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Jewel of the Big Muddy: Louisiana Election of 1850
2024.05.21 23:25 ThatOrange_ Jewel of the Big Muddy: Louisiana Election of 1850
 | New Orleans, pearl of the great river itself. submitted by ThatOrange_ to imaginaryelections [link] [comments] Times are good for Louisiana, a beacon of calm in a region increasingly chaotic. With the victory of the Progress Party in 1845, a third term for Archon Longchambon began, made even sweeter by the continued decline of the Natural Conservatives and United Democrats at the ballot box. Something of a partnership emerged in the weeks following the election, as the tenuous understanding between PP interests and those of the National League held firm. With the economy deemed sufficiently robust after the tapering of a long malaise, the National Bank proceeded to fully end its policy of austerity, and as promised, Longchambon eventually cut most of the new taxes, or eliminated them. The old Franc, largely decried, was successfully replaced over the next few years with the Fleurin. More confident than ever, the Archon's senatorial coalition successfully pushed forth the full repeal of the Prosperity and Truth Act, after much debate in that body. The press, and public speech, for the first time in many years was truly free, although whether this would prove to be a mixed blessing remained to be seen. Further successes followed. With the power of the planter class as an institution in politics slowly declining, the Archon, working with Senator Augustin Robillard of the National League, and Ex-Archon Oscar Bernadotte, would see the passage of the Slave Transport and Territorial Act of 1847, which banned new immigrants from bringing their slaves with them into Louisiana, and also heavily regulating, to the extent of effectively crippling, the bringing of slaves into future territories where the institution did not already exist. The controversial "12%" tax was also raised to 18%. Further, Robillard's dream of a New Orleans to St. Louis Railroad would finally break ground, albeit in an altered form. A largely private initiative with a small degree of federal oversight, it nevertheless promises to be a proud idea. The republic is a huge country, and while river travel is enormously popular, it can truly be said that we are now in an age of steam and rail industry, at last. Another major domestic pledge by the PP was a renewed attempt to reign in the military, and slowly, at a snail's pace, this would eventually be accomplished. Bereft of support after three consecutive PP wins, further attempts at mutiny were stillborn. After much negotiation, military procurements were sliced by almost half, over the objections of numerous defense hawks and old military hands. Critics charge this has left Louisiana vulnerable to attack. However, not everyone is so happy with this era of good feelings. Events overseas have resulted in the spread of new ideas to Louisiana, and old forces hope for a comeback as well. Centralist troops on the march in Mexico After years of savage, internecine conflict, the Great Centralist War has seemingly come to an end, leaving a land in ruin. It has had mixed results for all involved. While Santa Anna, in a display of his old military skill would go on to crush the Anti-Centralist rebels decisively, the lack of priority given to the Rio Grande theater would prove ill advised. There, the anti-government forces would prevail. The Rio Grande Republic, an entity compromising Nuevo Leon, Coahuila, Tamaulipas, and most of Tejas, would be de facto recognized. Attitudes toward this new neighbor are mixed, as it is has been criticized as little more than an alliance of angry warlords, despite their professed values of "freedom." Many have their doubts that this is a lasting peace however, and with Comanche raids an ever present threat, the new government has been unable to effectively respond to squatters from Louisiana, known as Filibusterers. A brief attempt was even made to proclaim California an independent state, in 1848, but this attempt quickly fell apart. With the conflict in Yucatan also seemingly coming to an end, it does appear that Santa Anna has managed to salvage most of Mexico for himself, and no doubt plans revenge against the Riograndese. British forces on the outskirts of Boston, in 1848. 1848 would prove to be a year of titanic proportions. The old order was challenged in Europe, as across the continent, liberal and nationalist revolutions swept the land. Slowly, eventually, it became clear that many of these daring ventures would fail, either petering out on their own being appeased by half-hearted promises, or crushed with brute force. But The Year of Revolutions was not merely confined to Europe. The Federal Republic of New England was often regarded as one of the most stable and steady of the Successor States, having emerged from the collapse of the United States of America to throw itself under the comforting gaze of the British Empire. The partnership was natural, many merchants and upper class figures felt a natural bond with the Mother Country regardless of the events of the Revolutionary War. New England would ossify into increasingly oligarchical rule, however, its government being seen as increasingly lofty and out of touch. Opponents of the "Grandee Rule" failed to gain much power despite occasional flare ups. In 1828, Vermont had even revolted, seeking to regain old freedom, only to be defeated. Then from 1841-1842, a radical liberal insurrection had rocked Rhode Island and Connecticut, only to be suppressed with British aid. The stage was set. Following the failure of a series of reform bills, and a violent riot in Boston, President King called out the militia, who instead joined the riot, which soon became a revolt. The government fled Boston, as a coalition of radical leaders proclaimed the New England Union, lifting a tricolor inspired by their ideological brothers from across the sea. Within weeks, the chaos had spread, and all order had broken down. Fighting was general across New England. Seeing this void, and perhaps anticipating the other, both the Atlantic Republic and Britain soon intervened. Atlantic troops soon occupied part of Connecticut and Vermont, while the British, in a two pronged assault, began a campaign to reclaim the rest. With aid from local anti-rebel elements, the British fought their way into Boston. By late 1849, it was clear that the end was near. The Providence Accord, a rough truce outlining certain terms, was soon in place. Britain would occupy the lion's share of New England, but the Atlantics would receive all Connecticut land west of the Housatonic River, as well as 2/3rds of Vermont. It remains unclear what exactly long term British policy in the region even is, although some suspect they may plan to roll New England into Canada. This remains speculation. -- With the 1850 election coming up, everyone is curious as to how Louisiana will handle matters, although some surprises certainly promise to emerge. Recent events have shown that the old political forces must find new tactics, and a younger party also makes its cause known, hoping to rise to power. In response to the shocking unification of the opposition, several blocs have emerged. --- La Ligue du Progrès National: (The League of National Progress) Senator Augustin Robillard Chosen after much debate, can he unite the common ticket? It was originally thought that there would be, yet again, a spirited contest between the League and Progress Party in this election. However, a number of factors have complicated this. The three term tenure of the PP, the solidification of the opposition, and a factional rebellion from the left has made a pact necessary. Agreeing to stand as a united front for the purposes of the election, the Ligue du Progrès National has been formed. Longchambon, citing declining health, played little part in proceedings except to sign his name, and thus Robillard was able to acquire the candidacy. Not everyone is happy with this, but certainly he is an able figure. There is some lingering anger that Bassot, the Foreign Minister, was overlooked, but this is surely just noise? The LPN has pledged a continuation of the railroad program, a "judicious" tariff, and "betterment" for society. Internal factional lines are rather clear, so perhaps this vagueness was warranted. Some serious disagreements remain within the alliance, on matters such as military spending, size of government etc, but they will certainly enter the ace with a strong apparatus. --- Les Républicains Alliés (The Allied Republicans) Governor Robert Marais Summoned from relative obscurity, to bear the flag of Alliance It might seem thoroughly and completely bizarre for the spiritual heirs of the Green and Blue movements to find themselves in commo cause, but this indeed is what has happened. Having faired badly, the United Democrats and Natural Conservatives have struck a bargain. Calling upon an obscure Governor of the northwestern marches, Robert Marais, they throw dice with fate. Marais himself is an effective administrator, having overseen what limited infrastructure and white settlement exist in that distant region, along the border with British Canada. Marais owns no slaves and has no philosophical love of the institution, but he also believes that the PP have overstepped their bounds repeatedly in terms of government power, and favors a more classical conservative-liberal view of the state. A moderate with moderate to conservative views on many issues, he is a known Anglophile, favoring closer relations with London. The RA is being mocked by some as a quixotic venture, and its true there are contradictions in their platform. On tariffs for instance, the party iss eemingly being pulled in two directions, with some adherents arguing for high tariffs and others for low, often based on region and locale. While the bank issue is widely regarded as dead at this point, they still call for some revisions, in addition to reigning in state spending. The question of slavery of course looms large, and the party has taken a stance of "no further restriction", though it has pledged to honor current laws, despite a push from some ultra-conservatives. The classical Blue quest for a two-term limit has also been put forth, as well as a firm stance on further opening the far north for settlement. -- Le Parti Radical Libre (The Free Radical Party) Colonel Francois Dupoy \"I have been called a Jacobin, I wear this name with pride\" A veteran of the Army, the son of a cobbler, Francois Dupoy stands as the newly infamous voice of the Free Radical Party. Having served in the military first as a drummer boy and working his way up to Colonel, Dupoy was exposed to the poor treatment of black enlistees, and the lower classes in general. Combined with a talent for speaking and a fiery demeanor, and it made for an explosive mix once he left the service to pursue politics. Following the Boston Revolution in 1848, Dupoy's neo-jacobin newspaper, the New Orleans Sun, began selling like hotcakes, with acidic and damning articles blasting "British hypocrisy" and praising the rebels as true republicans. Viewing Longchambon as an appeaser, Dupoy declared a "revolt by ballot box", forming a new party. Outraged, PP outlets heaped attacks upon him, which he responded to in with scorn. Dupoy is an open and radical abolitionist, proclaiming slavery incompatible with human liberty, and has called also for free trade, black suffrage, and for church-owned land to be turned over to the state. To say the least, these are explosive demands, and alongside charges by the League/PP forces that he is staging a "childish mutiny", promises to make the campaign an unexpectedly sharp one. --- who shall be the next Archon? View Poll |
2024.05.21 22:52 germanideology Enticement at the Encampment: An Erotic Short Story
Tom took another look at the dwindling encampment as his dismay began to fade away. "Whoever's left to hang out with are the most committed to the cause" he thought to himself. "If anything, I'll have more fun than I did before." And after all, they had a good lineup of activists scheduled to visit in the next few days, and an anarchist band had even agreed to play this afternoon. He had definitely noticed a rapid drop in the number of campers since the end of the semester, and had even begun to doubt that they would be able to get any sort of concessions out of the university. But his thinking had changed after hearing the speeches that morning.
First to speak was Tom's friend and comrade, Eric. His impassioned indictment of the Israeli government reminded Tom of the importance of their activism. Then came the married grad students, the Trotskyist Abdou and the pan-Arabist Farida. They were international students studying English and anthropology, respectively. Or was it anthropology and sociology? Abdou lectured on the university's connection to the military-industrial complex. His speech was filled with threats to the administration that Tom was sure the limp-dicked Trot had no means of fulfilling. Even so, he had to admit that despite all his other inadequacies, Abdou was a powerful speaker. Finally came Farida. Tom had always considered her the best speaker of them all, but frankly he had a hard time taking his eyes off her whether she was speaking or not. He had tried flirting with her before, and he got the feeling that Abdou was even more into it than she was. Thinking about it now, he couldn't quite remember what her speech had been about, but it had certainly improved his spirits.
As the "Bacon Brigade" began setting up their instruments, Tom decided to make a point of dancing with Farida that afternoon. As the average tent now held two campers rather than five, he even thought he might get a chance to enjoy some of the newfound privacy.
...
When there was a break in the music, Tom sauntered over to the table where Abdou was sitting. As an ML, Tom could hardly stand Trotskyists, but he put on a smile for the sake of "left unity."
"She's a good dancer isn't she?" said Abdou.
"Oh yes, the best," agreed Tom. He was trying to think of a way of progressing his slow seduction of this Muslim woman and decided to be bold. "Look Abdou, the band will be winding down soon, why don't you both come back to my tent and I'll show you some comradely hospitality. I also have some suggestions that I know you'll love."
Abdou's mind was racing with the possibilities of the situation. Would this be the chance to see his wife seduced and taken by this big stud? Supposing Farida won't agree? Before he could engage his brain Abdou found himself agreeing to Tom's offer. "Wonderful, wonderful," beamed Tom and he could feel his big cock twitch at the thought of bedding Abdou's beautiful wife.
Just then Farida reappeared. "What are you two talking about?" she said.
