Format of invitation letter for us tourism application
HistoryPorn: Exploring the past through historical photographs.
2011.06.20 19:04 marquis_of_chaos HistoryPorn: Exploring the past through historical photographs.
HistoryPorn. Exploring the past through historical photographs. Part of the SFW Porn Network
2008.04.06 01:05 r/Chess
All about the game of chess, including discussions on professional tournaments, game analysis and theory. If you are new to the game, check out /chessbeginners and before posting here please read our rules: https://www.reddit.com/chess/wiki/index.
2013.06.08 22:14 flignir Am I the Asshole?
A catharsis for the frustrated moral philosopher in all of us, and a place to finally find out if you were wrong in an argument that's been bothering you. Tell us about any non-violent conflict you have experienced; give us both sides of the story, and find out if you're right, or you're the asshole. See our ~~*Best Of*~~ "Most Controversial" at /AITAFiltered!
2024.05.15 01:13 vrhelmutt My thoughts on pizzagate
Conspiracy theories involving “elite” pedophile rings have recently been dominating social media in a disorienting frenzy. They have been around for some time but in this century rose back to popularity during the 2016 Election cycle. This crop, at least, took root with what became known as “Pizzagate.” Promoters of that conspiracy theory in 2016 used social media platforms to make unfounded but viral allegations that Hillary Clinton and other prominent Democrats were running a pedophile ring out of the basement of a pizzeria even though that restaurant had no basement, or any ties to known politicians other than the typical flesh pressing (Phrasing I know) moments fit for a picture hung on the wall. Since then, the dark theme of Pizzagate has found new life with permutations forming part of the #Qanon conspiracy theory, incorporated under the umbrella term “pedogate.” The gist of the #pedogate conspiracy theory is that global elites (politicians, celebrities, and wealthy businesspersons) are covertly involved in a far-reaching ring that uses young children for sexual purposes. “What most of these conspiracy theories involve in one way or another is laying accusations of pedophilia or involvement in pedophile rings at the feet of people that they despise or hate, and during the 16’ election cycle, Democrats were a wide target for an opposing political movement that had hijacked the rival Republican party. Pizzagate originated with the “alt right” and “alt lite,” far right extremists who range from outright white supremacists to those who publicly shun racists but otherwise fall in step with their belief systems. Pizzagate jumped from the fringes to the mainstream because as it denigrated Hillary Clinton, it sucked in supporters of then-candidate Donald Trump. After the election all mention of pedogate seemed to be put on a simmer while other National outrages boiled over (#Covid #RussiaGate #BLM) and just like clockwork (heading into our next election cycle has been turned back up. The pedogate conspiracy and all associated stories employ a centuries-old tactic: playing on deep-seated human anxieties by conjuring images of imperiled children, the purest and defenseless victim of any manner of injustice. An example in the modern era of weaponized conspiracy was the satanic panic of the 1980s, in which a wave of hysteria over alleged child molestation at daycare centers swept the nation. But while that phenomenon was a moral panic attributable, at least in part, to social anxiety over white middle class women entering the work force en masse for the first time and entrusting their children to others, the current conspiracy theories about pedophile rings equate to similar propaganda. They carry a danger for stirring up violence. If you want to elicit violent action the way to do it is through hate and fear. Once you target and label a population as pedophiles, you can do anything you like to that population with full excuse being given to the myth you’ve wrapped around it. That’s not to say fears of child abuse or sex trafficking are unfounded. There are many as pedophilia has ancient roots and in many cases was encourage by many world cultures and religions a lot later into Civilization than we’d like to admit. The International Labor Organization reports that 25 percent of the world’s 40.3 million victims of human trafficking are children. The most vulnerable, according to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, are migrants, runaways, the homeless, and youngsters who have been victims of violence. Despite their obsession over the topic, conspiracy followers aren’t worked up about those children who are in true harm’s way. In the world of propaganda, it’s never about real children. Instead, it’s about what children represent. The children imperiled by conspiracy theories, in other words, are only metaphors. Children carry a vast amount of weight in any society, but especially modern ones when they’re expected to survive past the age of five. It wasn’t as intense before the 18th century when child mortality rates were really high. They represent the future, and all that is beautiful and decent and honest in a society, because they are innocent. For most people also, the meaning of their existence is rooted in their children. Children are eschatological, they represent death for us, and what is coming behind us after we are gone. They also represent the threat of loss, if they disappear, if they die, that is the death of society. That’s why they became so crucial and central to Cold War propaganda. The real terror of the nuclear holocaust would be the death of the children, because that’s the death of everyone. A recent example of this is in a recent police investigation into conspiracy claims of PizzaGate style accusation of Portland’s Voodoo Doughnuts. Detectives attempted to contact the person accusing Voodoo Doughnuts on social media of running a pedophile ring. The accuser did not cooperate with investigators and it’s been documented in other coverage online that they had become agitated and accused the Police with complicity when tracked down in person, even though they were attempting to investigate. The pendulum of conspiracy theories about systematic child abuse has swung back and forth for centuries. Examples such as blood libel, when Jewish communities were attacked over false allegations of murdering and consuming Christian children in the Middle Ages. In Europe, During the Thirty Years War, entire villages were put to the sword because it was believed they were abusing children of the other religions. One characteristic that helps Pizzagate-style conspiracy theories gain popularity is that they function like a puzzle game and give its audience a large level of involvement through social media. A lot of conspiracy theories are oracular, where the information comes from one source an oracle. Then there are others where there are a few people who promote the notions, almost like gurus or a conspiracy priesthood. But Pizzagate, it’s more of what one would call a participatory conspiracy theory. Participatory conspiracy theories lay out a scenario or situation and then they ask their audience, ‘what more can you find out about this, what more can you add?’ It turns the audience into willing participants, some knowing they are creating a destructive madlib and other (potential real victims) caking on mystical distraction to issues that have been unreported or scars that have not bee properly treated. The thing about participatory conspiracy theories is it can really create a devoted following because it gives people something to do, it makes them feel they can solve the whole thing or uncover new aspects to it. Once you get that energy going it’s almost self-sustaining. Followers of the Qanon conspiracy theory, call themselves “bakers” because their protagonist “Q” pops up on Internet message boards and leaves “crumbs” (i.e., clues), and they are tasked with picking up the crumbs in order to solve the puzzle. (“Q” is supposed to reference the character’s government security clearance level).
#Q followers believe an even more incoherent version of Pizzagate. This is largely a right-wing fantasy that originated in a series of incoherent posts on #4chan in 2017 by someone calling themselves #QAnon. Following on the heels of similar idiocy such as Pizzagate, it advances a fantastic web of deceit that wraps up Trumpism, deep state fearmongering, evil, satanic pedophilia rings controlled by the Democratic Party, investigations into Russian meddling in the 2016 US election, the Las Vegas shooting, and New World Order paranoia into a package easily and wholeheartedly promoted by internet cesspools and far-right personalities such as Alex Jones. The premise is that President Trump is secretly working to take down a global ring of elite, cannibalistic, satanic pedophiles. And the investigation into Russian meddling into the 2016 election, led by former FBI director Robert Mueller, is actually an investigation into the so-called “deep state”, where a cabal of evil, globalists, including Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, are responsible for everything from a global pedophile ring to the mass shooting in Las Vegas in 2017. According to the enlightened, when Trump awkwardly took a drink from a bottle of Fiji water at a press conference in November 2017, it wasn’t because he was thirsty; it was actually a secret signal to those in the know that the annihilation of deep state pedophiles had begun (or was about to begin). Because as everyone knows, Fiji is a hot spot for child trafficking. ( I could go on and on with this poorly thought-out shit, I will spare you ) The role the Internet and social media play in helping to spread such insanity can’t be underestimated. Just a few decades earlier, conspiracy theorists would identify each other using letters to the editor printed in newspapers and magazines. It was a lot harder to identify your fellow conspiracy theorists. You would have to physically meet to swap your stories or send letters or call. They would set up these groups that would communicate by newsletter. They would meet in a physical space, like someone’s living room. I personally witnessed people from my childhood, dutifully photocopying newsletters they had received in the mail to give to others (Primarily at my #JW congregation, how ironic). Now obviously it can go much more quickly, because you can identity people immediately. You can quickly share ideas and the data you’ve collected. The Internet allows such people to exist in bubbles where they rarely have their beliefs challenged. The extraordinarily polarized society we’re in right now has made people less willing to seek out other view points. Because of the internet you have less chance of doing this. There’s very little incentive to look outside one’s own bubble once they have become invested in a conspiracy theory. Once you start to act out on those behaviors you are forced to double down by repeating the act to prove it was a just act. Eventually you get caught up in a movement that totally defines your conscious and you can’t get out of it. The second you step out of that world view your actions go back to being reprehensible. Now the question becomes, “What’s the harm? If it sheds light on child abuse, then isn’t it still productive?” The answer in this case is a resounding NO. In my opinion and PAINFUL experience, the root cause and sustaining factors of institutionalized child sex abuse are all things that would counter your typical Conspiracy Nut’s world view, thus causing a complete blackout to the problems. The entity taking part in the harming of children on a local and tangible level aren’t some suit and tie wearing global elitist. It’s a guidance counselor, youth pastor, unvetted young substitute teacher, aunt/uncle/cousin/neighbor. It’s anyone who has been given routine private access to a child’s mind and body because of the social conventions that have been protected for generations by our relatives whether they themselves are guilty of abuse or not. In all the Qanon madness I also kept very close tabs on the pending prosecution of the Boy scouts of America and never saw any widely shared memes about their involvement in the abuse syndicate. Why is this? How is this so? Aren’t these people watching the news, seeing the court records and hearing the individual cases being brought against Scout Leaders (SOME OF WHO RAN THEIR OWN NETWORKS!!)? When I would find mention of accusation it was met with the ever scarce “skepticism” because if the media is covering it, it must be a plot to destroy the organization. There are now non-for profit organizations setting up victim funds and protections for people to come out with their stories and somehow THIS is the fake ruse. Some that know me know that I was a Jehovah’s Witness as a youth/teen/young adult. That chapter of my life could fill many chapters and the research on the organization, the real true black and white history of the religion would honestly surprise you. I saw what I now know was abuse, I personally experienced abuse in many forms. The perpetrators involved are either still Witnesses or are dead or have moved “away from the organization”. But one thing that was left intact in each situation was the secret that they prey on children. The parents, these organizations and the collective promise to keep up appearances are directly to blame for the suffering untold thousands, millions of children and broken adults. All for what? Pride and Vanity and a commitment to all involved to protect them from the “mean old world” despite allowing predators to eat their children from within. Being a #JW was a very interesting experience. It provides a very efficient form of insulation from outside society and allows people involved to view the chaos from afar. There is this persistent (albeit false) sense of shared peace that members have. It’s as though for three days a week you go to this meeting where no matter what, everyone has a smile and feels about things EXACTLY how you do. There is no cursing, there are no politics, there surely isn’t any destructive influences that would tarnish your chances of salvation. For a parent this is a refuge when raising a child in a world that is dangerously unpredictable. A Child that you are unable (or unwilling) to teach coping skills to get along by societal standards, A child you want to protect by hiding. This is problem #1. As an adult the congregation presents an avenue for which you can act and behave in a way that allows you to reconcile your past, a way to have less of those nights awake because you think about past wrongs you’ve committed against people. It’s the proverbial band-aid for a guilty, bruised, destroyed conscious of any size. Coming into the organization takes nothing more than the desire to change, publicly declaring your willingness to hand over your life to God (The organization). Bam, You’re in! No credit check, no background check. This is problem #2. A JW is taught that “every facet is an asset” (Ministerial Servants know what I’m talking about). What this means is that every facet of your life is an asset to the organization to spread its word. If the world see’s their product’s application into your life and thereby how much better it is than a normal person’s, then they’ve made an “Effective Witness” to the world. This causes Witnesses of any age to allow almost every facet of their life to be a tool by the organization. For a parent this includes their children. This is problem #3 When you get a culture that insulates itself from the real world, that allows you to enter without any coherent vetting, give access to children whose parents feel obligated to present as a “witness” to the lifestyle. You get a twisted corridor in which victims can get lost for a lifetime and predators can hide in plain sight. For any proponents of the “Save-The-Children” movement to not take a step back and really analyze their local community and lifestyle through these lenses only illustrates that child abuse is being weaponized politically at the expense of others whom you aren’t willing to save because it would look bad for ‘your side’. If you truly care, you wouldn’t be sharing email forwards about what evil unverified unmentionable thing you read some celebrity or politician did. Instead, you’d be drawing back on your experiences as a child. Even if nothing happened directly to you, I’m sure you know some one that had an experience that forever harmed their life. Who did it? Was there a pattern or social condition that allowed for this as was laid out in the JW example? How could it have been avoided? Would you have stopped it if you saw the signs? Are you willing to stop it in the future, knowing what you know now? If you can answer any of those questions with a yes, then you have all you need to WRITE your own material to reach real victims and their families. Does your action cause problems for your ‘side’? It shouldn’t matter and you know that. If it does make a difference to you then you are no better than the shadowy pedophilic cabal that you are so obsessed with.
submitted by vrhelmutt to conspiracy [link] [comments]
#Q followers believe an even more incoherent version of Pizzagate. This is largely a right-wing fantasy that originated in a series of incoherent posts on #4chan in 2017 by someone calling themselves #QAnon. Following on the heels of similar idiocy such as Pizzagate, it advances a fantastic web of deceit that wraps up Trumpism, deep state fearmongering, evil, satanic pedophilia rings controlled by the Democratic Party, investigations into Russian meddling in the 2016 US election, the Las Vegas shooting, and New World Order paranoia into a package easily and wholeheartedly promoted by internet cesspools and far-right personalities such as Alex Jones. The premise is that President Trump is secretly working to take down a global ring of elite, cannibalistic, satanic pedophiles. And the investigation into Russian meddling into the 2016 election, led by former FBI director Robert Mueller, is actually an investigation into the so-called “deep state”, where a cabal of evil, globalists, including Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, are responsible for everything from a global pedophile ring to the mass shooting in Las Vegas in 2017. According to the enlightened, when Trump awkwardly took a drink from a bottle of Fiji water at a press conference in November 2017, it wasn’t because he was thirsty; it was actually a secret signal to those in the know that the annihilation of deep state pedophiles had begun (or was about to begin). Because as everyone knows, Fiji is a hot spot for child trafficking. ( I could go on and on with this poorly thought-out shit, I will spare you ) The role the Internet and social media play in helping to spread such insanity can’t be underestimated. Just a few decades earlier, conspiracy theorists would identify each other using letters to the editor printed in newspapers and magazines. It was a lot harder to identify your fellow conspiracy theorists. You would have to physically meet to swap your stories or send letters or call. They would set up these groups that would communicate by newsletter. They would meet in a physical space, like someone’s living room. I personally witnessed people from my childhood, dutifully photocopying newsletters they had received in the mail to give to others (Primarily at my #JW congregation, how ironic). Now obviously it can go much more quickly, because you can identity people immediately. You can quickly share ideas and the data you’ve collected. The Internet allows such people to exist in bubbles where they rarely have their beliefs challenged. The extraordinarily polarized society we’re in right now has made people less willing to seek out other view points. Because of the internet you have less chance of doing this. There’s very little incentive to look outside one’s own bubble once they have become invested in a conspiracy theory. Once you start to act out on those behaviors you are forced to double down by repeating the act to prove it was a just act. Eventually you get caught up in a movement that totally defines your conscious and you can’t get out of it. The second you step out of that world view your actions go back to being reprehensible. Now the question becomes, “What’s the harm? If it sheds light on child abuse, then isn’t it still productive?” The answer in this case is a resounding NO. In my opinion and PAINFUL experience, the root cause and sustaining factors of institutionalized child sex abuse are all things that would counter your typical Conspiracy Nut’s world view, thus causing a complete blackout to the problems. The entity taking part in the harming of children on a local and tangible level aren’t some suit and tie wearing global elitist. It’s a guidance counselor, youth pastor, unvetted young substitute teacher, aunt/uncle/cousin/neighbor. It’s anyone who has been given routine private access to a child’s mind and body because of the social conventions that have been protected for generations by our relatives whether they themselves are guilty of abuse or not. In all the Qanon madness I also kept very close tabs on the pending prosecution of the Boy scouts of America and never saw any widely shared memes about their involvement in the abuse syndicate. Why is this? How is this so? Aren’t these people watching the news, seeing the court records and hearing the individual cases being brought against Scout Leaders (SOME OF WHO RAN THEIR OWN NETWORKS!!)? When I would find mention of accusation it was met with the ever scarce “skepticism” because if the media is covering it, it must be a plot to destroy the organization. There are now non-for profit organizations setting up victim funds and protections for people to come out with their stories and somehow THIS is the fake ruse. Some that know me know that I was a Jehovah’s Witness as a youth/teen/young adult. That chapter of my life could fill many chapters and the research on the organization, the real true black and white history of the religion would honestly surprise you. I saw what I now know was abuse, I personally experienced abuse in many forms. The perpetrators involved are either still Witnesses or are dead or have moved “away from the organization”. But one thing that was left intact in each situation was the secret that they prey on children. The parents, these organizations and the collective promise to keep up appearances are directly to blame for the suffering untold thousands, millions of children and broken adults. All for what? Pride and Vanity and a commitment to all involved to protect them from the “mean old world” despite allowing predators to eat their children from within. Being a #JW was a very interesting experience. It provides a very efficient form of insulation from outside society and allows people involved to view the chaos from afar. There is this persistent (albeit false) sense of shared peace that members have. It’s as though for three days a week you go to this meeting where no matter what, everyone has a smile and feels about things EXACTLY how you do. There is no cursing, there are no politics, there surely isn’t any destructive influences that would tarnish your chances of salvation. For a parent this is a refuge when raising a child in a world that is dangerously unpredictable. A Child that you are unable (or unwilling) to teach coping skills to get along by societal standards, A child you want to protect by hiding. This is problem #1. As an adult the congregation presents an avenue for which you can act and behave in a way that allows you to reconcile your past, a way to have less of those nights awake because you think about past wrongs you’ve committed against people. It’s the proverbial band-aid for a guilty, bruised, destroyed conscious of any size. Coming into the organization takes nothing more than the desire to change, publicly declaring your willingness to hand over your life to God (The organization). Bam, You’re in! No credit check, no background check. This is problem #2. A JW is taught that “every facet is an asset” (Ministerial Servants know what I’m talking about). What this means is that every facet of your life is an asset to the organization to spread its word. If the world see’s their product’s application into your life and thereby how much better it is than a normal person’s, then they’ve made an “Effective Witness” to the world. This causes Witnesses of any age to allow almost every facet of their life to be a tool by the organization. For a parent this includes their children. This is problem #3 When you get a culture that insulates itself from the real world, that allows you to enter without any coherent vetting, give access to children whose parents feel obligated to present as a “witness” to the lifestyle. You get a twisted corridor in which victims can get lost for a lifetime and predators can hide in plain sight. For any proponents of the “Save-The-Children” movement to not take a step back and really analyze their local community and lifestyle through these lenses only illustrates that child abuse is being weaponized politically at the expense of others whom you aren’t willing to save because it would look bad for ‘your side’. If you truly care, you wouldn’t be sharing email forwards about what evil unverified unmentionable thing you read some celebrity or politician did. Instead, you’d be drawing back on your experiences as a child. Even if nothing happened directly to you, I’m sure you know some one that had an experience that forever harmed their life. Who did it? Was there a pattern or social condition that allowed for this as was laid out in the JW example? How could it have been avoided? Would you have stopped it if you saw the signs? Are you willing to stop it in the future, knowing what you know now? If you can answer any of those questions with a yes, then you have all you need to WRITE your own material to reach real victims and their families. Does your action cause problems for your ‘side’? It shouldn’t matter and you know that. If it does make a difference to you then you are no better than the shadowy pedophilic cabal that you are so obsessed with.
2024.05.15 01:08 SuperstarRockYou Possibility of getting PR (express entry) approved in Canada
I received first MS degree in Architecture from US university/institution in Dec 2017 and then received second MS degree in Urban Planning in US university/institution in May 2021 and both of these two degrees are on campus degrees, and from 2021 August to 2024 May I was studying in US university (on campus degree) to do the PhD, but my former advisor was verbally abusing me and cutting off my funding and so I left ( but during 2021 Aug to 2024 May, I was simultaneously doing online MSCS in US university as well in paralleled way and I completed this online MSCS degree just in 2024 May),and for now I am holding the study permit and I am restarting my PhD (on campus degree) in Canada-based university in Summer 2024, assume that I would take CELPIP test and pass the WES ECA evaluation assessment and get good score and I can also get the graduate teaching assistant's employment experience/reference letter from former supervisor in previous graduate school (was doing two years' GTA within second MS degree' school), and I am 31 years old for now, male and single, and assume that my current CRS result is around 491 points, based on current competition in the pool, is it likely I can get invited to apply for PR in Canada for express entry ?
submitted by SuperstarRockYou to canadaexpressentry [link] [comments]
2024.05.15 01:08 hope2bfree_2021 Proof of Living in the UK for over 5 Years (Particular Case)
FOR BRITISH CITIZENSHIP APPLICATION
I am writing this post as it may be helpful to someone who is in the same position as I was. I applied for a British Citizenship after legally living in the UK for over 5 years (I am a Brazilian Citizen). I wasn't sure what kind of documents I could use as PROOF OF LIVING here over 5 years, especially because my Visa was not an ordinary one. There are many mixed information online so I decided to list here the documents I submitted in my application, which was successful in the end.
Documents:
Feel free to ask anything, I would love to help as I know what an important step this is for us. God bless!
submitted by hope2bfree_2021 to ukvisa [link] [comments]
I am writing this post as it may be helpful to someone who is in the same position as I was. I applied for a British Citizenship after legally living in the UK for over 5 years (I am a Brazilian Citizen). I wasn't sure what kind of documents I could use as PROOF OF LIVING here over 5 years, especially because my Visa was not an ordinary one. There are many mixed information online so I decided to list here the documents I submitted in my application, which was successful in the end.
Documents:
- Utility Bills (from mixed months within the last 5 years)
- NHS official letters (e.g.: appointments, hospital admittance/discharge, etc.)
- Passports scanned pages (I scanned all pages from both passports, an expired one, and the current one - as long as it covers the last 5 years)
- Any Governmental official letter within the last 5 years
- Bank Statements (from mixed months within the last 5 years)*
Feel free to ask anything, I would love to help as I know what an important step this is for us. God bless!
2024.05.15 00:43 navynavigator we (19F and 20M) have known each other for 5 years but currently on and off because we're having a hard time dealing with my strict mom (57F)
A little background: Because of unexpected events, we're both exposed to the real world at the age of 10. (2014-2016) Familiar but not friends. (2017-2018) Got close. (2019-Mid 2020) Mutual Understanding. (Mid 2020-2022) Just friends. (2023-Now) On and off relationship. My mom personally knows him and his family since we were young. His family was able to witness our relationship grow, never knew about the break up and fully supports our relationship.
May 2020: I(15F) started to treat him(16M) coldly after he laughed off my vent of experiencing an awarding ceremony mishap where my name was mentioned but someone else's face was on the screen (this was my third time experiencing such mishap). So I finally decided to end the (1 year) mutual understanding. We still had little to no conversations. Until I slowly started to realize that breaking up with him was a wrong move.
First Week of December 2022: We had a group project, we (just friends 17F and 18M) originally planned to be grouped together, until his friend asked him to be grouped with him because his friend didn't want to be unfamiliar people. Without hesitation and consent, he tried fixing things by entrusting the rest of the members with his GBF to lead us. We ended up forming our own group, without him and his GBF. I asked him what happened and he never replied, ghosted me for a week.
Last Week of December 2022: I was doubting (because he has GBFs) but still tried to get back with him, he agreed and we've fallen for each other all over again. Fast forward to a few months, I opened up about being jealous of his GBFs. He tried lessening their interactions but felt guilty afterwards.
Additional detail: We go to school and home (15-20 min. ride) together. He revealed to me that after he walks me to my house, he goes home and goes back to school for his track and field trainings (as part of his routine, he also likes taking a 1.5km walk going to and coming back from school). After training, he's all sleepy and whole body hurts. I surprised him with a mini ice pack but he barely used it. I was unaware that my concerns became words and actions that downgraded him and he started to dread track and field trainings. Due to what happened and being busy in college, he barely joined trainings again.
He had a big competition where they had to get up early in the morning so they had a sleepover at his friend's house. My best friend was also there, she chatted me that she couldn't sleep and I told her she can ask him(my now BF) for help but she was still too shy to ask. I let him know about how my best friend felt uncomfortable around the other guys, so he volunteered to watch over her. Then he started to think how awkward things got and felt uncomfortable around my best friend. I used his GBFs against the situation, he admitted that compared to my best friend, he wouldn't feel uncomfortable if it was his GBFs. Now all he remembers is that I ruined his competition day.
May 2023: I wasn't allowed to attend prom because of my strict mom, she told me it was unnecessary. He also planned to not go, but during the very last minute, he was forced by his parents because it's a once in a lifetime opportunity. My last chat to him was to enjoy and his last chat was a thank you for allowing him to go and a sorry for breaking his promise that he wouldn't go without me.
After a few days: I asked "Did you drank during prom?", he got all defensive, started avoiding my questions and took him a day before he admitted that he was invited to drink in a room with 1 guy friend, GBF and 4 other girls, without telling me (because he knew I would get mad at him for drinking with his GBF). His statements were "He knows his tolerance level." "He only went with them as a pay back because we're all going to college already."
June 2023: I wanted to invite him to my birthday celebration with my family but was prohibited. I asked my mom for permission to go out with him, still wasn't allowed and was shut off for asking why. I attempted to ask for another permission to go out with my other friends but ended up guilt tripped by my mom, she said "Are you not scared of the past incident when someone attempted to snatch your food?" I ended up not going.
Additional detail: I'm an only child, used to spend most of the time with mom, was never close to dad, and mostly had been laughed off when I tried to bring up things that bugged me, so I grew up not having much friends (my mom said it's because I was always grumpy), and I avoided over sharing. I slowly started to realize that I wasn't allowed to attend prom because my mom expected I wouldn't like people again, even kept asking me "You don't really want to attend prom right?" (but it felt like a knife was pointed at my neck and would be stabbed for saying I really wanted to go)
July 2023: To go out on his birthday, my aunt advised me to write a detailed letter to my mom. I placed it on right her table, it's impossible she never saw it. So he personally asked permission from my mom. I didn't want her worrying about me so I came up with an idea (he knew it was a bad idea from the start) to tell her we would be riding his family's car. My mom expected I would be picked up from our house. So we ended up saying his family was busy and went to a nearby mall instead. That's when my trauma started and resented my parents.
August 2023: We're enjoying our lunch and I randomly saw a notification popped up, it was his GBF. I asked him what he could do about it but he said "His GBFs came first before me and they were there during his hardest times, especially when we broke up (compared to his family, he's more open to his GBFs because they listen to his problems)"
November 2023: As a fight or flight response during our arguments, I would bring up the prom issue and he would start asking me "Just because of the past, are you really choosing to invalidate all the sacrifices and efforts I've made for us?", he even kept asking me to forgive and forget. Then we came up with the plan to tell my mom about our relationship.
Additional detail: We went out during November and I had a curfew to reach home by 5. He convinced me to stay longer, but I started worrying that I'll be scolded once I reach home. We were buying food, I really didn't know which one to choose and ended up giving the staff a silent treatment which I'm really ashamed of. I was also scolded for violating the curfew time. My mom even told me that I should be thankful for her effort of not letting my dad know that I went out. Now all he remembers from that day is my silent treatment.
December 2023: All was going according to his plan, he bought presents during their family trip. But I screwed up the very last minute, I was concerned that he's exhausted from the trip so I asked him if he's really prepared, because of my doubts he called off the confession.
May 2024: We're arguing over everything in a never ending cycle. He called me sexist for wanting him to be the one to face my mom. I had to convince him to come with me and I'll do the talking (we're planning to confess in the upcoming month). Now, he's still passing the responsibility to me, expects me to do it on my own.
Additional detail: He said I'm too emotional, and my vents had been draining him, so I had to promise that I'll stop sharing the littlest things that's happening in my life. But once I started sharing stories (turning into rants) again, he would break up with me, saying that the only way I can get back with him is to face my mom on my own.
