Disclaimer:This is part 2 to my story. Here is part 1:https://www.reddit.com/UAETeenagers/comments/1cr3fiq/my_mom_found_my_love_lette
I met my crush when I was in high-school. I was 13 and she was 14. When I set eyes on her, I knew that she was the one for me. Her reflective skin was like gold waiting to be rubbed and loved. Her luminous eyes were like marbles designed for gazers. Her hair was like a sari, but as soft as silk, waiting to infatuate onlookers who fall in its honey-sweet trap. An example of the above is me.
I decided to test my valour via generating and sending a love letter to her. Unfortunately, at the time, she just said 'Thanks', which had left me devastated. Moreso, I had to duplicate my letter while pooping out biryani I ate on Sunday, in the highschool toilet, since my mother had stolen my original letter. I thought I did the needful to destroy it. Unfortunately, it was all in vain, which caused my letter to be found by my father.
My father was about to beat me with his slippers, which was the worst thing that could happen to a 16 year old Indian teenager. However, somebody in this subReddit gave me advice, which I used. I dissembled my stories and weaved a lie that states that my friend dared me to give my crush a love letter, and that I was not in love with her, which persuaded my father that I was not in need of a thrasing.
I was relieved, and to make my amygdala, my insula, my insular cortex, and my periaqueductal gray even more elated, she had put a love letter in my bag that apologised for her lacklustre response towards me. She has requested a date that will be taking place tomorrow, and since my parents will be out, of the house, I saw eye to eye with her metaphorically, to ensure that we could literally see eye to eye with each other tomorrow.
I am currently, very elated by this, and am thrilled by a new experience that I will be experiencing. Until now, the only acquaintance with dates I had seen so far were in Hollywood pictures, which cater to a westenr audience, and therefore, until now, have led me to believe that us Indians cannot get dates due to our conservative nature. However, I was proven wrong, and will extract the moral of the impossible being possible from this memorable episode.

Today is my last day of full time W-2 employment work. If all goes well (fingers crossed), I’ll have a successful freelancing situation for the remainder of the year and onward.
I setup an LLC under which I’ll operate. And I’ve got 3 contracts signed for development work.
I’ve always hated working for other people. And I mean who are we kidding… work is a four letter word for a reason. It sucks. But being able to freelance has been my dream since I transitioned into tech because I’m so anti-authority. I’ve always wanted to work my own hours, at my own speed, prioritizing tasks as I see fit. I have not enjoyed working on fundamentally irrelevant tasks that some incompetent, non-technical leader has deemed necessary to achieve some such objective to boost the bottom line.
Being a woman in tech ain’t always easy. Especially without the camaraderie of other ladies going through it with you. And I have a military background, so I’ve had my fair share of working predominantly with men in the workplace for nearly a decade. I’m tired of the ego being interwoven into workplace discussions, even “friendly” ones. Tired of being seen as too aggressive or too direct (I’m not. K?! Deal with it!). Tired of working the day away to fulfill someone else’s dream and being under appreciated and under paid.
Now, I get to set the terms of my work myself. I can choose the type of work I take on, who I’d like to work with, how much to charge. And if I’m unhappy with the work or the client or the pay, I can terminate the arrangement and still have other avenues for income.
I know being a freelancer / business owner is a lot of hard work. But I’d rather break my back figuring things out for my own business. Not someone else’s.
I’m not leaving the industry behind. Just forging a new path for myself so that I might be able to maintain my passion for the art of development.
And this is just the beginning.
I probably need to go out and get myself one of those “World’s Best Boss” mugs cuz even though I’m managing a department of one right now, as Kelly Kapoor says, I am not easy to manage.
I can’t believe I get to say it… I’m a business owner! With clients! Real, living, breathing clients!

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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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?
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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In 1954, Robert Spiegel and Aileen Maxwell were married in New York City. Their marriage license was given License No. 10284.
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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.
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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.”
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.”
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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.
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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.”
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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
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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
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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"
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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?
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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.
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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.

First off, note that my story has a happy ending (thus far.) But, mine is a case where I almost didn't even call for advice, and I'm so glad I did. I just wanted to encourage any other (especially first-timers) who like me, hemmed and hawed about going in for observation and explain why I have zero regrets about actually going in. This will be stupidly long but I really want others to see a non-scary story to just go if you have any question at all! TL;DR at the end for those who want it.
I am 29+5 today, and yesterday had a super minor fall at work at the end of the day. As in, I went to sit down on my rolling stool, missed slightly, and landed on my butt. I have to emphasize, I thought it was really no big deal - I fell almost in slow motion, didn't hit my belly, and was MUCH more embarrassed than hurt.
My baby even kicked me right afterwards as if to say, "Geez, Ma, what are you doing out there?" No cramps, no gush of fluid, no bleeding, and he was moving just fine.
Still, I had read plenty of times on this sub reddit, my baby books, and other sources that pretty much any fall at a certain point in the pregnancy warranted at least a phone call to the doctor. And my quick Google when I got home reiterated the same. Literally every single result said to call. So I did, and immediately buffered my question with "I'm sorry because this is probably a waste of your time, but I'm X far along and had Y type of fall happen, so I just wanted to do my due diligence and call." The receptionist was so lovely and didn't make me feel like a waste of time in the least bit.
She saw on my chart how far away from the hospital I am (40 minutes give or take depending on traffic) and said that since I wasn't having any bad symptoms and baby was moving, chances are the nurse wouldn't ask me to come in, but she wanted to make sure. A brief hold later and she said, "Actually, we do want you to come in to labor & delivery for a 1-hour observation, just in case. Any fall at this stage is worth getting checked out."
My heart sank a bit. I was honestly not even worried, and I hated the idea of wasting the gas, time, and whatever the observation would cost for them to just tell me everything is fine. On the flipside, obviously I take my son's safety very seriously, and decided that there's probably a reason they have a blanket recommendation to come in after a fall, even after I took pains to explain how much of a nothingburger it seemed to be.
Nonetheless, my husband and parents both insisted that I was doing the right thing by going in, and that they would all sleep better tonight knowing baby and I were both okay. My own birth was an emergency c-section at 30 weeks after my mom's amniotic fluid disappeared and I'd stopped growing around 26 weeks, so I can understand why my folks were of the better-safe-than-sorry mindset.
To try to make a long story short, we went to the hospital, they got me back right away because it was super quiet, and got me settled in with monitors. I could hear his heartbeat straight away, nice and strong, and heard, felt, and saw his kicks against the monitors lol. I already felt glad that we actually came in, because I think I was almost more afraid of the process of getting there than of anything actually being wrong. Plus, my next appointment isn't until the end of this month, so it would've been a long time to wait and wonder. After almost an hour, the doctor came in to check on us, and that's when I was utterly convinced this was NOT a waste of time.
She explained that my baby was looking great, but that I was having low level contractions (!!) She asked if I could feel them, but I couldn't, although I wasn't sure if that was because he was moving so much, or if they really weren't noticeable. She said this was normal after a fall, but could also be due to not eating enough or being dehydrated. I'd eaten a fairly normal amount yesterday and hadn't quite hit my water quota but had had a lot (maybe between 40-50oz?) So they had me stay another half hour or so just to make sure the contractions either stayed the same or slowed down. If they didn't, they would probably want me to stay 24 hours.
Luckily, at the end of it, they said the contractions slowed from when I first came in, and let me go. They just said to watch for any signs of premature labor.
All of that to say, I'm glad nothing too scary came of it (yet at least!) but I definitely learned my lesson not to overthink it about coming in. They recommended that I ask for a solid chair with a back at work, and said I could get a letter from my doctor issuing an accommodation for it if needed, which I appreciate. Otherwise, just going to be a little extra careful and wait and see. Hopefully my little one cooks for a while longer!
TL:DR - 29+4. Had a seemingly very light fall onto my butt at work, decided to call it in just to be safe, assumed I wouldn't have to go in, did have to go in, hemmed and hawed about it but I'm glad I went, because baby was fine but I was having light contractions and didn't know it. Contractions slowed down and I got to go home, but learned my lesson about not hesitating to get checked out!

I just got a letter in the mail stating that my child owes SSI because he was overpaid. Turns out it was because I forgot to send in my spouses pay stubs before. After going down to the ssi office multiple times I was told that they dont count your income if you work for your own child being a stay at home nurse through another company so after sending in my paystubs and also their paystubs. Now we owe them over $5,000. Now coming to the issue I dont want my SO going through debt because of my mistake. I need to know will this effect their taxes now that they have his information on file? or willl it effect mine only seeing as they are a step parent?

