Things to measure worksheet

Hi All, I work in IT but have been tasked with partially managing a BMS system. I am trying to learn as much as I can just so I have a basic understanding of how things work.
We have multiple OPA roof top packages. On question I have is they have a fan off delay setup in the BMS which I understand as things take time to cooldown etc however this measurement for this delay is in Pa (Pascals). Can someone explain why a delay would be measured in pascals and not time?

A little back story. About a month ago my glow plug light started flashing and the MIL came on. The code said the throttle body actuator valve was not fully closing. Anyway I kept driving and eventually the diesel particulate filter light came on, because I didn’t realize it doesn’t do regen when there is too much buildup in the throttle body.
Well, so I took it in and they ended up having to replace the throttle body, and after a long 4 hour drive of 2500-3000 RPM and ~75 MPH, the DPF light officially went off and the regen happens successfully. This was all done about 1 week ago.
Subsequently I’ve driven my car daily like usual, to and from work. However, today, I drove to work. Drove to a dentist appointment. Drove back to work. And then two hours later I went to start the car and it wouldn’t turn over! A coworker got his portable battery charger and we hooked it up. Oddly enough the voltage seemed fine. Tried to start the car. No start. We unhook everything, close the hood, I start gathering my things as he will drive me home. I say, ”once more for good measure!” And turn the key. It starts!!! What? Weird. So he goes home. I go to change my gear and I notice that the P is flashing. I go to D and it is flashing. I can’t drive anywhere!
I thought, ok, I’ll turn the car off and try that again. Then it never started again.
I’ve been trying to search for answers and am at a loss. In the meantime my car is stuck at my work.

Had to Google it because I could’ve sworn I was hearing it wrong. In The Smallest Man she sings “once your queen had come / you’d treat her like an also-ran”. This is the first time I’ve ever heard that word, and I consider myself to have a larger than normal vocabulary. Is “also-ran” like a regional thing somewhere?
I’m pretty convinced Taylor was hitting up rhyme-zone.com to find this odd one to rhyme with “you didn’t measure up / in any measure of a man”. It takes me out of the moment every time I hear it.
Ps. An orgasm and penis size reference all in two couplets! 🥳

I asked for a quote for some mini splits. First company came in, looked around and had a price for me within 15min.
Called a second company and they require a 90 "consultation". I work full time, I have a baby at home and a kid that I have to drop off and pickup at school. Who has time for that nonsense? I asked if I can just get a price without the consultation and they said no. Guess which company I gave my business to?
The same thing happened when I got a quote for a metal roof. The 2 salesmen showed up, looked at my attic and took measurements then wanted to do an hour+ presentation. I asked if I can just get a price and they said no, so I kicked them out and went with a regular asphalt roof. These idiots would rather waste my time for 60-90 min than get my business.

I’ve been a Skynyrd fan for a long time. They were the band that got me into Rock, and the first band I just completely nerded out on. They inspired me to learn guitar, write songs, and start a band. I can’t stress enough how much I respect Bob, Allen, Gary, Ronnie, Leon, Billy, Ed, Artimus, and Steve. Regardless of the personal demons of all of them and the fighting reputation that stuck to them; they were a different level of hardworking and dedicated to the craft. There’s a reason that those songs have stuck around so long. It’s because they worked so damn hard, running those songs over measure by measure hundreds of times to get them the EXACT way they wanted. They rehearsed 30 miles outside of town, way out in the north Florida woods right up against Peter’s Creek. And when you hear songs like Tuesday’s Gone, Simple Man, I Need You, or All I Can Do Is Write About It, it takes you right there. Even if you’ve never been to the South. They of course leaned into their reputation of Fighting Rednecks that could out drink, fight, or smoke anything. But even they got tired of that status quo as time went on. They had a grace about them on the flip side of that coin.
So to see what the band has been turned into is just so depressing. I mean I’ve just kept it to myself for years but after seeing the news about hell house I’ve just hit a boiling point. For those that don’t know, the farm that Hell House originally sat on has been divided and turned into a neighborhood. However there was one lot that was spared and not developed on. That was the space of property that Hell House originally sat on. A great guy bought the property to make sure it was saved. He even got a historical marker made that faced the creek which explained the significance of that land. But sadly this gentlemen passed away around the time of the pandemic. The lot was then put on the market and somebody very recently bought it. The HOA of the neighborhood stole the sign and made sure it would never be put back. To make things worse, the dipshit that bought the land tore up the original dock to “Put the boards on the sides of this shipping container house I’m building.”
While all of this went on, Johnny and the boys created that stupid ass Hell House whiskey brand just to watch the land be sold and turned into an Instagram Reels project. The band that “honors the legacy” and makes millions of dollars a year to do it, couldn’t lend a hand to save the place where it all started. They literally just profited off of the name, kinda ironic isn’t it? When you listen to those lyrics on All I Can Do Is Write About It, like “I can see the concrete slowly creeping” it’s reminds you of that grace that Ronnie and they guys had. And now it’s became the “Lynyrd Skynyrd Pepsi Budweiser Harley Davidson Hell Yeah Band” I mean has anyone else noticed this??

In a victory for the cryptocurrency industry, the US House of Representatives passed a bill that overturned controversial SEC guidance that prevented banks from offering cryptocurrency custody services. This bipartisan measure removes an obstacle for regulated institutions to act as custodians of digital assets, which could increase consumer protection and cryptocurrency adoption. While President Biden signaled a veto, the House vote highlights a growing movement to integrate cryptocurrencies into the traditional financial system. The cryptocurrency market is booming, especially for AI tokens like FET and RNDR. These tokens achieved significant gains in the first quarter of 2024, with FET increasing by 378.3%. Analysts are optimistic about the sector, considering it the next big thing due to developments such as Nvidia's profits and huge investments in AI. The AI market capitalization has already increased by 8% and is projected to reach trillions by 2030.

I'm looking for help with the very basics - I'm having tons of trouble studying things like construction and accuracy. I've been told to try studying the Asaro heads to help my anatomy, measure and perspective. I'm limiting myself to strictly line work at the moment as i don't feel as though I'm ready for shading/color yet.
So far it really isn't working out so, if anyone out there can help me with the very basics let me know.
Redlines are always welcome!

