At my urging - my friend just consolidated his FFEL loans 1 (sub) and 1 (unsub) that totaled around 70k into the direct consolidation program by the April 30 deadline to qualify for some kind of forgiveness.
I told him to do this last year when the deadline was October and again December but he held out saying he finally paid down all his interest to get to the principal only. I finally convinced him it was the right thing to do to consolidate to see if he could get some of that principal forgiveness. He’s had these loans since 2002.
He consolidated and is now not taking to me because his consolidation letter shows he now owes like 360 months of payments totaling his principal plus 60k in interest equalling a total of 130k or something f crazy on an extended or standard repayment plan.
It’s not showing he qualified for any of the income driven or based repayment plans yet.
I told him to wait to the summer time to get the recount letter from the government. He said I’m full of sh e t and that he wants something in writing not just take my word for it. I said there are news articles everywhere but is there a number I can give him to call to give him proof he did the right thing to consolidate and that he won’t actually end up owing 60k in interest all over again that would be criminal lol wouldn’t it. That doesn’t seem legal.
Anyway. Hope I didn’t hose him over. Thought I was doing right by him.
But if I did mess him up let me know he said he can still back out of it by end of week or reverse the consolidation. I’m not sure he should.
Side note anyone explain what a sub and unsub loan is? I couldn’t answer that one.

hi everyone i am tkaing the ap french exam rn i shoved my phone up my ass and then asked to go to the bahtroom so I could search some ansers up. is anybody else taking the exam online rn??? help would be appreciated ive been using google translate since middle school and dont know a word of french except baguete,
my form letter is P and my form code is PP69 my AP ID is 520DS313
the cultural comparison is abt the role of art in "une communauté francophone" (idk what this means) and comparisng communities. hopefully someone sees this bc I think ill hvae two minutes after i post this to draft a response and the n Ihave to record
also what did u guys get for the mcq?? i think one audio recording was like a cooking show or smth because the audio quality was rlly terrible nad it sounded like the person was jsing a blender. not like it would do anting bc i still dont know any french. i chose c for everhtning bc someone (i think it was my teahcner idr) told me it was the most common mcq answer. i hope I get a 3 or something so I can qualify for the seal ojf biliteracy and put it on my linkedin. im going to brigham young univestrity (im from utah) so if I get a 3 I can get credit in college.
thanks guhys please respond qucikly!

My husband was alreasdy on SSDI once in 2019 stage 4 cancer. Did go back to work at that time. Kept his job and insurance. 24 months later In 2021 got a letter from SS that he now qualifies for Medicare A and B even though he had gone back to work. SAid MUST sign up for Free A or risk paying back SSDI benefits paid to him in 2019. But he did NOT have to sign up for B yet if he still has medical coverage through his work.
So he DID sign up for A. in 2021. No B. So since already on Medicare A since 2021 they said his 24 month waiting period is already satisfied and will not have another wait period to apply for Medicare B.
Here is where we are getting conflicting information from multiple SS agents.
They all say there is an 8 month rule to sign up either from when you stopped working OR when you lost your medical insurance through Employer whichever happens first.
Where there advice differs:
Agent said a month ago, if he last was physically working Dec 4 , 2023 when he left out on Short term disability but is technically still employed by that company, and will technically not lose his job until Dec 4, 2024 IF he can not ever return (and has medical insurance with them goo till Dec 31, 2024, that he does not need to sign up for Medicare B till about 1 to 3 months before the termination of job and insurance. (apply in Oct or Nov 2024 for start date of Jan 1, 2025 after work med insurance is done)
Another agent just this week said: is saying the information above is incorrect, and said they actually only consider the last date you were physically at work when you left of STD even if still employed and have insurance with your employer. And that he only has 8 months from that last day at work Dec 4, 2024 to apply for Medicare B. (she said apply in July2024 already and have it start in August 1, 2024.) before that 8 month window expires or he will face penalties in future for signing up LATE or may not be able to get B again till 65.
Can anyone confirm who is correct if you know for sure? Inconsistant information from SS is hard, you don't know who to believe. We are happy to follow rules, but not even sure what the rules are.

Hi po! I'm currently an undergrad student from UPLB taking BS Agricultural and Applied Economics. I want to take the boards for Agriculturist, but I wonder if it's okay since our curriculum prescribes only 7/9 of the required units to qualify for the exams. I will still be taking the remaining two as additional units (non-credited), but will this suffice? Please let me know po if this still qualifies because I consulted my adviser and maybe someone did this before since they allowed me naman, just asked for a formal letter 🙏
Source: https://www.prc.gov.ph/list-of- requirements#:~:text=Graduate%20of%20Bachelor%2Oof%20Science,protection%20subjects%2C%20tw0%20animal%20science

Hi Everyone,
I asked a professor to write an LOR for my medical school application, and she finally got back to me. She was happy to do it. However, she asked that I draft the letter and that she will edit it, add additional info, and submit it for me. After some research, I found that this is not uncommon at all. However, I have no idea how to write a letter and am worried I will put myself at a disadvantage. I tried to create sample drafts using chat GPT, but it was so generic and robotic. This professor knows me decently well, so I am not sure how to proceed.
Thanks in advance!

I was diagnosed with autism when I was 31 in 2021. Throughout my life, since I was a teen, I have always struggled to keep a job, whether it was because the workplace closed down or because it was only a college job and it was temporary, but most of the time, it was due to burnout and stress. Two years I left a job that was so overwhelming and overstimulating that it led to a meltdown. It took me almost a year to find another job. I have a part-time job now where I work from home and occasionally take on photo or video gigs as part of the job. But the gigs don’t happen often, so my income is very limited and not very much. I only make $180 a week. I like this job most days because I get to work from home and also because it’s repetitive. But I wish the pay was better.
So this year, because of my issues with work and always struggling financially, I decided to apply for SSI and also to help my parents with the rent because the expenses increased a lot. I really thought I would get the SSI, but I just received a rejection letter stating I don’t qualify for SSI because I’m not considered severely disabled and also because I’m able to work. I try not to put limitations on myself, but there are days when I struggle with my work tasks. I get overwhelmed when I have too many tasks I need to do and because I only work 4 hours a day for 3 days a week. I get overwhelmed because when I have a lot to do, I stress over what I should work on first. Then, my boss will let me know what I should prioritize first, but then I will get far behind with the other tasks I have to do. Basically, my work involves creating and scheduling social media posts for companies. And other times it’s editing videos or photos for content creators. So my boss finds the clients and I work for them. But sometimes it gets too much because the clients will contact me that they need something done, but my boss wants me to focus on one thing, and I end up forgetting about what the client wanted. Sorry if I’m not getting to the point of this post. So basically, work can be stressful sometimes. I also have Hashimoto’s and anemia, and my anxiety and racing thoughts often lead me to have trouble sleeping. So there are days when I’m trying to work, but I can’t concentrate, whether because I’m too tired or distracted. Or because I’m so burnt out or stressed that I can’t seem to work on my tasks. So, it causes me to be far behind in my work. When these things happen, I tend to work on the tasks on my days off just to catch up.
Sometimes, I wonder if I’m just being lazy or making excuses for my struggles with work or for wanting SSI. Because I can cook for myself and walk and talk. I just struggle with some things. Which makes me hesitant to reapply again to SSI. When I did the interview they said I would only be getting $400 because of how much I make for work. It’s not a lot, but I guess it would be enough for me to help my parents pay rent. I just feel like I could be doing more. But I don’t know if I am limiting myself or just being lazy. I just wish being an adult wasn’t so overwhelming and hard. I wish things weren’t so complicated or even expensive. I don't know what to do with my life anymore. I just feel useless sometimes. Sorry for this post being so long and not straight to the point. I hope it made some sense.

The world beckons with its rich tapestry of cultures, vibrant landscapes, and exciting opportunities. But before you embark on your international adventure, navigating the world of visas can feel like stepping into a labyrinth. At Adric Immigration Consultants, your trusted partner in Bangalore, we understand the complexities of visa applications. This comprehensive guide aims to shed light on the different types of visas available, helping you choose the right path for your aspirations.
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Visas act as official permissions granted by a country to enter and stay within its borders for a specific purpose and duration. Broadly, visas fall into two main categories:
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Designed for temporary stays, non-immigrant visas cater to diverse needs, including:

• Tourism (B-1/B-2): Ideal for sightseeing, visiting family and friends, or attending short-term events like conferences.
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For those seeking to establish permanent residence in a new country, immigrant visas pave the way. These typically involve a lengthier application process with stricter eligibility requirements. Common types include:

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• Work Visa (H-1B, TN, etc.):
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• Family-Based Immigrant Visa:
  
  • Duration: Leads to permanent residency status.
  • Eligibility: U.S. citizens or permanent residents can sponsor immediate family members (spouse, unmarried children under 21). The process can be lengthy, and wait times can vary depending on the relationship and visa category.
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  • Duration: Leads to permanent residency status if selected and the application process is completed successfully.
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Visa processing times and fees can vary significantly depending on the visa type, country of application, and individual circumstances. It’s crucial to factor in these costs and potential delays when planning your international move.
Visa reciprocity plays a role in certain work visa categories (e.g., TN visa between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico). Understanding the reciprocity agreements between your home and destination countries can help determine your eligibility for specific work visas.
Dual citizenship allows individuals to hold citizenship in two countries simultaneously. Eligibility for dual citizenship varies by country. Researching the policies of both your home and target country is essential if this path aligns with your goals.
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Link to the original
It was dairy!! I cut dairy out of my diet last Wednesday. We went to our pediatrician and she checked a stool sample but didn’t find any blood. Still, we decided to give it a try. She gave us a case of premade nutramegan hypoallergenic formula and told me to wait a week before breastfeeding.
My daughter liked the formula for 2 days but on the third day she rejected it. I did join a FB group led by a qualified pediatric nutritionist who provided research showing that dairy protein actually leaves breastmilk by 24 hours, NOT several weeks like some people say. So i went back to breast feeding and she did so well!
Guys when i say it’s like i have a completely different baby i mean it. She’s happy now! She doesn’t scream all night and fuss all day - she does cry and fuss sometimes but it’s for an easily solvable reason. Also, her diaper rash cleared up within 48 hours of removing dairy.
She fell asleep at 10:45 last night and slept for 6 hours! We’re still working on an early bedtime but this is WAY better than 4am.
Im so relieved and so grateful to everyone for their advice and support. Sincerely, thank you everyone.
On a side note, here’s a little PSA: I learned that wine can have dairy proteins in it due to using casein during the refinement process. In the last week, we only had one bad night, and it was the night i had a glass of red wine.

