Letter to decline an invitation to bid template

Political Compass Memes

2017.01.22 00:23 donotblockthebox Political Compass Memes

Political Compass Memes
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2015.05.08 15:09 rayshinn NativeScript - Build Truly Native Mobile Apps with Angular, Vue.js, TypeScript, and JavaScript

NativeScript is a free and open source framework for building truly native mobile apps with standards-based JavaScript and CSS. NativeScript enables developers to build truly native iOS and Android apps while sharing the application code across the platforms. Use Angular, Vue.js, TypeScript, or JavaScript.
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2010.02.01 01:29 livingdead Peace Corps

Your subreddit for all things Peace Corps. With updated information and valuable input from a diverse and active community of PCV redditors. The content of this website does not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Government, the Peace Corps, or any host government.
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2024.05.16 18:07 BiryaniEater10 CMV: Men and women cannot be close friends.

Men and women should respect each other, but they should not be close friends. The issue does not come from attraction alone, though that is part of the reasoning, but the attractions of the majority of people, especially men, combined with the existing gender norms in society prevent men and women from being friends.
First off, the people who say, but bisexuals exist, so somehow men and women have to be able to be friends is missing the point. Societal norms don't care about who you, I, or any individual is attracted to. There are many women I am not attracted to, on top of the occasional man I am attracted to. This does not change social norms.
What I mean by this is that if I see a woman sitting at the cafe or doing work, regardless of my attraction or lack of it, and I tell her she looks nice and try to start a conversation or more relevantly, even try to start a conversation normally without compliments, she will assume that I am hitting on her. Even more so if she was just sitting somewhere in public and I did this.
Likewise, if I gel well with a woman in grad school or college, or say we met at like a volunteer group or something, and I say "let's meet for some snacks," she is going to assume that a) this is a date or b) I want to woo her so we can go on dates in the future.
And it makes no sense to avoid these norms entirely. Should we say that we should not have single sex bathrooms or religious private schools because people in those settings may still be attracted to each other. Of course not, because it's not about making sure zero people are around those they're attracted to
If I do any of these things with a guy, he's not at all going to assume I'm hitting on him. He may be interested in the conversation/1 on 1 meting, or he may not be
Also, there is a reason why anyone in a monogamous heterosexual relationship is expected to always decline an invitation from an opposite sex person to hang out. It's not because of cheating. If it was cheating, then your partner would probably hide them from you entirely. The reason is respect and boundaries.
Partners need to be within certain boundaries to show respect. A lot of times, especially men, when someone is specifically seeking to hang with someone of the opposite sex one on one, it is because they are attracted to them but understand that they are not interested, so they intend to "orbit," basically enjoying their presence because it won't go further than that.
When you're in a committed relationship, you need to politely reject someone who's likely into you from even hanging out with you. "Friendzoning" them is not enough. And a lot of times this ends up being true of women who are in relationships with male orbiters.
submitted by BiryaniEater10 to changemyview [link] [comments]

2024.05.16 18:04 Superteletubbies64 [H] Choice May, Metroidvania Mania, FUNgeon Crawler and more [W] Paypal EU, Lego Harry Potter Years 1-4, 5-7, Fallout 3 & 4 GOTY, New Vegas Ultimate, Justice Sucks, Sea of Stars, Knuckle Sandwich, Birth, Grindstone, Melatonin,Strayed Lights, Maglam Lord, Vanaris Tactics, Viscerafest

Looking primarily for Paypal EU offers. If you're not from EU I will only sell if you cover the paypal fees and pay in EUR instead of your native currency. I do not have a specific price for any games atm, I'm open to offers. Aside from games listed in the title I'm not very interested in offers for new games atm, even wishlisted ones
If it has "may keep" I have minor interest in the game and will likely decline any offers for it. I'd prefer to trade away games I have no interest in or own already. If I redeem it i'll remove it from the list.
DO NOT send me a chat invite before having agreed on a trade in the comments. I do not check chat often and it's a rule to not send a chat invite before commenting anyway.
If this post is more than 24-48 hours old it might not be up to date and you should check the latest trading post or my full list of tradables to see if the game(s) you want are still there.
Full wishlist here: https://barter.vg80b7/w/
My full list of tradables: https://barter.vg80b7/t/
Asterisk means region lock, ask if interested, the region lock varies depending on the game
NEW:
SOME NEW STUFF FROM OLD BUNDLES NOT SURE WHAT I WANT TO KEEP YET:
///////////////////
GOG keys
MAY KEEP (significantly less likely to accept offer for unless I desperately want the game you're offering)
https://www.reddit.com/IGSRep/comments/p7k848/superteletubbies64s_igs_rep_page/
submitted by Superteletubbies64 to GameTrade [link] [comments]

2024.05.16 18:04 Superteletubbies64 [H] Choice May, Metroidvania Mania, FUNgeon Crawler and more [W] Paypal EU, Lego Harry Potter Years 1-4, 5-7, Fallout 3 & 4 GOTY, New Vegas Ultimate, Justice Sucks, Sea of Stars, Knuckle Sandwich, Birth, Grindstone, Melatonin,Strayed Lights, Maglam Lord, Vanaris Tactics, Viscerafest

Looking primarily for Paypal EU offers. If you're not from EU I will only sell if you cover the paypal fees and pay in EUR instead of your native currency. I do not have a specific price for any games atm, I'm open to offers. Aside from games listed in the title I'm not very interested in offers for new games atm, even wishlisted ones
If it has "may keep" I have minor interest in the game and will likely decline any offers for it. I'd prefer to trade away games I have no interest in or own already. If I redeem it i'll remove it from the list.
DO NOT send me a chat invite before having agreed on a trade in the comments. I do not check chat often and it's a rule to not send a chat invite before commenting anyway.
If this post is more than 24-48 hours old it might not be up to date and you should check the latest trading post or my full list of tradables to see if the game(s) you want are still there.
Full wishlist here: https://barter.vg80b7/w/
My full list of tradables: https://barter.vg80b7/t/
Asterisk means region lock, ask if interested, the region lock varies depending on the game
NEW:
SOME NEW STUFF FROM OLD BUNDLES NOT SURE WHAT I WANT TO KEEP YET:
///////////////////
GOG keys
MAY KEEP (significantly less likely to accept offer for unless I desperately want the game you're offering)
https://www.reddit.com/IGSRep/comments/p7k848/superteletubbies64s_igs_rep_page/
submitted by Superteletubbies64 to indiegameswap [link] [comments]

2024.05.16 18:03 Superteletubbies64 [H] Choice May, Metroidvania Mania, FUNgeon Crawler and more [W] Paypal EU, Lego Harry Potter Years 1-4, 5-7, Fallout 3 & 4 GOTY, New Vegas Ultimate, Justice Sucks, Sea of Stars, Knuckle Sandwich, Birth, Grindstone, Melatonin,Strayed Lights, Maglam Lord, Vanaris Tactics, Viscerafest

Looking primarily for Paypal EU offers. If you're not from EU I will only sell if you cover the paypal fees and pay in EUR instead of your native currency. I do not have a specific price for any games atm, I'm open to offers. Aside from games listed in the title I'm not very interested in offers for new games atm, even wishlisted ones
If it has "may keep" I have minor interest in the game and will likely decline any offers for it. I'd prefer to trade away games I have no interest in or own already. If I redeem it i'll remove it from the list.
DO NOT send me a chat invite before having agreed on a trade in the comments. I do not check chat often and it's a rule to not send a chat invite before commenting anyway.
If this post is more than 24-48 hours old it might not be up to date and you should check the latest trading post or my full list of tradables to see if the game(s) you want are still there.
Full wishlist here: https://barter.vg80b7/w/
My full list of tradables: https://barter.vg80b7/t/
Asterisk means region lock, ask if interested, the region lock varies depending on the game
NEW:
SOME NEW STUFF FROM OLD BUNDLES NOT SURE WHAT I WANT TO KEEP YET:
///////////////////
GOG keys
MAY KEEP (significantly less likely to accept offer for unless I desperately want the game you're offering)
https://www.reddit.com/IGSRep/comments/p7k848/superteletubbies64s_igs_rep_page/
submitted by Superteletubbies64 to SteamGameSwap [link] [comments]

2024.05.16 17:55 MissChokola AITH for not attending my fathers birthday because my Cat died

Little backstory:
Me (36F) and my Father had never had really a relationship. Since my brother (34M) was born i was kind of invisible to him. His whole focus was on my brother (I don't blame him for that because he never wanted to be in that position). It got up to a point i heard him say that he wished for a boy as his firstborn šŸ˜­. He never done anything with me (like go to playground etc.) He made cool stuff with my brother and when I want to attend he always said that i could not come because its a "boys thing". Over the years I tried to get his attention and tried to speak to him ect., but never got what I wanted ( just a little girl wanted to feel loved and appreciate by her Father). Over the years i felt so belittled because of his mindset of women are stay at-home moms and fathers go work....and so on. (No hate for stay-at Home Moms, i habe a huge respect for them), but up to your teen years it has a huge impact on you. I grew up, parents divorced and had a long time no contact. The way my childhood went made a huge impact on my mental health (No Selflove, No self respect, difficulties with relationships...).
During my first Depression i talked about that stuff with my therapist and decided to write im a letter about my feelings etc.
Long Story Short: We kind of keept in contact and ended up meeting a few times. Back to Topic šŸ˜¬
I have a major depression since almost a year now (just for context). In May 2023 he invited me to his birthday party in January 2024( His actual birthday is in December). I wanted to come.
Fast Forward to 2 Day before the party, my Cat of 19 years died. (She was my baby, she helped me through everything, teenage years, the thing with father not only the relationship but also he being abusive towards my mother and him beeing an alcoholic, the bullying i had to suffer until i was 18).
So because she was my everything it was and still is hard for me that she died. The day she was put to sleep i could see her for the last time and say goodbye. I cried alot that day. The next day was also bad. I messaged him that i will not attend because of the fact that she did and i was in a terrible condition. He saw my message and never answerd me. I think he is mad about the fact that i would not attend and just told him one day in advance. And i totally can understand that but he could at least say something like oh im so sorry about the loss (He was the one who brought her home as a surprise)
I found it kind of rude at that day, but never tried to talk to him afterwards. I was so pissed and i decided that it was no good thing to let him in my life in the first place, because he made everything more worse.
Now im second guessing myself because some people are supportive of my desicion (because for the first time i decided to do something for myself and not be a people pleaser) and others say that I am the AH (because hes probably hurt about the fact that i did not come in the first place).
Sorry for the long text and excuse my English, because it is not my first language.
So AITH for not attending my fathers birthday because my cat died?
submitted by MissChokola to AITAH [link] [comments]

2024.05.16 17:27 AffectionateFox8001 How my boomer MIL got herself uninvited from my son's graduation

