Images of moving company reciepts

We are a small foreign student organization at the University of Cambridge and Stripe has been withholding our funds for over two months. We provided all the documentation that they requested and they have simply stopped replying. We are moving to PayPal to avoid this horrible company, however they still have around £50 of our money.
Is there anyone else that we can contact to get this sorted? Support has now completely ghosted all our messages over the course of a month.

I like u/doctorow as an author and commentator (but can't quite agree with his belief that AI art isn't "created" as I've spent hours choosing which model I'm going to run, getting a prompt to produce what I want and then adjusting the image with different tools.)
His take is more based on how companies are going to try and use the AI in a way that reduces a creator's wage and rights further to garner higher profit.
​
https://pluralistic.net/2024/05/13/spooky-action-at-a-close-up/#invisible-hand

Creating an individual bargainable copyright over training will not improve the material conditions of artists' lives – all it will do is change the relative shares of the value we create, shifting some of that value from tech companies that hate us and want us to starve to entertainment companies that hate us and want us to starve.

​

As I looked upon the list of companies that have their MOA processed already, I notice na walang aviation-related companies for us, aviators.
I've also researched companies that LIKELY offer internship/OJT: - Lufthansa Technik Philippines [LTP] (Pasay) - Moog, Inc. (Baguio) - Collins Aerospace (Batangas) - Singapore Airlines Engineering Philippines [SIAEP] (Pampanga) - Cebu Pacific Air (Pasay) - Airbus Helicopters Philippines (Pasay) - Aviation Partnership Philippines [Aplus] (Pasay)
Does anyone already made a move on the MOA processing of any of these companies? 😅
If meron po, baka naman.

I’ve been blown away by the level of responsiveness and expertise from Redditors for a few related topics which have been a huge help to me. Thanks in advance for any feedback here and I hope I’m in the right place!
I’m in a level of ‘negotiation’ with my Employer (a global Tech company) about a relocation from Southend, SE England to either Alpharetta or Tampa as part of a promotion within my existing Team on what is expected to be a ‘3 year gig’ (at which point the company is expected to be sold which would inevitably see changes of personnel almost certainly those who I am currently ‘negotiating’ with!). Naturally there are a million and one things to consider, especially as a (married) father of two young children.
As I await more formal details of the offer (including the $!), I am trying to speed through all the various research needed which I am simplifying into the below, in order to make negotiations effective and ultimately lead up to a point where I will be able to make an actual decision (likely in the next two weeks)

1. Understanding the ancillary costs associated with relocating to the US as well as the expected on-going living costs in either location (to also include the likely requirement to relocate BACK in ~3 years time)
   
2. Understanding which of the many risks associated with this opportunity I should attempt to have mitigated by my Employer
   
3. Understanding any fundamental blockers/showstoppers that could prevent the move from being viable
   

I’m starting to build up a picture across all three but there were some specific questions I’d really appreciate some insights on. We’re mostly concerned about the number of ‘hidden’ costs there may be, to the extent where the financial gains we are expecting could end up being significantly diminished by the end of the 3 year period (our main objective here is primarily to financial gain – to ideally outright purchase a large family house back in the UK after 3 years and not primarily the ‘experience’ for our family, which we would of course consider a bonus).

• (re: 1) What are some of the more ‘obscure’ costs which I may not have factored in?

·

• I have been told informally that the company would fund my ‘relocation costs’ but those have not been specified and nor is there a dedicated function within my company to support this. I suspect the onus may be on me to even negotiate these elements. What could be considered normal and reasonable? The obvious costs which I would assume to be covered would be the travel expense including shipping of likely clothing and other valuables we’d want to take with us (see below), VISA, documentation etc.. But there are plenty of other expenses which I am not sure are a direct expense or not and therefore do not know whether to push for their inclusion? Such as preliminary trips to the location (with or without family) to visit potential areas to stay, temporary accommodation (hotel? Serviced apartments?) temporary car-hire? Getting US driving license? Storage of furniture and equipment back in the UK (for use in 3 years)? Relocation of household Pet? Advance on salary for settling in (and deposit for house rent etc.)?
  
• Are there costs in ‘moving’ money from my UK bank account to US (as part of the move) and also moving money back after 3 years? All being well, I am hoping for a sum of $300K-$500K to ‘return home’ with after the term
  
• What would a general/sensible approach be to finding accommodation – renting a hotel/serviced apartment for 1-2 months to allow us to visit neighbourhoods and find a suitable property which I assume would usually be on a 12 month contract?
  
• Use of storage for 3 years in UK – I am weighing up the pros and cons of renting out our current family house (3 bed Semi) furnished, which would likely mean we would not need to pay for any storage for the duration, and could make use of Parents’ house for storage of any equipment/items which we would not want to take with us, nor leave in the house (but want to use on our return). The alternative would be to empty the house and rent-out unfurnished and to likely incur costs of £10K-£13K overall to keep it in storage – which would certainly be worth more than the items/furniture themselves. I have read that there are insurance implications with renting out furnished houses and also that renters would be more likely to ‘move on’ in a furnished house. We’d not be fussed about the furniture being damaged, and we would probably replace on our return regardless, so with the potential extra rental cost there could be a £13K-£16K swing? What’s normal/usual to do in this situation?
  
• Is it considered normal to move into a fully unfurnished rental property and purchase new furniture? There doesn’t seem to be a market in either area for Furnished rentals, from what I have seen. Is it normal and reasonable to purchase mostly second hand furniture, electricals etc. at the start of the term and sell on after 3 years to recoup some funds? Or not realistic?
  
  • (re: 2) What risks/outcomes could and should I be asking (vs mandating) my Employer to mitigate contractually? I’m acutely aware of the general ‘hire and fire’ culture in US although I have a very long tenure at this company (~25 years) and with the promotion/relocation being one of strategic importance (which the Company approached me on) I would have some reason to be confident that at least the company would not enforce a negative scenario on their terms?

·

• If the family doesn’t settle adequately in one of the locations, should I be able to relocate to the other? Accepting the company would not pay for that relocation
  
• If I elected to leave the company, I should be free to do so? Although it would mean having to find another company to sponsor VISA otherwise I would need to return home
  
• Protection against redundancy – moving to a general US contract would leave me with little protection and perhaps a standard ‘one week’ notice period. Should I request an abnormally long notice period – for example, 6 months? My priority would be to protect myself against the Company making me redundant, not giving myself the flexibility to move to another company whilst there (I have no desires to leave the company in the short or mid term). Assuming a notice period would maximise my chances to find alternative employment without having to go back home?
  
• Protection against dismissal/performance-related firing – could/should I request a bespoke compensation in the event of this? If I was to have to relocate back home with no VISA then I would incur additional relocation costs and also significant additional costs related to new agreements in the US (house rental etc.)
  
  • (re: 3) Interested to know if there are others who have emigrated and any nasty surprises? For example, I have read about the challenge in building up credit rating in the US and how long that may take? I have a (UK) Amex card which I will port to a US card when over there and use it as much as possible and set up a US bank account as quickly as I can.

Entirely personal, but also wondering on recommendations for Alpharetta vs Tampa? It would seem cost of living would be comparable (of course, dependent on neighbourhood) with the major differences being probably differences in climate, and I suspect Tampa would be generally much busier, perhaps less safe? For a reasonable 3 bed house it seems around $3K rent per month is the norm, with Alpharetta prices seemingly due to proximity to the tech hubs and Tampa due to the pull of the beaches, climate?
My Wife and I are very excited about the prospect, just trying to be as cautious as possible especially given this will be likely to move quickly!
Many thanks in advance
Mark

As the heartbeat of innovation and growth, the NASDAQ is a hotbed of activity, constantly buzzing with trending themes and exciting opportunities. Here's a glimpse into what's currently making waves on the NASDAQ:

1. Tech Disruption Continues: The NASDAQ's reputation as a tech powerhouse remains unshaken, with companies at the forefront of digital transformation driving the market forward. From cloud computing and cybersecurity to artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things (IoT), tech stocks continue to dominate headlines and capture investor interest.
2. Renewable Energy Surge: With a growing focus on sustainability and climate change, renewable energy stocks have been experiencing a surge on the NASDAQ. Companies involved in solar, wind, and other clean energy technologies are seeing increased demand and investor enthusiasm as the world moves towards greener alternatives.
3. Biotech Breakthroughs: The NASDAQ's biotech sector is abuzz with excitement as companies race to develop innovative treatments and therapies. From COVID-19 vaccines to groundbreaking advancements in gene editing and cancer treatment, biotech stocks are driving significant momentum on the exchange.
4. E-commerce Evolution: The shift towards e-commerce has only accelerated in recent years, and NASDAQ-listed companies are reaping the rewards. With the rise of online shopping platforms, digital payment solutions, and logistics services, the e-commerce sector on the NASDAQ continues to evolve and expand.
5. Telemedicine and HealthTech: The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of telemedicine and digital health solutions, leading to a surge in NASDAQ-listed companies operating in this space. From virtual doctor visits to remote monitoring devices, innovations in healthcare technology are reshaping the way we access and receive medical care.
6. Fintech Innovation: Fintech companies on the NASDAQ are revolutionizing traditional banking and finance, offering innovative solutions for payments, lending, investing, and more. With the rise of cryptocurrencies, digital wallets, and decentralized finance (DeFi), the fintech sector is experiencing rapid growth and disruption.
7. Space Exploration: The final frontier is closer than ever as NASDAQ-listed companies spearhead advancements in space exploration and satellite technology. From satellite internet providers to companies developing reusable rockets and lunar exploration missions, the space sector is gaining traction among investors.
8. ESG Investing: Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) investing has become a prominent theme on the NASDAQ, with investors increasingly prioritizing companies that demonstrate strong sustainability practices and social responsibility. ESG-focused funds and companies are seeing growing interest and investment inflows.