Some preliminary info:
My mum and I have lived in our townhouse for over 10 years. During that time, we have constructed planter boxes that are set on our driveway (we don't own a car, so we use the space for that). For many years my mother has carried out her hobby of gardening there. We received new neighbors approximately 1.5 years ago. For the longest time, they would be throwing parties that would leak over to the AMs of the next day, as well as do renovations. While being understanding, it got to a point where my mum couldn't take the noise anymore at night. After numerous attempts to contact our new neighbours to decrease the noise of their parties, she finally made a noise complaint to a city. Parties started to occur less frequently.
THEN came the REALLY noisy stuff. The majority of my neighbors' renovation was to finish the basement. It was during this time when OUR house would start to shake at times. Aside from the fact that this distracted my mum from doing her (remote) job, it drew a concern as to what could possibly be happening in their basement that would cause OUR house to shake. Again, she reached out to them numerous times, with vague answers. And again my mother filed an anonymous complaint.
Turned out, they did not have the permits for the type of construction they were doing in the basement. They got super-peeved at us, as they now were delayed and had to spend a bit more money.
Anyways, fast forward to 1.5 months ago, I'm helping mum with gardening stuff. The male neighbor (of the couple) decides to approach us. He decides to "apologize" and be the "bettebigger person". Following his apology though, he makes a complaint about one of our planter boxes, the one that borders the property line between us. He says that some of the wood pieces are falling off/poking out onto his property (fair, though my mum reckons he purposely took some of the pieces of, but that's speculation). He decides to give us an ultimatum: either move the planter box more onto our property (an inch our two, but with soil and wood, probably weighs a ton, so not happening), repair the boards, or destroy it. Otherwise he will complain to the city that the planter box is on his property. So.... he's still a little butthurt that we complained to the city of his actions, and wants to have something over us.
But my mum remained positive. Understanding that the outer pieces of the planter box ARE weathered (some scrap 2x4s, some decent pieces of wood), she set out to buy sheets of new plywood that would be weather-proofed, and would replace those pieces after I took them out and drilled the sheets in.
This evening we were measuring the dimensions of the planter box to figure out what lengths I would need to cut the plywood. To make one of these measurements, we had to step into our neighbors' driveway. He saw what we were doing, and asked us to get of his property. We explained what we were doing, to which he responded "unless YOU have a permit to do this, the only thing you can do is destroy it, otherwise I'll be filing my own complaints" (not verbatim, but that was the gist of it). My mum and him at a little tiff, but I got the last of the measurements for us to then leave his driveway.
I am not a confrontational person; I'm not good at aggression or telling strangers to fuck off. But I do not like the fact that I have this intimidating dude trying to scare my old mum and threatening her to destroy something she's worked years on. Furthermore, I have the following contentions:

• The planter box on the property line border was there WAY before the new neighbors bought the place. To me, the fact that they bought it at all should also be an okay/acknowledgement of the placement of the box on the property line; unless something happened to it that ACTUALLY affects them (eg breaks and soil spills over), they shouldn't (?) have a problem.
  
• We reached out multiple times to them, trying to be civil; if they responded in kind, reassuring us in some fashion, I believe we wouldn't be in this mess, especially if you're doing things you ought to get a permit for. I get taking a few shortcuts here and there, but not a good idea trying to do so if you can't cover your ass/be cautious
  
• I looked at City of Toronto's website (https://www.toronto.ca/services-payments/building-construction/apply-for-a-building-permit/when-do-i-need-a-building-permit/), while it DEFINITELY says one is required when finishing a basement (so we were right to complain), don't think I see one particular about changing out wood for a planter box (which I am not considering an addition to the house, as a line of pots would basically be the same thing)
  
• I am borderline worried he'll try to go out of his way to get my mum in trouble
  
• How else are we gonna replace the old wood with new if we aren't on their property a little? We're specifically doing it because they don't want any of the old stuff breaking off into their driveway (potentially damaging their capop a tire, according to them) in the future. It's gotta make sense!
  
• I think he was "trying to be nice/bigger person", but he just wants to make as sad for making him spend more money and time by making us destroy our own stuff. So much for self-improvement on his part I guess.
  

Anyways, I think we'll try our best to fix up the box as efficiently as we can. We won't be covert about it, but to avoid the neighbors yelling at us again, not gonna loudly advertise it. Just drill out screws, take pieces out, and drill in a big sheet. But does anyone want to chime in on what rights I have if this guy calls the cops on us or makes a scene? Again, we're doing this at HIS request, and he's making it difficult to do. Or if you believe there is bias on my part, feel free to point it out! Free to answer questions as well. Hope I was able to get my points across. Any law stuff would help also!

Some preliminary info:
My mum and I have lived in our townhouse for over 10 years. During that time, we have constructed planter boxes that are set on our driveway (we don't own a car, so we use the space for that). For many years my mother has carried out her hobby of gardening there. We received new neighbors approximately 1.5 years ago. For the longest time, they would be throwing parties that would leak over to the AMs of the next day, as well as do renovations. While being understanding, it got to a point where my mum couldn't take the noise anymore at night. After numerous attempts to contact our new neighbours to decrease the noise of their parties, she finally made a noise complaint to a city. Parties started to occur less frequently.
THEN came the REALLY noisy stuff. The majority of my neighbors' renovation was to finish the basement. It was during this time when OUR house would start to shake at times. Aside from the fact that this distracted my mum from doing her (remote) job, it drew a concern as to what could possibly be happening in their basement that would cause OUR house to shake. Again, she reached out to them numerous times, with vague answers. And again my mother filed an anonymous complaint.
Turned out, they did not have the permits for the type of construction they were doing in the basement. They got super-peeved at us, as they now were delayed and had to spend a bit more money.
Anyways, fast forward to 1.5 months ago, I'm helping mum with gardening stuff. The male neighbor (of the couple) decides to approach us. He decides to "apologize" and be the "bettebigger person". Following his apology though, he makes a complaint about one of our planter boxes, the one that borders the property line between us. He says that some of the wood pieces are falling off/poking out onto his property (fair, though my mum reckons he purposely took some of the pieces of, but that's speculation). He decides to give us an ultimatum: either move the planter box more onto our property (an inch our two, but with soil and wood, probably weighs a ton, so not happening), repair the boards, or destroy it. Otherwise he will complain to the city that the planter box is on his property. So.... he's still a LITTLE angry that we complained to the city of his actions, and wants to have something over us.
But my mum remained positive. Understanding that the outer pieces of the planter box ARE weathered (some scrap 2x4s, some decent pieces of wood), she set out to buy sheets of new plywood that would be weather-proofed, and would replace those pieces after I took them out and drilled the sheets in.
This evening we were measuring the dimensions of the planter box to figure out what lengths I would need to cut the plywood. To make one of these measurements, we had to step into our neighbors' driveway. He saw what we were doing, and asked us to get of his property. We explained what we were doing, to which he responded "unless YOU have a permit to do this, the only thing you can do is destroy it, otherwise I'll be filing my own complaints" (not verbatim, but that was the gist of it). My mum and him at a little tiff, but I got the last of the measurements for us to then leave his driveway.
I am not a confrontational person; I'm not good at aggression. But I do not like the fact that I have this intimidating dude trying to scare my old mum and threatening her to destroy something she's worked years on. Furthermore, I have the following contentions:

• The planter box on the property line border was there WAY before the new neighbors bought the place. To me, the fact that they bought it at all should also be an okay/acknowledgement of the placement of the box on the property line; unless something happened to it that ACTUALLY affects them (eg breaks and soil spills over), they shouldn't (?) have a problem.
  
