TW: brief mentions of depression, suicidal ideation, and attempted suicide
When I (28F) was growing up, I was the golden child of the family. I didn't know it back then. Up until I was in high school I had a younger sister and an older half sister I only saw a few times a year. It wasn't like I never got in trouble or got yelled at, in fact I have a very vivid and hurtful memory where I was called a liar by my parents when I was being 100% truthful (they just didn't want to hear it and wanted someone to be mad at I guess), and then I was told to just "suck it up and get over it". But compared to my younger sister, who was compared to me in every way, I always had the perfect grades, perfect attitude, perfect behavior, etc. Our parents, especially our mother, who was the main parent taking care of us during the week, pretty much pitted us against each other constantly. My little sister was being told she needed to be more like me, and I was told my sister was a bad kid. I would try to help her stay out of trouble as a kid and would get mad when she didn't listen to me because i didnt understand she was just being herself and didn't need to be exactly like me. Up until college, I didn't understand that my sister didn't need to change, she needed her parents to love her as she was and help her instead of trying to mold her into some ideal of perfection. We were picked apart constantly about every little thing we did, and I was expected to always somehow know everything even if I'd never learned it before. My house was full of constant yelling due to the extremely high expectations and my mother's terrible temper, and it became a very stressful place to be starting when i was around 10. We went through a lot of financial hardships as well since I was very young, so I dont want to dismiss how hard things were for my parents and how much they went through. But I have always been hyper aware of how much it costs for me to exist as my mom stressed so many times over the years that she couldn't afford to buy even a new shirt because she had to buy stuff for us, as if that was at all our fault.
When i was in high school, my baby brother was born. He pretty much instantly became the new golden child, not only because he was the youngest and the only boy, but because it became clear at a very young age how intelligent he is. I was a straight A honors kid and he was blowing me out of the water since he learned to read. I didn't mind at all because 1) I was going to be going to college in a couple years, and 2) with our age difference, he was as much my son as my brother, and I took on a very loving parental role with him of my own volition. I also saw the promise in him and I wanted him to live a happy life. My little sister and him are very close to this day, at least to my knowledge. During this time they were still coming down really hard on my little sister, treating her as well as they always had - meaning they still yelled at her constantly and were overly critical of her and everything she even thought about doing. They talked about sending her to military school more than once, and pretty much resigned themselves to the idea my sister would never be able to live on her own before she even got to high school, let alone graduated.
Flash forward to when I was in college, I started coming home and noticing things about how my parents treated my sister, and for the first time I saw it for how terrible it was for her. The distance and time I spent away from the house helped my little sister and I completely change our relationship by my second or third year. What really solidified it was a series of events that happened my junior and senior years of college.
My sister moved to our town with her husband with their 2 very young boys, and we soon found out she was pregnant with twins. That is kind of where it all began to fall apart. Time showed not only that her husband is a massive pos, but also potentially abusive, although we never got concrete proof. As my sister's pregnancy progressed and they struggled to get on their feet, my parents started watching my nephews for hours at a time, sometimes the whole day. And if my parents had to babysit out of nowhere and put their lives on hold, me and my younger siblings were expected to do the same. No toys, no books, no games - nothing. Essentially, the entire house was expected to babysit in a way that i have been told wasn't normal. Even my little brother was expected to take on this role in caring for kids who were only a couple years younger than him. I spent my entire childhood taking care of my little sister and then my baby brother, and I hated seeing how they were doing the same to him when me and my little sister were at the age where it shouldve been left up to us. I started really butting heads with my parents as the situation progressed because they started yelling at my baby brother when the boys would even bump their heads even though it wasnt his fault. He never mistreated them, hit them, pushed them , or anything, so my parents justified it by saying he wasn't being a "good uncle" by "letting them" bump their heads on the tv stand, for example. He was expected to let them play with all of his toys, and my mom tried letting the boys use things that were very important to my brother, which would've ended up with the boys taking those things home. Saying it that way makes it sound a lot more mild that it was, but I'm trying to save time and not give out too many personal details. I guess you could say in short, my parents began expecting my elementary school age brother to give up his time, his space, his toys, his gifts - anything that meant anything to him, to help care for children when he was still a child not much older than them. I ended up giving my baby brother my room to not only keep his stuff in, but to sleep in.
In the end, my sister had the twins and then moved back to her home state about 6 months later. We think her no good husband lied to her about us and she cut contact with all of us, and we haven't heard from her since. In our house, the damage was done. I had long conversations with my little sister when our parents weren't around about how she needed to get out because of how they were treating her, and how I would eventually graduate and move to a city where I could find a job. But neither of us wanted to leave our little brother in that house because we were worried how they would treat him when we both left. Our parents had already proven they would throw any of us to the side at any second, even their golden child baby boy, and blame even him for anything that went wrong. Our parents have a history of spilling all our business at any holiday meal and badmouthing any little mistake. They would talk shit about us in front of us and shame us in front of family our entire lives, and if my sister and i weren't there to take the brunt of it, how long until they turned on my baby brother. Would they even wait until he wasn't "perfect" anymore?
Throughout all of this, I was struggling a lot in college, and starting around junior year i became very depressed and suicidal, which resulted in a major attempt in my 5th year of college, which to this day i don't like talking about. Before that, however, I went to my mom about feeling depressed and told her i thought i needed to talk to someone. She brushed me off. I was dumb enough to think that maybe she thought i was exaggerating, so i tried a second time to ask her for help about a year later, and she brushed me off again. Part of me blames her almost entirely for my attempts, because i came to her before any of them because i knew thats where it was headed if i didnt get help. All she had to do was make a couple phone calls to find me someone to talk to and she couldn't even do that for me. I was a scared girl who needed her mom's help because i didnt know who to turn to, and she turned her back on me. After my final attempt, I pulled myself up and got help, but my financial aid ran out and I was unable to return to school and finish my degree, so I went back to my parents house and was absolutely miserable for the next 6 months. I felt like a failure, like I wasn't "perfect" like i was supposed to be. I felt suffocated every single day and like the only ones who wanted me there were my siblings. One day I tried a little experiment and sat in the living room with my mom for the entire day and she didn't say one single word to me, didnt even acknowledge my existence. Ever since the stuff with my nephews happened, I had doubled my efforts to protect my siblings and take the brunt of my mom's anger, so I pushed back a lot when they tried to get onto my siblings for ridiculous things. I ended up ghosting my friends for 3 months because I was so depressed, and it really scared them. It was then I knew i had to get out of that house or it would kill me, so I moved into my grandparents' house a town over.
Things at my grandparents' house started okay, and i was even able to confide in them what had been going on at my parents' house, which in the end turned out to be a big mistake. I got a job working overnight at a retail store and met the guy who is now my boyfriend of 3 years. Unfortunately, the longer i spent at my grandparents' house the more i saw where my mom got it from, and they ended up treating me just as bad as what was going on at my parents' house. The only difference was that my sister wasn't there so i was taking the brunt of all of it. When things started getting tough for them after my grandpa retired, instead of sitting down with me like an adult and asking if it would contribute financially, my grandpa cornered me in the car when he was driving me back from work and guilted money out of me with a sob story. And guilted me at the dinner table the second time when they needed more money. One time i walked in the house after work and before i had even taken my shoes off or put my purse down to get my wallet out, he blocked the door to my room with his hand out like a loan shark to give him the money. I payed for all my own expenses, took short showers and kept as many lights off as i could, and told them not to buy me anything, even food. And in the end, even though they guilted me for money, then more money, and promised they wouldnt kick me out, they sold the house out from under me when they knew i was still trying to save for an apartment with what little money i had left a month. I ended up having to live with my best friend and her husband or i wouldve been homeless. I still helped them move even when they f-ed me over. And even after all that, I still went to holidays and visited my parents from time to time.
The last time i saw my grandparents they ran into me and my best friend in a store. My grandpa saw me first (he and my grandma were in different parts of the store), and starting yelling at me for pretty much cutting them off since i hadn't been to see them for months, and then when he started realizing he looked like the bad guy tried to make the reason i stopped talking to them about politics (i live in a conservative area) as if that would justify it. When my friend and i were trying to grab one last thing before we left because i was humiliated and trying not to cry, my grandma cornered me at the deli counter, had me pinned between the counter and a cart so i couldn't leave, and started yelling at me too. I was so broken back then, but i tried to tell both of them i would talk to them but not in the store. They just wanted to scream so we left. I haven't spoken to them since and have no plans to.
Eventually i moved 2 hours away back to the city i had went to college in. During that time, my grandparents drove the 3 hours to try to find where i lived, and then called trying to get me to come downstairs. I was asleep for work at the time but it made me feel so uncomfortable that they would do that. And after living there a year and my bf and i commuting to visit each other every other week, it came to the point where if i wanted our relationship to continue i had to move back. This is not something he ever brought up to me, this was a decision I came to on my own. So two years ago I moved back to the area I grew up in. We live an hour away from my hometown and 30 minutes away from the town i met my boyfriend in. And although he has family in both areas that we visit, I haven't seen or really talked to my parents or siblings since i initially moved out of the area.
A year ago, after a year of silence from me and from my parents, I dropped a box off at my parents' house when they weren't home with souvenirs i got them on vacation when i first moved back, short letters to each of them about the gifts, and a long video letter on a flash drive explaining everything I felt because i knew i couldn't go on without being honest and i knew if i tried to have a conversation in person, they wouldn't listen to me. I told them i wanted to keep them in my life but i couldn't ignore everything that had happened and the ways they treated me and my younger siblings. I told them i had no interest in continuing a relationship with my grandparents and that anything they have told them probably wasnt true. I sent them scans of my diaries as "proof" that i wasn't lying because that's the kind of house i grew up in - if you couldnt prove it, it didnt happen. I laid myself completely bare so that i could heal, knowing the whole time they may never want to speak to me again. I gave them pictures of me and my boyfriend and my new phone number anyway. The only thing i didn't give them was my address because we live on his family's land and his family, knowing a bit about my family and also about my grandparents essentially stalking me, don't want anyone from my family nosing around on the property. I don't want that either so i agreed not to give it out. The people in my life who knew about the box and the letter turned video letter were supportive of the idea given all i had been through, and I thought dropping it off would be the end of things.
Since then, I have healed from everything that has happened. I'm still angry and sad and i feel like I'm grieving every day, but I'm not the spineless, scared girl i used to be. My boyfriend has helped me become a better person in so many ways. But i still miss my family, especially my dad. I feel like he didnt deserve what i've done for reasons i cant go into, because the reality is he depends a lot on what my mom tells him because he works, and he trusts her deeply. I feel like in some regards he depended too much on her word, although he isnt completely innocent. There's obviously a lot more to my story that what I have here or else I'd be writing an autobiography, but just know if this all sounds like it isn't a big deal, I have so many stories and so much more detail that isn't safe to give out here.
The reality is my parents and i pushed each other away until we all became strangers long before everything blew up. I felt like a stranger from the time i left for college. I was made to feel like if i wasn't at home, i was a second thought, and a lot of very serious issues happened while i was away that i didnt find out about until i came home. My last year of college i was physically starving and could only afford to eat one meal a day if that. When i had left for school at the beginning of that school year my mother made it clear i had to figure it all out myself because they had no money to give me, but then i came home for Christmas and everyone but me had all new electronics. I cried asking for money to buy my uniform to start my campus job but they bought all new computers and tablets. And that stung.
Last Christmas, my parents and siblings messaged me. It was the first time I had heard from them since before i dropped off the box. It was just a Merry Christmas, but it absolutely shocked me. And then they all messaged again on my birthday. Same thing, just little pleasantries, but it makes me feel like maybe that door isn't closed. However, I have absolutely no idea if we can move forward, if they want to, or even if its a good idea to try. I have struggled a lot since college about whether or not all of this and everything I wasn't able to share here is or is not a big deal. I've had people close to me listen to my whole story and call it emotional neglect and abuse, but I just don't know. I feel crazy most of the time, and I'm afraid I'm exaggerating or making it up for attention or something, which also doesn't make sense. I struggle a lot in my day to day. I am ruled by the emotions of those around me and i cower like a kicked puppy when people around me are upset, even if its not my fault. I get ashamed when i make a mistake or i'm not "perfect", and if my feelings are valid I have no idea if it would be a good idea to get back in touch. But i think about if/when my boyfriend and i get married, and how i have no family to sit on my side. It sometimes feels like it's my fault because i wasn't strong enough to just shut up and deal with it anymore. At this point I dont know what is the right answer, what's going to finally give me peace. For now, I just keep moving forward trying to build a better life with my boyfriend and hope all the pieces will fall into place later.

