I am in the state of Missouri.
My (37F) unoccupied vehicle Black, mid size SUV) was parked in a sport club parking lot on Saturday morning while I was at practice. When my practice was finished, I got in my car and drove home.
Later that day, a friend pointed out damage to my driver side tail light. I was certain it had not been there before Saturday.
I reached out to the club (at which I am a member) where my vehicle was parked, knowing they had recently installed security cameras. By late Saturday night, they reviewed the footage, and communicated that one camera caught the accident and aftermath (further from my vehicle), and one caught the audio of the accident and aftermath (nearer to my vehicle). There were multiple witnesses, and a clear shot of the license plate of the vehicle that hit me. I provided my email address so that he could share the footage with me.
On Sunday morning, upon further inspection to my car, I discovered damage to my bumper on the driver side, a decent-sized white scrape through my paint. I reviewed the footage myself, and the location and color of the scrape are consistent with the mechanism of the accident and color of the vehicle that hit me.
The footage captures me in the parking lot as well (everything is time stamped on the video). The parking lot was chaotic due to an unrelated event in the park. I stood in the parking lot for a few minutes before approaching my car to leave. Many other adults with whom I train can also be seen/heard in the parking lot footage. People were turning their cars around at the end on the lot past where my car was parked because the lot was full.
Long after I had left, two people (who I now know as the driver’s mother and brother) appear at the location. They have a conversation with the driver of the car that hit me. She had been sitting in her car in the lot, waiting for them to arrive.
On Sunday afternoon, I filed a police report in person with the municipality in which my vehicle was hit. I explained that I thought the driver of the car was young, the parking lot was chaotic, and at that time, I wasn’t interested in pressing charges. I simply wanted them to take responsibility for the accident and provide their insurance information to me.
The responding officer was able to make contact with the owner of the car. His 16-year-old daughter was driving at the time of the accident and admitted fault. The officer provided the owner’s phone number to me.
I reached out to the owner. Our conversation was brief. I asked for the insurance information. He replied that he’d rather pay for the repair directly because his daughter is a new driver and only 16 and he doesn’t want their insurance rate to go up. He asked if I was willing to do that. I was hesitant but understood, so I said, “Okay,” and agreed to call after I had an estimate for the repair.
After that call, I felt uneasy. I followed up via email with the responding officer for the police report. I emailed him the footage, and let him know that the owner refused to provide his insurance information. I also emailed the club to make sure they saved the footage in case it’s needed at a later date (they did).
The officer called me again not long after I emailed him and gave me the owner’s insurance policy number. I felt a bit better knowing that I have it just in case the situation got hairy.
His wife called me later Sunday evening. She was very nice and we spoke for 10 minutes. It became clear to me that they were under the impression that only my tail light was damaged. Her daughter said that her passenger mirror hit my car. I explained that I didn’t think that caused my damaged tail light, and that I thought she cut her turn short in a tight spot and wedged her vehicle up against mine which in turn put upward pressure on my tail light which caused it to break, and that there is also damage to my bumper. I explained that this was the damage I could see, and there could be more (my car is a 2019 SUV with cameras and sensors that I bought new).
I told her I would get an estimate this week and send it their way. She texted me her email address.
Monday I called our insurance agent to inform him of the accident and seek his advice. He encouraged me to file a claim, and advised how best to move forward if I did not make a claim.
Yesterday (Tuesday), I got the estimate for the repairs. It’s ~$2700, and the shop made it clear to me that it is not unusual to find more damage after disassembly. At the time of the repair, the estimate is to be paid up front, and the final balance upon pick up of the vehicle.
I forwarded the estimate to the owner’s wife, and in that email I expressed my preference to go through insurance.
She responded later that evening, and it is now clear to me that we are not on the same page. She doesn’t believe that the damage described in the estimate is consistent with her daughter’s recollection of events. She is asking me to send photos of the damage to my car, and is requesting the video footage from me. I am not inclined to do that, and I think it’s time to file the claim.
The driver did not notify me of the accident at the time of the accident in any way. She sat in her vehicle in a nearby parking spot waiting for her mom.
Is this considered a hit and run? I only know her identity because of the police report that I filed the next day and the footage.
The owner’s daughter is also a member at the club where I practice/train. My practice on Saturday is 8-10 am. Hers 10-12. We have the same coach. I am trying to leave the club out of it aside from accessing the security footage.
Will the insurance company want names of witnesses? I don’t have those, but the club could ask the girls who did witness it (also on footage) to come forward.
I’m just at a loss. I was trying to be nice and understanding and cooperative with their wishes. I thought I’d have the upper hand since I was not notified. Now I’m anxious about the entire situation, haven’t slept all night, and want to protect myself. I’m filing a claim today (Wednesday). How should I respond or do I even respond to her email?

this might be a lot and not the place for this but someone bear with me (22m) please ;_; was talking to my family about my experiences with magic mushrooms, and my grandfather (mom’s side) said something like “be careful, my brother had a schizophrenic episode after taking lsd- we found him rambling about the molecule and he had poorly drawn out a picture of the molecule on the ground.” but i don’t think there’s ever been a conversation about him having schizophrenia? anyway then he went on to ramble about the “this is your brain on drugs”/scrambled eggs commercials that would come on tv a long time ago. and given our family histories which i will elaborate on, i feel like this is a conversation that should have happened much sooner?? or maybe he was just talking out of his ass idk lmao
mental illness seems to run in the family on both sides with alcoholism being pretty prevalent in a lot of both my mom and dad’s relatives. my dad’s brother killed himself with a gun when they were in highschool and my dad found the body. ultimately he became a pretty abusive alcoholic, and he was really prone to mood swings looking back at it. I was put in therapy after my mom divorced him but we never really talked as a family. my older sister inherited his hip deformity that made him unfit for the catholic high school his brothers all went to, and a virus that caused her to have emergency surgery at birth (which left her deaf in both ears, and she stands 4’7” at 25 years old) he picked on her and our older brother a lot, and we all struggle socially. My brother kept to himself a lot until he died at 19 in a freak car accident on a road trip with his friends. Guy with dementia snuck out and got in a car with his dog at like 2am, took an exit ramp onto the highway going the wrong way right as they took the same one, spun out and all then all lights went out, so they got rear ended by a tractor trailer. that model of jeep had a defect where the trailer hitch would break and push in to the gas tank, causing an explosion. happened a couple times prior and was actually almost recalled years before (-: trucking company policy was call your superiors before anyone else, phone records reflected that phone call did in fact happen while those kids were burning to death. i dont blame that poor driver knowing what little i know about trucking and their work conditions, and i got half of a music degree paid for by my share of the settlement. i’ve always felt like that would not have happened if these were not several upper middle class suburban families who were affected by the tragedy, who could afford to pursue legal action for years against an entity like that. I think the community rallied to donate some but even then, it was a fairly affluent community
the last time i saw my dad was at my brothers funeral. i was 14 and it had been a couple years already, but he aged so poorly much i mistook him for his dad who had died a decade prior. i don’t think we spoke until a few years later on the phone, and it was the last time we spoke. he was antagonizing my mom with his usual nonsense that she was making him out to seem like a bad guy to us, and that she was secretly in love with her cousin (who she has always been very close to) — i told him to go fuck himself — that was a reccuring taunt of his our whole childhood, which i always thought was weird but never thought much of it. eventually my brother no longer wanted to visit my mom’s extended family once he had a say in it, and he never really wanted to talk about it either. a few years after my brother died, we were visiting the cousin in question, when i woke up just in time to see them kiss. I went back to sleep like I saw nothing and my sister texted me in the morning telling me she saw the same thing.
Apart from the yknow, incest, she remarried two years before my brother died- so naturally we confronted her about it and she just sort of fawned and said she had too much to drink and that it won’t happen again. they always get too drunk together at family events and I have glimpsed kissy face emojis and other suggestive language on her phone that she obviously was trying to shield with her hands.
Now I’m questioning pretty much everything. I don’t think it was long after that when my dad went missing, which my mom only noticed because he hadn’t sent birthday cards for a whole year, and within a year of that he was found in florida, dead on the street with fentanylin his blood. he was either dosed or killed himself. My family told me he died of natural causes accelerated by his alcoholism when it first happened and didn’t mention the fentanyl until very recently. Im wondering what else could they have they lied about or just have not told me because they don’t think I need to know?
One thing I try not to think too much about is something my mom said just once when I was little, about how when my sister was born the Doctors advised them not to have more kids bc it would be risky, “but I turned out fine” or something. My dad never came to visit our family on my mom’s side that i can remember, and when I was really little we spent a lot more time with her cousin doing a lot of quality time stuff; movies, mini golf, etc. The guy also drank a lot but he’s had better luck kicking the worst of his habits I guess.
JFC what do i make of all of this
….
i also sometimes feel like i’m getting schizo-baited by all of my targeted adds and articles on all of social media and sometimes i feel like im being watched so i don’t go anywhere or talk to my friends much at all. i went to a protest the other day and saw the typical undercover cop in his “hello fellow kids” getup, next day I step out of work to go to a coffee shop and the same dude in the same outfit is sitting next to the door when i go to leave. anyway please advise

I live in the EU and my Girlfriend lives in the UK. She has now already some time ago paid the HM Passport Office to get her passport, and they are repeatedly asking her to make someone confirm her identity, which can be done online
at : https://www.passport.service.gov.uk/confirm-identity
There is a list of eligible people who can do this, and she had already a few people do it, who know her for many years. But the HMPO does always say that those people are not eligible, while they are on the list and they do have a British Passport and did everything correct, to confirm her identity.
The problem is now, she does not know many people, and has already made everyone do this process that she knows, and they know her for many years, long enough to be eligible. But every time it is being rejected for no reason, and my Girlfriend is also NOT wanted or anything, she is just a normal person without any criminal history.
This rejections do have an impact on her mental health, every time they refuse someone she is getting mentally heavily unstable and I have a hard time calming her down, because she always thinks she will never be able to ever leave the UK and come to me, she is mentally very unstable and this worries me much. What worries me the most is, we do not have any eligible people left she knows, since she has not many contacts due to her mental health issues, it feels to me as if she is living in a communist country, where people are not allowed to leave - how is Britain a "free country" if she has no way now to ever get a passport and come to me to live with me ?
Where can I find eligible people with British Passport that would be willing to confirm her identity online or how do I get help at getting her passport ? On the website it says the following to make sure someone can confirm the identity :
You can only confirm someone’s identity if you:
are 18 or over live in the UK have a current UK passport have known the person applying for at least 2 years know the person applying as a friend, neighbour or colleague (not just someone who knows you professionally)
You must work in (or be retired from) a ‘recognised profession’. For example:
accountant airline pilot articled clerk of a limited company assurance agent of recognised company bank or building society official barrister chairman or director of a limited company chiropodist commissioner for oaths councillor, for example local or county civil servant (permanent) dentist director, manager or personnel officer of a VAT-registered company engineer with professional qualifications financial services intermediary, for example a stockbroker or insurance broker fire service official funeral director insurance agent (full time) of a recognised company journalist Justice of the Peace legal secretary (fellow or associate member of the Institute of Legal Secretaries and PAs) licensee of a public house local government officer manager or personnel officer of a limited company member, associate or fellow of a professional body Member of Parliament Merchant Navy officer minister of a recognised religion (including Christian Science) nurse (RGN or RMN) officer of the armed services optician paralegal (certified paralegal, qualified paralegal or associate member of the Institute of Paralegals) person with honours, for example an OBE or MBE pharmacist photographer (professional) police officer Post Office official president or secretary of a recognised organisation Salvation Army officer social worker solicitor surveyor teacher or lecturer trade union officer travel agent (qualified) valuer or auctioneer (fellow or associate members of the incorporated society) Warrant Officers and Chief Petty Officers Who cannot confirm someone’s identity
You cannot confirm someone’s identity if:
you’re related by birth or marriage you’re in a relationship with them or live together you work for HM Passport Office you work for UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) on British citizenship or right of abode applications you’re a doctor - unless you know the person who has asked you well (for example, you’re a good friend)
To me this list seems unreasonably complicated and I do not know how anyone can actually get a Passport in the UK at all.
Anyone knows how to get help ? We already called the HMPO but they give a fuck and do not help at all, they do simply not seem to care. We are getting very desperate and I have a hard time convincing her to stay alive, and this is destroying us and our relationship.

Disclaimer: I am Chinese and cannot speak or read Uyghur. Xinjiang is a vast land, and the online communication of residents is strictly controlled, so even people from different regions are unaware of the specific situation in other regions, and there are significant differences between different regions. I tried to cross validate using sources from different ethnic groups as much as possible, but my language definitely caused some bias in my sampling.
There is a long-term tense relation between local ethnic groups, especially between the Han and Uyghur ethnic groups. A local Han who sympathized with the Uyghur told me that his American friend who visited described it as "racial segregation, and it was spontaneous among people.".
Other ethnic minorities also have resentment towards Uyghur people due to Uyghur nationalism. They also suffered from repression, although not as severe as the Uyghurs. Some blame the government, while others blame the Uyghurs.
Local Han generally believe this is what Uyghurs deserve. Mainland Chinese are generally unaware of this matter due to censorship, but no hostility towards Uyghurs.
Not all, but there are definitely some events that meet the criteria for terrorist attacks. It also involves indiscriminate attacks on other ethnic minorities and Uyghur who do not agree with them.
CPC actually tries to conceal these events as much as possible. If it is really impossible to conceal, their public deaths are much less than what actually happened, whether the deceased were Han Chinese, attacked Uyghurs, or attackers. The public parts are due to the controversy caused by the discovery of large-scale detention.
What other separatists did was also concealed as much as possible. CPC seems to primarily aim to avoid resentment towards the Uyghurs as a whole among the majority of people in China, and pretend its rule is prosperous and unshakable.
A local Hui who have been hacked by terrorists before:

If officials claim nothing happened, means manything happened. If officials claim one or two people died, means a group of people have died. If officials claim thirty people died, means a village has disappeared.
Separatists and CCP went to war, and the people suffered.

Uyghurs mainly reside in the southern Xinjiang region and are mainly poor farmers. Most areas in southern Xinjiang are mainly Uyghur, although Han immigrants have appeared in urban areas in the past two decades. Before the crackdown, a rural Uyghur may have never seen any native Chinese speakers in their lifetime. When I visited there last year, most adult Uyghurs can't speak Chinese at all, and most who speak fluent Chinese are businessperson. I visited there with the company of a local Uyghur friend(abbreviated as T). Most of the repression was lifted in 2021, and what I saw was a mild version:

Small mosques are demolished or sealed off. The landmark mosques has been preserved, but locals dare not enter because it poses a risk of getting them into trouble. Inside are mainly tourists. All Arabic slogans have been covered or replaced with Uyghur versions. Halal symbols are prohibited. Some tourists are Uyghurs from northern Xinjiang. They have greater freedom. Locals are not allowed to wear Ḥijāb or grow large beards. Uyghur ethnic clothing without religious significance is also taboo. The stores sell them, but only for tourists. All cutting tools on the street are restricted to fixed objects with iron chains. Economic decline. Not many locals consume. During the period of severe repression, people had no income. Even civil servants are owed wages by the government due to financial constraints. Before 2017, schools almost exclusively taught Uyghur language, and local teachers were also Uyghurs who did not speak Chinese. Now it's almost pure Chinese. T is worried about the hidden camera when speaking. All taxis have prominent cameras. All polices are Uyghur. T claims that after 2021, who is visible on the streets is not police, but just security guard disguised. The real police are either undercover or hiding. All signs are bilingual or in Chinese. Simple Uyghur language signs are prohibited. Ethnicity can be distinguished by appearance. When others notice that we are a mixed ethnic team, they will be surprised.

The riots were mainly initiated by Uyghurs from rural areas in southern Xinjiang. This place has been subjected to the most severe repression.
The total population of Uyghurs is over 10 million. No one can be certain how many had entered the camp. They don't have an interconnected database for this. I read a local official privately claiming that perhaps 500,000 are a close number. When I mentioned that Western media claimed the number was one million, and T felt it was an underestimate. Another Uyghur from a northern city think this is an exaggeration.
As of now, Uyghurs, even if living in mainland China, dare not post too many opinions on these matters through online. Others lives Xinjiang cannot either. When they post content that the local government deems inappropriate, they may be knocked on and asked to delete their posts. This is highly unlikely to happen in other regions.
A local programmer told me, if the photos you take accidentally include any part of camps, when it is post online, it would disappear directly.
In the past few years, the density of Uyghur people visible in the inland has significantly increased. Young people from various ethnic groups in Xinjiang seem to be generally trying to leave Xinjiang due to limited freedom and insufficient income. Riots and repression have both led to loss of the Han population. A resident of Urumqi told me that the actual population here may only be half of what is recorded on paper. Xinjiang government is attempting to recruit Han Chinese from mainland China to settle down.
In mainland, when reside in hotels, Uyghurs will be registered by the police. Only specific qualified hotels are allowed to accept them. Several male Uyghurs said they may have been raided and inspected by the police at night.
Uyghurs have different opinions. I do know three Uyghurs clearly express that CPC's suppression is generally good, although they still complain. This includes T, whose father was once detained in a camp. I don't know the proportion of different opinions. The random Uyghurs themselves seem unclear about this too.
The camp seems to have different levels. My data point from Uyghur in rural area of southern Xinjiang and specifically, there was indeed a terrorist attack carried out by the residents from this town, so this is the most extreme situation. By T, camp and repression were described as:

In 2017, if you are an adult male and not in school or college, likely to enter a camp. This is about 80% of men. It almost came to an end after September 2019. Two thirds of them had returned. (The rest are mainly sentenced, with a few deaths) Pure torment. Later, the government was afraid of the West, and people gained meat in their diet and skill training. (about diet, I explain as the financial difficulties faced by the Xinjiang government. After the camps attracted international attention, they received more funding from the central government.)
Government know they just need to persuade the househead. Women and children will obey him. Many excuses be used to get you into the camp. Sometimes it's intentional to provoke you, and when conflicts occur, they tell you that your viewpoint is flawed (needs to be modified). They will inquire and analyze from neighbors what you have done before and recently. If you lie, they will find out. TBH, Han cadres are most rational. The main ones bullying us are Uyghur cadres.
Submissive people were released after one or two years. Disobedient people were sentenced to prison. Who completely disobeys had died. There are an average of 400 families in the village. They would receive seven or eight corpses from the camp. Those sentenced families have had difficult times. Only women and two children in the family, difficult to survive. Women are easily bullied, children do not obey her, wander around and do not help her with work. The villagers did nothing wrong. My father is not interested in religion. When he returned from the camp, he spoke Chinese more fluently than me. Outsiders recruiting locals for terrorist attacks, then they fled, and locals were retaliated against. Many people here are uneducated. They are easily deceived by outsiders (to create a terrorist attack/riot). This is brainwashing to prevent them from being deceived by outsiders. I hate those outsiders. They have caused many families to break down, and give us Uyghurs a bad reputation. Islam is good, distorted by these people. I dislike the local extremist religion before. I was not even allowed to sing.

