Letter templates non renewal of lease
Apartment managers ignored my noise complaint…
2024.05.19 02:56 StoneyMalon3y Apartment managers ignored my noise complaint…
About 2 months ago I informed my leasing office that I wasn’t renewing.
1 month ago I had to put in a noise complaint about my upstairs neighbor. It’s not a new issue and even the leasing manager knows about the screaming that often occurs. I wrote an email to each leasing manager about this instance because I’m 90% sure there was domestic abuse occurring.
If I was wrong, I can accept that. But if I was right… then that’s another story. I got ZERO acknowledgment of the complaint which pissed me tf off. I feel like they didn’t care to respond because to them, I’m someone who’s leaving soon so “who cares”
Today, I had a new neighbor move in. They literally moved in, dropped their dog off itself, and it’s been barking nonstop for 6+ hours.
I worry that if I write about this, it’s gonna go ignored again.
What do I do?
submitted by StoneyMalon3y to Apartmentliving [link] [comments]
1 month ago I had to put in a noise complaint about my upstairs neighbor. It’s not a new issue and even the leasing manager knows about the screaming that often occurs. I wrote an email to each leasing manager about this instance because I’m 90% sure there was domestic abuse occurring.
If I was wrong, I can accept that. But if I was right… then that’s another story. I got ZERO acknowledgment of the complaint which pissed me tf off. I feel like they didn’t care to respond because to them, I’m someone who’s leaving soon so “who cares”
Today, I had a new neighbor move in. They literally moved in, dropped their dog off itself, and it’s been barking nonstop for 6+ hours.
I worry that if I write about this, it’s gonna go ignored again.
What do I do?
2024.05.19 02:49 skyhighauckland Are you feed up with the cost of US-China flights? Write to your Congressional rep with this handy suggested letter
I can't believe what I'm paying to fly to China to see family now. I composed the following letter. Take from it what you will, modify to fit your own personal circumstances, and send to your local rep.
Prior to the pandemic, there were more than 300 flights per week between the US and China (2), and one could get a nonstop round trip ticket from Los Angeles to Shanghai for around $1000. Right now, the Biden Administration maintain a covid-era policy of restricted flights between China and the US (1), long after the pandemic is over. There are now fewer than 100 flights (a maximum of 50 for each Chinese and American carriers), and as a result, a non-stop flight on the same route costs $2487. To get from [MY LOCAITON] to Shanghai round-trip with one stop in San Francisco also costs [INSERT COST. SEE https://www.google.com/travel/flights].
We are a family of three, and my wife hasn't seen her family since prior to the pandemic, so the costs pose a significant hardship to us. [REPLACE WITH YOUR OWN COMPELLING CIRCUMSTANCES] Ultimately our hard-earned money has gone to pay for a long indirect route to China via a foreign carrier in an intermediate country--South Korea, in this instance--because booking one of the very limited number of direct US-China flights by US carriers is too costly for us. [TELL THEM HOW YOUR MONEY IS BEING SPENT ON FOREIGN FLIGHTS ANYWAY]
US airlines lobbying the administration to restrict flights complain about an unfair advantage by Chinese carriers as they can fly over Russia (3). This is not true of new flights the US have approved or could approve, as the FAA has quite sensibly required all new flights (including Chinese carrier flights to the US) should avoid Russian airspace (2). Lobbyists also complain that "Chinese airlines enjoying certain protections stemming from the Chinese airline’s relationships with their government". Such vague objections cannot be taken seriously and can't justify the continued freeze on numbers of flights between the US and China. Ultimately, it appears that US airline lobbying is an effort to restrict foreign competition by Chinese carriers, who appear to be more able to resume flights than US carriers.
I would respectfully request that you convey to the Biden Administration that airline lobbying hurts consumers like [ME/MY FAMILY/MY COMMUNITY]. That lobbying should be resisted, and the Administration should continue to relax flight restrictions and move towards pre-pandemic levels of flight permits for US and Chinese carriers flying between the US and China.
Best regards
[YOUR NAME HERE]
(1) https://apnews.com/article/us-airlines-china-flights-biden-administration-2071e9ef88956e0e550cb95d1ca73527 (2) https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2023-06-01/chinese-airlines-avoiding-russian-airspace-in-new-u-s-flights (3) https://www.airlines.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Coalition-China-Letter.pdf
submitted by skyhighauckland to China [link] [comments]
Dear Congresswoman/man [INSERT NAME],
I write to request that your urge the Biden Administration to disregard airline lobbying to restrict flights between the US and China. The Associated Press reported (April 11, 2024), "US airlines ask the Biden administration not to approve additional flights between the US and China". The lobbying is anti-competitive and causes hardship for consumers like my family.Prior to the pandemic, there were more than 300 flights per week between the US and China (2), and one could get a nonstop round trip ticket from Los Angeles to Shanghai for around $1000. Right now, the Biden Administration maintain a covid-era policy of restricted flights between China and the US (1), long after the pandemic is over. There are now fewer than 100 flights (a maximum of 50 for each Chinese and American carriers), and as a result, a non-stop flight on the same route costs $2487. To get from [MY LOCAITON] to Shanghai round-trip with one stop in San Francisco also costs [INSERT COST. SEE https://www.google.com/travel/flights].
We are a family of three, and my wife hasn't seen her family since prior to the pandemic, so the costs pose a significant hardship to us. [REPLACE WITH YOUR OWN COMPELLING CIRCUMSTANCES] Ultimately our hard-earned money has gone to pay for a long indirect route to China via a foreign carrier in an intermediate country--South Korea, in this instance--because booking one of the very limited number of direct US-China flights by US carriers is too costly for us. [TELL THEM HOW YOUR MONEY IS BEING SPENT ON FOREIGN FLIGHTS ANYWAY]
US airlines lobbying the administration to restrict flights complain about an unfair advantage by Chinese carriers as they can fly over Russia (3). This is not true of new flights the US have approved or could approve, as the FAA has quite sensibly required all new flights (including Chinese carrier flights to the US) should avoid Russian airspace (2). Lobbyists also complain that "Chinese airlines enjoying certain protections stemming from the Chinese airline’s relationships with their government". Such vague objections cannot be taken seriously and can't justify the continued freeze on numbers of flights between the US and China. Ultimately, it appears that US airline lobbying is an effort to restrict foreign competition by Chinese carriers, who appear to be more able to resume flights than US carriers.
I would respectfully request that you convey to the Biden Administration that airline lobbying hurts consumers like [ME/MY FAMILY/MY COMMUNITY]. That lobbying should be resisted, and the Administration should continue to relax flight restrictions and move towards pre-pandemic levels of flight permits for US and Chinese carriers flying between the US and China.