It was late November 2015. I was 51 and one year past my divorce (which was not related to cheating) when I became so disgusted with myself that I knew I had to pick myself up. I was alone for the long holiday, and although I wasn't really sad or lonely, I felt empty. However, I had some extra time to consider how does one picks oneself up.
I made a list of potential New Year resolutions that were individually realistic. Some were really easy and stupid like “have your chipped front tooth fixed” and “take & post a selfie”. These smaller tasks fueled my confidence and provided the energy boosts needed to tackle the more challenging resolutions, like starting a weight loss challenge at work.
Skip ahead to March 4th 2016. I had a Friday lunch date with a married client that I met two weeks prior. Of course, it was not a real date, as I wouldn't impose myself on a married woman, nor would I risk my career or my ego, especially if the signals she seemed to be sending were just a product of my wishful thinking, stimulated by checking off some boxes on the list on the fridge dated 1/1/16.
The following is my thank you note to her for a great date as well as for helping me check a lot of boxes over the past few weeks. I sent her a link to it as it is in the form of my first ever online post (one more check box, YAY!).
************************************** We were only 1 minute in the hotel room; her jeans in a ball on the floor. She sat at the foot of the king sized bed and backed her way into the stack of oversized pillows lining the headboard. I followed as If attached by a leash. I landed somewhat awkwardly on my elbows between her legs finding myself squarely face to face with the tattoo. This tattoo, that she so shamelessly revealed just a week ago, the same tattoo that has been scorching my thoughts and the same tattoo that she promised me complete and unlimited access.
It’s been a long time since I have been here or anywhere near as nice as here, between the legs of a beautiful woman 20 years younger and far out of my league....even when I was her age. I took a second to drink in my fortunate situation. I admired her panties. All day I was so hoping she would wear those same panties as before. She didn’t. These were different but similar enough. The delicate lace and silk perfectly framed the tattoo on her hip. She did not disappoint. There is a fruity jasmine scent, intoxicatingly pleasant, and oh so subtle. It is not here. I’ll need to find its source. I want more of that. (I remember being thoroughly impressed and thinking to myself “This girl is good”.)
I briefly forgot that there was someone else here besides myself and the tattoo. How long have I been down here perving out on her? I wondered. I hesitated, and then apologetically looked up half expecting a well-deserved snarky glare. What I found instead was an ear to ear compassionate smile followed by a tilt of her head and an arch of her eyebrow that said “I like that you like that, carry on”.
With confidence restored that we were still in sync, I adjusted myself so that I was in a good position to thoroughly enjoy what I came to do. I kissed the tattoo hard and gave it a good lick. The challenge for today was “Taste the Tattoo” and I won. I did a small celebration gesture that she rolled her eyes to. I continued to kiss and taste all around until every freckle got some personal attention. As I got to the upper most reaches of her inner thighs, I looked up to check in as I was about to cross a new line. For the first time she was not looking back at me but had laid her head back deep into the pillows, her eyes closed. I took that as a yes!
I marveled at the softness of her inner thighs on my cheeks as I gently placed kisses up one and down the other. As I kissed her through her panties, her hips responded by arching her up in anticipation of each next kiss. Before long, those wonderful panties were just getting in the way. I stopped and pondered whether to just slide them aside or remove them or to risk interrupting the mood and attempt a complete wardrobe removal as we were both still fully dressed except for her jeans.
I didn’t have to ponder long as she knew what she wanted and it was not any of the options I was considering. Still lying back with her head semi submerged within the pillows, she held out her arms as if gesturing for a hug. I moved up her body and when I got close enough she pulled me in for a kiss.
Unbelievably, this was our first kiss. I found it odd that we had not kissed yet and was grateful she thought to stop for a moment to have a kiss. We kissed some and then I settled in to thoroughly enjoy it. However, the kiss to come was not the kiss I was expecting or a kiss I was ready for. It was a kiss that could ruin everything.
Technically, there was one kiss before. It was an awkward kiss 5-10 minutes earlier just after we entered the room. All in about the time it took for the hotel door to close behind us, she tossed her bag on the sofa, had her jewelry off and set on the nightstand while I emptied my pockets and silenced my phone.
We approached each other, and as we met I was looking at the place where the tattoo would be under her shirt and behind her jeans. They were higher cut and could not be pulled down that far to get to the tattoo. They would have to come off. To just reach in and do that would be an uncharacteristically bold move for me. But I did have unquestionable permission to have the tattoo in any way that I desired. I reached down with both hands and took hold of the waistband on each side of the button. I didn’t see her simultaneous move in at me at first. Just as I felt the metal of the button, I felt her reaching her arms around my neck and realized that she was tip toeing up for a kiss. It caught me unexpectedly and I think it showed on my face that it did. I tried to recover and moved back in to accept her lips on to mine but it turned into an awkward peck.
I scolded myself for the selfish moment and just as I was trying to formulate a recovery gesture, she, without missing a beat, gently dismissed my fumble and gracefully restored the momentum. “Oh” she said with surprise in her tone, while looking down at my fingers ready to release her button. Then, in a more playfully quizzical tone, she followed with “I guess you want to get right to THAT then” and she stepped back away from me where I lost grip of her jeans. She replaced my fingers on the button with hers, paused, maybe waiting for me to look up to her eyes, which I finally did, then flashed me a devilishly naughty smile and pulled her jeans down to the top of her boots. She then proudly announced, mostly to herself, “You really are going to let me have fun with you, aren’t you!” seemingly shedding any doubts in her mind that I would go through with this. She then sat at the foot of the all white linen king sized bed, removed her boots and jeans and backed her way into the stack of oversized pillows lining the headboard.
Back to our kiss. The kiss that from now on I will reflect on as our first kiss
Responding to her hug gesture, I moved up her body and when I got close enough she pulled me in for a kiss. I didn’t flub it this time, but again, I didn’t know it was coming, and prolly I should have. It took only ten seconds to adjust and synchronize to each other’s kissing form. It was warm and succulent and sweet and was wonderful. I really was surprised at how nice this felt. I don’t recall married kissing being this enjoyable. I remember saying to myself “Damn, this girl can kiss”.
I was on top, in a position that wasn’t going to be comfortable for as long as I wanted this to last, so I backed away to reposition but she held tight indicating she didn’t want me to move. I gestured at the space next to her and she relented. We then settled in facing one another side by side; her smile confirming that this was a nice place. We were hugging and kissing, pulling each other closer and looking into each other’s eyes. Our legs intertwined and our hands were roaming, but not really in a sexual way, more like trying to make as much body contact as possible. I couldn’t get over how I felt so much more familiarity than there was. What I did not recognize at the time was that this was the physical intimacy catching up to match the virtual intimacy we have been sharing online.
Soon the intensity escalated and it was getting very hot very quickly. The intensity and passion that was building was not something I ever expected or planned for. This was the rare kind of making out where accidental hickeys happen and inadvertent “Oh god I love you’s” slip out. Not that either of those was going to happen but my safe, non-committal no emotional strings encounter was getting too hot to not risk introducing emotions into the situation. And that could happen.
At some point I was no longer kissing her lips and mouth but was kissing her.
I broke contact to catch a breath and maybe get some control of the fire. We stopped for a moment to breathe and cool off. She slid herself on top and I rolled over on to my back to accommodate her. She looked at me with eyes that appeared to agree that it was a good time to slow it down. She closed her eyes and she seemed to enjoy that I was rubbing her back with both hands that I slipped up under her shirt. She presented her lips for me to kiss and then her cheek for the same, then neck and ear and lips again. Her long hair had fallen down around us, surrounding our faces like a vail creating a tiny private and even more intimate space. Inside here it was darker and the temperature and humidity rose quickly. We were breathing each other’s breath between kisses. All of a sudden I noticed that Jasmine was back. Not subtle this time, but deep and fulfilling. I loved it.
This fragrance stuff really works. The next morning just after waking up, I caught an unexpected subtle whiff on my skin under my watch and my heart jumped by 20 beats. Who’d a thunk it possible?
The passion was building again but since I was aware and cautious now, I wanted to enjoy and go with it. I thought I could keep it measured and I did for a while as it does take two. The kissing slowed to half and so did the passion. However, the rest of our bodies started to make up for it and the touching evolved into the sexual. She was still on top of me and my hands were exploring and squeezing on her panty covered butt, then under and in those panties. Her body contact became more targeted as she was now very deliberately mashing her fun stuff all over my fun stuff. The kissing subsided but replaced with the audible accompaniment of her squeaks, moans and quicker breathing timed with her mashing I was no longer in control. The passion was under control but being replaced with something intimately erotic.
I abruptly escaped by gently rolling her over on to her back then getting up and knelling between her legs. I took a moment to catch my breath and wanted to say “That is getting WAY too intimate. Can we get naked and have sex now?” However, I tugged at her panties and said something dorky like “can we take these off now?” Yes, we were still both fully dressed except for her jeans
Since I am the kind of guy who doesn’t kiss and tell, (well, only tells about the kisses) and this is not the forum for it, I am not going to talk about the sexy part over the next 30 minutes. I will tell you that we did finally each get ourselves unceremoniously naked and then the sexy part finishes where it started, with me finishing all over that beautiful tattoo. Of course I did a small celebration gesture that she rolled her eyes to.
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Cuddle time. Our snapchats leading up to this encounter were heavy on the anticipation and buildup but didn’t contain a lot of detail about or define what stuff would happen during our “fun” time together.
Me: “Ok then, tomorrow lunchtime, I’m in.”
Her: “OMG Are you saying that you are REALLY going to come here and let me have fun with you?
Me: “I’m REALLY going to come there. I am REALLY going to fully inspect that tattoo, as well as the neighborhood where the tattoo lives.
Her: “I so can’t wait to get my hands on you.”
Me: “WOW….Now that this is real and going to happen, my heart is beating so hard that I am afraid that people can see it through my shirt.”
Her: “You have to tell me, are you being SERIOUS right now? You can’t say this and not show up. It’s OK if you are teasing, but you have to say so that you are now….not tomorrow!!!”
Me: “I am SERIOUS and I PROMISE I will be there. You have gotten to me, BAD. All week with the way we have been talking..err..I mean snapchatting; I can’t get you out of my head. Then today with those tattoo snaps you sent; I can’t get up from my desk. LOL…..NOT kidding NOT teasing.”
Her: “I am BAD, and I like having FUN. I am going to have so much fun with you!!!”
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The only specific things I recall us acknowledging we would do with our “fun” was tattoo inspection and cuddle time. So as soon as cleanup from sexy time was done we both knew what time it was. For me, as good as the inspection was the cuddle was better. Just as during the sexy time we changed things up and we got to cuddle many ways. We started face to face full contact hugging just like our kissing time with some but less kissing and more being in the moment.
We were still hot (temperature hot now) and sweaty so that didn’t last long. She turned over and we spooned some. I was still craving full body contact but it was still so hot that we had to separate a bit. No contact spooning if you will, with just my one hand caressing her exposed shoulder and arm and hip with an occasional butt cheek squeeze.
It was about that time that we had our first ever personal conversation. On the project there were lots of flirty banter and some personal stories but almost always as part of a group. We had many phone calls and a few project meetings with just us two but never did the conversation get personal. Until now the only personal talks (Chats) we have had have been via Snapchat. I don’t recall who asked the first question of the other, but it was like a dam broke and we started filling in the details of our lives, our feelings and all the things we chatted about.
There was a lot to tell and we were giddy like children (child) best friends re-meeting on the first day of school catching each other up on our summer vacations. At one point she had something compelling to say and faster than a fish out of water she flipped back to facing me so she could gesture with her hand and punctuate through her expression. She landed close. Closer that I think she meant to at first and just a bit awkward I felt. But I was wrong. She didn’t back up an inch. I really couldn’t see her hand but I could feel that she was using it in the 2 to 4 inches of space between our chests. Her face was right into mine. She would lean back or up just an inch when she wanted me to see her eyes or smile or frown for emphasis, then settle back into the pillows with our foreheads or noses or cheeks touching. It was the farthest thing in the world from awkward.
If there was a recurring theme for the day it would be HOT; in every sense and synonym of the word. Again, it was getting too sweaty to remain that close. This time she broke contact to catch a breath and escape the heat. We stopped talking for a moment to breathe and cool off. She sat up, crawled to, and grabbed the (sexy time) clean-up towel that was at the far foot of the bed. She turned around so that she was kneeling facing me as she brought the towel up to her chest to absorb the beads and drips of sweat that had accumulated. As I watched, I again thought of my great fortune to be right here right now feeing what I feel and seeing the beauty before me. She pushed the towel down across her belly button and it fell into her lap.
I observed the soft sunlight reflecting off the white sheets, the white towel, and the white pillows bathed her in perfect light creating just a hint of subtle shadows in all of the right places on her angelic white skin. I started consciously taking photos with my mind. I wanted to capture every nuance and note every detail. I don’t know if I will ever be here again.
I don't recall if my next realization was comprehended in a split second, or if it took ten seconds to develop, but a terrible fear washed over me that for the first time in forever, she was beyond my touch and her next action might be to look for her panties or go jump in the shower. We were after all, deep into the second hour of her hour long lunch.
As I was preparing myself for the pain soon to come, I couldn't understand where it was coming from. I had the BEST DAY EVER, but I felt like an exhausted child who just watched the Disney fireworks finally and knows what that means.
What the hell? What is happening in my head? I don't even know this girl, let alone have feelings for her beyond she made my dick feel good at lunchtime.....and, I guess my ego is healthier since I met her. I have not cheated on my diet since she turned on the flattery the week before. I was sure it had to be somehow manipulative, but I hoped that if only a 5% chance it wasn't AND she liked me AND her mom was single, made it easy to keep my snacking to peas & carrots.
My self esteem has been skyrocketing too, as I have been checking a lot of boxes on my refrigerator. LOL, so many in fact, that I have been adding things to the list after they happened that I didn't dare put on it as they seemed pretty unobtainable just two months before. "Get sent a nude selfie, check. Have the confidence to send one back, check. Take a hottie 32 year old client out to lunch and fuck her brains out, check.
Did I just discover that I like girls who make my self esteem feel good more than I like girls who make my dick feel good?
Shit, that wasn't even on my top ten list. Smart, funny, pretty, Kind, whatever is the opposite of bitchy, fun in bed, boobs and/or an age appropriate figure is always nice, curious, someone you can trust to see you at your worst. Before today, "genuinely being a boost & support of my self esteem" was 10th.
Then BAM. I was hit in the face with the towel. Damn girl, I hope you can handle a spanking because I was just on the verge of making an interpersonal discovery of some importance over here, I thought to myself. I noticed the slightest or possibly mock look of concern on her face as she asks "you're not having any regrets or second thoughts over there are you?". I reflexively replied "Oh god no". Then with some emphasys, I continued "today was incredible. I REALLY needed this and you were PERFECT, thank you".
Again she did not disappoint. She crawled to the top of the bed on the far side and then to me over the pillows and laid down at a 90 angle to me on her stomach parallel to the headboard with her head nearly right on top of mine. She propped herself up a bit on her elbows and we kissed deeply. It was nice.
I made a few attempts to shake my internal drama, get out of my head and get back to my goal of picking my self up after my divorce. Oops, I mean back to pleasing a beautiful woman who clearly was not yet done having her fun with me. The emotional rollercoaster ride over the last hours, days & weeks completely blew out my brains ability to generate or absorb endorphins or whatever happens in a situation like this. Shortly after we had joked around while showering together, kissing goodbye (just like when I kissed my endorphin killing ex wife) and going on back to our separate lives.
I drove the hour or so home, brought my dog to the park and had healthiest and happiest cry I ever had. I don't know what I was feeling or why, but I was feeling again and it brought me much relief and contentedness.
We texted a bit that evening confirming that we each enjoyed our time together and agreeing that we should do that again sometime. The next day, Saturday, her husband took their 5 & 8 year old sons somewhere for the day. We checked in with each other again over text and chatted some about our lunch but the spark or excitement we usually had was not the same.
I reached out again that evening and asked if she was in a place that we could talk on the phone. She resisted but did call me (our first personal phone call). It took her 24 hours to let her cry bubble up. It turns out that our emotional experiences were remarkably similar, albeit from different perspectives.
She much later reveals that she felt emotionally dead for her hubby. She evolved to a bad place where she wanted fuck anyone but her hubby but still fucked him twice a week and had to appear happy to do it, killing her brain chemistry.
We rode the best and worst roller coaster in the world for 6 or 8 months....until the the Cocaine eventually wore off or the unobtainable became obtainable and it wasn't the the same rush for either of us any longer. She was the closest thing to a drug addiction that I ever felt. I never wanted anyone or anything like I wanted her.
My hope is that this story helps one person answer the question "Why the hell would he/she risk giving up their wonderful & loving family for an hour with a douchebag or a skank?"