He described the welfare policy:

The government has established new villages. You only need to pay a small fee to move over. Most of the expenses are subsidized by the government. They have carried out infrastructure construction. Our living environment has improved a lot. But the economy has not been developed, and our income has not increased. If your family is considered trustworthy, you may be helped to start a business in mainland. If someone is sentenced, their family will receive financial assistance.

He is a firsthand witness to the terrorist attack that occurred locally:

This has been reported as the death of thirty Hans. It's completely different. Terrorists intercepted the road and killed all Han trapped in the convoy. The Uyghur who resisted them were also killed. The actual number of deaths is over a thousand. I can't believe my childhood friends would kill people. The next day, the tank arrived at our village. All participants had been captured. The rest of us were frequently visited by cadres. Terrorists intercept convoys by chopping down trees. So the government forced the people to cut down the trees next to the road a few years ago.

I live in the EU and my Girlfriend lives in the UK. She has now already some time ago paid the HM Passport Office to get her passport, and they are repeatedly asking her to make someone confirm her identity, which can be done online
at : https://www.passport.service.gov.uk/confirm-identity
There is a list of eligible people who can do this, and she had already a few people do it, who know her for many years. But the HMPO does always say that those people are not eligible, while they are on the list and they do have a British Passport and did everything correct, to confirm her identity.
The problem is now, she does not know many people, and has already made everyone do this process that she knows, and they know her for many years, long enough to be eligible. But every time it is being rejected for no reason, and my Girlfriend is also NOT wanted or anything, she is just a normal person without any criminal history.
This rejections do have an impact on her mental health, every time they refuse someone she is getting heavily mentally instable and I have a hard time calming her down, because she always thinks she will never be able to ever leave the UK and come to me, she is mentally very unstable and this worries me much. What worries me the most is, we do not have any eligible people left she knows, since she has not many contacts due to her mental health issues, it feels to me as if she is living in a communist country, where people are not allowed to leave - how is Britain a "free country" if she has no way now to ever get a passport and come to me to live with me ?
Where can I find eligible people with British Passport that would be willing to confirm her identity online or how do I get help at getting her passport ? On the website it says the following to make sure someone can confirm the identity :
You can only confirm someone’s identity if you:
are 18 or over live in the UK have a current UK passport have known the person applying for at least 2 years know the person applying as a friend, neighbour or colleague (not just someone who knows you professionally)
You must work in (or be retired from) a ‘recognised profession’. For example:
accountant airline pilot articled clerk of a limited company assurance agent of recognised company bank or building society official barrister chairman or director of a limited company chiropodist commissioner for oaths councillor, for example local or county civil servant (permanent) dentist director, manager or personnel officer of a VAT-registered company engineer with professional qualifications financial services intermediary, for example a stockbroker or insurance broker fire service official funeral director insurance agent (full time) of a recognised company journalist Justice of the Peace legal secretary (fellow or associate member of the Institute of Legal Secretaries and PAs) licensee of a public house local government officer manager or personnel officer of a limited company member, associate or fellow of a professional body Member of Parliament Merchant Navy officer minister of a recognised religion (including Christian Science) nurse (RGN or RMN) officer of the armed services optician paralegal (certified paralegal, qualified paralegal or associate member of the Institute of Paralegals) person with honours, for example an OBE or MBE pharmacist photographer (professional) police officer Post Office official president or secretary of a recognised organisation Salvation Army officer social worker solicitor surveyor teacher or lecturer trade union officer travel agent (qualified) valuer or auctioneer (fellow or associate members of the incorporated society) Warrant Officers and Chief Petty Officers Who cannot confirm someone’s identity
You cannot confirm someone’s identity if:
you’re related by birth or marriage you’re in a relationship with them or live together you work for HM Passport Office you work for UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) on British citizenship or right of abode applications you’re a doctor - unless you know the person who has asked you well (for example, you’re a good friend)
To me this list seems unreasonably complicated and I do not know how anyone can actually get a Passport in the UK at all.
Anyone knows how to get help ? We already called the HMPO but they give a fuck and do not help at all, they do simply not seem to care. We are getting very desperate and I have a hard time convincing her to stay alive, and this is destroying us and our relationship.

An open letter to Benedictine College and Harrison Butker
I first came across the Harrison Butker’s 2025 commencement speech at Benedictine College on Twitter. It was a short snippet of the speech and I was in disbelief of what I heard. Intrigued, I went to YouTube to find a recording of the whole speech before drawing further conclusions. Now, I am nearly beyond words.
I grew up in the Catholic Church, attended a Catholic high school, and do still consider myself to be Catholic, although not without my own qualms with the church. However, this is not about that. I am also a more recent college graduate. I graduated from a large public university 5 years ago and am looking forward to obtaining my graduate degree next year, both degrees I have worked incredibly hard for and am immensely proud of. I don’t remember my own commencement speech, but if it was anything like this, I am glad I don’t- I loved my undergraduate experience and will be proud to have my diploma framed and hanging one day. Harrison Butker’s speech is condescending, out of touch, and against the very values of your school. You both, Benedictine College and Harrison Butker, owe these graduating students an apology.
As a proudly Catholic college, I do not hold issue you or your choice in speaker with promoting Catholicism and the beliefs of the Catholic Church, even in regard to politics; while I may not agree, that is your choice to do so and one that underlies the foundation of your school.
The class of 2025, as with many recent graduates and current students, have had to work through a unique set of hardships as a whole, beyond the personal hardships we all face. Mr. Butker is not a recent graduate, nor is he working directly with a school or university. College is a change for everyone from high school, with the course load, schedule, and independence, but beyond the nervousness and uncertainty that comes with this new phase, students are able to rely on the fact that since its inception, the college experience has been relatively stable, until the COVID-19 pandemic. Students, and faculty, were forced to rapidly adapt to a situation that we knew very little about and had no history to guide us. To minimize that, say that “it is not unique,” especially as someone who was not experiencing it from an educational aspect, is disrespectful to students and faculty, regardless of beliefs on the issue. Pandemics are not new, nor are controversial policies, but what these students faced, was new. I know of no other time during our history, where thousands of students were nearly overnight told to immediately leave their housing and worry about their finances and shelter as not everyone has the means to find new housing or go back to their parents, have food outside of the dinings halls, or access to a computer and internet to complete their coursework where they had planned on attending in person or using university resources, when these things are apart of what students pay thousands of dollars for or take loans to afford as part of their college expenses. Whether or not you support these policies and changes, that does not lessen the unique hardships faced or make a student wrong for adhering to them when failure to do so could result in greater consequences. If there is another time where this has happened, I am happy to be referred so that I can learn. It is one thing to say that the feelings of uncertainty and anxiety around new policies and adapting to them are not unique, but another to say that the challenges these students faced as a result of policy is not unique, it is disrespectful, condescending, and completely out of place as someone who did not experience it.
Beyond this, it is even more disrespectful to diminish the accomplishments of particularly the female graduates of your university by allowing your speaker to advocate forgoing using their degree and instead, choose being a wife and mother. To Benedictine College, if this is what your school advocates, then why charge tuition to your female students? How will they pay for it or pay off their loans for it? Do you expect your female graduates to marry a man who will pay off their debts? What happens if they don’t or if they choose a vocation in religious life, are their debts forgiven? To take it a step further, why admit female students at all if their degree is not meant to be used? A yearly tuition of $35,000 seems a greedy ask to attain what becomes a useless degree. Maybe this is not something you support, but I have yet to see any statement indicating dissent with this position. The Benedictine sisterhood and St. Scholastica, its founder, take pride in education and she herself do not choose the vocation of marriage. How would St. Scholastica be able to attend your college when she found her vocation to be in the religious life? To Harrison Butker, how dare you? I am happy for you and your family that your wife can be a homemaker if that’s what she wants to do, but that is completely out of touch for what nearly all of these students will face as they graduate. Your family can comfortably live on just your salary of over $4 million per year, but you are a minority in this situation. You speak of not allowing cost of living to prohibiting where you live, but with your salary, I’m sure there are few areas you cannot find suitable housing and access to food. Is one supposed to choose to live in circumstances where they do not have a stable shelter in favor of a more traditional priest? Earlier in your speech you mention “accepting your lane and staying in it,” I believe you should have taken your own advice, because your lane is far wealthier than mine and likely all of the graduates you are speaking to. Most families will need two salaries to live in even a fraction of the comfort you live and even then, may not be comfortable. From what I understand, you went to GT on a scholarship, another minority, factor in student loans, and the comfort fraction becomes even smaller. Should a family live in a constant state of worry about money so that a woman can be a homemaker? You spoke of charity and the platform God has given you, but I do not see you using your wealth for charitable acts to support the lifestyle you advocate in these graduates. You decide to speak for women and presume they are most excited at the prospect of marriage and children when you are speaking to congratulate them on a major accomplishment that has little to do with their future as a wife or mother. Can a woman not find fulfillment and a calling as a valuable member of the workforce and a wife and mother. As a woman who anticipates graduating from medical school in one year, is being a doctor not part of God’s plan for me? As I understand it, my vocation, is not between being a wife and mother or being a doctor, but of the calling to serve as a married, single, or religious person. You make it seem as though I cannot be both a doctor and family woman one day. You make remarks about controlling how and when children are conceived. You condemn IVF and surrogacy when a large portion of woman and men in this country struggle with infertility or health conditions making a pregnancy incredibly dangerous. If a woman cannot naturally have a child then is she not to be a mother? Do you also condemn adoption as it a choice and controlled method of becoming a parent? Is it only if a woman is unable to conceive naturally that it is acceptable to work rather than be a homemaker? I have always been taught in my experience with the Catholic Church to welcome children into your life whenever they come about, not as a barrier to being a working mom. You have laid out the options as black or white, mother or worker, when I believe the advice is to be open to and welcome God’s plan for you in both areas of your life. Not only do you advocate for the females graduates to forgo the workforce when this is an unrealistic path for most, but in doing so, you add extra pressure to the male graduates to provide in an unrealistic way. At what cost do men take higher paying jobs they are unhappy in so that their wives can be homemakers? You have worked hard to get to where you are, say you are doing something you love, and are able to show the fruits of that labor, should these graduates not show all of the knowledge and skills they have gained through earning their degree?
To Harrison Butker, I, too, am Catholic. I believe we also are similar in that we question right from wrong and do not just blindly accept the things that are fed to us. You say that our priests and bishops are anointed by God, but quickly question that anointing. I now question you, in who you are to question who has been anointed by God. You point out it is your duty as a father to lead your son. In our faith, we call our priests Father, but you call us to question and right them, should they not lead us? Should we not follow the quote you use of trusting our priests to translate the teachings of the Bible for us? Does your son question you and what is your response? You call for priests and bishops to be righted but also to stay in our lane. I do not mean to support the actions of our church leaders either way, but as an individual am not following what you ask of these graduates.
To Harrison Butker, you say you speak from experience, but it seems your experiences are vastly different than most of the graduates you speak to. Your statements contradict one another, in questioning our church leaders, staying in our lane, and even speaking of your wife as someone who converted to Catholicism but later question being with someone of a different faith, not allowing for change. As I have stated before, it is one thing to speak of shared feelings, but another to speak of a shared experience. You give advice in black or white rather than ideas for consideration and reflection. Listening to your commencement speech, I can’t imagine I would have found excitement for the future and wisdom as I start to move forward on my own. Had this been my speech to give, I couldn’t speak to a lot of the challenges these students faced, but can empathize with the fears of stepping out of the student life and uncertainty about my future. I could speak to how being able to adapt to challenges, facing hardship in my own way has made me strong and able to persevere and that they too have grown to be stronger and able to persevere too, even if they are not confident. I could speak to how money is not always the most important thing in life, your church, your family, your community are all things to reflect on when making decisions about the future. But, this was not my speech, it was yours. My ideas may not be right, maybe it has more “fluff” than yours, but they do not tell me the right or wrong way to live my life, as that is between me and God.
To Benedictine College, much of this is address to Harrison Butker. However, this is the person you chose and supported in giving a commencement speech. What is address to him, is also a reflection of what you support and believe, and the message you hope to send your graduates off with. I am not one of your graduates, happy to say I am not with this speech, but at least for me, this is the representation I have of your school.
To Benedictine College and Harrison Butker, you both owe the graduates an apology for these disrespectful and confusing sentiments as they enter a new and stressful chapter of their lives.
To the Benedictine College class of 2025, congratulations!

WHOLE STORY WITH SIMPLIFIED CONVO
Good day, I was an employee in a small firm, itago nalang natin sa pangalang XXX. It has been a year past before I resigned.
Timeline:
March 21, 2024,
I filed my resignation, and it took 3 processing days before they agreed on my resignation. There is no policy regarding the clearance but only a final instruction via conversation in microsoft (I still have the evidence)
March 26, 2024
is my last day, I already settled all the company assets (like Devices, documents, Company ID's)_ in our office where I reside. The following days, there are no further instructions, so I have assumed that I settled everything to them and at the same time, they terminated my microsoft account.
April 23, 2024.
almost 30 days, I emailed them a short notice regarding my remaining collectibles using my personal Microsoft account since they already terminated my company account. I also texted them on their phone number, but I haven't received any reply text.
"Dear XXX ManagementGood morning, ma'am and sir. ........

1. OEC (Employment of Certificate) send via email as per meeting
2. 13th Month Salary as per law
3. March Unpaid Salary
4. Other(s):

Remaining Unpaid leaves (as per company policy)Contributions

1. Payslip (send via email)

April 25, 2024.
I tried to reach them; I talked to my employer thru messenger"Nag good morning ako sa employer and sinabi ko na nag mail ako sa kanila thru outlook, nag reply yung employer at sinabi na, nabasa nila at nalulungkot daw sya kasi wala naman daw akong naririnig sa kanila na demand kahit noon pa, bakit daw ako nag dedemand at hindi naman daw nila tinatakbuhan ang resposisbilities nila sa mga nag resign"The employer said that by the end of april, she will settled all my collectibles and will message me back.
Aril 30,2024
The employer messaged me back, as expected they hold back their promise because the client payment has not yet been reflected on their account, maybe this friday.
May 5,9,13, 2024
I try to follow up my demand, but they still insist because of the similar reason which has been a case on my whole year of working in my company. Despite that, they still give me the same response, so I did asked them about the processing.Medyo nag dududa na ako, it is an instinct sa isang tao ang mag duda right? kaya nag tanong ako
"Sinabi ko sa employer na nag dodoubt na ako, kaya tinanong ko kung ano ba yung courier service nila at ano na ang status. The employer told me na, ganyan na ba kasama ang XXX company saakin para pag dudahan ko, hindi naman daw sila tumatakas sa responsibility nila sa mga nag resign na may mga collectibles, lahat yun na sesettle, sadyang wala talaga kasi hindi pa ang babayad ang client, kahit daw yung employee nila is wala parin sweldo"
On my perspective, since I am no longer working for them, there is no reason to continue withholding my collectibles they should have think this thru since madami ng beses ako pinangakuan hinid lang after ko mag resign, noong december pa sila ganyan, at satingin ko hindi na tama ang action nila, kung hindi man stable ang cashflow satingin ko may iba pa naman paraan ayoko lang sabihin kasi it is not my legal right. After that case, I went to DOLE and inquire before I file a report.

1. is it legal for the EMPLOYER to be aggressive whenever a EMPLOYEE demand for their final payment, I feel like I am being disrespected by my employer with them being unreasonable with their words since I only want a confirmation and answers. If yes, is there a labor act I can file against them?
2. what if I nag comply saakin yung company, pwede ko ba i pa cancel yung conference, may consequence ba?
3. Also, ano ang advice nyo if ever na dumating sa point na both parties are agreed to attend in conference. with arbitrary?Ano po ba ang process ng conference, and if ever may debate, if manalo ako, ano po ang mga consequence ng opposite party?
4. Do I need to remind my company regarding the conciliation or let DOLE take an action?Thank you for reading.

3 years ago when this was mooning, I was in the hospital fighting for my life from a motorcycle accident. I was hit head on by a 20 year old girl on a state highway. Unfortunately, I was unable to save my leg and spent 75 days in a trauma unit, with a laundry list of other injuries.
I missed the meme pump. I missed a lot of things.
Since then, life has had its share of difficulties and given me entirely new perspectives. I am now forced to leave behind a life as a carpenter and tread an unstable economy with a handicap and no formal education.
Despite having a level of comfort prior to this accident, I have been forced to adjust my life and take on expenses I never anticipated with little money coming in. I, at the very least, was awarded an insurance settlement from the other driver’s insurance policy as she completely at fault. It was nothing substantial and it was definitely not enough to pay for my leg, my ability to walk comfortably or my peace of mind. It’s not enough to survive off of, but it is enough to make some solid investments to help alleviate some of the burdens that have been placed on me.
Since the accident, I have dreamed about having the opportunity for some financial freedom so that I can focus entirely on my recovery but I have never experienced that relief.
…but this time I feel like something is about to change. I have dreamt about seeing an ROO like the GME returns of 20-21, but haven’t felt comfortable about any investments…until now.
This time, I’m not missing out. This time, I took a good portion of the money I got for my leg and I am letting it ride in GME. This time, I will not be the victim. This time, makes up for all the other times.
So, from now on, when you hear someone talk about what they have invested in GME, just remember me, the guy who LITERALLY invested his leg.
To the moon apes, I believe in you all, and I love you all.
Thank you for reading!