Before Abdou could say a word, Tom said "Well my dear, your husband has kindly accepted my invitation of hospitality at my tent."
Farida didn't know what to say. She had thought Abdou would whisk her off back to the hotel and give her the fucking she desperately needed. Rubbing up against Tom's manhood had taken its toll. "Well I suppose we could come and see where you camp," she said, "but we mustn't stay too late must we Abdou?"
"What? I err no, I suppose not," stammered Abdou as Tom rose and offered Farida his arm.
And the three of them found themselves heading off to tent where the lives of Abdou and Farida would be changed forever. As they walked along Abdou held one of Farida's arms and Tom the other. However, after a while Abdou consciously let go of his wife's arm and stepped behind Tom.
This was not lost on the big white and he put his big protective arm around Abdou's wife as if to say to everyone "she's mine." If Farida hadn't been so dazed by the afternoon's events, she might have noticed various other white students smiling at Tom with knowing grins. They had recognized the situation immediately; a Muslim couple with cuckold husband following on as a big powerful white man led the wife to his cot.
Soon they reached Tom's tent and both Abdou and Farida were pleasantly surprised at how spacious it was. "Let me get you some coffee," said Tom as both Abdou and Farida collapsed onto a big sleeping bag.
Having sorted the drinks, Tom put some music on, and crawling over to Farida he said, "Can we have another dance Farida, you're such a good dancer?"
Before Farida could answer she felt her husband pushing her up. "Go on Farida, you know how much you enjoy it."
Abdou secretly wanted to see his wife in the arms of this Adonis again and who knows maybe more. Having no real reason to object, Farida agreed and as she accepted Toms hand she couldn't help but feel a shiver at the thought of being reacquainted with his penis, albeit covered by his trousers. However, as they left the tent she had a suspicion that he wasn't wearing any under garments since his penis had seemed so clearly outlined earlier.
As he clasped her to himself Tom could feel his big cock twitch once again. He moved one hand down to the small of her back, just to test the waters and meeting no resistance after another minute or so he moved his hand onto her sexy bottom. He could feel through the thin dress that Farida wasn't wearing thick pants, or perhaps only very skimpy ones and he couldn't wait to see her naked.
Farida felt lost in a different world as she circled round with this big man. Not only could she feel his penis growing hard against her once more, but she felt his big hand on her bottom pulling her onto his hardness. When she looked at her husband (still sitting in the tent), she noticed that he was just rubbing his own penis through his trousers. "My goodness," she thought, "he's getting turned on watching us. Supposing I flirt a bit more and show him what he's missing?"
With that Farida deliberately started to open her legs and let Tom's muscular leg rub against her inflamed sex.
This change in Farida's demeanor was not lost on Tom. As he led her back to the tent, he let his hands roam all over the back of this sexy hijabi Muslim wife and he leaned down to kiss and nibble her neck and ears. He heard Farida sigh and knew that he was close to capturing this sexy wife. "Fatima, let's give Abdou a show to remember shall we?"
Farida was brought back from her dreamlike state by Tom's question. "What do you mean?" she asked.
Almost in a whisper Tom said, "You know, a bit of thesis-antithesis-synthesis."
He had already found the zipper that ran down the back of Farida's dress and he had it in his hands as he spoke to her. He slowly started to pull the zipper down and it was half way down her back before Farida realised what was happening. "Wait Tom, we can't do this, I'm married."
"So what of it, Abdou wants me to undress you, don't you Abdou?"
Abdou had no hesitation in replying in the affirmative. This is what he had wanted for so long.
Caught in the confusion and surprise of hearing her husband say that he wanted to see another man, undress her, Farida just lay there while Tom pulled the zipper right down and then eased the dress off her shoulders. Suddenly she realised that she was lying in only her stockings, garter belt, and thong panties.
As she looked up at Tom she saw something that she hadn't seen in a man for years and that was undisguised lust. This man was lusting after her, this married women! She should have felt ashamed at her feelings but she didn't. Having got half-naked, she realised that she was enjoying the attention of this muscular white man. In fact she decided to crawl around in front of him as if to say 'look at what my husband has and you haven't'.
This might have been a foolish act, but it merely served to confirm what both men knew. For Tom it confirmed that Farida was absolutely gorgeous, the sexiest Muslim woman he had ever seen and that she needed to be loved sexually. For Abdou as he fingered his painfully erect cock, he knew that he was just a few steps away from pushing his wife into a sleeping bag with another man. He was close to realizing his fantasy.
Tom pulled Farida to him, lifted her face to his and he kissed her. Farida would always remember that first kiss since it was both passionate but more significantly the precursor to her crossing a line that could not be re- crossed, and to setting in motion events that would last her and her husband a lifetime. She accepted his big tongue into her mouth and her tongue fenced with his. She could feel his big hands roaming all over body now.
In her trance-like state it seemed quite natural that Tom should start to remove his clothing. Both Farida and Abdou watched as the big man removed his shirt to reveal a hugely-muscled chest and then he dropped his trousers and just as Farida had suspected he wore no underwear. His big cock reared up in all is magnificence and Tom was gratified to hear both husband and wife express surprise at his size.
Tom crawled over to the sleeping bag where Farida was sitting and crouched in front of her, his big cock semi erect. He remembered that Eric had told him that the cops were closing in, and he knew he would have to move quickly if he wanted to finish before they cleared the encampment. Farida's head was at the same level as the big man's groin and she was amazed at the whole size and muscularity of this man. Her trance-like state was broken by Tom who said softly "Take my cock into your mouth."
Farida was aghast, "I can't! It's dirty and I've never done that before."
Tom laughed to himself. This wife was indeed naive and yet he was gratified that he would be the first man to have his cock sucked by her. Lifting her face so that she could look into his eyes, Tom said, "As we hear from German ideologists, Germany has in the last few years gone through an unparalleled revolution. The decomposition of the Hegelian philosophy, which began with Strauss, has developed into a universal ferment into which all the “powers of the past” are swept. In the general chaos mighty empires have arisen only to meet with immediate doom, heroes have emerged momentarily only to be hurled back into obscurity by bolder and stronger rivals. It was a revolution beside which the French Revolution was child’s play, a world struggle beside which the struggles of the Diadochi [successors of Alexander the Great] appear insignificant. Principles ousted one another, heroes of the mind overthrew each other with unheard-of rapidity, and in the three years 1842-45 more of the past was swept away in Germany than at other times in three centuries.
"All this is supposed to have taken place in the realm of pure thought.
"Certainly it is an interesting event we are dealing with: the putrescence of the absolute spirit. When the last spark of its life had failed, the various components of this caput mortuum began to decompose, entered into new combinations and formed new substances. The industrialists of philosophy, who till then had lived on the exploitation of the absolute spirit, now seized upon the new combinations. Each with all possible zeal set about retailing his apportioned share. This naturally gave rise to competition, which, to start with, was carried on in moderately staid bourgeois fashion. Later when the German market was glutted, and the commodity in spite of all efforts found no response in the world market, the business was spoiled in the usual German manner by fabricated and fictitious production, deterioration in quality, adulteration of the raw materials, falsification of labels, fictitious purchases, bill-jobbing and a credit system devoid of any real basis. The competition turned into a bitter struggle, which is now being extolled and interpreted to us as a revolution of world significance, the begetter of the most prodigious results and achievements.
"If we wish to rate at its true value this philosophic charlatanry, which awakens even in the breast of the honest German citizen a glow of national pride, if we wish to bring out clearly the pettiness, the parochial narrowness of this whole Young-Hegelian movement and in particular the tragicomic contrast between the illusions of these heroes about their achievements and the actual achievements themselves, we must look at the whole spectacle from a standpoint beyond the frontiers of Germany.
"Ideology in General, German Ideology in Particular: German criticism has, right up to its latest efforts, never quitted the realm of philosophy. Far from examining its general philosophic premises, the whole body of its inquiries has actually sprung from the soil of a definite philosophical system, that of Hegel. Not only in their answers but in their very questions there was a mystification. This dependence on Hegel is the reason why not one of these modern critics has even attempted a comprehensive criticism of the Hegelian system, however much each professes to have advanced beyond Hegel. Their polemics against Hegel and against one another are confined to this – each extracts one side of the Hegelian system and turns this against the whole system as well as against the sides extracted by the others. To begin with they extracted pure unfalsified Hegelian categories such as “substance” and “self-consciousness,” later they desecrated these categories with more secular names such as species “the Unique,” “Man,” etc.
"The entire body of German philosophical criticism from Strauss to Stirner is confined to criticism of religious conceptions. [The following passage is crossed out in the manuscript:] claiming to be the absolute redeemer of the world from all evil. Religion was continually regarded and treated as the arch-enemy, as the ultimate cause of all relations repugnant to these philosophers. The critics started from real religion and actual theology. What religious consciousness and a religious conception really meant was determined variously as they went along. Their advance consisted in subsuming the allegedly dominant metaphysical, political, juridical, moral and other conceptions under the class of religious or theological conceptions; and similarly in pronouncing political, juridical, moral consciousness as religious or theological, and the political, juridical, moral man – “man” in the last resort – as religious. The dominance of religion was taken for granted. Gradually every dominant relationship was pronounced a religious relationship and transformed into a cult, a cult of law, a cult of the State, etc. On all sides it was only a question of dogmas and belief in dogmas. The world was sanctified to an ever-increasing extent till at last our venerable Saint Max was able to canonise it en bloc and thus dispose of it once for all.
"The Old Hegelians had comprehended everything as soon as it was reduced to an Hegelian logical category. The Young Hegelians criticised everything by attributing to it religious conceptions or by pronouncing it a theological matter. The Young Hegelians are in agreement with the Old Hegelians in their belief in the rule of religion, of concepts, of a universal principle in the existing world. Only, the one party attacks this dominion as usurpation, while the other extols it as legitimate.
"Since the Young Hegelians consider conceptions, thoughts, ideas, in fact all the products of consciousness, to which they attribute an independent existence, as the real chains of men (just as the Old Hegelians declared them the true bonds of human society) it is evident that the Young Hegelians have to fight only against these illusions of consciousness. Since, according to their fantasy, the relationships of men, all their doings, their chains and their limitations are products of their consciousness, the Young Hegelians logically put to men the moral postulate of exchanging their present consciousness for human, critical or egoistic consciousness, and thus of removing their limitations. This demand to change consciousness amounts to a demand to interpret reality in another way, i.e. to recognise it by means of another interpretation. The Young-Hegelian ideologists, in spite of their allegedly “world-shattering" statements, are the staunchest conservatives. The most recent of them have found the correct expression for their activity when they declare they are only fighting against “phrases.” They forget, however, that to these phrases they themselves are only opposing other phrases, and that they are in no way combating the real existing world when they are merely combating the phrases of this world. The only results which this philosophic criticism could achieve were a few (and at that thoroughly one-sided) elucidations of Christianity from the point of view of religious history; all the rest of their assertions are only further embellishments of their claim to have furnished, in these unimportant elucidations, discoveries of universal importance.
"It has not occurred to any one of these philosophers to inquire into the connection of German philosophy with German reality, the relation of their criticism to their own material surroundings.
"First Premises of Materialist Method: The premises from which we begin are not arbitrary ones, not dogmas, but real premises from which abstraction can only be made in the imagination. They are the real individuals, their activity and the material conditions under which they live, both those which they find already existing and those produced by their activity. These premises can thus be verified in a purely empirical way.
"The first premise of all human history is, of course, the existence of living human individuals. Thus the first fact to be established is the physical organisation of these individuals and their consequent relation to the rest of nature. Of course, we cannot here go either into the actual physical nature of man, or into the natural conditions in which man finds himself – geological, hydrographical, climatic and so on. The writing of history must always set out from these natural bases and their modification in the course of history through the action of men.