As you navigate the dynamic landscape of the NASDAQ, remember to conduct thorough research, diversify your portfolio, and stay informed about market trends and developments. Whether you're a seasoned investor or just starting, the NASDAQ offers a wealth of opportunities to participate in the ongoing wave of innovation and growth.
Join the conversation and explore the trending themes shaping the future of investing on the NASDAQ! 📈

I’ve been blown away by the level of responsiveness and expertise from Redditors for a few related topics which have been a huge help to me. Thanks in advance for any feedback here and I hope I’m in the right place!
I’m in a level of ‘negotiation’ with my Employer (a global Tech company) about a relocation from Southend, SE England to either Alpharetta or Tampa as part of a promotion within my existing Team on what is expected to be a ‘3 year gig’ (at which point the company is expected to be sold which would inevitably see changes of personnel almost certainly those who I am currently ‘negotiating’ with!). Naturally there are a million and one things to consider, especially as a (married) father of two young children.
As I await more formal details of the offer (including the $!), I am trying to speed through all the various research needed which I am simplifying into the below, in order to make negotiations effective and ultimately lead up to a point where I will be able to make an actual decision (likely in the next two weeks)

1. Understanding the ancillary costs associated with relocating to the US as well as the expected on-going living costs in either location (to also include the likely requirement to relocate BACK in ~3 years time)
2. Understanding which of the many risks associated with this opportunity I should attempt to have mitigated by my Employer
3. Understanding any fundamental blockers/showstoppers that could prevent the move from being viable

I’m starting to build up a picture across all three but there were some specific questions I’d really appreciate some insights on. We’re mostly concerned about the number of ‘hidden’ costs there may be, to the extent where the financial gains we are expecting could end up being significantly diminished by the end of the 3 year period (our main objective here is primarily to financial gain – to ideally outright purchase a large family house back in the UK after 3 years and not primarily the ‘experience’ for our family, which we would of course consider a bonus).

• (re: 1) What are some of the more ‘obscure’ costs which I may not have factored in?
  • I have been told informally that the company would fund my ‘relocation costs’ but those have not been specified and nor is there a dedicated function within my company to support this. I suspect the onus may be on me to even negotiate these elements. What could be considered normal and reasonable? The obvious costs which I would assume to be covered would be the travel expense including shipping of likely clothing and other valuables we’d want to take with us (see below), VISA, documentation etc.. But there are plenty of other expenses which I am not sure are a direct expense or not and therefore do not know whether to push for their inclusion? Such as preliminary trips to the location (with or without family) to visit potential areas to stay, temporary accommodation (hotel? Serviced apartments?) temporary car-hire? Getting US driving license? Storage of furniture and equipment back in the UK (for use in 3 years)? Relocation of household Pet? Advance on salary for settling in (and deposit for house rent etc.)?
  • Are there costs in ‘moving’ money from my UK bank account to US (as part of the move) and also moving money back after 3 years? All being well, I am hoping for a sum of $300K-$500K to ‘return home’ with after the term
  • What would a general/sensible approach be to finding accommodation – renting a hotel/serviced apartment for 1-2 months to allow us to visit neighbourhoods and find a suitable property which I assume would usually be on a 12 month contract?
  • Use of storage for 3 years in UK – I am weighing up the pros and cons of renting out our current family house (3 bed Semi) furnished, which would likely mean we would not need to pay for any storage for the duration, and could make use of Parents’ house for storage of any equipment/items which we would not want to take with us, nor leave in the house (but want to use on our return). The alternative would be to empty the house and rent-out unfurnished and to likely incur costs of £10K-£13K overall to keep it in storage – which would certainly be worth more than the items/furniture themselves. I have read that there are insurance implications with renting out furnished houses and also that renters would be more likely to ‘move on’ in a furnished house. We’d not be fussed about the furniture being damaged, and we would probably replace on our return regardless, so with the potential extra rental cost there could be a £13K-£16K swing? What’s normal/usual to do in this situation?
  • Is it considered normal to move into a fully unfurnished rental property and purchase new furniture? There doesn’t seem to be a market in either area for Furnished rentals, from what I have seen. Is it normal and reasonable to purchase mostly second hand furniture, electricals etc. at the start of the term and sell on after 3 years to recoup some funds? Or not realistic?
• (re: 2) What risks/outcomes could and should I be asking (vs mandating) my Employer to mitigate contractually? I’m acutely aware of the general ‘hire and fire’ culture in US although I have a very long tenure at this company (~25 years) and with the promotion/relocation being one of strategic importance (which the Company approached me on) I would have some reason to be confident that at least the company would not enforce a negative scenario on their terms?
  • If the family doesn’t settle adequately in one of the locations, should I be able to relocate to the other? Accepting the company would not pay for that relocation
  • If I elected to leave the company, I should be free to do so? Although it would mean having to find another company to sponsor VISA otherwise I would need to return home
  • Protection against redundancy – moving to a general US contract would leave me with little protection and perhaps a standard ‘one week’ notice period. Should I request an abnormally long notice period – for example, 6 months? My priority would be to protect myself against the Company making me redundant, not giving myself the flexibility to move to another company whilst there (I have no desires to leave the company in the short or mid term). Assuming a notice period would maximise my chances to find alternative employment without having to go back home?
  • Protection against dismissal/performance-related firing – could/should I request a bespoke compensation in the event of this? If I was to have to relocate back home with no VISA then I would incur additional relocation costs and also significant additional costs related to new agreements in the US (house rental etc.)
• (re: 3) Interested to know if there are others who have emigrated and any nasty surprises? For example, I have read about the challenge in building up credit rating in the US and how long that may take? I have a (UK) Amex card which I will port to a US card when over there and use it as much as possible and set up a US bank account as quickly as I can.

Entirely personal, but also wondering on recommendations for Alpharetta vs Tampa? It would seem cost of living would be comparable (of course, dependent on neighbourhood) with the major differences being probably differences in climate, and I suspect Tampa would be generally much busier, perhaps less safe? For a reasonable 3 bed house it seems around $3K rent per month is the norm, with Alpharetta prices seemingly due to proximity to the tech hubs and Tampa due to the pull of the beaches, climate?
My Wife and I are very excited about the prospect, just trying to be as cautious as possible especially given this will be likely to move quickly!
Many thanks in advance
Mark