3 years ago when this was mooning, I was in the hospital fighting for my life from a motorcycle accident. I was hit head on by a 20 year old girl on a state highway. Unfortunately, I was unable to save my leg and spent 75 days in a trauma unit, with a laundry list of other injuries.
I missed the meme pump. I missed a lot of things.
Since then, life has had its share of difficulties and given me entirely new perspectives. I am now forced to leave behind a life as a carpenter and tread an unstable economy with a handicap and no formal education.
Despite having a level of comfort prior to this accident, I have been forced to adjust my life and take on expenses I never anticipated with little money coming in. I, at the very least, was awarded an insurance settlement from the other driver’s insurance policy as she completely at fault. It was nothing substantial and it was definitely not enough to pay for my leg, my ability to walk comfortably or my peace of mind. It’s not enough to survive off of, but it is enough to make some solid investments to help alleviate some of the burdens that have been placed on me.
Since the accident, I have dreamed about having the opportunity for some financial freedom so that I can focus entirely on my recovery but I have never experienced that relief.
…but this time I feel like something is about to change. I have dreamt about seeing an ROO like the GME returns of 20-21, but haven’t felt comfortable about any investments…until now.
This time, I’m not missing out. This time, I took a good portion of the money I got for my leg and I am letting it ride in GME. This time, I will not be the victim. This time, makes up for all the other times.
So, from now on, when you hear someone talk about what they have invested in GME, just remember me, the guy who LITERALLY invested his leg.
To the moon apes, I believe in you all, and I love you all.
Thank you for reading!

“Well…..frak.”
Those were the only words Corporal James Diogenes could think of to describe his current situation. Behind him, he watched as his comrades turning tail and running away.
“Cowards. Cowards one and all.”
He spit into the dirt towards his former allies then turned towards the other part of his problem.
Xenos. A large army of Xenos, one that was far more disciplined and had far more bodies than command had assumed. He couldn’t remember what they were called or even remember the name of the planet he was on. He couldn’t care for either topic. He wasn’t surprised that the Intel he and his colleagues had been fed was wrong, it often was, but never to this degree. The enemy outnumbered the imperial army forces at least 7 to 1 if not far more. Their tactics were similar to those employed by the imperial army but their population meant they could do more tactical maneuvers, on more fronts, at the same time.
Why the imperial navy didn’t annihilate those armies from orbit, James would never understand. Given his current situation he most likely wouldn’t get a chance to ask. He checked the magazine on his auto-gun, the rifle being rather old by the standards of the current imperial army but its age held up as it punched through most body armor he came across.
“…..Frak.”
He cursed again as he inspected the magazine. Three, maybe four rounds left before he was out? He looked over his shoulder and sighed. The cowards took the ammo with them along with any other supplies they could carry, leaving an empty trench and a few rows of rusty flay-wire.
And James but he chose to stay behind.
A low chuckle escaped him as that thought came to mind. He shook his head as he took his spot in the trench. He wouldn’t win this fight, he was sure of it, but by Terra and in the Emperor’s name he would make them bleed. He would make them hurt.
The few rounds he had in his magazine were gone in no times at all. Four enemies laying in the dust and being trampled by their friends was proof of that. He smiled grimly as he watched his enemies march towards him. They had all bowed their heads slightly, seemingly expecting more shots. That got him laughing. A few bullets and a whole army was shaking before him. He wondered if this is what the primarchs, the emperors daughters, felt like whenever they were on crusade.
He tossed his empty rifle to the side. His smile grew as he held his knife, gripping it tightly as he watched the advancing line of xeno scum. The leather of his glove strained as his hidden knuckles grew white from how tightly he gripped his knife. He considered for a moment what he’d do when the enemy came into the trench. He knew he would fight and die, but he wondered how many of them he’d kill before they took him down.
He reached back behind him, grabbing the Krak grenade he had attached to his belt. He held it tightly and used the middle finger of his knife hand to pull the pin. He held close, holding the striker lever down to ensure it wouldn’t go off until he let go of it. Then he waited.
The world closed in. Darkness tinted the edge of his vision as he watched his enemy march ever closer. Nothing existed save for him and the enemy. He knew what this was. Adrenaline, anticipation, and fear all coming together to activate his fight-or-flight response. He whole body felt charged and he had to stop himself from jumping out of the trench and running…..where? He wasn’t sure. He couldn’t guarantee his body wouldn’t turn tail and follow the rest of the imperial army back to the transports.
He adjusted his cap, scratched his bearded cheek and continued to watch. Watch and wait. That was all he could do now. His breathing grew heavy and erratic, his teeth barred, and a low growl escaped him.
The marching stopped.
He stared and waited.
A ploy? A chance to surrender maybe? Were they simply calling in artillery on his position?
That last thought stopped him. Artillery. Would they call artillery or an orbital strike or some other long distance attack on his position?
No. No, no, no, no they wouldn’t escape him that easy.
He scowled and climbed out of the trench, charging the Xenos line with a roar. The knife was raised over his head, holding it in an upside down fashion, as he sprinted towards his enemy. He refused to die to some cowardly artillery strike, he absolutely refused to be turned into a red smear on some backwater planet that no one would ever remember or care about.
The enemy….ran. They ran! He laughed as he chased after them. It didn’t make sense and he didn’t care. He couldn’t care, he was beyond caring.
“Get back here you throne damned bastards! GET THE FRAK BACK HERE!”
He slowed down long enough to toss the Krak grenade, laughing loudly when he saw it go off and take a handful of Xenos down.
The blood….was blood always so beautiful?
He continued running after the enemy before he stopped again. He stopped running cause something had stopped him. He didn’t understand, his legs were still under him, he was still alive, he could still fight!
“Kraking, bastard, filthy xenos, kill you all-“
“Shut up.”
He stopped talking, the voice snapping him out of…..whatever that was. He regained control and realized why he stopped running. Something had picked him up. He stared down at the ground only to realize how high he was above it.
“Hnngh, let go of me.”
He turned towards whatever was holding him only for his eyes to grow wide.
There stood….a woman. A very big woman with metallic dreadlocks poking out of her skull, her armor exposing skin and flesh in the fashion of a gladiator of old. He stared at him with a raised eyebrow and a silent growl as a twitch of pain or anger made her right eye close for a half second.
“Excuse me….heh….corporal.”
She said his rank as if it was an insult, even going as far as spitting on the ground after she said it. She held up by the back of his flak vest like he was little more than a lost puppy. She treated him like he wasn’t worth even talking to and that he was some stupid grunt who was simply in the way.
Space marines raced past both of them, ignoring them in favor of chasing after the retreating Xenos. They….were gonna steal his glory.
“Let me go damn you, the fights over there!”
The woman laughed loudly. Her head held back as her laughter echoed over the battlefield. A part of him thought her laughter was the most horrific and beautiful sound he ever heard, but it was overshadowed by his growing rage.
“You wouldn’t do-hnngghh-do anything to those alien freaks by yourself. Go home boy. Run with the rest of your fri-“
He swiped at her and smiled widely when he saw a small, paper thin cut open up on her cheek. A small trickle of blood dribbled down her skin as her smile disappeared. Her free hand came up and wiped at the cut. She studied the small swipe of blood on her finger. The cut was nothing, it wouldn’t even scar and she had lost far more blood then this in the blood pits. But something about this man taking a swipe at her, daring to cut her, daring to even consider killing or harming her…..
She smiled widely and put the man on her shoulder.
“You. I like you. You’re mine now little man.”
He tried to jump off but she held firm and turned away from the battle. Her sons would handle the fight. He roared on her shoulder and struggled against her grip, his rage growing as he did everything he could to get into the fight and kill. He wanted to, no needed to spill blood. He needed to kill, he needed to make them bleed.
But this goddess in bronze wouldn’t let him. She walked away and set him down in a space marine Rhino. He didn’t know her, he didn’t know why she took him, and he didn’t care. Instead he sighed and hung his head as he lit a iho stick.
“Don’t worry Corporal, there will be more glory to be had.”
He stared at her. His eyes were bloodshot, his body covered in dust and he felt exhausted.
“Hnngh…frakking….throne damn you….”
She smiled widely at that and pulled the trigger on her chainaxe. She then turned towards the driver.
“On second thought, hmm let’s go. I wanna see what you got little corporal.”
He smiled at that and stood up, popping his neck. He exhaustion was forgotten for the time being as the thought of killing those damned Xenos got his blood pumping and made him want to move.
“By the way.”
The giantess spoke as the rear hatch opened, revealing the same battlefield he had just left.
“My name is Atalanta.”
Please note: I’m not a writer and this whole story came to me while I was in a shower and from my lack of artistic skill. Sorry if it’s trash.

Everything in my inventory is up for trade. The most valuable items are listed here, the rest you can find in My Inventory

Feel free to Add Me or even better send a Trade Offer. Open for any suggestions: upgrades, downgrades / knives, gloves, skins / stickers, patterns, floats.

All Buyouts are listed in cash value.

