Book acknowledgement examples

Pitch
Recruiting 4 Sorcerers (Magic not from entity or study) Only;

• Willing to deeply homebrew characters
• Three sessions -> Campaign for good fit
• Su@12p-4p EST

Thou were not born of thy own choosing
Whence you grieve, cry, or laugh
Tis as if you bring tragedy, rain or sunlight
Unexplained happenings follow you
And if anyone knows what you really are
They will kill you ..
Hide yourself, and silence your heart
Hunters seek those like you for in this world
.. You are monsters
Our story begins with the plights of your characters and how they were able to overcome them .. Or how they were succumbed to
You discover the nature of your afflictions .. And now you must survive
The world hunts sorcerers like dogs hunt confused and lost birds
But if a lost bird lives long enough to be found. It may spread it's wings and fly
Good luck
Introduction
Hello, my name is Inkh-Su (인수). I have been roleplaying since 2009 and started playing D&D 2018. I am hoping that you will be interested in my homebrew world of Myhrr. It is a work of consistent passion. I have passed 50 pages of content and have handcrafted over 30 explorable cities, tile-by-tile.
Myhrr is a living world developed by the DM, and a story lead by the players.
I prefer players who want to emotionally invest in NPCs, their party members, and their own characters. My aim is to naturally draw characters together into an interweaving story of relationships, action, and heroism.
My five main inspirations are The Books of Magic, Berserk, Merlin, Odin Sphere & The Last Unicorn.
I adhere to rules that maximize your exploration and sense of curiosity. I don't try to predict players, I just adapt to their actions. I study player strengths & weaknesses to spotlight them and write a balanced story. Depending on backstory, I grant geographical, social, and historical information.
Much of the world is a medieval, war-torn, feudalist place that has just found a respite from war. Power wavers with uncertainty, under the constant threat that war will return. Nobles attempt to secure peace alongside bloodstained battlegrounds. Royalty seizes power by sword, flame, accusation and subterfuge.
Whilst the faith in currency is unshaken, Trade is unstable. Promises are rare. The hunt of witches, warlocks, wizards and druids is ceaseless in a war against the unholy forces of magic and devilry.
Myhrr is plagued with economic inequality and xenophobia. Whilst half-orcs, tieflings, and goblins are capable of citizenship they are treated as second class citizens. Faced with the constant truths of their loathsome origins, demonic history, and biological differences they find little respite among other races.
Where half/elves are constantly bombarded with opportunity, these marginalized races find none.
Dungeons in the world are difficult to find. One requires research of the hundreds of books in the world, or a quick tongue and a fast blade, to take such information. Yet there are riches, power, and secrets hidden away behind the abominations of the deep and the traps that lay within. Those who seek answers in the hidden places of the world are at true risk of death or worse.
Think fast or die, traps don't wait and neither do monsters.
The core of every event lies a mystery. A quandary of history, social intrigue and chasing after evidence. Ancient secrets, political dealings, and criminal ones. The world's history is extensive but only a player who wishes to know the lore of the world will discover it.
One of the things I'm proud of in my game are its people. I've been roleplaying for over a decade and believe that every NPC will have more depth than any player will care about. Ingrained into the world and its culture; they have fears, desires and interact with an intelligence befitting of their environment.
Magic comes with a constant emotional and social contract. Only four classes are considered magical. Sorcerer, Druid, Warlock, and Wizard. All other classes use non-magical flavored versions of their spells. Each class uses magic uniquely, yet none of it is as reliable as sword or bow. Magic, no matter it's origin, has a will of its own.
Most cultures believe sorcery, druidry, and wizardry to be witchcraft.
Sorcerers do not have control over their innate power without having control over their own hearts. Druids must build a true relationship with nature and balance. Warlocks are required to debate and negotiate with cruel devils. Wizards are mysterious and grow in power as they follow a path of wonder.
The world has several holidays and I'd love to watch your character celebrate too.
Finally, the game is played with a flowing system of time. Time moves regardless of what your character is or isn't doing. Players who act quickly, describe their actions, act their dialogue and invest their hearts will quickly find themselves escaping the arm of mere RAW rules and mechanics.
I am rewarded by players who will sit after a game and theorize about NPCs, History and Intentions and have plans on how they want to act on the world. Reactive players are alright, but players who develop a judgment and work to act on that judgment are rewarded.
I am also rewarded by characters who act on and with emotionality to NPCs and with each other. My favorite moments are listening to the building moment of character clashes and support when they make discoveries that reveal pieces of themselves and each other.
World:

• Five Deities are confirmed fact
• One gold crown can buy a farm
• Literacy is rare and valuable
• Magic is feared, for it is fearful
• Xenophobia is alive and strong
• Guilty until proven popular is justice
• Evil is real, Orcs, Warlocks and Devils are Evil
• Printing Press is not yet invented

Game:

• Low Fantasy, a medieval setting with few magical elements
• Start Lv1
• LGBTQQIP2SAA friendly
• Session 0 required
• 4hr minimum sessions
• Available Races: Human, Elf, Half-Elf, Dwarf, Half-Dwarf, Dragonborn, Half-Orc, Halfling, Tiefling, Kenku, Goblin, Leonin, Minotaur
• Available Classes: Sorcerer
• VTT: Web-based
• Required: Chrome/Firefox + Discord + DNDBeyond + Microphone + Headphones
• Schedule: Su@12p-4p EST
• Game Start: As players are ready
• DM calls DCs && Open rolls

Table Culture:

• Roleplay & immersion heavy
• Mature, supportive & collaborative play is required to join

If you're interested:
Send me a chat with

• Age / Pronouns / Timezone
• A general character personality & motivation pitch
• An activity your character would initiate with a party
• In your opinion, what makes a good/bad playeDM
• What is your opinion of Magic in a setting where it’s demonized ?
• What does Magic mean to you ?
• Describe when you’ve connected with another party member
• Describe an example of environmental creative problem solving
• Does your character create ? If so, how are they creative ?
• What emotional state does your character often find themselves ?
• Discord handle

Looking forward to hearing from you : ]

As I reflect on my journey of learning about communication in my first year college experience, I'm reminded of the many important lessons I've already learned from elementary to high school. From the basics of language to the intricacies of relationships, I've learned that effective communication is a skill that requires practice, patience, and attention to detail. It's not just about speaking or writing, but about understanding and being understood by others.
One of the first lessons I learned was the importance of using words to show where things are or the “Prepositions of Place”. For example, "in," "on," "at," and "by" help us understand where things are located. I learned that these little words can make a big difference in how we communicate. Without them, we might be left wondering where something is or what someone is talking about. For instance, if someone says "I left my book at the library," we need to know that "at" means it's located at the library, not just anywhere. Another important lesson I learned was how to use words to compare things or the “Comparative and Superlative Adjectives”. For example, "big," "bigger," and "biggest" help us describe things accurately. By mastering these words, I was able to express myself more clearly and effectively. This has been especially helpful when describing things that are hard to measure, like personality or intelligence. By using words like "more confident" or "more intelligent," we can convey a sense of comparison without getting too technical. Another lesson I’ve also learned is “Comparing and Contrasting” which are also essential skills in communication. Whether we're discussing the pros and cons of two products or highlighting the similarities between two ideas, being able to compare and contrast helps us understand things better. This is especially important in academic settings, where we need to analyze and evaluate different sources of information. By comparing and contrasting, we can identify patterns and trends that might not be immediately apparent. Classifying is another important lesson I learned. By grouping similar things together, we can make it easier for others to understand and remember what we're saying. This skill has been particularly helpful in school, where we need to organize complex information in a clear and easy-to-understand way. For example, when studying for a test, I might group similar concepts together into categories like "cause and effect" or "types of government." This helps me to see the relationships between different ideas and remember them more easily.
However, it's not just about talking, effective communication also requires listening and understanding others. I learned that paying attention to what others are saying and how they're saying it is just as important as speaking clearly. By doing so, we can build trust and strengthen relationships. When we listen actively, we show that we value and respect the other person's thoughts and feelings. This can help to create a sense of community and cooperation. In addition to these skills, I've also learned the importance of tone and body language in communication. Our tone of voice can convey a sense of emotion or emphasis, while our body language can show whether we're engaged or disinterested. For example, if someone says something in a sarcastic tone, we might interpret it differently than if they said it in a neutral tone. Similarly, if someone is standing with their arms crossed while talking to us, we might perceive them as defensive or uncooperative.
Another important aspect of communication is feedback. Giving and receiving feedback is crucial in helping us improve our communication skills. When we receive feedback, we can learn from our mistakes and adjust our approach accordingly. For example, if someone tells us that our message wasn't clear, we might rephrase it or provide more context to help others understand better. In conclusion, my journey of learning about communication has been filled with valuable lessons that have helped me become a better communicator. From using words to show where things are to comparing and contrasting, classifying, listening actively, paying attention to tone and body language, and giving and receiving feedback, I've learned that effective communication is a skill that requires practice, patience, and attention to detail. By incorporating these skills into my daily interactions, I've been able to communicate more effectively, build stronger relationships, and achieve my goals with greater ease.
As I continue on this journey of learning and growth in terms of communication, I'm reminded that effective communication is an ongoing process that requires continuous effort and practice. By staying curious, seeking feedback, and embracing new challenges, I'm confident that I will continue to improve my skills and become an even more effective communicator. Whether it's in personal or professional settings, effective communication is key to building strong relationships and achieving our goals.