This is a follow-up post to my previous post about my school informing me that a parent wrongfully accused me of sexual misconduct of a minor.
As advised by everyone on Reddit, and friends, I hired an attorney for 200 USD and sought legal consultation. The attorney informed me I do not have to talk to the police until I have an attorney to represent me in person and advised against doing otherwise.
Fast forward, the attorney contacted the school, the school says no police were coming to talk to me, but instead, the school talked to the police already on my behalf and I will not be talking to police, so I shouldn't worry. This is the opposite of what the director told me the previous day.
Anyway, the attorney recommended that I continue to go to work in the meantime since no police are going to talk to me, and this will avoid further complications for me. The attorney will follow up with me tomorrow about my situation.
This is my current situation...
Now, my school is asking me to no longer come to work at 9 am and greet the parents, but instead, come to work 30 minutes earlier, hide from the parents, not teach kindergarten anymore, and sit behind a computer on a different floor, alone, doing random administrative tasks.
This seems strange and almost illegal because the school is telling me to stay on the 2nd floor of the building and never to come downstairs to greet the kids, and it would be easy for me to simply walk downstairs and reveal myself. This does not make sense, and I don't understand how the school believes this is a long-term solution.
So, according to their instructions, I should work on an abandoned 2nd floor directly above the kindergarten students from 8:30 am to 4 pm, alone, while listening to the kids play and laugh directly below me downstairs, but never reveal myself to the students while they are attending school.
This seems extremely wrong, and could potentially make me look suspicious, which could lead to some legal trouble if the school decided to frame for something. It is on CCTV after all.
I will talk to the attorney tomorrow, but right now, they are not available because it is late. Until then, I would just like anyone's input on the matter.
I tried everything in my power to work things out with this school and I still have 10 months left. I can not do this for 10 more months. Originally, I was promised a release letter 2 weeks ago but my director doesn't want to give me a release letter because I contacted an attorney and it was wrong of me to tell anyone about my situation, according to her.
Also, I recorded my conversation with the director, and she lied multiple times about my contract. The audio of our conversation is very clear and easy to understand. The recording is 1 hour long and I'm not sure if this audio recording will be enough to get me out of the school.
Tomorrow is a holiday, but I don't plan to come to work anymore. I would like to know what could happen in terms of my living arrangements. I don't think they can kick me out of the apartment right away. Maybe they can.
I don't know what to do at this point. It seems like leaving the country is my only safe option.
This is my third school and I already did a visa run to even arrive at my current school, and it feels as though so much money and time was wasted to come back to Korea.
Thank you for any help.

(I understand this is a bit of a read so I included a tl:dr at the bottom)
This may end up becoming a wall of text so I apologize in advance. I'm not sure how to properly start this so I'll just jump into it. I've been living with my best friends for the past 8 years. The 4 of us moved in together in early 2016 after deciding it would be beneficial financially and because we all get along so damn well that we knew there wouldn't be any issues living under the same roof. Fast forward to today and although 2 them have moved out, I'm still living here with my one buddy and his girlfriend. Things are still great there, no signs of friendship deterioration, tolerance or anything that might cause friction between us. However, I've been witness to a few things as well as started experiencing health issues that have completely changed the outlook I had on life back when we moved in together nearly a decade ago.
A little over 3 years ago I began dealing with awful IBS issues that to this day are still not properly being treated as doctors can't figure out what's wrong with my gut. Over the past 4 months I have begun dealing with nearly debilitating anxiety that has left me pretty much unable to leave the house except for doctor's appointments or the extremely occasional outing to a family or friend's house where I'm only able to stay for about an hour before having to leave. I do see a psychologist as well as a psychiatrist and I am on medication for both the IBS and anxiety, which helps but is in no way a cure. Due to these issues, I have become a shell of the person I used to be. No longer do I wake up and just decide to take a drive to the Jersey shore, a trip to Six Flags or head into the city to catch a Phillies game. Instead, I sit in the house and play video games or watch youtube as doing almost anything else is sure to set my anxiety or IBS off which may or may not land me in the ER.
My buddy that I still live with has been through absolute hell the past few years but luckily he's the kind of person who can just raw dog life (as in, he doesn't deal with any physical or mental issues, rarely gets sick and has no trouble going anywhere, doing anything, can eat whatever he wants without issues, etc.). He lost his mom to cancer last year. She passed exactly one week after Mother's Day. She lived here with us for about the final year of her life. Me and him have been friends for a good 20+ years at this point so his mom was like a mother to me as well, especially being as I don't have a proper relationship with my own mother. Watching her suffer through years of cancer only to pass away at 54 years old was heartbreaking. At least she's finally at peace now, of course. Now, his dad is also going through cancer treatment which is a recurrence of cancer that was found years ago, which automatically makes it stage 4. His prognosis is not grim but to many of us, his dad just seems done with it all. He stays here with us on weekends and with his sister during the week. We can see how much of a toll it's all taking on him. He won't admit it but we know that he doesn't want to put his son through all of this again after losing his mom just last year. If he was given a choice to "go" right now, he would take it, 100% to alleviate any more potential suffering at his or anyone else's behalf. His (my friend's) girlfriend also deals with chronic health issues both physical and mental which has helped open his eyes to the things that other people (who can't just raw dog life) go through on a daily basis. She lost her father when she was in her early 20s so it's helpful to him that she understands what losing a parent feels like.
Watching all of this happen just makes me realize how little our health care industry and government actually seem to care about our true wishes regarding life and death. Why did his mom have to suffer all those years with a terminal diagnosis? Why does his dad have to suffer now? Just because they're both in their 50s and not elderly it seems like care is always about treatment and not giving them the option to leave this life with their dignity intact. I myself would choose to leave this world if the door was opened for me. That does not mean that I am currently having thoughts of killing myself. It means that if the option was presented to me, to go out on my own terms, I would take it. Suicide is still extremely taboo in our society for some reason. Religion and government would have you think it is a crime against humanity but what is more humane than letting someone decide on their own terms that they're ready to move on? We are given this broad illusion of choice as children that we will get to grow up to be who we want to be and if we just try hard enough, we can accomplish anything. But for the vast majority of us, that is just not true. It is an illusion. We work and work and work just to barely earn enough money to survive and many end up in unhappy marriages solely because that's what society made them think they had to do as an adult.
Watching someone you love like family suffer and die will change you. Developing health issues that flip you from being someone outgoing, spontaneous. hard working and passionate into the complete opposite of those things will change you. Discovering that our healthcare system and government will do everything it possibly can to keep you as a "functioning member of society" no matter whether you're going through cancer treatment or dealing with chronic health issues will change you.
I'm 37 years old and I've never felt older in my life than I do right now. It's been almost 3 months that I've been on FMLA from work for the second time in 3 years. I'm wearing a heart monitor because my cardiologist wants to rule out any issues as my heart racing/palpitations are most likely just due to anxiety. Medication doesn't feel like it's doing much of anything and I'm watching the people around me grow older and deal with new problems every day. Yet our society says that we must keep going, no matter if you're suffering because the gears must keep turning. If we truly have the choice to do whatever we want to do in life, why aren't we allowed the choice to leave when we are ready? Why is it taboo? People kill themselves in horrific fashion every single day, more than once every *minute* worldwide. They want a way to fix that and the solution is right there in front of them. Give people the option to leave on their own terms. I've had plenty of conversations about this with friends and family and almost every single one of us would choose to leave on our own terms, when we are ready if the option were available. Hell, even my psychologist agrees with me on this. There's always a big debate about the ethics of it all but until you witness firsthand someone suffering and dying or begin dealing with your own health issues there really isn't any way to understand it. The vast majority of people are out there just raw dogging life and thoughts like these never cross their mind even once. But once it's brought up to them, they understand and accept it, at least in my own personal experiences from talking with friends and family. Ethics, health, religion, government, society, all of these things play a role in determining our fate. I just hope that someday a program is put in place so that people no longer have to suffer.
Finishing up, I understand that my condition is nowhere near as bad as what many others may be dealing with. Some people will look at me with disdain for wanting to walk through the door at only 37 years old while others will understand exactly where I'm coming from and feel the same. Everyone is entitled to their beliefs. I am appreciative of the healthcare system while also criticizing its flaws. I'm glad that religion provides so many with the means to live a happy and healthy life while also believing that many views (and laws) put forth by religious folk are vile and extremely outdated. I am glad that there are systems in place to help people in their darkest hours while also understanding completely why so many choose to leave. At 37 I still have plenty of my life left ahead of me, even if I don't want to get old. I still have things to look forward to such as video game releases or a new series to watch that keep me going. But I also acknowledge that there is a part of me that is ready to go. I have seen what life has to offer. I have lived with my family, on my own, while in a relationship and with my best friends. I do not want to get married or have kids. I do not want to work until I'm 65 (retirement age is likely to rise during my lifetime anyway). I do not want to get old and become a burden on anyone, either family/friends, healthcare workers or the average citizens who would have to pay for my social security.
Lose the illusion of choice and give people the option to go when they are ready.
If you managed to read through all of that, I just want to say thanks! Life is a beautiful thing and I am incredibly thankful for all of the amazing people I've met over the years and for the things that I've been able to do and see. This is not a post about wanting to commit suicide, it's main focus should be that we are forced into this world against our will and given the illusion of choice but when it comes down to it, we really don't have that much choice in how we live our lives and especially not when it comes to wanting it to end. Life can be incredibly fragile and many of us took that for granted until health issues decided it was time to show their ugly faces. I truly do not believe that feeling like you are ready to go should be considered taboo in any way. It should be something that everyone is provided a safe and comfortable space to discuss, whether with loved ones or medical professionals. For all of you out there just raw dogging life, I see you and I hope that someday I can get back to that, I really do miss being able to do whatever I wanted without a second thought. And of course, for anyone who knows what it feels like to be ready to go, to feel confident and comfortable with that decision, I see you as well and hope that the rest of society someday sees that as normal.
tl:dr I am 37 years old and over the past half decade I've watched family and people who were like family to me suffer and die from cancer or other health-related issues. I also deal with debilitating anxiety and IBS issues which obviously are nowhere near the level of something like cancer. However, I've discovered I have a feeling of "being ready to go" and I believe that people should be able to choose to leave this life with dignity and on their own terms without having to do something horrific. The healthcare industry, religious beliefs or government should not force us to remain here against our own free will just so we can keeps the gears of society turning. Let people leave on their own terms when they know that they are ready and get rid of the stigma surrounding talking about death.