KNIVES

★ Butterfly Knife Lore (Factory New), B/O: $7194.77

★ Butterfly Knife Autotronic (Minimal Wear), B/O: $2025.74

⎯

★ M9 Bayonet Ultraviolet (Field-Tested), B/O: $557.87

★ M9 Bayonet Stained (Well-Worn), B/O: $529.41

★ M9 Bayonet Boreal Forest (Field-Tested), B/O: $465.39

⎯

★ Talon Knife Doppler (Factory New), B/O: $1295.27

★ Bayonet Tiger Tooth (Minimal Wear), B/O: $746.28

★ Karambit Bright Water (Field-Tested), B/O: $688.15

⎯

★ Flip Knife Doppler (Factory New), B/O: $547.93

★ Flip Knife Autotronic (Minimal Wear), B/O: $476.69

★ Flip Knife Case Hardened (Battle-Scarred), B/O: $278.18

★ Flip Knife Black Laminate (Well-Worn), B/O: $258.83

★ Flip Knife Urban Masked (Field-Tested), B/O: $181.64

⎯

★ Stiletto Knife Marble Fade (Factory New), B/O: $686.04

★ Stiletto Knife Doppler (Factory New), B/O: $665.41

★ Stiletto Knife, B/O: $601.39

★ Stiletto Knife Crimson Web (Field-Tested), B/O: $418.25

★ Stiletto Knife Night Stripe (Field-Tested), B/O: $227.80

★ Stiletto Knife Boreal Forest (Field-Tested), B/O: $194.96

★ Stiletto Knife Safari Mesh (Field-Tested), B/O: $192.79

⎯

★ Nomad Knife Crimson Web (Field-Tested), B/O: $518.11

★ Nomad Knife Scorched (Field-Tested), B/O: $169.78

★ Nomad Knife Forest DDPAT (Battle-Scarred), B/O: $166.88

★ StatTrak™ Nomad Knife Blue Steel (Field-Tested), B/O: $335.79

⎯

★ Skeleton Knife Stained (Well-Worn), B/O: $442.05

★ Skeleton Knife Urban Masked (Minimal Wear), B/O: $426.24

★ Skeleton Knife Boreal Forest (Field-Tested), B/O: $314.03

★ StatTrak™ Skeleton Knife Fade (Minimal Wear), B/O: $2361.28

★ StatTrak™ Skeleton Knife Urban Masked (Field-Tested), B/O: $376.53

⎯

★ Ursus Knife Doppler (Factory New), B/O: $557.12

★ Ursus Knife, B/O: $471.42

★ Ursus Knife Blue Steel (Minimal Wear), B/O: $212.37

★ Ursus Knife Case Hardened (Battle-Scarred), B/O: $187.66

★ Ursus Knife Damascus Steel (Field-Tested), B/O: $178.18

★ Ursus Knife Ultraviolet (Battle-Scarred), B/O: $155.13

★ Ursus Knife Boreal Forest (Battle-Scarred), B/O: $124.26

⎯

★ Huntsman Knife Black Laminate (Minimal Wear), B/O: $204.83

★ Huntsman Knife Black Laminate (Field-Tested), B/O: $184.50

★ StatTrak™ Huntsman Knife Lore (Battle-Scarred), B/O: $224.11

⎯

★ Bowie Knife Gamma Doppler (Factory New), B/O: $2142.02

★ Bowie Knife, B/O: $230.44

★ Bowie Knife Damascus Steel (Factory New), B/O: $209.20

★ Bowie Knife Ultraviolet (Minimal Wear), B/O: $180.51

★ Bowie Knife Ultraviolet (Field-Tested), B/O: $131.03

⎯

★ Falchion Knife Night (Field-Tested), B/O: $132.54

★ Falchion Knife Urban Masked (Well-Worn), B/O: $112.81

★ Falchion Knife Scorched (Field-Tested), B/O: $108.81

★ Falchion Knife Forest DDPAT (Field-Tested), B/O: $107.82

★ Falchion Knife Safari Mesh (Field-Tested), B/O: $107.46

★ StatTrak™ Falchion Knife Ultraviolet (Field-Tested), B/O: $143.08

⎯

★ Paracord Knife Crimson Web (Minimal Wear), B/O: $486.48

★ Paracord Knife Blue Steel (Battle-Scarred), B/O: $163.12

⎯

★ Survival Knife Blue Steel (Battle-Scarred), B/O: $138.26

★ Survival Knife Night Stripe (Field-Tested), B/O: $131.03

⎯

★ Gut Knife Sapphire (Minimal Wear), B/O: $1127.79

★ Gut Knife Gamma Doppler (Factory New), B/O: $286.17

★ Gut Knife Doppler (Factory New), B/O: $246.55

★ Gut Knife Marble Fade (Factory New), B/O: $240.77

★ Gut Knife, B/O: $210.49

★ Gut Knife Lore (Field-Tested), B/O: $194.22

★ Gut Knife Case Hardened (Battle-Scarred), B/O: $151.51

★ Gut Knife Blue Steel (Minimal Wear), B/O: $124.94

★ Gut Knife Rust Coat (Well-Worn), B/O: $118.99

★ Gut Knife Boreal Forest (Minimal Wear), B/O: $109.80

★ StatTrak™ Gut Knife Doppler (Factory New), B/O: $237.96

⎯

★ Shadow Daggers Gamma Doppler (Factory New), B/O: $264.92

★ Shadow Daggers Marble Fade (Factory New), B/O: $253.03

★ Shadow Daggers Tiger Tooth (Factory New), B/O: $237.22

★ Shadow Daggers Crimson Web (Field-Tested), B/O: $153.40

★ Shadow Daggers Autotronic (Minimal Wear), B/O: $144.42

★ Shadow Daggers Blue Steel (Field-Tested), B/O: $105.20

★ StatTrak™ Shadow Daggers Damascus Steel (Minimal Wear), B/O: $150.46

⎯

★ Navaja Knife Fade (Factory New), B/O: $365.99

★ Navaja Knife Doppler (Factory New), B/O: $228.93

★ Navaja Knife Marble Fade (Factory New), B/O: $227.43

★ Navaja Knife Slaughter (Factory New), B/O: $209.06

★ Navaja Knife, B/O: $203.16

★ Navaja Knife Case Hardened (Well-Worn), B/O: $132.57

★ Navaja Knife Damascus Steel (Factory New), B/O: $121.69

★ Navaja Knife Damascus Steel (Minimal Wear), B/O: $109.95

★ Navaja Knife Damascus Steel (Field-Tested), B/O: $100.41

★ StatTrak™ Navaja Knife Fade (Factory New), B/O: $369.01

★ StatTrak™ Navaja Knife Damascus Steel (Field-Tested), B/O: $109.95

GLOVES

★ Sport Gloves Amphibious (Minimal Wear), B/O: $2394.67

★ Sport Gloves Omega (Well-Worn), B/O: $572.33

★ Sport Gloves Bronze Morph (Minimal Wear), B/O: $338.88

★ Sport Gloves Big Game (Field-Tested), B/O: $323.66

⎯

★ Specialist Gloves Marble Fade (Minimal Wear), B/O: $1652.07

★ Specialist Gloves Tiger Strike (Field-Tested), B/O: $599.14

★ Specialist Gloves Crimson Web (Well-Worn), B/O: $231.57

★ Specialist Gloves Buckshot (Minimal Wear), B/O: $126.21

⎯

★ Moto Gloves POW! (Minimal Wear), B/O: $996.99

★ Moto Gloves POW! (Field-Tested), B/O: $383.31

★ Moto Gloves POW! (Well-Worn), B/O: $276.00

★ Moto Gloves Turtle (Field-Tested), B/O: $180.28

⎯

★ Hand Wraps CAUTION! (Minimal Wear), B/O: $502.29

★ Hand Wraps Giraffe (Minimal Wear), B/O: $180.73

★ Hand Wraps CAUTION! (Battle-Scarred), B/O: $178.32

⎯

★ Driver Gloves Queen Jaguar (Minimal Wear), B/O: $181.01

★ Driver Gloves Rezan the Red (Field-Tested), B/O: $101.66

⎯

★ Broken Fang Gloves Jade (Field-Tested), B/O: $127.88

★ Broken Fang Gloves Needle Point (Minimal Wear), B/O: $124.55

⎯

★ Bloodhound Gloves Guerrilla (Minimal Wear), B/O: $127.94

★ Hydra Gloves Case Hardened (Field-Tested), B/O: $102.55

WEAPONS

AK-47 X-Ray (Well-Worn), B/O: $478.95

AUG Hot Rod (Factory New), B/O: $425.83

StatTrak™ M4A1-S Hyper Beast (Factory New), B/O: $413.95

M4A4 Daybreak (Factory New), B/O: $309.51

StatTrak™ AK-47 Aquamarine Revenge (Factory New), B/O: $305.43

AK-47 Case Hardened (Well-Worn), B/O: $196.38

StatTrak™ M4A4 Temukau (Minimal Wear), B/O: $174.64

P90 Run and Hide (Field-Tested), B/O: $167.03

AWP Asiimov (Field-Tested), B/O: $153.33

Souvenir SSG 08 Death Strike (Minimal Wear), B/O: $140.00

M4A1-S Printstream (Battle-Scarred), B/O: $124.70

StatTrak™ M4A1-S Golden Coil (Field-Tested), B/O: $117.48

AWP Asiimov (Well-Worn), B/O: $115.97

StatTrak™ Desert Eagle Printstream (Minimal Wear), B/O: $112.96

StatTrak™ AK-47 Asiimov (Minimal Wear), B/O: $110.85

Souvenir M4A1-S Master Piece (Well-Worn), B/O: $102.42

AK-47 Bloodsport (Minimal Wear), B/O: $100.53

Trade Offer Link - Steam Profile Link - My Inventory

Knives - Bowie Knife, Butterfly Knife, Falchion Knife, Flip Knife, Gut Knife, Huntsman Knife, M9 Bayonet, Bayonet, Karambit, Shadow Daggers, Stiletto Knife, Ursus Knife, Navaja Knife, Talon Knife, Classic Knife, Paracord Knife, Survival Knife, Nomad Knife, Skeleton Knife, Patterns - Gamma Doppler, Doppler (Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, Phase 4, Black Pearl, Sapphire, Ruby, Emerald), Crimson Web, Lore, Fade, Ultraviolet, Night, Marble Fade (Fire & Ice, Fake FI), Case Hardened (Blue Gem), Autotronic, Slaughter, Black Laminate, Tiger Tooth, Boreal Forest, Scorched, Blue Steel, Vanilla, Damascus Steel, Forest DDPAT, Urban Masked, Freehand, Stained, Bright Water, Safari Mesh, Rust Coat, Gloves - Bloodhound Gloves (Charred, Snakebite, Guerrilla, Bronzed), Driver Gloves (Snow Leopard, King Snake, Crimson Weave, Imperial Plaid, Black Tie, Lunar Weave, Diamondback, Rezan the Red, Overtake, Queen Jaguar, Convoy, Racing Green), Hand Wraps (Cobalt Skulls, CAUTION!, Overprint, Slaughter, Leather, Giraffe, Badlands, Spruce DDPAT, Arboreal, Constrictor, Desert Shamagh, Duct Tape), Moto Gloves (Spearmint, POW!, Cool Mint, Smoke Out, Finish Line, Polygon, Blood Pressure, Turtle, Boom!, Eclipse, 3rd Commando Company, Transport), Specialist Gloves (Crimson Kimono, Tiger Strike, Emerald Web, Field Agent, Marble Fade, Fade, Foundation, Lt. Commander, Crimson Web, Mogul, Forest DDPAT, Buckshot), Sport Gloves (Pandora's Box, Superconductor, Hedge Maze, Vice, Amphibious, Slingshot, Omega, Arid, Big Game, Nocts, Scarlet Shamagh, Bronze Morph), Hydra Gloves (Case Hardened, Emerald, Rattler, Mangrove), Broken Fang Gloves (Jade, Yellow-banded, Unhinged, Needle Point), Pistols - P2000 (Wicked Sick, Ocean Foam, Fire Element, Amber Fade, Corticera, Chainmail, Imperial Dragon, Obsidian, Scorpion, Handgun, Acid Etched), USP-S (Printstream, Kill Confirmed, Whiteout, Road Rash, Owergrowth, The Traitor, Neo-Noir, Dark Water, Orion, Blueprint, Stainless, Caiman, Serum, Monster Mashup, Royal Blue, Ancient Visions, Cortex, Orange Anolis, Ticket To Hell, Black Lotus, Cyrex, Check Engine, Guardian, Purple DDPAT, Torque, Blood Tiger, Flashback, Business Class, Pathfinder, Para Green), Lead Conduit, Glock-18 (Ramese's Reach, Umbral Rabbit, Fade, Candy Apple, Bullet Queen, Synth Leaf, Neo-Noir, Nuclear Garden, Dragon Tatto, Reactor, Pink DDPAT, Twilight Galaxy, Sand Dune, Groundwater, Blue Fissure, Snack Attack, Water Elemental, Brass, Wasteland Rebel, Vogue, Franklin, Royal Legion, Gamma Doppler, Weasel, Steel Disruption, Ironwork, Grinder, High Beam, Moonrise, Oxide Blaze, Bunsen Burner, Clear Polymer, Bunsen Burner, Night), P250 (Apep's Curse, Re.built, Nuclear Threat, Modern Hunter, Splash, Whiteout, Vino Primo, Mehndi, Asiimov, Visions, Undertow, Cartel, See Ya Later, Gunsmoke, Splash, Digital Architect, Muertos, Red Rock, Bengal Tiger, Crimson Kimono, Wingshot, Metallic DDPAT, Hive, Dark Filigree, Mint Kimono), Five-Seven (Neon Kimono, Berries And Cherries, Fall Hazard, Crimson Blossom, Hyper Beast, Nitro, Fairy Tale, Case Hardened, Copper Galaxy, Angry Mob, Monkey Business, Fowl Play, Anodized Gunmetal, Hot Shot, Retrobution, Boost Protocol), CZ75-Auto (Chalice, Crimson Web, Emerald Quartz, The Fuschia is Now, Nitro, Xiangliu, Yellow Jacket, Victoria, Poison Dart, Syndicate, Eco, Hexane, Pole, Tigris), Tec-9 (Mummy's Rot, Rebel, Terrace, Nuclear Threat, Hades, Rust Leaf, Decimator, Blast From, Orange Murano, Toxic, Fuel Injector, Remote Control, Bamboo Forest, Isaac, Avalanche, Brother, Re-Entry, Blue Titanium, Bamboozle), R8 Revolver (Banana Cannon, Fade, Blaze, Crimson Web, Liama Cannon, Crazy 8, Reboot, Canal Spray, Night, Amber Fade), Desert Eagle (Blaze, Hand Cannon, Fennec Fox, Sunset Storm, Emerald Jörmungandr, Pilot, Hypnotic, Golden Koi, Printstream, Cobalt Disruption, Code Red, Ocean Drive, Midnight Storm, Kumicho Dragon, Crimson Web, Heirloom, Night Heist, Mecha Industries, Night, Conspiracy, Trigger Discipline, Naga, Directive, Light Rail), Dual Berettas (Flora Carnivora, Duelist, Cobra Strike, Black Limba, Emerald, Hemoglobin, Twin Turbo, Marina, Melondrama, Pyre, Retribution, Briar, Dezastre, Royal Consorts, Urban Shock, Dualing Dragons, Panther, Balance), Rifles - Galil (Aqua Terrace, Winter Forest, Chatterbox, Sugar Rush, Pheonix Blacklight, CAUTION!, Orange DDPAT, Cerberus, Dusk Ruins, Eco, Chromatic Aberration, Stone Cold, Tuxedo, Sandstorm, Shattered, Urban Rubble, Rocket Pop, Kami, Crimson Tsunami, Connexion), SCAR-20 (Fragments, Brass, Cyrex, Palm, Splash Jam, Cardiac, Emerald, Crimson Web, Magna Carta, Stone Mosaico, Bloodsport, Enforcer), AWP (Black Nile, Duality, Gungnir, Dragon Lore, Prince, Medusa, Desert Hydra, Fade, Lightning Strike, Oni Taiji, Silk Tiger, Graphite, Chromatic Aberration, Asiimov, Snake Camo, Boom, Containment Breach, Wildfire, Redline, Electric Hive, Hyper Beast, Neo-Noir, Man-o'-war, Pink DDPAT, Corticera, Sun in Leo, Elite Build, Fever Dream, Atheris, Mortis, PAW, Exoskeleton, Worm God, POP AWP, Phobos, Acheron, Pit Viper, Capillary, Safari Mesh), AK-47 (Steel Delta, Head Shot, Wild Lotus, Gold Arabesque, X-Ray, Fire Serpent, Hydroponic, Panthera Onca, Case Hardened, Vulcan, Jet Set, Fuel Injector, Bloodsport, Nightwish, First Class, Neon Rider, Asiimov, Red Laminate, Aquamarine Revenge, The Empress, Wasteland Rebel, Jaguar, Black Laminate, Leet Museo, Neon Revolution, Redline, Frontside Misty, Predator, Legion of Anubis, Point Disarray, Orbit Mk01, Blue Laminate, Green Laminate, Emerald Pinstripe, Cartel, Phantom Disruptor, Jungle Spray, Safety Net, Rat Rod, Baroque Purple, Slate, Elite Build, Uncharted, Safari Mesh), FAMAS (Waters of Nephthys, Sundown, Prime Conspiracy, Afterimage, Commemoration, Dark Water, Spitfire, Pulse, Eye of Athena, Meltdown, Rapid Eye Move, Roll Cage, Styx, Mecha Industrie, Djinn, ZX Spectron, Valence, Neural Net, Night Borre, Hexne), M4A4 (Eye of Horus, Temukau, Howl, Poseidon, Asiimov, Daybreak, Hellfire, Zirka, Red DDPAT, Radiation Hazard, Modern Hunter, The Emperor, The Coalition, Bullet Rain, Cyber Security, X-Ray, Dark Blossom, Buzz Kill, In Living Color, Neo-Noir, Desolate Space, 龍王 (Dragon King), Royal Paladin, The Battlestar, Global Offensive, Tooth Fairy, Desert-Strike, Griffin, Evil Daimyo, Spider Lily, Converter), M4A1-S (Emphorosaur-S, Welcome to the Jungle, Imminent Danger, Knight, Hot Rod, Icarus Fell, Blue Phosphor, Printstream, Master Piece, Dark Water, Golden Coil, Bright Water, Player Two, Atomic Alloy, Guardian, Chantico's Fire, Hyper Beast, Mecha Industries, Cyrex, Control Panel, Moss Quartz, Nightmare, Decimator, Leaded Glass, Basilisk, Blood Tiger, Briefing, Night Terror, Nitro, VariCamo, Flashback), SG 553 (Cyberforce, Hazard Pay, Bulldozer, Integrale, Dragon Tech, Ultraviolet, Colony IV, Hypnotic, Cyrex, Candy Apple, Barricade, Pulse), SSG 08 (Death Strike, Sea Calico, Blood in the Water, Orange Filigree, Dragonfire, Big Iron, Bloodshot, Detour, Turbo Peek, Red Stone), AUG (Akihabara Accept, Flame Jörmungandr, Hot Rod, Midnight Lily, Sand Storm, Carved Jade, Wings, Anodized Navy, Death by Puppy, Torque, Bengal Tiger, Chameleon, Fleet Flock, Random Access, Momentum, Syd Mead, Stymphalian, Arctic Wolf, Aristocrat, Navy Murano), G3SG1 (Chronos, Violet Murano, Flux, Demeter, Orange Kimono, The Executioner, Green Apple, Arctic Polar Camo, Contractor), SMGs - P90 (ScaraB Rush, Neoqueen, Astral Jörmungandr, Run and Hide, Emerald Dragon, Cold Blooded, Death by Kitty, Baroque Red, Vent Rush, Blind Spot, Asiimov, Trigon, Sunset Lily, Death Grip, Leather, Nostalgia, Fallout Warning, Tiger Pit, Schermatic, Virus, Shapewood, Glacier Mesh, Shallow Grave, Chopper, Desert Warfare), MAC-10 (Sakkaku, Hot Snakes, Copper Borre, Red Filigree, Gold Brick, Graven, Case Hardened, Stalker, Amber Fade, Neon Rider, Tatter, Curse, Propaganda, Nuclear Garden, Disco Tech, Toybox, Heat, Indigo), UMP-45 (Wild Child, Fade, Blaze, Day Lily, Minotaur's Labyrinth, Crime Scene, Caramel, Bone Pile, Momentum, Primal Saber), MP7 (Teal Blossom, Fade, Nemesis, Whiteout, Asterion, Bloosport, Abyssal Apparition, Full Stop, Special Delivery, Neon Ply, Asterion, Ocean Foam, Powercore, Scorched, Impire), PP-Bizon (Modern Hunter, Rust Coat, Forest Leaves, Antique, High Roller, Blue Streak, Seabird, Judgement of Anubis, Bamboo Print, Embargo, Chemical Green, Coblat Halftone, Fuel Rod, Photic Zone, Irradiated Alert, Carbon Fiber), MP9 (Featherweight, Wild Lily, Pandora's Box, Stained Glass, Bulldozer, Dark Age, Hot Rod, Hypnotic, Hydra, Rose Iron, Music Box, Setting Sun, Food Chain, Airlock, Mount Fuji, Starlight Protector, Ruby Poison Dart, Deadly Poison), MP5-SD (Liquidation, Oxide Oasis, Phosphor, Nitro, Agent, Autumn Twilly), Shotguns, Machineguns - Sawed-Off (Kiss♥Love, First Class, Orange DDPAT, Rust Coat, The Kraken, Devourer, Mosaico, Wasteland Princess, Bamboo Shadow, Copper, Serenity, Limelight, Apocalypto), XM1014 (Frost Borre, Ancient Lore, Red Leather, Elegant Vines, Banana Leaf, Jungle, Urban Perforated, Grassland, Blaze Orange, Heaven Guard, VariCamo Blue, Entombed, XOXO, Seasons, Tranquility, Bone Machine, Incinegator, Teclu Burner, Black Tie, Zombie Offensive, Watchdog), Nova (Sobek's Bite, Baroque Orange, Hyper Beast, Green Apple, Antique, Modern Hunter, Walnut, Forest Leaves, Graphite, Blaze Orange, Rising Skull, Tempest, Bloomstick, Interlock, Quick Sand, Moon in Libra, Clean Polymer, Red Quartz, Toy Soldier), MAG-7 (Copper Coated, Insomnia, Cinqueda, Counter Terrace, Prism Terrace, Memento, Chainmail, Hazard, Justice, Bulldozer, Silver, Core Breach, Firestarter, Praetorian, Heat, Hard Water, Monster Call, BI83 Spectrum, SWAG-7), M249 (Humidor, Shipping Forecast, Blizzard Marbleized, Downtown, Jungle DDPAT, Nebula Crusader, Impact Drill, Emerald Poison Dart), Negev (Mjölnir, Anodized Navy, Palm, Power Loader, Bratatat, CaliCamo, Phoenix Stencil, Infrastructure, Boroque Sand), Wear - Factory New (FN), Minimal Wear (MW), Field-Tested (FT), Well-Worn (WW), Battle-Scarred (BS), Stickers Holo/Foil/Gold - Katowice 2014, Krakow 2017, Howling Dawn, Katowice 2015, Crown, London 2018, Cologne 2014, Boston 2018, Atlanta 2017, Cluj-Napoca 2015, DreamHack 2014, King on the Field, Harp of War, Winged Difuser, Cologne 2016, Cologne 2015, MLG Columbus 2016, Katowice 2019, Berlin 2019, RMR 2020, Stockholm 2021, Antwerp 2022, Paris 2023, Swag Foil, Flammable foil, Others - Souvenirs, Agents, Pins, Passes, Gifts, Music Kits, Cases, Keys, Capsules, Packages, Patches

Some items on the list may no longer be available or are still locked, visit My Inventory for more details.

Send a Trade Offer for fastest response. I consider all offers.

Add me for discuss if there is a serious offer that needs to be discussed.

During a student’s academic journey, unplanned events may happen that require them to miss class. People with kids need to know how to ask for school leave, whether for an emergency, a family emergency, or a planned vacation. You can request to miss school in writing by filling out an application for leave in school. People typically apply to leave school for various reasons, such as to go on a long trip, get medical care, or go to an event. Remember that applications for school leave need to be made politely and professionally. The application for leave in school should be brief and indicate the cause for the absence, how long it will last, and when the student will return. The application for leave will be talked about briefly in this article.

Reason for Leave application

For private reasons

A student may need to take time off if they have to deal with a family problem or another personal matter. For medical reasons if a child is sick or hurt and needs to be cared for or rest, they may have to miss school. Parents have to provide an application for leave in school for fever.

Because of religion

A student might miss class to attend a church event or celebrate a holiday. Because they need to learn, students may miss class to finish an internship, go on a study abroad course, or go to a conference.

Outside of school

Students may miss a few school days because of an event or action outside of school.They should provide an application for leave in school for going out of station.

Types of Leave

Medical, personal, emergency, and holiday leave are the most common types of leave that schools give. Knowing the differences between the types is essential because each may have different needs and ways of applying them.

How Applications Are Made?

Applications for leave in school are made through routes set up by schools. As part of it, you might have to use a website, fill out a form, or write an official letter. Parents and children should learn about the school’s recommended application process to ensure they follow it.

Very Important Papers

Application for leave in school may mean that schools must ask for supporting documents. Medical leave sometimes needs a note or proof from a doctor. You may need the same kind of proof of trip plans for vacation time. Gather the necessary paperwork and send it in with the leave request.

Time of absence

Most of the time, schools ask parents to let them know before they take their child out of the building. Then, the school management can do the right thing and ensure the child’s education is interrupted less often. Parents should request time off from school as soon as possible, in line with the school’s stance on advance notice. Parents should provide an application for leave in school for 1 day in advance.

Amount of time away

When it comes to schools, there may be rules about how much time you can miss for different reasons. There may be limits on vacation time, but people who are sick may be able to take medical leave for as long as they need it. Parents and children should know these time limits so they don’t get mixed up. The school management takes requests for time off when they are sent in. Anyone on the staff, like the director, school counsellor, or someone else, can review this. Parents and kids should be patient and wait for proof of clearance before moving forward.

Communication Tools

Schools usually set up specific ways for parents to talk to their administrators about requests for time off. One way to do this is to go online, email a pre-addressed address, or call the school office. When parents and kids use the official ways to get in touch, they can ensure their needs are heard and met. Parents and kids who want to take time off should check in with the school to ensure they got the application for leave in school and see what’s going on. They should quickly provide additional paperwork or details to speed up the process. The open conversation keeps approvals from being late.

Other Places of Education

To make sure that a student’s education continues while they are abroad, schools could offer other ways to learn. This could mean making study guides, giving homework, or teaching online. Asking about these plans might help lessen the adverse effects of leave on a child’s schoolwork. It must be turned in before the leave of absence starts and is usually sent to the school’s department head or director.