Hi there,
I wanted to take the time to write out a detailed explanation as to why some people might be hesitant donating to charitable organizations and why I personally would be in the 5% of people who would not follow Ludwig's recommendation of donating to Creators for Palestine. I'm also not here to be antagonistic towards others who donated but merely offer my perspective and decision making process as someone who has gathered knowledge about economics as well as psychology due to curiosity, specifically when it comes to the potential for corruption and ensuring money spent is used towards the expressed goals a charitable organization is expressing.
I also wanted to thank Ludwig for his respectful acknowledgement of the fact that not everyone would be prepared to donate like he did. I don't like how he's been treated for doing that and perhaps offering my perspective in detail will give some weight to that perspective and get people to empathize with both my position and his intent to validate others who see things differently.
World economics is something I became curious and interested in due to the 2008 financial collapse. It seemed mindboggling to me that various trusted institutions would engage in manipulative behavior on such a massive scale, something that many documentaries have covered as well as the movie The Big Short.
My interest did not stop there. A lesser publicized story regarding the HSBC also manifested between then and now that shares insights into how our modern economy operates and how that manipulative behavior, which has yet to be criminalized and legislated against, is leading to funding organizations who are harming the public at large.
There have been little amendments to accountability as a whole and charities, are also entities that are financial institutions that can be used for illicit purposes as they exist in this very space that lacks proper oversight and regulations due to what is permitted on the global economic stage which is the hiding of assets and the effortlessness of creating corporate entities out of thin air. We've seen evidence of this being reported as well when it comes to charitable organizations claiming they're doing something for a cause, only to funnel that money towards harmful and exploitative actors.
Basically, if you have the capital, you can set up a meeting with a law firm, assign a signatory, or even hire one through them and whatever happens with that account, is going to be completely untraceable and outside of public scrutiny. One of the reasons we now have this information is due to the tireless work of the ICIJ and their release of the Paradise Papers as well as other investigative works they undertook regarding the offshore economy.
Because of this, for me, a charitable organization needs to have an established record and a history of demonstrable humanitarian support, in order for me to sign up with them. Things like food banks for example, will have a long history of providing a population food. In fact, one of the best things you can do is give them money as they will be more effective when it comes to meeting demands vs having a surplus that is perishable and can expire.
When one looks at the PCRF, one can see that it was established in 1991. That means there's a longstanding record of their operations and effectiveness. However, when one looks at that record, one is met with some startling discoveries.
One such discovery is that its operational budget for 2021 was 13.7 million, which is money that didn't get to the children of Palestine. It took in 21.7 million, which means that only 7.3 million dollars of that money was supposedly provided to relief efforts. That's like 33%.
Then you have the instance of the US Treasury deciding to freeze its assets on suspicion that it was funneling money to Hamas, which we've seen in the current economic climate and through history, is a very real threat. And that's just the tip of the iceberg as you can see on the page that I linked.
Lets say for the sake of argument that these concerns are unfounded though and that the operational costs in 2021 were justified due to the challenges of getting aid to that area of the world and that the US Treasury was engaging in a complete witch hunt and everything else has some sort of reasonable explanation.
Why, would one require a fourth party, through Tiltify, in order to then give money to the PCRF? It does not make any logical sense whatsoever to me, especially when they are actively taking a cut of charitable donations as well. The PCRF has its own website with a fully functional donation page, why involve a fourth party in that donation chain?
Another thing I look at, are the people who are leading these charitable organizations.
Michael Wasserman, the founder of Tiltify, his educational background? Is in music. All of a sudden, after embarking into the field he went to school for, this guy makes a drastic career change, launching himself into the field of philanthropy and business. That seems odd to me.
All of these reasons combined are why when someone recommends that I donate to a charity that has shown the potential for corruptive practices, my response is along the lines of no thank you. It's not because I do not empathize with the events taking place in Palestine but it comes from a place of wanting that money to get to the people in need.
When it comes to the psychology at play Dr Ramani is an expert on narcissism and she estimates that about 1 in 6 people are narcissists.
These are individuals who have no empathy to speak of. They know right from wrong but ultimately, people are just things for them to manipulate and control. More often than not, these are the people who find themselves in positions of power and control because they spend a lifetime practicing the art of manipulation and deception so they can obtain these positions by any and all means necessary.
They would have absolutely no problems using an event like what's happening in Gaza in order to gather money for themselves with the illusion of helping others and using people's empathy against them who are looking to donate to a good cause. In fact, they think they're entitled to it.
Narcissists will often do this thing called breadcrumbing where they will give a breadcrumb to someone who is starving either literally or emotionally, in order to give the perception that they are doing something when in reality it's a manipulative self-serving behavior. This would also manifest in a business because we're hierarchical creatures, their presence would lead to them having ultimate power and control over that company, its environment and a business' behaviour would reflect the personality type of that leader.
Empaths, their antithesis? Would be the ones who would take the dollars received and ensure victims get the lions share whilst keeping operational costs down.
Mirjana Spoljaric Egger strikes me as such an individual. An empath. She actually went to Gaza to see and understand the environment she was tasking herself and the organization she represents to help survivors of a historical genocidal attack from Israel at the command of Netanyahu. It seems far more probable to me that funding the International Committee of the Red Cross will achieve the goal of providing relief to survivors in desperate need.
These are the reasons why I take great care choosing what charitable organization to engage with and promote and I think it's perfectly reasonable to do so.
I'm grateful that there are people like Ludwig who respects that however I still felt a need to justify this position due to recent events that made me feel like I was doing something wrong because he was made to feel like he was doing something wrong for simply acknowledging people like me.
And it felt kinda shitty to be honest.

I recognise this is probably an extremely silly question but I can’t stop thinking about it.
First of all I acknowledge I only have a barebones knowledge of prosthetic limbs.
Functionally for example a prosthetic leg is obvious, it actively gives you the ability to walk again but doesn’t need to do anything. I know robotic (?) arms are only a very recent creation and I am assuming still finicky? I have no delusion that they are sci-fi level of functional and assume they can only do basic things like grasping?
So if arms have been made of metal/wood/leatheetc and are functionally (this is the wrong word I know but I can’t think of another) useless what is the purpose of them? Wouldn’t it just be a hassle to have to attach them every day to just do nothing for you? Wouldn’t they be heavy or uncomfortable and not worth it since you don’t have finger or hand movements?
I suppose stigma is a hell of a thing unfortunately and could imagine the reason being so you ‘appear normal’ but are there function reasons? Do they help balance pr something? How functional were the hands even if they couldn’t be used with bionics?
Am I just really dumb to the evolution of prosthetic arms and hands? I know for a fact legs are thousands so I can’t imagine how expensive arms that could have moving hands would be.
I am more then interested in learning if people want to explain or drop any links
Thank you very much!

