The open series offers a wide range of models from 21 to 35 feet. The 25-foot center console has long been regarded as a benchmark size for offshore boats. Today we're introducing you to the all-new Open 252 center console. The Open 252 was designed with the goal to have the most family-friendly fishing boat in the market. And to do this, we had to pack all the amenities in that one may need for a day out on the water. For specifications, this brand-new hull is 25 feet 3 inches with a 9-foot 3-inch beam, 128 gallons of fuel, a 12-person capacity, 21-degree dead-rise at the transom, and a 20-inch draft. The open series of boats is built using our preparatory SportTech Advanced Fabrication Process, utilizing composite materials and no wood. This boat comes back with a transferable 10-year hull-limited warranty and is NMMA certified. This certification ensures that this boat adheres to the highest safety standard guidelines set by the ABYC, bringing you the peace of mind that you are purchasing a high-quality and safe boat for you and your family. For a detailed look at how our boats are built, check out our series behind the glass, where we explore our build process in great detail. To suit your personal style, we offer a range of colors for the hull sides, hull bottom, and hardtop underside, as well as standard powder coating in white or black. When it comes to the boats, upholstered materials, quality and durability are essential. That's why we use sigh leather marine silicone coated fabrics in all of our boats. These fabrics are resistant to UV, salt spray, staining, cold cracking, and hydrolysis. Sigh leather fabrics don't contain plaster sizers, which can be breeding ground for bacteria. We offer three color options, white, desert tan, or ash gray, and feature our diamond stitch pattern. At the bow of the Open 252, we've designed a large and comfortable area that does include storage, and it easily cleans up when it's time to fish. Stepping up to the bow, you're greeted by the large wraparound seedy. This area is the perfect area to lounge while cruising, lay out at the sandbar, or have a quick afternoon snack around the optional removable table. By removing the leg, the table can be lowered halfway and covered with the cushion, transforming the bow into a spacious sun pad that is perfect for sunbathing on hot summer days. The bow of the boat has ample storage space with two large boxes located under the seats that also double as dry storage. Our newly designed paddle style latches on the bow storage boxes give you access even when the sun pad is in use. Located at the center of the bow, you'll find a very spacious, macerated in-floor fish box. A curved grab handle for safety, plenty of cup holders and speakers for playing your favorite tunes wrap around the bow area. Removing the bow filler cushion gives you easy access to the designed-in anchor locker and polar cleats. The boat we are on today does feature the optional through-haul windlass anchoring system. This includes foot controls at the bow and at the helm. Following the sportsman design language, the console has a modern and sleek look and is packed with features throughout. You're greeted with the designed-in detubing hardtop frame that is extruded from a single piece of aluminum. This design removes the frame legs from the deck, giving you more space around the console and a robust frame structure. Additionally, it yields more space inside the head. On the front of the console, you'll find a comfortable two-person bench seat. By lifting the bottom cushion, you will reveal the 68 quart insulated cooler. This is a perfect place to store additional food and drinks while out on the water. The starboard side of the console features the iconic sportsman side window glass which floods the interior space with light. The console is wrapped with a tempered glass enclosure that includes a manually actuated vent. Taking a look inside the console, you'll find a highly functional area with storage as well as easy access to the back of the electronics. Notice the entry door? It was purposely built on the side of the console to give you access even when the boat is underway. To make the most out of the extra space around the console, we have designed designated trolling motor battery storage into the boat. This allows you to keep the three trolling motor batteries tucked away from the visible console floor providing a more streamlined and uncluttered appearance. Accessing the electrical components of the boat is a breeze thanks to the large access panel located behind the helm. Our boat in a box 2.0 rigging system is a standout feature of this boat providing a clean and easy to maintain electrical hub. The electronics are mounted on boards that can be easily removed to perform maintenance or make repairs without having to dismantle or remove any major components. This innovative system is designed to minimize maintenance requirements. To power all of the onboard electronics, we've equipped this model with a dual battery setup and switch to provide maximum reliability. Our helm on the Open 252 was designed with comfort and functionality in mind. We took great care to make sure that we had an ergonomically correct console for maximum comfort. This boat features our SportLink electronics integration system. A factory set of electronics gives you additional warranties and perks as a sportsman boat owner. The dash of this boat is equipped with the latest Garmin electronics including the powerful 1243XSV 12-inch GPS Sonar combo with a Garmin GT12M chip through-haul transducer. This brand new transducer offering from Garmin features 350 watts of power, a water temperature sensor and a bandwidth of 80 to 160 kHz. For those looking for even more high-end look and feel, an optional second GPS Sonar combo is available to fill up the dash. For a high-quality stereo experience, we provide a Garmin Fusion Apollo 670 head unit paired with eight top-of-the-line Garmin Fusion speakers. Our audio system is enhanced by the latest DSP technology including our exclusive sport-tuned audio system which delivers exceptional audio performance that will leave you amazed. But if you're looking to take your audio experience to the next level, we offer an upgrade that includes additional subs and amps to enhance the sound system. This upgrade will provide you even more immersive and powerful audio experience that will elevate your time on the water. When you take a look at the helm, on the Open 252, you'll see the absence of the traditional 12-volt switches. That's because this boat is equipped with the M-Power digital switching platform. The M-Power system brings intuitive control, easy to use interfaces and added reliability to the boat's electrical systems. To ensure added convenience, we've designed a custom sportsman keypad with the top 12 frequently used functions at your fingertips. For even greater reliability, the system can operate independently of the screens through the keypad or through the emergency bypass panel located behind the dash. This triple redundancy will bring you peace of mind and provide the ultimate in vessel monitoring and control. Other convenience features include a tilt helm with a sportsman stainless steering wheel. Above the console, we have two storage cubbies that are perfect for storing small items such as phones and wallets. At the center, there is a compass with a built-in light and a wireless phone charger on the port side cubby. For even more storage, we've added an extra compartment at the bottom of the footrest, providing additional space to keep your belongings organized and within reach. We wrap up the helm area with a sportsman helm pad. This pad provides a finishing touch that is both comfortable and stylish. Designed to appear in forward motion, the hardtop frame on this model features sleek lines and robust detubing construction. The top features built-in navigation lights, the design that positions them completely off the deck for an unobstructed installation. This boat also comes equipped with a Garmin VHF 115 radio and an antenna on a ratcheted mount. While the standard configuration includes space for four speakers on the hardtop, the upgraded system offers room for six, allowing for an even more submersive sound experience. The spreader lights on the hardtop provide deck work lights for early morning or late-night trips. To complete the top, we've added rocket