Go back to School Rules and How to Do Things

Schools could have set up specific rules to help kids return to the classroom after taking a break. This could include going to teacher meetings, making up missed work, or finishing tests. Parents who want to ensure their child returns to the regular schedule should call the school. For legal and administrative reasons, schools keep much information on students present and absent. To avoid problems, parents and children must carefully record requests for time off and keep an eye on their child’s attendance.

Review and Thoughts

Parents and kids can stay current on any changes or improvements by reviewing the school’s leave policies and procedures. Giving the school administration comments on their experiences with asking for time off can also help ensure that things keep improving.

Conclusion

Parents and kids need to know the school’s rules about requesting time off to talk about their needs and ensure the kids have a smooth educational experience. Parents and kids can handle the process confidently and keep their child’s schooling as regular as possible if they know the types of leaves, the necessary paperwork, and the permission processes. Parents and schools must work together, plan, and talk to each other so that application for leave in school requests are adequately treated and students can keep up with their work.

FAQs

How do I request school leave?
To request school leave, write to your principal or other school administration.
How early should I request leave?
Leave should be requested as early as possible to allow the school to make arrangements. The timeline depends on school policy and the cause of the leave. In a medical emergency, you may need to apply for leave sooner.
What is the use of leave applications in school?
A leave application is a written request to take time off school, college, or employment for a certain period.

hey japanlife

I'm hoping to get some advice from the community about applying for permanent residency in Japan. My current spouse visa is a one-year visa expiring in July, and since my wife and I have been married for 9 years, we meet the marriage requirement.
Here's my situation:

• I'm retired from the US Navy and receive a pension along with other related income that comes up to over ¥10MM. However, this income is taxed in the US and not considered taxable in Japan.
• I am enrolled in nenkin but haven't made any contributions yet due to the above reason. I have a waiver from the tax office exempting me from pension payments until next month, but I have paid all other taxes and health insurance on time, every time.
• My wife works full-time and earns ~¥7MM, so we have a provable income.

I'm definitely planning to speak with an immigration lawyer to get the full picture, but I wanted to see if anyone in japanlife has experience with a similar situation, particularly regarding non-taxable foreign income and its impact on PR applications.
Does it seem like I would be a good candidate for permanent residency despite not yet contributing to the National Pension (although I have a temporary waiver)? Any insights or advice would be greatly appreciated!
Edit: I was unaware of the requirement to be either on a 3 or 5 year visa. So my plan is to renew my visa, hopefully get a 3 or 5 year then apply for permanent residency. But I’m gonna leave the post up in case anyone else has similar questions.

Biographical Index of the Framers of the Constitution

 * = didn't sign the Constitution 

Connecticut: Oliver Ellsworth*, William. Samuel Johnson, Roger Sherman
Delaware: Richard Bassett, Gunning Bedford, Jr., Jacob Broom, John Dickinson, George Read
Georgia: Abraham Baldwin, William Few, William Houston, William L. Pierce
Maryland: Daniel Carroll, Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer, Luther Martin, James McHenry John F. Mercer
Massachusetts: Elbridge Gerry, Nathaniel Gorham, Rufus King, Caleb Strong
New Hampshire: Nicholas Gilman, John Langdon
New Jersey: David Brearly, Jonathan Dayton, William C. Houston*, William Livingston, William Paterson
New York: Alexander Hamilton, John Lansing, Jr., Robert Yates
North Carolina: William. Blount, William R. Davie, Alexander Martin, Richard. Dobbs Spaight, Hugh Williamson
Pennsylvania: George Clymer, Thomas Fitzsimons, Benjamin Franklin, Jared Ingersoll Thomas Mifflin, Gouverneur Morris, Robert Morris, James Wilson
Rhode Island did not send any delegates to the Constitutional Convention.
South Carolina: Pierce Butler, Charles Pinckney, Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, John Rutledge
Virginia: John Blair, James Madison Jr., George Mason, James McClurg, Edmund J. Randolph, George Washington, George Wythe
What happened to the founders of the Constitution?
¹. The founders of the Constitution, also known as the Framers, played various roles in shaping early American politics and government. Here is what happened to some of the key figures: ². George Washington - Became the first President of the United States. ³. John Adams - Became the second President of the United States. ⁴. homas Jefferson - became the third President of the United States. He Played a significant role in early American politics, serving as the third President of the United States ⁵. James Madison - Became the fourth President of the United States. ⁶. James Monroe - Became the fifth President of the United States. ⁷. Alexander Hamilton - Played a key role in establishing the nation's financial system and was killed in a duel by Aaron Burr. ⁸. Benjamin Franklin - Passed away in 1790, after the Constitution was ratified. ⁹. Roger Sherman - Continued his political career and served in Congress. ¹⁰. Gouverneur Morris - Continued his political career and played a role in drafting the final version of the Constitution. ¹¹. John Dickinson - Played a role in early American politics and served in various government positions. ¹². George Mason - Opposed the Constitution's ratification and did not sign it. He continued to be involved in Virginia politics. ¹³. Elbridge Gerry - Signed the Constitution but later opposed it. He served as Vice President of the United States under James Madison. ¹⁴. William Paterson - Continued his legal and political career, serving as Governor of New Jersey. ¹⁵. Charles Pinckney - Continued his political career and served in various government positions. ¹⁶. John Rutledge - Served as Chief Justice of the United States and also as an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court. ¹⁷. Oliver Ellsworth - Played a role in early American government and served as Chief Justice of the United States. ¹⁸. John Jay - Played a significant role in early American politics, including serving as the first Chief Justice of the United States.
Here is how some of the key figures involved in the creation of the Constitution passed away:
• George Washington - Died of a severe throat infection in 1799. • James Madison - Died of heart failure in 1836. • Alexander Hamilton - Killed in a duel by Aaron Burr in 1804. • Benjamin Franklin - Passed away in 1790 due to old age and health complications. •John Adams - Died of natural causes in 1826. • Thomas Jefferson - Passed away due to natural causes in 1826. • James Monroe - Died of heart failure and tuberculosis in 1831. • Roger Sherman - Died of typhoid fever in 1793. • Gouverneur Morris - Died in 1816 after a carriage accident led to a leg amputation. • John Dickinson - Died of a stroke in 1808. • George Mason - Died of natural causes in 1792. • Elbridge Gerry - Died of a heart attack in 1814. • William Paterson - Died of complications from a urinary tract infection in 1806. • Charles Pinckney - Died in 1824 due to natural causes. • John Rutledge - Died by suicide in 1800. • Oliver Ellsworth - Died of a heart attack in 1807. • John Jay - Died of complications from paralysis in 1829.
Here is a brief overview of the success ratings of U.S. Presidents from George Washington to Joe Biden: George Washington - Considered highly successful for his leadership during the American Revolution and his role as the first President. - John Adams - Faced challenges like the Quasi-War with France but is respected for avoiding war and his diplomatic efforts. - Thomas Jefferson - Known for the Louisiana Purchase and expansion of the U.S. territory. - James Madison - Led the country through the War of 1812. - James Monroe - Oversaw the "Era of Good Feelings" and the Monroe Doctrine. - John Quincy Adams - Advocated for infrastructure and education but faced challenges from political rivals. - Andrew Jackson - Known for his populism and expansion of presidential powers. - Martin Van Buren - Faced economic challenges during the Panic of 1837. - William Henry Harrison - Died shortly after taking office, so his impact was limited. John Tyler - Faced challenges due to his succession from Harrison and his support of Texas annexation. - James K. Polk - Successful in achieving territorial expansion, including the Mexican-American War. - Zachary Taylor - Limited impact due to his short time in office before his death. - Millard Fillmore - Oversaw the Compromise of 1850 but faced criticism for his stance on slavery. Franklin Pierce - Faced challenges due to his support of the Kansas-Nebraska Act and the growing tensions over slavery. James Buchanan - Criticized for his handling of the secession crisis that led to the Civil War. - Abraham Lincoln - Highly regarded for preserving the Union, abolishing slavery, and leading the country through the Civil War. Andrew Johnson - Faced impeachment but is recognized for his efforts in Reconstruction. Ulysses S. Grant - Known for his efforts in Reconstruction and the fight against the Ku Klux Klan. Rutherford B. Hayes - Oversaw the end of Reconstruction and efforts to reform civil service. James A. Garfield - Assassinated early in his term, limiting his impact. Chester A. Arthur - Known for civil service reform efforts. Grover Cleveland - Served non-consecutive terms and focused on economic issues. Benjamin Harrison - Oversaw economic growth but faced challenges in his bid for re-election. Grover Cleveland (2nd term) - Continued to focus on economic reforms. William McKinley - Led the country through the Spanish-American War and focused on economic prosperity. Theodore Roosevelt - Known for his progressive policies and trust-busting efforts. William **Howard Taft - Faced challenges within his party and with progressive reforms. Woodrow Wilson - Led the country through World War I and advocated for the League of Nations. Warren G. Harding - Oversaw economic growth but his administration was marred by scandal. Calvin Coolidge - Known for his economic policies and advocacy for limited government. Herbert Hoover - Faced the Great Depression and criticism for his handling of the crisis. Franklin D. Roosevelt - Led the country through the Great Depression and World War II, i, implementing the New Deal. Harry S. Truman - Oversaw the end of World War II and the beginning of the Cold War. Dwight D. Eisenhower - Known for his leadership during World War II and his focus on infrastructure. John F. Kennedy - Led the country during the Cuban Missile Crisis and advocated for civil rights. Lyndon B. Johnson - Focused on civil rights and the Great Society programs but faced criticism for his handling of the Vietnam War. Richard Nixon - Resigned due to the Watergate scandal, overshadowing his foreign policy achievements. Gerald Ford - Took office after Nixon's resignation and faced challenges with the economy and foreign policy. Jimmy Carter - Faced challenges with the economy and foreign policy, including the Iran Hostage Crisis. Ronald Reagan - Known for his conservative policies and role in ending the Cold War. George H. W. Bush - Oversaw the end of the Cold War and the Gulf War. Bill Clinton - Focused on economic prosperity and domestic policies but faced impeachment. George W. Bush - Led the country through the 9/11 attacks and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Barack Obama - Known for the Affordable Care Act and efforts to revive the economy after the 2008 financial crisis. Donald Trump - Controversial presidency… Joseph Biden - Total nut job...
Here are some of the notable negative aspects or controversies associated with each U.S. President:
• George Washington - Controversies surrounding his ownership of slaves and his role in the Whiskey Rebellion. • John Adams - Alien and Sedition Acts restricting civil liberties and targeting immigrants. • Thomas Jefferson - Hypocrisy regarding slavery while advocating for liberty, and the Embargo Act's economic impact. • James Madison - Struggles during the War of 1812 and criticisms of the Treaty of Ghent. • James Monroe - Economic challenges during the Panic of 1819 and controversies over the Missouri Compromise. • John Quincy Adams - Unpopular "Corrupt Bargain" election and difficult relationship with Congress. • Andrew Jackson - Treatment of Native Americans, particularly the Trail of Tears, and his use of executive power. • Martin Van Buren - Blamed for the economic downturn known as the Panic of 1837. • William Henry Harrison - Limited impact due to his short tenure, so criticisms were not fully developed. • John Tyler - Annexation of Texas and conflicts with Congress. • James K. Polk - Handling of the Mexican-American War and accusations of expansionism. • Zachary Taylor - Short presidency limited the development of criticisms. • Millard Fillmore - Support for the Compromise of 1850 and stance on slavery. • Franklin Pierce - Support of the Kansas-Nebraska Act and handling of slavery issues. • James Buchanan - Inaction leading up to the Civil War and support for pro-slavery policies. • Abraham Lincoln - Handling of the Civil War, suspension of civil liberties, and Emancipation Proclamation. • Andrew Johnson - Opposition to civil rights legislation and conflicts with Congress. • Ulysses S. Grant - Administration plagued by corruption scandals. • Rutherford B. Hayes - End of Reconstruction and the Compromise of 1877. • James A. Garfield - Assassination limited the development of criticisms. • Chester A. Arthur - Ties to political machines and patronage practices. • Grover Cleveland - Handling of the Panic of 1893 and labor unrest. • Benjamin Harrison - Lack of leadership during economic downturn. • Grover Cleveland (2nd term) - Continued challenges with economic issues and labor disputes. • William McKinley - Handling of the Spanish-American War and accusations of imperialism. • Theodore Roosevelt - Trust-busting policies and involvement in the Panama Canal controversy. • William Howard Taft - Conflicts with progressive Republicans and conservation issues. • Woodrow Wilson - Handling of racial issues, civil liberties, and Treaty of Versailles. • Warren G. Harding - Administration marred by scandals like Teapot Dome. • Calvin Coolidge - Laissez-faire approach to the economy and limited government intervention. • Herbert Hoover - Handling of the Great Depression and perceived inaction. • Franklin D. Roosevelt - Criticism of New Deal policies and attempt to expand the Supreme Court. • Harry S. Truman - Handling of the Korean War and accusations of communist infiltration. • Dwight D. Eisenhower - Criticisms of domestic policies and civil rights actions. • John F. Kennedy - Bay of Pigs invasion and Cuban Missile Crisis. • Lyndon B. Johnson - Handling of the Vietnam War and civil rights issues. • Richard Nixon - Resignation due to the Watergate scandal. • Gerald Ford - Pardon of Richard Nixon and economic challenges. • Jimmy Carter - Handling of the Iran Hostage Crisis and economic difficulties. • Ronald Reagan - Economic policies, Iran-Contra affair, and environmental deregulation. • George H. W. Bush - Breaking "no new taxes" pledge and economic management. • Bill Clinton - Monica Lewinsky scandal and foreign policy decisions. • George W. Bush - Iraq War, Hurricane Katrina response, and economic policies. • Barack Obama - Affordable Care Act and foreign policy actions. • Donald Trump - Divisive policies, impeachment, and COVID-19 pandemic response. • Joe Biden - U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, COVID-19 response, and economic policies.
All had their problems but, none as bad as Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump and the nut job Joseph Biden.
Here is the political party affiliation of each U.S. President: George Washington - No formal party affiliation, though he is generally associated with the Federalist Party. John Adams - Federalist Party Thomas Jefferson - Democratic-Republican Party James Madison - Democratic-Republican Party James Monroe - Democratic-Republican Party John Quincy Adams - Democratic-Republican/National Republican Andrew Jackson - Democratic Party Martin Van Buren - Democratic Party William Henry Harrison - Whig Party John Tyler - Whig Party James K. Polk - Democratic Party Zachary Taylor - Whig Party Millard Fillmore - Whig Party Franklin Pierce - Democratic Party James Buchanan - Democratic Party Abraham Lincoln - Republican Party Andrew Johnson - Democratic Party (National Union) Ulysses S. Grant - Republican Party Rutherford B. Hayes - Republican Party James A. Garfield - Republican Party Chester A. Arthur - Republican Party Grover Cleveland - Democratic Party Benjamin Harrison - Republican Party Grover Cleveland (2nd term) - Democratic Party William McKinley - Republican Party Theodore Roosevelt - Republican Party William Howard Taft - Republican Party Woodrow Wilson - Democratic Party Warren G. Harding - Republican Party Calvin Coolidge - Republican Party Herbert Hoover - Republican Party Franklin D. Roosevelt - Democratic Party Harry S. Truman - Democratic Party Dwight D. Eisenhower - Republican Party John F. Kennedy - Democratic Party Lyndon B. Johnson - Democratic Party Richard Nixon - Republican Party Gerald Ford - Republican Party Jimmy Carter - Democratic Party Ronald Reagan - Republican Party George H. W. Bush - Republican Party Bill Clinton - Democratic Party George W. Bush - Republican Party Barack Obama - Democratic Party Donald Trump - Republican Party Joe Biden - Democratic Party
What is the Whig party? The Whig Party was a political party in the United States that existed from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s.
Here are some key points about the Whig Party: Origins: The Whig Party emerged in the 1830s as a coalition of various anti-Jacksonian factions. They opposed the policies of Democratic President Andrew Jackson, particularly his expansion of executive power and his handling of the Bank of the United States. Beliefs: The Whigs supported a strong federal government, internal improvements such as infrastructure projects, a national banking system, and protective tariffs to promote industry. Leadership: Prominent Whig leaders included Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, and William Henry Harrison. Presidential Success: Four Whig presidents served in office: William Henry Harrison, John Tyler, Zachary Taylor, and Millard Fillmore. Decline: The party began to splinter over issues such as slavery, the Mexican-American War, and the Compromise of 1850. The rise of the anti-slavery Republican Party and internal divisions led to the decline of the Whig Party. Legacy: While the Whig Party itself dissolved in the 1850s, many former Whigs joined the Republican Party or other political movements. The Whigs left a legacy of advocating for economic development and opposition to executive overreach.
Explain the Democratic-Republican Party The Democratic-Republican Party was one of the first political parties in the United States. Here are some key points about the Democratic-Republican Party: Founding: The party was founded by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison in the early 1790s in opposition to the Federalist Party led by Alexander Hamilton. Beliefs: The Democratic-Republicans favored a limited federal government, states' rights, agrarian interests, and a strict interpretation of the Constitution. They were critical of a strong central government and favored an agrarian society of small farmers. Leadership: Thomas Jefferson and James Madison were key figures in the party. Jefferson served as the third President of the United States from 1801 to 1809, and Madison succeeded him as the fourth President from 1809 to 1817. Opposition: The Democratic-Republicans opposed the Federalist Party's policies, including the Alien and Sedition Acts and a national bank. They supported the principles of the French Revolution and favored closer ties with France rather than Britain. Achievements: The Democratic-Republicans were responsible for the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, which doubled the size of the United States. They also oversaw the abolition of the national debt during Jefferson's presidency. Transformation: Over time, the Democratic-Republican Party split into factions, with some members eventually forming the Democratic Party, while others joined the Whig Party. The Democratic Party that emerged retained some of the principles of the Democratic-Republican Party. The Democratic-Republican Party played a significant role in shaping early American politics and government, advocating for a decentralized system and agrarian interests.
Explain the federalist party The Federalist Party was one of the first political parties in the United States. Here are some key points about the Federalist Party: Founding: The Federalist Party was founded in the 1790s by Alexander Hamilton, John Adams, and others who supported a strong central government and a loose interpretation of the Constitution. Beliefs: The Federalists believed in a strong federal government, a national bank, protective tariffs, and close ties with Britain. They favored an industrial and commercial economy over an agrarian one. Leadership: Alexander Hamilton was a key leader of the Federalist Party, along with John Adams, who became the second President of the United States from 1797 to 1801. Policies: The Federalists supported the Alien and Sedition Acts, which restricted immigration and free speech, and they favored a pro-British foreign policy. They were often at odds with the Democratic-Republicans led by Thomas Jefferson. Opposition: The Democratic-Republican Party emerged as the main opposition to the Federalists, criticizing their policies as favoring the wealthy and infringing on states' rights. Decline: The Federalist Party declined after the War of 1812, as their opposition to the war hurt their popularity. The party eventually dissolved in the 1820s, leaving the Democratic-Republicans as the dominant political force. The Federalist Party played a significant role in shaping early American politics, advocating for a strong central government and policies that favored commerce and industry.

