How do i cancel my premier passport

Dividend Investing

2009.01.30 19:41 Dividend Investing

A community by and for dividend growth investors. Let's make money together!
[link]

2010.02.19 17:00 sketchampm Rabbits: the intelligent, loving, and often misunderstood pet

/rabbits is an open community where users can learn, share cute pictures, or ask questions about rabbits. Please note we are a *pet rabbit* community that discourages breeding and encourages rescue.
[link]

2013.03.16 16:46 ModestSilence HairDye

The HairDye community is devoted to hair dye and dyed hair. Any posts of your dyed hair, or questions relating to dying your hair are welcomed; Anything from Brown to Rainbow. So go ahead, let the world see your gloriously dyed hair!
[link]

2024.06.07 12:28 GodAtum Japan trip diary - 19th May to 6th June

Sunday 19th May

Monday 20th May

Tuesday 21st May

Wednesday 22nd May

Thursday 23rd May

Friday 24th May

Saturday 25th May

Sunday 26th May

Monday 27th May

Tuesday 28th May

Wednesday 29th May

Thursday 30th May

Friday 31st May

Saturday 1st June

Sunday 2nd June

Monday 3rd June

Tuesday 4th June

Wednesday 5th June

Thursday 6th June

Overall thoughts

submitted by GodAtum to JapanTravel [link] [comments]

2024.06.07 10:06 volaristelefono800 Volaris Missed Flight Policy Complete Guide

When you're traveling, the last thing you want is to miss your flight. However, unexpected circumstances can happen, making it crucial to understand your airline's policies. Volaris, a popular low-cost airline, has specific guidelines for passengers who miss their flights. This article will dive into the details of Volaris' missed flight policy, including what to do if you miss your flight, rebooking options, and tips for avoiding such situations.

Understanding the Volaris Missed Flight Policy

Volaris has a structured policy for handling missed flights to ensure passengers know their options. If you miss your flight, Volaris offers various rebooking possibilities, but it’s essential to act quickly and understand the associated costs.

Common Reasons for Missing a Flight

Missing a flight can happen for various reasons, including:

Immediate Steps to Take if You Miss Your Flight

If you find yourself in the unfortunate situation of missing your flight, here’s what you should do immediately:

Rebooking Options

Volaris offers several rebooking options for passengers who miss their flights:

Fees and Charges

Rebooking a missed flight often comes with fees and charges. Here’s what to expect:

Travel Insurance and Missed Flights

Travel insurance can be a lifesaver if you miss your flight. It’s wise to invest in travel insurance that covers missed flights due to unforeseen circumstances. This can help cover rebooking fees, accommodation costs, and other related expenses.

Preventing Missed Flights

To avoid the stress and cost of missing a flight, consider these tips:

Customer Experiences with Volaris Missed Flight Policy

Customer feedback on Volaris’ missed flight policy varies:

Alternatives to Volaris Support

If you can’t reach Volaris through traditional methods, consider these alternatives:

Special Considerations for International Flights

Missing an international flight can be more complicated due to additional regulations and documentation requirements:

Handling Personal Emergencies

Sometimes, personal emergencies are unavoidable. In such cases:

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What happens if I miss my Volaris flight?
If you miss your Volaris flight, contact their customer service immediately to explore rebooking options. Fees and availability will depend on your specific situation and fare type.
Can I get a refund if I miss my flight?
Refunds for missed flights are generally not available unless covered by travel insurance or specific fare rules. Check with Volaris customer service for your options.
How do I rebook a missed flight?
You can rebook a missed flight by contacting Volaris customer service, visiting their counter at the airport, or using the Volaris mobile app.
What are the fees for rebooking a missed flight?
Rebooking fees vary depending on your fare type and the time of rebooking. Additional charges may apply if there’s a fare difference for the new flight.
Does travel insurance cover missed flights?
Travel insurance can cover missed flights due to unforeseen circumstances, including medical emergencies or significant travel delays. Check your policy for specific coverage details.

Conclusion

Understanding Volaris’ missed flight policy can help you navigate the challenges of unexpected travel disruptions. By knowing what steps to take and what options are available, you can minimize the stress and costs associated with missing a flight. Remember to always prepare ahead, arrive early, and consider travel insurance for added protection.
submitted by volaristelefono800 to u/volaristelefono800 [link] [comments]

2024.06.06 23:45 oodleofnoodles1 Why doesn’t my best friend seem to like me anymore?

I’ll give a bit of context for this:
My friend and I were best friends for three years. We became college roommates (that’s how we met) and we were really compatible!
Since August, a lot happened. I was hospitalized for severe anxiety and I had a hard time being in my dorm since that’s where the first attack happened. Regardless, I didn’t let this get me down (during the day; the night was a different story because it was sleep related, but roomie and I shared a bathroom and different rooms so I wasn’t disturbing anyone when I was anxious).
Things were great between us until October. That’s when I noticed a change. I paid 200 dollars each for us to see one of our favorite bands in concert and she seemed like she didn’t want to go. I asked her and our other friend that was going about songs they hoped the band would play, and the friend answered with a very snarky “it’s more fun when the band plays what they want to play”.
Absolute vibe killer that had nothing to do with us. I figured she just had a bad/long day (despite that never being an issue with her before, as in, she knew better than to take it out on other people), so I brushed it off. At the concert, she was happy and things were good. I didn’t get a thank you, though, and that kind of stuck with me, but again, I brushed it off.
Halloween rolls around and the same issue. She refuses to engage in conversations with me or our friend, so I ask her in private if she was okay. Imagine my shock when she rolls her eyes at me and says she’s “just tired”. Yet, she continued to tag along with us that night. I had to drop off things at my church and when some of my other friends tried to talk to her, they said she was super rude and nothing like how I described her.
In February, I started my student film project which she agreed to help with. I paid her hourly for it, but the second day, she belittled me in front of the cast and crew. Like the idiot I am, I let it slide, mostly because I was so caught off guard. She called me a “Debbie downer” when the lead actor asked if I would pursue filmmaking in the future. I answered no, because it isn’t my major and it isn’t a realistic venture for me considering I have no other experience. She then never showed up to help again, nor did she communicate with me about dropping out. I was too afraid of making her mad, so I let it be.
March is when things got really bad. She stopped wanting to hang out with me and our friend, and she would leave us on read all the time. I asked if they would want to watch a movie over Discord during spring break, and the other friend said yes while friend in question left us on read. When I directly tagged her and asked, she just responded with a shrugging emoji. I was supposed to travel home for spring break with her, but after the way I was being treated, I didn’t want to. I cancelled my bus ticket without getting a refund and let her know that my ride situation changed, which she seemed understanding of. The night before I left, I knocked on her door to say bye and bid her a safe trip, but she ignored it. The light in her room shut off, and I thought she had headphones in and went to bed. I turned my lights off and got in bed—then she took a shower. This was at 9:00, and she finished around 1:00 am. I had to be on the road at 4, and I hardly got any sleep because I was so worried and upset.
I sent her a message asking if everything was okay, and I expressed that I cared about her a lot, and that she can be honest with me if we needed to talk about things. I asked if I maybe said/didn’t say, or did/didn’t do something and apologized if I came off as clingy. She insisted that everything was fine and she was just stressed with school, but she’d be able to hang out more and do things again.
I was relieved, but unfortunately, that didn’t last. Hardly anything changed. During the day of the premier of my film, she said she had a “lunch” to attend to meet her roommates for next year (grad school), even though my film was going to be shown 4 hours after.
Hurt was/is an understatement. I should’ve called her out and communicated things then, but I was too afraid that there would be no going back. I just want our friendship to be good again. I doubt things can go back to the way they were, but all I want is for us to talk and for her to just be honest with me, at the least. She still came to the cast and crew lunch we held, despite not being showing up for me.
Every week, she goes through periods where she’ll message me and we’ll converse like how we did before, and just when I have hope, she starts leaving me on read or reacting with emojis only. It’s exhausting. We don’t live in the same town and I don’t have enough money for grad school, so I doubt we’ll be seeing each other again despite my efforts.
I was informed about the possibility of me being on the spectrum in March by my campus psychologist. This is important because I really dive into my special interests, and after sharing this with her, things seemed to have gotten worse. She used to at least pretend to be interested when I’d share things about my special interests and she’d find the memes funny, but now, sharing something about them is the surefire way to end the conversation with being left on read. I don’t understand how that—if so—could make her not like me anymore. Her brother has autism and her mom’s a special education teacher. It isn’t something new to her, especially because she’s been my best friend for three years and my roommate for two. She even is really into one of my special interests now, so I just don’t get it. What I’m saying is, my “obsessions” over bands and actors and media aren’t new, but part of me feels that my fixations have annoyed her. I told her when we first became friends/roomies (and before I knew about being on the spectrum) that I talk about my interests a LOT, and that I want her to let me know if it ever becomes too much. She’s never said anything about it, so I don’t know what’s going on.
Our other friend told me that friend in question seems like she’s grown very narcissistic, and I don’t want to admit it, but I feel that way, too. One time, I talked about how my day at work was bad because of a rude coworker, just to get it off my chest, and friend said “that’s why I don’t let things get to me and I’m always objective.” She would never say something like that before; we used to be able to discuss the not-ideal things that happened at our jobs.
Friend in question called her other friend of ten years stupid, she made fun of a kid from their hometown that doesn’t have as much money as her for being too poor to afford to live in our college town, and the icing on the cake was this exchange between us:
Her: I like being b*tchy to people (for some reason, I can’t remember why that was brought up when we were talking about her favorite books)
Me: okay, as long as you don’t act that way to us (other friend was there, too)
Her: eh. I’ll be b*tchy to whoever I want.
That was so unlike her from even a year ago. I should’ve said something like “then consider our friendship over, I’m not a masochist” but AGAIN, I was too afraid to hurt her feelings or truly end our friendship.
During my birthday in May, she was nice and wrote me a super sweet card about how grateful she is to be my friend and how grateful she is to have me as a roommate. I was so confused.
We do creative writing/roleplay writing together, and we’ve invested a lot into the characters and storyline. She’s still active in our initial/main storyline, but she’s kind of given up on everything else, even the other storylines she created. I really like our writing, and I know that this would end, too, if things go south. Regardless, I’d much rather have a solid friendship with her over some works of fiction.
I don’t know what to do. Cutting her off makes me scared. I don’t want to throw all this away, I want honesty and an apology for bailing on my film and still taking the pay for it. Talking with her about it does nothing, because she insists everything is fine. I care about her a lot.
I don’t want to beg someone to be in my life anymore when they seem to not want to. Her actions and words are so confusing. I’m at a really hard point in my life, I feel so worthless and like there is nothing left for me but student loan debt and a toxic home environment, I don’t know if I can take this anymore. This feels like pulling teeth. I’m trying to do everything I can but sometimes my efforts work and sometimes, most of the time, they don’t.
So, can this friendship be salvaged? How can I stand up for myself without disrespecting her?
Any advice is appreciated. Also, please let me know if I’m in the wrong. I’m trying to be as objective and reflective of my faults if I might’ve done something.
submitted by oodleofnoodles1 to Advice [link] [comments]

2024.06.06 16:50 mdbru questions about cycling SW Card?

I have a Southwest Premier card through chase and was about to take them up on an offer to upgrade the card to the Priority level, but I'm wondering if there is a more shrewd way to do this.
Should I instead cancel the card and reapply for a new card in order to get a SUB 85K?
I have had my current card for over eight years and have just signed up for a sapphire card with Chase in the last month. I do have a third chase card (United Explorer) that I have had for six years.
Does this make sense to do?
After canceling how long would I have to wait to apply for the priority?
I've never really cycled cards before so any input would be appreciated.
submitted by mdbru to CreditCards [link] [comments]

2024.06.06 07:20 ar_david_hh Armenia in 2100: Climate change \\ Education & preschool reforms; Budget & procurement \\ Narco-barons and $6 bribe-B-Q from Գագուլիկ \\ Nuclear plant strategy \\ Moscow mad; Armenia backs Georgia \\ Papikyan's tour \\ Yerevan programs; bus-bike lanes \\ Nikol on bike again \\ Turkish bath \\ more

19 minutes of Armenia coverage by Transcaucasian Telegraph. Follow for regular updates.

Education Minister Andreasyan about 2023:

• The budget performance was 94%. The Minister called it good considering the 38% YoY increase in the education budget.
• Last year they spent ֏9B more on education infrastructure.
• The ministry has become more stringent while approving science grants. The applicants must meet additional quality standards. The focus has shifted from "spending the budget" to "research that's important for the state".
• Fewer sole-source purchases during the procurement process. In 2022 around 72% of bids were competitive, and in 2023 it reached 93%. The emergency purchases from a single source have gone from 3.4% in 2022 to 0.5% in 2023.
• 190 preschools switched to new state education standards as part of reforms. 1,500 tutors were retrained. If in the past preschool education strategy was fragmented, decided by various agencies and international organizations, then starting in 2022 the state has adopted a strategy of retraining preschool employees and introducing new standards. The tutors who receive tarakarg got a 30%-50% salary raise.
• The number of provincial children with special needs attending preschool rose by 5x YoY after inclusivity efforts. Work was done with parents to enable the increase.
• The ministry has financed the preschool education for soldiers' children starting September 2023. The low-income families will qualify beginning September 2024.
• Every village must have access to preschool. This is why the government is building 500 preschools across the country.
• Reforms are underway in public schools. Several grades are being taught under new state standards now. Over the last 2 years, independent analysts have recorded a 6-month progress in Armenia [meaning the students learn the material by wasting 6 months less; there is still a significant gap]. This is twice the progress recorded in other countries undergoing a similar reform process.
• The ministry is currently testing new standards for final exams in Tavush; the preliminary feedback is positive.
• Armenia has a high rate of functional illiteracy. That means the person has information but cannot or does not know how to use it, or reads something but cannot understand it. Around 20% of 10-year-olds have a math problem and cannot understand what the task is; they can't analyze and understand what to do. This rate has gone from 30% in 2015 to 20% in 2019. The new state standards and the more recent "6-month progress" have further improved the situation; the latest statistics will be reflected in this year's international assessment.
• The ministry invited teachers to receive their feedback on the implementation of the new state education standards. Teachers said they feel that the students have become more motivated to study.
• New textbooks and new printing process. The ministry failed to deliver the new textbooks in a timely manner last September; there was a brief delay. The Minister says it won't happen again. The new printing process is cheaper by 30% thanks to putting an end to the print monopoly. Multiple companies have submitted bids to print the books this year. Multiple teams, around 4-5 expert groups, will compete to write textbooks. The ministry does not write textbooks.
• 3,830 teachers have received a wage increase since 2021 thanks to the new attestation exam process that allows them to prove their skills in exchange for a higher wage. Thousands of teachers failed to score high enough.
• 220 teachers earn ֏400,000 ($1,030) or more per month.
• In village schools with fewer than 100 students, the ministry gives the part-time teachers enough bonus to bring their salary on par with մեկ դրույք: This impacts 3,000 teachers.
• 8,400 teachers in STEM add IT received a 25% wage increase starting September 2023. The Minister says these wage increases have led to more people applying to work as teachers. People with no teaching background or those who were absent from the field for a prolonged period are showing interest in pedagogy. The ministry will release specific numbers soon.
• A new pilot program introduces the concept of transferrable credit from high schools to universities.
• Armenia is one of the first countries to teach AI in schools.
• The government is paying $130/mo to students who choose to major in agriculture, construction, and industry fields to revive interest in these areas. The Minister reports a significant increase in interest. Similar incentives exist for a few other majors.
• Last year they financed the acquisition of 95 units of equipment valued at ֏7.1B through a procurement process, for scientific institutions. That's more than the amount spent in 2013-2022 combined (֏5.9B).
• An experimental model for the financing of theatrical-musical organizations was introduced. As a result, the budget of the National Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet has increased by 17%, and so did the wages. New theaters are joining the system this year.
• A record 450 medals were won by Armenian athletes. There are athletes who earn ֏1 million per month, allowing them to focus on their physical training.
• Many refugee teachers have found employment in provinces. They receive a 30% wage bonus plus a ֏50,000/mo bonus.
• The ministry's new education standards and policy aim to make students more independent upon graduation so the country can have citizens capable of making informed decisions while facing hard choices, said the Minister. The ministry is drafting a youth strategy and as part of it, the age to be considered a youth will be 13, in line with international standards [whatever that means].
• [Snoop Dogg's concert was supposed to attract thousands of Russian techies from Georgia, advertise Armenia as a tech hub, boost tourism, etc., but it was canceled due to the invasion of Nagorno-Karabakh.] The Minister said they are waiting for the organizer to offer 3 dates this year so the ministry can decide when to hold the concert. It might be in August.
• The government is negotiating with an Italian company to design the railway station that will connect the Academic City to Yerevan.
full, source,

diaspora office and agriculture report

• The Diaspora Office complains about ARF's diasporan structures sabotaging their efforts to rally Armenians to support and invest in Armenia. "They are urging people not to attend meetings."
• Armenian farmers need to start planting different crops and not get stuck on the same product for years if they want high yield, said Economy Minister Papoyan. If you plant the same seed and use the same fertilizer, eventually the soil won't give you the same amount of product. This is apparently a major problem in Armenia.
• Armenians consume 30,000 tons of potatoes per month. Recently farmers were forced to sell it for ֏40/kg ($0.05/lb) because of overproduction.
• Armenia's relatively new agricultural insurance industry is on the brink of collapse because of dishonest farmers. Swiss Re international firm was providing re-insurance to Armenian insurance firms, which insured the Armenian farmers. The farmers insured 7,000 hectares of land (as an example) and filed claims for almost 7,000 hectares of land, which the ministry finds very suspicious. The Swiss Re reportedly stopped insuring the Armenian firms. The Armenian government is negotiating with the Central Bank and will seek to bring another re-insurance firm, but only after revising the agricultural damage assessment system. The insurance system is functioning at a limited scope right now because the government doesn't want it to collapse.
full, source,

Yerevan Mayor Avinyan was in Parliament to discuss the 2023 budget and programs

• Last year the city had ֏115B in budget revenues. ֏51B of it was collected by the city itself.
• Unprecedented level of capital expenditures.
• The city renovated backyards of 180 condos, renovated 29 kindergartens, etc.
• Replaced 510 elevators with another 500 scheduled for this year. Every old elevator will be replaced by 2028.
• 70 families were given apartments to move out of dangerously unstable buildings.
• Imported 87 12-meter buses, 150 8.5-meter buses, and 15 trolleybuses; rebuilt the public transport control center. Another 171 8.5-meter buses and 15 trolleybuses are coming this year. Unified payment system for transport.
• 5 medical centers were rebuilt. All city polyclinics will be renovated by 2028. The city and international partners are discussing the construction of a hospital.
• Abandoned vehicles can be found on many streets, causing clutter and making the area look trashy. An MP urged the Mayor to tow them away. The Mayor, in turn, urged the Parliament to adopt a newly drafted major law that will grant the cities more powers and cut a lot of bureaucracy. Today it takes ծիպillion years to remove a single illegal garage, so the new law aims to streamline some processes.
• There will be more buses to serve more people, fewer but better-designed bus routes, and a lot more bus lanes on the streets. The bus lanes will also serve as bicycle and scooter lanes.
• Yerevan has asked the government to allow Veolia Water to keep the money it's supposed to pay as a tax, so it can invest it in the improvement of the city's water and drainage networks.
• Bad weather late last year and this year has prevented the city from repairing the roads in time, hence the ծիպillion potholes on the roads. This will be a thing of the past in the next 2 months, said Avinyan. ON MY MAMA.
full,

reporters asked the Infrastructure Minister about the new $230,000 house in Yerevan that's being built for his mother

THANOSYAN: My brothers are building it for my parents, who plan to move from Martuni. My brothers have asphalt businesses in Russia; they make a lot of money. Had you checked their annual turnover you wouldn't wonder how they got that $230,000. //
The journalists finally exposed the minister as an agent of Erdogan: There are rumors that the house has a Turkish bath.
REPORTER: "But why Turkish, Mr. Sanosyan?"
THANOSYAN: Ask your journalist colleague why. Have you seen "Turkish" anywhere in the building's plan? Are you concerned about the conveniences?
REPORTER: It says there is a hammam, which is a Turkish bath.
THANOSYAN: I don't care.
source,

from an interview with MIT nuclear physicist Areg Danagulyan

REPORTER: Choosing between Russian and American tech is a matter of security, not just energy. What's your estimation of both models from the economic and political perspective?
DANAGOULIAN: The US and Russia are some of the countries willing to sell civilian nuclear technology. Others are France and South Korea. The US reactor would be manufactured by a private company, while the one built by France, Russia, or South Korea would be a state-controlled entity. This significantly affects the economics of nuclear reactors and their cost. One of the problems nuclear power has suffered over the last 30-40 years is the economic aspect; they are seen as too expensive. They are not as attractive as natural gas. Gas has been cheap. Now that is changing with the prices of gas increasing.
There is also a large capital cost associated with building a nuclear plant. The new reactor designs are trying to reduce that cost. The small modular reactors (SMR) that everyone is talking about are attempting to reduce the scale of investments necessary.
Russians have an old and well-tested technology - the VVER-1200. They've been building one in several countries including Turkey.
Americans have built a few reactors - the AP-1000 by Westinghouse.
None of these are appropriate for Armenia because of their large size. They won't fit in Armenia's grid. Armenia needs smaller reactors. Not necessarily modular, but it has to be small. Most of the small "modular" reactors everyone is talking about are actually just small reactors. Most of their designs are the improved versions from the 70s and 80s when reactors used to be small.
REPORTER: The supporters of the Russian reactor say it will produce more energy and allow Armenia to become a regional hub of nuclear power.
DANAGOULIAN: The Russian model is attractive for a few reasons. (1) Russia comes with a build-own-operate policy. They build the reactor and they operate it until they own it. They sell you electricity at a predetermined price. That takes off the burden of the cost of construction from the host country. That's how they did the deal with Turkey and Egypt.
Regarding Armenia becoming a hub of nuclear electricity. Will Armenia be able to sell that electricity? Who is going to buy that electricity? Those who support a large reactor must explain to whom, at what amount, and at what price. Prove that it will be beneficial for Armenia.
If I'm not mistaken, Armenia currently exports 10% of its electricity to Georgia and Iran and there is limited demand.
If you sign a deal with Russia, it translates to a very long-term dependency on Russia. Your energy grid will depend on it. This dependency will last almost a century. Under the current political circumstances, what are the dangers associated with that? The dangers are significant.
REPORTER: Kazakhstan is negotiating with a US company to build a nuclear plant. Is this a matter of energy diversification or sovereignty from the perspective of political expediency?
DANAGOULIAN: The two concepts are connected to each other. Nuclear power can give you significant independence, but not full, because you still need to buy nuclear fuel. However, when it comes to nuclear fuel, you only buy it once every 2 years. Second, there is a bigger diversity of nuclear fuel sellers. That really reduces your dependency from the source of the fuel, unlike with natural gas.
A number of countries are exploring options with building American NPPs. It has to do with maintaining their independence and ending dependency on Russia.
REPORTER: What about the South Korean version? How would that affect Armenia's national security? It's still the American model, am I right?
DANAGOULIAN: The South Korean model is called SMART. It's a smaller-scale NPP. I don't know about its economics and how much it would cost. The price of electricity for Armenia is inevitably going to rise, but the question by how much. Modern nuclear technologies are not really about the technology per se; it's really about how much it's going to cost. Most of the R&D in nuclear engineering is how to reduce the cost of nuclear reactors because they know cost is ultimately what has in the past made nuclear unattractive.
With that said, South Koreans have a good experience. They recently completed the construction of 4 reactors in the UAE. These are APR-1400 reactors and they managed to build them on time and on budget, which is quite impressive. By comparison, the American Westinghouse built 2 plants in Georgia that lasted twice as long and costed three times as high as the original estimate. So South Koreans could be good partners.
REPORTER: What would your advice be to the government of Armenia?
DANAGOULIAN: They need advice and input from international experts. Building an NPP is not like building a house. It's an unpredictable process, especially since some of the reactors under consideration have never been built. They need an independent team to look at the offers. There are such people. You don't want to make a $5 billion mistake.
REPORTER: Who should the Armenian-Americans vote for in November?
DANAGOULIAN: [FUCK Donald Trump. Is that clear enough?]
source,

the Armenian Apostolic Church owns 200 apartments, 4 movie theater buildings, a municipality building in a province, pools, etc.: QP MP Ghazaryan

video,

Karkop has a new pedestrian bridge to connect to a district isolated after the floods

video,

Lithuania to provide €100,000 in humanitarian aid to flood-affected Armenia

source,

Switzerland provides 500,000 francs and a group of specialists to help Armenia recover from floods

A group of civil engineers and technical specialists were sent to Lori and Tavush.
source,

how many houses were flooded in Lori?