I understand the sentiments of the majority of the people from these and similar groups who've left Islam on account of the multiplicity of contradictions in the Quran, as well as the Ahadith of Sihah Al Sittah, as well as the Sahih Tafasir of the Quran from the Sunni sect.
I don't even need to delve into the historical personage of Mohammad from the perspective of the aforementioned Sahih works. From the Pedophilia, the killings and beheadings, and the later conquests on the part of those who allegedly came after him, those are all well documented and argued upon by relevant parties, extensively.
In the Shia sect, we understood that "people apostated after Mohammad" but the number of people to whom this Apostasy is ascribed often varies. Herein lies the very first contradiction of Islam in general, and Sunni'ism I particular: The Apostasy Wars, as was waged by the first Sunni Caliph, Abu Bakr. Abu Bakr, as Islamist books tell us, sent armies left and right, fighting people all over the place, and killing well over 40,000 people or more in the course of 1 year. Abu Bakr was killing people whom 1. He thought had "apostated," (his definition of them apostating is the fact that they refused to give Bay'ah to him and even those who did give Bay'ah, withheld Zakat from him, so in his Ijtihaad they had apostated. 2. Those who withheld Jizya (Islamist/Arab tax imposed on the conquered people.)
The books also tell us that there were various people who had come out claiming to be prophets, after Mohammad. A well known name in that accusation is "Musaylama." Abu Bakr also slaid these people and their armies. But here is the strange part: what we know about Musaylama is what we have been told by Abu Bakr and his supporters. An example would be analogous to Hitler, destroying all the Jews, and then living to tell the tale about how he did the world a favor by annihilating all Jews from the face of the earth. i.e. writing the narrative from HIS perspective. Was it Abu Bakr who had apostated, or the people HE was killing for having apostated?
The number of people who claimed to be Prophets AFTER the supposed or alleged existence of Mohammad is a testament to the nonsensical absurdity of the Islamist claim that "Mohammad is Khatim al-Anbiya." It is no wonder that early Islamists had to enshroud their newly created mythical prophet into a Supreme prophet who is not only the best-of-the-best but also "the seal of Prophethood," to the extent that such absurdities have been sold to us through various Ahadith from the Sihah Al Sitah that say "Ya Ali, you are to me like Haroon was to Musa, except there will be no Prophets after me." This idea of this fictitious mythical prophet being embedded into the minds of a generation of illiterate and improvised people was further intensified by over 8 centuries of Persian propaganda throughout the Abbasid dynasty.
Going back to Abu Bakr, having killed people, I doubt that Abu Bakr, Uthman, Ali, or Umar, etc ever actually existed. Muawiyah, on the other hand, is pretty well preserved in terms of the fact that we have coins from his time that depict the Christian Cross. The Ummayad dynasty were more than likely just an offshoot branch of Christianity based on the fact that coins from their time have no mention of a "Mohammad," nor of "Islam" as a religion. But on the contrary, show the Cross.
Islam, as a religion, has been plagiarized and stolen off of various different sources. Christianity, Hinduism, Judaism. The Quran itself is an amalgamation of multiple myths from different sources that came before, during, and after it. The entire religion was not canonized until several centuries after the supposed existence of the child lover prophet. Although, to be fair, Mohammad, from the perspective of the Shias was not married to a 6 year old child.
The Abbasids and Ommayads had several back and forth bloody civil wars, and even prayed their respective prayers in different directions. "Islam" as a mythical cult came several centuries after Pedo Mo, and the form and structure of Islamism varied based on the culture of the people who adopted the myth. The only people who usually tended to and continue to benefit from this cultic myth are the ones sitting at the pulpits and stands, preaching the mythical garbage that comes from this almost Satanic cult. Everyone else at the bottom tends to be poor and blindly following the speaker.
While this is one of many posts I plan to be doing, this is just an introductory post. I'm certain that neither Mohammad, nor the "Rashidun" Sunni Caliphs, nor the 12 Shia Imams ever actually existed. The only sources that claim they ever existed, happen to be Muslim sources. The historicity of any of these characters, but most importantly the historicity of Pedo Mo himself are all accounts of their nonexistence.

Have you ever felt upset because your partner texts other people in a flirty way when they're mad at you? It's a situation that can leave you feeling confused and hurt. Today, I would like to answer the question of what you need to do when your partner sends dirty texts to others because they’re mad at you. This situation arises when you mostly raise a concern about the relationship, but instead of resolving the matter, they get mad and sext someone else. Of course, you will feel bad about it, and when you’re afraid of the relationship ending, you may end up apologizing for doing nothing.
Actually, the first thing you need to realize when you’re in this situation is that you’re not in a healthy relationship. This is because if someone goes to that extent of not wanting to solve the issues in the relationship, then there are only two options: either you end the relationship or you just stick with it but end up getting hurt.
Also, when your partner flirts with other people, and then you find yourself asking for feedback in forums, it simply means there’s a problem in the relationship and the problem can also solved by you being honest with yourself and the reality of the relationship. It's about going back to the basics—what are your boundaries? What are some of the things you cannot tolerate in a relationship?
When you don’t have a great relationship with yourself, or when you're neglecting yourself consciously or unconsciously, you tend to ignore the significant and clear red flags because you're afraid of what will happen if you acknowledge the truth about the toxicity of the relationship.
When your partner constantly avoids conflict or gets mad when you raise something, that is an avoidance of conflict, and you will end up getting hurt. You may want to keep the relationship and seek solutions, but often, the desire to maintain the relationship stems from fear of abandonment or being alone. When you're emotionally and physically dependent on someone else, you'll do whatever it takes to keep them because you're not accustomed to standing up for yourself. If your partner flirts instead of resolving issues, ask yourself why you're staying in that environment, or even question if they have the energy to flirt, then they should have the energy to address those issues.
Also, when someone avoids concerns and consistently engages in behaviors you dislike, it indicates that you, too, are avoiding the inevitable. You're sidestepping the reality that perhaps you're not standing up for yourself or that you're tolerating your partner's behaviors. This pattern is common in many relationships, especially unhealthy ones. Over time, you may become accustomed to tolerating hurtful behavior until it becomes normalized, and you're unsure how you reached that point. It often begins with seemingly minor issues.
Therefore, it's crucial to address problems in a relationship as soon as they arise. If you find yourself hesitant to raise concerns, recognize that it's about you. You may be grappling with deep-seated insecurities, such as fear of abandonment, rejection, or not pleasing others. Addressing these fears is key. Once you confront them, you'll realize that perhaps the relationship isn't right for you, or you may need to explore other options.
Note from the Author
If you’re ready and you’d like my help with healing, finding peace in life and breaking free from these toxic patterns, then you can book a FREE BREAKTHROUGH CALL with me HERE. Happy healing 💙💙. Feel free to share and comment! Use this information with caution, it comes from my own thoughts & bias, experiences and research😊.

Trial Day 11
Katherine Jackson, Rebbie and Trent are at court.
Choreographer Travis Payne & Katherine Jackson spoke briefly in the courtroom before the jury came in. They seemed cordial
Travis Payne Testimony
AEG direct
Payne is wearing a black jacket with a gold emblem on the shoulders with the word "MJ" & a pair of wings
Payne said he was concerned about MJ missing rehearsals. He didn't know why he wasn't showing up, but MJ was also working on an album and a book
Payne said he did not think that Jackson had a problem abusing prescription medications. He acknowledged that Jackson missed rehearsals and he saw the singer shivering or appearing cold in some of his final rehearsals
He worked with Jackson beginning in the 1990's and testified that he never saw Jackson drink alcohol or take any medications. Michael also never discussed his medical treatments, Payne said
Payne told the jury he advised MJ he was looking thin.

"Michael said he was 'getting down to my fighting weight', which I took to mean that he was preparing for the performances", Payne testified. "I had no reason to doubt him"

Payne says he was satisfied with the response.
Payne said there was one day (6/19) when MJ was cold. He thought the frustration had him on edge. When Jackson needed to be layered in blankets and required a heater to be comfortable, Payne said, he believed Michael was merely fighting a cold.

"No one else was cold. He had flu-like symptoms"
"Sometimes he was tired and lethargic and had to be, not convinced, but supported throughout rehearsals," Payne recalled

Payne said that in April, May & June, MJ missed 5 rehearsals with the whole group. He said one time Ortega sent Michael home
Bina shows an email from Ortega to Gongaware on Jun 14:

"Were you aware that Michael's doctor didn't permit him to attend rehearsal yesterday? Without invading his privacy, it might be a good idea to talk to his doctor to make sure everything he requires is in place. Who is responsible for Michael getting proper nourishment/vitamins/therapy every day? Personally, I feel he should have a top Nutritionist and Physical Therapist working with him on a regular basis. The demand on this guy is mentally and physically extraordinary! The show requirements exhaust our 20 year olds. Please don't underestimate the need to stay on top of this"

Another part of the same email chain, from Gongaware:

"Frank and I have discussed it already and have requested a face-to-face meeting w/ the doctor... We want to remind him that it's AEG not Michael Jackson who's paying his salary We want him to understand what is expected of him. He has been dodging Frank so far

Payne said his understanding was that AEG was paying Dr. Murray's salary not Michael. The doctor was there to oversee many things, Payne said. Payne explained he didn't have much reason to question Dr. Murray since he thought that a doctor selected to work with Michael was top notch.
Bina asked Payne whether he ever met Conrad Murray. The choreographer says he met Murray twice. Payne says the first time he met Dr. Murray was at the Carolwood house.

"I was going up the steps, Dr. Murray going downstairs, Michael introduced us."

Payne was coming up from the basement to the middle floor. Studio was at the basement. Payne said he never went to the top floor of the house. He says the second time was at the Staples Center, after a rehearsal and Jackson was leaving for the day. Both meetings were brief.
When asked how Michael performed on June 23 & 24:

"He was having his process, I didn't expect him to be like he would in front of a crowd," Payne explained. "He was not at show standards ... I didn't expect him to be as he would be in front of a crowd."
Payne: "It ebbed and flowed. Some days were good, some days were not as good."

The last two days were good.

"I thought he was in his way to the goals he set himself," Payne told the jury.