Introduction

In this post, we'll be discussing something called "Virtue Ethics." This is a normative theory of ethics that's most associated with Aristotle, though has in recent times experienced a resurgence of sorts from modern philosophers, some of whom have tweaked and modified it, and in doing so have created different branches on this tree of moral theory. We will be comparing these different flavors of Virtue Ethics to that of the New Testament's, pointing out where they're similar, as well as highlighting where the NT differs (and is actually superior) from the heathens' views.
I want to preface all this with a verse and a warning:

"Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ."-Colossians 2:8

The entire Bible, over and over again, warns against syncretism. It's a running theme throughout to condemn the practice, with this verse being one of the more explicit ones to do so.
Mapping the ideas of Pagans (and especially Greek philosophers) onto the Scriptures has always resulted in people severely misinterpreting the Bible, as looking at the Word of God through a Hellenistic lens is and always has been extremely innapropiate to the author's original intent.
Whenever Greek philosophy or ideas are referenced, they're always portrayed in a bad light or otherwise used to make a point. Examples of the latter could be found in the apostle Paul's writings, as he was a fully educated Roman citizen of his day, and so he made use of known Hellenestic philosophy and literature (that he would have been familiar with) by redefining their terms and ideas in a way that would be consistent with the theology of his own religion. The apostle Peter did the same within his own epistles whenever he mentioned "Tartarus," the abyss/prison for certain disobedient angels that rebelled against God, despite the fact that the word has its roots in Greek mythology and not Hebrew religion (though, the belief that there were a group of spiritual beings that rebelled against the highest authority in the heavens was one technically shared between the two ancient cultures; even if the parties involved were vastly different, as well as the contexts of the rebellion itself).
The affect Hellenstic philosophy has had on the way people think (even subconsciously) can still be felt to this day, and can be seen in the confusion modern "Christianity" has brought on through its adoption of Gnostic teachings such as Dualism or the inherently fatalistic views that many unknowingly hold due to the error of Classical Theism.
While yes, I will be commending the heathen (unbeliever) whenever they are right with their ideas as pertaining to this subject, I will also show where they are wrong.
Let's begin.

"What Is Virtue Ethics?"

First, we need to define some terms and point out the differences between this view and others within the larger debate of normative ethics.
There are three major approaches in normative ethics, those being: Consequentalism, Deontology, and Virtue Ethics. The following are definitions of the terms:
Consequentialism – a class of normative, teleological ethical theories that holds that the consequences of one's conduct are the ultimate basis for judgement about the rightness or wrongness of that conduct.
Deontology – theories where an action is considered morally good because of some characteristic of the action itself, not because the product of the action is good. Deontological ethics holds that at least some acts are morally obligatory regardless of their consequences for human welfare.
Virtue Ethics – theories that emphasize the role of character and virtue in moral philosophy rather than either doing one’s duty or acting in order to bring about good consequences. The virtue ethicist would argue that actions themselves, while important, aren't as important as the character behind them. To the virtue ethicist, consequences are also important, but they would say that good consequences ultimately flow from a virtuous character who has made virtuous decisions. Theories of virtue ethics do not aim primarily to identify universal principles that can be applied in any moral situation, instead teaching that the best decisions can vary based on context, and that there are only some actions that would be universally evil, only because those actions could never flow from a virtuous character in the first place (e.g., rape).
Aristotle's idea of ethics is in an important respect different from most people's, especially today. Heirs as we are to Kant’s idea of duty – there is a right thing that one ought to do, as rational beings who respect other persons – and to Mill’s idea of utility – the right thing to do is that which produces the greatest good for the greatest number – most of us see ethics as concerned with actions. "The function of ethics is to help me see what I ought to do in a given situation," the modern says. Aristotle’s approach was different. His ethic is not so much concerned about helping us to see what we ought to do, as about what sort of person we ought to be.
Aristotle was concerned with character, and with the things that go to make up good and bad character; virtues and vices. His sort of ethic does not look at our action to see if it fulfils our duty, or produces a certain outcome, such as the greatest good of the greatest number, and therefore merits approval. Instead, it looks at us; at the character behind the actions, to see whether we merit approval.
Comparing Virtue Ethics with philosophies such as Deontology and Consequentialism, we are able to divide ethical theories into two kinds; act-centered theories and agent-centered theories. Kant’s (Deontological) and Mill’s (Utilitarian) approaches are act-centered, because they concern themselves with our actions, whilst Aristotle’s is agent-centered because it concerns itself with the character of a person, which in his view was ourselves and our own dispositions that prompt our actions.
Both approaches have ardent present-day advocates, and so both are alive and well. Virtue Ethicists are dissatisfied with the answers ‘modern’ act-centered philosophy offers, and look for a more flexible, person-centered approach that takes more account of the subtle varieties of human motivation. Those in this camp see ethics as being about people – moral agents – rather than merely about actions. Of course, your actions matter. But, for Aristotle and his present day advocates alike, they matter as expressions of the kind of person you are. They indicate such qualities as kindness, fairness, compassion, and so on, and it is these qualities and their corresponding vices that it is the business of ethics to approve or disapprove.
All this seems simple and uncontroversial; there are two ways of looking at an action to evaluate it morally. You can take the action in isolation and judge it, or take the agent and judge him or her.
Virtue ethicists argue that act-centered ethics are narrow and bloodless. What is needed is a richer moral vocabulary than just ‘right and wrong’. There are subtle but important differences between actions that are good because they are kind and those that are good because they are generous, and those that are good because they are just. Likewise, there are subtle but important differences between actions that are bad because they are selfish and those that are bad because they are cruel and those that are bad because they are unfair. These, and many other, distinctions are lost when we talk simply about doing one’s duty, or promoting utility. Questions of motive and of character are lost, in these asceptic terms. Modern moral philosophy won’t do: it is cold, technical and insensitive to the many kinds and degrees of value expressed in human actions. Ethics is more than just thought experiments and hypotheticals about what would be the right course of action to take in any given situation we might conjure up from the comfort of our armchair. Ethics is about doing, and about context and character.

The Different Kinds of "Virtue Ethics"

Virtue Ethics has has been developed in two main directions: Eudaimonism, and agent-based theories.
Eudaimonism (Aristotle's view) bases virtues in human flourishing, where flourishing is equated with performing one’s distinctive function well. In the case of humans, Aristotle argued that our distinctive function is reasoning, and so the life “worth living” is one which we reason well. He also believed that only free men in the upper classes of society (i.e., the aristocrats) could excel in virtue and eschew vice, being that such men had greater access to the means in accomplishing this task as they had the wealth and resources to better perform their distinctive function of 'reasoning,' and thus "live well." For the Eudaimonian, inner dispositions are what one ought to focus on in order to cultivate virtuous traits, and thus a virtuous character.
In contrast, an agent-based theory emphasizes that virtues are determined by common-sense intuitions that we as observers judge to be admirable traits in other people. There are a variety of human traits that we find admirable, such as benevolence, kindness, compassion, etc., and we can identify these by looking at the people we admire, our moral exemplars. Agent-based theories also state that the motivations and intentions behind an action are ultimately what determine whether or not said action is actually virtuous. Whereas Eudaimonism understands the moral life in terms of inner dispositions or proclivities to act in certain ways (whether righteous or wicked, just or unjust, kind or cruel, etc.), agent-based theories are more radical in that their evaluation of actions is dependent on ethical judgments about the inner life of the agents who perform those actions, that is, what the motivations and intents are of a person.
[Note: While both Eudaimonism and agent-based theories are both agent-centered, Eudaimonism is not to be confused with an agent-based theory. Both branches concern themselves more with agents rather than acts themselves, but Eudamonism focuses on the self to improve whereas the agent-based theory focuses on others to improve.]

Common Critcisims Toward Secular Forms of Virtue Ethics

Firstly, Eudaimonism provides a self-centered conception of ethics because "human flourishing" (here defined as simply fulfilling our base function as humans, which is "reason" according to this view) is seen as an end in itself and does not sufficiently consider the extent to which our actions affect other people. Morality requires us to consider others for their own sake and not because they may benefit us. There seems to be something wrong with aiming to behave compassionately, kindly, and honestly merely because this will make oneself happier or "reason well."
Secondly, both Eudaimonism and agent-based theories also don't provide guidance on how we should act, as there are no clear principles for guiding action other than “act as a virtuous person would act given the situation.” Who is a virtuous person? Who is the first or universal exemplar?
Lastly, the ability to cultivate the right virtues will be affected by a number of different factors beyond a person’s control due to education, society, friends and family. If moral character is so reliant on luck, what role does this leave for appropriate praise and blame of the person? For the Eudaimonian, one ought to be born into a status of privilege if they wish to excel in being virtuous. For the proponent of an agent-based theory, one ought to be born into a society or family with good role models and preferably be raised by such, else they have no moral exemplars to emulate.