200 houses and apartments, affecting 850 residents. Hundreds have since returned.
source,

climate change and land ecosystem degradation contributed to floods because the nearby soil was unable to absorb the additional water brought by the cyclone, causing it to flow into the river

video,

number of forest fires in Armenia

77% of Armenia is under threat of desertification. Temperatures are expected to rise and the precipitation to decline gradually until 2100.
Forest fires:
2001-2009: avg 8 per year
2010-2018: avg 47 per year

... Armenia's lands are:

69% agricultural
12% special protected territories
11% forests
5% settlements

... by 2100

Soil moisture -20%
Irrigation water -28%
Soil productivity -24%
Agro-climate zones will move 300 meters higher.
Ararat Valley crops will require 40% more water.
Rivers will carry 39% less water.
The Arzni spring that feeds Yerevan has lost 20% of its flow since 2018, going from 900 lites to 650.
90% of young Armenians said they are ready to learn more about climate change, preferably in school. Only half of them have received information from their teachers on how to ease the impact of climate change.
read more,

anti-corruption: authorities arrest another person accused of bribing people to attend the ongoing anti-Pashinyan protests led by the former regime. Complaints about not getting paid enough.

2200 դրամ են տվել, որ կյանքումս 40 հազարից պակասի համար գնացած չկամ
AUTHORITIES: The suspects were recorded while discussing the distribution of money to participants of the protest rallies. During the raids, the agents discovered lists containing names and amounts of money written next to them. //
RULING PARTY MP: We hope the bribe money didn't come from candle sales. //
Phone call transcript:
  • Ալո, նոր տղաների հետ խոսեցի, Գագուլիկը կարողանում ա գալ: Ես էլ, ընդհանուր առմամբ, կարողանում եմ գալ, ուղղակի իմ գործն ա էլի, էնպես ա, որ 10-ին դուրս գամ, էնպես պետք ա անեմ, որ հասցնեմ: Տես, Գագուլիկի հետ էլ խոսեցի:
  • Հա
  • Դե Հայկը հյուրանոցում ա:
  • Հա:
  • Բրատ, Գագուլիկն ասում ա՝ կարա՞ն հարցներս նորմալ լուծեն:
  • Ախպեր, չէ, հլը, վոպշեմ, մինչև, բան… հարցը տանք՝ կա՛մ էս կողմ, կա՛մ էն կողմ:
  • Ախպեր, քեզ անկեղծ ասեմ, որ ասում ես՝ նվիրվում ենք, անկեղծ ա եղել լրիվ: Դու հեն ա մեջն ես: Տեսնում ես, չէ՞, որ ամսի 26-ից գալիս ենք: Ինչքան դուք եք գնում, էնքան էլ՝ մենք: Ժամը 5-ին Գագուլիկին զանգել եմ, էն մեր մեծ ախպորն էլ եմ զանգել, անունը չեմ տալիս:
  • Հա:
  • 5 հատ բրինձ ա տվել: Մարդա՝ 5:
  • Հա:
  • Օբշի 20 բրինձ ա տվել: Ես, Էդոն, Հայկը, Գագուլիկը:
  • Հա, հասկանալի ա:
  • Էդ բրինձները, Գագուլն ասում ա, ասում ա՝ բրատ, գալիս ենք, մենք շատ ենք վիզ դնում, ինչ ասում են, անում ենք: Ասում ա, բայց դե, բրատ… ասում եմ՝ ախպեր, մենք հո ցիգա՞ն չենք, որ գնանք, ամեն օր 5 մանեթ, 10 մանեթ վերցնենք ու տուն գնանք: Ո՛չ սիգարետ են տալիս, ո՛չ բան: Ասում ա՝ հա, դե օրվա վերջում տալիս ենք: Հա բայց դե մինչև օրվա վերջ գնում ենք նոր հաց ենք ուտում, նոր հաց են բերում: Դե հիմա մենք հո գուշա՞կ չենք, չգիտենք, թե ինչ են:
  • Ախպեր… ամսի 26-ից, իմ արև, անկեղծ եմ ասում, մենք էլ ամսի…: Հասկացի հեսա հասնում ենք ու հարց դնենք, կա՛մ էս կողմ, կա՛մ էն կողմ: Մենք հո բո՞մժ չենք: Իրանք տենց չպիտի վարվեն:
  • Իմ ու քո արև, ես գալիս եմ, ձեռքս մի լումա էլ չկա: Գագուլիկին ասում եմ՝ կքշե՞ս, ասում ա…:
  • Երեկ, պատկերացնո՞ւմ ես, 2200 դրամ են տվել, որ կյանքումս 40 հազարից պակասի համար գնացած չկամ:
  • Ախպեր, ինչի՞ չեմ հավատում, մի տնից չենք, մի հալի ենք: Ես ասում եմ էլի, ես ուղիղ Նարեկին չեմ կարողանում զանգել, ես Նարեկի հետ … զրույց ունեմ, ասեմ՝ ախպեր, էդ 5 բրինձը 2 ժամվա փոխհատուցում ա, նենց չի, որ դա մի օրվա ա: Արա, մարդիկ, բրատ, օրը 20-30 բրինձ են վերցնում, մեզ 5 են վերցնում, 5 են տալիս:
  • Էսօր էդ բոլոր հարցերը պիտի որ լավ լինի, բրատ:
  • Ախպեր կանխավճարը նստելու ա, վերցնեն, նոր ասեմ մինչև … տղեքը գան:
  • Էսօր էդ հարցերը պիտի որ լուծվի:
  • Լավ…
video, source, source, source,

77 CE 777

Bagrat Galstanyan and his followers organized a car caravan to Gegharkunik where they met a group of supporters.
video,

Arthur Brothers - Who are the new friends of protest co-leader Bagrat Galstanyan?

On June 3, Galstanyan presented two men standing near him: "Our very dear friends from Kenya. You might have heard of them - Arthur Brothers. They are very interesting sons of our nation. Anyway, I won't go into details... They are devoted with their soul, heart, and life."
Arthur Margaryan and Arthur Sargsyan are known for giga-massive shenanigans in Kenya in the mid-2000s.
Nation Africa outlet rote in 2005 that the Brothers arrived in Kenya as investors and quickly acquired passports and enjoyed the protection of Kenyan authorities. They had access to Nairobi's VIP airport section and a luxury district.
In 2006 the Brothers allegedly attacked a local newspaper to prevent it from publishing information that would damage the Kenyan president. The newspapers burned down, while the police refused to arrest them. Reuters wrote about it at the time.
Wikileaks writes that the Brothers got in trouble in June 2006 at an airport while attempting to use fake documents that presented them as deputy leaders of Kenyan police. They were armed and violated airport rules, according to the report. The documents were reportedly stolen by a janitor from the Migration Ministry building and ended up in the hands of the Arthur Brothers.
In 2007, the daughter of a Kenyan opposition leader announced that she was in love with Arthur Margaryan and that they were going to marry if it wasn't for his deportation [after the airport scandal]. Their romance and business ties date back to 2005 in Dubai. It was later revealed that she, being a foreign ministry employee, was using her position to influence the airport to treat Arthur favorably.
Kenyans launched an investigation in 2010 and accused Arthur Brothers of narco-trafficking and machinations.
In 2020 the Kenyan press tied Arthur Brothers to a 1-ton narcotic bust.
Arthurs were also spotted meeting public officials in Maldives. The opposition leader of Maldives at the time expressed concerns, given the shady record of the Arthur Brothers.
In 2023, Arthur Brothers were seen next to Yerevan mayoral candidate Suren Petrosyan (Ժողովրդավարական համախմբում party). Suren Petrosyan is a co-leader of the ongoing protests and one of the most active figures who regularly gives interviews to the press with demands for PM Pashinyan's resignation.
In 2024 Arthur Brothers were seen next to Bagrat Galstanyan and Suren Petrosyan.
source, source, source, [source,](https://[REDACTED].org/plusd/cables/06NAIROBI2782_a.html) source, source, source, source, source,

anti-corruption: ex-Deputy Minister of Economy and several others confess, express regret, and cooperate with authorities in the recent case involving alleged procurement fraud to declare Synergy winner

The charges were dropped against ex-Deputy Minister Ani Ispiryan, Ani Gevorgyan (Alen Simonyan's sister-in-law), and several others for fully confessing and cooperating with authorities. One more employee had her case dropped after authorities determined she was innocent.
Ex-Economy Minister Vahan Kerobyan remains a suspect.
source, source, source,

Arabkir's new dog park and playgrounds: VIDEO

In place of illegal garages.
video,

Defense Minister Papikyan on a working trip to Bulgaria

He attended the HEMUS 2024 international exhibition and held a talk with various manufacturers before meeting his Bulgarian counterpart. The two spoke about military-technical cooperation and cooperation as part of NATO and the EU.
source, source, source, photo,

Armenia will be represented for the first time at Eurosatory, the No. 1 world exhibition for defense and security on the ground and in the air

It will be held this month in Paris. Some 98,000 visitors are expected to arrive.
The Armenia pavilion will host a delegation of member companies of the CCI France Armenia and an integral part of the Armenian military-industrial complex.
This will be the first opportunity for these Armenian companies to exhibit their technologies and solutions at an international trade fair in Europe, with the aim of signing contracts.
source,

Parliament leader Alen Simonyan and the President of Slovenia discussed the need to return the remaining Armenian POWs held in Azerbaijan

source,

Russia unhappy with Armenia's cold shoulder policy

A senior Russian diplomat claimed Yerevan’s “reckless decisions” to move away from its defense arrangements with Moscow may make future cooperation impossible.
MOSCOW: Armenia is no longer interested in cooperating with Russia’s Foreign and Defense Ministries due to pressure from the West. The Foreign Ministers haven't met since November 2023. Our Armenian partners showed no interest in our suggestion to work out a schedule of consultations between the Foreign Ministries. Contacts between the Defense Ministries have become much more rare through no fault of ours either. Our defense tech cooperation also stumbled. This happens because the West puts pressure upon Armenia, trying to keep Yerevan’s cooperation with us to a minimum. However, we hope that the promises made by the Armenian authorities to resolve all issues and irritating factors between us will turn out to be true. We are ready for this. //
source, source,

for the first time, Armenia votes in favor of a pro-Georgia and anti-Russia UN resolution on displaced persons in Georgia

The resolution recognizes the right of internally displaced persons and those displaced from the occupied territories of Georgia to return to their homes in the occupied regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
For: 103 (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Moldova, West,)
Against: 9 (Russia, Belarus, Burundi, Cuba, North Korea, Mali, Nicaragua, Syria, Zimbabwe)
Abstain: 52 (China, India, Iran)
GEORGIAN EMBASSY: Another big leap forward in the Georgian-Armenian Strategic Partnership. Grateful for the Armenian support on the UN GA Resolution. Շնորհակալ ենք: //
REPORTER: Is Armenia ready to recognize Abkhazia and Ossetia as occupied territories?
PASHINYAN (November): Armenia fully supports and unequivocally defends the territorial integrity of Georgia.
source, source, source,

Pashinyan riding a bicycle on the public roads of Yerevan: VIDEO

A car stops at a red light: "Barev. Vonc eq?"
He was testing the convenience of Yerevan streets for cycling and found that the city is flat enough for cycling if you have gears. He proceeded to switch to granny gear to climb the smallest hill imaginable. The giga-massive oligarchic belly fat was seen being burned in real-time.
The PM invited Yerevan residents to join him. Here are the conditions:
(1) Bring your own bike.
(2) Pashinyan will choose the route. You won't know in advance.
(3) Don't politicize. Enjoy.
(4) Be back by 7 am because he has to work. [he better do]
The PM included his Gmail address for applications. You need to send your photo with a bicycle, full name, and phone number. [he is probably creating a list of people to bribe in the future]
video, source,

Armenia and Georgia will submit a joint bid to host the 2029 FIFA U20 World Cup

The President of Georgia's soccer federation visited Yerevan where he met his Armenian counterpart. The two made a joint announcement.
source, video,

հայը, ռուսը, պարսիկը

As you know from yesterday's report, Yerevan could soon ban live music from Northern Avenue and Republic Square because of complaints from "get off my lawn" residents and businesses. During a street investigation by the press, one Armenian musician accused Russian and Persian musicians (his competitors) of using loudspeakers and microphones and causing this problem for the rest.
video,

tourism budget has almost doubled

PM Pashinyan hosted a meeting to discuss the Tourism Committee's 2023 activities. The budget has gone from ֏7.5B last year to ֏13.2B in 2024; they plan infrastructure improvements.
The number of tourists in 2023 was 2.316 million, a +40% vs 2022 and +22% vs 2019.
This year the number of Russian tourists has decreased (the new chairman of TC disputes this) but there is a certain increase in the number of tourists from other countries (France, Germany, UAE).

... how much does the average tourist spend and how long do they stay?

2013: $798 (17 days)
Now: $1,000 (16 days)
If we don't count diasporan Armenians, the average stay by "classical" tourists is 6-7 days.
The number of non-Armenian nationals arriving in Armenia has increased in recent years.
full,
submitted by ar_david_hh to armenia [link] [comments]