• We reached out multiple times to them, trying to be civil; if they responded in kind, reassuring us in some fashion, I believe we wouldn't be in this mess, especially if you're doing things you ought to get a permit for. I get taking a few shortcuts here and there, but not a good idea trying to do so if you can't be cautious
  
• I looked at City of Toronto's website (https://www.toronto.ca/services-payments/building-construction/apply-for-a-building-permit/when-do-i-need-a-building-permit/), while it DEFINITELY says one is required when finishing a basement (so we were right to complain), don't think I see one particular about changing out wood for a planter box (which I am not considering an addition to the house, as a line of pots would basically be the same thing)
  
• I am borderline worried he'll try to go out of his way to get my mum in trouble
  
• How else are we gonna replace the old wood with new if we aren't on their property a little? We're specifically doing it because they don't want any of the old stuff breaking off into their driveway (potentially damaging their capop a tire, according to them) in the future. It's gotta make sense!
  
• I think he was "trying to be nice/bigger person", but he just wants to make as sad for making him spend more money and time by making us destroy our own stuff. So much for self-improvement on his part I guess.
  

Anyways, I think we'll try our best to fix up the box as efficiently as we can. We won't be covert about it, but to avoid the neighbors yelling at us again, not gonna loudly advertise it. Just drill out screws, take pieces out, and drill in a big sheet. But does anyone want to chime in on what rights I have if this guy calls the cops on us or makes a scene? Again, we're doing this at HIS request, and he's making it difficult to do. Or if you believe there is bias on my part, feel free to point it out! Free to answer questions as well. Hope I was able to get my points across. Any law stuff would help also!

I've lurked here for many years, and am well into the weeds on my search for new bras, but I can't help but wonder if maybe I'm looking for the wrong thing.
Measurements are as follows, in inches- Loose underbust: 37, snug underbust 35, tight underbust 34, standing bust 43, leaning bust 44, lying bust 42.5. (Putting me somewhere in the vicinity of a 34F/36E UK, which I agree.)
I'm moderately projected, narrow and short root, even fullness. I think.
Underwires have always tended to migrate down on me (presumably because I'm more projected than my old molded bras allowed for), so frankly for the last 15 years I'd sworn them off. And I'm quite comfortable with my natural shape but I'm past the point where I can go braless to work. However...my major complaint these days is that my breasts aren't exactly self-supporting anymore, and the skin underneath gets irritated from folding over and making contact. So I've been looking for a well fitting, unlined, underwire bra, figuring that's the only way I can protect my skin.
But it's a slog, and I'm getting burnt out! Recently I have tried: Gossard glossies, a few Elomis (wow those wires are wayyy too wide for me), Wacoal halo lace, Panache Sculptresse roxie plunge, Panache tango plunge, Fantasie Adelle side support, Freya offbeat, and Freya starlight. Many of these are close, but I feek like the cups are a bit too deep and tall for me. Like the base projection is good but by nipple height I'd prefer the support to be tucking in more firmly, if that makes sense. Yet at the same time I'm verging on quad boob at the top. Clearly a subtle shape mismatch but idk how to identify the right thing. I've found some guides to wire widths by brand, and projected versus shallow, but...any tips for something a click or two less projected?
Alternatively- is there some other style I'm overlooking here? I just want something to protect my skin, support things a bit, and look acceptable under lightweight tops (desert-dweller here). So far everything seamed and lace shows up horrendously. I don't mind crossover styles but you can always see the gathering on my shape. I have barely there bralettes like true & co, but they do nothing to protect against the folding.

Where I live the heat and humidity can be brutal, and this year spring is already cooking. So how chuffed was I when Outlier sent me a ramielust tank to test. For the last couple of weeks I’ve been wearing it into the ground. I wanted to really test it, so I leaned into it a bit more than I generally would. At this point it’s seen eight full days of wear (and a cpl partial), has been washed five times, slept in, worked out in, dressed up (a bit), tugged on by a small child and a small-legged dog, and is still in one piece. I know this form, in this fabric, has been highly anticipated by many (myself included) - so here’s what I’ve got:

• Quick Stats:
  • I’m 5’10” (or so) and I’ve generally considered my “true size” to be L for Outlier, but have been sizing up lately and enjoying it. I took an XL for a loosebreezier fit in Lilac Mist. I likely will stick with XL however I think I could definitely wear L and fit would still be solid.
• Fabric
  
  • Ramie is a natural fiber, it’s old and it’s bast, if you’ve never encountered it before here’s a better description than I’m going to write: https://outlier.nyc/products/ramielustIn-hand
  • In-hand, this batch of ramielust is weighty and smooth, with a dull shine that almost makes it look slightly metallic (ramie-lustrous). The feel of it is like cooled silk. It can be counterintuitive to pull on a heavier (200gsm) fabric to head out into the heat, but in practice the fiber is always pulling heat away from you, while the openness of the fabric welcomes any breeze right through. Along with the weight comes drape that isn’t typical of lighter and stiffer summer fabrics – in motion the sway of the fabric is elegant and special, especially with the cut of the garment (more on that later). The shine of the fabric does become milder following the first wash, but I didn’t notice any significant change after the second or third wash, it’s still got a light gleam to it.
  • To be honest, I’ve been looking forward to this fabric, but I didn’t expect it to feel this nice having only ever tried the very first run of ramielust some time ago – I didn’t intend to wear it four days in a row. But I kept reaching for it in part just because I wanted to feel the fabric again.
• Fit + Form
  
  • The only Outlier tank I’ve tried prior to this was the Push/Pull Tank. Compared to that cut (in the same size), the Ramielust Tank is a much looser format. The neckline falls lower, and the chest/body is cut wider – it’s a much easier, more leisurely feel, and the ramielust weight makes the additional fabric really drip down and around you in the most lovely way.
  • The cut is open and refined. As with the push/pull tank, the straps are nice and broad, which matches nicely the width of the ramielust tank in the body; it’s substantial, loose, and breezy. When I first tried the tank on pre-wash I immediately thought it was too long, bunching around my hips, but after the first wash/dry the length felt perfect; not cropped, but flowing freely around my midsection when I moved. The fabric sort of leans against you a bit, instead of giving you a full on hug. Not prone to static, just luxurious wavy folds. I really hope this cut shows up more in the future.
• Items of Interest
  