launchers across the back, providing ample space for up to five fishing rods. Additionally, you'll find king fish rod holders on port and starboard. The half-tower with second station upgrade is the ultimate addition to take your sportsman to the next level. With its premium features and advanced design, this half-tower provides unmatched comfort, visibility, and control for your own water adventures. Whether you're fishing, cruising, or just enjoying a day on the water, the half-tower with second station ensures you have the best vantage point to navigate and take in the scenery. The utmost priority on the Open 252 was comfort throughout the whole boat. This powder-coated deluxe leaning post will give comfort to both the captain and passenger. The aluminum frame design provides several additional features including high back-back rests, armrests, and space for additional storage. Across the back, you'll find five rocket launcher rod holders. For your tackle, we include an under-leaning post-tackle storage with a cooler slide-out track. This track fits a Yeti 65 quart cooler or other similarly-sized coolers. On the side of the leaning post frame, you will find easy-to-reach grab handles for safety. Moving our attention over to the gunnels, you'll find molded-in rod racks with storage for up to three rods on each side. For quick and easy clean-ups while you're out, our boats are equipped standard with both raw-water wash-down system, which is located under the starboard side in a freshwater system located under the port side. The freshwater system features a 15-gallon tank and the fill can be found under the port side gunnel. Over the top, flush-mounted Gemlux rod holders and Gemlux pull-up cleats. We've added cockpit bolster cushions to our boats to enhance your comfort while fishing. These cushions provide a soft support for your knees and legs when you're reaching into the water or fighting a fish. The Open Series is known for its beautiful aquarium live holes and battle-ready amenities. The Open 252 lives true to that design. Following the design of the Open Series, the flip-down seat maximizes the cockpit space for fishing and family activities. When it's time to cruise, the seat easily folds down revealing a comfortable two-person bench seat. When it's time to fish, easily give yourself plenty of room around the leading post by folding the bench up and storing it flush with the transom. A class-first on the Open 252 is a 25-gallon aquarium live well.  While out fishing, you can never have too much space to store your catch. That's why we've included two insulated and macerated in-deck fish boxes on both port and starboard. These boxes are built into the stringer system and guaranteed to support heavy loads of fish and keep ice all day long. Additionally, the lids feature additional insulation to protect your ice from the heat above deck. Moving attention to the port side of the boat, you'll notice we've designed in a transom walk-through. This safety feature eliminates the need to step over when getting into the boat. This feature tied to the telescoping ladder is a great way to board the boat and keep everybody safe while playing at the sandbar. The step up to the transom houses a convenient sandbar feature. One of the most forgotten items when headed to the sandbar is a stern anchor. So to make things easier, we've included a stern anchor with the road in the step storage box. For any maintenance on the boat, you'll love our best-in-class bilge access. Simply remove the rear bench seat and you'll find a large access to the critical components of the boat. One more safety feature hiding within the rear deck is the sail-failing cockpit, which allows any water on the deck to drain overboard and not into the bilge. All sportsmen boats have a collector box drainage system that pipes water directly overboard without mechanical assistance. To wrap up the rear section, we wanted to offer something the whole family would love, so we designed in support for the optional telescoping ski tow pole. When it is in the down position, it's completely out of the way. But with a single motion, you get a sturdy ski tow bar for tubing, skiing, wakeboarding, and many other fun water activities. When we say designed in, we mean it. This ski tow bar ties into the stringer system to give you immense strength even under heavy loads. This brand new haul on the Open 252 was designed to accept several engine packages and was engineered to accept the latest technology from Seekie Parade built in. For power, you have the choice of a single Yamaha 300 or twin Yamaha 150s. These engine packages also include integrated steering. One of the most exciting features for this model is the designed-in integration with the all-new Seekie Parade system, which represents a game changer for boat performance and handling. Using advanced technology, this system can eliminate up to 70% of pitch and roll, providing a smooth and stable ride that enhances comfort, control, and confidence on the water. If you're interested in seeing the Seekie Parade system in action and learning more about how it revolutionizes a boat's performance and handling, be sure to check out our series of videos on the topic. You can find the link to those videos in the description below. For those who like to cruise at night in style, you'll love the standard lighting package, which includes a pair of blue Lumitech underwater lights for added ambiance and safety. The deck is also well-lit with our interior LED lighting package, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere for you and your guests. Whether you're out for an evening cruise or enjoying a night of fishing, our advanced lighting system is sure to impress. Whether you're offshore fishing or taking the family to the sandbar, the Open 252 has you covered. From the insulated live walls and in-floor boxes to the comfortable seating and coolers, this boat has all the amenities you need for the family. And it's all wrapped up in an easy-to-trailer 25-foot center console package. For more information, navigate to sportsandboatsmfg.com or contact your local dealer. Thanks for watching.


Hello everybody, E here. Welcome back to Top 5 Friday. Today we are going to be talking about my Top 5 favorite non-horror novels. This was a request by Instagram user constant.reader1408. I'll leave a link to her down there in the doobly-doo. But it looks like her name is Ray Don, R-A-E, and in D-A-W-N with no space in the middle, but it's capital R and capital D. Thank you for the request, and let's go ahead and jump right into it. At the number 6 spot, I know it's Top 5 Friday, I have an honorable mention. I wanted to do only novels this time, so maybe I'll do novellas next time. But of mice and men, yes they call it a novel, but I mean it's only 105 pages. That's it. So I mean I can't really call it a novel, when it's probably something like 25-30 thousand words. So I'll call it a novella, but this is an honorable mention. I highly recommend, if you have not listened to the Gary Sinise narrated audio version, I highly recommend it. Everybody that I have recommended it to has thanked me for the recommendation. It is just that good. The story is perfect, in my opinion. It doesn't go on too long, the character development is on point, and the ending is perfect. So let's get into the actual Top 5. At number 5, I am going with The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. I don't care much for YA.  