2024.06.05 22:53 Exotic_Ice_9021 My phase two of my DCEU

Hello again, I'm back to bring you my phase 2, I hope you like it too, anyway let's get started:
  1. Batman:Arkham Asylum (2018)
Directed by:Ben Affleck
Writted by:Ben Affleck, Chris Terrio and Geoff Johns
Released:March 10, 2018
Story:It begins moments after Lex Luthor reveals to Deathstroke that Bruce Wayne is Batman. Deathstroke wants revenge against Batman for the death of his son. We would have a flashback set in the year 2000, Deathstroke had been hired to assassinate the then district attorney Harvey Dent, but Slade would have taken his son on the mission. But Batman would have found out and would have a fight with Deathstroke while his son, Jericho is in charge of the mission, Batman manages to recognize Slade by the emblem of his sword of the League of Shadows, since Deathstroke would also have trained in the League's temple. of the shadows being Ra's al Ghul's 2 best students. But Slade did not recognize Bruce because whenever they trained Bruce always wore a ninja mask and never saw his face. Batman keeps fighting Deathstroke but accidentally knocks over his son, Batman tries to catch him with a hook but ultimately falls to his death. Deathstroke loses his cool and tries to kill. Batman but in the end he wins due to his superiority in combat, Slade manages to escape and swears revenge against the Bat. End of Flashback. The story takes place 1 week after Steppenwolf's invasion of the Justice League, Batman tries to redeem himself with Gotham City after having acted violently for many years and after JL he tries to be a better hero and vigilante. In its opening scene we see Batman in his tank bat against the mutants (adapting that part of the comic and animation of The Dark Knight Returns and with a similar scene seen in the epilogue of the Snyder Cut. Throughout the film it would seek to explore the 20 years of Batman as a vigilante and we would see flashbacks of Batman with Robin, there would even be a scene with Bruce visiting Richard Grayson's grave during the beginning. And speaking of flashback, we would also see some with Batman and Deathstroke training in the League of Legends temple. shadows, it would be shown that Bruce and Talia had a love triangle with Slade. Bruce and Slade fight when the sensei is killed, they both have a sword battle and Bruce takes out Slade's eye, they both leave to go their separate ways with different ideals. Bruce and Alfred talk about their encounter with the Martian detective (or John Stewart however you want to see it) and how he needs to make sure the earth is ready for Darkseid, plus Lex Luthor escaped from Arkham and has to investigate his whereabouts. However, they are interrupted by reports from Gotham's elite and the Bat-Signal in the sky turns on. Batman arrives and Gordon talks in detail about the victims and they were all friends of Bruce, they have to investigate the murders and Batman points out that most of the deaths were not subtle and had no message behind them, Batman is worried that someone wants to take revenge on him but as far as he knows none of his enemies know his identity. We would see Batman using more of his detective mode to find the murderer. Joker would appear as a secondary villain and he would have Harley kidnapped after breaking her out of jail in Suicide Squad. The next day at Wayne Enterprises, things get worse for Bruce, as during a meeting with Lucius Fox he discovers that the company's stock has collapsed and when he checks his account, everything has been stolen. Bruce becomes more nervous when he informs him that the killer is after Jim Gordon. It should be noted that at some point we would also see Bruce reunite with his old love, Selina Kyle/Catwoman. It would be said that they were married for a while after Robin's death but then they divorced. Even she would be one of Deathstroke's victims although she would not die. Almost dusk, Gordon is at the Gotham Police Department and receives a surprise visit from his daughter Barbara Gordon. They both begin to engage in conversation but what they don't know is that Slade is in the next building with a Sniper. he shoots but Gordon is saved by Batman and Salde quickly leaves. But Batman would find Deathstroke's hideout, located on the Gotham dock, Bruce enters the dock office to look for clues but realizes that there is a bomb and quickly leaves through the window, in some containers he sees Deathstroke and goes up, starting a fight quite similar to the Batman:Arkham Origins teaser, Deathstroke would tell Batman "Tell Alfred to say hello" then detonates a bomb in the Batcave which Bruce hears through his intercom with Alfred, and Alfred does not respond when Bruce tells him. He asks if it's okay. Deathstroke says he will give Bruce a chance to go save him and won't fight him right now. This is not the right time yet. Batman rushes to the Batcave and finds Alfred in critical condition and most of his devices destroyed. With no real recourse after his bank accounts were hacked, Bruce pulls Alfred's phone out of his pocket and dials a number. Although we didn't hear the other voice, we heard Bruce say, “Hello Bruce. “I need your help Barbara.” Barbara Gordon would be introduced in the film, she would have been Batman's apprentice as Batgirl for a couple of years but then she separated from Batman when she saw how violent he was and went into a low profile to continue working as a vigilante, Bruce and Barbara carry Alfred to the hospital. The audience can tell that he doesn't like Bruce, but he is doing this to save Alfred. They both catch up, Most of Batman's technology is destroyed, so he has to wear an old, damaged suit. The Batcomputer is also destroyed, so he can't immediately communicate with the rest of the Justice League and he worries that it will be too late by the time he reaches them. Bruce explains the situation to Barbara and that Deathstroke will soon come after her if she helps him. The next step of Deathstroke's plan would be to enter Arkham Asylum and cause chaos, kill most of the guards and then free some of Batman's villains such as Two-Face, the Riddler, the Penguin, Mr Freeze, Bane, Poison Ivy, Hush, scarecrow, Professor Pig, Clayface and Victor Zssaz. Upon being informed of this, Batman tells Batgirl to go after Deathstroke while he monitors the situation in Arkham. And we see a sequence of Barbara seeing her suit and then putting it on. Gordon and many police officers arrive at the scene and minutes later Batman arrives. Gordon informs him of the situation and decides to enter the asylum alone, after which Deathstroke meets with Joker and they make a deal to kill the bat. This entire part of Arkham would be the second act of the film, it would be a psychological thriller and nightmare for Batman and would give the film a claustrophobic feeling, being a factor never before seen in cinema that would explore Bruce's mind, traumas and would be very inspired by the comic and the Arkham game, testing whether Batman's mind is really just as damaged as the villains his villains catch, and speaking of them they would have several confrontations with Batman throughout the asylum and at some point Batman He would be infected by the scarecrow's fear toxin, releasing those traumas such as the death of Bruce's parents and that of Robin. In the end Batman manages to defeat all his villains although some manage to escape. While all this is going on, Batgirl tries to track down Deathstroke, and they have a showdown on the rooftops of Gotham but Slade escapes. After escaping from Arkham tired from the battle against its villains, he ends up falling into a trap by the Joker and his henchmen at Ace Chemicals. He begins to make fun of how exhausted Batman looks, but Bruce is fed up with everything he has had to spend tonight, he attacks the Joker, during the confrontation Harley would escape and after the fight against the Joker, Bruce gets tired but does not realize that the Joker also ends up escaping. After this Batman goes for Deathstroke, Slade would have a discussion with Bruce and they would talk about many things, for example he would say that he and Bruce are not that different, since they both lost a son and seek revenge and he reveals that Lex Luthor was the one who gave him his identity. They start a fight in the streets of Gotham (similar to one of the concept arts released a long time ago) but Slade is stronger and faster, which causes fear in Batman since he finally found an enemy capable of finishing him off, but then Batgirl arrives to save him. They both have a brutal fight with Slade but in the end they emerge victorious. Gordon arrives and Slade is taken to prison. In the hospital, Alfred recovers from his wounds, Bruce manages to recover his fortune and at the end of the film we would see Batman on a roof with Batgirl, closing a typical scene of Batman on a roof.
The post credit scene: In Blackgate Prison, Amanda Waller is asked to talk to Slade and proposes that he join the suicide squad or stay in prison, Slade ends up accepting, similar to the final scene of Arkham Origins
Casting: 1. Ben Affleck as Batman 2. Joe Manganielo as Deathstroke 3. Anna kendrick as batgirl 4. Jeremy Irons as Alfred 5. Jared Leto as Joker 6. JK Simmons as Gordon 7. Carla Gugino as Catwoman 8. Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn 9. Ely Snyder as Robin 10. George Mckay as Jericho 11. Danny Glover as Lucius Fox 12. James Mcavoy as the Riddler 13. John Hamm as Two Face 14. Megan Fox as Poison Ivy 15. Matt Damon as Hush 16. Paul Giammati as The Pengüin 17. Dave Bautista as Bane 18. Jason Issac as Mr. Freeze 19. Jackie Earl Haley as Scarecrow 20. John Carrol Lynch as Professor Pig 21. Andy Serkis as Clayface 22. Simon Pegg as Mad Hatter 23. Jasper Pääkönen as Victor Zssaz 24. Ra's al ghul/Daniel Dey Lewis 25. Emily Blunt as Talia
  1. Wonder Woman 2 (2018)
Directed by:Patty Jenkins
Writted by:Zack Snyder and Geoff Johns
Released:June 3, 2018
Synopsis: This sequel would maintain the same serious tone of the first film and would be set in the present day. Although I will continue to maintain the villains of WW84: Cheetah (who would have a different design) at first would be an archaeologist friend of Diana in the Louvre museum but halfway through the film, on an expedition to Egypt they would have obtained the powers and abilities. Cheetah and Maxwell Lord, who would be a more serious media entrepreneur and have telekinetic powers, would work together to defeat Wonder Woman. After defeating Barbara, Diana confronts Max, who has become an influential and powerful person while leaving chaos and destruction in his wake. In the end Diana manages to defeat Max and uses her lasso to save how to free everyone from mind control but discovers that the only way to do so is by breaking his neck. So, he makes the difficult decision to break Max's neck, thus ending the movie
Casting: 1. Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman 2. Pedro Pascal as Maxwell Lord 3. Kristen Wigg as Cheetah
  1. Gotham City Sirens (2018)
Directed by:David Ayer
Writted by:Geneva Robertson-Dworet And David ayer
Released:August 10, 2018
Story:Harley Quinn is trying to escape from the Joker while trying to overcome her trauma with him, but here it would be well executed and she would have to work with Catwoman and Poison Ivy since Black Mask put a price on Harley's head and they would have to work on team to protect her while they become friends as the movie progresses, Joker would be the secondary villain. The story would be strongly connected to Suicide Squad: Ayer Cut and Batman:Arkham Asylum, which is why Batman, Batgirl and Huntress, Her family would have been murdered by Black Mask and his men when she was a child, Two-Face and the Penguin would also appear to introduce the world of crime and the mafia in the DCEU. The movie ends with the Treds defeating Joker and killing Black Mask. The movie ends with backing to prision. But Harley ends up being arrested by Batman and Batgirl and being taken to the same Suicide Squad prison for a possible sequel.
Casting: 1. Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn 2. Carla Gugino as Catwoman 3. Megan Fox as Poison Ivy 4. Ewan Mcgregor as Black Mask 5. Jared Leto as Joker 6. Ben Affleck as Batman 7. Anna Kendrick as Batgirl 8. Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Huntress 9. John Hamm as Two Face 10. Paul Giammati as The Pengüin
  1. Justice League Dark
Writted and Directed by:Guillermo Del Toro
Released:November 24, 2018
Story:This story would star John Constantine, who seeks to form his own team of dark heroes called: The Justice League Dark, made up of him, Zatanna, Deadman, Jason Blood/Etrigan and Swamp Thing, their first mission as a team would be to find what books of life and death so that they do not fall into the hands of villain:Floronic Man. While Zatanna and Constantine begin a small romance, in the end the team faces Floronic Man, culminating in a chaotic final confrontation that would end with Swamp Thing and Floronic Man dead. The film would be a combination of the superhero and horror genres and would also be made to show the magical side of the DCEU
Casting: 1. Dan Stevens as Constantine 2. NatalieDormer or Alexandradarario as zatanna 3. Doug Jones as Deadman 4. Chiwetel Ejiofor as Jason Blood/Etrigan 5. Ron perlman as Swamp Thing 6. Kevin Durand as Floronic Man
  1. Shazam
Directed by:David F. Sandberg
Writted by:Geoff Johns
Released:April 5, 2019
Story:Ok, the story would be the same as the movie but with some changes:The tone will be more or less the same, Shazam He would be serious for some things and for others he would act like a normal boy, the suits that would be used to Shazam and his family would be the ones from Fury Of The Gods. In the end, Billy makes Black Adam transform into a human and ends up beating him and the 7 deadly sins and Dr Sivana ends up escaping
The Post Credit scene:Shazam would meet Superman in the flesh, and he invites him to join the Justice League in the future
Casting: 1. Zachary Levy as shazam 2. Asher angel as Billy Batson 3. Jack Dylan Grazer as Freddy 4. Mark strong as Dr Sivanna 5. Gracias Carolina Currey as Mary Marvel 6. Djimon Houson as Wizard Shazam 7. Henry Cavil as Superman (post credit scene)
  1. Man of Tommorow
Directed by:Zack Snyder
Writted by:Zack Snyder,Geoff johns and David S Goyer
Released:June 15, 2019
Story:Clark Kent would still be trying to digest the fact of having died and revived, giving us a more direct approach to this idea of what visa and death represents, the villain would be Brainiac and the second protagonist would be Supergirl, in this story Kara She was a Kryptonian soldier who had been sent to space a couple of years before Krypton exploded, she and her friends would end up in a cliogenic state but one of her companions betrays her and kills those who were cliogenized, luckily she manages to defeat him but the ship is diverted and travels back in time, 12,000 years earlier during the ice age. In fact, all of this would be told in the first 20-30 minutes of the film. The villain would be Brainiac who has Kandor locked up in miniature along with other cities in the world, also in a flashback we would see Brainiac's attack on Kandor and we would see Zod with his men, they would have a more heroic side and would try to protect Krypton but they would fail and Bariniac takes the city, Superman would find Supergirl and she would try to adapt to her new life on earth, plus Lois Lane is a more or less important character and has a secret that she has not told Kal. At some point in the film, Secretary Swanwick would finally reveal himself as the Martian Manhunter to Superman. When Kara shows herself to Superman as his cousin, Kal is surprised, he takes him to the Kryptonian ship to talk and before them they introduce themselves to Jor-El, who explains everything to Clark. Superman and Kara would travel to space to find Brainiac and before sunset he tells Lois that he will return. The first meeting between Superman and Brainiac would be in space and he would manage to steal a part of Superman's DNA, thus creating Bizzaro and the final battle would be in Metropolis where Superman and Supergirl try to save as many people as possible and avoid damage while fighting against Brainiac's robots. At the end the final battle between Superman and Supergirl vs Brainiac and Bizzaro occurs and would be a bit similar to the fight between Superman and Zod in the first film. Well, in the end they win, Brainiac dies as does Bizzaro, but he would redeem himself and Supergirl leaves Earth to return the cities to their respective places but promising Kal that she will return. In the end, Lois reveals to Clark that she is pregnant
The Post Credit scene:Lex Luthor begins the plan to start his own team to power the Justice League
Casting: 1. Henry Cavil as Superman 2. Sasha calle as Supergirl 3. Ralph Fiennes as Brainiac 4. Amy Adams as Lois Lane 5. Russel Crowe as Jor-El 6. Diane lane as Martha 7. Laurence Fishburne as Perry White 8. Michael Shannon as General Zod (Flashback) 9. Antje Traue as Faora (Flashback) 10. Jessie Eisenberg or Leonardo Dicaprio as Lex Luthor (Post Credit Scene)
  1. Aquaman:King Of The Seas
Directed by:James Wan
Writted by:James Wan,Geoff Johns and Will Beall
Released:September 20, 2019
Story:The story would be the same as the movie that premiered in 2018, but it would also have a more serious tone, Arthur's origin would be removed because it was already explored in the first movie, Black Mantha would also be in the final battle and would be arrested along with Orm
  1. Green Arrow & Black Cannary
Writted and Directed by:Guy Ritchie
Released:February 14, 2020
Story:Apart from being a story of superheroes, this would also be a love story between Green Arrow and black Cannary, and those who have been street heroes for 3 years. The villains would be Count Vertigo, Merlin and Lady Shiva, Speedy would also appear as Oliver's companion and also Huntress as friend of Dinah
The Post credit Scene:Batman would meet Green Arrow and Black Cannary to recruit them to the league
Casting: 1. Charlie Humman as Green Arrow 2. Jurnee Smollett or Katheryn Winnick as black Cannary 3. Scott Adkins as Malcolm Merlyn 4. Peter Saasgard as Count Vertigo 5. Ming Na Wen as Lady Shiva 6. Douglas Booth as speedy 7. Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Huntress 8. Ben Affleck as Batman
I have 2 things to clarify: 1. Joaquin Phoenix's Joker movie would have still existed as an elseworld 2. After the premiere of Green Arrow & Black Cannary, the covid-19 quarantine would have occurred, at least several films would have been delayed, and others would be canceled, but there would be 2 more films that would come to streaming during 2020
  1. Deathstroke
Directed by:Gareth Evans
Wittted by:Joe Manganielo
Released:June 20, 2020
Story:The film is about the origin of Slade Wilsom. It would explore how he gained his skills in the military, his time in the League of Assassins, the encounters he had with Batman, and his son, Jericho, would also appear. It would be a dark and bloody origin story that would be inspired by Korean noir films.
Casting: 1. Joe Manganielo as Deathstroke 2. Ra's al ghul/Daniel Dey Lewis 3. Emily Blunt as Talia 4. George Mckay as Jericho 5. Ben Affleck as Batman
  1. New Gods
Directed by:Danny Boyle
Writted by:Aaron michael Johnson
Released:November 24, 2020
Story:The prologue is narrated by Metron and would show us the fall of Ares, the God of War. When Zeus banishes him from Olympus, Ares forms an alliance with Uxas, the younger version of Darkseid, with the goal of annihilating the Old Gods. Uxas believes that by absorbing the powers of the Old Gods he would obtain the Omega Power and so he does, destroying all of Olympus, killing all the gods and in the end he also kills Zeus. Later Metron would take us to know the origin of the New Gods, Darkseid, Highfather and show us the great battle of New Genesis. We would have seen Darkseid riding one of his gigantic hellhounds as he leads his army to attack New Genesis. Darkseid believed that destroying the source of life itself would lead him to the Anti-Life Equation. Accompanying him on this mission were the original Furies and Kalibak, however the battle becomes so savage that the fountain itself separates them. With Metron as witness to these events, both Darkseid and Highfather turn to him in search of answers and that is where the exchange between Mr. Miracle and Orion would have occurred. That would have led to the introduction of Big Barda, Granny Goodness and would have led us to learn about the origins of Apokolips, thus concluding the film's prologue. After that we see several things, for example: Steppenwolf betraying Darkseid in a coup d'état, a war between Krypton and Apokolips in which Steppenwolf fights Doomsday on the moon of Krypton, but Doomsday destroys Steppenwolf by destroying the moon. Mr Miracle and Big Barda erasing the records that anti-life is on earth. The movie would work as an epic adventure mythological in the style of the Lord of the Rings that would have thoroughly explored the fourth world that was created by the legendary Jack Kirby and would be closely connected to Wonder Woman 1 and the Zack Snyder's Justice League.
Casting: 1. Ray Porter as Darkseid 2. Jeffrey Bridges as Highfather 3. Liev Schreiber as Kalibak 4. Oscar Issac as Mr Miracle 5. Gina Carano as Big Barda 6. Jack O'Connel as Orion 7. Ciaran Hinds as Steppenwolf 8. David Warner as Metron 9. Peter Guiness as DeSaad 10. Jane Lynch as Granny Goodness 11. David Thewlis as Ares 12. Sergi Constance as Zeus And more
And well that's all for today, wait one of these days for the third and last of my DCEU
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2024.06.05 18:53 TheSmogmonsterZX Black Sheep Family - Part 56 - We don’t abandon family. (BSF #56)