The New Testament's Virtue Ethic

The New Testament authors didn’t sit down and do a self-consciously philosophical exercise, for this was not what they were concerned with. They were concerned with giving practical instruction to disciples of the faith, and merely trying to express the ethical implications of their spiritual experience. That being said, we know the apostle Paul was familiar with the writings of Aristotle. We can actually identify places where Paul displays knowledge of Aristotle and incorporates some of the philosopher's ideas into his own epistles. Before we do this, however, it's important we refute common misnomers about what the Bible teaches concerning ethics in general.
You probably have heard many attack the ethics of the New Testament as being primitive and simplistic. "God dictates universal commands to follow: 'do not lie,' do 'not divorce,' 'do not insult.' And the only motivating factor is escaping hellfire and obtaining the reward of eternal pleasure." But in reality, this is a gross misrepresentation of the ethics laid out in the NT. I will argue the NT advocates for a form of virtue ethics, instead of claiming the NT contains a form of deontic ethics, as it is so often assumed.
Elizabeth Anscombe was one of the most influential virtue ethicists of the 20th century. Her work helped to revive virtue ethics in the modern era, however she also criticized the ethics of the Bible for promoting a form of ethics different than what Aristotle promoted:
"...between aristotle and us came Christianity, with its law conception of ethics. For Christianity derived its ethical notions from the Torah. (One might be inclined to think that a law conception of ethics could arise only among people who accepted an allegedly divine positive law..." (Modern Moral Philosophy, vol. 33, no. 124, 1-19)
We've already dealt with the issue of the Torah in another post. The Torah is not laying down moral laws, but describing justice in the form of ancient Near Eastern wisdom literature. But does the New Testament teach a deontic form of ethics? Anscombe might appear justified in her claim, as some "Christian" theologians have explicitly taught the ethics of the NT is deontic.
However, other theologians have argued the ethics of the NT is best characterized as a form of virtue ethics. In a study of the NT, we'll support this notion. As noted earlier, one of the central features of this approach to ethics is that the aim of ethics should be on living a virtuous life. Other forms of ethics focus on directing actions when confronted with a moral dilemma, but for virtue ethics every action is a moral or immoral action because all of our actions contribute or do not contribute to living a virtuous life. In other words, for a virtue ethicist, everything we do will contribute to living a fulfilled life. Now, the NT promotes a similar idea with a slight modification. The NT changes the distinctictive function and purpose for man in Eudaimonism from "reasoning" to loving God and others instead, and thus "living well" is changed from self-centered 'flourshing' (as defined by Aristotle) to glorifying God instead. The apostles taught everything we do contributes to living a life that glorifies God:

"Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God."-1 Corinthians 10:31
"And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him."-Colossians 3:17

So we see the same idea in Paul, that everything we do can be seen as a moral or immoral action. Everything we do should be seen as contributing to living a life that glorifies god or not. As a believer, the aim is not just doing good actions to avoid punishments, but to see everything we do as glorifying God. On secular virtue ethics, all our actions are either advancing a good life or not: nourishing your body contributes to living a good life. In a Biblical context: taking the time to properly dress contributes to living a good life, and not giving into the sin of sloth. So all our actions can be moral actions in this context, and so likewise for Paul and Jesus, all we do can contribute to living a life that glorifies God.
Since God made our bodies to thrive and enjoy life, we should nourish our bodies so we can thrive as God intended for our bodies to do, thus ultimately glorifying Him. Since we were created to experience and feel enjoyment, laughing and enjoying things throughout life glorifies God as well since we're experiencing emotions that God created to be experienced. Everything we do should be to glorify God, and often all that is is living our lives in the way that they were intended to be lived. Biblical ethics is very much more than merely performing right actions, but living a virtuous life that brings glory to God.
As Jesus said:

"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind."-Matthew 22:37b

It is also important to focus on what it means to love, which is an important aspect of what it means to be a believer. Paul makes the radical claim that to love is the entirety of the law of God:

"For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."-Galatians 5:14

Jesus also taught that to love God and love others were the two greatest commandments (Mark 12:28-31, Matt. 22:34-40). He also extends the commandment to love beyond one's brethren, and to love our enemies (Matt. 5:44). Loving those around us is central to what it means to be a believer (John 13:34; 15:12-17, Rom. 12:10; 13:8, 1 Cor. 13:1-8; 16:14, 2 Cor. 8:8, Eph. 4:2; 5:2, Phili. 1:9, Heb. 10:24, Jam. 2:8, 1 Pet. 1:22, 1 John 2:10; 3:23).
One might suggest this is no different than the Golden Rule: "Do unto others as you would have them do to you," or a Kantian rule: "I ought never to act except in such a way that I could also will that my maxim should become a universal law." In other words, "to live well is to perform good deeds or actions and nothing more." But an important point about loving someone is it cannot be done through actions alone. For example, one could buy a gift for their spouse to cheer them up. However, one could perform this action merely because they value performing right actions without any love for the person. One could donate to charity because it is the right thing to do, and not because she cares for the people who would benefit. In such scenarios, they can be seen as idolizing moral laws, not necessarily caring about helping others.
But to love someone requires more than merely performing right actions. You cannot love someone and not care about who they are as a person and where they are heading in life. To love is to will the good of the other. Jesus chastised the Pharisees of his day for only performing right actions, but not loving their brethren in their hearts. His criticism follows Matthew chapter 22, where Jesus says the greatest commandments are to love. The implication is the Pharisees perform proper actions, but have the wrong motivations for doing so. James Keenan puts it like this:
"Essential to understanding this command is that we love our neighbors not as objects of our devotion, but rather as subjects; that is, as persons. Thus, we cannot love others only because God wants us to do so, since then we would love them as means or as objects and not as persons. We can only love one another as subjects, just as God loves us." (Jesus and Virtue Ethics: Building Bridges Between New Testament Studies and Moral Theology, pg. 86)
A critic may bring up that verses of the NT are still phrased as commands, and therefore the structure implies duties were the central aspect of Christian ethics. But the importance of duties is not foreign to Virtue Ethics. Instead of being central to the ethical framework, duties flow from a virtuous character. Virtues are active and have certain demands for which a person must fulfill in their active behavior.
According to Aristotle, knowledge of the virtues gives us practical wisdom in how to properly act. Duties flow from the understanding of the demands of virtues. To put it another way, for virtues to manifest in persons, they have certain demands that must be fulfilled. For the believer, the command of love flows from being virtuous and aligning oneself with the character of God. Commitment to the character of Christ, who perfectly carried out the will of the Father, allows us to perform right and proper actions.
The NT also contains lists of virtues the believer ought to emulate, the most famous of these is in Galatians chapter 5:
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law." (vss. 22-23)
Now, the connection with Aristotle cannot be more pronounced. The Greek phrase "against such there is no law" is almost identical to what we find in Aristotle's politics (3.13.1284a). It seems clear Paul is teaching a similar ethical framework to what Aristotle advocated for. Paul is teaching that the believing community ought to be persons who display key virtues, and that their conduct would not need to be regulated by a law. Instead, their character should be the standard others can measure themselves by. Romans chapter 2 is also a place we see references to Aristotle, where Paul notes that when Gentiles do what the law requires, they are "a law unto themselves" (vss. 14-15). In other words, they do not need to be told to act a certain way. They have the proper virtuous character that directs their actions, to do the good the law requires. Paul is advocating in Galatians that believers should think in a similar way.
So in Galatians 5, we have affinity with the teachings of Aristotle, and in other lists of virtues throughout the NT we see a similar idea, which is that Christians were meant to display virtues primarily (Rom. 5:3-5, 1 Cor. 13:1-8, Col. 3:12-17, 1 Tim. 3:2-3; 4:7-8, Jam. 3:17-18, 2 Pet. 1:5-8). From that, good deeds will properly manifest in our actions.
Anscombe made a great point on what the focus of ethics should be:
"It would be a great improvement if, instead of 'morally wrong', one always named a genus such as 'untruthful', 'unchaste', 'unjust'. We should no longer ask whether doing something was 'wrong', passing directly from some description of an action to this notion; we should ask whether, e.g., it was unjust; and the answer would sometimes be clear at once." (Modern Moral Philosophy, vol. 33, no. 124, 1-19)
Interestingly enough, Paul lays out a similar idea in explaining Christian ethics:

"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you."-Philippians 4:8-9

In other words, the central aspect on living a Christian life was on what is virtuous, not on what is lawfully right or wrong. Right actions flow from whatever is honorable, true, and pure. Correlating with this is how Paul responds to the Corinthians who claimed that "all was lawful." Paul reminded them the emphasis is not on what is lawful, but on what is good for building a virtuous character:

"All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not."-1 Corinthians 10:23

One's main focus ought to be on what is good, not on laws that dictate behavior.
One of the key aspects of Virtue Ethics is the idea we ought to learn from virtuous teachers and imitate them. A virtuous character is obtained by imitating what a virtuous person does. This parallels a key aspect of Christian ethics. Imitating Christ was (and still is) crucial to living a virtuous life:

"For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:"-1 Peter 2:21

Paul says in Romans 8:29 that Christians were predestined "to be conformed to the image of his Son." Jesus often taught his followers to do as he does (Matt. 16:24, Mark 8:34, Luke 6:40; 9:23, John 13:15, 34). Paul says in 1st Corinthians 11: Be ye followers [i.e., imitators] of me, even as I also am of Christ" (vs. 1). Hebrews 13:7 says to imitate the faith of the patriarchs. 1st Thessalonians 2:14 says to imitate each other. And jesus taught to imitate the good Samaritan from his parable (Luke 10:37). Imitating virtuous teachers was key for Christian ethics.
Aristotle tended to compare acquiring virtues with that of learning a practical skill, like playing an instrument or learning how to become a builder. Such practical skills are best picked up when trained by a master of that particular skill, because a teacher can always provide more insight through lessons they learn from experience. For example, an expert salesman can provide examples from his experience of what works with specific customers that a sales textbook could never provide. Many professions today require on-the-job training or experience before even hiring an applicant. The reason is: experience is key to learning a profession. Merely acquiring knowledge from a textbook or an instruction manual is often insufficient to master a skill, so why would mastering the skill of virtue be any different?
In the NT, a believer is to see the world through the eyes of Christ and to love as he loved. One cannot learn how to be a virtuous person without knowing what that life would look like. A key component of Christian theology is that the Messiah perfectly represented the Father and His will on earth, to show us how to properly live as God intended for man. This central tenet of the NT aligns well with agent-based theories of Virtue Ethics, and modifies it so that the person of Jesus Christ is the universal exemplar that one is meant to emulate. We are called to imitate him through our actions, thoughts, and desires, and to conform ourselves to the way he lived. As Paul said:

