Hi guys, i'm a brazilian 17 year old guy that was happy, sympathetic and caring towards others, I am catholic and I participate in Sunday school every Saturday, but since the start of the pandemic in march 2020 onwards, i suddenly became brainwashed and paranoic with Christian conspiracy theories, mainly Qanon, and end times prophecies but in 2022 it only got worse, it all started at school when my sociology teacher who coincidentally was an evangelical pastor started talking a little about the end of times/Ragnarok and my friend said that between 2023, 2024 the apocalypse will begin, or it doesn't happen anything in these years, very probably in 2025 and 2027, and i searched on youtube and i saw various evangelical channels claiming that we are at the end of times and 2030 the world will end bc in that year Jesus will come back to only save evangelical christians and will only save those who are on the Life Book and will throw everyone who's those name wasn't on Life Book burn alive on the lake of fire of the hell alongside the antichrist, false prophet and everyone who followed him and God will destroy the universe and we will be living in the New Jerusalem, and they say repent of sins because the devil exists and they insist on saying that sin and the devil exist even though this has not even been scientifically proven, such as not wearing short clothes like shorts, jeans, not getting tattoos or piercings, not eating meat of pork, prohibiting homosexuality, free will, dating during adolescence and many others, they say that we are experiencing the greatest apostasy in history, which means that people are moving away from faith and and God and ignoring the warnings about the doomsday bc the world is becoming more ''sinful'' and the love between the people has been cooled and we are living like in the antediluvian days when Noah warned about the cataclysm but people ignored, mocked and called him demented and paranoid and instead they were eating, drinking and partying until the flood came and destroyed the world. world and killed everyone, and they keep repeating this saying that this is real even though it has been proven that it never happened and that it is impossible for a storm this strong to cover the top of Mount Everest, they think they are right and scientists are wrong, because science is an ''abominable sin'' against God, They say that God is merciful but he is also wrathful and cruel against those who do not follow his commandments. and they also talk about Jesus' appearance as if it were true at that time even though it has not yet been proven. i've watched some videos of these pastors and missionaries of my country and never got their prophecies and predictions wrong, all of things that have said become true
They say that geopolitical tensions are increasing which will cause ww3, it is no wonder that countless billionaires around the world like Mark Zuckerberg are building bunkers and selling several of their assets, i saw a letter written in 1873 that a American Freemason named Albert Pike who in his letter predicted the first two world wars, and is now supposedly ''predicted correctly'' the third world war, which would begin with a conflict between Zionist Israelis and Arabs, and also they claim that this war between Israel and Iran -Hamas is also the prophecy of Gog and Magog being fulfilled, They also say that the world will enter an unprecedented global economic crisis worse than the great depression, which would increase prices absurdly and this would culminate in the greatest famine the world has ever had, surpassing the great famine of the Middle Age,
They also say that elites such as the World Economic Forum, the UN and the Bilderberg Group will launch a gigantic EMP weapon that will shut down all energy and appliances in the world, and that they will then enact global martial law that will taking citizens off the streets and homes via buses and putting them in concentration camps and killing mainly white and conservative Christian groups and burying them in FEMA coffins which will start the famous New World Order and mass depopulation through the great reset and agenda 2030 and will put an end to all cash and create an electronic currency where payment is made with the global fingerprint, which they also say will replace passports with this global biometric password, they also say that They will do away with clothes and food and will replace them with processed foods made from insects, GMOs and laboratory-grown meats and everyone will be forced to wear the same clothes and have their names changed they also say that they will install government cameras inside the houses to know if any intruder is entering the empty houses
and all of this will begin the antichrist's rise to power, he will be a powerful leader who will unite all sovereign governments into one government and people will worship him and will implant the mark of the beast, where no one will buy and sell without it and will kill everyone who does not accept the mark, which means that everyone in the cities will die, only those who go to the fields or mountains will survive, it is no wonder that they are asking to stock up on water, non-perishable food, batteries , flashlights, medicines especially ivermectin (so much so that I've seen reports of people curing themselves of COVID using this medicine and chloroquine) and radios to survive between 2025 and 2027, because according to them, there will be a pandemic 30 times more lethal than the previous one that will kill almost 400 million people in just two years and that will be the period where seal the seven-year peace agreement between Christianity, Judaism and Islam and will sacrifice a red heifer in the Al-Aqsa Mosque, where it will be destroyed in sequence to begin the construction of the third temple where the throne of the antichrist will be during the final three and a half years
They also insists that global warming is a lie bc all of these disasters that are happening such as frequent strong earthquakes which happened in turkey, morocco, japan and taiwan recently, floods that left the southern of my country almost destroyed, tornadoes and hurricanes becoming stronger and killing more people and wildfires becoming more frequently is caused by these globalists, for example, the recent wildfires that happened in hawaii, canada and chile was caused by massive lasers coming from satellites and these floods and earthquakes caused by HAARP, and the fact-checking and social media such as reuters and afp is lying bc they are owned by rothschild and george soros for example
And i'm worried to have a cancer or a fatal heart attack when i become 20 years old that they discovered that in the last years have an increase on cases of cancer and fatal heart attack on young people, and they claim that is bc of the vaccines bc they contain aborted fetuses and microchips and graphene
And they also talk about the woke agenda, where defenders of this theory claim that globalists use films, video games and series to misrepresent characters from these entertainment industries to promote progressive agendas such as LGBT, black lives matter, abortion and feminism, for example, they made Ariel from The Little Mermaid black in live-action instead in white, as a way of indoctrinating masses and grooming children to be subjected to being perverse, it's no wonder that Disney is in one of the biggest crises in its history by excessively promoting identity issues in every film they release. And it's also no wonder that the number of abortions in the world increased over the last years
What I am most afraid of is the claim that globalists have knowledge of future events that makes the masses accept the event when a certain thing happens, this is called predictive programming, for example, in many disaster and science fiction films, there is a subliminal message in numbers called ''923'', supporters of this number mean that something very bad will happen on September 23rd, but obviously nothing happens, in White Noise for example, there was a train accident in the state of Ohio and in 2023 a train derailment with toxic products occurred in the same state as the film, Black Mirror ''predicted'' several technological innovations, The Simpsons for example predicted the September 11 attacks and Trump's victory in the elections, The Matrix also predicted predicted several technological innovations, such as the redpill movement and the production of babies in uterine machines. As for the Leave the World Behind', they say that the film predicted the accident of the ship that collided with the bridge in baltimore, Lastly, the film The Knowing is incredibly identical to the plot of the biblical apocalypse, but these claims are already debunked by fact checks
And i became scared of these prophecies that have been ''fulfilled'' such as Ezekiel which mentions that Dead Sea became filled with fishes and signs in the sky and stars disappearing
i will mention some of them:
They discovered recently that the moon have some rust pigments and the sun are frequently producing giant black spots which in apocalypse 6:12-17 means that the sun became black and the moon becoming blood
The days are passing faster, which on matthew 24:22 mentions that unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened.And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened.
The Euphrates River is drying up which in apocalypse mentions that the sixth angel poured his bowl over the Euphrates River and its waters dried up and released four demons who destroyed half of the population
Some Rivers and seas are becoming red, which refers to Apocalypse 16:4 that the third angel poured his bowl on rivers and seas and became red as dead blood
And I started to think that some mathematical calculations they do are simply not coincidences, they took the year the Black Death ended in 1353 with the year the WHO declared a global COVID emergency in 2019, subtracting those years would give the result in 666 (2019-1353=666 to be simpler) which alludes to the number of the beast and nd other math that they also thinks its a proof that we are at the end of times uf we use the word ''CORONA'' as a code where the alphabet is corresponding to its letter in ascending order (for example a = 1, b = 2), it would give the numbers 3, 15, 18, 15, 14, 1 will also give the number of the beast is correct if we multiply these numbers.
I'm trying to follow channels that disagree that we are in the end times and treat people with love, like the method of preterism where it states that the apocalypse happened in the year 70, but they say that this is heresy because in Matthew 24:24 it says that in the last days false prophets will emerge deceiving many people and in 2 Peter 3:3 where it says that at the end of time many will mock and disagree with the imminent Return of Jesus
i'm asked my parents and my friends to repent of your sins and believe in the Word of God, But I bothered them so much that now they don't even want to hear it,
however after all that, I started to think that these evangelical channels only preach fear in people, thinking that Jesus is going to return physically and that I have been superior all the time for no reason at all. I researched these things so much that now it appears when I search for an account on Instagram or YouTube, I would like to thank anyone who could give me some tips on how to get out of this and get rid of these pests, how i do?

\**Disclaimer:* THIS IS NOT FINANCIAL ADVICE*, any statement made or information shared is for informational purposes, and in no way telling, advising, or persuading anyone to decide their finances or investments. These are my conclusions based on my research. As always, I highly advise everyone to READ these resources for yourselves and do your OWN research. There is a lot of information shared to intentionally mislead you. Protect yourselves.*
\*Please be kind. In the end, this is purely a fun theory regarding 741. However, it does contain some relevant and useful information. Maybe I’m wrong, or you don’t agree, but I had so much fun researching and connecting the dots. Allow this to be additional information for you to know, if nothing else!*
\Lastly, very possible I may add edits. I’m juggling a lot of information right now and trying to piece it all together in a way that makes sense. My mind feels soupy.*
Now, to the good stuff.
I’d like to share an exciting find. I stumbled upon this as I was doing research for some SEC research and I hope it lifts your brow as it did mine.
As most of you know, there’s a lot of speculation and adopted significance to the number 741, and I think I figured it out. Actually, if there really is any significance to 741, I’m almost POSITIVE this would be it.
Allow me to introduce you to Delaware’s General Corporation Law. (DGCL)
For those of you that are new, or don't know, the DGCL is relevant because Delaware's corporate law applies to all Delaware corporations no matter where they are located.
GameStop is a Delaware corporation.
The DGCL is a corporate statute containing mandatory requirements. These are intended to protect investors and give corporations flexibility to carry out their business. The DGCL is considered a business-friendly statute that gives stockholders and corporations maximum flexibility in ordering their affairs.
Now that you understand what it is and why it matters to GameStop, I’d like to draw your attention to Title 5, Chapter 7, Subchapter 3, SECTION 741

TITLE 5: Banking Banks and Trust Companies
CHAPTER 7. Corporation Law for State Banks and Trust Companies
Subchapter III. Conduct of Internal Corporate Affairs
• § 741. Bylaws, adoption, amendment and repeal.
- A corporation may adopt bylaws for the proper management of its affairs, and may establish regulations controlling the assignment and transfer of its shares. The first set of bylaws shall be adopted at the meeting of the incorporators, as provided in § 727 of this title, but thereafter the power to make, alter or repeal bylaws shall be in the stockholders, provided that any corporation may, in the certificate of incorporation, confer that power upon the directors.

[https://delcode.delaware.gov/title5/c007/sc03/index.html\]
In simple terms, this is the statute that the foundation of the SEC filing on Mar. 17, 2024, stands on.
Now, I didn’t detail my theory, but I mentioned it in the discord that I suspected I found the connection for the 741 theory, and that it had to do with the SEC filing. It was brought to my attention by some friendly apes in the discord that the 741 theory is old, not new. Originating from the beginning times of RC in GameStop. I’m glad they brought up that point because this leads to my next confirmation. This point only further corroborates the theory.
Why? Because this most recent filing to SEC is ALSO old. Just as old as the 741 theory, actually. So let me remind you, that on Dec. 8, 2020, GameStop filed a practically identical S-3ASR to the SEC from Mar. 17, 2024. (I’ve seen FUD throughout Reddit claim that this just means the Mar. 17, 2024 one is nothing new or significant - that is incorrect and I’ll be addressing that as part of my next post) Anyways, this filing from 2020 was released a little over a month before the sneeze.
A-3ASR 2020: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgadata/1326380/000119312520312781/d50019ds3asr.htm
Notable mentions: ironically enough, while looking for 741 theory collections on Reddit that I could link to this post, I found a post that has a long list of collected theories, and one mentions U.S. Code, Title 11, Chapter 7, subchapter 3, SECTION 741, which is titled Stockbroker Liquidation
Website: https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?path=/prelim@title11/chapter7/subchapter3&edition=prelim
Superstonk Post: https://www.reddit.com/Superstonk/s/sLAekPP4h1
Whoever came up with this theory was for sure on the right path, I wish they would’ve kept digging. Unfortunately, section 741 of Title 11 US Code only contains definitions, that define terms used in the following sections, so it doesn’t make too much sense. This did, however, inspire me to look at other laws containing 741, rather than just the DGCL I found.
I’m going to have to do a separate post regarding Security Laws at this point, but one interesting thing I found is the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010. This act was created specifically because of the 2008 financial crisis, as a means to hopefully avoid something like that happening again.
I found an interesting find that appears to clearly define and apply to what Robinhood did in 2021 during the sneeze. This section just so happens to be...741 (this is just a coincidental I’m pointing out, considering "741" originated before the sneeze and couldn’t have predicted what Robinhood would do)
Check it out though: Title VII: Wall Street Transparency and Accountability, Subtitle A: Regulation of Over-the-Counter Swaps Markets, Part I: Regulatory Authority, Section 741: Enforcement
https://www.congress.gov/111/plaws/publ203/PLAW-111publ203.pdf
I highly encourage you to check out these resources as well:
•Researching the Federal Securities Laws Through the SEC Website: https://www.investor.gov/introduction-investing/investing-basics/role-sec/researching-federal-securities-laws-through-sec-website
•The Laws That Govern the Securities Industry: https://www.investor.gov/introduction-investing/investing-basics/role-sec/laws-govern-securities-industry
For new investors, or new to the stock market -
•Introduction to Investing: https://www.investor.gov/introduction-investing
Now the question is, if RC meant for there to be significance with the number “741”, then why?
And if by these findings, the DGCL statute answers why, then what is the significance of this S-3ASR that’s 3 1/2 years old?
“741” easter eggs were RC’s way of leading us to the S-3ASR. Evidence that he hasn’t just been playing 69d chess, but dare I say… 741d chess. If this theory were to be true, this would offer reassurance that the details during and after the end game are already established. It’s all laid out in the S-3, the exhibits linked within it, and the 7 securities, particularly the last few, and within the sales agreement.
(I will be going into depth with the Mar. 17th filings soon, which with lay the entire thing out: how short sellers are trapped, the potential deal to give shorts an “out”, because what do we know about naked shorts? They need real shares to close. Hence, GME’s authorized shares coming in like a life raft [of course at the tippy top I hope because f*** SHF] making shorts in debt to GME, GME racks in the dough. There’s so much more to this, but I’ll reserve that for the next post. I’m almost finished with it and I will be including all the U.S. Codes and Securities Laws, as well as the SEC filings that are linked within the S-3ASR,
Which by the way, was just me following RC’s orders straight from the Mar. 17 S-3, which were as follows:

You should rely only on the information contained in this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement or incorporated by reference herein or therein. We have not authorized any other person to provide you with different or additional information. If anyone provides you with different or additional information, you should not rely on it.
We encourage you to read our periodic and current reports. We think these reports provide additional information about our company which prudent investors find important.

To bring this all to a close: Do you know what a comfort letter is? It’s defined as this: In public offerings, underwriters generally request comfort letters to establish a due diligence defense to avoid liability for securities fraud. ( https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/comfort_letter )
This is RC’s way of issuing, metaphorically, a corporation's version of a “comfort letter” to the SEC, in the form of the prospectus, its supplement, and the sales agreement. As means of protection from the shit show that WILL follow after the moon landing, and a strategically pre-established template to plug into after the MOASS.
Simply put, I conclude that 741 was RC referencing to his already in-place plan. It’s RC’s way of letting everyone know, HE’S GOT THIS.

So? Zen, my fellow APE’s. 🧘‍♀️🦍

As for me? I like the stock. I’m going to Buy, DRS, and HOLD 🟣💎🤲

Besides, I got a big trip coming soon, maybe you’ve heard? To the MOON 🌕🚀

^\Thanks for taking the time to read, and thanks for having me as a fellow APE.*)

“A social movement that only moves people is merely a revolt. A movement that changes both people and institutions is a revolution.”

-Martin Luther King

Hi all
After a lot of procrastination, I intend on applying to law school in the fall. As of now my stats sit at 3.mid, 16mid, 4 years WE (5 by the time I’d enter in fall 2025). I’ve had a lot of personal family trouble the last year (deaths in the family) and one of my parents was recently diagnosed with cancer. I intend on retaking the lsat in aug/sep/oct (depends on when I feel the most prepared). I had a few misc app questions that I wanted to get some ideas about.

1. There are two schools in my area, both T-50 and have ‘why x’ optional essays. I don’t want to sound too like dramatic, but one of the reasons besides ranking that I am considering these schools is bc I’d still be close to my family during these trying times, as my parent goes through treatment. Would it be appropriate to mention this in a ‘why x’? Of course I have other reasons for attending, but this is truthfully one of the major factors. Is it too much? Does it come off weird? Would it be a potential red flag?
   
2. I can probs only secure 1 academic letter of reference from my undergrad since I’m nearly 5 years out. I think I can secure 1-2 work references from the firm I work at and 1 other work reference from when I was a teacher. Is it negative for mostly work rec letters?
   
3. 2 of the 4 yrs of WE are as a teacher before I quit bc of admin/sanity reasons. I currently work at a firm doing work that is interesting but not something I’m deeply passionate about for a personal statement. I want to write about my experiences as an educator and connect that to my why law. Would it look weird that I focus on that aspect of my WE as opposed to my more recent employment? I’m just thinking one potential issue is ‘how passionate about this can you be if you quit after two years and didn’t go back to education’ lol (despite still tutoring/working with students from my two years there even now).
   
4. I have quite a few Ws on my transcript and ended up taking a full medical withdrawal one semester for mental health reasons. It also affected my GPA as I probs should’ve taken more time off and gotten accommodations earlier. College was a bit difficult for me but I’ve got a handle on my health now. Any tips for writing an addendum for this?
   

Sorry if this is a bit ramble-y and ty for the help!!!!

For some backstory: I’m in an acting regional management role for a non-profit agency. I took the position last March (2023) to cover a maternity leave. In September 2023, I anticipated the work load being a lot heavier than outlined in the contract, therefore I asked for a slight pay increase. I was denied and told that 360 performance reviews would begin in November 2023 and that we’d see a possible increase in January 2024. As I anticipated, the workload got insanely heavy, I was doing work not at all related to what my contract outlined, and January 2024 came and went without any performance reviews or pay increases. I understand working for a non-profit means working for a bit less but I am currently grossly underpaid.
Here we are in May, the woman I’m covering may leave for is not coming back, and my contract is about to expire at the end of this month. Before I had the opportunity to ask my boss for a sit down to discuss my future at this agency, my boss came to me on a Teams message and told me to “strategically pause” the work I’m doing and to help another manager open her new department. Only after this new department is up and running (which can take months at this point) will we discuss my “leadership role/contract renewal”.
I don’t feel that this is fair. I have been patient and now I am being told to work indefinitely in an expired contract. There are quite a few staff at this agency currently working on expired contracts and I don’t think this is appropriate.
I ended up messaging back that I looked forward to this discussion in the future and that I would be happy to continue working as she needs me; however, given the fact that I have fulfilled my end of the contract, I would appreciate it if she’d write me a reference letter in the event I did find a career opportunity in the meantime. She read the message days ago with no response. I think this is fair since my raise was denied AND now I’m expected to work on an expired contract.
Any advice on what my next steps should be? Or, has anyone else been in this situation before and if so, how did you go about dealing with it?

I recently finished reading Cicero's Orator. It is a rather wide-ranging treatise that Cicero dedicated to his young friend, Marcus Brutus, in which he lays out his personal vision of the ideal orator. He touches on many subjects, even prose rhythm, but I thought his brief remarks about the contemporary pronunciation of Latin were the most interesting. Since I know how interested readers of this subreddit are in Latin pronunciation, I thought I'd share them here with my translations. Enjoy!
* * *
Hiatus:
In the first passage, Cicero contrasts the use of hiatus or, from the opposite perspective, the prevalence of syaloepha, the blending of vowels, in Greek and Latin. When he talks about a "collision of vowels," he means a word ending with a vowel placed next to a word beginning with one, both of which were pronounced.

(151-2) in ea est crebra ista vocum concursio, quam magna ex parte ut vitiosam fugit Demosthenes. sed Graeci viderint; nobis ne si cupiamus quidem distrahere voces conceditur. indicant orationes illae ipsae horridulae Catonis, indicant omnes poetae...

"That collision of vowels frequently appears in it [sc. Plato's epitaphios], which Demosthenes generally avoids as a defect. But let the Greeks see for themselves; we [i.e. we Latin-speakers] are not permitted to pull vowels apart even if we want to. It's illustrated by those rough speeches of Cato themselves, and all the poets..."
* * *
Omission of final s and phonetic change:
Cicero also notes the frequent omission of the final s in various words. The examples he cites below are all in the ablative plural. Multimodis in particular is known from Plautus, and even Lucretius uses it (1.895), so we know that the middle i, derived from multis, was short. I wonder whether that also the case in the other examples.
Cicero regards the phonetic change of due- to be- (as in duellum to bellum) as a similar phenomenon. His remarks about the contraction of words with -xill- are not in fact correct, because those words are in fact diminuitives (vexillum, orig. "a little cloth," from velum, for instance).

153 sed quid ego vocales? sine vocalibus saepe brevitatis causa contrahebant, ut ita dicerent: 'multi' modis, in vas' argenteis, palm' et crinibus, tecti' fractis'. quid vero licentius quam quod hominum etiam nomina contrahebant, quo essent aptiora? nam ut 'duellum' bellum et 'duis' bis, sic Duellium eum qui Poenos classe devicit Bellium nominaverunt, cum superiores appellati essent semper Duelli, quin etiam verba saepe contrahuntur non usus causa sed aurium: quo modo enim vester Axilla Ala factus est nisi is fuga litterae vastioris? quam litteram etiam e 'maxillis' et 'taxillis' et 'vexillo' et 'pauxillo' consuetudo elegans Latini sermonis evellit.

"But why should I go on about vowels? Even without vowels they [earlier generations] often contracted words for the sake of brevity, so they'd say: multi' modis ['in many ways'], in vas' argenteis ['in silver vessels'], palm' et crinibus ['with palms and locks'], and tecti' fractis ['broken roofs/buildings']. But what is more impertinent that the fact they even contracted people's names to make them more convenient? Just as the called war duellum bellum ['war'] and duis bis ['twice'], so they named the Duellius who defeated the Carthaginian fleet Bellius, although his forebears had always been called Duelli. But words are even often contracted not for the sake of practicality but for the ears: how did your [sc. Brutus'] friend Axilla become Ala if not because of the disappearance of a rather broad letter? The same letter the elegant custom of the Latin language removed from maxillae [i.e. malae, 'jaws']and taxilli [i.e. tali, 'dice'] and vexillum [i.e., velum, 'curtain'] and pauxillus [i.e., paulus, 'little']."
* * *
Contractions:

154 lubenter etiam copulando verba iungebant, ut 'sodes' pro 'si audes', 'sis' pro 'si vis'; iam in uno 'capsis' tria verba sunt, 'ain' pro 'aisne', 'nequire' pro 'non quire', 'malle' pro 'magis velle', 'nolle' pro 'non velle', 'dein' etiam saepe et 'exin' pro 'deinde' et pro 'exinde' dicimus. quid, illud non olet unde sit, quod dicitur 'cum illis', 'cum' autem 'nobis' non dicitur, sed 'nobiscum'? quia si ita diceretur, obscenius concurrerent litterae, ut etiam modo, nisi 'autem' interposuissem, concurrissent. ex eo est 'mecum' et 'tecum', non 'cum me' et 'cum te', ut esset simile illis 'vobiscum' atque 'nobiscum'

"The also liked to combine words by joining them together, like sodes ['please'] for si audes [lit. 'if you dare'], sis [also 'please'] for si vis ['if you will'], and just in capsis ['take please' = cap si vis] there are even three words; ain ['you say so?'] for aisne, nequire [cannot] for non quire, malle ['prefer'] for magis velle ['want more'], nolle ['refuse, not want'] for non velle ['not want'], and we even often say dein and exin for deinde and exinde ['then', 'thence']. And isn't it easy to spot why, although one says cum illis ['with those'], one does not say cum ['with'] together with nobis ['us']? That's because, if one were to say that, the letters would run together obscenely [i.e. cum nobis would produce the sound cunno, 'cunt'], just as they would have run together if I had not put 'together with' [in the Latin, the word autem] between them. That gives rise to mecum and tecum ['with me', 'with you'], not cum me and cum te, so as to be like those vobiscum and nobiscum ['with you (pl.)', 'with us']."
* * *
Syncopated forms:
It seems that, at least in Cicero's time, the syncopated forms of the perfect stem of verbs were conventional, as well as the shortened from of the perfect 3rd person plural in (-ere for -erunt). I wonder whether the form with -erunt made a comeback as Latin was learned by non-native speakers or perhaps from literary Latin. Certain Romance forms (e.g. Spanish amaron, Italian amarono, French aimèrent from amarunt) seem to descend from it.

157 quid quod sic loqui 'nosse, iudicasse' vetant, 'novisse' iubent et 'iudicavisse'? quasi vero nesciamus in hoc genere et plenum verbum recte dici et imminutum usitate. itaque utrunque Terentius: 'eho, tu, cognatum tuum non noras?' post idem: 'Stilponem, inquam, noveras'. sient plenum est, sint imminutum; licet utare utroque. ergo ibidem: 'quam cara sint quae post carendo intellegunt, quamque attinendi magni dominatus sient.' nec vero reprehenderim 'scripsere alii rem' et 'scripserunt' esse verius sentio, sed consuetudini auribus indulgenti lubenter obsequor.

