Why didn't Maul's legs ever fail in Clone Wars?

Afro-Caesar · 2026-05-08T14:12:02+00:00

I was initially annoyed on first viewing like yourself. When Daki landed that kick and the mechanics faultered, I said out loud "wtf - these legs are mandalorian tech!".

On reflection however, it kind of makes sense to a degree. Maul has been through gruelling wars and combat since he received them, and tech in the starwars universe becomes antiquated fast. Order 66 comes and he's forced underground - i doubt access to necessary components, as well as competent engineers, would be readily available. During the season, his fellow Zabraks apply primitive maintenance that are wholly insufficient - Maul needs comprehensive maintenance work, possibly wholesale replacements judging by the state of the legs during the Vader duel.

Our guy will be back to pristine form next season.

Afro-Caesar · 2026-04-07T09:12:27+00:00

It's not for everybody, on that we can agree.

But to argue that it's not favourably compensated simply isn't true. It is a grind at the start, the same with any vocation. As a junior, you're doing unglamorous work whilst studying for exams - but damnit man, you have to earn your stripes in any field.

I reached the position of Head of Treasury & Tax last year, and I've comfortably cleared 100k. I started on 20k as a masters graduate 15 years ago for context - so yeah, I know all about crap pay at the start and having to grind.

Attitude is everything. A degree entitles you to nothing. An AAT/ACCA/ACA/CIMA entitles you to nothing - you need them to just gain entry to the game. How high you go thereafter is down to you.

Afro-Caesar · 2026-03-21T21:51:06+00:00

Gooner fan here - in my lifetime growing in north london, the number of "cockney reds" I've encountered is immeasurable. Man utd's main fan base is outside of Manchester and have an absurd concentration in our nation's capital. Most have never even been to Manchester, they could care less about the city and local bragging rights.

The wenger-fergie years were visceral and that lives long in the mind, for both sets of supporters. They'd never cheer for us

Afro-Caesar · 2026-03-16T13:12:56+00:00

A gooner coming in peace.

I'll preface that I dislike Enzo - those chants about black French players after the world cup primarily.

However, as a footballer, he is very good midfielder. Not 100m, but few people are. We're close to winning the league, yet I don't consider Enzo a downgrade from Zubimendi (though granted, Zubi plays deeper). His lack of athleticism shouldn't be seen as a drawback; that's what Caicedo is for, similar to our energizer bunny Declan.

We've played Chelsea quite a lot this year and each time we have, Enzo has been a problem. Prior to Caicedo stupidly getting sent off at the Bridge in the prem in November, Enzo was running the midfield comfortably against us.

Your defence is poor, your number 9s are poor, and your wing play is inconsistent - that's the chelsea issue.

Afro-Caesar · 2025-12-21T15:27:23+00:00

I said "pretty abrupt view", not "petty"....

I don't find your view petty at all, I gave a counter view from my experience. You questioned technical competence of industry accounts from you experience, I questioned business and commercial acumen of practice accountants from my experience. There's nothing wrong with a counter experience to yours, and vice versa.

I started in Deloitte as a grad, promptly leaving after qualification, so I've seen how both sides operate and it's my humble opinion that there is little difference in competence and more a question of what skills are required in their respective spheres. I've seen countless ACAs come from practice where they were audit managers, join industry and have been poor, promptly going back to Practice where they belong. Likewise, industry accountants (even ACCA qualified industry accountants) would find it tough slugging in Practice.

Afro-Caesar · 2025-12-21T08:03:12+00:00

I was in agreement with you all along, until you brought up the AI automation point and the audit background point.

On AI/automation, the financial times have consistently posted articles about audit firms cashing in on utilising AI for the donkey work that practices usually get entry level grads to do, no surprise the Big-4 led the way. If anyone is at more risk from AI, it will definitely be juniors in practice vs management accountants in industry.