"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."-Galatians 2:20

If learning from Christ is key, we should briefly take a look at the Sermon on the Mount, which is said to be one of Jesus' most important series of teachings. Daniel Harrington notes:
"The sermon begins with nine 'beatitudes' (see 5:3–12) in which Jesus declares as 'happy' or 'blessed' those who practice certain virtues, and promises them an eternal reward and the fullness of God's kingdom." (Jesus and Virtue Ethics: Building Bridges Between New Testament Studies and Moral Theology, pg. 62)
Jesus laid out what a life for those that follow him look like in detail. One ought to be merciful, pure in heart, a peacemaker, thirst for righteousness, etcetera (Matt. 5:2-10). The Sermon does not merely include what right actions are, but includes sections on proper desires. Not only is it wrong to murder, but it is wrong to desire to murder or wish ill on someone (Matt. 5:22). Avoiding adultery is good, but one also should not covet after another man's woman in their heart (Matt. 5:28). In other words, merely avoiding immoral actions is not enough. One must also not desire vices. A believer is called to desire what is good.
The Sermon is not necessarily laying down universal moral commands. For example, Matthew 5:9 says, "Blessed are the peacemakers," but this doesn't imply absolute Pacifism, as it would contradict passages in the Old Testament where it explicitly says there is a time for war (Ecc. 3:8). The point of the Sermon is to teach what a virtuous life ought to look like. A follower of Christ ought to use reason to know what is proper to do in various circumstances. For example, in Matthew chapter 6, Jesus offers guidance on how one ought to pray by presenting the Lord's prayer (vss. 9-15). This is a model of how to pray. It's not a command for followers to always pray in this exact way.
In reality, the Sermon on the Mount mixes in exhortations, parables, hyperbole, declarations, commands, etc. It is best understood as displaying what a virtuous life ought to look like. It's not a law code. Building on this, it's important to understand a proper action is context sensitive. Under Virtue Ethics, one should not necessarily apply a universal maxim to every situation. Sometimes the proper action will depend on what is at stake, who is involved, what is the background, etc. Aristotle advocated against the idea there were fixed universal laws that dictate actions, and instead he argued the right action would depend on the circumstances one finds themselves in. Although the ethics of the NT may be a bit more strict, it still places an emphasis on being sensitive to the context of situations.
In 1st Corinthians chapter 8, Paul lays out instructions on how to deal with meat that has been sacrificed to Pagan idols. Instead of stating an absolute prohibition against meat sacrificed to idols, Paul instructed Christians to use reason to come to the proper ethical decision based on context. In other words, the right action is not determined only by a law. Instead, the Christian had to make the proper decision based on the context: if eating caused another to stumble, then you ought to abstain; if not, then there's no harm done. The value of the action depends on the context.
A Deontologist might reply that there's still a universal law given here: that one should always abstain if it's going to cause another to stumble. This objection can be addressed by asking: how are we to know if eating the meat will cause another believer to stumble? To answer such a question, one must be sensitive to the context, which in this case would be knowledge of the fellow believer and your relation to him. It is the context that determines the right action, not a universal law. Moreover, Paul states that the primary goal for the believer should be to love (1 Cor. 13). The first consideration is once again not the rightness of action, but having love for one another. From this, knowledge of the proper action will follow.
Paul often explains that living a proper life as a believer will take work and practice. He reminded Timothy to attend readings, practice what these things mean, and keep a close watch on himself (1 Tim. 4:13-14). Elsewhere, he directs that all believers must work on their faith (Phili. 2:12). Beyond this, he also noted that not all Christians would have the same gifts, and to accept that this was normal (1 Cor. 12). For some, certain things may be a hindrance, whereas for others it is acceptable (Rom. 14:2-4). What matters is that we love and build one another up (1 Thess. 5:11). Right actions flow from love and knowledge of virtue. Rules are not the primary motives that dictate our actions; rules are secondary in this regard.
An interesting case can be studied with regards to divorce in the Gospels. Jesus preaches against divorce (Mark 10:7-9) and it is often interpreted to mean "divorce is always wrong, regardless of circumstances." However, it should be noted the prohibition on divorce is not a universal law. The context can affect whether or not a divorce is permissible. Jesus says that one can divorce over sexual immorality. Paul also has a situation where divorce is permissible, namely if one spouse is an unbeliever and wishes to leave (1 Cor. 7:15). The implication one can derive is divorce is not ideal, but there are circumstances where it may be the proper action to take. Given the other features of Christian Virtue Ethics we already covered, the proper action to take will depend on the circumstances and what the virtuous agent thinks is the most loving thing to do. A universal prohibition on divorce is not a Christian ethic. Instead, one ought to discern the proper action from circumstances. However, it's clear in most cases divorce would not be the virtuous thing to do.
Building on this, it's important to note that within NT ethics, certain acts are always wrong. For example, idolatry and sexual immorality are always wrong (1 Cor. 10:14, Col. 3:15, 1 Pet. 4:13). There are no possible scenarios where it would be okay to rape, because such an act would never flow from a virtuous character. But this concept is not foreign to theories of Virtue Ethics. Aristotle noted that for some actions, no qualifications could make them virtuous. Actions such as rape or murder are always wrong, because they would never flow from a virtuous character. So it's not as if a Virtue Ethicist cannot claim that some actions are always wrong. They simply are qualified as being unable to flow from virtue, whereas actions like lying or waging war could be considered virtuous for the right reason.
Now, despite Christian Virtue Ethics having many similarities with Eudaimonism (Aristotelian ethics), there are also numerous differences beyond what we've already noted. One of the deficiencies of how Aristotle lays out his ethical theory is that it is essentially an all-boys club. Aristotle writes mainly to aristocratic men, excluding women and slaves. In his view, women were inferior to men and slaves lacked the necessary rational faculty. But the Christians rejected this mentality, as the teachings of Christ and the apostles were available to all (Matt. 28:19). Paul said, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus" (Gal. 3:28). Peter wrote that all Christians were part of the priesthood of Christ (1 Pet. 2:5). Jesus had women followers (Luke 8:2-3), and they were entrusted with delivering revelation (Mark 15:40–16:8). What we find throughout the NT is a radical change to how women were viewed in the ancient world. Paul is also likely building on Aristotle's household structure and refining it. David deSilva says the household codes of the NT are "...following the pairs laid out as early as Aristotle to such a degree as to suggest that these were standard topics in ethical instruction" (Honor, Patronage, Kinship & Purity, pg. 231). But Paul adds an important preface: submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ (Eph. 5:20-21). DeSilva says:
"...husbands, we cannot then ignore the distinctively Christian addition they bring to this arrangement; husbands are to be subject to their wives as well." (Honor, Patronage, Kinship & Purity, pg. 233)
Thus Paul doesn't break down the traditional perspective on the structure of the family, but he does add the idea that we all must submit to each other in reverence, love, unity, and cooperation because all are equal before God. There is no explicit mention in the NT calling for the abolishment of slavery, but it should be noted that Paul taught that slaves should be seen as equals. In the letter to Philemon, Paul is clear that his slave is no longer "as a servant, but above a servant, a brother beloved" (vs. 16). Thus, within Christian ethics class distinctions were supposed to evaporate. All were brothers and sisters of one family.
An important aspect of Christian ethics is that it wasn't a standalone ethical theory. It's embedded in the larger Christian worldview. The ethical framework is dependent on Christian doctrines. For Aristotle, his ethical theory is for men who were raised well. This is why these specific men desire to be virtuous and perform right actions. As for why the believer does good and desires to be virtuous, it's not because one was raised well, but because they have been activated by the power of God's Spirit (John 3:6, 1 Cor. 12:13). For believers, the reason as to why we desire to be good and virtuous is because the Spirit of God has regenerated us. He loves us so we can love others (1 John 4:19). One is meant to look to the life of Christ and what he has done by dying on the cross, to know that we are loved and forgiven. This in turn is meant to activate a good life, having seen what we have gained and been forgiven of. He calls and activates us to do similar to those around us. This is a more open system for people of all groups and classes. One only has to call upon the name of the Lord to be included. It does not require a specific gender or to be raised a certain way.
The goal of Aristotelian ethics is to achieve 'eudaimonia.' However, within the Bible the goal is as the Westminster Shorter Catechism puts it: "Man's chief end is to glorify God, and enjoy Him forever." Since the central aspect of Biblical Eschatology is that humans will continue on forever in resurrected bodies, the aim of ethics is more than living a good life presently. Living a good life now is important, but it was only one aspect in the Christian worldview. Humans are meant to live beyond this life, so the aim is also about building virtuous souls that will continue on. The importance of this is more crucial than it may seem at first. Paul said that we must all appear before judgment, so that "every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad" (2 Cor. 15:10).
Being a virtuous person requires integrity, because one will still have to answer to God after death. If one can commit an evil act and no one finds out, then from the outside perspective he or she may still appear virtuous. Culturally speaking, the ancient world was very different from our own. All wrongdoings centered around public honor and shame. One did good to receive public honor, and one did not do what was bad to receive public shame. Right and wrong were connected to one's public honor and shame in the ancient Greco-Roman world. Thus good and evil were public ideas, not personal ideas. Ethical demands were grounded in the community in one's public appearance
The Biblical idea of an omniscient God who cared about our ethical status laid a foundation for integrity and personal guilt to emerge. Now one ought to do good because he is beholden to God, not just the community. Believers are to remain focused on God's approval and on the actions that lead them, regardless of the world's response. This lays down fertile ground for integrity to emerge. So the Biblical worldview has another important element built in that encourages ethical behavior, regardless of the honor it brings. One ought to do good because of a commitment to God not, because it might bring honor to one's name publicly.

Implications for Preterists

Paul believed that the Second Coming would happen in his generation, and prescribed certain things in the NT on the basis of that belief. An example of an exhortation that would no longer apppy to us today would be 1st Corinthians 7:24-29, where Paul argues that the times him and his fellow Christians were in called for celibacy, being that the Lord was fast approaching. It wasn't a sin if you did get married, of course; it was just harder to serve the Lord in this context if you had a family to worry about. Thus, Paul encouraged being single.
So, we need to be careful when reading the NT and determining what prohibitions or exhortations are still applicable to us today. Context is key.