Hello fellow potatoes! And to the potato queen herself, girl, you're amazing!!! I just found your channel a few months ago, but I'm a huge fan. I don't have a lot of time for videos, but when I do get to watch, I watch yours.
Have I got a boomemil story for you! Let's go on an adventure...warning...I tell stories with rabbit holes and tangents. This is probably gonna be too long. I'm sorry!!!
So, the characters are me (40f), boomer MIL (64f BM for short, like bowel movement bc she's caca), my oldest son, (17m), and my church "mom" (65f CM for short).
A little background: BM thinks she's an awesome mom and grandma even though she's not. She uses my kids as facebook props to show off how "wonderful" she is. The only reason she was around my kids so often was because we went to the same church. She lived 10 minutes down the road from us, but could never be bothered to come over or have anything to do with any of us is if we didn't initiate. She has always said that if we ever try to threaten to keep our kids away from her, like if we were having a disagreement, that she would not fight to see them. We've never threatened to keep our kids from her, she just wanted us to know that she didn't give a sh!t to see her gandkids. So, that tells you right there, that she's a grandma when it's convenient for her.
She's of the boomer mentality that mental health issues are made up and aren't real. "You have nothing to be depressed about." "Just snap out if it." "Just be happy." You get the point. I struggle with depression, I always have. She doesn't understand or even try to understand and is the least empathetic person I've ever met.
When I get overwhelmed, I get depressed, and I start shutting down. My plate is overflowing right now. Between the end of the school year and the possibility of us moving states, I've been overwhelmed. My oldest is a senior and the last month of senior year is crazy busy. I have another child (11m) in public school and this is his last year of elementary school, so this has been an extremely busy month for him. I have 3 more kids that do online public school/homeschool. So, they're home all day with online classes, but since they're a public school, they have mandatory state testing just like regular public school. I have had to take them to do state testing on 4 different days overyhe last few weeks and the meeting place was 45 minutes from home, at a conference room in a mall. I also babysit 3 kids (1m, 4m, 4f), so hanging out for 4 to 5 hours a day on 4 different days with a shitload of kids at the f#cking mall was not easy. Not to mention the positions and "jobs" that I hold at church. To say I'm busy is an understatement.
We've been planning on moving for the last few months because a position at my husband's work is coming open near where he grew up, which is in another state. His parents recently moved back to their hometown after my FIL retired, so one reason for the move would be to be closer to them. They are getting older, so I would be taking care of them once they needed it, so moving closer seemed like a great option. Also, it's a lower COL area than we live in now. Currently we live in the metro area of a capital city and we would be moving to a middle of nowhere po'dunk town.
Told you, rabbit holes, thanks for still being with me!!!
And this is just the straw that broke the camel's back, this is not the only reason for my decision.
So, to the actual story...
Last week, I got a mother's day card in the mail from BM. She's a dollar tree card fanatic. It was a very typical card that she sends me. Nothing handwritten except for "love, grandma and grandpa." This is what she writes in all my cards. (Another tangent...last year my mom passed a month before mother's day and that actual mother's day was her and my dad's anniversary. And I had a super complicated relationship with my momster. So, it was an exceptionally hard day for me. The card she got me said "Daughter" in huge letters on the front. I thought it was so incredibly passive aggressive and completely inappropriate for that year. If it would've been any other year, it would've been fine. Also, she never gets me cards that just say "daughter" so, to me, it was a low blow.) (Yet another tangent...she does passive aggressive crap all the time, for instance when she used to do fb birthday posts, she would always ask me to send her a pic to post. I'm picky about what pics are used and she knows that. Last year, I sent her a great pic of me and her son to use. So, she used one from about 12 years ago that looked like absolute poop. It was a surprise pic, so like not even posed, stupid look on my face. No matter what pic I send, and usually send like 3, she uses a completely different one that doesn't even look good.) I got the card last Tuesday. Hubby happened to be talking to her while driving home from work that day, so when he got home, I thanked her for the card and just wanted to give her a heads up that I hadn't gotten a chance to mail hers yet because of everything I had going on. I kinda broke down and was sharing how I felt and she basically just said, "suck it up, it'll be fine." She's always been dismissive of my feelings, always.
So, my CM is the sweetest lady you'll ever meet. She listens to me, lets me share my feelings without being dismissive, and actually shows she cares. I see her twice weekly at church, and text with her during the week. Since BM has moved 8 moths ago, she has called or texted "just to talk or check in on us" less than a handful of times. She only calls/texts when she needs something or on a special occasion. She called my husband to ask about something, not just to talk. I understand now why the oldest grandson, my nephew, didn't even bother to invite her to his and his girlfriend's baby shower where he proposed. She thinks she's an amazing grandma bc she sends birthday money in a card and posts their pics on Facebook. And, she even stopped posting the kids birthday messages on fb bc she said it was "too much trouble." So, she just sticks to her 30 daily inspirational Bible quotes posts. She's the type that was so pissed off that both of her kids went with courthouse marriages instead of going into debt for a wedding because she didn't get to walk down the aisle at her kids' weddings and post pics on fb. She's mentioned this several times, but definitely wasn't even willing to spend a dime towards a wedding that no one wanted except her. She was also unwilling to take a day off work to go to the courthouse with us. With both of her kids' marriages, the kids and partners were together for a while and had kids before getting married, so spending tons of money on a huge wedding for either of us couples wouldn't have been the best way to spend money.
On mother's day, I gave my CM a card with a few lines written in it about how amazing she is and how I'm so grateful for her. I'm way closer to her than BM. CM is my chosen family and to me, your chosen family is the one that means more because you chose them, you didn't just get stuck with them. My blood family is incredibly toxic, so I stick with my chosen family. CM made a fb post with all that she got for mother's day. It was gifts and cards from her own children, and of course my card as well. CM & BM are fb friends, so of course BM saw it. Also, BM has everyone convinced she's this sweet, little old church lady, but she is far from it.
So, this Tuesday she got her cards in the mail. I always give her one from hubby and myself, and a separate one from our boys. I wrote a nice little note in it. Not long, a line or 2, but it was more effort than she put into my card. She sent me and hubby the following in a group text...
Copy and pasted, only edited out names.
"Got my cards in the mail today. šŸ˜­. They were post marked Saturday. You could of kept them til I got there or next year. It's like yall bought them Saturday, wrote a few words and rushed to get them to post office. My heart šŸ’”broken. I thought I deserved better. I wish I could send pictures of my card verses [CM] šŸ˜© card. I couldnt tell which gift was yours. But least I have a year to try do better and be worthy of such wonderful words of love and praise that was written to her.
I don't mean to complain or seem ungrateful but I wished you hadn't mailed them.šŸ˜­šŸ˜­. I can't explain how crushed I am.šŸ˜” Anyway hopefully I will see yall on the 20th."
Note: my oldest son is graduating on the 20th. She was supposed to drive down and spend the night with us to attend the graduation. I honestly believe she picked this fight because she doesn't want to drive the 6 hours down here.
If you "don't mean to complain or seem ungrateful" then why tf did you send it? I asked my husband what was his initial reaction and he said, "Really?!? All she had to do was say thanks."
So, after I talked to my husband and oldest son (I wanted to make sure everyone was on board with what I was saying before I sent it) , I sent her this response:
"I mailed them on Friday, I bought them several weeks ago. I told you I hadn't mailed them yet because I've been in a deep depression and you dismissed my feelings like always. I have real, valid feelings and you always dismissed them as silly. And come after me because now you're feelings are hurt. Wow, ok. The absolute audacity. And it's not just with your cards that I'm slacking. It's with everything. Because I have depression. I'm overwhelmed on top of that and literally the only thing you care about is a card. I tried to express my feelings the other day on the phone and you dismissed them like you always do. I know things will be fine, but in this moment they are not and you don't get that. Because you don't understand how or why I feel the way I do, then my feelings are silly or invalid to you.
And I never gave [CM] a present. Don't know why you thought that.
Don't worry about coming down on the 20th."
She replies by trying to blackmail me;
"Well my am so sorry I said anything. I never realized you thought that about me. I never dismissed your depression but yes i never knew what to do for you. I am not going to go back and forth about this. I will text [son] and let him know you told me not to come."
She's not sorry to me for being dismissive, she's sorry because now she doesn't get her "Proud MeMe moment" and can't post pictures of her at his graduation on fb. And even if she didn't "know what to do" for me, all she had to do was ask. Or listen. Or give a damn hug. But, no, she just dismissed me bc to her depression isn't real. And she's not going back and forth bc she knows shes wrong! Little did she know that I had already cleared it with hubby and son before sending the text, so I think she thought it would make me look bad to my oldest son that I told her no to come. Oldest son said, "I'm neutral, I don't care if she comes or not. It's not like she's had anything to do with us since she moved, and barely had anything to do with us when she was here."
So, my last text to her said, "He knows. I asked him before I texted you, and he's good with it."
All she had to do was say thanks or not even say anything at all. But, no, she had to say something stupid. Even her own son said that she's lucky she even got a card bc if it was up to him, her actual son, she wouldn't have gotten anything. So, not only is she not invited to the graduation, she's never welcome in my home again. The great part is I don't have to share my holidays with her ever again!!! And please know that I'd never keep her grandchildren from her, but if she wants a relationship with them, she'll have to put some effort in. And we all know boomers hate effort.
If you made it this far, thanks for reading my rant. I appreciate you my friends!
submitted by AffectionateFox8001 to CharlotteDobreYouTube [link] [comments]

2024.05.16 17:25 Euphoric_Extent_4979 How do I [36M] communicate to my wife [31M] that her relationship with her brother [30M] is damaging our marriage, and my career?