I don't think people have internalized this idea yet but you being available basically 24/7 to friends, family etc, to me strikes as incredibly intrusive.
Many of you (I am older gen Z) will start to move out soon, either moving to the city or going to university, and want some space from your parents to start making your own mistakes. Many of you will find it hard because they have you available constantly, and you not answering texts or phone calls immedietly will fill you with guilt and them with sadness. Some of you love the contact you have with your parents and won't relate to this at all, but I am directing this message to you younger gen Z who might relate to this already.
I read more and more about adult child estrangement and damaged relationships between child adults and parents, and I think a lot of it boils down to anxious parents, and then having access to you whenever they want, despite you not prioritizing them anymore as you try to find your own way.
I don't know whether people reflect upon this but I think in this particular regard it would be better if we didn't have phones and still had to send letter to eachother or use payphones. My recommendation would be, for you with more anxious parents, try to set boundaries, communicate with them that you wish some space and to grow up, and perhaps you want to reach out to them instead of them reaching out to you. That would be my number #1 before things go too far.

My girlfriend and I have a custody agreement for our son, and we are currently cohabitating with some discussion about separating. The question came up as to what the actual meaning of our Possession and Access clause (Texas) is:
**Possession and Access
IT IS ORDERED that nothing in this order shall supersede any term of any protective order or condition of bond, probation, or parole.
The Court finds that the parties are currently cohabitating, therefore IT IS ORDERED that the conservators shall have possession of the child at times mutually agreed to in advance by the conservators, and in the absence of mutual agreement, the conservators shall have possession of the child under the specified terms set out in this Order. Upon the termination of the parties’ cohabitation, "MOM" shall have the right to possession of the child as follows:

1. Possession Order

"MOM" shall have possession of "SON" as agreed upon by "MOM" and "DAD". "DAD" shall have the right of possession of "SON" at all other times not specifically designated in this Possession Order for "MOM".

1. Duration

The periods of possession ordered above apply to the child the subject of this suit while that child is under the age of eighteen years and not otherwise emancipated.

1. Noninterference with Possession

Except as expressly provided herein, IT IS ORDERED that neither conservator shall take possession of the child during the other conservator's period of possession unless there is a prior written agreement signed by both conservators or in case of an emergency.**
Specifically Section 1. Possession Order. I'm not sure if it means that that we already agreed that "MOM" has something like primary possession, so "DAD" gets possession at all other times, **OR** if "MOM" get's possession at times when both parents agree that she does (In effect "DAD" decides, assuming she always *wants* possession), and that possession defaults to "DAD" barring a modification to the agreement.

I have not seen or heard from my 20 year old son since Thanksgiving. There was no argument or fight whatsoever. When he left he said he'll be back in a couple days to stay with me before he goes back to university. He did text on the day he was supposed to come here saying he had a lot of chores to do at his dad's and wouldn't be able to come until later and as it was already after 6pm I said not to stress about it and just come tomorrow. And that was it. I of course tried texting and calling him but got no response. He went back to school and I continued to try to get a hold of him, going so far as to mail him a letter. I've asked his siblings and his dad what's going on but he won't tell them anything. He's also ignoring my parents. After he missed mother's Day I was done. I sent him a text saying he won't be hearing from me anymore but if he decides to contact me I will always be here for him.We've always had an amazing relationship with open communication so to go from that to absolutely nothing is killing me. Can anyone help me try to understand what's going on or what else I can do?

Man can't believe it was 18 years ago. I feel so old but somehow I am relieved how SEED Freedom fixed a lot of its mistakes made in Destiny. Now that I think about it here is how I wanted Destiny to end as compared to how it ended.
The fix would start at the end of Shin handing back Stella to Neo. Neo would be forced by Blue Cosmos to be put in the Destroy gundam and she would go on a rampage in Berlin.
But here Kira/Freedom would be forced to fight her but Shin/Impulse being there and pleading to not kill her, Kira being Kira would go all out to destroy the gundam but save the girl. But as he gets out of Freedom to grab her because they both know she would not be safe in BC of ZAFTs hand and as Shinn watches Durandals henchmens would show up and start a fight and Kira not proficient in a physical fight would get hit hard but last minute saved by Shinn who after being Stella executed by those man loses it and escapes with a wounded Kira in Freedom.
Kira is now out of commission, put in a long coma to recover and Shinn is made a deserter. Shinn joins AA crew because he wants to redeem himself and for what Durandal and Co did to Stella. With Kira out Shinn pilots Freedom without ZAFT knowledge but he has tell tale signs and Rey knowing him figures out that its Shinn in Freedom. So after 1 or 2 skirmishes where Shinn barely escapes because not only Freedom hard for him to master but it makes him realize how OP Kira is to manage piloting it flawlessly while him a very good pilot can barely hold it but he is getting used to it.
We then have a 3rd battle where Rey via Impulse triple changes the tactic they used vs Kira/Freedom defeats Shinn and Freedom is lost to save AA with Shinn almost dying. Meanwhile Athrun catches on that Freedom isn't piloted by Kira but Shinn and also discovers Durandal is the baddy. Durandal in recognition of Freedom's defeat gives DestinyF (the Destiny from SEED Freedom not the POS of SEED Destiny; lets call it DestinyF) to Athrun and Legend to Rey and promotes them further but Athrun has enough and escapes with DestinyF. Rey attempts stop him but since both a Nuke powered Athrun escapes. This causes headache for Durandal as none supposed to know they are nuke powered as well and Legend is equivalent in power to Providence.
Athrun escapes back to AA with Destiny. He finds Shinn and Kira. Kira is still out. Athrun decides he has to go to Terminal to Lacus and start fixing shit up. He leaves Destiny to Shinn and points out his flaws to be fixed so that Rey can't figure out that it's Shinn who will be piloting Destiny from now on and act like he is Athrun. Shinn trains hard like he nenver did before to become prolificent in DestinyF.
Meanwhile Durandal fearing that he must not let this golden opportunity to escape starts his Logos wars and on to Destiny project. He also activates the Black Knights his elite core (they would be same as in SEED Freedom just no mind control but having Newtype Flash) who are all Faith members and nearly unstoppable as a group. In short, anywhere they go they cannot be stopped. Mean while he puts Minerva on the hunt for DestinyF that he labels as a terrorist. Shinn starts protecting people but always narrowly escaping the Black Knights and also builds a solid rivalry vs Rey. They basically even themselves out. Oh and the reason Shinn can escape them is because his mirage colloroid allows him to go invisible like Blitz. In one of the fights he captures/rescues Neo and Mew returns to the story like in Destiny. He has to fight Luna, now on Impulse, a few instances and regrets keeping her in the dark.
Kira finally recovers and heads to space to save Lacus who is targeted by Black Knights. Here we have Athrun dealing with them in the Infinite Justice but they are too many for him so Kira launches in Strike Freedom and the appearance of the 2 new MS pushes Black Knights to retreat. Kira whoops ass of the ZAFT fleet following them like before takes Lacus with him and both he and Athrun head to Orb as the battle of Orb starts.
Eventually, we get to ZAFT versus Orb fight. AA reveals itself shocking Minerva to top it off with DestinyF on it and later joined by Strike Freedom and Infinite Justice. The ZAFT fleet on earth gets their ass whooped and Jibril whom they claimed was in Orb actually shows up at Requiem. He was always there. He just used a double to toy with everyone while he prepared Requiem. Lacus showing up at Orb also messes up Durandal's plan and he is forced to reveal all his cards, including the Black Kights that even most ZAFT officers like Izack were unaware.
We now have the final battle. Here Kira and Athrun face and take out the Black Knights. Shinn finally ends Rey via his berserker DestinyF shillouette attack (midless kage bunshin ala Naruto?). Shinn also rescues Luna who on Impulse is used like a pawn by Rey to get upper hand. Akatsuki and Mu get their revenge on Blue Cosmos and Jibril.
Finally we have a confrontation between Lacus Kira Athrun and Durandal a live broadcast of their conversation that entire world gets to view where they uncover all the deceptions. Durandal asks them who is going to take over the throne and responsibilities of ruling the world to which each responds that they are the children of parents who put their burden on them Athrun via Patrick Zala, Lacus via Durandal (a former Clyne factionist who did not follow the ideals of her father, but that her father ignored) and Kira being the Ultimate Coordinator. They won't take power because they never wanted power. They wanted to live in peace and they will work towards that and that's their destiny. Of course Durandal will try a last minute suicidal move only to be shot by Talia who accepts their answer and accepts her own responsibility of letting Durandal's ambition get out of hand.
There is will be one last attempt and Genesis and Shinn will prevent it with DestinyF combining its power with Strike Freedom, Infinite Justice, Akatsuki, even Impulse. In the end the world treats them as heros they are with the truth and not the propagandas that been used since the beginning in their name. The conclusion being that ones Destiny is not determined but one has to take responsibilities for it. Lacus has to lead Plant, Kira has to lead ZAFT with Athrun, Cagali Orb and Mu the Earth Allaince. Shinn goes back to Orb with Luna to lead its military. They all retire from their positions in 5 years after putting structural organizations in place and get to live their lives as they choose.
Not as cheezy I know but I think this would be a better Destiny ending. You get Shinn still as the hero of the story. You get Kira, Athrun, Lacus etc all end their roles without overtaking the lead. You get good capable fights and good MS battles and finally a proper world peace.
What do you think?