SABOTAGE?! And it all started out as such a nice idea… A cliche as tall as my ex-roommate’s erection live-blending Kelly Bundy Mike Kelley and Ted Bundy parafernalia wearing blondes to the sound of gekko’s mating in the Amazon. Cut the bullshit! There’s no such thing as a nice idea getting detourné by some smart art postpostsituationist pranker or right-wing gaswhitey flexfrat, no, my dear well-meaning peace dove friends, if an idea can gets turned into its opposite during its execution, it probably was flawed from the start! Sometimes people use Woodstock 99 - the limp dickshit rape and pillage slash and burn disaster edition - as an example of how a great, positive, wonderful, hell, holy idea can turn into the worst kind of evil in the hands of the wrong people. Well, dear naivopino’s, let me inform you: bull-shit! The whole idea of Woodstock, be it ’99, ’94, ’69 or 2219, is just batshit dumbwhat asking for the baddest kind of trouble right from the bat. Or, what? Do you honest-to-dogly think that during the original (I retrovulsely puke into my stomach even using that wretched word) edition of 1969 nothing was burned, stolen, no women were raped? What, just because there were no sperm dna tests, nigh to none options for women to speak up against sexual violence let alone the fact that speaking up against rape during that whole shitshebang of a weak acid trip’s campfire get-together was near to blasphemy in the hippie community means that no women were raped? Because men all of a sudden turned into meek little dickies lambs for three years from 1968 to ’71? Fuck that shit. Please. I don’t even want to spend a single move of a single digit of my old hands having to make anything about that largest circle jerk-off in history clear to you. Read your books. Do your homework. Anyway, that’s what I was thinking about when a friend told me recently about another of those so-called great ideas gone hilariously wrong in a little map smudge of a town in of all fucking places Belgium for chrissakes. Let me admit to you, right here and now, no smirk no smile on my face: I laughed so hard when I heard it I shat my new Calvins. Framed them afterwards, too, in a nice little Nielsen A2 birch. It’s sitting there, stinking the fuck out of my storage, waiting for a good stock market crash to come. Never underestimate the potential of the future art market gold rushes. My shit, my gold, bruv. So, these two clowns of artists in Belgium (are there any other there? don’t get me started on rené ma bite or marcel bread arse here!) had the ammazing idea to get themselves funded by the local government in this hamlet of three houses called Watou which apparently would be part of - ok, stop me here. Not in the history of mankind has ever ended a sentence well which tried to explain any aspect of Belgian politics, topography or whatever the call the thing there where a man rides a horse stark naked and bites the neck of living goose hanging from a tree? (See, that sentence didn’t end well either, did it, what’d I tell you? Cursed stuff!) Let’s try that again: two artists in the Belgian town of Watou had the splendid idea to organize a festive event, in the middle of summer, whereby all the people of this little village (if you’re thinking of blue skinned vikings charging Roman legionnaires in a berry-induced bad trip frenzy, well, so am I) for one day left their houses, dropped the key of their house in a transparant bowl on the town square and all went to the field adjacent to their village to well be (as in: not fornicate) together and thereby, if I had a press release I’d quote this from it: practiced a performative experiment in hospitality and neighborship where no fixed rules are applied. I’m guessing if you’re sensitive like I am to the finer things a life, you might as well start looking for your nearest Nielsen frame too by now, but hey: we haven’t even gotten to the joke yet! This was all the serious stuff. Let me summarise it even more briefly for you, just to get it out of my haemorrhoidical system: Imagine a village. Everyone leaves their house at the same time. Leaves their front door open. Drops the key to said door in a large bowl. Drifts into a field somewhere off to do fripp knows what (no rules applied, but probably: no fornication whatsoever.) Got the mental image? Good. Now get the fuck out of that dream and imagine any sad little teardrop of a town you know. Imagine who lives there. Imagine all the people you know who live in a town, or rather, fuck that, imagine all the people you know. Now imagine that some dogoodydoodydoobywah wants to “bring the people together again” and “mend the social bonds which had been broken by” yaddah yaddah yaddah. Okay? Now imagine the fucking assholes - they might even be you - who get they absolute mostest pleasure out of ruining the naive, well-intentioned ideas of others? You see what I see? The doodygoodoo is a bit all alone on his white ivory hilltowertop, right? All the others apparently prefer to start mayhem, to jinx other people’s efforts, to laugh - loud! - at their friends tripping over their own feet. No? You think in your ‘reality’ people are ‘decent’ and ‘rough diamonds’ or ‘deeper than you’d think they are’? Well, my dear, that paradisiacal odor you’re smelling all around you is the smell of your own shit cause you got your head up your ass! Listen and suffer! Because what happened in our not-just-proverbial Belgian village on that sunny morning in July… a couple of the townspeople - we’ll never know how many but I’m guessing almost everyone except for the government-funded, from-the-city hippie artists was in on the joke - had invited some acquaintances from the town next door to quietly enter the village while everyone was not-fornicating on the idyllic field, to take all the keys from the bowl, lay them on the train tracks which run along the town, flattening them to perfectly unusable little steel flabs and placing them back in the bowl. So when our supposedly resocialised townspeople entered their village that afternoon, ready to get their key, run to their house and close their door for at least the next 364 days, the immediately realised they couldn’t close their doors anymore. Total mayhem ensued. Men started chasing women, people pillaged their neighbours houses, children and adults alike pooped on all toothbrushes they could find, underwear was thrown into compost heaps, compost heaps were thrown into unlawful indoor spas, hundred thousands of untaxed euro piles were find inside old televisions and grandmas paintings. There was no stopping them. Housewifes hung themselves after their portrait, tits out and all, was found hanging above at least three beds in different houses. It was bad. Real bad. By the time news of this feast of anarchy and murder had spread to the nearest villages and the police arrived, the artists had of course long disappeared, no doubt to narrativise their failure into a story of experiment and learning and cash in a couple of fat pay checks.
And you know what the name was the artists had given their beautiful day of harmony and collective connecting: Open Doors Day. They sure got it, their open doors day, they sure got it. Serves them right. Serves them damn right.
peace - out!

Last week it was announced to the entire company that they ran out of money and will stop operations this week. It was a surprise to the majority of us but it turns out that the leadership made some poor decisions that left us exposed financially. Additionally, the company moved locations and offered me relocation just over a year ago, a lot of my professional network is 2000+ miles away. The big kick in the rear was the fact that they are giving us next to no severance (2 weeks).
At the same time, my wife (33) is 40 weeks pregnant with our first child. I (33) was the breadwinner and my wife left her job when she got was in the 3rd trimester. The plan was for her to stay home for 4-6 months at first and look into part time jobs after that. My salary was enough to cover our basis . For the birth, the we went the midwife route, but that wasn't covered under insurance and we paid cash for it not to long ago.
Right now, we will have 22k in savings if I include my last paycheck. Below are what I already budget on a regular basis.

• Rent is 2300/mo. Lease through EOY
• Car: 630/mo - 2 cars, one paid off but much older, the other is 2 years old .
• Insurance: 240/mo - full coverage on the new car, basic on the other. Also includes renters insurance.
• Utilities 200-300/mo.
• Internet 80/mo.
• Gym: 40/mo - I do use this regularly and find it therapeutic.
• Food/Groceries/Household Items: 800-1000/mo (thats 125-150 on weekly food+ once per month 250-400 on costco food+household items) - I am a hobby chef and BBQ a lot , its for sure an area we can trim on.
• Subscriptions: ~40/mo - Youtube Premium and Amazon prime are the only subs we have, all media is consumed between those 2 platforms.
• I do have student loans but am currently getting them put on pause (500/mo)

So with things kept the same "as-is", its approx 4600/mo in expenses, or just shy of 5 months of expenses. I think I can trim my budget down to 4200/mo with just my food expense being scaled way back I can push it past the 5 month mark. I will qualify for unemployment, just unsure of how much yet, it looks like between 1700/2200mo if my research is correct. Until that is all in place though, I worry lol. I also know that we will have more expenses once the kid is born, but we do have a nice stash of diapers from family/friends. My overall plan is this:

• Update Resume (done) and Cover Letter (not done).
• Submit for unemployment.
• Enjoy the next 4 weeks with my recovering wife and new son, figure out how to be a father. Maybe some minor networking.
• Start to seriously look for work. I am assuming that it will take 2-4 months to do on this.
• Dont take the first job, take the right job. I have a semi-specialized focus (R&D) and would like to continue that trajectory. Changing industries will be a setback, but not the end of the world.
• Enjoy family time between look for work time.
• Keep this more streamlined lifestyle and bolster savings back up.

I know that I am nowhere near "desperate", I have seen some posts here that easily qualify as way more precarious than the situation I find myself in. I cannot ignore the fact that this all goes belly up if for some reason we were to have a medical issue or unexpected expense. I cannot ignore the stress/anxiety I have after moving across the country, about to have a kid any day now and then to lose your income. I welcome any and all feedback/experiences/ideas.

I'm working with an older computer, which means the hardware is at least 10 years old if not more. The processor is an intel 2nd generation i5 and the motherboard is probably an asus P8B75-M LE.
I've installed windows on it some time ago, but after a few times of using it, it started to have some issues on startup: it will start up properly and bring you to the login page (I mean the screen where you see a random photo image on the screen). But when you actually attempt to log in, the photo will appear blurred like usual but no actual login prompt will appear. Which means it is basically impossible to get further into the computer.
Today I decided to try and install Linux, as I am thinking about turning this computer into more of a home network server than an actual personal computer. I have done about 5 attempts now if not more, but every time it keeps running into the same problem: the computer mostly stops responding. I am still able to move my mouse on the screen and see it move, but pressing any buttons doesn't work. One time I managed to get the actual installation process for Linux going, but then it also got stuck for over an hour with the progress bar staying in the same position.
I am starting to assume at this point that it is a hardware issue, because even a fresh install of a new operating system doesn't seem to be working to get this system running again. Personally I would assume that it is an issue with either the processor or the motherboard. However I'd like to get some more input from other people, as I don't really have the resources to 'test' which part might need replacing. So before I go and spend any money, I'd like to at least be able to make an educated guess.
Any tips or insight into this issue are welcome!

Hey Reddit fam,
I'm a recent graduate facing a bit of a conundrum and could really use some insights from those who've been through similar situations. So here's the deal: I've got job offers from the same big tech company, in both Austin and Chicago. The base salary is $55k with a $25k OTE (On-Target Earnings) for both locations.
Here's where the dilemma kicks in: In Austin, I have the option to live at home, which means I could potentially save and invest a significant chunk of my income in stocks and ETFs. On the other hand, Chicago offers a whole new experience - new city, new people, and endless opportunities to explore. But, it's likely to be more expensive, and I may not be able to save as much.
So, fellow Redditors, I'm torn between prioritizing financial stability and exploring new horizons. For those who have graduated and faced similar decisions, what did you prioritize in the end? Did you opt for saving and investing, or did you take the plunge and move to a new city for the experience?
Any insights, personal experiences, or advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance for helping a fellow Redditor out.