"Men can be distinguished from animals by consciousness, by religion or anything else you like. They themselves begin to distinguish themselves from animals as soon as they begin to produce their means of subsistence, a step which is conditioned by their physical organisation. By producing their means of subsistence men are indirectly producing their actual material life.
"The way in which men produce their means of subsistence depends first of all on the nature of the actual means of subsistence they find in existence and have to reproduce. This mode of production must not be considered simply as being the production of the physical existence of the individuals. Rather it is a definite form of activity of these individuals, a definite form of expressing their life, a definite mode of life on their part. As individuals express their life, so they are. What they are, therefore, coincides with their production, both with what they produce and with how they produce. The nature of individuals thus depends on the material conditions determining their production.
"This production only makes its appearance with the increase of population. In its turn this presupposes the intercourse [Verkehr] of individuals with one another. The form of this intercourse is again determined by production.
[continues in comment]
submitted by germanideology to Ultraleft [link] [comments]
First to speak was Tom's friend and comrade, Eric. His impassioned indictment of the Israeli government reminded Tom of the importance of their activism. Then came the married grad students, the Trotskyist Abdou and the pan-Arabist Farida. They were international students studying English and anthropology, respectively. Or was it anthropology and sociology? Abdou lectured on the university's connection to the military-industrial complex. His speech was filled with threats to the administration that Tom was sure the limp-dicked Trot had no means of fulfilling. Even so, he had to admit that despite all his other inadequacies, Abdou was a powerful speaker. Finally came Farida. Tom had always considered her the best speaker of them all, but frankly he had a hard time taking his eyes off her whether she was speaking or not. He had tried flirting with her before, and he got the feeling that Abdou was even more into it than she was. Thinking about it now, he couldn't quite remember what her speech had been about, but it had certainly improved his spirits.
As the "Bacon Brigade" began setting up their instruments, Tom decided to make a point of dancing with Farida that afternoon. As the average tent now held two campers rather than five, he even thought he might get a chance to enjoy some of the newfound privacy.
...
When there was a break in the music, Tom sauntered over to the table where Abdou was sitting. As an ML, Tom could hardly stand Trotskyists, but he put on a smile for the sake of "left unity."
"She's a good dancer isn't she?" said Abdou.
"Oh yes, the best," agreed Tom. He was trying to think of a way of progressing his slow seduction of this Muslim woman and decided to be bold. "Look Abdou, the band will be winding down soon, why don't you both come back to my tent and I'll show you some comradely hospitality. I also have some suggestions that I know you'll love."
Abdou's mind was racing with the possibilities of the situation. Would this be the chance to see his wife seduced and taken by this big stud? Supposing Farida won't agree? Before he could engage his brain Abdou found himself agreeing to Tom's offer. "Wonderful, wonderful," beamed Tom and he could feel his big cock twitch at the thought of bedding Abdou's beautiful wife.
Just then Farida reappeared. "What are you two talking about?" she said.
Before Abdou could say a word, Tom said "Well my dear, your husband has kindly accepted my invitation of hospitality at my tent."
Farida didn't know what to say. She had thought Abdou would whisk her off back to the hotel and give her the fucking she desperately needed. Rubbing up against Tom's manhood had taken its toll. "Well I suppose we could come and see where you camp," she said, "but we mustn't stay too late must we Abdou?"
"What? I err no, I suppose not," stammered Abdou as Tom rose and offered Farida his arm.
And the three of them found themselves heading off to tent where the lives of Abdou and Farida would be changed forever. As they walked along Abdou held one of Farida's arms and Tom the other. However, after a while Abdou consciously let go of his wife's arm and stepped behind Tom.
This was not lost on the big white and he put his big protective arm around Abdou's wife as if to say to everyone "she's mine." If Farida hadn't been so dazed by the afternoon's events, she might have noticed various other white students smiling at Tom with knowing grins. They had recognized the situation immediately; a Muslim couple with cuckold husband following on as a big powerful white man led the wife to his cot.
Soon they reached Tom's tent and both Abdou and Farida were pleasantly surprised at how spacious it was. "Let me get you some coffee," said Tom as both Abdou and Farida collapsed onto a big sleeping bag.
Having sorted the drinks, Tom put some music on, and crawling over to Farida he said, "Can we have another dance Farida, you're such a good dancer?"
Before Farida could answer she felt her husband pushing her up. "Go on Farida, you know how much you enjoy it."
Abdou secretly wanted to see his wife in the arms of this Adonis again and who knows maybe more. Having no real reason to object, Farida agreed and as she accepted Toms hand she couldn't help but feel a shiver at the thought of being reacquainted with his penis, albeit covered by his trousers. However, as they left the tent she had a suspicion that he wasn't wearing any under garments since his penis had seemed so clearly outlined earlier.
As he clasped her to himself Tom could feel his big cock twitch once again. He moved one hand down to the small of her back, just to test the waters and meeting no resistance after another minute or so he moved his hand onto her sexy bottom. He could feel through the thin dress that Farida wasn't wearing thick pants, or perhaps only very skimpy ones and he couldn't wait to see her naked.
Farida felt lost in a different world as she circled round with this big man. Not only could she feel his penis growing hard against her once more, but she felt his big hand on her bottom pulling her onto his hardness. When she looked at her husband (still sitting in the tent), she noticed that he was just rubbing his own penis through his trousers. "My goodness," she thought, "he's getting turned on watching us. Supposing I flirt a bit more and show him what he's missing?"
With that Farida deliberately started to open her legs and let Tom's muscular leg rub against her inflamed sex.
This change in Farida's demeanor was not lost on Tom. As he led her back to the tent, he let his hands roam all over the back of this sexy hijabi Muslim wife and he leaned down to kiss and nibble her neck and ears. He heard Farida sigh and knew that he was close to capturing this sexy wife. "Fatima, let's give Abdou a show to remember shall we?"
Farida was brought back from her dreamlike state by Tom's question. "What do you mean?" she asked.
Almost in a whisper Tom said, "You know, a bit of thesis-antithesis-synthesis."
He had already found the zipper that ran down the back of Farida's dress and he had it in his hands as he spoke to her. He slowly started to pull the zipper down and it was half way down her back before Farida realised what was happening. "Wait Tom, we can't do this, I'm married."
"So what of it, Abdou wants me to undress you, don't you Abdou?"
Abdou had no hesitation in replying in the affirmative. This is what he had wanted for so long.
Caught in the confusion and surprise of hearing her husband say that he wanted to see another man, undress her, Farida just lay there while Tom pulled the zipper right down and then eased the dress off her shoulders. Suddenly she realised that she was lying in only her stockings, garter belt, and thong panties.
As she looked up at Tom she saw something that she hadn't seen in a man for years and that was undisguised lust. This man was lusting after her, this married women! She should have felt ashamed at her feelings but she didn't. Having got half-naked, she realised that she was enjoying the attention of this muscular white man. In fact she decided to crawl around in front of him as if to say 'look at what my husband has and you haven't'.
This might have been a foolish act, but it merely served to confirm what both men knew. For Tom it confirmed that Farida was absolutely gorgeous, the sexiest Muslim woman he had ever seen and that she needed to be loved sexually. For Abdou as he fingered his painfully erect cock, he knew that he was just a few steps away from pushing his wife into a sleeping bag with another man. He was close to realizing his fantasy.
Tom pulled Farida to him, lifted her face to his and he kissed her. Farida would always remember that first kiss since it was both passionate but more significantly the precursor to her crossing a line that could not be re- crossed, and to setting in motion events that would last her and her husband a lifetime. She accepted his big tongue into her mouth and her tongue fenced with his. She could feel his big hands roaming all over body now.
In her trance-like state it seemed quite natural that Tom should start to remove his clothing. Both Farida and Abdou watched as the big man removed his shirt to reveal a hugely-muscled chest and then he dropped his trousers and just as Farida had suspected he wore no underwear. His big cock reared up in all is magnificence and Tom was gratified to hear both husband and wife express surprise at his size.
Tom crawled over to the sleeping bag where Farida was sitting and crouched in front of her, his big cock semi erect. He remembered that Eric had told him that the cops were closing in, and he knew he would have to move quickly if he wanted to finish before they cleared the encampment. Farida's head was at the same level as the big man's groin and she was amazed at the whole size and muscularity of this man. Her trance-like state was broken by Tom who said softly "Take my cock into your mouth."
Farida was aghast, "I can't! It's dirty and I've never done that before."
Tom laughed to himself. This wife was indeed naive and yet he was gratified that he would be the first man to have his cock sucked by her. Lifting her face so that she could look into his eyes, Tom said, "As we hear from German ideologists, Germany has in the last few years gone through an unparalleled revolution. The decomposition of the Hegelian philosophy, which began with Strauss, has developed into a universal ferment into which all the “powers of the past” are swept. In the general chaos mighty empires have arisen only to meet with immediate doom, heroes have emerged momentarily only to be hurled back into obscurity by bolder and stronger rivals. It was a revolution beside which the French Revolution was child’s play, a world struggle beside which the struggles of the Diadochi [successors of Alexander the Great] appear insignificant. Principles ousted one another, heroes of the mind overthrew each other with unheard-of rapidity, and in the three years 1842-45 more of the past was swept away in Germany than at other times in three centuries.
"All this is supposed to have taken place in the realm of pure thought.
"Certainly it is an interesting event we are dealing with: the putrescence of the absolute spirit. When the last spark of its life had failed, the various components of this caput mortuum began to decompose, entered into new combinations and formed new substances. The industrialists of philosophy, who till then had lived on the exploitation of the absolute spirit, now seized upon the new combinations. Each with all possible zeal set about retailing his apportioned share. This naturally gave rise to competition, which, to start with, was carried on in moderately staid bourgeois fashion. Later when the German market was glutted, and the commodity in spite of all efforts found no response in the world market, the business was spoiled in the usual German manner by fabricated and fictitious production, deterioration in quality, adulteration of the raw materials, falsification of labels, fictitious purchases, bill-jobbing and a credit system devoid of any real basis. The competition turned into a bitter struggle, which is now being extolled and interpreted to us as a revolution of world significance, the begetter of the most prodigious results and achievements.
"If we wish to rate at its true value this philosophic charlatanry, which awakens even in the breast of the honest German citizen a glow of national pride, if we wish to bring out clearly the pettiness, the parochial narrowness of this whole Young-Hegelian movement and in particular the tragicomic contrast between the illusions of these heroes about their achievements and the actual achievements themselves, we must look at the whole spectacle from a standpoint beyond the frontiers of Germany.
"Ideology in General, German Ideology in Particular: German criticism has, right up to its latest efforts, never quitted the realm of philosophy. Far from examining its general philosophic premises, the whole body of its inquiries has actually sprung from the soil of a definite philosophical system, that of Hegel. Not only in their answers but in their very questions there was a mystification. This dependence on Hegel is the reason why not one of these modern critics has even attempted a comprehensive criticism of the Hegelian system, however much each professes to have advanced beyond Hegel. Their polemics against Hegel and against one another are confined to this – each extracts one side of the Hegelian system and turns this against the whole system as well as against the sides extracted by the others. To begin with they extracted pure unfalsified Hegelian categories such as “substance” and “self-consciousness,” later they desecrated these categories with more secular names such as species “the Unique,” “Man,” etc.
"The entire body of German philosophical criticism from Strauss to Stirner is confined to criticism of religious conceptions. [The following passage is crossed out in the manuscript:] claiming to be the absolute redeemer of the world from all evil. Religion was continually regarded and treated as the arch-enemy, as the ultimate cause of all relations repugnant to these philosophers. The critics started from real religion and actual theology. What religious consciousness and a religious conception really meant was determined variously as they went along. Their advance consisted in subsuming the allegedly dominant metaphysical, political, juridical, moral and other conceptions under the class of religious or theological conceptions; and similarly in pronouncing political, juridical, moral consciousness as religious or theological, and the political, juridical, moral man – “man” in the last resort – as religious. The dominance of religion was taken for granted. Gradually every dominant relationship was pronounced a religious relationship and transformed into a cult, a cult of law, a cult of the State, etc. On all sides it was only a question of dogmas and belief in dogmas. The world was sanctified to an ever-increasing extent till at last our venerable Saint Max was able to canonise it en bloc and thus dispose of it once for all.