TW: Alcoholism, drug addiction, violence, suicidal ideation, sex abuse
This is going to be a LLLLLOOONNNNGGGGG one. This story goes back quite a way, but yesterday was the tenth anniversary of the ending to this story and I'm feeling it, still got some guilt about everything that happened, wondering what I could have done differently and I just want to vent it out and hope to get some closure from it.
This story started in 2010.
Characters in this story (names are fake, duh!):

• Me, Guy, 32M at the time, 45 now.
• My BFF Stephanie, 33F at the time.
• Stephen, 40M at the time, Stephanie's boyfriend.
• Maryse, 27F at the time.

Background and intro
I had known Stephanie for many years and we had the kind of friendship that made her BFs and my GFs uncomfortable to put it lightly. We had never crossed that boundary and I wouldn't consider us in the friendzone, we were just friend, but the kind of friend where she would sit on my lap with her arms around my neck or her head on my shoulder.
At the start of 2010, Stephanie met her then boyfriend, Stephen. He tolerated me and my friendship with Stephanie because I also had a gf back then. She liked Stephanie, wasn't at all jealous of my friendship with her, so he didn't deem me too suspicious. Then my gf and I broke up for reasons unimportant and all hell broke loose for Stephen. He became convinced that I would try and steal Stephanie from him. He insisted that Stephanie introduce me to her female friends or female friends of his. Thus began what I called the year of the 50 blind dates. It was probably closer to 20, but still I like saying the year of 50 blind dates. Most of them were unremarkable and never went beyond the first date. There are some fun stories in there if anyone wants to hear them eventually!
In July of that year, I had to switch gears because I had to focus up and study for a professional exam for a certification important to my career. This exam required close to 600-800 hours of study over a 3-4 month period. So I hunkered down, told Stephanie to stop the blind dates for now because I had to focus on that. She respected my wishes and, other a text here or there, we went low contact for the last two months before the exam.
Except for one fateful night in September. Her birthday was in September and she always threw these big bashes at her house. She would throw a big pool party that started around noon and would go on to the wee hours of the morning. I knew she would harass me to go to her party, so I made some quick math and figured I would lose more energy and time trying to dodge her calls, texts and most likely visits at my place than by just going to the party itself. So when she called me to ask, I just said: "Okay I'll go to your damn party, now git." I texted her I would get there in the evening probably around 8. She texted back "Great, can't wait. Now study, bitch!"
So I ultimately get there around 8PM. Basically everybody is already drunk off their gourd. Stephanie sees me, squeals in excitement and runs to me in her bikini and just jumps in the air and slams into me, wraps her arms around my neck and her legs around my waist and gives me a big hug. I hug her back and just keep walking back to the pool where she had started, carrying her with me. I just duck my head around hers and say hi to Stephen, who just glares at me.
She drops back down and I give her her gift. We chat for a few seconds and says "There's beer in the fridge and food in the dining room." I told her I'd be right back.
I go inside and grab a beer from the fridge. I head to the dining room and the table is against the wall with a buffet of sandwiches, tomato pizza, salads, etc. I grab a plate and start putting food on it. I was focused on the task because I was starving. I barely noticed, sitting at the end of the table one of the most stunning woman I have ever seen. I just see her in my peripheral vision and I do a quick double take, quick glance at her and back to the food. I do that a second time. And finally a third time. At that point she is just straight up staring at me and I can't help but chuckle and whisper under my breath "Subtle Guy, sub-tle".
Thankfully she starts laughing too, saving me some embarassment. I look at her and greet her. She says "Hi, I'm Maryse and I'm guessing you're Guy?" I just nod and we start talking. At that point, I just thought I have no shot with her, she's so far out of my league that I'm just gonna talk to her until she sees one of the "models" hanging out by the pool and ditches me for him.
So I'm not feeling like I'm playing for anything, so I'm just myself and not nervous, just talking to her as I would any friend. We chat and she laughs at all my jokes, she gets all my cultural references. She never gets up or ditches me. The plate of food I had made and the beer I had gotten are sitting on the table next to me untouched, I was too busy with the convo to think about food or beer anymore.
After what felt like only 20-30 minutes, Stephanie comes in and tells me, fake grumpy: "So that's where you disappeared to. I invite my best friend to a party and he spends the whole night talking to someone else." I laugh and go: "What do you mean the whole night? I haven't been here that long." She says "Dude, it's 2AM. You've been here for 6 hours..." My jaw dropped and I just said: "Wow, time flies when you're having fun." Maryse chimes in, with a big smile: "It sure does!" That made me happy as you can imagine.
Now I was a little stuck because where Stephanie lived, there's no night service for the bus and the subway had been closed for an hour or so. I figured I would cab it. So I turn to Maryse and tell her: "It was absolutely lovely to meet you and I enjoyed our conversation very much." She says that she did too. I continued with "At the moment, my schedule is incredibly hectic. I'm basically working full-time, studying full-time and sleeping part-time. So I don't have a lot of free time, but if she was interested, whatever little free time I had, I would love to call her or text her to keep on getting to know her."
I see Stephanie in the backgroudnd, looking like a proud mama at how smooth that came out, knowing I was always anything but smooth with women, as proven by the string of blind dates! Maryse has a big smile and we exchange numbers. I go to Stephanie to wish her a happy birthday again. While I'm talking to her, my phone buzzes with a text from Maryse: "Just checking!"
I asked Stephanie "What's the best cab company to call in this area?" Maryse chimes in: "Where do you live?" I tell her where I lived and she goes "It's on the way to where I live, I can give you a ride if you want." Stephanie raised an eyebrow in surprise. I learned later, she did it because it absolutely was not on the way to her place, like, at all. I say that I would love that as it would give us a chance to keep talking.
We get in her car, driving to my place. We talk, she asks me what I'm studying as I hadn't mentioned it earlier. I tell her all about the boring maths I had to study. Much too quickly, we get to my place. She parks in front of my building and we keep talking. At some point, I tell her: "Normally, this is where I would try to "trick" you into coming up to my place..." She interrupts me: "You wouldn't need to trick me. I'm willing and able!"
I tell her that "As tempting as that sounds, I know who I am and I know that if you come up and things proceed to where they're going, I'm not going to be able to study for the rest of the month. I have a kind of obsessive mind and when I find someone or something I like, I can push everything else to the side in favor of that. So to make sure I can still focus on my studying, I have to go up by myself."
She looks at me, a little disappointed but then says, half-jokingly: "We don't have to go up, there's a backseat right there!" We laugh and I give her a kiss and wish her a good night. I managed to stay strong and go back to my condo. Damn it, why did I have to stay strong!!!
My exam was at the beginning of november. During the month of october, we texted a bunch of times and talked on the phone. We went for coffee a couple of times and dinner once. She respected my boundaries and never pushed for more, which I appreciated but also hated at the same time, if that makes sense. The exam came and it was a monster of a Friday. I slept for basically 18 hours after the exam as the adrenalin dropped and my system crashed.
I texted her when I woke up at around 1PM. She was working at the clothing store Stephanie owned. She said "I'm off at 5PM, wanna meet me." I said: "Duh! Why do you think I'm texting? ;)" So I met her at the store downtown. I asked if she wanted to grab a drink, go for dinner, or what. She proposed going to her place and getting some take out. Stephanie who was closing the store at that moment, came up to us and said: "Hey, so what are we doing?" I said: "WE, that is Maryse and I, are going to her place and getting some takeout. Bye!" I'm sure you'll understand when I tell you that no food was ever ordered that night!
Thus followed a whirlwind month of November where any free time we had was spent together, and I wasn't going to complain!
The troubles
By the start of december, things were still going great with us. One saturday night, we were having dinner at a restaurant and I mention that this coming Friday is my office Christmas party, that it's employees only, so we wouln't see each other that night. She tells me: "Oh sure, that's fine! It'll give me a chance to go see some girlfriends I've been neglecting lately." I said "Great! BTW I also got us a reservation at [this great restaurant she had mentioned a few times] for next Saturday, so we could go there and I'll tell you all about my party and you can tell me all about her night with the girls!"
That was settled, I thought. I was wrong. On Thursday, we had spent the evening together at her place and I was about to leave to go back to my place. She tells me: "So are you coming to meet me at the store tomorrow or do I go to your place?" I reminded her: "Neither, tomorrow is my office Christmas party and we won't see each other tomorrow." She said: "Oh right, I forgot." I asked her if she had made plans with her friends like she had mentioned last saturday. She said that they were all busy tomorrow and weren't available.
She suggested "If your party is boring, maybe you could come meet me." I retorted that it wasn't going to be, knowing who was going to be there.
"Yeah but what if?"
"But it won't"
"But what IFFFFFF?" she kept insisting and I kept saying no. After what felt like 30 minutes of that (probably only 2-3 minutes in reality), I had enough and just said to end the argument: "Okay, if it's boring, I'll come. but it won't be." She said: "Cool" with a big smile on her face. I came to learn that that smile meant "Challenge accepted".
The following night, my colleague and I were pregaming in a conference room before leaving for the party proper and my phone buzzes. Maryse was wishing me a good party. I replied. She texted me again. I replied. She texted again, but I was in a conversation with a colleague so I didn't reply or even look at the phone. My phone buzzes again. Still talking, and didn't want to be rude to my colleague. Another buzz. I just kept talking. Phone buzzes differently, she was now calling because I hadn't answered her texts.
"Why aren't you replying to my texts?"
"Hey, sorry, was talking to my colleague Patrick."
"What? you don't want to talk to me?"
"I am talking to you now."
"Why didn't you reply to my texts?"
"Because it would have been rude to my colleague to pull my phone out while talking to him."
"But you're talking to me now."
"Because I thought something was wrong, maybe it was an emergency."
"I wanted to talk to you, that's all."
"Well, gotta go back to the party. Talk to you later."
She kept texting and if I didn't reply right away, she would call after two or three missed texts. After about 2 hours of this, I stopped answering the texts. When she called back, I asked her: "Aren't you supposed to be working?" which started another round of guilt-tripping of "why are you asking me this? you don't want to talk to me?" At that point I had had enough and wanted to enjoy my party. I remembered that the Blackberry (no shaming old tech!) I had had an annoying feature, but I was hoping to put it to good use at that moment.
Whenever the battery would get really low, like less than 1%, it would let out an ear-piercing BEEP for about 3 seconds, reminiding you to charge it and giving you a heart attack all at the same time. It would do that even when you were in silent mode. It had happened a few days earlier when I was with Maryse. I figured, if I press a button on the Blackberry, it would make a beep too that could be heard through the phone. So while I was talking to Maryse, I pressed my thumb on the space bar for a good 3 seconds and sputtered; "what... the .... what?" trying to put on a somewhat believable performance.
She asked what that noise was and I tell her that it was my blackberry letting me know I was low battery and it might shut off any second. I told her "Listen I'm gonna wish you a good night, I'm having a good time at my party so I'll see you tomorrow at 5PM to go spend our evening together. I hope you have a good....." and hung up mid-sentence. I promptly shut my phone off and went back to the party. I concede that I may be a bit of an AH for that move.
The party was great, I got drunk much quicker than I expected owing to the fact that I hadn't had a drink in over two months because Maryse didn't drink so I didn't either when we were together, and we were always together. At 1AM, I went home and passed out on my bed.
This is another place where I may have been an AH. I didn't turn my cell phone back on and I unplugged my home line too, because I wanted to sleep the deep sleep of the drunkard. I woke up at around 1:30 PM, not knowing it was already too late. In my mind, I was meeting Maryse at 5PM to go out on the town that night. Maryse had other ideas as you'll see.
So like I said, I woke up at 1:30PM and was sticky with alcohol sweat, so I went straight for the shower to get clean again. While in the shower, my stomach grumbled with hunger and I started daydreaming of bacon and eggs. That pushed me out of the shower right quick. I dried myself off quickly, tied the towel around my waist and went to the fridge. No bacon.... booo. Looked at the egg compartment... no eggs... booo again. Okay then, how about a cream cheese bagel. No cream cheese, damn it. Look in the pantry, no bagels.... god. I was starting to get angry. Okay, cereals then. I pick up the cereal box, that mofo was empty and I get mad: "who's the idiot who puts the empty box back in the pantry?" I remembered I live alone.
I close the fridge dejected and see the grocery list stuck on the fridge, taunting me with everything I wanted to eat for breakfast written on it. But I felt like if I went to the grocery store hungry as I Was, I'm just gonna pay 600$ and not get one single healthy thing to eat. I then remembered there's a restaurant next to the grocery store that serves breakfast until 3PM. I get excited! I get dressed quickly, grab my wallet and keys, put my boots on, my coat on, wrap my scarf, my tuque and my gloves and go to the restaurant. If you notice, I didn't mention my phone in there.
I get to the restaurant and confirm that they still have breakfast and get even more excited when she confirms it. I order the "heart attack", at least that's how I nicknamed it: 3 eggs, 3 servings of bacon, 2 sausages, and, I guess to give one peace of mind, fruit (or to be precise, one single solitary slice of orange). Now that the food is ordered and coming I figured I would check if I have any messages. I pat the pocket where my phone always is. No phone. uh-oh. I start clutching evert pocket, no luck.
I wonder if I should go back home after the meal before going to the grocery store and decide against it, it would be too long a detour. So I scarf my breakfast down, rush through the grocery store. I get home and set my bags down in front of the fridge. I go pick up my blackberry. I turn it back on. The little tape icon tells me there are messages on my voicemail, at that time there were no red dots with a number in it to tell you how many.
I connect to the voicemail while starting to put the groceries away. The little automated voice tells me "You have 25 new messages." I pull the phone away from my ear, look at it in disbelief as if saying: "are you f'ing kidding me?" So I press 1 to start playing the messages.
Remember: Maryse knew I was at a party with a dead phone, no chargers and I probably wouldn't get home until 1AM. From 6:30PM, when my phone died, to 11:34 PM, when she went to sleep she left me 9 messages. BTW I know she went to sleep at 11:34PM because she left me a message saying "it's 11:34PM and I'm going to bed. Thinking of you." The 9 messages were in the same vein. These are the salient details, but the messages were all much longer.
She woke up at 7:15 the following day, I'll let you guess how I know that tidbit of information! She left me 5 more messages like those from the day before: 7:15 woke up. 7:35 going to take a shower. 7:55 out of the shower. 8:25 getting ready to leave for work 8:50 walking out of the subway to go to the store.
She leaves me another message at 9 that was different. She sounded very excited as if she had had the best idea in the world: "Hey it's 9AM, I'm about to start my shift. I know we're only supposed to meet after my shift, but what if you came and met me for lunch so you could tell me all about your party." I just did my best Scooby-Doo "Ruh-Roh" and chuckled that I blew that, not thinking the calamity that was awaiting me.
Another couple of messages to talk logistics: "I could take my lunch at 12 or 12:30, let me know which you prefer." "I'm taking my lunch at 12:30"
A slightly worried message: "It's 11:15 and you stil have not said if you were coming or not, are you okay?"
The first bomb goes off and I knew I was in trouble then: "Where are you? We're supposed to meet for lunch and you still haven't given me any sign of life, you're not answering your home phone either, what happened?" Reminder: we were not supposed to meet for lunch, she suggested doing so a couple of hours earlier and I never agreed to anything. I guess she told her colleagues I would meet her for lunch and it was now fact and could perhaps make her look bad in front of her colleagues.
The second bomb drops: "It's almost noon now, WHERE ARE YOU? Stephanie says you're probably sleeping off your drunk, but I don't believe her. I'm sure you got yourself a slut and cheated on me. Didn't you? didn't you, you asshole." Stephanie knows me very well, but that wasn't enough for Maryse it seems.
Ensued four more messages from 12:30 to 1:15, where she starts sounding more and more drunk and accusatory, spewing more attacks like in the message above. At that point I already knew it was over, there was no coming back from that. I can understand having trust issues, but that was nuclear. I don't tolerate jealousy because of horrible experiences with a couple of jealous toxic exes.
A final message comes in, and it's a different voice, that of my best friend being more than a little angry: "Hey Guy, listen, Maryse tells me you had a Christmas party yesterday, so I'm guessing you're sleeping off your drunk, still. But call me when you get this. I put Maryse, who's f'ing drunk, in the backstore so she can dry off and "do inventory". She can't be on the sales floor obviously and I just don't feel safe sending her home in the state she's in. Call me to tell me how you want to handle this."
At that point I had finished putting away my groceries and had put my boots and my coat on and was making my way to the subway to go to the store. I call Stephanie and tell her I got the messages and I was coming. She was right, I was sleeping off my drunk and had just woke up (didn't feel the need to mention the breakfast and grocery store). I ask her if she knows what I'm gonna do when I get there. She says that she knows and understands. She knows my bad history.
When I get out of the subway, I call her again before getting to the store. I ask her how she wants me to do this. It's her store and I don't want to create drama in front of her customers. Does she want me to wait outside and she tells Maryse to meet me in the street or do I go in the store and she takes me to the backstore and I do it there? She says to come to the store.
I walk in the store and every saleswomen on the floor looks at me and gives me the biggest case of the stink-eye. They only have Maryse's side of the story, so they think I did all these horrible things. I see Stephanie in the middle of the store and I walk towards her. She shakes her head and points me towards the cash register. I look over there and see Julia, a salesperson that I've known for a couple of years and really like, who also happens to be the biggest gossip in the store. I understand what Stephanie is trying to do. She's gonna make me tell her my story in front of Julia so Julia can spread the "good news" to the other employees and rehabilitate my name possibly.
So I get to the register and say Hi to Julia. She barely acknoledges me. Steph joins me. She asks me:
"How are you?"
"I was better an hour ago, before I listened to those voicemails. I had gone to our office party last night, had a great night, got drunk off my ass, got home at around 2 and woke up around 2."
Julia asks "Maryse told us you were supposed to meet her for lunch."
"No we weren't. I have a reservation for tonight at XYZ restaurant. I was supposed to take the day to do errands, stuff around the condo and meet her here at closing time. She suggested that it could be fun if I came at lunchtime to meet her, but that was never the plan."
Julia asks again "But why didn't you answer your phone?"
"It ran out of battery last night during the party and when I got home, I was so drunk that I forgot to plug it back in. I only plugged it when I woke up at 2. That's when the messages came in."
Julia asks "She says she tried calling your home line and you didn't answer and your machine didn't kick in."
"Yeah, that one's my fault, I knew I wanted to sleep and telemarketers have a habit of calling me early saturday mornings so I didn't want to be awoken by a call for a rug cleaning service, so I unplugged it yesterday morning, knowing I would be drunk when I got home and forget and be angry if I was awakened by a telemarketer."
Julia gave me a hint of a smile, showing me she was starting to believe me. She asked me a few more questions and then she asked what I was gonna do. I told her that whatever I'll do, I would tell Maryse first.
I looked at Stephanie and said: "Can you open the back store so I can go see her?" So we went to the backstore. As we reached the door, it swung opened and out popped Maryse, looking absolutely terrifying, I actually jumped back when I saw her. Her usual perfect makeup was completely smeared, her mascara streaking down her cheeks from the crying. Her hair was disheveled. She was a mess. Apparently, she had had enough of waiting back there and was planning on leaving the store to go home and had put her coat and boots on.
When she saw me, she went into an unhinged rant about me being an asshole for cheating on her, me not being great in bed, me not treating her right, etc. I let her vent everything she had to say, I looked at Stephanie and apologized for creating such a scene in her store. I tell Maryse we should go outside and talk in private. She keeps on yelling, but when I grab her hand to lead her outside, she follows.
When we get outside, her anger had started to wane a little, or maybe just her energy. I was able to talk to her to explain everything, how I had gotten drunk, had overslept (alone) and woke up at 2PM. I reminded her that we were only supposed to meet at 5PM not for lunch. The anger was leaving her and a smile almost appeared on her face. Through all of this I was being very calm and patient with her, which she interpreted as me not being mad at her. I then said in a firmer tone: "However..." and let it hang for a second.
The beginning smile vanished. I continued: "When you accused me of cheating on you, that broke me. That triggered memories of toxic exes who would always accuse me of cheating, not trusting me when I would tell them where I was, snooping on me, stalking me. Because of those experiences, I have a zero tolerance policy for jealousy. I told her that if she was behaving like after only two months of dating, it didn't bode well for the future and I have to protect myself."
At that, the tears started again and she just turned and ran/waddled away. I told her to wait, but she didn't hear me. I turned towards the entrance of the store to see basically all the employees and customers milling around the door trying to catch the drama. I went back inside to talk to my best friend. The mood had definitely changed and no one was giving me the stink eye anymore, but I didn't really care. I was just sad that it had ended, but proud of myself for having stood up for myself.
So AITA for getting drunk and keeping my phone turned off?
There is a lot more to this story and if you want to learn what happened afterwards, then read on.
The immediate aftermath
So I went back inside the store and talked to Stephanie. I told her that I had a reserrvation for XX restaurant and if she wanted to go with Stephen, she could take it, I wasn't in the mood for a dinner. She said "I already have plans for tonight, but thanks for offering." Julia said she would go with me if I wanted, but I just said that I wasn't in the mood to go out. I just wanted to crash and eat a pizza and get into a food coma.
Stephanie said she didn't feel comfortable leaving me by myself and I should join them at her house. They were having friends over to play board games and it could at least distract me a little. I said why not. So brimming with enthusiasm, I went to play bored games. I left early as I wasn't in the mood. I was feeling a little better, but still a bit down. I thanked Stephanie for the invite and left. I got home and just passed out on the bed.
I woke up at around 7AM the next morning and I saw along the corners of the window the tell-tale signs of a snow-drift and got excited as it was the first snow of the season. I pushed the curtains aside and looked on to see a beautiful white carpet outside. It was early enough that very few cars had marred the whiteness. I was admiring it when I noticed that, against the red bricks of the building across the street, there was a pink blotch. As I focused, the blotch became human shaped and I cleared my eyes enough to realize that it was Maryse and she was raising her cell phone to her ear.
On cue, my phone rings. I pick it up. Still sounding drunk, she asks me if we can speak. I ask her to give me five minutes to get dressed and I'll meet her down there. She asks why she can't come up. I say that I'm not sure I want her in my apartment. She says that it's cold out. I say: "Good, then this will be quick."
I get dressed and meet her outside. I'm still bleary-eyed from having woken up 5 minutes ago, but I try to get my wits together. I tell her that we're going to walk to the subway. It 's a 10-minute walk normally, but with her drunkenness, it might take 15-20 minutes. That's how long she has to tell me what she wants to tell me.
She wants to apologize for accusing me of cheating on her. She says she knows I'm a great guy and... I may be the A-hole at this point too, but I start to drift off in my little bubble and start daydreaming about, if I go back to bed, would there still be some residual heat or would it be cold? I could take a hot shower and warm the bed that way. I could still hear her in the background making excuses, saying how she had been cheated on, but I wasn't really listening.
During the daydreaming I notice it got quite quiet. I look on my left and she's not there, I turn around she's a good 5-6 steps behind me looking angry and she says: "you're not listening" I just say: "when you're right, you're right." I tell her that I understand she's been hurt too in the past, and I hope she can work to resolve her issues, but I was done and I'm going back to bed. I was a bit harsh there, but I was tired and still down.
I walk past her and get maybe 10 paces past her when I hear a scream coming from her. I turn around and I see her messing with something inside her coat. She pulls out a chef's knife with like an 8-inch blade. That wakes me the fuck up. Byebye bleary eyes, hello wakefulness. better than a cup of coffee or a red bull I tell you!
So she's got the knife, she's screaming something that I can't quite understand. She gets quiet and then she charges at me with the knife. If I'm being honest I could have stayed where I was and she probably would have missed me anyways, but someone charges at me with a knife, I'm gonna nope out of there. I take a massive side step and once she gets to where I was and realizes that I'm no longer there, she turns her head towards me and says heyyyyy.
At that point, I have a moment of clarity and see what's gonna happen. She's drunk running one way and looking another, I know she's gonna trip. As I predicted, she stumbled over her feet and starts falling to the ground. I start praying to god and anybody who would listen: "Please don't let her cut herself. I don't want to have to explain this to the doctors, EMTs and nurses. I don't want her drunk ass deciding to take revenge on me by saying I did it."
Thankfully, she winds up in a sitting position on the sidewalk holding the knife up and it was clean. Thank god for small miracles. She starts crying and, other moment of clarity, I know she's gonna turn the knife on herself now. I jump towards her and I realize I was right, the knife starts moving towards her left wrist. I tackle her, grab her right wrist and twist it so she drops the knife. I pick the knife back up and put it in my pocket. She looks at me crying and says: "Why did you stop me?"
I pick her up and take her back to my building. In my building there was a couch in the lobby, so I take her there and I sit her down and plop myself next to her. I look at her and wonder out loud: "What am I gonna do with you? What can I do?"
She goes: "Just let me go, I'll be good." I tell her that's not going to happen. I realize I have three options and I give her the three options.
"So here's the choice I give you.
1- I pull out my phone, call 911 and tell them about the attempted murder back there and they send the police to arrest you. I don't want to do that because that could derail your life and not get you the help you need. Besides, they might not do anything anyway as it's your word against mine.
2= I pull out my phone, call 911 and tell them about the attempted suicide back there and that you need to be placed on a 72 hour hold. I could do that, but at the same time, again it's my word against yours, so maybe they don't believe me.
3- I'm gonna hazard a guess here. From what I've seen, you have alcohol problems. So I'm gonna guess you were in AA, had been sober for a while, I want to say 6 months, maybe less, when we met."
She confirms my guess.
"alright so option 3, I'm guessing you had a sponsor in AA." she nods "we call them up and tell them about your relapse and what happened this morning. Can they come get you and take care of you?"
She takes her phone out and picks a contact and calls. She hands me the phone. Someone answers and I explain the situation. They said they were coming right away. I give them my address, they get here 15 minutes later. Maryse had fallen asleep in the meantime, so I wake her up gently and help her to the car. Off she went.
I went back to my apartment and just crashed back to sleep.
A month later
Mid-january, my phone rings and I see Maryse's number on there. I send her to voice mail. Another call. Voicemail again. 5 minutes later, Private number calling. "Gee I wonder who that could be." Voicemail once more.
Afterwards, I didn't get any unidentified callers for a little over a week. One afternoon, I was at work and my phone rings and it's a number I do not recognize. I pick up.
"Hello."
"Hi, is this Guy?"
"Yes, to whom am I speaking?"
"This is Hannah, Maryse's sponsor. we spoke last month." I started fearing the worst.
"Yes, I remember. How can I help you?"
"Maryse tried to reach you last week and you rejected the calls. I think it could help Maryse if you listened to what she had to say. You're obviously not obligated to entertain her, but I think despite everything that happened, you still care about her or you would not have called me that morning."
"You are right, I do still care about Maryse. I'm just not sure how good it would be for her to meet me this soon after everything that happened. I understand wanting to work through the 9th step and making amends, but..." She interrupts me.
"So you know about the steps."
"Yes I have friends in the program. which is how I could guess that she was in the program too that morning."
"You know it's important."
"I know. I know. How about this: we meet in public at a cafe, you would have to be there. Not necessarily at the table with us, but nearby in case she needs help, in case meeting me causes her pain. Tell her I promise to be in a more receptive mood than I was that morning."
So we make an appointment for that saturday afternoon.
I get to the coffee shop. She's already there, and so is her sponsor. I realize happily that she's not wearing makeup. I say happily because that means she understands that this is not a date, but something serious. She's still stunningly beautiful, and I feel sad almost right away.
I grab a coffee and go join her at the table.
"Hey" I say,
"Hey. So this is gonna be uncomfortable, but thank you for agreeing to meet me and for coming, I appreciate it more than you know. I'm sure you heard I quit the store."
"I have, I'm sorry about that, I hope you didn't do it just because of me."
"No, I needed time to focus on myself for now."
She proceeds to tell me about how I wasn't far off with my guess. She had been sober 4 months when we met. Now she had 39 days. She tells me that in AA, if you are single, they recommend not dating anyone new for at least the first year of your sobriety as it can cause issues, similar to what happened with us. I was like her "drug" and as long as I was available, she could get her fix. But the moment I wasn't available all hell broke loose, and that is what led her back to drinking that day.
I told her I'm glad to see her back sober again this quickly and I hope she can get all the help she needs from it. I ask her if she wants to talk to me about her drinking.
She starts to share a story about how she started drinking at around 11 years old. When puberty hit her, she got into a deep depression because the sexual feelings she was starting to feel were triggering responses. As a child she had been abused by two of her uncles repeatedly and her parents never believed her. They accused her of trying to make herself interesting. That was until they caught one of those uncles red-handed.
They finally believed and took the necessary steps to protect their daughter. But they were poor and they couldn't afford therapy. So she never really got help for it. At 11, she started self medicating the depression with alcohol. When alcohol wasn't enough, she added drugs.
At that point, I was full on crying. She asked me if I wanted her to stop. I told her that she doesn't have to stop. That the tears are there because that was one more thing we had in common. I was also a survivor of sexual assault as a child. In my case, it wasn't a family member, it was only a stranger, so it only happened once. But I also self-medicated with alcohol at the onset of puberty, switching to drugs later on too. I was lucky to avoid the pitfalls of addiction, but I was still dealing with my demons, slowly making peace with them.
So there we were, sitting at a coffee shop, both crying and holding each other. I tell her that I think it's great she's getting help for her alcoholism and addicion, but was she doing anything to help with the underlying issue, the original trauma? She said no, she couldn't afford therapy. I tell her that I am a member of a survivors group and if she is interested, I could get her into a meeting and perhaps learn to heal that part of herself too.
She said that she could give it a try. I tell her I have to talk to the other members to know if I can bring someone new and I would let her know. If they said yes, we would go to her first meeting together, I would introduce her and then we would coordinate so that I never went to meetings where she was. I wanted to do that because I wanted her first few meetings to be about healing and I didn't want our own history to be intertwined or mixed in with that.
After that, we left both feeling content and, while not necesarily happy, at peace if you will. Later on, I contacted Stephanie who was one of the "pillars" of the support group (that's how we met) to ask her if it was okay for me to bring in a new member to the group. She said sure. She asked if it was anyone she knew. I told her she would have to meet her at the meeting if she decides to come.
We were having a meeting the following day. I called Maryse, told her the time and place, and she said she would be there. She came to the group meeting and was shocked to see Stephanie there but Stephanie kinda guessed that it was Maryse I was referring to.
I introduce her, we start sharing stories, talking about how we're feeling, etc. The meeting was good and Maryse liked the vibe. So for the first six months after that, I never saw Maryse and we planned which meeting we would be attending to ensure we didn't cross paths. She started feeling much better.
After maybe 2 and a half years, she finally felt ready and she started dating again. She met someone and she fell for him. They were together for about six months, she looked happy. Unfortunately after about six months, she caught him cheating on her. We tried supporting her, being good friends, cursing his name, doing all the things we could to make sure she didn't relapse. But on April 5th 2014, she ODed on heroin. She was hospitalized for 2 weeks after that.
Hannah took her in and she set up a room for Maryse. She was still in a fragile state, so a group of her friends and I started taking turns watching over Maryse, making sure there was always at least one person there with her to keep her company.
Despite our vigilance, on May 14th 2014, when Hannah was out running a quick errand, she was gone maybe 15 minutes tops, Maryse found a way to cut her wrists and she died. We found a note saying that "the OD was not an accident, and neither was that. Thanks for everything you did for me. I love you all, but I can't do this anymore."
It feels good to write that story (I'll just ignore the fat tears rolling down my face!). Thanks for reading this far and sorry for the long story, I just started writing and couldn't stop. I apologize if it was a bit of a bummer.