"How about the way they [sc. proponents of analogy] forbid us to say nosse ['to know'] and iudicasse ['to have judged'] but order us to say novisse and iudicavisse? As if we didn't know in this instance that it is correct to say the full word and conventional to say the shortened one. Thus Terence uses both: 'whoa, you didn't recognize [noras] your kinsman?' And the same author a little bit later: 'You recognized [noveras] Stilpo, I said.' Sient ['they may be'] is the full form, sint the shortened one. You're allowed to use both. Hence, in the same place: 'Later, they realize how dear they are [sint] from lacking them, and how great dominions must be [sient] retained.' Nor would I criticize scripsere alii rem ['others wrote the subject'], and I know that scripserunt ['they wrote'] is more accurate, but I gladly follow convention, which indulges the ears."
* * *
Hidden quantity and aspiration:
Cicero reveals that the i in the prefix in- is long before s and f, and similarly the o in con-. The introduction of aspirated consonants (such as the ch in pulcher) also was a change recent enough that Cicero avoided it until later in life.

159-60 quid vero hoc elegantius, quod non fit natura, sed quodam instituto: 'indoctus' dicimus brevi prima littera, 'insanus' producta, 'inhumanus' brevi, 'infelix' longa; et, ne multis, quibus in verbis eae primae litterae sunt quae in 'sapiente' atque 'felice', producte dicitur <'in'>, in ceteris omnibus breviter; itemque 'conposuit, consuevit', 'concrepuit, confecit'. consule veritatem: reprehendet; refer ad auris: probabunt. quaere cur: ita se dicent iuvari. voluptati autem aurium morigerari debet oratio, quin ego ipse, cum scirem ita maiores locutos ut nusquam nisi in vocali aspiratione uterentur, Ioquebar sic ut 'pulcros, Cetegos, triumpos, Cartaginem' dicerem; aliquando, idque sero, convicio aurium cum extorta mihi veritas esset, usum loquendi populo concessi, scientiam mihi reservavi.

"What's more elegant that this, which isn't the product of nature but some kind of teaching: we say indoctus ['unlearned'] with the first letter short, but insanus ['insane'] with it long; inhumanus ['uncultivated'] short, infelix ['unfortunate'] long; and, to be brief, in words in which the first letters are those in sapiens and felix, in is pronounced long; in all others, short. Likewise: conposuit, consuevit, concrepuit, confecit ['it settled, became accustomed, made a noise, completed']. Consult Truth: she will criticize it; refer the matter to the ears: they will approve. Ask why: they will say they like it that way. Speech should gratify the pleasure of the ears. I myself, since I knew that our ancestors spoke in such a way that they never used aspiration [i.e. h] except with vowels, I used to say pulcros ['handsome men'], Cetegos ['Cethegi'], triumpos ['triumphs'], Cartaginem ['Carthage']; but at some point--and late, at that--the truth [i.e., the 'correct' pronunciation] was wrested from me by the abuse of my ears and I yielded my manner of speaking to the people, though I kept my knowledge for myself."
* * *
Final s again:
And last but not least, Cicero notes the omission of final s in the Latin of an earlier generation. Evidently, it was fairly common to drop terminal s in general, but in contrast to the examples with which we began (like multimodis), the omission occurred in single words, not in one of two in the same number and case.

161 quin etiam, quod iam subrusticum videtur, olim autem politius, eorum verborum, quorum eaedem erant postremae duae litterae quae sunt in 'optumus', postremam litteram detrahebant, nisi vocalis insequebatur. ita non erat ea offensio in versibus quam nunc fugiunt poetae novi. sic enim loquebamur: 'qui est omnibu' princeps', non 'omnibus princeps', et 'vita illa dignu' locoque', non 'dignus'...

"Indeed--and this seems rather boorish now, but once refined--they clipped the last letter of those words that had the same two final letters as optimus ['best'], unless a vowel followed. Thus, it wasn't a faux-pas in verse, which now the new poets avoid. We used to speak like this: qui est omnibu' princeps ['who is foremost of all'], not omnibus princeps, and vita illa dignu' locoque ['worthy of that life and station'], not dignus..."

The barbarian tribes colloquially referred to as the “Bloodtoil Pack” are not recognized by the Elder Council as a legitimate nation-state or political body. Their ways are bloody and primitive; intentionally so, as they believe civilization a corrupting influence. You will find no embassy or consulate from the Potentate there. The only trade they do is with the Mother Navigators, who still command respect from the Khajiit of that region, and the Minotaur colonists who have brought their Colovian values with them. Nevertheless, since the Treaty of Xylo in 4E 344, they have been recognized by their northern neighbors in the Imperium of Sunnamora and thus remain both politically and economically relevant. Therefore this section of the Guide has been compiled from the letters of diplomats, missionaries, merchants, mercenaries, and anthropologists who have risked life and limb among these peoples.
The capital “city” of Bloodtoil Valley is where representatives of the tribes gather to confer with the High Prophet of the Green about matters both political and spiritual. Lest this hint of civilization fool you, dear reader, may we clarify that this tribal council rarely passes anything resembling “legislation,” and instead exists merely to maintain peace between the ever-violent tribes and discuss dealings with foreigners. The Temple of Bloodtoil itself is an eclectic structure converted from an old Wood Orc stronghold, and the High Prophet of the Green spends much of their time inside “meditating upon the Now.” Once a season (the locals count time in rainy seasons and dry seasons, not years), the High Prophet makes a pilgrimage to Deepwoods to confer with the Green Lady, who is supposedly the “true” spiritual leader of Bloodtoil, though no one except the High Prophet and their inner council has seen her in over a century.
The other spiritual center of Bloodtoil is Elden Root to the south. The Bosmer have regrown the ancient Graht-Oak city since the great calamities of the Second Great War, but how it has already reached the size of the old Elden Root is anyone’s guess. The Bosmer here are bizarre and inbred; some covered in fur with jutting boar tusks, others wearing beards of moss, others still with insectoid eyes and antenna, and more variation than can be described. The natives claim their appearance is a “gift” from the Green. The more logical explanation is that their isolation from the rest of the world and their mating with Beastfolk have brought about such deformities.
Moonmont on the eastern border with Pelletine is the primary Khajiiti settlement. Built up by the comings-and-goings of the Mother Navigators, a visitor could almost forget they are in Bloodtoil and not one of the former Elsweyr states. The Green Prophecy does have some purchase there, namely in the “part of the Green that chooses to be Khenarthi.” The clan mother of the settlement sends a representative to Bloodtoil Valley, but her true power lies in the moon sugar. Many Greenists believe the sugar can be used to make contact with the Spirit of the Now, and her economic power is dominant.
Verrant Morass is the closest thing the Imga have to a settlement. Made up of tree houses and stone huts, they are led directly by a Green Prophet. Indeed, the Imga are the most enthusiastic supporters of the Green Prophecy, and make up the plurality of Green Prophets. Some may see connections to the Prophet Marukh, but that particular Saint is largely despised by his own people. To the Imga of Bloodtoil he represents the obsession with civilization which had kept the Imga subservient to the Aldmeri for so long. Now they despise all things civilized, fixed religious codes most of all. They insist the Green cannot be understood with words or thoughts, only by some mystical “contact with the Now.”
Other peoples also populate Bloodtoil. Barkbite remains a Wood Orc stronghold, and Harpies nest among the trees across the region. The river banks and shorelines are populated with Lamiae, while centaurs and faun roam the Tarlain Heights.
The most recent addition to the Pack are the most controversial. Tired of the constant Bjoulsean raids in Colovia, a few Minotaur clans immigrated to Bloodtoil and rebuilt the city of Marbruk. They brought the Cyrodiilic values of free trade and enterprise with them, practice an elective monarchy in the Cyro-Nordic style, and most horrifyingly of all - especially the Bosmer and Imga - was their choice to chop down trees and irrigate farms. This resulted in a month of tribal skirmishes in the central jungle until the High Prophet intervened. Part of the truce involved the Minotaurs recognizing the Heavanly Bull, the Storm, and Shezarr as aspects of the Green. Alessia worship, associated as it is with hated Marukh, is heavily discouraged. More economically relevant, the Minotaurs were heavily limited in their lumber and agricultural practices. At the moment, the East Empire Company’s friends in the Tamrielic Bank of Z’en are offering generous loans to help the Minotaurs develop their colony.
In times of war, their armies are generally a motley affair, albeit a terrifying one. Imga “Green Knights” welding bone-lances charge atop their Senche friend-mounts, backed by centaurs and satyrs. Harpies and Goblins riding hippogriffs act as the “army of the air.” Bosmer Stags of Z’en act as spies and assassins. Lamiae drag foes beneath the watery depths, as spriggan mothers turn the trees and soil against invaders. Needless to say, reader, travel in this wildland at your own peril.
_____
I was only in Bloodtoil for a short time. Met some Wood Orcs and Lamias at Haven. They were suspicious of outsiders, and made it clear our ship would be moving along soon. I don't think they were the violent brutes the Company would have you believe, but it is true that they prefer to be left alone. And hopefully it goes without saying those "loans" are anything but generous.

I thought it might be useful to lay out some of the more credible sounding comments and discussion I've seen around "the end" of Giuseppe's career and his disappearance. Nothing here is "officially verified", but I think there's a fair bit of truth in a lot of the information here, and might help point anyone who's interested in the right direction to a better understanding of his story. I've included the ones that make more sense to me/ reflect my own knowledge of the situation.
Giuseppe was living around Canandaigua, NY towards the end, staying with Mary's parents in her childhood home for a period, after they both had left Austin for unknown reasons. I would imagine the reasons would have likely been mental health and/ or money related for both of them (he was approximately 36 years old, at this point). Mary was still shipping movies out for a while around this time - the last order I placed on the website myself was November of 2014 and ended up emailing back a couple weeks later, because she had never sent me any information about receiving the order / shipping it out, in contrast to all earlier orders I had placed. She replied pretty quick though, and told me she had shipped it out earlier - it arrived about a week after. The return address was her parent's place in upper state NY.
Giuseppe's output got increasingly erratic and bizarre over the next couple years, and I wasn't really sure if half the items he was selling there were even real... they would have completely nonsensical descriptions, often like a free association / shitty "beat poetry" kind of thing, usually in all caps, featuring lots of bizarre and offensive language (racial slurs, AIDS references, etc), and the products listed were often things like a "3 minute DVD" for 20 dollars, so I was pretty skeptical / really didn't have much interest. He'd announce a ridiculous amount of new material, I'm talking like 5 new movies and 5 albums every week... The last order I made was for a few of the Austin films and I really didn't enjoy them, and more or less lost interest in any future projects at this point. I would still check periodically just to see what he was posting to the site, just out of curiosity / because a lot of it was really out there. He used to have audio samples for his "albums", and he almost exclusively was posting CDs of him ranting (with a ton of very weird throat clearing and coughing, it almost seemed like a Tourettes thing). His site went down somewhere between March 23, 2017 and July 3, 2017 according to Internet Archive. I can't remember exactly when he stopped adding new items, but it was probably sometime in early 2017.
He was clearly living in and around Canandaigua for a while, for at least 2-3 years, maybe even longer...
February 2017 - a twitter account called "HELP GIUSEPPE" was created and made three posts:

@ thecampaignbook Shia, G.A just came into my local bar needing help. he was stressin bad. hes in canandaigua NY and just stormed out of here
@ AdamRifkin G.A just stormed into my local bar, made it half way through the set up of this account and stormed out. needing you it seems.
@ EdwardNorton Giuseppe Andrews just came into my local bar very alarmed/needing a friend and help.

July 5, 2020 - a YouTube video entitled "What Happened to Giuseppe Andrews? A Short Investigation" is posted, some of the comments that were posted include:

(approx: 2021) I live in a small town called Carlin.. it’s literally 24 miles from Elko Nevada.. back in may of 2019 I was working at a small casino.. Giuseppe would often frequent the casino.. I worked the graveyard shift so it was mostly quiet.. he was polite and even remembered my name and would always ask me how I was.. I was able to get him to take a selfie with him and he even drew some artwork for me.. he told me that I could sell the artwork if I wanted to and fetch a decent price for it.. my husband and I were in the process of buying our first house and I told him no I would frame it and it would be proudly displayed.. he almost started tearing up..I’d happily upload the photo if YouTube would let me..
The same commenter also mentioned, responding to a comment about Detroit Rock City: yeah that was a good movie.. it’s really sad how his life played out.. he told me some sad tales of what he went through

> In early 2018 a man rang my doorbell in Canandaigua, NY. He was disheveled and seemed out of it***. He started yelling at me “I am Giuseppe Andrews, a Hollywood actor. I need you to call the police. “ I was startled and a little afraid but I told him to wait outside and I went in and called 911. He waited on my lawn and the police arrived in about 5 minutes. He spoke to the police in the car and then walked away. I don’t really live within walking distance of anywhere so not sure where he was going. I tried to obtain info from the police about what was going on but was not told anything. Has remained a mystery all these years later and I think people ( other than my neighbors who witnessed it) don’t believe me when I tell the story. Strange but 100% true.***
Some other interesting comments from various accounts, talking about the last stuff he was posting publicly:
> On his YouTube before he start d doing 13 albums in 2 weeks, his gf released a video a bunch of videos that was 4 or 5 hours long of him ranting on a couch with a guy. I think she was documenting it. I wish I would of downloaded it.
> And the next day it was all gone the footage, I have signed copys of DVDs and posters and shit he sent me in the mail.