  • Color + Transparency
    • The fabric is a bit transparent, but not too much - I have a lot of contrast between my skintone and tattoos, and I wasn’t able to easily see my tattoos through the fabric unless the light was pretty direct, and then only where the fabric was flat and close to my skin. The color is crazy, similar to the other lilacs Outlier has done, but with the added touch of the slightly metallic shine of the fabric. If you’re at all inclined toward this color (in tank or other format), you should go for it.
  • Shrinkage Etc.
    • I washed on delicate and dried on medium heat (despite the care instructions pleading to dry on low heat) for all five wash/dry passes. On first wash there was ~2” of shrinkage in length, and probably 0.5”-1” of shrinkage to width. The width, I think, released out a bit with wear but the cut is roomy enough that it wasn’t especially noticeable either way. The length also stretches back out a touch, mb 0.5" or so, I think it was calibrated with shrinkage in mind, as again for me the fit was better after losing length. The fabric always tightens up a touch after dry and then relaxes out quickly with wear, which has been true of prior ramielust runs. In comparison to the push/pull tank: I measured 24” across the ramielust tank after first wash/dry, and measured 20” across the push/pull tank which has taken the same wash/dry treatment. Length is similar btwn the two, with ramielust tank being about 1” shorter after wash.
  • Hand Feel vs. Prior Runs
    • The only other ramielust I’ve had was from the very first run, and I found it effective at dealing with heat but generally rough and a bit unfortunate in terms of texture. This ramielust is very different. I think it was described as “buttery” on live and that’s apt af. If you tried ramielust before and found it rough, you may be pleasantly surprised by how soft and welcoming this run is.
  • Twist
    • I mean, it exists. It’s not bad, but if you look for it, yea it’s there. If you’ve had ramielust before, it’s pretty much the same thing, either a dealbreaker for you or not. Twist has bothered me in the past but with the looseness and flow of this cut, you really have to be looking for it to notice it.
  • Durability
    • Not really a selling point for this fabric, but I was pleasantly surprised by how little battle damage I could find after multiple days of non-delicate wear. I found the fabric stretched out across the day a bit but with a wash/dry snapped back to regular form. I did find one small snag on the fabric, not sure where it came from (dogs).
  • Pet Hair
    • The secret metric for all Outlier fabrics: To what extent does it hold onto pet hair (or lint or whatever) - pleased to report that pet hair comes off of this fabric with little (relative) effort. Take the shirt off, give it a proper shake and a whip, and most of the fur will fall away.
  • Random Thoughts/Scenarios
    • Wearing under injex overshirts, I noticed that my skin was cooler where it was touching ramie vs. where it was touching injex
    • Wearing directly under a rain shell, same thing, felt much cooler where ramielust was touching me vs. the goretex-ish material (no surprise there)
    • Wearing as part of a semi-formal outfit works, I think, because of the very apparent quality of the fabric - both color and luster help give it an “elevated” look that can be pretty well dressed up, and Lilac Mist is nice against black.
    • Works pretty well as a workout shirt (especially in a small, hot garage with no airflow), handles sweat great, is still soft against the skin even with moisture in the mix; I did drag it against knurling a few times and didn’t find any abrasion damage. Not a replacement for a dedicated exercise shirt and isn’t meant to be, but in a hot and humid environment it’ll do the trick.
    • I did have a tiny hand, at one point, tug abruptly on a handful of the fabric, which caused an area to stretch out and bag slightly; a wash and dry snapped it back to normal
• My Feelings
  
  • In the end, my feelings are that this form is the highest and best use for the ramielust fabric (yet). This tank makes me feel protected and unrestricted out in the heat. It keeps me comfortable, it’s easy. I have to look for reasons not to wear it, and I’m running out of them.
• Pictures
  
  • https://imgur.com/gallery/ramielust-tank-pk02Sv5

About two years ago, I was in contact with a woman who wanted to write a book titled “Strong Daughters Of Bad Mothers”. She wanted to publicize both her own story and the stories of other women who were willing to share. So she made an online post and received quite a bit of backlash. Because of the term "Bad Mothers". The thread that developed was interesting, but also quite exhausting because of the obvious tunnel vision of some of the commenters. Rather than getting caught up in this useless discussion, I decided to write an article in support of her.
My mother died a few years ago, but being estranged from her years before her death, I know all the struggles someone goes through. I thought maybe, some of you might find my article helpful as well. Sorry, if the wording is a litttle off at times, I had to translate it for this sub. So here it goes:
MEASURABLE SUCCESS / FAILURE IN PARENTING?
So far I haven’t been blessed with the task of being a mother. From my own experience, I can only say what I wouldn’t ever want my child to have to deal with. But could I ever be competent enough to provide at least everything that seems important to me? Love and appreciation without expecting anything in return? The ability to love and care for themselves? Encouragement through weaknesses and promotion of strengths?
At what point does one become "bad" at parenting? Is there a scale? A scale that goes from “total neglect” = “terrible” to “raising a child to be a superhero” = “perfect”? ​​I hardly think so. And why is that? Because of human failure. There are no special categories for that. Though we feel most comfortable when we can put everything in its drawer and label it. But does that mean that once you reach a certain level of failure, you’re not allowed to call things by their name just because they’re not obviously "measurable"?
Imagine this: You trust your dentist to do a decent job, but on almost every visit they pull the wrong tooth or drill in the wrong place - would you say to yourself, "Well, maybe they haven’t had an easy life," or would you rather conclude that you chose a lousy dentist? Too trivial? Too far-fetched? After all, you can't compare a visit to the dentist to a family life, can you? Well, sometimes you can.
Let me further illustrate why the simple adjective "bad" should be removed from the taboo when it comes to parent-child relationships: Have you ever advised a friend/family membeacquaintance to distance themselves from someone? Because you realized that their relationship (developing or existing) clearly wasn’t doing them any good? Have you ever told someone: "This person is bad for you"? If so, did you try to think of a better word? Or did “bad” just roll off the tongue - because it was the truth?
Yes, some of you may be offended when we refer to ourselves as children of "bad" parents. How disrespectful. They gave us the gift of life - or they adopted us. Either way, a total no-go! Right? But maybe you should ask yourself WHY exactly it triggers you so much.
As the daughter of a bad mother, let me tell you this: People who have had difficult, perhaps even traumatic, childhoods are rarely interested in a "revenge" or "shaming" anyone. It's about finally being seen and heard. It's about no longer hiding our scars (physical and psychological). It’s about staying true to ourselves when others lecture us about "family values".
The level of respect and compassion that is undoubtedly given to BOTH bad and good parents is equally due to their children.
If something was "not good"... what was it? Open for improvement? Probably. Not quite ideal? Possibly. Mediocre? Perhaps. But these quibbles over words do not minimize the damage done. Especially when it was just that: BAD.
Awful. Horrible. Disastrous. Traumatizing.
We can add whatever suits our case. Whatever suits OUR FEELINGS. It is primarily a judgment of "parenting", not particularly of the people who dabble in it. For the greatest harm can be done with the best of intentions. Maybe they failed because they "didn’t know better". Maybe they passed on what was given to them. They too were once children, and perhaps they themselves were victims in some way. But do any of these possibilities or facts change the outcome? Or reverse our trauma? Sadly, no.
Deep down, somewhere, there is still is a child reaching out for help because they have been hurt. Don’t shut them up or push them away. Don’t yell at them or tell them “not to be so dramatic”. Instead, just listen. For healing also means acknowledging all the wounds that have been inflicted, both visible and invisible. Don’t belittle them just because you don't like their choice of words.
So please, just take that child's hand. Even if they're already an adult. Listen closely. Watch carefully. It doesn’t matter if you can’t fully grasp the implications of what you're hearing or seeing. Just be open and compassionate. And maybe your own inner child will speak up and have a thing or two to say.
June, 2022