Best regards
[YOUR NAME HERE]
(1) https://apnews.com/article/us-airlines-china-flights-biden-administration-2071e9ef88956e0e550cb95d1ca73527 (2) https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2023-06-01/chinese-airlines-avoiding-russian-airspace-in-new-u-s-flights (3) https://www.airlines.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Coalition-China-Letter.pdf
2024.05.19 02:47 kennyg703 I received a letter from my insurance
Hi everyone! I went looking for this on this page and couldn’t find anything. So I received a letter from my insurance saying that I my medicine was covered up until October of this year. But I haven’t been able to get a hold of them so I was wondering if y’all could help! Does that mean it covers it even after my insurance renews in July? Does it only apply to the dose I’m on rn? Like if I go up a dose like it start all over and cover that one again. I just have a ton of questions and can’t call cause of the weekend. If it helps I have blue cross blue shield.
submitted by kennyg703 to Zepbound [link] [comments]
2024.05.19 02:39 whackyhack DTS:X v Dolby Atmos: Lost in Translation?
IMAX enhanced Queen Rock Montreal on Disney+ renewed my curiosity in different recording standards. But I am unsure what I am hearing. So, help me out.
My streaming device is Hisense U8K, sound bar is M512a-H6. EQ is Direct. The first time DTS:X version became available, Disney+ helpfully asked if I wanted to switch to that audio track. I switched. The sound was impressive. (As another redittor noted, M512a indicates DTS Surround.) But I am not familiar with the material. (Nor am I familiar with live concert format.) So, I turn DTS:X on and off, scrub back and compare. When DTS:X is off, the sound track is in Dolby Atmos, Disney+'s best offer before May 15.
This gives me the impression that the Atmos track has lower sound level, and less impressive. Lacking equipment to calibrate sound level makes it very difficult to really compare. I experimented by turning volume up when DTS:X was off, then turning volume down with DTS:X on. In all, I could not get the same rumbling sound in Atmos as in DTS:X.
Then, I tried Thor: Ragnarok. With this, the Atmos track is in the same level as the DTS:X track, and I cannot hear much difference.
My big question is, then: Is the difference I hear in Queen Rock Montreal because of the dynamic range in original recordings that Dolby Atmos cannot reproduce, or is it because the producer did not pay enough attention in the Atmos track? (Or worse, could it be that I am tricked into feeling less impressed with the Atmos track merely because of the sound level difference, like the lack of difference in Thor: Ragnarok would have implied? Not only am I not an audiophile, but also how faithful M512a can deliver these sounds is always a question.)
I cued up two more live concert films, Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour and Happier than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles, both in Dolby Atmos. The Swift concert sounded quite like the Atmos track of the Queen concert. But the Eilish concert sounded very much like the DTS:X track of the Queen concert. The latter has full orchestra. Maybe that makes sound engineers more conscious about dynamic range? (The Eilish sound is better even when orchestra is not playing.)
submitted by whackyhack to VIZIO_Official [link] [comments]
My streaming device is Hisense U8K, sound bar is M512a-H6. EQ is Direct. The first time DTS:X version became available, Disney+ helpfully asked if I wanted to switch to that audio track. I switched. The sound was impressive. (As another redittor noted, M512a indicates DTS Surround.) But I am not familiar with the material. (Nor am I familiar with live concert format.) So, I turn DTS:X on and off, scrub back and compare. When DTS:X is off, the sound track is in Dolby Atmos, Disney+'s best offer before May 15.
This gives me the impression that the Atmos track has lower sound level, and less impressive. Lacking equipment to calibrate sound level makes it very difficult to really compare. I experimented by turning volume up when DTS:X was off, then turning volume down with DTS:X on. In all, I could not get the same rumbling sound in Atmos as in DTS:X.
Then, I tried Thor: Ragnarok. With this, the Atmos track is in the same level as the DTS:X track, and I cannot hear much difference.
My big question is, then: Is the difference I hear in Queen Rock Montreal because of the dynamic range in original recordings that Dolby Atmos cannot reproduce, or is it because the producer did not pay enough attention in the Atmos track? (Or worse, could it be that I am tricked into feeling less impressed with the Atmos track merely because of the sound level difference, like the lack of difference in Thor: Ragnarok would have implied? Not only am I not an audiophile, but also how faithful M512a can deliver these sounds is always a question.)
I cued up two more live concert films, Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour and Happier than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles, both in Dolby Atmos. The Swift concert sounded quite like the Atmos track of the Queen concert. But the Eilish concert sounded very much like the DTS:X track of the Queen concert. The latter has full orchestra. Maybe that makes sound engineers more conscious about dynamic range? (The Eilish sound is better even when orchestra is not playing.)
2024.05.19 02:24 TheYourPetGuide Does Cat Litter biodegrade or Expire ?
When it comes to the question "Does cat litter biodegrade?", the answer depends on the type of cat litter you use. Here’s a detailed look at the different types of cat litter and their biodegradability:
submitted by TheYourPetGuide to u/TheYourPetGuide [link] [comments]
Types of Cat Litter and Their Biodegradability
1. Clay-Based Cat Litter
Clay-based cat litters are the most common but are not biodegradable. They are made from bentonite clay, which is strip-mined and does not break down naturally. This type of litter can sit in landfills for a very long time, contributing to environmental waste.2. Silica Gel Litter
Silica gel litter, also known as crystal litter, is another non-biodegradable option. Made from silicon dioxide, it absorbs moisture but does not break down in the environment. Like clay litter, it poses a disposal problem.3. Biodegradable Cat Litter
Biodegradable cat litters are made from natural, renewable resources and can break down naturally over time. These include:- Wood Litter: Made from recycled wood or sawdust.
- Paper Litter: Composed of recycled paper products.
- Corn, Wheat, and Pine Litter: Made from plant-based materials.
- Grass Seed Litter: Derived from grass seeds, it’s a newer option that is also biodegradable.
Benefits of Biodegradable Cat Litter
- Environmentally Friendly: These litters reduce landfill waste and are often made from recycled or sustainable materials.
- Compostable: Some biodegradable litters can be composted, reducing your environmental footprint further.
- Non-Toxic: Generally safer for cats and humans, with fewer chemicals and dust particles.
Tips for Using Biodegradable Cat Litter
- Transition Gradually: Introduce biodegradable litter slowly to avoid stressing your cat.
- Check for Allergies: Monitor your cat for any allergic reactions to new litter materials.
- Proper Disposal: Even biodegradable litter should be disposed of properly. Check local guidelines for composting or disposal.
2024.05.19 02:24 LibraryGullible4679 Sibling is facing foreclosure, frustrating circumstances... how should I help?
Throwaway account. Genuinely, this is my sibling's situation, not mine. Much of the 'story' of this is what the sibling related to me. Sibling has had financial issues in the past. This may belong in FinancialAdvice, but I sense things may beyond money fixing...
Sibling is in Alabama, I am in Georgia.
Sibling is self employed in a profession that involves taking many direct payments, and uses Square to accept those payments. Sibling purchased a home in August of last year. They claim that they [attempted] to use Square to make the mortgage payments, however apparently the mortgage company never actually accepted them. Sibling and their spouse apparently ignored many letters before realizing the situation and were months past due. Between them and the mortgage company, it was finally realized the failure to make/accept via Square, so Sibling began the process of getting the money back from Square and succeeded.