(A reply from another commenter) - I remember he went on a long rant about various people in Hollywood and whatnot. Someone mentioned him having schizophrenia/paranoia, and while I'm in no way a psychologist or medical professional, it did seem like things were getting progressively more bizarre and unhinged. Given how creative and abstract he was when he initially started with his film making and music, I think it masked what was actually going on ( whether it was drug use, the onset of some sort of mental illness, or a mix of the two ). Earlier on he was still eccentric but seemed more lucid and driven with what he was doing.

> From what I've gathered (also a fan from DRC and Cabin Fever) his mother committed him to an institution and when released, he went to live with his mother. The twitter chick claims to be his fiancé now and he's no longer with Mary. But who knows.

It would turn out that Andrews also suffers from some very severe issues. Having chatted with his mother Giuseppegirl informed me that he has recently been placed in a mental health facility and has begun a 6 month stint in there where he has no access to the internet or anyone other than family members. He had a break up with his wife Mary Beth, who appears in a lot of his films, so it's possible that this is what put him over the edge. I've talked with Adam Rifkin who says he has some of Giuseppe's rarer films, but hasn't talked with the man for a few years now. That's as far as I have gotten in the rabbit hole.

A bigger YouTube channel made a video about Giuseppe's disappearance, titled "What Happened to Giuseppe Andrews? Internet Mysteries", posted Nov. 11, 2021:
(this commenter is different from account who made the earlier comment about ringing the doorbell in NY):

This dude showed up at my parents house 3 years ago in the middle of the night, asking for help and saying he needed to be let in. Absolutely no way was that happening. Long story short we found out after the fact that he was a character in Detroit Rock City & American History X some of my favorite movies
The last video of him I saw was a crazed rant of him yelling about censorship of art. He was real angry and cursing in a vlog style video. I think some people were criticizing him for use of racist language in his films I’m not exactly sure but I saw snippets of his rant and then the video was taken down a month later along with everything else.

1 year ago:
> He currently lives in Elko Nevada after having a schizophrenic break he still lives with his loving mother part time and she takes care of him. I see him around town a lot and only recently found out that he is Giuseppe Andrews. I can answer most questions if you’re curious.
There was also an interesting thread about 4 years ago, on a different subreddit:
https://www.reddit.com/RedLetterMedia/comments/gal55x/giuseppe_andrews/
A few of the more interesting remarks:

After his California days he spent a few years around Austin making films that mostly just starred himself and his wife Mary. Some of these are really good but his minimalism and experimentation are pushed to the limits here. Some are absolute garbage. After this there was a short stint in upstate New York with this same kind of limited style. Shortly into this cycle things for weird then he disappeared. Right before he disappeared he was posting a lot of troublesome content and releasing TONS of music and films with nonsensical names like "fffff" which would be followed up with "fffffffff". I haven't seen any of this stuff.

> I remember the New York era where things kinda went off the deep end. He released a lot of content where he talked a lot. There was quite a few where he would mention that he was desperately trying to reach out to John Frusciante
Has anyone else stumbled across any comments out there, that support this general narrative / add additional context, or perhaps give reason to believe something a bit different? In particular, towards the end with his site and the long drawn out "spoken word albums" / posts he would make? I listened to some of the audio samples when they were on the site years ago and some of it was unbelievably weird, like he was in a totally dissociated state, talking to people who weren't actually there. There were a couple specific celebrities he was "talking to" quite often, John Frusciante was one for sure, and another guitar player from a relatively small band I can't remember now (I looked them up at the time and thought it was particularly weird, as they were like a small time college rock band who had broken up years prior).
One thing I do remember quite distinctly was I was quite surprised when a shot of Giuseppe on a playground with a man and woman in upper state NY was posted to Instagram, a short while after his website went down. If I remember correctly, they were musicians and the caption said something to the effect that he was helping them film a video. At this point I thought he was more or less completely out of it based on what he'd been posting to his website, so I was really surprised that he had connected with some strangers to actually do something like that, but I don't believe there was ever any follow up posts. I haven't been able to find that post since, if anyone ever remembers seeing that, and who the couple were that would be unbelievably helpful to me!
From the bits and pieces that have come out, I feel like I can stitch together a bit of an understanding of how things might have gone down over the last decade, but a lot is still very speculative to an extent. I'm really curious if anyone out there can corroborate some of these stories in any way, or add any additional information!

I'm sure everyone who knows the background details of Daemon's character, George RR Martin is a giant fangirl of his character. He proceeds to wank him all over the book of F&B, gives him the best death in all of ASOIAF, then has all 4 of his kids survive the war, two become kings, one continues the line of the Velaryons, and the other becomes the last dragonrider. He then writes a bunch of fanfiction about his kid's wacky adventures post-war.
We know Daemon's acts before the war, he spends his youth sleeping and having intercourse with almost any girl he can get his hands on in Kings Landing, its stated he preferred the youngest and purest of maidens, liking to deflower them. He groomed his niece Rhaenyra and if Mushroom is to be believed, was having intercourse with her when she was 15, he was 31. His 1st wife Rhea mysteriously dies in the Vale and then he tries to claim her seat and lands, gets rejected by Jeyne Arryn. He runs off and has kids with Laena for a few years, comes back, its rumored him Laena and Rhaenyra were in a 3 way relationship. Laena dies from childbirth complications and he carries her back to bed, 1 of his few good moments. Ok so then he immediately beds Rhaenyra, we are told they married quickly possibly because she was pregnant, marrying against Viserys wishes.
As for the actual war, once he hears of Lucerys death, he sends a raven to Rhaenyra saying "A son for a Son, Lucerys shall be avenged." He sends word to Mysaria to hire assassins, with the instructions for them what to do, the killers commit Blood & Cheese, I've shared what I believe happened to Cheese already, Blood gets caught at the gate and tells he was going to bring the head to Daemon. The book never goes on to tell us how anyone villainized Daemon for this, or that anyone even cared besides the Brackens & Targtowers. Daemon then goes on to groom 16 year old Nettles into a relationship with him when he is 48 years old. He continues to groom her and eventually beds her, Rhaenyra is told Nettles is pregnant with his child, and she rages, wants the girl dead. Daemon disgusted by the letter when told, spends 1 more night with Nettles, then sends her away the next morning, which we are to believe is his 2nd good deed, even though like this was his fault for putting her in this situation. Anyway, he goes to Harrenhal, waits for 13 days for Aemond, Aemond shows up and they fight and he defies gravity and he has to sacrifice himself to take down Aemond and Vhagar.
I've summarized most of the key details of Daemon's life as written in F&B, so I was wondering, why does everyone think George loves Daemon so much, what of his character does he see that makes him so grey and not an outright black hearted sociopath that most fans or readers believe he is?
Why do you think the maesters are drooling over him when describing him in the text?
Do you believe the text is biased towards Daemon Targaryen? Do you think this bias would be different if one of Aegon II's children had continued the Targaryen line instead of Daemon's?
Lastly, why do you believe the text never refers to Daemon as a kinslayer?

General spoilers for the entire game and Houses
I do not know how many people noticed this when looking at the names of certain events in this game, but I noticed something in Azure Gleam Chapter 16.
After the chapter spoiler we are treated to an event titled spoiler as you can see for yourself in the Hopes datamine link I provided.
Those who played Silver Snow or Verdant Wind may recognize the phrasing, and it is actually a direct reference to spoiler
For those who do not remember I will insert it here
I find it interesting they would reference such an iconic scene in Azure Gleam given the nature of the endgame, and that scene in particular showcasing spoiler

General

This subreddit is North American focused. If you would like to provide information from other countries, please leave it in a comment below or contact the moderators.
 
What is a perfusionist and what do they do?
A perfusionist’s central role is to operate a heart-lung machine during open heart surgeries or other surgeries where blood flow may be impaired or interrupted. Examples of surgeries or devices that may require perfusionists most commonly include:

• Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG)
• Heart Valve Repair or Replacement
• Congenital Heart Defect Repairs
• Organ Transplants
• Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO)
• Ventricular Assist Devices (VAD)
• Intra-Aortic Balloon Pumps (IABP)
• Chemoperfusion

 
What is the salary and job outlook?
Salaries for perfusionists are generally higher than $150,000 per year. There are a wide variety of pay structures that will affect total compensation packages.
The future of perfusion is unclear, mostly due to concerns of market saturation. A search through /Perfusion will reveal a wide variety of opinions on the matter. The American Board of Cardiovascular Perfusion (ABCP) publishes an annual report listing the number of certifications gained and lost. Included in the most current report (2023) is a historical list going back to 2000. Included in the 2022 report is the number of students admitted and graduated in 2021 and 2022.
 
Professional Organizations and Resources:  

• American Society of ExtraCorporeal Technology  
  
• The American Academy of Cardiovascular Perfusion  
  
• The Canadian Society of Clinical Perfusion  
  
• The Tiny Perfusion Letter
  

 

Education and Credentialing

 
How do I become a perfusionist?
To become a practicing perfusionist in the United States, you must become a Certified Clinical Perfusionist (CCP). This credential is governed by the American Board of Cardiovascular Perfusion (ABCP) and is awarded after passing two board examinations: the Perfusion Basic Science Examination (PBSE) and the Clinical Applications in Perfusion Examination (CAPE).
Qualification to sit for the board exams is achieved by completing a certified program. The accrediting body for programs is the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) and a current list of programs may be found by going to this page, selecting “Profession” and choosing “Perfusion.” Unfortunately, this does not include programs that are defunct or programs that are undergoing the preliminary accreditation process. All schools require an undergraduate degree before entry regardless of outcome: degree or certificate.
The list of schools maintained at Perfusion.com and at SpecialtyCare are not current.
Programs currently undergoing preliminary certification include (alphabetical):

• Emory School of Nursing
• Lawrence Technological University
• Northern Kentucky University
• University of Southern California

Program lengths vary from 18 to 21 months and cost varies from approximately $30,000 to $140,000.
 

Common Questions About the Application Process

 
Is it competitive?
The application process is extremely competitive. Schools are typically receiving several hundred applications and most take 20 or fewer students.
When does the application cycle begin?
The application cycle is different for each school, but typically start as early as June 1 for start dates the following year.
That means that for the beginning of the 2025-2026 academic year, applications will begin opening on June 1, 2024.
When do applications close?
Again, each program will be different. Some programs close earlier than others. Some programs have processes that take awhile to complete, so it is advisable to complete your application before the process closes.
Which school should I apply to?
You should apply to every school you're qualified for.
What prerequisites are required for perfusion school?
Each of the programs have different requirements. Contacting each of the programs with program specific questions is going to result in much more accurate answers than asking here. Programs can and do change requirements on an ongoing basis.
Nearly all programs require at least a documented conversation with a perfusionist or shadowing a case as part of the application process.
How do I find a perfusionist to shadow?
LinkedIn is your best resource. You may also post a request for a specific geographical area using the flair “Shadow Request.” You can also try contacting hospitals that do open heart surgery and arranging to shadow a perfusionist.
What kind of work experience is useful when applying to perfusion school?
Perfusion assistant jobs are sometimes referred to as a “golden ticket” for admission to a school. Many schools seem to value healthcare experience, through what type varies from school to school. Traditionally, RNs with critical care or operating room experience and respiratory techs seem to have a high degree of success. Other perfusion / OR adjacent jobs like anesthesia techs also seem to correlate with higher acceptance rates. As the application process becomes more competitive, it may be worth reaching out to current students to see what class make ups look like or Program Directors to see what advice they may give. Unfortunately, the application process is a “black box” and each institution has different qualities, traits, and experience they seem to value.
What are my chances of getting into School X? / Should I apply this year or wait until I have more experience?
No one knows. Your chances of getting into a school that you haven't applied to are zero. Contact the program for specific questions and guidance about your situation. The application process is a "black box" process with only the Program Directors and Admissions Council Members knowing how they work and what they are looking for in the current cohort. If you have specific questions about feedback you have received, feel free to ask them. Generic "what if" questions have a low likelihood of being approved in this subreddit.
Social Media
Look over all your social media accounts. Clean them up. Present yourself well online.
Additional Resources
/prospective_perfusion - subreddit dedicated to the application process and questions
/perfusion_accepted - subreddit dedicated to accepted students
 
 
Thanks to ghansie10 for the original thread - if you see this, please DM me!
Please report broken links or incorrect information to the moderators.
Feel free to post questions or information below.