TLDR: I(15F) broke up with him(16M), got back together after 2 years. Due to unresolved traumas, and having a hard time facing my strict mom(57F) to confess our(19F and 20M) relationship, we're now on and off and stuck in a never ending cycle of hurting each other. What strategies can help us gain courage to approach my strict mom to confess our relationship? Would appreciate all the thoughts and advices, thank you in advance!!
submitted by navynavigator to relationship_advicePH [link] [comments]
May 2020: I(15F) started to treat him(16M) coldly after he laughed off my vent of experiencing an awarding ceremony mishap where my name was mentioned but someone else's face was on the screen (this was my third time experiencing such mishap). So I finally decided to end the (1 year) mutual understanding. We still had little to no conversations. Until I slowly started to realize that breaking up with him was a wrong move.
First Week of December 2022: We had a group project, we (just friends 17F and 18M) originally planned to be grouped together, until his friend asked him to be grouped with him because his friend didn't want to be unfamiliar people. Without hesitation and consent, he tried fixing things by entrusting the rest of the members with his GBF to lead us. We ended up forming our own group, without him and his GBF. I asked him what happened and he never replied, ghosted me for a week.
Last Week of December 2022: I was doubting (because he has GBFs) but still tried to get back with him, he agreed and we've fallen for each other all over again. Fast forward to a few months, I opened up about being jealous of his GBFs. He tried lessening their interactions but felt guilty afterwards.
Additional detail: We go to school and home (15-20 min. ride) together. He revealed to me that after he walks me to my house, he goes home and goes back to school for his track and field trainings (as part of his routine, he also likes taking a 1.5km walk going to and coming back from school). After training, he's all sleepy and whole body hurts. I surprised him with a mini ice pack but he barely used it. I was unaware that my concerns became words and actions that downgraded him and he started to dread track and field trainings. Due to what happened and being busy in college, he barely joined trainings again.
He had a big competition where they had to get up early in the morning so they had a sleepover at his friend's house. My best friend was also there, she chatted me that she couldn't sleep and I told her she can ask him(my now BF) for help but she was still too shy to ask. I let him know about how my best friend felt uncomfortable around the other guys, so he volunteered to watch over her. Then he started to think how awkward things got and felt uncomfortable around my best friend. I used his GBFs against the situation, he admitted that compared to my best friend, he wouldn't feel uncomfortable if it was his GBFs. Now all he remembers is that I ruined his competition day.
May 2023: I wasn't allowed to attend prom because of my strict mom, she told me it was unnecessary. He also planned to not go, but during the very last minute, he was forced by his parents because it's a once in a lifetime opportunity. My last chat to him was to enjoy and his last chat was a thank you for allowing him to go and a sorry for breaking his promise that he wouldn't go without me.
After a few days: I asked "Did you drank during prom?", he got all defensive, started avoiding my questions and took him a day before he admitted that he was invited to drink in a room with 1 guy friend, GBF and 4 other girls, without telling me (because he knew I would get mad at him for drinking with his GBF). His statements were "He knows his tolerance level." "He only went with them as a pay back because we're all going to college already."
June 2023: I wanted to invite him to my birthday celebration with my family but was prohibited. I asked my mom for permission to go out with him, still wasn't allowed and was shut off for asking why. I attempted to ask for another permission to go out with my other friends but ended up guilt tripped by my mom, she said "Are you not scared of the past incident when someone attempted to snatch your food?" I ended up not going.
Additional detail: I'm an only child, used to spend most of the time with mom, was never close to dad, and mostly had been laughed off when I tried to bring up things that bugged me, so I grew up not having much friends (my mom said it's because I was always grumpy), and I avoided over sharing. I slowly started to realize that I wasn't allowed to attend prom because my mom expected I wouldn't like people again, even kept asking me "You don't really want to attend prom right?" (but it felt like a knife was pointed at my neck and would be stabbed for saying I really wanted to go)
July 2023: To go out on his birthday, my aunt advised me to write a detailed letter to my mom. I placed it on right her table, it's impossible she never saw it. So he personally asked permission from my mom. I didn't want her worrying about me so I came up with an idea (he knew it was a bad idea from the start) to tell her we would be riding his family's car. My mom expected I would be picked up from our house. So we ended up saying his family was busy and went to a nearby mall instead. That's when my trauma started and resented my parents.
August 2023: We're enjoying our lunch and I randomly saw a notification popped up, it was his GBF. I asked him what he could do about it but he said "His GBFs came first before me and they were there during his hardest times, especially when we broke up (compared to his family, he's more open to his GBFs because they listen to his problems)"
November 2023: As a fight or flight response during our arguments, I would bring up the prom issue and he would start asking me "Just because of the past, are you really choosing to invalidate all the sacrifices and efforts I've made for us?", he even kept asking me to forgive and forget. Then we came up with the plan to tell my mom about our relationship.
Additional detail: We went out during November and I had a curfew to reach home by 5. He convinced me to stay longer, but I started worrying that I'll be scolded once I reach home. We were buying food, I really didn't know which one to choose and ended up giving the staff a silent treatment which I'm really ashamed of. I was also scolded for violating the curfew time. My mom even told me that I should be thankful for her effort of not letting my dad know that I went out. Now all he remembers from that day is my silent treatment.
December 2023: All was going according to his plan, he bought presents during their family trip. But I screwed up the very last minute, I was concerned that he's exhausted from the trip so I asked him if he's really prepared, because of my doubts he called off the confession.
May 2024: We're arguing over everything in a never ending cycle. He called me sexist for wanting him to be the one to face my mom. I had to convince him to come with me and I'll do the talking (we're planning to confess in the upcoming month). Now, he's still passing the responsibility to me, expects me to do it on my own.
Additional detail: He said I'm too emotional, and my vents had been draining him, so I had to promise that I'll stop sharing the littlest things that's happening in my life. But once I started sharing stories (turning into rants) again, he would break up with me, saying that the only way I can get back with him is to face my mom on my own.
TLDR: I(15F) broke up with him(16M), got back together after 2 years. Due to unresolved traumas, and having a hard time facing my strict mom(57F) to confess our(19F and 20M) relationship, we're now on and off and stuck in a never ending cycle of hurting each other. What strategies can help us gain courage to approach my strict mom to confess our relationship? Would appreciate all the thoughts and advices, thank you in advance!!
2024.05.15 00:38 rosedeveuo Need to know how to proceed after Favorable Decision.
So just a little background into my Social Security Disability journey.
*Put in social security application March 2022 *Denied within like 2-3 months *Appealed and submitted for reconsideration in or around July/August *Anticipated losing my case, so I hired a lawyer (This is where it gets good) *About 4-5 months later reconsideration was denied, Lawyer didn't help much at this point as lawyers can't do much during this period. *KEY FACT(That hurt my case in the end) The lawyer did not disclose to me that if I applied for both programs SSI/SSDI that if the SSA approved me for both programs I would lose any standing backpay or retroactive pay due to "Windfall Offset" *Skip forward> *Lawyer appealed my reconsideration denial and did not explain thoroughly all of the procedures/possible outcomes or any future issues that could arise *Waited about 6 months for a hearing for a judge *Hearing was scheduled Feb 2024. *All doctors notes/ exams/ testimonials/ diagnoses all submitted to the judge (over 100 pages.) *Hearing was held, judge said she would let us know in 30-60 days and to expect mail. *1 month & Two weeks later a decision was made *Called lawyer because portal was on Step 4, and I was told that the lawyer should see the decision *Judge found me fully favorable since March 2022 *Took awhile to get an official award lette payment letter and backpay letter (but no more than 1 month) *Was told I was eligible for backpay up to $22,000 And that the lawyer was getting his cut first *Called back a few weeks later to check on my backpay and when it would deposit. *Was advised I was NOT receiving any of my backpay because of "Windfall offset" since I was eligible for both programs. The backpay cancelled itself out. So only my lawyer got paid.
Now, first things first. Yes I am very pleased and grateful that I was found fully favorable and that the time line was not atrocious as others has been. However, I feel that my lawyer totally neglected to tell me the fact that I possibly wouldn't get backpay if we applied for both programs. He should have known this, and should have informed me before we even went to the hearing stage.
So, moving forward the only way to fix this issue (and free my backpay )is to have the lawyer withdraw my SSI application. I spoke to his assistant and she forwarded my message to him but he doesn't seem like he's motivated to fix his mistake. So I'm hoping that he fixes it before time runs out for me. I have less than 30 days to correct this.
Anyone with past experiences or have any information about how to proceed in this matter, please share your opinions.
Was the lawyer wrong for not telling me this information beforehand ? And How do I go about fixing it without ruffling his feathers?
Thanks in advance to everyone, and good luck out there! Keep fighting and keep your chins up.
submitted by rosedeveuo to SSDI [link] [comments]
*Put in social security application March 2022 *Denied within like 2-3 months *Appealed and submitted for reconsideration in or around July/August *Anticipated losing my case, so I hired a lawyer (This is where it gets good) *About 4-5 months later reconsideration was denied, Lawyer didn't help much at this point as lawyers can't do much during this period. *KEY FACT(That hurt my case in the end) The lawyer did not disclose to me that if I applied for both programs SSI/SSDI that if the SSA approved me for both programs I would lose any standing backpay or retroactive pay due to "Windfall Offset" *Skip forward> *Lawyer appealed my reconsideration denial and did not explain thoroughly all of the procedures/possible outcomes or any future issues that could arise *Waited about 6 months for a hearing for a judge *Hearing was scheduled Feb 2024. *All doctors notes/ exams/ testimonials/ diagnoses all submitted to the judge (over 100 pages.) *Hearing was held, judge said she would let us know in 30-60 days and to expect mail. *1 month & Two weeks later a decision was made *Called lawyer because portal was on Step 4, and I was told that the lawyer should see the decision *Judge found me fully favorable since March 2022 *Took awhile to get an official award lette payment letter and backpay letter (but no more than 1 month) *Was told I was eligible for backpay up to $22,000 And that the lawyer was getting his cut first *Called back a few weeks later to check on my backpay and when it would deposit. *Was advised I was NOT receiving any of my backpay because of "Windfall offset" since I was eligible for both programs. The backpay cancelled itself out. So only my lawyer got paid.
Now, first things first. Yes I am very pleased and grateful that I was found fully favorable and that the time line was not atrocious as others has been. However, I feel that my lawyer totally neglected to tell me the fact that I possibly wouldn't get backpay if we applied for both programs. He should have known this, and should have informed me before we even went to the hearing stage.
So, moving forward the only way to fix this issue (and free my backpay )is to have the lawyer withdraw my SSI application. I spoke to his assistant and she forwarded my message to him but he doesn't seem like he's motivated to fix his mistake. So I'm hoping that he fixes it before time runs out for me. I have less than 30 days to correct this.
Anyone with past experiences or have any information about how to proceed in this matter, please share your opinions.
Was the lawyer wrong for not telling me this information beforehand ? And How do I go about fixing it without ruffling his feathers?
Thanks in advance to everyone, and good luck out there! Keep fighting and keep your chins up.
2024.05.15 00:31 Orange_moon34 AI vs. Human?
Hi everyone,
I think a lot of us are using AI to help customize our resume & cover letters for job applications. My question is - do you think not using AI creates a significant enough of an advantage to spend the time custom creating cover letters and resumes for job applications? Doing so would decrease the number of applications I would be able to submit on a daily basis, but perhaps could give me an edge if AI was not detected.
What are your guys thoughts?
Thanks!
submitted by Orange_moon34 to careerguidance [link] [comments]
I think a lot of us are using AI to help customize our resume & cover letters for job applications. My question is - do you think not using AI creates a significant enough of an advantage to spend the time custom creating cover letters and resumes for job applications? Doing so would decrease the number of applications I would be able to submit on a daily basis, but perhaps could give me an edge if AI was not detected.
What are your guys thoughts?
Thanks!
2024.05.15 00:22 SociallyDrivenMusic Sometimes Music Reflects Society, Now It Must Also Urgently Lead Again!
So, it’s been suggested that we present a simplified overview of the recent essays (linked below) that I co-wrote with respected analyst Hanna Kahlert, of renowned London-based MIDiA Research, which covered so much territory of interconnected concepts that all affect the current and future viability of the music industry. This summary eschews the essays’ “$10 words,” (with the exception of using “eschews” here!) with which some have struggled, and is shared in the bite-sized, more digestible form of a survey and petition in combination with this summary/bullet point preface of some of the most salient points. The survey and petition presents the essence of our thesis in the uncomplicated context of a proactive social impact campaign format.
First, let me explain. I grew up in a Long Island suburb town (about thirty miles outside New York City) during the “English Invasion” of music. I’d first hear new releases on my FM clock radio tuned to stations that prided themselves on finding the “cool stuff” first. It was a time when we were met almost every day with another astounding, mind-blowing record and artist to discover, often with something worth thinking about and culturally significant. Sometimes these releases would even be life-changing. Many of these recordings would become iconic — classic evergreens with songs covered endlessly. Yes, like today, there were also dismissable records then. The difference would seem to be that there are more songs about nothing today, replete with de rigeur profanity that only further detracts and is anything but “cool." While there are some very imaginative productions and impressive singers, there are few records now that demand a cerebral, emotional response, and there is a dearth that will be remembered as moving the needle at all, so to speak. Even customary love themes are largely just recycled imitations of the greats.
Since I also relate to the sensitivity of empaths — someone attuned to the deep feelings of those around them at a personal level — I tend to gravitate to music with a message that connects with us viscerally, that which touches the soul. Especially in our currently fraught times, there clearly is a need for thought-provoking music and for more attention given to the evolution of this genre of what was once deemed “protest songs.” Socially poignant music is a category that disguises protest in metaphors and yet is just as potent. It will create community and superfans, lift spirits, and engender a large movement of positive social advocacy. I established Socially Driven Music to develop and market #Music4APurpose. The concept resonated with Hanna Kahlert and we set about to co-write what we envision.
While developing our conclusions towards offering actionable, viable value-propositions for the music industry, we took several months to sort our ideas, research, digest and assimilate the daily deluge of information about changes battering the music industry. While I wasn’t aware that Mark Mulligan, MIDiA’s Founder and Managing Director, was developing his “Bifurcation Theory,” it is validating to be in sync with his thinking and to be presenting what I consider to be the roadmap to implementing that theory. I am excited about offering takeaways that will hopefully propel many away from feelings of helpless, hopeless despair and towards optimism and positive activism through the enrapture we seek from our music and the communities built around it.
Socially driven music has traditionally been a powerful way to raise awareness about issues across the board, such as Discrimination, Climate, Democracy, Mental Health, Bullying, Substance Abuse, Antisemitism, Equality, Homelessness, Veterans, Suicide,Terrorism, Gun Control, Women’s Productive Rights, Food and Clean Water Insecurity, Cancer and other illnesses, Animal Rights/Protection, Environmental Justice, Oceans, LGBTQ+ rights, etc. Our mandate recognizes the crucial difference of a sustained campaign animated by a song.
Above all, we must always remember and honor “The Greatest Generation” (and all Veterans) who fought and died upholding ideals that they expected us to continue to respect. Political affiliation is most often indoctrinated and not questioned individually. Support traditional Republican philosophy if you must, but #MAGA is not the antidote to Democrats and is authoritarian and dangerous to our democracy!
All causes, including music rights, are affected by the influence of a common denominator — politics. Each social cause group is a large community which can be further grown and energized with the natural evolution of fans to music superfans. Compelling socially thematic music enraptures and beckons fans to demonstrate their proud commonality and membership in a next generation fan club that can actually impact society with its fervor and political influence.
Socially Driven Music, the #Music4APurpose consultancy brand, powers extraordinary reciprocal benefits for artists and songwriters when integrated with the community of fans, causes, supportive brands and empathetic politicians ! [info@sociallydrivenmusic.com](mailto:info@sociallydrivenmusic.com)
A list of many social impact causes can be found in the dropdown menu here.
We are thrilled and very appreciative to have been invited to talk with some of the most highly regarded podcast and webinar programs which will include delving into why major record labels discouraging artists espousing political views is anachronistic, irrelevant and no longer a barrier.
As you work through the survey and petition in this post, you’ll likely have an “aha moment.” We look forward to working with you and our fast growing interactive coaltion who share a passion for energizing positive changes in causes that matter to us all.
Join us. Democracy is a big issue in 2024 and one we can influence together! (The correct local and national choices will influence the rest.)
ONE:https://forms.gle/c3gECmDp4RyZCxxW6
TWO:
THREE:
Identify your Senators and Congressional Representatives with this link and website tool, below, and let us know in the above survey for what purpose you’d like to collaborate with them. Socially Driven Music’s mandate is to facilitate a potent music-fan-cause-brand-political influencer consortium for positive social impact.
Raise your hand in the survey if you are an artist who might want to volunteer at a voting polling station or actually volunteer to help a campaign with calling voters (and meet some new fans).
PS: Although this piece is focused on how music can influence American politics and the fraught issues it impacts, this same template can be applied worldwide. Talk to us!
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/member
And here is the epitome example of what we aspire to create:
Paul Simon wrote the masterpiece “American Tune” in 1973 and it applies 51 years later even more to today’s troubled times. This is one of the best examples of the socially poignant music that we contend is so important to create again today, and a brilliant example of a copyright that will live on forever.
The first link is Rhiannon Giddens with Paul at the Grammy Salute evening for him. The second link is Paul’s original.
The song will bring the listener to tears as it describes a societal hopelessness and yet compels the listener to fight through the despair. It perfectly summarizes the emotion powering Socially Driven Music and I hope helps convey what this written summary is trying to articulate.
https://youtu.be/67pyIglP79U?si=ICl2pDKJgTMwcXTT&t=85
Democracy, #Election2024, #MAGA, #MusicIndustry, #MusicBusiness, #Music, #SocialImpact, #SocialGood, #Biden, #Trump, #Vote2024, #ActBlue, #Veterans, #JohnLennon, #YokoOno
2024.05.15 00:11 ar_david_hh Second Iran bridge \\ Army command exercises \\ Pro-West parties unite \\ Pashinyan: I will have one EU with some fries and ketchup, please \\ Day 6 of Ninth Crusade: Archbishop vs. Deputy Rector \\ Bentley tax? \\ Yerevan's €25M project \\ Global warming & Sevan \\ Wage stats \\ Gago's Jesus
14-minute read.
Syunik +7% to ֏295K/$760
Shirak +7% to ֏142K/$366
Yerevan had the highest wages. Syunik had the highest wages among provinces, while Shirak had the lowest.
REPORT: While the average nominal monthly salary does not always show the level of economic prosperity in a region, its rise has made a tangible difference in Syunik.
SUREN PARSYAN (economist): Syunik has higher wages and strong employment. It is the most prosperous province with the lowest unemployment rate in Armenia: 24% in Armenia, 15% in Yerevan, and 2% in Syunik.
REPORT: Over the last 5 years, the average monthly nominal salaries have risen by 40% while the inflation was 21%.
source,
They will use automated control systems and modern technologies during the exercises.
source,
source,
Now the situation is totally different; citizens know that they are powerful enough to decide. The two general elections that were held in Armenia after the Velvet Revolution have been acknowledged as democratic, free, and competitive both by the Armenian society and the international community.
Armenia made huge progress in strengthening the democratic institutions, an achievement reflected in reputable democracy indexes:
(a) Now we are the 43rd in the Reporters Without Borders’ Freedom of Speech index, compared to 79th place in 2017.
(b) Categorized as having partially free internet in 2017 by Freedom House, now we enjoy the status of a country with free internet.
(c) In Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index, Armenia is now 62nd instead of 107th in 2017.
(d) In the Economist Intelligence Unit’s democracy index we are 84th compared to 111th in 2017.
In order to assess this progress, it's essential to note that alongside democratic reforms, Armenia has been contending with external security challenges: the 44-day war in Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijan's invasion of Armenia in 2021 and 2022 and the occupation of over 200 km2 amid inaction by [Russia's] CSTO, the forced displacement of over 100,000 Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh, have cast doubts among Armenian citizens weather democracy is the right choice. So, democracy needs to prove its efficiency while dealing with security, economic and humanitarian challenges.
We are pleased with the deployment of EU monitoring mission alongside the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, and we welcome EU’s decision to expand its capacity. On the other hand, we hope for the inclusion of Armenia into the European Peace Facility and in this regard, we rely on the support of all EU member states [Hungary].
A new set of commitments aimed at strengthening Armenia’s economic resilience, state institutions, and addressing the humanitarian needs of refugees has been taken on by the European Union and United States during the high-level meeting on April 5 in Brussels. The rapid and effective implementation of those commitments is of utmost importance.
Despite all the challenges, we believe that the real and most aspiring companion for democracy is lasting and sustainable peace. My government took the share of its responsibility for this. Recently we reached an agreement with Azerbaijan to launch the delimitation of our interstate borders on the basis of the Almaty Declaration of 1991. That means that during the delimitation we should simply reproduce the Soviet-era administrative borders. This is the implementation of the agreement reached in Prague in 2022. Now it is time to incorporate and reflect those agreements in the peace treaty and have it signed.
Another key point for our regional stability is the «Crossroads of Peace», project, initiated by my government. This project implies that Armenia and Azerbaijan restore and open transport and other communications in accordance with the sovereignty and jurisdiction of the countries through which they pass, and comply with the principles of equality and reciprocity. These elements of the concept were agreed upon during the July 2023 meeting with Ilham Aliyev and Charles Michel. //
PASHINYAN: I would not like to comment on the internal situation of our neighboring countries. Democracy fully corresponds to the mentality of our people. It is a strategy for our government, it is our political belief, it is also our political identity. The members of our political team have spent most of their lives fighting for democracy, the rule of law, and freedom of speech. Now we have the opportunity to realize all these values in our country.
The security situation was complicated because of the regional and global situation; the world order is collapsing at the moment. My assessment is, and I have had occasion to say this publicly, that the 2020 war was a prelude to further developments. And now the main issue is security.
What is our strategic point of view, how are we going to guarantee the security of our country? Recently, I gave a speech in our parliament, where I said that the most important tool for ensuring security is a foreign policy based on legitimacy. This is the reason why we so often speak about the 1991 Almaty Declaration.
It is very important that during the 2022 Prague meeting, two very important agreements were reached. Armenia and Azerbaijan recognize each other's territorial integrity and sovereignty on the basis of the Almaty Declaration and will use it as the basis for the border demarcation. This is the reason why I said that we are not drawing a new border, we just need to reproduce the existing one on the ground. This process is happening right now, and I hope that we will continue it steadfastly.
REPORTER: The border conflict that has occurred in recent years has had a negative impact on relations with Russia and Russia's role for Armenia. What would you say about this?
PASHINYAN: Armenia is a member of CSTO. We are officially a CSTO member, but I have announced that we have frozen our participation.
REPORTER: So are you still a member or...?
PASHINYAN: It is a matter for further discussion, but it is very important to record the current situation. A crisis arose in our relations after Azerbaijani troops invaded Armenia, and according to CSTO procedures, the Organization and its member states had to support Armenia in this situation. But even after the formal application, the CSTO refused to take any concrete steps, and in fact, that is the main reason for freezing our participation in the CSTO at all levels.
REPORTER: Do you expect the West to occupy the current vacuum and ensure your security?
PASHINYAN: We are diversifying our foreign relations in all spheres. Now we are developing defense cooperation with India, France, and other countries. We have a certain cooperation with the European Union because as I mentioned, we are happy about the deployment of the EU Civilian Observation Mission on the border. It is a civilian mission but in a way, it is a new factor for the security of our region. This is the first time that the European Union participates in the security agenda of Armenia.
REPORTER: Would you like to become an EU member?
PASHINYAN: We are waiting for the EU's decision to include Armenia in the European Peace Facility. We also hope to start visa liberalization negotiations, and last year I announced in the European Parliament that Armenia is ready to be as close to the European Union as the European Union deems it possible. This is our position.
REPORTER: Can you elaborate on what initiatives Armenia is taking in the fight against corruption?
PASHINYAN: We have made huge progress but have not eradicated corruption from Armenia. We must continue to be persistent in the agenda of democratic reforms. This is the reason why cooperation with the European Union is of utmost importance for us because today the European Union is our main partner in the implementation of our democratic reform agenda. We hope that the European Union, as well as the USA, will increase their support to Armenia in the implementation of democratic reforms, because, as I said, democracy is a strategy for us.
By the way, in 2019 we started a Strategic Dialogue with the USA, and today we see the strengthening of our cooperation with the European Union. We recently had a tripartite meeting with the participation of the USA, EU, and Armenia. It was an unprecedented format, where we adopted a huge agenda of institutional and economic reforms. It is also very important that we receive more tangible support from the EU and the US to address the humanitarian needs of the Nagorno Karabakh refugees because it is a very sensitive and emotional issue for us.
REPORTER: In which year would you like Armenia to become a member of the EU?
PASHINYAN: This year [as soon as possible]. //
Pashinyan met Anders Fogh Rasmussen. The latter emphasized the importance of the “Crossroads of Peace” project in the context of unblocking the regional infrastructure.
Pashinyan discussed various topics with the PM of Denmark. The latter accepted his invitation to visit Armenia.
full video, source, video, other, other, source, video,
Dozens of participants were detained and released the same day for blocking roads. The detentions decreased from 170 on Monday to ~63 on Tuesday. They want Pashinyan to resign or to be impeached. The protest organizers visited universities to gather student supporters, some of whom joined them with a dance. The organizers also stopped by at a bakery where they were given free food.
A felony investigation was launched after a police vehicle, "with the sirens on", struck a reporter on the street. In another instance, an investigation was launched against a protester who brought a long sword. One other case was launched over alleged threats made on Facebook by a Galstanyan fan who wants scores of people to be beaten in dalans and exiled from Armenia, "մենակ էտ դեպքում էս սրբազան հողը կմաքրվի էս տեսակ շան ծնունդներից, ուրիշ ձև չկա!!!!"
ԳԼՈՒԽ 2
A ruling faction member of Yerevan City Council complained about "harassment" by opposition figures who are attempting to convince ruling party members to join the protests and the impeachment.
RULING MEMBER: That is not how it works. No one will join you with that conduct. People will join if they see you have a legitimate agenda with trustworthy leaders. Instead, you are "ethnically cleansing" the citizens of Armenia [referring to one opposition speaker telling non-Armenians to leave] և հեռու չէ են օրը երբ դուք գուցե ասեք որ հայ լինելու համար պետք է Հայկ նահապետից տեղեկանք բերել: //
ԳԼՈՒԽ 3
Yesterday the protest co-organizer Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan said he received a report suggesting that the Deputy Rector of Yerevan State University supposedly urged deans and others to retaliate against students who joined the protests. Galstanyan said he was unsure whether the report was true, but decided to read it out loud anyway. On Tuesday he rallied his supporters to the backyard of the University where he demanded to speak with the Deputy Rector for clarification.
The Deputy Rector went downstairs and greeted Galstanyan, who shook her hand but wouldn't let it go for an uncomfortably long period, prompting her to ask him to let go of her hand. The Deputy Rector declared that whatever Galstanyan read about her was a defamatory lie.
GALSTANYAN: I never believed it myself.
DEPUTY RECTOR: Then you should not have said out loud something you did not believe.
GALSTANYAN: Listen, there is a recorded fact...
DEPUTY RECTOR: Where is that "recorded fact"?
GALSTANYAN: It was on the media. As I said yesterday, I had no verification that it was true, which is why we came here to clarify it. If it's false, then I apologize.
DEPUTY RECTOR: Thank you. //
The Deputy Rector urged the protest organizers not to enter the building or disrupt the classes, and that "anyone who wants to follow you can follow you, anyone who wants to stay in classrooms should stay in classrooms".
The angry Deputy Rector left. Another university official criticized Galstanyan for not checking the information before reading it to his followers. Galstanyan said he stands behind his words, and that he was "just reading what was on the media", but reiterated that he had no intention to insult the Deputy Rector.
ԳԼՈՒԽ 4
Galstanyan and his supporters visited the monument dedicated to Operation Nemesis. He praised the figures behind Nemesis for "assuming personal responsibility". In front of the crowd, Galstanyan introduced Hambig Sassounian who recently joined his movement. He pointed to the Nemesis monument and said Sassounian is "one of the successors, one of the brightest people." In related news, on Sunday a ruling faction MP complained about receiving death threats with reference to Operation Nemesis.
ԳԼՈՒԽ 5
DANIEL IOANNESIAN (NGO chief): When this protest dies down, we need to discuss the following: (1) The transparency of political and media funding. There are some regulations in place, but they are incomplete and easily bypassed. For example, I'd like to know who paid for Archbishop Galstanyan's giant stage in Republic Square. In 2018 Pashinyan organized a fundraising for it and disclosed a detailed report. (2) Should the media organizations that do not respect the rules of financial transparency enjoy all the mechanisms for the protection of journalists? (3) Are the customs authorities confident that the church is not facilitating the business activities of certain figures disguised as donations? (4) Is it fair for the church and clergy members not to pay taxes? Should they be able to have a Bently and LX570 without paying taxes? [The "Bentley" is based on a true story.]