Black Sheep Family
Part 56
Arc 6
We don’t abandon family.
"Ohana means family, and family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten." ~ Lilo, Lilo & Stitch
(B)(S)(F)
GO!
Saturday February 25, 2079
Cassandra was huddled between Alan and Endara in the open and pleasant looking waiting room of Doctor Sheila Sindra, the family’s therapist for group sessions. Danny was either asleep or supremely focused, but his light snoring lent evidence to sleeping. Agatha was on her phone typing furiously and glaring at Danny. Anna was on Alan’s opposite side, reading a book on animals of the amazon.
Cassandra was almost bored enough to lean over to Anna to see if they could read the book together, but her nervousness prevented her. She was still slightly uncomfortable with doctors, but this place felt safe and her parents were sticking near her. Then she reached out and “knocked” at Anna’s senses. Soon she was reading the book through Anna’s eyes.
About ten minutes later the door opened and another family left. Alan stood up and let Endara guide the family in, he followed behind, taking a seat in a circle of chairs. Anna and Cassandra both took a chair opposite of him. Endara sat next to Cassandra on the opposite side. Agatha sat next to Anna and Danny was between his eldest sister and his mother. Dr. Sindra squeezed in and wheeled in on her simple office chair.
“Well, I see the Quains are growing.” Dr. Sindra smiled, “Hello, I’m Dr. Sindra and I want you to know you’re safe here. You don’t have to talk unless you want to.”
Cassandra stared at the woman and blinked, “I’m being dissolved by my own DNA. I’m not ‘safe’ anywhere.”
“We’re gonna fix that.” Alan said as he hugged his newest child.
“Yeah.” Anna nodded, “Like Bubbles said, ‘No one gets left behind.’”
Danny blinked, “Bubbles said that?”
Anna nodded, “It was at Christmas, he was talking about a family in Hawaii that his grandfather worked with. Was oddly secretive though.”
“He was talking about the concept of Ohana.” Dr. Sindra smiled, “It’s perfect for this because it’s not limited to blood relatives.”
Anna nodded and smiled proudly, “I’m not gonna let anyone take my sister.”
Endara nodded and squeezed Cassandra closer. “You’ll be fine.”
Cassandra sighed, “Doesn’t feel like it.”
Danny sighed, “Because we don’t know for sure. We’re all hopeful though. And confident. Unlike Gravitas.”
Dr. Sindra turned to Danny, “The man who took control of your school and wrecked the front.”
Alan cleared his throat. “I uh, I ruined the front to be honest. They had just won and I had arrived fashionably late.”
Danny nodded, completely serious as he addressed the question. “His apartment was empty and that's because the cops that walked in mysteriously returned before realizing they hadn’t done anything there. Uncle Stephen’s just as concerned.”
“Speaking of Stephen, he has chosen not to come to today’s session I see.” Dr. Sindra noted.
Alan nodded, “He was afraid he’d get too angry about Gravitas. He’s the one that put Cassie into this situation.”
Dr. Sindra sighed and nodded.
“He’s going to go over it with his personal psychologist.” Endara advised, “He’s also incredibly focused on ensuring the trip to Brazil goes off flawlessly.”
“I’d heard about that.” Dr. Sindra smiled, “Part of helping your daughter is it?”
Anna nodded, “We have to traverse the MOTFA.”
Agatha focused on her sister. “What?”
“Middle of the friggin’ Amazon.” Anna smiled. “I switched a word out.”
“Yeah.” Danny nodded, “Save our sister, then find Gravitas.”
Alan nodded and sighed. “We have to succeed.”
Anna stood up on her chair. “We have the world’s strongest telekinetic! We have Uncle Stephen who can turn things to glass, or whatever he wants! We have Endara who is so strong it’s not funny! We also have Bubbles who isn’t gonna stop until he gets Cassandra fixed!” Anna crossed her arms and dropped into her seat once more. “We can’t possibly lose!”
“You forgot yourself kiddo.” Alan snorted, “You and that dragon of yours.”
“We’re gonna be on bodyguard duty.” Anna nodded and smiled at Cassandra.
Cassandra smiled back, her confidence in survival rising all the more as her sister continued to rally the family.
---B)(S)(F---
Sunday February 26, 2079
The next day the family was up early at six in the morning and at the airport by eight. They didn’t have to wait through a long line as Cedric Meissner had lent his private jet to the family for the purpose of the mission. The family was grateful as neither of the Quain brothers had ever thought to buy one and did not want to have to deal with overzealous security on a more public flight. Still they did have to check bags and wait for the plane to be fueled.
It was during this time that the news flashed an important announcement, that the Central Dross police station had been robbed. Hundreds of pieces of evidence had been stolen, among them was all of the evidence from the assault on Thrush’s Academy. Danny stared at the television in rage as he clenched his fist.
On the plane he was sitting across from his father and uncle, partially to give his sisters and mother time to talk and partially to just try and cool down and be left alone. That didn’t work as Bubbles soon sat next to him and immediately picked up on Danny’s mood.
“Something wrong?” Bubbles asked in his usual stoic tone.
Alan paid close attention to his son at that moment. “Saw the news, didn’t you?”
Danny huffed and nodded. “He’s fucking laughing at us.” He hissed in anger.
“Probably.” Alan nodded, “They all think they can escape, but they can only run and delay the end. That’s the thing about villains and super villains. They think they’re better than everyone, that they deserve to have it their way. But we always prove them wrong, they always slip up because they’re always on the run and always dodging out of identities or hidey holes. Granted some of them just got some wires crossed and just need some help, but you mostly find those in the basic and gimmick criminals.”
“Yeah...” Danny shook his head. “Look I don’t want to talk about it right now, okay?”
Alan nodded, “You know where I am for the next, what eight hours?”
“Ten.” Bubbles said, “Stopping to charge.”
“Right, planes actually eat fuel cells.” Alan sighed.
Danny was silent for a moment. “Dad, have you ever met anything inhuman, like no-humanoid, I guess?”
Alan paused, “This about the whole you meeting something on the other side?”
Danny nodded.
“Once.” Alan said, “Definitely not humanoid. I was fifteen or so. I had gotten cocky with a villain called Freestyle, he was an anarchist like Blunt Force, but had powers to turn sound effects into attacks. He caught me off guard and kidnapped me, put me in a restraint collar...”
“You will note that is a common trend for your father’s early adventures.” Stephen smiled.
“At least I didn’t get taken in by the ‘Alien Princess’ scam.” Alan smirked.
Stephen paused in obvious frustration. “Continue.” He sighed.
“Well, I woke up in some larger than average piece of shit shack. Freestyle was really quiet until I tried to escape, then he cracked me in the face with what I’m pretty sure was some invisible bat bullshit. Next thing I knew he was screaming and then his body dropped to the ground without a head.”
Bubbles paid attention after that, slowly closing his tablet’s news section.
“Well the creature was big, built like a fuckin’ Clydesdale but with reptillian-ish skin. Still had a mane. Its mouth was like Salem’s but ten times worse with two large pincers on either side that had Freesstyle’s had skewered on either side.” Alan paused and noticed his family was now paying full attention to his story. He smiled and shook his head. “I was pretty sure I was dead. I locked up in fear and almost freaked out when it approached, then it bit into and tore the collar off. Then it just went away.”
Stephen stared at his brother. “You said a mountain lion surprised him.”
“Yeah because telling the news a monster saved me was going to...” Alan paused and felt around his pockets. “Damnit, where did I put it!” He felt around his jacket and pulled out a few slips of paper. “Anna, Cassie. Got these for you a while back. Kept forgetting to give them to you.”
Anna took her slip of paper and squealed in joy. Cassandra smiled as she saw hers.
“You got MantiKat’s autograph!?” Anna giggled, “How?”
“Got called to help her when she was on the lake. Episode won’t be out for a bit, got curtailed for evidence.” Alan smiled, “But she was happy and thankful. The thing she wears, less so but it was grumpy.”
“Byte’s adorable.” Cassandra smiled.
Alan stared at his daughter and shook his head. They were weird, but they were his and he would love them until the end of forever.
---B)(S)(F---
The flight was easy and gentle, which the entire family was thankful for. They got through customs with minimal issues, their passports marked Alan, Endara, and Stephen as licensed heroes from America, and that drew attention. Alan did his best to keep a rush of fans from getting to his family, but a few overzealous individuals got past him and met the very stern arms of Bubbles who turned them right around.
After fighting their way through the crowds of fans and a few newscasters that caught the Quains arriving they finally arrived at the hotel they would be staying in while in Manaus. They got into the lobby with not trouble at all and Jazz was waiting with the Black Sheep Company crew that Alan had chosen to personally assist with this emergency.
“Greetings Sir.” A man dressed for jungle traversal held out his hand as he approached Alan.
“Tanner.” Alan nodded, “We good to go tomorrow?”
Tanner “Tagalong” Mannith was a muscular man, built like a soldier, an obvious deep scar ran along his right arm with a wrap covering the majority of the old wound. He bore the darker skin and the accent of the country, but the accent was dulled from years of working around the globe. A machete was kept on the side of his legs. His face was mostly shaved, except for a rough five o’clock shadow and his eyes were intense and focused.
“We’re good sir.” Tanner nodded.
“Alan.” Alan corrected his subordinate. “No powers in this group, right?”
“Not unless you count Grant’s ability to scare wildlife after a meal.” Tanner said with a straight face.
A large and pale man stood at the rear of the lobby, doing his best to appear intimidating. He would occasionally divert his attention down the halls and help the hotel workers with heavy items or moving carts.
Alan smiled, “Good, we won’t be using our powers much, don’t want to tip too much of our hand.”
Tanner nodded, “All due respect, your wife is half-infernal. Whatever things are there, will know she’s coming.”
“Good.” Endara stood up and took off her heavier top to reveal a black tank top and her own muscular frame.
Alan stared at her like a smitten teenage boy.
“We have Miss Abarwa as the main medic.” Stephen joined the conversation. “A good choice, second in her class, good marks and a desire to make sure others survive without a death wish herself.”
Stephen watched the Middle-Eastern woman check her rifle over several times. She had her medic’s uniform off to the side and several makeshift splints hanging from her backpack. She looked more prepared than any of the others going on this mission.
“Yasmin’s got heart, but she will gun down an insurgent as soon as she sights them. Thankfully we don’t expect any here.” Tanner nodded.
“Don’t expect much talking out of Innmuth.” Jazz snorted.
Alan tilted his head. “That’s a funky name.”
“She’s got her secrets, but she’s the best cartographer and techie for jungle travel. Picked up lidar reads of the area.” Tanner nodded.
Maggie Innmuth was busy helping the Quain teens get to their rooms. She didn’t say much but was very clearly paying attention to Anna’s endless chatter about animals she and Cassandra wanted to see. She smiled and nodded mostly, her own reddish blonde hair was bound back in a bun and a radio was strapped to her left arm.
“Ollie been handling being back okay?” Alan asked as he watched for the young hero in training.
“Ollie’s been a champ.” Tanner smiled, “Somehow that seventeen year old knows more about my home than I do.”
“Ollie’s powers let him communicate with nature.” Alan explained, “And we don’t know the distance on that.”
“Alan, I’m going to see if the kids want to eat out or not.” Endara said as she tired her shirt around her waist.
“I’d advise eating in. Right now the area’s peaceful, but they got their own villains and such down here that don’t play by your family’s rules.” Tanner said with a nod. “Got a really nasty piece of work called Mandíbula, Snapjaw internationally. Kidnaps rich families and holds them hostage with bombs strapped to kids.”
Alan nodded, “Eat in it is.” He then grinned as he looked over at Stephen and Bubbles, “You guys wanna help me pick up dinner for the family?”
“He’s going to cause problems.” Bubbles sighed.
Stephen nodded, “I would love to.”
Bubbles looked at the twins and sighed, “Someone needs to make sure you don’t get too crazy.”
Tanner laughed, “My friends, be careful that’s the kind of talk that provokes men like Mandíbula.”
Alan smiled and seemed to vibrate in anticipation.
“Alan, no provoking international incidents.” Stephen smiled gently at his twin.
“That’s my job.” Jazz smiled.”I’ll come too once we get all the orders.”
Alan nodded and handed his sister a card, “Get it for all of us, and see if the hotel folks want a free meal. Least we can do for turning their lobby into a prep stage for an expedition.”
“Hotel Manager volunteered it when he heard it was to save a kid.” Tanner nodded, “But I will pass on the offer. They got a bar too, if you want anything.”
Alan shook his head, “Maybe after we save my kid, can’t afford a foggy head right now.”
Tanner nodded in understanding and walked off with Jazz.
Alan noticed Endara had left to talk to their children as well. Stephen took a moment and went to the bar with Bubbles. Alan watched the agent keep a lingering eye on him, he smiled, he knew Bubbles was concerned about the mental states of the family and Alan in particular was feeling drained by the near constant barrage their lives had been subject to as of late. He just wouldn’t give in, it wasn’t in his nature to snap under pressure. He would bend, buckle and bruise until the end, but never break. He sighed and went to follow his wife.
When he got upstairs he found his family talking with Maggie Innmuth, or rather Anna was still chattering and Cassandra and Cxaltho had joined her. Endara looked amused as she watched the two youngest carry on. Danny looked up with eyes begging for a merciful reprieve from the chatter. Agatha was asleep on a couch. Alan sat on the arm of the couch Agatha was asleep on.
“We’re gonna order out, Tanner, the expedition leader and Aunt Jazz will come around for orders. We don’t get to be picky here.” Alan explained.
“I hope it’s a local restaurant!” Anna smiled.
“Your kids are...” Maggie spoke for the first time, her voice was little more than a whisper, but it carried enough to be heard. “Well they’re energetic.”
Alan nodded. “Thanks for putting up with these two. I know they can be a bit much.”
Maggie smiled, “Good kids. Energetic, but good.” She stood up, “Gonna go find the two taking orders. I’ll report back on where we’re getting from.” She nodded and left.
---B)(S)(F---
The next morning the Quain family was up early and gathered with their expedition’s forces. Yasmine started fast and took vitals on as many people as she could. Cassandra has to explain that she would be a difficult case due to not having a traditional body structure. Maggie flat out refused and almost got into a fist fight with the medic before Alan stepped in and broke them apart.
Once the group was fully ready they piled into the two vehicles, powerful trucks, that took them down the roads a few hours. When the trucks stopped the drivers got out and helped unload the packs. Alan also grabbed a heavy rucksack and watched as Endara took the spare radio and medical equipment. Then they waited and soon Ollie Simmons walked out of the jungle. He waved and smiled.
“We’re good to go, the village is willing to have us!” Ollie shouted, “And you’ll get to see how they live. It’s really a life changing experience.”
The family and their guards approached and most looked around cautiously before entering. Once they crossed the boundary though Cassandra began to cough and convulse. Anna quickly helped her sister stand and Cxaltho coiled around Anna’s arms as he too began to cough. Then they both vomited a black sludge.
“What is that?” Yasmine asked.
“It’s her cellular structure.” Stephen said. “Broken down and tossed away. They know we’re coming.”
Alan nodded and hugged his daughter close. “Well, then they'd better start practicing their apologies.”
“Cassandra, what do we do with it?” Bubbles asked.
Cassandra wiped her mouth and Cxaltho rubbed his own against Anna’s shirt. “Glass it. I’ll have to eat a big dinner I guess.” She tried to smile, but found she couldn’t. “Just don’t leave it.”
Stephen nodded and touched the masses, turning them to solid granite.
“Still scary as shit to watch.” Tanner shuddered.
“Good.” Stephen stood and hugged his niece. “Let’s not waste any time, yes?”
“No.” Yasmin said, “Clear a spot, I want to check her. No arguments, I need something to measure against.”
“Volume.” Stephen nodded, “Trust me Cassandra?”
Cassandra smiled and nodded as she followed her uncle. She ended up basically stepping onto a special scale that Yasmin had on hand. Stephen helped her take notes and provided an estimation on the volume and mass lost from the attack. Not long after that the group began to move again, Only Endara passed off the extra medical bag to Bubbles and insisted on carrying her daughter. Cassandra did not argue, she was too tired and honestly was happy to be held close by her mother. A new and wonderful sensation she hoped would continue past this adventure. Anna walked beside them both, keeping a constant eye and ear out for danger with Hong Long coiled around her neck and also staying alert, they also tried to keep Cassandra entertained.
Ahead of the group Ollie was trailblazing with Tanner and Jazz. Well they were trailblazing, Ollie was simply walking and the plants parted for him on his approach. Jazz nodded in approval, but Tanner was clearly nervous.
“Is this magic?” Tanner asked. “I’ve been out here as a kid, saw a shaman use vines to twist a man in half.”
“Magic isn’t the right word for it.” Ollie sighed as he gently patted a series of nasty looking plant bulbs, “Magic is about ritual, formula and willpower manipulating reality. This is me asking the planet, the earth, the plants, animals even, to help.”
“Neat.” Jazz nodded, “That’s actually really cool.”
“I think Cassandra got the same powers, sort of.” Ollie said. “I just don’t know how or who managed that.”
“GOBAL, through horrifying experiments.” Jazz nodded, “Combined her DNA with well, whatever Cxaltho is and this Blood of Gaia, at least that’s Stephen’s theory. How about you?”
Ollie nodded, “Fair is fair. I won’t value another’s life over the secrecy I was sworn to, that’d be a betrayal of what I was given the powers for.” He sighed, “I was about seven, maybe eight and my dad brought my mom and I to help fight a native relocation. I was having fun with the kids of the village. Well, I was a dumb kid and separated from them. I was lost and it got dark. I fell into cenote and it had a whirlpool and I got sucked into it.”
“Damn.” Tanner, “How’d you survive?”
“Who says I did.” He laughed and shook his head with a vicious smile, “Anyway, I woke up with weird green patches on my body...” He rolled up his sleeve where markings like vines snaked across his arm, then pointed to the patches on his neck that looked like leaves. “After that I spoke to the lady who lived there. She called the place ‘The Glade’ and had its guardian escort me out.”
“Someone we should be worried about?” Tanner asked.
Ollie shook his head, “We’re not here to destroy, despoil or demean the land. We just want to save Cassandra, he’ll understand that.”
Jazz nodded, “Is this Guardian going to be easy to spot?”
Ollie gave a smaller, but still vicious grin. “If you see him first, yeah.”
Tanner continued his pace before looking over to Jazz, “Nice kid, creepy smile.”
Jazz shook her head, “I’ve seen worse.”
The group would travel for two more days. Cassandra would quickly take to walking again, but was easily winded, slowed and sometimes just unable to move. On the dawn of the second day Alan pulled out a small rectangular device from his pack, it looked almost like a phone, at least until he sat it down and plugged in the satellite phone to it. Then it grew into a door sized frame and locked itself into place. Then the space between the frame filled with what seemed like an image. Then the tall frame Vile stepped through and into the Amazon jungle. He carried with him multiple packs and rushed back for several more before he waved to the watching form of Stella Meissner and the strange doorway closed.
“Diving gear.” Tanner noted, “Was wondering about how you planned to navigate a cenote.”
“And an Icathian.” Maggie Innmuth glared at Vile, who seemed to either ignore her or not register the glare.
Vile nodded his head, “I will be taking the lead on the dive, just in case we are attacked from the front.”
“I got the rear then.” Tanner nodded and pulled out a small rebreather from a side pocket. “Always be ready for bullshit when in the Amazon.”
“Once we get to the village, we’re gonna take a day then head to the cenote.” Alan nodded, “”This one got a name Ollie?”
Ollie nodded, “The Fool’s Well.”
“I suddenly don’t like this place.” Grant said with a nervous laugh.
“Relax, I survived falling in as a kid.” Ollie smiled.
“I thought you didn’t.” Tanner frowned.
“Who can say, I was alive when I woke up.” Ollie smiled, “But we’ll be fine, the Guardian will likely be helping us.”
Cassandra was sitting with Anna when Vile approached her and kneeled down.
“Hi.” Cassandra smiled.
“I will fight to ensure your survival and failing that I will ensure you are avenged and buried properly.” Vile bowed his head.
Cassandra paused and Cxaltho’s jaw dropped. Anna just gave a deep sigh and shook her head.
“Thank you.” Cassandra nodded politely, “You still have problems talking to people, don’t you?”
Vile stiffened for a moment before slowly nodding.
“We both appreciate the thought.” Cassandra smiled, “But vengeance doesn’t help here.”
Vile nodded and stood once again, he looked at Alan and grabbed a case of diving gear.
Alan nodded, “All right, let’s pick up and go.” Alan said as he focused and levitated all of the extra diving equipment.
“What happened to low power usage?” Agatha asked.
“Required, no extra bodies to carry it.” Alan said. “And no, we aren’t summoning a fire goat in the Amazon.”
Agatha gave a huff, “It’d be so cool!”
“Not really.” Danny scoffed, “We’d be in the world’s largest tinder pile.”
“It’s all wet.” Agatha argued.
“Remind me, doesn’t Baaphomet breathe hellfire?” Alan asked.
“Right, yeah...” Agatha sighed, “Okay, point made. Should probably use the spells Professor Illidae has been teaching me.”
“We also have a potentially large dragon.” Anna suggested.
“Who glows.” Danny said, “Not great for keeping a low profile. Dad can at least make his TK invisible.”
Anna puffed her cheeks up in anger as she quickly took stride to be next to Cassandra once again.
Danny stared in confusion at his sister.
“Welcome to treachery.” Alan smiled at his son.
“Ahh...” Danny nodded, “Now I get it.”
“No you don’t.” Agatha laughed.
Danny sighed, “I really don’t.”
“Your family is weird.” Maggie snorted as she stood behind the teens.
“Thanks, it’s in the blood.” Agatha cackled wildly at her own joke.
In the distance two yellow eyes focused on the group. They were loud and noisy, but the Guardian could smell the sick one and he felt the power of another Guardian. He would watch them closely as they approached the village. Then, if he needed to, he would act.
/////
The First Story
Previous Part! //// [Next Part!]()
Arc 1 - Black Sheep Family - Arc 1, First Chapter
Arc 2 - Paradigm Shift - Arc 2, First Chapter
Arc 3 - Gravitas Rising Arc 3, First Chapter
Arc 4 - The Director’s Chair Arc 4, First Chapter
Arc 5- The School War Arc 5, First Chapter
Spotify
/////
Credit where Credit is due:
Kyton & Cassandra Quain are © u/TwistedMind596
Obsidian is © u/Ultimalice
Ixton the Blade of the Wielder is © My friend Forged of Souls who does not use reddit
Furnace is © my friend Matt who does not use reddit
Cedric Stein Meissner aka Tesseract is © my friend James, who does not use reddit.
All other characters and Dross City are © u/TheSmogMonsterZX
//// The Voice Box ////
Smoggy: Oh, I forgot where this arc started...
Perfection: Yeah and you have the dime store kothoga in it too...
Smoggy: Quiet! They might not recognize the description!
Wraith: Well now they will.
Smoggy: (grumble)
DM: Working on GSD now?
Smoggy: If I can find the energy and the will. So much stuff has been canceled for my games and I'm actively looking for a new job. Things might get wonky for a bit.
Perfection: And its June. Been a while. (Clicks on the rainbow disco light)
Smoggy: But we're always safe for anyone to be around.
Wraith: Except Nazis.
Perfection: (twangs a string of fate and smiles) Perfectly punchable Nazis.
DM: No superhero story is complete without punching at least one out.
submitted by TheSmogmonsterZX to HFY [link] [comments]

2024.06.05 16:29 Successful-Clerk-778 Received RFE for I-129f but Confused

Sorry if this is a long read but I'm genuinely confused. About 2 months ago I sent in the I-129F packet with evidence so I can start the process to bring my fiance from Canada over to the US on a fiance visa. We looked into the process for months gathering evidence including photos of us together, receipts for gas purchases from travel and hotel reservations, itinerary from a wedding we attended, and letters from friends and family attesting to us being in each others physical presence within the last 2 years prior to filing.
We just received a request for additional evidence and the evidence requested is the 2 year meeting requirement. However, they stated in the letter that the evidence we included was "hotel resevations which are not sufficent because those can be canceled." This is confusing because I sent in so much more than hotel resevations? We had evidence for multiple in person meetings within 2 years, with heavy emphasis on the wedding since that had the wedding rsvp with the date, letters from the bride's relatives and friends there to attest to us being there, pictures of us together with said friends, and a hotel receipt of course staying in the area of the wedding venue.
We do not get passport stamps so hotel and gas receipts are all we can really use to prove travel. But I don't know how much more we could use to prove we were there together on that date within the last 2 years? Like do they want a picture of us standing in front of a bank sign that says the date on it? I don't get it. It's frustrating that we tried to include everything we could to make sure we didn't get an RFE for this and now we've got one anyway. Is this just an oversight by the officer that sent the letter? I feel like they ignored all of the evidence we submitted. We're going to respond with pretty much re-submitting the wedding info again plus whatever extra we can include but we genuinely threw everything we had in there and were confident it would be enough.
Any ideas or insight into what we could possibly include or if we shouldn't be too worried about receiving this given the evidence submitted would be appreciated. Just feeling so defeated after receiving this.
submitted by Successful-Clerk-778 to USCIS [link] [comments]

2024.06.04 17:23 Smiffoo How to switch from monthly to yearly.

Hey, I've just signed up to Coursera Plus yesterday and it's currently £47 per month. I think it's cheaper by the year. How do I switch from monthly to yearly?
I have both the app and access to the website, and have verified my ID (British Passport) but can't see any options other than cancel. I am still in the free period, will I need to cancel then re-sign up?
Thanks.
submitted by Smiffoo to coursera [link] [comments]

2024.06.04 07:26 fatimashaikh123 Are You Eligible for an Abu Dhabi Tourist Visa?

Are You Eligible for an Abu Dhabi Tourist Visa?
https://preview.redd.it/4pq3pv32qh4d1.jpg?width=1500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3140d9132486e04850214fca79133b2c9b15e9f1
Welcome to the mesmerizing city of Abu Dhabi! Known for its stunning skyline, rich cultural heritage, and luxurious lifestyle, Abu Dhabi is a top destination for travelers around the world. But before you pack your bags, it’s crucial to know if you’re eligible for a tourist visa. Let's dive into everything you need to know about securing your tourist visa to Abu Dhabi.

What is an Abu Dhabi Tourist Visa?

An Abu Dhabi Tourist Visa is a travel authorization that allows you to enter and stay in the city for a specified period for leisure, tourism, or visiting friends and family. This visa is a must-have for most international travelers planning to explore the wonders of Abu Dhabi.

Types of Tourist Visas Available

There are several types of tourist visas for Abu Dhabi:
  • Short-Term Tourist Visa: Valid for 30 days and can be extended.
  • Long-Term Tourist Visa: Valid for 90 days and also extendable.
  • Multiple Entry Visa: Ideal for travelers who plan to enter and exit the UAE multiple times within the validity period.

Visa Eligibility Criteria

General Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for an Abu Dhabi tourist visa, applicants generally need:
  • A valid passport with at least six months’ validity from the date of entry.
  • A recent passport-sized photograph.
  • Proof of sufficient funds to cover the stay.
  • A confirmed return or onward ticket.

Country-Specific Requirements

Eligibility can vary based on nationality. Citizens of some countries may not need a visa prior to arrival or may be eligible for a visa on arrival. It's essential to check the specific requirements based on your country of residence.

Application Process

Steps to Apply for a Tourist Visa

  1. Complete the Application Form: Available online or through authorized travel agencies.
  2. Submit Required Documents: Passport copy, photograph, travel itinerary, and proof of funds.
  3. Pay the Visa Fee: Payment can be made online.
  4. Wait for Processing: Typically, it takes a few days to a few weeks.

Required Documents

  • Valid passport
  • Recent passport-sized photo
  • Flight details
  • Hotel booking or accommodation details
  • Bank statements

Visa Fees and Processing Time

Cost of an Abu Dhabi Tourist Visa

The cost varies depending on the type of visa:
  • Short-Term Visa: Approximately $100 - $150
  • Long-Term Visa: Around $300 - $400
  • Multiple Entry Visa: Higher fees due to extended validity

Typical Processing Time

The processing time for an Abu Dhabi tourist visa can range from 3 to 15 business days, depending on the type of visa and the applicant's nationality.

Visa on Arrival

Countries Eligible for Visa on Arrival

Travelers from certain countries can obtain a visa on arrival. This includes citizens from the USA, UK, EU, and some Asian and Latin American countries.

Process and Requirements

Upon arrival at the Abu Dhabi International Airport, eligible travelers need to present:
  • A valid passport
  • A return or onward ticket
  • Hotel booking or proof of accommodation

E-Visa System

Overview of the E-Visa System

The UAE offers an e-visa system, making it convenient to apply for a visa online. This system is user-friendly and speeds up the application process.

How to Apply for an E-Visa

  1. Visit the Official E-Visa Portal: Fill out the online application form.
  2. Upload Necessary Documents: Passport scan, photo, and travel details.
  3. Make Payment Online: Secure payment options are available.
  4. Receive Your E-Visa: Usually emailed within a few days.

Special Conditions

Eligibility for Children and Elderly

Children and elderly travelers have specific requirements:
  • Children: Need a valid passport and may require additional documents like a birth certificate.
  • Elderly: Might need to provide medical clearance depending on their health condition.

Medical Conditions and Special Needs

Travelers with medical conditions or special needs should carry relevant medical documentation and may need to notify authorities in advance for special assistance.

Extending Your Tourist Visa

How to Extend Your Stay

You can extend your tourist visa for another 30 days without leaving the country. Visit the nearest immigration office or apply online.

Costs and Process for Extension

The cost for extending a tourist visa is approximately $200. Ensure to apply before your current visa expires to avoid penalties.

Visa Rejection

Common Reasons for Visa Rejection

  • Incomplete or incorrect application
  • Insufficient funds
  • Suspicious travel history
  • Criminal record

How to Avoid Rejection

  • Double-check all information before submission.
  • Ensure you meet all financial requirements.
  • Provide a clear travel itinerary.

Travel Insurance

Importance of Travel Insurance

Travel insurance is essential for covering medical emergencies, trip cancellations, and other unexpected events.

Recommended Insurance Providers

Consider reputable providers like AXA, Allianz, or local UAE-based insurance companies for comprehensive coverage.

COVID-19 Considerations

Current Travel Restrictions

Due to the pandemic, travel restrictions and requirements can change frequently. Always check the latest updates from official sources before your trip.

Health and Safety Measures

Ensure you comply with health protocols like wearing masks, maintaining social distancing, and providing negative COVID-19 test results if required.

Exploring Abu Dhabi

Top Tourist Attractions

  • Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque: A stunning architectural marvel.
  • Louvre Abu Dhabi: An impressive art and civilization museum.
  • Ferrari World: A thrilling amusement park for speed enthusiasts.

Cultural Etiquette and Tips

Respect local customs and traditions. Dress modestly, avoid public displays of affection, and be mindful of cultural norms.

Conclusion

Abu Dhabi is a vibrant destination offering a unique blend of modernity and tradition. Understanding the visa requirements and ensuring eligibility will make your travel experience smooth and enjoyable. Prepare well, and you’re all set for an unforgettable adventure in Abu Dhabi.

FAQs

What is the validity of an Abu Dhabi tourist visa?

The validity depends on the type of visa. Short-term visas are valid for 30 days, while long-term visas can be valid for 90 days.

Can I work with a tourist visa in Abu Dhabi?

No, a tourist visa does not permit you to work in Abu Dhabi. You would need a work visa for employment.

How can I check the status of my visa application?

You can check the status online through the official e-visa portal or by contacting the visa issuing authority.

What should I do if I lose my visa?

If you lose your visa, contact the nearest immigration office or your country's embassy in Abu Dhabi for assistance.

Are there any visa exemptions?