He didn't have any question that MJ would be able to perform , adding that he and others were impressed while watching Jackson rehearse at Staples Center on June 23/24, 2009.
Payne described the day MJ died: He was headed to rehearsal at Michael's home, got a call from his mother who said she saw reports on the news. Payne heard news on the radio, called Staples Center spoke to Stacy Walker, she said they were rehearsing. He was told to go to Staples.

"We were optimistic of his arrival," Payne said explaining they were expecting Michael to rehearse at the Staples Center.

Payne said Ortega got a series of calls. He remembers Kenny saying:

'tell me something that will make me know it's you and that this is true'

​

" I remember him (Kenny Ortega) collapsing in his seat and crying," Payne testified

Payne said he never saw Michael drink alcohol or take medication but

"Sometimes, in rehearsal, Michael would appear just a little loopy, under the influence of something, but mostly when he would come to the rehearsals from the dermatologist," Payne testified.

That happened two to four times in the weeks before his death, he said. Payne told that he didn't think Jackson had a problem with prescription drugs

"Michael was undergoing personal cosmetic procedures, so he could feel great and do a good job," Payne said.

Payne also said he appeared groggy in the morning sometimes, which he attributed to lack of sleep

"Mr. Jackson just explained to me that he had trouble sleeping, that he was tired, and that satisfied me," Payne testified.

He stated that he's not sure how much weight MJ had lost
Payne mentioned one day in particular at a meeting with Andre Crouch and singers, MJ seemed a little out of it
Payne said at one point, he & others tried to bring in a top physical therapist who works with Olympic athletes to help Michael. Jackson didn't work w/physical therapist flown in for him.

"At the last minute we realized that Michael was not going to go through with it. He was just not comfortable with the invasion of personal space."

Bina played a clip of This Is It from Jun 4 showing the green screen and making of "Drill" and Michael talking about the cool moves, dancing. Payne said the idea was to show the rehearsals and how things came together. The footage itself wasn't altered, but there was editing. Payne said they picked the best of the rehearsal to include in the documentary. He wanted to reshoot some scenes but was not allowed. Payne, who was an associate producer on the This Is It documentary, said the footage of Jackson had not been retouched or altered.
Jackson cross
Attorney Brian Panish cross examined Payne. He asked if Michael ever performed the entire show from beginning to end. Payne said "No"

"Was he ready to perform for an audience?", Panish asked.
"I thought he was on his way to the goals he had set for himself," Payne answered. "All I saw was improvement and getting closer to the goals"

Payne's impression was that MJ loved being a father. He said he saw the beauty of their relationships, loyalty to one another.

"When we rehearsed, we had meals together," Payne recalled, talking about Michael and all three children.

Payne thought the relationship between MJ and Prince was awesome, Michael was a proud father, great to see how they interacted. Prince wanted to be a director, Michael would point out things to him during rehearsal should that be his career, Payne remembered.
As to Paris Jackson, Payne said he saw a very protective young lady, smart, astute, with knowledge of the production, very hands on. Paris, who was 11 at the time, was

"a very retentive young lady who was very, very smart, very astute," Payne testified. "She had full knowledge of the day-to-day operations, from the time of lunch and what it was going to be, she was hands on -- far beyond her age," he said. "She had a lot of responsibility, which I think she welcomed"

Payne said she was "the female of the house," and also "a daddy's girl."

"She really loved her father," he said. "At that time, she was coming to find out his global successes and presence, so she would wear her Michael Jackson t-shirt, headband and bag," he said.

It was Paris who would bless the food when they were have lunch with their father at home, he said.

"She was always the most vocal of the three children and was very concerned about many of the details of the house, was the temperature correct, what do you want to eat," Payne testified. "She just handled a lot for her young age"

Blanket, who was 7 when his father died, was the most quiet of the three. He liked to watch his father rehearsing his dances with Payne in the basement studio of their home, Payne said.

"He was quiet, but always right there with his dad," he said.

Michael guided and mentored him. Payne said he would be proud if MJ was his father and agreed the children suffered a tremendous loss. When rehearsing with Jackson at his Holmby Hills residence, Payne said the singer clearly delighted in being a father and shared meals with all three

"I saw the beauty of their relationships. I saw their loyalty to their father, I saw his loyalty to them. Their father enlightened them and taught them", he testified. "I was very proud to see Michael as such a loving father."
Panish: "Was Paris a Daddy's girl?"
Payne: "Yes, I believe so"

His description of the close relationship Paris (15) and Prince (16) had with their father four years ago could foreshadow the significance of the children's testimony later in the trial.
Payne always carries a video camera with him and shot videos of rehearsal. AEG took the footage that Payne shot and never returned to him. Email from Randy to Paul:

"Make sure you take out the shots of Michael in that red jacket... He looks way too thin and skeletal."

Payne said he was not aware of the email. He said Michael looked thin, but not skeletal. He doesn't know if Paul/Randy took any the footage out. The email was not displayed for the jury
As for Michael's relationship with Katherine, Payne said

"there's no secret that he loved his mother very much. It is kind of common knowledge"

​

"Karen Faye is a make up artist. She designed the make up, was always there when Michael was there", Payne testified.

Payne said Faye and MJ had a long term working relationship. They spent a lot of personal time together. Faye was concerned and frustrated with how Michael looked. She went to Payne kind of in an aggressive way. Payne told her to report to Ortega.
Payne said he wanted MJ to have a physical therapist, nutritionist, massage therapist, and have his family around. He said this was a different scenario.

"This was the first time MJ was working with AEG," Payne testified, saying he had always been hired by MJJ production before.

Payne said this was the first time Michael was not the sole producer of the show. Payne started working without a signed contract. He was being paid by AEG. Panish showed Payne's written contract. It is between Payne and AEG, beginning April 1, 2009. The contract said only AEG could cancel it. He testified that there was a delay in his contract with AEG because the salary was not in line with his standard charges, but that things worked out after he had a conversation with Jackson. Payne also said he believed AEG was paying Murray's salary, not Jackson
Payne was hired and paid by AEG. His contract was with AEG.

Panish: "Who could fire you. AEG?"
Payne: "I'm sure"

Things became heated when Panish inquired about a text message Karen Faye sent to Payne that accused him of lying to the media after Michael's death. He said earlier Faye had approached him in an "aggressive" way about her concern for Jackson's health but he told her to take her concerns to Ortega.

"I do not remember receiving a text message from Karen Faye asking why I was lying to the media," Payne explained.
Panish: "Were you upset when MJ died?"
Payne: "Yes"

During cross-examination, Payne was shown several photos of premieres for the This Is It documentary .Panish shows a picture of Payne at the red carpet premiere. He agreed he was happy about the premiere. In one, Ortega & AEG executive Randy Phillips flank Jackson's manager, Frank DiLeo, who has a cigar hanging out of his mouth. All three are grinning. Brian Panish, the attorney for Jackson's family, remarked that everyone looked pretty happy
Payne said he wasn't privy to details of what was expected of Dr. Murray. AEG was producepromoter, but MJ was the star, had to be happy
Panish reminded Payne that he had testified in his deposition that AEG was

"trying to protect its investment"

​

"I don't have a dog in this race so I'm not on either side", an aggravated Payne countered adding that he felt Panish was being aggressive. "I'm just saying I don't want to be painted as somebody who's trying to mask anything".

After several hours of testy exchanges with Panish, his voice quivered and he dabbed his eyes with a tissue.

"I'm just trying to have a conversation with you and tell the truth."

Panish asked Payne if defendants' attorney approached him during lunch to show him some documents. He said yes, he saw parts of his deposition
Under cross examination, Payne acknowledged that some of Jackson's behavior, including grogginess, lethargy, insomnia and occasional paranoia, were possible symptoms of prescription drug abuse. He also said that despite testifying earlier that he worked with Jackson one-on-one five days a week, he couldn't recall how many rehearsals the singer actually attended
Panish after lunch break got Travis Payne to concede Jackson wasn't present for a May 19, 2009 rehearsal. Payne also conceded that Jackson was a no-show for a June 22, 2009 rehearsal. Panish confronted Payne saying that yesterday he said he was with MJ at a dance studio on May 19, that they were up on their feet & danced.

Panish: "Sir, Michael was not with you May 19, 2009, was he?"
Payne: "No"
Panish: "He was at the doctor"
Payne: "If you're saying, I'm not disputing"

Panish said that on May 19, Michael was having a cyst removed at Dr. Klein's office, so he could not have been rehearsing with Payne.
Panish then said on Jun 22 MJ wasn't there either, "was he?"
Payne said he didn't know.
Panish said MJ was at another doctor's office
Payne said he may have made a mistake about Jackson's whereabouts & he didn't know his personal schedule. Travis Payne had testified yesterday that he and Jackson ran through certain songs on May 19th. He said today he was testifying based on the schedule and notes he compiled and that his recollection might be wrong

"We're human, sometimes we make mistakes," Payne explained, saying he's not disputing that Michael was or wasn't there on those dates.