ԳԼՈՒԽ 6
Archbishop's fans spotted Miss Armenia 2003 and a H1 host Lusine Tovmasyan drinking a coffee at a Yerevan café and approached her.
PROTESTER: (unintelligable)
LUSINE: I was here drinking coffee yesterday, and a year before that.
PROTESTER: Why have you not joined the holy struggle?
LUSINE: Լավ եկեք թարգեք, շատ զզվելի ա, էնքան զզվելի ա․ //
ԳԼՈՒԽ 7
Pro-Kremlin propagandist Alexander Dugin praised the pro-Russian forces' protests in Armenia and criticized the pro-EU protests in Georgia.
Pro-Kremlin Russian politician Semyon Baghdasarov praised Archbishop Bagrat and the ongoing "uprising" in Armenia against the "traitor" [Nikol] who "rigged" the elections with the help of "Turkey, UK, and US". Nikol is a Turkish MI6 agent. video,
ԳԼՈՒԽ 8
Video of a protest recorded from above: video
source, video, video, video, video, source, source, source, source, source, source, source, video,
REPORTER: ARF Hay Dat's recent conduct has been shameful.
KHURSHUDYAN: And its influence on the Lemkin Institute was obvious. //
Yesterday Kurshudyan accused the Lemkin Institute of caving to ARF's pressure and meddling into Armenia's internal affairs to assist the protests by the pro-Russian former regime.
KHURSHUDYAN: Lemkin Institute accused Pashinyan's April 24 genocide remembrance day statement of containing "victim blaming". Lemkin did not comment on Pashinyan's statement for several weeks, waited 15 days, and as soon as these pro-Russian protests began in Armenia, they gave them a պաս:
source,
Hanun Republic Party, led by Arman Babajanyan.
European Party of Armenia, led by Tigran Khzmalyan.
Christian-Democratic Party, led by Levon Shirinyan.
Have the following agenda...
(1) Promotion of Western values in Armenia and Armenia's membership in EU and NATO.
(2) United front against threats and risks of destabilization coming from Russia.
(3) Vetting judges to clean up the courts, and resolution of issues left unaddressed by the Pashinyan administration.
(4) Continuation of border demarcation based on 1991 Almaty.
(5) The use of international law to achieve a fair resolution for Nagorno-Karabakh residents.
The platform is open for like-minded forces to join.
source,
source,
The bill will be sent to the President who is expected to veto it, but her veto is expected to be overruled by the parliamentary majority later.
Georgian PM Kobakhidze had an "honest conversation" with U.S. deputy foreign minister James O'Brien, telling him that the Georgian government is interested in deepening the partnership with the U.S., "which requires mutual efforts and relations based on fairness."
James O'Brien demanded to speak with the manager - Bidza Ivanishvili. The latter refused to meet O'Brien, saying he won't hold any meetings under "blackmail".
The White House said the U.S. will review its relations with Georgia if the bill becomes law.
source, source, source,
Dec: 6.6K
Jan: 6.9K
Mar: 8.0K
Apr: 9.1K
May: 9.9K
The former Ombudsman of Nagorno-Karabakh said many of them have family members and friends in Russia who invite them to move.
source,
WEATHER CENTER: High temperatures increase the evaporation of water and reduce the amount of snow in the winter. In December and January, we recorded rain instead of snow in certain mountainous regions, which is bad for water resources.
REPORTER: A conference was recently held in Yerevan within the framework of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification.
UN official: Around 40% of global soils are degraded. Millions of people will be forced to migrate from their communities by 2050 as a result of climate problems. Emergency action is needed to reduce the rate of rising temperatures. //
Armenia joined the Convention three decades ago and has assumed the responsibility to restore degraded soil by 2030. The government is promoting drip irrigation systems for farming and wants to plant more trees.
video,
The goal is to raise energy efficiency and carry out seismic retrofitting in 6 medical clinics and 32 kindergartens run by the municipality. The length of the program is 4 years.
video, video,
see it to believe it
video,
source,
Iran says the AM-IR traffic through the Meghri checkpoint significantly increased last year. Coupled with the fact that Armenia is building a modern North-South highway, they believe it's necessary to have a second AM-IR bridge to handle the rising traffic.
The parties are currently discussing the formation of a working group consisting of experts to discuss the topic.
source,
The findings show that the clearance of the dye was reduced by 30% in sleeping mice compared with mice that were kept awake. This has not been confirmed on humans yet.
Previous research has suggested that sleep is important for preventing dementia as it is during this time that toxic proteins are cleared from the brain.
source, source,
submitted by ar_david_hh to armenia [link] [comments]
average monthly nominal salaries and YoY change in Q1 2024
Yerevan +8% to ֏324K/$836Syunik +7% to ֏295K/$760
Shirak +7% to ֏142K/$366
Yerevan had the highest wages. Syunik had the highest wages among provinces, while Shirak had the lowest.
REPORT: While the average nominal monthly salary does not always show the level of economic prosperity in a region, its rise has made a tangible difference in Syunik.
SUREN PARSYAN (economist): Syunik has higher wages and strong employment. It is the most prosperous province with the lowest unemployment rate in Armenia: 24% in Armenia, 15% in Yerevan, and 2% in Syunik.
REPORT: Over the last 5 years, the average monthly nominal salaries have risen by 40% while the inflation was 21%.
source,
Armenian army launches command staff exercises
They will exercise the practical implementation of deployment and combat plans, evaluate the commanders' skills, improve the synchronized work between various groups, develop the officers' moral characteristics and practical skills during preparation and combat operations, etc.They will use automated control systems and modern technologies during the exercises.
source,
Armenia and India will form a new working group for defense cooperation
Defense ministries of AM and IN held a meeting on Tuesday. They discussed the 2024-2025 cooperation plan and the creation of a new working group to coordinate the cooperation.source,
from PM Pashinyan's speech at Copenhagen Democracy Summit:
PASHINYAN: Democracy has indeed become a reality in Armenia. Before the 2018 Velvet Revolution, massive electoral frauds were the usual companion of elections in Armenia. There was no trust among the citizens that there was a real chance for them to elect the government.Now the situation is totally different; citizens know that they are powerful enough to decide. The two general elections that were held in Armenia after the Velvet Revolution have been acknowledged as democratic, free, and competitive both by the Armenian society and the international community.
Armenia made huge progress in strengthening the democratic institutions, an achievement reflected in reputable democracy indexes:
(a) Now we are the 43rd in the Reporters Without Borders’ Freedom of Speech index, compared to 79th place in 2017.
(b) Categorized as having partially free internet in 2017 by Freedom House, now we enjoy the status of a country with free internet.
(c) In Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index, Armenia is now 62nd instead of 107th in 2017.
(d) In the Economist Intelligence Unit’s democracy index we are 84th compared to 111th in 2017.
In order to assess this progress, it's essential to note that alongside democratic reforms, Armenia has been contending with external security challenges: the 44-day war in Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijan's invasion of Armenia in 2021 and 2022 and the occupation of over 200 km2 amid inaction by [Russia's] CSTO, the forced displacement of over 100,000 Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh, have cast doubts among Armenian citizens weather democracy is the right choice. So, democracy needs to prove its efficiency while dealing with security, economic and humanitarian challenges.
We are pleased with the deployment of EU monitoring mission alongside the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, and we welcome EU’s decision to expand its capacity. On the other hand, we hope for the inclusion of Armenia into the European Peace Facility and in this regard, we rely on the support of all EU member states [Hungary].
A new set of commitments aimed at strengthening Armenia’s economic resilience, state institutions, and addressing the humanitarian needs of refugees has been taken on by the European Union and United States during the high-level meeting on April 5 in Brussels. The rapid and effective implementation of those commitments is of utmost importance.
Despite all the challenges, we believe that the real and most aspiring companion for democracy is lasting and sustainable peace. My government took the share of its responsibility for this. Recently we reached an agreement with Azerbaijan to launch the delimitation of our interstate borders on the basis of the Almaty Declaration of 1991. That means that during the delimitation we should simply reproduce the Soviet-era administrative borders. This is the implementation of the agreement reached in Prague in 2022. Now it is time to incorporate and reflect those agreements in the peace treaty and have it signed.
Another key point for our regional stability is the «Crossroads of Peace», project, initiated by my government. This project implies that Armenia and Azerbaijan restore and open transport and other communications in accordance with the sovereignty and jurisdiction of the countries through which they pass, and comply with the principles of equality and reciprocity. These elements of the concept were agreed upon during the July 2023 meeting with Ilham Aliyev and Charles Michel. //
... Politico reporter's Q&A with Pashinyan
REPORTER: [Ex-NATO leader] Anders Fogh Rasmussen called your neighbor an autocracy. You are in a very difficult geopolitical and geographical position. How do you solve the security problem in that environment?PASHINYAN: I would not like to comment on the internal situation of our neighboring countries. Democracy fully corresponds to the mentality of our people. It is a strategy for our government, it is our political belief, it is also our political identity. The members of our political team have spent most of their lives fighting for democracy, the rule of law, and freedom of speech. Now we have the opportunity to realize all these values in our country.
The security situation was complicated because of the regional and global situation; the world order is collapsing at the moment. My assessment is, and I have had occasion to say this publicly, that the 2020 war was a prelude to further developments. And now the main issue is security.
What is our strategic point of view, how are we going to guarantee the security of our country? Recently, I gave a speech in our parliament, where I said that the most important tool for ensuring security is a foreign policy based on legitimacy. This is the reason why we so often speak about the 1991 Almaty Declaration.
It is very important that during the 2022 Prague meeting, two very important agreements were reached. Armenia and Azerbaijan recognize each other's territorial integrity and sovereignty on the basis of the Almaty Declaration and will use it as the basis for the border demarcation. This is the reason why I said that we are not drawing a new border, we just need to reproduce the existing one on the ground. This process is happening right now, and I hope that we will continue it steadfastly.
REPORTER: The border conflict that has occurred in recent years has had a negative impact on relations with Russia and Russia's role for Armenia. What would you say about this?
PASHINYAN: Armenia is a member of CSTO. We are officially a CSTO member, but I have announced that we have frozen our participation.
REPORTER: So are you still a member or...?
PASHINYAN: It is a matter for further discussion, but it is very important to record the current situation. A crisis arose in our relations after Azerbaijani troops invaded Armenia, and according to CSTO procedures, the Organization and its member states had to support Armenia in this situation. But even after the formal application, the CSTO refused to take any concrete steps, and in fact, that is the main reason for freezing our participation in the CSTO at all levels.
REPORTER: Do you expect the West to occupy the current vacuum and ensure your security?
PASHINYAN: We are diversifying our foreign relations in all spheres. Now we are developing defense cooperation with India, France, and other countries. We have a certain cooperation with the European Union because as I mentioned, we are happy about the deployment of the EU Civilian Observation Mission on the border. It is a civilian mission but in a way, it is a new factor for the security of our region. This is the first time that the European Union participates in the security agenda of Armenia.
REPORTER: Would you like to become an EU member?
PASHINYAN: We are waiting for the EU's decision to include Armenia in the European Peace Facility. We also hope to start visa liberalization negotiations, and last year I announced in the European Parliament that Armenia is ready to be as close to the European Union as the European Union deems it possible. This is our position.
REPORTER: Can you elaborate on what initiatives Armenia is taking in the fight against corruption?
PASHINYAN: We have made huge progress but have not eradicated corruption from Armenia. We must continue to be persistent in the agenda of democratic reforms. This is the reason why cooperation with the European Union is of utmost importance for us because today the European Union is our main partner in the implementation of our democratic reform agenda. We hope that the European Union, as well as the USA, will increase their support to Armenia in the implementation of democratic reforms, because, as I said, democracy is a strategy for us.
By the way, in 2019 we started a Strategic Dialogue with the USA, and today we see the strengthening of our cooperation with the European Union. We recently had a tripartite meeting with the participation of the USA, EU, and Armenia. It was an unprecedented format, where we adopted a huge agenda of institutional and economic reforms. It is also very important that we receive more tangible support from the EU and the US to address the humanitarian needs of the Nagorno Karabakh refugees because it is a very sensitive and emotional issue for us.
REPORTER: In which year would you like Armenia to become a member of the EU?
PASHINYAN: This year [as soon as possible]. //
Pashinyan met Anders Fogh Rasmussen. The latter emphasized the importance of the “Crossroads of Peace” project in the context of unblocking the regional infrastructure.
Pashinyan discussed various topics with the PM of Denmark. The latter accepted his invitation to visit Armenia.
full video, source, video, other, other, source, video,
former regime continues to hold protests and briefly shut down roads in Yerevan with demands for PM Pashinyan's resignation
ԳԼՈՒԽ 1Dozens of participants were detained and released the same day for blocking roads. The detentions decreased from 170 on Monday to ~63 on Tuesday. They want Pashinyan to resign or to be impeached. The protest organizers visited universities to gather student supporters, some of whom joined them with a dance. The organizers also stopped by at a bakery where they were given free food.
A felony investigation was launched after a police vehicle, "with the sirens on", struck a reporter on the street. In another instance, an investigation was launched against a protester who brought a long sword. One other case was launched over alleged threats made on Facebook by a Galstanyan fan who wants scores of people to be beaten in dalans and exiled from Armenia, "մենակ էտ դեպքում էս սրբազան հողը կմաքրվի էս տեսակ շան ծնունդներից, ուրիշ ձև չկա!!!!"
ԳԼՈՒԽ 2
A ruling faction member of Yerevan City Council complained about "harassment" by opposition figures who are attempting to convince ruling party members to join the protests and the impeachment.
RULING MEMBER: That is not how it works. No one will join you with that conduct. People will join if they see you have a legitimate agenda with trustworthy leaders. Instead, you are "ethnically cleansing" the citizens of Armenia [referring to one opposition speaker telling non-Armenians to leave] և հեռու չէ են օրը երբ դուք գուցե ասեք որ հայ լինելու համար պետք է Հայկ նահապետից տեղեկանք բերել: //
ԳԼՈՒԽ 3
Yesterday the protest co-organizer Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan said he received a report suggesting that the Deputy Rector of Yerevan State University supposedly urged deans and others to retaliate against students who joined the protests. Galstanyan said he was unsure whether the report was true, but decided to read it out loud anyway. On Tuesday he rallied his supporters to the backyard of the University where he demanded to speak with the Deputy Rector for clarification.
The Deputy Rector went downstairs and greeted Galstanyan, who shook her hand but wouldn't let it go for an uncomfortably long period, prompting her to ask him to let go of her hand. The Deputy Rector declared that whatever Galstanyan read about her was a defamatory lie.
GALSTANYAN: I never believed it myself.
DEPUTY RECTOR: Then you should not have said out loud something you did not believe.
GALSTANYAN: Listen, there is a recorded fact...
DEPUTY RECTOR: Where is that "recorded fact"?
GALSTANYAN: It was on the media. As I said yesterday, I had no verification that it was true, which is why we came here to clarify it. If it's false, then I apologize.
DEPUTY RECTOR: Thank you. //
The Deputy Rector urged the protest organizers not to enter the building or disrupt the classes, and that "anyone who wants to follow you can follow you, anyone who wants to stay in classrooms should stay in classrooms".
The angry Deputy Rector left. Another university official criticized Galstanyan for not checking the information before reading it to his followers. Galstanyan said he stands behind his words, and that he was "just reading what was on the media", but reiterated that he had no intention to insult the Deputy Rector.
ԳԼՈՒԽ 4
Galstanyan and his supporters visited the monument dedicated to Operation Nemesis. He praised the figures behind Nemesis for "assuming personal responsibility". In front of the crowd, Galstanyan introduced Hambig Sassounian who recently joined his movement. He pointed to the Nemesis monument and said Sassounian is "one of the successors, one of the brightest people." In related news, on Sunday a ruling faction MP complained about receiving death threats with reference to Operation Nemesis.
ԳԼՈՒԽ 5
DANIEL IOANNESIAN (NGO chief): When this protest dies down, we need to discuss the following: (1) The transparency of political and media funding. There are some regulations in place, but they are incomplete and easily bypassed. For example, I'd like to know who paid for Archbishop Galstanyan's giant stage in Republic Square. In 2018 Pashinyan organized a fundraising for it and disclosed a detailed report. (2) Should the media organizations that do not respect the rules of financial transparency enjoy all the mechanisms for the protection of journalists? (3) Are the customs authorities confident that the church is not facilitating the business activities of certain figures disguised as donations? (4) Is it fair for the church and clergy members not to pay taxes? Should they be able to have a Bently and LX570 without paying taxes? [The "Bentley" is based on a true story.]
ԳԼՈՒԽ 6
Archbishop's fans spotted Miss Armenia 2003 and a H1 host Lusine Tovmasyan drinking a coffee at a Yerevan café and approached her.
PROTESTER: (unintelligable)
LUSINE: I was here drinking coffee yesterday, and a year before that.
PROTESTER: Why have you not joined the holy struggle?
LUSINE: Լավ եկեք թարգեք, շատ զզվելի ա, էնքան զզվելի ա․ //
ԳԼՈՒԽ 7
Pro-Kremlin propagandist Alexander Dugin praised the pro-Russian forces' protests in Armenia and criticized the pro-EU protests in Georgia.
Pro-Kremlin Russian politician Semyon Baghdasarov praised Archbishop Bagrat and the ongoing "uprising" in Armenia against the "traitor" [Nikol] who "rigged" the elections with the help of "Turkey, UK, and US". Nikol is a Turkish MI6 agent. video,
ԳԼՈՒԽ 8
Video of a protest recorded from above: video
source, video, video, video, video, source, source, source, source, source, source, source, video,
Armenian government has upgraded other diplomatic channels to reduce reliance on ARF's diaspora structures in the US, says pro-West NGO chief
KHURSHUDYAN: The status of the Armenian Ambassador to the U.S. [Lilith Makunts] has been significantly upgraded. I won't go into specifics because it's tied to our neighbors, but she plays an interesting role there. We have great conditions for the U.S. Congress to pressure Azerbaijan. This is outside of ARF's lobbyist groups in the U.S.REPORTER: ARF Hay Dat's recent conduct has been shameful.
KHURSHUDYAN: And its influence on the Lemkin Institute was obvious. //
Yesterday Kurshudyan accused the Lemkin Institute of caving to ARF's pressure and meddling into Armenia's internal affairs to assist the protests by the pro-Russian former regime.
KHURSHUDYAN: Lemkin Institute accused Pashinyan's April 24 genocide remembrance day statement of containing "victim blaming". Lemkin did not comment on Pashinyan's statement for several weeks, waited 15 days, and as soon as these pro-Russian protests began in Armenia, they gave them a պաս:
source,
Armenia's four most prominent pro-West opposition parties announce the formation of a unified platform
Republic Party, led by ex-PM Aram Sargsyan.Hanun Republic Party, led by Arman Babajanyan.
European Party of Armenia, led by Tigran Khzmalyan.
Christian-Democratic Party, led by Levon Shirinyan.
Have the following agenda...
(1) Promotion of Western values in Armenia and Armenia's membership in EU and NATO.
(2) United front against threats and risks of destabilization coming from Russia.
(3) Vetting judges to clean up the courts, and resolution of issues left unaddressed by the Pashinyan administration.
(4) Continuation of border demarcation based on 1991 Almaty.
(5) The use of international law to achieve a fair resolution for Nagorno-Karabakh residents.
The platform is open for like-minded forces to join.
source,
Armenian army chief denies being a Russian citizen
A statement released by the defense ministry denies media reports that CoGS LtGen Edward Asryan is a dual citizen of Russia. His wife is an ethnic Russian with Armenian citizenship and his kids are dual citizens, but Asryan only has citizenship in Armenia. The whole family has resided in Armenia since 2006, said the statement.source,
Georgia passes controversial ‘foreign agents’ bill despite widespread opposition
The law will require organizations receiving more than 20% of their funding from abroad to register as “agents of foreign influence” or face crippling fines.The bill will be sent to the President who is expected to veto it, but her veto is expected to be overruled by the parliamentary majority later.
Georgian PM Kobakhidze had an "honest conversation" with U.S. deputy foreign minister James O'Brien, telling him that the Georgian government is interested in deepening the partnership with the U.S., "which requires mutual efforts and relations based on fairness."
James O'Brien demanded to speak with the manager - Bidza Ivanishvili. The latter refused to meet O'Brien, saying he won't hold any meetings under "blackmail".
The White House said the U.S. will review its relations with Georgia if the bill becomes law.
source, source, source,
how many of the 101,000 Nagorno-Karabakh refugees have left Armenia and haven't returned yet?
As of...Dec: 6.6K
Jan: 6.9K
Mar: 8.0K
Apr: 9.1K
May: 9.9K
The former Ombudsman of Nagorno-Karabakh said many of them have family members and friends in Russia who invite them to move.
source,
temperatures are rising rapidly in Armenia
REPORTER: The rainy May is not going to be enough to alleviate the negative consequences of the rapidly rising temperatures in Armenia. With a ~3 Celsius anomaly, Armenia had the second-highest increase in temperature over the last 6 months among a group of monitored countries.WEATHER CENTER: High temperatures increase the evaporation of water and reduce the amount of snow in the winter. In December and January, we recorded rain instead of snow in certain mountainous regions, which is bad for water resources.
REPORTER: A conference was recently held in Yerevan within the framework of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification.
UN official: Around 40% of global soils are degraded. Millions of people will be forced to migrate from their communities by 2050 as a result of climate problems. Emergency action is needed to reduce the rate of rising temperatures. //
Armenia joined the Convention three decades ago and has assumed the responsibility to restore degraded soil by 2030. The government is promoting drip irrigation systems for farming and wants to plant more trees.
video,
is the decline of Lake Sevan levels finally slowing down?
see the YoY chartYerevan Municipality to receive a €25 million loan from European Investment Bank to raise energy efficiency
It's part of the implementation of Eastern Partnership programs. The Armenian government and the EU are co-financing it.The goal is to raise energy efficiency and carry out seismic retrofitting in 6 medical clinics and 32 kindergartens run by the municipality. The length of the program is 4 years.
video, video,
Gagik Tsarukyan is inside you
there is a bit of Tsarukyan inside all of yousee it to believe it
Gagik Tsarukyan says the new Jesus statue is ready and will be installed by the end of 2025
It will be a tourist attraction site. There will be a ropeway. Also, Tsarukyan needs you to know that he is a man of God and an avid believer.video,
Armenia and Slovakia discussed AM-EU visa liberalization
source,Lithuania will help retrain Armenian law enforcement agents to combat cybercrime, analyze crimes, etc.
source,Armenia's Economy Minister Papoyan met the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources Geoffrey Pyatt
In a Washington meeting participated by the Armenian Ministry delegation and Armenia's Ambassador, they spoke about the Crossroads of Peace logistics project proposed by Armenia, several topics relating to Armenia's energy and economic security, and the Armenian government's ongoing efforts to classify Armenia as a "market economy".source,
Armenia and Iran discussed the construction of a second bridge over the River Araks
The first bridge began operating in 1996. It came to replace the floating bridges on the river.Iran says the AM-IR traffic through the Meghri checkpoint significantly increased last year. Coupled with the fact that Armenia is building a modern North-South highway, they believe it's necessary to have a second AM-IR bridge to handle the rising traffic.
The parties are currently discussing the formation of a working group consisting of experts to discuss the topic.
source,
a new study on mice indicates that more exercise might be better than more sleep for clearing brain of toxins
They injected a dye into a brain and tracked the speed of its movement during sleep and exercise.The findings show that the clearance of the dye was reduced by 30% in sleeping mice compared with mice that were kept awake. This has not been confirmed on humans yet.
Previous research has suggested that sleep is important for preventing dementia as it is during this time that toxic proteins are cleared from the brain.
source, source,
2024.05.15 00:01 DisplaySalt8451 Application successful! 🎉 and a checklist for those in need
Hello all,
We’ve just received our visa decision letter and it was a yes! It has been a long road and I thank everyone here for the great support you’ve offered, the posts that helped our application with both timelines and checklists, and lastly the super helpful people who answers questions and calm worries. We could not have done this without this subreddit.
As usual, a timeline from us:
I used some of the checklists folks provided here, and will give my own below:
Relationship: - Marriage certificate. - individual cover letter from both applicant and sponsor. - Pictures with each other and flight details. All dated. - Passports: All pictures of applicant’s passport pages, ID page of sponsor.
Employment of Sponsor: - 6 months payslips. - 6 months bank statements. - letter from employer confirming job. - Employment contract.
Accommodation: - Letter from landlord. - Tenancy agreement. - Evidence of payments already shown in bank statements. - Council tax form.
Additional requirements: - IELTS certificate. - We did not need a TB test due to country of origin.
I will still continue to battle for the changes made to the Visa requirements as I know some will not have been able to make the deadline. Do let me know if I can help in anyway, with questions or with support to calm nerves.
submitted by DisplaySalt8451 to SpouseVisaUk [link] [comments]
We’ve just received our visa decision letter and it was a yes! It has been a long road and I thank everyone here for the great support you’ve offered, the posts that helped our application with both timelines and checklists, and lastly the super helpful people who answers questions and calm worries. We could not have done this without this subreddit.
As usual, a timeline from us:
- Visa type: Spousal Visa
- Application: Outside of the UK (Sweden)
- Priority: Yes
- Application date: 28th March
- Bio date: 9th April
- Solicitor: No
- Paid enquiry: 8th May
- Decision made and passport received: 13th May
I used some of the checklists folks provided here, and will give my own below:
Relationship: - Marriage certificate. - individual cover letter from both applicant and sponsor. - Pictures with each other and flight details. All dated. - Passports: All pictures of applicant’s passport pages, ID page of sponsor.
Employment of Sponsor: - 6 months payslips. - 6 months bank statements. - letter from employer confirming job. - Employment contract.
Accommodation: - Letter from landlord. - Tenancy agreement. - Evidence of payments already shown in bank statements. - Council tax form.
Additional requirements: - IELTS certificate. - We did not need a TB test due to country of origin.
I will still continue to battle for the changes made to the Visa requirements as I know some will not have been able to make the deadline. Do let me know if I can help in anyway, with questions or with support to calm nerves.
2024.05.14 23:44 Designer-Ant8882 Documents Required for France Visa appointment in Seattle
Hi, I’m a non-US citizen applying for a Schengen Visa at the France temp location in Seattle. Wanted to confirm what documents are required apart from the ones listed below And if there’s anything else I should keep in mind please let me know as well
submitted by Designer-Ant8882 to SchengenVisa [link] [comments]
- Visa application form + Receipt
- Passport (original + photo copy)
- Current US visa (original + photo copy)
- Passport Size Photos (2)
- Latest I94
- Proof of Employment (Offer Letter + 3 recent paychecks)
- 3 recent bank statements
- Hotel booking (have booked one with free cancellation during required visa duration)
- Flight tickets (will buy one day before the appointment for free cancellation in 24 hr)
- Medical insurance certificate (will buy a couple days before the appointment)
2024.05.14 23:17 BigFishSmallPond123 automating emailing system for OTP verification
Hi all, I'm trying to automate an emailing system for OTP verification but am running into some trouble. Below is my code, in it's respective files.