I received a cold recruiter message in my email for a remote, Senior Customer Success manager position in the tech space, with salary offer of 60-65k USD. This is shockingly low even for a small company with the experience requirements they've outlined for the position. For reference, if you research, you'll find Senior CSMs are bringing in anywhere from 80-130k+ prior to any bonuses, etc. It is a remote position but their benefit offerings (they're not offering equity) are subpar for tech.
I'm not going to follow-up with interest because this would be a pay cut and terrible move for me but is it worth mentioning this to the recruiter, presenting figures on market rates, or is it totally pointless? I'm so sick of seeing long lists of experience requirements for positions with insultingly low pay rates. A smaller tech company will have you working ALL the time and the pay and benefits should match that effort.

Hello,
I'm building a store for a company that sells tech products with the option to buy them new or refurbished. This variations have different prices of course, so I've been looking for a plugin that will let me show the variations like on the examples below.
I've tried a couple of swatches plugins but have not found any that comes close, they work better for things like color and images.
Any suggestions? Thanks!
https://preview.redd.it/cr9u1yim5f0d1.png?width=1405&format=png&auto=webp&s=e40895dd0d1ee16dae97ffdb54ca9ef35b7484e0
https://preview.redd.it/mplxed0n5f0d1.png?width=1347&format=png&auto=webp&s=9252cc531f0bb702a091057589a36947583e75ff