I'll do a video on him at some point. It's probably when Grasshopper Jungle sequel comes out. But we're talking about John Green. I love this book. It is in my Top 20. It's easily made this list. The Top 5 here, all 5 of these were very easy to pick out, but this was one of the first ones that I picked out. But I'm putting it at number 5 because it's not even my normal genre. I don't care too much for YA, and I don't care too much for romance. This is a very weird romance, but it is very romance-y. The depth of emotion in here is far deeper, in my opinion, than anything else out there in YA that I have read. I know my wife loves Angie Thomas, the author of On The Come Up and Thug, or The Hate You Give. Either one of those. I have not read those, but I want to get to them. I'm almost wondering if I'll dislike it just because it's YA. Because she also loved, The Sun is also a star, I think it is, and I didn't like it. But this one is amazing. Very, very, very close call here because I almost put Looking For Alaska on this list, but I think this one has more emotional depth in it than Looking For Alaska. Next up, I do want to say something before we continue on. When I was asked to do this, the first thing that I've told myself is you can't have anything that can even be remotely considered horror on this list because for one you probably just start not argument down in the chat whether or not something is horror or not, if I come even close. So things like Night Film, You, Night Film by Marisha Pacell, and You by Caroline Kepnis, those books I have kind of left off, even Fashion Victim by Amina Akhtar and Erin Mintohals, Our Kind of Cruelty, even though those books are kind of horrifying, I didn't feel, even though those books are not labeled horror, they do have horrifying elements. So I mean, even Jesmin Ward's stuff, like Unburied Sing would probably have hit this list, that probably would have been my list, if there wasn't that aspect, you know, at the end there's like a horror aspect, I don't want to spoil it with what it is, but that's the thing that I was thinking about when I went into this. So if you're wondering where You and Night Film and those books are, I'm not putting those on there. Maybe I will do a list, if you guys want to see a list of books that I consider horror that aren't labeled horror, please let me know down there in the doobly-doo. Next up we have The Power of the Dog by Don Wilson. I have not read the last book, The Border, and I did not care for the cartel half as much as I love this one, probably because Colin didn't come back, that's a spoiler, I apologize, but this one I read, it is a, hang on here, it is a 537 page book and I read it in three days. The only other author I ever do that with is Stephen King. I will pick up his books and I will read it over a long weekend, five, six hundred pages, the first time I read it. This book is amazing.  The cartel probably would have been better for me had I known that Colin wasn't going to be in there. So it is a matter of my expectations, you know, screwing up a read and I will likely end up rereading the whole series before I get to the border. So I will likely reread this one and then I will reread the cartel going into the border and I'll probably enjoy it more. But this one, if you have not read Don Wilson, I, Winslow, I almost said Winslow, Don Wilson definitely go out and check out all of his stuff. I highly recommend starting with this one because that's where I started. So at the number three spot, not six, three, three, number three spot, we are going with Gone with the Wind. I have written and deleted my review for this book several times. The reason for that, this version is also falling apart. It is literally glued to, not glued, but it is taped together with clear tape. And I have another one that has the white, it's the exact same copy, but it doesn't have the painted pages. And I really, really like the painted pages. So I'm holding on this one, but I never really cared too much for the movie. The book I absolutely loved. I read it a chapter at a time, maybe it's two chapters. I think it was two chapters because it has 60 chapters, I believe. And I read it in a month of, yeah, it's 62 chapters and I read it in the month of December, which has 31 days, so two chapters a day. I was completely, completely just stuck in this world while the civil war was happening, all that stuff. Was it reconstruction? I cannot, I can never remember what it's called. But there's a lot of talk about how this book is pro slavery or pro the south during that time. I don't feel that way. If that was the author's intention, whatever. As far as I'm concerned, this is a perfect portrait of how ugly the southern United States is, especially during that time. And there's a little, there's, the book is shouldn't Freud for me. I hope I said that right.  Scarlet and all that. To some extent, the one bad guy, I get ret, the one anti-hero, I don't know what you want to call him. He's the only one who really talks any sense in the book.   And maybe not Ashley, but who's Ashley's wife or girlfriend or whoever it is. That lady, she was okay too. But everybody in this book, everybody in this book catches hell. Even Rhett to some extent, even though Rhett has the best and Rhett travels the world and you can see the culture in him. And I appreciated that because he was smart enough to go and visit other places and leave the south.  And I thought that metaphor, whether or not the author meant it or not. Another thing in here is, from what I understand from reading articles about this book, the Margaret Mitchell actually checked almanacs for the weather that happened, so that she even got the weather right on the days that she was writing about. That's some insane research. But moving on to number two, After Dark by Haruki Mirakami. This was my introduction to Haruki Mirakami and I absolutely fell in love with him. My buddy Gregor said, hey, well actually I asked him about one Q84, which is a 1200 page book. And he said, it probably start with something like After Dark, which is super short. And After Dark is I think 243 pages, 245 pages, something like that. It reads insanely quick. I read this in two sittings over the course of maybe three or four hours. And I'm not a fast reader. I'm not a speed reader. But the television segments were my favorite part. It was just so weird. And I love weird as long as weird is done well with some kind of meaning. If you're weird, it's just there to be weird.   I mean, if there's no point to it, then I don't care too much about it. The weird in Haruki Mirakami stuff is amazing. He does surrealist fiction, I think better than anybody else. He does magical realism terrifically. And he's easily one of my favorite authors. And this is one of my favorite non horror books. I don't think there's anything in here that can be confused with horror. Some of the best scenes in this book are just two people sitting in a diner talking. But my favorite scenes are the television scenes. And once you read the book, you'll understand what I'm talking about. And last, certainly not least, I almost didn't put this on the list and it ended up being at number one. So take that for what you will. There's a character in here that is absolutely horrifying and that's why I didn't want to put it on this list. But at the end of the day, it's my favorite non horror novel, even though there are aspects of it, and I know I'm breaking my own rules, but there are aspects of it that are absolutely terrifying. And that's One Fluid with a Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kessie. Nurse Ratchet is one of the best villains of all time. What she does to Murphy and what everything that happens with Chief and all that, this book is one of the only books that I have read more than five times other than Stephen King's It. I've read this probably 10 times at this point. It's super short, it's only 272 pages and it's a very small, even though it's kind of dense. But the level of emotion and the level of characterization, the character development in here is what I came to love. And the ending, like of mice and men, is absolutely perfect. Pitch, perfect. I don't think there is a single piece of this book that you could do away with without damaging the overall story. It is one of those perfect experiences for me and of course it's my number one. But if I had to choose, if I had to put of mice and men on this list of mice and men would likely be above this one just because of the succinct nature of it, just because there's no wasted word. And that's one of the things that Steinbeck was so good at. Kessie is great too, but there is something to be said about the power of brevity. And in of mice and men, I don't think that story could have been any shorter, any longer. In this one, I don't think it could have either, but it's less time consuming. If that makes sense, let me know down there in the doobly-doo. If you think I'm crazy, let me know down there in the doobly-doo. And also, let me know what your top five non-horror novels are of all time. Maybe top ten. Give me whatever. Give me however many you want to. If you want to put a hundred down there, that's your typing time you gotta take. But until next time, I have been E, you have been U. This has been another Top Five Friday. I'll talk to you guys later. Bye-bye!


