then fosters greater political polarization and justification of inequality, which in turn causes the cycle to repeat.Cecilia Mo’s experience of the effects of inequality on education came during a stretch with Teach For America, a selective program that allows top university students to spend two years teaching in poor communities. It inspired her to study that organization, to learn whether close contact with people across class can change attitudes.She figured that the elite students who wanted to join the program were already inclined to see structural disadvantages but found that, even for them, real experience deepened their commitment.Intimate contact – such as the experience if teaching in the inner city, mentoring, other types of services that allow people to connect despite class difference – builds empathy. The more you engage with with people unlike you and learn about their lives and stories, the harder it is to see them as stereotypes or to dismiss their challenges as trivial.While not everyone can participate in such intense service, the more we can recognize biases in ourselves, the less likely we will be to fall prey to them.AdvertisementOutclassed: The Secret Life of Inequality is our new column about class. Read all articles here$887,892contributed$1,500,000our goal5 days left to contribute in 2019...America faces an epic choice in the coming year, and the results will define the country for a generation. These are perilous times. Over the last three years, much of what the Guardian holds dear has been threatened – democracy, civility, truth. This US administration is establishing new norms of behaviour. Anger and cruelty disfigure public discourse and lying is commonplace. Truth is being chased away. But with your help we can continue to put it center stage. 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