As many of you may have read, there is a case of two missing adopted kids in North Carolina, where remains have been found. The news has reported that their adoptive “mother” is Avantae Deven.
I’m a curious person and started digging up information on Avantae Deven when I first read the story in my news feed and could not believe what I was reading. It seemed like whomever this woman is must have be using an alias; Avantae Deven is not a name like Kim Jones or Mackenzie Smith.
The more I dug, the weirder it seemed to get. I found a property deed to a place in Sedona, Arizona, and figured out that whomever this Avantae person is, she at one point in time had owned a home together with someone named Nicole Adams. So I dug into who Nicole Adams was, and learned that she was the widow of a spiritual leader named Robert Adams. It appeared to me that there would be no way to identify who Avantae really was, unless I could also identify the true identity of Robert Adams.
*******
I've done investigative work for many years, including skip tracing. I can conclusively state that there was absolutely no person actually named Robert Adams born in New York State on January 21, 1928. This is demonstrated by the New York Birth Index. I have combed the census records for 1930, 1940, and 1950, and cross-checked them against multiple databases, and am confident that nobody with the birth name of Robert Adams was born anywhere in the United States on January 21, 1928.
Moreover, there was absolutely no person with the true name of Robert Adams who died anywhere at all in the United States, let alone Sedona, Arizona, on March 2, 1997. This is demonstrated by the Social Security Death Index.
I began this research largely by performing exhaustive searches on the known addresses that are associated with Robert, his wife Leonie (who used to use the alias Nicole), and Avantae Deven (who turns out to be their daughter Michelle who began using the alias Avantae in the mid-1990’s or so). Most of the addresses are PO boxes. Those that are PO boxes are all *private* PO boxes, not PO boxes that one can rent from the United States Postal Service. To me, that spoke volumes. The family were clearly using aliases.
As I explain further below, I eventually determined that “Robert Adams” was Robert Spiegel, born 21 January 1932 in New York. “Nicole Adams” was actually Aileen Beverly Leonie Maxwell, born February 2, 1929, in Jamaica. “Avantae Deven” is actually their daughter, Michelle K. Spiegel, born on October 1, 1960, in California.
One of Robert’s many false stories about Robert’s life that my research has refuted is Robert’s claim that his mother was Jewish and his father was Catholic. That was a lie. Both of his parents were Jewish. It’s also interesting that he claimed that he was “raised Catholic.” There is absolutely nothing to suggest that. His mother always, in New York, lived in Jewish neighborhoods. Moreover, as will be discussed below, his parents had a Jewish wedding. It’s also downright absurd that he would tell people that he was “half Jewish.” If your mother’s Jewish, you are Jewish, pure and simple. Even if Robert’s father had truly been Catholic (which he wasn’t; his name was Samuel Spiegel and he immigrated to America in 1907, lived with his Jewish, Yiddish-speaking cousins, and spoke Yiddish himself), Robert would have been Jewish because the status of being a Jew comes from the mother. Robert’s mother’s name was Fannie (nee Fleisfeder) Spiegel. Fannie’s parents were Itzik Fleisfeder and Esther Libke (nee Rifkin) Fleisfeder. Esther’s parents were Mendel Rifkin and Sarah whose maiden name is lost to time and the disappearance of the shtetls. Robert’s claim to having had a Catholic father was utterly false, but is part and parcel of his ongoing compulsive daily lying about anything and everything.
Here is the story.
*******
Kolomyia, formerly known as Kolomea, is a city currently located in the Western Ukraine.
On January 21, 1892 (the same year that Kolomea tallis¹ workers went on strike for better pay and working conditions), Kolomea resident Rachel Katz, wife of Abraham Spiegel, gave birth to a son, who was given the name Schmuel.
On the date that Schmuel Spiegel entered the world, Kolomea was ruled by the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, and almost half of the city’s residents were Jewish.
In June of 1907, fifteen-year-old Schmuel² boarded the Zeeland, which sailed from Antwerp, Belgium, arriving at New York Harbor on June 18, 1907. The ship’s manifest states that Schmuel’s father had paid for his transport, and that Schmuel intended to reside with his father, Abe, in Brooklyn. Schmuel was granted entrance, and took up residence with his cousin Charles Fetner, who resided at 353 Myrtle Avenue, Brooklyn, in Apartment A with his wife Jennie and their baby daughter Ettie. The sparse record that exists suggests that although Schmuel’s father was, indeed, named Abraham, Abraham lived and died in Europe, without immigrating to America.
The 1910 census describes Samuel’s cousin Charles as a carpenter, who had been married to housewife Jennie for six years, and a father of three children-- Ettie age four, Nathan age two, and baby Jacob, who was not even a year old. Eighteen-year-old Samuel was identified by profession as a “Foreman Sailmaker” in an industry described as “pocket-books.”
Three and a half years after being granted admission, on a bitterly cold winter day, January 4, 1911, Schmuel (now employed as a pocket-book maker, and having Anglicized his name to Samuel) signed and submitted his declaration to become a United States citizen. He stated, in that declaration, that he was born on January 21, 1892.
By 1915, Samuel had left his cousin’s abode and was residing as a lodger in the home of a widow named Rose Hammer, who lived with her two adolescent sons, Meyer and Louis, at 531 E. 5^th Avenue; Samuel was now working as a “driver.”
Two years after the 1915 state census was taken, Samuel had moved back to Myrtle Avenue, but this time at building no. 849. On June 15, 2017, Samuel registered for the draft, and described himself as being a pocketbook maker, working for “A. Shoenfeld,” at 101 Crosby Street, New York. He was single. He stated, in his draft registration, that he was born on January 21, 1892.
*******
A woman named Fruma Fleisfeder was born in Beltz, Bessarabia, sometime between July 1, 1893, and 1901, to Itzik Fleisfeder and Esther Lieba Rifkin. Fruma (not living up to her pious given name) provided different dates and years of birth to different authorities on different occasions, making it impossible at this point in time to know her true position in the birth order of her family. Regardless, Fruma, who began using the name Fanny upon her entrance to the United States, did have three brothers and a sister who also came to America-- Louis Fleisfeder who was born April 10, 1890, Max Irving Fleisfeder who used October 10, 1892 as his birthdate, Hersch (later known as Harry), whose official birthdate was December 15, 1901, and Sylvia who was born in approximately 1906.
On December 1, 1919, Fruma arrived in New York Harbor on the ship La Touraine, declaring her intention, at entry, to become a United States Citizen. The ship’s manifest describes her as five feet five inches tall, with fair hair, blue eyes, and a fair complexion. The ship’s manifest states that she was, at that time, age 24. If that were correct, she would have been born in 1895.
Fruma (then going by Fanny) took up residence with her cousin Ethel (nee Ruchlin) and Ethel’s husband Samuel Steinberg, on 15^th Street, Brooklyn. Soon thereafter, Ethel gave birth to her first child, a daughter named Theresa. The 1920 census states that Fanny was Russian, didn’t speak English but, rather, spoke Hebrew, and worked as a milliner in a millinery store. The 1920 census also states that Fanny was age 25, which lines up with her being age 24 in the prior year’s ship manifest.
*******
Sam and Fanny married in Manhattan on January 24, 1925. Their marriage certificate (signed by each of them) identifies Sam as being age 32 (contradicting, by one year, his immigration records which would have placed him at age 33), and identifies Fanny as age 24, the same age that she had claimed to be six years prior, and also contradicting an immigration petition that she would file two decades in the future, which generally placed her birth year at the mid-point of 1893.
If Fanny’s immigration records (which included a petition with her signature on it) were correct, Fanny would also have been age 32 as of her marriage to Samuel, not age 24.
So did Fanny lie in her marriage certificate? Or did she lie in her immigration petition?
The marriage certificate identifies Sam as having been born in Kolomea, Austria, and his father being Abraham, and his mother being Rachel Katz. It identifies Fanny as having been born in Beltz, Russia, to a father named Isaac, and to a mother named Esther Rifkin.
The marriage certificate does not identify Fanny as having any profession, but identifies Sam as being a pocketbook maker.
Sam and Fannie were married at 125 E. 4^th Street, Manhattan, a six-story apartment building with retail units on the ground floor that is now an expensive co-op, with three-bedroom units selling for over $900,000. Present-day real estate advertisements alternatively state that the building was built in 1894, 1903, and 1905.
The first name of the rabbi who officiated was Harry. His surname starts with Reid, but the remaining letters of his signature are illegible. Rabbi Harry identified his residence as 232 Broome Street, which, at the time, was a four-story mixed use building that, among other things, housed Chevrah Ahavath Zedek Anshei Jaskinover.
Witnesses to the marriage were Mayer Budmon and Samuel Steinberg.
*******
Sam and Fanny’s existence was documented next in the 1925 New York State census by census. They were living at 205 S. 2^nd Street. Samuel was still working as a “pocketbook maker.” Fanny was identified as a “housewife.”
Fanny was identified as age 25. This was in accordance with her age as stated on her marriage certificate, but not in accordance with her immigration documents or the 1920 census.
Sam was identified as being age 28, which conflicted with all prior records.
*******
In 1930, the couple were again enumerated, this time in the Federal census. The enumerator, whose signature appears to be “Max Krahn” (or something like that) stated that he obtained the information on April 16, 1930.
Sam was identified as a “framer” of pocketbooks. He was identified as being 36 years of age, which conflicts by two years with the age that he provided to immigration authorities. Perhaps the enumerator was simply sloppy; Samuel was also incorrectly identified in the 1930 census as having been born in “Poland,” with parents who were both also born in “Poland,” notwithstanding other governmental records having identified him as being Austrian. The language he spoke? “Jewish,” according to the enumerator. Was that to mean Hebrew? Yiddish? Both?
Fannie was identified as age 30 (directly in conflict with the information she supplied in her immigration petition, which bears her signature) and as being “Russian,” with parents born in “Russia.” The 1930 census enumerator incorrectly wrote that her year of immigration was 1921. Fannie, too, was identified by the enumerator as speaking the “Jewish” language.
Although later records reflected that Sam and Fannie had a son named Irving who was born in 1926, Irving was not recorded in the 1930 census. Was he missed by the enumerator? Or was he a later-adopted son?
The couple also had a boarder, identified by the 1930 enumerator as one Esther “Larson,” age 40, born in Russia, and similarly a speaker of the “Jewish” language.
*******
The New York Birth Index identifies a baby boy, Robert Spiegel, as one of many babies having been born in the city on January 21, 1932.
*******
On May 21, 1936, Samuel committed suicide by hanging in the family residence, a tenement apartment located at 1168 Union Avenue, in the Bronx. Although, based upon the date of birth that Samuel used for official governmental purposes he was age 44, the death certificate stated that he was age 43.
Fannie engaged the Gordon Funeral Home to prepare him for burial.
Strangely, although Samuel’s headstone accurately identified him in Hebrew as Schmuel Spiegel, son of Avraham, it inexplicably incorrectly stated that he died at age 40.
Fannie of course knew her husband’s real age; both of them signed the marriage certificate that had Samuel’s correct age listed. Furthermore, Samuel had petitioned for citizenship in 1911, and stated that his date of birth was January 18, 1892.
Why would Fannie commission a headstone with a false age? Perhaps she, like her son, was a compulsive liar. Maybe that’s where Robert got it from.
*******
The 1940 census has Fannie (identified as age 38), Robert (identified as age 8), and Fannie’s son/Robert’s brother, Irving Spiegel, age 13, as living with Fannie’s 72-year-old mother, Esther Fleisfeder, at 1537 Fulton Avenue, in the Bronx. Fannie and Esther were identified as widows. Esther was identified as “U” (unable to work), while Fannie was identified as engaged in housework. No source of income for the family was identified.
No explanation is obvious regarding where Irving was living in the census taken a decade previously. Was he adopted?
There is no “Irving Spiegel” listed in the New York Birth Index for either 1926 or 1927. There is an “Irving Spiegal” listed, who was born April 29, 1926. But he is not Irving Spiegel.
I initially thought that perhaps Irving might be one of the unnamed Baby Boy Spiegels born in New York in 1926 or 1927, and that he left the hospital unnamed because his parents were waiting for his bris before naming him. However, Robert left the hospital with the name Robert. Why wait until the bris to name one child, but not the other?
*******
Slightly less than two years after she was enumerated in the 1940 census, Fannie’s mother Esther died, at home, at 1537 Fulton Avenue. The causes of death were “Coronary Thrombosis, Pulmonary Oedema Nephritis, Hypertension, Arteriosclerosis.” Esther left this world on February 6, 1942, the same day that the W. L. Steed was torpedoed, shelled and sunk less than a hundred nautical miles east of the mouth of Delaware River by a German submarine.
She was buried at Mount Moriah Cemetery in Fairview, New Jersey, the same cemetery where her son-in-law Samuel was interred.
*******
On November 12, 1943, Fannie, now residing at 1985 Bathgate Avenue, in the Bronx, petitioned for citizenship. She claimed, in that document bearing her signature, to be fifty years of age, meaning that if she was telling the truth, she would have been born in approximately 1893.
*******
On January 19, 1948, Robert (having assumed a false date of birth, that being January 18, 1931), enlisted in the New York National Guard. On paper, he had turned age 17 the day before his enlistment. In reality, he would be turning age 16 two days after his enlistment.
On December 9, 1949, Robert was discharged from the national guard, apparently for having been AWOL.
The discharge document identifies his address as being 1985 Bathgate Avenue, New York City.
*******
The 1950 census places Robert again at 1985 Bathgate Avenue, New York City. It correctly identifies him as age 18, and states that he worked as a shipping clerk for a newspaper company.
According to the 1950 census, Robert resided at the Bathgate Avenue address with his mother Fannie, who was purportedly still age 50 (seven years after she had previously claimed to immigration authorities to be age 50), and Robert’s brother Irving, age 24.
Irving was listed as unemployed and moreover, according to the census record, had not worked for the prior year. Fannie was employed full-time as a milliner in a hat factory.
*******
Military records reflect that Irving J. Spiegel, born in 1926 and a resident of 1985 Bathgate Avenue, who had completed two years of high school education, had flown bomber planes over Germany during the war. In his military documents, Irving described himself as single, with two dependents.
*******
On February 2, 1929, a baby girl given the name Aileen Beverly Leone Maxwell was born in Lucea, Hanover, Jamaica, to William Maxwell and Daisy (nee Tibbits) Maxwell. Her birth was registered by her parents.
*******
In 1954, Robert Spiegel and Aileen Maxwell were married in New York City. Their marriage license was given License No. 10284.
*******
The following year, the Kingston, Jamaica, Gleaner reported on June 6, 1955:
Miss Leonie Maxwell, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. J. Maxwell, was married recently in New York City to Mr. Robert Spiegel of the U.S.A. Both the bride and groom are students at the New York Institute of Dietetics. The bride left the island nearly two years ago for New York. Her wedding gown was chantilly lace and nylon tulle. The bodice was fashioned with a wide, scalloped neckline and elbow-length sleeves. Her three tier skirt of chantilly lace was over pleated nylon tulle. Her fingertip-length veil was adorned with pearls.
*******
If the claim regarding the couple studying at the New York Institute of Dietetics was even true, their studies at this institution didn’t last long. In May of 1956, a number of advertisements bearing Robert’s photograph appeared in the Kingston, Jamaica Gleaner. The advertisements described Robert as a psychologist, author, lecturer, and “practitioner in auto suggestion,” and identified him as “Dr. J. Robert Spiegel.” Readers were invited to come meet Robert on May 21, 1956, at Record Plaza, where he would be autographing his “latest” “world-wide” 33 and 1/3 RPM record, “How to Stop Smoking in 7 days by Auto-Suggestion.”
*******
On May 1, 1959, three residents of 1985 Bathgate Avenue, Bronx, New York, came through customs, having returned from a trip to Jamaica. They identified themselves as “Robert D. Spiegel” born in New York (in addition to giving himself a false middle initial, Robert neglected to complete the I-94-A fully, specifically by leaving his birthdate blank), “Leonie A. Spiegel” born in Jamaica on February 2, 1929, and their minor daughter, and “Sharon S. Spiegel,” born in New York. Someone also neglected to fully complete Sharon’s I-94-A, specifically by leaving her birthdate blank.
*******
Leonie had taken Sharon to Jamaica two years earlier. There are no publicly available records pertaining to their outbound transport from the United States to Jamaica. There is, however, a record pertaining to their return to the United States. That publicly available record does not provide their address, but Sharon is identified as weighing 1 stone 5 pounds (a total of 19 pounds), and Leonie is identified as weighing six stone 5 pounds (89 pounds). Interestingly, Leonie used the name “Aileen Spiegel,” and the records assert that Aileen has no middle initial. Aileen was / is her true legal first name, but it is a lie to say that she has no middle initial.
*******
Almost two years later, on January 5, 1958, the Kingston, Jamaica Gleaner reported:
Staying at the Tamarind Hotel are Mr. and Mrs. Bob Spiegel and daughter Sharon of Miami, Florida. Mrs. Spiegel is the former Leonie Maxwell, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. J. Maxwell of Lucea and has been in the United States for several years. A welcome party in their honour was given last Saturday night by Messers. Horrace, Ray, and Dennis Maxwell, brothers of Mrs. Spiegel. It was a very enjoyable affair.
*******
In 1963, roughly five years after their 1958 visit to Jamaica, Leonie petitioned for naturalization, in Louisiana. Although I am in possession of the index showing that she petitioned in 1963, I do not possess the petition itself. However, the fact that she petitioned for naturalization in Louisiana demonstrates that that at least she was residing in Louisiana at the time. Since she stated that she didn’t leave Robert’s side for over 40 years, presumably Robert, young Sharon, and also baby Michelle were living in Louisiana at that time.
*******
People who knew Robert personally relate that he stated that Leonie was a Cayman Island heiress. She wasn’t. Not only was she not born in the Cayman Islands, Leonie’s father’s estate was litigated (with the judge ruling against her) long before Robert started telling people that his wife was a Cayman Islands heiress.
Leonie’s father did leave an estate, but not to her. On November 9, 1967, the Gleaner reported that the Supreme Court had upheld the will of the late William Josiah Maxwell, the father of Horrace, Ray, Dennis, and Leonie, and the husband of Daisy Maxwell, who had contended that William’s signature was a forgery and that the person to whom his estate had been bequeathed had exercised undue influence. The court disagreed. The article reported:
The estate, which one of the executors described as “a sizeable one,” included 112 acres of land at Paradise and three houses at Lucea, Hanover.
*******
Robert apparently wasn’t banking on Leonie’s inheritance in any event. In May of 1966, advertisements appeared in the Houston Chronicle with Robert’s photo on them, selling a record that would purportedly assist people in stopping smoking in seven days. He identified himself as “Dr. J. Robert Spiegel.”
*******
On page 55 of the November 15, 1969, San Antonio, Texas Express and News, was an advertisement stating:
SCIENCE OF THE MIND
Dr. J. Robert Spiegel of Houston, director and founder of the Science of the Mind Foundation there, is conducting Sunday evening meetings at 7:30 p.m. in the Sheraton Inn, 1400 Austin Hwy.
*******
On page 4 of the July 10, 1970 edition of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram was a photograph of Robert, with a brief local news blurb:
GUEST – Dr. J Robert Spiegel of Houston, Science of Mind Foundation director, will speak at the 10:45 a.m. service tomorrow in First Church of Religious Science, 2001 6^th Ave. His subject is “What Religious Science Teaches.”
*******
On page 8 of the June 18, 1970 edition of the Houston Daily Cougar was this advertisement:
HOME OF UNIVERSAL LIFE
“Teaching Aquarian Meditation For The New Age
Meets Every Sunday, 11:00 A.M. At The World Trade Center Auditorium
Houston, Texas
DR. J. ROBERT SPIEGEL (BRAHMADANDA) DIRECTOR - FOUNDER
Aquarian Meditation Initiation for the first time offered through correspondence. For those sincere students wishing to bypass evolution and enter the 5th Kingdom. Initiation includes meditation technique, Mantra, how to "live” 24 hours a day, and much more. Write for application today:
P.O. Box 53328 Houston, Texas 052
*******
From the Galveston Daily News, May 02, 1971, Pg. 31:
AQUARIAN MEDITATION SOCIETY PRESENTS DR. J. ROBERT SPIEGEL AN AUTHOR, LECTURER, TEACHER OF YOGA & SELF DEVELOPMENT WILL SPEAK ON MAN, MIND & THE UNIVERSE WEDNESDAY, MAY 5th AT 7:30 P.M. IN THE RECREATION CENTER HARRIS COUNTY PARK, NASA RD. # 1 ALL WELCOME — DONATION $1.50
*******
The 1972 Spiritual Community Guide lists Robert twice, in the San Diego area. First, on page 117, using his alias “J. Robert Spiegel”:
THE TEMPLE OF METAPHYSICAL ABUNDANCE. J. Robert Spiegel, 1118 Torrey Pines Rd., 92037. Teaches yoga, nutrition, ESP, metaphysics, psychology, mind control
Second, on page 124, in which he, as one might have predicted, was masquerading as some sort of medical man or scholar:
"AQUARIAN MEDITATION SOCIETY, U. S. Grant Hotel, Attn: Dr. Robert Spiegel, 453-7588"
*******
Also in 1972, Volume 25 of San Diego Magazine published in November advertised gift certificates for the “Astrology Research Center.” “Give your loved one the gift of love. Only $50” said the advertisement. Where was this entity located? At 1118 Torrey Pines Road, the same address as Robert’s Temple of Metaphysical Abundance. The advertisement purported that person identified as “Lil Canaan” was the director. The telephone number was 459-6400.
In 2013, the San Diego Union Tribune published the obituary for Lillian Mulonas, who founded the La Jolla “Astrology Research Center.” At this point in time, unless Robert Adams’ only surviving daughter, Michelle/ Prentiss/ Avantae knows the answer and talks, we will not know what relationship, if any, existed between Robert’s Temple of Metaphysical Abundance and Lilian’s Astrology Research Center, both of which were located at 1118 Torrey Pines Road in 1972.
*******
From the July 12, 1973, San Diego Reader:
BRAHMADANDA FOUNDATION
“Teachings of the Cosmic Way” meets Sundays, 11:00 a.m., U.S. Grant Hotel, Crystal Room. Free admission, refreshments served. Call 453-7588 for more information.
*******
On page 51 of the June 29, 1974 edition of Phoenix’s Arizona Republic was the following advertisement:
Speaker from San Diego
Dr. J. Robert Spiegel from San Diego, a traveler and lecturer, will speak at 8 p.m., Friday in Universal Series Center, 4340 N. Seventh Ave., on the topic “Science of Being.”
He is the founder of the “Aquarian Meditation Society” in Jamaica and is founder and publisher of “Equinox,” a philosophical newspaper.
*******
The family (Adams or Spiegel, however one might want to refer to them) have resided in (that I know of) New York, Miami, Jamaica, Louisiana, La Jolla, Los Angeles, Houston, New Mexico, Hawaii, Las Vegas, Scottsdale, Sedona, and a number of cities in North Carolina.
*******
In at least the 1990’s, before he left for Sedona, Robert Adams used the address PO Box 7210, Jordan Avenue, D-30, Canoga Park, CA. He used that address on correspondence he wrote, and on at least one published document. Who else used that address? The data aggregators show that this address was also used by a Michelle K. Spiegel, and a person going by the name Leonie Maxwell. Michelle and Leonie also used other addresses associated with Robert, those being 1815 Willis Avenue Panorama City, and 21551 Burbank Boulevard, Woodland Hills.
*******
The California Birth Index shows that Michelle K. Spiegel was born on October 1, 1960, in Los Angeles County, to a mother with the maiden name Maxwell.
*******
In later life, Michelle used the addresses above that are associated with Robert and Leonie, as well as an address of 12004 Vanowen Street #14, North Hollywood. This is the same address at which Denniston Keith Maxwell, one of Leonie’s younger brothers, resided at, after his immigration to the United States. Denniston was one of Michelle’s uncles.
In a recent Facebook posting, Michelle/Avantae stated: “Never knew anything personal about said uncles, etc. Never asked, never cared.” Really? She shared an address with an uncle? Her uncle lived within a few minutes’ drive from her parents, and Michelle/Avantae never knew anything about him?
As an aside, Michelle/Avantae alleged (or admitted) that she “never cared” about anything personal regarding her uncles. If that is true, what does that tell us about Michelle/Avantae’s fundamental character? Antisocial? Psychopathic? Narcissistic in the extreme?
*******
On August 2, 1996, Michelle, going by the name Avantae E. Deven, married Tyson Ruben Alvarez in Las Vegas. The two had addresses in common in Arizona, Nevada, and Montana.
*******
Robert “Adams” died on or about March 2, 1997, in Sedona, Arizona.
Shortly after that, in the spring of 1997, “Nicole Adams” and “Avantae Deven” (both aliases; the correct legal names are Aileen Beverly Leonie Spiegel and Michelle K. Spiegel) purchased a home together in Sedona, on Navahopi Road. Shortly after the purchase, “Nicole” quit-claimed her portion to “Avantae.”
On July 17, 2001, Tyson, still married to “Avantae,” quit-claimed any interest in the Navahopi property to “Avantae,” and had the county recorder send the deed to “Avantae” in care of the Infinity Institute, at that time located at 9101 W. Sahara Ave. Suite 105 C29 (in other words, a private post box), in Las Vegas.
Avantae divorced Tyson in 2006. She had, by then, moved to North Carolina. She “served” Tyson via publication summons, claiming that she was unable to find him, despite his information being on multiple data aggregators.
You can go to various Facebook groups, and other sources, to pull up the documents that people have uncovered showing who is associated with the "Infinity Institute," and in what fashion, and also the addresses that they have used over the years.
In any event, this is the information regarding Robert that I think that people need to be aware of.
Why turn to a known liar and con man for spiritual guidance?
1A tallis is a prayer shawl.
2The ship’s manifest states that he was age 14, which conflicts by one year with what Samuel identified as his date of birth. These errors are not uncommon; his fare could have been purchased when he was age 14 and the records not updated.