In models.py:
The problems are as follows:
submitted by BigFishSmallPond123 to learnpython [link] [comments]
In models.py:
from django.db import models from django.contrib.auth.models import AbstractUser, User from django.db.models.signals import post_save from django.dispatch import receiver # Create your models here. class UserProfile(models.Model): user = models.OneToOneField(User, on_delete=models.CASCADE) otp = models.CharField(max_length=6, blank=True) otp_expiry_time = models.DateTimeField(blank=True, null=True) class AdditionalData(models.Model): user_profile = models.OneToOneField(UserProfile, on_delete=models.CASCADE) firstname = models.CharField(max_length=100, blank=True) lastname = models.CharField(max_length=100, blank=True) dateofbirth = models.DateField(null=True, blank=True) phone_no = models.CharField(max_length=20, blank=True) country_origin = models.CharField(max_length=100, blank=True) city_origin = models.CharField(max_length=100, blank=True) @receiver(post_save, sender=User) def create_user_profile(sender, instance, created, **kwargs): if created: UserProfile.objects.create(user=instance) @receiver(post_save, sender=User) def save_user_profile(sender, instance, **kwargs): instance.userprofile.save()In views.py:
from django.shortcuts import render, redirect, HttpResponse from django.contrib.auth.models import User from django.contrib.auth import authenticate, login from django.contrib.auth.decorators import login_required from datetime import timedelta from django.utils import timezone from django.core.mail import send_mail from rest_framework import status from rest_framework.decorators import api_view, permission_classes from rest_framework.permissions import AllowAny from rest_framework.response import Response from .serializers import UserProfileSerializer from .models import UserProfile, AdditionalData from rest_framework_simplejwt.tokens import RefreshToken from .generate_random_digits import generate_random_digits def sign_up(request): if request.method == 'POST': username = request.POST.get('username') email = request.POST.get('email') pass1 = request.POST.get('password1') pass2 = request.POST.get('password2') User.objects.create_user(username, email, pass1).save() return redirect('login') return render(request, 'main/signup.html') def login1(request): if request.method == "POST": username = request.POST.get('username') pass1 = request.POST.get('pass') user = authenticate(request, username=username, password=pass1) if user is not None: if user.last_login is None: user.last_login = timezone.now() user.save() login(request, user) return redirect('firstlogin') else: user_profile = UserProfile.objects.get(user=user) verification_code = generate_random_digits() user_profile.otp = verification_code user_profile.otp_expiry_time = timezone.now() + timedelta(minutes=15) user_profile.save() send_mail( 'Verification Code', f'Your verification code is: {verification_code}', 'from@gmail.com', [request.user.email], fail_silently=False, ) return redirect('otp') else: error_message = "Invalid username or password" return render(request, 'main/login.html', {'error_message': error_message}) return render(request, 'main/login.html') def verify(request): username = request.data.get('username') password = request.data.get('password') otp = request.data.get('otp') user = authenticate(request, username=username, password=password) if user is not None: user_profile = UserProfile.objects.get(user=user) if ( user_profile.verification_code == otp and user_profile.otp_expiry_time is not None and user_profile.otp_expiry_time > timezone.now() ): login(request, user) refresh = RefreshToken.for_user(user) access_token = str(refresh.access_token) user_profile.otp = '' user_profile.otp_expiry_time = None user_profile.save() return Response({'access_token': access_token, 'refresh_token': str(refresh)}, status=status.HTTP_200_OK) return Response({'detail': 'Invalid verification code or credentials.'}, status=status.HTTP_401_UNAUTHORIZED) @login_required def firstlogin(request): if request.method == "POST": user = request.user try: additional_data = AdditionalData.objects.get(user_profile__user=user) except AdditionalData.DoesNotExist: additional_data = AdditionalData.objects.create(user_profile=UserProfile.objects.get(user=user)) additional_data.firstname = request.POST.get('FirstName') additional_data.lastname = request.POST.get('LastName') date_str = f"{request.POST.get('dob-year')}-{request.POST.get('dob-month')}-{request.POST.get('dob-day')}" try: additional_data.dateofbirth = date_str except ValueError: return HttpResponse('Invalid date format') additional_data.phone_no = request.POST.get('PhoneNumber') additional_data.country_origin = request.POST.get('Country') additional_data.city_origin = request.POST.get('City') additional_data.save() return HttpResponse('WORKED') return render(request, 'main/firstlogin.html') @login_required def home(response): return render(response, 'main/landing_page.html') def otp(response): return render(response, 'main/otp.html') In settings.py:""" Django settings for mysite project. Generated by 'django-admin startproject' using Django 4.2.6. For more information on this file, see https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/4.2/topics/settings/ For the full list of settings and their values, see https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/4.2/ref/settings/ """ from pathlib import Path import os # Build paths inside the project like this: BASE_DIR / 'subdir'. BASE_DIR = Path(__file__).resolve().parent.parent # Quick-start development settings - unsuitable for production # See https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/4.2/howto/deployment/checklist/ # SECURITY WARNING: keep the secret key used in production secret! SECRET_KEY = '#####...' # SECURITY WARNING: don't run with debug turned on in production! DEBUG = True ALLOWED_HOSTS = [] # Application definition INSTALLED_APPS = [ 'django.contrib.admin', 'django.contrib.auth', 'django.contrib.contenttypes', 'django.contrib.sessions', 'django.contrib.messages', 'django.contrib.staticfiles', 'main.apps.MainConfig', ] MIDDLEWARE = [ 'django.middleware.security.SecurityMiddleware', 'django.contrib.sessions.middleware.SessionMiddleware', 'django.middleware.common.CommonMiddleware', 'django.middleware.csrf.CsrfViewMiddleware', 'django.contrib.auth.middleware.AuthenticationMiddleware', 'django.contrib.messages.middleware.MessageMiddleware', 'django.middleware.clickjacking.XFrameOptionsMiddleware', ] ROOT_URLCONF = 'mysite.urls' TEMPLATES = [ { 'BACKEND': 'django.template.backends.django.DjangoTemplates', 'DIRS': [os.path.join(BASE_DIR, 'templates')], 'APP_DIRS': True, 'OPTIONS': { 'context_processors': [ 'django.template.context_processors.debug', 'django.template.context_processors.request', 'django.contrib.auth.context_processors.auth', 'django.contrib.messages.context_processors.messages', ], }, }, ] EMAIL_BACKEND = 'django.core.mail.backends.smtp.EmailBackend' EMAIL_HOST = 'smtp.gmail.com' EMAIL_PORT = 587 EMAIL_USE_TLS = True EMAIL_HOST_USER = 'from@gmail.com' EMAIL_HOST_PASSWORD = '############' WSGI_APPLICATION = 'mysite.wsgi.application' # Database # https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/4.2/ref/settings/#databases DATABASES = { 'default': { 'ENGINE': 'django.db.backends.sqlite3', 'NAME': BASE_DIR / 'db.sqlite3', } } # Password validation # https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/4.2/ref/settings/#auth-password-validators AUTH_PASSWORD_VALIDATORS = [ { 'NAME': 'django.contrib.auth.password_validation.UserAttributeSimilarityValidator', }, { 'NAME': 'django.contrib.auth.password_validation.MinimumLengthValidator', }, { 'NAME': 'django.contrib.auth.password_validation.CommonPasswordValidator', }, { 'NAME': 'django.contrib.auth.password_validation.NumericPasswordValidator', }, ] # Internationalization # https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/4.2/topics/i18n/ LANGUAGE_CODE = 'en-us' TIME_ZONE = 'UTC' USE_I18N = True USE_TZ = True # Static files (CSS, JavaScript, Images) # https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/4.2/howto/static-files/ STATIC_URL = 'static/' # Default primary key field type # https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/4.2/ref/settings/#default-auto-field DEFAULT_AUTO_FIELD = 'django.db.models.BigAutoField' otp.html:TLDR:OTP Verification
The problems are as follows:
- 4 verification codes were sent b2b2b2b on the first try
- No longer receiving any emails
- The otp.html redirect after entering the code doesn't work
2024.05.14 23:06 DrBlackJack21 Of Men and Ghost Ships, Book 1: Chapter 17
Chapter 1
Concept art for Sybil
Of Men and Ghost Ships, Book 1: Chapter 17
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
First, Carter met an AI who looked like an old-earth pirate, and now he met an alien who looked like an old-earth viking. Well, if that viking stood nearly eight feet tall, had fangs and claws that could put some daggers to shame, and a bony carapace armor seemingly covering most of his vital organs. He wasn't sure if he just had some odd luck when it came to encountering the weirdest entities the universe had to offer or if he was at the butt of some galactic joke.
Carter showed Erik how to use the goo dispenser, to which the larger alien made a face but managed to politely keep any complaints to himself as they both got a bowl and sat down at a table with Sybil's two robotic guards passively waiting not far from the table. As he sat down, Cater couldn't help but ask. "So, Erik, huh?"
Before he could ask his question, the behemoth of a man laughed. "Yes, it's a human name. I was 'raised,' for lack of a better term, by pirates who gave me the name. No, I don't know where I came from or even if there are more like me somewhere out there. Long story short, I got my freedom the hard way, and ever since, I've just been trying to get by in this galaxy!"
That answered several of Carter's questions without him having to ask them. " Get asked those a lot, do you?"
Erik nodded while he tried a spoonful of the much, then looked down at the bowl with surprise before taking another bite. "You could say that! Probably the most common questions I get right after people screaming incoherently or begging for their lives. Not that those are questions, but I kinda feel like they're implied, if you know what I mean!"
Carter nodded cautiously. "Do you get that a lot? People begging for their lives, I mean?"
The bigger alien grinned. "Well, yeah! And more than half the time, I didn't even do anything to warrant it! Guess I'm just too big and scary for my own good!"
Carter made a show of taking a bite of his own mint-flavored sludge. "And the other half of the time?"
Erik shrugged, but Carter couldn't help but notice his grin became just a bit more predatory. "Well, let's just say I don't start many fights, but I sure do end a lot of them! Guess I seem like an easy mark or something!"
Carter suspected it was the "or something" but decided not to push the issue. Instead, he figured maybe he could bring up some common ground. "So, not a big fan of pirates then?"
The larger alien shook his head., "No, I like them just fine! Why, they're just about my favorite thing to test the sharpness of my axes on!"
Carter looked at his dining companion skeptically. "Axes? Really? In this day and age?"
Erik laughed. "Yeah, yeah, I know, they're not the most efficient weapons out there, and I'm not above using some more traditional armaments in a pinch, but I tell ya, there's nothing more satisfying than cleaving through a battle suite in hand-to-hand combat with a good heavy axe! Sides, I got used to them back when I fought as a gladiator."
Carter supposed he should have been ready for a crazy story, but he still found himself surprised for the umpteenth time in one conversation. "Wait, wait, wait... You were a gladiator? Like as in an arena, fight to the death kinda thing?"
Erik laughed again. "Yeah, pretty much! However I ended up fighting monsters more than people. There weren't many pirates willing to get in the ring with me, even with a battle suit, and I wasn't willing to kill any ordinary folk who got thrown in with me. Thankfully, I was too big a draw for them to just execute for refusing to kill normals, though I'm sorry to say they didn't get out of the situation any better than if I had. Still, I've killed more than my fair share of wild beasties! They even managed to bring in this giant wolf-like monster with a bladed tail. It was the size of a moose! I kid you not! I got no idea where they found that monster, but it would have killed me for sure if it hadn't been for Vanessa backing me up. Even then, we were both out of commission for the better part of a month after that one. Well, we might have been fit to go a bit before that, but that was the one that made us decide it would be considerably better for our health if we got out of the gladiator business sooner rather than later!"
Oddly enough, Carter found himself grinning along with Erik despite the nature of the story. There was just something about the guy that made listening to him ramble on about stuff kinda fun. Despite his thick accent, or maybe partially because of it, the man was a heck of a storyteller. However, now that the story seemed to have come to an end, the larger alien seemed to think for a moment before asking his own question. "So tell me, captain, where's the rest of your crew? The only ones I've seen since coming aboard are you and your robotic monsters!" He pointed back at the two escorts Sybil provided.
Carter looked askance at the alien. "I invited two aliens who look like they might be able to pick a fight with a full squad of commandos and come out on top, and you're wondering where my crew is?"
Erik kind of nodded and laughed again. "Yeah, I guess that tracks! No sense puttin' everyone at risk when you don't know nothin' about us, and we won't be here very long, is there? Speaking of, how much longer is my friend's treatment gonna take?"
The word "friend" was a surprising choice. Was Erik just using it as a general term, or did he really consider the kid he'd hauled onboard the ship a friend? Carter supposed it didn't matter. Instead, he figured he might as well find out. "Hey, Sybil, how's the treatment going?"
The girl appeared. "Well, the patient looks like he'll pull through. However, given the nature of his injury and how long it's been since he received it, we cannot save his foot. We're discussing whether he would like a temporary replacement or if he'd rather a replacement be grown in a better-stocked facility."
-
Alen looked at the disturbingly attractive woman in shock. "What do you mean you're gonna lop off my foot?"
The woman in red just looked annoyed with him for some reason. "I mean just that. Your foot is too badly damaged to save. I can fit you with a temporary replacement, but that'll come with some unpleasant side effects while you adjust and again if it's removed. Alternatively, you could just wait and have an organic replacement grown at another facility and bypass the side effects, but you will be short a foot for however long that takes. Now choose. It'll determine where I cut through the bone and nerves."
Having just woken up from his drugged sleep, Alen had assumed the surgery was over, but apparently, they were still in the middle of treatment. His head was still somewhat groggy as he fought through the haze to understand and decide. "Um, well, I don't know when I'll be able to get anything better, but...uh...how unpleasant are we talking here?"
The attractive woman crossed her arms and glared at him as if he was wasting her valuable time. "It varies from one individual to the next, but the side effects can range from mild discomfort to occasional sharp pains strong enough to require medical intervention."
That was when another voice spoke up from behind Alen. He quickly realized it was Vanessa. "Is it not possible for you to deaden the pain receptors in the area while leaving enough nerve function to enable the use of the replacement?"
The woman in red shook her head. "Pain is an essential tool, especially if we're fitting him with a temporary replacement. It'll let him know if something's gone wrong. Without it, he could get an infection or even tear something without realizing it. It's better to err on the side of leaving too much sensation than too little. It can always be adjusted at a proper facility as needed."
On the one hand, that really sounded unpleasant. But on the other hand, who knew how soon Alen could get a replacement grown? What would he do in the meantime? "Uh... I guess...if I have to pick one... I'll take the temporary replacement..."
The lady in red gave only a brief acknowledgment. "About time." Then, before Alen could have second thoughts, the world went dark again.
-
The girl nodded as if receiving some unheard report. "Well, that settles it. He'll be getting a temporary replacement. It'll take a bit longer as we'll have to fit him with some attachments for the augmatics. A rough approximation puts the remaining time at an hour and a half. We should finish cannibalizing the pirate vessel shortly afterward."
Carter turned toward his guest. "Well, there you have it..."
However, the girl interrupted him again before he could finish his thoughts. "Sir, we've got more incoming. There are more of them, and they're more dispersed this time..."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Poor Alen! That dude has definitely not had it easy as of late!
My Wiki has all my chapters and stories, including the short series and stories that I write for an occasional change of pace or style!
As a reminder, "Of Men and Dragons" Books 1 and 2 are available to purchase in e-book or physical form. (Both softcover and hardcovers are available!) Book 3 is almost done being edited, so I'll just have to get the cover art and formatting done, and it will be available to purchase as well! Hopefully, in no more than a month or two! (Barring more Amazon drama like last time... fingers crossed!)
OMAD Book 1: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09NCPP3PP
OMAD Book 2: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CQ7FQ1ZJ
submitted by DrBlackJack21 to HFY [link] [comments]
Concept art for Sybil
Of Men and Ghost Ships, Book 1: Chapter 17
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
First, Carter met an AI who looked like an old-earth pirate, and now he met an alien who looked like an old-earth viking. Well, if that viking stood nearly eight feet tall, had fangs and claws that could put some daggers to shame, and a bony carapace armor seemingly covering most of his vital organs. He wasn't sure if he just had some odd luck when it came to encountering the weirdest entities the universe had to offer or if he was at the butt of some galactic joke.
Carter showed Erik how to use the goo dispenser, to which the larger alien made a face but managed to politely keep any complaints to himself as they both got a bowl and sat down at a table with Sybil's two robotic guards passively waiting not far from the table. As he sat down, Cater couldn't help but ask. "So, Erik, huh?"
Before he could ask his question, the behemoth of a man laughed. "Yes, it's a human name. I was 'raised,' for lack of a better term, by pirates who gave me the name. No, I don't know where I came from or even if there are more like me somewhere out there. Long story short, I got my freedom the hard way, and ever since, I've just been trying to get by in this galaxy!"
That answered several of Carter's questions without him having to ask them. " Get asked those a lot, do you?"
Erik nodded while he tried a spoonful of the much, then looked down at the bowl with surprise before taking another bite. "You could say that! Probably the most common questions I get right after people screaming incoherently or begging for their lives. Not that those are questions, but I kinda feel like they're implied, if you know what I mean!"
Carter nodded cautiously. "Do you get that a lot? People begging for their lives, I mean?"
The bigger alien grinned. "Well, yeah! And more than half the time, I didn't even do anything to warrant it! Guess I'm just too big and scary for my own good!"
Carter made a show of taking a bite of his own mint-flavored sludge. "And the other half of the time?"
Erik shrugged, but Carter couldn't help but notice his grin became just a bit more predatory. "Well, let's just say I don't start many fights, but I sure do end a lot of them! Guess I seem like an easy mark or something!"
Carter suspected it was the "or something" but decided not to push the issue. Instead, he figured maybe he could bring up some common ground. "So, not a big fan of pirates then?"
The larger alien shook his head., "No, I like them just fine! Why, they're just about my favorite thing to test the sharpness of my axes on!"
Carter looked at his dining companion skeptically. "Axes? Really? In this day and age?"
Erik laughed. "Yeah, yeah, I know, they're not the most efficient weapons out there, and I'm not above using some more traditional armaments in a pinch, but I tell ya, there's nothing more satisfying than cleaving through a battle suite in hand-to-hand combat with a good heavy axe! Sides, I got used to them back when I fought as a gladiator."
Carter supposed he should have been ready for a crazy story, but he still found himself surprised for the umpteenth time in one conversation. "Wait, wait, wait... You were a gladiator? Like as in an arena, fight to the death kinda thing?"
Erik laughed again. "Yeah, pretty much! However I ended up fighting monsters more than people. There weren't many pirates willing to get in the ring with me, even with a battle suit, and I wasn't willing to kill any ordinary folk who got thrown in with me. Thankfully, I was too big a draw for them to just execute for refusing to kill normals, though I'm sorry to say they didn't get out of the situation any better than if I had. Still, I've killed more than my fair share of wild beasties! They even managed to bring in this giant wolf-like monster with a bladed tail. It was the size of a moose! I kid you not! I got no idea where they found that monster, but it would have killed me for sure if it hadn't been for Vanessa backing me up. Even then, we were both out of commission for the better part of a month after that one. Well, we might have been fit to go a bit before that, but that was the one that made us decide it would be considerably better for our health if we got out of the gladiator business sooner rather than later!"
Oddly enough, Carter found himself grinning along with Erik despite the nature of the story. There was just something about the guy that made listening to him ramble on about stuff kinda fun. Despite his thick accent, or maybe partially because of it, the man was a heck of a storyteller. However, now that the story seemed to have come to an end, the larger alien seemed to think for a moment before asking his own question. "So tell me, captain, where's the rest of your crew? The only ones I've seen since coming aboard are you and your robotic monsters!" He pointed back at the two escorts Sybil provided.
Carter looked askance at the alien. "I invited two aliens who look like they might be able to pick a fight with a full squad of commandos and come out on top, and you're wondering where my crew is?"
Erik kind of nodded and laughed again. "Yeah, I guess that tracks! No sense puttin' everyone at risk when you don't know nothin' about us, and we won't be here very long, is there? Speaking of, how much longer is my friend's treatment gonna take?"
The word "friend" was a surprising choice. Was Erik just using it as a general term, or did he really consider the kid he'd hauled onboard the ship a friend? Carter supposed it didn't matter. Instead, he figured he might as well find out. "Hey, Sybil, how's the treatment going?"
The girl appeared. "Well, the patient looks like he'll pull through. However, given the nature of his injury and how long it's been since he received it, we cannot save his foot. We're discussing whether he would like a temporary replacement or if he'd rather a replacement be grown in a better-stocked facility."
-
Alen looked at the disturbingly attractive woman in shock. "What do you mean you're gonna lop off my foot?"
The woman in red just looked annoyed with him for some reason. "I mean just that. Your foot is too badly damaged to save. I can fit you with a temporary replacement, but that'll come with some unpleasant side effects while you adjust and again if it's removed. Alternatively, you could just wait and have an organic replacement grown at another facility and bypass the side effects, but you will be short a foot for however long that takes. Now choose. It'll determine where I cut through the bone and nerves."
Having just woken up from his drugged sleep, Alen had assumed the surgery was over, but apparently, they were still in the middle of treatment. His head was still somewhat groggy as he fought through the haze to understand and decide. "Um, well, I don't know when I'll be able to get anything better, but...uh...how unpleasant are we talking here?"
The attractive woman crossed her arms and glared at him as if he was wasting her valuable time. "It varies from one individual to the next, but the side effects can range from mild discomfort to occasional sharp pains strong enough to require medical intervention."
That was when another voice spoke up from behind Alen. He quickly realized it was Vanessa. "Is it not possible for you to deaden the pain receptors in the area while leaving enough nerve function to enable the use of the replacement?"
The woman in red shook her head. "Pain is an essential tool, especially if we're fitting him with a temporary replacement. It'll let him know if something's gone wrong. Without it, he could get an infection or even tear something without realizing it. It's better to err on the side of leaving too much sensation than too little. It can always be adjusted at a proper facility as needed."
On the one hand, that really sounded unpleasant. But on the other hand, who knew how soon Alen could get a replacement grown? What would he do in the meantime? "Uh... I guess...if I have to pick one... I'll take the temporary replacement..."
The lady in red gave only a brief acknowledgment. "About time." Then, before Alen could have second thoughts, the world went dark again.
-
The girl nodded as if receiving some unheard report. "Well, that settles it. He'll be getting a temporary replacement. It'll take a bit longer as we'll have to fit him with some attachments for the augmatics. A rough approximation puts the remaining time at an hour and a half. We should finish cannibalizing the pirate vessel shortly afterward."
Carter turned toward his guest. "Well, there you have it..."
However, the girl interrupted him again before he could finish his thoughts. "Sir, we've got more incoming. There are more of them, and they're more dispersed this time..."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Poor Alen! That dude has definitely not had it easy as of late!
My Wiki has all my chapters and stories, including the short series and stories that I write for an occasional change of pace or style!
As a reminder, "Of Men and Dragons" Books 1 and 2 are available to purchase in e-book or physical form. (Both softcover and hardcovers are available!) Book 3 is almost done being edited, so I'll just have to get the cover art and formatting done, and it will be available to purchase as well! Hopefully, in no more than a month or two! (Barring more Amazon drama like last time... fingers crossed!)
OMAD Book 1: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09NCPP3PP
OMAD Book 2: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CQ7FQ1ZJ
2024.05.14 22:43 Silver_liver The Ashtapadan, Ch. 19/43. SFW this time but shows how I imagine an RR society
Link to AO3
chapters 1&2
chapter 3
chapter 4
chapter 5
chapter 6
chapter 7
chapter 8
chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
The Academy looked normal enough from the distance but blew Gentry’s mind when she finally entered it. First of all, the way in lay through a massive winter garden full of the most luxurious botanical collection she’s ever seen. Not only that, but it seemed to be arranged in a way that offered spaces for hanging out as well as paths in and out. Here and there, G noticed little nooks with people’s voices coming from them and small murmuring streams gleamed in the sun that blazed through the transparent walls and roof. This place looked magical and invited to stay, enjoy the refreshing coolness and peace of mind. But Gentry had a good enough rest in her communal room the night before and was eager to start working on her first assignment that the System had spat out with a congratulating letter. Figuring out the controls of her new wristcomm was simple enough.
DEAR GENTRY!
WE ARE DELIGHTED TO INFORM YOU THAT YOU ARE THE FIRST CONTESTANT TO CLEAR ALL CHALLENGES AND OBTAIN THE STATUS OF AN ASHTAPADAN NEWCOMER! YOUR MEDICAL DATA HAS BEEN ANALYSED AND FOUND ACCEPTABLE.
IN THE ATTACHMENT TO THIS LETTER YOU WILL FIND A LIST OF RULES, RECOMMENDATIONS AND IDEAS THAT WILL DEFINITELY HELP YOU IN THE FIRST WEEKS IN OUR BEAUTIFUL CITY BUT WE STRONGLY RECOMMEND FINDING A BUDDY THAT WOULD BE YOUR MAIN GUIDE AND POTENTIALLY A NEW GREAT FRIEND! IT CAN BE ANY CITIZEN OR A MORE EXPERIENCED NEWCOMER.
YOUR CURRENT POINTS: 0
WHY NOT START EARNING SOME WITH YOUR FIRST ASSIGNMENT?
START ANY BEGINNER COURSE AT THE ACADEMY AND KEEP YOUR ATTENDANCE RATE OVER 80% — WORTH 50 POINTS
(OPTIONAL) FIND SOMEBODY WHO IS WILLING TO BECOME YOUR BUDDY — WORTH 20 POINTS
Without stopping to check if the vending machines offered anything good, G made her way through the dreamy garden and entered the inner yard that looked just like everything here: nothing too eye-catching at first glance but secrets hidden everywhere.
One thing she had already noticed was that most of the people had another piece of technology on their bodies besides the comm on their wrists: a sort of extendable visor that some of them kept engaged at all times. Those who were focused on the screen had a comical look on their faces, a thousand-mile stare, eyes wide even as they were talking to each other or going about their business. It was unclear yet why they would engage the screen for so long though. No one needed this much time to read a notification or check a map.
Take a group of young students by the fountain, for example. They seemed deep in conversation with each other yet their pupils didn’t focus on the person in front, but on the translucent screen over the top part of their faces. Was it some kind of virtual reality helmet?
If so, G needed one, too.
Perhaps she’d be able to make new friends this way.
There was something else that caught Gentry’s eye. Despite her initial disappointment about the severe lack of male hotness in the streets, people of both sexes seemed to really care about their appearance. Even those who probably weren’t naturally stunning were very interesting to look at not least because of the crazy fashion sense everyone here had. Never before had G seen so much variety in what everyone wore: countless variations on different national garments, some looking very traditional, like something one could see in a theatre, some — futuristic uniforms straight out of a sci-fi movie. It didn’t seem like anyone was concerned with gender norms here, too. At least in when it came to the outfits.
G hoped she didn’t look like a creepy stalker when her gaze lingered on a pair of very nicely shaped legs stretching from underneath a plaid skirt that belonged to a young man in the group sat by the edge of the water. A pair of snow-white knee-highs, flat loafers and neat raven hair with some blue streaks completed the image. His clothes fit him very well and weren’t inappropriate in the least: something an old money university student would wear.
A female student that is.
And he wasn’t alone. Here and there, among more conventionally dressed people, there were people wearing all sorts of things: a crazy mix of goth-like apparel but barefoot, men and women with heads covered with scarves, people in strange jewelery that looked like it weighed a ton and so on. Most importantly, no one seemed to care what the others looked like.
Was it paradise? Looks like the demo didn’t lie: it was heaven on earth.
The young man in the middle of the student gaggle caught her staring after all. With a dazzling smile, he waved in her direction as if they were great friends, and G waved back, face heating, hoping there wasn’t anyone behind her this tease was actually waving at. Thank god his shoes weren’t heeled, otherwise she would definitely have a heart attack right here, in the middle of the common area, on her first day.
Did he notice her ogling his legs? Judging by the giggles of his friend's entourage, they all did. The young flirt covered his mouth, eyes wide in mock indignation and pulled his knees in, as if hiding them from the improper attention, getting even more laughter from the rest of the company. G averted her eyes and tried to calm her breathing as she was on her way through the yard again, but before they all disappeared from her field of view, she noticed the coquette stretch his legs again and fall back on a friend of his, embracing the lucky man’s neck in an affectionate gesture, already forgetting G existed.
There was no way she wasn’t going to make some pretty boy do the same for her. Forget the assignment, put that in the list of her top priorities!
At first, Gentry was lost when she failed to find any kind of class schedule and there was no one to ask at the reception desk.
Why have a reception desk if nobody’s on duty?
Soon, however, it occurred to her that there was no schedule: each room within the wide marble corridors had a small display with a handwritten message scribbled on it.
Bachata for beginners
Product engineering (Tuesday class cancelled)
Colloidal chemistry (revision today)
None of these were the Communications course that Jey was talking about, but the variety definitely made G’s eyebrows go up.
Was she just supposed to barge into any class and sign up? Did she have to sign up later if she liked the subject? Was it ok to choose any?
After some wandering around, too scared to just walk in uninvited or ask others for directions, she finally stumbled across the door saying:
Communication & decision making course (Newcomers welcome)
With the desks arranged in a horseshoe and the people of various ages that were also apparently Newcomers, it all seemed comfortably casual. Everyone was chatting as she walked in, paying G no mind so she busied herself with the wristcomm that dinged at exactly the right time to save her the embarrassment of looking for a desk.
Would you like to enroll in this course? Scroll down to read the description.
Was this damn thing a spying device? Did it just know which room she was in? Jey didn’t joke when she said the little thing was going to be her primary aid!