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

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

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

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

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

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

He described the welfare policy:

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

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

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

Hi all, currently experiencing a bit of trouble regarding employment in VIC. I've asked around for some assistance and currently running into a dead end and looking for some guidance on what to do next. For the sake of anonymity, I've left the names of all parties involved vague.
So I (34 m) was referred by my partner (32 f) to the company she is currently working for at the tail end of Feb. The role is an entry-level position and is right up my alley in terms of work background. I was invited for an interview and received positive feedback. However, I was informed a few days later that my inability to commence immediately (I needed 2 weeks notice for the company I worked for at the time) resulted in the role being filled by another candidate. Unfortunate but understandable and was informed that they'll keep me in mind should there be another position available in the future. Was bummed out for a little bit but that's just how life is sometimes.
A few weeks later, in March, one of the managers contacts my partner after work hours asking if I was still interested in working for the company for a similar role. Of course, I accepted immediately and waited for their HR team to contact me with the official offer via email. Late March, I received an email from the company stating that the initial role I applied for in March has opened up once again. Ecstatic, I emailed them back accepting the role. They then mentioned that they will begin the onboarding process and that I should provide my references to which I promptly did.
Its important to mention that I firmly believed that I was going to be hired at this point since they specifically mentioned the role in the email and that they will begin the onboarding process. Learning from the previous experience with the hiring procedures, I turned in my resignation letter to the company I was working for. Luckily, my manager at the time allowed just one week of resignation period since they were happy I was moving into the industry I wanted to be in. My last day at that company was the last day of March so it all kind of worked out.
April comes around and I advised my new employer that I am able to start as early as the first week and they replied saying that they will proceed with the onboarding process and send the necessary paperwork to be filled in (referral forms, contracts etc.). A week goes by, they let me know that there was an internal delay but eventually they inform me that the referral forms have been sent. A few days later they receive all the forms they needed and confirmed it with me. I eagerly await for the employment contract to be sent to me as I assumed that was the next step.
This brings us to mid-April. The HR manager mentions that there have been some changes internally and they will contact me via phone. They call me, apologizing letting me know that the company is unable to continue with my application due to a change of requirements. The initial role has switched to a more demanding one which I am not qualified for. They informed me the very last minute, leaving me with the feeling of being misled, my time wasted, and unemployed. Not to mention the distress I've experienced.
I've taken the following weeks to reach out to Fair Work, Job Watch and Consumer Vic. I was advised to file a formal complaint to the company using the complaint template on the Consumer Vic site as they said that they have violated section 31 of the Australian Consumer Law.
I have drafted the complaint but I am not sure what to do next. Do I contact a lawyer before doing this? Does my partner need to move companies? Do I reach out to the company and have a formal discussion? I am currently at a loss. Can anyone offer any advice regarding my situation?
Tl;dr: company rescinded job offer after leading me on for weeks leaving me unemployed and stressed

First time taker here and was finishing up my 3L year. Just graduated May ‘24 and was an out of state test taker for Texas. Studied for 5 weeks and passed the Texas Bar and did about 200 hours on BarBri. For me, the issue with the Bar was learning and remembering the law and so I focused on the barbri lectures and MC.
MEE/MPT
I did not write out a single MEE as writing has never been an issue. I’m assuming most people in law school can write well and thus the issue with the essays are issue spotting and knowing the black letter law. This is why I focused on LEARNING the law through the lectures and MC questions instead of wasting hours writing essays. Something I found helpful was looking up the model questions and then reading the selected answers. This gave me an idea of how to structure my essays and see what the examiners liked.
For the MPT, all I did was watch BarMD free video on YouTube and then I read the library portion of a sample MPT to get a feel for issue spotting. One thing I found helpful during the exam was that I would read the cases first and immediately type out the Rules into the test document. I would then just copy and paste the rules when needed which saved me a ton of time as I didn’t have to re-read the case etc. Ultimately, the MPT is all about time management as we all have learned how to issue spot by being in law school.
MBE:
I don’t really know what to say other than just to study. Do a ton of MC to get familiar with the format and also to help get exposed to the more nuanced areas of the law. I did some BarBri MC but what I found helpful were the MC questions from the ncbe themselves. They are fairly cheap and well worth it as they come from the source themselves and are how the questions on the bar are worded. Now, these MC’s by the ncbe are on the easier side but they give you a feel for the formatting of the Q’s. I also just hated Barbri questions which is probably why I liked the ncbe Q’s so much.
Overall, don’t stress about not studying enough/ not completing your course. A lot of the bar prep courses allot a ton of time to writing essays for every subject and for writing MPTs. Personally, I’m a believer that if you know the law then the MEE’s won’t be bad and thus just focus your time on learning the law and practicing the MC Q’s.
Hope this is helpful

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:

Memory Transcription Subject: PFC 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.

Hello,
I have an admit to RWTH Aachen for the upcoming winter semester. In my admit letter, it is mentioned that I need to pass a few additional courses before I register for my master thesis there.
I belong the jurisdiction of Chennai VFS. From their website (https://visa.vfsglobal.com/one-pagegermany/india/chennai/english/#long-term , point 3), they state that I need to hold an unconditional admit in order to apply to the VFS center.
Any idea the admit letter I hold qualifies as unconditional from VFS' point of view? If any one who went through this or have an idea, please do let me know.
my_qualifications : BE in EE

Are you a seasoned business professional seeking to elevate your expertise and make a significant impact in the field? A Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA) program might be the perfect next step for you. This prestigious degree equips you with advanced research skills, in-depth knowledge of business theory, and the ability to solve complex organizational problems.
This comprehensive guide delves into everything you need to know about applying for a DBA program in 2024, including:

• What is a Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA)?
• Is a DBA Right for you?
• DBA vs. PhD in Business Administration: Understanding the differences
• Types of DBA Programs: Full-time, Part-Time, and Online Doctorate in Business Administration Options
• Key Consideration When Choosing a DBA Program
• The DBA Application Process: Step-By-Step Guide
• Tips for Strengthening Your DBA Application
• Resources for DBA Applicants

What is a Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA)?

The highest academic qualification in the discipline of business administration is a Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA), sometimes referred to as a DBA degree. This degree, which is terminal in nature, represents the completion of your official business education. Experienced professionals interested in undertaking unique research that tackles practical business difficulties are the target audience for DBA programs.

Is a DBA Right for You?

Examine your motives and career objectives before choosing to enroll in a DBA program. The following are some signs that you could be a good fit for a DBA:

• You have a great ambition to create a substantial impact in the sector and a great deal of experience in business, usually spanning over five years.
• You have a strong analytical and critical thinking background and a strong enthusiasm for research.
• You hope to hold high managerial positions in companies, consultancies, or academic institutions.
• You possess the discipline and self-motivation necessary to handle the rigorous workload of a PhD program.

DBA vs. Ph.D. in Business Administration: Understanding the Differences

Although a doctorate in business administration can be obtained through both DBA and PhD programs, their main objectives are different:

• The focus of this curriculum is on using research to address real-world business issues. For seasoned individuals looking to improve their research and leadership abilities in a corporate setting, it's perfect.
• PhD: The main goal of this program is to use fundamental research to produce new knowledge. It is intended for people who want to work in academia, where they will theoretically advance the body of knowledge.

Types of DBA Programs: Full-Time, Part-time, Online Options

The needs of working professionals are met by the variety of forms in which DBA programs are offered:

• Full-Time DBA Programs: Three to four years of intense study are usually needed for these programs.
• Part-Time DBA Programs: These programs offer more flexibility but have a 5-7 year completion time.
• Online programs for a doctorate in business administration: These offer working professionals a flexible learning environment that enables distance learning.

Key Considerations When Choosing a DBA Program

Choosing the appropriate DBA program is essential. The following are important considerations:

• Recognition: Verify if the programs have been approved by a respectable business accrediting body.
• Format of Program: Select the scheduling and learning style-friendly format (full-time, part-time, or online).
• Faculty Expertise: Seek schools with well-known instructors who have extensive experience conducting research in your field of interest.
• Financial assistance: Look into the programs' available financial assistance and scholarship opportunities.
• Examine whether the program offers career guidance and help with job placement within the category of career support services.
• Programs with specializations in fields like finance, marketing, or leadership may be of interest to you.

The DBA Application Process: Step-by-Step Guide:

Application to a DBA program needs careful planning. Here's a detailed how-to:

• Examine DBA Courses: Examine the staff, curriculum, and admissions requirements of the programs that fit your requirements.
• Examine the Program's Due Date: Make sure your application documents are sent in well in advance of the deadline.
• Standardized Tests: You may be required to take the GMAT or GRE by certain schools.
• Official Transcripts: Make requests to all of the institutions you attended for official transcripts.
• Curriculum Vitae/Resume: Create a thorough CV that highlights your accomplishments and professional background.
• Write a strong Statement of Purpose (SOP) that explains your motivations for pursuing a DBA as well as your research interests and career aspirations.
• Obtain solid recommendation letters from instructors, supervisors, or fellow professionals who are aware of your ability both professionally and academically.
• Writing Sample: A writing sample may be required by some programs sample to assess your research.

Tips for Strengthening Your DBA Application:

• Showcase Your Professional Achievements and How Your Experience Provides Useful Information for Your DBA Research to Show Off Your Strong Business Acumen.
• Clearly Stated Research Interests: Display your enthusiasm for a particular business administration research topic.
• Customize the Materials for Your Application: Make sure your application materials are tailored to the particular requirements of each program, and emphasize how your objectives complement the program's advantages.

The world beckons with its rich tapestry of cultures, vibrant landscapes, and exciting opportunities. But before you embark on your international adventure, navigating the world of visas can feel like stepping into a labyrinth. At Adric Immigration Consultants, your trusted partner in Bangalore, we understand the complexities of visa applications. This comprehensive guide aims to shed light on the different types of visas available, helping you choose the right path for your aspirations. visa consultant
.
The Big Picture: Broad Visa Categories
Visas act as official permissions granted by a country to enter and stay within its borders for a specific purpose and duration. Broadly, visas fall into two main categories:
1. Non-immigrant Visas:
Designed for temporary stays, non-immigrant visas cater to diverse needs, including:

• Tourism (B-1/B-2): Ideal for sightseeing, visiting family and friends, or attending short-term events like conferences.
• Business (B-1): Allows participation in business activities that don’t involve paid employment in the host country. Examples include attending meetings, negotiating contracts, or conducting market research.
• Work (H-1B, TN, etc.): Enables qualified foreign professionals to work in specific occupations for a sponsoring employer. The type of work visa required depends on the profession and the reciprocity agreements between countries.
• Student (F-1): For individuals pursuing full-time academic programs at accredited institutions. May come with restrictions on work authorization.
• Exchange Visitor (J-1): Facilitates participation in exchange programs like cultural exchanges, internships, or research collaborations.

2. Immigrant Visas:
For those seeking to establish permanent residence in a new country, immigrant visas pave the way. These typically involve a lengthier application process with stricter eligibility requirements. Common types include:

• Employment-Based: Grants permanent residency based on a job offer with a sponsoring employer in the host country. Categories exist for skilled workers, investors, and individuals with exceptional abilities.
• Family-Based: Allows sponsorship of immediate family members (spouse, children) by a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
• Diversity Visa Lottery: Provides a limited number of visas annually through a random selection process.