Shortly after my initial post, several fellow Redditors came forward with crucial tips that led to a breakthrough: a picture of the criminal next to his car, clearly showing the license plate number. Armed with this information, I felt empowered and motivated to take these leads to the police, hoping for a swift and effective response.
As many of you pointed out in your comments, my experience with the Fairfax County Police was incredibly frustrating and ultimately unhelpful. When I tried to follow up on the online report I initially filed, I discovered it had mysteriously vanished from their system. Seeking answers, I called the after-hours dispatch, only to be shuffled between multiple stations. I was transferred from Reston to Mason, and then in person, from Mason to McLean, chasing a paper trail that seemed to lead nowhere.
By the time I reached McLean station at 11 PM last Wednesday, I was forced to file a new report because my original one had disappeared into thin air. The officer I spoke with was less than helpful, explaining that it would be "extremely hard" to obtain a warrant since the incident was several days old and no officers were present when it occurred. She then suggested that I should personally obtain a warrant through the court—a daunting task for anyone not familiar with legal procedures. Moreover, she mentioned that even with a warrant, the best they could do was possibly arrest the individual if he happened to be stopped for a traffic violation in the future.
I couldn't help but argue. Given the evidence and information I had painstakingly gathered, it seemed absurd that issuing a warrant should be so difficult. I expressed my concerns that the individual in question could be a repeat offender, posing a continuous threat. Yet, it felt like hitting a brick wall, with little to no proactive support from those who were supposed to ensure our safety and uphold justice.
My frustration only mounted as the officer initially refused even to perform a basic tag search on the vehicle involved, claiming there was "not enough evidence" despite the clear video and picture evidence I provided. I was dumbfounded—what more did they need? After much insistence and heated discussion, the officer reluctantly agreed to attempt to obtain the warrant herself. However, her non-committal attitude left me with little confidence that any action would actually be taken.
The lack of urgency and apparent indifference to a situation that posed a potential ongoing threat was disheartening. As I left the station, the uncertainty gnawed at me—had I done enough? Could I expect justice, or was my effort doomed with this lazy police officer? The whole ordeal left me feeling helpless and dismissed by those entrusted to protect and serve.
Despite the roadblocks thrown up by the local police, I knew I had done the right thing by reporting the incident. It was crucial, especially if this person was repeatedly keying strangers' cars in Fairfax County. Just know that your police don’t give a shit. But you and I do! However, the reality that I might be unable to bring this criminal to justice due to a lack of police action left me feeling disheartened and powerless.
Nevertheless, I am immensely grateful for the support and advice from fellow Redditors. Your tips were instrumental in identifying the offender, providing a small measure of solace amidst the frustrating ordeal. This experience has been a vivid illustration of the power of community and the often-underrated form of 'internet justice.' While it's disconcerting that Reddit proved more helpful than official channels, it reassures me that there are still avenues for action when traditional paths falter.
Thank you, everyone, for standing by me during this trying time. Your solidarity has been a beacon of hope and a stark reminder that sometimes, when the system fails us, the Redditors steps up.
Now, how do I report police officers for not taking any actions? 😊

I am a LICSW interested in psychoanalysis. I began my own analysis last year and am looking forward to a fellowship. In the meantime the past few years I have done a lot of reading. I started with Freud and Beyond and got into source material as well, which is ongoing. There is so much to read!
I am having trouble with my sense of organizing the material in my mind— they all sort of run together and I have a lot of trouble remembering who developed what. If asked to speak about each major figure I could say a line or two, but it all seems to run together. I am used to learning concepts and history with ease and I would have thought I would have an easier time internalize things clearly.
Part of the problem is that much of the theory seems intuitive (I’m realistically aware that I’m not some savant but have picked up implicit and explicit lessons passed on through culture, media, education, particularly my education as a social worker, etc). The more I read the more it all seems to weave together into something that seems impossible to deconstruct again. It’s making me feel quite daft. On the other hand, it also feels rather dreamy. I am floating in a warm bath, so why do I want to measure each droplet? Has anyone else had this experience?

People get offended at the thought that your partner would suspect you of paternity fraud or domestic violence. But psychopaths absolutely would do these terrible things with no remorse if they believed it was worth the risk.
It's entirely possible to have a wonderful relationship with someone for years without realizing they're a psychopath. So to keep everyone safe, these measures should be normalized in all relationships and seen as a form of insurance.
People can have 100% confidence in something and later realize they were wrong. Insurance exists to protect people from those realizations.
For the record, I know neurotypical people are also capable of doing these terrible things. I also know that plenty of psychopaths choose not to lie, manipulate, and hurt others. I don't hate psychopaths; I find them fascinating, which is why I know statistics like this in the first place.
I feel the need to bring up psychopath statistics because too many people have a naive attitude that if you really love someone, there's no good reason to test them. Hopefully, realizing that psychopaths are around us all the time will remove that naivety.
Sources:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/nursing-and-health-professions/antisocial-personality-disorder#:~:text=Epidemiology,over%203.5%25%20of%20the%20population
https://sapienjournal.org/latest-estimate-of-psychopathy-in-the-general-population/