“Are you looking for somewhere to sit?” called a young red-haired woman at one of the paired desks. “Here, this one is free.” She had the auglasses on, like everyone else, but they were off, showing her lively face and a pair of sharp green eyes.
“Thanks,” G said, gratefully taking the offer. “I’m new here, don’t know how things work yet.”
“It’s alright, the course is very engaging, you’ll love it.” — the woman held out a hand — “I’m Sereen, what’s your name?”
G shook the warm palm. “It’s Gentry. And by new I mean I’m new to Ashtapada, not just the course. Literally arrived yesterday.”
“Really?” — S looked surprised — “Everything must be very confusing!”
“You have no idea,” G smiled. “I’m glad someone understands. Everyone’s friendly but acts as if giant mechanical dogs in the streets and a moss garden in the lobby are the most normal things ever.”
“Don’t worry, I was just like you when I first arrived, you’ll get the hang of it soon.”
“Hope so! Is that the lecturer?”
“Shhh...”
Just like everything else in Ashtapada, the lecture started out normal enough only to unfold into something completely alien to how things were normally done.
Apparently, the Communications course involved learning rationality, debating, logic, etiquette and god knew what else. It was supposed to give the future citizens tools to, well, communicate. G was given a booklet with some ground rules for beginners that included entries that sounded like something Sun Tzu would say if he studied debating instead of warcraft.
“The purpose of any argument is not to win it and not to change the other disputant’s mind. It’s to find the truth.”
“Always argue in good faith.”
“Don’t attack your opponent.”
“If attacked, dismiss the attack as if it didn’t happen.”
Well, hopefully, it only meant verbal attacks! G knew too well that when it came to physical violence, it was hard to ignore it.
Most of the rules looked straightforward enough, some were confusing.
“Seek challenge to your convictions. Avoid echo chambers.”
“Don’t seek being right.”
“Be mindful of your audience including yourself.”
“Avoid “Empty arguments” that don’t bring everyone closer to the goal of finding the truth.”
The lecturer, a willowy man of about sixty that drowned in his tweed jacket, started the class with a bit of small talk with the regulars after distributing the booklets to all first-timers. He made sure to give it to G face down so that his photo under the “About the author” title didn’t go unnoticed. He also made most of the “talk” part himself.
“I never took part in a debate,” G told Sereen, who was patiently waiting for the class to begin. “And never seen anything like these rules. Is it actually useful?”
“Oh, believe me, professor Poe will be ecstatic to talk to you about them. He can’t not start discussing his subject at the slightest provocation. Look.” — she raised her hand — “Professor, how was your weekend?”
The man wearily smiled. “That might seem like a meaningless question, Sereen, but it’s actually very much related to the topic we are going to cover today.”
“See?” — S raised her eyebrows with a suppressed smile. G giggled. This promised to be interesting.
“Our friend Sereen is a very polite person, isn’t she?” — Poe smiled at the class but his eyes glided over everyone’s faces, gaze turned inwards like he was reading an invisible text written on the walls. “But as kind as she is, I don’t think she’s actually interested in how my weekend went. Small talk is just a social custom we engage in to strengthen our social relations. Why don’t we just start a day by saying “Hi! I value our relationship and would like to fulfill my societal role!” to everyone we know? I would definitely prefer THAT over the small talk! He-he!”
The audience laughed politely. The guy seemed alright.
“However, just as we use different tools to fulfill this role in different contexts, so can the context of a logical problem steer our thinking towards a rational, that is, right, and an irrational, that is, wrong, answer.”
“Well, that’s not a given,” Gentry mumbled under her breath but it went unnoticed by S, who was already immersed in the lecture.
“Consider the famous René Descartes’s quote "Cogito, ergo sum". Who can translate it from Latin?” — the board behind the thin, almost transparent man glowed, displaying the words.
“Is it really a Beginner’s course?” G asked Sereen in a low voice but her companion was already raising her hand, together with a dozen other students.
“I think, therefore I am,” she said after a curt nod of the lecturer’s permission.
“Very good,” he continued, pleased. “I taught you well. Those of you who attend my lectures regularly are familiar with the notion of solipsism, which states that the only thing we can be sure about is our own thoughts.”
Gentry looked at S with raised eyebrows.
If this is an introductory course, what was the advanced like?
Sereen didn’t seem to perplexed. She was fully following the thread.
“However,” professor Poe said. “I am going to challenge that notion by demonstrating that we can’t trust our own mind when it comes to perceiving reality.”
He looked at the audience with a quizzical eye, and pointed at Gentry with a long bony finger “You, new girl. I want you to close your eyes.”
Why her?
Gentry was only happy to hide behind her eyelids. No doubt the whole room was now staring at her.
Through the blood rushing in her ears, she heard the old man’s voice, “Who was sitting beside you before you closed your eyes?”
“My new friend Sereen,” G answered and heard a little gasp of appreciation from the woman.
“So you know she existed as long as you two were whispering behind my back. However, now that you can’t see or hear her. How do you know she exists?”
“Well, I can reach with my hand and touch her,” Gentry said, demonstrating.
“Yes, this is what most people answer,” Poe said. “You can open your eyes now. But let me ask you this: how would you know it was her, an not some other person that took her place?”
Gentry’s intuition was right: everyone was staring, as if waiting for her answer.
“Well, I suppose— ”
“Hush, it was a rhetorical question,” the professor cut her off. “The correct answer is that you can’t know that. We think we can trust our senses or at least our thoughts, but this is also false. Everyone, look out of the window.”
Everyone did.
The day was as fine as Gentry was annoyed.
What did this pops think of himself?
“I’d ask what you see, but I already know the answer,” he went on. “All of you would say “the sky”. And all of you would be wrong, because sky doesn’t exist. We only see the endless emptiness of the outer space, but perceive it as a blue dome. It’s an illusion, a phantom, born out of our collective unconscious.”
Sereen whispered, lost in the lecture, “Ah, yes, Carl Jung.”
What?
Was it supposed to be obvious?
“But listen to this,” he continued, voice booming like a demiurge’s in the completely silent room. “Listen to this. How many words is it? Listentothis. Our common sense says it’s three words while in reality it’s just a string of sounds I an producing with my mouth. I am literally making you hallucinate the spaces between the words I’m saying. With knowing that our perception is so flawed, how can we know that we even know how to think?”
“I’m sorry, professor, I disagr...” G started but got struck down by his serrated gaze.
“I’ll invite questions at the end, young miss,” he chopped out.
Sereen’s eyes were sympathetic. It looked like most if not all of professor Poe’s students had learned not to interrupt him.
He went on, “Anyway, the fact that you even understand what I am saying is in itself incredible and shouldn’t be possible.”
“But it IS possible, right?” G whispered to Sereen. “I mean, aren’t we understanding this as he speaks?”
“PLEASE refrain from talking unless asked!” professor Poe roared.
Impressive lung capacity for such a frail human being!
G begrudgingly did as she was told. The guy seemed to be enjoying this power trip a bit too much to her taste.
“Now, since most of you,” he put some emphasis on the word to shut up another pair of whispering students. “Most of you think you comprehend my words, you must know that there is a way to tell that something is real, even though we can’t rely on our senses for perception. I’m giving you a minute to discuss with your partners what it might be.”
G considered it. She and Sereen exchanged equally confused glances.
Like a dutiful student, S started summarising Poe’s arguments but Gentry listened with only half an ear. She felt that behind all this over-thinking was a clear and simple answer.
She watched the professor walk along the aisles, tuning into one or another conversation before leaving each with a smug head shake of disapproval.
What was there to think about? Even if they didn’t see the world precisely as it was, something was definitely real, right? The chair she felt under her buttocks, the air around, the low murmur of the students. The annoying professor that… looked a little too translucent.
Gentry waited for the man to approach their desks and tune into Sereen’s musings. As he came so near they could reach out and touch him, Gentry did just that.
To her utter shock, her hand went through the old jacket and sent a wave of static over the professor’s figure, his whole form glitching and flickering.
Professor Poe was a hologram!
Unable to help herself, Gentry said, “No wonder you don’t think anything is real, Professor, you are hardly real yourself!”
The whole roomful of people stared, transfixed, at the surreal scene of a student’s arm disappearing into the teacher’s abdomen.
Gentry looked back at Sereen in search of support.
Was it laughter in her eyes?
Poe’s blood drained from his face, the mouth slacked open, twitching as if trying to form some words, but none came out.
Sereen chimed in, “You never told us you were a simulation, Professor.”
“Out!” Poe gritted lowly so that no one really heard him.
“I’m sorry?” G asked, innocently.
“Out of my class!” he exploded, jumping out of Gentry’s reach with an enraged grimace. “I am as real as you are!”
G stood up and looked at her hand then back at Professor Poe.
How much rage could storm in those watery eyes?
Then, she winked at her new friend.
“Let’s go then, shall we?” she said.
Sereen looked lost for a second, her eyes darting pack and forth between Gentry and Poe. Then, her gaze seemed to cloud a little, as if she retreated into her own head, but when she resurfaced, she nodded with a mischievous smile.
Both young women left the room, the classmates’ sympathetic silence and Poe’s angry seething seeing them off.
***
“What a way to start my first day,” Gentry said. “My hands are still trembling a bit.”
She and S were calming their nerves in the green winter garden, the soothing sound of the little running streamlet at their feet a welcome distraction.
“Believe it or not, his course is actually quite useful,” Sereen laughed. “Who would have thought the old Poe is actually not human? I guess we never thought of poking him in the stomach before. This is going to be the talk of the Academy for the next month or so!”
“Is it? I feel bad now. I guess I’m not getting any points for attending this lecture, right?” — Gentry checked her wristcomm — “It says “zero progress” and something else… ad.. Honi… adhonim…”
Sereen laughed, “Yeah, you adhominem’ed good old Poe, no wonder you got zero credit!”
“What does it mean?”
“You’ve seen the rules of learning and discourse, right?” S said. “There are no-nos, things that aren’t allowed, especially when it comes to Rationality classes and the like. Ad Hominem means an attack on the speaker, not their argument. It isn’t exactly what you did, but I guess it’s the closest thing!”
“Ad Hominem, huh,” G said. “Well, I guess I deserve it then. Thanks for standing by me.”
If it wasn’t for Sereen, G wasn’t sure she would be going to return to the Academy any time soon!
“You just chose a wrong course as your first class, G,” — no doubt about that! — “But another lecturer who works here is much more open-minded and he also teaches Rationality. I think you’ll enjoy him more than our old Poe. His next class is in a couple of days. Wanna come?”
***
DEAR GENTRY!
CONGRATULATIONS ON COMPLETING AN OPTIONAL ASSIGNMENT! 20 POINTS HAVE BEEN ADDED TO YOUR STATUS COUNTER.
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chapters 1&2
chapter 3
chapter 4
chapter 5
chapter 6
chapter 7
chapter 8
chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
The Academy looked normal enough from the distance but blew Gentry’s mind when she finally entered it. First of all, the way in lay through a massive winter garden full of the most luxurious botanical collection she’s ever seen. Not only that, but it seemed to be arranged in a way that offered spaces for hanging out as well as paths in and out. Here and there, G noticed little nooks with people’s voices coming from them and small murmuring streams gleamed in the sun that blazed through the transparent walls and roof. This place looked magical and invited to stay, enjoy the refreshing coolness and peace of mind. But Gentry had a good enough rest in her communal room the night before and was eager to start working on her first assignment that the System had spat out with a congratulating letter. Figuring out the controls of her new wristcomm was simple enough.
DEAR GENTRY!
WE ARE DELIGHTED TO INFORM YOU THAT YOU ARE THE FIRST CONTESTANT TO CLEAR ALL CHALLENGES AND OBTAIN THE STATUS OF AN ASHTAPADAN NEWCOMER! YOUR MEDICAL DATA HAS BEEN ANALYSED AND FOUND ACCEPTABLE.
IN THE ATTACHMENT TO THIS LETTER YOU WILL FIND A LIST OF RULES, RECOMMENDATIONS AND IDEAS THAT WILL DEFINITELY HELP YOU IN THE FIRST WEEKS IN OUR BEAUTIFUL CITY BUT WE STRONGLY RECOMMEND FINDING A BUDDY THAT WOULD BE YOUR MAIN GUIDE AND POTENTIALLY A NEW GREAT FRIEND! IT CAN BE ANY CITIZEN OR A MORE EXPERIENCED NEWCOMER.
YOUR CURRENT POINTS: 0
WHY NOT START EARNING SOME WITH YOUR FIRST ASSIGNMENT?
START ANY BEGINNER COURSE AT THE ACADEMY AND KEEP YOUR ATTENDANCE RATE OVER 80% — WORTH 50 POINTS
(OPTIONAL) FIND SOMEBODY WHO IS WILLING TO BECOME YOUR BUDDY — WORTH 20 POINTS
Without stopping to check if the vending machines offered anything good, G made her way through the dreamy garden and entered the inner yard that looked just like everything here: nothing too eye-catching at first glance but secrets hidden everywhere.
One thing she had already noticed was that most of the people had another piece of technology on their bodies besides the comm on their wrists: a sort of extendable visor that some of them kept engaged at all times. Those who were focused on the screen had a comical look on their faces, a thousand-mile stare, eyes wide even as they were talking to each other or going about their business. It was unclear yet why they would engage the screen for so long though. No one needed this much time to read a notification or check a map.
Take a group of young students by the fountain, for example. They seemed deep in conversation with each other yet their pupils didn’t focus on the person in front, but on the translucent screen over the top part of their faces. Was it some kind of virtual reality helmet?
If so, G needed one, too.
Perhaps she’d be able to make new friends this way.
There was something else that caught Gentry’s eye. Despite her initial disappointment about the severe lack of male hotness in the streets, people of both sexes seemed to really care about their appearance. Even those who probably weren’t naturally stunning were very interesting to look at not least because of the crazy fashion sense everyone here had. Never before had G seen so much variety in what everyone wore: countless variations on different national garments, some looking very traditional, like something one could see in a theatre, some — futuristic uniforms straight out of a sci-fi movie. It didn’t seem like anyone was concerned with gender norms here, too. At least in when it came to the outfits.
G hoped she didn’t look like a creepy stalker when her gaze lingered on a pair of very nicely shaped legs stretching from underneath a plaid skirt that belonged to a young man in the group sat by the edge of the water. A pair of snow-white knee-highs, flat loafers and neat raven hair with some blue streaks completed the image. His clothes fit him very well and weren’t inappropriate in the least: something an old money university student would wear.
A female student that is.
And he wasn’t alone. Here and there, among more conventionally dressed people, there were people wearing all sorts of things: a crazy mix of goth-like apparel but barefoot, men and women with heads covered with scarves, people in strange jewelery that looked like it weighed a ton and so on. Most importantly, no one seemed to care what the others looked like.
Was it paradise? Looks like the demo didn’t lie: it was heaven on earth.
The young man in the middle of the student gaggle caught her staring after all. With a dazzling smile, he waved in her direction as if they were great friends, and G waved back, face heating, hoping there wasn’t anyone behind her this tease was actually waving at. Thank god his shoes weren’t heeled, otherwise she would definitely have a heart attack right here, in the middle of the common area, on her first day.
Did he notice her ogling his legs? Judging by the giggles of his friend's entourage, they all did. The young flirt covered his mouth, eyes wide in mock indignation and pulled his knees in, as if hiding them from the improper attention, getting even more laughter from the rest of the company. G averted her eyes and tried to calm her breathing as she was on her way through the yard again, but before they all disappeared from her field of view, she noticed the coquette stretch his legs again and fall back on a friend of his, embracing the lucky man’s neck in an affectionate gesture, already forgetting G existed.
There was no way she wasn’t going to make some pretty boy do the same for her. Forget the assignment, put that in the list of her top priorities!
At first, Gentry was lost when she failed to find any kind of class schedule and there was no one to ask at the reception desk.
Why have a reception desk if nobody’s on duty?
Soon, however, it occurred to her that there was no schedule: each room within the wide marble corridors had a small display with a handwritten message scribbled on it.
Bachata for beginners
Product engineering (Tuesday class cancelled)
Colloidal chemistry (revision today)
None of these were the Communications course that Jey was talking about, but the variety definitely made G’s eyebrows go up.
Was she just supposed to barge into any class and sign up? Did she have to sign up later if she liked the subject? Was it ok to choose any?
After some wandering around, too scared to just walk in uninvited or ask others for directions, she finally stumbled across the door saying:
Communication & decision making course (Newcomers welcome)
With the desks arranged in a horseshoe and the people of various ages that were also apparently Newcomers, it all seemed comfortably casual. Everyone was chatting as she walked in, paying G no mind so she busied herself with the wristcomm that dinged at exactly the right time to save her the embarrassment of looking for a desk.
Would you like to enroll in this course? Scroll down to read the description.
Was this damn thing a spying device? Did it just know which room she was in? Jey didn’t joke when she said the little thing was going to be her primary aid!
“Are you looking for somewhere to sit?” called a young red-haired woman at one of the paired desks. “Here, this one is free.” She had the auglasses on, like everyone else, but they were off, showing her lively face and a pair of sharp green eyes.
“Thanks,” G said, gratefully taking the offer. “I’m new here, don’t know how things work yet.”
“It’s alright, the course is very engaging, you’ll love it.” — the woman held out a hand — “I’m Sereen, what’s your name?”
G shook the warm palm. “It’s Gentry. And by new I mean I’m new to Ashtapada, not just the course. Literally arrived yesterday.”
“Really?” — S looked surprised — “Everything must be very confusing!”
“You have no idea,” G smiled. “I’m glad someone understands. Everyone’s friendly but acts as if giant mechanical dogs in the streets and a moss garden in the lobby are the most normal things ever.”
“Don’t worry, I was just like you when I first arrived, you’ll get the hang of it soon.”
“Hope so! Is that the lecturer?”
“Shhh...”
Just like everything else in Ashtapada, the lecture started out normal enough only to unfold into something completely alien to how things were normally done.
Apparently, the Communications course involved learning rationality, debating, logic, etiquette and god knew what else. It was supposed to give the future citizens tools to, well, communicate. G was given a booklet with some ground rules for beginners that included entries that sounded like something Sun Tzu would say if he studied debating instead of warcraft.
“The purpose of any argument is not to win it and not to change the other disputant’s mind. It’s to find the truth.”
“Always argue in good faith.”
“Don’t attack your opponent.”
“If attacked, dismiss the attack as if it didn’t happen.”
Well, hopefully, it only meant verbal attacks! G knew too well that when it came to physical violence, it was hard to ignore it.
Most of the rules looked straightforward enough, some were confusing.
“Seek challenge to your convictions. Avoid echo chambers.”
“Don’t seek being right.”
“Be mindful of your audience including yourself.”
“Avoid “Empty arguments” that don’t bring everyone closer to the goal of finding the truth.”
The lecturer, a willowy man of about sixty that drowned in his tweed jacket, started the class with a bit of small talk with the regulars after distributing the booklets to all first-timers. He made sure to give it to G face down so that his photo under the “About the author” title didn’t go unnoticed. He also made most of the “talk” part himself.
“I never took part in a debate,” G told Sereen, who was patiently waiting for the class to begin. “And never seen anything like these rules. Is it actually useful?”
“Oh, believe me, professor Poe will be ecstatic to talk to you about them. He can’t not start discussing his subject at the slightest provocation. Look.” — she raised her hand — “Professor, how was your weekend?”
The man wearily smiled. “That might seem like a meaningless question, Sereen, but it’s actually very much related to the topic we are going to cover today.”
“See?” — S raised her eyebrows with a suppressed smile. G giggled. This promised to be interesting.
“Our friend Sereen is a very polite person, isn’t she?” — Poe smiled at the class but his eyes glided over everyone’s faces, gaze turned inwards like he was reading an invisible text written on the walls. “But as kind as she is, I don’t think she’s actually interested in how my weekend went. Small talk is just a social custom we engage in to strengthen our social relations. Why don’t we just start a day by saying “Hi! I value our relationship and would like to fulfill my societal role!” to everyone we know? I would definitely prefer THAT over the small talk! He-he!”
The audience laughed politely. The guy seemed alright.
“However, just as we use different tools to fulfill this role in different contexts, so can the context of a logical problem steer our thinking towards a rational, that is, right, and an irrational, that is, wrong, answer.”
“Well, that’s not a given,” Gentry mumbled under her breath but it went unnoticed by S, who was already immersed in the lecture.
“Consider the famous René Descartes’s quote "Cogito, ergo sum". Who can translate it from Latin?” — the board behind the thin, almost transparent man glowed, displaying the words.
“Is it really a Beginner’s course?” G asked Sereen in a low voice but her companion was already raising her hand, together with a dozen other students.
“I think, therefore I am,” she said after a curt nod of the lecturer’s permission.
“Very good,” he continued, pleased. “I taught you well. Those of you who attend my lectures regularly are familiar with the notion of solipsism, which states that the only thing we can be sure about is our own thoughts.”
Gentry looked at S with raised eyebrows.
If this is an introductory course, what was the advanced like?
Sereen didn’t seem to perplexed. She was fully following the thread.
“However,” professor Poe said. “I am going to challenge that notion by demonstrating that we can’t trust our own mind when it comes to perceiving reality.”
He looked at the audience with a quizzical eye, and pointed at Gentry with a long bony finger “You, new girl. I want you to close your eyes.”
Why her?
Gentry was only happy to hide behind her eyelids. No doubt the whole room was now staring at her.
Through the blood rushing in her ears, she heard the old man’s voice, “Who was sitting beside you before you closed your eyes?”
“My new friend Sereen,” G answered and heard a little gasp of appreciation from the woman.
“So you know she existed as long as you two were whispering behind my back. However, now that you can’t see or hear her. How do you know she exists?”
“Well, I can reach with my hand and touch her,” Gentry said, demonstrating.
“Yes, this is what most people answer,” Poe said. “You can open your eyes now. But let me ask you this: how would you know it was her, an not some other person that took her place?”
Gentry’s intuition was right: everyone was staring, as if waiting for her answer.
“Well, I suppose— ”
“Hush, it was a rhetorical question,” the professor cut her off. “The correct answer is that you can’t know that. We think we can trust our senses or at least our thoughts, but this is also false. Everyone, look out of the window.”
Everyone did.
The day was as fine as Gentry was annoyed.
What did this pops think of himself?
“I’d ask what you see, but I already know the answer,” he went on. “All of you would say “the sky”. And all of you would be wrong, because sky doesn’t exist. We only see the endless emptiness of the outer space, but perceive it as a blue dome. It’s an illusion, a phantom, born out of our collective unconscious.”
Sereen whispered, lost in the lecture, “Ah, yes, Carl Jung.”
What?
Was it supposed to be obvious?
“But listen to this,” he continued, voice booming like a demiurge’s in the completely silent room. “Listen to this. How many words is it? Listentothis. Our common sense says it’s three words while in reality it’s just a string of sounds I an producing with my mouth. I am literally making you hallucinate the spaces between the words I’m saying. With knowing that our perception is so flawed, how can we know that we even know how to think?”
“I’m sorry, professor, I disagr...” G started but got struck down by his serrated gaze.
“I’ll invite questions at the end, young miss,” he chopped out.
Sereen’s eyes were sympathetic. It looked like most if not all of professor Poe’s students had learned not to interrupt him.
He went on, “Anyway, the fact that you even understand what I am saying is in itself incredible and shouldn’t be possible.”
“But it IS possible, right?” G whispered to Sereen. “I mean, aren’t we understanding this as he speaks?”
“PLEASE refrain from talking unless asked!” professor Poe roared.
Impressive lung capacity for such a frail human being!
G begrudgingly did as she was told. The guy seemed to be enjoying this power trip a bit too much to her taste.
“Now, since most of you,” he put some emphasis on the word to shut up another pair of whispering students. “Most of you think you comprehend my words, you must know that there is a way to tell that something is real, even though we can’t rely on our senses for perception. I’m giving you a minute to discuss with your partners what it might be.”
G considered it. She and Sereen exchanged equally confused glances.
Like a dutiful student, S started summarising Poe’s arguments but Gentry listened with only half an ear. She felt that behind all this over-thinking was a clear and simple answer.
She watched the professor walk along the aisles, tuning into one or another conversation before leaving each with a smug head shake of disapproval.
What was there to think about? Even if they didn’t see the world precisely as it was, something was definitely real, right? The chair she felt under her buttocks, the air around, the low murmur of the students. The annoying professor that… looked a little too translucent.
Gentry waited for the man to approach their desks and tune into Sereen’s musings. As he came so near they could reach out and touch him, Gentry did just that.
To her utter shock, her hand went through the old jacket and sent a wave of static over the professor’s figure, his whole form glitching and flickering.
Professor Poe was a hologram!
Unable to help herself, Gentry said, “No wonder you don’t think anything is real, Professor, you are hardly real yourself!”
The whole roomful of people stared, transfixed, at the surreal scene of a student’s arm disappearing into the teacher’s abdomen.
Gentry looked back at Sereen in search of support.
Was it laughter in her eyes?
Poe’s blood drained from his face, the mouth slacked open, twitching as if trying to form some words, but none came out.
Sereen chimed in, “You never told us you were a simulation, Professor.”
“Out!” Poe gritted lowly so that no one really heard him.
“I’m sorry?” G asked, innocently.
“Out of my class!” he exploded, jumping out of Gentry’s reach with an enraged grimace. “I am as real as you are!”
G stood up and looked at her hand then back at Professor Poe.
How much rage could storm in those watery eyes?
Then, she winked at her new friend.
“Let’s go then, shall we?” she said.
Sereen looked lost for a second, her eyes darting pack and forth between Gentry and Poe. Then, her gaze seemed to cloud a little, as if she retreated into her own head, but when she resurfaced, she nodded with a mischievous smile.
Both young women left the room, the classmates’ sympathetic silence and Poe’s angry seething seeing them off.
***
“What a way to start my first day,” Gentry said. “My hands are still trembling a bit.”
She and S were calming their nerves in the green winter garden, the soothing sound of the little running streamlet at their feet a welcome distraction.
“Believe it or not, his course is actually quite useful,” Sereen laughed. “Who would have thought the old Poe is actually not human? I guess we never thought of poking him in the stomach before. This is going to be the talk of the Academy for the next month or so!”
“Is it? I feel bad now. I guess I’m not getting any points for attending this lecture, right?” — Gentry checked her wristcomm — “It says “zero progress” and something else… ad.. Honi… adhonim…”
Sereen laughed, “Yeah, you adhominem’ed good old Poe, no wonder you got zero credit!”
“What does it mean?”
“You’ve seen the rules of learning and discourse, right?” S said. “There are no-nos, things that aren’t allowed, especially when it comes to Rationality classes and the like. Ad Hominem means an attack on the speaker, not their argument. It isn’t exactly what you did, but I guess it’s the closest thing!”
“Ad Hominem, huh,” G said. “Well, I guess I deserve it then. Thanks for standing by me.”
If it wasn’t for Sereen, G wasn’t sure she would be going to return to the Academy any time soon!
“You just chose a wrong course as your first class, G,” — no doubt about that! — “But another lecturer who works here is much more open-minded and he also teaches Rationality. I think you’ll enjoy him more than our old Poe. His next class is in a couple of days. Wanna come?”
***
DEAR GENTRY!
CONGRATULATIONS ON COMPLETING AN OPTIONAL ASSIGNMENT! 20 POINTS HAVE BEEN ADDED TO YOUR STATUS COUNTER.
2024.05.14 22:30 Super_Sprinkles7863 Debt collection scam?
Is this legit? I wanted to respond and I know I owe some debt but this seemed sketchy but I also don’t want this to turn out badly. Anyone else get this email?
debt.recovery.cas@gmail.com
MERLYN DEBT RECOVERY LAW SERVICES
Urgent Attention: Overdue Payment for Lawsuit: 457821/CA159/741932
Legal Charges: Section 19(A), Clause 21(US). Case Format: Fair Debt Collection Act 811 (FC/SC)
Due Amount: $988.67 ($320 Monthly, $160 Bi-Weekly,$100 Weekly) One Time: $540.00 Today Only
Hereby, we inform you that your arrest warrant is released from here, and you will receive it with court summons very soon. Now you are obliged to come as a defendant to the District Court of Appeals on May 17th, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. for the hearing of your case of defaulting on a loan, CASE #MMD-73291.
The last date to file a lawsuit is May 17th 2024.
Cost of the lawsuit: $4590.00 Legal Charges: Section 19(A), Clause 21(US). Case Format: Fair Debt Collection (FC/SC)
This is to notify you and requires your immediate attention.