Payne said there was always something for Michael to do.

"He needed to come to rehearsal, it was part of the job"

Payne said Michael had a hard time picking up some of the material. He was having trouble learning dances, Payne says. Email from Ortega to Gongaware:

"He has been slow at grabbing hold of the work"

Jackson was having trouble learning dances, choreographer Travis Payne says

"Prior to June, I noticed Mr. Jackson was thinner than I recognized him," Payne said, noting he never saw sudden weight change in MJ.

Second time Payne saw Dr. Murray was the night before Michael died at Staples Center.

"I wanted Michael to go home and go to sleep" Payne recalls. Payne said something about Murray felt off, Payne said. "He didn't feel like an official doctor"

Payne knew MJ had sleeping problems and that Dr. Murray was treating him for that. Ortega also knew; Payne thought Gongaware was aware too. Payne also said he and Ortega knew that Jackson was having sleep problems. Attorney Brian Panish asks if AEG executives knew. There were several objections, and Payne was only allowed to answer "No" as to whether Paul Gongaware knew about Michael's sleep problems
Panish asked Payne about choosing Jackson's dancers for This Is It. Payne says they were whittled down from 5,000 applicants. Applicants submitted video clips and their submissions were used to cull down potential dancers from there. Payne said they received 5,000 applications for dancers, about 2,500 showed up for the audition.He taught them some dance moves, and the pool was further narrowed down. Michael chose the dancers
Panish then asked Payne whether he knew how many doctors AEG interviewed to work with Jackson on This Is It. "No", Payne says. Payne also says he isn't aware how much interviewing or investigation into Murray that AEG did.(Panish's point appears to be that there was more scrutiny of backup dancers than Conrad Murray)
During preparations for This Is It, Michael at times seemed "under the influence of something" and once couldn't take the stage because he appeared incoherent, Payne testified.
Payne said he was aware that Jackson had problems sleeping and chalked up the singer's sometimes erratic behavior to sleep aids or sedatives from his dermatologist visits.

"You have to understand that one always says hindsight is 20/20. In the moment I had no inkling of what, ultimately, what was revealed until Mr. Jackson's passing", he said

Payne saw Michael tired and fatigued. He agreed that those symptoms could be signs of drug addiction. Payne was aware that MJ was losing weight during rehearsals and he had not seeing him lose weight like that before.

"He was not in great physical shape and was sore,working up his stamina. Lack of sleep and proper nourishment were starting to show", Payne said.

Payne says at one point, he told Kenny Ortega that Jackson appeared "assisted" (meaning that he thought he was on drugs\meds)
Payne said some people were concerned about the goals not being met, including Randy Phillips and Paul Gongaware. Payne learned what Demerol was after MJ died. He also remembers a mention of Demerol in the song "Morphine".
Panish asked if MJ knew the lyrics of his songs.

"I think he did, he knew most of them, but he wanted to have a Teleprompter for safety.He didn't want to make any mistakes, to refresh his memory. Also to use for sequence of songs",Payne said.

Payne agreed that it was very unusual for Michael to have a Teleprompter with the lyrics of his own songs. He never used it before. Payne didn't specify which songs Jackson wanted the teleprompter for
Payne said a body double was requested for Michael. Misha Gabriel was his body double, but shorter than him. Some of the scenes in the documentary are with the body double, Payne testified. Payne remembers at the Culver Studios in Smooth Criminal there was a stunt and Misha was asked to jump through a glass plate
Payne said most the time, MJ was present at rehearsals. "It wasn't a big deal," he expressed
Panish showed an email from the band leader Michael Bearden:

"Michael is not in shape enough yet to sing this stuff live and dance at the same time. He can use the ballads to sing live and get his stamina back up, Once he's healthy enough and has more strength I Have full confidence he can sing the majority of the show live. His voice sounds amazing right now, he needs to build it back up. I still need all big dance numbers to be in the system so we can concentrate on choreography."

Payne was aware that AEG was considering in mid June pulling the plug on the show. He said Michael looked exhausted & paranoid on Jun 19. Jackson's condition and missed rehearsals led to talk within the last 10 days of Jackson's life that AEG Live LLC, which was promoting "This Is It," might cancel the concert series.

"It was 'We've got to get this together or the plug may be pulled,'" Payne says

Payne was working for AEG and said he relayed his concerns about Jackson's possible prescription drug use and that he was exhibiting troubling signs of insomnia, weight loss and paranoia in his final days to tour director Kenny Ortega. Jackson was struggling to get into shape for the shows, and Payne said his voice coach suggested using a voice track for fast-paced songs until the singer's stamina improved.
Payne went to Michael's house on June 20. He was cold and had to light the fireplace and rub his hand and feet to warm himself up
Panish showed a picture of Michael on June 24 rehearsing "Thriller"; Payne said MJ improved but was not at his best yet.

Panish: "Around June 20, was Ortega in the mindset that Michael Jackson was not ready for this?" Payne: "Yes"

Payne said Michael was not ready, it was not the Michael he knew. He died four days later. But he didn't see anything that alarmed him on June 23/24

Panish:" Did you see that Michael was getting pressured to get everything done in the last days?" Payne: "Yes"

Payne said he could sense something was wrong, but didn't know what it was. He said Jackson's performances in the final days of his life were impressive, and it felt

"like we were definitely on an upswing"

​

"I never doubted Michael because he was the architect of this and he wanted to do it, so part of my responsibility was to help him get there", Payne said, his voice racked with emotion.

Panish ended his direct examination of choreographer Travis Payne with three questions.

Panish: "Did you see that Michael Jackson appeared to be pressured to get everything done at the Staples last rehearsals?"
"Yes," Payne said
Panish: "The pressure about the shows started to manifest itself physically in Michael Jackson?"
"Yes," Payne replied.
Panish:" You could sense that something was wrong, you just didn't know what it was?"
Payne responded "Yes."

AEG re-direct
Payne's demeanor changed after Panish finished questioning him. He was holding back tears when the AEG attorney started re-direct examination. For the next several moments, Payne blinked and dabbed both eyes with a tissue. It was the first time he'd gotten emotional on the stand.

Bina in re-direct asked: "Do you think you could get him there?"
Payne: "Absolutely!"

Bina asked Payne again about how many rehearsals Jackson attended. Payne said MJ was present a significant amount of the days he was scheduled to work but he couldn't recall dates, precisely how many that Jackson attended.
As to Gongaware's email regarding what was expected of Dr. Murray, Payne said the inconsistencies with Michael missing rehearsals warrant a talk. Payne said he thought Dr. Murray was there to care for his patient, making sure right nutritionist was there, to get him ready for the show. Payne never discussed with MJ about his doctors or personal affairs. Payne and Faye were professionals with each other, but not friends.

"Production felt he wasn't coming to rehearsals enough, and that was frustrating to some of the staff," Payne testified. "I had a concern we needed to create a show Michael would enjoy doing it," Payne explained

She also showed Payne photos from the This Is It premiere. First photo is of Payne shaking Jermaine Jackson's hand at the movie premiere. Bina also showed another image of smiling Jermaine, Tito, Jackie and Marlon with Payne at the premiere. Payne cried saying he had been through so much and the rough part was behind them. He was pleased to show the fans what the show was to be.
Jackson re-cross
In re-cross, Panish notes that none of Michael's brothers are part of this lawsuit.
Panish then asked Payne whether Katherine Jackson and Michael's kids went to the premiere. Panish says Katherine Jackson & her grandchildren didn't go to the premiere because they weren't over Jackson's death. Payne said he didn't think anyone was over Jackson's death when the film premiered in late 2009.
Court Transcript

Hi UKPF folks,
I’ve recently been informed of my grandparents’ will logistics, wherein when one of them dies I will inherit 1/4 of the property (currently owned 50:50 between each grandparent). This is looking to happen before I am in the position to buy my own house, since I’m currently 25 and studying for a PhD.
As far as I understand, the inheritance would invalidate any First Time Buyer status I have since I would technically own property, despite not really being able to access it (and even if I immediately sold out to another family member, for example). As a consequence, any money saved in a LISA would then be “locked” for retirement or subject to the 25% withdrawal penalty.
I have £10k in a Moneybox LISA (2 years’ maxed contributions) and 3k in my EF (Barclays rainy day @ 5%), as well as another limited access Nationwide account that matures for 8% lump sum interest later this year. Any income is pretty stable and between the two accounts I have a solid enough Emergency Fund that I’m comfortable with.
I acknowledge I’m very fortunate to be in a position to inherit anything of substance before purchasing a house, but am looking for guidance in the best way forward.
TL;DR - does inheritance of part of a property invalidate FTB status, and hence do my LISA savings suffer?