I'm looking at the ARRL Handbook and also Radio Handbook by Orr as starting off points. One of them is about half the price of the other assuming I can't find used copies at a book store.
Did some quick google searching and finding a lot of quick overview kinda stuff but not really what I'm looking for. I build a powered AM radio last year with a lot of notes from the internet, winding coils, testing amplifier circuits with different resistors and transistors, etc. Ended up with a nice little breadboard radio with almost zero selectivity (it was selective for a while but somehow I nuked that at some point and it was I think just picking up the loudest AM station available).
Anyway, that's done, now I'm thinking about a superhet with proper filtering and really trying to scratch down a little deeper beneath the surface, maybe commit some of these formulas to memory, and learn some more about the components and how they work.
Ferrite cores for example, do both of these books have a list of values for different types of core material and such? I can always measure the inductance with an LCR meter after I wind a coil on it but I know some materials are better for different frequency ranges and it'd be nice to have a handy paper reference.
A good book in my opinion would also have some datasheets for popular transistors and op-amps and other components so I don't have to look them up one at a time while I'm browsing electronics kits to buy to build out my kit a little further.
Also something really nice would be a series of projects that perhaps starts with all the theory of AM circuits and example builds, then FM same thing, and then HF and Superhet design stuff. Tells you how to pick capacitors and maybe a better understanding of how much power different types can handle, etc.
Essentially, the basic equations, some example schematics that can be followed to build some lite radios and auxilliary equipment like antenna tuners and amplifiers, datasheets and specs for components good for HF versus Microwaves or ELF. I have some interest in radio-astronomy as well and seismic sounds like it could be fun to play around with listening to the bowels of the earth though that's probably outside the scope of a general radio book.
Not buying this second, just wondering if either of the books I mentioned is kind of set up this way or if there would be a better place for me to look for a good book that covers things this way. I'm a paper person and to me paper is more persistent than digging up files on the computer and needing to be next to it while I'm soldering or digging parts out of my kit. So real books are my preference here for sure.
Or I suppose if nothing else I can just start printing datasheets and tossing them in my station log binder.

The sudden surge in people obsessed with longevity is nuts! When did everyone start fearing death so much? Why are young people asking to take statins "preventively"?
Have we all just become a bit too obsessed? No matter what you do there is no guarantee that you live even another day. IMHO, your focus should be on staying healthy and happy. Wtf is longevity?
It was so simple - eat well, stay active, keep mentally engaged and you're good to go. Now I see people asking reddit to check their list of 26 daily supplements? Measuring every single activity to make sure its "zone 2" and threshold and lactate and shit no one even spoke about 10 years ago yet lived well into their 80s and 90s.
Is this normal? Is this sustainable? Ask yourself.
I'm glad there is such an awareness around being healthy for the long term. That's a great thing. But please folks, let's stop obsessing with every single blood marker and bio parameter and other hocus pocus.
Edit: Folks, maybe I didn't phrase it properly and that likely touched a nerve with all of you who just took your 13th blood test this year to check all 4,000 parameters.
My point was never about NOT being healthy or wanting to avoid disease. But doing it so obsessively by checking all this data which still doesn't make complete sense to anyone is foolish! Yes, I also want to prevent disease to the extent possible and I too get a lot of good advice from subs like this one but going ape shit is pointless.

So in an earlier post I (F18) put in vent, I have a big crush on a guy, and I only called him my bf (M20) for simplicity and the sake of the post and it's pretty much mutual. But as a brief summary:
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I made things worse by fabricating that I was going out with friends 2 days ago. I was actually trying to go out with my crush. Dad fucking drives me there. BIG mistake, demands to see my friends, ofc I cant show him. I get an earful of how crush is a predator, he just saved my life, essentially never do that again. I get my phone taken for lying and I basically have to cut contact with him.
​
My dad swears (along with my mom since she just co-signs every thing he does) that all I have to do is just tell him who he is and introduce him. And call me crazy for NOT doing that, but I've been living with these helicopter parents my whole life and I can make a pretty good assumption of how I would be treated after introducing him.
​
The times I would be honest about who I'm with, it would be brought up randomly in a conversation and how my boyfriend of the time is distracting me and then they would "eliminate" the problem by taking my phone or laptop typically.
​
I've had a clean slate my whole life because every bad deed I've committed, they have been there every step of the way. Some people dream at night for parents like those and I know that. So I am in constant torment of appreciating the lavish life I have, in exchange for the most committed parents one has ever seen.
​
So dad comes in today and I'm just sick of this conversation. First of all he condesendingly says "Your life sucks right now huh?" and I tell him no because I secretly have other plans (-and even if I didn't I'm far too old to be bitching about a roadblock I would find an alternative to), but he asks me who he is, where he lives, when he's gonna meet him. I tell him straight up I'm not disclosing any of that stuff. Bold move for someone who lives under his roof but I already accepted that I'm willing to get my things taken and yelled at if that means protecting my peace and my crushes because A) he didn't deserve getting stood up, intentional or not, 2 days ago, and B) I wasn't going to drag him into my family mess no matter what. He starts yelling ofc and is probably going to take more jurrasic measures knowing him and my mom.
​
Believe it or not while my caretakers are a big concern, my bigger one is how long my crush is willing to put up with it since we are starting to be, and basically something much more. I undeniably adore him and we really have a bond like no other. I tell him my parents just wont be apart of the picture for now. But with his looks and personality I'm sure a girl with a much better situation than me could easily take him away.
​
TL;DR: Parents find out about crush and now im worried my boyfriend don't wanna be a part of that

A bit of career history to set the stage: I completed my undergrad in Spring 2019 at a highly ranked public school in California. I was a great student through high school but got middle-of-the-road grades in college, graduating with a 3.07 GPA in Cognitive Science. Right after grad, I started my career at a well known tech company in silicon valley doing tech sales (SDR first, AE after).
I did pretty well through 2020, 2021, and most of 2022, never a top rep, but always in the top half. With tech slowing down in 2023 and through 2024, this job has become a GRIND and my performance has been... unremarkable. It used to be an awesome gig where there were highs and lows, but you own your own day and autonomy as long as you hit your goals. After losing motivation at my last company, I decided to take an offer at another tech company in a slightly different space. I'm ~7 months in and I like the conversations I'm having, the product, my team, and the leadership. Only problem is, I'm having a very hard time seeing how I'll be able to achieve quota when I am done with my ramp period.
There's more to it, but for brevity's sake, I'll leave it at this. My mental health is suffering in this job. In sales, your value is your number, no matter what people say. There are certain things you can control like how many calls you make, emails you send, etc. but at the end of the day, you are measured against your quota. I have a very hard time being happy with what I'm doing because if I can't perform and miss my quota for a few months, I could easily get canned. If I'm being honest, I'm not sure I'm cut out for sales in the long haul. I love working with people, but I'm naturally not confrontational and the job requires a lot of that.
So... should I suck it up, stop whining, and try to make it work in tech sales until the economy turns, or consider applying to grad school (GPA isn't great, so not even sure how viable this is)? I've thought about applying to MBA programs, masters degrees in either Cognitive Science or Data Science, or even law school. FWIW, I'm 27, will be 28 in the fall. Would love to get some opinions!