We have received this case file from the Major Credit Bureau regarding payday loans. There is a pending loan amount showing in your name and SSN. The initial loan amount for which you took it goes up to $988.67 (due to late fine fees and the rate of interest).
If necessary, you have the right to obtain a lawyer for your protection. You are kindly asked to have an identity document with you. Personal appearance is compulsory. Please bring all documents and witnesses relating to this case with you to court on your hearing date.
Note: If you do not attend the hearing, the judge may hear the case in your absence.
If you want to resolve this matter without a lawsuit and further damaging your credit rating, you must reply now and send the payment within 3 days of the date of this letter; either pay the case closing amount of $540.00 at once either today or Friday, or email us and work out arrangements for payment with it ($988.67).
Thanks and Regards Debt Settlement Division.
submitted by Super_Sprinkles7863 to personalfinance [link] [comments]
debt.recovery.cas@gmail.com
MERLYN DEBT RECOVERY LAW SERVICES
Urgent Attention: Overdue Payment for Lawsuit: 457821/CA159/741932
Legal Charges: Section 19(A), Clause 21(US). Case Format: Fair Debt Collection Act 811 (FC/SC)
Due Amount: $988.67 ($320 Monthly, $160 Bi-Weekly,$100 Weekly) One Time: $540.00 Today Only
Hereby, we inform you that your arrest warrant is released from here, and you will receive it with court summons very soon. Now you are obliged to come as a defendant to the District Court of Appeals on May 17th, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. for the hearing of your case of defaulting on a loan, CASE #MMD-73291.
The last date to file a lawsuit is May 17th 2024.
Cost of the lawsuit: $4590.00 Legal Charges: Section 19(A), Clause 21(US). Case Format: Fair Debt Collection (FC/SC)
This is to notify you and requires your immediate attention.
We have received this case file from the Major Credit Bureau regarding payday loans. There is a pending loan amount showing in your name and SSN. The initial loan amount for which you took it goes up to $988.67 (due to late fine fees and the rate of interest).
If necessary, you have the right to obtain a lawyer for your protection. You are kindly asked to have an identity document with you. Personal appearance is compulsory. Please bring all documents and witnesses relating to this case with you to court on your hearing date.
Note: If you do not attend the hearing, the judge may hear the case in your absence.
If you want to resolve this matter without a lawsuit and further damaging your credit rating, you must reply now and send the payment within 3 days of the date of this letter; either pay the case closing amount of $540.00 at once either today or Friday, or email us and work out arrangements for payment with it ($988.67).
Thanks and Regards Debt Settlement Division.
2024.05.14 22:21 HaykakanTxa Daily News Report: 05/14/2024
Date: 05/14/2024
Reading time: 10 minutes, 2146 words🪖 Military
Armenian army holding strategic command, staff drills
Live firing will be carried out using automatic control systems and modern equipment.PanArmenian
Armenian Armed Forces conduct strategic exercises
The exercises aim to test the practical implementation of plans for the deployment and use of the Armed Forces of Armenia. They also aim to study the possibilities of various uses of forces and means of reinforcement.Armenpress
UN Committee against Torture points out killings, torture against Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians committed by Azerbaijan
The UN Committee against Torture pointed out extra-judicial killings and ill-treatment of ethnic Armenians committed by Azerbaijan during an armed conflict and “anti-terrorism operations” in Nagorno-Karabakh in its report published on 10 May. The Committee also expressed concerns over the continued detention of 23 people for alleged terrorism and related offences.ArkaAm
Arkady Ghukasyan's detention period has been extended by another 5 months
Arkady Ghukasyan was arrested in September 2023, after a one-day war against Artsakh. The Azerbaijani authorities accuse him of financing terrorism, financing terrorism. 22 more Armenian servicemen and civilians are in Azerbaijan.CivilNet, Court in Azerbaijan extends former Karabakh leader’s arrest by 5 months
🏛️ Politics & Government
More than 9,900 forcibly displaced people from Artsakh have left Armenia
As of May 1, 16,585 forcibly displaced persons left Armenia by air and land, and 6 returned. PM Nikol Pashinyan denied this number, adding that as in the case of RA citizens, Artsakh residents are also leaving.CivilNet
Dozens detained as antigovernment protest continue in Armenia
At least 63 people demanding Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s resignation were detained on May 14 as they blocked streets in Yerevan.PanArmenian
Some Russian border guards to stay in Armenia — Bortnikov
Russia will continue to deploy some of its border guards in Armenia, says Alexander Bortnikov. Russian border guards will protect Armenia's border with Turkey and Iran, he said. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan agreed to end the presence of Russian guards in some regions of Armenia.Armenpress, Russian border guards to continue service on Armenia’s borders with Turkey and Iran
Border issues should be resolved so that they do not become a casus belli for Azerbaijan to attack Armenia - Swiss MP
Stefan Müller-Altermatt: Armenia-Azerbaijani border issues must be resolved at some point. The terrible legacy of Stalin must be overcome, he says, because otherwise they are always a possible casus belli that Azerbaijan can use to attack Armenia. The meeting of Armenia-EU-US in Brussels on April 5 was of enormous importance.Armenpress
Disobedience actions resumed in the center of Yerevan from early morning, 38 participants were detained
Activists of the "Tavush for the Motherland movement and their supporting citizens block the streets and intersections as part of the awareness campaign. The opposition movement opposes the policy of the authorities regarding border demarcation with Azerbaijan.ArkaAm
Armenian PM, Danish Parliament Speaker discuss cooperation across various fields
The parties discussed issues pertaining to cooperation between the parliaments of Armenia and Denmark, as well as cooperation across various fields. The parties expressed hope that the visit of the Prime Minister of Armenia to Denmark will give a new impetus to the development of multi-sectoral relations between the two countries.Armenpress, Nikol Pashinyan stresses the importance of continuing democratic reforms to eliminate corruption in Armenia, Armenian premier hopes for steadfastness in border delimitation process between Armenia, Azerbaijan, The Prime Minister expressed his wish for Armenia's EU Membership in 2024, Armenia has made enormous progress in strengthening democratic institutions - Pashinyan, Pashinyan, Rasmussen discuss regional security, Armenian PM invites Danish counterpart to pay official visit to Yerevan, Pashinyan discussed RA-EU cooperation with the Prime Minister of Denmark, Democracy a strategy for Armenia։ PM Pashinyan participates in Copenhagen Democracy Summit, Pashinyan, Rasmussen discuss Armenia’s “Crossroads of Peace” project, Danish Prime Minister accepts invitation to visit Armenia
We look forward to the EU's decision to include Armenia in the European Peace Fund - Pashinyan
Prime Minister Pashinyan says Yerevan is now looking forward to EU's decision to include Armenia in the European Peace Fund. He also expressed hope that negotiations with the EU on visa liberalization will begin. Armenia is now developing defense cooperation with India, France and other countries.Armenpress, The Prime Minister expressed his wish for Armenia's EU Membership in 2024, Pashinyan makes wish: to see Armenia joining EU
The war in our region was a preface to further developments - Nikol Pashinyan
Nikol Pashinyan says the war in the South Caucasus was a preface to further developments, and world order is collapsing now, PM says. The Prime Minister emphasized that democracy did not emerge in Armenia simply due to circumstances. He said the security situation was complicated and is even more complicated now.Armenpress
A meeting is scheduled between Alen Simonyan and Sahiba Gafarova in Geneva
A delegation led by the Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia, Alen Simonyan, will be in Geneva on a working visit from May 15th to 18th. A meeting between the President of the Milli Mejlis of Azerbaijan Sahiba Gafarova is planned as part of the visit on May 16.Armenpress, Alen Simonyan will meet with the head of the Parliament of Azerbaijan on May 16, President of Armenia’s National Assembly to meet Azerbaijani counterpart in Geneva, The meeting between the Speaker of the RA National Assembly and the Speaker of the Milli Mejlis of Azerbaijan will take place in Geneva, Armenian, Azerbaijani Parliament Speakers to meet in Geneva
OSCE Chair-in-Office considers border demarcation agreement between Yerevan and Baku a “step in the right direction"
Ian Borg, OSCE Chair-in-Office, Minister for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade of Malta, met Azerbaijan’s president Ilham Aliyev in Baku. The recent agreement on border demarcation between Armenia and Azerbaijan is a “step in the right direction”Armenpress, We are ready to support Armenia and Azerbaijan in achieving peace. OSCE Chairman-in-Office
Belgium welcomes negotiations between Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Almaty
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belgium welcomed the recent negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan in Almaty, Kazakhstan. The negotiations took place between Foreign Minister of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan and his Azerbaijani counterpart Jeyhun Bayramov.Armenpress, Belgium welcomes new round of Armenian-Azerbaijani talks in Almaty
US continues to believe that peace in Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict is possible - Vedant Patel
The parties agreed to continue negotiations on the establishment of peace and interstate relations. The ministers met both in a trilateral format with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan.Armenpress, State Department says it believes in achieving peace in Nagorno-Karabakh region, U.S. still believes “peace is possible” between Armenia, Azerbaijan
Armenia is waiting for the decision to join the European Peace Foundation. Pashinyan
Pashinyan: We are waiting for the decision to include Armenia in the European Peace Fund. The fund was established in 2021 to promote world peace, prevent conflicts and supply non-lethal weapons to countries in need. In mid-April, the media wrote that a preliminary agreement was reached in Brussels to provide 10 million euros to Armenia from this fund, but Hungary blocked the decision.CivilNet
EBRD provides Armenia with 12 million euros for construction of customs and logistics center in Syunik
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is lending €10 million to Armenia to finance the construction of a customs and logistics centre in the Syunik region. The project is part of the EBRD’s Refugee Crisis Response and includes an integration programme for refugees.ArkaAm, EBRD, EU partner with Acba bank for Armenian firms, EBRD funds customs and logistics centre in Syunik, Armenia
Armenia's membership in CSTO is an issue for further discussion
Armenia's continued membership in the CSTO is an issue for further discussion, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said. He noted that Armenia is formally a member of the organization, but its participation in the organization is frozen. Armenia recorded that the “red line” was passed during the Azerbaijani invasion in May 2021.ArkaAm
The United States is bringing Ukraine closer to NATO - Blinken
The United States is bringing Ukraine closer to NATO and will later introduce it to the Alliance. US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken announced this in Kyiv. According to him, Western allies should take another important step – force Russia to pay for the restoration and reconstruction of Ukraine.Armenpress, Blinken arrives in Kyiv to reassure Ukraine of US support
Independent audit finds more irregularities in Armenian ruling party’s finances
Independent audit into the financial reporting practices of Armenia's ruling political party finds more irregularities. CivilNet and Infocom, another local news site, raised concerns over how it sources campaign donations. The audit found Civil Contract accepted a number of donations that were made anonymously or were above the maximum campaign contribution amount allowed for individuals.CivilNet
It is time to dissolve the Minsk Group. Aliev
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said it is time to dissolve the OSCE Minsk Group and its related institutions. He said there is no reason for the Armenian side not to agree to it.CivilNet
Georgia passes controversial ‘foreign agents’ bill despite widespread opposition
Georgia's parliament passes controversial 'foreign agents' bill. Lawmakers vote 84-30 in favor of the bill, which will require organizations to register as "agents of foreign influence" President Salome Zourabichvili has vowed to veto it.ArmRadio
Family of Ilham Aliyev’s security chief owns vast property in UK
As head of security for Azerbaijan’s president, Eyyubov is closely trusted by one of the world’s most authoritarian leaders.PanArmenian
💵 Economy
EDB noted the key factors of deflation in Armenia
Consumer prices in Armenia decreased by 0.7% year-on-year in April, after decreasing by 1.2% last month. The deflation is concentrated in the food segment, in April food prices decreased by 4.5%. In the 2024 state budget, inflation was fixed at 4% (±1.5%)ArkaAm
Grigori Zakaryan: “Capital markets have crucial importance for economic development.”
A panel discussion titled: ‘Capital Markets, Challenges and Development Prospects’ will be held as part of EBRD’s annual meeting. The capital market in Armenia is a newly emerging and developing institution with unique opportunities and challenges for development. Capital markets are influenced not only by the course of large economies central banks’ monetary policies but also by important geopolitical events.ArkaAm
⚽ Sport
"The Armenian Prime Minister's Cup" to be held for the third time
The third edition of "The Armenian Prime Minister's Cup" team steeplechase tournament for schoolchildren will take place on May 17-18. The event will be hosted in the vicinity of Dilijan's Parz Lake. A total of 11 teams, each comprising 7 students (5 boys and 2 girls), will compete in the tournament.Armenpress
Donations to Armenia:
HimnadramServicemenFund
Armenian Wounded Heroes
ArmeniaFund
2024.05.14 22:05 devwolf121 Digital Nomads for Americans: How did you obtain a Medical Certificate?
Hello fellow nomads,
I've been digging through the forum trying to find guidance on obtaining a medical certificate for my visa application, but not sure why I am so confused on something so basic. The requirement specifies a "Health insurance medical certificate" from a recognized health institution in my country of residence to prove I don’t carry any contagious diseases. Here’s the specific text:
“You must get a medical health certificate from a recognized health institution in your country of residence and present it to the relevant [country] authorities. This document will prove that you do not suffer from any contagious diseases that may be of risk to the [country] population.”
Despite what seems like a straightforward task, I'm hitting a wall. I contacted my primary care doctor, and they told me they don't issue such certificates. I even reached out to my insurance company, who called over 20 different providers, none of whom could help.
Is there a specific way I should be framing my request to these healthcare providers? What exactly qualifies as a recognized health institution in this context?
Additionally, I found this sample letter: [Medical Certificate Sample](). Can anyone confirm if the format here is generally acceptable, or should I be looking for something different?
Any guidance, especially from those who have navigated this process, would be immensely helpful. Thank you!
submitted by devwolf121 to digitalnomad [link] [comments]
I've been digging through the forum trying to find guidance on obtaining a medical certificate for my visa application, but not sure why I am so confused on something so basic. The requirement specifies a "Health insurance medical certificate" from a recognized health institution in my country of residence to prove I don’t carry any contagious diseases. Here’s the specific text:
“You must get a medical health certificate from a recognized health institution in your country of residence and present it to the relevant [country] authorities. This document will prove that you do not suffer from any contagious diseases that may be of risk to the [country] population.”
Despite what seems like a straightforward task, I'm hitting a wall. I contacted my primary care doctor, and they told me they don't issue such certificates. I even reached out to my insurance company, who called over 20 different providers, none of whom could help.
Is there a specific way I should be framing my request to these healthcare providers? What exactly qualifies as a recognized health institution in this context?
Additionally, I found this sample letter: [Medical Certificate Sample](). Can anyone confirm if the format here is generally acceptable, or should I be looking for something different?
Any guidance, especially from those who have navigated this process, would be immensely helpful. Thank you!
2024.05.14 21:58 Euphoric-Earth-4765 An inside look at the culture and ideology of Faith Comes By Hearing PART 1
If you are thinking about working at or if you are thinking about donating to Faith Comes By Hearing/Hosanna [https://www.faithcomesbyhearing.com](https://www.faithcomesbyhearing.com/) you should consider the following. Having worked at Faith Comes By Hearing myself for decades, you should be aware of their culture and ideology. (Arranged from most important to least.)
\*Treatment of the Bible:
Grammatical, historical and cultural context as well as literary genre are all ignored by top management. So, Scripture is often misquoted and misused:
Ignoring basic, common sense guidelines, rules for interpreting the Bible results in misinterpreting, misunderstanding, and misapplying the Bible. Management ignores the fact that observation (what the text says) must always come before interpretation (what the text means); and interpretation always comes before application (how the text applies to me). They do not consider the Bible text objectively first: They treat the text subjectively or relatively or assume what the passage text means. And they ignore the fact that a text cannot mean today what it never could have meant to the original authors and original readers. Exegesis is often contrasted with “eisegesis”; the Greek preposition εἰς means “into,” and hence eisegesis means reading your own meaning into the text. Bible study is not reading your personal theology into some biblical passage. Bible study is letting the text talk to us; we are the listeners, not the talkers. Many Christians just want to know what the Bible “means to me.” If you stop to think about it, this just is not possible. We must do the hard work of learning the author’s original meaning first, and without that we can’t ever know “what it means to me.” A text cannot mean what it never meant.
\*Feelings and experiences rule:
There is a focus by top management on personal experiences and feelings instead of a studied period of reflection: Emotional, simple, popular teaching instead of intellectually careful and doctrinally precise teaching. Bible studies go straight to the question, “What does this passage mean to me?” while bypassing the prior question, “What does the passage say and why do I think my interpretation is correct?” Management promotes and allows employees to get away with applying an understanding of a passage that is based on vague feelings or first impressions and not on the hard work of reading the context, verifying with commentaries and using study tools such as concordances, Bible dictionaries, and the like because a careful exercise of reason is not important in understanding what the Bible actually says for management. Besides, it takes work! For management, Christianity is identified with subjective feelings, sincere motives, personal piety, and blind faith. Management tests the truth not by a careful application of our God-given faculties of thought, or even by biblical mandates (for example, 2 Corinthians 10:5), but rather by private subjective experiences. For the most part, theoretical reason is just not part of the culture at FCBH. In fact, top management will often spiritualizing normal, everyday things like advice, facts, common knowledge:
Example during a meeting, the CEO said he saw a full moon, then clouds formed & covered the moon, then clouds dissipated. He then said he felt God say: "I can turn nothing into something; something into nothing; turn this ministry into something & if it goes thick & blocks Jesus; it has to diminish.”
So, personal, subjective experiences that top management shares equals truth that employees must agree with or at least accept as true.
Also, time is money, but management uses their mandatory meetings to discuss controversial or complex topics (e.g., fasting, communion, tithing, personal stewardship of money, helping the homeless, how to create more interaction with remote workers, how to retain employees, how to hire more Gen Z employees, past trauma), most of which are unrelated to the actual work. Then they ask employees (most of which have no authority to get things changed/done) what their opinion is about the controversial or complex topic, instead of consulting with professionals or experts.
So, top management will read a bible verse (not a paragraph, not a chapter, a verse; usually out of context) using a version of the Bible that is almost a paraphrase. Then share something personal that happened to them, something they did or saw or experienced or a personal conviction that is not related to the verse. Then explain how they felt about it, how they interpreted it. Then they will ask employees (especially internationals) to share similar experiences. And, then if no one shares or comments or speaks, management makes employees feel guilty: Along the lines of “So, God is not working in your life?”
Example: “I felt God give me this verse about gossip. Let me share with you some personal stories about gossip…. This is how I see it. Now, in the last 5 min of our time, I want people to share. I especially want input from internationals. Does anyone have anything to say about this? No, one? Is God not speaking to you? How can God not be moving and speaking? This is unreal….”
Top management will often use a reader response or subjective biblical interpretation: “This is what I think this verse means. What do you think this verse means? What stood out to you? What did you learn? What is God asking you to apply?” This is a very self-centered way to interpret Scripture. The focus is all about you. What you think. What you feel. But, “The Bible is not about you.” - Timothy Keller. And this leads to people looking at the same verse and coming up with completely different interpretations. Everybody seems to have an opinion on what the Bible says/teaches.
So, instead of discovering what the original author said to the original readers. They will take Biblical concepts (e.g., called to ministry; felt led by the Spirit; God spoke to me; felt peace) and then add new meanings to them which the original author did not intend. This is dangerous since it leaves employees with doubt, disillusionment, disappointment, discouragement, and false hope and can leave them with unmet, unrealistic, and false expectations. Top management will also take subjective, unclear biblical principles or non-essentials, or personal convictions and make them scriptural authority and then judge other Christians who do not agree. They will treat the Proverbs as promises. They will also not make an effort to distinguish between Biblical principles and practices which are relative, time bound, culturally subjective, Biblically illustrated (not commanded). They will often make hasty generalizations. They will beg the question. They will commit special pleading, dictionary simpliciter, reductive, faulty analogy and many other fallacies. They will also allegorize promises in Scripture and spiritualize all principles. They assume that all historical narratives have individual identifiable moral application. God’s word should be taught clearly, not in a distorted manner. Top management will proof text and use religious words to promote their agenda.
And top management will encourage others to have this view/philosophy of Bible interpretation. Many incorrectly interpret the Bible and do not even realize it.
I pray to God that this bad method of interpretation is not being taught to internationals, to people who have never had bibles, who do not have biblical discernment, who don't know any better.
\*Inductive Bible study and internationals:
Hermeneutics has been defined as the science and art of biblical interpretation. Hermeneutics helps us understand the Bible. It is a science because there are specific rules the interpreter must follow. It is an art because it takes years of practice to develop the ability to employ those rules properly. There is a difference between a novice and a seasoned interpreter. Hermeneutics has two basic steps, finding what the text meant to its original audience, and then seeing how it applies to our current situation. Unfortunately, many people (Americans included), impose their own personal experiences, theology, and modern culture on to the Biblical text.
Fortunately, God has allowed us (especially Americans) to have Bible dictionaries, commentaries, handbooks, atlases, etc., to help us with correct hermeneutics, to understand the essential historical and cultural information - the context of the original author and readers of the Bible. We have tools that shed light on the text and help us to arrive at the correct interpretation. When you read a commentary, it will provide checks and balances against your possible mistakes. They can answer questions that a reading of the text can never provide or ask questions that you may never think of asking. Unfortunately, many international people groups do not have access to these tools (or even access to mature, trained, and experienced Christians and pastors). And even if they do have access to resources, they may not know how to use them properly (i.e., limitations of commentaries).
Grammatical-Historical Method or Inductive Bible study can easily be done with printed or digital Bibles. But how can a person do this with audio and video Bibles? This is critical especially for international people groups that do not have access to (and may never have) print Bibles.
False gospels and heresies are popular in illiterate people groups because they are not taught discernment or how to evaluate Scripture and the thoughts of others for themselves. People with ulterior motives misuse Scripture and end up influencing the illiterate.
If these Bible Films and audio Bibles are considered to be actual Bible Translations – video and audio translations of the Bible and the equivalent to and sometimes a replacement for print scripture – then should we also make it a point to teach people who are watching and listening to our video and audio Bible translations Biblical hermeneutics (historical-grammatical interpretation)? How to study the Bible properly for themselves?
My experience has been that many non-Christians (and Christians) misquote or misinterpret the Bible because they do not know how to actually read and study it on their own to find out what the text actually meant to the original author and audience and seeing how it applies to their current situation.
There are many ways to study the Bible, and there are many excellent study aids available to help you with specific books of the Bible. But the most important thing you need to remember is that to find out what the Bible says, you need to read it yourself in a way that will help you discover what it says, what it means, and how you are to apply it to your life. And the best way to do this is through the process called inductive study. Inductive study doesn’t tell you what the Bible means or what you should believe. Instead, it teaches you a method of studying God’s Word that can be applied to any portion of Scripture at any time.
Inductive Bible study draws you into personal interaction with the Scripture and thus with the God of the Scriptures so that your beliefs are based on a prayerful understanding and legitimate interpretation of Scripture.
\*Artistic freedom concerns:
Another concern is with the artistic freedom or personal preference when it comes to audio and video Bible media (when these function as replacements for print Scripture). How much can be taken before you compromise the historical accuracy or the meaning and understanding of the original message? A good translation must be faithful to the historical situation and not change the cultural background. In Bible Translation, the translator’s first job is to study the text carefully to discover the correct meaning (what the original author wanted to communicate). Do international people groups understand that the “artistic freedom” (e.g., how the film is lit, the key shots, angles it shoots from, close-ups, point of view, sets, locations and props, editing, the dialogue and the actors’ performance and emotions, wardrobe choices, soundtrack, visual transitions, reference shots), the visuals and sound, are all NOT inspired?
Biblical and Orthodox Christianity teaches that All Scripture (not just some) is inspired by God who utilized the human element within man to accomplish this without error.The very WORDS (not just the ideas, even parts of letters, and sometimes the tense of verbs) are a result of the mind of God expressed in human terms and conditions. The Bible IS fully true in all that it teaches or asserts to be true (including historical and scientific matters). Only the original documents (autographs) are completely free from error. Does FCBH make an effort to explain this to people groups? If not, then there will be conflict when the visuals and sounds that are added do not match the Biblical text. There will be confusion, doubt, disillusionment, disappointment, discouragement, false hope when people are confronted with unmet, unrealistic, and false expectations.
So, using audio and especially video as Bibles should come with some teaching of the basic principles of film criticism, the doctrine of inspiration (difference between artistic freedom and the Word of God), and inductive Bible study or Bible interpretation.
\*Communicating the truth:
They employ a presuppositional and fideistic/experiential approach to evangelism: In the many testimonies that are shared, many of the people who receive the audio bibles say they believe in Jesus because FCBH gave them bibles that are in their native language. Makes you wonder what would happen if the audio was from the Quran or book of Mormon. Would they believe in anything as long as it was in their own language? FCBH does not seem to make sure people are actually believing facts. There seems to be no appeals to evidence and reason for the truthfulness of the Christianity. One should become a Christian and believe that Jesus is God because it is true (from reason, historical evidence, archaeological evidence, theistic arguments) and not because the Bible one reads is in a certain language. You should follow Jesus because He is God and proved it; not because He speaks your language.
\*Hearing from God?
Many in management practice “hearing from God” and then claim God said something specific and personal to them and to the ministry. This practice uses God's name in vain. And often use God to avoid personal responsibility - “I heard from God; God told me; I felt led; God spoke to me…” They then put what happens on God, so they avoid any personal responsibility if it does not come to pass. They make Christianity out to be personal, private, and a matter of “how I feel about things.” Many Christians actually feel spiritually sub-standard and defeated because for them “the heavens have been silent”. This can be debilitating, and it’s profoundly unfair to employees if their only shortcoming is entertaining a false expectation of what a relationship with God entails. Conversations are often littered with casual references to one’s latest revelations without any sense of the gravity of the assertion, or any sense of responsibility to justify the claim. Even Jesus Himself didn’t presume to speak for God without compelling evidence. But, management takes personal opinions and spiritualize them as if they were God’s word to give divine authority to impulses or thoughts that drift through their minds. To say “God is telling me” gives feelings an authority the Scripture does not justify and virtually ends debate. You can’t argue with the person if God supposedly gave the command. Trusting inner feelings is not biblical. It’s confusing at best, and dangerous at worst.
And with certain requests from employees, when top management does not want to do something, they will respond by saying things like: “I need to pray about it first. Sorry, I do not feel led. I need to get confirmation first. I need to have peace about it first. I need to hear from God first.” But with other things, with things they want to do, they do not need to pray about it first, do not need to feel led, do not need to get confirmation first, do not need to have a peace about it first, do not need to hear from God first. When management does not want to do something, they pass the responsibility off to God (“We cannot…. because God didn’t tell us to do it. Didn't get confirmation.”); but when they do want to do something, they don't seek God and do what they want (“We have decided and are going to… and we don’t need to ask God for guidance or permission”).
submitted by Euphoric-Earth-4765 to u/Euphoric-Earth-4765 [link] [comments]
\*Treatment of the Bible:
Grammatical, historical and cultural context as well as literary genre are all ignored by top management. So, Scripture is often misquoted and misused:
Ignoring basic, common sense guidelines, rules for interpreting the Bible results in misinterpreting, misunderstanding, and misapplying the Bible. Management ignores the fact that observation (what the text says) must always come before interpretation (what the text means); and interpretation always comes before application (how the text applies to me). They do not consider the Bible text objectively first: They treat the text subjectively or relatively or assume what the passage text means. And they ignore the fact that a text cannot mean today what it never could have meant to the original authors and original readers. Exegesis is often contrasted with “eisegesis”; the Greek preposition εἰς means “into,” and hence eisegesis means reading your own meaning into the text. Bible study is not reading your personal theology into some biblical passage. Bible study is letting the text talk to us; we are the listeners, not the talkers. Many Christians just want to know what the Bible “means to me.” If you stop to think about it, this just is not possible. We must do the hard work of learning the author’s original meaning first, and without that we can’t ever know “what it means to me.” A text cannot mean what it never meant.