Yes, citizens of GCC countries and certain nationalities may not require a visa or can obtain one on arrival. Check specific exemptions based on your nationality.
submitted by fatimashaikh123 to u/fatimashaikh123 [link] [comments]

2024.06.04 06:48 mansplanar 11 Online Dating Safety Tips for Newbies in 2024

Always make your own way to date, especially the first couple, meet in a public place and a place you know there's going to be people around. Do some vetting, in terms of searching the perosn up online to see if he says who he is and any look out for any possible red flags.
Always go with your gut feeling, if something doesn't add up, cancel the date or postpone it.
Meet in public, coffee or a public park in the daytime. You can choose not to give your phone number or social media if you want to keep everything in app. Feel free to drop and unmatch anyone who get pushy or insist on meeting some place you're not too familiar with (guys sometimes will intentionally pick a location close to them).
Online dating has become the new norm, with more than 40 million Americans using the internet to search for love, according to Match.com1. However, there's always some risk involved when meeting someone for the first time, especially if you met them online.
Whether you use Bumble, Match.com or Tinder, safe dating should always be a top priority. The following are eight important online dating safety tips that will help you safely transition your relationship off the app and into real life.
  1. Wait until you feel comfortable
When online dating, you'll probably come across some profiles that say, "Not looking for a pen pal," or "If you don't want to meet up, swipe left." While it's important to meet potential partners in person, don't feel pressured to meet someone before you're 100 percent comfortable.2
If you want to wait longer, don't feel embarrassed or pressured—the right person will give you the time you need to feel comfortable.
  1. Do a little digging
While there's some stigma attached to "Facebook stalking" potential dates, you shouldn't feel bad about doing a little social media research before meeting someone for the first time. It's a great way to spot red flags and ensure you're not dealing with a catfish.
  1. Tell someone where you're going
When you make plans with someone you met on a dating app, always tell a trusted friend or family member where you're going. You might even consider giving them access to your location via iOS or an app like Find My Friends.
Another good safety precaution is to use a service like ADT SoSecure, which allows you to share your location with family and quickly call for help in an emergency.
  1. Meet publicly
The first time you meet up with someone, do so in a public place where there are plenty of other people around—restaurants, bars, movie theaters, coffee shops or parks are good options.
Further, Tinder recommends staying in public for the duration of your date—it's inadvisable to go back to the apartment or home of someone you just met.4

  1. Provide your own transportation
On a similar note, it's best to provide your own transportation to the date, even if it's just taking a cab, the subway or a rideshare. While it may seem chivalrous when your date offers to pick you up, you'll be happy you can leave on your terms if things go south.
  1. Stay sober
Many people like to grab a drink on their first date, but if you do decide to go to a bar, take care to stay sober. You need to be able to get yourself home safely, and you put yourself at risk when intoxicated. Know your limits, and stick to them! When in doubt, suggest a coffee date instead.
  1. Don't give out private info
Online dating scams are genuine, and they're on the rise. According to USA Today, people of all ages and demographics are being targeted by bad actors. Complaints of "romance scams" have jumped significantly in the past few years.5
To keep yourself safe from scams, don't give out personal information to potential dates and never entertain requests for money.
  1. When in doubt, bow out
Don't be afraid to bow out if you feel uncomfortable at any point during the date or even before it. You're in no way obligated to stay with someone if you feel awkward or threatened. When it comes to eHarmony, Plenty of Fish, Coffee Meets Bagel, Bumble or Tinder, safe dating should be your first priority!
  1. Use a unique phone number
You should always use the dating app for initial communication, but at some point, you may want to swap phone numbers. There are many apps on the market that you can download that allow you to keep your phone number private.
Simply download one of these apps, and you’ll receive a unique phone number. You can then use this number like you would use your regular phone number: to chat or text.
10. Download a personal security app
Another safety precaution you can utilize is to use a service like the SoSecure by ADT app, which allows you to share your location with family and quickly call for help in an emergency.
ADT can check in with you through a call or text to ensure you're safe. If you don't respond, ADT alerts your Guardians and emergency responders with your location.
11. Take new pictures for your profile
When someone does a reverse image search, that means they’re taking an image you currently have and putting it into a search to find related images. If you're using the same photo for your dating website and your social media profile, it may be possible for someone to find you and learn details about your life through your social media accounts.
7 online dating red flags
Dating red flags refer to something you should look out for when dating. Some online dating red flags are more obvious, like if a prospective partner is asking you for money before your first date. But there are other red flags that not only seem innocent, but a natural part of dating.
When meeting and talking with strangers, it’s always important to use your best judgment and listen to your instincts. If your date seems respectable, but there’s still something off about them, you should listen to your unease and remove yourself from that situation.
We've compiled a list of a few flags to look out for when searching and connecting with others as you navigate online dating apps.
  1. If your prospective date only has one or two pictures, it may indicate that they're a bot or an otherwise fake profile.
  2. You should be cautious if the person you've matched with constantly dodges your questions, or they only provide vague answers.
  3. If you’re chatting with someone who tries to force you to meet in person before you're ready, this could also be a red flag.
  4. If your match refuses to talk with you on the phone before meeting, this could indicate that they’re trying to catfish you.
  5. Someone who posts their social media handle on their profile may not be an overt red flag, but it could suggest that they're only looking for followers and not a serious dating match.
  6. Be cautious if someone unmatches with you after getting your phone number or before you get a chance to go on a date with them. This could be a way for a person to prevent being reported on those apps.
  7. Profiles of people who aren't local, especially if they only want to meet at a hotel or other private area, should be approached with caution.

5 online dating scams and how to avoid them

  1. Personal identity theft scams
These scams can often be long-term cons. As you become more comfortable and send increasingly private information, like where you live and the names of your relatives, they take note of this information to use against you later. Some adept scammers may even gain enough information that they can hack your password or email accounts.
Divulging certain information to an untrustworthy date could put you at risk of identity theft and compromise your bank account, credit history or even your social security number.
To prevent this from happening, never give personal information to a stranger on the internet, even if it’s “just” your last name. Exercise caution until you feel like the person you’ve been chatting with is genuine and won’t scam your personal information.
  1. Phishing and malware scams
These generally entail someone who chats with you for a while, then tries to convince you to click on a link. Sometimes, this link can look reputable or even appear to be a copy of a social media profile. Once you click on it, malware infects your computer and gives over your personal information to the scammer.
Never click on any links a stranger sends you, even if it seems like a TikTok or fun meme. You should also make sure your phone and computer have up-to-date malware protection software in the event you do click on a phishing link. If your computer warns you that you’re attempting to open a suspicious website, you should listen to it and back out of the link immediately.
  1. Various money scams
Money scams can vary from helping your potential suitor, to helping their sick dog or family members. It all boils down to the scammer attempting to get money from you to help pay for something. Once they get this money, they may try to extort you for more, or simply vanish.
Asking for money for a plane or bus ticket to visit you.
Requesting funds for medical bills or an operation.
They need help with their phone payment.
They need money to pay off a passport.
Don't send money to strangers on the internet, even if it seems like they really need the money. Usa.gov has many resources you can utilize if you believe that you're a victim of cybercrime.
  1. Catfishing
A "catfish" is a person who uses a phony dating profile or online presence to convince someone that they're someone they’re not. This term was coined in 2010 when MTV ran a documentary with the same name. In these scenarios, the catfish can often seem like the perfect match, telling you everything you want to hear.
A prospective partner may do this to gain personal or financial information from you. Or, someone may choose you specifically if they have a personal vendetta against you or want to cause you embarrassment.
Be careful of any date that seems too good to be true. When you feel like it’s appropriate, arrange a virtual or in-person meet-up to make sure the person is who they say they are.
Just like others can use reverse image lookup on you to find your other social media profiles, you can do the same to someone you suspect is catfishing you. If this is a scam they’ve done before, it’s likely you’ll find their image on the internet associated with multiple accounts and names.
  1. Authentication scam
This scam surrounds the use of the two-factor authentication security features we encounter when trying to log into social or bank accounts. You receive a security message with a one-time code that you enter into your account that allows you to access it.
Some scammers say that a code they're getting doesn't work, and then they ask if they can send your phone number the code. However, they're trying to access your accounts.
If you receive an alert that someone is trying to access your account, but you know it wasn't you, immediately change your password. To avoid this, never give someone a verification code.
submitted by mansplanar to MatchMeBro [link] [comments]

2024.06.04 06:38 mansplanar Coffee Meets Bagel Premium Reviews [2024 Cost!]

I think paying the small amount to see all your likes is worth it - at least for that one month to filter through likes. Also seeing the activity of people is a good thing to know when lining up meets or knowing if you should even waste your time liking them.
Trying to decide if Coffee Meets Bagel Premium is worth it? We've been using this popular dating app since CMB launched in 2012. That's thousands upon thousands of hours spent checking out profiles, messaging, and setting up dates for the singles we represent.
All that real world experience means we know all the premium features inside and out - and if they're worth the investment to use.
Stick around for the CMB tips at the end - those will help you get higher quality matches on this popular dating app, whether you upgrade or not!
Coffee Meets Bagel Premium Benefits
Coffee Meets Bagel is free to use - you can browse your daily matches, match with people and exchange messages without paying for a premium membership.
But like most dating apps, if you want to unlock a few handy features there is an option to upgrade.
Here are 9 Coffee Meets Bagel Premium benefits:
View all the matches in your “Likes You” feed at once
Get 8 “Discover Likes”
3 monthly profile boosts
Activity Reports
Premium preferences & filters
Unlimited Skip The Line
Unlimited Rewinds
Message read receipts
Discounts on Beans
Let’s take a closer look at the most important ones.
Likes
Free users have limited access to the “Likes You” feed. You have to go through each profile one at a time and make a like/pass decision before you can see the next one.
A Premium membership unblurs all the profiles in the feed, and you can instantly match.
Upgraded users can also send 8 ‘likes’ a month in the Discover section without spending any Beans.
Profile Boosts
Premium members get 3 profile boosts every month.
A profile boost on Coffee Meets Bagel lasts for 48 hours, and the dating app claims it can get you up to 5x more views. When your profile is being boosted, you’ll see a lightning bolt icon by your avatar in the upper left corner.
Other CMB users will not know that you’re using a profile boost.
Free users can access the Profile Boost feature as well, but it costs around 750 beans per use. Premium users can also purchase additional boosts at any time.
Activity Report
Coffee Meets Bagel Premium feature: Activity Report
An Activity Report on Coffee Meets Bagel is essentially a snapshot of a particular user's activity (or lack of activity) on the app. Reports are automatically generated from the user’s 15 most recent connections.
You’ll be able to see these data points:
How often a users messages their matches
How often they send the first message after matching
If they were active on the app within 3 days
The time it generally takes them to respond to a message
Founder Dawoon Kang said she hopes to help "put an end to ghosting" by offering users 'behind the scenes' data. But one thing to keep in mind when you’re checking out someone’s stats…
Since reports are only updated every 72 hours, the information may not be that accurate for brand new users or for those who don’t use the Coffee Meets Bagel app that much.
Premium Preferences & Filters
Similar to Bumble’s advanced filters, Coffee Meets Bagel unlocks additional screening options for potential matches in your Suggested feed when you upgrade.
The Premium filters include:
Relationship Goals - Screen for users seeking marriage, a serious relationship, something casual, or who aren’t sure yet.
Family Plans - Includes wanting kids, open to kids, don’t want kids or aren’t sure.
Kids - Focus on users with kids or without kids
Smoking - Screen for matches smoke often, occasionally or never.
Exercise - Criteria include daily, often, occasionally or never
Unlimited Skip The Line
The Skip The Line feature on Coffee Meets Bagel is a way for Premium members to get priority placement in the feeds of popular users.
Here’s how Skip The Line works.
When you “like” a bagel that the app’s algorithm identifies as having a long like/pass queue, you’ll get a pop up window asking if you’d like to “send flowers” to bump your profile up. In other words, your potential match will see your profile faster than they would have otherwise.
Unlimited Rewinds
Unlimited Rewinds gives you a second chance with Suggested bagels that you’ve passed on.
You can access this premium feature by tapping on the clock icon in the upper right hand corner.
But keep in mind this feature is time-sensitive - it resets every day at noon. It’s also currently only available on iOS devices.
Coffee Meets Bagel Premium Cost
The cost of Premium Coffee Meets Bagel depends on the length of your membership, but generally ranges from $20 to $35 per month depending on where you live.
2024 Premium Coffee Meets Bagel Cost*
1 month - $34.99
3 months - $25.00/month
6 months - $20/month
*Cost may vary by location
As with most dating apps, if you decide to cancel your premium subscription you need to do it properly. Simply deleting your profile or uninstalling the app doesn’t do the trick.
To cancel your Coffee Meets Bagel Premium subscription, you need to do it via the App Store or Google Play. (Click the links to see subscription cancellation instructions for each platform.)
Your Premium subscription will auto renew unless you cancel it at least 24 hours prior to the renewal date.
Coffee Meets Bagel Mini Membership
CMB offers a "light" version of their Premium subscription, called CMB Mini. As the name implies, it's not as feature-heavy as the full upgrade.
CMB Mini includes all the Premium features, with the exception of full access to the "likes you" feed, the extra Likes in Discover and the Skip The Line.
2024 Mini Coffee Meets Bagel Cost*
1 month - $14.99
3 months - $10/month
6 months - $9/month
*Cost may vary by location
When Is Coffee Meets Bagel Premium Worth It?
If you’re living in a big city like New York, LA, San Francisco, etc, having a Premium Coffee Meets Bagel subscription is probably worth it.
As a premium member, you can save a ton of time by unblurring all the potential matches in your “Likes You” feed, and the Activity Reports can help prevent you from wasting time on non-responsive matches.
And since the app claims over 90% of people using CMB are looking for a serious relationship, the extra filters will help screen for important considerations like kids, smoking habits, etc. (Looking for a hookup app? You're better off sticking with Tinder.)
3 Tips For Getting More Dates On Coffee Meets Bagel
Whether or not you decide to start paying for a Premium membership, these 3 tips will help boost your odds of connecting with high-quality matches.

1: Go Long (In Your Bio)

CMB took a look at the most popular user profiles to determine what made them so successful. They found the top 10% of profiles were 35% longer than the less popular ones:
Coffee Meets Bagel profile length graphic
The key takeaway from their graphic is this:
Get detailed in your Coffee Meets Bagel profile.
Fire up Coffee Meets Bagel and see where your bio has room for improvement. Look for generic, boring phrases she sees all the time, like:
Working out
Love to cook
Enjoy traveling
Like learning new things
Hanging out with friends
Having fun
I’m adventurous
All of those phrases above can be instantly more compelling simply by swapping in an example of what you actually do. Get specific, so you’re showing instead of telling.
Not only will you hit that magical 35% longer profile metric, you’ll also end up with a far more compelling profile.
In the very first line, you can practically see her eyes start to glaze as she reads “Passionate about work.” So are the last 11 guys she checked out in her Suggested matches.
In fact, “Passionate about my job” is so cliché it even pops up in CMB’s suggested text when you edit your bio, which is reason enough to avoid using it.
Suggested text from Coffee Meets Bagel
Then in the next section she reads “travel and adventure”... who doesn’t like those two things?
There’s nothing in this profile example to make her think exchanging messages with you is going to be remotely interesting. So why would she bother replying to your message, much less initiating a conversation?
She’s already wading back into her Discover feed, looking for more intriguing guys.
If you want to get her attention, present yourself in an attention-getting way, like this:
Then, once you’ve got your profile dialed in and you’re attracting some “likes”...

2: Don’t Wait To Start Chatting

CMB’s deep data dive revealed that messages sent within 3 hours of initially matching are 52% more likely to receive a response.
The app’s design makes getting the chat started easy by letting users include an icebreaker in their profile, like this one:
Now when you match, all you have to do is answer her icebreaker question. But this is a dating app, so you need to approach messaging strategically.
First, answer her question in a way that shares an attractive tidbit about yourself. For instance, you could highlight an adventurous trip you went on, like this:
I’d go back to Croatia in a heartbeat, the scuba diving was amazing. You seem pretty adventurous too, what’s a stamp you can’t wait to get in your passport?
This message accomplishes 3 important things:
She learns you have a physically demanding and adventurous hobby, and that you travel.
You establish a similarity between the two of you. This is effective because research has shown people tend to be drawn towards those they have something in common with.
You move the conversation forward by inviting her to share something about herself.
This approach to answering her Coffee Meets Bagel icebreaker is far more compelling than just sending a one-word response like “Maui.”

3: Skip The Learning Curve & Go Straight To The Dates!

If you’ve been on dating apps for more than a minute, you’re probably all too aware of how hard it can be to match with the interesting women who seem to have real relationship potential.
And matching is just the first obstacle! Keeping a message exchange going is an area a lot of guys struggle with, and few things are more frustrating than having a promising match go radio silent.
To be successful on apps like CoffeeMeetsBagel, you have to nail every step of the process - and there are a lot of moving pieces. It starts with choosing compelling photos and writing an intriguing bio, and ends with knowing what to say in your messages and exactly when to say it.
That’s… hard. It takes effort, attention and a specialized skill set to stand out and get noticed by the kind of women you want to meet.
submitted by mansplanar to MatchMeBro [link] [comments]

2024.06.03 19:15 Affectionate_Bug8033 Lost Passport in Medellin?

I was surprised to find there was no reddit post providing useful info about what to do if you are an American citizen and had your passport and phone stolen in Medellin, Colombia today. Lord knows the State Department won't tell you everything you'll want to know, and it happens all the time.
I was pick-pocketed in Provenza in El Poblado. My friend was too and lost his wallet. This post pertains to if y'all still have one wallet and one cellphone between the two of you. Otherwise there will be some additional steps.
Print and carry a copy of your passport when traveling. Printing can be done at most front desks. This will come in handy along the way when you need your passport number or an international ID or when security at the airport doesn't know what an emergency passport is and flags you. Don't carry your actual passport with you when going out, especially in a town where theft is common.
First, cancel or change your flights and try to rebook them for after business hours on the day of the morning you will be able to make it to the US embassy in Bogota to apply for and receive an emergency passport. They are completely closed on weekends and US holidays, so we got to spend an extra 3-4 days in this beautiful, locked-in country (b/c Memorial Day Weekend) :). We kept getting "mogged" by these people as the kids say, but that only made me love it more in the end.
Next, visit this link and fill out the form to inform the embassy of your situation and possibly expedite the process: https://co.usembassy.gov/services/contact-acs-form/
These links pertain if you need additional financial or medical assistance: https://co.usembassy.gov/emergency-financial-assistance/ https://uploads.mwp.mprod.getusinfo.com/uploads/sites/57/2022/05/Health-service-providers-2022.pdf
Then, book a flight or bus to Bogota. If bus, you'll be heading to Terminal del Norte where there are numerous options for a lovely 11 hour scenic ride through the mountainous jungular countryside. I booked the tickets online. Descend the stairs into the terminal, have your e-tickets ready, go down the hall to the left and through the yellow doorway on the right. "Down the hall, yellow door".
Book your accommodations, print your upcoming travel itinerary for flying back home, print and fill out the DS-11 and DS-64 forms, and be ready to pay $165 via credit card or however at the embassy. Do NOT settle for submitting a form online. They will, infuriatingly, turn you away and make you come back with printouts. You will need high-quality, 2"x2" passport photos which you can get done right outside the embassy super easily and cheaply (20.000COP). Bring these 4 things with your money and driver's license to the embassy's little American citizen entrance gate (around the block to the right of where the GPS/Uber would drop you off) at 9am. Enter through two layers of only-Spanish-speaking security and talk with a consular officer. At 3pm you will be good to return and pick up your emergency passport.
If you have medical devices like me (type 1 diabetic), they will accommodate and allow you to bring in metal electronics like insulina pump and glucose meter.
Put your iPhone in Lost Mode and remove ApplePay, etc. If you Find My Phone and it turns up, chances are it's at an impenetrably large apartment complex in a rough area, and even if you pay the police they won't be able to retrieve it. Still, file a report with the police in case your passport turns up in the interim (I couldn't find how to do this online, you maybe can in person or call by dialing 123). I hope you can speak Spanish.
Make sure to report your passport lost online with the State Department so they can invalidate it for security/ identity theft purposes.
Pray that someone doesn't die on your flight before you reach American soil, forcing you to ground and further the delay. God Bless, and someone please make the State more competent.
submitted by Affectionate_Bug8033 to digitalnomad [link] [comments]

2024.06.03 18:19 ebbandwolf eTA denied even though I have a valid study permit

Hello all,
I'm typing this up as I'm frustrated and looking for anyone who has tips on how to solve this.
I am currently a temporary resident of Canada as I have a study permit that's valid from 2022 to 2026. For the past two academic years, I have been an excellent student, paid all my fees and taxes, committed no crimes. I have also left Canada to go on vacation twice before.
This third time, however, I was denied an eTA on the basis that the "IRCC's records indicate that I did not hold a Canadian temporary resident visa at any time during the 10-year period immediately preceding the day on which I made my application".
I am a Mexican citizen and I am aware that all of our eTAs got cancelled "unless we held a valid study or work permit". They cancelled mine anyway, but I figured it was just an en masse thing they did.
I have submitted a form through their website asking them to reevaluate my case, but overall I'm really confused because my passport number should be connected to my permit, and I also used to Unique Client Identifier number on my study permit to apply for my eTA.
Why do their records not have my study permit? What else can I do to prove my validity?
submitted by ebbandwolf to ImmigrationCanada [link] [comments]