Regretting law school choice because there was no on campus OCI 2L or 3L recruit, didn't find articling and now applied to Ontario LPP but I don't live in Ontario and have zero intention of moving there. The first course seems fully remote but the work term appears to be in person or hybrid. No way I can leave my current job for 4 months, but now the more I think about it the more I realized the whole articling system is one big scam. I have a job that pays over six figures so doing LPP seems like it would be huge mistake given that the end outcome would be unemployment.
Articling is a scam in Canada. And LPP is even worse. Imagine paying 4k just to do yet another school course for 4 months, and then maybe find a practicum for another 4 months which may or may not be paid at minimum wage, only to still do the bar exam twice, a week apart, and still be unemployed in the end! The whole thing would cost at least 20k to move to Ontario and add another 30k in lost income; and that's just for the 4 month work term and exams. That's Canada for you. And if you do find a job most likely it's a contract temporary position which pays no higher than a government non-law worker. Even if some firm or government agency hired me after LPP, I wouldn't be moving to Ontario and definitely would take a pay cut from my current job.
Meanwhile if you go to USA there is just a 2 day bar exam, and at Harvard Law for example there's like 800+ law firms paying money for the privilege of recruiting 500 or so students on campus in a seamless interview process, with big law paying 220k+ USD day one and they also pay them for a few months to study for the bar exam as a "clerk", not to mention summer jobs with high salaries. Meanwhile at my Canadian law school there was zero on campus dedicated recruitment during 2L or 3L and no OCIs on campus for 2L or after. Please don't confuse the viLawPortal national applications for city specific Calgary/Toronto/Vancouver 2L recruitment with school specific on campus OCIs which are only for a specific school.
P.S. Thinking about doing a Harvard LLM but the cost and lost income just can't be justified. Can just write the bar exam directly in the USA and move on from this Canadian law school dead end articling circle jerk. At least then there is the hope of finding a remote attorney role even if part-time document review. And maybe down the line in-house remotely in some US corporation.
Looks like we need a PPS because the Canadian law students forum bans all critical posts:
Law School Regrets --Top reasons NOT TO go to my school: University of Alberta Law
This was something partially from the old law students forums, but on the new one it's impossible to post anything without being censored. My law school was a dead end with no career support and only in retrospect did I realize how bad it really was. Buyer beware. The worst part was the grading system where average was B- in 1L and where Cs and Ds were handed out regularly by profs. Some classmates were required to withdraw. I can tell you this not how students are treated at ivy league American schools which have pass fail systems (thinking of Harvard). Another big difference is that at Harvard most exams are just take home papers or assignments combined with participation. Brutal in class closed book final exams with harsh curving at a B- simply doesn't exist like at U of A.
1. Location, location, location. Edmonton is in a frozen industrial wasteland. It is extremely cold during 8 months of the year like -40 and lower with windchill cold. There is a lot of industrial pollution, dry air, and in the summer months suffocating smoke from forest fires. There is not much in Edmonton other than warehouses and industrial views. Views of flare stacks burning. Travelling anywhere is a huge hassle as again not much around. Even the SportChek downtown closed up shop and left reflecting Deadmonton’s downtown (high crime and deserted). HBO’s The Last of Us was filmed in downtown Edmonton and rumour is they didn’t even have to use CGI or props.
2. Building and Facilities. First year classrooms have no windows and the vibe is that of the TV show Fallout or Silo. The building is a literal bomb shelter with thick concrete. I recommend staying in the law building 1L classrooms if WW3 ever starts. The library is old and access to online databases and pretty much anything digital is extremely limited. They have very little subscription access compared to other schools due to funding issues. Don’t believe me, then try using HOLLIS at Harvard Library and see the difference in access. Anyway, the library system is severely lacking at U of A in terms of online and database access. Online textbooks and course materials anyone? One word to describe the law building: Brutalism.
3. Practical Experience and Clinicals. In short U of A has no clinics. No, Student Legal Services is not for credit and not Faculty of Law associated. There are no for credit clinics period. There are a few internship courses and they are extremely competitive so unless you’re getting As it’s not going to happen. Moots are equally competitive and the same few favorites get most of the opportunities. If you’re interested in business, or corporate law or big law type stuff or tech etc., then there is literally nothing for you at U of A as far as experiential learning or clinics. The course selection is also very limited with few options and many full instantly.
4. Career Services. There is a 1L OCI which places at the few small and medium firms in Edmonton, and that’s about it. There is nothing in 2L and minimal articling positions afterwards. The career services office had high turnover and the career advice from the former career services director for articling was to “ask your friends if they know anything”. The job board website is also useless and at one point didn’t even work for alumni. Expect zero career support or alumni outreach from U of A. One of the activities the former career services coordinator offered was "adult coloring books". Absolutely no career support from 2L onwards, no on campus OCIs, and Edmonton only has a handful of medium and small firms. On top of that there are a lot of experienced NCAs also competing for the same spots who are in the same classes! Students at UAlberta are so ignorant that they think a national viLawPortal application that is for Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver (open to literally anyone from anywhere) city specific market is the same as a dedicated on campus OCI recruit (OCI means recruiting only open for that specific school on campus usually done for 2L and 3L in the USA).
This is an example of an OCI SCHOOL SPECIFIC 2L and 3L system: https://hls.harvard.edu/ocs/for-employers/recruiting-programs-for-employers/
5. Professors and Classes. Some tenured profs are unapproachable and overly academic. You are just a number and the 1L classes are big, plus all the NCAs. Profs have no qualms about giving out Cs, Ds, and Required to Withdraws like candy. There are very few electives and it's not uncommon for them to be cancelled or full. There are only a few local externships and are very competitive by grades usually. I don't think U of A has more than a few dozen at most upper year courses. The curve is brutal around a forced B- average for 1L. Some profs even refused to supervise a paper summer course or write a generic reference letter. The practitioners are local and underwhelming. If you are looking for niche fields in corporate, tech, AI or innovative classes, there isn't really much on offer. I think they once had a Military Law course but probably don't anymore. And forget about AI or Space Law. I know it's a dumb comparison, but If I go over to the HLS spring catalogue I count 364 courses and 324 for fall; the vast majority being electives.
Good for Criminal Law???: Criminal law is the best place to be in Edmonton. They don't call it Deadmonton for nothing! Lots of prolific crimes and murders happen regularly in Edmonton and there are 4 big jails around the city.
I know some "learned" UAlberta students will argue U of A has plenty of courses, and maybe they added more, but I challenge them to post course number and titles similar to niche topics that top tier schools offer (usually with no exams, just papers and assignments) such as: International Commercial Arbitration; Government Lawyer; Modern Surveillance Law; Corporate and Capital Markets Law and Policy; Tax Aspects of Structuring Deals; Business Valuation and Analysis; Intellectual Property and Content Moderation; Digital Governance: Privacy, Artificial Intelligence and Information Technology; Nuts and Bolts of Forming a Venture Capital Fund; Global Governance; Advocacy Before International Courts and Tribunals; (Dis)illusionment for Young Lawyers; Legal Skepticism; Election Law Clinic; Cyberlaw Clinic Seminar; Applying Legal Skills to VC Business Diligence; Government Lawyer: Attorney General Clinic; Class Actions: Litigating Advanced Topics; Global Anticorruption Lab; Patent Law; Transactional Law Clinical Workshop; Investments Workshop: Public and Private Equity; Patent Trial Advocacy; Privacy Law; Deals; Corporate Finance; Roman Law; Federal Budget Policy; Democracy and the Rule of Law Clinic; Engaging China; Antitrust Law & Economics - Global; Consumer Protection Clinic Seminar; White Collar Criminal Law and Procedure; Lying and the Law of Questioning; Cybersecurity Risks, Rules and Responsibilities; Advanced Business Reorganizations; Law and Neuroscience; Drafting and Negotiating Complex Cross-Border M&A Transactions; The Non-Delegation Doctrine in Foreign Affairs; Copyright and Trademark Litigation; Drug Product Liability Litigation; National Security Law; China and the International Legal Order; Regulation of Financial Institutions; Foundations of International Arbitration: Theory and Practice; New Technologies and the Law of War; Space Law and Policy; Governing Digital Technologies; Corporate Governance: Corporate Purpose; Securities Regulation; Strategic Litigation and Immigration Advocacy; Mass Media Law; How Wars End: The Role of Negotiation; The Security Council; Venture Law and Finance; M&A Litigation; Introduction to Japanese Law; Startup Entrepreneurship and Innovations in Legal Technology; Mergers and Acquisitions Workshop: Boardroom Strategies and Deal Tactics; Becoming a Law Professor; Algorithms and the Law; Algorithms, ChatGPT, and Human Biases; Algorithms, Rights, and Responsibilities; International Law of the Sea.

Hey! I am a Canadian citizen who has received an offer as an engineer from a small US company. There are no lawyers involved so the company is doing the support letter themselves with the help of some support letter templates and other resources I found online. Most of these template letters still call out NAFTA but isn't the treaty now called USMCA? I am wondering if I will have any issues if the support letter I get from my company follows the templates and still keeps calling it NAFTA?
People who have gotten their support letters written by a lawyer - what did your letters say?
Also just to double check that the main requirements of support letter would be - (1) Company info, what they do, office address, contact info, etc
(2) What job I have been offered, my duties and responsibilities, job location, salary, benefits, etc (duties should match the job title and reference would be the occupational handbook?)
(3) What category would I fall under for TN visa
(4) How I fit into the category with my bachelor's degree and related work experience and hence would be able to do the current job that I have been offered
(5) Job start date and how long I need the visa for which is the full 3 years allowed
TIA

Let’s make it aware that there is a job offer scam that lies and take you to Scam Factories and you become a slave, and you may even die. Post here all cases of Disappearance of people who may be associated with this type of scam.

Know The Signs!

Have you been trafficked?

• Did you apply for the job via Social Media (e.g. Facebook, Instagram), WhatsApp, Telegram or an online platform?
• Did you have an online interview?
• Have you been promised a job with a company in Thailand?
• Were you promised a lucrative salary?
• Did you receive a letter of confirmation for your new role?
• Did you investigate the company you applied to and are they registered?
• Do you have an agent or consultant handling details for you?

How to prevent yourself or someone you know from being trafficked

• Never give anyone your passport!
• Research the company you are applying to join. For example, check their website, search for them on social media and LinkedIn, check the legal registration of the company.
• Ask for references (face to face or virtual) from current employees.
• Ensure you received an official letter of offer and check the email addresses match the companies contact information.
• Research the visa requirements for working in a foreign country.
• Notify your countries Immigration Office of your intention to travel or contact your countries Embassy once you arrive at your destination.
• If you are about to cross a river in north-west Thailand don’t, it is likely you are being trafficked into Myanmar.

Forced Scamming:

Trapped in secure compounds.

• Victims are trafficked into secure compounds within Myanmar along the Thailand-Myanmar border with no way to escape. They are watched by armed security and their movements monitored 24/7 by CCTV.

Physically tortured, Sexually Assaulted & brutalised.

• Victims are punished if they refuse to work, until they comply. They are sexually assaulted and brutalised to keep them compliant and their torture used as a warning to others. All have scars, some visible and some hidden, that they will carry with them forever.

Forced to work 20 hour days, 6-7 days a week.

• Victims are forced to work 16-20 hours per day and often 6-7 days each week. They are locked into offices with rows and rows of computers forced to participate in illegal activities, including cyber scamming.

Passports confiscated & phones strictly monitored.

• Victims have their passports confiscated usually under false pretences. All phone activity is strictly monitored with random checks are conducted daily. Victims are forced to use company phones and can only access their personal phones in their rooms.

Could this be your situation? If you or someone you know has been trapped in forced criminality, contact your nearest embassy or email the Global Alms Counter Trafficking Unit at admin@globalalms.com with the details.

This is a post for awareness. Let’s help each other. Only serious comments.
Below are more links to other related posts.
https://edition.cnn.com/interactive/2023/12/asia/chinese-scam-operations-american-victims-intl-hnk-dst/ (Scam Factory location: 16°38'53.0"N 98°31'15.8"E https://maps.app.goo.gl/hjxFLTUJ1SK1aLMM8?g_st=ic)
http://chinascope.org/archives/32233
https://youtu.be/m6qFCdHvYuI?si=rs2J71V1XIeFF7we
https://www.reddit.com/Thailand/s/L8OTm9Lvye
https://www.globalalms.com/protection
(My account created recently for privacy/scam concerns)

Last May (2023), my GP referred me to a Physical Medicine doctor who diagnosed me with Morton's Neuroma. The doctor attempted a blind injection of a steroid, but unfortunately, it only worsened the pain. He asked me to return after a month for another attempt.
During my next visit, the doctor used an ultrasound machine and administered a different type of steroid injection. However, this also had no effect on my symptoms. He then suggested a third injection (one month later), this time using Botox. Unfortunately, there was still no improvement, and at that point, he referred me to a surgeon.
After a year of waiting the surgeons office sent me a letter saying I first needed to see this other doctor before they would consult me (of course).
2 weeks ago I met with the doctor who performed an ultrasound. Upon entering the room, he expressed confusion about my symptoms. He also commented on how the initial doctor should not have performed three injections without seeking a second opinion first.
Using the ultrasound machine, the doctor discovered that there was no Morton's Neuroma between my third and fourth toes as initially suspected. However, a significant Neuroma was found between my first and second toes. The doctor injected a freezing agent to ensure it was the correct nerve and asked me to report back after 2 weeks.
2 weeks later (now) the doctor came in to the room and told me the initial doctor who did the three injections refused to send him his medical notes and procedural notes. This doctor said I would’ve had multiple other issues had the surgeon not referred me out for another opinion and the wrong part of my foot was cut in to.
Does this all seem odd? Those three shots brought a lot of discomfort and I’ve still been in a lot of pain. This new doctor being concerned makes me concerned for any other patients this other doctor is treating….