Today illustrated that the Democrats have become America’s cheerleaders, emphasizing how investment in the nation’s infrastructure has created jobs and rebuilt the country. This week, the Biden-Harris administration is touting its investments in rebuilding roads and bridges, making sure Americans have clean water, getting rid of pollution, expanding access to high-speed internet, and building a clean energy economy, contrasting that success with Trump’s eternal announcements of an “Infrastructure Week” that never came.
The White House today announced that it has awarded nearly $454 billion in funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, including more than 56,000 projects across more than 4,500 communities across the nation. Those include fixing more than 165,000 miles of roads and more than 9,400 bridges and improving more than 450 ports and 300 airport terminals. It has funded more than 1,400 drinking water and wastewater projects and projects to replace up to 1.7 million toxic lead pipes, as well as more than 8,000 low- and zero-emission buses. It has funded 95 previously unfunded Superfund projects to clean up contaminated sites. It has improved the electrical grid and funded 12,000 miles of high-speed internet infrastructure, and exposed internet junk fees.
The White House explained that this investment is making it cheaper to install clean energy technology and lowering families’ monthly energy bills, and highlighted today the available rebates to enable people to take advantage of the new technologies.
On Wednesday, May 8, a report from the Semiconductor Industry Association and the Boston Consulting Group explored the “breathtaking speed,” as the president of the semiconductor organization put it, at which the industry is growing. In the Financial Times on May 9, John Thornhill reported that the CHIPS and Science Act, which provided a $39 billion investment in the semiconductor industry, has “primed a torrent of private sector investment.” With the influx of both federal money and an additional $447 billion of private investment in 83 projects in 25 states, the report forecasts that the U.S. will increase its share of global manufacturing capacity for leading-edge chips from today’s rate of 0% to 28% by 2032. Thornhill compared this investment to that spurred by Russia’s 1957 launch of the Sputnik satellite.
The Economist yesterday announced that the U.S. “is in the midst of an extraordinary startup boom,” and explored “[h]ow the country revived its “go-getting spirit.”
In contrast to the Democrats’ confidence in America, the Republicans are all-in on the idea that the country is an apocalyptic wasteland. At a rally in New Jersey Saturday, Trump announced: “On day one we will throw out Bidenomics and reinstate MAGAnomics.” He promised to extend his 2017 tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations.
But the gist of his speech was an angry, vitriolic picture of a failing nation full of “enemies” that are “more dangerous” than China and Russia and who are “going to destroy our country.” In his telling, the criminal case against him in Manhattan is “bullsh*t,” and President Biden has done more damage than the “ten worst presidents in the history of our country” combined: “[h]e’s a fool; he’s not a smart man…[h]e’s a bad guy…the worst president ever, of any country. The whole world is laughing at him.”
Trump lied that other countries are “emptying out their mental institutions into the United States, our beautiful country. And now the prison populations all over the world are down. They don’t want to report that the mental-institution population is down because they’re taking people from insane asylums and from mental institutions.” Then he riffed into “the late great Hannibal Lecter,” the fictional murderer and cannibal in the film The Silence of the Lambs, apparently to suggest that similar individuals are migrating to the U.S.
House Republicans this week are working to pass a nonbinding resolution to condemn Biden’s immigration policies, although it was Republicans, under orders from Trump, who killed a strong bipartisan immigration bill earlier this year.
The only way to turn back this apocalypse, Trump and his supporters insist, is to put Trump and his team back into the White House. From there, Republicans will return those they consider “real” Americans to power.
The last few days have added new information about what that means. On Thursday, May 9, Senators Katie Britt (R-AL), Marco Rubio (R-FL), and Kevin Cramer (R-ND) introduced the More Opportunities for Moms to Succeed (MOMS) act. Britt—who is best known for her disastrous response to Biden’s State of the Union speech from her kitchen—said the measure would provide a federal database of resources for pregnant women and women parenting young children, but that information excludes anything that touches on abortion.
The measure is clear that it enlists the government in opposition to abortion, but more than that, it establishes that the government will create a database of the names and contact information of pregnant women, which the government can then use “to follow up with users on additional resources that would be helpful for the users to review.”
A government database of pregnant women would give the federal government unprecedented control over individuals, and it is especially chilling after the story Caroline Kitchener broke in the Washington Post on May 3, that a Texas man, Collin Davis, filed a petition to stop his ex-partner from traveling to Colorado, where abortion is legal, to obtain an abortion. Should she do so, his lawyer wrote, he would “pursue wrongful-death claims against anyone involved in the killing of his unborn child.” Now Davis wants to be able to depose his former partner along with others he says are “complicit” in the abortion.
Antiabortion activists are also seeking to make mifepristone and misoprostol, drugs used in many abortions, hard to obtain. In Louisiana, state lawmakers are considering classifying the drugs as “controlled dangerous substances,” which would make possessing them carry penalties of up to ten years in prison and fines of up to $75,000.
More than 240 Louisiana doctors wrote to lawmakers saying that the drugs have none of the addictive characteristics associated with dangerous controlled substances and warning that the drugs are crucial for inducing routine labor and preventing catastrophic hemorrhage after delivery, in addition to their use in abortions. “Given its historically poor maternal health outcomes, Louisiana should prioritize safe and evidence-based care for pregnant women,” the doctors wrote.
Louisiana lawmakers also rejected a bill that would have allowed anyone under age 17, the age of consent in Louisiana, to have an abortion if they became pregnant after rape or incest. Passionate testimony from those who suffered such attacks or who treated pregnant girls as young as 8 failed to convince the Republican lawmakers to support the measure. “That baby [in the womb] is innocent.… We have to hang on to that,” said Republican state representative Dodie Horton.
Today, at the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization promoting Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander participation and representation at all levels of the political process, Vice President Kamala Harris encouraged young people to innovate and to move into spaces from which they have been traditionally excluded.
“So here’s the thing about breaking barriers,” she said. “Breaking barriers does not mean you start on one side of the barrier and you end up on the other side. There’s breaking involved. And when you break things you get cut. And you may bleed. And it is worth it every time…. We have to know that sometimes people will open the door for you and leave it open. Sometimes they won’t. And then you need to kick that f*cking door down.”
Harris’s advice reflects the history that happened on this date in 1862, when the enslaved mariners on board the shallow-draft C.S.S. Planter gathered up their families, fired up the ship’s boilers, and sailed out of the Charleston, South Carolina, harbor. The three white officers of the ship had gone ashore, leaving enslaved 23-year-old pilot Robert Smalls to take control. Smalls knew how to steer the ship and give the proper signals to the Confederates at Fort Sumter, Fort Moultrie, and three other checkpoints.
Smalls piloted the Planter, the sixteen formerly enslaved people on it, and a head full of intelligence about the Confederate fortifications at Charleston to the U.S. Navy. In Confederate hands, the Planter had surveyed waterways and laid mines; now that information was in U.S. hands. Smalls went on to pilot naval vessels during the war, and in 1864 he bought the house formerly owned by the man who had enslaved him.
A natural leader, Smalls went on to become a businessman, politician, and strong advocate for education. After serving in the 1868 South Carolina Constitutional Convention that made school attendance compulsory and provided for universal male suffrage, he went on to serve in the South Carolina legislature from 1868 to 1874, when he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, where he served until 1887. When President Barack Obama signed an executive order establishing the nation’s first national monument concerning Reconstruction, he cited the life of Robert Smalls.
—
Notes:
https://newjerseymonitor.com/2024/05/12/trump-brings-2024-campaign-to-the-jersey-shore/
https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a60774814/trump-rally-new-jersey-weird-speech/
https://www.britt.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/MOMS-Act_FINAL-Britt_Rubio_Cramer1.pdf
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/may/11/katie-britt-proposes-federal-database-to-collect-data-on-pregnant-people
https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/2024/05/03/texas-abortion-investigations/
https://lailluminator.com/2024/05/08/rape-incest/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2024/05/13/abortion-pills-louisiana-controlled-substance/
https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2024/05/12/america-is-in-the-midst-of-an-extraordinary-startup-boom
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/05/13/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-kicks-off-infrastructure-week-by-highlighting-historic-results-spurred-by-president-bidens-investing-in-america-agenda/
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/05/13/fact-sheet-president-bidens-investing-in-america-agenda-is-helping-american-families-across-the-country-save-money/
https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/icymi-the-great-american-innovation-engine-firing-again
https://www.ft.com/content/0d39e8f0-38ba-40aa-8ec8-d04e82afb690
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/08/us/politics/chips-grants-fuel-industry-growth.html
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/05/11/trump-rally-new-jersey-trial-fascists-00157482
https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2017/01/12/presidential-proclamations-establishment-reconstruction-era-national
https://www.nps.gov/people/robert-smalls.htm
Twitter (X):
cspan/status/1790048826440503495
Fritschnestatus/1790051154887340473
rosiewestwood/status/1788291766866567439
CecileRichards/status/1789020452855140723
https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/may-13-2024