For students from India, has anyone shown a different loan source in I-20 and a different one in visa forms?
I’m planning to use my private loan sanction letter to obtain my I-20 since the loan process from the Public bank is taking quite some time. Later when I receive the sanction from this public bank, can I use that for the visa process instead of the one I used in my I-20?

This is all about Mike Making a private deal with the president.
House Democrats announce they will bail out House Speaker Mike Johnson if Marjorie Taylor Greene proceeds to impeach him.
Speaker Johnson tries to avoid questions about Marjorie Taylor Greens letter to impeach him. House Democratic leaders Hakeem Jeffries, Pete Aguilar and Katherine Clark said that the House Democrats are trying to save House Speaker Mike Johnson's speakership. He (Hakeem Jeffries) announced that he would eliminate any efforts to impeach Johnson amid threats from Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and other hardliner Republicans. At this point (Hakeem Jeffries), said "with our national security mission complete", however, what he really meant was "Now that we passed the aid bill for Ukraine, Israel, Indo-Pacific and TikTok" it's time to turn the page he said.
Green said he would move the motion to recall Johnson to the owners "If Democrats want to choose a speaker (and some Republicans want to support a Democratic speaker) , I'll give them a chance. “All Americans see the truth and focus on our elections,” he wrote Tuesday. “Americans deserve to see Fine Gael on full display. I threw them a party! Johnson argued that he needed Democratic support to maintain his position and asked for no other aides at a press conference held shortly after the Democrats' announcement. "I have to do my job," Johnson told reporters. "We must do what we think is right, and what the country needs now is for Congress to act." country," he said, as he sought support to hold the gavel. Johnson said he did not ask for help from Democrats because he was still talking. "I didn't ask anyone who helped," he said. "I don't care about that at all. "I'm committed to getting this done and passing legislation," he said. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who joined Greene earlier this month, told Democrats on CNN: "If you want to get rid of it, Johnson, that's a gift," he said, specifically focusing on our efforts he referred to House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who is truly committed. Who should be our enemy now that Mike Johnson is back from Hakeem Jeffries? Meanwhile, Greene did not answer CNN's questions but said, she and Massie would continue to talk about efforts to oust Johnson at a news conference. Democratic leaders announced the decision at the end of the congressional session. House Republicans told CNN that the effort behind the proposal to remove Johnson as speaker "failed." "No, he's dead." Representative. Rep. Kate Carmack, R-Fla., said when asked if there were any threats regarding hotel week. Oklahoma Republican Kevin Hern, who left the House Republicans' weekly meeting before the Democrats' announcement, downplayed a motion to withdraw the threat, telling reporters: "Nobody's talking about it. He met with Greene to withdraw the threat." He said he had not yet discussed his proposal.
House Democrats announce they would save Speaker Mike Johnson if Marjorie Taylor Greene triggers her effort to oust him.
Speaker Johnson tries to dodge reporter’s question about MTG’s motion to oust him. House Democratic leadership announced that Democrats would kill an effort to oust House Speaker Mike Johnson from his position, amid threats from Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and other hardliners.
“At this moment, upon completion of their national security work, the time has come to turn the page on this chapter of Pro-Putin Republican obstruction. We will vote to table Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Motion to Vacate the Chair. If she invokes the motion, it will not succeed,” the leaders wrote in a statement. However, Greene suggested she will move forward with the motion to vacate Johnson in order to put members on the record.
MTG said If the Democrats want to elect him Speaker (and some Republicans want to support the Democrats’ chosen Speaker), I’ll give them the chance to do it, I’m a big believer in recorded votes because it puts Congress on record and that allows every American to see the truth and provides transparency to our votes. Americans deserve to see the Uniparty on full display. I’m about to give them their coming out party she said.
Johnson defended the fact that he needs Democratic support to remain in his job and that he did not request assistance from the other side of the aisle after the Democrats’ announcement.
“I have to do my job,” Johnson told reporters. “We have to do what we believe to be the right thing, what the country needs right now is a functioning Congress.”
When pressed by CNN if he would be comfortable relying on Democratic support to keep the gavel, he said, “You hope you have the support of everyone, the entire country.”
Johnson said he did not request the assistance of Democrats as he hangs on to the speakership. - I’ve not requested assistance from anyone,” he said. “I’m not focused on that at all. I am focused on getting the job done and getting legislation passed, he said.
Kentucky GOP Rep. Thomas Massie, joined Greene’s effort, telling CNN that the Democrats’ promise to save Johnson will only help the effort to oust him. If you want to get rid of Johnson, that's a gift, he said, pointing to House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries in particular. That was really a gift to our effort to have Mike Johnson endorsed by Hakeem Jeffries, the person who’s supposed to be our foe?
Meanwhile, Greene would not answer questions from CNN but said that she and Massie would speak more about their effort to oust Johnson at a news conference.
The Democratic leaders announced the decision as House Republicans told CNN that the effort behind the motion to vacate Johnson’s speakership is “dead.”
No, it’s dead,” Republican Rep. Kat Cammack of Florida said when asked if there has been any movement on the threat since the weeklong House recess.
Oklahoma Republican Kevin Hern, exiting the House Republican weekly conference meeting before the Democrats’ announcement, downplayed the motion-to-vacate threats and told reporters, “Nobody is talking about it.