Who is Francis Sinclair? (quick recap):
Francis Sinclair was born in 1898/1906 to parents Tom and Mrs. Sinclair. His father died before he was born, so his mother had to take care of him. When he was younger, he lived in Hawks Eye Cabin outside of Strawberry with his mother. He moved to New York City and lived an affluent life before traveling to the Old West period in the 1920s/1930s.
Francis Sinclair is first met in a cabin outside of Strawberry and tells his story about hunting for rock carvings around the world. He says he will pay a good price for all ten of them, but doesn't say why.
After the player sends him letters pointing out the rock carving locations, Francis invites them back to his cabin, but will be mysteriously absent. In the end of the quest-line, a woman appears in the cabin with a ginger-haired baby named Francis. After the protagonist expresses their confusion about the situation, Francis' mother asks the player for their name, but after finding out that the baby is actually Francis, the astounded protagonist tells her that it's not important and leaves.
Francis Sinclair seems mysterious and talks quickly. He speaks in a strange dialect and uses slang the protagonist doesn't understand.
After finishing the Stranger quest "Geology for Beginners," his notes and drawings are revealed to the player. They suggest that he may be a time traveler. His documents show a figure who jumps between the past, present, and future. Francis was interested in rock carvings that depicted skyscrapers, a big city, an atom, and a nuclear explosion.
How Francis Sinclair is (and isn't) connected to Grand Theft Auto:
Francis Sinclair has a strong accent that was popular in American culture in the 1920s and 1930s. The fact that he was an infant in 1899–1907 suggests this. Sinclair's Business Card has a picture of an hourglass with wings on it that represents time and travel. He wears a belt and trousers with belt loops, supporting the idea that he traveled through time. Before the 1900s, people only used belts to carry things instead of keeping their pants on. Also, pants with belt loops didn't exist until 1922.
Francis is similar to another time traveler, Ernest Keigel, a character who stars in the Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories radio program called The Time Ranger. - Both of them speak with a Transatlantic accent. - Both have a decent understanding of science. - Both are fast talkers. - Both use 1920s and 1930s slang and are thought to have lived within the time period.
This is where Rockstar Games mostlikefully got the inspiration for Francis Sinclair, a person from the 1930s time traveling through various time periods.
Francis Sinclair resembles Kraff, one of three false deities worshiped by the Epsilon Program in Grand Theft Auto V. However, the character's portrayal and background contradict every aspect of Epsilonism (red birthmark, prohibited red hair, time travel science (general relativity), contradictory years with Epsilonism's creation and their Young Earth beliefs, setting in an unrelated universe, etc.), making the possibility of being a reference unlikely and simply a coincidence. Nevertheless, his unique birthmark is never employed for any religious reason; rather, it is designed to serve as a plot device for a more significant revelation during his last on-screen encounter, allowing the player to easily identify him in his "second form."
The mural doesn't solve a bigger mystery. It shows different time periods, and there's no hidden message to find. Some things are not puzzles. Francis Sinclair is a geologist who is looking for rock carvings that have already been found. The history book he always has with him demonstrates that he only wants to put them together so he can find the answer faster. Geology is the study of pressure and time, but he clearly is obsessed with this puzzle he doesn't have an answer for because it has to be put together first. Francis is not doing this to help a religious group. He is doing it for himself because that's how science works in the Red Dead Redemption Universe.

I am not the OOP. The OOP is u/Hopeful_Picture586 posting in AmItheAsshole and her user account
Inconclusive no updates in 1.5 years
2 updates - Long
Original - 1st June 2022
Update1 - 2nd June 2022
Update2 - 16th October 2022
Changed B to Belle (daughter) and F to Frank (Dad)
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AITA for refusing to go to my daughter graduation ceremony
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I (40sF) have a daughter (18F) who I’ll call Belle. When she was younger, her father (broke up before she was born) was very involved in her life and she was admittedly a “dad’s girl” but this all changed when she turned 8 and he got married. He barely called and just abandoned her for his new family. This was obviously hard on her and she rebelled a lot. But she went to therapy and seemed good. Belle has not seen him since she was 12 and he speaks to her maybe 3 times a year maximum. When he calls, she believes he is now back in her life for good then he ghosts her for the remainder of the year. This being said ,Belle and I have a great relationship, we do everything together. She even refers to me as her best friend so I’d say we have a good relationship.
Recently was her graduation and I was excited. But then she came to me a week before and told me she is going to invite her dad and his son. And cos her dad doesn’t want to see me, I can’t come. Belle told me that was the only way he was gonna go. I angrily told her, I felt betrayed and wont forgive her for this. She just told me I have been there for many of her milestones and she wants her father to experience some too. Things got heated and we argued.
The night before her graduation, I pleaded with her but she ignored me when I spoke. And only said “I’m sorry but I’m not changing my mind. I left and cried until my sister offered to take me out during the graduation to take my mind of it and I agreed.
I woke up the next morning to my daughter bawling her eyes out. I looked at the time and realised the ceremony starts in 5 minutes. I asked Belle why she hasn’t left yet. Belle then tells me her father ditched her and isn’t answering anymore. I hug her and tell her to make the most of her graduation. She looked shocked and asks if I’m not going to the ceremony now her father isn’t anymore .
And how it’ll be embarrassing to be the only one there without parents. I told I’m sorry that I already had plans. She then screamed and called me a bad mom. I apologise once again and got ready to meet my sister. I chose not to go because I felt betrayed and wanted to teach her actions have consequences, even if it broke me that i didn’t go. Since Belle returned she hasn’t spoken a word to me. And she looks depressed and like she’s been crying for ages. I’m starting to regret not going.
My sister says I did the right thing, but one of the moms at my daughter school said she was depressed at graduation and now I feel bad that I ruined what was suppose to be a day to remember because I wanted to teach my daughter a lesson. So aita?
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Comments
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Mad_Cowboy_64
NTA. You gave her an important lesson about maintaining relationships with the people who are there for you and not blowing them off for the next new thing that comes along.
Agitated_Cheek4890
I fully agree. Daughter treated her horrendously. Daughter might now go NC but she would be an AH to do so given how she's treated her mother. ETA: thank you for the award
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Awkward-Wasabi-9262
And OP stop apologizing. You didn't do anything wrong. The more you apologize, the more your daughter believes that her was right in her actions. At best you can say "look, I understand you're hurt and I'm sorry you're upset but this is a consequence of your actions."
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Update - 1 day later
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I don’t think I’m a bad mom for this one thing. And I accept the judgements and read everything. To answer your question: Belle does go therapy. This isn’t the first time Belle has ditched me for her dad, she been doing it for 10 years. This is the first time I have said no to her after he father abandoned her. I have asked her therapist, if Belle is being manipulated. and she said no based on Belle and her father’s messages, and my daughter is just grasping onto a reality that isn’t there
Update: I went to my daughter and apologised for not going to her graduation. I also explained that it is not a nice feeling to be left out and I feel under appreciated. Also, that is fine to want her father there for her, but I should too. Belle told me that she’s sorry things ended this way and that she loves me(hugged me)and wants things to go back to normal. And that she acted like a bitch. I told her nevertheless I should have been there and if I could do this all over again, I would’ve gone. ( honestly I said this as I thought she now knew her dad can’t be trusted- and I felt for her).
Then I asked her if she regret uninviting me in the first place and unsurprisingly she said no. This hurt me but I figured it was because I didn’t go so it was understandable. But no, she continued saying that it was probably best I didn’t go because she would’ve been more miserable as she would have preferred her dad to be there anyway. Then I got pissed( I didn’t show it). I told her my feeling were hurt, especially since I’ve been there for her.
And she said that she’s always going to want her dad there for her big moments. I asked, even at the expense of me and knowing he most likely won’t show. And she replied “ I mean if I have to make sacrifices, I’m going to, to have my dad there. I repeated the question as she seemed to be swerving it but she just shrugged and went on her phone. I told her not to expect everyone to apologise and turn a blind eye when she doesn’t value them in the real world. And i also said, knowing how she feels, don’t expect another apology from me and this is the last time I’m doing this. She looked tear eyes but I left.
I don’t know how other parents do this. I know her father is going to keep abandoning her and honestly I’m at my limit. And If I didn’t know whether I was wrong or not before, I definitely know I was right in not going. I know I’m going to get a lot of backlash saying this but I’m bitter and angry. I understand wanting her dad there but I should be on the same level of importance as him. I’m still going to be there for her when he inevitable ditches her again but if this behaviour carries on to her next graduation or wedding day. I can’t say I’ll be that apologetic to her. I should’ve just listened to NTA.
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Comments
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Alibeee64
Can I ask why her dad didn’t want you at the ceremony? It sounds like you don’t have an issue with him, but he obviously has one with you. Perhaps your daughter needs to work to understand this, as he seems very vindictive. If she doesn’t learn to set boundaries with him, what is going to happen when he makes similar demands at other important life events like college graduation, or her wedding? Is she going to expect you to keep letting her run over you emotionally in order to accommodate her dad’s crazy demands, especially when he keeps letting her down. And is she going to spend her life chasing after men who emotionally distance themselves from her because her relationship with her father has taught her to do this?

OOP: Honestly we broke up on good terms. I haven’t spoken to him in years though. And when I have seen their messages, it’s always small talk and nothing about me. So I don’t where this came from.
Her father always believed in leaving the past in the past. Even when were together, he was always a firm believer of that. So even though we had amicable breakup, he also didn’t see the need in being in contact with me. I just didn’t think he would have applied that to Belle when he got his new family. Also, I’ve heard a lot of rumours from friends as to why he does this to Belle, but then again they haven’t been confirmed by her father. So I can’t speak to that. She did want me there at her ceremony, she spoke it non stop to me until her father said what he said. And yes there’s messages of him telling B he won’t be comfortable with seeing me after so long. I genuinely don’t why he would say that.

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Update - 4 months later
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I’m sure no one asked for this update but here goes.
I’m going to refer to Belle's father as Frank.
For the past few months I’ve done a lot of reflection. Although, I can’t say I regret not going to B’s graduation ceremony, I do wish I handled the situation more like an adult. Growing up, I was taught never to ask questions I don’t want the answer to and that is exactly what I did with my daughter. I shouldn’t have asked if she regretted uninviting me because truthfully I didn’t want to hear the answer. And for that, i think I acted childish.
To clear up some misconception: I don’t speak to Belle’s father simply because he refuses to be cooperative. Also, when I said Belle referred to me as her “best friend”. This doesn’t mean I treat her like my equal. I do parent her, she did get grounded and got her phone taken away when she misbehaved at school etc( which is rarely). I think she calls me that because she feels comfortable to talk to me about everything.
Now to the update: There was an incident after, where Belle wanted her dad’s help her move into her college apartment before term started but he refused because he “had work”. She begged for weeks. The whole 3 hour ride to her college was her crying hysterically. My sister consoled her but if I’m being honest I was pissed. Pissed at my daughter as she refuses to go therapy anymore, but seriously pissed at my ex.
It took me ages after graduation but I finally got in contact with F’s aunt. I explained the situation and that I need to get into contact with him as he’s either ignoring or not getting my messages. He ended up sending me a very long letter. In a small nutshell, it said that my daughter has been stalking and threatening him and his family and he’s been trying to have a healthy relationship with her but she keeps being aggressive so he had to distance himself.
He acknowledges he hasn’t been the best father but he tried for the past few years and Belle is too aggressive so he had to put the safety of his family first. As for the graduation, he wrote that he definitely refused to go. And only said it was probably for the best as I probably wouldn’t feel too comfortable with him there. He said not to contact him again and that we’ve done enough damage.
He added photocopies of messages between him and Belle, where she “says” deeply troubling things, like physical threats. Personally, I thought everything he said was BS and misconstrued. I spoke to Belle and told her of her father’s accusations. She broke down in tears hysterically and admitted that she hasn’t been the nicest to Frank’s wife and child (understandably) but she never threatened and stalked them. I was trying to calm her down. I told her I believe her and suggested therapy. Then she turned on me, blaming me for the breakdown between her and her father relationship.
She swore at me and broke stuff. She told me to stop trying to villainize her father, when I’m the problem. She called me a burden and cancer and said I should’ve stayed out of her business. I was called a bad mother and told I should burn in hell. To be clear, she was never violent towards me. She packed her stuff and left, presumably back to college. Me or my family haven’t heard from her since. I called and called but only got one message from a random number telling me to leave her alone. I told her I’m always here when’s she’s ready to talk.
It’s been 2+ months since I spoke to her. I’ll never admit this to anyone but honestly I feel relieved. My self esteem plummeted and I felt dead for the longest time because of this situation. I’m going therapy and feel the tiniest bit better. I finally went on a date yesterday for the first time in a decade, without getting guilted. In hindsight, mine and B’s relationship were no where near perfect. I don’t know what more I could’ve done but I wished I did more. She’s my child and she was a victim of an overall shit situation.
Sorry for the long update.
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Comments
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maybemaybo
I'm guessing with the graduation he likely said something like "and your mom probably wouldn't be comfortable seeing me.." in an attempt to let her down politely.
And that probably led her to go "well if I uninvite my mum, problem solved!" refusing to actually see the truth, that he won't come because it doesn't fit in with their fantasy.
I would honestly reach out to F's family member and say "pass on that he should use these threats to try and get a restraining order" because now she's cut you off, who knows how much more desperate she is to get to him.
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I am not the OOP. Please do not harass the OOP. Please remember the No Brigading Rule and to be civil in the comments