“What do you mean it’s wrong?” said Tamara, becoming frustrated with Samuel.
“I'm trying to tell you that plants do not eat earth. They just absorb nutrients from it,” Samuel replied, equally annoyed as this was the fourth time he had explained it. “Look, just take my word for it, OK,” he added.
“Fine, but you will have to explain it again,” Tamara retorted.
Samuel and Tamara were partners in a scientific study of their forest home. It was genuinely idyllic in every sense of the word; the trees stretched high into the sky, and everyone was covered in succulent leaves, a deep and gorgeous shade of green. Around their trunks were rings of flowers gathered from every continent, and a thick carpet of grass lay on the ground.
The two sat underneath a chestnut tree, writing up their findings for the day. It had focused mainly on tree sizes and growth rates, and they had continued this study for, on and off, almost a year.
Samuel turned to look at his assistant and found that she was just as remarkable as the day they had first met: golden locks, like living sunlight, tied neatly in a bun. Her eyes were an emerald green, and all in all, she was gorgeous. However, it was when you came to her waist that things became truly incredible because rather than a pair of legs, there was a long and wide snake’s tail.
It was huge, at least seven metres long and as wide as her torso. The scales were the same beautiful colour as her hair and reflected the sunlight in such a way that she appeared to glow. She was wearing an ultramarine tunic with a black diamond in the centre. She was like this not because of a plague, a curse or some mutation; Tamara was a Lamia; it was how she was born.
Samuel, on the other hand, looked far less impressive. He was around five foot ten, with dull brown hair and equally dull eyes. His stomach stuck out from the rest of him. No amount of exercise was able to get rid of it.
He was by every description a ‘dull as dishwater’ human. His clothes, however, were slightly more interesting. He wore a navy blue tunic with a thick leather belt wrapped around his waist. On his feet was a pair of excellent leather boots, able to withstand whatever the world threw at them and on his forearms and shins, he wore something Tamara had never seen or even heard of before: a pair of vambraces and greaves, Samuel called it armour.
Three strips of rugged leather layered on top of one another made up each piece, and between each layer was a collection of tiny metal beads. When Tamara asked what they were for, Samuel said they were for protection.
All of this would have been inconceivable to Samuel two years ago, but he had become used to it in time. Samuel was not born into this world; he had arrived. How? He did not know, but he remembered it all vividly; his senses had been overloaded, and at first, he believed he had died.
“What’s wrong?” Tamara asked Samuel, who had been silent for over a minute.
Samuel snapped out of his daydream and said: “nothing, just thinking about that day again.”
Tamara nodded and said nothing else; she knew exactly what was wrong.
Samuel went straight back to writing. When Samuel first showed up, there had been no paper or pens, but what was even stranger than the lack of these apparent necessities was that Samuel had had to invent both of these items.
Tamara and those like her did not possess a written language; they relied entirely on their memories, and until Samuel had shown up, Tamara had not even conceived of the notion, but she had picked it up astonishingly quickly.
“It still sounds like eating to me,” said Tamara, bringing the conversation back to the original topic.
“Well, it isn’t; eating requires a mouth and stomach,” Samuel replied.
“Says who?” Tamara asked defiantly.
“Says me,” Samuel answered.
Samuel jotted down the last of his notes and left the pages to dry in the sun. Samuel then turned to his right and looked at a large book, the size of a chair’s seat, bound in yellow leather and knotted by animal tendons. He picked it up and began to leaf through the pages.
His eyes glanced over paragraphs about oak trees and orchid flowers until he finally reached the section he sought; the page was titled Silver Birch (Betula Pendula).
“Have you finished the drawing on Silver Birch yet?” Samuel asked without looking.
Tamara was currently focused on a drawing of sunflowers, but she understood his request and, without looking up or saying a word, handed him the picture he wanted.
Samuel took the drawing and took several moments admiring it. Like all her work, the picture was astounding; not only did it look like an actual Silver Birch, but it also seemed to be alive, as though it would start blowing in the breeze.
Samuel punched four holes along the sheet's left side, undid the tendon strings and then attached the drawing behind the title page. He added eight more pages to his book, four of text and four illustrations.
Their work was now done; there was no more writing or drawing today, and he placed their work into a knapsack Tamara had brought with her. Samuel turned to his partner and asked: “so what do you want to do now?”
Tamara looked up through the canopy and could make out the silhouettes of several birds and finally said: “I’d quite like to fly.”
Samuel smiled, chuckled and said, “Yes, so would I, but that would require every member of the village working together for decades.”
Tamara looked Samuel in the eye and said: “are you making fun of me?”
Samuel did not reply; he just looked Tamara dead in the eye. She observed every minute twitch on Samuel's face and concluded he was not.
“How could a person fly?” She asked, suddenly intrigued.
“I don’t know, I’m not an engineer,” Samuel answered, “So apart from flying, what else do you want to do?”
Tamara let out a sigh and said: “I guess we will just have to walk.”
These were the moments Samuel lived for, just a quiet afternoon with his best friend enjoying a stroll; he was utterly content.
“You seem chipper,” Tamara said, noticing the growing smile on Samuel’s face.
“That’s because I feel chipper” he replied
They passed through the trees, heading towards their favourite spot, a beach by the side of a lake so large you could not see the other side.
“So, how is everyone?” Samuel said, trying to spark a conversation.
“You mean every single one because that could take a while?” Tamara replied.
“Let’s start with your mother” he clarified.
Tamara’s mother, Pancha, was more or less just a larger version of her daughter, just as brash and headstrong.
“She’s fine; she has finally stopped asking me what happened every time I come to meet you,” she said.
“Really, and it only took her two and a half years,” said Samuel with a smirk.
Yes, that first year here, had been a real trial. Samuel had never felt so scared, isolated and persecuted in his life. When he thought about it, he could still feel the fear and the hopelessness.
A gust of air slammed into Samuel’s face, bringing him back to the present, and what a wonderful time it was. The water was crystal clear, the beach was covered in sparkling white sand, and the distinct aroma of water wafted through the air. Samuel breathed it all in as Tamara spread herself over the beach.
The cooling breeze that Samuel found so enjoyable, Tamara found far less agreeable. Tamara was ectothermic or cold-blooded. She could not maintain her body temperature; she needed to absorb it from her environment, and the wind was slowly draining her.
“Comfortable down there?” Samuel asked.
Tamara turned her head, looked up at him and said: “Actually, yes, not as good as my bed, but still fine.”
Samuel left Tamara to her thermoregulation and strolled down to the water’s edge, “stay where I can see you!” Tamara called.
“Yes, MOM,” Samuel answered sarcastically, though he knew it was more for Tamara’s sake than his; she had a problem with open spaces.
Samuel closed his eyes, stretched his arms above his head, feeling his muscles strain against the tension, and yawned. Small tears formed in his eyes and wiped them away. He had only been up for a few hours but was ready for bed.
“Too much thinking, that was the problem,” Samuel mumbled to himself.
The sunlight sparkled on the water’s surface. It seemed as though millions of diamonds were suddenly brought into existence, danced for a few moments, and then vanished as quickly as they came. It was beautiful, just like everything else here.
He climbed up a rock that jutted from that sand and sat down, his legs dangling over the edge. As he kicked his legs, a ray of sun caught his greaves, and although the leather was rather dull, it still dazzled him.
Samuel heard a sound reminiscent of sandpaper brushing against wood, and he knew at once what it was. He waited four more seconds and said, without moving an inch, “Don’t even think about it!”
“How did you know?” Tamara asked, feeling simultaneously impressed, confused and disappointed.
Samuel looked her in the eye and replied: “who do you think you’re dealing with?”
Tamara had not clambered up the rock like Samuel; she had simply raised herself on her tail so she stood over two metres high.
“Are you feeling better?” he asked.
Tamara smiled and answered, “yes, thanks for asking.”
Tamara moved behind Samuel and then began to coil around the boulder, and if he had not experienced it all before, it would have been unnerving. Tamara was only twelve and a half, yet she was already far stronger than him. Samuel was sure if Tamara really wanted to, she could crush a bison to death. After the graceful dance around the stone, she sat down beside Samuel.
The pair was silent for a few minutes, except for a quick coughing fit by Samuel; they took in the unnatural beauty of their surroundings.
“Hey, I have a question,” said Tamara, coming back to her senses.
“What is it?” Samuel replied.
“You still haven’t told me why we are studying the forest?” She asked.
In an instant, Samuel became deeply confused. To him, it seemed all too obvious why they were doing it.
“There is no practical reason for doing it. We do it so that we know,” Samuel answered.
Tamara became silent. Samuel realised that she was deep in thought and decided to give her all the time she needed until she finally said: “Is this one of those human things?”
Samuel, upon hearing this, gave a small chuckle and answered: “yes, if you like.”
Suddenly, something caught Samuel’s eye. It was a crab, no bigger than a golf ball. Its back was powder blue, and it held its arms upright, its claws pointing down. The tiny creature would walk forward, scoop some sand into its mouth, and then leave a small pellet behind.
“Look at that!” said Samuel, nudging Tamara’s shoulder and pointing at the tiny crustacean. Tamara turned her head and looked directly at where he was pointing; she strained her eyes at what she thought was a pebble; she was about to climb down and collect it when it suddenly moved, and she squealed.
Tamara dragged the bottom end of her tail up from the beach and timidly said, “What’s that?”
Samuel remembered that tone of voice all too well, and it brought with it some unpleasant memories, but he pushed them to the back of his mind and said: “it’s a crab.”
Samuel was certain he had seen this type of crab before but could not put a name to the image. Samuel was sure he had read about them, watched a documentary, or attended a lecture, but he could not remember. Ultimately, he decided to drop it for now and see if the answer would come to him.
Tamara kept staring at it as though she believed it would pounce if she took her eyes off it for one second.
“Is it dangerous?” she asked, her voice hushed to ensure the creature did not notice her.
Samuel sighed and answered: “it’s a crab, Tamara, unless you happen to be a nematode then…”
Samuel paused mid-sentence as his brain finally connected the dots and asked, “Wait, you have never seen a crab before?”
This perplexed Samuel for a moment until he remembered that Tamara did not have a television, a car, and she could not fly a plane, so it was not unexpected that she would not know what a crab was.
Tamara shook her head in response to his question, and Samuel added: “you know what a woodlouse is, right?”
Tamara nodded and said, “I like woodlice.”
“Well, a crab is just a type of woodlouse that lives near water,” Samuel concluded.
However, he could tell from her face that she was unconvinced, so he got off the rock, walked over to the tiny creature, wary of its pincers, and picked it up by its backside.
“What are you doing?” Tamara called in alarm.
Samuel held the animal, its legs flailing wildly in an attempt to escape, and said, “showing you there is nothing to be worried about.”
Taking care not to crush it, Samuel clambered back up the rock and presented the animal to her. Tamara stared at it for some as the crab bobbed its eye up and down and tried in vain to find a part of Samuel it could nip.
“It’s actually kind of… cute,” Tamara said after two minutes of silence.
She relaxed her tail and let it rest on the beach once more. “Can it hold it?” She asked Samuel, fear being replaced by interest.
“Of course, you can. Just make sure you hold it by its back and be careful of the pincers; if they get you, it will hurt.”
Samuel handed the crab over to her and watched as Tamara began to inspect the animal from every angle. The crab had a white underbelly and purple joints.
“You think you could draw it from memory?” Samuel asked.
“Hmm?” Tamara replied. Samuel let out a sigh and repeated. After three more attempts, Tamara finally took notice and said, “Yes.”
Five minutes later, Samuel said, “we should probably put him back now.”
Tamara moaned about it, but Samuel said: “he has his own life, Tamara; you can’t keep him!”
She conceded, grumbling under her breath, and gently placed the animal back on the sand. As the crab dashed away, the two noticed that while they had been fixated on that single crab, thousands more had emerged on the beach.
Upon seeing the swarm of animals make their way across the beach, Tamara let out a squeal and once again pulled her tail up off the beach. The army of crabs marched along the shore. The collective walking produced a sound loud enough to hear from fifty metres away, and at last, Samuel remembered what they were and said, with no small amount of satisfaction in his voice, “they’re soldier crabs.”
“What are they going to do?” Tamara asked, concerned by the sudden appearance of so many creatures.
Samuel kept staring at the gathering, but he heard her question and replied, “They’re just feeding,” and added quickly, “But we are far too big for them.”
“That's odd,” Samuel said under his breath.
“I know there are so many of them,” Tamara said, deeply unnerved by the sheer vastness of the swarm.
“No,” Samuel said, “There should be this many of them; it’s where they are that is strange.”
Tamara momentarily took her eyes off the army and asked, “So where should they be.” There was a slight flicker of fear in her voice at the prospect of being invaded; rats and mice where bad enough. They did not need another pest.
“By the sea, not a freshwater lake,” he answered.
“The Sea?” Tamara almost yelled. Samuel was a little surprised by this enthusiasm and turned to face her.
“Yes,” he said.
“Have you ever been to the sea,” she asked.
“Yes, many times,” Samuel said, uncertain where this was going.
“I bet it’s wonderful,” Tamara added with a smile.
Samuel was silent as his brain connected a few dots and asked: “how can you know about the sea if you don’t know about crabs?”
She smiled; Tamara enjoyed it when she knew something that he did not, “there is a story that my mom told me that before we came to this forest, we were a different people that lived by the sea.” Tamara paused for a breath.
“But then humans came and drove us from the water, and we fled inland. Our people split into two. One half went to the mountains, and the other settled in the forest.”
Tamara finished and waited for his reply. Samuel, however, just kept looking at her. Tamara was concerned that she had upset him; he did not like it when humans were labelled as the enemy, yet his face and posture were not those of one who was sad or angry.
“You people blame us for everything, don’t you?” Samuel said with a chuckle.
“If there is a fire, it’s a human’s fault. If there is an earthquake, it’s a human’s fault. If a little Boreray boy drinks all their apple juice in one gulp, it’s a human’s fault.”
“So, getting back on topic, where did these “Soldier crabs” come from anyway? We have visited this lake for over two years and never seen even a glimpse?” Tamara asked. Samuel looked back to the slowly advancing army, and several ideas flashed through his head.
“Maybe they have been dormant up until now; perhaps they make a large circle around the lake shore, and it’s simply luck that we were here on the day they passed by, or maybe the migrated here from somewhere else.”
They watched the crabs' ceaseless march until Tamara said, “These things are still giving me the creeps. Can we go now?” Samuel could not argue that there was something eerie about all of these animals appearing, seemingly, from nowhere; however, there was still one thing he had to be certain of.
“You think you could draw one from memory?” he asked.
Tamara’s face contorted in a scowl. Samuel, for all his good points, could become far too focused on his research, which often caused him to become ignorant of other people.
Yet she knew sitting here yelling at him would accomplish nothing, so she told him the truth: “Yes, can we go now!” Samuel nodded and then slid off the rock. Tamara copied him, and they both slinked back to the cover of the trees.
Now that she was beneath the canopy, Tamara let out an enormous sigh of relief as the anxiety slowly left, and the close air warmed her body. On the other hand, Samuel began to chafe at the stagnant air while his head began to bead with sweat, but it was nothing he had not experienced before, so he gritted his teeth and bared with it.
With their plans now ruined, Tamara and Samuel wandered aimlessly through the woods, chatting about what they could do to fill the rest of the day. Several ideas arose, including visiting a nearby waterfall and a set of monument stones, but none truly appealed to them.
In the end, Tamara said, “how about we just call it a day?”
Samuel was happy about this. Tamara was his only form of human contact, yet he could not deny the pointlessness of wandering around the woods, so he said, “Ok, but let’s take the long way.”
Samuel heard a sound above him and saw a red squirrel scampering through the trees.
“Is it difficult?” Tamara asked.
Samuel looked at Tamara and replied, “Well, it can give me a crick in my neck sometimes.”
Tamara let out a short laugh and clarified, “No, I mean, is it difficult being so inquisitive? It looks exhausting.”
He was not entirely sure what she meant by that. To Samuel, Tamara was every bit as curious as him, so he stated: “you tell me, you went out looking for me just because you wanted to know.”
“True,” answered Tamara, “and everyone has always said that I am always asking questions, but you’re like a boar that just ate sugar beat.”
“I have no idea what that means,” Samuel said, shaking his head. “But I do know that people always told me, when I was a boy, that humans are, by their nature, infinitely curious, but personally, I think that it’s just how I was born.” there was a pause, and he quickly added, “just like you.”
Tamara’s fingers started to numb as she brushed them against the bark of passing trees. She took a good look at the trees around her. Tamara had lived her entire life sheltered by these trees. This place was her home, her family’s home and her friend’s home, and she loved it, a perfect example of the innate beauty of nature.
Samuel, however, was of a different opinion this forest disturbed him, though this feeling had diminished with time. The trees all grew in perfect symmetry, four and a half strides form each other.
From Tamara’s perspective, there was nothing strange about this, yet Samuel often said that this should not be possible, that the wood should be a mess and that the trees should grow in an unorganised fashion. Yet to Tamara, the idea of messy forests was just as impossible as a structured one was to him.
Noon came and went, and Samuel’s stomach began to rumble. His breakfast was becoming a distant memory; he thought he might be able to bear it for another hour or so, but as they travelled closer to the village, Tamara started to become irritated by Samuel’s constant growling.
“We need to find you something to eat before that sound drives me nuts!” Tamara stated bluntly.
“That’s all well and good, my dear, so long as you can materialise food out of the aether,” answered Samuel, with just a hint of condescension in his voice.
Tamara did not know what the aether was, but it did not matter. “No, but I do know a nearby tree with some great fruit in it,” she replied.
Samuel found this strange for two reasons. Firstly, he found it very difficult to believe there was a source of food in this forest that either he had not found, or Tamara had not told him about yet.
Secondly that, Tamara would know much about something she could not eat. Tamara was strictly carnivorous; she ate nothing but meat.
He wanted answers fast and asked: “So why haven’t you told me about this before?”
“Because I can’t stand the smell, that’s why, and I didn’t want you stinking up the place,” she explained.
“If it smells disgusting, what makes you think I will eat it?” he asked.
“Because the Boreray can’t get enough of it, some of them say that they taste like all the best parts of every fruit and vegetable we grow, which is a shame because they smell like all the worst,” she added.
He asked no more questions. He was too busy thinking; this fruit sounded so familiar, but he could not remember. The need to survive day in day out had pushed most of his standard learning, from school and university to the back of his mind, not forgotten mind you just buried.
I'm back with Tamara and Samuel latest adventure. If you like what you've read so far and want to know where it's going you can find the complete story by following the links below.
e-book(US/UK/CA/AU/DE)
Physical(US/UK/CA/DE)
If you do decide to read ahead please leave a review or rating, every single one helps immensely, and helps me keep doing what I'm doing.
Also the e-book will be at a reduced price until the last chapter it published on reddit.