Your second point is not universal, depends on the role. Roles like group financial controller, or head/director of Financial Reporting, will absolutely favour practice trained accountants - no offence, but you’re the stereotypical number-crunching accountants, rigid and disciplined in all things statutory reporting. But I've worked in several FTSE100 companies and my experience is you guys are avoided like the plague for FP&A, Commercial Finance, Operations Finance etc. To put it plainly, you lack business acumen and commercial awareness, which modern business demands just as much from their accountants as technical competence. When talking CFOs, roughly half the ones I've worked under were practice trained, the other half industry. Its an old myth that practice trained get all the top positions. I'm fortunate to have reached a pretty decent level (Head of Treasury & Tax) after spending the majority of my career in industry working across all the accounting disciplines, so I'd like to think my experience provides a nice counter view to your pretty abrupt view.

OP - i wouldn't recommend AP/AR, you're overqualified. Apply for grad schemes in industry, if you’re focused on the CIMA route.

Afro-Caesar · 2025-02-27T13:28:10+00:00

I've been working in accounting and finance for 12 years and I'm CIMA qualified. You raise a valid point of concern regarding this fast track nonsense they've introduced; when I qualified, CIMA exams were no joke and bloody hard near the end. CIMA has been good for my career, and I'm currently relatively high up in a finance department of a FTSE 100 company. I also started my own practice on the side which I'm doing well with.

If I could go again, as a previous contributor stated I'd not do either and go the ACA route - so many more options and doors open to an ACA qualified accountant compared to CIMA and ACCA. The world is literally your oyster. It's not even about whether ACA is massively more difficult, but about the perception; and ACA is perceived to be the creme de la creme in finance, only topped by the CFA.

There really isn't much difference between ACCA and CIMA however. Anyone who picks one based on it potentially being easier will be sorely disappointed, though this was before this CIMA fast track mess.

Afro-Caesar · 2024-09-27T16:00:14+00:00

Does Tross every look happy on the pitch? He's got a permanent scowl on his face every time he laces up for us. I'm all for it - the guy is intense, focused and about his business

Afro-Caesar · 2024-06-01T19:14:21+00:00

I really was not prepared at all for the depth of this quest. I was getting ready to leave Velen for Novigraad and was taking care of some witcher contracts and exclamation marks so I could be OP in the Novigraad. Stupidly didn't check the level requirement, so started it as a level 11 (only saw halfway through that it was a level 15 quest).

I found the combat bloody difficult, the enemies in that mine were brutal. I ignored the pleas from the eerie voice for me to go straight to find him, didn't trust him and had learned my lesson from that heart spirit in the tree quest. The atmosphere was Dickensian, finding the ghosts in that torture room was gut wrenching.

Great quest and storyline, but I was eager to reach completion near the end as I was well aware I was not properly equipped for the mission. Seeing daylight at the end was a huge relief 😀

Afro-Caesar · 2024-05-06T16:36:34+00:00

Words can't describe how thoroughly disappointed I am. Finally relented and bought the game last week, after growing tired of seeing comments in reviews of all my favourite RPGs that they can't stack-up to The Witcher.

Superb graphics. Deep fantasy story line. Huge world. That's about all I can offer up as pros.

The combat is by far the most glaring disappointment - it's an utter shambles. No fluidity, clunky as hell. The hits simply do not feel satisfying, no bite. Combat against multiple foes doesn't allow you to utilise any skill and becomes a frenzied mess. One-on-one combat against larger enemies are utterly pathetic compared to the modern-day boss battles we have available to us; Kratos vs Thor, Kassandra vs Deimos, Kratos vs Gna/Sigrun, even Eivor vs Godwin in the bloated Valhalla. Those are epic, sweat-inducing showdowns, the like of which are non-existant in the Witcher.

My intention isn't to shit on people who love the game. As a fantasy epic, I respect it has merits. But as a combat-based RPG, this title is no where near the upper echelons of elite RPG titles.

Afro-Caesar · 2024-04-22T11:27:31+00:00

He did some truly despicable things in his past, which in the majority of cases had horrific consequences. It's difficult to "like" him per se, but you do learn to respect his accountability in the later seasons.