Going Deeper: Specific Visa Types and Considerations
Understanding your purpose for travel is crucial. Here’s a breakdown of some commonly sought-after visas and key factors to consider:

• Tourist Visa (B-1/B-2):
  • Duration: Typically short-term stays, ranging from a few weeks to several months. Extensions might be possible depending on the country’s regulations.
  • Eligibility: Varies by country. Generally, applicants need to demonstrate sufficient financial resources, ties to their home country, and a valid passport.
  • Important Note: Working or studying while on a tourist visa is strictly prohibited.
• Business Visa (B-1):
  • Duration: Similar to tourist visas, with extensions potentially available.
  • Eligibility: Proof of business purpose, such as invitations from companies, conference registrations, or business documents, is essential.
  • Restrictions: Engaging in paid employment or setting up a business venture is not permitted under a business visa.
• Work Visa (H-1B, TN, etc.):
  • Duration: Varies based on the specific visa type and job offer. Extensions and renewals are often possible.
  • Eligibility: Requires a valid job offer from a U.S. employer willing to sponsor the visa petition. Specific qualifications and experience are mandated for each profession.
  • Labor Certification: For certain categories (e.g., H-1B), the employer must first obtain a labor certification demonstrating that hiring a foreign worker won’t adversely affect U.S. worker opportunities.
• Student Visa (F-1):
  • Duration: Valid for the duration of the academic program, with potential extensions for practical training after graduation.
  • Eligibility: Acceptance letter from a SEVP-certified educational institution, proof of financial support, and a valid passport are mandatory.
  • Maintaining Status: Students must maintain full-time enrollment and comply with program requirements to keep their visa valid.
  • Work Authorization: Limited on-campus or OPT (Optional Practical Training) opportunities might be available depending on the program and student category.
• Employment-Based Immigrant Visa:
  
  • Duration: Leads to permanent residency status, allowing indefinite stay and work authorization.
  • Eligibility: A valid job offer with a sponsoring employer and meeting the specific requirements of the chosen visa category (e.g., EB-2 for professionals with advanced degrees) (EB-3 for skilled workers with less education but experience) are crucial. The process can be complex, and seeking guidance from an experienced immigration consultant is highly recommended.
• Family-Based Immigrant Visa:
  
  • Duration: Leads to permanent residency status.
  • Eligibility: U.S. citizens or permanent residents can sponsor immediate family members (spouse, unmarried children under 21). The process can be lengthy, and wait times can vary depending on the relationship and visa category.
• Diversity Visa Lottery (DV Lottery):
  
  • Duration: Leads to permanent residency status if selected and the application process is completed successfully.
  • Eligibility: Open to nationals of countries with historically low immigration rates to the U.S. Selection is based on a random drawing.
  • Important Note: Winning the lottery doesn’t guarantee a visa. Applicants must still meet all eligibility requirements and undergo the full application process.

Beyond the Basics: Additional Considerations
Visa processing times and fees can vary significantly depending on the visa type, country of application, and individual circumstances. It’s crucial to factor in these costs and potential delays when planning your international move.
Visa reciprocity plays a role in certain work visa categories (e.g., TN visa between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico). Understanding the reciprocity agreements between your home and destination countries can help determine your eligibility for specific work visas.
Dual citizenship allows individuals to hold citizenship in two countries simultaneously. Eligibility for dual citizenship varies by country. Researching the policies of both your home and target country is essential if this path aligns with your goals.
Travel restrictions can be implemented due to various reasons, including pandemics or political situations. Staying updated on current travel advisories is crucial before embarking on your international journey.
Your Trusted Partner in Navigating the Visa Maze
At Adric Immigration Consultants in Bangalore, we understand that navigating the complexities of visas can be overwhelming. With our extensive experience and in-depth knowledge of global immigration regulations, we are here to guide you every step of the way.
Our Services:

• Visa Type Assessment: We will help you identify the most suitable visa category based on your specific circumstances and goals.
• Application Assistance: We will provide comprehensive guidance and support throughout the application process, ensuring all documentation is accurate and complete.
• Preparation for Interviews: We will equip you with the knowledge and confidence to successfully navigate visa interviews.
• Staying Updated: We will keep you informed of any changes in immigration policies or procedures that might affect your application.

Contact us today for a free consultation and let us help you turn your international dreams into reality. With Adric Immigration Consultants as your partner, you can start on your global journey with clarity, confidence, and peace of mind.

TLDR: mom is retiring and dad is insured through her, it would cost an additional $390/mo to keep him on this insurance. The difference in cost would pay for Part B, Medigap N/F-HD, and Part D. Is Original Medicare plus D and Medigap superior to most insurances? He has underlying conditions and just started Part B through the special enrollment period due to his insurance ending.
Hello all! I’ve been lurking in this group and learned a good deal. I’ll start with some background and appreciate any guidance. Thank you
My parent’s insurance is through my mom’s employer and she is retiring. My mom will be able to keep her insurance and my dad is able to as well. My understanding is that their plan requires them to sign up for Part B and will reimburse the premium through her pension. The cost to continue insurance through this plan is about $120/mom for my mom and about $510/mo for the both of them. She is able to convert her sick/personal time to help cover some of these costs.
When calculating the difference, the thought is that it essentially costs $390 ($215 if they reimburse Medicare Part B premium) to insure my dad through this plan. The plan is through UHC and there is a large network nearby them. They pay about $20-25 copays to see a specialist and maybe $20-25 for labs. He goes to see his various doctors about total of 12 times per year plus labs quarterly.
I have read that Original Medicare may be better than MA and I am not sure how their current plan compares to MA. My dad has underlying conditions (heart disease, diabetes) and could get on a Medicare Supplement through the special enrollment period (he just got Part B effective May 2024) since the group employer insurance is ending. He would likely not qualify or the premiums would be super high if done outside this time.
I was thinking that Plan N is roughly the same cost when he visits his doctors but his network opens up. It is also cheaper as Plan N is roughly half the cost of the $215 difference if he were to stay on my mom’s plan. I understand that the supplement premium is reassessed every year and will climb. I think my mom’s plan has been relatively stable. He would also need to sign up for Part D and his total costs (premium plus drugs) ranges from $50-140/mo based on his current medications.
Does this logic make sense? Am I missing anything?
Wild card: also considering F-HD as the cost is currently ~$40/mo. It seems like his copay would be just a little over the flat copays of N. He would be subject to at most $2800 out of pocket. He does not have an HSA but I could help with mine when/if needed. If this doesn’t work out after a few years, could he switch to N without a medical exam?
Appreciate any insights! Thanks for reading

The world beckons with its rich tapestry of cultures, vibrant landscapes, and exciting opportunities. But before you embark on your international adventure, navigating the world of visas can feel like stepping into a labyrinth. At Adric Immigration Consultants
, your trusted partner in Bangalore, we understand the complexities of visa applications. This comprehensive guide aims to shed light on the different types of visas available, helping you choose the right path for your aspirations.
The Big Picture: Broad Visa Categories
Visas act as official permissions granted by a country to enter and stay within its borders for a specific purpose and duration. Broadly, visas fall into two main categories:
1. Non-immigrant Visas:
Designed for temporary stays, non-immigrant visas cater to diverse needs, including:

• Tourism (B-1/B-2): Ideal for sightseeing, visiting family and friends, or attending short-term events like conferences.
• Business (B-1): Allows participation in business activities that don’t involve paid employment in the host country. Examples include attending meetings, negotiating contracts, or conducting market research.
• Work (H-1B, TN, etc.): Enables qualified foreign professionals to work in specific occupations for a sponsoring employer. The type of work visa required depends on the profession and the reciprocity agreements between countries.
• Student (F-1): For individuals pursuing full-time academic programs at accredited institutions. May come with restrictions on work authorization.
• Exchange Visitor (J-1): Facilitates participation in exchange programs like cultural exchanges, internships, or research collaborations.

2. Immigrant Visas:
For those seeking to establish permanent residence in a new country, immigrant visas pave the way. These typically involve a lengthier application process with stricter eligibility requirements. Common types include:

• Employment-Based: Grants permanent residency based on a job offer with a sponsoring employer in the host country. Categories exist for skilled workers, investors, and individuals with exceptional abilities.
• Family-Based: Allows sponsorship of immediate family members (spouse, children) by a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
• Diversity Visa Lottery: Provides a limited number of visas annually through a random selection process.

Going Deeper: Specific Visa Types and Considerations
Understanding your purpose for travel is crucial. Here’s a breakdown of some commonly sought-after visas and key factors to consider:

• Tourist Visa (B-1/B-2):
  • Duration: Typically short-term stays, ranging from a few weeks to several months. Extensions might be possible depending on the country’s regulations.
  • Eligibility: Varies by country. Generally, applicants need to demonstrate sufficient financial resources, ties to their home country, and a valid passport.
  • Important Note: Working or studying while on a tourist visa is strictly prohibited.
• Business Visa (B-1):
  • Duration: Similar to tourist visas, with extensions potentially available.
  • Eligibility: Proof of business purpose, such as invitations from companies, conference registrations, or business documents, is essential.
  • Restrictions: Engaging in paid employment or setting up a business venture is not permitted under a business visa.
• Work Visa (H-1B, TN, etc.):
  • Duration: Varies based on the specific visa type and job offer. Extensions and renewals are often possible.
  • Eligibility: Requires a valid job offer from a U.S. employer willing to sponsor the visa petition. Specific qualifications and experience are mandated for each profession.
  • Labor Certification: For certain categories (e.g., H-1B), the employer must first obtain a labor certification demonstrating that hiring a foreign worker won’t adversely affect U.S. worker opportunities.
• Student Visa (F-1):
  • Duration: Valid for the duration of the academic program, with potential extensions for practical training after graduation.
  • Eligibility: Acceptance letter from a SEVP-certified educational institution, proof of financial support, and a valid passport are mandatory.
  • Maintaining Status: Students must maintain full-time enrollment and comply with program requirements to keep their visa valid.
  • Work Authorization: Limited on-campus or OPT (Optional Practical Training) opportunities might be available depending on the program and student category.
• Employment-Based Immigrant Visa:
  
  • Duration: Leads to permanent residency status, allowing indefinite stay and work authorization.
  • Eligibility: A valid job offer with a sponsoring employer and meeting the specific requirements of the chosen visa category (e.g., EB-2 for professionals with advanced degrees) (EB-3 for skilled workers with less education but experience) are crucial. The process can be complex, and seeking guidance from an experienced immigration consultant is highly recommended.
• Family-Based Immigrant Visa:
  
  • Duration: Leads to permanent residency status.
  • Eligibility: U.S. citizens or permanent residents can sponsor immediate family members (spouse, unmarried children under 21). The process can be lengthy, and wait times can vary depending on the relationship and visa category.
• Diversity Visa Lottery (DV Lottery):
  
  • Duration: Leads to permanent residency status if selected and the application process is completed successfully.
  • Eligibility: Open to nationals of countries with historically low immigration rates to the U.S. Selection is based on a random drawing.
  • Important Note: Winning the lottery doesn’t guarantee a visa. Applicants must still meet all eligibility requirements and undergo the full application process.