Before I dive in, know that I love my wife and I want to fix this. Iā€™m posting in RelationshipAdvice for a reason. It will be a lot, but please donā€™t read it like an AITA post and pass judgment. I need some honest advice, and Iā€™m miles away from my real-life support network.
The TL; DR is that my wife has (re)developed a bunch of conversational habits from hanging out with her brother. These habits leave me feeling excluded, stressed, and are messing with my work. Trying to address them has opened a whole can of worms, mainly that my wife hates my entire problem-solving style.
Iā€™m keeping details vague in case she stumbles upon this post. Please, if you think my story doesnā€™t add up, or you think you know where I am and want to offer real estate advice or whatever, keep it to yourself.
We got hitched and moved in together right before before Covid hit. Started off great, but after six months of lockdowns and masks, we realized we could live anywhere in the country without paying through the nose for coastal housing. For context: I work in tech, and my wife is a performer. We met in a bar, and honestly, Covid was the wake-up call that my career hadnā€™t lived up to my potential, probably due to alcohol. So I accepted the reality that maybe my career isnā€™t going where I hoped, and isnā€™t likely to ā€“ and instead of chasing after it, we should downsize our expenses. I counted my blessings for having a wonderful wife instead.
I negotiated permanent remote work. We aimed to move to the low-cost state she grew up in. Her brother, who I like way more than my own family, hooked us up with a place to rent near his house. Bigger than we needed, but I was okay with it because it had space for a home office. We boxed up our lives into a truck and moved.
Hereā€™s where it gets complicated. My wife has always been talkative, and she can be pretty dang loud. Not sure how much of this I didnā€™t fully realize before. When we were dating, we only saw each other a couple of days a week, and in our first place together, we never had visitors thanks to the pandemic. But when she's with her brother, she talks like she's trying to command a room full of first-graders. She also doesnā€™t adjust her volume when sheā€™s close to me. I have tinnitus, and she has literally made my ears ring by talking while leaning on me
Next up. I feel like a jerk saying this, given what I know about the word ā€˜shrillā€™, but hear me out. If the two of us are in the same room, sheā€™ll use a tone of voice that seems intended to be impossible to ignore.
Third, if I try to join the conversation, my wife will interrupt me and steamroll right over me. Part of this is because she has a strange conversational rhythm where she seems to be done talking but then BAM! She jumps back in at an even higher volume, after the pause. So if you think itā€™s your turn to speak, you get interrupted. She does this even when no one else is talking. She will interrupt me to finish my sentences, nearly always incorrectly. She will interrupt me to tell me Iā€™m wrong about something, ruining my flow. She will interrupt me to take over telling a story, telling it worse by missing key facts and rambling at higher speed.
Fourth, she doesn't seem to organize her thoughts before speaking. At all. Couple with what I just mentioned, you've got her cutting off anyone who dares to chime in until she's ā€œtalked outā€ the subject with everything she can think of. By then, everyone else is bored and over being interrupted when they try to jump in. So, the topic just fizzles out, and she covers that up with nervous laughter.
Fifth, if I try to ask questions to follow along, she gets mad that Iā€™m interrupting her or ruining her flow. So Iā€™ve given up on questions. If I lose track, I either catch up or I donā€™t. I canā€™t zone out because of her volume and tone.
Sixth, after sheā€™s been around her brother, she maintains this kind of conversational energy when itā€™s just us. Her brother can be just as loud, and raises his voice and talks over her right back in the moment. But when weā€™re in any group that does not include my wife, heā€™s back to an energy I can converse with. She does not switch back, not unless she hasnā€™t seen him for at least a week.
Seventh, their parentsā€™ first language isnā€™t English, and they immediately switch to it as soon as I leave the room. If you know the language I mean, it makes every conversation sound like a fight. I figure, if theyā€™re not including me anyway, why talk in English while Iā€™m around? Why canā€™t I just leave you guys to talk? No, because then my wife gets mad that Iā€™m a bad host, that I ā€œhateā€ her brother, or calls me a ā€œrude teenagerā€.
Eighth, 90% of their what they talk about are their opinions, mostly of family members, reality TV, or random AITA stuff. They just keep regurgitating the same views about people, social issues, capitalism, America, over and over. When I do get to throw in my two cents, they often react with anger. It feels like a low-effort bonding activity: like weā€™re constantly reaffirming the group values ā€“ and verbally punishing transgression ā€“ rather than discuss anything new. Her brother isnā€™t like this away from her.
However I slice this, itā€™s incongruent. If they want me involved by speaking English, why not let me chime in? If they think they're entertaining me, why not make sure I'm following? And if I'm supposed to zone out, why use a tone and volume that's impossible to ignore?
The impression I get is that my wife thinks my role is to be her passive audience, plain and simple.
Thereā€™s more about my job, but first, how Iā€™ve failed to address this so far.
First, the loudness. According to both of them ā€˜thatā€™s just the way we are,ā€™ so it ainā€™t changing.
I havenā€™t addressed the tone, I canā€™t figure out how to without starting a fight.
Interruptions. My wife has had four levels of reactions when I have brought this up. First, she straight-up ignores it. Second, she acknowledges it, but with an eye roll like I'm just being petty. Third is to get mad, call me an asshole, or accuse me of silencing her. Fourth, she blows up and yells all kinds of crap (ā€œyouā€™re evil,ā€ ā€œyou just hate my brother,ā€ and incongruently, ā€œyou two are douche-bros togetherā€), which after sheā€™ll say she didnā€™t mean. Sheā€™ll then start crying about losing me, or even making her brother hate her. Sheā€™ll make me swear to keep reminding her. But in the moment, when sheā€™s not upset, sheā€™s back to eye rolling.
Rambling. My wifeā€™s response is that I do the exact same thing, and that when I do it, itā€™s extremely boring. What she means is that if Iā€™m excited by or trying to explain anything technical, she tunes out as soon as she hears a word she doesnā€™t understand, and stares right through my head until I stop talking. Apparently, this is ā€˜politeā€™. Asking questions, saying I'm not interested? Just rude.
How she changes her behavior around her brother. Raising it makes her mad. She has straight-up told me, ā€œI will always pick my brother over you.ā€ In her more honest moments, sheā€™s admitted the thought of me developing a beef with her brother is one of her worst nightmares, so her anger is really for of that outcome, directed at me. She gets that this is counterproductive, sometimes. But this conversation is tough.
Switching in English. They forget this and slip back to ā€˜politenessā€™ rules. I have to be careful how I word ā€˜I have no interest in this conversationā€™ or ā€˜You donā€™t need to talk in Englishā€™ or they both say Iā€™m rude and get mad.
My wife has also said she hates the way I solve relationship problems, calling it ā€˜patronizing hippy crapā€™. For instance, I ask people what their goal is in saying or doing certain thing (ā€œWhatā€™s your intention in talking so loud?ā€). This immediately makes my wife mad, like she thinks Iā€™m playing sociology professor and using brains to outsmart her. Thing is, she will say a LOT of things she doesnā€™t mean in an argument, and I tend to take things literally, so I need to check that she doesnā€™t actually mean ā€œYouā€™re evilā€, otherwise the argument escalates for other reasons.
I feel like she retaliates for feeling like Iā€™m trying to impose some kind of intellectual superiority over her by trying to impose some kind of ā€œsocial intelligenceā€ superiority over me. ā€œOf course people donā€™t mean everything they say in fucking arguments, are you retarded?ā€. Sheā€™ll misinterpret what Iā€™m saying in a way that implies Iā€™m real dumb, then moves the conversation on before I can defend myself. All of which is exacerbated by how her habits push me out of the conversation.
Onto work problems. My job requires two things from me: hard problem-solving which needs long periods of uninterrupted focus, and rapid incident response. Being interrupted/talked to while Iā€™m deep in work disrupts both of those. Neither my wife nor her brother (whoā€™s a contractor) stick to regular office hours, and they both like to knock back a few during the day. Now, I have no issue with that, but I do have a problem when he comes over, starts drinking with my wife, they have loud conversations which I can hear from my office. Often from one room to another.
My wife doesnā€™t appreciate me complaining about this since she ā€œshould be free to enjoy her own homeā€ and I ā€œcan easily get another job.ā€ Iā€™ve tried explaining to her that no, I canā€™t easily get a job that pays the same in this state. Either Iā€™d have to hunt for increasingly scarce remote work, or weā€™d need to suck up downsizing and potentially moving away from her brother. She refuses to entertain any of this.
Things have improved slightly since I started composing this post, but only after a chaotic incident. She stormed into my office to look for something, mid-argument with her brother. In frustration, I took off for a drive to clear my head. Of course, there was an incident while I was out, I missed the notification, and got written up for it.
Iā€™ve tried talking to her brother one-on-one. Heā€™s a realist. Rent a private office, and get ourselves into couples therapy. My objection is straightforward: the cost of commuting, office rent, couples therapy (no cheaper here, lower quality by all accounts), on top of our current expenses, exceed what we were paying before we moved. All this because my wife won't adjust her behavior to accommodate my needs, or respect my job.
They often invite me to drink with them during lunch and sometimes suggest blowing off the rest of the day. Despite my repeated refusals, they persist, considering it polite. I find it rude and disrespectful to keep pushing. They've even labeled me as "boringā€. But what really grinds my gears is when they invite me out and I decline, they think they've got a right to grill me about why. A few times, when I've had enough of their pestering, Iā€™ll state my position more firmly, and then theyā€™ll get real mad that Iā€™m being ā€œjudgmentalā€, and think Iā€™m better than them. So now if they invite me anywhere, I just shut it down with a simple "no" and zero explanation. Which bugs them, but at least it keeps the peace.
There are a ton of other emergent/secondary annoyances I could get into, but let's cap it at three.
One, since Iā€™ve said theyā€™re both being hypocritical about me being ā€˜judgmentalā€™ (even though I wasnā€™t) in refusing to join their plans, when the majority of their conversations are judging other people: it has become a game to them to point out every time they think Iā€™m a hypocrite. I answered my wife from another room once. She brings it up as my ā€˜hypocrisyā€™ whenever I mention sheā€™s yelling to her brother in another room, and sheā€™s right next to me.
I think itā€™s different: her yelling in the house upsets me, but my ā€˜hypocrisyā€™, she enjoys that. We arenā€™t trading vices. If I realize Iā€™m upsetting my wife, I stop doing whatever it is thatā€™s upsetting her. She seems to be telling me that she doesnā€™t care to adjust her behavior to stop upsetting me. And that the real problem is that I keep talking about it, rather than just quietly suffering through it.
Two I've likely developed obnoxious habits just to maintain some space in conversations with my wife, such as speaking louder to overcome interruptions.
Three, my wife will talk to me at any time, without paying any attention to what Iā€™m doing or even whether Iā€™m wearing noise-cancelling headphones. Sheā€™ll interrupt me whilst Iā€™m holding a mop, vacuum, trash bag to remind me to mop, vacuum, or take out the trash. Sheā€™ll interrupt me while Iā€™m tackling a chore to give me instructions. I don't understand them, she'll take over, do it the exact same way I was, then huff about it. Sheā€™ll interrupt me whilst Iā€™m getting ready to remind me to take my wallet, throwing off my train of thought and making me forget what I was looking for. Which Iā€™ll then forget. Sheā€™ll interrupt me while driving, for random observations (ā€˜look, a cute dog!ā€™) no matter how many times I tell her itā€™s dangerous.
Itā€™s hard to explain how much more restrictive this makes my life feel. I avoid tasks that will take over 20 minutes unless my wife is out. My wife and brother both mock me for traits (lousy memory, lack of focus, disorganization) which they exacerbate with their behavior.
When my wife is away from her brother, she returns to her usual self, the woman I fell for.
My gut tells me her family has a toxic way of communicating (the rest of her family are borderline abusive), and she learnt to tone down of those tendencies while away from them. She is more at ease with that way of speaking with her brother, and she falls back to it with him ā€“ and is trying to force me to adapt to it. Thereā€™s probably a side order of some history of feeling sidelined in male-dominated groups, so sheā€™s acting out on that trauma and making sure out-talks us both. Sheā€™s got zero patience for boredom, which is why she butts in and wonā€™t take extra time to make sure I understand ā€“ and why she thinks my ā€˜long rantsā€™ are way longer and more boring than hers.
Her view is that conversations are boring unless people are excited, and excited people interrupt and talk over each other constantly. I hate that, because a conversation just feels like a constant fight to participate. Itā€™s draining and Iā€™d rather not socialize at all.
She describes the way Iā€™d rather talk ā€“ back and forth ā€“ as ā€œpompous, like you think youā€™re a king who canā€™t be interruptedā€.
I donā€™t have a support system here since everyone I know here is through them, and everyone back home still believes I successfully rode off into the sunset. So, Reddit, how do I better communicate my needs to my wife? Both to not lose my job, and to enjoy conversations with her?
submitted by Euphoric_Extent_4979 to relationship_advice [link] [comments]