2024.06.03 17:01 an-open-mind1 Shopogolic trying to steal my laptop

Hi,
I want to document my experience here I am currently having with Shopogolic.
I live in Italy, and have business partners in Canada I am sending a 2000$ macbook to through Shopogolic, from Amazon in Italy. I've already paid Shopogolic for the shipment, and its been almost 2 months since then.
Im being told its impossible to ship a laptop from italy to canada. This seems wrong. They use Fedex so it should be fine. Ive checked with fedex customer service regarding this matter and was told that those rules about lithium batteries only apply to used goods.
I've been having to email back and forth with some person named Alina.. Here some of our recent email correspondence:
Hello! I will check with the warehouse about this parcel. And no, we do not ship within the same country. Please clarify what kind of refund we are talking about? Please clarify
AlinaShopogolic 6/3/2024 11.47 AM
To add on to my last email, please keep in mind im past my return date. There is no options to return it to Amazon anymore. You can lookup their return policies yourself. its best we sort this out domestically.
You 6/2/2024 9.00 PM
Hello 2 Things 1. I reviewed the link you sent me for Shopogolic Prohibited Goods, and there is nothing there that says laptop. The closest things, might be "loose lithium Battery" But that wouldnt apply since this is a brand new laptop, and there is no Loose Battery.. Would you please point me to the item you are referring to, that describes my shipment as Prohibited? 2. I had already asked you if you can ship it domestically to my partner, who will then ship it to me. The page you linked me to refers to International Shipments. So will you ship this domestically to my partner? There is many options for this, and there really is no excuse not to. 3. Where is my refund? All communications I am documenting to social media reviews at this point because nothing you're doing seems rational. Let me know thanks.
You 6/2/2024 8.58 PM
Hello! We can't ship it in general. Since it is prohibited to send All goods prohibited for delivery you can find via the link: https://shopogolic.net/en/prohibitions-and-restrictions
AlinaShopogolic 5/29/2024 11.01 AM
Where can you ship to?
You 5/28/2024 8.07 PM
What kind of refund are we talking about?
AlinaShopogolic 5/27/2024 10.31 AM
Hello! We won't be able to send it. You may return order if the store offers such a service. If you have bought an item at auction from a private seller, unfortunately, the return service is not possible. Please follow steps below: 1. Contact the store and request a return label. Send us the label via an email form (https://shopogolic.net/ru/contacts) or support chat on our website. 2. Create a parcel from your order, choose any courier and add the address you see on the return label from the seller. 3. Add the comment "Return, the return label emailed via support/contact form" in the parcel comments. Without this comment, the warehouse will not ship your return 4. The warehouse will then return your package to the store. There is a charge for the return service.
AlinaShopogolic 5/27/2024 10.30 AM
So how am I supposed to send this Package then to Canada? And you have no addressed the payment I made, and about refunding it.
You 5/25/2024 10.36 PM
We do not ship with USPS from Italy. We act according to the rules provided by Italian courier services.
AlinaShopogolic 5/23/2024 3.12 PM
🖼️ Hello, The rule on USPS website that was made 2022 for Lithium Batteries states that it applies on used, defective or old. But it does not apply on New Purchases. The package you have of mine, is a new purchase. https://federalregister.gov/documents/2022/06/06/2022-12003/new-mailing-standards-for-the-separation-of-hazardous-materialsAnd its further backed up by news reports on the matter: https://www.ecommercebytes.com/2022/06/03/usps-imposes-new-limits-on-used-electronics/ JsAjjvs0vApUULPy.pnghQDqxJFzYRTXkF24.png
You 5/23/2024 1.04 PM
Choose any other option, thank you. Air, Ground, Water, etc. Let me know
You 5/23/2024 12.54 PM
There is no land route to Canada, it's a different continent
AlinaShopogolic 5/23/2024 12.07 PM
What amount are you talking about? Please clarify
AlinaShopogolic 5/23/2024 12.03 PM
I already sent you those things, bank statement invoice passport. If it doesnt ship by air then send it by ground. Please do not keep delaying shipment. Also please confirm you have refunded the amount paid?
You 5/23/2024 11.59 AM
Hello dear (redacted)! We are forced to cancel the shipment of your package because the item contains lithium batteries, and they are prohibited for shipment by air.
AlinaShopogolic 5/23/2024 11.28 AM
This message was deleted
AlinaShopogolic 5/23/2024 11.27 AM
🖼️ UPDATE PLEASE?
Ill add any update below...
submitted by an-open-mind1 to internationalshopper [link] [comments]

2024.06.02 22:54 lorkano0 Rant: List of junk / "features" that are hurting the game

As game's playerbase is slowly diminishing, I thought I will list all the things that I think severly hurt the flow of this game and put people off playing it. Note that this is just my opinion from decent amount of time playing this game.
This is just some of the stuff that is there from the beginning. All of those are small things - but in combination they make big difference. Random deaths interact with map design a lot to increase annoyance of the player, and in turn all of this reduce time in combat to time running towards the enemies.
Torn Banner should've first focused on those instead of introducing more maps with more junk (f.e terribly implemented horses). Because, every time after they make this game free somewhere, those things are the ones that kill it time and time again. Epic games is the last chance before game going completely free to play. They tried every avenue. It's time to notice what is holding it back.
submitted by lorkano0 to Chivalry2 [link] [comments]

2024.06.01 23:50 ComprehensiveFig8743 AITA for not wanting my MIL to move to our town?

Trigger warning: suicidal ideation.
This will be very long, because I want to give as much detail as possible so that you all have a full picture. I’m looking for advice - feel free to tell me I’m in the wrong!
My husband and I have been together for 9 years. We are both from large cities, but we currently live in a small town with very snowy winters, and no airport. To travel during winter months, flights in and out of neighboring towns cost thousands of dollars, cancel often, or we have to drive 4 hours to get to a reliable airport.
My parents are still married, but my husband’s parents separated when he was 3 years old. My FIL remarried, but my MIL has never had a boyfriend or partner since (36 years!).
When my husband and I have time off, or take a vacation - it is 100% of the time to visit family. Because everyone is so spread out across the country, we don’t always get to see everyone every year. My parents and FIL are okay with this, but my MIL is not, and she pressures us to visit. My parents and my FIL visit us, but my MIL will not come here because “she doesn’t like small planes” (which are the only kind that fly into neighboring airports).
My MIL moved to Mexico 10 years ago, and she doesn’t have a place for us to stay when we visit, so our trips typically cost us about $8k (flights/hotel/food). I have some growing resentment that she expects us to spend our money and vacation days every single year to visit her. Not that this is important - but where she lives is not near the ocean or near water, so our trips to visit her are not relaxing beach vacations.
My MIL has always been kind to me, and speaks very highly of me, but dynamics have gotten a bit weird. When we flew down to see her in 2020, we had gotten engaged 3 months prior. For the first time since I met her, it felt like she was working very hard to pull my husband’s attention. She would sit on his lap, share his drinks, put her lipstick in his pocket so she didn’t have to bring a purse, and hold his hand everywhere we went (I would walk behind with her wonderful female friend, who I really love!). We were there for 10 nights, and she stormed off from dinner 5 of those nights. I would eat dinner with her friend, and my husband would chase her to her room to listen to her cry (about music volume in the restaurant, where we were seated, that we asked her not to complain about the shape of the wine glass or send food back). She ended up accusing the hotel of stealing a white t-shirt from her room, searched her friend’s bag like she had stolen it, had hotel management called, and we ended up leaving early. She is EXTREMELY high maintenance in restaurants, but much of her overly-emotional behavior felt dramatic and out of character to us. When we left that trip, both my husband and I were very concerned about her cognitive functioning, and did not link this behavior to our recent engagement.
Fast forward to our wedding… We had a 20-person wedding in a destination location. We asked people to buy their own flights, but we paid for everyone’s accommodation, dinners, and experiences. We had a bunch of activities lined up that were pre-paid, personalized welcome gifts in everyone’s hotel room, and prepaid open badinner selections. I had also booked her first class flights from Mexico, filled out her visa (she’s British, and never got citizenship despite raising children in this country), and made specific arrangements to make her feel special/comfortable.
Two weeks before our wedding, my husband came home from work sobbing. His mom had just called to tell him she would not be coming to the wedding. He is the sweetest man in the world, but he’s not great with health things, and seems to panic a bit. She told him over the phone that she had been on antidepressants for FORTY YEARS without ever telling her sons, and had taken herself off cold-turkey that week. Almost instantly, her body went into withdrawal. She’s in her late-70’s, and was dealing with insomnia, migraines, chronic body pain, constant nausea, diarrhea, and depression that made her unable to get out of bed or stop crying. She was telling him that she didn’t think “she would survive this.” My husband asked my MIL what we could do to bring her some comfort and she said “you could come down here, but I guess you’re getting married.”
Instantly, we started to talk about canceling our wedding so he could go down. Our guests had paid for their flights, but because we had paid for everything else, it felt like canceling was an option that wouldn’t put our friends and family out by too much. I canceled my bouquet and table flower order, and canceled her flights. Her friend started calling me to give me updates, she was basically saying that my MIL needed to be institutionalized. My MIL wasn’t trusting any of the Mexican doctors, was refusing to take any type of medication, and was talking about death by suicide.
Because Mexico doesn’t have any HIPAA laws, I spent the 2 weeks leading up to our wedding calling her doctors in Mexico, calling doctors here to ask for a second opinion, calling pharmacists to talk about dosage and drug interactions, interviewing in-patient care facilities for people dealing with depressive episodes, and researching the drugs she had taken herself off.
After much consideration, we decided to go ahead and get married. We had paid for hotel rooms, guest gifts, multiple meals, experiences, officiant, photographer, transportation, hair & make-up, etc. It felt like so much to throw away, and it seemed like there was nothing to do for my MIL that we couldn’t do immediately after the wedding.
Looking back now, we should have canceled. It was this big, dark, secret cloud that weighed over my husband and I. We didn’t tell anybody what we were going through, but all the details you finalize right before your wedding were missing from ours. I didn’t have any bridal outfits for the events, we went to the grocery store to buy table flowers the morning of our wedding, there was no special tablescape. It felt weird to be celebrating, and I felt so stupid getting dressed up.
It will be extremely difficult to convince me that the timing of her taking herself off antidepressants has nothing to do with the fact that we were getting married. She had been on the exact same dosage for 40 years without issue, and decided 14 days before her son got married “to see if she could do it without.”
In our first year of marriage, she has called my husband to tell him: she has skin cancer on her face that requires surgery, that the surgery was botched (we’ve seen photos - I think it was a cancerous mole removal?), hair loss, a parasite, nail fungus, long-haul Covid symptoms, Lupus, and chronic depression. I have set-up literally countless American virtual doctor appointments, and she has skipped every single one. I have organized blood tests to confirm Lupus or Covid (both negative). We hired an in-house care aid to cook and clean for her 3x a week, but she refused to open the door. We asked her to do 5 things everyday: shower, eat food, go outside for 30 mins, write down daily symptoms, and call her son. Her reply to that was “no.” Her friends have informed us that they are giving up trying to help, because she refuses every option for care, and they feel like enablers. Before we were married, she had called my husband 0 times to talk about her health (not an exaggeration).
This experience has been incredibly stressful, draining, and time-consuming. We didn’t have a honeymoon, because my husband didn’t want to get on a plane if it wasn’t to see his mom. She has never said congratulations to me, or welcome to the family. She also doesn’t think I am aware of the extent of her health concerns, and we’ve kept it private that I am the one communicating with healthcare professionals.
When my husband doesn’t call for 3 days, sometimes she will answer the phone “Why didn’t you call yesterday? I could be dead.” To me, this feels traumatizing, but she will say it is British humor. When my husband’s brother went down to visit, she was posting photos on social media drinking wine, going for dinners, dancing to live music, wearing lipstick and cute outfits, holding babies… She has also withheld the extent of her health concerns from my husband’s brother “because he can’t handle it”, so this situation has been entirely on my husband to bear.
This brings us to today… This month, she informed my husband that she is moving to our town. She said she “will die if she goes back to the city.” She said doesn’t trust doctors in Mexico and needs care. She said she wants to help us buy a house, which I suspect means buy a house she can live in with us, and I did not sign up to live with my MIL one year into marriage.
She will not visit us September-April because it’s too cold. In 9 years, she has only visited us once. She will not “get on small planes.” She hates snow. She has failing health, and we are in a rural community with limited access to healthcare (waitlists for doctors, diagnostic exams are 2 towns over). She has no friends here, she refuses to cook for herself because she said she’s paid her domestic dues. She refuses to drive in the snow, she will not be able to jump on a plane to escape our winters.
Another important piece of this is that I am pregnant with our first child, in my first trimester, and we haven’t told anybody yet. We’ve been putting off telling people, because I was worried she might pull something dramatic like she did after our engagement and wedding. I just wanted to stay in our happy bubble. But now, the dramatic thing is happening anyway. When we talked about the potential of us having children in the past, she explicitly said “don’t consider me a babysitter.”
If she was a self-sufficient woman, moving to our town might be ok. She would find herself housing, grocery shop, cook, hire movers to furnish her house, hang frames on the wall. But she’s not self-sufficient, and I’m realizing more and more that she treats her two adult male sons like they are her life partners. She is completely reliant on them for emotional support, and will rely on my husband for daily support. If she moves here, I know exactly how our life will be, and how much my husband will be pulled away from our family’s needs. She will not drive in the snow, so my husband will go grocery shopping with her. She has no community or friends here, so she will constantly be with us (if not living with us). My husband will attend doctors’ appointments with her, and drive her 3 hours to diagnostic exams. If she wants to travel in the winter, he has already said he would drive 8 hours (there & back) to get her to a reliable airport. If we go on local adventures, we will be obligated to invite her, since she will have no other social support.
Other important information: she let her conditional permanent resident status expire because she hasn’t gotten on a plane in so long. Re-entering this country on a British passport with intent to stay will be hard, and she has hired an immigration lawyer. I suspect this process will also be something we are asked to help with, since I already fill out all her forms for her.
AITA for trying to discourage this move? Do I even have the right to say “please don’t let your mom move here”? I can see her happiest in a warm/sunny place, with easy access to healthcare, friends her age, good restaurants, and a reliable airport. Even if she moves to the city 4 hours from us… that would be an improvement, because having a miserable MIL, brand new baby, and husband being pulled to support her is my nightmare. She is almost 80 years old, and deciding to live the rural life at this stage in her life seems so insane to me. I fear the birth of our first child will be another big life event for my husband and I, that is clouded by her exaggerated needs, or histrionics.
submitted by ComprehensiveFig8743 to motherinlawsfromhell [link] [comments]

2024.06.01 20:23 Toolkitz Compact Youmu Journal Entry #22

Compact Youmu Journal Entry #22
https://preview.redd.it/k0n11lrf304d1.png?width=2016&format=png&auto=webp&s=5f6890dabe4cb60aee6487556366d632cdc21e4a
As I write this journal entry, I'm currently taking a break from the long form video and about to start the script for the shorter video, so it's the perfect time to make another journal entry. As always, every two weeks or so I give a little report about the ongoings of the Compact Youmu channel. As I read your comments on the channel, I recalled how someone made a comment about how they enjoyed the journals because it's the closest thing to a newsletter, and that got me thinking.
It reminded me about email newsletters. Back when I was working on my personal indie games, I would watch many tutorials about promoting your indie games. One video I watched suggested to create an email newsletter. I didn't knew at the time that people actually cared about such things, but when I thought about it, I myself actually did join some email newsletters. It looks like it's something that people really enjoy getting in their inbox. Though I'm not planning on making a newsletter myself but that got me thinking about what this journal is.
The only reason it exists is because I just happen to like doing reports on my projects. I have a blog for my original indie game, and my past games also had blogs dedicated to their progress. I even have personal journal entries that I just write for myself. So the CY journal entries are merely just a habit of mine that I have been doing for ages now. I can even recall when I started this habit. Way back in 2007, when I was working on a game, I discovered you can press F5 on MS Notepad and it'll stamp the time and date. Now that in of itself was not the reason why I started to jot down my progress because I believe I was thinking about making a journal about my progress, but it was probably what inspired me to actually proceed with the idea.
And now that I have people actually reading the darn thing, it got me thinking if I should change the format. The current format is just me whipping up a report in an hour and that's it. I actually wasn't expecting people to read it except for like 1 or 2 people. But there are currently nearly 100 people following the sub-reddit and I keep reading comments about how people enjoy them. So maybe I should consider changing the format but to what exactly I'm not sure. I'm not getting complaints from the format so I don't think there's any reason to improve upon it.
But in the end, these journal entries are just my thoughts and the progress of the Compact Youmu channel. There's not much to it other than that. If you enjoy reading the entries, I thank you for that even knowing it's not much of a priority. Still, I try to fill it up with info for those of you dedicated to learning what is happening in the CY channel.
For this journal entry, I'll be talking about what is currently happening in my life, the upcoming Touhou 15 teaser along with getting ready for the real thing, and the report on the Touhou Funnies.

What's been going on with me

And some of you who have read my past journal entries know, I'm not one to share my feelings. I really don't like doing that, but sometimes there are times when you just have to share what is happening to your life. Mainly when it impacts the channel because I feel like my current situation will be making yet another big change. Things are more or less stable but there are always challenges that you have to face. I'm always hoping and praying to God that I can exceed my limitations and finally be in a position where I can work on this full-time. That's what I want to talk about for the moment.
As you know, I currently getting support from donations and commission work. Soon I'll get some assistance from the ad revenue but as of this writing I'm still waiting to see how much I can get from that. One of my commissioners was chatting with me about the future of the channel and I told them that I'm working hard so that I can make YouTube full time. When I said this, the person apparently got worried, telling me how I shouldn't depend on YouTube and how that's a bad idea. I felt that I gave them the wrong impression so I wanted to clear things up about YouTube and my desire to make this a full time thing.
I have to start things off by saying that I'm living as modestly as I can. I moved to a studio apartment that is only a few hundred a month, the only thing I pay in utilities is electricity as the owners pay for everything else, and the only other major spending is for groceries. I haven't bought or played a video game in a long time and I can't afford any subscription service like Netflix so no movies or online shows for me. My entertainment choices are limited to YouTube and, well, just working on the CY channel. That's why I'm always working so much, because I'm mostly bored for the majority of the time and working on my videos is also entertaining to me. I do take breaks, around 10 minutes as well as other instances like making a meal or taking a shower, and I retire for the day by the late hour, which I just spend studying art and improving myself. And yes, I do read your comments about how taking it easy and burn out. I understand your concerns and I thank you for being so considerate of me, but you guys got to understand I don't have much going for in my life because what I want is to simply create bigger and better projects with a bigger budget and a team. I want to be a content creator and create movies, video games, comics, anything that is creative and I want to go beyond my limitations. That's why I'm working so hard, because I feel like I got to prove myself so I can get the necessary funding and manpower to make my dreams a reality after so long, because right now the struggle is real.
When I was put in a position where I was let go of my previous job and the Touhou community came to my aid to help me get back on my feet, I made my decision that this is the route I must take to make my dreams come true. I was getting ready to find another job, but after seeing the generosity of the Touhou community and their amazing support, I decided to take a risk. That's what I kept hearing from all these motivational speakers such as Earl Nightingale. That the risk takers are the ones who succeed the most. Even The Bible encourages taking a risk. God must have had a hand in all these events that led me here.
And I want to believe that this is how your dreams come to reality. Frankly, I'm getting tired of only getting the bare minimum, but I can see why people prefer to keep a job rather than take a risk. It's just safer to have a job and get a paycheck. That's preferable to simply not knowing when you are getting paid. But that also means limitations. I don't want to be limited anymore, I want to exceed these limitations and make something greater than I ever have. That's why I'm working so hard not only to make the Touhou 15 adaption a reality but to see how far I can take my skills. You'll soon read this in the section about the trailer and art practice below but every night, I'm looking at tutorials, studying other people's art, and improving my art skills. I'm doing all this because I want to make amazing animations in the belief that when I show the world what I can do, then I can elevate my life to the next level.
Maybe I sound crazy right now, which is one of the reasons why I don't like to talk about my feelings. There are way too many judgemental people out there that I've dealt with one too many times. But this is one of those times I feel like I should share what is happening in my life because I actually feel excited. I'm in a position of uncertainty, with just how one or two months ago I felt like the world was truly falling apart, that all that I was working for was for nothing, yet I feel like I'm overcoming these obstacles and instead of my own demise, I actually see the goal ahead of me. It's this strange euphoria I'm experiencing where my life is pretty dismal but hope is out there, I just gotta keep going. There were decisions I have made in the past that are regretful, but that's in the past now. Do not dwell on your past mistakes, just keep going forward when the opportunity has arrived. And that's what I'm doing. I feel so close to my goal. It doesn't feel like a distant dream anymore. I just got to keep going no matter what.
But the real question is, what exactly must I do to get to reach that goal? The past few weeks I spent just seeing how the YouTube channel is doing. At this state, I just need a few hundred a month to achieve "full time" status but I don't know yet how much I have made with YouTube. I have to wait till adsense is updated with my results. I'm sure it can't be more than $100 but even that is progress so I'll happily accept that at this time. Though I'm being supported right now by donations and commissions, there's a lot more that needs to be done. It's time to take the next step and find a big opportunity, a major project where I can get a substantial amount of pay. My skills are improving and people love my animations, so I need to find someone who is in need of my services. That means it's time to consider going outside the Touhou community and offer my services elsewhere. I'm going to try freelance services like Fiverr and see if I can find any job opportunities to utilize my skills. I gotta do everything I can to survive this period until I am making at least $1000 from YouTube. That's my current goal, and yes, I'm aware that YouTube is stingy and it will probably take me like a bajillion subscribers to even make half of that. I know that YouTube doesn't care about me, but there's no point in arguing with myself. It's an opportunity and I should take it.
And finally the crowdfunding campaign, it has not been going well. It's been two or three months since it started and it hasn't even broken the halfway point. I'm now considering changing its purpose or even canceling it. I just don't have enough of an audience to get something like that going, which really puts it into perspective. Not to mention that I believe it is possible to make the long teaser trailer with what I have achieved so far, so perhaps the crowdfunding is not really necessary. Perhaps I just believed my own hype. I would read about these tens of thousands of dollars, or even hundreds of thousands, crowdfunding campaigns that get funded in like a week or even a day. You would think that $3000 would be a cinch, but looks like there's still so much more for me to learn about this. Still, my hopes are up because I had my own miracle happen to me before. It's not too late, it may just not be the right time yet.

Touhou 15 Teaser

Most of my day is spent either working on commission work or the next funny video. I may only have around 1 - 2 hours to work on the teaser trailer, but any progress is good progress. Though right now I'm putting the trailer aside as I want to finish a commission I'm currently working on, as well as figure out where to go next. I'm right now just thinking about the next move because I just finished the entire sketch of the animation.
The general flow of the trailer is that it starts from Earth (Gensokyo) and zooms into the moon and right into Junko's eye. So I spent the entire week planning and implementing all these features. I had to use a 3D model and Google Earth to make the moon rotate and zoom into the surface because I had no idea how to do that myself. But in the end, I managed to pull it off. If you are an Extra Stage Boss patron then you can see the initial rough of what I have planned.
The other thing that I spent time working on was Junko's hair. This is the part I also needed to do a lot of research on, how to animate the hair. I gave it a good shot the first time but realized it was animated too wildly. The solution was to simply make it sway from right to left. Something simple yet effective. It's hard to describe but you'll see what I mean when the teaser releases.
https://preview.redd.it/v9kc6vyr404d1.png?width=1303&format=png&auto=webp&s=8d627f9496e6c2a302a752b574a41a0b9f8480a8
After studying to improve my hair drawing skills, I've gotten a few more tips that I didn't knew when I drew what I currently have. I'm going to study a bit more and see what I can do to improve the hair animation. But nothing too crazy, I'm still learning after all. I don't want to spend too much time on something that will eventually be improved upon later on when I continue to learn and practice more.
But after that, everything seems to be in place to proceed to the next step, which is the outlines. Once I start the outlining process, then the animation will be here in no time. At least relative to the amount of time I work on it. If I keep working on it for only 1-2 hours a day, then it'll definitely take a few more weeks to complete, especially since I'm still learning how to do backgrounds, which I'll talk about in the next section.