Hey, i’m mostly interestedn in runes. Either elder futhark or younger futhark. I would love to find a reliable source on alphabet etc on either one.
When I try to search for example the alpabet some letters are different on different sources so I would like to know your recommendations. Books, websites and videos are all welcome.

Get ready for a long one! Going to start this with a little (maybe a lot of) back story, over the last 5-6 years there has been a lot of conflict in my family not always directly involving me but always affecting me causing the family I’m in contact with to get smaller and smaller. My dad passed in 2020 and the family fall out was DRAMATIC to say the least, honestly that could be another Reddit post in of itself but I’m still healing from the trauma. Anyway, that resulted in me going no contact with nearly my dad’s entire family except his two sisters. One I love dearly but am not close with and the other, his youngest sister is like my own sister more than an aunt. We are close in age, have children similar ages, etc. I’m closer to her more than anyone in the world. Now on to my mom… my parents were divorced for about 3.5 years prior to my dads passing, and over the last 6 years her parents also passed and she lost contact with all of her other family… she is virtually alone. I love my mom, it breaks my heart and to make matters worse… I moved to another country 6 months after my dad died.
So let’s get it straight that I have TWO people to call family on my side really and truly. Along side my little brother who cannot be counted on and my aunt who lives a coast away from the rest of my family. A very small family for me now compared to the large family I grew up with…
Let me assure you also that my mom is stilll very much young at 50yo and healthy. She also has had a busy dating life and currently a steady boyfriend… so she’s not some poor old woman wasting away. So. While I’ve been living away I’ve given birth to both of my children… my mom’s first grandchildren and her also being the only grandparent on my side, her seeing them has been very important to me. I have gone to visit once a year and helped her come visit me once . Every visit is a disaster and I manage to disappoint my mom in some way or another even though…. I’m the one traveling across an ocean alone with babies! But still I try. When she came to visit me… it was in 2022 just a week after my son was born… I had gotten really sick after birth, and was in the hospital for a week and then had to go to the hospital daily getting iv meds.. it was a scary and traumatic time and I was so thankful to have my mom there…. Except she cried everyday about how I forced her to travel to another country alone and how we aren’t even doing anything….. again I was sick and just a week post partum… I bit my tongue and was very accommodating but did ask her to take a train/bus to and from the airport because it was far and didn’t want to be alone with both children for extended time due to being sick and weak… I thought this was perfectly reasonable considering she’s an able bodied adult who can read a book or listen to music during a trip and allow my husband to stay home and support me.
Flash forward to a recent trip home… I originally proposed this trip just me and my two children and to stay with my mom( again even though my family is small, it’s important to me she sees my kids) however my husband now has the opportunity with work to come with me…. Great now I don’t have to fly alone with two toddlers! When my in laws find out (by the way they have come to visit us twice and they live pretty far away on the opposite coast my family lives on) they decide they want to come too… meaning they’re gonna fly out an visit my coast so we can have a big family trip with both our families. I tell my mom nervously because I know she can be irritated by things like this but she acts excited for the trip still! So my MIL, FIL, BIL, SIL, and two nieces all fly out and get beach rental just a few houses down from where my mom lives. When the time comes it works out that we were there 2 days before and 2 days after my in laws and they’re there for 6 days in the middle. The way I planned it in my head was that we’d spend the first two days with my mom and the last two, as well as sometime with just my in laws in the middle while my mom worked and some combined time all together. And we were also staying with my mom so we were often together in the evenings as well. Sounds great, right? No.
The morning of my in-laws last day… she was acting weird, slamming doors, not coming up to say good morning like usual and then just getting in her car to leave for work. I stepped outside to wave bye and share barely acknowledged me, and I knew I was in for it. That day we took the kids to the park and I was feeling sad my mom couldn’t be there to join us and also sad that she was upset, so I sent her and I love you text.. to which I got “I made plans for tonight don’t worry about me”. Oh. Okay. I thought she’d join us for dinner to see my in laws off but no, she’d made plans. Fair enough but in comes the onslaught of texts. Of how I was constantly choosing to spend time with my in-laws over her, even though she was invited along every time aside from when she was at work… but she declined. She was so upset about this she told me she didn’t want to see us the rest of the trip… meaning the last full two days I had planned to dedicate to her… canceled… because essentially she didn’t want to go to the aquarium one day with all of us and want time to us all by herself and she didn’t come out and say it… and sorry my kids love the aquarium and it was raining so a great activity. But for her the value of the trip came down to the one specific moment and get this… she really wants me to know she’s still upset I made her come to Spain two years ago. I continued to try to reason with her but she threw insults that I feel can never taken back, she continuously called and yelled at me till I ended up blocking her for some peace. And moved our stuff over to my aunts for our last days. I did unblock her so she could calmly reach back out after 24 hours. Which she did and asked to see the kids and say goodbye, to which I agreed. We did have a very nice talk which resolved the tensions. But I’m left feeling really hurt by her insults… and a comment she kept making over and over “I’ll always just be your mom to you and that’s not fair” - i understand she is more than a mom but to me she is my mom and I largely still need her to be my mom because she’s the only parent I have left so I just don’t know how to treat her differently. I’m left wondering am I not treating her the way I should be? How should I be treating her in a way that is “not just my mom”? Did I spend to much time with my in-laws? I’m feeling really uneasy about our relationship and wondering am I the asshole here??? Or do I need to just set some boundaries and stand firm?

I’m not even sure if these exist, as I’m not having a ton of success finding examples so far. Basically, I play a lot of acoustic guitar in the style of Julian Lage, Bob Minner, etc. Think of flat picking with lots of hybrid picking thrown in. I’m looking for more pieces in this style to learn while also working on my music notation sight reading skills. Does anyone know of any books of solo guitar pieces that fit this description? I’m not really looking for classical guitar pieces, though I am open to those if anyone knows of books that are accessible to steel string players. In terms of skill level, I would call myself an advanced player. Thanks!

I've worked for a company where the last round of the interview process was a virtual HR Discussion Interview with the Director of People Operations. This interview was to ensure the candidate is aligned with the company's culture and understands the expectations of the role. It's also an opportunity for HR to catch any red flags. Now that the world is 80% remote (not a real statistic), I've seen every trick in the book.
Question: Is having an HR interview round a normal practice? I think it's a great stage to have in the interview process. If you have experience conducting HR Interviews with candidates who were one step from receiving an offer letter, what are some great questions to ask before getting to that point? What are a few red flag examples to look out for?
*Please specify the industry & location.

I tried making some background for an isometric game in a comic book art style - https://imgur.com/a/MPx2r7s - but I feel like it is not "popping" enough, the colors, or maybe the line art, does not really catch a player's eye. That would make perfect sense since I'm a total beginner, first of all, but I was curious, what do you think about the comic book art style in video games, and what are some examples you have in mind? I thought about Hades, which has some elements of it (I heard it's somewhat inspired Mike Mignola's art?)

Thoughts While Studying Mosiah 12:19–37:
The Priests of King Noah knew the scriptures, and could quote them to serve their own needs, In this particular case bringing up scriptures which basically say a prophet is supposed to bring good news that makes people happy, not acknowledging that “good news” isn’t the same as “easy to accept news” and that the joy of that news come through righteous living, not just because the news sounds nice. They also claim to teach the Law of Moses, despite not living it themselves.
This makes me reflect a bit on my own life. I grew up in The Church, and my parents were very good about having family scripture study. We read all the scripture story picture books when I was a kid, and I could pretty much give you a play-by-play of every story in the scriptures during Sunday School. And I’ve got some pretty solid reading comprehension skills, so I can generally tell you what a scripture means and what we’re meant to learn from it. But as I’ve grown up I’ve struggled at times with truly living the teachings of The Scriptures. I haven’t always had a true testimony of them. I haven’t always feasted on the words and used them in my daily living. But the times where I have and the times when I’ve truly understood them and grasped them have been some of the happiest times in my life, that have truly changed me and made my life better and more peaceful.

Thoughts While Studying Mosiah 12:19–37:
The Priests of King Noah knew the scriptures, and could quote them to serve their own needs, In this particular case bringing up scriptures which basically say a prophet is supposed to bring good news that makes people happy, not acknowledging that “good news” isn’t the same as “easy to accept news” and that the joy of that news come through righteous living, not just because the news sounds nice. They also claim to teach the Law of Moses, despite not living it themselves.
This makes me reflect a bit on my own life. I grew up in The Church, and my parents were very good about having family scripture study. We read all the scripture story picture books when I was a kid, and I could pretty much give you a play-by-play of every story in the scriptures during Sunday School. And I’ve got some pretty solid reading comprehension skills, so I can generally tell you what a scripture means and what we’re meant to learn from it. But as I’ve grown up I’ve struggled at times with truly living the teachings of The Scriptures. I haven’t always had a true testimony of them. I haven’t always feasted on the words and used them in my daily living. But the times where I have and the times when I’ve truly understood them and grasped them have been some of the happiest times in my life, that have truly changed me and made my life better and more peaceful.