Hey, docs! I'm 18M, 5'4", 115lbs, A+ blood type. I gave blood a few months ago and had a severe vasovagal response, I threw up six times and didn't feel well enough to get up for an hour. I didn't faint but I experienced every other symptom. Even still, I'd like to donate again and maybe help save someone's life. Is there anything I can do to make the donation process easier for myself?
Some extra information: all my vitals looked good before the donation, blood pressure, iron, etc. I do sometimes get cold fingers and toes though, so I'm not certain how my circulation is in those extremities.
I have several other body oddities (which may not be relevant but giving plenty of information is recommended so here I go), including two missing toes (birth defect), minor pectus excavatum, scoliosis, a small bit of rib that I can move voluntarily (with no pain) and a tendon in my index finger missing stabilizers (I think that's what my doctor said the issue was). I also have hyperactive ADHD, astigmatism in my left eye, never-formed wisdom teeth, and I had a double knee surgery 3-4 years back to correct knock-knee and my legs growing at different rates. So yeah, I kind of hit the lottery of body oddities, and vasovagal syncope is a cherry on top.
Anyways thanks for any advice you can give! If I donate again I'll also make sure to let the staff know about my body's response so they can prepare haha.

Hi everybody! Congrats on all acceptances, so proud of everyone!!! I unfortunately got waitlisted for my only choice, U of S, and the letter does not include the quartile Im in. I was planning on moving out this summer, either to Saskatoon or to Regina depending on the results. Now that Ive been waitlisted, I have no clue which way I should go or if I should just delay my plans further (Im kind of in a big hurry to move out, so would rather not have to wait so long). Im afraid I’ll move to Regina (which was my first choice) but then get off the waitlist and placed in Saskatoon. I guess my question is, when can I expect to finally know where I’ll be this coming school year? Also, should I even have my hopes up about being in the WL? I have no idea if the WL actually clears up and its worse now that I have no idea of what my rank is. I apologize for the long post, Im antsy even though results are out. The effect of the WL, I guess, lol.

Hello, before I start explaining my situation, i’d like to say that i’m from quebec canada, and i only found out a few days ago that apparently, in my country, GPs are allowed to give hrt prescriptions without going through a third party clinic.
So yeah, im 21, about 13 months ago my Family doctor (that’s what we call GPs here) told me i had to get an evaluation from a mental health specialist before i can start even getting in line for hormone therapy. And so i did: i looked for a few weeks and i finally went to see a professional and we talked it out, and i was given a letter to send to my doc, which i gave him. Then, a few more weeks later, i get a call from my doctor and he says im on a waiting list, and ill get a letter in the mail with all the details on it. The letter, as i mentionned in the title, said i am a priority level E patient, meaning i can wait up to 12 months before getting an appointment scheduled.
This was both disheartening and exciting at the same time, because although things were moving forward, it was at a very slow speed… but i waited. I waited the whole time expecting a message any day, thinking maybe id be lucky and theyd get through the list fast enough to schedule lower priority patients, but obviously i was being a bit too optimistic.
So now it’s been almost a year, and one of my online friends from the US told me and our friend group she finally started hrt herself, which is super awesome, but it also only took her about a month of waiting. So reasonably, i got concerned about the path i was on currently, and i looked into how long on average it takes to get hrt (i had checked tis before this whole year of waiting, but i guess i wasnt thorough enough). I found a reddit post (i think on this very subreddit?) where someome said they just went thriugh their GP to get het instead of waiting 1-3 years for a clinic to schedule them an appointment.
So apparently that’s an option??? Why have i been sitting here for almost 12 months if my doc can just, schedule me an appoitment and prescribe me the medication himself? Am i not understanding things right? Should i keep on the current path im on, or should i ask my doc for the faster option, despite being theoretically 2-3 weeks away from my 12 month wait ending? I have no clue how long ill still have to wait after this appointment gets scheduled… I know this is a lot, but i need guidance…
TL;DR: in canada, can i ask my GP to directly prescribe me hrt medication without going through a clinic, and should i stop waiting for that third party clinic even though im only a month away from the deadline?

Hey,
We have an 11yo daughter, who originally I co-parented with her birth mother 50/50, my girlfriend at the time then moved in with us and shortly after that the co-parenting changed to more like 80/20 that we had her as her birth mother is a trainee nurse and had to do we placements, meaning she wasn't around much. OK, we still would get a few days for us when her birth mother was at home to have her.
To note, my Fiancée and daughter get on really well.
The background:
In February 2023, our daughter poured her heart out to me on the drive home from school one afternoon and then to me and my Fiancée that evening, about how she didn't want to live with, see or have any contact with her birth mother any more and she gave a lot of reasoning and had clearly thought about this a lot.
I made notes, we recorded what was said and we were on a very thin line between her birth mother needing to be reported for child neglect & endangerment. I called her school the next day and told them what had happened the night before and I kept her off for a couple of days so that she could collect her thoughts, chill out and recoup from what she told as she was in pieces.
We told her that OK, we'll keep her here a bit longer than she would have and tell her birth mother that she'd asked to stay longer and we need to sit, think, talk and go through everything that she told as there was a lot for us to unpack.
My Fiancée and I thought, we talked and we agreed that with the information she's given us, if it's true (not doubting her, but we all embellish things at times), the only option is to honour her wishes, BUT she had to tell her birth mother, either on a video chat, a letter or somehow.
It ended up that the initial conversation was a video chat, where our daughter was beyond upset trying to say what she needed to, so I had to say the words and she nodded and agreed while crying her eyes out. This followed a letter that she wrote, hand written, where she wrote down why she made this decision. I met her birth mother and we sat and had coffee while we went through and she admitted to what our daughter was claiming, no embellishment, no lying, it was all true.
So our daughter now lives with us full time and has no contact with her birth mother. We have tried to encourage that maybe they just meet for a hot chocolate, in public with us sat either there with them, the other side of the room, whatever small morsel of contact, but our daughter is not interested at all.
Now:
Its hard, its so hard going from co-parenting to full time parenting, especially with no time to prepare or even really process what's happened. I had been expecting this to come, but not for another few years as I had no idea things were so bad, so its been easier for me than my Fiancée as this all happened in such a short space of time after she moved in.
She's still struggling with all the added things being a full time parent brings with it, the lack of time for us, the teenage hormones & changes (like her being too lazy to brush her teeth), no break from being a parent as this isn't what the plan was, even the silly things like being able to run to the bathroom nekkid. Our sex life has been heavily impacted as we live in a small 2 bedroom flat and my Fiancée hates that our daughter can probably hear what's going on and she old enough to understand what she's hearing.
There's also the back and forthing of what our daughter calls her, sometimes she refers to her as mum, other times she will introduce her as her step-mum & other times as her dad's girlfriend, but at home she's called by her name (which my Fiancée is fine with). I've talked to our daughter about this and it's getting better slowly.
Family wise, I have 2 brothers, but 1 works shift patterns so isn't available to have our daughter much at all, my other brother has 2 kids of his own and doesn't really have the room to have her but he does every couple of months and my parents have passed away. My Fiancée's parents live 4 hours away from us, so its not so easy for them to have her, although they sometimes have her in the school holidays for a few days for us.
We're having date nights again more now as we are able to leave our daughter at home for a little bit on her own, as she has her phone (and everyone's phone numbers), we have security in the home and she is very mature for her age, but we still don't have a healthy balance and I'm not sure what else to do.
Does anyone have any idea's what we could do to help bring in a healthier balance for everyone? Any suggestions, or anything will be greatly appreciated.
TIA! C

I have various numbers of vCenters in our environment and I am not sure of the official approach for the issue we have been having, but with the VMWare support pages still moving to Broadcom trying to find anything on their site is problematic.
To the question/problem I'm having.
When we add a user from the AD into the vCenter and they leave the company and their AD object is deleted the vCenter doesn't seem to sync and remove the entry. I thought from previous versions this worked but now questioning myself. I stumbled across this Via a script I was able to cross-reference the AD with the vCenter's.
Can anyone confirm that this is something that works and if it does any pointers I can check to find out why ours isn't doing this.

As many are aware, the City Manager, abetted by a weak City Council and an incompetent former City Attorney have been pursuing the removal of Charlyn Ellis from the City Council. Here's an earlier update from the case. There are more from the G-T.
Most recently, the City submitted a response in opposition to the Ellis' motion for summary judgement. You might wonder, "If the City can file a motion in opposition, can Ellis likewise submit an opposition to their motion for summary judgement, separate from her own motion for summary judgement? Could she submit a response in opposition to the City's response in opposition to her motion for summary judgement."
I would respond by saying, "How the hell should I know? I'm not some expert lawyer man. I'm just some guy--and also probably the number one customer of Block 15's in-store IPA sales, which is not a qualification for this exercise."
With that said, here are some totally non-expert and questionably sober thoughts on the response in opposition from the City, which you can find here.
The first argument focuses on standing. On its face, this is much less interesting for lay people like us, because it doesn't get to the core of the political power struggle that is affecting the governance of our town. I figured these details were trivial when I read through it a week ago. But when I read through this a second time, I realized that the City was walking back a pretty significant part of its beef. For example, our $1,000 per hour attorneys write that,

Here, Councilor Ellis has not demonstrated a credible threat of prosecution of any provision of Section 23(f)—other than the Influence or Coercion Clause—at the time her legal counsel filed this lawsuit on January 22, 2024, after 9 pm. The City’s Due Process Hearing Memorandum—filed before noon earlier that same day (see Shepherd Decl at ¶¶ 2-3)—made this abundantly clear. And, as described above, the City does not contend that Councilor Ellis violated either of the remaining provisions of Section 23(f) (or, in Councilor Ellis’s alternative grammatical framework, subsection ii). The City specifically elected not to proceed under the Specific Appointments Clause because, consistent with its other allegations, the City does not view Councilor Ellis’ conduct as “discussing”—or attempting to “discuss”—anything with the City Manager.

So, there's a lot to unpack here. They're saying that at the time her complaint was made, ^{specifically at 9 PM}, the City's due process hearing memo ^{which was edited at 12 PM that same day} didn't say that Ellis violated the Specific Appointments Clause.
"What the fuck is the specific appointments clause" you ask? The City has previously made the argument that there are actually multiple separate clauses to Section 23(f), and that to violate any one clause is to violate the charter. That is, they should not be read as being interdependent:

As relevant to these proceedings, Section 23(f) applies to City Councilors and reads as follows. For convenience, we have separated the independent clauses in the correct grammatical form: (f) Interference in administration and elections. Neither the Mayor nor any member of the Council shall [i] in any manner, directly or indirectly, by suggestion or otherwise, attempt to influence or coerce the Manager in the making of any appointment or removal of any officer or employee or in the purchase of supplies; or . . . . 1 [iii] discuss, directly or indirectly, with the Manager the matter of specific appointments to any City office or employment. A violation of the foregoing provisions of this section shall forfeit the office of the offender. Nothing in this section shall be construed, however, as prohibiting the Council, while in open session, from discussing with or suggesting to the Manager, fully and freely, anything pertaining to the City affairs or the interests of the City.

I realized it seemed weird to read that the City did not believe Ellis violated the Specific Appointments Clause because that's how the complaint about Ellis' actions was originally framed. From the GT

"By adding a level of specificity that you want the city manager to appoint a particular officer or employee, I think that’s exactly what the charter says you can’t do," Brewer said at the meeting.

Then there's the unsigned due process hearing letter dated December 6th, which states (my emphasis):

"WHEREAS the actions of Councilor Ellis at the City of Corvallis City Council meeting were a direct attempt to influence the City Manager in the appointment of an employee and an attempt to discuss directly with the City Manager the matter of specific appointment to City employment."