2024.05.16 17:25 digitalbleux Roaring Kitty's Tweets Deciphered 5/16

Roaring Kitty's Tweets Deciphered 5/16
Tweet 1 @ 9:00 AM
  1. Saw Doll saying "Would you like to play a game?":
    • Invitation to prepare for something strategic, indicating volatility and need for strategic moves.
  2. "Are you watching closely?":
    • Attention to details, something crucial is happening.
  3. Bruce Willis discussing the "Kansas City Shuffle":
    • Deceptive move where the real action is elsewhere, suggesting the drop is misleading or a precursor to something bigger.
  4. Empty airport chairs and "Kansas City Shuffle":
    • Setup for a surprise, indicating the drop is setting up for an unexpected move.
  5. "Made you look" from a hip hop video:
    • Reinforces that the marketā€™s current state is a distraction from the real opportunity.
Interpretation: Roaring Kitty implies that the current drop is part of a larger strategy or setup. He suggests staying alert and prepared for a possible turnaround or significant move in the opposite direction.
Impact on Chart: - Chart Context (9:00 AM): Price starts declining around $35.51. - Market Implication: The initial sharp drop could be the "inciting incident" leading to a larger strategic move.
Tweet 2 @ 9:15 AM
Components of the Tweet:
  1. Kill Bill scene with the protagonist surrounded by the Yakuza:
    • Dramatic tone indicating a high-pressure, high-stakes situation.
  2. Song Lyrics:
    • "No no no... No no no no" and "Nobody can do the shingling like I do... No one can do the shake, like I do..."
    • Suggests confidence and uniqueness, emphasizing that no one can handle the situation like Roaring Kitty (or his followers) can.
  3. Captions "Nobody like me":
    • Reinforces the idea of being uniquely capable or prepared for the current market turmoil.
Interpretation: Roaring Kitty is drawing a parallel between the intense standoff in the movie and the current market situation. Despite the surrounding chaos and pressure (the drop in GME's price), heā€™s expressing confidence in his ability (and that of his followers) to navigate and dominate the situation.
Impact on Chart: - Chart Context (9:15 AM): Price drops further to around $31.78. - Market Implication: This further decline represents intense pressure, but the confidence expressed suggests preparation for a rebound.
Tweet 3 @ 9:30 AM
Content: 1. Man speaking: - "Pay attention to what I say because I choose my words carefully and I never repeat myself." - Directive to focus and heed the message closely.
  1. Image of a cat peeking:
    • Followed by Indian music with the repeating words "Tayao Tayao".
    • The cat peeking symbolizes being vigilant and attentive to subtle cues or hidden messages.
Interpretation: Roaring Kitty is emphasizing the importance of closely analyzing the market conditions and his hints. The message is that the current situation requires careful observation and understanding, suggesting that there may be significant opportunities or pivotal moments that aren't immediately obvious. The repetition of "Tayao Tayao" and the peeking cat reinforce the need to look beyond the surface and stay alert for the real moves happening beneath the apparent chaos.
Impact on Chart: - Chart Context (9:30 AM): The price stabilizes around $32.52 after significant drops. - Market Implication: This stabilization could be the "calm before the storm," suggesting that attentive investors might soon see a major move, aligning with Roaring Kitty's emphasis on vigilance and strategic observation.
Overall summary
Context from Chart: - 9:00 AM: Price around $35.51, starting to decline. - 9:15 AM: Price drops further to around $31.78. - 9:30 AM: Price stabilizes around $32.52.
Breakdown of Tweets:
  1. 9:00 AM Tweet:
    • Content: Saw Doll: "Would you like to play a game?", "Are you watching closely?", Bruce Willis discusses the "Kansas City Shuffle", "Made you look".
    • Interpretation: This suggests a deceptive market move. The current drop might be a setup for a significant turnaround or surprise.
  2. 9:15 AM Tweet:
    • Content: Kill Bill scene with Yakuza, song lyrics emphasizing uniqueness ("Nobody can do... like I do"), "Nobody like me".
    • Interpretation: Amidst the chaos and pressure (sharp drop), Roaring Kitty is asserting confidence in his unique strategy and resilience.
  3. 9:30 AM Tweet:
    • Content: A man saying, "Pay attention to what I say because I choose my words carefully and I never repeat myself." Followed by an image of a cat peeking with Indian music ("Tayao Tayao").
    • Interpretation: This emphasizes the importance of carefully considering the current market situation and suggests there might be a hidden message or opportunity that requires close attention.
Overall Analysis: - 9:00 AM - 9:30 AM: The tweets collectively suggest that despite the sharp declines, there is a strategic depth to the current situation. Roaring Kitty is hinting at the potential for a rebound or significant move, encouraging his followers to stay attentive and not be misled by the immediate drops.
submitted by digitalbleux to GME [link] [comments]

2024.05.16 17:21 WhichRadio6124 Vave Casino - The Provision of Amazing Experience and Bonuses for All Gamers

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submitted by WhichRadio6124 to Casino_Slots [link] [comments]

2024.05.16 17:06 Accurate-Ask1581 Help with my SAP appeal please! Any tips?

Dear Financial Aid Appeal Committee,
Thank you for this opportunity to explain my disappointing semester as it does not reflect my true character. I faced difficulties during the Fall 2023 and Spring 2024 semesters that greatly impacted by academic standing.
In the Fall 2023 semester, I went through an intense family crisis, starting with my grandpa ernan whom I am very close with. He came to live in our home for some time and was very ill and battled with early stages of what we realized was dementia. I found myself taking care of my grandpa while my parents worked as he would have trouble doing things on his own and was sick all the time which was disheartening to see because I would worry, I had to deal with the fact that it was not going to get better and we would have to send him to his home country honduras soon in which we did and he is still sick and stable but not any better as we hoped.
Coping with the sickness and care for my grandpa, Shortly after, my brother, went through a tough time mentally that led him into alcoholism. In which we saw him changing erratically like we never seen before. I found myself growing increasingly sad and worried every day, it was all I could think about and it impacted my psychological well being because I felt hopeless and useless seeing that he refused professional help. I grew even more pressured being that this was my older brother and my parents looked at their younger daughter, me, like I was their only hope because I was in school and trying to get better but this would only make me worse. Being very close to my brother and grandpa, I prioritized supporting and caring for them over getting help for my mental health which resulted in my neglect of my academic responsibilities.
Despite still dealing with my mental health during spring semester i still held my determination to pass my classes with better grades and get off academic probation and prevailed. I take full accountability for my academic decline and I have taken positive steps to ensure my academic success moving forward. I took a learning strategies class spring semester and it helped me tremendously with studying tips. I am already in contact with someone who goes to my university to help me with tutoring when I go back in the fall, specifically with math which is what I have most trouble in. I joined a biology club which also is helping me gain more knowledge and stay on track with my major which is biology. Additionally, I have already contacted my advisor to register me to take a summer course to boost my grades up and we have came up with an academic plan for the upcoming fall semester. On a personal note, I will learn to not feel ashamed to reach out for help if I am going through a hardship whether itā€™s a campus counselor or an online therapist.
My drive for continuing and completing my education are far stronger as a first generation student than the struggles i may face. I am committed to regaining good academic standing and in completing my degree. However, neither of these goals will be possible for me without the assistance and opportunity financial aid provides because I am a first generation student and my family and I donā€™t have the full means to pay out of pocket.
All in all, I appreciate your time and opportunity to continue pursuing my education with your support.
Sincerely,
END OF APPEAL LETTER.
I didnā€™t seek professional help for my mental health - didnā€™t go to a therapist. So I donā€™t have documentation to add.. what can I do about that?
I was told I can have a colleague that I worked with in the past write a letter as a 3rd party sign off because they were aware of what I was struggling with.
submitted by Accurate-Ask1581 to financialaid [link] [comments]

2024.05.16 16:57 lime-basil Is still worth fighting for about constructive dismissal?

I need advice kung worth it pang pinush ko ung issue ko with DOLE? Nag report ako using E-SENA about this matter. I worked with the company for almost 7yrs. Here's the story.
Monday, we had an internal meeting which he asked kung sino ung mga pwedeng pumunta sa gathering na request niya, I told him na hindi ako pwede ng Wednesday so Thursday and Friday lang ako makakapunta, he accepted that. Sent a chat saying na dapat 9:30AM by Thursday dapat andun na ko, so okay sige walang problema.
Tuesday morning, dun ko lang naalala na meron pala akong scheduled sa hospital ng umaga, so nag message ako sakanya to ask if it's okay na malate kasi hindi ko nakita sa calendar ko na may schedule para ako sa hospital. We jumped on a call and I admitted na mali ko un, and if it's not okay with him na malate ako a few hours, ireresched ko nalang, I thought at first papayag siya kasi madalas health priority first siya talaga, but that didn't happen. He asked if it is a death threatening issue, so sabi ko hindi naman and okay lang na iresched ko kung hindi okay sakanya, then he bursted on telling me na hindi na ko willing to work, uncommitted na ko, hindi na ko mapag kakatiwalaan and I should pass my resignation. So I was shocked and nag sorry ako, ipapa schedule ko nalang ung sa hospital ko, and ayaw ko mag resign, but he insisted, paulit ulit lang siya ng sinasabi hanggang sa mag drop na kami sa call.
I didn't submit my resignation letter, until nag call kami ulit after a few hours, I thought okay na siya, na baka tanggapin niya na ung sorry ko, but no. What he did is he forced me padin na mag pasa, dahil nga first work ko siya eversince and wala akong masyadong alam about sa tanggalan, nag papanic na ko and natatakot lalo na sa work background ko or kung ano ung pwede niyang ikalat, so sabi niya mag papasa ako ng resignation letter or mag papa lawyer kami, so dun ako natakot, kasi wala naman nga kong alam, shock na ko sa nang yayari at wala naman ako pambayad sa lawyer kung sakali. Ayaw niya ko paalisin sa call ng hindi ako nag papasa, sabi niya pa generate nalang ako sa AI, or gawan niya nalang ako tapos itype ko, so dahil takot na ko sa nang yayari, I was forced to write and pass a templated resignation letter, while writing that letter, he told me na paulit ulit na hindi naman na ko mapag kakatiwalaan, na nakakasagabal ung company sa mga plans ko, na ginagago ko siya, na need niyang protektahan ung organization niya sa mga taong katulad ko, nag ttry ako mag sorry at humingi ng 2nd chance pero sinasabi niya lang ng paulit ulit yan at paano pa daw kami mag tatrabaho kung hindi naman daw ako mapag kakatiwalan, kung uncommitted ndn daw ako to work. So I got no choice dahil nga sa takot ko na sa nang yayari, nag pasa ako.
That day gusto ko pang bumalik kasi mahirap mawalan ng trabaho, pero after what happened at after mag sink in sakin ung nangyari, nag file ako sa DOLE, kahit na hindi ko na balak bumalik, gusto ko lang na hindi na mang yari to sa iba, dahil may mga kaibigan akong malapit na nag tatrabaho dun sa company na un. Is it worth it na nireport ko pa sa DOLE? May apekto ba to sa background work ko? Ano ung mang yayari sakin?
submitted by lime-basil to AntiworkPH [link] [comments]

2024.05.16 16:54 soubhagya_sahu How to duplicate pages in Notion

With Notion, you can create content for your own use and can share it with others to use. You can create pages and share them with others to use. Letā€™s learn how you can duplicate a page in Notion.
Here are the steps to duplicate a page in Notion.
Visit Notiontour.com for more Notion Tutorials, Tips and templates.

1. Choose and Open the page you want to duplicate

You can choose a page or create a new page in notion to duplicate. You can duplicate databases, dashboards, and pages in Notion. The method for duplicating the pages is the same in Notion.

2. Click on the ā€œā€¦ā€ icon and Select ā€œDuplicateā€

When you will duplicate the page it will ask you to ā€œDuplicate with contentā€ or ā€œDuplicate without contentā€. You can choose which one fits for you. If you want the content of the page as it is then click on with content and if you donā€™t want the content then you can click on without content.
After duplicating the page, a new page will appear the same as the previous one. Then you can customize the page as you want for your use. It automatically adds (1) in the title to eliminate confusion. Modify the page as you want and keep using it.

3. Choose the preferred folder for the page

After you duplicate your page, then assign a folder you want. If you want to make it public for others to see, then keep it in the public folder, or if you want to make it for your own use, then move to the private folder.

4. Update the access setting of the page

After your page is ready, you can update the access setting of the page as you want. Click on ā€œShareā€ to see the option. If you want to invite someone from your team or other people to see it, then you can type their email to send a link to access the page. you can also set the access level of the person to access the page.If you want to public for other people on the web to see then you can select ā€œPublishā€ and click on the publish button to share on the web.
There you can set up a public domain, allow editing or commenting, allow duplicates as templates, or select ā€œsearch engine indexingā€ to appear on search engines like Google and Bing. There you can Unpublish your pages and view your site also.
Optional: If you want to use custom domains in Notion or want to build a portfolio, showcase, or blog in Notion then you can use services like Super and Potion.

5. Easy method to duplicate a page.

There is an easy method to duplicate a page. In the sidebar, look for the page you want to duplicate then click on ā€œā€¦ā€ to see the same ā€œDuplicate optionā€
There is another easy method to duplicate alsoā€”using the keyboard shortcut. To duplicate a page in notion, the shortcut is ā€“ CMD + D for Mac and CTRL + D for Windows.