Thoughts While Studying Mosiah 12:19–37:
The Priests of King Noah knew the scriptures, and could quote them to serve their own needs, In this particular case bringing up scriptures which basically say a prophet is supposed to bring good news that makes people happy, not acknowledging that “good news” isn’t the same as “easy to accept news” and that the joy of that news come through righteous living, not just because the news sounds nice. They also claim to teach the Law of Moses, despite not living it themselves.
This makes me reflect a bit on my own life. I grew up in The Church, and my parents were very good about having family scripture study. We read all the scripture story picture books when I was a kid, and I could pretty much give you a play-by-play of every story in the scriptures during Sunday School. And I’ve got some pretty solid reading comprehension skills, so I can generally tell you what a scripture means and what we’re meant to learn from it. But as I’ve grown up I’ve struggled at times with truly living the teachings of The Scriptures. I haven’t always had a true testimony of them. I haven’t always feasted on the words and used them in my daily living. But the times where I have and the times when I’ve truly understood them and grasped them have been some of the happiest times in my life, that have truly changed me and made my life better and more peaceful.

Determining sign diagrams of polynomial functions and their derivatives.
Is there a generally agreed procedure – or at least a handful of useful techniques?
Background:
I'm learning about concavity in curves of functions, specifically identifying the turning points and inflections in such curves.
To do this I'm building sign diagrams of f(x), f'(x) (first derivative) and f''(x) (second derivative).
For example:

x	-1	0	1/2	1
y'	-	-	+	+

• By working out the signs of the 1st derivative, I can determine the turning points of the curve.
• By working out the signs of the 2nd derivative, I can determine the inflection points of the curve.

The functions tend to be polynomial, e.g.:

• f(x) = x^2 - x^4
  
  • so that f'(x) = 2x - 4x^3
  • and f''(x) = 2 - 12x^2
• f(x) = x^4 - 3x^2 + 6x
  
  • so that f'(x) = 4x^3 - 6x + 6
  • and f''(x) = 12x^2 - 6

So far my "technique" is pretty scrappy.
First I determine zero points (by inspection, completing the square or applying the quadratic formula).
Then I just punch tiny permutations into my calculator, e.g. `1.0001^2 - 1.0001^4`, etc, randomly to see whether they're negative or positive, and scrawl down the results. Then I try to throw together a sign diagram that seems right.
I would prefer to follow a consistent method that can generally get me accurate results.
So far I've got this short list:
A) Inspecting for obvious forcing of the whole result.
E.g. in an expression like: 2x^2 - x^2, the result can only be positive, because both sides square x and the left side only doubles that value, so will always be larger than the right.
B) Factoring/grouping.
Factor the polynomial into groups of multiplications if possible, then solve the sign of each group separately, then combined them in the end.
For example:

1. x^4 - x^3 - 5x => (x^2 - 3x)(x^2 + 2x)
2. Make two sign diagrams, one for (x^2 - 3x) and one for (x^2 + 2x)
3. Then combine the signs, i.e. - * - = +, - * + = +, + * + = +

C) Tabulating permutations.
Drawing up a table of values of x (columns) and groups of the polynomial (from the Factoring/grouping above).
For example:

x	-1	-1 + 0.001	0 - 0.001	0	0 + 0.001	1 - 0.001	1
(x^2 - 3x)	2 (+)	≈ 3.995 (+)	≈ 0.003 (+)	0	≈ -0.002 (-)	≈ -1.998 (-)	-2 (-)
(x^2 + 2x)	...	...	...	...	...	...	...

This can then easily be converted to a sign diagram.
D) Applying values of powers of fractions.
I noticed it's common that a fraction raised to a power will give a radically (no pun) different result to the whole polynomial.
For example:
6x^3 - 6x will be:

• Negative for fractions; e.g. (6 * (0.5^3)) - (6*0.5) = -2.25
• Positive for whole numbers; e.g. (6 * (2^3)) - (6*2) = +36

So it might be useful to quickly identify where powers are applied to fractions and solve for them early.
I'm thinking of memorising (or at least being able to quickly build from memory) a table like the following:

x	2	3	4	...
1/2	1/4	1/8	...	...
1/4	...	...	...	...
1/6	...	...	...	...
...	...	...	...	...

E) Inverting the polynomial (or grouped parts of it) to find zero points.
For example, given: 5x^2 - 1.
I can invert 5x^2 to get sqrt(x/5) so that sqrt(1/5) gives me a zero point of the expression.
Then I can add/subtract tiny amounts to build the sign diagram around it.
E.g.

x	sqrt(1/5)-0.001	sqrt(1/5)	sqrt(1/5)+0.001
y	-	0	+

What do you think?
Am I generally right to try and find a systematic method or at least a collection of tools to solve this kind of problem?
If so, are there any good books out there that cover such methods, so I don't have to discover them on my own by trial-and-error?
Or if not, then maybe this would be a good topic for a math book or blog post that I should write on my own!