It sure makes it seem like the City did accuse Ellis of violating that clause because that's how they understood her actions to be a violation of the charter. Odd that now that apparently wasn't the case. It makes me wonder just what the hell the Mayor, City Council President (Yee), Vice President (Lytle), City Manager, and City Attorney thought they were putting their names to on December 5th when they signed a document stating that they "received concerns from Corvallis City staff, City Manager, City Councilor, and community members about the conduct of Councilor Ellis during a September 12, 2023 Corvallis Climate Action Board [sic] and during a September 18, 2023 City Council Meeting." Maybe an actual journalist could ask them that question.
Were those concerns related to the Specific Appointments Clause or the Influence or Coercion Clause? And when they say that "Each of the undersigned observed in person or through video recordings, the respective meetings and concluded that the video recordings were substantial evidence sufficient to place this matter on the agenda for the attention of the City Council for consideration" did they foresee that their new attorneys, replacing the demonstrably incompetent Jim Brewer, would decide that Ellis hadn't violated the Specific Appointments Clause at all?
Why is this relevant? Because the City is now arguing that, because they aren't actually alleging a violation of the Specific Appointments Clause--never mind that's exactly what they did, and what the Council would honestly still admit they thought they were doing since they're totally asleep at the wheel while the City Manager drives this process (^{remember that he's the only one whose even allowed to talk to the new City attorney})--Ellis doesn't have standing to have the whole of 23(f) thrown out. Just the part she is accused of violating. It makes this standing argument start to read like the City attempting to save a portion of 23(f) from judicial scrutiny by claiming it's not ripe for litigation, even though they were very clearly poised to wield that clause as a cudgel to have Ellis ousted from the Council. If putting it in a charging memo and having other Councilors pressure you to resign on the basis of that memo before you hold a kangaroo court hearing to kick out an elected official wouldn't make it ripe for litigation from a judicial standpoint, I think any layperson can see the implications here: Mark Shepard will use this clause as a political weapon again.
Beyond that, there seems to be a bunch of nonsense arguing about categories of speech suppression. The whole thing concludes with this statement:

"As described in the City’s Motion, if a Council member does not intend to “influence or coerce” the City Manager, then they have not violated the Influence or Coercion Clause. (Def.’s Mot. for Summ. J. (Dkt. 10) at 21.) And she fails to acknowledge another important purpose of the Influence or Coercion Clause: effectuating and maintaining the separation of powers between the City Manager and the City Council."

So, obviously, Ellis has contended that she didn't intend to violate the motion, which at the time didn't seem like a worthy defense, since the City was not alleging that the only "clause" of 23(f) that was violated required intent. And then the last sentence is just presented as an afterthought, when, in fact, that's the core issue of importance to this case: is the City Manager an all-powerful dictator whose behavior can be controlled only through the threat or actual enactment of his termination, imposing significant costs on the City, or can he be specifically directed to enact the Council's political agenda? Are Councilors able to speak freely about his operational decisions if they don't feel those comport with the policies they've adopted? Why do our new City attorneys spend so few words in support of this position that Mark and Jim have supported so emphatically?
Only time will tell. Kind of feels like the City is positioning to limit the damage here, but, again, I'm just some guy, so I might be full of shit. Either way, this latest motion definitely cost us all a lot of money.

City center apartments are frequently considered the greatest buy-to-lets, City center apartments are frequently considered the greatest buy-to-lets, but are they still a wise investment? Here, we’ll examine the benefits and drawbacks of this specific property type.

Why City Center Apartments (Can’t) Make Great Investments

Here are the primary factors that have contributed to new city center flats making excellent buy-to-let investments over time:
Are City Center Apartments Still The Best Btl Investments In 2023? 8

• City center apartments are frequently affordable. Apartments in metropolitan areas are frequently less expensive per square foot than comparable homes in suburban areas.
  
• Apartments in the city center frequently have high letting yields. Even though city apartments frequently have higher rentals than suburban homes, the yields can still be higher.
  
• Those that prefer to live in urban areas and have easy access to public transportation, as opposed to commuting, frequently have a high demand for city-center apartments. People frequently rent rather than buy in city centers since they may want to stay there for a while.
  
• In city centers, there are many different renting options. Apartments in the city center can be rented to professionals, roommates, and students. They can also be used as short-term rentals or serviced lodging.
  
• Renting in the city center is a simple buy-to-let venture to own and manage. These may qualify as “hands-free” investments. A managing agent is responsible for the building’s upkeep, common areas, and grounds. (There are typically service fees to pay.)
  
• Investing in a city-center apartment development offers a variety of options. Compared to houses on the resale market, new flats are much simpler to find and purchase. Another scalable investment possibility is new construction. You can purchase one, a few, or several brand-new apartments.
  
• Newly constructed flats in city centers are frequently seen in areas undergoing regeneration and renovation. These neighborhoods frequently receive investments, which can raise property values as the area develops.
  
• More space to build new structures in some city centers, such as old ones. The potential for price growth is good, and any newly available properties may be in high demand. As implied by the name, new-build apartments are brand-new. They are frequently highly well-liked by tenants because they contain the newest amenities and cutting-edge designs. Also, new homes require little to no care in the future, saving investors money on ongoing expenses.
  
• The most energy-efficient properties are typically newly constructed. They are also well-liked by renters due to their cheap operating expenses. The minimal energy efficiency standards for buy-to-let properties should be readily met by investors purchasing brand-new apartments, both now and in the future.
  

Residing Outside of Burbs and Small Towns

Many people who have always wanted to live in a big city eventually give in to its pull and discover themselves in a much more populated and concentrated location than they did in the suburbs.
Although many people prefer to relocate to a city, only some are suited to city living. It goes considerably quicker and significantly differs from life in a small town or the suburbs. Before leaving the suburbs for the big city lights, you must weigh the benefits and drawbacks of living in a major metropolis, as with any place.
Are City Center Apartments Still The Best Btl Investments In 2023? 9
benefits of residing in a city
Although city life has drawbacks, it makes up for them with all it offers. Large cities are important cultural hubs with thriving music and art scenes, a vast range of cuisine, additional attractions like museums, sporting events like ball games and concerts, and a diverse population sharing the urban lifestyle.

The Benefits of Living in a City

1. Meeting New Faces. Everywhere you go, you will meet new people. Nevertheless, in a metropolis, where a variety of people come from all over the world, the experience is different. A city also has a larger population. Thus you will frequently run into new people. It can be energizing and enlightening to meet and converse with new people who have had very diverse life experiences from your own.
2. Activities/ Night Life. You probably know your town very well and have done about everything there is to do if you have lived there for ten or more years. Even if you live in a major city for ten years, you won’t be able to take advantage of everything it has to offer. In a big city, there is always something to do to keep individuals from growing bored with their diverse interests. Most cities provide exciting nightlife, various cuisines to sample, shows of all kinds, museums, landmarks, parks, festivals, sporting events, and more. There are many options in big cities to join the scene if you are a musician, visual artist, or performer.
3. Public Transportation. The public transportation system is a decent alternative to driving your own vehicle and navigating big cities’ traffic and parking issues. You can go where you need to go using trains, subways, buses, taxis, and ride-sharing vehicles in cities. You can avoid the hassle of driving by using one of the many relatively reasonable public transit options, such as the bus or train. In most big cities, it’s possible to live without a car.
Are City Center Apartments Still The Best Btl Investments In 2023? 10
4. Big Events. Major cities host the largest events, including sporting competitions, concerts, festivals, and art openings. You don’t need to make the long commutes to and from the suburbs to attend a concert or a baseball game.
5. Share Experience. The fact that everyone in a large metropolis with millions of residents comes from varied backgrounds and experiences city life similarly can be incredibly reassuring. Large cities are friendlier than most people think, and if you frequent the same spots and engage in the same pursuits, you’ll rapidly meet new individuals who share your interests and likely move there for similar reasons to yours.
7. Free Activities. There are numerous free things to do when planned effectively, even if many activities are normally more expensive due to the greater overhead costs. You can spend the entire day keeping occupied for free by going to the park, window shopping, touring museums on free days, and taking in the sights downtown. Even though you won’t be spending any money, you will undoubtedly spend time at these breathtaking locations and maximize your urban experience.
Are City Center Apartments Still The Best Btl Investments In 2023? 11
8. Higher Salary. Employers are typically prepared to pay extra despite the high cost of living in the city. This is why many suburban residents commute into the city for a better wage while still taking advantage of the low cost of living.
9. More Jobs Available. Companies dominate city towers, so going without a job is difficult. However, locating one that pays your high rent could be challenging. But a city with many businesses also has many job prospects. You’re likely to find one you adore. According to statistics, those who live in major cities have access to more job prospects than those who live in the suburbs or smaller towns.
10. Close to Restaurants. In cities, there is always a need for fine dining. Within a mile or two, you can find a cuisine you appreciate, from fast food franchises to fine dining restos.
Although the city’s dining cost is typically greater due to increased rent, many restaurants offer lunch and supper deals and have food vendors available. You’ll need to research to take advantage of the best bargains.

The Disadvantages of Living in a City

Those who frequently travel to or work in a big city are aware of how troublesome they may be. Large cities might be more challenging to navigate because of the increased population, traffic, and neighborhood density. The biggest drawbacks of living in a big metropolis are as follows:
1. High Cost of Living. When people consider moving to a city, the increased cost of living is usually the first drawback they consider. Ordinary living costs like rent and utilities tend to be higher in big cities, and you can have additional costs like parking permits and laundry that you wouldn’t have in the suburbs. Major cities also have higher prices for gasoline, alcohol, food, and tobacco items.
2. Noise. Major cities typically have higher noise levels than the suburbs. Cities produce greater noise due to increased traffic, more people, trains, and neighboring airports with noisy jets flying in and out. A neighborhood may become noisier and more crowded due to special events like concerts and sporting events.
3. Limited Space. Downsizing your living area is nearly always required when moving from the suburbs to the city. Most people reside in flats in big cities; in some places, the apartments might be smaller. Having an outdoor area like a patio or yard is also uncommon. Homes with decent-sized yards are available in big cities but are significantly more expensive than homes in the suburbs. If you want to live in a city, you must be okay with your neighbors being on the other side of your walls in an apartment complex.
4. Limited Parking Space. Parking in a big city is an enormous nuisance compared to the suburbs. In the suburbs, parking is permitted in driveways and on residential streets, and most companies offer parking lots for patrons to utilize. Parking is only sometimes guaranteed in large cities. Streets with free parking quickly fill up because certain residential streets only allow permit parking, which requires you to purchase a permit. Some apartments have a designated parking place, albeit they are uncommon. Also, it is uncommon for businesses to have parking lots, so you will probably have to pay to park somewhere on the street, possibly even a few streets from where you need to go.
Are City Center Apartments Still The Best Btl Investments In 2023? 12
5. Higher Auto-Vehicle Insurance Premiums. Congested city life will increase your chance of accidents if you must have a car and live in a city. As a result, city residents will pay a greater insurance premium than those who live in the suburbs.
6. Increasing Crime Rates. You can bet on urban locations to be riskier than smaller communities, even if some cities have higher crime rates than others. Crime increases with population.

The Current Situation of City Center Apartments

The majority of people concur that the real estate market has altered recently. Thus, it’s crucial to take into account a few factors when determining if new city center flats are still wise investments:

1. The real estate sector, notably the market for apartments in cities, has been impacted by Covid. People’s preferences for where to live (and rent) and what kinds of properties have been impacted. Nowadays, more people are working remotely. Some workers no longer require access to an office. Hence, renting or buying a home in the city center or living there is no longer necessary.
   
2. Some business offices in the city center have scaled back on their floor space. Less demand for city center flats may result from fewer individuals working in urban areas. The practice of hybrid working, where people work partially from home and partially from the office, is becoming more widespread. The same goes for flexible working, which allows employees to choose how much time they spend in the office each week. Often, newly constructed flats in city centers are small and need more space for working from home. In the so-called “race for space,” some city dwellers emigrated to the suburbs and the countryside to find more space.
   