Unable to duplicate a page in Notion? Here is why.

  1. You donā€™t have the permission to duplicate the page. In this case, the owner is restricted and locked the pages or they might have granted you a ā€œread-onlyā€ access where you can only read the pages but canā€™t duplicate them. You have to ask the owner to give permission.
  2. The page is part of a database and cannot be duplicated separately. In this case to fix the problem you have to share the whole database in order to be able to access the duplicated version.
submitted by soubhagya_sahu to NotionTour [link] [comments]

2024.05.16 16:47 HRJafael Five Points Project, trash disposal on Athol Town Meeting warrant

Five Points Project, trash disposal on Athol Town Meeting warrant
The Finance and Warrant Advisory Committee met Tuesday evening to review the 34-article warrant which will be decided on by the voters at the June 10 Annual Town Meeting. While the committee voted to recommend passage of 33 articles, it delayed a vote on Town Manager Shaun Suhoskiā€™s proposed $28.8 million spending package for FY25. Members wanted another week to review the budget in detail before discussing it with Suhoski.
While most items generated little discussion, some committee members had questions regarding Article 29, which asks voters to approve spending $100,000 from free cash to ā€œaugment funds previously voted to acquire land, or temporary or permanent easementsā€ to facilitate what the Five Points Project. The project will reconfigure the intersection that includes Crescent and Bridge streets and Chestnut Hill Avenue and include infrastructure improvements on several side streets in that area.
ā€œAs you all know, the town of Athol has been working on thatā€¦Five Points Project since about 2017, just before I got here,ā€ Public Works Director Dick Kilhart told the committee. ā€œWeā€™re at the point on the process where this project will advertise for bids by MassDOT on June 29 of this year. One of the last steps in that process is to have those parcels, whether theyā€™re temporary easements or permanent easements.ā€
Kilhart said that there are some 47 easements in total that need to be secured for the project. He added that MassDOT sent a letter to those property owners from which the town is seeking an easement or easements.
ā€œWeā€™ve had six or seven property owners suggest that they would donate (the easement) back to the town,ā€ he added. ā€œThey donā€™t have to, but weā€™ve had a handful say they would.ā€ Kilhart added that the contract for undertaking the $9.7 million project will likely be awarded this August, with construction set to begin next spring. The entire cost is being paid for with federal funds.
Another article drew some attention was Article 16, which establishes an FY25 budget for the townā€™s transfer station of just over $835,000. That figure represents an increase of nearly 44% over the current fiscal yearā€™s budget.
ā€œThe transfer station has been running modest deficits for a couple of years,ā€ Suhoski explained. ā€œWhatā€™s happened is in the last couple of years the hauling costs have skyrocketed, and weā€™re updating our fees and raising our fees, but itā€™s always a year late and a dollar short. So this fiscal year weā€™re in (FY24), we raised the rates earlier in the year to get ahead of it, and we are. We appear to be around break-even.ā€
At a Special Town Meeting to be held right before the Annual Town Meeting, Suhoski said the plan is to increase the current transfer station budget by $200,000 in order to erase the deficit resulting from the increased disposal and hauling costs.
ā€œIt will be within our revenueā€ he said. ā€œThen this (FY25) budget is built on that; it resets the budget to the current contract and the projected increases in our hauling contract with WIN (Waste Innovations of North Billerica) for next year, then weā€™ll re-bid it for fiscal ā€˜26.ā€ The committee voted to recommend passage of the proposed FY25 budget for the public works, transfer and recycling division, along with a $1.3 million budget for the water division and a nearly $1.6 million spending package for the sewer division.
The FWAC will put the remainder of the townā€™s FY25 budget - $25.1 million ā€“ under a microscope next week. The meeting will be held on Thursday, May 23, 5:30 p.m. in room 21 of the town hall.
submitted by HRJafael to NorthCentralMA [link] [comments]

2024.05.16 16:44 Odd_Apartment_1787 115 remaining relative visa advice

Hi everyone. My family and I are in a bit of a tricky situation.
Our background : My parents are divorced. In 2012, my dad lodged a remaining relative visa (subclass 115) application offshore as his last remaining relatives, his mum and only sibling are Aus citizens (his dad, my grandpa passed away a long time ago). My sister and I were included in the application as his dependents. Fast forward, after 12 years of waiting in the queue, the immigration department finally started processing the application in Jan this year. We were asked to resubmit all the documentations again. However, I am now already 25 years old, working full time and currently on partner visa 820 here in Australia. Because of this, our migration agent advised me to withdraw from this remaining relative application. So my dad and my sister submitted this application without me.
Today, the immigration department just got back to us. Here is their response: ā€œIt is a requirement for the grant of a Remaining Relative (Subclass 115) visa that all ā€˜near relativesā€™ of the applicant or their spouse or de facto partner (if any) are Australian citizens, Australian permanent residents or eligible New Zealand citizens at the time of the application being lodged and when a decision is made on the application. Departmental systems show that the following person, [MY NAME] is not an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen. Therefore, you may not meet the criteria for the grant of a Remaining Relative visa. Your comments on this matter are invited.ā€ So because I donā€™t hold aus PR yet, they might reject us.
They have asked my family to submit a letter. The thing is I am almost ready to apply for my permanent resident visa 801 on the 2nd of June this year so itā€™s literally only weeks away from now. Will the immigration department reconsider and let my family delay their application until Iā€™m granted PR (which probably will happen less than a year from now)? If so, what should my family write in the letter? They gave us 28 days to send a response letter back.
Please give me some advice. Iā€™m legit so stressed right nowšŸ˜­I really want my family to stay with me in australia. TIA
submitted by Odd_Apartment_1787 to AusVisa [link] [comments]

2024.05.16 16:36 kibblepigeon Time is ticking away, with only 2 DAYS REMAINING to support the rejection of SR-OCC-2024-001: Have you sent your comment to the SEC yet? If not, check out this BRAND NEW LETTER TEMPLATE šŸ”„ DEADLINE: Friday 17th May.

Time is ticking away, with only 2 DAYS REMAINING to support the rejection of SR-OCC-2024-001: Have you sent your comment to the SEC yet? If not, check out this BRAND NEW LETTER TEMPLATE šŸ”„ DEADLINE: Friday 17th May.
https://preview.redd.it/xuvxg4pd6s0d1.png?width=1822&format=png&auto=webp&s=8c936943fefd2d43d40ab4413881116b2ef399ec
What a week it's been, but it's not over yet!
WE STILL HAVE TWO DAYS LEFT UNTIL THE SEC SUBMISSION DEADLINE šŸ”„
If shifting goal posts, isn't for you - and you fancy holding Wall Street accountable should they be unable to facilitate their Margin requirements, why not consider sending the SEC an email to support their rejection of the SR-OCC-2024-001 rule.
The integrity of our financial markets are at stake here.

Future generations are depending on you. Let's not let them down.

Let's fight for Market Reform.

https://preview.redd.it/xf39ute6cs0d1.png?width=2344&format=png&auto=webp&s=5a56d95d1d67c58932a4981eb755558a2fe48733
To: [rule-comments@sec.gov](mailto:rule-comments@sec.gov)
Subject: Comments on SR-OCC-2024-001 34-100009
Dear Members of the Securities and Exchange Commission,
I am writing to express my concerns regarding Rule SR-OCC-2024-001, which proposes adjustments to margin thresholds, specifically during periods of high volatility.
This proposed adjustment is concerning because it essentially shifts the goalposts when clearing members are unable to meet their financial obligations. The necessity for margin calls in the first place is to prevent clearing members from overextending themselves on their bets, ensuring that they have adequate collateral to cover potential losses.
By adjusting margin thresholds during periods of high volatility, there is a risk that clearing members may not be required to maintain sufficient collateral, increasing the likelihood of default and destabilising the financial system.
This proposed adjustment raises critical questions about the integrity of the options market and the role of the Options Clearing Corporation (OCC) in managing risk.
The basis of this letter is equally to express support and appreciation to the SEC in their rejection of this rule, with supporting encouragement for this decision and future outcome.
With due consideration to the reasons for the rejection as presented:
  • Section 17A(b)(3)(F) of the Exchange Act, which requires, among other things, that the rules of a clearing agency are designed to promote the prompt and accurate clearance and settlement of securities transactions and derivative agreements, contracts, and transactions; and to assure the safeguarding of securities and funds which are in the custody or control of the clearing agency or for which it is responsible; [Refer to 15 U.S.C. 78q-1(b)(3)(F)]
  • Rule 17Ad-22(e)(2) of the Exchange Act, which requires that a covered clearing agency provide for governance arrangements that, among other things, specify clear and direct lines of responsibility; and [Refer to 17 CFR Ā§ 240.17Ad-22(e)(2)]
  • Rule 17Ad-22(e)(6) of the Exchange Act, which requires that a covered clearing agency establish, implement, maintain, and enforce written policies and procedures reasonably designed to cover, if the covered clearing agency provides central counterparty services, its credit exposures to its participants by establishing a risk-based margin system that, among other things, (1) considers, and produces margin levels commensurate with, the risks and particular attributes of each relevant product, portfolio, and market, and (2) calculates sufficient margin to cover its potential future exposure to participants in the interval between the last margin collection and the close out of positions following a participant default. [Refer to 17 CFR Ā§ 240.17Ad-22(e)(6)]
The OCC, as the central counterparty for options and futures contracts traded on U.S. exchanges, plays a crucial role in ensuring the integrity of the options market. Its primary responsibility is to guarantee the fulfillment of contracts and manage the risk associated with trading these financial instruments.
Margin calls serve a crucial purpose in the financial system by acting as a safeguard against excessive risk-taking. They ensure that clearing members have adequate collateral to cover potential losses, thereby preventing them from overextending themselves on their bets. However, by allowing for adjustments to margin thresholds during periods of high volatility, there is a risk of undermining this fundamental principle.
In the context of financial jargon, this proposal effectively allows clearing members to "kick the can down the road" when it comes to meeting their financial obligations. It's akin to "moving the goalposts" in a high-stakes game, where the rules are changed to accommodate those struggling to keep up.
Imagine a scenario where a hedge fund has taken substantial positions on a volatile stock. As the stock price experiences wild fluctuations, the hedge fund might find itself increasingly unable to meet its margin requirements. Under Rule SR-OCC-2024-001, the margin thresholds could be adjusted, effectively lowering the bar for maintaining adequate collateral. This not only incentivises risky behavior but also exacerbates systemic risk, as it increases the likelihood of default later down the line.
Furthermore, such adjustments lack transparency and introduce an element of arbitrariness into the margin calculation process. Without clear guidelines and objective criteria for determining margin thresholds, there is a risk of favoritism or manipulation, further eroding market integrity.
The use of "idiosyncratic volatility control settings" to adjust these margin thresholds during high volatility introduces a risk because it lacks transparency in the calculation and implementation process. Without clear guidelines on how these settings are determined, there is a potential for arbitrary or ad-hoc adjustments, allowing the Options Clearing Corporation (OCC) to alter the criteria whenever Clearing Members require assistance. This flexibility raises concerns about fairness, as it may create an environment where the rules can be changed based on individual circumstances, potentially favouring certain market participants or introducing an element of unpredictability.
The proposal's supporting evidence, particularly regarding said calculation of margin thresholds, is troublingly redacted. This lack of disclosure undermines the principles of transparency and accountability that are crucial in regulatory frameworks. As stakeholders, we require detailed information on how these adjustments will be made to ensure fair and equitable treatment of all market participants.
This lack of transparency undermines the integrity of financial markets by eroding trust among participants. Financial markets thrive on clear and consistent rules that are applied uniformly to ensure a level playing field. When rules can be adjusted opaquely, it creates uncertainty and diminishes confidence in the regulatory framework. Maintaining trust is essential for the effective functioning of financial markets, and transparency in rule-making and enforcement is a key factor in upholding the integrity of the overall financial system.
Moreover, the proposal grants unchecked authority to the Financial Risk Management (FRM) Officer to make unilateral decisions during periods of high market stress. This authority, while ostensibly intended to protect the interests of the OCC, raises questions about potential conflicts of interest. The FRM Officer is entrusted with safeguarding both the OCC's interests and those of at-risk Clearing Members, creating a potential conflict that needs addressing and changing.
In conclusion, Rule SR-OCC-2024-001 poses a significant threat to the stability and integrity of the financial system. It undermines the fundamental purpose of margin calls and introduces unnecessary risks that could have dire consequences for market participants.
In light of these concerns, I urge the Securities and Exchange Commission to carefully reconsider this proposal and prioritise the protection of investors and the stability of the financial markets by rejecting Proposed Rule SR-OCC-2024-001. Clear guidelines, transparency in calculations, and checks and balances on discretionary authority are essential for maintaining the integrity and stability of the financial markets.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. I trust that the SEC will carefully consider these concerns and take appropriate actions to address the potential risks associated with this rule.
Sincerely,
[APE]
šŸ“± ā˜Žļø Pastebin for mobile users: https://pastebin.com/RGZBBNjG
You can copy and paste the letter here, making it even easier to submit to the SEC via mobile.
https://preview.redd.it/tj0pmvz5cs0d1.png?width=2330&format=png&auto=webp&s=c7d0417f87e11beac4ed67201ff9a77d5fb2036e
Right, in addition to the swiftly composed piece I've just shared, this is with the full caveat that my comment letter pails in comparison to the absolute powerhouse of submission as has been drafted by WhatCanIMakeToday.
You can check it out here:
https://preview.redd.it/4st65buv6s0d1.png?width=1396&format=png&auto=webp&s=61da514112e8310a25dbafa72f94c2b381a52cdf