Tarot Reader since 2017 who has fully mastered in depth readings to bring true insight to the energies and circumstances you are dealing with, with the use of Oracle and Astrology as well. Shaneka's Services And Contact Linktree
get a tarot reading
how often should you get a tarot reading
should i get a tarot reading
is it good to get a tarot reading
how much does it cost to get a tarot reading
how often should i get a tarot reading
best time to get a tarot reading
reasons to get a tarot reading
where can i get a tarot reading
why you should get a tarot reading
get a tarot reading online
getting a tarot reading in a dream
how to get the tarot card at arasaka tower
how to get the tarot card above misty
what age can you get a tarot reading
how to ask for a tarot reading
ways to do a tarot reading
how to get tarot reading
what to do if you get a bad tarot reading
what to know before getting a tarot reading
what to expect when getting a tarot reading
get a tarot reading for free
a tarot reader
is it bad to get a tarot card reading
when you get a bad tarot reading
best tarot cards to get in a love reading
can you get a bad tarot reading
how to get a better tarot reading
can you get a tarot reading online
where can i get a tarot card reading
can i get a free tarot reading online
how often should you get a tarot card reading
get a tarot card reading
worst cards to get in a tarot reading
what do you get from a tarot reading
i got a tarot card reading
i want a tarot reading
i need a tarot reading
how to get a free tarot reading
what is a general tarot reading
when should i get a tarot reading
how long should a tarot reading be
how to get a tarot reading
how many times can you get a tarot reading
how to get the most out of a tarot reading
how to get a good tarot reading
is it safe to get a tarot reading
when is the best time to get a tarot reading
why get a tarot reading
learn tarot reading near me
what happens when you get a tarot reading
where to get a tarot reading near me
get a card reader natwest
buy tarot card near me
when not to get a tarot reading
what to get a tarot reading on
buy tarot card online
quick tarot reading
questions to ask when getting a tarot reading
questions for a tarot reading
should you get a tarot reading
getting a tarot reading
what to do when you get tarot cards
get a reading with theresa caputo
where to get a tarot reading
x tarot reversed
z tarot
1 tarot card reading
2 tarot card reading
2 card tarot reading free
2 card tarot spreads
3 tarot reading
3 card reading tarot free
3 card tarot reading new age store
3 card tarot reading questions
4 card tarot reading free
4 tarot card reading
4 tarot card reading meaning
5 card tarot reading free
5 card reading tarot
6 card tarot reading free
how to read a 6 card tarot spread
6 card reading tarot
6 card relationship tarot spread
7 tarot reading
7 card tarot reading free
7 card tarot reading free online
8 card tarot reading
8 card spread tarot reading
9 card tarot reading
how to read a 9 card tarot spread
psychic reading
psychic reading near me
psychic reading free
psychic reading online
free psychic reading by date of birth and time
psychic reading free love
psychic reading cards
psychic readings by danielle
psychic readings by alicia
psychic reading meaning
eva tarot psychic reading
rebecca's psychic reading ted lasso
free psychic reading app
psychic reading ai
psychic reading apple pay
psychic reading banner
bali psychic reading
bobby brown psychic reading
benefits of psychic reading
bts psychic reading
birth chart psychic reading
best psychic reading
psychic reading cards meaning
psychic reading cards deck
daily psychic reading free
dallas psychic reading nyc
david schultz psychic reading
dark psychic reading
dangers of psychic reading
psychic reading elijah vue
psychic readings near me
psychic reading near me open now
elijah vue psychic reading
empress chain spiritual psychic reading
ethical psychic reading
email free psychic reading
experienced psychic reading
elsa psychic reading
psychic reading for taurus
psychic reading for today
psychic reading for riley strain
psychic reading for 2024
psychic reading free by date of birth
psychic reading flyers
psychic reading for aries
psychic reading for elijah vue
free psychic reading for love
free psychic reading cards
free psychic reading for leo
fertility psychic reading free
free psychic reading for virgo
free psychic reading for libra
free psychic reading for cancer
free psychic reading for taurus
psychic reading generator
psychic reading gif
psychic reading german
psychic reading gold creek
gemini psychic reading
gretchen fleming psychic reading
ghost psychic reading
goddess elite psychic reading
kelsey grammer psychic reading
sal governale psychic reading
psychic reading hannah mount sinai
psychic reading hoodie xplr
headache after psychic reading
horoscope psychic reading
howard stern sal psychic reading
henry cavill psychic reading
hand psychic reading
psychic reading in st louis mo
psychic reading in weymouth
impractical jokers psychic reading episode
i get a free psychic reading
i free psychic reading
psychic reading jobs online
psychic reading joslin smith
psychic reader joyce
psychic reader jerry
tarot reading jobs
tarot reading jakarta
tarot reading jobs from home
tarot reading jobs near me
tarot reading journal
tarot reading jobs remote
jungkook psychic reading
joslin smith psychic reading
january psychic reading
jade psychic and tarot reading cape town
kate middleton psychic reading youtube
kyle psychic reading
kim porter psychic reading
kim's psychic reading room
kris jenner psychic reading
kim kardashian psychic reading
kpop psychic reading
kelsey psychic reading
princess kate psychic reading
psychic reading lounge reviews
psychic reading ltd
love psychic reading free
libra psychic reading
leo psychic reading
love psychic reading free by date of birth
live psychic reading free online
love psychic reading online
leo psychic reading today
psychic reading meaning in hindi
psychic reading malaysia
psychic reading malvern
psychic reading meaning in hindi with example
morgan nick psychic reading
matthew perry psychic reading
my psychic reading today
psychic reading near scarborough
nebula psychic reading
nebula astrology and psychic reading
turkish coffee psychic reading near me
yes or no psychic reading
psychic reading online free
psychic reading online cards
psychic reading on riley strain
psychic reading on elijah vue
psychic reading on samantha murphy
online psychic reading manchester
old port maine psychic reading
online psychic reading
psychic reading pathfinder
psychic reading pismo beach photos
psychic reading pismo beach reviews
psychic reading princess kate
psychic reading quiz
tarot reading questions
tarot reading quotes
tarot reading questions about love
tarot reading quiz
spiritual reading quotes
tarot reading questions about career
tarot reading questions about life
tarot reading queen of cups
tarot reading quezon city
question psychic reading
relationship psychic reading questions
que significa psychic reading
que es psychic reading
psychic reading riley strain
psychic reading royal family
relationship psychic reading free
rebecca welton psychic reading
ryan shtuka psychic reading
random psychic reading
rose renee psychic reading
cameron robbins psychic reading
psychic reading spotify
psychic reading shirt
psychic reading shreveport
psychic reading today
psychic reading tube top
psychic reading template
turkish coffee psychic reading
ted lasso rebecca psychic reading
tarot psychic reading near me
tea leaf psychic reading
today's psychic reading
turkish coffee psychic reading nyc
true love psychic reading
tiktok psychic reading
taurus psychic reading
psychic reading ubud
tarot reading ubud
tarot reading using playing cards
tarot reading uk free
tarot reading upside down cards
tarot reading uluwatu
spiritual reading ubud
tarot reading unique
tarot reading utah
tarot reading udemy
unintentional psychic reading
online psychic reading us
psychic reader reading uk
psychic reading in urdu
virgo psychic reading
valentine psychic reading
vicki psychic reading
vivid psychic reading
vampire psychic reading
psychic reading with playing cards
what is psychic reading
xplr psychic reading hoodie
x-men psychics
x and y psychic pokemon
x psychopath reader
psychic reading yes or no
tarot reading yes or no
tarot reading youtube
tarot reading yes or no accurate
tarot reading youtube channels
tarot reading yes or no in hindi
tarot reading yes or no horoscope
tarot reading yourself
tarot reading yellow springs
yellow pages psychic reading
can you share your psychic reading
psychic reading 100
psychic reading 101
tarot reading 100 accurate
tarot reading 10 card spread
tarot reading 101
tarot reading 1 card
tarot reading 10 cards
tarot reading 111
tarot reading 10 of cups
tarot reading 1111
1.99 for 10 minutes psychic reading
10 minute psychic reading for $1
2024 psychic reading
psychic number 2 meaning
2 of pentacles psychic revelation
2 of wands psychic revelation
2 swords psychic revelation
tarot reading 3 card spread
tarot reading 3 cards
tarot reading 3 of cups
tarot reading 333
tarot reading 3 kings
tarot reading 31st
tarot reading $35
psychic number 3 meaning
flight 370 psychic reading
3 of swords psychic revelation
3 of pentacles psychic revelation
3 of wands psychic revelation
43551 psychic reading
4 psychic number
4 swords psychic revelation
4 of pentacles psychic revelation
tarot reading 5 card spread
tarot reading 5 of cups
psychic empath 5 books in 1
tarot reading 6 cards
tarot reading 6 of swords
tarot reading 6 of cups
psychic revelation 6 of wands
tarot reading 7
tarot reading 7 card spread
tarot reading 7 of cups
tarot reading 7 of swords
tarot reading 77084
psychic readings 90
tarot reading 9 card spread
tarot reading 94538

Writing an expository essay requires careful research, critical thinking. Follow these steps to create a compelling presentation essay:

• Understand the prompt: Read the prompt carefully to identify the specific text, story, or topic to analyze.
• Assessment: Take time to review the text or article critically, focusing on points, arguments, and literary styles.
• Create a thesis: Create a concise and precise statement that summarizes your main argument or the importance of the text.
• Provide background information: Provide background historical context, or cultural influences to help readers understand the gist of your research.
• Organization: Organize your talk with an introduction, main paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph should explore a different aspect of your research, supported by textual evidence.
• Explanation: Use examples from the text to support your explanation and explanation. Explain how specific parts or elements contribute to the overall theme or message.
• Include a contradiction: Acknowledge alternative ideas or explanations and explain why your research is valid.
• Conclude well: Summarize your main points and restate your topic, emphasizing the importance of your research.

Following these steps, you can write essays that demonstrate your research skills and critical thinking skills.

New to the points game, but can you only redeem points for certain rooms? If so, does the rooms change throughout the year? For example, I looked at a Hyatt hotel AI and the point calendar said 50k+ for a room on a particular day, but when I look to book a room, the only option was a basic room for 80k. Are we unable to use points for better rooms? Also, are there blackout dates for points being used at AI resorts?

I know this sounds childish, but I'm having a hard time figuring it out anyway. My friend Julie and I have been having problems in our friendship for a while. For background information: we've been friends since 2020 and at first it was a normal friendship, but then she became increasingly demanding and needy, and jealous of my other friendships. That was weird to me because we're both adults (late 20s) and her behavior screamed middle school to me. I tried talking to her about this and she seemed to understand and we moved on. Then she started being inappropriate to my other friends (for example, she started hitting on one of my best friend's sister in their house, knowing the sister was in a relationship) so I had to stop inviting her to do things with my friend group. I still would hang out with her, but when it was just us.
She would go out to have a meal with me and expect me to pay, sometimes saying she forgot her wallet, saying she would pay me back but never doing it. She would say she'd meet me at a certain time, only to arrive 2-3 hours later or sometimes she would not arrive at all. But at the same time she'd be angry when I spend time with my other friends or boyfriend.
The last straw was when she insisted I go with her to a costume party with this group of people I didn't know (she met them once before). The thing was, everyone had to pay a sort of fee and bring something to eat, so I payed it and said I would bring a cake. Julie said she'd help me baking the cake, but on the day of the event she texted me saying she had traveled to the countryside with her new boyfriend, and she couldn't help me with the cake nor go to the party. I am an introvert and she knows it, I'm not the type to go to parties where I know no one, but I decided to go because I had already payed for it. But after that, I decided to stop talking to Julie.
The thing is, I have a book club with a few friends and Julie was part of it since the beginning. We have a rule that says that if you do not participate in three meetings consecutively you're out (to make space for other people that want to participate). Julie had said she would come for the last three meetings, but never showed up, so I decided to kick her out of the club. She begged to stay, saying she was having mental health problems and that the book club was the one thing keeping her sane. I said I was sorry to hear that, but I didn't see how the book club was helping, seeing she never read the books or went to the meetings, and kicked her out anyway. But now I'm thinking I may have been to harsh, because if it were someone else, I probably would let them stay, but I just want to Julie to be completely out of my life and that was the last link between us. AITA?