\*Feelings and experiences rule:
There is a focus by top management on personal experiences and feelings instead of a studied period of reflection: Emotional, simple, popular teaching instead of intellectually careful and doctrinally precise teaching. Bible studies go straight to the question, “What does this passage mean to me?” while bypassing the prior question, “What does the passage say and why do I think my interpretation is correct?” Management promotes and allows employees to get away with applying an understanding of a passage that is based on vague feelings or first impressions and not on the hard work of reading the context, verifying with commentaries and using study tools such as concordances, Bible dictionaries, and the like because a careful exercise of reason is not important in understanding what the Bible actually says for management. Besides, it takes work! For management, Christianity is identified with subjective feelings, sincere motives, personal piety, and blind faith. Management tests the truth not by a careful application of our God-given faculties of thought, or even by biblical mandates (for example, 2 Corinthians 10:5), but rather by private subjective experiences. For the most part, theoretical reason is just not part of the culture at FCBH. In fact, top management will often spiritualizing normal, everyday things like advice, facts, common knowledge:
Example during a meeting, the CEO said he saw a full moon, then clouds formed & covered the moon, then clouds dissipated. He then said he felt God say: "I can turn nothing into something; something into nothing; turn this ministry into something & if it goes thick & blocks Jesus; it has to diminish.”
So, personal, subjective experiences that top management shares equals truth that employees must agree with or at least accept as true.
Also, time is money, but management uses their mandatory meetings to discuss controversial or complex topics (e.g., fasting, communion, tithing, personal stewardship of money, helping the homeless, how to create more interaction with remote workers, how to retain employees, how to hire more Gen Z employees, past trauma), most of which are unrelated to the actual work. Then they ask employees (most of which have no authority to get things changed/done) what their opinion is about the controversial or complex topic, instead of consulting with professionals or experts.
So, top management will read a bible verse (not a paragraph, not a chapter, a verse; usually out of context) using a version of the Bible that is almost a paraphrase. Then share something personal that happened to them, something they did or saw or experienced or a personal conviction that is not related to the verse. Then explain how they felt about it, how they interpreted it. Then they will ask employees (especially internationals) to share similar experiences. And, then if no one shares or comments or speaks, management makes employees feel guilty: Along the lines of “So, God is not working in your life?”
Example: “I felt God give me this verse about gossip. Let me share with you some personal stories about gossip…. This is how I see it. Now, in the last 5 min of our time, I want people to share. I especially want input from internationals. Does anyone have anything to say about this? No, one? Is God not speaking to you? How can God not be moving and speaking? This is unreal….”
Top management will often use a reader response or subjective biblical interpretation: “This is what I think this verse means. What do you think this verse means? What stood out to you? What did you learn? What is God asking you to apply?” This is a very self-centered way to interpret Scripture. The focus is all about you. What you think. What you feel. But, “The Bible is not about you.” - Timothy Keller. And this leads to people looking at the same verse and coming up with completely different interpretations. Everybody seems to have an opinion on what the Bible says/teaches.
So, instead of discovering what the original author said to the original readers. They will take Biblical concepts (e.g., called to ministry; felt led by the Spirit; God spoke to me; felt peace) and then add new meanings to them which the original author did not intend. This is dangerous since it leaves employees with doubt, disillusionment, disappointment, discouragement, and false hope and can leave them with unmet, unrealistic, and false expectations. Top management will also take subjective, unclear biblical principles or non-essentials, or personal convictions and make them scriptural authority and then judge other Christians who do not agree. They will treat the Proverbs as promises. They will also not make an effort to distinguish between Biblical principles and practices which are relative, time bound, culturally subjective, Biblically illustrated (not commanded). They will often make hasty generalizations. They will beg the question. They will commit special pleading, dictionary simpliciter, reductive, faulty analogy and many other fallacies. They will also allegorize promises in Scripture and spiritualize all principles. They assume that all historical narratives have individual identifiable moral application. God’s word should be taught clearly, not in a distorted manner. Top management will proof text and use religious words to promote their agenda.
And top management will encourage others to have this view/philosophy of Bible interpretation. Many incorrectly interpret the Bible and do not even realize it.
I pray to God that this bad method of interpretation is not being taught to internationals, to people who have never had bibles, who do not have biblical discernment, who don't know any better.
\*Inductive Bible study and internationals:
Hermeneutics has been defined as the science and art of biblical interpretation. Hermeneutics helps us understand the Bible. It is a science because there are specific rules the interpreter must follow. It is an art because it takes years of practice to develop the ability to employ those rules properly. There is a difference between a novice and a seasoned interpreter. Hermeneutics has two basic steps, finding what the text meant to its original audience, and then seeing how it applies to our current situation. Unfortunately, many people (Americans included), impose their own personal experiences, theology, and modern culture on to the Biblical text.
Fortunately, God has allowed us (especially Americans) to have Bible dictionaries, commentaries, handbooks, atlases, etc., to help us with correct hermeneutics, to understand the essential historical and cultural information - the context of the original author and readers of the Bible. We have tools that shed light on the text and help us to arrive at the correct interpretation. When you read a commentary, it will provide checks and balances against your possible mistakes. They can answer questions that a reading of the text can never provide or ask questions that you may never think of asking. Unfortunately, many international people groups do not have access to these tools (or even access to mature, trained, and experienced Christians and pastors). And even if they do have access to resources, they may not know how to use them properly (i.e., limitations of commentaries).
Grammatical-Historical Method or Inductive Bible study can easily be done with printed or digital Bibles. But how can a person do this with audio and video Bibles? This is critical especially for international people groups that do not have access to (and may never have) print Bibles.
False gospels and heresies are popular in illiterate people groups because they are not taught discernment or how to evaluate Scripture and the thoughts of others for themselves. People with ulterior motives misuse Scripture and end up influencing the illiterate.
If these Bible Films and audio Bibles are considered to be actual Bible Translations – video and audio translations of the Bible and the equivalent to and sometimes a replacement for print scripture – then should we also make it a point to teach people who are watching and listening to our video and audio Bible translations Biblical hermeneutics (historical-grammatical interpretation)? How to study the Bible properly for themselves?
My experience has been that many non-Christians (and Christians) misquote or misinterpret the Bible because they do not know how to actually read and study it on their own to find out what the text actually meant to the original author and audience and seeing how it applies to their current situation.
There are many ways to study the Bible, and there are many excellent study aids available to help you with specific books of the Bible. But the most important thing you need to remember is that to find out what the Bible says, you need to read it yourself in a way that will help you discover what it says, what it means, and how you are to apply it to your life. And the best way to do this is through the process called inductive study. Inductive study doesn’t tell you what the Bible means or what you should believe. Instead, it teaches you a method of studying God’s Word that can be applied to any portion of Scripture at any time.
Inductive Bible study draws you into personal interaction with the Scripture and thus with the God of the Scriptures so that your beliefs are based on a prayerful understanding and legitimate interpretation of Scripture.
\*Artistic freedom concerns:
Another concern is with the artistic freedom or personal preference when it comes to audio and video Bible media (when these function as replacements for print Scripture). How much can be taken before you compromise the historical accuracy or the meaning and understanding of the original message? A good translation must be faithful to the historical situation and not change the cultural background. In Bible Translation, the translator’s first job is to study the text carefully to discover the correct meaning (what the original author wanted to communicate). Do international people groups understand that the “artistic freedom” (e.g., how the film is lit, the key shots, angles it shoots from, close-ups, point of view, sets, locations and props, editing, the dialogue and the actors’ performance and emotions, wardrobe choices, soundtrack, visual transitions, reference shots), the visuals and sound, are all NOT inspired?
Biblical and Orthodox Christianity teaches that All Scripture (not just some) is inspired by God who utilized the human element within man to accomplish this without error.The very WORDS (not just the ideas, even parts of letters, and sometimes the tense of verbs) are a result of the mind of God expressed in human terms and conditions. The Bible IS fully true in all that it teaches or asserts to be true (including historical and scientific matters). Only the original documents (autographs) are completely free from error. Does FCBH make an effort to explain this to people groups? If not, then there will be conflict when the visuals and sounds that are added do not match the Biblical text. There will be confusion, doubt, disillusionment, disappointment, discouragement, false hope when people are confronted with unmet, unrealistic, and false expectations.
So, using audio and especially video as Bibles should come with some teaching of the basic principles of film criticism, the doctrine of inspiration (difference between artistic freedom and the Word of God), and inductive Bible study or Bible interpretation.
\*Communicating the truth:
They employ a presuppositional and fideistic/experiential approach to evangelism: In the many testimonies that are shared, many of the people who receive the audio bibles say they believe in Jesus because FCBH gave them bibles that are in their native language. Makes you wonder what would happen if the audio was from the Quran or book of Mormon. Would they believe in anything as long as it was in their own language? FCBH does not seem to make sure people are actually believing facts. There seems to be no appeals to evidence and reason for the truthfulness of the Christianity. One should become a Christian and believe that Jesus is God because it is true (from reason, historical evidence, archaeological evidence, theistic arguments) and not because the Bible one reads is in a certain language. You should follow Jesus because He is God and proved it; not because He speaks your language.
\*Hearing from God?
Many in management practice “hearing from God” and then claim God said something specific and personal to them and to the ministry. This practice uses God's name in vain. And often use God to avoid personal responsibility - “I heard from God; God told me; I felt led; God spoke to me…” They then put what happens on God, so they avoid any personal responsibility if it does not come to pass. They make Christianity out to be personal, private, and a matter of “how I feel about things.” Many Christians actually feel spiritually sub-standard and defeated because for them “the heavens have been silent”. This can be debilitating, and it’s profoundly unfair to employees if their only shortcoming is entertaining a false expectation of what a relationship with God entails. Conversations are often littered with casual references to one’s latest revelations without any sense of the gravity of the assertion, or any sense of responsibility to justify the claim. Even Jesus Himself didn’t presume to speak for God without compelling evidence. But, management takes personal opinions and spiritualize them as if they were God’s word to give divine authority to impulses or thoughts that drift through their minds. To say “God is telling me” gives feelings an authority the Scripture does not justify and virtually ends debate. You can’t argue with the person if God supposedly gave the command. Trusting inner feelings is not biblical. It’s confusing at best, and dangerous at worst.
And with certain requests from employees, when top management does not want to do something, they will respond by saying things like: “I need to pray about it first. Sorry, I do not feel led. I need to get confirmation first. I need to have peace about it first. I need to hear from God first.” But with other things, with things they want to do, they do not need to pray about it first, do not need to feel led, do not need to get confirmation first, do not need to have a peace about it first, do not need to hear from God first. When management does not want to do something, they pass the responsibility off to God (“We cannot…. because God didn’t tell us to do it. Didn't get confirmation.”); but when they do want to do something, they don't seek God and do what they want (“We have decided and are going to… and we don’t need to ask God for guidance or permission”).
2024.05.14 21:50 topCSjobs May 14, 2024: Latest Remote Marketing Jobs USA
2024.05.14 21:48 Aurorastellamaris [FC][Excalibur][L4M]- Across is recruiting experienced and new raiders!
Across is the community for raiders who focus on high-end content: Savage, Criterion, Ultimates and more. Our members span from first time raiders to penta-legends, and everything in between. Across’s goal is to provide resources for raiders (gear, consumables, mentorship) and a safe environment for individuals to learn, grow and help one another.
Free Company Raid Clear % (out of 100 members):
P9S: 85%
P10S: 80%
P11S: 75%
P12S: 55% (phase 1), 47% (phase 2)
Ultimates: 50% (at least one ultimate)
While our primary focus is on high-end raiding, we love to participate in all other types of content FFXIV has to offer. Extreme trials, Unreals, Treasure Map runs, Ocean Fishing; you name it, someone is probably interested! Our events are driven by our community members, and we reward people for doing content together.
We are a LGBTQIA+ supportive community ♥
Across is currently recruiting players who have completed the 6.55 MSQ and will be committed to raiding in Dawntrail’s first raid tier. Bonus points to those who have completed a savage tier and/or ultimate before. We are also on the lookout for any maxed crafters and gatherers who are interested in joining our team to support our FC’s raiding efforts.
Interested in learning more? Visit our website (https://acrossfc.com/) for details, and join our Discord to apply to the FC.
----------------------------------------------------HOW TO APPLY----------------------------------------------------------------
Join our FC Discord at https://discord.gg/acrossfc
Click the channel "xiv-applications"
Open a ticket and give us a brief description of your XIV history and why you want to join Across!
A FC admin will reach out to you and help you with the application and invite!
submitted by Aurorastellamaris to FFXIVRECRUITMENT [link] [comments]
Free Company Raid Clear % (out of 100 members):
P9S: 85%
P10S: 80%
P11S: 75%
P12S: 55% (phase 1), 47% (phase 2)
Ultimates: 50% (at least one ultimate)
While our primary focus is on high-end raiding, we love to participate in all other types of content FFXIV has to offer. Extreme trials, Unreals, Treasure Map runs, Ocean Fishing; you name it, someone is probably interested! Our events are driven by our community members, and we reward people for doing content together.
We are a LGBTQIA+ supportive community ♥
Across is currently recruiting players who have completed the 6.55 MSQ and will be committed to raiding in Dawntrail’s first raid tier. Bonus points to those who have completed a savage tier and/or ultimate before. We are also on the lookout for any maxed crafters and gatherers who are interested in joining our team to support our FC’s raiding efforts.
Interested in learning more? Visit our website (https://acrossfc.com/) for details, and join our Discord to apply to the FC.
----------------------------------------------------HOW TO APPLY----------------------------------------------------------------
Join our FC Discord at https://discord.gg/acrossfc
Click the channel "xiv-applications"
Open a ticket and give us a brief description of your XIV history and why you want to join Across!
A FC admin will reach out to you and help you with the application and invite!
2024.05.14 21:47 dragonshouter The shaman of Muck returns( end of spirit conflict sub event)
 | NOTICE: This was taken from a group chat with the participants. u/AnActualCriminal , u/avamir , u/HalfDrowShaman , u/DragonWisper56 . That's why it is weirdly formated; I tried my best. submitted by dragonshouter to wizardposting [link] [comments] The party enters the spirit world, that land of infinite mist where concepts have form. Last time the group had discovered the location of the Exalted beacon and now they can see the spirits domain on the horizon(?). The domain of the of the spirit is a shining citadel made of crystal and marble. There are lines of silver and gold throughout the whole compound. Light radiates like miniature sun. In place of a sun or moon floats a giant metallic eye... watching. As the party arrive they notice something, there are no shadows in this realm Crispin: *Crispin is jostled awake by Ichor and spills out onto the ground covered in tar.* "Eugh. What? Oh yeah. Exalted Beacon. Shit tracks." Riva: Riva seems... ill at ease, guarded. Crispin: *Crispin looks at the giant metal eye for a bit too long.* He get's sunspots Riva: "Don't look into the giant lights, imp." Riva lets out a loooonng sigh. Agnur: Agnur weaves illusion around them it would be bad if they were spotted Drow: *the drow casts soul shadow and light eater to give herself some magic sunglasses* Riva: Riva just squints. "Do we attempt to kill everyone, or do you think there's a possibility of converting them back from... this?" She gestures vaguely. Agnur: They took our friend, they made their choice Riva: "I tend to agree with you. But at the same time... killing the zealous because of the new religion they picked up isn't the greatest look."10:33 AMRiva makes some... warding circle shades? and places them on her face. Crispin: "Let's fucking defile this place. Stupid giant sexy eyes blinding me." Riva: Riva grimaces at the whole "sexy eyes" thing. Ugh. "Works for me. Let's do this." Agnur: regardless of sexing eyes how are we going to get in? As the party walks up up to a tall wall around the citadel. Drow: I can just walk up this Crispin: "I can fly. Lookit." *He does, in spite of his wings looking like one of those oil spill ducks from a Dawn ad.* Drow: *the drow walks up the walls casually* *she makes it to the top and then shoots some ephemeral ropes out of her armor, tethering them to the wall* Riva: Riva takes a rope and begins climbing up... in a manner like Adam West Batman, admittedly. But she isn't going to ask for a memory from Crispin so she can teleport up. Agnur: Agnur climbs up Ichor: *Ichor slorps up a rope with peculiar viscosity as Crispin lands at the top.* The group looks over the wall As they do they notice how...still it is. Nothing is out of place, there is no dirt or dust, no noise or bustle. Only silence except for a few sentries. Moving through the streets are some weird creature. It is like a shadow except shadows don't exist here. The aren't light however, just not shadows. Silver "shadows" will do for now; they stalk the streets. On top of towers however sit zealot priests in pale robes, watching Drow: "sentries. Some kind of... Silver shadow monster..." "you wanna go in hot or cold guys?" Crispin: "I can make a distraction. Gotta call in a debt though." *Crispin rattles a bag of teeth.* Riva: "They don't seem to be tethered to the priest but they seem kinda similar to the undead type shadow. There is something soul adjacent about them. Probably touching you does some sort of damage to your spirit." "I wonder whether killing the priests would rid us of the... spirits." Crispin: "Guys I think we're being too thinky here. These are order guys right? All this strategy plays right into their hands." *He rattles the bag again.* "C'moooooon." Agnur: I mean it would give us some cover... Drow: "why don't I just sneak ahead and try to grab one of those guys first" "just make sure I have backup" Riva: "That works for me." Drow: *the drow begins sneaking along the wall as best she can towards the nearest priest tower* Ichor: *Ichor clings to the outside of the top of the wall, trailing behind Drow.* Drow is able to sneak up the tower un-noticed. The guards are spaced out because they have a giant eye in the sky( literally). She gets behind the guy and hear muttered prayer. *the drow does a series of actions in rapid succession. First she creates a bubble of mute, then she taps the man on the back making him go blind and deaf, and finally she grips him by the neck and begins choking him out* Drow: [do we want this guy alive or dead?] []= telepathic cummunication Agnur: [he can't talk if he's dead. lets get information first] Drow: [ok let me disable him...] *the drow touches two hands to the man's head and begins dripping horrors into his mind until he passes out from fear* [ok. What do you guys want to ask him?] Agnur: [what the fuck is he and what does he do. we need to know how dangerous he is] Crispin: [Where's our boy? And do these shitheads know we're coming for him?] Drow: [ok! I'll try the normal way first, if he doesn't comply I'll kill him and ask his soul] *the drow creates an illusory similacrum of herself and places it inside the man's mind, she asks his inner consciousness the following questions and listens for his answers* "hey guy, who are you?" "You will pay infidel!!! The great and glorious Exalted Beacon will end you! Their (he goes into like a thousand titles and compliment I am not writing) will force you to kneel before them. All shall kneel before them so sayth their loyal preist and servant Atticus!!! Drow: what does this exalted Beacon look like Exalted Beacon is beautiful a statuesque, thirty feet tall, being made of the most stunning marble, crystal and precious metal. Their voice is a chorus, their eyes are brilliant rubies. They have a mosaic halo of gold with eyes on it. They also float above the ground because they are to good to tred upon it. The rest is repetitive praise Drow: *within the zealot's mind he sees the drow prance about, threatening him. Then he sees the exalted beacon launch a bolt of light through the sky, exploding the simulacrum of the drow**the exalted beacon stands tall in the distance and booms at him*"I have come to save my loyal servant" "tell me thy purpose servant, so I shall have it known" (this is an illusion) "Thank you my master! I am but a mere secondary sentry, but one of the ones that joined you willingly unlike those plebian villagers. ( he just continues blubbering thanks) Drow: "good! And have you been enjoying the powers you have been granted? Describe your abilities to me, compare yourself to your cohort" "you have done well. If you are worhty I shall grant you more powers" Thank you lord. You have granted me the ability to smite those in your name with radiant light. I could fight toe to toe with the lowest of mages. I am slightly above average amongst my cohort but I serve well enough guarding the domain. I am also tasked with commanding the Vestiges of Shadow you have given me. Like hounds of war they hunt down the non-believers and drain them of energy before I can bring them to you. Drow: "I see. How goes your training with the vestiges of shadow? Tell me every relevant detail about them" Riva: Riva waits expectantly for him to spill the beans. Of course master. They are made from the shadows of your prisoners at the throne. Screaming you praises for all eternity. This torment shatters there soul to create these vestiges in place of their shadows. From then on they act as loyal servants and drain the disgusting essence of show from a persons being. Without you intervention a person could not survive long without it. That shadow needs to be replaced with your energy to remain among the living. Drow: *the drow relays this information telepathically* Riva: [ "I wonder if their shadows, and parts of their soul, can be returned to them." "Another idea. Can you mimic a vestige, Drow? We are terrible nonbelievers, and you could bring us to this being. Once we have a way of dispelling its power, of course."] Drow: [yes, I should be able to mimic one][he also mentioned the eternal torment of the civilians was how they separated their souls to make the shadows][if we disrupt that maybe we can have them despawn without killing the guy] Riva: ["He said he drained the non-believers of energy before bringing them to this being... so if we can get in, perhaps we can disrupt this ritualized torture, and perhaps that would rid us of the vestiges? And perhaps drain this being of power."] Drow: [yes my thoughts exactly. Now, for the last question]"servant Atticus. Tell me where kyrgrin is now." Your most hated prisoner? At he very center of the citadel where you can keep an eye on him. Riva: After relaying the information telepathically, Riva might ask Drow to ask whether Krygin was being used as a power source. Perhaps word it as some sort of test for Atticus. "Remind me, my servant... What treatment is Krygin receiving?" (Or something along those lines) No your holiness. The prisoner's magic is incompatible with ours. You bound him everyway you could so he couldn't conspire against you. You worried that killing him wouldn't be permanent enough for your plans. Wizards have escaped death before and that welp is harder to kill than a cockroach. He is to be bound until the universe ceases to exist. Riva: Riva makes a quiet, "Hm." And considers. Crispin: "Checks out. He's not a powerhouse but last we saw him a fucking bomb was turning him into a puddle. Krygin's hard to kill." Agnur: It was a fucking black whole....I love that little guy Riva: "If this being is using his power to bind Krygin personally, I wonder if disrupting his power will free Krygin. Now to figure out how to disrupt this being's power." Agnur: I mean if we mess up the palace it could help, or at least distract it Crispin: "They're spirits, yeah. Purity. Order. The grosser and more chaotic we are the better." Agnur: should we call in crispin's debt Riva: "Ah! Yes, that would... ha. That would definitely do it. Ha ha." She had neglected the symbolism of things. And if anyone could make a mess, it'd be Crispin. Riva + drow: With the questions done, and Atticus disposed of, Team Kryginator decides to move closer to the goal. Using Drows abilities at illusion, she feigns being a Vestige bringing the group (who pretend to be tired so to look like their energy is drained), and move closer into the area where people are being kept. [now crispin!] Crispin: *Crispin rips open the pouch the way he opens most things. Tearing it open upside down like a dysfunctional kindergarten with a bag of dorritos, completely ignoring the draw-string.* "Been playing a lot of poker in my down-time..." *Teeth clatter onto the ground. Dozens. Each one with a name in low Sylvan etched onto it. They transform into tiny pallid creatures with gangly limbs, dragonfly-like wings, and rows upon rows of needle-like teeth.* "I've been winning." *The tooth fairies scatter, each one set on either harassing a guard or knocking over something expensive.* The giant eye focuses on the distraction and the party feel the energy of the domain shift aggressively. The tooth fairies will likely be driven off but it will certainly distract everyone. Guards from across the citadel converge in this area. The group moves at a light jog; *Crispin strolls languidly until Ichor picks him up and moves at a better clip* *the drow vestige leads the pack hoping that the other guardians will let her through* The party charges through the gates. The guardians are too distracted to pay close attention to the vestige and entourage Agnur: Agnur cuts himself and draws runes of corruption on the wall ever once in a while. The runes cause the walls to pucker like wounds as the natural energies of this place try to fight off the intrusion. Ichor: Ichor leaves a trail of tar The party sees the prisoners as they reach the "throne room". It is like a giant colosseum like structure. The Exalted Beacon floats in the center eyes closed; it hasn't noticed you. Around the room are hundreds of people in various states of torture such as having silver bars impaling someone. The blood runs like rubies in here. It should be discussing but something makes it beautiful. All of them ar screaming praise and begging for release. The influence of this place is makes what should be discordant noise into a choir. Silver shadows prowl but currently accept you as prisoners. Patrolling a silver shadows with priest overseeing them. Drow: Drow sneaks behind a priest while invisible. *the drow tries to grab him and swiftly stab him in the heart. She plans on taking his form and turning him invisible simultaneously* A invisible body drops down quitly. *for now, the drow simply takes her post and waits for the right time to issue some more interesting commands* Riva, Ichor and Crispin hide. Crispin is in the form of a rat Agnur: Agnur activates his Teumessian pendant and starts sneaking around. when agnur reaches one he tries to club them to death as quietly as possible. His pendant warps fate so no one is looking; he bashes a mans brains in and tries to hide the body. He dies before he can scream Crispin: *Crispin transforms, shrieking at the top if his lungs like a baby on fire, lugung at one if the priests. The shriek is pitched and sustained specifically to counteract the choire-like atmosphere of the room.* The blood sprays across the room. Drow: Drow gives the shadows contradictory orders to confuse them Riva: Riva concentrates, and draws a circle. Unlike the vast majority of ones she done, however, this is strangely... green? This is very much not her affinity, but she knows the basic forms. And from this circle, she calls on the Alseid clans of the Earthen planes. Unlike a fire elemental, she doesn't bind it to her will directly, but rather asks and *pressures*.*If successful, some of these looking dudes/dudettes/etc. bound from the circle. Riva would direct them to release the hostages, Unbinding them from Thews of Earth (silver), and heal them." The Alseids have a green glow which pushes against the natural energies of the citadel. Asleids( nice earth elemental adjacent dudes) The Exalted Beacon starts to wake from it's trance. As this is happening Agnur notices a false wall of crystal which he deduces Krygin is behind. Agnur: Teleports over to the wall but finds no way of opening it. Drow: *the drow continues concentrating on the shadows, trying to get them to help break more chains* *she drops her illusory shadow and instead creates a bubble of sensory deprivation around the exalted beacon* *trying to stall it's awakening* The "shadows" help confused but do so. Some blink out of existence as they free the human they were made from. Ichor: *Ichor spews themselves as much as possible. Spattering the room.* Agnur: I summon bram and he starts hitting the wall with the force a earthquake. I impower him. The crystal starts to break but it accelerates the Beacons notice Ichor: *Ichor readies to surge at the beacon like a geyser the instant it becomes aware. They're likely not strong enough but they can hold attention.* Drow: "Someone get a big portal ready! We gotta get kyrgin and these civs out" *she mentions the civs to appease the others but does not care at all about them* Agnur: Agnur takes bottled rage and pours it into bram to increase his attack power A red glows around Bram and his blows triple in power. Soon the wall will break. The Beacon wakes and tears through the illusion and the halo flares! "Who intrudes on my domain" Riva: Riva tries to portal the civilians out of the crumbling tower, back to somewhere outside where she's been before. It's a little strange in this realm, but she shuffles them out as quickly as she can. And has one of the Alseid's go out with them to try and heal the wounded and keep them moving. Riva gets ready to crank out a bigger gate for Krygin... The civilians try to escape as quick as they can. Every peson saved seems to dim the Beacon's glow Ichor: *Ichor surges forward and Crispin lights the tar with a firebolt. A geyser of flaming tar would slam into the Beacon like a locomotive.* The Beacon slams against the other side of the room but grabs at Ichor. It's touch burns( though because Ichor likes fire it is more of an acidic burn) "Do you Challange a god!!" Drow: *with all the civs freed, the drow releases her other illusions and pulls out her spell grenade launcher. She launches a ball of incendiary darkness at the pillar* Agnur: I enhance the runes I places around the castle to weaken it The darkness slams into the wall and it shatters and the walls shake as the walls start to corrupt Ichor: "BalaNCE MUsT bE rEStOReD!!!" No one but Krygin really speaks primal tar, but that's what they say Crispin: *Meanwhile Crispin is saying every swear word he knows at the top of his lungs. Every obscenity. Every vile act one can do to a hole. Fulness and impurity of another kind.* As the smoke clears Krygin is revealed. Krygin "sits" boneless with silver chains around his wrist. He sits in a circle of salt surrounded by a circle of pure water. Agnur: Agnur uses a piece of Sorrowsore to pollute the water The Beacon begins shooting flashes of divine energy at Ichor while a translucent "reflection" of it appears before the rest of the group and punches the ground before disappearing Drow: *the drow goes invisible and prepares to bolt. She leaves behind 3 illusory duplicates to continue fighting* Ichor: *Ichor can't take much more. They try to hurl the Beacon into a wall and retreat. Too much Tar has been used up.* The Beacon is slammed into the wall leaving a crater. The beacon begins to charge up a divine blast. Riva: *Riva kind of... kicks some corpses over at him(Krygin)? Can he eat that? Us that to reconstitute himself? while she redirects the Alseids to poop on things, kick over the salt, and piss into the pure water.* *Kicks corpses at Krygin. She'll try and open a portal once he's able to... uh... move? Slither?* As soon as Krygin can slither he slides forward a a burger on grease and swallows the corpses whole like a a snake. Bones shift under skin. He isn't 100% but he can walk now Crispin: "I missed this repulsive fucker." Drow: *the drow runs next to the portal and launches an ephemeral rope at kyrgin, grabbing and pulling him like a child down a slip and slide to the portal* *her other clones try to distract the beacon while she does" Krygin: "Wait what?! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH" Several reflections of the beacon strike at illussions. Shattering the area around them Ichor: *Ichor doesn't have time to grab a corpse. Headed for a portal. Crispin grabs some deer poop, ignites it, and throws it before fleeing.* drow: *the drow grasps the weird slime creature they just saved and falls backwards through the portal like a trust fall* Agnur: Agnur summons up all his rage greif and desperation from the past while and pours it into a curse. calling favors from fae, demon, spirit and monster he brings rot and decay to the pure. bram carries him out Riva: *Riva keeps the portal open until everyone is out, then tries to snap it shut. At the last second the beacon grabs the portal; not magically just pulling reality open but then Agnur's curse hits them like a truck. So hard in fact that a small piece of crystal fractures. The Beacons cries in pain and the portal closes. Drow: Hey job well done guys. Where are we riva? *the drow immediately takes out some tea and begins sipping*. They were in an Ithicar hospital. Ichor: "LAWyeR. ArE yOU All rIGhT?!" Krygin: Krygin shakily stands. "I'm ... free. I'm free. I'M FREE!!!!" He tries to jump for joy but hurts himself. He gives Ichor a goopy hug Riva: Riva thanks the Alseid's in greek, and they make appropriate polite noises in their ungulate sorts of ways, and disappear. Drow: Hey krygin, nice to meet you. I'm your savior, the Drow. Krygin: The just looks at drow with the placid expression of a frog. "Sure, I'm used to dealing in favors" Drow: *score, the drow thinks* Also Riva. You owe me too! The rest of you... We should get drinks later Crispin: "Waaaaay ahead of ya." Pulls out a bottle of medical alcohol and drinks Drow: *the drow taps his alcohol bottle with her tea vial* Riva: "Sigh. I'll add it to the tab." Krygin: "I... must... throw a feast!" "You are all invited!" Riva: "Glad to see you back, Krygin." Krygin: "I'm glad as well Riva Crispin: "You just ate a corpse!" Drow: Don't act like you've never eaten a corpse crispin. I know I have Crispin: "Not a whole one! I'm small!" Riva: "There is much to catch up on." Riva doesn't mention the Pact being mostly empty, and Krygin probably being the only one left to fill a position, EON, Belial's disappearance and reappearance, the assault on Lemarcia, etc. etc. Krygin: (he needs to catch up on so much. He doesn't even know about sorrowsore!) "Yeah, I was gone for a long time" Agnur: "we're just glad your back." He says as he rest a kind hand on Krygin's shoulder El Fin /uw Here's a big shout out to the players of this post! They were great. I can't belive Krygin's been gone for two months!!!! I was going crazy!! Also not kidding about the feast. In a few hours of posting this. |
2024.05.14 20:59 Thraway_TrashRacoon [online][5e][18+][Experienced DM Seeking Adventurers for "To the World's End" Campaign] [homebrew][lbgtq+ firendly]
Calling All Brave Adventurers!