As we are getting a trailer for a much changed version of the Second Age today, I decided I would share what a first season in a series might look like for the story of Tolkien’s Second Age, while staying very close to the timeline and characters. I’ve taken some ideas I’ve seen from other creators who have made similar attempts at this, namely Council of Rings and Tolkien Untangled, but most are my own. As of now I’m not aware of a complete outline that exists for the first season of this sort of adaptation. In any case, this outline is essentially a summary of a complete text with 10 chapters that exists but is still in progress.
I’ve split the season into 10 episodes, as I think that’s ideal, and into pairs of 3-episode arcs I call Sagas, which will cover certain time periods. The whole season takes place between SA 725 and SA 1600. At first I started with a compressed timeline that would start in 1200, the year Annatar arrives in Ost-in-Edhil, and Tar-Aldarion would essentially switch places with Tar-Surion. I think that the actual timeline allows for a very interesting look at the differences in passage of time between elves, Númenoreans, and Middle Men. The drawbacks of the actual timeline are that Aldarion dies close to mid-season, whereas in the compressed timeline we could follow Aldarion as he ages throughout the season.
That being said, there are still a few alterations and non-canon additions. The big alteration is that Annatar steals the nine when he leaves Eregion around SA 1500, instead of when he destroys Ost-in-Edhil around SA 1695. The other non-canon additions are Middle Men characters, which there are few examples during this time period, that Annatar can begin to seduce with the Rings of Power.
This was just a bunch of fun for me, but I hope this effort will demonstrate that we can have a great story that stays faithful to Tolkien’s timeline and characters.