Sibling apparently also banks with a non-mainstream online-only bank, so then getting the funds from Square to that bank was a process. The mortgage company apparently told Sibling that they HAD to overnight a cashiers at the time she was finally in possession of the funds. They get online bank to increase withdrawal/ATM limits, and over the course of several days they get the cash in hand... at this point I'm just going to round the amount to 15 thousand dollars.
Sibling takes cash to local, mainstream brick-and-mortar bank they have a car note with and get a cashiers check, takes that to FedEx, and send check and paperwork as instructed.
It takes two weeks for the mortgage company to come back and say "Got your FedEx envelop - and the paperwork - but no check." Commence cashiers check cancellation process... money is locked up for 90 days according to brick-and-mortar bank.
1-2 weeks later, the foreclosure notice is in the newspaper and they're getting notice of foreclosure. (Don't ask me what notices they've gotten or ignored, I'm aware these things don't happen overnight.) I would have thought all this is was a scam if I didn't find the notice in the newspaper myself.
Courthouse steps sale is in 10 days.
I am liquid enough to help my sibling - I've known about the situation for 48 hours at this point. After the initial story from my sibling, my spouse and I slept on the situation and decided that if there was something we could do, we should do it...
I asked sibling "If a wire or ACH could happen today, would it solve this problem." They waited until the end of the day to call/text me back (they were working, maybe I didn't imply strongly enough that I was willing to make a payment). That was Friday. Little/no contact since then from sibling.
So, I have two areas of questions:
I have redacted some known details or minutiae for the sake of length of this post. Happy to fill in any gaps I have knowledge of.
submitted by LibraryGullible4679 to legaladvice [link] [comments]
Sibling is in Alabama, I am in Georgia.
Sibling is self employed in a profession that involves taking many direct payments, and uses Square to accept those payments. Sibling purchased a home in August of last year. They claim that they [attempted] to use Square to make the mortgage payments, however apparently the mortgage company never actually accepted them. Sibling and their spouse apparently ignored many letters before realizing the situation and were months past due. Between them and the mortgage company, it was finally realized the failure to make/accept via Square, so Sibling began the process of getting the money back from Square and succeeded.
Sibling apparently also banks with a non-mainstream online-only bank, so then getting the funds from Square to that bank was a process. The mortgage company apparently told Sibling that they HAD to overnight a cashiers at the time she was finally in possession of the funds. They get online bank to increase withdrawal/ATM limits, and over the course of several days they get the cash in hand... at this point I'm just going to round the amount to 15 thousand dollars.
Sibling takes cash to local, mainstream brick-and-mortar bank they have a car note with and get a cashiers check, takes that to FedEx, and send check and paperwork as instructed.
It takes two weeks for the mortgage company to come back and say "Got your FedEx envelop - and the paperwork - but no check." Commence cashiers check cancellation process... money is locked up for 90 days according to brick-and-mortar bank.
1-2 weeks later, the foreclosure notice is in the newspaper and they're getting notice of foreclosure. (Don't ask me what notices they've gotten or ignored, I'm aware these things don't happen overnight.) I would have thought all this is was a scam if I didn't find the notice in the newspaper myself.
Courthouse steps sale is in 10 days.
I am liquid enough to help my sibling - I've known about the situation for 48 hours at this point. After the initial story from my sibling, my spouse and I slept on the situation and decided that if there was something we could do, we should do it...
I asked sibling "If a wire or ACH could happen today, would it solve this problem." They waited until the end of the day to call/text me back (they were working, maybe I didn't imply strongly enough that I was willing to make a payment). That was Friday. Little/no contact since then from sibling.
So, I have two areas of questions:
- What do you think the options for my siblings actually are at this point? The mortgage company has referred the whole thing to Brock and Scott for the foreclosure, and with them involved, it's not clear to me whether a payment is possible at this point, who it would be to, a deadline, etc... (Not that I'm trying to get directly involved). Apparently bankruptcy is an option to stop foreclosure? If the story is true, perhaps they could even exit bankruptcy before it's complete?
- If I do help my sibling, are there logical safeguards I should put in place? Some form of written agreement? Do you have recommendations on how to go about this? I want to verify the status of the cashiers check cancellation and that that money IS coming back, and if possible or logical draw up an actual contract with my sibling about this (if that's a logical thing to do?)
I have redacted some known details or minutiae for the sake of length of this post. Happy to fill in any gaps I have knowledge of.
2024.05.19 02:13 Delicious-Ad-3442 New Jersey deposit
I have been in a apartment for two years, landlord didn’t renew my lease after 1 year. I moved out on 4-7-24 and inquired multiple times about my deposit. she texted me a letter on 5-18-24 of some garbage she claimed I left( they actually belong to her washer and dryer) and said the unit required plumbing repairs. A little over 400.00 in deductions from 2625.00. The letter she sent shows the deductions, but no interest generated For my time there. I also took a video of the unit before I left. Everything was clean and I wasn’t aware of any plumbing issues.
Can she do this? What are my next steps? Should I just take the deductions?
submitted by Delicious-Ad-3442 to Tenant [link] [comments]
Can she do this? What are my next steps? Should I just take the deductions?
2024.05.19 02:08 pixiegamer33 Angry about shoplifters
Its a long story, but to start, i just started a small art business (selling stickers, charms, etc.). I started out small and am just selling stickers to see how it will go.
Well i found a place in the mall i work at who were willing to sell my stickers on a small shelf. It’s not too expensive, but that being said, i’ve been in the red since i started about a month ago (which is to be expected)
Well, the week before mother’s day, i added some more stickers and restock for my shelf (there were a few sales and i didn’t have too much to begin with).
After mother’s day, i went to check to see how they sold and i saw that a couple of them of were gone, so i was so happy, but when i went to go check the sales records, nothing…
The employees double checked and said there are no records. So it looked like some people stole my stickers
This made me so angry because of a few things:
submitted by pixiegamer33 to artbusiness [link] [comments]
Well i found a place in the mall i work at who were willing to sell my stickers on a small shelf. It’s not too expensive, but that being said, i’ve been in the red since i started about a month ago (which is to be expected)
Well, the week before mother’s day, i added some more stickers and restock for my shelf (there were a few sales and i didn’t have too much to begin with).
After mother’s day, i went to check to see how they sold and i saw that a couple of them of were gone, so i was so happy, but when i went to go check the sales records, nothing…
The employees double checked and said there are no records. So it looked like some people stole my stickers
This made me so angry because of a few things:
- I’m already in the red, why steal from me
- There stickers, i didn’t even make them that expensive (enough to cover my costs and a little overhead), who steals stickers?
- This place is basically a vendors market, so there are multiple small business and they make clear, why steal from us?
2024.05.19 01:51 SyntaxErrorAB How much $$ fees to break lease
Hi all. Lease renewal due start of August, in southside of Brisbane. Agent has sent renewal now to sign within 14 days.
We have our home deposit now and are looking to buy our first home to live in and escape renting forever.
Wondering
1) How much in advertising fees will it cost to break the rental and for them to re-list
2) When we first rented here there was like 20 people that came through for the inspection (i.e. its a desirable house I guess in terms of price). Assuming people apply straight away.... roughly how long from giving my notice will I have to pay rent for. Like how long should it take the real-estate to advertise it, find a renter etc.