Are City Center Apartments Still The Best Btl Investments In 2023? 13

1. People became aware of the value of outdoor space for health and well-being because of Covid. Outdoor space is uncommon in newly constructed residences in city centers. Many people need easy access to public parks and other outdoor areas.
   
2. Currently, some things could be improved regarding the direction of the economy. There may be less demand for housing in city centers if businesses that employ people there cut their workforces. In certain cities, proposals exist to develop thousands of additional brand-new apartments in the city center. Apartments in these places may be harder to lease due to high levels of new supply and low projected demand. It could imply that their worth has not increased as much as it would have (or they might even fall in value).
   
3. Due to economic worries, apartment developers in the city center might opt to cut back their plans. Supplies could decrease. Future shortages of this kind of real estate may occur.
   
4. Renters and builders compete. In some cities, build-to-rent, or BTR, is growing in acceptance. Large developers and financial entities fund and construct flats to be rented out rather than sold. Build-to-rent apartment buildings give private landlords in the city center additional competition in the rental market.
   
5. Co-living projects, where investors construct towers of studio apartments with shared facilities, are starting to pop up in several city centers. They may increase the level of competition for apartment rentals.
   
6. but are they still a wise investment? Here, we’ll examine the benefits and drawbacks of this specific property type.
   

Why City Center Apartments (Can’t) Make Great Investments

Here are the primary factors that have contributed to new city center flats making excellent buy-to-let investments over time:

My wife and I have been together for over 4 years and have had a great marriage together. We have a 3 year old son and everything we could need.
In November my mother passed away which caused me to go into a bit of depression where I wanted to withdraw myself from everything for awhile. I know I may not have been myself for a bit, I was drinking a bit more than I should and I wasn't always as patient as I could have been but I was working hard on turning myself around. All seemed well until a few months ago when I noticed my wife talking a TON in her recently created group chat with 3 of her guy friends and one of their girlfriends.
Normally I wouldn't care but she had seemed to distance herself from me a lot by then. Our intimacy had dropped down to about once a month. She stopped initiating all physical contact. She barely seemed like she even wanted to kiss me anymore. So I asked her to be in her group chat since she was so busy talking on there while ignoring me. This ended up causing an argument where she kept ignoring my requests and saying "she's allowed to have her own friends" even though a couple months before that she was inviting me to go to "friends giving" with them. So I dropped it as we were getting ready to go on vacation to visit some family of mine
The beginning of our vacation was alright even though she resisted every form of intimacy I tried. To be fair we were quite busy and around my family a lot, but she used to be the type of woman to drag me off to the shower or want to sneak off in the car and have some fun. That seems to have completely changed. We ended up going for a scenic drive and I noticed my wife back there typing paragraphs apparently to the group chat..so I asked her once again to add me to it because if they are in there joking around I would like to be involved as well. Once again she ignored me, so I pressed.the issue later that night. Finally, begrudgingly she added me in the chat. I get along great with her friends there so I'm not sure what the issue is. Except one of the guys in there she went on to DMing every day instead.
I noticed she was constantly sending messages to one certain guy. Not just small messages either, whole paragraphs at times. I'm not one to snoop, but I have noticed some of their conversations between each other. Most seem innocent, but once he said "speaking of looking good in things what outfit are you wearing today" and she sent a selfie. It was an innocent selfie but still... Also at one point he said "texting is cool and all but I miss hanging out with you," and she said the feeling is mutual. My wife also complained to him about us draining her social battery while in vacation, then told him he didn't contribute to that at all. He has tried multiple times to ask to come keep her company and she replied to one I saw saying it's a tempting offer but they wouldn't "get anything done" if he did. He also told her to have a great day the other day before a party we were attending and she replied with "you're the best 😊". I don't get anything like that if I message her asking about her day or wishing her well.
I brought some of this up to her yesterday because I specifically told her Saturday that I wasn't comfortable with how much they are talking and she said she would talk with him less if I'm uncomfortable with it. Well yesterday when she got home from work I asked her what she did for lunch and she said she had a red bull. Well turns out what she wasn't going to tell me was that she went and had lunch at this guys house for an hour without mentioning anything to me, she hesitated very hard to tell me this but she knew I'd find out if she's lying. I tell her how uncomfortable this mskes me and all she does is throw it back at me about how she doesn't feel like I trust her. I really want to trust her...I do but there's becoming too many red flags for me to ignore. Am I the one in the wrong here? Should I just ignore it and let her do whatever she wants? This feels like an emotional affair in the works to me, but she doesn't seem to care that it bothers me.

Few weeks ago I posted about a toxic workplace and I have no idea whether should I leave or stay until 1 year completion. Lately things become so bad boss gave me warnings (It was a party and After the work we contributed to it. Then After my boss asked for my vehicle key to go to the store And I rejected and said I don’t give my key to anyone. Following the next morning he called a meeting for me and. He said that I’m under skilled and less talented and also I don’t work with the company culture. So I decided to leave.I’m gonna handover the resignation letter after the next paycheck.
since I don’t have any savings (I bearly cover my living cost) I have to work as a full time driver. One of my friend offered me to work as a part time worker just for 35K. So I can complete my higher education without having external stress.
The only doubt Is they still didn’t gave me an offer letter.but deducting EPT/ETF even after 9months of employment . I don’t sure If they offer me a service letter. I wanna leave here without much drama .
I don’t know why I’m writing this here. But Just wanted to say.

I left the Job from my Previous Company last month and since they had a bond of 2 years, I didn’t pay the bond amount and I didn’t get any proper clearance documents. However I have a mail with my manager saying that I was released from the project. And a mail from HR asking me to submit the assets . Now I’m joining a new company as a fresher and they’re asking me to fill up the Form. 11. I went into the EPFO site and it’s not yet exited by my previous employer. I can do an exit by myself only after 2 months . Now the new company doesn’t know that I’ve been working somewhere else and left my previous company without proper documentation. Should I fill up the form 11 and submit the documents once again. Because if I pass on my previous UAN Number that will reflect my previous employer and I don’t have any sort of clearance or reliving letter from that. Help me out please?

Gurgaon, now known as Gurugram, has emerged as a thriving hub for businesses across various industries, from technology and finance to manufacturing and retail. With its proximity to the national capital, excellent infrastructure, and vibrant business ecosystem, Gurgaon offers a wealth of opportunities for companies seeking to expand their teams. However, amidst this bustling environment, hiring the right candidates can be a daunting task. Fortunately, platforms like Kaam24 are revolutionizing the hiring process, making it easier for employers to connect with top talent in Gurgaon. In this comprehensive guide, we'll explore how Kaam24 simplifies the hiring process and provides valuable insights for employers looking to hire candidates in Gurgaon.

Addressing the Employment Market in Gurgaon:

Understanding the characteristics of Gurgaon's job market is essential before moving further with the hiring process. Gurgaon, one of the major financial and technological centers of India, attracts a wide range of talent from around the United States. Numerous global corporations, startups, and SMEs call the town home, offering a vast array of employment opportunities across multiple industries. Gurgaon's job market is known for its diversity and competitiveness, with opportunities ranging from IT specialists and engineers to sales executives and customer service agents.

Making Use of the Hiring Platform at Kaam24

One of the top recruiting platforms in Gurgaon and worldwide is Kaam24, which specializes in matching businesses with qualified candidates.With its user-friendly interface and advanced search capabilities, Kaam24 streamlines the hiring process, saving employers time and resources. Here's how employers can leverage Kaam24's platform to hire candidates in Gurgaon effectively:

1. Job Posting: Employers can create job postings on Kaam24's platform, specifying the job title, requirements, responsibilities, and other relevant details. These postings are then visible to job seekers in Gurgaon who match the criteria, ensuring that employers reach a targeted audience of qualified candidates.
2. Candidate Search: Kaam24 offers powerful search features that allow employers to filter candidates based on various criteria, such as skills, experience, location, and salary expectations. Employers can browse through candidate profiles, view resumes, and shortlist potential candidates for further evaluation.
3. Applicant Tracking: Kaam24's applicant tracking system enables employers to manage the entire recruitment process efficiently. From reviewing applications and scheduling interviews to communicating with candidates and making hiring decisions, employers can track each stage of the hiring process seamlessly.
4. Customized Solutions: Kaam24 understands that every hiring need is unique, which is why it offers customized solutions tailored to each employer's requirements. Whether it's hiring for entry-level positions, mid-level management roles, or executive positions, Kaam24 provides flexible solutions to meet diverse hiring needs.

Navigating the Hiring Process with Kaam24:

Now that we've explored the features and capabilities of Kaam24's hiring platform, let's delve into the step-by-step process of hiring candidates in Gurgaon using Kaam24:
Step 1: Define Your Hiring Needs: Before you begin the hiring process, clearly define the roles and positions you're looking to fill. Identify the specific skills, qualifications, and experience required for each role to ensure that you attract the right candidates.
Step 2: Create Compelling Job Postings: Craft engaging and informative job postings that highlight the unique aspects of your company and the opportunities available. Clearly outline the job responsibilities, qualifications, and benefits to attract the attention of potential candidates.
Step 3: Post Jobs on Kaam24: Once you've created your job postings, post them on Kaam24's platform to reach a targeted audience of job seekers in Gurgaon. Take advantage of Kaam24's advanced search features to ensure that your job postings are seen by relevant candidates.
Step 4: Review Applications and Shortlist Candidates: As applications start coming in, review them carefully to identify candidates who meet your criteria. Utilize Kaam24's applicant tracking system to manage and organize applications efficiently, making it easier to shortlist candidates for further evaluation.
Step 5: Conduct Interviews: Schedule interviews with shortlisted candidates to assess their skills, experience, and fit for the role. Kaam24's platform allows you to communicate with candidates seamlessly and coordinate interview schedules with ease.
Step 6: Make Hiring Decisions: After conducting interviews and evaluating candidates, make hiring decisions based on their qualifications, experience, and fit for the role. Communicate your decisions to candidates promptly and extend job offers to selected candidates.
Step 7: Onboarding and Integration: Once candidates accept your job offers, facilitate their onboarding process smoothly to ensure a seamless transition into their new roles. Provide them with the necessary training, resources, and support to help them integrate into your organization effectively.

Conclusion:

Hiring candidates in Gurgaon can be a complex and challenging process, but with the right tools and resources, employers can streamline the process and connect with top talent effectively. Kaam24's hiring platform offers a comprehensive suite of features and solutions designed to simplify the hiring process and empower employers to make informed hiring decisions. By leveraging Kaam24's platform, employers can navigate the Gurgaon job market with confidence, attract qualified candidates, and build high-performing teams that drive success and growth.

So Im about to finish my last year of college and have the opportunity to minor in something. Originally I wanted to minor in marketing to get creative and I overall felt it useful throughout multiple fields. I am currently majoring in Communication Technology at UTA which is essentially a mix of communications with prefaced coding. I found out there wasnt a marketing minor here but instead the counselor mentioned there was a business administration minor in where I could take multiple marketing classes to fulfill its requirements or an advertisement minor. For reference I wouldn’t mind getting a marketing job, but I overall wanted it because it could apply to multiple fields. My original plan was to start off as a front end developer, move my way into ux design possibly, but ultimately move into a project manager position once ive worked my way into a company if I enjoy it. Any advice which one would benefit me more in the long run? These are the two primary ones I can accomplish with the remaining time I have here that dont require multiple pre-req courses to achieve a minor. Thanks!