Sagas of the Second Age: Season 1
Saga 1 (Episodes 1-3): The Mariner (SA 725-750)
Elrond. In the first prologue scene around SA 440, Elros as an old man arrives in Mithlond to visit his brother Elrond. Elros is fulfilling a promise to Elrond to visit him when he senses death is near. The two brothers spend time together before Elros departs back for Númenor.
Aldarion. Three hundred years later around SA 725 in Númenor, Aldarion and Erendis witness the corination of his father Tar-Meneldur in Armenelos. The next day, Aldarion sets out from Númenor with his grandfather to spend a year at the court of High King Gil-galad, but he is told by Meneldur not to go beyond Mithlond. Eventually, Aldarion decides to travel outside Mithlond, against his father’s wishes. Elrond offers to join him, seeing an opportunity to spend time with his brother’s descendant. Together they discover the dwarf cities of Ered Luin, and then the future site of Vinyalondë at the mouth of the Gwathló. Aldarion discovers the that the Men of Middle-earth are not as evil as he was told by his family in Númenor, and that some even speak the same language of the Edain that he does. Elrond and Aldarion then travel to Amroth’s kingdom in Belfalas. While Amroth is showing Aldarion the black lands of Mordor in the distance, they are ambushed by orcs, and narrowly escape with their lives. Before departing back for Númenor, Aldarion says goodbye to his new friend Elrond and the High King Gil-galad. Back in Númenor, Aldarion meets Erendis again and proposes to her. She asks if he is done with his travels, he says he is, and she accepts.
High King Gil-galad. Gil-galad endeavors to heal the trauma of Middle-earth. While Aldarion is travelling the lands of Middle-earth, he goes to settle a conflict between kingdoms of Gwaithirum and Breeland. A battle ensues between these kingdoms of Men and Gil-galad is unable to stop it. Before Aldarion departs back for Númenor, Gil-galad tells him that he would very much welcome his help in mediating the conflicts of the tribes of Middle-earth, as Aldarion speaks their language. Gil-galad perceives the return of the shadow of Morgoth, and departs to discover the source.
Galadriel. By lake Evendim, Galadriel admits Celebrimbor into her company. Despite the history of their families and some initial distrust between them, they realize they have a shared vision for continuing the great works of Gondolin. Together they discover the dwarf kingdom of Kazad-dûm. Galadriel is able to convince the dwarves of the mutual benefit of their cooperation in crafting. Durin III is eventually convinced, he agrees to allow and to help with the establishment of the future capital of Eregion: Ost-in-Edhil. There the works of the Noldor and dwarves will benefit each other for many centuries.

Saga 2 (Episodes 4-6): The Stirring of Númenor (SA 1075-1350)
Elrond. About three hundred years later in SA 1075, Elrond arrives in Númenor to see his friend, now king, Tar-Aldarion. He is also tasked to ask the Númenoreans to prepare for war, as Gil-galad is now certain of the return of the shadow of Morgoth. Tar-Aldarion, now an old man, has reached an age where he must yeild the sceptre, in the tradition of the Kings of Númenor. He decides to leave Númenor’s official response to Elrond as a decision to his sucessor. Aldarion has only had one daughter Ancalimë with Erendis, and it is clear that there has been much friction in the marriage. His sister’s son Soronto is the nearest male heir. This situation causes a conflict in Armenelos between supporters of Soronto and supporters of Ancalimë, also between those who want to heed Gil-galad's call and those who don't. Ancalimë is seen as the elf-friend, while Soronto is staunchly against the armament of Númenor. Aldarion decides to change the law succession in Númenor in favor of Ancalimë. When Ancalimë is crowned, she reverses her initial position to heed Gil-galad, and decides to preserve Númenor as a land of peace.
Galadriel. Ost-in-Edhil is a great city now, and both elves and dwarves are seen thriving. A visitor from Aman arrives who calls himself Annatar. He demonstrates himself to be akin to the Noldor in his love and expertise with crafts, and says he was a student of Aüle. He wins the favor of Celebrimbor and the Gwaith-i-Mírdain, the crafter's guild, and soon becomes the favored partner of Celebrimbor. As the friction between Galadriel and Annatar increases, Annatar moves the Gwaith-i-Mírdain turn on Galadriel. She decides to depart to Lórinand by route of Kazad-dûm with her daughter Celebrían, while Celeborn stays behid in Eregion. Galadriel is graciously welcomed in Kazad-dûm, and her relationship with the dwarves grows greater. At last, she arrives in Lórinand and meets the King Amdír.

Saga 3 (Episodes 7-9): The Rings of Power (SA 1500-1590)
Celebrimbor. More than a hundred years later, sixteen Rings of Power are forged in Ost-in-Edhil. Celebrimbor and the Gwaith-i-Mírdain agree that seven of the rings should be gifted to the dwarven kings, as a token of thanks for their help in building Ost-in-Edhil. Celebrimbor, however, decides that the rings are too dangerous for Men. Annatar and Celebrimbor have a heated disagreement on this point, and Annatar accuses Celebrimbor of withholding the bliss of Aman from Middle-earth. Annatar absconds with the remaining nine rings. Sensing that he has been deceived, Celebrimbor crafts the Three in secret. He gives two to Gil-galad, and the remaining to Galadriel, and admits that he was wrong to doubt her.
Gil-galad. Minastir, the heir of Númenor, stays in the halls of Gil-galad as Aldarion once did. Minastir meets with the descendants of the Middle Men Adlarion befriended, though many more generations have passed for them than for Minastir. Aldarion’s travels are a tale that some believe to be myth. Gil-galad and Minastir travel the lands of Eriador and mediate the conflicts of Middle Men.
Elrond. Elrond travels to Númenor for the first time in several hundred years on order of High King Gil-galad to implore once more that the Númenóreans to prepare for war. Tar-Teleprian, the second Queen of Númenor, rules in Númenor now. When Elrond arrives and presents the request of Gil-galad, there is a conflict between supporters of Ancalimë’s policy of isolation and those who believe that they should heed Gil-galad, the latter being lead by the Lord of Andunië – Silmariën’s heir. When Elrond presents further evidence that the shadow of Morgoth has returned, Tar-Teleprian ultimately decides that Númenor must prepare for war.
Annatar. Annatar begins seducing the Kings of Men and gifting rings. Annatar arrives in the halls of a Gwaithirum king called Halmir, a descendant of one of the generals of the battle in the first saga. Annatar tells Halmir that the Noldor are withholding the power of prolonged life from mortals, and gifts him a ring. As Halmir is an elf-friend, his ancestors all being loyal to High King Gil-galad, he refuses Annatar’s suggestion. Eventually, Halmir succumbs to his curiosity and doubt and puts the ring on, entering the Realm of Shadows. He perceives immediately that his decay has been slowed, and indeed that the Noldor may have deceived him.

Saga 4 (Episode 10): Orodruin (1600)
Sauron crafts the One Ring in Orodruin, and Barad-dûr, the largest fortress ever built, has been completed. We Annatar standing on at the height of Barad-dûr wearing the One, below his vast legions of orcs.
As soon as the One Ring has been crafted, Galadriel, Celebrimbor, and the others realize they have been deceived and that Annatar was in fact Sauron, and they remove their rings.
The Men who received Rings of Power from Sauron realize too late they are deceived, as they are completely subservient now to the will of Sauron.