1 week? 1 month? A couple of months.
Obviously answer is how long is a piece of string, but if others could share their experiences it would give me an idea of time frame. Trying to decide if I should sign or hope I find something to buy before the contract ends.
Thanks!
submitted by SyntaxErrorAB to shitrentals [link] [comments]
We have our home deposit now and are looking to buy our first home to live in and escape renting forever.
Wondering
1) How much in advertising fees will it cost to break the rental and for them to re-list
2) When we first rented here there was like 20 people that came through for the inspection (i.e. its a desirable house I guess in terms of price). Assuming people apply straight away.... roughly how long from giving my notice will I have to pay rent for. Like how long should it take the real-estate to advertise it, find a renter etc.
1 week? 1 month? A couple of months.
Obviously answer is how long is a piece of string, but if others could share their experiences it would give me an idea of time frame. Trying to decide if I should sign or hope I find something to buy before the contract ends.
Thanks!
2024.05.19 01:20 Illustrious_Stage942 Urgent: homeowners not being renewed while under contract
I recently filed a water related claim (my second in two years). An insurance representative on the phone assured me that the second claim would NOT be used against me for renewal purposes as it was deemed state emergency (flood). I received a letter today that, due to filing a second claim, I would not be renewed at the end of this policy period. I was not aware of the two claim issue at any point. And again, I was explicitly told this would not be used against me in any way.
This is all even more complicated as I am currently in the process of selling my home through a mortgage assumption (plus cash). I am worried I will not be able to find coverage for my house as the process unfolds. I am also concerned that the new owner will also have difficulty finding coverage.
So two questions: how screwed am I, and what do I do? I called customer service and they basically told me “sorry you were misinformed”. Losing it over here. Any advice you all have is much appreciated.
Edit: I am in Ohio
submitted by Illustrious_Stage942 to Insurance [link] [comments]
This is all even more complicated as I am currently in the process of selling my home through a mortgage assumption (plus cash). I am worried I will not be able to find coverage for my house as the process unfolds. I am also concerned that the new owner will also have difficulty finding coverage.
So two questions: how screwed am I, and what do I do? I called customer service and they basically told me “sorry you were misinformed”. Losing it over here. Any advice you all have is much appreciated.
Edit: I am in Ohio
2024.05.19 01:18 Anon-boy- Will I have problems/be denied entry at the airport?
Salam brothers and sisters,
I'm a Syrian male, early 20s with German citizenship. I'll be using my German passport to enter at Cairo International airport.
As I understand, I only need a Visa on arrival and $25 Cash to pay for it.
I'm coming to visit one of my aunts (and cousins etc.) that lives there, and to meet some more relatives arriving from a different country to visit them too.
But with the current Genocide in Gaza, me traveling alone as an early 20s male, I feel like it's a recipe to be arrested by Mukhabarat and interrogated for like 3 days only to be bailed out by the German embassy and immediately put back on a plane to Germany.
What's the likelihood of that actually happening?
To clarify, I don't have a Syrian passport despite being a citizen and being born there (left at like 9 yrs old, parents renewed once at age 14-15 I think). Last time it was renewed, I was a child, so I don't have any Syrian papers whatsoever.
Also, a few more unrelated questions:
Can I convert Euros to Egyptian Pound at the airport or nearby for a reasonable exchange rate (what exchange rate can I expect roughly? Google says 1 EUR = 51 EGP, but before February it was 1 = 33)?
Can I withdraw Cash at ATMs with a MasterCard? Are ATMs common?
How much money should I bring for a week? I'm staying with relatives, food etc. is arranged, it's mainly getting a Taxi from and to the airport, and small everyday expenses like eating at a Café/Restaurant (none tourist area), buying snacks, perhaps buying 1-2 pairs of normal shoes, Jeans and 2-3 T-Shirts. Is 200-300€ (10-15k EGP) enough?
Where to find a Boycott list (I know that they sell in other names unknown to non locals)?
Regarding prayer times, I assume Adhaan is called loudly for each prayer. But how long after that does the prayer in the Masjid actually start? There's a standardized delay of X minutes, right? Or is it different from Mosque to Mosque, like here in the West?
What's the chance that police/Mukhabarat at the airport demands that I unlock my phone to read through my private stuff? What's the consequence of refusing?
If I'm approached/interrogated/detained by someone who claims to be civilian dressed police in the street, on a bus or in a restaurant/mosque or wherever, how do I know they're truly police and not just a robber or criminal? In Germany nobody gets to tell me what to do if they're not uniformed police, or show ID to prove they're undercover police. Not even military in uniform have any authority over civilians. But I read in a different post here that armed civilian police, with guns openly drawn/worn, searched a bus the OP was on without providing any ID, any announcement or clarification to anyone. Do I just STFU and assume it's legit police every time?
Who do I call if someone is overstepping their boundaries? Police?
If someone attacks me/provokes a fight, and I defend myself and let's say I punch them or whatever, am I screwed?
I'm sorry to overwhelm you with so many questions, but the ADHD/over worrying kicks in hard for me in unknown circumstances.
Thanks so much for anyone who takes the time to answer some of my questions.
submitted by Anon-boy- to CAIRO [link] [comments]
I'm a Syrian male, early 20s with German citizenship. I'll be using my German passport to enter at Cairo International airport.
As I understand, I only need a Visa on arrival and $25 Cash to pay for it.
I'm coming to visit one of my aunts (and cousins etc.) that lives there, and to meet some more relatives arriving from a different country to visit them too.
But with the current Genocide in Gaza, me traveling alone as an early 20s male, I feel like it's a recipe to be arrested by Mukhabarat and interrogated for like 3 days only to be bailed out by the German embassy and immediately put back on a plane to Germany.
What's the likelihood of that actually happening?
To clarify, I don't have a Syrian passport despite being a citizen and being born there (left at like 9 yrs old, parents renewed once at age 14-15 I think). Last time it was renewed, I was a child, so I don't have any Syrian papers whatsoever.
Also, a few more unrelated questions:
Can I convert Euros to Egyptian Pound at the airport or nearby for a reasonable exchange rate (what exchange rate can I expect roughly? Google says 1 EUR = 51 EGP, but before February it was 1 = 33)?
Can I withdraw Cash at ATMs with a MasterCard? Are ATMs common?
How much money should I bring for a week? I'm staying with relatives, food etc. is arranged, it's mainly getting a Taxi from and to the airport, and small everyday expenses like eating at a Café/Restaurant (none tourist area), buying snacks, perhaps buying 1-2 pairs of normal shoes, Jeans and 2-3 T-Shirts. Is 200-300€ (10-15k EGP) enough?
Where to find a Boycott list (I know that they sell in other names unknown to non locals)?
Regarding prayer times, I assume Adhaan is called loudly for each prayer. But how long after that does the prayer in the Masjid actually start? There's a standardized delay of X minutes, right? Or is it different from Mosque to Mosque, like here in the West?