"The Old Hegelians had comprehended everything as soon as it was reduced to an Hegelian logical category. The Young Hegelians criticised everything by attributing to it religious conceptions or by pronouncing it a theological matter. The Young Hegelians are in agreement with the Old Hegelians in their belief in the rule of religion, of concepts, of a universal principle in the existing world. Only, the one party attacks this dominion as usurpation, while the other extols it as legitimate.
"Since the Young Hegelians consider conceptions, thoughts, ideas, in fact all the products of consciousness, to which they attribute an independent existence, as the real chains of men (just as the Old Hegelians declared them the true bonds of human society) it is evident that the Young Hegelians have to fight only against these illusions of consciousness. Since, according to their fantasy, the relationships of men, all their doings, their chains and their limitations are products of their consciousness, the Young Hegelians logically put to men the moral postulate of exchanging their present consciousness for human, critical or egoistic consciousness, and thus of removing their limitations. This demand to change consciousness amounts to a demand to interpret reality in another way, i.e. to recognise it by means of another interpretation. The Young-Hegelian ideologists, in spite of their allegedly “world-shattering" statements, are the staunchest conservatives. The most recent of them have found the correct expression for their activity when they declare they are only fighting against “phrases.” They forget, however, that to these phrases they themselves are only opposing other phrases, and that they are in no way combating the real existing world when they are merely combating the phrases of this world. The only results which this philosophic criticism could achieve were a few (and at that thoroughly one-sided) elucidations of Christianity from the point of view of religious history; all the rest of their assertions are only further embellishments of their claim to have furnished, in these unimportant elucidations, discoveries of universal importance.
"It has not occurred to any one of these philosophers to inquire into the connection of German philosophy with German reality, the relation of their criticism to their own material surroundings.
"First Premises of Materialist Method: The premises from which we begin are not arbitrary ones, not dogmas, but real premises from which abstraction can only be made in the imagination. They are the real individuals, their activity and the material conditions under which they live, both those which they find already existing and those produced by their activity. These premises can thus be verified in a purely empirical way.
"The first premise of all human history is, of course, the existence of living human individuals. Thus the first fact to be established is the physical organisation of these individuals and their consequent relation to the rest of nature. Of course, we cannot here go either into the actual physical nature of man, or into the natural conditions in which man finds himself – geological, hydrographical, climatic and so on. The writing of history must always set out from these natural bases and their modification in the course of history through the action of men.
"Men can be distinguished from animals by consciousness, by religion or anything else you like. They themselves begin to distinguish themselves from animals as soon as they begin to produce their means of subsistence, a step which is conditioned by their physical organisation. By producing their means of subsistence men are indirectly producing their actual material life.
"The way in which men produce their means of subsistence depends first of all on the nature of the actual means of subsistence they find in existence and have to reproduce. This mode of production must not be considered simply as being the production of the physical existence of the individuals. Rather it is a definite form of activity of these individuals, a definite form of expressing their life, a definite mode of life on their part. As individuals express their life, so they are. What they are, therefore, coincides with their production, both with what they produce and with how they produce. The nature of individuals thus depends on the material conditions determining their production.
"This production only makes its appearance with the increase of population. In its turn this presupposes the intercourse [Verkehr] of individuals with one another. The form of this intercourse is again determined by production.
[continues in comment]
2024.05.21 21:10 BleepBlimpBop $RILY DD: Long List of Short Seller Claims --- DEBUNKED with proof!
Ever-shifting Short Seller Claims
The short sellers attacking RILY in 2023-2024 have been relentless (currently 57% of float sold short per FinViz), with an ever-shifting list of wild accusations.It's sickening to watch them compile a never-ending list of baseless wild theories and claims to support their short positions, which are demonstrably false. But as each is proved false, they pivot to new claims, and/or change the goalposts.
The sheer volume of shifting claims makes it hard to track how despotic they are with their "platform," and how many falsehoods they've spun. Even for someone who watched it in real-time, for almost a year
Compiled & Debunked
Sunlight kills vampires. To that end, I've compiled a list of (i) claimants (ii) claims (iii) reality (iv) definitive source proving reality.Why Did They Target RILY?
One of the most vocal short sellers, Nate Koppikar (who also introduced Marc Cohodes to the "opportunity") has a fund Orso Partners. Based on their SEC registration document, this is their investment thesis:"The Account’s investment objectives are to achieve capital appreciation primarily by identifying and selling short marketable equity securities of underfollowed and complex companies with misleading or corrective disclosures through a research-intensive process. The Account employs a short-biased investment strategy with an emphasis on primarily small to mid-cap companies that are underfollowed and complex (i.e., companies with market capitalizations of less than $5 billion which the market does not yet have a wellformed bull and/or bear perspective)."
RILY fits their description. The icing on the cake was the relatively large market cap, and the relatively small float. Given extremely high insider ownership (32.9% of shares per the proxy), and limitations on when and how insiders can trade, the "free float" of the stock (i.e., the shares that regularly trade) is very small for the size of the company. Moreover, the setup would only get better - given insiders have consistently used their free cash to buy additional shares hand-over-fist (further reducing the float).
That meant, with relatively small amounts of capital, the short sellers could shove around the stock price. That ability to move price opens another profit avenue - taking large derivative positions (buying puts, and selling calls), and shoving the price (or allowing it to drift up) to profit all along the way. It looked so good, the stock has been the highest-shorted on the US indices for several months. Even after the release of the 10-K, shares remain "hard to borrow" with elevated borrow fees.
Debunked Claims
The claims made by vocal short sellers could fill a book. Most were outrageous and fanciful when they were proposed. Virtually all have objectively debunked. This isn't a comprehensive list, as their claims are too numerous and varied. But it paints an illuminating picture.With a track record this poor, one would expect the short sellers to exit - rather than continuing to spin new narratives. Perhaps the continued attacks are their exit strategy to avoid bankruptcy... Well, #Bullish.
With the highest short interest of all US stocks (albeit likely decreased from the highs of ~76% of the float), I think this is more than ripe for a return to fair value - or well above, if a short squeeze occurs.
Note: this sub disallows image posts. There is a similar post in the RILYStock sub which contains virtually all source images for the claim in the comments (too many images to embed in the post). The source images are illuminating.
Note that the list below deliberately excludes three types of posts/claims from the short sellers:
A) Juvenile personal attacks and attempts to character assassinate and dox a long list of people (RILY CEO, RILY new hires, RILY clients, Marcum the auditor, Marcum's lead audit professional, any firm or individual publicly posting a bull thesis on RILY, etc.).
B) Those that make no objective claims, but simply exist as a product of malicious degeneracy (like pictures of roasted pigs in ovens labeled Bryant Riley the CEO, photoshopped pictures of the CEO in prison chains next to convicted felons, video of an obese woman barely able to walk being gored by a bull labeled Mrs. Riley the CEO's wife, etc.).
C) Those that are impossible for short sellers to know, and impossible to objectively verify (e.g., Marc Cohodes claiming a single RILY trader front runs the CEOs personal short trades in front of clients taking following the firm's bullish advice on those stocks, to guarantee profits).
| Claimant | Claim | Reality |
|---|---|---|
| 1) Wolfpack | Wolfpack “RILY will record investment losses of up to ~$700 million in 2023” FALSE 10-K | FALSE |
| 2) Wolfpack | “new loan to CORZQ will work out just as badly as the last and end in default (again) before June 2023” | Repaid in fullFALSE , early, on 1/6/2024. |
| 3) Wolfpack | “The coupon rate on RILY’s seven issues of baby bonds ranges from 5% to 6.75%, which we believe to be far too low to compensate investors for the existential risk that accompanies these securities.” | Full redemption FALSE of May 2024 came early. Far more than sufficient cash to cover debt payments. |
| 4) Wolfpack | “According to our analysis, 4 of RILY’s largest 7 corporate borrowers with outstanding loan balances of $295.3 million are at a high risk of default, or in the case of CORZQ, is already in default.” | Core Scientific IncExela Technologies Arena Group Holdings FALSE a. . repaid early and in full ($111MM of the “risk”) b. repaid term loan in full ($55.8MM of the “risk”) c. debt retired in full ($99MM of the “risk”). Publicly disclosed in the most recent 10-K for each company (search for "Riley" in the filing) |
| 5) Wolfpack | “RILY’s NAV is Far Below the $1.1 Billion Minimum NAV Requirement That Is Required for the Nomura Credit Agreement Putting RILY at Risk of Collapse in 2023” | is in full compliance FALSE RILY with the Nomura credit agreement. Moreover, reflecting the strength of the relationship, Nomura even granted a no-fee extension when the 10-K filing was delayed. Also see 10-K for current status. |
| 6) Wolfpack | “Over $200 Million of the Goodwill and Intangible Assets on RILY’s Balance Sheet is Attributable to its Telecom Rollup, which is Centered on Dial-up and DSL Internet:” - criticizing them as dying businesses with no value | extremely valuableFALSE Segment is . From just 2020 to 2023, the communications segment has returned over $212.2MM in adjusted EBITDA. |
| 7) Nate Koppikar (TheFriendlyBear) + Bill Abbate Jr. (JrAbbate), Various | RILY committed fraud with loans and closing the FRG acquisition. "The fact $RILY closed the FRG deal while hiding the Kahn loan - an all PIK defaulted loan backed by $FRG shares - is a Hall of Fame worthy act of fraud. I thought after Enron/Sarbox we couldn't have something like this happen in US markets." | FALSE A law firm led an internal investigation, and an independent external investigation both found “The review confirmed what the Company previously disclosed: that the Company and its executives, including Bryant Riley, had no involvement with, or knowledge of, any of the alleged misconduct concerning Prophecy.” “The results of the independent investigation confirmed that the Company and its executives had no involvement with, or knowledge of, any of the alleged misconduct concerning Mr. Kahn or any of his affiliates. This independent investigation was conducted subsequent to the Company's February 22, 2024 disclosure of the internal review performed with the assistance of Sullivan & Cromwell LLP as outside counsel.” Also see 10-K |
| 8) Marc Cohodes (AlderlaneEggs), ParrotCapital, Bill Abbate Jr. (JrAbbate), Various | The 10-K will never be filed. They can't produce audited financials. | Audited 10-K FALSE was filed. Delay was due to Audit committee fulfilling its responsibilities and proactively conducting investigations (internal and external). |
| 9) Marc Cohodes (AlderLaneEggs) + Nate Koppikar (TheFriendlyBear) + Bill Abbate Jr. (JrAbbate) + ParrotCapital | Sullivan and Cromwell knew about Massive Fraud, and did a "sham investigation" | Sullivan and Cromwell FALSE is one of the most respected law firms, in the US and worldwide. "Sullivan & Cromwell continues to lead all law firm advisers in announced and completed global deals in 2023, according to Bloomberg and LSEG. The Firm advised on global announced deals totaling more than $345 billion, representing a 12.1 percent market share, per Bloomberg, and on completed global deals totaling more than $431 billion, representing a 16.9 percent market share, per LSEG." They're not compromising themselves for a relatively small client. |
| 10) Marc Cohodes (AlderLaneEggs), Nate Koppikar (TheFriendlyBear), Bill Abbate Jr. (JrAbbate), Parrot Capital | Marcum is enabling Massive Fraud | MarcumFALSE is a respected audit firm, and 13th largest by revenue. "Marcum LLP advanced into the Top 15 in the 2023 Vault Accounting list of top-ranked accounting firms. Marcum climbed six levels to the No. 13 ranking overall and earned a ranking of 14 in prestige. The Firm also won Top 20 rankings across all Practice Area, Quality of Life, and Diversity categories, including several new classifications added this year." |
| 11) Marc Cohodes (AlderLaneEggs) | Nomura is enabling Massive Fraud | NomuraFALSE is a global financial services company, and the oldest brokerage firm in Japan. They operate in a highly regulated industry. They're not putting themselves on the line for a relatively small client. |
| 12) Parrot Capital | "The list of $RILY enablers is massive: Marcum LLP, Sullivan and Cromwell, Seeking Alpha, Holbrook Holdings, $AX Axos Bank, Many, many more." | FALSE There's no global conspiracy whereby these companies - all respected law firms, auditors, banks, and media outlets - are collectively colluding to enable RILY to commit fraud. Requires only two brain cells and one functioning synapse to know there's no grand collusion cabal between these disparate companies. |
| 13) Marc Cohodes (AlderLaneEggs), Jonathan Weil at WSJ | Franchise Group shares used to secure Kahn loan: "It is unclear whether Kahn pledged the same shares twice—to both Prophecy and B. Riley." | stated by the company UCC search FALSE As , Simple disproves this. UCC # 202302295747 |
| 14) Marc Cohodes (AlderLaneEggs) | “Bryant Riley is on the Road, telling people the ‘audit partner at Marcum left’ and that ‘I have made mistakes’ “ | hit the 5yr SEC ruleFALSE Marcum audit partner was working on the audit the whole time; the original audit partner had , so he was never working on this year’s audit. |
| 15) Marc Cohodes (AlderLaneEggs) | "So it turns out James La Rocca was Fired by MarcumLLP If nothing was wrong with prior $RILY Audits, why is he gone? This will be great in discovery of what exactly went on. | hit the 5yr SEC ruleFALSE Marcum audit partner was working on the audit the whole time; the original audit partner had , so he was never working on this year’s audit. |
| 16) Koppikar (TheFriendlyBear) | “So Bryant Riley did disseminate MNPI back in March” in response to Cohodes claim that he told people the Marcum partner left | 5 consecutive yearsFALSE Cohodes claimed Bryant Riley was telling people the Marcum auditor left. Koppikar called that disseminating MNPI. Cohodes statement was false (and thus Koppikar's derivate claim is also false). A different auditor worked on RILY, as Marcum follows the SEC rules; the lead auditor can only serve the client for . As such, Koppikar’s derivative claim of disseminating MNPI is false. |
| 17) Koppikar (TheFriendlyBear) | “He appears to still not be familiar with the voting interest model of consolidation… why is a life science and tech partner signing an extremely complex investment company / broker dealer audit ???” i.e., auditor is unqualified | Marcum is a highly respected auditorFALSE The auditor is fully qualified. ; they don't hire unqualified people, or assign them to clients they're unqualified to audit. RILY is continuing to use Marcum as the 2024 auditor. |
| 18) Marc Cohodes (AlderLaneEggs) | "Now that the $RILY dividend is going away, this omission is serious stuff" | reduced 24Q1FALSE The dividend did not go away. It was from $1.00/share to $0.50/share, to allow them to opportunistically allocate capital. 23Q4 and |
2024.05.21 18:28 BleepBlimpBop $RILY DD: Long List of Short Seller Claims --- DEBUNKED with proof!