Republic 7^th Fleet, Centaurus Sector, 407 light years from Earth
RSS Vercingetorix, Independence-Class Carrier, 2174 A.D.
Vice-Admiral Mei Zhou had just finished making the final changes to the fleet’s reconnaissance patrol routes with her senior staff when the comm panel on her desk chirped, displaying an incoming comm request from Admiral Thompson. She quickly thumbed the pad being offered by her aide so that he could issue the orders they were just working on and turned to the rest of her staff. “Nice job, people. Let’s get to work. Dismissed.” As the staff filed out the door, she started entering the codes needed to decrypt the incoming comm channel and looked up to make sure the room was empty. She pressed the open channel icon, and Admiral Thompson’s holo image appeared in front of her desk, ending just below his waist and making it seem as if he was actually there, sitting.
“Mei, how’s your new ship treating you?” he asked, smiling. “She is an absolute beauty, Karl. I still can’t believe that she is mine.” She responded, returning his smile. “What can I do for you, Karl?” Thompson chuckled, and his holo image leaned back as he reclined in his chair. “Straight to business; I always liked that about you, Mei. Alright, here we go. We have received intelligence reports that the Commonwealth has begun evacuating one of their last remaining coreward periphery worlds that is now dangerously close to the expanded Insectoid border. We have also received an update from our spy drones in that same region that six Hive ships and almost four hundred cruisers that were patrolling their side of that border area have disappeared. This is too much of a coincidence, and I want you to detach a combat patrol and send them there.” Thompson finished speaking, and a flashing icon popped up on her comm panel, indicating that she had just received new orders. She tapped it and quickly scanned the new orders as the admiral waited. She looked up at his holo image. “Karl, I acknowledge receipt of the new orders and will implement them. Between me and you, why are we getting involved with this? The Commonwealth has a navy, and they should be fighting to protect their space. We can’t keep coming to the rescue and defending their members; we are already spread too thin as it is.”
Thompson nodded his head in agreement. “Mei, I agree with you in principle, but there are social and political considerations involved here. The near extinction of the V’rni has caused considerable turmoil among the citizens of the Republic. They know logically that we could not have stopped such an attack like that one, but the perceived failure to protect them or prevent the attack still weighs heavily on their souls. The Commonwealth is currently attempting to evacuate the Jaleen system, and they are one of the last surviving members that voted yes before our petition to join the Commonwealth was denied. It also doesn’t help that the Jaleeni are avowed pacifists and look like bipedal Newfoundland dogs. They are technically a bear-like species, but to humans, they look like humanoid dogs, and the government is unwilling to lose the popular support it currently enjoys by allowing the Jaleeni to be exterminated. I mean, look at these guys.”
Another flashing icon popped up on her screen a moment later, and she pressed it. It turned into a hologram depicting a typical Jaleeni family of a mother and father with a litter of six pups, and she couldn’t help but smile as she looked at the photo. They were wearing their traditional rough-spun linen clothes that made them look like dogs cosplaying as monks. They looked adorable, and she felt her heart melt while staring into their deep brown eyes, which looked sad. She understood the reasoning behind it, especially after the mass extinctions that occurred in Earth’s biosphere because of World War 3.
After the war, humanity had an awakening when they surveyed their destroyed world and came to terms with the disappearance of thousands of species and the near extinction of thousands of others. What followed were three generations of desperate measures to salvage what remained and a worldwide effort at habitat restoration and de-extinction efforts utilizing a wide array of methods such as back-breeding, cloning, and genome editing. Dogs were almost driven to extinction by the war as they were uniquely susceptible to the BioChem weapons that were developed and refined by the Eastern Coalition animal testing on poor innocent canine subjects. Between the Biochem weapons, owner deaths, abandonment, and starvation, almost 90% of the domesticated canine population and entire breeds were lost by the war’s end. Cats fared much better, but they still suffered a loss of almost half of their pre-war population, and a large percentage of the survivors reverted to a feral state. The result of all of this was an almost religious reverence for the preservation of sentient animal life on human worlds and a somewhat fanatical tendency of humans to take on the mantle of guardians for sapient alien species that resembled animals to them.
“Karl, I understand; I do. I just don’t like the fact that we are operating on so many fronts. Some of our fleets and task forces are patrolling areas far enough away that I worry about them getting reinforcements on time if they are attacked, and now my fleet is being partitioned to send a combat patrol almost three hundred light-years away from our current position. After the assault on the V’rn system, half of our combat power was recalled to Republic space to prevent the same thing from happening to us, and yet we are still being tasked with properly defending Eleani and Xenxin territory with half the ships we had before. Have they lost their damn minds at HQ?” She realized she was almost yelling at the admiral, and Mei took a deep breath, recognizing that her outburst was unbecoming of a Republic naval officer. She attempted to quickly apologize to Admiral Thompson. “Karl, I’m sorry that was uncalled for-“
The admiral raised a hand to stop her, an amused expression in his eyes. “Mei, I said the exact same thing to my boss as you did almost verbatim, and not as diplomatically as you, I might add. My concerns were addressed to my satisfaction, and I think yours will be when you get to your destination. There will be a task force joining you there, and I think you will be pleased. That is all I can say for now over the comms. You will lead the combat patrol to the coordinates listed in the orders you received, and the task force joining you there will fall under your command. I have a personal favor to ask of you. Please keep an open mind when you link up with the task force. You will rendezvous with Commodore Therax, and he is instrumental in our efforts to undermine the increasingly despotic Commonwealth government. More information about him and the Nekuli were added to your orders, make sure you review it. I took a big gamble on this, and I would be grateful if you did your best to make this collaboration work. That is all for now, and I wish you and your crews good fortune and godspeed, Mei. Take care of yourself.” The admiral finished speaking, and Mei noted the personal nature of his last few words, nodding an affirmative to his request.
“Admiral, I thank you for your words, and we won’t let you down. I need to issue the orders now to get there and link up with the task force on time. I’ll send a null space comm drone to the nearest relay to confirm our arrival and integration. Vice-admiral Zhou out.” As she leaned towards the comm panel to close the channel, she saw Admiral Thompson doing the same, and he gave her a wink and a mischievous smile before she pressed the icon, terminating the connection. She leaned back in her chair and blew out a deep breath. “Now what the hell was that all about?” She asked out loud to herself, as the confusing and secretive nature of her orders and the personal request of the admiral added to the uncertainty of what she was expected to do. She keyed her wrist pad and texted her aide to come back to her office for new orders. He was going to be livid that they just wasted half a day revising the patrol routes to maximize efficiency and increase their patrol range. A small smile crossed her lips as she waited. He had an obvious tell of his lower left eyelid spasming when he was mad despite displaying no emotions on his face, and she knew it drove him nuts that he couldn’t control it. Witnessing it was one of the small joys she had in her difficult job as vice-admiral, and she was looking forward to it.