What's the chance that police/Mukhabarat at the airport demands that I unlock my phone to read through my private stuff? What's the consequence of refusing?
If I'm approached/interrogated/detained by someone who claims to be civilian dressed police in the street, on a bus or in a restaurant/mosque or wherever, how do I know they're truly police and not just a robber or criminal? In Germany nobody gets to tell me what to do if they're not uniformed police, or show ID to prove they're undercover police. Not even military in uniform have any authority over civilians. But I read in a different post here that armed civilian police, with guns openly drawn/worn, searched a bus the OP was on without providing any ID, any announcement or clarification to anyone. Do I just STFU and assume it's legit police every time?
Who do I call if someone is overstepping their boundaries? Police?
If someone attacks me/provokes a fight, and I defend myself and let's say I punch them or whatever, am I screwed?
I'm sorry to overwhelm you with so many questions, but the ADHD/over worrying kicks in hard for me in unknown circumstances.
Thanks so much for anyone who takes the time to answer some of my questions.
2024.05.19 01:15 Gazooonga Diary of a Press-Ganged Saurian (#1/?)
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.
submitted by Gazooonga to HFY [link] [comments]
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.
2024.05.19 01:03 Pristine_Reality2606 Twin or karmic loop?
I (then 28F)met the person who I feel is my twin runner (26M) in September 2021 at work. He was taking a contracted position. He was a new contracted employee and we were immediately drawn to one another. We had the unusual urge to tell each other quickly about our lives, past traumas, hopes,and got to know each other well. We became close friends and always spent time at lunch, read books together, took walks outside whenever time allowed. We never crossed boundaries though. He was in a relationship with someone (recently just got back together) with whom he shared a then 16 month old with. Despite this, I just had this inexplicable feeling and knowing that we were going to get together. He even gave me his favorite book and jokingly said “I’m giving you my soul here!” At some point in the spring of 2022, his relationship with his ex girlfriend fell apart. This time for good. A month later, we inevitably got together—intimately, sexually after one night. All that tension for months finally released and it was truly unlike any other experience. It all felt right, but there was always this discomfort underneath everything. He was worried that I would be resentful since he came with “baggage”-the kids and a complicated situation with his ex (she doesn’t work so he had to financially support her). It didn’t help that the contract he had at our place of work ended and he couldn’t renew. He eventually ran. He got another contracted position at one state and his ex with the kids moved in another state. Throughout this time, I was devastated. I had no desire to date and never found the connection I had with him with anyone else. And while I don’t put much emphasis on signs and synchronicities, one night, five months after he ran, I saw a shooting star and wished for his well being and a sign that he was okay. Within the hour, he texted me(after not reaching out for like 4 months) asking if I still worked at the same place. It wasn’t until March 2023 that he reached out to me and let me know he wanted to come back to my place of work. He did so that June and thus began our “relationship”. Ultimately, it was very loving, playful, respectful, adventurous, but there was always fear and tension looming. I kept getting triggered because he seemed non committal about spending time and making plans with me. I didn’t feel like a priority, but constantly picked over. Maybe this was just a relationship of convenience for him, I often thought. It didn’t help that we kept this a secret because we didn’t want people at work to find out. I would experience random crying spells and anxiety, because of how uncertain things were. In hindsight and in fairness to him, parenting and traveling between states is a hard thing to navigate, but it still made me feel like I was someone he could just “squeeze in”. Moreover, he decided to stay permanently at work this time around, but that meant making less money than what he made as a contractor. All of these stressors added up and he eventually decided to quit, choosing a job closer to his girls. We are in contact, but it is minimal. I’m coming to terms with the fact that right now, a relationship with this person just isn’t feasible despite loving him unconditionally. He is so present as a parent and always strives to give his kid the childhood he never got. I personally know what it feels like to be abandoned by a parent, so of course I understand that his babies are the number one priority. I expect that. I want him to grow into the best person he feels he could be and just have peace in his life. Intellectually, I can accept this 3-D reality of us not being together, but energetically I still can’t shake him off. No other relationship has made me self reflect like this, and yet I can’t decide if this is indeed my twin or if I’m stuck in a loop with a karmic.
submitted by Pristine_Reality2606 to twinflames [link] [comments]
2024.05.19 01:00 AutoModerator Non Perth or WA and General Discussion Thread – May 19, 2024
A weekly thread to cover general discussion. If you have anything that is not directly related to Perth or WA (national politics, international goings on, music, whatever) but just want to chat about it, post it here. Non WA or Perth related posts outside of this thread will be deleted.
This post renews every Sunday morning.
submitted by AutoModerator to perth [link] [comments]
This post renews every Sunday morning.
2024.05.19 00:52 Huisboss Sublease for summer only 730
 | 950 S Marietta Pkwy SE, Marietta, GA 30060-2823, United States submitted by Huisboss to KSU [link] [comments] I'm plan moving out of campus edge in this summer and looking for someone take my room since my lease end at july. I'll moving out around May 8 and I'll pay the May rent fee for you. It's 4b2b and take around 730$ for all fees, I'm not renew my lease yet so when you take the room you may only stay until 7/31, or you can renew it with same price until next july if you want. Room come with bed, table and hard plastic carpet and something else if you need. The room are shows in picture you got wahtever you saw in this picture, It take only 5 min walk into marietta campus. If you want take this please plz give me available date so we can sign document and I can give you the key, plz contact me if you interest or any question about it. |
2024.05.19 00:51 BjornReborn Am I on the right thinking path for the next few months?
I had some bumps at work for 2023, but it was generally good. Made some missteps, took accountability. Moved forward. Most coworkers were cool with it, but one sr. team member has made a professional grudge against me. Later, I find out I would then be reporting to this person for all of this year upon our manager leave. We were moved to a new manager hierarchy. The relationship tanked immediately which is how I know it wasn't just me in my head. I was also told they asked that I not speak to the director at all; our manager.
The senior team member tried to push me out twice before. They began the process not even two weeks after our manager left. The annoying part is the senior member makes 10x more mistakes than me, but they have no one reviewing their work so they don't get punished. But I do. Because they can and they get off on it.
Going to the review...
I thought my performance review was good in the beginning... but I got a 12/21, just barely enough for a small 2% raise. I know it has nothing to do with my actual performance. Our old manager had business sense that the coworker was going to be present and gave me a low review to protect the sr. team member's ego and their relationship. The other intent was to also make the sr. team member not feel threatened by me to try to give space for my relationship with the sr. team member to grow...(unfortunately it was non-existent long before). Old manager made sure to list my accomplishments at least; so some of it is documented.
I was told all 2023 that I was doing well. This was also shared verbatim "We are blowing our roles out of the water." in front of our entire team (this makes me confused as to why I got a 12/21). I stayed late. I signed in extra early to support events. I took on and completed additional projects. I supported a function completely outside my role; and well. None of this was reflected in my score. It was just in notes in the unscored section. I chose to not fight it because I'm mentally over the team. I received only positive news for 2023 and then the issues came in like a flurry after our manager left and it's been hard on me mentally. How can I be blowing my role out of the water and get a 12/21??? I feel like a 17/21 would've been more accurate.