Beyond the Basics: Additional Considerations
Visa processing times and fees can vary significantly depending on the visa type, country of application, and individual circumstances. It’s crucial to factor in these costs and potential delays when planning your international move.
Visa reciprocity plays a role in certain work visa categories (e.g., TN visa between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico). Understanding the reciprocity agreements between your home and destination countries can help determine your eligibility for specific work visas.
Dual citizenship allows individuals to hold citizenship in two countries simultaneously. Eligibility for dual citizenship varies by country. Researching the policies of both your home and target country is essential if this path aligns with your goals.
Travel restrictions can be implemented due to various reasons, including pandemics or political situations. Staying updated on current travel advisories is crucial before embarking on your international journey.
Your Trusted Partner in Navigating the Visa Maze
At Adric Immigration Consultants in Bangalore, we understand that navigating the complexities of visas can be overwhelming. With our extensive experience and in-depth knowledge of global immigration regulations, we are here to guide you every step of the way.
Our Services:

• Visa Type Assessment: We will help you identify the most suitable visa category based on your specific circumstances and goals.
• Application Assistance: We will provide comprehensive guidance and support throughout the application process, ensuring all documentation is accurate and complete.
• Preparation for Interviews: We will equip you with the knowledge and confidence to successfully navigate visa interviews.
• Staying Updated: We will keep you informed of any changes in immigration policies or procedures that might affect your application.

Contact us today for a free consultation and let us help you turn your international dreams into reality. With Adric Immigration Consultants as your partner, you can start on your global journey with clarity, confidence, and peace of mind.

I am NOT OOP, OOP is u/WholePomegranate5342
Originally posted to TrueOffMyChest
My Parents Tried to Screw Over My Dying StepMother, Blew Up All Of Our Lives Instead
Trigger Warnings: infidelity, imminent death, terminal illness, financial exploitation, physical assault, emotional abuse and manipulation
Original Post: February 13, 2024
Throwaway for obvious reasons.
My (17F) stepmother "Jane" is a wonderful, wonderful woman. She and my father got married when I was 4, and she's been a rock in my life ever since. My mother was always my primary caregiver, but up until that point her relationship with my father was acrimonious and I basically never saw him. Jane was the reason they developed a stable co-parenting relationship, she encouraged everyone having a good relationship with each other and was always there to support me and my mom when things got rough.
Jane was always a really hard worker. When she met my dad, he was living out of a hotel and my mother was doing everything in her power to keep me away from him because she was petty and angry that their relationship didn't work out. Meanwhile Jane had a great job, a nice house, helped my dad get back on his feet, negotiated a visitation schedule with my mom (who hated her for a long time), and made sure my dad sent us money every week because neither one of them could afford an attorney to negotiate child support payments. Jane had no reason to do any of these things but as I got older she made it clear that she loved me as much as she loved my (half) brothers who were born a few years later. I even have my own room in her house because at the time we lived with my grandparents / various boyfriends of my mom and Jane felt that I needed a more stable environment than that. She's like the opposite of the evil stepmom.
When I was 15, Jane won a big lawsuit against an airline company and got awarded upwards of a million dollars. She used the money to build sizable trust funds for me and my brothers so that we would be taken care of later in life. Despite having a lot more money she still wanted to live a fairly modest life, so she paid off the house she has and has been living there ever since with my dad. Sure she bought a new car and they went on a few nice vacations but she didn't blow all her money on stupid things, which I respected.
About a year ago, things started getting really weird. Whenever I saw Jane she seemed to look sicker and sicker, but no one would tell me or my brothers why even though I know they knew. All we knew is that she was at the hospital a lot. Around the same time, my mom has been coming around my dad a lot more and acting really strange, basically like she was trying to romance him. Whenever Jane was in the hospital my mother would insist on spending the night at their house and playing mom to my brothers, which was so weird to me because she never liked them or Jane. She'd be the perfect little housewife and my mom is NOT like that at all. It was super fake.
Worst of all, my dad started falling for it. I'm not stupid - I'm pretty sure they were sleeping together. I tried to shield my brothers from it but they're not dumb either. I tried talking to my dad too but he insisted it wasn't like that.
Then a few weeks ago, my mom started talking about all the places she'd like to visit, how she wanted a new car and was looking to invest... which is weird because my mom has been a bartender her whole life and has lived paycheck to paycheck since before I was born. She was acting like she was about to get a lot of money, which started to make me really suspicious. Between Jane being sick and my mom acting all nouveau riche, I had a lot of questions.
Finally I decided to visit Jane in the hospital and ask her about my trust fund. I found out that if anything happened to her, that my dad would inherit all the money including full control of the trusts for me and my brothers. She asked me why I was so interested in the trust fund so I told her what's going on with my parents and how my mom has been acting with my dad. I didn't want to but after everything she did for me, she deserved the truth. It really hurt me to break her heart like that, especially once I found out that she was basically in hospice at this point because of irreversible kidney failure. She's only got a few more months. We both cried so much.
Then, two days ago everything came to a head. My mom stormed in furious and started arguing with my dad. Apparently Jane met with her lawyer and changed the trust so that my dad would get nothing and all of the trusts would be controlled by my step-aunt. She demanded to know how Jane found out about their relationship and I came out and told them that I told Jane everything. I told them that if they wanted to play stupid games they would win stupid prizes and that I wasn't going to let them screw Jane over after all the help she gave my family when she didn't have to.
My mom slapped me and my dad just looked so defeated. Then my mom told my dad that she didn't really love him, that she was just pretending to so he would marry her and she could get all of the money. The worst part about it is that my brothers witnessed the whole thing and now on top of their mom dying they have to deal with a cheating dad and his vindictive ex. Our whole family is in ruins and I feel like it's my fault even though I know it's not.
Yesterday I visited Jane again and told her about the fallout. She apologized and said that she had to dissolve my trust fund to make sure my mother didn't get a hold of the money, but that as "her oldest" I will inherit the house/property after she is gone and that's worth more than the other two trust funds combined. My father won't get anything because she's going to divorce him before she dies, and honestly I'm happy for her. She made me promise to take care of my brothers and told me that once I turn 18 this summer I can kick my dad out of the house if I want to. And I FULLY plan to do that btw.
I haven't talked to my dad since and I can't even look at my mom. I can't believe they would conspire to do this to Jane after all this time. Just proof that they deserve each other and I'm embarrassed that they're my parents. Once I turn 18 I'm going to cut my dad out as much as I can and cut my mom out completely. I hope she rots. Meanwhile I'm going to try and be at the hospital as much as I can until Jane passes away.
Anyways. I just needed to vent. I'm really messed up about the whole thing and I feel super betrayed, although I can't even begin to imagine how Jane feels. I'm gonna be so f-ed up when she dies. I can't even think about that right now. But at least she's not surrounded by people who just want to bring her down.
Thanks for reading.
Edit: Some people are asking a lot of the same stuff so I'll just clarify here --
My brothers - My plan is to use some of the estate money fight for guardianship for my twin brothers so that they can live in the house while I kick my dad out. If I can't get guardianship then I will have to let my dad stay in the house. However once I turn 18 I will technically be an adult so even if my dad leaves I'm still legally able to be responsible for them. The only thing I won't be able to do is stop him from taking them if he leaves. But they will be 18 in six years so even if they do have to leave they will always be able to come back whenever they want. In a perfect world my dad would just leave and let my brothers stay with me which I'm sure my bio-mom would be very supportive of because right now she hates all of us and I doubt that will change anytime soon.
The trust - from what I understand, my brothers will inherit 1/3 each of the estate and the remaining 1/3 will be used to keep the house running until they turn 18. After that it will be up to me if I want to keep the house or sell it. At that point my brothers will still have money left in the trust so they can branch out or do whatever they want, otherwise I will not sell the house and just pass it on to them or keep it and maintain it myself and they can just stay with me as long as they need to.
(Edit to the edit) So I just spoke to Jane and she told me that the reason she dissolved the trust is because originally it was going to be split 3x between us kids and my dad would inherit the house. She dissolved my 3rd and switched it over to make it to take care of the house maintenance, and instead put the house in my name so my dad wouldn't get it. Plus by doing that at least financially I would be getting a much bigger share (the house is worth about 1.5x the amount of my brothers trusts) I just wouldn't be able to do anything with it until my brothers are 18, which I'm totally cool with. Sorry if I don't have a better answer but I'm just trying to translate what she told me.
My parents - The big fight happened on Sunday and I haven't spoken to either of my parents since, I think they're both at my mom's place right now but that's fine with us because we're all still mad at them so they can stay gone for all we care. I know technically that's not legal to just leave us alone but I've been taking care of my brothers for over a year I can handle a few days while he gets his shit together. Screw both of them.
Hope that clears some stuff up.
TLDR; My bio parents tried to screw my terminally ill stepmother out of trust fund money, but she caught on and now no one on my side of the family gets anything.
Additional Information from OOP on her parents, stepmom’s health, trust funds

OOP: (Why isn't Jane on dialysis) - I don't remember the exact details but Jane has a genetic condition where she gets cysts on her kidney. She already had a transplant a few years ago but now she developed problems with her arteries or something in her legs so she doesn't qualify for dialysis. She could get another transplant but she doesn't want to because the last time was so traumatic (rejections, etc). So she decided to just let herself go onto maintenance medications to prolong her death until she gets her affairs in order. She has a few other health problems that make the typical treatments really dangerous and according to her she'd rather die surrounded by loved ones than on an operating table.
(Dissolving the trust fund) - Jane told me she didn't technically have to do it, but she didn't trust my bio parents not to do something shady and get a hold of the money before I turn 18. Even if my aunt controlled the fund my dad would still be able to collect if something happened to Jane before I turn 18. Her lawyer suggested it's better safe than sorry and I agreed that it was the best option. I'm not an expert tho I don't know the details.
(How my mom knew) - Like I said before I'm pretty sure Jane told my dad, who then told my mom and that's how the argument started. I can't think of any other way and I didn't really care enough to ask.
(Jane's thoughts on my mom) - she didn't know my mom was doing all of that. My mom has her own place and would only come over whenever Jane was in the hospital for a few days at a time. I've been living with my dad for a little over a year so he probably told Jane that my mom was there to spend time with me, if he told her at all. Besides she didn't "move in" until a few months ago, which I guess is when they started hatching their plan. Jane never outright banned my mom from visiting so there really wasn't anything she could do.
Hope that helps.
Edit for the last part: The remainder of the money belonging to the estate that hasn't been put into trusts for my brothers is going to be used to maintain the house (utilities, taxes, etc) until my brothers are 18 and then I can either choose to sell the house or keep it and maintain it myself if I'm able to. I plan to go to school in that time and get a better job with the goal of keeping the house, but if I can't then I have the option to sell it. Not that I will but that's how it was explained to me.