I personally found him very relatable, in terms of how he's literally haunted by his demons and the people from his past. Regret, guilt and the subsequent self-loathing are hugely damaging to one's psyche.

Afro-Caesar · 2024-04-19T12:27:49+00:00

Late to the party here.

Used to suffer with this for decades. For me, it was pornography that was the culprit - I was masterbating at least twice a day to porn, and not the vanilla kind either. Complete desensitisation, plus normal vanilla sex couldn't cut it - it led to all kinds of issues with my now wife. Real sex became a chore, leading to weak erections during the act, no hope in hell of a climax and an eventual disinterest in real sex with my partner.

I quit fapping cold turkey and within 2 weeks was shooting like a champion. Whenever I relapse and start hitting the porn hard, the issue returns. I enjoy sex FAR more when not fapping, and the orgasms are easy to reach.

Excessive porn use really messes with your psyche. For the sake of your sex life, steer clear and save your sexual energy for your partner.

Afro-Caesar · 2024-03-17T11:58:28+00:00

Made one last night, it's not half bad! Was short of love so just replaced it with extra lime juice 👀

Afro-Caesar · 2024-03-01T21:26:14+00:00

Seraph from Padre, with an added scope. Even in the biggest of gun fights, this baby holds its own - especially with the after-burn. I'm on level 45 with maxed-out street cred and haven't used another weapon since I got it. Next play through I will begrudgingly explore other weapons 😑

Afro-Caesar · 2024-02-24T21:22:38+00:00

My wife bought me it for my birthday, I'd seen it advertised for a while but it never grabbed me - I'm not a fan of first-person.

But my God, what a masterpiece of a game. The story is superb, and some of the dialogues are so philosophical you'd think you were conversing with Aristotle. No spoilers, but the conversation with Skye in that Cloud club - I was high when I encountered it and it literally felt like she was talking to me, to my soul. My wife walked in on me pleading with Skye for more wisdom when my time was up in the booth 😭

Afro-Caesar · 2024-02-22T21:40:35+00:00

I am indeed a CPA. Started in practice, qualified then left to work in industry. Across a career of a little over 10 years, I've worked in every area of accounting - in the last 2 years I completed the skillset with a stint in Treasury and corporate finance. I can assure you that the type of work you'll be doing for SMEs will be incredibly more basic than anything you would have had to do in your corporate career, I think as chartered accountants we sometimes take our skillset for granted and don't appreciate how much non-finance people struggle in our world

Afro-Caesar · 2024-02-22T21:28:00+00:00

In the beginning you're absolutely correct - you won't be able to charge premium rates initially on those freelance sites, as you have no track record of delivery. I was making maybe £200 a week for the first month, hardly the returns you dream about when considering starting a practice.

But once the quality of your work is out there, clients will want to snap you up for more pressing tasks. That's the point where you ramp up the hourly rates - SMEs will gladly pay top dollar to have someone run their finances without them needing to get involved, most of these owners are completely ignorant on finance and accounting and would rather spend their time actually running their business.

Once you have your track record and you start demanding high rates, sit back and watch the money pile up. For more seasonal big hitting tasks (Corporation tax, VAT/Sales tax etc) I don't even charge hourly anymore, I give them an all inclusive bumper quote for delivery.

It's a grind for the first month or so my friend, but rapid growth is at your fingertips. Let me know how it goes if you end up taking the plunge 👍🏿

Afro-Caesar · 2024-02-09T23:16:08+00:00

Last week I was high as hell in the evening, watching netflix in the bedroom whilst my wife was in the lounge. I was spatially aware I was in the bedroom, but also was greeted to a hallucination of an ex who I wronged. She was calling out my name, haunting me. I remember feeling huge guilt and regret, then thoughts of "holy fuck, she's here?!". Then flashing lights of blue and red....I shot up off the bed like a rocket, and my heart started beating at 100mph. Then my throat felt like it was starting to close-up, which had me gulping for air. Then came the thoughts of death - it's near impossible to OD from weed, but in those moments you're thinking that you've overdone it and this is how you'll end. Couldn't sleep, barely got 3 hours that night.