Ever-shifting Short Seller Claims
The short sellers attacking RILY in 2023-2024 have been relentless (currently 57% of float sold short per FinViz), with an ever-shifting list of wild accusations.It's sickening to watch them compile a never-ending list of baseless wild theories and claims to support their short positions, which are demonstrably false. But as each is proved false, they pivot to new claims, and/or change the goalposts.
The sheer volume of shifting claims makes it hard to track how despotic they are with their "platform," and how many falsehoods they've spun. Even for someone who watched it in real-time, for almost a year
Compiled & Debunked
Sunlight kills vampires. To that end, I've compiled a list of (i) claimants (ii) claims (iii) reality (iv) definitive source proving reality.Why Did They Target RILY?
One of the most vocal short sellers, Nate Koppikar (who also introduced Marc Cohodes to the "opportunity") has a fund Orso Partners. Based on their SEC registration document, this is their investment thesis:"The Account’s investment objectives are to achieve capital appreciation primarily by identifying and selling short marketable equity securities of underfollowed and complex companies with misleading or corrective disclosures through a research-intensive process. The Account employs a short-biased investment strategy with an emphasis on primarily small to mid-cap companies that are underfollowed and complex (i.e., companies with market capitalizations of less than $5 billion which the market does not yet have a wellformed bull and/or bear perspective)."
RILY fits their description. The icing on the cake was the relatively large market cap, and the relatively small float. Given extremely high insider ownership (32.9% of shares per the proxy), and limitations on when and how insiders can trade, the "free float" of the stock (i.e., the shares that regularly trade) is very small for the size of the company. Moreover, the setup would only get better - given insiders have consistently used their free cash to buy additional shares hand-over-fist (further reducing the float).
That meant, with relatively small amounts of capital, the short sellers could shove around the stock price. That ability to move price opens another profit avenue - taking large derivative positions (buying puts, and selling calls), and shoving the price (or allowing it to drift up) to profit all along the way. It looked so good, the stock has been the highest-shorted on the US indices for several months. Even after the release of the 10-K, shares remain "hard to borrow" with elevated borrow fees.
Debunked Claims
The claims made by vocal short sellers could fill a book. Most were outrageous and fanciful when they were proposed. Virtually all have objectively debunked. This isn't a comprehensive list, as their claims are too numerous and varied. But it paints an illuminating picture.With a track record this poor, one would expect the short sellers to exit - rather than continuing to spin new narratives. Perhaps the continued attacks are their exit strategy to avoid bankruptcy... Well, #Bullish.
With the highest short interest of all US stocks (albeit likely decreased from the highs of ~76% of the float), I think this is more than ripe for a return to fair value - or well above, if a short squeeze occurs.
Note: this sub disallows image posts. There is a similar post in the RILYStock sub which contains virtually all source images for the claim in the comments (too many images to embed in the post). The source images are illuminating.
Note that the list below deliberately excludes three types of posts/claims from the short sellers:
A) Juvenile personal attacks and attempts to character assassinate and dox a long list of people (RILY CEO, RILY new hires, RILY clients, Marcum the auditor, Marcum's lead audit professional, any firm or individual publicly posting a bull thesis on RILY, etc.).
B) Those that make no objective claims, but simply exist as a product of malicious degeneracy (like pictures of roasted pigs in ovens labeled Bryant Riley the CEO, photoshopped pictures of the CEO in prison chains next to convicted felons, video of an obese woman barely able to walk being gored by a bull labeled Mrs. Riley the CEO's wife, etc.).
C) Those that are impossible for short sellers to know, and impossible to objectively verify (e.g., Marc Cohodes claiming a single RILY trader front runs the CEOs personal short trades in front of clients taking following the firm's bullish advice on those stocks, to guarantee profits).
| Claimant | Claim | Reality |
|---|---|---|
| 1) Wolfpack | Wolfpack “RILY will record investment losses of up to ~$700 million in 2023” FALSE 10-K | FALSE |
| 2) Wolfpack | “new loan to CORZQ will work out just as badly as the last and end in default (again) before June 2023” | FALSE Repaid in full, early, on 1/6/2024. |
| 3) Wolfpack | “The coupon rate on RILY’s seven issues of baby bonds ranges from 5% to 6.75%, which we believe to be far too low to compensate investors for the existential risk that accompanies these securities.” | FALSE Full redemption of May 2024 came early. Far more than sufficient cash to cover debt payments. |
| 4) Wolfpack | “According to our analysis, 4 of RILY’s largest 7 corporate borrowers with outstanding loan balances of $295.3 million are at a high risk of default, or in the case of CORZQ, is already in default.” | FALSE a. Core Scientific Inc. repaid early and in full ($111MM of the “risk”) b. Exela Technologies repaid term loan in full ($55.8MM of the “risk”) c. Arena Group Holdings debt retired in full ($99MM of the “risk”). Publicly disclosed in the most recent 10-K for each company (search for "Riley" in the filing) |
| 5) Wolfpack | “RILY’s NAV is Far Below the $1.1 Billion Minimum NAV Requirement That Is Required for the Nomura Credit Agreement Putting RILY at Risk of Collapse in 2023” | FALSE RILY is in full compliance with the Nomura credit agreement. Moreover, reflecting the strength of the relationship, Nomura even granted a no-fee extension when the 10-K filing was delayed. Also see 10-K for current status. |
| 6) Wolfpack | “Over $200 Million of the Goodwill and Intangible Assets on RILY’s Balance Sheet is Attributable to its Telecom Rollup, which is Centered on Dial-up and DSL Internet:” - criticizing them as dying businesses with no value | FALSE Segment is extremely valuable. From just 2020 to 2023, the communications segment has returned over $212.2MM in adjusted EBITDA. |
| 7) Nate Koppikar (TheFriendlyBear) + Bill Abbate Jr. (JrAbbate), Various | RILY committed fraud with loans and closing the FRG acquisition. "The fact $RILY closed the FRG deal while hiding the Kahn loan - an all PIK defaulted loan backed by $FRG shares - is a Hall of Fame worthy act of fraud. I thought after Enron/Sarbox we couldn't have something like this happen in US markets." | FALSE A law firm led an internal investigation, and an independent external investigation both found “The review confirmed what the Company previously disclosed: that the Company and its executives, including Bryant Riley, had no involvement with, or knowledge of, any of the alleged misconduct concerning Prophecy.” “The results of the independent investigation confirmed that the Company and its executives had no involvement with, or knowledge of, any of the alleged misconduct concerning Mr. Kahn or any of his affiliates. This independent investigation was conducted subsequent to the Company's February 22, 2024 disclosure of the internal review performed with the assistance of Sullivan & Cromwell LLP as outside counsel.” Also see 10-K |
| 8) Marc Cohodes (AlderlaneEggs), ParrotCapital, Bill Abbate Jr. (JrAbbate), Various | The 10-K will never be filed. They can't produce audited financials. | FALSE Audited 10-K was filed. Delay was due to Audit committee fulfilling its responsibilities and proactively conducting investigations (internal and external). |
| 9) Marc Cohodes (AlderLaneEggs) + Nate Koppikar (TheFriendlyBear) + Bill Abbate Jr. (JrAbbate) + ParrotCapital | Sullivan and Cromwell knew about Massive Fraud, and did a "sham investigation" | FALSE Sullivan and Cromwell is one of the most respected law firms, in the US and worldwide. "Sullivan & Cromwell continues to lead all law firm advisers in announced and completed global deals in 2023, according to Bloomberg and LSEG. The Firm advised on global announced deals totaling more than $345 billion, representing a 12.1 percent market share, per Bloomberg, and on completed global deals totaling more than $431 billion, representing a 16.9 percent market share, per LSEG." They're not compromising themselves for a relatively small client. |
| 10) Marc Cohodes (AlderLaneEggs), Nate Koppikar (TheFriendlyBear), Bill Abbate Jr. (JrAbbate), Parrot Capital | Marcum is enabling Massive Fraud | FALSE Marcum is a respected audit firm, and 13th largest by revenue. "Marcum LLP advanced into the Top 15 in the 2023 Vault Accounting list of top-ranked accounting firms. Marcum climbed six levels to the No. 13 ranking overall and earned a ranking of 14 in prestige. The Firm also won Top 20 rankings across all Practice Area, Quality of Life, and Diversity categories, including several new classifications added this year." |
| 11) Marc Cohodes (AlderLaneEggs) | Nomura is enabling Massive Fraud | FALSE Nomura is a global financial services company, and the oldest brokerage firm in Japan. They operate in a highly regulated industry. They're not putting themselves on the line for a relatively small client. |
| 12) Parrot Capital | "The list of $RILY enablers is massive: Marcum LLP, Sullivan and Cromwell, Seeking Alpha, Holbrook Holdings, $AX Axos Bank, Many, many more." | FALSE There's no global conspiracy whereby these companies - all respected law firms, auditors, banks, and media outlets - are collectively colluding to enable RILY to commit fraud. Requires only two brain cells and one functioning synapse to know there's no grand collusion cabal between these disparate companies. |
| 13) Marc Cohodes (AlderLaneEggs), Jonathan Weil at WSJ | Franchise Group shares used to secure Kahn loan: "It is unclear whether Kahn pledged the same shares twice—to both Prophecy and B. Riley." | FALSE As stated by the company, Simple UCC search disproves this. UCC # 202302295747 |
| 14) Marc Cohodes (AlderLaneEggs) | “Bryant Riley is on the Road, telling people the ‘audit partner at Marcum left’ and that ‘I have made mistakes’ “ | FALSE Marcum audit partner was working on the audit the whole time; the original audit partner had hit the 5yr SEC rule, so he was never working on this year’s audit. |
| 15) Marc Cohodes (AlderLaneEggs) | "So it turns out James La Rocca was Fired by MarcumLLP If nothing was wrong with prior $RILY Audits, why is he gone? This will be great in discovery of what exactly went on. | FALSE Marcum audit partner was working on the audit the whole time; the original audit partner had hit the 5yr SEC rule, so he was never working on this year’s audit. |
| 16) Koppikar (TheFriendlyBear) | “So Bryant Riley did disseminate MNPI back in March” in response to Cohodes claim that he told people the Marcum partner left | FALSE Cohodes claimed Bryant Riley was telling people the Marcum auditor left. Koppikar called that disseminating MNPI. Cohodes statement was false (and thus Koppikar's derivate claim is also false). A different auditor worked on RILY, as Marcum follows the SEC rules; the lead auditor can only serve the client for 5 consecutive years. As such, Koppikar’s derivative claim of disseminating MNPI is false. |
| 17) Koppikar (TheFriendlyBear) | “He appears to still not be familiar with the voting interest model of consolidation… why is a life science and tech partner signing an extremely complex investment company / broker dealer audit ???” i.e., auditor is unqualified | FALSE The auditor is fully qualified. Marcum is a highly respected auditor; they don't hire unqualified people, or assign them to clients they're unqualified to audit. RILY is continuing to use Marcum as the 2024 auditor. |
| 18) Marc Cohodes (AlderLaneEggs) | "Now that the $RILY dividend is going away, this omission is serious stuff" | FALSE The dividend did not go away. It was reduced from $1.00/share to $0.50/share, to allow them to opportunistically allocate capital. 23Q4 and 24Q1 |
2024.05.21 18:23 BleepBlimpBop $RILY: Long List of Short Seller Claims --- DEBUNKED
Ever-shifting Short Seller Claims
The short sellers attacking RILY in 2023-2024 have been relentless (currently 57% of float sold short per FinViz), with an ever-shifting list of wild accusations.It's sickening to watch them compile a never-ending list of baseless wild theories and claims to support their short positions, which are demonstrably false. But as each is proved false, they pivot to new claims, and/or change the goalposts.