This brings brings me to my title. My performance review felt like a verbal warning. I did have to sign my performance review document. I have a copy. I looked over it a few times. I didn't sign anything that was punitive but the message verbally stressed was that they want me to perform better.... (the irony).
I do want to say I was thrown off by two requests to check in after our review. I'm sure the first will be in August. It's 90 days. Standard. The next would be 90 after (but could be 60). Though they gave no hard dates yet. I am confused that as the director was delivering the news, they asked me to consider moving over to another team as they don't want to lose me if I'm open to that. I know this was my sr. coworker's request. It has their name written all over it so to speak. I can't tell if the director was telling me silently to jump ship now and they're giving me room to leave peacefully or if they're feedback was genuine. I don't have a relationship with them because there's never been time.
Here's why I'm making this post:
I'm stressed I'm going to be terminated sooner than what I'm prepared for because I have my lease for just four more months and I have no savings. I'm still snowballing my debt and I'm almost out (next paycheck). I paid a month ahead by accident once (probably a smart thing now) so I have three months left on my lease. I have another windfall coming in July that will bring the renting months down to just two. I am planning on moving back in wit family for a little bit to recuperate savings before a big EOY move to a different state. I'm fed up with where I am living now.
I know when the verbal warning starts, the written one usually comes 90 days after, and then a final warning (depending on leniency), and then term. Should I let them term me? Would it affect my career to be fired from my first full-time job of almost two calendar years?
Most places nowadays only verify title and dates of employment. They don't even touch if you would rehire them or answer if the employee was fired.
Question 1: With a lower than expected score that is not reflective of my actual contributions, should I plan to receive a PIP in August?
Question 2: Should I force them to fire me or move me instead of leaving?
Question 3: Do I turn on my job search now and just find a short temp assignment to gain more experience and get out before my EOY move?
Question 4: Can I last at least for another five months? I feel like it doesn't matter how much I try to improve. It will never be enough for the Sr. Member that has made it their mission to push me out.
submitted by BjornReborn to Advice [link] [comments]
The senior team member tried to push me out twice before. They began the process not even two weeks after our manager left. The annoying part is the senior member makes 10x more mistakes than me, but they have no one reviewing their work so they don't get punished. But I do. Because they can and they get off on it.
Going to the review...
I thought my performance review was good in the beginning... but I got a 12/21, just barely enough for a small 2% raise. I know it has nothing to do with my actual performance. Our old manager had business sense that the coworker was going to be present and gave me a low review to protect the sr. team member's ego and their relationship. The other intent was to also make the sr. team member not feel threatened by me to try to give space for my relationship with the sr. team member to grow...(unfortunately it was non-existent long before). Old manager made sure to list my accomplishments at least; so some of it is documented.
I was told all 2023 that I was doing well. This was also shared verbatim "We are blowing our roles out of the water." in front of our entire team (this makes me confused as to why I got a 12/21). I stayed late. I signed in extra early to support events. I took on and completed additional projects. I supported a function completely outside my role; and well. None of this was reflected in my score. It was just in notes in the unscored section. I chose to not fight it because I'm mentally over the team. I received only positive news for 2023 and then the issues came in like a flurry after our manager left and it's been hard on me mentally. How can I be blowing my role out of the water and get a 12/21??? I feel like a 17/21 would've been more accurate.
This brings brings me to my title. My performance review felt like a verbal warning. I did have to sign my performance review document. I have a copy. I looked over it a few times. I didn't sign anything that was punitive but the message verbally stressed was that they want me to perform better.... (the irony).
I do want to say I was thrown off by two requests to check in after our review. I'm sure the first will be in August. It's 90 days. Standard. The next would be 90 after (but could be 60). Though they gave no hard dates yet. I am confused that as the director was delivering the news, they asked me to consider moving over to another team as they don't want to lose me if I'm open to that. I know this was my sr. coworker's request. It has their name written all over it so to speak. I can't tell if the director was telling me silently to jump ship now and they're giving me room to leave peacefully or if they're feedback was genuine. I don't have a relationship with them because there's never been time.
Here's why I'm making this post:
I'm stressed I'm going to be terminated sooner than what I'm prepared for because I have my lease for just four more months and I have no savings. I'm still snowballing my debt and I'm almost out (next paycheck). I paid a month ahead by accident once (probably a smart thing now) so I have three months left on my lease. I have another windfall coming in July that will bring the renting months down to just two. I am planning on moving back in wit family for a little bit to recuperate savings before a big EOY move to a different state. I'm fed up with where I am living now.
I know when the verbal warning starts, the written one usually comes 90 days after, and then a final warning (depending on leniency), and then term. Should I let them term me? Would it affect my career to be fired from my first full-time job of almost two calendar years?
Most places nowadays only verify title and dates of employment. They don't even touch if you would rehire them or answer if the employee was fired.
Question 1: With a lower than expected score that is not reflective of my actual contributions, should I plan to receive a PIP in August?
Question 2: Should I force them to fire me or move me instead of leaving?
Question 3: Do I turn on my job search now and just find a short temp assignment to gain more experience and get out before my EOY move?
Question 4: Can I last at least for another five months? I feel like it doesn't matter how much I try to improve. It will never be enough for the Sr. Member that has made it their mission to push me out.
2024.05.19 00:48 lupiform Landlord Threatening Not to Renew Lease (WA)
 | I live in WA state and am renting a house with my mother, while caring for her full-time. My mother is fighting state 4 cancer and is currently wheelchair bound and needs 24/7 care. Our lease is up on July 1st,, and this month our landlord has started threatening not to renew it. No official notice has been given, she just gets angry and starts saying she wants us gone. The text message included is just one example of her erratic behavior. submitted by lupiform to Renters [link] [comments] The dispute that occurred that seemed to start the threats was when she gave same-day notice that she wanted us to keep the door unlocked while we were gone, so she could have an internet technician come to the house. I told her that I would not be able to leave the door unlocked, but we were free the rest of the week if she could give us a day or two notice. That's when the threats started. The second issue is she's angry about me not doing more yardwork. I haven't let the place go by any means, but because my mom is sick it isn't my priority. When we moved in, she assured us that she had a caretaker who would come and work on the exterior of the house and we would not have to do anything - She is denying ever saying that now. She is quick to delve into insults and belittling, and I'm honestly really stressed about the lease not getting renewed because in my mom's condition, a move would be very very hard. Is what she's doing legal? What are my options? |
2024.05.19 00:43 XplorerAlpha How to: Build a Google Sheets Time and Earnings Tracker Template
I would like to build a google sheets template for my own use. I want to track my work hours spent and also the earnings based on hours spent. I do not want to track clock-in/clock-out. Simply want to track total hours spent on a project on a daily basis. Track regular hours, overtime hours and non-billable hours Calculate earnings based on a percentage of hourly rate.