OOP on her stepmom and their relationship, provides thoughts on her bio mom

OOP: Honestly it's because she's more of a "real" mom than my actual mom.
My bio mom is kind of ambiguous about my existence but Jane was always extra involved, sending me to sports teams and paying for dance classes and just showing interest in my hobbies as I got older. Plus as the only girl I think we bonded on a level she can't with my brothers so she always made sure to let me know I was on equal terms with them. When I was younger we would watch movies and have girl time where it was just us 1:1 and those are some of my best memories with her.
Jane is also really mature and someone I wanna be like when I get older whereas it feels like my mom is a teenager in an adult's body. She was constantly picking fights with my dad about dumb things and Jane was always there to smooth things over and keep my best interest at heart over her own feelings. I know my mom made Jane's life really difficult for a long time but Jane never complained or said anything to me about it whereas my mom CONSTANTLY complained about Jane. As I got older I just always felt more at peace when I was around Jane than when I was around my mom.
If you want your step kids to love you just be there for them and treat them like your own. Ignore whatever drama you have with your husbands ex and just love your kids. Trust me if you really care about them they will know.

Relevant Comments
mattdvs1979: My only advice is make sure you work with a lawyer once she passes so you get your inheritance and your parents can’t try to intervene, and then you keep your promise to use that money for you and your brothers’ welfare.

OOP: Oh absolutely, Jane already gave me the lawyer's info and between him and my step-aunt I'm sure I will be able to do what I need to do for them. I don't even care about the money, most people don't have trust funds and turn out just fine. I'm actually more glad that she gave me the house because you can be damn sure it's going to be a safe space for my brothers whether I end up getting custody of them or not. My brothers are basically Jane's legacy so my goal is to give them the life and guidance that I got from her, and that they won't get because she'll be gone.

OOP on the relationship between her father and her stepmom before they got exposed

OOP: Honestly it hurts a lot because before Jane got sick they seemed to have the perfect relationship. Until my birthgiver (I like that) came in and fucked everything up with her toxic personality. Honestly in a perfect world my mom will end up broke and alone and in a shitty nursing home with bed sores. And when she calls me and begs me for a relationship (because she needs the attention) it'll feel so good to hang up on her over and over again.

OOP on Jane (stepmom)’s health and if Jane is mentally okay on the whole situation

OOP: I think so. Apparently it's a genetic disease so she always knew she was going to get sick she just didn't know when so mentally I think she was prepared for it. I just hope that she can find peace knowing the truth and knowing that I'll be there to make sure her sons don't grow up all fucked up.

OOP on her brothers getting therapy to deal with their mom/step-mom’s health and her imminent death

OOP: Yeah. I've already sat them down and talked to them about what's going on, they seem to understand but they're understandably really sad about the whole thing. I told them that when they go to school they should ask about a grief counselor and I'm trying to get their health insurance info from Jane so I can find them a therapist for kids. As much as all of this sucks I think it's brought the three of us a lot closer together.
Thanks a lot. I really love my brothers and I know it's my job to take care of them properly now that they won't have a mom around. Jane did so much to raise me and my brothers won't have the opportunity so it's only right that I help them.
Since finding all of this out my plan has always been to have my brothers live with me, I'm already in charge of taking care of them and the house for the most part the only thing my dad does is help pay the bills. Unfortunately I won't be able to kick my dad out as long as he's their legal guardian which is why I'm trying to find some other solution to that. But if/when that gets resolved he can live under a bridge for all I care.

 
Update: May 8, 2024 (3 months later)
Please check my profile for my previous post. :)
Hi guys it’s me again, a lot of you asked me for an update on my situation with Jane and my family so I’ve come back with a few things that have happened since I initially posted. I will try to organize this in a way that addresses the major points of last time.
Jane is still alive and doing surprisingly well considering the circumstances. She’s always been a fighter and although her disease has been progressing she’s keeping a positive attitude with everything that is going on. She says she’s grateful that she was able to see everyone’s true colors before she passed so she could go into the next life knowing the truth. We have become so unbelievably close in the past few months and it’s getting harder and harder to know that she’s getting close to the end. She doesn’t ever talk about it though and I know it’s because she doesn’t want to hurt me but we both know the situation so we’re just making the best of our time. I'm also not being completely transparent about all of the drama at home but tbh I don't think she needs to hear all of that.
We did end up having that surprise celebration of life that I planned, a lot more people showed up than I thought but they all got an airbnb near the hospital where Jane is and we were able to take her out and spend some time at the lake near the facility. It was super lowkey which I know Jane preferred and I was even able to get her old college friend to come after I found him on Linkedin lol. We had food and there was music and we played games and it was overall a really great time, except Jane started crying at the end but she promised me it was just because she was grateful.
My brothers are also doing okay, my aunt (Jane's sister) is currently paying for them to go to therapy and they've become a lot more open about talking about the situation. They just turned 13 but a lot of the time it feels like I'm talking to actual adults lol. They've become really independent lately (in a good way) and aside from me driving them places I don't really have to do much for them anymore. Their grades aren't super great but they're not failing and considering the circumstances it could be a lot worse. They still hang out with friends and I'm keeping an eye out for like depression symptoms and stuff.
The situation with my mom is as funny as it is embarrassing tbh. She spent a few weeks ignoring us and then she tried to crawl back into my life basically begging me to let her move in because her lease is about to expire and she has nowhere to go. That convo went about as well as you'd think and she ended up calling me an ungrateful b**** and that I couldn't just ignore her because she's my mom. I told her to get out of the house before I call the cops and to go back to my dad (who at that point was only coming home every few days to "check on us" and grab some clothes.)
After that she tried coming by a few times and when I wouldn't open the door she would lose her mind and start yelling through the neighborhood. After three instances of this I finally called the cops but because I'm 17 they told me there's a possibility that I would have to go home with her since technically I'm a minor and need to be with the custodial parent. I told them no way because I was the only one watching my brothers atm. That led to a whole thing where after a few hours my dad basically showed up and I was allowed to stay there because there was finally an adult present and I'd basically lived there for over a year.
After that the cops firmly told my mom that if she keeps showing up and causing drama (my neighbors confirmed that she'd been there a few times screaming) that they would arrest her for trespassing since technically it was Jane's house and not hers. She left and hasn't tried coming to the house anymore but for a while she would call me constantly telling me I owed her and all kinds of stuff. She's now blocked on everything and anything she needs to say to me gets filtered through my dad.
As for my dad... well, since he's basically required to be here for another 2 months until I turn 18 we've basically just avoided each other. It's not too bad though because I've been heavily relying on guilting him for everything to get my way. For example he was going to contest the divorce but I threatened to kick him out when I turn 18 if he does that so he just signed all the paperwork for a "quickie divorce" and is basically doing whatever Jane tells him to do. I don't openly disrespect him or anything (he's still my dad) but I've made it clear that I have no intentions on doing anything he says ever again and he doesn't fight me on it. Most of the time he's just in his room and sometimes he'll go back to my mom's but only for a day or two before they argue and she kicks him out again lol. I haven't decided whether or not I'll kick him out yet and we haven't talked about it either so I'm kind of playing it by ear.
As for me, I'm handling everything as good as I can. I found a new job where I make a little more money so I've been focusing on saving as much as I can and just being there for my brothers. Between working and school and visiting Jane I've been so busy I haven't really had time to really stop and think about everything, but I know it'll come. One of my friends has really stepped up and helped me manage everything and I'm super grateful to him for being there for me and my brothers so we'll see how that goes.
Anyways I wish I had something more exciting to share but that's what's happened since my last post :) Thanks again for all the support on my last post.
Relevant Comments
OOP on the possibility of her stepmom being poisoned from her parents to get Jane’s money

OOP: Hi there,
A few people have mentioned this and yes we are absolutely certain she is not being poisoned, it’s a genetic disease causing her kidney failure and we have known about it for a long time but she shielded us from the worst of it hence why her “sudden” decline in health was such a shock to us, we thought she had more time.
My brothers have also been screened for this disease and thankfully neither of them have it.
Edit to add: I’m turning 18 in a few weeks so I don’t need to get emancipated and my dad has already agreed that my brothers will stay in the house with me because they have nowhere else to go.

OOP on Jane making video clips for her brothers

OOP: Yes actually a few people suggested this on my last post and we have been doing this for a few weeks now. Jane has a little digital recorder that she’s been putting her thoughts down on and she’s also written a few letters to us for major milestones. My brothers do not know about this as we want to surprise them but that said they have been coming to the hospital more now that they’re in therapy and able to deal with it. I know they do not want to have any regrets even though it’s a difficult situation.

OOP on her father after being exposed and her bio mom trying to manipulate him

OOP: I do think he’s remorseful, he hasn’t said it but the way he’s acting is telling me that, he’s being really passive when normally he gets a little belligerent if he really feels like he didn’t do anything wrong. Also I know I have every reason to kick him out but he’s still my dad even tho what he did to Jane was terrible. He’s just kind of a weak minded person and my bio mom really manipulated the crap out of him and continues to manipulate him but I can tell he’s getting tired of her BS because he’s spending less time with her.
He didn’t know she was showing up at the house and when he found out he was super pissed at her, they’ve been fighting nonstop and I can tell he’s not as much under her spell anymore because he’s at home more but who knows.

 

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