Art Practice

The teaser trailer is practice in of itself, but I'm also putting aside my own time to get some general practice done. The animated series is a long ways from now but I figured I might as well get ready for when the time finally comes to make it happen.
I've been thinking about what I want from the animated series, exploring other animated works, philosophizing about what I want my animation to mean, and other goofy stuff that makes drawings move on the screen. I've then started to compile a bunch of art that strikes my eye to study. I figured since I'm already saving up a bunch of resources, I might as well get started right now planning for the big project, and it starts with the outlines.
If you've been paying attention to the community tab you should know that I draw the frames in MS Paint. The final output of what I manually draw is a single pixel outline with base color. Everything else after that I use Paint.net to add detail and then use filters to finalize. That's what I've been using and I have no plans on changing the tools I used. What I am planning on changing is the method that I use these tools with to improve the linework, which is one aspect I'm anal about when it comes to my art.
I feel that the outline is very important for me to get right because it's the most prominent part of my artwork. Whether it's the funny videos or the "Flandre vs. Yuuma" animated short I made months ago, I feel the outline seems to be the thing that stands out the most. That's why I'm aiming to improve them anyway I can, so I've been experimenting with the parameters of the filters to see what I can get.
One aspect I wanted to achieve in my linework is adding line weights, which is really difficult to do on MS Paint. The programs like Photoshop gives you brushes and options to get lineweights automatically. In MS Paint, if you want line weights, you got to do them manually and I've done this before with my high contrast art I used to draw a year ago, which you can find on my Pixiv, but that takes a long time to do so its impractical for my animation. But there is a webcomic that I recall was drawn in MS Paint. And despite being in MS Paint, they actually achieved giving the art lineweights by simply using three different sizes of lines for specific parts. I decided to test this out for my animation project.
For my test, I decided to take this picture of Clownpiece from LostWord.
https://www.zerochan.net/4181437
And then drew it in my style.
https://preview.redd.it/78qqnnpy404d1.png?width=1280&format=png&auto=webp&s=9064ad4e2cec118d1f41a759985020e3a0e12dfc
Mind you, this is a rushed job so it's not perfect. I would need to make my own reference sheet to get a more refined look but for this test, it will do. Anyway, I decided to add my own lineweights in MS Paint and this is the result.
https://preview.redd.it/i6w610ya504d1.png?width=1280&format=png&auto=webp&s=2f0cad10fb3ae1f891418ecbc9660215e07a3d40
I guess it kind of works but I feel like at this resolution, it just makes some lines too thick and some too thin. It just can't work. So instead I decided to mess around with the filters on MS Paint. After messing with the parameters, this is the result.
https://preview.redd.it/lbslmboi504d1.png?width=1229&format=png&auto=webp&s=3a7b517e45ab3cf777e9f7dd11de9d85123192db
Now this is an improvement. Not only do the lines are more evenly distributed in their size but you even get some thinning here and there, adding more to the depth of the drawing. But this is only achieved if I shrink the image down to 24%. I don't know why this strange arbitrary number was chosen but it appears that 24% is the magical number because this is what it looks like at full size.
https://preview.redd.it/kp60whzo504d1.png?width=5120&format=png&auto=webp&s=0a0af798f8366f44e48e4de68f5a9f0a342c6d1c
Perhaps you don't see a difference, and quite frankly maybe there isn't, but for some reason the original size looks ugly to me.
When I saw this result for the first time, it looked great and I approved it. So I saved the image as a PNG and closed the paint program. Then I opened the image with photo gallery only to find the image had changed into something I did not like. I put it back on Paint.net and there it was, the image I approved of. It took some investigating to find out what was going on. Turns out that in Paint.net, the canvas was resized to fit the screen at 24% with anti-aliasing. That's why it looked so different.
I was prepared to add some AA to the original sized image to achieve that same look, but I also had another idea that I figured I might as well try and that was to draw on a higher resolution. So that's what I did, I upped the canvas size, redrew the image, and added the filters. The results was this:
https://preview.redd.it/vrw7hs90604d1.png?width=7680&format=png&auto=webp&s=6f8a2949d9c3385a173372d138ca57a0152e6fa3
Now that's more like it. I don't even have to add AA to this image as it looks good even without it. Since I'm aiming for 4K resolution, I would rather use the raw image and this one will do nicely. But the issue here is that the bigger the resolution, the longer it takes to draw. Do I deal with the smaller size for the sake of speeding the process or do I spend extra time to give it a more refined look?
Nothing is for certain yet. I'm still experimenting so who knows if I'll use this 4K size image. I may use it for closeups of the character's face since it would be easier to draw at this size and then revert to the smaller size when zooming out. But that's a topic for another time. For now, I'm satisfied with the line art, I'm now moving on to painting and texturing. We'll see what I can do with colors and shades.

Touhou Funnies

The spring time video continues to be in production, and as of this writing the frames have all been sketched out. This video has nearly 500 frames, which includes the mouth shapes and eyes amassing half of the work load. As much as it looks like I'm looking at an epic video, it's probably not. It's going to be the same thing as the mother's day video, albeit with some extra animation. Still, the amount of work that is going into sure does make it feel epic. So who knows, maybe it is going to be another spectacle when it premiers.
And this just might be another shift in video production. It always feels like every few weeks I'm changing the way I'm making videos. I don't know if the algorithm is actually promoting long videos as many are saying, but I know that I have a lot of ideas and these ideas become long scripted stories. Then I start adding more jokes into it making it even longer. So I seem to be going back to the old way of doing videos when I would work on the weekday on the long video and then spend the weekend pumping out a shorter video. That worked out well when the video required minimum editing, but when I started adding more and more content to the videos, that format was quickly outdated and I had to change the work flow. That's the reason why the Stone Baby storyline was paused because that was the primary weekend video series.
Now the schedule is work on a long video for five days, then spend whatever days on a shorter subject, then repeat until the long video begins editing. I assume once video editing starts, it will be finished it at least five days, but we'll see if I can edit a 20 minute video in that time frame.
But considering that the "short" videos can also be a task in of themselves, I figured maybe I should plan actual short subjects of 1 - 2 minutes to get them out even quicker. I no longer work for the YouTube algorithm so I don't feel pressured to meet its requirements anymore, but I also don't like leaving my channel inactive for too long. A very short video of 1 - 2 minutes would be a good way to make a video quickly and return to the longer format so after the next Ability Showcase, I might just experiment with this and see the results.
And after all that, there's still the Touhou 18 parody, which is estimated to be another feature length video so it's taking its sweet time. The last scene I worked on was posted on Patreon last month and it was around 3 minutes. This video is being made for the 20th anniversary of Imperishable Night but since I'm no longer just killing myself to make these long videos or meet deadlines, it may not actually happen on that date. The only thing I can promise is that it will be released on the year of the anniversary but who knows when exactly. So you'll just have to be patient and wait a bit longer. Or if you are impatient, you can get access to each scene as they are made on Patreon.
But considering the length this is taking, I figured I could upload another teaser on the YouTube channel. I'm planning on making one of the planned scenes available to the public YouTube channel. It's not story related, it's more of a gag inbetween the story, which should keep from showing spoilers. That scene will be created after the planned next scene as the next scene will be story related.
Finally, after the long video is done, the next poll to vote for the next video will be out. As mentioned last time, the poll will be for the 4 series that I have going on. Be sure to vote on it when the time comes.

Conclusion

Things continue to change in my life but they are getting better. My life is now doing a 180 where it went from bad to worse and then turning for the better. And I can only see things getting better from here, as long as I keep working hard and never giving up on my dreams, I can only see good things moving forward. And it's all leading up to the animated TH15 adaption started. I'm working hard to get that going and at the rate I'm going, nothing can stop me from achieving my goals now. But after years of struggle to make it to this very point, if there is one thing I learned from all this is that you can't do this alone.
I can only meet the animated adaption half-way and if I want to achieve in completing it, I need the help of the Touhou community. The Touhou 15 teaser is now being produced to see what the potential of the animated adaption could be but I'm sure many can already see the potential of something great from Compact Youmu with the TH17.5 short. If you haven't seen it yet, give it a watch right here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfBi91CbNy8
I spent six months in creating that animated short but due to unforeseen circumstances, it wasn't exactly the vision I had. But as I said, making something alone isn't the way to go. If I had the support of the Touhou community, I could improve with what I lack.
If you want to see animated shorts like that one but much better and improved, then please donate to the Ko-fi page. Right now I need the funding to make a longer teaser trailer which shows more of what can be achieved. Every bit helps and your contribution will be greatly appreciated.
https://ko-fi.com/compact_youmu
https://www.patreon.com/compact_youmu
submitted by Toolkitz to Compact_Youmu [link] [comments]

2024.06.01 19:38 Jaded-Fault-6510 The Lost Season of Survivor…

I worked with a guy who used to work for cbs’s show Survivor with Jeff Probst. He said to me that there is a lost season of Survivor that never made it to the screen and was covered up. To my surprise I asked him “why? What do you mean? Why would they need to cover it up?” He said it was around Season 7,& 8 of the show or what was to be the real season 8. Season 8 was to be an entirely new cast and not what we got with all returning players. The tragedy of season 8 occurred when the new castmates were flying to the island. One of the two helicopters were caught in a storm and lost control. As it lost control, the helicopter flew directly sideways and collided with the opposing teams chopper. Help was sent right way but because of the storm some pieces of the crash site were swept away into the ocean. Charred remains of the Survivor players reaked the waters and surrounding shraps of metal and rocks. It happened very close to land and the footage shows Jeff in Dismay as hes trying to do an intro for the new season. He turns and looks at the smoke behind him and parts falling from the sky as he screams “Help! Help! Medical! Oh my god, fuck. That’s not them is it?? Oh my god no no no!” And he tells the camera crew to cut the footage.
Later you see the camera turn back on to pools of blood and fuel in the nearby shores. Sounds of what could only be heard as screams from someone who could no longer have a bottom jaw but is trying to say “Help Me”. At the time they thought it to be sounds of sealions until they played the footage back.
After covering up the mess, CBS didn’t have time to do all the paperwork and find new people and shoot a new season. So Jeff had the idea of “All Returning players” players who already were on file, had passports and were willing to play again.
Throughout the show players mention how Jeff called them out of the blue and the next day they were already flying out to be on the show. Most of the cast had very few days before getting the call and starting the game. Some was even as far as within 32 hrs.
Survivor Season 8 All Stars was a hugely promoted success.
By the time season 7 premiered 8 was already being talked about.
As for the families of the original CBS season 8 of Survivor, they were told that cbs never recruited those people and that they fell for a scam of people posing as CBS and trying to recruit them for money. They claimed they didn’t know a single thing about any of the og s8 cast and it was put to rest.
submitted by Jaded-Fault-6510 to stories [link] [comments]

2024.06.01 17:08 Shinkansendoff Why You Shouldn’t Have Scarcity Mindset with Points & Miles

I'd even say this goes for transferrable points, but certainly for program specific points. Here's why based on my experience, and those of friends I watched save too many points...
Until the pandemic, over half my points came from signup bonuses which weren't as large back then (50k each for CSP, Citi Premier & AMEX Gold). I focused on aspirational First Class which wasn't as competitive to book as now, here's what I paid vs what it costs now: - 60k United miles: ANA First + Thai First: Tokyo to Sydney via SIN & BKK. Neither route is served w/ First now - 132k miles for JFK - FRA - SIN - HKG in Singapore Suites. It's generally only available for 265k miles at Advantage rates these days. - 70k Alaska miles for JAL First HND to JFK. It's 110k Alaska miles now, or 135k AsiaMiles which is the only way to reliably book it (80k AA miles can only book cancellations or the now-nexistant last minute releases) - 90k Lifemiles for ANA First Class HND - JFK on the new config. 120k now (and VS, ANA programs had devals too) - 150k Alaska miles for Emirates First Class on the 6-seat 777 w/ Virtual windows, Dubai to JFK. Emirates charges more in their own currency to book this now, and $1k+ in fuel ⛽️.
How many of these do I regret spending the points on, despite being nearly all my points in some cases? Zero
How many awards am I sad I missed because of lack of points? Also zero. I didn't search for what I couldn't afford lol.
Now, some misses from my friends over the years: - Spent 30k instead of 40k miles for angle-flat Biz on BKK => Sydney vs First. Has still never flown First - Opened 18 credit cards in 2018, has only flown Biz twice due to indecision about value & unfortunate COVID cancellations. - Transferred 80k miles to KoreanAir during the Chase partnership, waited to try booking until after the pandemic when awards vanished. Is using them for roundtrio economy instead of one-way First. - In early 2023, missed booking ANA First for 121k United miles (which they had) online because they were waiting for the VS phone lines to open, to book for 55k points. They ended up with no First seat at all.
So... saving rarely works out. If you see a reasonable award available and have the points, book it.
The only situation(s) I'd save and wait? If an airline has reliable releases at calendar open, you can only book with their currency (SQ or CX), and they devalued relatively recently. I'm planning to save AMEX & C1 points for the next year or so to have enough to book CX First or JAL First at schedule opening.
Oh, and don't blow those 750k Skymiles or 650k United miles all at once! At least wait for a 300k/200k redemption
submitted by Shinkansendoff to awardtravel [link] [comments]

2024.06.01 06:01 Direct-Caterpillar77 I (18F) just found out I have a half sibling

I am not The OOP, OOP is u/Wide-Hamster-7057
I (18F) just found out I have a half sibling.
Originally posted to survivinginfidelity
TRIGGER WARNING: infidelity, manipulation
Original Post May 24, 2024
I (18F) just found out I have a half sibling from my dad and I’m in shock.
My dad and my mom have been happily married for over 30 years. I have a sister who is 21 but as far as I knew, she was my one and only sibling.
Today, my dad asked if I could come by his office and talk to him about something serious. I didn’t take it seriously, because my dad will sometimes call me into his office and nag me about school or just chat with me because he misses me.
From the moment I stepped into his office, I could tell something was wrong. His eyes were bloodshot as if he had just finished crying and he was very quiet. He told me to take a seat and said he had something very serious to tell me. At this point, I thought that he was going to tell me had cancer or that someone had died. Not even close.
He proceeded to tell me that he cheated on my mom 10 years ago and slept with another woman, and that he has a 9 year old daughter, my half sister. She lives across the country with her mother. He said that my mom already knows about everything, but that he hasn’t told my sister yet. My sister is very ‘emotional’ I guess you could say so he thought I would handle the news better than her, since I’m very easygoing and I don’t get upset at things.
At this point, I was kind of in shock because it hadn’t fully processed. He told me her name, and told me that she would be coming this Sunday with her mother. He explained that they were coming so he could sign his daughter’s passport, and that he would love if I could meet her and get to know her. He stressed that it’s not the child’s fault at all, (which I completely understand) and that he would like me to be a part of her life.
He called the girl in front of me just so I could hear her voice, and it absolutely broke my heart when she answered the phone and said “hi daddy”. That was when it definitely became a reality to me. She asked my dad when she would be able to meet ‘her sisters’ and it made me tear up a little bit.
I gave my dad a hug and I told him that I would need some time to process things, but that I love him and this doesn’t change the love I have for him.
Things still haven’t properly processed yet— I feel like it was all sprung onto me so quickly. I’m mad, sad, confused, and disgusted—- I don’t know what to feel. I knew my parents didn’t have a perfect relationship, but this was the last thing I expected.
RELEVANT COMMENTS
When told to support her mom, not her dad
My dad just told me about it yesterday while my mom was at work, I haven’t seen her yet since he broke the news to me. He also told me that it’s a very difficult subject for my mom (which is completely understandable) so I don’t know how to approach talking about it with her.
&
I’m not supporting my dad’s actions, all I did was give him a hug and tell him I still love him. Despite the news I found out, he’s still my dad. Maybe it hasn’t quite processed fully but it’s hard for me to accept that my dad who has been so loving to me and my sister, could do something like this. I am upset and devastated for my mother, but my parents made the decision to stay together despite the affair years ago. What do you want me to do? Am I supposed to slap my dad across the face and call him a dirty cheater, am I supposed to encourage my mother to leave him and move out of the house?
Obviously what my father did is horrible- but there’s very little I can do now but figure out how to process, move forward, and show my support to my mother in a way that won’t rub salt into the wound
Update May 25, 2024
The other day, my dad asked if I could come by his office and talk to him about something serious. He proceeded to tell me that he cheated on my mom during a one-night stand 10 years ago and that he has a 9-year-old daughter, my half-sister, who lives across the country with her mother. My mom has known ever since the woman was pregnant and stayed with him for the sake of me and my sister. He even asked if I could meet his daughter.
When he told me, it didn’t really process in my mind. I gave my dad a hug and told him that I would need some time to process things, but that I love him and this doesn’t change the love I have for him.
Now that it’s processed, it’s really killing me. I’m in distraught.
The woman he cheated with was from his old job, when my family still lived in a different state. You know what breaks my heart? I used to go to that job with my dad all the time, sit on his lap when he filed paperwork, say hi to everyone there—I probably even met the woman a few times. She knew my dad was married. She knew he had kids. My dad knew he was married. My dad knew he had kids.
He said that he only had one child with the woman, and that she has another child, a 6-year-old boy. He told me that the boy is under his name legally, but it’s not his son by blood. I don’t even know if I can believe anything he says anymore. What if he’s still seeing the woman? What if that son is his? How can I believe a cheater?
My mom is one of the most loving, sweetest people in the world. Her kindness and compassion make people love her almost instantly. I don’t understand how or why he would cheat on the woman who loved him unconditionally. Was my mom not enough of a reason for him to stay faithful? Were my sister and I not a good enough reason for him to come home for the night?
I just feel so disgusted. I texted him a series of hateful messages, basically telling him that I’m disgusted and that he ruined my views on what a father is. I used to look up to him, I was so proud to have him as my dad, but now all I can feel is disgust and resentment.
I will never meet his kid. I don’t care. I know it’s not the child’s fault, and maybe I’m being immature, but that child is living proof of the betrayal towards my mom.
I’m not going to let my mom know that I know yet; her health isn’t the best and I don’t want her to have a heart attack from springing it onto her too suddenly.
I can’t be around my dad right now. I feel so unbelievably nauseous whenever I see him. My birthday was next week—I had things planned, but I cancelled it all. I’m gonna be living with my aunt for a little while (my aunt has known about this for years) until I can process this somewhat. My teachers are allowing me to do all my assignments online and I found cover for my job, so I should be set.
If anyone has gone through something similar, please give me advice.
RELEVANT COMMENTS
When told to talk to her aunt, she may know more
I definitely will. My aunt and I can have our disagreements sometimes but one thing I know we share whole heartedly is our love for my mother. My aunt also thinks that the son is his and he’s not telling the truth.
It’s hard for me to remember my parents are actual human beings that make mistakes- but I just don’t understand how my dad could make such a big mistake. I’m gonna stop with the hateful messages and just lay low with my aunt for a while. Seeing him everyday isn’t helping me at all tbh.
~
etakknow
Don’t be pressured in meeting your half-sister. Process your feelings first before doing something you don’t want to do.
Also, don’t believe the words of the cheater. Looks like the affair continued even after the birth of your half-sister, hence the boy. Legally, that’s his son and is entitled to support and inheritance.
Your mother might have not known at all. Or maybe she only knew about the daughter but not the son. Be there for your mom. If I were you, I’ll encourage her to leave your father.
OOP
I truly believe he’s lying to me and everyone else about the son, because then it would prove the affair wasn’t a one time thing like he claims it is.
Thankfully my mom does know about both- a quick debrief with my aunt (her sister not my dad’s) confirmed that she had known ever since the woman was pregnant. My aunt said my mom also suspects that the son is his. The amount of child support he is paying is apparently really high, my aunt said that my mom found a piece of paperwork where he’s paying for both of the children
~
Rush_Is_Right
I'm very confused on why the boy has your father's name, your dad has parental rights/ authority, pays child support or equivalent. Those are all things the bio dad or adoptive dad would do, but it doesn't make sense to trickle truth one kid and not both.
OOP
I’m very confused too. My dad said that he was just helping the woman out since the kid’s father wasn’t in the picture— but I don’t believe it. I have my suspicions that the affair continued afterwards as well and that it is his biological son.
justasliceoghope
That communication confirms that he's continued a relationship with his mistress more than just to co-parent the girl. There is no reason for him to have contact or a relationship with the boy, naming him and financially, if that wasn't his child. If he wasn't still cheating, then he shouldn't have two children with his name getting financial assistance from him. Any financial help he provided outside the daughter would have been taken from your family.
You should definitely speak with your mother and help her if she's not gotten help.
OOP
I don’t even know if I can believe the mistress is in another state as my dad claims. She could a few blocks away from us for all I know. How can I believe anything he says at this point? The trust I had in him is long gone.
When I go to my aunt’s house this coming Monday, I’m going to bring my mom with me. My aunt is gonna be the one to break the news to my mom that I know about everything, so it’s not as hard on her.
THIS IS A REPOST SUB - I AM NOT THE OOP
DO NOT CONTACT THE OOP's OR COMMENT ON LINKED POSTS, REMEMBER - RULE 7
submitted by Direct-Caterpillar77 to BestofRedditorUpdates [link] [comments]

2024.05.31 17:47 AdminEating_Dragon Catching your (red and) white whale: Olympiacos FC road to European glory!