Good morning everyone. I am Jelena Porter principal deputy spokesperson at the u.s. Department of State I am also a proud HBCU alumnus of Howard University I'd like to welcome you all to the second day of the virtual HBCU foreign policy conference It's a tremendous honor to serve as a presidential appointee under the Biden-Harris administration and also represent a community of HBCU alumni well represented here at the department We've looked forward to this virtual conference as a way to bring our u.s. Foreign policy priorities to your laptops at home We hope you take this experience as a way to expand your network knowledge on international affairs and Awareness of how our efforts impacts the lives of Americans at home and abroad. I Hope you found yesterday's discussions enlightening interesting and inspiring Today you will hear from representatives of government fellowships Internships and organizations that are dedicated to the advancement of students gaining entry into public service. I Began my journey into public service as a college student learning about international service opportunities and pledging a public service sorority my beloved alpha chapter delta sigma theta sorority incorporated We're honored to have HBCU alumni represented at the department who are eager to engage beyond this week's conference We have a series of stories about our HBCU alumni that are thriving and enjoying their careers in foreign policy on our website www.state.gov Backslash blogs. I Want to emphasize that today will not be the last time you hear from us Our team and the global public affairs bureau and across the department want to engage with your universities Our goal is to close the gap to provide opportunities and resources that otherwise might not be accessible on your campus Our flagship outreach programs are a great first start To send speakers to your campuses to learn about our invaluable work at the department Our agency is proud to produce the conference dedicated to HBCU advancement in foreign policy careers Which is an opportunity we don't take for granted Here are a few tips to keep the conversation going on the last day of the conference The hashtag HBCUs at state is a great start to connecting with fellow HBCU alumni at the department And other participants from the conference Share your linkedin profiles through the chat feature on the conference website You may also send a direct message to a staff member at the department during today's discussions We are so honored to have all of you join us here virtually I hope this conference has inspired you to consider pursuing a career in foreign affairs And I know for certain that if you choose to do so our department and our country will be better for your contributions I hope you'll join us. All right. Good morning everyone. Thanks so much for being here for day two of the HBCU foreign policy conference It's great to be with you this morning I'm going to tell you all about the presidential management fellows program And then I'll have a chance to answer any questions that you may have And so just excited to be here with you today And I'm going to go ahead and share my presentation here All right. Well before we get started I do want to take the opportunity to give a shout out To my colleague rose the saint rose is helping with the chat this morning But she is also a virtual student federal service intern in our office here in the pmf program And the vsfs program is another program that I would encourage all of you to take a look at It's a great opportunity to Be involved in federal service while you're still in school on a part-time basis So thanks so much to rose for helping out Feel free to connect with her. She's been a great asset to our program And is currently pursuing a phd and in psychology at the university of west Georgia, so thanks rose and again Be sure to check out the vsfs program at the state department So this morning's presentation is about the presidential management fellows program So what I'll do is I will tell you what the program is I'll give you a little bit of background and history on the program Then I'll tell you what the fellowship includes As well as tell you about the application process and what makes a competitive applicant And then I'll end the presentation by talking a little bit about The other two pathways programs As well, so there are three pathways programs one is our program the pmf program There's also interns and recent grads. So those are three really great ways To get into federal service either while you're in school or after school So with that, I think we'll jump right in So first off, what is the pmf program? The pmf program is the federal government's premier leadership development program For advanced degree holders across all academic disciplines It is a two-year fellowship that leads to a career in the federal service So this is as I said a program for advanced degree holders, masters, phd, jd Or folks who are currently in the last year Of their advanced degree program and we'll talk a little bit more About eligibility here in a little bit But that is at its heart what it is. It is the federal government's primary way Of bringing in tomorrow's federal government leaders. So that's something that appeals to you This is this is the right program for you One thing that I'll say is it is open to all academic disciplines But a lot of our applicants come in with backgrounds in international affairs And so specifically for this audience today If you do have that background, this is a great program to come in At the state department or another federal agency And apply those skills and that background to federal service Just a couple things I'll point out right at the top. Our website is super easy www.pmf.gov. That's where you can find all the information you need on the program I would encourage you and I'll do it again toward the end to subscribe to our listserv from the home page That will be a great way for you to receive resources on the application And we'll also give you a heads up when the application launches later this year I would also encourage you to review the become a pmf section of the pmf website That is the section that is specifically geared toward applicants And so you can find all kinds of great information and resources there To help you as you navigate the application process And any application inquiries that you have questions feel free to email us at pmf application at opm.gov So before I jump into the pmf program Generally, I did want to talk a little bit about the pmf program participation At the u.s. Department of State So during this conference you've probably heard about a number of opportunities at the state department Some of those have probably focused on the foreign service The pmf is a great way to enter the department on the civil service side And so that's what we're looking at here for this program in this presentation The state department has a long history of participation in the program going all the way back to the beginning And it also has a vast network of pmfs at the department So one of the advantages is not only on an individual level For your career and your growth, but also if you join the state department through the pmf You're automatically connected to A great network of pmf and pmf alumni at the department Every year the state department hires pmfs there were over 40 that were hired last year through our program Across a number of regional and functional bureaus And we expect that that will continue going forward So that's just a little bit about the pmf program at the state department specifically After this session There is a networking lunch where I know that pmfs from the advisory council at state Will be talking a little bit more In specific about the pmf program and what it looks like at the state department And what fellows generally do and what their careers look like there So I would definitely encourage you to Connect with the pmfs from the pmf advisory council at the networking lunch That follows this presentation All right, so the pmf program is the president's program It was started in 1977 under the carter administration Back then it was called the presidential management intern program And it was also at that time specifically for masters of public policy And public administration students It went through a number of changes over the years And some of those notable changes are what happened under the regent administration When the program was open to folks from other degree backgrounds Including international affairs Under the bush presidency the program was renamed to become the presidential management fellows program And then under the obama administration one of the important changes that took place Is that the eligibility was expanded to include Folks that completed their advanced degree within the last two years And we'll talk a little bit more in detail about that But as I mentioned this is for people who are in the last year of their advanced degree Or who have completed an advanced degree within the last two years So there is potentially kind of a three-year window that you have to apply As I mentioned a number of individuals have gone through this program We've had over 10,000 that have gone through the pmf program over our 40 plus year history And these are just a few of the alumni that I wanted to spotlight for you We have Sean O'Keefe who is part of our inaugural class in 1978 He was a pmf at the office of management and budget He went on to become secretary of the navy administrator of nasa CEO of airbus and now he's a professor at syracuse university We have susu who is a pmf at the department of defense She spent quite a while in government and then left for the private sector And it's currently the chief people officer at time magazine And then these last two were actually state department pmf alums and I wanted to highlight them for you as well So we have ambassador bonnie jankins Who was a pmf at the department of defense in the state department? During the obama administration. She rose to the ambassadorial level She went on to found a nonprofit called the women of color advancing peace and security and conflict transformation And she is also the current nominee for under secretary of state for arms control and international security affairs And then there's ambassador reberda jacobson No relation to me. It's a different spelling And she was a pmf at the state department as well She became former assistant secretary of state for western hemisphere affairs and was also u.s. ambassador to mexico Currently ambassador jacobson is A member of the nsc the