I'm an experienced Dungeon Master, seasoned in guiding parties through realms of wonder in multiple multi-year campaigns, and I'm gearing up for another epic saga! I invite you to join "To the World's End," a campaign set against the backdrop of the sprawling, mystical world of Fraeir. If you're after an adventure that fuses dark mysteries, comedic twists, and mystical wonders, and if you relish roleplay intertwined with exploration and combat, keep reading!
About the Campaign:
"To the World's End" will thrust you into the heart of Fraeir, a land where magic permeates every rock and river. But as the shadow of war grows with the ascension of the Shadow Empress, your group of adventurers, part of a guild on the brink of dissolution, embarks on a desperate quest that promises to be more than you bargained for—spiraling into a vast, perilous saga that could change the very fabric of the world.
This campaign promises to be profoundly character-driven, focusing on the rich backstories, motivations, and evolutions of each character. Brace yourself for a mix of intense combat, intricate puzzles, and rich role-playing scenarios.
Key Features:
- Vivid, Detailed World: Explore Fraeir, a realm where areas of high magic brim with mystical energy, and lands of low magic are riddled with shadows and laughter.
- Evolving Storyline: Your choices have weight. The decisions your party makes will profoundly impact the world and its inhabitants, swaying the balance of power and the destiny of Fraeir.
- Diverse Characters and Encounters: Meet a variety of allies and foes, each with deep histories and hidden motives, as you traverse enchanted woods, ancient ruins, and cities teetering on the brink of war.
Our adventures will unfold twice a month on Discord, with character sheets and resources managed through DnD Beyond. Sessions are scheduled for Wednesday or Thursday evenings, adjusting to fit the group's availability.
Seeking Adventurers Who Are:
- Passionate about collaborative storytelling and character development.
- Respectful to fellow players and dedicated to maintaining a positive gaming atmosphere.
- Keen on being part of a thrilling and enjoyable game environment.
- All experience levels are welcome.
- Given that I am 22, I am looking for players who are 18+.
How to Join:
If "To the World's End" sounds like your next big adventure, please fill out this application form, and I'll reach out via Discord:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdsWp_YketJEdgv_sHaZHA7WvqafcLhXJhGxw0cK-pizi3H9A/viewform?usp=sf_link
Embark with us on this grand journey—to the very brink of the world and into the heart of adventure!
2024.05.14 20:35 YesterdayOk9882 Would we be the assholes if we don’t attend our childhood friends wedding?
Hi Morgan, Longtime listener, first time writing in. My best friend and I are having trouble figuring out the right thing to do in this situation and wanted to get an outside perspective. Buckle up because this is a LONG one because theres a lot of backstory that’s necessary.
Would we be the assholes if we didn’t attend our childhood best friends wedding?
There is a lot of context in this storyline so I’ll try to give a lot of detail. We start in January of 2023, my best friend, Greta(26F) and I(26F) get in contact with one of our childhood best friends, Laura (26F), and plan a visit to catch up on the past 10ish years that we’ve been apart. Laura moved away from our hometown when we were 15. Now Greta and I live about 2 hours from where Laura moved to when we were young, so we reached out and invited her and her fiancé Logan(26M) up to stay with us and hang out.
They come visit, we have such a great time, her fiancé was pretty quiet and distant the whole time, but the 3 of us together were big talkers so I just chalked it up to him not being able to get a word in and they left. In March they came back to visit again and announced to us that they were moving a few states away. We were really sad, but happy for them since they were getting to move somewhere that they’d wanted to be for a while. They were going to elope together after a few months but Logan had a university study abroad for a month in Japan so they were going to wait until after.
So, he leaves for Japan in May, and while he is away a girl reaches out to Laura from the college that Logan attends. This girl tells Laura that her friend had been getting really close with Logan, uncomfortably so and she wanted to give Laura a heads up that she thought they were romantically involved. Greta and I were worried but Laura brushed it off and said it was probably nothing, so Greta and I dropped it because we didn’t feel close enough to Laura to tell her we felt like she should look into it more.
Flash forward 2 weeks into Logan’s study abroad, he calls Laura at 5AM to let her know that he doesn’t think he wants to get married anymore. She’s distraught but has to go into work that morning and calls us after to let us know. We support her, you know he fucking sucks for doing that not only over the phone but right before she went into work, real shady. Greta and I are very worried about Laura because Laura really wants to make it work, but we still don’t say anything because we just want to be there for her.
He gets back and agrees to go to couples counseling, they do couples counseling for 2 weeks, during this time he repairs her car. Replaces a tire, breaks, oil change, the works, he’s been working with cars for a long time, so this was no biggie. Well after that two weeks, Laura comes home to all of Logan’s stuff packed and he tells her it’s over and he’s moving back home. He leaves. She’s devastated. We comfort her, come up and visit her, and tell her that she doesn’t need him and she slowly starts getting over him. Meanwhile she gives us A TON of context about her relationship with Logan. She paid for his college, he has had no job for the past 2 years while getting his degree, so she had been financially supporting them both. She paid for his trip to Japan, he put her in 20K of credit card debt, and more in personal loans, etc. Then in couples therapy told her he wasn’t attracted to her because she made money and he didn’t (so weird).
So immediately Greta and I are like, “Girl, we had a bad feeling, we wanted to tell you but didn’t want to upset you, we’re just glad you’re finally out of that mess”. She tells us that next time we should come to her and be honest with her, we apologize and agree. Then one day Laura calls us to tell us that she almost got into a really bad car accident. She lives in a mountainous area and her breaks went out on her when she was driving on the interstate on a hill, she managed to pull of into a grass median and slow the car down.
She gets the car towed to a mechanic that night and heads to work the next morning. Mechanic calls her midday. He asks he who worked on her car last, she said “My ex” and he said “Is he still in your life?” she said no. And he said “Good, Because I’ve never seen anything like this in my 20 years as a mechanic.” Her brake fluid hadn’t been connected so all the break fluid drained out. Her brake pads weren’t fastened/screwed in to the wheels, the were just placed in there. And he back tire bolts were stripped so hard that he said he tire probably would’ve come off had she kept driving.
Later that week, Logan asks to talk to her, she agrees only to get closure on the situation. Well he calls and begs her to get back together, she says no absolutely not. Then he asks” How’s the car?” She said, “Well I almost died last week”, he immediately jumped to the defensive “Well, that had nothing to do with me, I didn’t do anything” a very guilty response, so we were all convinced he tried to kill her. She filed a police report on him and started moving on. This is in July.
Now we move into part two of this debacle. My partner and I go up to visit her in September and she’s doing well on her own, she’s having fun, dating around, putting herself first, in therapy, just doing really well, were happy for her. She hasn’t really made any friends which is making her lonely but we were telling her to get involved in clubs and meet people, etc.
We leave our trip which was really fun and head back home. 2 weeks later, Laura says she’s met this really great guy, its almost October at this point, she’s gone on multiple dates with him and really likes him, were happy for her, still a bit concerned, but if she’s happy we’re happy. So Laura, Greta, and I plan a girls trip to come up and visit Laura for a long weekend. Laura wants us to vet this new guy, make sure he’s a good dude. She tells us she really values our input and so Greta and I are so excited to go on this trip with an open mind. November rolls around, one month before our trip and Laura announces that the new guy, we’ll call him Will (29M) has moved in with her, bringing his dog with him. Greta and I are a bit shocked but we didn’t say anything bc we’ve both done stuff like that before and Laura was struggling to keep up with rent on her own (she was still in the house that her ex fiancé left her in) so we knew she could use a roommate.
December is finally here and Greta and I hop on a plane and Will and Laura pick us up from the airport, first impression in the car was fine, he seemed nice, he drove us back to their place and we walk into the house. I come face to face with a completely different living room than I saw in September, all of Laura’s art and stuff are moved out of the living room replaced with the following: a giant poster of Elon Musk smoking a joint, a poster model of a rocket, a poster of Jesus riding a dinosaur with a machine gun. And a bookshelf full of Will’s books and Lego sets on display. Alarm bells are going off in my head and Greta’s at this point. We have a little conversation and because it’s late, we go to bed. We sleep in a room that outside of the house in the backyard, it has full heating so its basically just like a bedroom with a deadbolt. I double lock the dead bolts and we go to bed.
At 3am I’m woken up by Greta shaking me in a panic, asking me if I remembered to double deadbolt the door, I told her I did and that were okay and we both went back to sleep. When we woke up the next day, and she told me she had a weird feeling that he was gonna come in our room in the night. I agreed, and told her that was why I double dead bolted the door.
We go through our girls trip which ended up not being a girls trip at all, Will was by our side the entire time. Laura and he talked about looking at ENGAGEMENT RINGS, they bought a ring sizer, she was picking out her faves. He never let us have girl time except for one hour trip we took downtown to window shop. He would come sit in Greta and my room when we were talking with Laura, he would watch movies with us, he went everywhere with us. Not only that but in the middle of conversations, he would pull out his guitar and just start playing in the middle of us talking, or when we sat down to watch a movie. There is one bathroom in the house, and the main house part is very small about 650 square feet, my friend Greta has bathroom anxiety, she doesn’t like to poop in public places so she asked Laura and I if we would grab Will and the dog, and just go for a quick walk around the block while she used the bathroom. It was no biggie, so we got ready and went on a walk, we got 20 feet out the door and Will starts griping about how he doesn’t want to be outside and that Greta is a selfish pooper, and continues to complain the entire time were outside. We don’t even go for a walk, we stop at the corner of the street and just stand there because he doesn’t want to go any further.
At this point I’m annoyed with this guy, he just seems really controlling. To add to it, he didn’t want to go for a hike in the mountains, so Laura didn’t want to go so we ended up spending the entire weekend inside their house basically, even though we were in a beautiful area, and hiking is a group favorite, because he didn’t want to go. We didn’t. Also this is a personal anger of mine but I bought a dozen Krispy Kreme donuts (they were $18, which is crazy) and he ate EIGHT OF THEM. it pissed me off so bad, I had to hide the box that night just so I had 1 donut left over in the morning. Anyway onto the big finale.
Our last night there we finished up watching a movie and the events that unfold all happen within 3 minutes, keep that in mind. Laura had taken an edible so she was pretty out of it, like laying on top of the dog, whispering, just all around sounding really tired. Will says hes gonna take her to bed and Greta and I say were gonna get ready for bed in the bathroom. Bedroom and bathroom are five steps fro each other. I brush my teeth and use the bathroom while Greta is brushing hers and then I walk out of the bathroom and tell Greta that I’m grabbing my stuff to head over to our outside bedroom. I grab my bag from the kitchen counter, which is right next to their bedroom door. The bedroom door is open so I say goodnight to both of them and tell Greta I’ll see her in a sec, she’s just finishing up. Maybe 45 seconds pass and I’m waiting in our bedroom when I get 3 texts from Greta “OH MY GOD” “HELP” “HOLY SHIT”, Greta comes running out of the house, slamming the back door, and I run up to her.
She tells me that they were loudly having sex in their bedroom with the door open, mind you the bathroom is 5 steps from the bedroom. the kitchen counter is right next to the bedroom and Greta had to walk over to it to grab her stuff.
We are freaked the fuck out at this point not only was it super disrespectful but Greta was super affected by it, which who wouldn’t be it was disturbing. Because mere moments before Laura went to bed she was so high. And I smoke regularly so I know what it looks like when someone is super high and I hadn’t gotten that high in a long time. She was very out of it. So this really bothered us both.
The next day, were ready to go home, we get to the airport where they drop us off and once the two of us are in the airport we both look at each other and both just say “that was horrible”, we both felt like the entire trip we had a bad feeling about him and didn’t want to ruin the vibes of the trip so we just didn’t say anything about it. So were sitting in the terminal writing down a list of all the red flags, all the instances where he gave us a bad feeling. And overall just as a person he gave us a really bad feeling. Just gross, nasty, icky feeling. Not sure how to describe it well but I just knew something was off and Greta said she felt the same.
Laura had asked us to give our opinion on what we thought of him so we drafted up a letter to her, with key moments and points that we felt were big signs that he may not be a good guy. It includes everything we went over in this story, I didn’t want to supply to much of our opinion on the situation but I know that my bias comes out in this story a bit.
We wrote to her, and she responded to us with basically “I appreciate your concern, I will take your opinions into consideration” Its worth it to note that they were talking about getting engaged in March of 2024 (It is Early December 2023 at this point) and in our letter we told her that she should give their relationship more time, and get to know him better before they get engaged.
Our relationship with her after that became very one sided, Greta and I tried our best to keep messaging her but she really never responded so we kind of gave up. End of January we get a text from her, a picture of her and him she has an engagement ring on, “We’re engaged!” Greta and I respond with a Congrats! and a heart emoji, we’re super concerned but we have genuinely said all we can in that letter a little over a month before, so It didn’t feel right to say it again.
March she posts her “I said yes to the dress post” with Wills mom and his two sisters. She still doesn’t have any friends up where she lives so it makes sense for her to bring his family along. She didn’t message us about it, which is fair because we hadn’t been talking. We just thought they were getting eloped, because Greta has always said she wanted something small since she isn’t super close with her family (they’re not great).
So we left it there until last week I received an invitation in the mail to their wedding. Its this September on a Monday night.
Greta and I would have to pay around $500 each in order to even go to the wedding, calculating in airfare, shared rental car, shared hotel room, and that doesn’t even include, food, gas, wedding gift, etc. The two of us are not well of financially, we both live paycheck to paycheck so it would be really hard for us to go in general not to mention that the wedding is on a Monday night, so I have to take off extra days of work that I really don’t have. Same with my best friend, were in the same industry so wen have the same days off and all of that.
And I know it took us a while to get here but would we be the assholes if we decided not to attend her wedding?
TLDR: Best friend’s ex fiance tries to kill her in past relationship, she moves on two months later, her new partner moves in with her 3 weeks after dating. We go visit her and meet him, he’s go a lot of red flags, we tell our best friend, she distances herself and gets engaged weeks later. Invites us to her wedding in September that is also on a Monday. AWTA?
submitted by YesterdayOk9882 to TwoHotTakes [link] [comments]
Would we be the assholes if we didn’t attend our childhood best friends wedding?
There is a lot of context in this storyline so I’ll try to give a lot of detail. We start in January of 2023, my best friend, Greta(26F) and I(26F) get in contact with one of our childhood best friends, Laura (26F), and plan a visit to catch up on the past 10ish years that we’ve been apart. Laura moved away from our hometown when we were 15. Now Greta and I live about 2 hours from where Laura moved to when we were young, so we reached out and invited her and her fiancé Logan(26M) up to stay with us and hang out.
They come visit, we have such a great time, her fiancé was pretty quiet and distant the whole time, but the 3 of us together were big talkers so I just chalked it up to him not being able to get a word in and they left. In March they came back to visit again and announced to us that they were moving a few states away. We were really sad, but happy for them since they were getting to move somewhere that they’d wanted to be for a while. They were going to elope together after a few months but Logan had a university study abroad for a month in Japan so they were going to wait until after.
So, he leaves for Japan in May, and while he is away a girl reaches out to Laura from the college that Logan attends. This girl tells Laura that her friend had been getting really close with Logan, uncomfortably so and she wanted to give Laura a heads up that she thought they were romantically involved. Greta and I were worried but Laura brushed it off and said it was probably nothing, so Greta and I dropped it because we didn’t feel close enough to Laura to tell her we felt like she should look into it more.
Flash forward 2 weeks into Logan’s study abroad, he calls Laura at 5AM to let her know that he doesn’t think he wants to get married anymore. She’s distraught but has to go into work that morning and calls us after to let us know. We support her, you know he fucking sucks for doing that not only over the phone but right before she went into work, real shady. Greta and I are very worried about Laura because Laura really wants to make it work, but we still don’t say anything because we just want to be there for her.
He gets back and agrees to go to couples counseling, they do couples counseling for 2 weeks, during this time he repairs her car. Replaces a tire, breaks, oil change, the works, he’s been working with cars for a long time, so this was no biggie. Well after that two weeks, Laura comes home to all of Logan’s stuff packed and he tells her it’s over and he’s moving back home. He leaves. She’s devastated. We comfort her, come up and visit her, and tell her that she doesn’t need him and she slowly starts getting over him. Meanwhile she gives us A TON of context about her relationship with Logan. She paid for his college, he has had no job for the past 2 years while getting his degree, so she had been financially supporting them both. She paid for his trip to Japan, he put her in 20K of credit card debt, and more in personal loans, etc. Then in couples therapy told her he wasn’t attracted to her because she made money and he didn’t (so weird).
So immediately Greta and I are like, “Girl, we had a bad feeling, we wanted to tell you but didn’t want to upset you, we’re just glad you’re finally out of that mess”. She tells us that next time we should come to her and be honest with her, we apologize and agree. Then one day Laura calls us to tell us that she almost got into a really bad car accident. She lives in a mountainous area and her breaks went out on her when she was driving on the interstate on a hill, she managed to pull of into a grass median and slow the car down.
She gets the car towed to a mechanic that night and heads to work the next morning. Mechanic calls her midday. He asks he who worked on her car last, she said “My ex” and he said “Is he still in your life?” she said no. And he said “Good, Because I’ve never seen anything like this in my 20 years as a mechanic.” Her brake fluid hadn’t been connected so all the break fluid drained out. Her brake pads weren’t fastened/screwed in to the wheels, the were just placed in there. And he back tire bolts were stripped so hard that he said he tire probably would’ve come off had she kept driving.
Later that week, Logan asks to talk to her, she agrees only to get closure on the situation. Well he calls and begs her to get back together, she says no absolutely not. Then he asks” How’s the car?” She said, “Well I almost died last week”, he immediately jumped to the defensive “Well, that had nothing to do with me, I didn’t do anything” a very guilty response, so we were all convinced he tried to kill her. She filed a police report on him and started moving on. This is in July.
Now we move into part two of this debacle. My partner and I go up to visit her in September and she’s doing well on her own, she’s having fun, dating around, putting herself first, in therapy, just doing really well, were happy for her. She hasn’t really made any friends which is making her lonely but we were telling her to get involved in clubs and meet people, etc.
We leave our trip which was really fun and head back home. 2 weeks later, Laura says she’s met this really great guy, its almost October at this point, she’s gone on multiple dates with him and really likes him, were happy for her, still a bit concerned, but if she’s happy we’re happy. So Laura, Greta, and I plan a girls trip to come up and visit Laura for a long weekend. Laura wants us to vet this new guy, make sure he’s a good dude. She tells us she really values our input and so Greta and I are so excited to go on this trip with an open mind. November rolls around, one month before our trip and Laura announces that the new guy, we’ll call him Will (29M) has moved in with her, bringing his dog with him. Greta and I are a bit shocked but we didn’t say anything bc we’ve both done stuff like that before and Laura was struggling to keep up with rent on her own (she was still in the house that her ex fiancé left her in) so we knew she could use a roommate.
December is finally here and Greta and I hop on a plane and Will and Laura pick us up from the airport, first impression in the car was fine, he seemed nice, he drove us back to their place and we walk into the house. I come face to face with a completely different living room than I saw in September, all of Laura’s art and stuff are moved out of the living room replaced with the following: a giant poster of Elon Musk smoking a joint, a poster model of a rocket, a poster of Jesus riding a dinosaur with a machine gun. And a bookshelf full of Will’s books and Lego sets on display. Alarm bells are going off in my head and Greta’s at this point. We have a little conversation and because it’s late, we go to bed. We sleep in a room that outside of the house in the backyard, it has full heating so its basically just like a bedroom with a deadbolt. I double lock the dead bolts and we go to bed.
At 3am I’m woken up by Greta shaking me in a panic, asking me if I remembered to double deadbolt the door, I told her I did and that were okay and we both went back to sleep. When we woke up the next day, and she told me she had a weird feeling that he was gonna come in our room in the night. I agreed, and told her that was why I double dead bolted the door.
We go through our girls trip which ended up not being a girls trip at all, Will was by our side the entire time. Laura and he talked about looking at ENGAGEMENT RINGS, they bought a ring sizer, she was picking out her faves. He never let us have girl time except for one hour trip we took downtown to window shop. He would come sit in Greta and my room when we were talking with Laura, he would watch movies with us, he went everywhere with us. Not only that but in the middle of conversations, he would pull out his guitar and just start playing in the middle of us talking, or when we sat down to watch a movie. There is one bathroom in the house, and the main house part is very small about 650 square feet, my friend Greta has bathroom anxiety, she doesn’t like to poop in public places so she asked Laura and I if we would grab Will and the dog, and just go for a quick walk around the block while she used the bathroom. It was no biggie, so we got ready and went on a walk, we got 20 feet out the door and Will starts griping about how he doesn’t want to be outside and that Greta is a selfish pooper, and continues to complain the entire time were outside. We don’t even go for a walk, we stop at the corner of the street and just stand there because he doesn’t want to go any further.
At this point I’m annoyed with this guy, he just seems really controlling. To add to it, he didn’t want to go for a hike in the mountains, so Laura didn’t want to go so we ended up spending the entire weekend inside their house basically, even though we were in a beautiful area, and hiking is a group favorite, because he didn’t want to go. We didn’t. Also this is a personal anger of mine but I bought a dozen Krispy Kreme donuts (they were $18, which is crazy) and he ate EIGHT OF THEM. it pissed me off so bad, I had to hide the box that night just so I had 1 donut left over in the morning. Anyway onto the big finale.
Our last night there we finished up watching a movie and the events that unfold all happen within 3 minutes, keep that in mind. Laura had taken an edible so she was pretty out of it, like laying on top of the dog, whispering, just all around sounding really tired. Will says hes gonna take her to bed and Greta and I say were gonna get ready for bed in the bathroom. Bedroom and bathroom are five steps fro each other. I brush my teeth and use the bathroom while Greta is brushing hers and then I walk out of the bathroom and tell Greta that I’m grabbing my stuff to head over to our outside bedroom. I grab my bag from the kitchen counter, which is right next to their bedroom door. The bedroom door is open so I say goodnight to both of them and tell Greta I’ll see her in a sec, she’s just finishing up. Maybe 45 seconds pass and I’m waiting in our bedroom when I get 3 texts from Greta “OH MY GOD” “HELP” “HOLY SHIT”, Greta comes running out of the house, slamming the back door, and I run up to her.
She tells me that they were loudly having sex in their bedroom with the door open, mind you the bathroom is 5 steps from the bedroom. the kitchen counter is right next to the bedroom and Greta had to walk over to it to grab her stuff.
We are freaked the fuck out at this point not only was it super disrespectful but Greta was super affected by it, which who wouldn’t be it was disturbing. Because mere moments before Laura went to bed she was so high. And I smoke regularly so I know what it looks like when someone is super high and I hadn’t gotten that high in a long time. She was very out of it. So this really bothered us both.
The next day, were ready to go home, we get to the airport where they drop us off and once the two of us are in the airport we both look at each other and both just say “that was horrible”, we both felt like the entire trip we had a bad feeling about him and didn’t want to ruin the vibes of the trip so we just didn’t say anything about it. So were sitting in the terminal writing down a list of all the red flags, all the instances where he gave us a bad feeling. And overall just as a person he gave us a really bad feeling. Just gross, nasty, icky feeling. Not sure how to describe it well but I just knew something was off and Greta said she felt the same.
Laura had asked us to give our opinion on what we thought of him so we drafted up a letter to her, with key moments and points that we felt were big signs that he may not be a good guy. It includes everything we went over in this story, I didn’t want to supply to much of our opinion on the situation but I know that my bias comes out in this story a bit.
We wrote to her, and she responded to us with basically “I appreciate your concern, I will take your opinions into consideration” Its worth it to note that they were talking about getting engaged in March of 2024 (It is Early December 2023 at this point) and in our letter we told her that she should give their relationship more time, and get to know him better before they get engaged.
Our relationship with her after that became very one sided, Greta and I tried our best to keep messaging her but she really never responded so we kind of gave up. End of January we get a text from her, a picture of her and him she has an engagement ring on, “We’re engaged!” Greta and I respond with a Congrats! and a heart emoji, we’re super concerned but we have genuinely said all we can in that letter a little over a month before, so It didn’t feel right to say it again.
March she posts her “I said yes to the dress post” with Wills mom and his two sisters. She still doesn’t have any friends up where she lives so it makes sense for her to bring his family along. She didn’t message us about it, which is fair because we hadn’t been talking. We just thought they were getting eloped, because Greta has always said she wanted something small since she isn’t super close with her family (they’re not great).
So we left it there until last week I received an invitation in the mail to their wedding. Its this September on a Monday night.
Greta and I would have to pay around $500 each in order to even go to the wedding, calculating in airfare, shared rental car, shared hotel room, and that doesn’t even include, food, gas, wedding gift, etc. The two of us are not well of financially, we both live paycheck to paycheck so it would be really hard for us to go in general not to mention that the wedding is on a Monday night, so I have to take off extra days of work that I really don’t have. Same with my best friend, were in the same industry so wen have the same days off and all of that.
And I know it took us a while to get here but would we be the assholes if we decided not to attend her wedding?
TLDR: Best friend’s ex fiance tries to kill her in past relationship, she moves on two months later, her new partner moves in with her 3 weeks after dating. We go visit her and meet him, he’s go a lot of red flags, we tell our best friend, she distances herself and gets engaged weeks later. Invites us to her wedding in September that is also on a Monday. AWTA?