Fifty-six hours later, her task force flashed out of null space at the designated coordinates and right on time. She felt a measure of pride as she watched her bridge crew go about confirming their location and verifying it with the navigational array and astrometric sensors. Once the navigator gave her confirmation that he verified their position, she turned towards the comms officer and ordered her to send a burst transmission with the pre-arranged code and waited for the response. A few seconds later, the comms officer raised her left hand and signaled receipt and confirmation of the code by the task force waiting in null space. An agonizingly long minute crawled along as she anxiously waited for her navigator to confirm the telemetry from his counterpart in the other task force as they verified their positions. The navigator activated the main viewscreen on the forward bulkhead as they waited. Suddenly, there were a multitude of exit flashes 200,000 kilometers from the bow of her carrier, and hundreds of warships appeared at a dead stop relative to her position.
Her jaw dropped as she took in the unexpected fleet in front of her. There were dozens of Commonwealth dreadnaughts, battleships, and heavy cruisers arrayed before her, as well as an additional one hundred and twenty light cruisers, destroyers, and missile frigates. On the flanks of the main formation, there were more exit flashes, and the bridge AI started categorizing them on the screen, and she saw that they were the new Eleani and Xenxin warships that she had been hearing about. They shared a design lineage with the Commonwealth ships, but there were definite differences that became obvious as they assumed their positions next to the Commonwealth navy ships. She was particularly intrigued by the Xenxin ships, as they seemed to be bristling with weapons, almost excessively so relative to their ship sizes. The Eleani ships seemed to have taken a different design philosophy, and they gave the impression of deadly speed and grace, and she was hard-pressed to spot any obvious weapons on their hulls despite the AI confirming that the ships were indeed well-armed.
There was another coded signal from null space that appeared on the comm station panel, and her comm officer turned to her. “Vice-admiral, we have received a coded message on the sigma frequency for your eyes only that requires biometric and voice verification to decrypt.” Zhou nodded and pressed a button on her arm panel, activating the privacy screen around her chair and feeling the pressure change as the bridge around her became opaque and silent. She pressed the biometric toggle on the panel, and a retinal scanner popped out of its alcove on the side. She leaned in and scanned her right eye first, then her left. An icon appeared on the screen, and she thumbed it as it flashed and confirmed the print. Finally, she spoke and addressed the bridge AI: “Suzy, please confirm the voice command for verification.” The AI answered immediately. -Of course, Vice-Admiral Zhou, please proceed.- “Zhou, one-red-seven-green-four-tango-alpha-zero. Execute.” -Voice command verified. Thank you, Vice-Admiral Zhou.-
A small holographic display popped up in front of her; the admiral appeared on the screen, and his pre-recorded message started playing. “Mei, I know all this cloak and dagger stuff seems excessive, but we couldn’t take any chances. The receipt of this message will activate a program in your bridge AI and allow it to take control of the new drone ships waiting for you in null space. They are a new class of upgraded null ships and are top secret. Your AI will anchor them to your task force, and they will follow you, remaining hidden in null space unless you absolutely need them.”
“There are also two troopships with them that are carrying a complement of two thousand Mark XII ATS Bio-Synths and an expeditionary brigade each of rangers and pathfinders in stasis. They are also to remain in null space unless circumstances require that you need them; they are an insurance policy for an ongoing mission in Insectoid space. The details of that are top secret as well and can be accessed with your AI. If the troopships are required for that mission, they are to be escorted by a detachment of null ships and sent there immediately. After you have met your task force counterpart, there are orders in this packet that are to be accessed by you both and executed. I have the utmost faith in you, Mei, and I can’t wait to take you out to dinner again when we can both coordinate our next leave together. Thompson out.”
The hologram message disappeared, and she waited a little longer to allow the blush from his last sentence to fade from her cheeks and suppress the smile that was trying to form on her face before she put on her command mask and lowered the privacy screen. The bridge crew was going about their usual tasks, trying hard not to seem interested in her top-secret message. “Comms, open a channel to the task force flagship, please.” The comm officer acknowledged the order, and a few seconds later, the Bridge of the Commonwealth flagship appeared on the viewscreen.
A Nekuli male was sitting in the command chair, resplendent in the uniform favored by Nekuli officers. He took a moment to look around her bridge before settling his eyes on her. He bowed his head slowly in a gesture of respect, which she returned in proper fashion. The proper courtesies having been observed, he raised his eyes to meet with hers and started speaking. “Vice-Admiral Zhou. May the ancestors grant you and your clan honor and good fortune. I am deeply honored to meet you, and I hope our integration is a successful endeavor. I now entrust the honor of myself and my crew to your safekeeping.” He remained stone still as he awaited her reply, and she tried to remember the proper return greeting that she had been studying during their trip here.
“Commodore Therax, the honor is mine, and I promise you that I shall never ask you or your crew to undertake any action that will bring dishonor to your clans and your ancestors. We are now joined as one; may our cause be just and pure.” She finished the response, and the gravity of what she just promised to someone she had never met before hit her hard; it felt almost sacred to her. Commodore Therax heard her proper reply, and he stood up, followed by the rest of his bridge crew. He addressed her again. “Our honor has been given, and we have received a promise to safeguard it in return. Our joining is now consecrated in the eyes of the ancestors, and you are now our clan leader. What are your orders?
She recovered from the ordeal of the emotionally charged exchange of vows and stood up to give her first order as clan leader to the Nekuli. “I request the presence of you and your senior staff aboard my ship tonight. I will prepare a feast to honor our new friendship and alliance. I have studied your cuisine, and I have found a selection of Earth cuisine that should suit your taste. It is called tartare and sashimi; I think you will like it.” Commodore Therax looked at her dubiously, and she had to stifle a laugh at his expression as she knew that he was imagining being forced to eat vegetables and overcooked meat out of politeness. She spoke quickly to assuage his fears. “Commodore, tartare, and sashimi are raw red meat and fish; I would never inflict vegetables and burnt meat on you or your crew; are we not friends?”
As his translator finished converting her words into his language, he smiled at her, baring all of his fangs in true happiness.