national security council at the white house And so particularly with these last two This just gives you a sense or an idea Of where pmf can take you once you launch your career through the program We've had pmf's at the state department Who have risen to the highest levels of the department? To become ambassadors to become under secretaries assistant secretaries and all kinds of other senior leaders So just wanted to highlight for you What this can do for you and for your career And not only at the state department as i mentioned we have a number of agencies that Participate in the program and hire pmf's into roles that are related to international affairs At the defense department at the us agency for international development at treasury Pretty much any agency that you can imagine So this is just a great way to launch your career in public service with an international affairs background So the model of our program is a call to lead a call to serve And so when you think about uh pmf, I think a lot of folks ask the question What are you looking for when you have people apply to this program? And I think at a high level there are really two things that are most important One is leadership potential The other is public service motivation So if you strive to become a leader in government If you're interested and have a desire to be part of the public service This program is really for you And so this is the federal employee oath of office that all federal employees take Upon accepting an appointment or a career in government But just by nature of the fact that you're here today that you're part of the hbcu Foreign policy conference I know that you likely have that desire to be a leader a desire to serve Our nation and so this is what this program at its heart has always been about So now let me talk a little bit about The program and what it includes So as I mentioned, this is really a pipeline for future leaders in federal government It's the way that federal agencies bring in their future leaders It involves a competitive and rigorous application process That opens every fall for two weeks and we'll talk a little bit more about that in a minute Those who are at the top of the applicant pool are selected as finalists And then finalists seek appointments as fellows. So it's kind of a three-step process You apply and then you become a finalist and then you become a fellow There are two-year fellowships with full salary and benefits Training and development and then the potential to be converted to a permanent position at the end of that two-year fellowship And so fellows come in at the GS 9 11 or 12 And there's promotion promotion potential All the way up to the GS 13 And if you're not familiar with the the general schedule, the GS is what we call it This is just a way to describe the scope and the responsibility That someone has coming into government and then also the salary that goes along with that And so as you move up the GS scale you get both more responsibility And the pay increases as well And so if rose has it handy I can have her pop in the chat a link to the GS scale for the washington dc metro area So you can get a sense of kind of what the salary looks like As I mentioned PMFs usually come in at the nine or the 11 And one of the really unique pro parts of this program is it accelerates you through that promotion process And so within two years you could move up two grades And that could take years to do outside of a program like this. So it's really a great benefit So the fellowship includes onboarding with your fellowship class All fellows are part of a specific class year And so if you connect with PMFs at the lunch later, you can ask them what you know what PMF class year they're part of And they can tell you that that has to do with the year of the application So the application coming up in the fall is for the class of 2022 Um, it includes rigorous leadership development and also an individual development plan for you to map out your career It includes 160 hours of formal interactive training. So 80 hours a year of training that is both leadership development training and also technical training related to This specific job that you that you get as a PMF And then another really unique thing about our program is it includes at least one four to six month developmental assignment Which is where you go to another office or you go to another federal agency For four to six months on limitation And you learn and bring skills and experiences back from that experience to your home office And again, this is one of the really unique Features of this program. I think at the state department. They actually require their fellows to do two And a lot of times those rotations can also be overseas as well So within that two-year fellowship, you're getting exposure Not only to your home office, but to one or two or potentially even more other offices across government So that's a really great feature of this program Most people do it within the executive branch Some even go to the legislative branch When I did my PMF Fellowship I went to the senate foreign relations committee for six months as my developmental assignment So the opportunities and the possibilities are really endless with that piece You also have the assignment of a senior level mentor Which is a great benefit and then other appointment benefits such as public transportation subsidies, telework student loan repayment And then the opportunity to non-competitively convert at the end of your fellowship, which is a great benefit It really gives you that pathway into government that will allow you to stay for as long as you want All right, so let's talk a little bit about the application process So the application typically takes place in the fall At the end of september or beginning of october We haven't released the specific dates yet, but that is the window and if you sign up for our listserv You'll get updates on when the application will launch The announcements posted on usa jobs and then we have our own pmf talent management system Where we host the application So as part of the application you include your resume your transcript Any supporting documents for preference that you might be claiming And then there is an online assessment That is part of this application process The whole application process can be done online. It takes three to four hours. So you can do it from wherever you are And the online assessment is really the thing that We look at to determine Who will be selected as a finalist? So once the application closes we typically announce finalists about six weeks after And then once announced as a finalist You have 12 months of what's called appointment eligibility or 12 months to find a job So that's when you'd be getting interviewed from federal agencies like the state department To find your pmf appointment So once you go from the finalist stage to becoming appointed, that's when you're Called officially a fellow So the online assessment as I mentioned, this is kind of the most important part Of the selection process. There are four parts to the online assessment Situational judgment life experience problem solving and then there's an essay that's part of this as well And so this isn't really kind of the assessment that you would study for It's more an assessment that's looking at Whether or not you would be a great potential future leader in government So that's where kind of the situational judgment and these things come into play As I mentioned the two big things we're looking at are leadership potential And public service motivation. Those are kind of the big picture things we're looking for But then the online assessment is also Designed to evaluate for specific competencies and these are some of those competencies. It's flexibility Integrity interpersonal skills how you interact with people As I mentioned public service motivation problem solving and written communication That's a really important one. Can you write clearly? Can you write concisely? And so one of the things that we do Is we post an assessment preparation guide every year usually in april That helps walk you through the online assessment and get a sense of what the questions look like What we're evaluating for and so that resource is something that's really important for you to look at if you're thinking about the pmf program And I would really mention two resources. One is the assessment preparation guide And the other is the applicant handbook Those two resources are really the most important resources that you can use to get a sense of the application process The assessment process and what will make you competitive as a candidate for this program So who can apply that's that's another question that we often get So this is open to graduate students worldwide. You need to have an advanced degree from an accredited institution Um, and so the eligibility window as I mentioned, it's about three years So there's there's two parts to this you must either Expect to complete your advanced degree by august 31st of the following year So for this next application cycle, it'll be august 31st 2022 Or you can apply within two years of completing that advanced degree So the full kind of range of dates for this would be If you completed or expect to complete your advanced degree between october 2019 and august 31st 2022 i'll just say that again just so everybody gets it it's october 2019 to august 31st 2022 that's the window of eligibility we're looking for And again, that could be a master's phd JD or other advanced degree So when it comes to how to apply definitely review the become a pmf section on our website as I mentioned And then once the application opens, you'll follow the instructions on the usa job announcement usa jobs announcement So that's where you'll actually find add the link to go and apply So here are some class of 2021 statistics for you. So this is from our last class We had a total of 6,820 applicants From that applicant pool. We selected 551 finalists And and I would encourage you not to be kind of nervous about that number at all It is usually around an 8% acceptance rate in terms of finalists But you know, like I said by nature of the fact that you're here We can already see that you're Motivated for public service and leadership And so definitely don't be scared off from applying by by that number We also have quite a bit of diversity within That group of finalists. So this year We had 153 academic institutions that were represented And we had 77 unique academic disciplines represented a lot of those had to do with international affairs And then 10% of our applicants. Sorry