FULLY DETAILED LETTER TEMPLATE:

Because excellence deserves to be recognised.

Simians Smash SEC Rule Proposal To Reduce Margin Requirements To Prevent A Cascade of Clearing Member Failures! [COMMENT TEMPLATE INCLUDED]

šŸ“± ā˜Žļø Pastebin for mobile users: https://pastebin.com/dpXQ0gim
Go on, go make a difference out there. Submit your comment šŸ’Ŗ
https://i.redd.it/f3qbsq0tjs0d1.gif
Seriously, please go give this a read.
This is a very comprehensive and well articulated deep dive into the issues as we have been discussing here, and if you need more assistance to help you shape your comments - this is a great resource to draw from. Please do give it every appreciation it deserves.
Thank you WhatCanIMakeToday šŸ™
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āœ… šŸ“¢ šŸŒ How to Comment:

šŸ“±šŸ–„ļø āœ‰ļø Email: [rule-comments@sec.gov](mailto:rule-comments@sec.gov)
  • Include the file number: SR-OCC-2024-001 34-100009 - in the subject line of your email to the SEC.
  • This is open to audiences worldwide.
  • Commission's Internet Comment Form: Use the form available at SEC's rule comment page.

šŸ¤« šŸ«£ Valuing Your Privacy

Remember:
Avoid including personal identifiable information in your submissions unless you want it to be made publicly available.
  • The SEC may redact or withhold content that is obscene.

āœ‰ļø šŸ” Don't want to use your personal email?

Why not sign up for https://proton.me/mail
From their website:
Proton Mail is an encrypted email service based in Switzerland that protects your privacy and data from trackers and scanners. You can create a free account, switch from any email provider, and enjoy features like password protection, aliases, and scheduling.

šŸ–„ļø šŸ’” Work Smarter, not Harder - with ChatGPT

AI Language Model designed to help you.
https://preview.redd.it/udun9ov9qs0d1.jpg?width=1600&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3e6b20cf5b949b3dfdab6694360b5597da4b6472
Consider inputting these writing guides into ChatGPT to help you compose your own comment.
Here's a prompt to help you get started:
Draft a formal letter expressing support for the SEC's decision to reject the OCC's proposed rule change. Emphasise the importance of transparency, risk mitigation, and investor protection in maintaining a fair financial market. Specifically, address concerns about the lack of transparency in the OCC's proposal, potential systemic risks from margin requirement adjustments during market volatility, and the conflict of interest in the FRM Officer's role. Maintain a respectful and professional tone, providing detailed reasons and supporting evidence for your support of the SEC's decision. Use the example letter as a reference for structuring arguments and aligning with the SEC's grounds for disapproval.
Work Smarter, not Harder.
ChatGPT is user friendly, check out what it looks like here: https://chatgpt.com

Please note:
šŸšØ ChatGPT remains an unreliable source for verified information and facts and will always require people to assess/review and cross-reference the generated responses.
You are the fact checker, not the AI.
​
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šŸ“ššŸ‘€ Want to learn more about this rule? Check out the following posts:

šŸ”„ SR-OCC-2024-001 EXPLAINER POSTS:šŸ”„
CREDIT: Dismal-Jellyfish.
Options Clearing Corporation is looking to adjust parameters for calculating margin requirements during periods when the products it clears & the markets it serves experience high volatility. OPEN for comment! here.
CREDIT: WhatCanIMakeToday
OCC Proposes Reducing Margin Requirements To Prevent A Cascade of Clearing Member Failures: here.
CREDIT: kibblepigeon
Dismantling Rule SR-OCC-2024-001 - The Exposed Threat of Margin Erosion and Risk Escalation: here.
šŸ”„ FOLLOW UP SEC REJECTION AND TEMPLATE LETTER:šŸ”„
CREDIT: WhatCanIMakeToday
Simians Smash SEC Rule Proposal To Reduce Margin Requirements To Prevent A Cascade of Clearing Member Failures! [COMMENT TEMPLATE INCLUDED]: here.
šŸ“ššŸ‘€ SEC COMMENTS / REJECTION:šŸ“ššŸ‘€
To access the submitted proposals: https://www.sec.gov/files/rules/sro/occ/2024/34-99393.pdf?ref=dismal-jellyfish.com
To access the submitted SEC comments: https://www.sec.gov/comments/sr-occ-2024-001/srocc2024001.htm

šŸ“ššŸ‘€ Want to learn more about how to reject it? Check out the following posts:

  • REGULATORY KILL SHOT šŸŽÆ- Part one: here.
  • REGULATORY KILL SHOT šŸŽÆ- Part two: here.
These include helpful reading sources, a breakdown of what this rule means the materials needed to help you write your own comment!
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TL;DRs šŸš€šŸ¦
  • Wall Street relies on the OCC for options and futures contracts.
  • Options require less upfront capital than buying shares, allowing Wall Street to control larger market positions with less initial investment.
  • Ideal for those who might be low on liquidity
  • Wall Street often leverages these positions using loans from banks, known as margin trading.
  • If a stockā€™s price moves against the investor's position (like GME skyrocketing), Wall Street's gotta put up more collateral against their option contracts.
  • This is called margin call.
  • Failure to meet margin calls can lead to hedge fund defaults and potentially bankruptcy.
  • Hedge fund defaults can also impact the banks that lent them money, increasing the risk of bank defaults.
  • AKA risking bank default too.
  • If clearing members can't cover losses, the OCC may need to use its funds to fulfill obligations to GME shareholders.
  • OCC donā€™t want to lose money
  • To prevent losses, the OCC wants to adjust margin thresholds for short sellers, reducing the risk of defaults by hedge funds and banks, and minimising threat to the OCC.
___________šŸ”„___________
If you do anything today, let it be this. Every comment matters.
Don't just be game on for change, be the driving force behind it.
submitted by kibblepigeon to Superstonk [link] [comments]

2024.05.16 16:26 pb0s Tourist or Visit type for Denmark?

Hi SchengenVisa! I'm planning a trip to visit my partner in Copenhagen. I've been before, but avoided applying via Denmark* because at the time they had a processing time of 80 business days, which would have been too long. They are also allegedly more likely to reject applications.
This time, I'm planning further in advance and it would work out much cheaper to not go via a different country, and I reckon I have enough time to chance it. Now the question is: I could apply for a "visit friend/boyfriend/girlfriend..." type visa, but this requires a bunch of stuff from my partner, such as a formal invitation letter, evidence of address, and proof of relationship. My gut says this will complicate the visa verification process, and make it take even longer. Especially since my partner isn't a citizen in Denmark either, but staying there on a work visa. I have never had a normal tourist visa rejected before so why mess with something that works?
On the other hand, since I will have proof of sponsorship or whatever, I imagine this strengthens my application and reduces the risk of an outright rejection. Although like I said, I've never been rejected before; I'm just worried about Denmark specifically, they seem to have an issue with foreigners.
(*The first time, I planned my whole trip to a different, nearby country, got the visa through their consulate, and then canceled my bookings in that country and arranged transport to Copenhagen. My first arrival and final departure were in the country where I applied, but beyond that, once you're in the zone, you're free to go to any Schengen country, right šŸ˜…)
I'd love to get your input!
submitted by pb0s to SchengenVisa [link] [comments]

2024.05.16 16:06 healthmedicinet Health Daily News May 15 2024

DAY: MAY 15, 2024

submitted by healthmedicinet to u/healthmedicinet [link] [comments]

2024.05.16 15:49 genitsirc22 Italian Armani Guy - A Funny Encounter

So, I was walking around Dubai Media City and had just finished my lunch at McDonald's when suddenly this guy stopped his car and asked how to get to Sheikh Zayed Road so he could reach the airport.
I told him which way to go, and then he asked me how long it would take to get to the airport. After I answered his questions, he thanked me and asked me which country I was from. He then mentioned that his wife in Italy was also from my country (he really knows about my country, from city and even talked some native words)....
He then offered me some perfumes as a gesture of gratitude, explaining that he wouldn't be able to take them through airport security. Initially grateful, especially seeing the "Emporio Armani" brand, I asked if he was sure. He insisted and even gave me another one, a women's perfume for my wife.
He mentioned he was a "Sales Director" in Dubai for just a week, and these were sample perfumes. He showed me his meeting invitation letter, a business card with the name "SAVIO" (forgot his last name), and had a suit in the backseat with his Armani suitcase
As I was about to accept the "gift," he then offered me a watch (which looked fake right away) in exchange for buying him 10 rims of Marlboro cigarettes from the grocery, claiming they would be very expensive in Italy due to taxes. I asked why he couldn't buy them himself, and he explained he didn't have cash and was only using a company credit card
At this point, I remembered so many threads on Reddit about the "Armani Guy," but instead of suits, this one involved cigarettes.
Since it was a hot blazing afternoon, and my building was nearly a 10-minute walk away, a bright, or rather, a stupid idea came to mind. I told him I would buy the cigarettes and asked him to take me to a nearby grocery store. We drove for about 2 minutes, and I asked him to wait in front of a building. (This building didn't have a grocery store; my office building was just next to it.)
I told him I would withdraw some cash and buy the cigarettes afterward. Instead, I went inside the building, exited from the backside, and went to my office next to the building.
From my office, I could see his car waiting there for about an hour...lol.
The guy must have missed his "flight."
submitted by genitsirc22 to dubai [link] [comments]

2024.05.16 15:43 theJamesKPolk AITAH for not going with my wife and toddler to my wifeā€™s cousins wedding?