Location is Loveland, Colorado. My employers pay us on a semi-monthly basis, and it was to my understanding that their overtime policy was "anything over 88 hours within a pay-period" which would be the 8th-22nd and the 23rd-7th of each month, with our pay days falling on the 1st and 15th of each month. They have this policy in place at two additional locations and have been using this policy for multiple years.
We have a group chat with all employees in it, I asked them to clarify the overtime policy in this chat and made sure to ask multiple clarifying question to ensure all employees had hard evidence of them stating the overtime policy. I proceeded to call them out directly within the group chat for being in violation of federal overtime laws as well as Colorado laws regarding HWFA "paid time off" laws, as they had not informed anyone of their right to take this leave.
The very next day, I came into work, and we just so happened to have our chef coats delivered, which were provided only to the lead chefs, which I had already been notified that I would be promoted to. My manager informed me that she was requested to withhold mine. I immediately messaged the owners and informed them that I believed they were retaliating against me. Within a couple hours, I was informed that they had decided to give me my coat. My pay was not affected, and I have since voluntarily relinquished the position due to the stress, which has been severe enough to cause persistent anxiety attacks, weight loss and sleep deprivation. I'm tangentially aware that this could be a factor if it came to a retaliation lawsuit and am considering visiting a psyche for both legitimate reasons and to have my bases covered legally.
I'm not looking to get a massive lawsuit out of this, and my primary interest is to recover lost wages for myself and other employees without bankrupting the company, as me and my fellow coworkers do make decent money despite their theft and we enjoy working with each other. We have decided, collectively, that it's within our best interested to resolve this amicably. Of course, I'm not confident at all that they will attempt to do the right thing as they have already tried to not only deny the issue, but even went so far as to claim that they were actually overpaying on overtime.
I believe that even if any potential payout for me is minimal, that other fines and fees that they might be forced to pay would still be devastating, hopefully giving me more bargaining power in any settlement negotiations.
Is this a strong enough case for retaliation and, if so, does it appear to be a strong enough case to serve as leverage, or am I oveunderplaying the severity of their actions?

Hello admins,
I have a question. Am I the only one who thinks that the inbuilt compliance policy ‘Enroll User exist’ is weird?
In environments where admins install devices for the users (for specific reasons) and the admin leaves the company, all the devices he installed are no longer compliant...
Such is the case in our company...
I know how to fix it. (Change the primary user and sync on the end device), but I will have fun doing this on 500 devices :D
Sorry for the long introduction.
My question: Is there any way to disable the built-in ‘Enroll User Exist’ policy?