our finalists were veterans So this is kind of just a snapshot Of what the class of 2021 which is the current class Looking for appointments looks like So this is where you can learn more about the pmf program I'd encourage you to you know snap a pic of this screen or take Down some of this information here Our website is pmf.gov Again, one of the biggest kind of things that I would ask you to do if you're interested in the program is subscribe to our listserv So I believe rose can drop the link to that in the chat All you got to do is go to that link And select pmf from the drop down The reason why I encourage you to do that is because you can kind of do that And then once the application rolls around You'll get an email announcing it you'll also receive resources related to the application And info sessions that we do in september prior to the launch of the application So we definitely don't bombard folks with a bunch of different emails But there are a few important touch points that will come through if you subscribe to that listserv So you can find that again on our home page Right where it says stay connected sign up there select pmf from the drop down And then again review the become a pmf section of our website And any inquiries that you have you can send a pmf application at opm.gov So again would encourage you all to connect with us Um, you can connect with me as well. Um, I don't think I even mentioned my name at the top of this But I'm brandon Jacobson. I'm the communications and outreach lead For the pmf program office All right, I have one more slide and then I'm going to get to your questions and I can see some of those coming in here So as I mentioned pmf is part of the pathways programs There are three pathways programs one is pmf and that's for advanced degree candidates So whether you're pursuing your advanced degree now you recently received it Or you're thinking about it in the future That's one that I would definitely highlight for all the reasons that we just talked about But then there are another two pathways programs as well There's the internship program that is for students that are currently in school So students in high school college trade school or another qualifying institution You may be eligible for those internship opportunities through pathways. These are paid opportunities And they're a great way to sort of explore working in federal service while you're still in school. So internships is one The other is the recent graduates program So recent graduates, uh, like the name suggests is for those who have who've graduated recently within the past two years from a qualifying institution And um, those also provide great career development opportunities training and mentorship And so I would definitely recommend looking at all three They're all great ways to get into the federal service To explore what that might look like And one place where you can go is this link here and I believe Rose can drop it into the chat as well This page has kind of a brief overview of all three of the pathways programs and where you can go To get more information On those three programs. I know the state department Works with all three Um, so that could be a potential pathway as the program names suggests Into the state department. So I believe with that I'm going to um end the formal presentation And then I will go ahead and address Some of the questions that are coming in here Through the chat box So the first question that comes in says can you talk more about how you are evaluated as a pmf applicant? And are there placement programs that can lead to jobs? So it's a great question. So first on the Evaluation side. So the evaluation that we do Is almost entirely through that online assessment that we Do as part of the application every year And again, the assessment preparation guide is the best way for you to understand The exact competencies we're evaluating for and get an idea of kind of what those questions look like When it comes to, you know, things like the writing exercise the essay You're really just trying to show us, uh, you know that you can write clearly and concisely And then for some of the, you know, situational judgment parts of it, again, we're looking at Based on this this candidate's answers Would they make a good federal leader for the future? So that's kind of, you know, how we're evaluating and again, as I mentioned Big two things leadership potential and public service motivation And then drilling down a little bit more flexibility integrity interpersonal skills Written communication and problem solving. Those are kind of the the other competencies that we're really looking at And then in terms of the placement The way this works is that once we announce finalists Um, you have 12 months to find an appointment as a PMF But the nice thing about this is is that agencies that participate in the PMF program Including the state department Post jobs on our talent management system on our website That are specifically for PMFs And so you'll have an opportunity every day when you're a finalist to go in there and see what jobs are being posted And um, there's usually a person that you can reach out to to ask questions and talk more with And the other thing we do too is we do a hiring fair every year for every class of finalists And so we bring agencies together where you can go in you can apply you can interview with these agencies And so once you become a finalist There are a lot of opportunities to learn about what These federal agencies do and to learn about appointment opportunities that are available for finalists The last thing I would mention about that Is this year we started doing what's called agency meet and greets Where agencies will come they'll talk about their agency They'll usually bring in fellows and alumni and program managers from their agency And they'll talk in depth about what working at that agency looks like as well as highlighting any available appointment opportunities That come up for finalists So hopefully that helps answer that question. So the next question is is related and this question says Are applicants who are selected as finalists guaranteed a federal job? So it's a great question and the answer is no, they're not guaranteed a federal job That said in our experience in the PMF program Any finalists who really wants to get placed has multiple opportunities to do that And so while it's not guaranteed It's definitely the expectation that if you become a finalist You're going to be able to find that appointment I think the trick is to Make sure that you know, if you're coming in for example with the background in international affairs Then you cast a wide net. Do you think about your? background your skills what you love to do And what you would do well at a federal agency and then go out there and learn about all the different opportunities that are available As I mentioned, there are many opportunities at the state department And then there are also opportunities at usa. There's opportunities at executive office of the president at treasury at usda And so I think the finalists that are most successful are the ones who really take the opportunity as a finalist to learn about what's out there and then Apply to all kinds of different opportunities and interview as much as possible Sometimes we have finalists that don't get placed as fellows simply because they have pursued multiple opportunities And they decided not to go with PMF. They decided to go with another job another federal fellowship And so that also happens, but my very biased opinion Is that if you become a finalist, you know, you definitely want to keep PMF Kind of at the top of that list and and again, I would Really encourage you to talk to the PMF advisory council during the lunch because They'll be able to tell you a little bit more about what it looks like to be a PMF at state At the state department, we have foreign affairs officers Who are hired and work in all kinds of different regional and functional bureaus? And so hopefully through those conversations, you'll be able to kind of get a better sense of What it looks like to be a PMF specifically at the state department okay, so Question are there resources I can seek That will aid me in the assessment process So I'm glad you asked that question Um, there are two that I would say that you should start with There are a lot of resources really but the first two that I would start with And rose can help me, um, hopefully by posting the become a PMF resources link in the chat But the two are the PMF applicant handbook And that is sort of a 50 000 foot Here's what the application process looks like Document that will be really helpful for you to Review as you're getting ready to apply and as you're thinking about Whether PMF is the right option for you. So the PMF applicant handbook definitely one um And then the other one I would say is the assessment preparation guide And that one again is all about how to be successful During the assessment That one is not currently available. We release that every year around April So you'll have to wait a little bit for that one to come out But I would definitely recommend consulting that guide as long as the applicant handbook And then the other thing that you can do is you can Reach out and talk to PMFs and PMF alumni folks that have been through the program Um one thing that we're getting ready to do is a program office is we launched a program called PMF ambassadors And PMF ambassadors are volunteer PMFs and PMF alumni Who are there to support people who are thinking about applying for the program? So in a couple weeks, we're actually going to post a directory of PMF ambassadors That you can reach out to to have conversations To ask questions about PMF And so that's another thing I would definitely recommend doing Review all these resources to get ready And also have conversations with people who have been through this Who who have seen sort of the opportunity for what it really is So that is uh what I would suggest on that question So a couple more here Um Anissa asks uh if a current federal employee applies for the fellowship Does the fellowship program honor matching the pay grade they currently hold at another agency? So that's a good question. So first of all, let me just say this A lot of current federal employees apply for this program and that is completely okay um The thing that you have to do to be eligible right is to have that advanced degree or to be pursuing that advanced degree And whether you're a federal employee now or not Um, that doesn't really matter. So first of all, if you are a federal