GPT-4o is an omni model. It accepts any combination of text, audio, and image as input and generates any combination of text, audio, and image as outputs.
There's 100s of applications it will enable. I'll cover a few of them below.

1. Language Learning

Duolingo Stock fell by $65 in the last 5 days. That should tell you the entire story.
Duolingo Stock
For context, Duolingo is a language-learning app. Now GPT-4o can easily translate terms in other languages by just pointing it to the ChatGPT's Camera.
This is massive if you want to travel globally as a nomad. You don't have to know a language now. You can just translate on the fly in any random country.
The accuracy won't be 100% but it would be close enough. And the AI keeps improving.

2. Solving School Problems For Students

I wish I had this in school. Learning could've been more efficient and faster.
Most students fear asking questions because they feel it might be dumb. Now you can ask ChatGPT any dumb question.
It even solves math problems for the Salman Khan's (founder of Khan Academy, not the actor) Kid.

3. Bed Time Stories For Kids

Since ChatGPT can talk now with a humourous and sultry voice, you can use it to tell stories to kids. It can be used in the voice of their parents or grandparents.
You can even use a Soft Toy that does the talking to the kid. Earlier, there used to be toys that did that but it only spoke the same sentence. Now it can do back and forth.
You can make special toys that teach kids letters and alphabets. Target it to 2-3 year olds.
Hat tip to Whyme-__- for the Bed Time idea.

4. Be My Eyes For The Blind

Best damn use-case for the blind. Now using a Phone is a bit too much for this but when smart glasses come, every blind person will have a walking companion.
The future is great for the blind.

5. Be My Friend

Too many people are lonely nowadays thanks to technology. It can be a boon for some but a con for others.
You can build a specialized app that gets you an AI Friend since you can talk to it now and it can talk back, it will be great.
I am 100% sure Therapy AI will be much better now with Audio/Video integration. In future, we will have fully featured Robots like Tesla's Optimus and Figure that will have such functionalities built-in.
I bet this comes in <2 years judging by the pace at which AI and Robotics are accelerating.

6. Comic Books

Now that text can be easily created with ChatGPT, why not create Comic Books easily.
Its a huge creative exercise for comic creators. Webtoons have exploded in popularity and many KDramas are made out of them like Death's Game and Marry My Husband.
This will increase the creativity exponentially.

7. Font Creations

Fonts are expensive. Like really expensive.
Funnily enough ChatGPT can create fonts easily now. Take the most popular fonts, tweak them a bit, and create entire new sets of fonts.
Look at the creations explode on Creative Market. Font directories like Typewolf can now create their own fonts easily as they already have distribution.
Open AI GPT-4o Text to Font

8. Brand Placements

It solved for Brand Placements too.
You can put your brand in places you never imagined without using too much effort.
Open AI GPT-4o Brand Placement

9. Poster Creation for Movies or TV Series

Posters are hard to get right but as you know there are only finite variations.
Open AI GPT-4o Movie Posters
You can fine-tune it on popular movie posters and solve Poster Creation once and for all.
Open AI GPT-4o Poster Creation
What use-cases can you come up with? Give me your best ones.
PS: If you'd like to read the full post with images, you can do so here.
PPS: You can find more AI-related posts here covering AI Girlfriends, AI Photo apps, Startups from 1st-wave of AI that made it big and more.

This happened a while ago, but I’d love y’all’s feedback. I (18m) and my girlfriend (20f) went to visit a friend of ours from HS. Penny (22f) went to school a few states away in their capital and was staying for a summer term. She had a break before it began, no money to go anywhere, no friends left in town and wanted us to drive out to keep her company. We saved up some money, borrowed a car and drove 10 1/2 hours to get there. She was all excited to see us and said that she was taking us to a show that night at a club for driving all the way there. She said that we’d go dancing, so we brought one casual outfit to dance in, but she said it’d be fine for going to a show. She then told us that she couldn’t afford to feed us at all, so we were going to her grocery store to buy our food. She took us to the fanciest and most expensive food store that I have ever been in, even to this day. We got what we could afford and returned home kinda worn out by then, but she insisted we had to go to this show to that night. So she took us- and made us pay for the tickets ourselves. Apparently she thought that taking someone to a show was reserving tickets for them to pay for and Physically Taking Them To The Show. We were quite tired by the time the show ended kind of late that night and we had fun, but looked forward to bed. When we finally got home, she pulled out a big bottle of rum and magazines that she’d bought at the store and told us that we were going to make an anonymous threat letter to our old boss at a big box store we’d all worked at. She poured herself a drink and got to work looking for letters as we tried to stay awake. We weren’t offered any rum, or even water to drink while she got drunk over the TWO HOURS she spent threatening old Mr Carter. When she was finally done, Penny announced that we were all going to bed- and that her house rules were that me and my girlfriend were forbidden from having sex in her home. She went on and said she’d be able to hear it, that somehow she would be able to tell and that wasn’t something that grownups did - she simply wouldn’t stand for it and she would throw us out right away. With that she marched off to bed. We were both pretty shocked and I was just mad, not because we couldn’t sleep together but because she was ordering us around and would throw us out in the middle of the night. Mostly we were both offended because we weren’t the kind of people who would be tacky enough to obviously and intentionally have sex in a small apartment when we weren’t by ourselves.
Well, the rest of the time we had fun, believe it or not. I guess I’d forgotten how bossy Penny was, and Sam (my gf) was always deferential to her and she fell back in to that pretty fast, although it wasn’t sitting too well with her anymore and I was glad about that. This brings us to the end of the trip and our falling out: Sam and I were running out of money. We’d gone to a bunch of places, eating and drinking and shopping and had been pretty open and loud about our shrinking bankroll. We had enough for the gas to go home and an emergency fund which we weren’t going to use because we were responsible and realistic with money. Beyond that we had maybe $$25 for food or whatever on our way home. So it came as a shock when Sam came and told me on our last morning there that we were going out to dinner that night. Penny had told Sam that it was was customary for guests to treat their hosts for all their hospitality and either give them an expensive gift to complement their decor or treat them to a nice meal. Since she was renting, we were taking her out- and she had made the reservation weeks ago. I had never heard of this, but since my parents had no friends and hers didn’t entertain much, we honestly couldn’t say. I resented it from the beginning, because probably more than once a day, Penny had said this this smartass comment about how we should be really happy/thankful about her letting us stay at her place for free instead of having to pay for a hotel. Only, she wasn’t kidding, she meant it. As dinner approached, we realized that we’d have to blow all our money and probably a fair chunk of the emergency fund as well. We were waiting in our club clothes when Penny came out dressed up fancier than I had ever seen her except for senior prom. We both were immediately alarmed and wanted to know exactly where we were going. She said that it was just really the only nice place in town that the kids went to for nice dates, not that it was fancy. Sam asked about her dress and Penny said she just felt like looking nice for a change. Since she was a card carrying tomboy, Sam was sure we were under dressed. We both worked at upscale department stores and had killer wardrobes, so her not telling us that we were going to need a dress outfit was bullshit. On the way, Penny got more and more excited on the way there, telling us about how her friends had all been there and that she hadn’t because she couldn’t afford it. Alarm bells were now ringing in my ears and I was just about to say we shouldn’t go when she said that we’d arrived. She darted into the fanciest French restaurant in that state’s capital! Sam and I looked like Walmart wannabes while Penny flounced up and asked for her reservation. The walls were hung with silk, the chairs were gold leafed, and the prices were . . . I don’t know how to explain it. The menu looked normal on the left side that listed/described the extravagant food, but when I looked at what everything cost? It looked like a price list for diamond rings. Sam and I were stared at each other and quietly began discussing our options. I wanted to leave, just tell Penny that we couldn’t afford it either and that we’d take her somewhere else. Sam would not have that- she said that we’d be fine, spend the emergency money and move on. Penny had to have heard us saying all this, she had put down her menu and was looking at us when we looked up. Sam asked her what she was going to have, since we had realized that our options were based off of what whatever was leftover from her dinner. Surf and turf she said with a smile. The most expensive thing on the menu. Sam insisted that Penny get what she wanted for her dream meal; I insisted that Sam eat a meal, so she got the cheapest sandwich they had. I had a small side salad, Literally the cheapest thing they had. We had just enough for the bill and a miserable tip, which I still feel bad about.
I have probably never been so mad about a person doing something that they knew was wrong and did it anyway because they knew that they would get away with. I was done. That was it for me and Penny. I’m not able to hide my feelings about people who behave like this and she knew that I was angry. She felt that she had every right to be taken out to dinner and get whatever she wanted (I forgot to add that she purposely got the most expensive meal that was meant for 2 so she’d have food for days) and that I was being a bad guest for making her feel uncomfortable about it. She got all snarky about it towards me afterwards- like I cared- but it made trouble for Sam. It also probably made me and Sam end our 4 year relationship, too, or at least it started it. Which was a shame, really, but maybe for the best.
I still think that since she didn’t do anything for us- LITERALLY NOTHING- that we didn’t owe her shit. If she had fed us, at least once, given us something to drink, besides tap water, paid for our show tix, bought us drinks when we were out, Anything besides letting us sleep on her floor, which she kept making such a big deal about- saving us the price of a hotel. Well, we wouldn’t have needed a hotel if she hadn’t been so lonely and begged us to drive 21 hours and spend tons of money to amuse her. Yes we enjoyed it, but we would have had fun by ourselves at home with our friends, without repercussions for borrowing a car and would have had all that money to spend on things at home.