The sheer volume of shifting claims makes it hard to track how despotic they are with their "platform," and how many falsehoods they've spun. Even for someone who watched it in real-time, for almost a year
Compiled & Debunked
Sunlight kills vampires. To that end, I've compiled a list of (i) claimants (ii) claims (iii) reality (iv) definitive source proving reality.Why Did They Target RILY?
One of the most vocal short sellers, Nate Koppikar (who also introduced Marc Cohodes to the "opportunity") has a fund Orso Partners. Based on their SEC registration document, this is their investment thesis:"The Account’s investment objectives are to achieve capital appreciation primarily by identifying and selling short marketable equity securities of underfollowed and complex companies with misleading or corrective disclosures through a research-intensive process. The Account employs a short-biased investment strategy with an emphasis on primarily small to mid-cap companies that are underfollowed and complex (i.e., companies with market capitalizations of less than $5 billion which the market does not yet have a wellformed bull and/or bear perspective)."
RILY fits their description. The icing on the cake was the relatively large market cap, and the relatively small float. Given extremely high insider ownership (32.9% of shares per the proxy), and limitations on when and how insiders can trade, the "free float" of the stock (i.e., the shares that regularly trade) is very small for the size of the company. Moreover, the setup would only get better - given insiders have consistently used their free cash to buy additional shares hand-over-fist (further reducing the float).
That meant, with relatively small amounts of capital, the short sellers could shove around the stock price. That ability to move price opens another profit avenue - taking large derivative positions (buying puts, and selling calls), and shoving the price (or allowing it to drift up) to profit all along the way. It looked so good, the stock has been the highest-shorted on the US indices for several months. Even after the release of the 10-K, shares remain "hard to borrow" with elevated borrow fees.
Debunked Claims
The claims made by vocal short sellers could fill a book. Most were outrageous and fanciful when they were proposed. Virtually all have objectively debunked. This isn't a comprehensive list, as their claims are too numerous and varied. But it paints an illuminating picture.With a track record this poor, one would expect the short sellers to exit - rather than continuing to spin new narratives. Perhaps the continued attacks are their exit strategy to avoid bankruptcy... Well, #Bullish.
With the highest short interest of all US stocks (albeit likely decreased from the highs of ~76% of the float), I think this is more than ripe for a return to fair value - or well above, if a short squeeze occurs.
Note that the list below deliberately excludes three types of posts/claims from the short sellers:
A) Juvenile personal attacks and attempts to character assassinate and dox a long list of people (RILY CEO, RILY new hires, RILY clients, Marcum the auditor, Marcum's lead audit professional, any firm or individual publicly posting a bull thesis on RILY, etc.).
B) Those that make no objective claims, but simply exist as a product of malicious degeneracy (like pictures of roasted pigs in ovens labeled Bryant Riley the CEO, photoshopped pictures of the CEO in prison chains next to convicted felons, video of an obese woman barely able to walk being gored by a bull labeled Mrs. Riley the CEO's wife, etc.).
C) Those that are impossible for short sellers to know, and impossible to objectively verify (e.g., Marc Cohodes claiming a single RILY trader front runs the CEOs personal short trades in front of clients taking following the firm's bullish advice on those stocks, to guarantee profits).
| Claimant | Claim | Reality |
|---|---|---|
| 1) Wolfpack | Wolfpack “RILY will record investment losses of up to ~$700 million in 2023” FALSE 10-K | FALSE |
| 2) Wolfpack | “new loan to CORZQ will work out just as badly as the last and end in default (again) before June 2023” | FALSE Repaid in full, early, on 1/6/2024. |
| 3) Wolfpack | “The coupon rate on RILY’s seven issues of baby bonds ranges from 5% to 6.75%, which we believe to be far too low to compensate investors for the existential risk that accompanies these securities.” | FALSE Full redemption of May 2024 came early. Far more than sufficient cash to cover debt payments. |
| 4) Wolfpack | “According to our analysis, 4 of RILY’s largest 7 corporate borrowers with outstanding loan balances of $295.3 million are at a high risk of default, or in the case of CORZQ, is already in default.” | FALSE a. Core Scientific Inc. repaid early and in full ($111MM of the “risk”) b. Exela Technologies repaid term loan in full ($55.8MM of the “risk”) c. Arena Group Holdings debt retired in full ($99MM of the “risk”). Publicly disclosed in the most recent 10-K for each company (search for "Riley" in the filing) |
| 5) Wolfpack | “RILY’s NAV is Far Below the $1.1 Billion Minimum NAV Requirement That Is Required for the Nomura Credit Agreement Putting RILY at Risk of Collapse in 2023” | FALSE RILY is in full compliance with the Nomura credit agreement. Moreover, reflecting the strength of the relationship, Nomura even granted a no-fee extension when the 10-K filing was delayed. Also see 10-K for current status. |
| 6) Wolfpack | “Over $200 Million of the Goodwill and Intangible Assets on RILY’s Balance Sheet is Attributable to its Telecom Rollup, which is Centered on Dial-up and DSL Internet:” - criticizing them as dying businesses with no value | FALSE Segment is extremely valuable. From just 2020 to 2023, the communications segment has returned over $212.2MM in adjusted EBITDA. |
| 7) Nate Koppikar (TheFriendlyBear) + Bill Abbate Jr. (JrAbbate), Various | RILY committed fraud with loans and closing the FRG acquisition. "The fact $RILY closed the FRG deal while hiding the Kahn loan - an all PIK defaulted loan backed by $FRG shares - is a Hall of Fame worthy act of fraud. I thought after Enron/Sarbox we couldn't have something like this happen in US markets." | FALSE A law firm led an internal investigation, and an independent external investigation both found “The review confirmed what the Company previously disclosed: that the Company and its executives, including Bryant Riley, had no involvement with, or knowledge of, any of the alleged misconduct concerning Prophecy.” “The results of the independent investigation confirmed that the Company and its executives had no involvement with, or knowledge of, any of the alleged misconduct concerning Mr. Kahn or any of his affiliates. This independent investigation was conducted subsequent to the Company's February 22, 2024 disclosure of the internal review performed with the assistance of Sullivan & Cromwell LLP as outside counsel.” Also see 10-K |
| 8) Marc Cohodes (AlderlaneEggs), ParrotCapital, Bill Abbate Jr. (JrAbbate), Various | The 10-K will never be filed. They can't produce audited financials. | FALSE Audited 10-K was filed. Delay was due to Audit committee fulfilling its responsibilities and proactively conducting investigations (internal and external). |
| 9) Marc Cohodes (AlderLaneEggs) + Nate Koppikar (TheFriendlyBear) + Bill Abbate Jr. (JrAbbate) + ParrotCapital | Sullivan and Cromwell knew about Massive Fraud, and did a "sham investigation" | FALSE Sullivan and Cromwell is one of the most respected law firms, in the US and worldwide. "Sullivan & Cromwell continues to lead all law firm advisers in announced and completed global deals in 2023, according to Bloomberg and LSEG. The Firm advised on global announced deals totaling more than $345 billion, representing a 12.1 percent market share, per Bloomberg, and on completed global deals totaling more than $431 billion, representing a 16.9 percent market share, per LSEG." They're not compromising themselves for a relatively small client. |
| 10) Marc Cohodes (AlderLaneEggs), Nate Koppikar (TheFriendlyBear), Bill Abbate Jr. (JrAbbate), Parrot Capital | Marcum is enabling Massive Fraud | FALSE Marcum is a respected audit firm, and 13th largest by revenue. "Marcum LLP advanced into the Top 15 in the 2023 Vault Accounting list of top-ranked accounting firms. Marcum climbed six levels to the No. 13 ranking overall and earned a ranking of 14 in prestige. The Firm also won Top 20 rankings across all Practice Area, Quality of Life, and Diversity categories, including several new classifications added this year." |
| 11) Marc Cohodes (AlderLaneEggs) | Nomura is enabling Massive Fraud | FALSE Nomura is a global financial services company, and the oldest brokerage firm in Japan. They operate in a highly regulated industry. They're not putting themselves on the line for a relatively small client. |
| 12) Parrot Capital | "The list of $RILY enablers is massive: Marcum LLP, Sullivan and Cromwell, Seeking Alpha, Holbrook Holdings, $AX Axos Bank, Many, many more." | FALSE There's no global conspiracy whereby these companies - all respected law firms, auditors, banks, and media outlets - are collectively colluding to enable RILY to commit fraud. Requires only two brain cells and one functioning synapse to know there's no grand collusion cabal between these disparate companies. |
| 13) Marc Cohodes (AlderLaneEggs), Jonathan Weil at WSJ | Franchise Group shares used to secure Kahn loan: "It is unclear whether Kahn pledged the same shares twice—to both Prophecy and B. Riley." | FALSE As stated by the company, Simple UCC search disproves this. UCC # 202302295747 |
| 14) Marc Cohodes (AlderLaneEggs) | “Bryant Riley is on the Road, telling people the ‘audit partner at Marcum left’ and that ‘I have made mistakes’ “ | FALSE Marcum audit partner was working on the audit the whole time; the original audit partner had hit the 5yr SEC rule, so he was never working on this year’s audit. |
| 15) Marc Cohodes (AlderLaneEggs) | "So it turns out James La Rocca was Fired by MarcumLLP If nothing was wrong with prior $RILY Audits, why is he gone? This will be great in discovery of what exactly went on. | FALSE Marcum audit partner was working on the audit the whole time; the original audit partner had hit the 5yr SEC rule, so he was never working on this year’s audit. |
| 16) Koppikar (TheFriendlyBear) | “So Bryant Riley did disseminate MNPI back in March” in response to Cohodes claim that he told people the Marcum partner left | FALSE Cohodes claimed Bryant Riley was telling people the Marcum auditor left. Koppikar called that disseminating MNPI. Cohodes statement was false (and thus Koppikar's derivate claim is also false). A different auditor worked on RILY, as Marcum follows the SEC rules; the lead auditor can only serve the client for 5 consecutive years. As such, Koppikar’s derivative claim of disseminating MNPI is false. |
| 17) Koppikar (TheFriendlyBear) | “He appears to still not be familiar with the voting interest model of consolidation… why is a life science and tech partner signing an extremely complex investment company / broker dealer audit ???” i.e., auditor is unqualified | FALSE The auditor is fully qualified. Marcum is a highly respected auditor; they don't hire unqualified people, or assign them to clients they're unqualified to audit. RILY is continuing to use Marcum as the 2024 auditor. |
| 18) Marc Cohodes (AlderLaneEggs) | "Now that the $RILY dividend is going away, this omission is serious stuff" | FALSE The dividend did not go away. It was reduced from $1.00/share to $0.50/share, to allow them to opportunistically allocate capital. 23Q4 and 24Q1 |
| 19) Marc Cohodes (AlderLaneEggs) | "$RILY doesn't make it till Easter... I will say it again and again.." | FALSE They made it, filed a 10-K and paid a dividend, filed a 10-Q and are paying a dividend, and are chugging along. With stock price 50% higher than when this claim was made. |
2024.05.21 18:17 do_not_call_saul Why don't women respect me and objectify me all the time
I am so tired of women objectifying modern men and they don't even have an iota of respect for us.