employee thinking about it Encourage you to do so Um in terms of the matching of the pay grade That's really going to depend On the agency where you're interviewing a lot of times they are able to do that Because when they're looking at whether or not to bring you in at a gs9 or an 11 They're really looking at something like work experience and and how much you've done to date So that would be part of the conversation you would be having as a finalist With the agency where you're interviewing But it's a great question And then the other thing to note too is agencies have different policies. Some agencies Only bring in fellows at the gs9 Some agencies are willing to work with you to bring you in at a 9 11 or 12 Uh depending on your work experience So those are the types of conversations you're going to want to have Once you get to the finalist stage and you're starting to interview with agencies, but it's a great question all right, so What are some of the different roles that pms can take in a government agency? Can you give examples of projects that they work on? Yeah, so that's uh, that's a great. That's a great question So a lot of pms that come in Are what we call management analysts or program analysts? And that's kind of a a catchall for doing all kinds of different things within government For the state department, it would be foreign affairs officers a lot of times or budget analysts as well There are a lot of different kind of what we call job series that pms come in But they're doing everything from you know helping with the coven response We had a pms At the state department. I think a class of 2009 pms Sorry, 2019 pms Who was a pms at the state department? She was on rotation in japan And she helped with the coven response on the diamond princess cruise ship We actually have a write-up of that on our website But this pms was doing a rotation as I talked a little bit about earlier And she was able to really help us citizens there with This particular part of the coven response We have a lot of pms that are working on coven response not only at the state department But at the centers for disease control and prevention at the nih So you might be working on the current national crisis of the moment. That's a good You know example of of what you might be working on We have pms at the forest service who We're working a lot last year when the fires hit out west They were working on the response to those forest fires In international affairs, it's all of the above. It's everything that you can think of that's happening in the international space There are pms that are working on those things and so I would say, you know, there's a lot of different opportunities out there And that's why it's great to be able to talk to pms and get their experiences the one thing that I will mention is that Because pms is such a Well-established and well known program in government and it has the reputation it does When you come on as a pms at an agency There's usually going to be an expectation to take on quite a bit of responsibility and to work on projects That are really high priority And so that's kind of one of the great advantages of this program Is right off the bat, you're probably going to be working on something that is You know important for our country and that has a lot of impact because it's at this kind of federal level So that's another thing. I just wanted to to note for you Going down the line here Are us citizens residents privileged over non us citizens residents in seeking a pms placement? So it's a good question. We do talk about citizenship on our website Um, you don't have to be a non you don't have to be a us citizen to apply and become a pms That said you do have to have the ability to work in the united states And so that would be a question you would have to ask to the agency that you're thinking about working with I will say it's it's pretty rare for non us citizens to Come in through the pms program But it's something that you would have a conversation with a particular agency That that you're interviewing with and you can find more information again on the citizenship questions On our website in in the become a pms So do pms receive assistance with job placement with agencies in addition to opm? Good question Yes, uh job placement happens not only, you know with the facilitation of our office But as I mentioned, there are a lot of different touch points that agencies have with The finalists pool and so that happens through agency mean greets that happens through the hiring fair That happens through, you know, the conversations that you have With agencies and just for your awareness Every agency that participates in the pmf program Has what's called an agency pmf coordinator? So there your main point of contact at the agency where you are looking to work And so there are all kinds of opportunities to connect with the coordinators to connect with other folks at agencies To navigate the appointment process We also Shortly after announcing finalists We'll have info sessions for finalists to talk about how best to navigate the appointment process what to keep in mind How to negotiate with agencies when you're trying to find a placement And then we also do brown bags with current fellows and pmf alumni to get their perspectives on How they were successful in navigating the appointment process So there are a lot of resources available For you probably more than you would want But that's good. We want you to be able to have all of that To help you both get to the final stage and then once you're there find that appointment as a pmf Next question is there an age limit for applying to the pmf program? I'm glad somebody asked that question. There is not I had a conversation yesterday at a career fair at howard With somebody that was I believe in in In their 50s or 60s And so there really is no age limit for the pmf program And we have folks that are you know coming straight out of grad school after finishing their their bachelors And so they may be in their their early 20s mid 20s Um, we also have folks that are coming to the pmf program after spending a decade or more in another career My kind of situation is illustrative to that as well I was a high school teacher for 10 years um, and then I decided to go to grad school and uh, and joined um through the pmf program Um, just three years ago. And so even for you know, old guys like myself, uh, there's opportunities um For pmfs and no age limit. Don't let that be a barrier. There's also no, uh, gpa requirement I know that question sometimes comes up as well. We don't look at gpa Um as part of our application process, we also don't ask for letters of recommendation Um, really all you need is your resume your transcript And uh, and you need to um, you know do well on the online assessment. Those are the main thing So, uh, do you think the pandemic will change how the program is run in the future? Things like telework, etc That is a great question and there are probably multiple ways to answer that question um, many of the pmfs who are working now Are working from home. I'm working from home. I'm here in my house, uh, and I've been here since march And I've only been to the office one time um, a lot of pmfs are working from home working remotely And pmfs are not, uh, you know They're still able to find placements and come on board at federal agencies remotely So a lot of the pmfs that are getting hired right now by agencies are doing their onboarding From their home and they're getting shipped the supplies and things they need to get started Um, and so I think it definitely has affected the program but not adversely in a sense of Uh pmfs not getting hired because they still are and in some cases in greater numbers And that's the other kind of approach to this question that I would point out um, we've had a lot of pmfs that have now been hired Uh as a direct result of covet and to do covet response. So the cdc Uh, for example, uh late last year Posted over a hundred positions for pmfs and that's in a class of of 550 So that's a lot of opportunities for folks that you know could go and be part of the public health response And work on covet. Uh, and so it definitely has affected things But it's affected things in terms of yes, telework being much more prevalent But also in terms of opportunities to be part of the federal response to the crisis itself Um, next question are pmfs given preference for fso jobs for foreign service officer jobs um The answer to that question, uh, as far as I know is no Um, I think there are some programs within the state department that help Transition civil service to foreign service, but I would I would not be the authority on that I would ask uh the pmfs During the the lunch if you have that question Um, the foreign service process is completely separate completely different from coming in through the pmf process Which is a civil service appointment and so Hopefully that helps what I will say is there are many pmf alumni who have gone on to change gears and join the foreign service Um, so we've we've known a lot of those folks that talked to folks even recently that are going through that process um, but they are separate processes and In terms of transition programs at state. I think there may be mustang. I'm not sure what's around These days, but I would definitely ask that question at the next question are pmf opportunities given for overseas assignments And should you be selected for one of them? Do they provide for your family and children? so It's a good question Initial appointments The the sort of one where you start as a pmf Those generally are not overseas. Those would be at the state department, for example at main state in dc That said a lot of pmfs Go overseas for their rotation or their developmental assignment or on tdy I've had colleagues in the pmf program That have gone to vienna austria and worked on nuclear non-proliferation issues um, I currently have a colleague that's You know at the at the u.s agency for international development who's in beirut And so it is definitely common for Agencies like state like us aid to send their pmfs overseas For rotations, but not for the initial appointment But if you are interested in overseas rotations, I think that the state department is a great one USAID is obviously great CDC also does some overseas opportunities Um, so there are opportunities to go overseas if that's something there uh, now i'll try to Rapid fire through these last three questions because we only have a few minutes Does experience with another leadership program disqualify you from becoming a pmf? No, it does not in fact, it