I have put together a google sheet, I am attaching the same here and i would like help to complete the missing portions where i aim to calculate the following
https://preview.redd.it/z1cmsgslj91d1.png?width=1192&format=png&auto=webp&s=dd9ead0fae4ac0e8a6e4f6795d9e810afe3612e7
Due to privacy reasons, i am attaching just the published HTML view of the google sheet. Let me know how can i attach the original google sheet without having privacy concerns and i shall be glad to do that.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vT18z6nFioKinR5X8NUVE645do0G1gsRmSUhYS0pSZXpv86UheeM0DuNkynZLlPTfhNx-g_nHktwzzM/pubhtml
submitted by XplorerAlpha to googlesheets [link] [comments]
I have put together a google sheet, I am attaching the same here and i would like help to complete the missing portions where i aim to calculate the following
https://preview.redd.it/z1cmsgslj91d1.png?width=1192&format=png&auto=webp&s=dd9ead0fae4ac0e8a6e4f6795d9e810afe3612e7
Due to privacy reasons, i am attaching just the published HTML view of the google sheet. Let me know how can i attach the original google sheet without having privacy concerns and i shall be glad to do that.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vT18z6nFioKinR5X8NUVE645do0G1gsRmSUhYS0pSZXpv86UheeM0DuNkynZLlPTfhNx-g_nHktwzzM/pubhtml
2024.05.19 00:39 HPayne62 Rockies fans, I want to hear what you think about your team's uniforms.
A few weeks ago I made a revised look for the Marlins' uniforms and the Rockies are next up. They've never really went away from the original look and I'd like to make something fresh everyone can get behind. I'd really like to get the following questions answered if possible:
submitted by HPayne62 to ColoradoRockies [link] [comments]
- Do you like the color scheme as is? Do you want the green from the City Connects worked in?
- Wordmark and cap logos- how do you feel after 30 years of the same thing? Do you like it or is it time to refresh the look. Script wordmark? Big letter like the Cubs use?
- What design cues do you like? Piping, pinstripes, colored shoulders, gradients, patterns, whatever.
- What would YOU like to see done to the unis?
2024.05.19 00:08 AutoMughal One Of The Earliest Bilingual Papyrus From 22 AH / 643 CE ⤵️
Jumādā I, 22 AH / 25th April, 643 CE.
Features
It has Arabic and Greek text. The place of discovery of this document is probably Egypt.
Contents
The translation of the document is given below. The Arabic part is in italics:
Recto
God! In the name of God! I, Emir ʿAbdallāh, to you, Christophoros and Theodorakios, Intendants of Herakleopolis! For the maintenance of the Sarasins who are with me, I took from you at Heracleopolis 65 sheep, I repeat: sixty-five and no more, and as an acknowledgement of this fact, we have made the present confirmation. In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful! This is what have taken ʿAbdallāh, Written by me, Jean, notary and deacon. On the 30th of the month of Pharmouthi of the 1st indiction. Son of Jabir, and his companions-in-arms, as of slaughter sheep at Heracleopolis. We have taken from a representative of Theodorakios, second son of Apa Kyros, and from a substitute of Christophoros, eldest son of Apa Kyros, fifty sheep as of slaughter sheep and fifteen other sheep. He gave them, for slaughter, for the crew of his vessels, as well as his cavalry and his breastplated infantry in the month of Jumādā the first in the year twenty-two. Written by Ibn Ḥadīd. Verso
Document concerning the delivery of sheep to the Magarites and other people who arrived, as a down-payment of the taxes of the 1st indiction.
Comments
‘Emir ʿAbdallāh’ here is none other than ʿAbdullāh b. Jābir, who was commander of the expeditionary corps to Upper Egypt in 641-643 CE. In this papyrus, he gives a receipt for 65 sheep for provision of his troops consisting of crew, cavalry and heavily armed soldiers, in Jumādā I, 22 AH (25th April 643 CE). The Muslim forces were well-equipped; heavily armed soldiers and cavalry were accompanied by ships to facilitate strategic movement of troops. This document is of interest as it concerns an important phase of hard struggle against the Byzantine forces resisting fiercely the Arab attack. ʿAbdullāh b. Jābir is also mentioned in two other papyri, viz., PERF 555 and PERF 557.
The interesting part of this document is the use of Magarites that is written in Greek and is identified as mujahirūn. This manuscript shows extensive dotting of Arabic script. Diacritical dots on the letters ج، خ، ذ، ز، ش and ن are clearly visible.
One will notice the Christian iconography in the text in the form of the sign of the cross. This can also be found on several other early ‘official’ papyri texts issued by early Muslim military commanders, such as PERF 556 and Pap. BM 1079. Written in Greek, this text would have been penned by a Christian scribe, so it is reasonable to assume he was simply following usual scribal practice by punctuating the text with the sign of the cross, bearing in mind the recipient of the letter would also have been Christian. It was also a way for the scribe to reassert his faith given the religious tenets of the conquering army. One will note the Arabic part of the text which was written most likely by a Muslim is not punctuated by the sign of the cross.
This papyrus is a part of the Archduke Rainer Collection (usually abbreviated as PERF). It is one of the earliest Arabic papyri; the other one being P. Berol. 15002. Other papyri from 22 AH / 643 CE are PERF 555, PERF 556, PERF 557 and P. Berol. 15002.
Location
The Austrian National Museum, Vienna.
Acknowledgement
We are grateful to the Austrian National Museum, Vienna, for originally providing us the photo of the papyrus.
Bookmark and Share
References
[1] A. Grohmann, "Aperçu De Papyrologie Arabe", Études De Papyrologie, 1932, Volume 1, pp. 40-43.
[2] A. Grohmann, From The World Of Arabic Papyri, 1952, Al-Maaref Press: Cairo (Egypt), pp. 113-115.
[3] A. Grohmann, I Arabische Chronologie. II Arabische Papyruskunde, 1966, Handbuch Der Orientalistik, E. J. Brill: Leiden/Köln, Plate II:1.
The images above are reproduced from the stated sources under the provisions of the copyright law. This allows for the reproduction of portions of copyrighted material for non-commercial, educational purposes.
With the exception for those images which have passed into the public domain, the use of these images for commercial purposes is expressly prohibited without the consent of the copyright holder.
submitted by AutoMughal to islamichistory [link] [comments]
Features
It has Arabic and Greek text. The place of discovery of this document is probably Egypt.
Contents
The translation of the document is given below. The Arabic part is in italics:
Recto
God! In the name of God! I, Emir ʿAbdallāh, to you, Christophoros and Theodorakios, Intendants of Herakleopolis! For the maintenance of the Sarasins who are with me, I took from you at Heracleopolis 65 sheep, I repeat: sixty-five and no more, and as an acknowledgement of this fact, we have made the present confirmation. In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful! This is what have taken ʿAbdallāh, Written by me, Jean, notary and deacon. On the 30th of the month of Pharmouthi of the 1st indiction. Son of Jabir, and his companions-in-arms, as of slaughter sheep at Heracleopolis. We have taken from a representative of Theodorakios, second son of Apa Kyros, and from a substitute of Christophoros, eldest son of Apa Kyros, fifty sheep as of slaughter sheep and fifteen other sheep. He gave them, for slaughter, for the crew of his vessels, as well as his cavalry and his breastplated infantry in the month of Jumādā the first in the year twenty-two. Written by Ibn Ḥadīd. Verso
Document concerning the delivery of sheep to the Magarites and other people who arrived, as a down-payment of the taxes of the 1st indiction.