I know I should be talking with my partner about this but I like to lurk on the internet. So my current predicament needs some background. Roughly two years ago I was in a serious relationship for 7 years and my gf at the time (I’m a male) came out to me as gay and moved across the country not too soon after telling me ( we shared a house together and we weren’t married). I think we ended amicably at the end but it still hurt me. During that time I owned a home and hated my job. All of the above occurred in the summer of 2022. As soon as I quit my job and sold my house I started to an accelerated medical program also in 2022. This is where my issue starts. A girl I know we’ll say her name is “Tamara” asked me to be FWB.
Tamara knew me from the previous job but in process of her moving up in the company she moved to South Carolina. I currently live up north in the US. So she got in contact with me and wanted to come to the place I moved back to, to come and visit. I said sure because we were pretty good friends. (I want to add the medical program I’m in gives me the ability to work anywhere in the US so I can chose where I complete my clinical hours. This comes into play later).
The first visit nothing happened between us. In between visits she asks to be FWB I say yes but tells me it can be messy. I agree. This goes on for a year and a half. Mid way point last year because our relationship was just exclusively FWB we discussed at the beginning that we were free to seek other people out. So I went on few dates. Tamara was not happy with me so I ended up stopping the dates in between her visits. At the point when I stopped the dates I was about to start my clinical rotations and I had an interview for a site coming up. I was unable to get matched in an area near South Carolina which is what Tamara wanted so we could be close. I matched at a place up North an hour from me. So throughout my clinical rotation Tamara has been “gently” encouraging me to move in with her in South Carolina.
I have some concerns about moving because I know the area is saturated for the medical job I have and it’s damn near impossible for new grads to get work. So I press on through the program. 1/3 of the way through. I get a message saying we need to talk. I get a phone call from Tamara saying she has an STD and I should get checked. Needless to say I was not happy. A week later I got checked and had it also. I was beside myself. I knew I was being an idiot and I know people make mistakes but I definitely got checked after our encounters but I digress. After this things seemed to have cooled a little. With news of the STD I told her fuck it I’ll just move down after I graduate but I’m still struggling with the idea of fully committing to moving there because of the struggles I will face. Now currently I have a few weeks left of my program and I want to change my mind about moving down and I know it will break her heart but I was doing what was right for her and not for myself. So would I be the asshole for calling things off and staying put to get work experience?
TLDR: I ended a long term relationship. I got into medical school that allows me to work anywhere in the US. An old co-worker hits me up to hang but we live in different states. We become FWB. I get an STD from our interactions which soured my mood a little. I tell her I will move down to be closer to date but now I want to take it back because I know how hard it will be to get a job where she lives currently and I’m not sure I can commit to the things she wants.
Thanks for reading and sorry for any typos! I am writing this pretty late at night.

Memory Transcription Subject: Alus, Yotul auxiliary to the UN Spaceborne Infantry
Date [standardized human time]: March 3^rd 2137, 1000 hours ship-time
After Gutierrez showed me to our compartment, and I dropped off my duffelbags, he began leading me to the Armory, where I would be assigned my rifle and 'sensitive items' as he put it. As we walked, my mind churned with more questions.
"Hey, uh, Guts. Back in the supply compartment, you mentioned the 'USMC'? That's the American Marines right? I thought you were UN Spaceborne infantry."
"Yeah, so, I am a Marine. Marine to the core. But Earth sorta got thrown into this whole clusterfuck without having a properly unified military, and instead of trying to set up a whole new service from scratch, they got the big five on the Security Council, being us, the Brits, the French, the Chinese, and the Russkis, to pitch in units. So you got Marines and Army making up the American portion of the SI, and Navy and Airforce making up our part of the fleet. Same for every country that pitched in, even some outside the UNSC." Gutierrez explained, his hands moving about animatedly. "Right now it's a hot mess because none of the standards, paperwork, or anything changed, but I guess they'll probably formalize and standardize the SI and Fleet after all this shit is done. All we currently got that's the same is rifles, uniforms, and equipment. The traditions and paperwork and shit are all wildly different from one countries units to another, and sometimes even within the same country's units because of different branches. The US Marines and US Army for instance, we share a lot of the same shit you know, but our low-level paperwork is branch-specific, and our organization is different."
I thought for a moment about what he was saying as we walked though the passageways, pondering on the idea of what a truly united Human military could accomplish, if everything Humanity had done so far was with a truly thrown-together force. As I looked up again, I saw we were approaching the armory, and mentally filed my next question away for later. We crossed through the threshold, and I found myself standing in front of a grated window, another Human on the other side.
"Sarn't Johnson, I'd like you to meet our new Yotul auxiliary, Alus. We're doing inprocessing, and need to get his weapon and equipment drawn and assigned."
The new Human looked down at me curiously and smiled, before reaching down and grabbing a few sheets of paper from under his desk.
"Alright" the Sergeant said, before moving deeper into the armory, stopping at a weapons cage, before unlocking it and inspecting the rifles line up inside "So, what are we billeting him as?"
"Just an 0311, needs a rifleman's kit and associated gear" Guts replied, leaning forward to watch the Sergeant.
"Gotcha. Just gimme a minute here."
Guts and I watched as the Armorer pulled a cart over, and picked out a rifle, laying it down on the cart, and locking the cage, before moving to the next rack and removing a small black bag, repeating the process along the line of cages across one wall of the armory, before coming back to the front, and pressing a button on his desk. I heard a click from a door next to the grated portal, and Gutierrez waved for me to follow him through the door, and into the armory.
The Sergeant had sat back down, and was poring over what appeared to be a checklist as he inspected each piece of equipment, ticking them off down the list one by one. When he was done, he clipped it to a clipboard, and handed it off to Gutierrez, before looking toward me.
"So, Heard you fellas went through some sorta training dirtside, so you should be familiar with at least the rifle?" He asked, picking up a notably shorter version of the standard UN rifle I had qualified on Earth with.
"Yes, ours were longer, it kinda seemed like they weren't really meant for non-Humans to use. We could all barely aim them shooting, uh, offhand I think it was?"
"Yeah, sounds about right for an indoc unit. The M-36 is a piston gun so it's good bit heavier out front than the old M-16's the Corps used to issue way back, Mag in the back kinda balances the whole shebang on the carbine variants" he slapped the side of the firearm he was holding "But on the full length rifles they're just ungodly long barrels. Ay, Guts, something like a 28-inch heavy barrel on the old M-36A1's?"
"Yeah, something stupid like that," Guts said, looking up from the paperwork he had been signing, as he set it down on the table. "Marines wanted a gun that was the same length or shorter than an M-16, Piston, and could reach out to like 800 meters with 5.56. I think Bushmaster pulled out some old relic from the 20th century and just modernized it? I remember the K&M lawsuit right when we started getting the A1's back in 2130, but yeah."
The sergeant nodded and turned back to me, pointing at the firearm again "So, when the Corps finally removed their head from their fifth point of contact-"
"Their ass" Gutierrez helpfully interjected, grinning
"Yes, But anyways, They saw some issues with going back to a full size rifle, and got carbines made to replace the A1's for combat arms. Shorter barrel, shorter gas system, shorter receiver, way lighter out front. Super nice shooting guns to boot. Bushmaster also sold them on this neat quick-change barrel system they thought up too, so now we have a bunch of smoothbore barrels for flechettes, rifled barrels for traditional ammunition, pencil barrels for riflemen, heavy barrels with bipods for autoriflemen, in a bunch of different lengths. These fuckers are modular as hell."
The sergeant had what was probably the widest grin I'd ever seen on a Human as he finished talking, and it very nearly took me aback, despite the Yotul, myself included, not having the same issues with Human mannerisms as the wider Federation.
"I-I'm not gonna have to carry all of those, right?" I asked, hesitantly, and Gutierrez broke out laughing, while the sergeant suppressed a chuckle.
"Nah kid, we just pick a rifle and swap the barrel to the one you need for what you're doing. Mostly just makes shit easier on my end really. You're just getting a carbine-length pencil barrel, lightest of the bunch."
The Sergeant shifted, bringing the rifle to his shoulder, and pointed it at a canted barrel, sticking the muzzle in, and pulled back the charging handle, sticking a finger into the rifle's ejection port, before looking in, and releasing the charging handle, before pulling the trigger with a 'click'. He then held out the rifle for me, and I took it, surprised at how much lighter it was than the one I had been issued in training.
"So, one M-36A2." the Sergeant said, before pulling a metal cylinder from a small pouch, and peering through it up at one of the lights, before getting up and grabbing a metal rod, and walking over to me. He stood alongside me, and slipped the cylinder over the muzzle of the rifle, before inserting the rod down the barrel, and peering closely at a small gap around the rod.
"And one suppressor. Clears the rod check so that shouldn't give you any issues. Guts should be able to explain the adjustable piston to you so you don't get gassed in the face while you're using it." With a quick twist of a collar on the back of the tube, the armorer pulled the device off the muzzle and stuck it back in it's pouch, and picked up a larger cloth case. He pulled something that looked like a visor on an articulating arm from it, and inserted a pair of batteries into a cylinder that ran along the top.
"This here is the AN/PVS-101 'Fused vision system'. Little heads up display that links up with the rest of your fireteam, and also has thermal and Infrared overlay. Just a fuckin' neat piece of kit honestly. Datalink is hardened to all hell, and the whole system's idiot-proof. I've seen ones that pre-date the Satellite Wars. Uses an accelerometer and gyro system to keep track of where you are in the area, and can pulse lidar to give you visuals in full pitch-black. You can also mark obstacles, enemy troops, vics, whatever with eye-clicks, and the system keeps track and spreads that out to all the linked systems. Plus there's a version that goes to the fireteam leader, which transmits all that collated data back to company level, and gives them an up-to-date picture of everything that's going on. Just honestly fuckin' cool."
He then held up a square plate on the back of the arm to his forehead, and withdrew a small box from the back and touched it to the back of his head.
"The FVS mounts to the socket on the front of your helmet, and the Processing unit just mounts to the rear, acts like a counterweight too which keeps your neck from hurting nearly as much while you're using it."
Placing both items back in the cloth bag, He finally held up what was obviously a handheld radio, and a set of earmuffs.
"This is the AN/PRC-255. It's a radio, and might as well work with Angry Pixies. I know it's got a 60 mile range, and hops frequencies, and the Comms nerds have some kind of black magic ritual to make them work. The hearing protection doesn't have some letter-and-number name, but they hook up to the radio, and they'll also link up to other headsets nearby like the FVS to communicate without radio. The Radio isn't nearly as impressive as the FVS, and the hearing protection hasn't changed in a meaningful way in about a hundred years. 3M is the Browning of comms gear, I swear. And, that's petty much it."
I looked at the neat pile of equipment sitting next to the carbine, and looked down at my hands, realizing I had nothing to carry any of it with, before looking up at Gutierrez.
"Is it alright if you carry some of this, I don't think I can carry it a-" I said, before I was cut off by laughter from Sgt Johnson.
"Nooooooo, no kid." The sergeant said, wiping tears from his eyes. "This all stays here unless you actually imminently need it. It's assigned to you now, but it stays under lock and key." he explained, while Gutierrez seemed to look simultaneously aghast and about to burst into laughter. My abbreviated training had failed to explain a few things, it seemed, as I had simply assumed that they had locked up our equipment because we were were trainees.
"See, everything in here is either VERY killy, or VERY expensive. And Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines around Earth all have a penchant for shenanigans, and breaking anything they touch. Occasionally themselves too, if left entirely unsupervised with dangerous objects. So we don't let any of you have things which can be described as 'Killy', 'Expensive', or 'Killy and Expensive' unless it's specifically pertaining to the task at hand, Rah?"
"I, uh, see yeah. Rah?" I replied, somewhat dejectedly, and slightly confused.
"Rah." The Sergeant said in reply, and began to load all of the 'Killy and expensive' equipment back onto the metal cart, chuckling to himself still, as Gutierrez tapped me on the shoulder.
"Hey, chow's in about an hour, let's get you back to the barracks so you can get your OCUU's on, and outta those class-B's right?"
"Yeah, that sounds good, I don't think I've eaten since before I arrived at the Orbital, I'm starving" I said, as I followed the Spaceborne Infantry Marine out of the Armory's door, and back down the passageway to the berthing areas of Grunt Country.