1. Not Extracting Oil Himself, By Trading Futures of Oil He Is Trading the Letter Drilling, not Actual Oil, Water At A High Viscosity Actual In Business 1.1 Not Synthesizing his plastic himself, a plastic is a civilization base resource with established value and can give him what he needs 1.1.1 Not writing his own blueprints, the stocks are what the user writes as what they voted for so to vote with a small amount of stock he is going to need to make his blueprint for each and every stock 1.1.2 Not providing to warren or willshire the actual stocks and not eating anything from willshire, willshire allows you to destroy some bad chi which is good chi which markus could destroy good chi which exposes him to it which is good chi because i have destroyed the bad chi already 1.1.3 Drinking alcohol more than once, this has blood tended him to try the sacrement of the oil field drinking alcohol twice at least his blood chi is excessive, he should have only dranken the piss exactly once than turned it down 1.1.4 Blood, water, and lube usage, markus needs like some krks or a HS8 or something to get his reference into the correct reference standard 1.1.5 Looking At his synthesis, does markus not know that this is super costly by real dollars to send somebody to the field more than once because this is your foreman, you may only look at the corporation once per product given at the end of plastic for the given then at observation look at the crude at last and look at the product at last and this had to be good hidden already, this is what they were after was to look at the oil because you are naturally a dragon, but not look at the plastic, because you are a dragon, but find the plastic good when you looked at it, and only use one qa, and have all the resource you needed in their romanaj set at well 1.1.6 Markus is part of my corporation Willshire Jacobs 3 through givage so he has a method to access 22050-41000 if he had the actual thing, he is actually obligated to send the thing to 22050-41000 channel so he is mainly supposed to make the thing for real then get the china their american product stiffy return at the reverse to china stream, then he was supposed to have in his taught romanaj some sets, he needed his food sets, below hydrogen, which the only non negotiable is 1+3(000) or 1400 is hydrogen, he needs his drugs set below his upper which he needs his weapons upper to be unmolested by the cure, which he needed to have done a equal 5 depths, he needed his actual parts cure medicine done for his parts used or at least use our other derrick +12 if he was being technical, the neccesary derrick can be given as exactly +12 by addition or provide his own derrick at a reasonable standard, and he needed his standard romanaj set of one to eight to reference some kind of tradecraft he was doing which was not plumbing and preferentially guncrafting in our style of bolt paintball weapon 1.1.7 Markus is supposed to be providing technology by any means possible to fulfill his playing of minecraft, then jens is wanting you to do visual studio or ableton or starlink or somewhere in between, so he needs to do a 600$ real investment of actual money into a stocks client like starlink live stocks or rather ableton which will let him get oil from an oils future, fulfill a towers request at the foundry, fulfill a product description request for the unit 740-2111 China units of phase unused in a china description, he should also not exceed his 6-axis constraint, but this may actually be an observer bug to an unforeseen 64 level wanted level seen in markus. 1.1.8 If markus succeeds this he still is not paid because he is a sweedish and japanese citizen attempt and needs to attempt japanese citizenship still through romanaj set aqquisittion 1.1.9 Markus has no oxidation, he needed a temu ledger of the audio in the bound of a particular oxidation, source one third has to include all of the harmonic steps of his audio 1.2.1 Markus lacks source sulfur water foods motion stimulation engine xray if he is sober and lacks source sulfur water snorelax weed tropane enginegas xray if he is intoxicated, and needs both intoxicated and non intoxicated set 1.2.2 Markus has only provided himself as his user, he needs to get some crude oil and make plastic and an item for the user or the user will have no item for the stock to get it because modern products like amazon products are futures contracts fulfilled for real products at the temu main items level accessible to the player, all temu products are what is sensed by the user as their chinese items 1.2.3 Markus should provide penultimate to china sales of american item in reversal 1.2.4 The level of performance required in blueprint is the actual item detail at the next level, the cats item 1.2.5 Erwin desired the cats item to be in the human theme without being cat themed at all 1.2.6 You can read this on erwins website under the local aron.