My family (me, wife, 2 yr old) was invited to a wedding for my wifeā€™s cousin. She isnā€™t super close to her cousin, but itā€™s not like theyā€™re very distant, either. A lot of my wifeā€™s family will be there too. Itā€™s about a 3 hour flight, and the wedding setup is a bit hectic - weā€™d have to rent a car and drive from various different places. They donā€™t have transportation to the venue or any hotel blocks.
When we got the invite, I told my wife that I didnā€™t think we should go for a few reasons: * Since having our toddler, we have declined any weddings that arenā€™t within an hour drive (where we could drive out, go to the wedding, and drive back and just need a babysitter). * We havenā€™t been on a vacation with ourselves in almost 5 years. If weā€™re going to fly somewhere, Iā€™d rather we do it on our terms and have a chance to relax a little bit more. * Financially, we are doing OK, but finances are tighter than Iā€™d like and spending 1k on flight tickets + $300 to board our dog + additional expenses doesnā€™t make sense to me, especially given the point above. Iā€™d rather spend 2k on an actual vacation.
Most importantly IMO is that we see my wifeā€™s family all the time. We live ~1 mile away from her parents and she sees them 4-5 times a week. We hang out all the time (which is great). Conversely I see my family 2 times a year. The only reason we live so close is because we decided to uproot and move close to her parents. We gave up a cheap mortgage and took on a ton of debt (our monthly PITI nearly tripled) - we were in a position of paying off our house in the next 5 years; now itā€™s going to take 25 years. This is also important because her parents are going to the wedding too and will help take care of our toddler, help with the flights, etc.
My perspective is that if weā€™re going to take a trip with our toddler, Iā€™d rather: 1) do a vacation for ourselves or 2) see my family since we donā€™t see them often. Anytime I bring up the idea of a vacation my wife is like ā€œparents donā€™t do vacations with little kids, itā€™s not worth itā€.
I told my wife she should go herself and Iā€™d happily watch our toddler all weekend. But she decided to go and wants to bring our 2 yr old so our son can ā€œmeet his cousinsā€. So now my wife, toddler, and in-laws are flying to the wedding while I stay home. I feel a bit shitty about this but I was also pretty clear about not wanting to go OR watching our toddler all weekend. Iā€™m already dreading the ā€œwow your husband is an assholeā€ comments to my wife and the guilt tripping.
submitted by theJamesKPolk to AITAH [link] [comments]

2024.05.16 15:41 hairpintrgger Taylor's love and support for sapphic artists šŸŒˆ

Taylor's love and support for sapphic artists šŸŒˆ
I already made a post about her super queer playlist by ME! but I feel like even that doesn't fully encapsulate just how many sapphic artists Taylor supports and has done so since the beginning of her career. I may miss some artists because she listens to so many of them that it's hard to keep up, but I just wanted to do a deep dive into just how queer Taylor's music taste always has been. Let's gooo! šŸŒˆšŸŒˆ
Pictured: Taylor probably googling new wlw artists to listen to
Hayley Kiyoko:
  • Hayley responded to commentary on how many of her videos have female love interests by pointing out that nobody criticises Taylor Swift for constantly casting men as her love interest in videos. Some Swifties perceived this as Taylor shade, but Taylor was quick to defend her on Tumblr: "We should applaud artists who are brave enough to tell their honest romantic narrative through their art, and the fact is that Iā€™ve never encountered homophobia and she has. Itā€™s her right to call out anyone who has double standards about gay vs straight love interests." (X) (Some hetlors have used this quote as proof that she's straight but to me it reads more as Taylor never having to deal with homophobic backlash over her work bc she still isn't showing her honest feelings in her songs and videos)
  • During the reputation tour, Taylor invited Hayley to perform her song Curious with her (X), which is about being strung along by a girl who has a boyfriend. Taylor described her as 'one of the most exciting new artists' during the show. Hayley later revealed that her guest appearance was done last minute and that Taylor specifically requested the song 'Curious' (X).
  • Hayley's girlfriend Becca Tilley revealed that Taylor was the first person out of their immediate circle to know about their relationship (X), saying that meeting her felt like 'talking to a friend'.
  • Taylor invited Hayley to her AMAs afterparty. (X) The guest list also included Ruby Rose and Taylor's hairstylist Riawna Capri, both of whom are lesbians. In a (now deleted) Instagram post, Ruby posted a picture of herself with Hayley, Taylor and Riawna captioned 'Everyone in this photo is happy, even if they don't look like it.' (X)
  • Hayley then brought out Taylor as a surprise guest to perform Delicate at the Ally Coalition Talent show. (X)
  • Hayley was featured in the You Need To Calm Down music video all dressed in lavender, and her cameo was used to tease The Archer. (X)
  • Hayley and Becca were invited to Taylor's Grammy's afterparty. (X)
  • Hayley and Becca were invited to the Eras Tour movie premiere. (X)
girl in red:
  • Taylor praised girl in red's debut album on Instagram stories, saying how she had the entire album on repeat. (X)
  • GIR revealed that Taylor wrote her a long email on how much she loved her album (X) and sent her a bunch of fan merch, a letter that apparently had her perfume on it and two beautiful watercolour paintings based off her lyrics. (X)
  • Taylor invited GIR to open for the Eras Tour for the entirety of Pride Month. (X)
  • During her part of the show, GIR talked about how Taylor told her that 'Serotonin' was her most listened to song of the year. (X)
  • Taylor praised GIR, saying that she knew 'every single word to every single song on her album' and stated that she was one of her favourite artists. (X)
MUNA:
  • Taylor featured 'Number One Fan' on her Playlist by ME! (X)
  • MUNA were invited to Taylor's Grammy's afterparty. (X) They later revealed that Taylor was playing one of their songs when they arrived at the party. (X)
  • MUNA were invited to open for the Eras Tour. (X)
  • Taylor praised MUNA when opening the show, talking about how they were all over every one of her playlists (X) and how they were some of the funniest people to be in a group chat with. (X)
Phoebe Bridgers:
  • Taylor first reached out to Phoebe to ask her to collaborate on Nothing New, sending her a long text about how much she loves her work. (X) She called her 'one of her favourite artists in the world'. (X)
  • Taylor invited Phoebe to open for the Eras Tour where they also played Nothing New together. (X) Taylor thanked her for the dressing room heart-to-hearts. (X)
  • Taylor praised boygenius' debut album, talking how it was 'genuinely a masterpiece' and recommending people listen to it to 'to make their life better'. (X)
Fletcher:
  • Taylor and Fletcher first connected after the Jingle Ball in 2019 where Taylor revealed she loved her song 'Undrunk'. (X)
  • Fletcher was invited to Taylor's 30th birthday party, and Fletcher later revealed that Taylor ordering an Old Fashioned inspired the lyric 'sipped her like an Old Fashioned' in her song 'girls girls girls'. (X)
  • Fletcher's song 'Her Body Is Bible' features the lyric 'I like your T Swift T-shirt on the ground'. Taylor has liked a TikTok about it. (X)
  • Fletcher was later invited to Taylor's Grammys afterparty. (X)
St Vincent:
  • Taylor brought St Vincent with her onstage during the 1989 tour to perform 'Dreams'. (X)
  • She would then go onto co-write Cruel Summer with St Vincent and Jack Antonoff, whom she described as 'two people I'm a huge fan of'. (X)
Halsey:
  • Taylor praised Halsey's 'Finally // beautiful stranger' on Instagram Stories. (X)
  • Taylor later invited her to her 30th birthday party', where Halsey surprised her with a bunch of colourful balloons. (X)
  • When Lover released, Halsey tweeted 'It's me. I'm the heartbreak prince'. Taylor responded 'CONFIRMED.' (X)
  • Taylor tweeted that she was 'blown away' by Halsey's 'If I Canā€™t Have Love, I Want Power'. (X)
Others:
  • Lesbian icon Melissa Etheridge revealed that she inspired an 11-year-old Taylor to play guitar and sing. (X)
  • In 2005 she co-wrote a super queer-coded song titled Thinkin' Bout You with Chely Wright (X), who would become the first country music singer to come out as a lesbian. She also had a very brief cameo in Chely's coming out documentary, Wish Me Away. (X)
  • In 2008, an 18-year-old Taylor exported the data on her iPod for an article and these were the tracks she played most often. The playlist includes multiple songs by lesbian icon Brandi Carlile.
  • Taylor was a huge fan of Tegan and Sara and invited them to play 'Closer' with her during the Red tour. (X) They revealed that Taylor was 'obsessed' with the second verse of the song and wanted to sing it. (X)
  • Taylor made a playlist of songs she loves after reputation was released which includes songs by Kehlani, Clairo, The Japanese House and more.
  • 'Pynk' by Janelle Monae and 'Curious' by Hayley Kiyoko were included on the reputation pre-show playlist.
  • When ME! released, Taylor released a playlist of songs she loves that she described as 'the soundtrack to her story'. The playlist is SUPER queer and features Carlie Hanson, beabadoobee, Brittany Howard and so many more, I made a whole post about it here.
  • Taylor praised King Princess in her EW interview, calling her music 'very nostalgic'. She has featured her music on multiple previously mentioned playlists. (X)
  • Taylor made a playlist of female artists she grew up listening to for Women's History Month, which includes Tracy Chapman and Melissa Etheridge. (X)
  • Taylor congratulated and praised Arlo Parks when she won the Hyundai Mercury Prize in 2021. (X)
  • The Eras Tour pre-show playlist includes boygenius, MUNA, King Princess, Lady Gaga and Ethel Cain. The final song that plays before she begins the show is a Dusty Springfield cover of Lesley Gore's 'You Don't Own Me', both of whom are queer.
  • G-Flip recently did a sapphic cover of Cruel Summer for Like A Version. (X) Taylor liked the cover on Instagram and G-Flip later revealed that she invited them to the Eras Tour after seeing their cover. (X)
I'm likely missing some artists because it's hard to keep up so if you have anything else to add please comment. To conclude, here's a playlist I made of the gayest songs Taylor has said she loves!
submitted by hairpintrgger to GaylorSwift [link] [comments]

2024.05.16 15:36 Yurii_S_Kh Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh and His Ministry in the UK

Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh and His Ministry in the UK
Archpriest Maxim Nikolsky lives in the UK and has served in parishes of the Moscow Patriarchate in this country for many decades. He has talked about his ministry and the people who influenced him.
ā€”Father Maxim, your blessing. Please tell us about yourself. How did you end up in the UK?
ā€”I was born in Kiev. During the Second World War, when the Germans entered the city, my parents, like many others, left Kiev. And through Europe they eventually got to England. It was easy for me to learn English. It is not difficult for any child to learn a language, and after a few months you already can communicate with other children. Then I graduated from school and a university here, and became a teacher. I grew up in ROCOR. During my youth, there were very few Orthodox churches in the country, and we only traveled there for the major feasts several times a year. When I was in ROCOR, I got to know the Moscow Patriarchate and met Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh. But it was much later, when I started working and teaching.
Archpriest Maxim Nikolsky
ā€”How did you decide to become a priest?
ā€”When I was thirty, I decided to go and study again. And then I met Associate Professor Sergei Hackel, the future archpriest, with whom we later became friends. But at that time I was not yet acquainted with Vladyka Anthony. I met him when I graduated from the second university and we moved to live elsewhere. We attended a ROCOR church, where Archbishop Nicodemus (Nagaev; 1883-1976) served. He was a general in the First World War, then became a priest and archbishop.
But when we moved, we started attending the nearest churchā€”it was in Oxford. And Oxford is the Moscow Patriarchate. We attended it, and on the great feasts we went to the Holy Annunciation Convent (ROCOR). It was headed by Mother Abbess Elisabeth (Ampenoff; 1908-1999). I met Vladyka Anthony in the Moscow Patriarchate, and over time he ordained me deacon. So I served as a deacon in Oxford. And a few years later, he ordained me priest. We had a joint church with the Greeks in Oxford. It was originally consecrated by a Greek bishop, Vladyka Anthony and a Serbian bishop. At that time we served together, there was a very friendly and good atmosphere there. But I also traveled to London regularly to serve with Vladyka.
ā€”Were you his spiritual child?
ā€”Yes, I was.
ā€”Please tell us about him. How would you describe his personality? Can you remember how he stood before God at the Liturgy, how he prayed?
ā€”Of course, itā€™s very easy. He was a man of prayer. Clergy rarely pray this way, with such depth. When he prayed, there were no conversations in the sanctuaryā€”something that unfortunately does happen. He himself didnā€™t talk. Like many hierarchs, he prayed without a service book, because he knew all the services by heart and did not need prompting. And he would often stand with his eyes closed between his exclamations. In his declining years he leaned on his staff because it was hard for him to maintain balanceā€”he was ill towards the end of his life.
He had a very pleasant voice, which he raised when he gave exclamations or preached a sermon. He never raised his voice at anyone. However, there was one occasion when he scolded the whole congregation from the ambo after the Liturgy, after someone had offended a mother with a child in the middle of the church the previous week. The child was crying, making noise, and someone told his mother rather rudely to leave the church because the child was hindering his prayer. Vladyka said that it must never happen again and that the parishioner in question had not prayed enough if he could do this. But Vladyka, as I said, always insisted that there should be silence and a prayerful state in church, and not noise.
Vladyka Anthony at the Diocesan youth camp in 1961.
When Vladyka came to the UK, he did not know English. He knew Russian, French and German, but did not speak English and learned it after moving to the UK. And when he became a bishop, he decided that since he was in Britain, he should preach in English. He would write his sermons on paper, writing down what he wanted to say. And one day a parishioner told him (everyone called him ā€œfatherā€, although he was a hierarch, because he was a father to everyone): ā€œFather Anthony, we are very bored listening to you.ā€ Vladyka was surprised, ā€œReally?ā€ The parishioner replied, ā€œYou know, yes, itā€™s boring. Youā€™d better speak without a paper.ā€ Vladyka wondered, ā€œBut why? After all, I make mistakes when I speak.ā€ The parishioner answered, ā€œYes, but when you make mistakes, itā€™s so funny and interesting to us.ā€ Vladyka took it into account and began to speak without a paper. And after this, he had brilliant English.
ā€”What was his pastoral approach to people? What was his attitude towards the sacrament of confession?
ā€”When I came to his parish, he rarely heard confessions, and he heard confessions only of specific people, not the whole congregation. He had a very careful attitude towards this sacrament and showed understanding to every individual person. Everybody who spoke with Vladyka felt that he was the most important person for Vladyka at that moment. A film was made about him, called, The Apostle of Love. He really treated everyone with love. He could be strict, but love always came first. Vladyka felt people keenly. If someone had a really serious problem, he had access to Vladyka; although of course, as an archpastor he was busy.
ā€”Do you think he acquired this love, or did he always have it?
ā€”I didnā€™t know his mother. Perhaps he inherited some traits from his fatherā€”an understanding of life, people and God Himself. If you recall, his meeting with the Savior took place when he was a young man. After listening to one theological lecture, he was indignant: ā€œHow is it? Itā€™s impossible!ā€ Then he went home and said: ā€œMom, do we have a Gospel?ā€ Of course, they had one at home. He opened the Gospel of Mark, and as he would often later recall, he began to read it, read several chapters and suddenly felt that Christ was standing next to himā€¦ Before that, he hadnā€™t wanted to go to church, being an interesting young student. But at that moment, he felt Him. He couldnā€™t see, but He knew that Christ was there.ā€¦ He had knowledge, wisdom, and love. It seems to me that we have no other archpastor who would speak so simply and so deeply at the same time. He spoke directly, like a close friend and a father. And it is love too. Unfortunately, we donā€™t feel it everywhereā€¦
Vladyka Anthony at the diocesan conference in May 1985.
ā€”Father Maxim, could you share with us what else you learned from him?
ā€”Of course, Vladykaā€™s influence on everyone who served in London was great. He ordained all the clergy in the cathedral. He knew everyone very well. And you could just see how he lived. And he lived very modestly. He cooked for himself and cleaned himself his small cell, which was at the cathedral. Many people were happy to give him a lift whenever needed: sometimes he called them when there were urgent matters, and several people were always ready to give him a lift. But mostly he traveled on his own, on foot.
Over time, people throughout the country held him in great esteem. He spoke on the BBC, on the radio, on some channels that broadcast abroad. People in the Soviet Union listened to him often, although those broadcasts were jammed. Fr. Sergii Hackel worked for the BBC, and Vladyka would come to him. Many universities invited him to give talks; he had many honorary doctorates from different universities. Major hospitals invited him to talk about pastoral care and medicine as well. After all, he himself had once been a doctor.
ā€”Did he convert many Brits to Orthodoxy?
ā€”Surely, a lot of them, including many influential figures. At the very beginning, the services were only in Church Slavonic, and then they began to celebrate in English. Once a month, he held services entirely in English. And even those who did not convert to Orthodoxy venerated Vladyka. Later, I personally met many people who, being British, remembered Metropolitan Anthonyā€™s words he had spoken in Anglican seminaries, to which he had been invited. He came there and talked about Christianity, but from an Orthodox perspective. He would say: ā€œIā€™m talking about Christianity. I am a Christian, a Russian to the core, an Orthodox Christian.ā€ Undoubtedly, there were those who converted to Orthodoxy thanks to him. And those who did not convert remembered him all their lives; many of them used his sermons. But, you know, he didnā€™t write his sermons or booksā€”all his books are his living word.
ā€”Have you met other spiritual people in your life who have influenced you?
ā€”Personally, I did not communicate, because I felt shy and thought how it would be if I approached him, since he saw right through meā€”Iā€™m talking about St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco.
ā€”Did you see him in person?
ā€”Yes. He would come to London. But I didnā€™t dare approach him. Once I was at a Liturgy that he served. But to my shame, I did not come up to him when he gave the cross to kiss at the end of the service. I was a student then. Later I began to learn more and more about him...
And there was Elder Sophrony (Sakharov), who founded the Monastery of St. John the Baptist in Essex. I spoke with him, knew him, and visited his monastery in my time.
ā€”What can you tell readers about him?
ā€”He was a man of prayer. He had a sense of humor. When I first came there, he was already very old. Many people flocked to him. People came from everywhere, especially on weekends, and there were always many people there. People could approach him and talk to him.
ā€”What did Vladyka Anthony think about Elder Sophrony? They probably knew each other.
ā€”They certainly did. They were quite close at one time. I met Elder Sophrony at the London Cathedral just when he was having a meeting with Metropolitan Anthony. Coincidentally, I arrived there when Fr. Sophrony was leaving with Vladyka, who escorted him out of the cathedral. At that time, I didnā€™t actually know about this monastery. The elder said, ā€œCome to us.ā€ And Metropolitan Anthony added, ā€œYes, itā€™s nice there.ā€ It was really very good thereā€”there was a truly Athonite spirit. This is a unique monastery, because it is a monastery for monks, where there were also nuns. Of course, they lived as separate communities. And itā€™s very much like a family, with love. Unfortunately, we are not in communion with them now, since the monastery belongs to the Patriarchate of Constantinople.
ā€‹Archimandrite Sophrony (Sakharov)
ā€”Please tell us about your priestly ministry.
ā€”I have served at the London Cathedral for over twenty years now. I have two other small parishes, and one of them is situated in the south of England, by the sea. I serve once a month in one, and once a month in the other. I mostly serve at the London Cathedral. Since the disintegration of the Soviet Union, many people have come to us. Over the past two years, many people have also come from Russia and Ukraine. Many have lost their homes and left everything, and we should pastor them too. We serve in two languages.
ā€”Father Maxim, there is a theological academy at the Moscow Sretensky Monastery. What advice would you give to future clergy? In your opinion, what is the most important thing in this ministry?
ā€”In my view, in addition to understanding, knowing the services and prayers, the most important thing is not to feel that you have suddenly received some special gift and can now lead or rule people. Unfortunately, this happens sometimes. In the Russian Church, very young men become priests. I know that young priests are ordained in the Church of Greece as well, but they do not have the right to hear peopleā€™s confessions for some time because they have no experience. But in the Russian Church, they can do it right away. And there are some incautious young priests who can even say something rude. Of course, this is bad. We should learn from Vladyka Anthony and other good archpastors to treat everyone with love. You can mutter a rude word, and this can offend someone. And this person will say, ā€œI will go to a place where I am well received.ā€
ā€”In conclusion, can you please give believers living in Russia some edifying words?
ā€”Itā€™s difficult because I donā€™t live in Russia and havenā€™t been there for so many years. I think itā€™s important to stay true to your heart, your conscience, and not be afraid. Everybody should define their values and turn to God: ā€œIf it is from Thee, O Lord, help me act, speak and think accordingly. And if not, enlighten me as to how and what I should do.ā€
ā€”Thank you for your answers.
Alexandra Kalinovskaya spoke with Archpriest Maxim Nikolsky
Source: OrthoChristian
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2024.05.16 15:28 Nice-Willingness3012 Is this appropriate, or is it abuse of a position of trust? Ex priest (M33) contacting a young girl (F20) because she asked for guidance on a catholic forum here seems to have gone too far or had other motives?

So, my friend is deeply religious and after her break up with her boyfriend she posted in catholic groups on here asking for advice and looking to reconnect with Jesus. A guy reached out to her, explaining that he is a soon to be ex priest, currently on leave of absence (he has showed her a letter from his bishop saying this was granted so he could find a woman and start a family). He contacted her on the basis of helping her to find comfort in religion etc and their conversation moved from reddit to discord.
However, after just a few days of asking her basically every insecurity and vulnerability she has, he started sending her videos of himself singing, and calling her regularly. In less than a week he asked for her address to send her a gift, and when she declined, he asked for her email address to send a voucher. She declined again, but he sent her a voucher code anyway on discord, to 'cheer her up'. She has abandonment issues, and felt her ex didn't give her as much attention as she needed. She told him as much, and he started calling her 3 or 4 times a day and sending more videos of him singing, and picking her flowers (which he would always say he would happily send to her if she gave her address). He calls her every morning, to wake her up because she mentioned she had trouble waking up in the morning. On my advice she asked him to stop doing that, and he laid quite a guilt trip on her, with 3 minutes of pleading voice notes. At the beginning of the second week, he sent her an unsolicited picture of himself (attached) to 'show his weight loss'. I can't imagine why any man would send a photo like that without sexual motives??
Am I right in thinking this is all red flag territory? He maintains that he wants to help her reconnect with Jesus, and that he has no ulterior motive, but then leaves long voice notes saying he cherishes her and he would speak to her on the phone 24/7 if he could. He even said he would like to be on the phone listening while she talks to her parents, which struck me as weird. He calls her every day to pray with him, and then in a separate call every day to read the bible with him. Its been 4 weeks now and he has been asking for her phone number.
Just now she suggested they should call less, and he left her several voice notes, each one over a minute long emphasising that she could call him any time of night or day, and he would drop work, prayer or anything to talk to her
Is it just me? Am I worrying too much, or is this a concern? My friend is very trusting, and when he says his motives are pure she believes him, largely because hes a man of god. She also believes that because she told him she was lonely and needed attention, it is her fault that he behaves the way he does. I worry that his approach was never genuine, and he is trawling catholic groups for vulnerable young girls to take advantage of.
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http://rodzice.org/