The 29th of May 2024 in OPAP Arena (colloquially Hagia Sophia Stadium), the 2023-24 Olympiacos squad entered the club's history by winning the Conference League and becoming the first Greek club to add a European trophy in its collection at senior level (after doing the same at Youth Level a few weeks ago)!
Brief history lesson for the class:
Olympiacos is historically the emperor of Greek football. 47 league titles vs 41 for every other team combined speaks for itself. But European glory has always been the club's white whale, the goal that was never scored, the one thing missing from the club's myth. There are many reasons for this oddity:
Europe was the only lifeline of Olympiacos' enemies in years of red and white domestic rule: they had memorable moments from Europe that Olympiacos didn't. They also used it as an argument that Olympiacos' local dominance is based on corruption and in Europe, where there is real refereeing etc., the true strength of the club shows.
Zooming in the last years:
Marinakis bought the club in 2010 and immediately achieved domestic domination. He brought back Ernesto Valverde, whose football philosophy affects Olympiacos until today, and the club stated regulary getting 9 and 10 points in CL until 2016. A combination of reasons led to a decline of quality and 2 lost titles until Pedro Martins put the team back in a order.
Εuropean success kept eluding though: despite some great wins, there was always a circumstance putting an end to the European journey - luck, Marinakis firing the coach for ego reasons (Jardim, Bento), GK blunders, covid changing the season, or simply a weaker team at the given moment.
In 2022-23 Olympiacos had a horrible season and Marinakis changed everything in the summer: you can read in details my post from August here.
Since then:
Did you read it? Good. Now throw all the planning and philosophy which was in theory put in place in August out of the window.
It didn't work. Diego Martinez improved the team and quality was added in several positions in attack and the wings, but the defense was vulnerable, the midfield was understaffed, and it went down the drain in November: the defensive performances against Greek minnows at home (despite wins) and the draw against Backa Topola (!) was the warning bell, and the hammer fell against PAOK at home (2-4) and Freiburg away (5-0). These results are not acceptable for Olympiacos under any circumstance, especially heavy defeats from other Greek clubs, and in early December, Martinez was fired with Olympiacos finishing 3rd in an EL Group with Freiburg, West Ham and Backa Topola with 7 points but having only 1 point in 3 Greek derbies.
But it gets worse: Marinakis hired Portuguese journeyman Carlos Carvalhal. He "fixed" the defense by positioning the players to sit back which led to not scoring against Lamia, Atromitos and Panathinaikos (twice), the players disliked him (Podence was visibly not even putting an effort) and the season looked lost, with PAOK having a 9 points lead in early February, the team out of the Cup to Panathinaikos and unable to win any Greek derby, much less think of Europe where Ferencvaros was waiting. Carvalhal was fired 1 week before the 1st leg match against Ferencvaros.
Marinakis is impulsive, arrogant and confrontational, and these traits led to the demise of the red and white stranglehold on domestic titles. But he is also very stubborn and really, really hates losing.
Changing 80% of the team didn't work? Let's do it again then in January!
Out go:
https://preview.redd.it/t7iqi675yk3d1.png?width=1392&format=png&auto=webp&s=89367a037749a8dae6197aa89546c43a4b684c0e
In go:
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And this time...jack-pot!
These transfers transformed Olympiacos for the best. Carmo is a 10 times better CB than Freire and Porozo combined. Chiquinho and Horta are quality, modern midfielders which complement the wonderful Hezze who was fighting alone for months next to unprofessional Mady Camara, and give a role to veteran Iborra in a midfield of 3. Martins gave much needed depth in the wings that Solbakken and Biel had failed to do. Abbey gave depth to the CB position. Navarro was a flop but you can't have it all.
The key to turning a wasted season to a glorious one, the missing piece of the puzzle, was the 3rd coach of the year: Jose Luis Mendilibar.
The fans were furious with Marinakis, his entourage, and the players, and there was no enthusiasm when Mendilibar arrived: his EL trophy was treated as a fluke, like Di Matteo's CL because "Sevilla can win EL without a coach". His work at Eibar was disregarded as "it's a small club, what does he know about having to win every week". His debut was to be against Ferencvaros....
Here. We. Go!
1st minute of the match, Olympiacos defense is sleeping as usually and the Hungarians score. The new coach is destined to fail already, just like that. But VAR to the rescue: hairline offside! The match is balanced, but Olympiacos with the new coach aura and the January transfers starting to glue with the team find a goal with leading scorer El Kaabi (who had missed January because of AFCON) and the morale shifts.
7 days later, Mendilibar is hailed as the second coming of Ernesto Valverde: Olympiacos have won their 1st derby of the season by demolishing league leader PAOK away (1-4) and played their best European match so far in Budapest, doubling the 1-0 wins against Ferencvaros. The draw is kind to Olympiacos: the next opponent is Maccabi Tel Aviv, everyone's 2nd preference after Viktoria Plzen.
Mendilibar has already flipped the team morale, won the players, had luck in his 1st match and his 1st draw, and the next week he gets 3 more league wins while rotating the squad. The 9 points gap from the top of the league is down to 3, the fans who were asking for everyone's head are delirious, and the expectations for breaking the curse against Israeli teams (3/3 eliminations) are sky-high.
The back-to-earth reminder is brutal. Olympiacos' shaky defense, especially when not protected by a 3rd midfielder, is torn apart by Eran Zahavi, Maccabi scores 4 goals in 5 shots and leaves Pireaus with a shocking 1-4 win.
The next day changed the course of the club forever: against all odds, Marinakis announces (through press leaks) that Mendilibar signed a new multi-year contract. And when the Basque has a tactically bad match and Panathinaikos leaves Piraeus with an 1-3 win a few days later with the crowd booing everyone, Marinakis doesn't change his mind: the message to the players is that the coach isn't going anywhere, start performing.
Was it their bruised ego? Was it football wanting to reward a good decision over an impulsive one? Was it Maccabi thinking they're already through?
The match in Topola (Maccabi used it as "home") had everyone rubbing their eyes in disbelief: Olympiacos went to HT leading 0-3! And when CB Retsos gifted a penalty to the Israelis, the psychology shifted back with usually clumsy El Kaabi scoring a bicycle kick (!) and veterans Jovetic and El Arabi completed a mircale in extra-time: 1-6!
The draw was again kind, and the opponent in the 1st QF since 1999 was Fenerbahce (note: Greek clubs and Olympiacos in paticular are not afraid of Turkish clubs. In Greece they are considered as "rich but not necessarily stronger than us". I recall Turkish fans here seemed to think Fenerbahce is a club of the size of Porto or Ajax and clear favourites - in Greece they aren't seen like that. It's just the Greek fans and media POV, not an attempt to belittle Fenerbahce).
Until then though, the league campaign suffered a severe blow with an away 90th minute defeat to AEK in a match where Olympiacos was good but not clinical, with only slim hopes remaining for the title. But everyone's mind was in Europe.
Olympiacos entered the home leg pressing the error-prone Fenerbahce defense at every chance they got, and got a 3-0 lead after 60 minutes. But another stupid penalty given by Retsos plus lack of depth which brought fatigue allowed the Turkish team to make it 3-2 and a very close return leg...which started very wrong for Olympiacos, 1-0 down early on. The match "froze" for a big part and in the penalty shoot-out, Tzolakis who became starting GK at the 2nd leg against Maccabi Tel Aviv, saved 3/5, including the 5th one by Bonucci, and sent Olympiacos to heaven.
A rotated side managed to beat PAOK at home, dropped points to Aris and beat punching bag Lamia, and thanks to AEK's poor results vs PAOK, the title chase was also still on, with 3/3 wins in derbies needed.
Nobody was focusing on this: Olympiacos has a lot of titles, they can survive losing one. All eyes were on the prize: Aston Villa and the prospect of a final in AEK's stadium!
What followed was football giving back to Olympiacos what they deserved over the years: a perfect referee and VAR referee who didn't give any "home advantage" to the "big league" team, a perfect finishing night from the striker, and timing, always timing. Aston Villa scored early but the goal was cancelled because on an offensive foul (from the ones referees often miss), and Olympiacos shocks Villa Park in a counter attack with El Kaabi using Cash's heel to beat the offside trap by 1mm! 13 minutes later, El Kaabi doubles the lead with Mendilibar's press doing wonders against Lenglet and Olsen. Villa bounces back though, with a goal at the end of the 1st half (a limping Ortega couldn't follow Watkins) and equalize early in the 2nd half with Diaby catching Tzolakis by surprise. At this point the match reminds the Yassine Meriah-induced fiasco against Tottenham a few years ago, but this time Olympiacos doesn't crumble. Douglas Luiz gifts a penalty, and El Kaabi (who never misses penalties) completes his hat trick. 10 minutes later, Hezze who had never scored for Olympiacos tries a shot outside the box...deflection, Olsen doesn't react quickly, 2-4! Villa press a lot but tactical freezing of the pace and Luiz sending a penalty to the stands send Olympiacos back to Greece with the 2-goal lead.
In the week until the 2nd leg, reporters and English fans had started an irrational hype about Emi Martinez returning....forgetting that Villa needed 2-3 goals and a goalkeeper, even an elite one, doesn't really help much in that.
In a flaming Karaiskakis stadium, El Kaabi says thank you to Podence and Quini serving him a tap in on the counter and Villa has a mountain to climb and neither the stamina nor the morale to do it. Iborra and Carmo dominate the air, Retsos avoids his usual catastrophic error per match, Tzolakis is there when needed, and Villa has more or less the pointless possession that Spain's NT had in the World Cup.
El Kaabi puts the cherry on top with an identical VAR-verified goal: everyone believes he's offside, but a defender's heel keeps him onside. 2-0 and the dream of every Olympiacos fan (and nightmare of AEK and not only) is reality, final in Athens!
The league title is lost against a spirited and focused PAOK 3 days later. The club really wants to screw AEK for many reasons (mostly because of a fat Slovak referee gifting them a win in January in Piraeus) and beat them at home, sending the title to PAOK's hands. The domestic season ends with smiles after drawing Panathinaikos from 2-0 down and securing Europe for the next season.
The final is recent so I won't go into much detail: in an expectedly tactical and close match, Olympiacos made the dream come true in the way that the last 2 months went: El Kaabi goal in 116', dancing on the offside line, and VAR confirms that for the 3rd time he managed to find the millimeters separating glory from defeat!
Olympiacos caught their Moby Dick, lifted a European trophy in a season which was borderline disastrous for several months, filled haters with despair and fans with ecstatic joy and changed the club's history forever.
The golden team of the club, by order of matches started:
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https://preview.redd.it/nvmla979vq3d1.png?width=1086&format=png&auto=webp&s=c9f1a574583d8fc9968af7f2dd2ae8a4fbd610f7
Rodinei: The best RB seen in Greece for many years, Rodinei is what Olympiacos fans dream from wing backs: a player with the technical skills of a no.10, who fearlessly runs forward and terrorizes opposition defenses when matched with Fortounis. He does leave gaps behind and isn't tactically very aware of crosses from the other side, but if he did that he would be in the Premier League. He almost became the black sheep when Livakovic saved his 5th penalty, but thanks to Tzolakis this moment cost nothing, and it would have been a huge pity for Rodinei. A cornerstone of the triumph!
Hezze: The soap opera tranfer of August was worth every second of waiting. Hezze started running in the summer and never stopped. A tireless athlete with the stamina of a long distance runner, the tactical awareness and tackle timing of a modern DM/CM, who held the midfield by himself every single match until February due to poor transfer planning, who also always has the clarity to pick the prime option when passing. The 22 years old Argentine was a hidden gem who shone very brightly once competent players played alongside him in the midfield, and got his personal reward as well with a goal in the Semi and the assist to the title-winning goal! Several European clubs are greedily looking at him, but there is the feeling that Marinakis is not going to sell him this summer.
Retsos: The most controversial player of the squad throughout the season. Retsos is an amazing CB 90% of the time, with an excellent ball-playing ability which made Leverkusen spend almost 20M for him when he was 18 years old. The other 10% of the time he has brainfart moments which usually lead to goals. In several matches throughout the year, he ruined his own excellent matches by giving an easy penalty or getting a red card or losing the ball where he shouldn't. He also had the bad luck to not get away with any of these errors - almost everything got punished with a goal while mistakes of others didn't end up in goals. This resulted to a lot of social media hate, peaking after the home match against Fenerbahce when his needless penalty kickstarted the return of the Turkish team in the tie. Nevertheless, he was still the 2nd best CB of the team and managed to not let his rollercoaster season affect him negatively in the final sprint, performing flawlessly against Villa and Fiorentina. If he stops the brainfart moments, he will become the best Greek CB ever.
Fortounis: The team captain lived a moment legends of the club were dreaming of. After 2 ACL injuries and a falling-out with Pedro Martins, he proved to everyone that he can make the difference at European-level pace, he can cover his wing back effectively (a chronic weakness of him), he can combine his lethal through balls with playing from the side and not strictly as no.10, and that Gustavo Poyet commited a crime by not having him in the national team (he rated Bakasetas more, lol). Fortounis gives solutions when matches get stuck, he opens the defenses and his creativity is a tool Olympiacos relies on so frequently that it's often taken for granted. He deserved this moment maybe a bit more than the rest. Top assister of the season!
Paschalakis: The starting goalkeeper for most of the season, dropped before the 1-6 against Maccabi. An old style keeper, with a huge body, very good reflexes, but with terrible ball-playing abilities and afraid to leave his line to clear crosses and corner kicks. Which was the reason, in parallel with the 7 goals in 3 days conceded to Maccabi and Panathinaikos, that Mendilibar changed him with Tzolakis. He had spectacular moments when the team wasn't well and there were many threats for the defense and accepted the secondary role in the end of the season with grace.
El Kaabi: Another amazing story reaching its climax. El Kaabi arrived in the summer with a career in Morocco, China, Qatar and one season in Turkish minnow Hatayspor. Noone was enthuiastic about him, and despite him quickly proving how easily he scores, there was still a lot of criticism about his limitations to control the ball and "break" it to the side and the fact he wasn't as technically skilled as prime El Arabi. His month in AFCON coincided with the team failing to score in many matches, and from February onwards he became an Olympiacos fan's dream of a striker: he was there in every single big match, finishing almost every one-touch chance he got: with his head, his feet, even a bicycle kick! He was what was expected from Tiquinho, from Oscar Cardozo, from so many bigger names who have passed from the team and never managed to be at the right spot at the right time as often as El Kaabi. 16 goals in Europe (2nd scorer of the club, in his 1st season!), 33 in total, 11 in 9 matches in the Conference League. 2 against Ferencvaros, 3 against Maccabi, 5 aganst Aston Villa and the golden goal of the final. That's an Olympiacos CF, the one the fans demand and rarely get to see. Clinical, always on the right side of the offside trap, present in big matches, 0 injuries. A player with an unremarkable career became a hero at Olympiacos and his name known in all Europe. What a story!
Masouras: When Olympiacos is struggling, Masouras is always there to fight and give solutions. When the team is rolling, he stands out negatively more often than not because he lacks the technical skills and quality a winger needs. Masouras became a bench player in the last 2-3 months and added his own part in the road to the title, as one of the clubs oldest players.
Ortega: The 2nd Argentine August arrival was the starting LB and had a lot of ups and downs. Tactically he isn't at the level he should be and makes it up with fighting spirit, technique and overlaps. He isn't Hezze, but covering the position occupied by the (hated by almost the entire fan base) talentless Reabciuk for 2 years, he had something rare: time. The bar was so low that there was patience to give him time to acclimatize and develop. As the rest of the team, he stepped up when it mattered and his 1st season in Europe ended ideally!
Podence: The short legend! When he got sold to Wolves, Olympiacos suffered for years, unable to find a winger of his quality. From players who are usesless without open space (Bruma), overweight players (Rony Lopes) to downright joke players (Onyekuru) and players who didn't give a shit (De La Fuente), everyone failed miserably to replace Podence. His return was greeted with joy and he showed why he is loved and was so hard to replace: the team's best dribbler, he improved his weak finishing in England (2nd scorer and 2nd assister of the season), he loves Greece and the club and gave everything he had most of the time (apart from his falling out with Carvalhal), he has a character and and an ego, he wins a lot of fouls, he is a tiny demon messing with every defender. He scored the 1st goal of the miracle against Maccabi, a screamer against Panathinaikos, he served on a silver platter to El Kaabi. Him, Hezze and El Kaabi were the summer transfers who changed the image of the team the first months.
Mady Camara: The less said, the better. An ungrateful, selfish player who believes he deserves to play in a bigger league and a bigger team, reluctantly stayed after Roma (and nobody else) wanted to buy him, chose to try hard only when he was personally interested, and was iced out of the team in January for refusing to renew and get sold, opting to leave as a free agent. Enjoy watching your teammates celebrate from your sofa, Mady!
Ntoi: An academy product, 20 years old, Ntoi was a DM in his youth career and was turned to a CB by Michel last season. He has good and bad qualities, not ready to be a starter for a team playing a high line but giving it all in Istanbul when he was needed in the return leg. He was the 1st bench option at the position for most of the season and he is with Tzolakis and Retsos one of the academy players who wrote their name in the history books with the title.
Quini: In Olympiacos, when you are a more limited player with a role to offer solutions from the bench, you are either a fan cult figure of a lightning rod for blame and hate. Quini zigzagged between the two, and his step-up when it mattered the most was one of the X factors. A veteran RB with a career in Segunda, he was asked to play LB often (thank Richards for being always injured) with mixed to poor results for most of the season. But with Ortega out against Villa, he had to step up for 3 halfs against the 4th PL team's wingers, and step up he did. He managed to limit the threats and assisted El Kaabi in the return leg to seal the presence in the final. Everyone played a part!
Chiquinho: Among the January transfers, he was the less flashy. Unknown to most people, the bar was low given the multiple failures of the last years when buying players from the Portuguese league, he soon proved everyone wrong and was one of the 3 January signings who turned the season around. An all around midfielder, playing both at no.8 and no.10, controlling the tempo and rushing forward when needed, with Hezze and Horta/Iborra he changed the way the midfield worked and turned the tide. He came with just 500k euros!
Carmo: Perhaps a 15M CB is what is necessary for Olympiacos to have a decent defense. Carmo came on loan from Porto in January and showed from his first game that he would be a season-changer. Strong, dominant and confident, he became the leader of the defense and changed the fate of the club. His block in Fiorentina's chance in 121' was his personal rubber stamp to a season his arrival turned around. Porto's asking price is high, but there's hope Olympiacos will manage to keep him. Best CB after Ruben Semedo and without criminal tendencies. He is worth every euro.
Tzolakis: Among so many stories, the one of Tzolakis is the greatest. The 21 years old goalkeeper was second for most of the season, with his performance in a few matches in previous seasons being lukewarm. Mendilibar made him starter before the return leg against Maccabi, valuing his quick thinking and skill to play with his legs and come out of the box when needed, and nobody could image what would follow. The young GK played with the confidence of a seasoned veteran, had flawless matches against Maccabi and Fenerbahce and became the ultimate hero in Istanbul by saving 3/5 penalties! From there with morale sky high, he was a rock until the end of the season, with 2 clean sheets in the 2nd Semi and the Final, and from another young prospect who was thinking of leaving to find playing time, you're looking at the starting GK of Olympiacos for years to come!
Alexandropoulos: The former Panathiniakos youngster on loan from Sporting scored one of the most crucial goal of the seasons: the equalizer against Genk in early August when half the squad hadn't arrived yet. His contribution came in the less flashy part of the season, but it was just as valuable. He didn't find much playing time the last months since Mendilibar preferes technically skilled midfielders and he's a bit clumsy, but if he stays there's a lot of room for improvement.
Horta: A technically artistic albeit a bit soft CM, Horta gave much needed solutions and filled the midfield of Olympiacos with quality and simplicity. Releasing pressure from Fortounis and Podence, sometimes from the bench sometimes as a starter, Horta was another missing piece of the puzzle which fell in place. He also put the nail in AEK's coffin with 2 goals which took the title out of their hands!
Navarro: You can't have 100% success in January transfers. Navarro is not a great goalscorer, he can't do much against parked buses, doesn't have the positioning of El Kaabi or the skill of Jovetic, and it's frankly a mystery why Porto values him at 8M.
Iborra: Extreme makeover, football edition. Iborra in a 4-2-3-1 system looked like a geriatric dinosaur, unable to follow the pace, slow, tired and generally useless. Mendilibar saw something in him though and when he changed the system in a 4-3-2-1 with both Hezze and Chiquinho alongside him, the 36 years old Spaniard turned to a leader in the pitch: calm, methodic, dominant in the air, he was a different player and lifted his 5th European trophy, with significant contribution to it!
Biancone: A rather mediocre CB with no attributes to make him stand out, he played in league matches mostly before March.
Jovetic: The Montenegrin veteran stayed away from injuries, with the correct usage (coming from the bench), and proved his quality: technique, experience and big moment goals, with the 5th against Maccabi his highlight. Everything you can ask from a substitute forward!
Carvalho: A meme player who cost the Greek Cup with a missed 5th penalty, mediocrity and lack of mental strength, a Mendes plant who made a career with almost zero skills to play anywhere above Rio Ave.
Biel: A player completely unfit for the brutal environment of Olympiacos. He rarely managed to show his talent, he cracked under pressure, he doesn't fight back but his performance takes a nosedive if things go wrong. Shipped to Augsburg in January.
Richards: The medical center's permanent resident, he showed flashes of quality, but what's the point if his body is made of glass?
Freire: A wrong transfer from the start, a mediocre player, error prone, not a great match with any of the other CBs, left in January. Night vs day compared to Carmo.
Gelson Martins: A proper winger, with acceleration, dribble and threat to the defense. Not in the European list because only 3 changes were possible in January, but he rested the starters in the league and is a big hope for the next season as long as he stays healhy.
Porozo: Average, never justified the hype, not worse than Freire but his lack of an EU passport led him to being ommitted from the squad more often than not due to league rules, and left in January.
Solbakken and Scarpra: Flops of the season. Came with much fanfare and high expectations, and offered nothing. We're still waiting for a player coming from Forest to be in the "good" and not the "mediocre" or "bad".
Abbey: A prospect CB who came from Reading in January, showed raw talent in several matches and will play more next year.
El Arabi: A club legend says goodbye in the best way possible. At age 37, he couldn't have the role he was used to, but what better way to close his career in the club? His last game was the winning final, his last goal was the 6th against Maccabi Tel Aviv. With 20 goals he is the club's top scorer in Europe, in the top 10 scorers overall, and the most talented all around CF seen for at least a decade. Thanks for everything!
Vezo: A Mendes transfer, probably in a silent deal to bring us the good Portuguese alongside. Didn't play much, not sure what his level is, he is no Carmo though.
Vrousai: Academy player, on loan to Rio Ave to find game time.
Cabral: He got injured at the only part of the season where he could have found minutes. Came as an extra solution for Greece, can't say we saw it.
Brnic: Started the season strongly but with Podence's arrival he couldn't find space in the squad.
Apostolopoulos: Academy player who debuted with the first team against Aston Villa! Mendilibar proved he isn't afraid at the slightest with his debut.
Ramon: I forgot he played. One of our many mediocrities out on loan.
Goals and Assists:
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https://preview.redd.it/t7z0b4d18s3d1.png?width=1083&format=png&auto=webp&s=39883104a48096d10ea8158cce861c9361896342
Future:
Apart from the obvious (the title itself), Olympiacos won the chance to change the next years for the club as well: the direct spot in the next Europa League league phase means a proper pre-season without qualifiers. It means planning without must-win matches in the summer.
The club completes 100 years in 2025 and Marinakis was already talking about the EL Final in Bilbao! Wild, but shows the mood to raise the budget, keep the key players and aim even higher!
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