I got a letter today, my abuser applied for legal aid. They're also claiming I abused them. I'm trying to be vague in case one of their friends sees this, my luck.
I did a court application months ago, to try and keep them away from me; and to reduce contact with myself, as we have children. I just want to be left alone to parent our kids, not deal with constant abuse and our kids being weapons or being told I'm abusive if I won't speak to them (grey/yellow rock) and do as they say.
Police have said to keep reporting so I can get a non molestation order (restraining), and I have been. It's just not straightforward I guess.
I know it's to scare me, it's not true. I know I've had "reactive abuse" before (not proud), where they have intentionally antagonised until I pushed back.
I know it's lies and I shouldn't be worried. I know I reported them to police, never the other way around. Police were useless, "it's their word against yours", "they're not being nice but they've not threatened to kill you."
That creepy baby deer program hits it on the head, except think way more worse decisions where I went back over and over and over again; and my abuser isn't stupid, they're controlled. They'll claim they're lonely, that it's best for me to go back, that I'm destroying a family by leaving, that I'm sick and I need them, that they're depressed. I always went back, until they scared me enough I ran.
I know it's all fictional, they warned me they would do this if I tried to fight them.. now I am braving it.. I have to for our kids.. I'm scared though.
Has anyone else gone through this?
How do you cope, and how do you keep yourself from spiralling?
I would go into more detail but I want to try and remain as anon as I can.

Before I start this, I just want to answer some question I know I’ll probably have to answer later, or share some information that might be important.

1. I have gone no contact with him. (He tries to bait me into talking to him.) Only my friend group knows about the alcohol.
   
2. I know for a fact he drinks, I was with him once when he did it.
   
3. It’s not his parent’s fault, he sneaks it from open vodka bottles in their refrigerator.
   
4. I know he is drinking while underage, I plan to report him to the school counselor if he doesn’t seek help.
   
5. We’re both gay, though I do not like him like that in any way shape or form. He swears up and down he doesn’t like me like that either, but take that how you will.
   
6. He has allegedly been drinking since he was 7. I can neither confirm nor deny this.
   
7. He blames all of his problems on the alcohol.
   

I, 16m, was friends with another boy, 15m, for roughly 4 years. We used to call each other every day to play games. Every single day for 4 years. Everything was fine until I started hanging out with our other (mutual) friends.
After I started hanging out with other people, he began to get very jealous and bitter towards me and the friend I was talking to. He would act annoyed and upset whenever I would do things with my other friends, even though it’s the same things I would do with him. This is when the arguing began. He would make snarky comments toward me indirectly through his bio on either a game we play together or the app we use to text and call. He would always deny that it is about me, even if it was blatantly obvious. (For example, I used to give myself nicknames on the game we play together. He combined the starting letter of the 3 I've used and said something along the lines of “ABC gave me everything but real love.”)
We would argue like this and he would come to school like nothing happened and act friendly towards me, even if it was obvious that I didn’t want to act friendly with him. He would also frequently block me for absolutely no reason, and unblock me after a few hours. If I asked for a reason, he would get mad and change the subject. Of course, I got tired of this and blocked him back one day. To nobody’s surprise, the next day at school he was talking to me and making jokes like absolutely nothing happened.
One day, he even decided it would be a great idea to ignore me while I was sitting right next to him. I would talk to him, wave my hand in front of him to get his attention, and even tap his shoulder. No response. I obviously got fed up with him and let my friends know in a group chat that he isn’t in what was going on incase they were curious why either of us were annoyed. (This wasn't the best idea, I know, however he gets mad when I hang out or talk to them differently than I do with him so the most logical thing to do was to not let him know when I hang out or text with them.)
Before this next part, I have to go back a little bit. Because we would play games together, we would log into each other’s account to farm or grind for something the other wants. This lead to him knowing my password and email. Since he saw me typing on my phone, he saw the group chat that doesn’t have him in it. He took that as a sign that I was talking shit about him to our friends (I truly was not.) and decided to try and hack my account. Luckily, I’ve always used a secondary email on the games we play, so he only got my old account.
Not knowing that this happened, I forgave him for everything that he did prior. A few days later, at the end of school before I left, we were talking when he said the name of my secondary account. Of course, I asked how he knew about it, and he said he logged in. I obviously got very angry at him for this, as I had not given him permission whatsoever. I told him I would have showed him my messages had he just simply asked. This caused him to get angry at me for being angry at him. (He also got angry at me when he got the notifications that he had been removed from my email. I also changed my passwords, have no fear.)
After discussing this with our mutual friends, they confirmed that what he did was not okay. Because I was getting more distant from him, he thought that he should buddy up to someone else in our friend group. (He barely speaks to anyone else if he doesn’t have to.) Of course, he chose the one person that he supposedly hates based on past events. (Not my story to share, I apologize.)
(I don’t remember this part all too well so take it with a grain of salt.) After a while, I decided to give him another chance. We had a conversation where I brought up all of the issues I had with him in a few paragraphs. (Mainly stuff about boundaries and respecting me. Also for pulling my hair whenever he got the chance even though I told him multiple times on multiple occasions to stop.) His response was changing the subject to something different, and about me. I promptly him shut down, however, as he was bringing up stuff that I didn’t do, insisting that he at least acknowledges his problems instead of pretending everything is fine. This ultimately lead to him getting angry and ending the conversation with his signature “Okay. Bye.”
He then went back to pretending everything was normal with me, though he was talking shit about me in a group chat with our mutual online friends and one of our real life friends (The one he hated that I mentioned previously.) She would tell me everything he said about me, but she didn’t want to get involved so I couldn’t call him out for any of it. At this point, I was just tired of fighting, so I went with it. Many more minor arguments happened after this. I won’t include details for the sake of this post not being too unbearably long, since what happened was basically the previous fight over and over.
A while later, one of our friends called him out for his shit, as I had been letting them know what was going on for every argument we had. He got really heated over this, and told her to kill herself and that he never valued her as a friend. She gave no shits at all. He was promptly removed, or left on his own, from all of the group chats with her in them except our main server. They had each other blocked, though to nobody’s surprise that didn’t stop him from talking about her or to her in the server.
Though 2 out of 5 people in our friend group wanted nothing to do with him, that didn’t stop him from sitting with us and trying to joke around with us like nothing happened. For a while, everything was fine. I wasn’t talking to him, he wasn’t talking to me. Another fight happened between him and the friend he hated before, but that isn’t my story to tell either, sorry. The only thing I can say about the fight is that he mentioned his alcohol addiction.
One thing lead to another and I decided to give him one last chance. Again. So, I had another conversation with him, letting him know that im serious about unfriending him if he doesn’t talk to his therapist about the alcohol, jealousy, and obsession with me.
I gave him until the end of the week to talk to his therapist, or I’m gone. Everything was fine until the weekend. I went on a trip to Dollywood on the weekend, 4 of my friends being there. He of course did not come on the trip, as he isn’t in the school club that took us. I asked him on Sunday if he had talked to his therapist about anything yet, and he had said no. I rightfully blocked him, just as I said I would. He proceeded to play the victim and started asking our friends what he did wrong, pretending that I hadn’t told him anything about blocking him.
I unblocked him momentarily to send a message on why I did it. I told him blatantly that if he didn’t talk to his therapist I would block him, and he did not. I may have been a little harsh with my words, but keep in mind that I have given him many chances to grow and learn from his mistakes that he has not taken. He needs help, and I can’t help him. I wished him the best, but told him that the best is not something I am capable of giving him.
After I blocked him again, he edited one of his messages to “call me out” for not doing what he wanted. He claims that I should’ve just listened to his issues and tell him everything was fine instead of letting him know that what he’s doing is wrong. He doesn’t want help, he wants someone to ignore his problems. I told him that im not that person and im tired of pretending I am. He proceeded to make his bio things along the lines of “You never actually loved me” once more.
After his numerous attempts at getting me to talk to him by making his bio about me, I got fed up. I confronted him, letting him know that I don’t want to be friends with him, I don’t want anything to do with him, and that he needs to stop talking about me in his bio. He of course pretended his issues didn’t exist, instead telling me that he would get help for real this time. I let him know that he just admitted to not trying to get help the first time, and that in lying to me, he broke my trust in him.
Because I knew he wouldn’t try to get help, I blocked him after saying goodbye once more. This is when he started openly shit talking me and the friend that called him out one single time. He changed his bio to things about my body he knew I was insecure about, such as my forehead. While I admit that this wasn’t the best thing to do, I gave him a taste of his own medicine. He’s a bigger individual, and he’s told me that he’s insecure about his weight.
Again, I apologize for what I said to him, I was angry when I said it. He said I have a sixhead, so I retaliated with seventeen stomach and that he can’t be talking about me when he looks 5 years pregnant. I mean no hate to pregnant people, I was angry at him when I said it. I do not condone rudeness towards plus sized or pregnant individuals. Back to the story.
He made a post on a platform we all use about how he hates Taylor Swift fans, especially the blonde ones. (Ironic when he was talking about how he liked her a while ago. Also, the friend that called him out is blonde and a big Taylor Swift fan.) So, in retaliation, our other, OTHER friend commented the username to his twitter account where he actively reposts nsfw images of gay furries, often depicted as children. I was the only person that knew about it, since he reposted such images and showed them to me in class, to my discomfort. I am usually not one to air out dirty laundry like that, however he had done something similar to me a while back, and I honestly didn’t care how it would make him feel.
I took another page out of his book and edited my message since we had each other blocked, telling him to stop shit talking me in his bio, and that I wanted nothing to do with him. Since that happened, he hasn’t made his bio anything about me, instead changing it to some joke about being 5 years pregnant.
Nobody has told me that what I’ve done was wrong, I just would like to make sure that I’m not in the wrong here. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