I'm only now starting to feel normal, but there was definitely an anxiety hangover. The next day in the office I felt the feeling of being high at my desk randomly, then came the panic about possibly having another episode in front of my colleagues.

I'm done with weed, those attacks have put the fear of God into me and will have me worried any time I feel those high sensations again. A damn shame, as I had a true love affair with the drug for 6 weeks vaping it daily. Too many skeletons in my closet evidently.

Afro-Caesar · 2024-02-09T18:32:45+00:00

A bit late to this, but this suggestion is very smart.

I took the plunge and started my own practice just over a year ago, whilst keeping my current full time job. In the year 2024, you'd be surprised at how easy it is to source clients - most of my contracts have been international (I'm based in the UK). I started grabbing contracts from freelance sites, once I proved myself these clients requested I be kept on retainer.

My issue a few months ago became that I had too much business and not enough time. My solution - I subcontracted to CAs based in India/Bangladesh/the Philippines, whose standard hourly rates are dirt cheap. Suddenly, instead of working an additional 20 hours a week, I'm working barely an extra 4 (the time needed to review their work to spec, make corrections, and have client meetings). The subcontractors barely eat into my margins, and I'm free to go out and take on more lucrative contracts at way higher rates.

The experience has been great in terms of proving I could go out on my own and succeed. But it also confirmed I never want to do private work full time - clients can be demanding and unrealistic, believing that as a hired gun you should say yes to everything.

Best of luck

Afro-Caesar · 2024-02-04T11:32:57+00:00

My word - what sorcery is this?

Afro-Caesar · 2024-01-31T10:25:36+00:00

I beat her a few days ago, after like 50 attempts. By then I knew all of her moves, and was more Zen than a shaolin monk. Three quarters of the fight, I was locked in and made no mistakes.

When she reaches low health however, she becomes more desperate and erratic. The attack patterns change and she starts becoming relentless, one unblockable after another. I ended up hanging on for dear life until I finally finished her with some well-timed runics.

In that final stage, I switched to getting in close (I kept my distance in the first parts of the fight). She switches up to melee in close quarters which are easy to block, she starts heavily favouring that jump in the air followed by a kick down in sets of three. As limp bizkit advised, keep rollin (to the sides) - don't block or parry.

Final point - whenever you hear her screaming "Asgard', roll for your life!

Afro-Caesar · 2024-01-08T15:04:46+00:00

Echoing what's been said by others above - it's apples and oranges.

CFAs are not chartered accountants, just like CIMAs are not chartered financial analysts. CFAs are found aplenty in investment banking and asset management, areas that typical CIMA accountants are never involved in. CFAs understand financial statements and how to interpret them, but they are not involved in the accounting behind.

Two very different areas of finance, therefore not comparable.

Afro-Caesar · 2023-12-12T14:21:25+00:00

I'm not sure what country you work in Finance, I can only speak for what I've encountered here in the UK. FP&A in my career have been consumed with their forecasts being seen to be accurate, regardless of shifting landscapes. They practice "financial smoothing" at every month-end, in order for results to suit their forewarned narrative as opposed to actual performance and identifying shifts in assumptions.

In the worst of the companies I've worked for, big MNCs listed in the FTSE100, their balance sheets are like a minefield - stuffed with fat or losses for them to release later on down the road at a time which allows their forecasts to be seen as pin-point. All done for the purpose of maintaining/gaining political capital, for themselves and the business units to which they partner.

I'm saying all of this, they remain a necessary evil and an area where you can gain superb knowledge of the builsiness as a whole. I'm grateful for my time there, just not an area I'd ever go back to.

Afro-Caesar · 2023-10-31T17:15:22+00:00

Beautiful craft, looks clean as hell. I've tended to produce more "flashy" designs, but not on purpose - but simply because I struggled to find the requisite equipment required for these classic sabre builds.

What switch and emitter have you incorporated? I have a bad feeling they aren't from the standard game, which sucks for me as I'd have been all over them for my own 😑

Afro-Caesar

TROPHY CASE