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.

I don't need to tell anyone here that housing affordability is bad right now so I'll cut to the chase...
What can be done about it?
I got seven proposals to address the problem.
But first.. lets talk about what I call 'Non-Solutions'.
A Non-Solution is something that feels like a solution but isn't. For example: Scratching at itchy skin isn't a solution to a rash.
There's a few Non-Solutions I'm going to be avoiding with my proposals:

• Price Fixing: Simply mandating that X costs $N, at a government level, doesn't fix anything. Ask USSR. Prices determined by markets are not 'fair', but they are realistic outcomes to the situations which created them, whether it's a lack of regulation, lack of supply, etc. High prices are a symptom of bigger problems that need to be addressed.
• Free Money: While it seems like an easy fix, just handing out money until everyone can afford everything, you don't need to be an economist to know that doesn't work. Prices are a function of purchase power. If you increase everyone's purchase power equally, prices will adjust to match. We've all seen this, the inflation we're experiencing right now in Australia is likely a direct outcome of the spending during the pandemic.

Instead solutions need to be formed through means such as:

• Using the tax system to incentivise behaviour that results in cheaper housing, and de-incentivise behaviour that results in more expensive housing.
• Adjusting laws that result in more expensive housing, removing laws that are an obstacle to cheaper housing.
• Creating alternatives to the existing housing stock in the market.
• Government initiatives that increase housing stock.

So - what could we do?

Proposal 1 - The AAHC

I call it the 'Australian Affordable Housing Construction Company', aka, AAHC Co.
Government initiated housing construction company, similar to the NBN Co.
It has one goal: Build houses and sell them. It has a target rate of 'houses/quarter' it aims to construct houses at. That rate is set by an independent body that aims to keep the cost of housing to a fixed level relative to incomes, and controlled in a fashion similar to the official interest rate. Another lever on the economy. The rate increases when housing supply is low, and decreases when housing supply is high.
The AAHC builds houses. Then sells them. Simple as that. No other purpose. The goal is to break even, build houses, sell them at market value (no profit). The great thing is, this means the AAHC has a net zero funding cost for the tax payer - literally costs nothing to run, because it pays for itself through sales of houses.
The actual construction would be done by external private construction companies under contract who compete under bids to build suburbs worth of houses in large projects. Which is another benefit. Lots of jobs creation, a big boon for our local manufacturing and construction industry, and any related employment opportunities (construction companies don't just hire builders after all, they hire graphic designers, accountants, managers, receptionists, etc).
As additional benefit, because the government is building the houses, it can ensure the houses meet conditions and standards we the people want to see applied to future housing construction. So it could be mandated for example, every new home constructed must have air conditioning, must have solar panels, etc.
The AAHC Co in summary:

• Allows for a market based approach to control the cost of housing.
• Costs nothing (to the taxpayer) to run, self funded.
• Reduces the single largest expense we have in life (housing).
• Would create tens of thousands, possibly hundreds of thousands, of jobs.
• Can improve the quality of our supply of houses in the market by building better houses.

Proposal 2 - Nationalised Definitions of 'Tiny Homes', and Easing Of Laws Regarding Them

The reality is, there is such a shortfall of housing in Australia, that it may take a decade or longer to address the problem, even if we started implementing the right policies to do so today.
What people need is alternatives. Today.
Such as 'Tiny Homes'.
Tiny homes can be constructed in larger quantities, prefab, for cheaper than a house, and constructed on a trailer frame which allows them to be easily moved and transported.
They can be significantly cheaper than a house, and moved easily, opening up prospects for someone to own reasonable housing in Australia for a fraction of the cost of buying an established constructed house, by buying very cheap land, a cheap 'Tiny Home' and parking it permanently on their land. Then eventually moving it on, selling it even, once it comes time to upgrade to a permanent fixture house, or move into a larger fixed house.
Because they're legally defined as caravans, they subject to all the same rules.
The first problem is, those rules vary depending on where you live. Not just for each state, but even depending which council you live in. Some councils have no clear regulations at all, making matters worse. A nationalised definition of a 'Tiny Home', and national laws regarding them, would make life easier for everyone.
The second problem is, because currently Tiny Homes are defined legally as Caravans, they are subject to the same restrictions, which can be stifling, such as, subject to location (state or council laws vary). Here are some of the worst restrictions found around the country:

• Can not be placed on a vacant block of land without an existing dwelling
• No more than 1 is allowed on residential land
• Contains no more than 2 bedrooms
• Requires development approval every time they're moved
• May result in additional charges for council rates

A nationalised legal framework for tiny homes, and easing of laws around them, to make them easier and cheaper to obtain, install and live in, would open up possibilities for alternative means of housing to ease the burden on the existing housing market.

Proposal 3 - Housing Super Fund

Super is a well established method for ensuring individuals can afford their retirement without resorting to giving people free money or price fixing the cost of retirement. It forces employers to make contributions to employee's super funds, that then collect invest, grow, and eventually can be accessed at retirement age.
This is a mechanism we can borrow to achieve a similar result for renters, to allow them eventually afford housing.
I call it a 'Housing Super Fund'.
How it could work is like this:
Every tenant is Australia, could have a 'housing super fund' set up for them when they start renting. Every time a tenant pays rent, the land lord receiving the rental payment, could be required to deposit 5% of that payment into the tenant's housing super fund.
Land lords will insist, argue, that they will put up rents by 5% to compensate. But this is a lie. Prices are determined by customer purchase power. Renters will not have any additional purchase power as a result of this change. Rents won't go up in real terms over a long period of time, instead this change eats a cut away of rents from landlords and invests it on the behalf of tenants.
The housing super fund could be made accessible if and when a tenant is making their "first home purchase". If that never occurs, the funds could available automatically at retirement age instead.

Proposal 4 - Increased Property Taxes for Landlords & Elimination of Negative Gearing

While some people are facing the prospect that they may NEVER be able to afford a house in their lifetime - other individuals, might have as many as 7 properties, and are currently shopping for their 8th.
It's obvious, that the system strongly favours those who already own houses and have capital, ahead of those who don't.
So, simple solution, is to increase taxes for being a landlord.
Property taxes faced by individuals could be higher for those who own more than one house, and increase with each additional house owned.
And, Negative Gearing, eliminated, since it creates such a massive financial incentive to own more than one house.

Proposal 6 - Harsh taxes on empty resident housing

A simple proposal.
There are empty houses across Australia.
Tax the owners until they either rent them out or sell them or move into them.

Proposal 7 - Housing HELP Loan

Saved the best for last. Got a HELP Loan? Then you know how this loan structure works.
You borrow money from the government to pay for education, and then pay off that help loan in your taxes, if and when your income is above a minimum threshold. In the mean time, the loan amount is adjusted based on interest rates at the end of each financial year.
There's no reason why we can't have a similar loan structure made available for housing.
'Housing HELP Loan' could be made available to cover up to 75% of the purchase price of an individual's first home, with the remaining 25% required as an upfront deposit. The loan then can be paid off as part of the individual's taxes if and when their income is above a minimum threshold.
This would enable millions who currently can't get a home loan to finally get one, and ensure the debt of a home loan isn't financially crushing when individuals end up in a situation where they are temporarily unable to pay off their loan due to loss of employment.
That's 7 proposals to fixing housing affordability in Australia.
Which ones do you think would work?
Which ones do you think would stand a chance politically of being supported by a major party and made into reality?

WHOLE STORY WITH CONVO
Good day, My name is J. I was an employee in a small firm. 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 teams (I still have the evidence)
March 26, 2024 is my last day, I already settled all the company assets (like computers, documents, Company ID's)_ in our office in Cavite, where we reside. After that day and other following days, there are no further instructions, so I have assumed that I settled everything to them. After three days, they terminated my Microsoft account.
April 23, 2024. 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 Management
Good morning, ma'am and sir. It has been a month past since I received the last payment upon my resignation and with my new journey this should be a matter that I have gained lesser access with the XXX management upon terminating my XXX account. Regardless, since I haven't received any update from my resume email address, I would like to formally follow up with the remaining collectibles I have in XXX including EOC (Employment of Certificate) which was our deal last meeting, and since I already returned the company assets which includes in my resignation letter. It wasn't a sudden but just to inform you that I respectfully have a rights to demand as these are the compensation a business must pay to its ex-employee for a set period of time prior to law (Department of Labor & Employment), and I have assumed that we are all already know we need to abide its regulations and its consequence - upon failure to comply. As much as I understand the situation of my ex-company, this should take into account and not for long term, not prior to the contract I have signed but accordingly in Labor of Codes of the Philippines.
Demand List:

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

• Remaining Unpaid leaves (as per company policy)
• Contributions as per law

1. Payslip (send via email)

I hope this will be done professionally; this demand letter serves as evidence & official notice to you. Thank you"
April 25, 2024. I tried to reach them; I message my employer thru messenger
"ME:
Good morning po ma'am Doreen, nag send po ako ng mail thru outlook. Waiting for your response and update, thank you
EMPLOYER:
Reciv ko na po..nagreply msg ako syo tru mobile no mo na gmit tex.. na settle nmn by end of april..dont worry di nmn nkklmtan mga responsibility nmn s mga nag resign na..at sinesettle nmn lht kng ano man need settle. Mdyo nalulungkot lng kmi sa mga words mo sa email..wla k narinig sa amin kht alm n nmin noon pa na nsa XXX k pa pro nag interview kna s ibng company, thimik lng kmi dhl choice mo yan.
Msg kta jhun before end.."
Aril 30,2024
"EMPLOYER:
Good morning..dipa reflect byad ng client..bka friday p pra masettle ung collectibles mo sa XXX.
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.
"EMPLOYER:
Good morning..dipa po nagreflect s acnt ng XXX ung byad ng citygroup..hnty p po nmn
EMPLOYER:
Good morning...dpa rin reflect sa acnt nmm ung byad ng CLIENTXXX...kya dpa rin nkksshod sla EMPLOYEEXXX at iba p..pg pumasok n msg agd kta"
Medyo nag dududa na ako, it is an instinct sa isang tao ang mag duda right? kaya nag tanong ako
"ME:
Good eve, kung mabasa nyo to ma'am, gusto ko lang itanong, kung anong courier service ang ginamit nyo via transfer ng money, at anong status na. Need ko lang ng proof kung talagang hindi nag rereflect, nag dududa lang ako ma'am. Thank you and good eve.
EMPLOYER:
Gnyn n ba tlga kmi ksama syo pra pagdudahan mo..hndi kmi tumatakas sa responsibilidad nmn sa mga nagresign n my mga collectibles..lhat un nasettle nmn..sadyang wla tlga dhl dpa ngbbyad client..at sbi k nmm syo pg ok na msg agd kita..at ung snsabi mo na courier service..hndi dumadaan s courier ung remittance ng client..Tru TT yan na binubusisi ng banko at hndi agd2x yan ngrereflect sa acnt ng XXX..wg ka mag alala..mabayran kna dn..My TT na..pro ngayon pa lang magbabawas sa acnt ng client..bka wednesday o thursday p yan ppasok s acnt ng XXX"
After that case, I already filed a report on Dole, just waiting for them to response and email me back.
I also have a question, is it legal for them to be aggressive whenever I demand for my collectibles, I feel like I am being disrespected by my employer, and I think they're 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, please help me. Thank you for reading.