I tried to fit it all in the title, but let me give some more details.
I applied to a job through a referral at a company that is in a different city than where I am now. I completed four rounds of interviews a couple weeks ago with them and in each one, I pointed out that I was open to and willing to relocate.
I got an email yesterday from HR asking if I was still interested in the job and open to relocation. I said I definitely was and confirmed I would be able to move within 5-6 months (the timeline they laid out).
After confirming everything, HR got back to me and said that the hiring manager still needed to complete two more interviews with other candidates and will finalize the decision early next week. I have to admit, I got quite excited that an offer would be coming my way, but hearing that they still were doing a couple more interviews made me question why they would reach out about my interest in the first place?
I guess they wanted to confirm that I would still be a viable candidate, but why would they do this?

We moved into a brand-new home and during a rain storm yesterday I noticed the humidity was at 78%, even hours after the rain stopped we could feel the humidity in the air. Granted, we live in southeast Texas, but this humidity level is pretty extreme for a brand new home.
We do rent the home from a national leasing company that owns the home, so there is little we can do as far as repairs, but I don't want our things damaged over the next 15 months, or for us to be responsible for anything that happens to the home. Not only that, but my son has severe allergies to mold and mildew (yay emergency room visits at 3 months old!)
So, what can we check or do to help with this? All windows are new and energy efficient, although not all of them seem to be set straight and one we can't even open because of the way it was installed. There's also an issue with our shower drain where it looks like they didn't even seal it, as we can see concrete and straight down into the pipe.
We have attic access, so we could check up there if need be, but I can't imagine they did too much in the way of insulation due to the way the rest of the house was pretty carelessly put together... However, on the breaker box there is a label for "dehumidifier" but I have no idea where this would be.
The house isn't cheap. Rent isn't cheap. It's in a nice neighborhood. I'm not sure what's happening here but I'm a bit concerned.

I'm an electronics engineer, and I'm quite satisfied with my career and the work that I do. However, it seems like most opportunities in my line of work are either with big tech companies or in defense, which limits where I can live. I would like to move to a place like New York City, a global megacity with an absolute shitload of culture, nightlife, varied dining, and other things to see and do.
But NYC isn't exactly known for its electronics scene. So if I can't land a job working in financial tech or something, I'm open to considering a career pivot.
I would like to find a career option with the following (firm but not hard) requirements:

1. It should pay at least as well as my present career, possibly adjusted for the likely higher cost of living in Queens or Brooklyn or maybe Manhattan.
   
2. It should provide some level of intellectual challenge and growth.
   

I'm vaguely aware of roles in finance and banking, and I have heard that they like to hire people with STEM backgrounds, but I know absolutely nothing about what these jobs are like.
While I specifically want to move to NYC for personal reasons, I wouldn't mind the possibility of living abroad in Tokyo, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Sydney, Melbourne, or one of the great cities in Europe.

It is a loooong story buy basically i am 30, have no job , hate my life and have since teen years, gay always liked guys who would never even look at me, hate gay dating pool tiny so i have no chance, hate how society works, been on anti depressants for years, after abusive father violently kicked me out, been living with my mother who wants to kick me out now cause i havent worked in 4 years, nor look for work, i will explain why in a moment. And i am mentally somewhat ok, when i am just doing hobbies, my mother has alreadt banned internet from me and locks the computer room door, today she explodes coming home we cannot communicate all she says is "when are you going to get a job, i need to see a therapist cause now cause of you, i am almost 65 at the end of my life you are so selfish you cant just ger yr own wings and fly away to start your own life"
Now here is the thing, i believe i must be autistic or something like it, cause ive always dealt with many social awkwardness and fears in school, on the street or on occassion i can be polite etc and talkative but for the most part, id love socializing but ive been bulliee, backstabbed, just always had such shitty stressful people around me, from my abusive father, my overly anxious mother whose anxiety was pushed onto me, being gay has been shit for me, i just want to be left alone to enjoy music and my photography hobbies etc, but cant..
I hate the city i live in, i was bullied here, badly that i have ptsd, spoken to therapists etc no change, i have seen 5 diff ones, please understand i am TIRED and opening up again and again about it makes me feel worse!!
I wanna move, but have little to any common sense skills with rent etc, like the idea of having to pay every month, having to work to be able to survive, freaks me out, so fking much... its so hostile, too much mental pressure. I already socially lost, i have less hair now cause of genetic alopecia, lost my teen and 20s to never dating , why continue to simply get a job in the town where seeinh people from my past constantly triggers me, if they see me working, they'll gossip about it and humiliate me again, they should not ever know of me again since the horrific things they did to me in highschool, last time i saw an ex bully as an adult, she passed by car, pointed and gave that evil grin from those days...please understand i cant go through with it here, i would simply be living to live for nothing but physically living.
I dont wanna see these people, my mother wont stop annoying me, my father is a violent abusive man, why just why not end it all? I have no reason to live outside of my hobbies. I learnt escapism cause i always hated the way the world was in regards to me.
Also just to add, so many people seem just so priviledged out of nowhere, the very few jobs i worked in the past i was worked like a mule for mininum wage, come home with stomach pains for hunger, tired without time for me, and examples: my sister is a teacher in a private school, every few months she can go on holiday...wtf? Worse, a guy from same school as me i had a big crush on (wont get into the painful story behind how he mocked me when i confessed my feelings as we are both gay) well he is a vet, his face is on the vet company website he works for too, moved abroad etc, he is constantly posting on insta about going to the states, to dubai, to cuba, the guy is always on vacation..what the fuck?? How did these people win at life? This isnt even what i wanted, i just wanted respect and no more trauma nor having to work a job i dislike, the small town i am in has limited choices. I dont want these people seeing ny life

Yesterday afternoon, I received an automated notification from ZipRecruiter that a particular company had viewed my contact information for a position that I'd applied for last week. It wasn't something that I was extremely interested in, but I was at least willing to hear what they'd have to say.
Sure enough, a few minutes later, I received a scripted rejection email from that company. The email was signed by a HR rep, but the message itself came from a different person's email address. I assumed that the sender was an admin assistant or other type of underling. I had a brief chuckle before moving the message to my deleted items folder. Nothing companies do surprises me anymore.
Oh well, just one more business to cross off of my list. On to more important things, like 4 interviews this week. Good luck, job hunters!

After 16 years at the same job, my first real job out of school, I've been doing essentially the same work for my entire career. While I love my job, I work on a contract-to-contract basis, and there's always a risk when it's time to re-compete for the contract. I've survived two contract changes in the past, but there's no guarantee the winning company won't make cuts. My salary has grown substantially over the years, which could potentially make me a target if reductions are necessary. The program that employs the contract is slated to go away eventually. Could be 10-20 years away.
The chances of being let go are lower if my current employer wins the contract again, which seems likely but not definite. I feel a new company would have less incentive to keep me on board. This uncertainty drove me to explore other opportunities, even though I've always seen myself staying put for as long as possible.
A former co-worker recruited me to apply at her new company. I didn't take it very seriously at first, viewing it as just a chance to get some practice applying and interviewing. To my surprise, I not only got an interview but also received an offer that matched my current salary. It's a great opportunity, and my friend seems very happy there. In contrast, I've never been promoted at my current job and was even passed over for the only possible promotion in my role. It's a long story, but it felt very political.
Despite loving my work, I officially accepted the new offer and will start in a month. I haven't informed my current employer yet, but I plan to give a three-week notice. Leaving after 16 years is causing me extreme depression. I love my job, but there's been little growth potential. If I stay through another contract renewal, I'll be around 50 when it ends. It seems like a good time to try something new while I still have some runway left.
Rationally, taking the new job seems like a no-brainer, but emotionally, it's wearing me out. I'm terrified I won't like the work as much, and starting fresh after becoming an expert in my current role is daunting. Part of me wants to back out and stay put, burning that bridge, but then I panic about potentially being let go down the road. This new offer is likely the best I'll get in town.
There's also a possibility my current employer could counter-offer, but a raise would only make me a more apparent target when the contract changes hands. Then again, I could be completely wrong about that. I should know more about how they value me once I give my notice. I could seek assurances from my boss. Her vote would go a long way if a new company asks for her recommendations. But again, staying would only postpone the inevitable end date of this job.
In summary, while leaving my long-term job is emotionally tough, the new opportunity seems like a wise move for my career growth and long-term prospects. I'm just trying to make sure it's the right move. Have any of you had similar situations where you regretted taking a position? Regretted staying? Should I entertain a counteroffer? Thanks for reading.

I am 50 year old artist that used to work on games , but now I just want to finally be brave and make my own solo projects. I have no wish to work in a company, so don't care if knowing specific engine is a "good investment" for job hunting.
I also know that I will also never make big game , or anything particularly good, but I still want to try.
What I don't have time ( im to old for that ) is investing in learning more than one engine. So whatever I start learning will have to be the only choice.
I know UE5 is not perfect for pixel and 2d games, and I can accept that. I think its time we all moved to 3D anyways. ( As much I enjoy pixel art, there is certainly great oversaturation of such games IMHO )
... That being said here is my question
Is UE5 even viable for solo artist/developer, viable for smaller scale games ? Or is it just good for big professional projects, and smaller games take to much time and effort and engine like GODOT is maybe far better for solo artist/developer ?
Or maybe it does not really matter and both Godot and UE5 take approximately same time for development of small games - and its just matter of knowing the engine ?