Yes, I am a strong independent man who believes in equal rights but why should I split the bill on dates or make the first move at all.
I have 10k followers on insta and 5k+ likes on bumble, I have standards yk.
And yes, my father supported my mother when they were struggling, he used to cook at home and do household chores and they built a life for themselves together. But I want a girl in her 20s who earns the same as my mother who is in her 50s. But I don't know how to cook at all, best I can do is Maggie and partayy...slayyyy.
Also, where are all the good women who used to write letters even in wars. Women these days don't know chivalry AT ALL.
And what do you mean that driving a vehicle is a necessary life skill nowadays and I can't depend on women to chauffeur me around while I can't even read a map. I love traveling in an auto with my friends but my date HAS got to pick and drop me home.I have standards you know.And how dare you suggest that men are bad drivers, you misandrist.
And I am not an object for women to win over. Even though I go to clubs and use dating apps, where I display zero personality and expect women to woo (objectify) me. Yes they buy me drinks, pay my bills, are expected to be interesting , adventurous and spontaneous before I decide to sleep with them and bringing only my body to the table...but that doesn't mean I am an object ffs.
Mere kapde nahi, tumhari soch choti hai.
And just to reiterate, I am a strong independent man (basically an adult) who doesn't need women. I am so sick of this matriarchy. Do you have any idea how much men have been oppressed in the past....now where is my validation from strangers (me and my friends call them creeps) and free dinner with dessert...
submitted by do_not_call_saul to onexindia [link] [comments]
Yes, I am a strong independent man who believes in equal rights but why should I split the bill on dates or make the first move at all.
I have 10k followers on insta and 5k+ likes on bumble, I have standards yk.
And yes, my father supported my mother when they were struggling, he used to cook at home and do household chores and they built a life for themselves together. But I want a girl in her 20s who earns the same as my mother who is in her 50s. But I don't know how to cook at all, best I can do is Maggie and partayy...slayyyy.
Also, where are all the good women who used to write letters even in wars. Women these days don't know chivalry AT ALL.
And what do you mean that driving a vehicle is a necessary life skill nowadays and I can't depend on women to chauffeur me around while I can't even read a map. I love traveling in an auto with my friends but my date HAS got to pick and drop me home.I have standards you know.And how dare you suggest that men are bad drivers, you misandrist.
And I am not an object for women to win over. Even though I go to clubs and use dating apps, where I display zero personality and expect women to woo (objectify) me. Yes they buy me drinks, pay my bills, are expected to be interesting , adventurous and spontaneous before I decide to sleep with them and bringing only my body to the table...but that doesn't mean I am an object ffs.
Mere kapde nahi, tumhari soch choti hai.
And just to reiterate, I am a strong independent man (basically an adult) who doesn't need women. I am so sick of this matriarchy. Do you have any idea how much men have been oppressed in the past....now where is my validation from strangers (me and my friends call them creeps) and free dinner with dessert...
2024.05.21 18:16 mereli97 Charges after the office visit
I went to a local eye clinic in Houston ,Texas to check for what felt like an object in my eye. I supplied my insurance information before the visit (Cigna PPO Open Access) and when the appointment was over, they indicated that the examination would be covered. The doctor asked for two additional follow-ups which I did and again paid nothing. Two months later, I received a bill from the doctor's office which indicated that the insurance had covered only about 60% of each of these visits which were coded as a "E&M EST PT DETAILED EXAM".
I don't feel that I should pay the portion that was not covered, as I was not notified at the time of the exam. I certainly would have not continued to go to the two additional follow-ups had I known they were not covered by Insurance. What is the best strategy to avoid this bill? Should I call my insurance company or the provider directly?
submitted by mereli97 to MedicalBill [link] [comments]
I don't feel that I should pay the portion that was not covered, as I was not notified at the time of the exam. I certainly would have not continued to go to the two additional follow-ups had I known they were not covered by Insurance. What is the best strategy to avoid this bill? Should I call my insurance company or the provider directly?
2024.05.21 14:14 DirectBusinessGroup A Guide to Business Energy Procurement
What is Energy Procurement?
Energy procurement is the process of researching and securing the best energy contract for your business's needs from a third-party energy supplier or local distribution company (LDC).Although it may seem time-consuming and confusing, energy procurement and energy procurement strategy is crucial and could save your business thousands while increasing energy efficiency.
How Does Energy Procurement Work?
To procure energy, you need to analyse your gas and electricity usage and collaborate with brokers or suppliers to determine which contract or tariff is best for your needs. It can also involve assessing the type of supplier, sustainability targets, and energy types available.Who Needs Energy Procurement?
Every business, regardless of size or industry, will benefit from an understanding of energy procurement. However, the size and type of business operations will dictate your strategy.For example, the energy needs of a small retail store that operates from nine to five will differ significantly from those of a factory that runs machinery 24/7. To choose the right energy contract, energy type, and energy tariff, you need to determine your energy requirements and goals.
It is best to speak with a broker or consultant if you have any questions about what your specific business will need, and which is the best financial option.
"2021 was an awakening for most UK business owners, energy was usually a background activity, low on the priority list with little thought given. Heading into 2024, navigating the energy market has become a critical task for businesses, especially after the energy crisis led to a significant market shrinkage. This has made energy prices more volatile and unpredictable than ever. Mastering energy procurement is now essential not just for managing costs, but also for ensuring a reliable supply of energy. As the market continues to tighten, having a strategic approach allows businesses to secure energy at stable prices and embrace renewable sources smoothly, which is crucial for meeting new environmental regulations."
Reece Jensen - Senior Energy Consultant at Direct Business Solutions
How Do Businesses Procure Energy?
To get the best deal for your business energy needs, you should look for a supplier that offers competitive pricing and can meet your requirements. Typically, you can buy energy from one of the following parties:Supplier: Private, wholesale, or retail energy companies can meet your business's energy demands, and they offer an alternative to utility company pricing.
Broker: Energy brokers and consultants will do the leg work for you. They work to find the best supplier, price, and deal for your specific needs.
Utility Company: Utility companies or LDCs are your default suppliers when you don't choose a supplier. They handle the supply and and distribution and charge a set rate for a fixed term or a market-based rate which can change each month.
Why is an Energy Procurement Strategy Important?
It is a simple principle, but there is more than meets the eye when it comes to energy procurement. For businesses, there are many benefits of energy procurement:Cost Management: Energy bills can be one of the largest expenses for a business. Procuring energy from the right supplier means you’re guaranteed the most competitive rates, reducing energy costs and improving profitability.
Risk Mitigation: Energy markets can be volatile, with prices subject to fluctuations influenced by factors such as geopolitics, weather, and supply and demand. Procurement strategies can help mitigate these risks by locking in favourable rates through contracts or hedging strategies.
Sustainability Goals: Many businesses aim to reduce their carbon footprint and support renewable energy initiatives. Energy procurement allows organisations to source energy from renewable sources or invest in carbon offset programs to meet sustainability objectives.
Operational Continuity: Ensuring a reliable and uninterrupted energy supply is essential for business operations. Procurement activities help businesses plan for future energy needs, especially during times of expansion or relocation.
Types of Business Energy Procurement Contracts
There are various types of energy procurement contracts available for businesses. To make the best decision, it's important to understand the main options.Fixed contracts
The contracts keep the energy unit cost or standing charge unchanged throughout the fixed term period, which can last from months to years. While they offer more security and prevent price hikes, you won't benefit from rate drops and fixed rates don't mean your bills will be the same every month.
Blend and Extend
The types of conteacts are slightly more complex. Your supplier will extend the contract's length to reduce the amount you're paying. The contract rates are blended with the current market rates, meaning you'll pay higher or lower depending on external influences.
You start with a fixed rate energy pricing, and when the contract is extended, you'll pay a new rate for that period, which helps to reduce energy bills and keep the rates steady until the contract ends. These contracts can be helpful for businesses struggling with high energy bills, but there's no guarantee your business will benefit from them.
The Flex Approach/Flexible energy procurement
These are more suitable for larger business operations. It involves buying energy in bulk at wholesale rates for months or years ahead. However, there's a risk of being caught out of contract when unit rates spike.
Pass-through
Pass-through tariffs swap between fixed, wholesale, unit rates, and other options to give the best deal while considering external factors like National Grid levels, Transmission Network Use of System (TnUoS), and more. They can be a good option for businesses that have a detailed understanding of their energy usage.
Renewable
Renewable energy contracts are the primary option for businesses seeking to meet sustainable energy goals. They involve purchasing renewable energy credits (RECs), which enable companies to offset their electricity consumption by buying the equivalent amount of electricity produced by renewable resources.
Advice For Generating an Energy Procurement Strategy
To effectively manage your business's energy consumption, you need to have a clear understanding of your energy needs. This includes how much energy you currently use and how much you are likely to use in the future. It's important to have an accurate prediction of your energy needs to avoid any unexpected bills.When budgeting for energy expenses, it's important to be realistic about your costs. You should consider all energy options available to you, including different contracts and tariffs, and negotiate with various suppliers to ensure you get the best rates. Only agree to contracts that are affordable for your business.
Regular monitoring of your energy usage and spending can help you make changes to meet your energy goals. Whether your focus is on improving your carbon footprint or reducing costs, regular monitoring can help you identify opportunities to achieve your energy objectives.
Ask us any questions and we will help you out as much as possible.
2024.05.21 10:36 Arctodus Impressions of Leviathan Wilds, Slay the Spire, Cascadero/dito, Spectral, and Harmonies
The world conspired in the best of ways to bless me with a whole bunch of new games at once and I happened to be able to get in a lot of plays quickly with them.