may help you because it may help you on the assessment in terms of having leadership experience and You know the experience that you gleaned from that other program the answer is no Is a security clearance required before becoming a pmf finalist at what point is a security clearance initiated? Great question. Um, it is not required Before becoming a finalist or even, um, you know at the point when you're announced a finalist when the security clearance comes into play Is when you are given what's called a tentative offer by an agency? So let's say that the state department interviews you and they like you for a certain position in a certain bureau At that point they would extend a tentative offer And if you say yes to the tentative offer They would initiate that background investigation process that's security clearance And so that's the point when the background investigation starts for any pmf position There's going to be some kind of background investigation whether it's a security clearance top secret clearance Um public trust whatever it is Some take longer than others depending on the level of the clearance, but that process is kicked off Once you are uh accepted a tentative offer Um, and Finally as a pmf, could you be sent overseas? I kind of addressed that one And and it says in parentheses post covet. Um, so so yes, I think the answer is yes It depends on the opportunity you should ask that question when you're interviewing Um for a particular position to see what might be available and also ask pmfs if you're going to this This networking lunch is coming up So I think those are all the questions and um, I would say again if you're able to Connect with pmfs at the lunch, please do And I will say it one more time just because I don't want this to fall off anybody's radar We want you to apply So please go to our our home page and you know sign up for our listserv get connected Get connected with me Get connected with our ambassadors and we hope that when fall rolls around You'll consider applying to pmf So that we can put you on that trajectory toward leadership in federal government It has been my absolute honor and pleasure to talk to all of you today I hope you found this whole conference valuable. Thanks to everybody who set it up. Um, it's been fantastic So have a great rest of your day and I look forward to connecting with you in the future


Here we go the ATB finals. They are now set the groups are set two groups of four Let's go over look at who got given what player and also let's talk about a little bit more about the head-to-head Between the guys that are in each other's groups So in group a or the green group or whatever group name they've given it It's Nadal Casper rude Felix Ozelia seam and Taylor fritz having a quick look at the record between all of those guys So Rafa his record against Casper rude 1-0 they play the French open this year 1-0 is his record against Casper rude against Felix Ozelia seam it is 2-0 He's beaten Felix twice remember he beat him at the French open in a five-setter as well and against Fritz He has a 2-1 record against a winning record Rafa, but remember he did lose that match at Indian Wells So interesting for Rafa, but not I would say all winnable matches I think Rafa would be happy with that rude's record against the rest of the group as I just mentioned He's got a 0-1 record against Rafa. So he has a 2-1 record against Felix a positive record there That's good, and he's never played Taylor Fritz 0-0 in that matchup Felix as I said, he's got a 0-2 record against Rafa He has a 1-2 record against roots or losing record there And he's only played Fritz once and you go losing record against Fritz So to be honest Felix's record against the rest of his group got one win combined in their matchup So not great I guess for Felix even though he's probably the most informed player in the group and Fritz He has got a one-win two-lost record against Rafa. He's never played rude and against FAA He has a 1-0 positive record against so again, like I said, it's a very even group I think it's a very even group with the only guy in form in that group being FAA and as I just said He's matchups against the others not so good having a good group B And you've got City Pass, Mehbedev, Rubelev and Djokovic just a killer group and all those guys are in Most of them being in good form in the last couple of months So City Pass is record against Mehbedev three wins seven losses bad record against Mehdi Against Rubelev at six wins four losses and against Djokovic just two wins and nine losses So I think City Pass has got the hardest draw having a Mehbedev against City Pass He's got a seven win three-lost records or positive record there against Rubelev He's got a four-win one-lost record and against Djokovic He's four wins and seven losses. So Mehbedev's got a nice draw I think he you know he rates his chances against both City Pass and Rubelev on the on the indoor hardcourts Then Djokovic's match that's gonna be what probably decides the top player of the group Rubelev He's got a four win six loss record against City Pass one and four against Mehdi And he has a one-one even record against Djokovic remember he did beat Djokovic on clay earlier this season So I think Rubelev would be happy with you know He'll rate his chance against City Pass and I think he'll give it a good crack against Djokovic And then of course Novak Djokovic He has a nine win two record lost record against City Pass He has a seven win four-lost record in Mehbedev and his one-one against Rubelev So he I mean he's got no matter what everyone wanted to avoid Djokovic because of this exact reason There's a winning record against everyone almost very interested to see how these draws play out What do you guys think who do you think is gonna make it to the semis? Remember the top of each group make it through and the second player of each group make it through so top two Make it through second place first of the opposite group in the semis so they cross over Who do you things making the semis? Let me know in the chat. Let me know in the comments below if you're watching this later I think Djokovic makes it through I think Djokovic Mehbedev from group B And I think it might be FAA and Fritz I mean I would love to see Rafa get through but I think Fritz might be a little bit of maybe even Fritz Rafa and FAA misses out That could be something. I don't know. I just feel like Fritz could like maybe do something crazy I guess Felix and and Rafa's the easy choice, but I'm gonna go with Fritz. I think Fritz is gonna make the semis That's my bold prediction. Who is going to win the AWP finals? Who's gonna top the groups?


So Diablo 4 has plenty of loot to chase as players try to perfect their build, but there are a few pieces of loot in this game that are so rare, so perfect, some players don't believe they exist, some players don't believe they're in the game. Well today guys I can confirm one of the rarest pieces of loot believed to be in this game has actually been found, today we'll take a look at it and the possible options you have in landing yourself one of these rare pieces. How's it going guys, my name is DPJ and I'm giving away an Ultimate Edition version of Diablo 4, to be in the chance of winning it simply drop a like on this video and make sure you are subbed and leave a comment down below. So it's being confirmed now that a certain item which is so rare people didn't believe it existed in game has now actually been found. A Korean player posted this image of this said item to the internet which in English you can see is called the hardy queen crest which you can see on the screen now. When this player uploaded this image to the internet still even then people for it was fake, but it's being confirmed guys, Adam Fletcher who is the global community development director for Diablo 4 actually confirmed that this is real. So looking at this thing I mean absolutely wow, plus 20 to all stats, I mean that's great just by itself, but then we have a gain 20% damage reduction but in addition to this guys gain plus 4 ranks to all skills, I mean like this is just the absolute be all and end all to gear wow. Now the sources I have seen like this image stayed English version anyway, states it requires you to be a level 100 to use it or even have drop. This isn't factual though, it does drop requiring a lower level than this, as you can see by this Korean dudes one he got, you can see his requires a level 98 and this is believed to be an actual requirement for this item to drop, you need to be around a level 90 to 95 in that level before it's even added into the loop or, but beyond this guys it said even when you are at this level you are at a right level, it's drop chances like a 0.001%, whatever that even means, let's just agree, this thing is as rare as unicorn shit. I mean you can understand now why it was believed it wasn't in the game, why people believed it was a myth, now this item is also believed tied to that world tier 4, but also even nightmare dungeons or uber lilyph, anything beyond these two sources believe not to be possible for this item to drop from. There's also guys a weapon which as I make this video nobody has found, it's called the grandfather, now as you can see it also comes with a special aspect, increases or critical strike damage by 60 to 100% like wow, so yeah this one like the last one is believed to be so so rare it ain't even in the game yet, but it is guys and I can confirm this because Adam Fletcher himself again confirmed it, I would say like the hardy queen crest this is also going to be tied to that late late end game which only a few sources in that game will drop it again which would be probably uber lilyph and those nightmare dungeons of the heist tier, but yes people I cannot wait to get this high of a level, but now in my look I won't ever see either of these items, guys let me know your thoughts on these down below, the two of those items in diablo 4, guys if you enjoyed the video leaving a like really helps out if you like what you see and want to see more be sure to subscribe and hopefully guys I'll see you on that next one


G'day mate 40 here. I keep very few of my videos on YouTube. So if you want a more complete archive See my periscope channel, which is linked below in this video description. I'll see my bit shoot channel Which is linked below in the description Or you can follow me on Twitter at my handle Luke Ford. My website is Luke Ford net You want to support the show my PayPal address is Luke is back at gmail.com And you can send super chats through entropy and through stream labs those links are below