This thread has been my comfort zone for a long time. I would come here and read all the posts of people who have been struggling to find a job, just like I did. My personal story is not unique to this thread, where there are probably countless stories like mine. To give some context: I'm an international student (migrant 🥲) in the UK. I have studied here for 5 years at a good university that is part of the Russell Group. I completed both my master's and bachelor's degrees with high 2.1 grades. During my university years, I had a couple of internships and some work experience in a pub. Despite my qualifications and experience, finding a graduate position was incredibly challenging.
I'll be honest, in the beginning, I wasn't really applying for jobs. My daily application rate was low, and my self-esteem suffered as I had no idea how to do it properly. What kept me going was the motivation that if I didn't do it, I would fail to live up to what my parents had provided for me. My go-to tool became a chat GTP for cover letters, tailored CVs, and sometimes interview preparations.
Out of all the interviews I had, 70% led to nothing. I applied to more than 600 jobs during this period, got around 20 interviews, and only 3 led to second/final round interviews. Interestingly, those 3 interviews that led me to the next stage came from "Quick apply" postings, which said "send your CV and Cover letter to this email." I would advise others to pay attention to the "quick apply" posts. The first company that invited me for an in-person interview was great and had interesting people. They even covered my transportation costs. However, they sent me a rejection on Sunday via an automatic reply. This devastated and demotivated me for at least a week. I wished they had sent me a personalized rejection on Monday, especially since they had brought me to the final round. On top of that, in the email, they said they would be happy to provide feedback if I requested it, but when I did request feedback, no one ever got back to me.
Just before that, I directly contacted a company called Prohibition Partners through their info email. They contacted me back and I had an interview with one of the Data Analysts. They seemed happy with me and asked me to do a research project on the Weed market in Canada to see how I can conduct market research. I completed the research and was told they would review it and get back to me, but I was ghosted.
The last interview was nice, and I got it through "Quick apply," where it said to send the CV and Cover letter directly to the recruiter's email address. The phone screening went well, and the interview stage went well too, but unfortunately, they went with a more qualified and experienced candidate.
After half a year, I finally got something - an internship that I received through a cold emailing, and I hope they will give me a returning offer afterward.
How was this whole job search experience? It was fucking horrible. I hated the repetitive workdays and fucking workday website, the same typical questions everywhere, and the re-typing of information from my CV that was already provided in the CV. It felt like they shouldn't ask for a CV if they're just going to ask for the same information again. The whole job market feels insane right now. However, stay strong, there is a chance, but you never know where it's going to come from.

Hi, so recently I got a position as a frontend dev at a startup with 1 week of probation. I was initially weirded out by the time frame though, as I have only heard of about probation periods of 3-6 months.
So, after completing the probation period that started last week and should have been upto this sunday, where I worked on both the weekends (it would have been my 1st job, except internships & me being a little scared to loose an opportunity in this market). Today I lost access to the work email and git repository. The founder, with whom I was talking to everyday started ghosting me. I received the termination email at the work email whose access I had already lost LMAO, citing low performance. I don't even fully understood what the company actually did. They never briefed me. I asked time and time again. When I was working, the code was in a very bad state, and coming from a fresher you can guess the horrible site I saw. I tried to improve it the best I could while working on tickets the best I could.
I feel really lost right now and disappointed about this situation as a whole. I don't know how to face my parents now... I feel like I would move on from this incident really quickly. And I know what to do, DSA, study, projects, apply, prep interviews. But I have lost confidence that I would be able to work anymore. Just wanted someone to hear me. That's all.
P.S.: I'll share my predicament with family tonight. How FUN!!
TLDR: Title + feeling lost + wish me luck for the future
Edit: Lamarr, Tejasw Gupta(founder)

My boyfriend (M18) and I (F18) are from different continents. He’s currently away for US Army Basic Training while I wait. My concern is:
Not only our relationship violates my religion, but I am also afraid of how my traditional and strict parents will react if they find out. They probably will. He’ll send me letters and a possibility is they read them before I do.
Any advice? 🥹

Father's Day is a special occasion dedicated to honoring fathers and celebrating their contributions to their families and society. It's a day to express gratitude and love for the men who have played a pivotal role in our lives. While the date of Father’s Day varies across different countries, the sentiment remains universally cherished. Here’s a guide to when Father's Day is celebrated around the world and some ideas on how to make it special.
Father's Day in the United States and Many Other Countries
In the United States, Father’s Day is celebrated on the third Sunday in June. This tradition is followed by many other countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada, India, and most European and Latin American countries. For 2024, Father’s Day in these regions falls on June 16th.
Origin of Father’s Day in the United States
The idea of Father's Day in the U.S. was inspired by Mother's Day. The first Father's Day celebration was held on June 19, 1910, in Spokane, Washington, spearheaded by Sonora Smart Dodd, who wanted to honor her father, a Civil War veteran and single parent who raised six children. It wasn’t until 1972, however, that Father’s Day was officially recognized as a national holiday by President Richard Nixon.
Father’s Day in Different Parts of the World

When is Father's Day: Celebrating Dads Around the World

Father's Day is a special occasion dedicated to honoring fathers and celebrating their contributions to their families and society. It's a day to express gratitude and love for the men who have played a pivotal role in our lives. While the date of Father’s Day varies across different countries, the sentiment remains universally cherished. Here’s a guide to when Father's Day is celebrated around the world and some ideas on how to make it special.
Father's Day in the United States and Many Other Countries
In the United States, Father’s Day is celebrated on the third Sunday in June. This tradition is followed by many other countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada, India, and most European and Latin American countries. For 2024, Father’s Day in these regions falls on June 16th.
Origin of Father’s Day in the United States
The idea of Father's Day in the U.S. was inspired by Mother's Day. The first Father's Day celebration was held on June 19, 1910, in Spokane, Washington, spearheaded by Sonora Smart Dodd, who wanted to honor her father, a Civil War veteran and single parent who raised six children. It wasn’t until 1972, however, that Father’s Day was officially recognized as a national holiday by President Richard Nixon.
Father’s Day in Different Parts of the World

1. Australia and New Zealand: Father's Day is celebrated on the first Sunday in September. This year, it will be observed on September 1st.
2. Brazil: Known as Dia dos Pais, Father's Day in Brazil is celebrated on the second Sunday in August, aligning with the Catholic feast day of St. Joachim, the father of the Virgin Mary. This year, it falls on August 11th.
3. Germany: In Germany, Father's Day, or Vatertag, is celebrated on Ascension Day, which is the 40th day of Easter. It’s also known as Men's Day (Männertag), and this year, it will be celebrated on May 30th.
4. Thailand: Father’s Day in Thailand is celebrated on December 5th, coinciding with the birthday of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej. It is a day of national celebration and respect for fathers.
5. Russia: In Russia, Father’s Day is observed as Defender of the Fatherland Day on February 23rd. It honors men in general, especially those serving in the military.