Just another fun little story idea I had. I am still working on Humans are the violent ones but I like to bounce around and experiment with ideas to see what I really like. I also suck at writing more casual stories, as they give me severe writer's block as I try to map out how to make a scene feel genuine in my head, but I promise I'll update that soon. If you like this story and want to see more, then like and comment. I'll gladly continue this series as well.
Start of Personal Log
Humans don't like being told what to do. They don't like being commanded, put in their place, or snubbed. It was an inexorable, inalienable trait of humans, at least any noteable humans, to go against any authority that they believed was against their interests.
Humanity would not fit amongst the stars. Few ever did. It was a trait of most successful species to be willful, ambitious, and to desire more. But once they reached the stars the new (and simultaneously very old) pecking order either quashed any spirit such species had or simply eradicated them. Countless tomb worlds and diaspora served as painful reminders of what became of the nails that chose to stick out. The hammer of order would always strike. There could be no compromise, the very soul of the authority that held the Jurisdiction together relied on a show of unmatched power, or at least the illusion of item.
In reality, the Jurisdiction was an old, fat, and lazy beast. It filled its belly on the corpses of empires far and wide, and sated its bloodlust on the shattered dreams of hopeful cubs. It had every right to, for none could challenge it: there were no new frontiers to explore, nor were there any other enemies to conquer. The Milky Way, as humans had so strangely dubbed our cradle galaxy, as well as Andromeda, had long since been warred over and settled for millennia before humanity had arrived, bright-eyed and with familiar yet otherwise foolish dreams of cooperation and prosperity. The Jurisdiction did not cooperate, nor did it ensure prosperity. Oh, it claimed it did, but in reality it simply took. The rest was just the peace that came with not being the direct target of the biggest fish in the pond. The humans didn't like that, but they had no choice.
Slavery was a common tribute. The Jurisdiction had no use for other resources: it simply took. No, it wanted those who could facilitate that unequal exchange, those raised in a world where the only morality was the one set by your lord. The Jurisdiction was held together by expectations, obligations, and dury more than any kind of shared dream, so when you were ordered to take you did so without question. Humanity was new: they had no niche or value that set them apart, but they had a penchant for killing and taking, so the Jurisdiction gave them a taste of how the galaxy worked. They killed and they took. The humans didn't like that, but what choice did they have?
Humans were strange. They learned, but not in the way most species learned. Most species learned to adapt in a passive way, to adhere to the world around them. They flowed like water, moving past and around obstacles and confirming to the boxes they were assigned too. Humans didn't confirm, nor did they adapt: they made their circumstances fit their desires. They would not move around obstacles, but rather smash through them, and they refused to stay in one box for too long. The Jurisdiction merely saw them as a particularly loud nuisance, but those who faced their wrath knew better.
It is said that when a beast seeks to make an example, it shall humble its rival by killing it's cubs. Children were one of those universal constants that brought entire communities together: the Sok’klar saw their hatchlings as gifts, shaped by the fruitful currents of the universe in perfect harmony. The Yarrack saw each and every newborn whelp as an uncut gemstone, ready to be shaped into something magical. Humanity oftentimes referred to their offspring as angels, or spirits of unbridled good sent by the gods themselves. Children were seen by most of the galaxy as gifts.
The Jurisdiction saw them as a lever to inflict suffering. It had become quite effective at enacting psychological punishments on those that stood up and spoke out. You dare to disobey? You believe you can speak out? Your gifts shall be taken from you, and you shall be without joy.
Humans didn't like this, but the Jurisdiction would have their pound of flesh, and humankind would kneel. And they did. But humans were patient creatures: most species who retained that trait of willful spit also lacked patience.
I had long since become desensitized to the Jurisdiction’s actions: it was simply how the universe worked now, as if it were a constant akin to gravity. Cruelty was the unspoken rule of this seemingly unending age, where our lives never appeared to move forward or backwards, only lay dormant. The Jurisdiction had been the unyielding authority that ruled the galaxy for thousands of years, venerable yet feared all the same.
And for the longest time I was just another cog in its wheel. My name is Kalnuracht Sedjuur-Noumar VII, and was the scion of the noble house Sedjuur-Noumar. I was born into what most would describe as veiled apathy, living a life that could be attributed to the privileged class of feared scribes that enacted the will of those above. I was an administrator and nothing more. And now I am doomed to be far less than that in the eyes of my former constituents within the endless administration. I am the only scion, as is tradition, and without an heir I am the last of my house, our name to be scrubbed from the records, worthless, meaningless, and forgotten.
I am merely Kalnuracht, nothing else and nothing more. I have seen from their eyes, the eyes of the downtrodden, and it makes my crimes of association with the Jurisdiction feel all the more damning on my worthless soul. I am worthless to the world, and this is my story.
End Personal Log #1
Start of Neural Lace Narrative Log #1
They came from the black like carrion birds in the night, encircling our convoy as if it were a dying animal ready to be picked clean without remorse. There was no warning, no list of demands sent out as civilized peoples did, nor was there either any requirement for unconditional surrender nor chance to parlay, as was done so under letter of marque: this was an unmistakable call for violence and nothing else. They sought to reduce us to slag and scavenge the rest.
So, as one would expect, the entire bridge of the ship was nearing a panicked state. This was not the actions of those practicing civility, but rather the common behaviors of despoiling barbarians, the kind that tore their way through the dark reaches of the galaxy as if they owned it.
“Wayfinder, what do your probes see?” Shouted the ship’s sovereign. He was an older Kar’Rowmach, an amphibious cephalopod species with a venerable history within the Jurisdiction going back thousands of years. Normally one such as him would be above me if it weren't for the fact that I was under the authority of the Jurisdiction’s seal of office. He didn't like me very much, but most of his kind shared the same sentiment.
“All dark, honorable Sovereign: the sensor arrays are wailing but the feedback we're reviewing is beyond incomprehensible,” the wayfinder replied with a certain restrained temper in his voice. The Sok'klar wayfinder swayed gently, his tentacled limbs grasping different metallo-liquid braille output arrays, the liquid gallium flexing and reshaping unnaturally to allow him to to take in multiple different sources of sensory output at once, with the primary navigation computer plugged into the cybernetics surrounding his opaque, gelatinous head and plugging directly into his tube-shaped brain.
The Sovereign cursed in Loskat and pointed to his bridge crew while I simply sat in the back, near the Sovereign’s symbolic throne. “Prepare countermeasures and spool up the warp drive, we cannot allow the amanuensis to be taken! He carries sensitive information that only he can translate and transcribe!”
As the bridge crew nodded and began fiddling with their own systems, I preened my feathered hide anxiously. I wasn't a fighter: us nobles of the cloth were the educated minority above all else, not those who waged war or partook in hard labor. Special cybernetics in my brain allowed me to translate triple-encoded messages that usually took a ducal signet codekey or above to parse, but even without that I was a skilled mathematician and logician. I had terabytes worth of knowledge stored within the hardware installed in my head, all well protected of course, but if I were to die it would still be a waste. I could only imagine the damage any malcontenders could do with it if they were able to get their filthy hands on me.
Suddenly, the ship rocked, and the gallium overhead display began to form crescendos like I'd never seen before. “Sovereign, decks A-3 through C-12 are venting atmosphere and our coolant systems have been obliterated,” the Wayfinder spoke in an almost serene voice, as if he was completely unconcerned by current events. I knew they were simply incapable of tonal displays, but it was unnerving nonetheless. “Once we jump, we will not be able to risk another until the vacuum of the void can reduce temperatures to acceptable levels within the plasma capacitors.”
“Damn them,” the armored nautiloid hissed, his barbed feelers coiling in frustration, “May the currents take them. What are our options? what can we see? This fleet cannot fall to the void today, not with such vital cargo.” My hackles rose lightly at the Kar’Rowmach referred to me as some object rather than an esteemed amanuensis of the Jurisdiction, but I bit my forked tongue. Now was not the time to squabble with the sovereign over who was what and what titles I deserved, not while he was so desperately attempting to keep what semblance of order within his fleet that he had left.
I could not blame the crew for being panicked either: wars were practically mythologized now, having been long since rendered obsolete with the rise of the Jurisdiction, and that felt like an eternity ago. Now, either being levied into or joining a ducal naval force was simply another career, more akin to serving as an officer of the law rather than a fully fledged soldier. Minimal training was required, most of it being the technicals of one's duty rather than any kind of combat conditioning, so expecting a fleet to actually be prepared for a combat scenario in a universe where peace was the norm was laughable.
“We are practically blind, Sovereign,” stated the Sok'klar Wayfinder, “our probes are offline, and shipboard graviton displacement sensory arrays have been rendered unreliable at best.”
“What about the particle emission array? Has there been a spike in radioactivity where we were hit?”
The Wayfinder seemed to think for a second, his gelatinous form flexing and morphing a bit before answering. “Affirmative, a jump from negligible to forty billion becquerels along decks A through E-5 on our starboard side.”
“Torpedoes…” the Sovereign hissed, stroking his barbed feelers, “Human Torpedoes. Only those primitives would rely on crude nuclear warheads.” He then turned to his militant leaders on the ship. “Noddos, Rel’ads: organize your phalanxes and prepare to repel boarders. We are bound to be assailed by those rancorous primates, and I want their skulls piled at my feet if they dare set foot on our ship.”
“Your wish is our command, Sovereign,” the two militant commanders spoke as one. Noddos, a large bipedal with multiple sets of curved spines running down his back, a pair of graceful horns sprouting from his head, and multiple rows of sharp teeth in his snout, bowed first, followed by Rel’ads, a marsupial with long saberteeth and thick fur. They both must have been fierce warriors in their own right to each lead a phalanx. They wore thick, semi-powered armor and held dueling polearms alongside their usual plasma casters, and seemed completely unfazed by the situation we were in. As they stomped out of the brightly lit bridge, I let out a quiet squawk of discontentment. “Sovereign, why haven't we jumped again? We are wasting precious time.”
“I am working on it, you spineless beaurocrat!” He warbled back, his feelers tensing in anger, “besides, it's not as if you're the one who will be spilling blood today, amanuensis, so flatten your wretched beak or I shall weld it shut with a plasma torch.
I was about to reply with something indignant, but the ship rocked again, this time causing the lights to flicker and the air to become… thick. The skin under my feathers began to blister, and I became lightheaded and confused. “Seal the damnable vents, initiate radiation scrubbers, and activate secondary life support!” Shouted the Sovereign, “Their nuclear weapons are rendering the ship inhospitable!”
I coughed up magenta blood accidentally, and I could feel more seeping from under my eyes. Some of the crew was in a similar position, but others were more resistant to radiation than I. The Sok'klar seemed completely at ease as he ran his tentacles across his morphic braille arrays before calmly announcing the ship’s status. “I've regained some control over our probes: ten, twelve, and seventeen are active and fully functional, the rest are either still malfunctioning or permanently inoperable. A rapid rise in localized radiation is also interfering with the detection of graviton displacement; we can't sense photon redirection, thus readings will remain inconclusive.
“Wayfinder, damn you, get me some kind of out here! We're easy prey until we can respond in kind!”
“Negative, something has gone awry with our processing hub, I am attempting to troubleshoot-”
And with that, the Wayfinder’s bulbous head exploded in a cascade of opaque lavender blood, covering the front half of the deck crew like a morbid art piece. Some of the crew screamed and shouted in terror before removing their cranial adaptors and choosing to interact with their displays manually. Others died just as quickly, unable to unplug in time as their brain stems fried or their blood boiled. It was a horrible way to go, having your insides neutralized by your own cybernetics, so I was glad I wasn't connected to the system.
“Cybernetic warfare! All systems are to be considered compromised, switch to manual settings or you'll be killed!”
The lights in the bridge flickered again, and the displays went haywire. The bridge crew, which obviously weren't acquainted with working without being hard-linked into the mainframe, moved at a much slower pace.
“Launch missile pods A through F and set to self-target after five hundred kilometers, then rely on their ballistic coordinates to begin firing broadsides! If we can't see the humans due to their meddling, we'll just have to feel them.” Shouted the Sovereign, “and got me a detailed report on the ship’s diagnostics readings. I need to know if this flagship is still capable of escaping or if we'll have to scuttle it and retreat on another.”
“Acknowledged, Sovereign, launching now,” affirmed another deck officer as he swiped across his own gallium output array. I could hear the dull thunk, thunk, thunk of missiles pushing out of their pods before racing off to their intended targets, then the mechanical whirring as the pods rotated to be reloaded by slaves in the lower decks. I was regaining my bearings as the many horrible sensations of being overwhelmed by radiation poisoning were beginning to subside, but I still felt as if I had been microwaved. The air was stale, the crew was horribly sick as well, and even the sovereign himself seemed to be on his last leg. I was beginning to believe that I might die here.
“Sovereign, a message from the lower decks,” shouted a communications officer, his chitin scraping against itself as he turned quickly, “they're requesting reinforcements, something about being overrun.”
“Impossible,” the Sovereign hissed out in a vain attempt to exude confidence, “We must outnumber the humans, they always go for bigger targets out of arrogance.”
“I've received reports that it's not just humans: the primates seem to make up only a third or so of the assailing force, along with some Phaeldaer and Vrex.”
The commander slammed his clawed hands down on his own output array in a fit of rage, obviously overwhelmed by the circumstances, “Then this wasn't just a typical assault, but something more sinister!” The nautiloid warbled, blood seeping from his shell as the full effects of the radiation took hold, “Get Rel’ads on the line, have him divert all spare lances to the lower decks or else we'll lose the only offensive capabilities we can use.”
“Rel'ads has gone dark, Sovereign, his vitals are critical.”
“Then either get me Rel'ads tail-leader or get me Noddos!” He screamed in rage, “don't give me this nonsense! If we don't pick it up we're all going to die, is that what you want?”
“No, Sovereign, I'm simply overwhelmed-”
“We're all overwhelmed! By the tides, I'm dying of radiation poisoning you nincompoop! Get me something I can work with!”
The officer didn't even acknowledge the Sovereign after that, simply turning back to his display. Eventually, the Sovereign was able to get Noddos on the line.
“Sovereign, two thirds of my phalanxes have been decimated by combat with the primitives and the radiation, the rest are in shambles. We must retreat and fortify elsewhere!”
“Then the ship is compromised! Rel'ads is unresponsive and the lower decks are swarming with intruders. We must evacuate the amanuensis to another ship.”
Just as the Sovereign spoke, I heard several gentle thumps rattle against the bridge’s door, and it made me uneasy. Some of the bridge crew seemed to feel the same, as they looked incredibly nervous and some even drew their sidearms. Just as the sovereign turned to give further orders, the door blew inward with a deafening explosion, followed by shouting and gunfire. Several of the bridge officers were dispatched quickly, brain matter and blood splattering against the delicate electronics. Others were shot in the legs, the torso, or in any other exotic yet non-vital body parts. The humans poured in, brandishing primitive ballistic firearms and jury-rigged energy weapons while wearing scavenged, legion-grade powered armor.
The Sovereign was the next to go, but he wasn't afforded an honorable death. He was shot along the arm with a particularly potent plasma caster, burning off his clawed hand and cauterizing the wound, the acrid smell of roasting chitin filling the already hot and cramped bridge. He fell back against his output array, the gallium reaching new highs and lows as more diagnostics and casualty reports were delivered, and he clutched his stump angrily. “I'll burn every last one of you in the foundries! I'll tie you to stakes, cover you in wax and set you alight! Your screams will be broadcasted all over the galaxy!”
One human warrior stomped up and slammed the butt of his rifle into the sovereign’s face, shattering his facial plates and causing blue blood to splatter across his section of the bridge. “Shut the fuck up, you mutant lobster,” the human said before dragging him by both antennae towards the center of the bridge and receiving a stained breeching axe from one of his comrades. “Emmanuel, start recording. We need proof.”
The other human nodded and pressed a button on his armor before lifting up his gun again. The rest of the humans fanned out, holding everyone else at gunpoint. I tried to get up and sneak out, but a human grabbed me by my neck and nearly wrung it out as he forced me to my knees and pointed a sidearm to my skull. “Get down, you piece of shit, before I blow your brains out too.”
“Damnable primate,” I hissed, but he bashed me in my skull with the base of his sidearm’s grip and sent me sprawling, making my already pounding headache worse. Another human shouted at him in a language I didn't recognize, but he sounded furious. The first brought me back up to my knees again, and I complies with a hiss and a groan, blood still leaking from my eyes and mouth and my world was spinning.
The Sovereign struggled, but he was weak from the radiation poisoning and he couldn't exactly resist on account of his lost arm. The human with the breaching ax kicked the Sovereign down and forced him to kneel before lifting up the breeching ax and splitting his chitinous head down the middle with one powerful swing, sending more blood and brains across the floor. “Execution confirmed, take his antennae just in case and we've got ourselves a bounty. Now all we need is that ugly cat’s teeth and the fat hedgehog-thing’s grimy spines and we'll be in business. Although, they do have skulls… we might as well just take their heads.”
The real horror of the situation dawned on me at that moment: they were going to kill us all, or maybe worse. They mentioned a bounty for the commanders, and multiple of the higher ranking ship officers were already dead, their brains splattered against the walls or their bodies torn apart by gunfire. I wasn't dead yet, but that didn't mean much since I wasn't an immediate threat.
“Alright, round them up and bring all the grunts to the hanger bay, then kill the rest,” the leader of the humans said in such a lackadaisical manner that his complete disregard for life almost made me sick… almost. I had seen worse from the Jurisdiction before, but usually that was from me delivering some kind of ordered judgment on a world that had sinned against order. I might have simply been the messenger, but I had seen many of the outcomes. “And make sure to collect whatever proof of bounties you can, we'll need to deliver them to the office to get cashed out. Don't let this be a repeat of last time where Juarez fucking forgot to take a few heads and it ended up cutting our profits in half, the fucking retard.”
Some of the humans chuckled at that as they dragged more of the senior officers away, out of the room and into the hall,where I heard gunshots. The rest of the bridge crew froze in place, different fear instincts kicking in. The remaining Sok'klar corralled together into what seemed to be a singular, semi-congealed mass as if to try and trick the humans into believing that they were much bigger and much more threatening than they actually were. The one Thei’chi on the bridge, an ensign who had clearly thought this would be a simple mission, bore her curved fangs at the humans and growled as they approached, her hackles completely vertical and her eyes dilated. They quickly muzzled and bound her before beating her over the head with a gun stock, sending her sprawling onto the ground. Many others simply cooperated, eyes wide and yet simultaneously empty, as if they couldn't quite process that the ship had been taken and the commanding officers were being executed as the rest were escorted to the hangar.
“Get the damn messenger down to the hanger as well, we need whatever data's in his ugly lizard head, then we can decide on what to do with him.”
I spat at him in spite, as if to try and seem brave, but it was clearly an empty gesture. “You won't get anything, primate! You couldn't possibly crack the encryption!”
The human holding me seemed to wind up for another swing, but the commanding officer simply held up his hand to stop my tormentor before strolling over to me. He knelt down and removed his helmet, revealing a beige-colored face covered in scars, wiry black hair cut down to the scalp, and multiple tattoos. “You're really fucking mouthy for a hostage,” he said before punching me across my beak faster than I could register. I heard a sharp crack as his fist connected, and my head spun again as the metallic taste of blood pooled into my mouth. “I'd advise you to shut up, but I'm sure you won't listen: you aristocratic types are so full of yourselves. Maybe I should have you flogged in the public square until your vocal chords give out once we rip those cybernetics from your head, huh? How's that sound?”
“It won't matter… it won't change anything… the Jurisdiction will hunt you down.”
“Maybe, but I doubt it will happen for some time: they really suck at doing anything that requires effort, even when they're mad enough. They just keep sending their rabid lapdogs to try and smoke us out, and they always end up full of holes,” the human officer said with a smirk, his yellowish-white teeth and green eyes sending shivers down my spine as he drew his knife. “They're just horrible at their job, you know? You've all gotten so lazy and incompetent after being able to just take what you want without resistance, and now that you've met people who are angry and crazy enough to fight back you act as if we're committing some grave injustice,” he placed the knife against my throat, the flat just underneath my now bent beak, “No, we just took a few pages out of your book, ‘cept we've got standards. No kids, for one…” he seemed to look off into the distance as his sneer deepened, “but it's more than that, we don't attack the defenseless in general and we still win against you all in fair fights.”
I went to say something else snarky, but he quickly grabbed my thin tongue with his fingers and yanked it out, blood from my mouth pulling to the floor as he held the blade of his knife against it. “No no, none of that. Say one more thing and I'll cut that rancid little tongue of yours out of your mouth and feed it to you,” he hissed at me, pressing the blade down just hard enough to draw blood. “Do you know what it's like to see a planet turn into a tomb?" he asked me, gritting his teeth, “Do you know what it's like to see everything you've ever known crumble to ash and glass, all the life and the green stripped away leaving nothing but bones? I do. I've seen it happen to countless worlds, and my grandfather always told me stories of how you bastards did it to Earth. He still prays in its direction five times a day, to Mecca, but he knows the Kaaba is gone now, or maybe it's still there, buried in the bones of those who sought refuge there.”
I didn't care for the human’s nonsensical beliefs, but I did care to correct him. “I've seen it before, and I'll see it again. And so will you, it's inevitable. The Jurisdiction will always have its judgment fulfilled, there is no alternative.”
“One day, I hope we can rectify that,” he said, then he sheathed his knife and slammed my head against the metal floor with enough force to nearly knock me out. As I lost consciousness, I could hear him speak. “Take him to the Chop Doc, and make sure the cybernetics don't get damaged: they're supposedly more valuable than any bounty on this ship.”
Warning: Severe radiation poisoning detected. Flush system immediately.
Warning: Neural Lace removal detected, chance of neurological damage high. Proceeded with caution.