Comments
‘Emir ʿAbdallāh’ here is none other than ʿAbdullāh b. Jābir, who was commander of the expeditionary corps to Upper Egypt in 641-643 CE. In this papyrus, he gives a receipt for 65 sheep for provision of his troops consisting of crew, cavalry and heavily armed soldiers, in Jumādā I, 22 AH (25th April 643 CE). The Muslim forces were well-equipped; heavily armed soldiers and cavalry were accompanied by ships to facilitate strategic movement of troops. This document is of interest as it concerns an important phase of hard struggle against the Byzantine forces resisting fiercely the Arab attack. ʿAbdullāh b. Jābir is also mentioned in two other papyri, viz., PERF 555 and PERF 557.
The interesting part of this document is the use of Magarites that is written in Greek and is identified as mujahirūn. This manuscript shows extensive dotting of Arabic script. Diacritical dots on the letters ج، خ، ذ، ز، ش and ن are clearly visible.
One will notice the Christian iconography in the text in the form of the sign of the cross. This can also be found on several other early ‘official’ papyri texts issued by early Muslim military commanders, such as PERF 556 and Pap. BM 1079. Written in Greek, this text would have been penned by a Christian scribe, so it is reasonable to assume he was simply following usual scribal practice by punctuating the text with the sign of the cross, bearing in mind the recipient of the letter would also have been Christian. It was also a way for the scribe to reassert his faith given the religious tenets of the conquering army. One will note the Arabic part of the text which was written most likely by a Muslim is not punctuated by the sign of the cross.
This papyrus is a part of the Archduke Rainer Collection (usually abbreviated as PERF). It is one of the earliest Arabic papyri; the other one being P. Berol. 15002. Other papyri from 22 AH / 643 CE are PERF 555, PERF 556, PERF 557 and P. Berol. 15002.
Location
The Austrian National Museum, Vienna.
Acknowledgement
We are grateful to the Austrian National Museum, Vienna, for originally providing us the photo of the papyrus.
Bookmark and Share
References
[1] A. Grohmann, "Aperçu De Papyrologie Arabe", Études De Papyrologie, 1932, Volume 1, pp. 40-43.
[2] A. Grohmann, From The World Of Arabic Papyri, 1952, Al-Maaref Press: Cairo (Egypt), pp. 113-115.
[3] A. Grohmann, I Arabische Chronologie. II Arabische Papyruskunde, 1966, Handbuch Der Orientalistik, E. J. Brill: Leiden/Köln, Plate II:1.
The images above are reproduced from the stated sources under the provisions of the copyright law. This allows for the reproduction of portions of copyrighted material for non-commercial, educational purposes.
With the exception for those images which have passed into the public domain, the use of these images for commercial purposes is expressly prohibited without the consent of the copyright holder.
2024.05.18 23:54 Ashamed-Square-804 Dalton capstone
I have a question on Dalton capstone for the griffin case. I've completely presentation and the audio recording over it. This may be a dumb question - the engagement letter, risk tolerance questionnaire and IPS - are we asked to use their template and only edit the red parts (name, date, family name, student name) and that's it? Or are they asking us to use their template, rewrite it in our own words and submit a separate document? I definitely don't want to submit their document and get a bad score but all of our firms should have this prepared for us so I don't see why we would be asked to prepare our own. Any and all help is appreciated, thank you!
submitted by Ashamed-Square-804 to CFPExam [link] [comments]
2024.05.18 23:53 sarge21 Syscloud Privacy and Terms Changes
Recently Syscloud changed their TOS and Privacy Policy. This may or may not be in line with other providers, but it seemed to me like enough is changed to be worth an FYI.
New Privacy Policy: https://www.syscloud.com/pdf/privacy-policy.pdf
Old Privacy Policy: https://www.syscloud.com/pdf/june-28-2019privacy-policy.pdf
Personal info from backed up data may now be collected
https://www.syscloud.com/pdf/terms-of-service-mar-2024.pdf
submitted by sarge21 to k12sysadmin [link] [comments]
New Privacy Policy: https://www.syscloud.com/pdf/privacy-policy.pdf
Old Privacy Policy: https://www.syscloud.com/pdf/june-28-2019privacy-policy.pdf
Personal info from backed up data may now be collected
B. Personal information we collect when you use our servicesPersonal info may also be used for development, marketing, and advertising
Personal information contained in backups. When you use our services, in addition to the information discussed below in section B, we may collect and otherwise process any personal information you provide or make available to us via our services.
How we use the personal information we collectHow we use the personal information we collect
We may use the personal information we collect as set forth below. If you use our services as an employee of one of our customers, we will use your personal information in accordance with our contractual agreements with the customer.
● To provide, maintain, improve, and enhance our services;In addition, in their most recent terms of service they have now claimed more rights to data, including exclusive rights to deidentified or aggregate data derived from client data.
● To personalize your experience on our services;
● To understand and analyze how you use our services and develop new products, services, features, and functionality;
● For billing- and payment-related purposes;
● To communicate with you, provide you with updates and other information relating to our services, provide information that you request, respond to comments and questions, and otherwise provide customer support;
● For marketing and advertising purposes, such as developing and providing promotional and advertising materials that may be relevant, valuable, or otherwise of interest to you;
● To find and prevent fraud and abuse, and respond to trust and safety issues that may arise;
● For compliance purposes, including enforcing our terms of service or other legal rights, or as may be required by applicable laws and regulations or requested by any judicial process or governmental agency; and
● For other purposes for which we provide notice at the time the personal information is collected.
https://www.syscloud.com/pdf/terms-of-service-mar-2024.pdf
Purchaser grants SysCloud the non-exclusive, worldwide, sublicensable right to access, use, copy, store, transmit, transfer, modify, process and create derivative works from Purchaser Data (a) during the Service Period strictly as necessary to provide the Service; (b) in deidentified or aggregate form strictly for internal business purposes ~during and after the Service Period~, including to track use of Service for billing purposes, to provide support for Service, to monitor the performance and stability of the Service, to improve the Service, SysCloud’s other products and services, and to develop new products and services, and for all other lawful business practices, such as analytics, benchmarking, and reports; or (c) as otherwise required by applicable laws or as agreed to in writing between the parties.
Neither Party grants the other any rights or licenses not expressly set out in these Terms. Except as expressly provided in these Terms, as between the Parties, Purchaser retains all intellectual property rights and other rights in Purchaser Data (other than with respect to de-identified or aggregate data derived from Purchaser Data). Except for Purchaser’s use rights in these Terms, SysCloud and its licensors retain all intellectual property rights and other rights in the Service and related software, documentation, and SysCloud’s technology, templates, formats, and dashboards, including any modifications or improvements to these items made by SysCloud If Purchaser provides SysCloud with feedback or suggestions regarding the Service or its other offerings, SysCloud may use the feedback or suggestions without restriction or obligation.