How to Make Father’s Day Special
Regardless of when you celebrate Father’s Day, here are some thoughtful ways to make the day memorable for your dad:

1. Personalized Gifts: Custom-made gifts such as photo albums, engraved watches, or personalized mugs can add a special touch.
2. Quality Time: Spend the day doing something your dad loves, whether it’s fishing, hiking, watching a movie, or playing a sport.
3. Cook a Special Meal: Treat your dad to a homemade meal with his favorite dishes. You could also host a barbecue or picnic if the weather permits.
4. Handwritten Letters: Write a heartfelt letter expressing your gratitude and love. Sometimes, words from the heart mean more than any store-bought gift.
5. Experience Gifts: Plan an experience rather than a physical gift. Consider activities like a day trip, a concert, or a cooking class.
6. Virtual Celebration: If you’re far away, set up a video call and celebrate together virtually. You can still share a meal, play games, or watch a movie simultaneously.

Conclusion
Father's Day is a wonderful opportunity to show appreciation for the fathers and father figures in our lives. Whether your dad is near or far, there are countless ways to make the day special. Understanding when Father’s Day is celebrated around the world helps us appreciate the diverse ways in which this important day is honored. No matter the date, the essence of Father’s Day lies in expressing love, gratitude, and respect for the men who have guided, supported, and loved us unconditionally.
Father's Day is a special occasion dedicated to honoring fathers and celebrating their contributions to their families and society. It's a day to express gratitude and love for the men who have played a pivotal role in our lives. While the date of Father’s Day varies across different countries, the sentiment remains universally cherished. Here’s a guide to when Father's Day is celebrated around the world and some ideas on how to make it special.
Father's Day in the United States and Many Other Countries
In the United States, Father’s Day is celebrated on the third Sunday in June. This tradition is followed by many other countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada, India, and most European and Latin American countries. For 2024, Father’s Day in these regions falls on June 16th.
Origin of Father’s Day in the United States
The idea of Father's Day in the U.S. was inspired by Mother's Day. The first Father's Day celebration was held on June 19, 1910, in Spokane, Washington, spearheaded by Sonora Smart Dodd, who wanted to honor her father, a Civil War veteran and single parent who raised six children. It wasn’t until 1972, however, that Father’s Day was officially recognized as a national holiday by President Richard Nixon.
Father’s Day in Different Parts of the World

When is Father's Day: Celebrating Dads Around the World

Father's Day is a special occasion dedicated to honoring fathers and celebrating their contributions to their families and society. It's a day to express gratitude and love for the men who have played a pivotal role in our lives. While the date of Father’s Day varies across different countries, the sentiment remains universally cherished. Here’s a guide to when Father's Day is celebrated around the world and some ideas on how to make it special.
Father's Day in the United States and Many Other Countries
In the United States, Father’s Day is celebrated on the third Sunday in June. This tradition is followed by many other countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada, India, and most European and Latin American countries. For 2024, Father’s Day in these regions falls on June 16th.
Origin of Father’s Day in the United States
The idea of Father's Day in the U.S. was inspired by Mother's Day. The first Father's Day celebration was held on June 19, 1910, in Spokane, Washington, spearheaded by Sonora Smart Dodd, who wanted to honor her father, a Civil War veteran and single parent who raised six children. It wasn’t until 1972, however, that Father’s Day was officially recognized as a national holiday by President Richard Nixon.
Father’s Day in Different Parts of the World

1. Australia and New Zealand: Father's Day is celebrated on the first Sunday in September. This year, it will be observed on September 1st.
2. Brazil: Known as Dia dos Pais, Father's Day in Brazil is celebrated on the second Sunday in August, aligning with the Catholic feast day of St. Joachim, the father of the Virgin Mary. This year, it falls on August 11th.
3. Germany: In Germany, Father's Day, or Vatertag, is celebrated on Ascension Day, which is the 40th day of Easter. It’s also known as Men's Day (Männertag), and this year, it will be celebrated on May 30th.
4. Thailand: Father’s Day in Thailand is celebrated on December 5th, coinciding with the birthday of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej. It is a day of national celebration and respect for fathers.
5. Russia: In Russia, Father’s Day is observed as Defender of the Fatherland Day on February 23rd. It honors men in general, especially those serving in the military.

How to Make Father’s Day Special
Regardless of when you celebrate Father’s Day, here are some thoughtful ways to make the day memorable for your dad:

1. Personalized Gifts: Custom-made gifts such as photo albums, engraved watches, or personalized mugs can add a special touch.
2. Quality Time: Spend the day doing something your dad loves, whether it’s fishing, hiking, watching a movie, or playing a sport.
3. Cook a Special Meal: Treat your dad to a homemade meal with his favorite dishes. You could also host a barbecue or picnic if the weather permits.
4. Handwritten Letters: Write a heartfelt letter expressing your gratitude and love. Sometimes, words from the heart mean more than any store-bought gift.
5. Experience Gifts: Plan an experience rather than a physical gift. Consider activities like a day trip, a concert, or a cooking class.
6. Virtual Celebration: If you’re far away, set up a video call and celebrate together virtually. You can still share a meal, play games, or watch a movie simultaneously.

Father's Day from Rakhi.com is a wonderful opportunity to show appreciation for the fathers and father figures in our lives. Whether your dad is near or far, there are countless ways to make the day special. Understanding when Father’s Day is celebrated around the world helps us appreciate the diverse ways in which this important day is honored. No matter the date, the essence of Father’s Day lies in expressing love, gratitude, and respect for the men who have guided, supported, and loved us unconditionally.

My wife and I have dated 2 years, married 3 months. For about half of that we were long distance/international. She lived in Ecuador, I met her on a trip there, and continued to go back every few months to see and take trips with her. Eventually I had her meet my family, she moved in with me in NYC for some time, and I proposed.
We were very in love. While the proposal and eventual wedding was relatively quick due to practical and immigration reasons, I still felt good about it and felt she was my person.
Now the rough parts, she has debilitating anxiety (from living in a dangerous city her whole life and a rape 12 years ago) and is anti-vax/pro sketchy naturopath medicine. I had seen her have an episode here and there but they were infrequent. Starting literally 3 days before the wedding the panic attacks got more severe and more frequent. She was hospitalized just days before the wedding with no clear trigger or solution. She had another one because of a dog we were sitting acting a little nuts and seemed like every week there would be some episode of lower severity compared to the one before the wedding. I was supportive of her through this. Not as much as her parents (who really baby her a lot). Stayed with her in ER, made her soups and teas, walked with her. Made sure she figured out insurance, got her a therapist and primary care doctor. I wasn’t the perfect husband, eventually grew tired/irritable of sleepless nights consoling her and was more distant, not sexually interested but sincerely I was trying. We became more distant after the wedding not closer. Though to be clear I never considered or committed any infidelities and would never. About the naturopath part, she knew how I felt about it. I told her as long as she would never withhold needed medicine in favor unproven natural solutions from our hypothetical child (which would be a dealbreaker and I told her this) I wouldn’t make an issue with how she chose to treat herself. She agreed and understood.
All this came to a head when we were filing for immigration paperwork for her marriage based green card. USCIS requires her have a COVID vaccine and while I knew she wouldn’t like this, I never predicted a meltdown. She had several panic attacks, went to dozens on doctors seeking one that would write her a waiver, and considered hiring a vaccine lawyer to get her a religious exemption. When it seemed none of these avenues were working, she told me would be leaving the US and likely me because she refuses to get this vaccine. That she wouldn’t get it under any circumstances. We had already finished all the paperwork, got all the letters of recommendation, and were so close.
I tried so hard to convince of the safety of the shot, showing her study after study, the relative worse dangers of COVID. In addition, the city where she’s from and would likely move back to where she is too scared to walk at night would surely trigger her anxiety way more than having to recover from the vaccine for a couple days. Once she started telling me she was considering leaving I just felt so numb. Like Jesus this is my life. Her mother and these sketchy doctors she talks to from back home convince her this vaccine will mess her up and she trusts them more than me
We’ve only been married 3 months. I spent about $15K on the wedding in NYC in January with all family and friends and now this is what it’s come to… I’m not super worried about the financial consequences of divorces at this point but damn. This woman has been my life for two years. I feel embarrassed, helpless, like an idiot to be honest. Why I didn’t see this sooner. I know this is a lot. Does this seem at all salvageable to any of you? I feel if we can just sort out her anxiety and get her this shot we’ll be off to the races but things are seeming pretty bleak