Always get an idea of who's talking before you take anything away from these reviews/impressions. Maybe we're really different people. I've been in the hobby for 10+ years. I've played a lot of games. I love interactive and mechanically unique games. I worship Reiner Knizia. Some of my favorite games are Tigris and Euphrates, Spirit Island, Race for the Galaxy, Agricola, Battle Line, and Oath. My favorite games of last year were Stationfall, Ra (reprint), and Zoo Vadis.
Okay, let's go!
Cascadito/Cascadero - Is this a Pokemon Red/Blue scenario? No! There's room for both halves of this pair of Knizias in a collection. I think Cascadero is the better game, but Cascadito slides onto our table more easily. I'm a bit of a believer in the Moneyball theory of games (does the game "get on base" (to the table)?) so, that matters!
Cascadero - 4 plays at 2 players - First, the production is perfect. Svelte box that's easy to pack, wooden pieces, great graphic design with built in rules reminders by Ian O'Toole, and a striking cover make this a joy to play. If you enjoy the general waves hands of Irish Gauge, you're going to love how this looks.
Cascadero requires a little patience, but I think I'm starting to see a heart of gold down in there. As a Knizia tile-layer, right away, this game is, unfortunately, going to get compared to some of the greatest games ever made. Games like Through the Desert, Samurai, Babylonia, etc. I say unfortunately, because I don't think you'll love this game on the first play. That's because I think the default/starter side of the board is less interesting. If you're familiar with games, do yourself a favor and flip to the farmer side as soon as possible. Even then, Cascadero is subtle. When played best, it's a quiet maneuvering of cubes up to just the right spots on tracks with pieces on the board in all the right places that build a little lattice of opportunity. Not just one combo ready to score, but a set of circumstances that hedge on an opponent's move. Paths are everywhere, and you're using them in just the right ways to get across a double score gap or to slip into a fold in the track that gives an extra bonus. I feel like the review circuit doesn't usually play games enough times to appreciate this one, and maybe it's subtle to a fault. It isn't great when you hear "it gets good on game 4", but I'm four games in and usually that's the point where I'm bored of most games. With this one I'm excited to play more.
Cascadero is great!
Cascadito - 5 plays at 2 players - Do you like My City? Do you like My City: Roll and Build? I do. I probably wouldn't list them in my favorite games, but they are such great weeknight-with-the-partner games that I appreciate them all the same. Cascadito isn't billed as a campaign game, but rather as four maps. Maybe a 4 game campaign doesn't sound long enough, but I'm busy. 4 games sounds like something I can do. If you've played Cascadero, map 1 is the less interesting version of that game. Stick with it though! Like My City, you get the joy of seeing Knizia riff on an idea. We enjoyed each subsequent map more and more and we could see ourselves replaying #3 and especially #4. In fact, on map 4 we kept looking at each other's sheets during the game - on a roll and write! I like that.
Cascadito is good!
Spectral - 6 plays at 2 players - I'm pretty picky about deduction games, especially as board games. As someone who has put hundreds of hours into Picross and sudoku I need there to be a good reason why I'm using my precious time with my friends on something that is usually so solitary. So far, I've really only liked The Search for Planet X. While it isn't known as a particularly interactive game, my friends and I have played it so competitively that we look for any scrap of information that might give us the edge, and the publishing system cranks up the incentive to take some leaps of faith in a tight race.
When I heard about Spectral I was excited - an interactive, bidding based logic puzzle - cool! Six games later, I haven't really figured out how to interact with my opponent. While The Search for Planet X has clear moments of intention to watch for (publishing papers), it's really hard to tell when your opponent is acting with intention or just exploring in Spectral. You also don't have those little clues like what your opponent is scanning for or researching like in Planet X to build some kind of theory around. The game is a breeze to play, yet barely leaves room to grapple. So maybe the interaction isn't super strong, but how's the logic puzzle?
Boring. Imagine playing sudoku, but the logic restrictions were only for rows and not also columns, or within squares. You can do some deduction with the curse cards, but the treasure cards (12 of the 16) are all essentially equally informative and don't allow for much in the way of chains of deduction. You can do a little bit with probabilities of where treasures are likely to overlap, but it rarely feels worth it to pursue when finding curses provides a much more reliable benefit.
I want to be wrong about this game. Please, someone argue this one with me.
Spectral is okay. If you play it once or twice, I think you'll have a good time, but I don't see it having legs.
Slay the Spire - I've had this game for less than a month and I think I've put in maybe 50 hours at the table with it at this point. I've played with people who have 1000s of hours in Slay the Spire - they have loved it. I've played with people who have never played Slay the Spire - I see them playing Slay the Spire on Steam the next day and asking when they can next come over. People who usually duck out of a game night at 10pm are still at the table at 1am.
I was really worried it would be bad. I wondered, why not just play the digital game? But here I am, holding the box and knowing without a doubt, this object sparks joy. Have you ever experienced a solitary piece of media, obsessed over it, and then gotten a chance to experience it together with other fans? Maybe something like watching Game of Thrones with friends after reading the books. It feels great to share in something you've loved. That's how Slay the Spire has felt. But it's not just that, as evidenced by the friends that have never played the digital game and still loved it. It's just a damn good deck builder, and the whole system of knowing exactly what the enemies are going to do before they do it goes over so well here. It's so apparent that this translation was a labor of love and so much has gone into preserving the spirit of the game. I love it.
Slay the Spire is excellent!
Leviathan Wilds - played the first 3 Leviathans solo and at 2 - I backed this as a Shadow of the Colossus fan, and hoped for the best. I'm honestly blown away by how much this game has exceeded my expectations. First, there's something about this game that feels so complete and efficient. There's no Kickstarter bloat. It's in a very understated, retail sized box. The game just gets so much out of each component. It feels like the people who made it have made a lot of games before (and they have!).
I have trouble finding mid-weight 1-hour co-ops that I like. I love co-ops like The Crew at the short and sweet end and Spirit Island at the epic and heavy end, but the games that hit around the Pandemic range have never appealed to me. There often seems to be too much upkeep and setup, and not enough to keep me interested in sharing a puzzle with other people.
Leviathan Wilds is sooooo easy to set up. Setting up a Leviathan involves opening a spiral bound map book and laying out five cards. Processing the enemy turn involves flipping a card and later doing what it says. I don't play solo games, pretty much ever, but I'm playing this solo because it's so damn easy to run.
The moment to moment gameplay has been a blast. The systems are very open and freeform and the cards are multi-use, so there's often this feeling of scrapping together just the thing you need from odd parts - burning this card, eating this mushroom, falling here, etc. The movement system really leans into the mechanics of Shadow of the Colossus and allows for a creativity and freedom while reinforcing the theme. Every game we've played has been tight and we've failed a few times. I like that. My only complaint was that the enemies will sometimes do "swift" moves that resolve before your turn so you don't have much of a chance to react. I didn't realize until a game or two later that you can still use skills on cards to react instantly which might be an easy rule to miss. I've felt much better about "swift" since learning that. I'll definitely be backing the announced small expansion for the upcoming reprint. What a pleasant surprise.
Leviathan Wilds is excellent!
Harmonies - 6 plays at 2 players - This game has been called a Reef killer, an Azul killer, and a Cascadia killer. I own all those games! So, what's the body count at my table? Well, first off this game is lovely. The art is beautiful, the spatial puzzle is quite satisfying, and the playtime is breezy (especially at 2). It is most comparable to Reef in that you are arranging and stacking pieces in configurations for points, but there's a second layer of tile arrangement, similar to Cascadia's habitats, that's always present, no matter what cards come up. The Azul comparison is probably due to the drafting of tiles from a central market. So, what's the outcome?:
Dro Polter - Too many plays to count and at all player counts - I think this is Oink's cutest production yet. The chunky wooden ghost, the tiny bells, the little set of treasures you'll hold in your hand. If you like frantic dexterity games, this is great. You can explain the rules in about 2 sentences and it's very non-gamer friendly. The cleverest bit is how you have to hold onto points in the form of tiny bells and if you drop them you lose them. It's an excellent system of handicapping the leader that often turns to laughs. It's mostly a novelty, but if you can introduce it to a few different groups of people, it feels worth it. Great with kids too.
Dro Polter is great!
submitted by Arctodus to boardgames [link] [comments]
Always get an idea of who's talking before you take anything away from these reviews/impressions. Maybe we're really different people. I've been in the hobby for 10+ years. I've played a lot of games. I love interactive and mechanically unique games. I worship Reiner Knizia. Some of my favorite games are Tigris and Euphrates, Spirit Island, Race for the Galaxy, Agricola, Battle Line, and Oath. My favorite games of last year were Stationfall, Ra (reprint), and Zoo Vadis.
Okay, let's go!
Cascadito/Cascadero - Is this a Pokemon Red/Blue scenario? No! There's room for both halves of this pair of Knizias in a collection. I think Cascadero is the better game, but Cascadito slides onto our table more easily. I'm a bit of a believer in the Moneyball theory of games (does the game "get on base" (to the table)?) so, that matters!
Cascadero - 4 plays at 2 players - First, the production is perfect. Svelte box that's easy to pack, wooden pieces, great graphic design with built in rules reminders by Ian O'Toole, and a striking cover make this a joy to play. If you enjoy the general waves hands of Irish Gauge, you're going to love how this looks.
Cascadero requires a little patience, but I think I'm starting to see a heart of gold down in there. As a Knizia tile-layer, right away, this game is, unfortunately, going to get compared to some of the greatest games ever made. Games like Through the Desert, Samurai, Babylonia, etc. I say unfortunately, because I don't think you'll love this game on the first play. That's because I think the default/starter side of the board is less interesting. If you're familiar with games, do yourself a favor and flip to the farmer side as soon as possible. Even then, Cascadero is subtle. When played best, it's a quiet maneuvering of cubes up to just the right spots on tracks with pieces on the board in all the right places that build a little lattice of opportunity. Not just one combo ready to score, but a set of circumstances that hedge on an opponent's move. Paths are everywhere, and you're using them in just the right ways to get across a double score gap or to slip into a fold in the track that gives an extra bonus. I feel like the review circuit doesn't usually play games enough times to appreciate this one, and maybe it's subtle to a fault. It isn't great when you hear "it gets good on game 4", but I'm four games in and usually that's the point where I'm bored of most games. With this one I'm excited to play more.
Cascadero is great!
Cascadito is good!
When I heard about Spectral I was excited - an interactive, bidding based logic puzzle - cool! Six games later, I haven't really figured out how to interact with my opponent. While The Search for Planet X has clear moments of intention to watch for (publishing papers), it's really hard to tell when your opponent is acting with intention or just exploring in Spectral. You also don't have those little clues like what your opponent is scanning for or researching like in Planet X to build some kind of theory around. The game is a breeze to play, yet barely leaves room to grapple. So maybe the interaction isn't super strong, but how's the logic puzzle?
Boring. Imagine playing sudoku, but the logic restrictions were only for rows and not also columns, or within squares. You can do some deduction with the curse cards, but the treasure cards (12 of the 16) are all essentially equally informative and don't allow for much in the way of chains of deduction. You can do a little bit with probabilities of where treasures are likely to overlap, but it rarely feels worth it to pursue when finding curses provides a much more reliable benefit.
I want to be wrong about this game. Please, someone argue this one with me.
Spectral is okay. If you play it once or twice, I think you'll have a good time, but I don't see it having legs.
I was really worried it would be bad. I wondered, why not just play the digital game? But here I am, holding the box and knowing without a doubt, this object sparks joy. Have you ever experienced a solitary piece of media, obsessed over it, and then gotten a chance to experience it together with other fans? Maybe something like watching Game of Thrones with friends after reading the books. It feels great to share in something you've loved. That's how Slay the Spire has felt. But it's not just that, as evidenced by the friends that have never played the digital game and still loved it. It's just a damn good deck builder, and the whole system of knowing exactly what the enemies are going to do before they do it goes over so well here. It's so apparent that this translation was a labor of love and so much has gone into preserving the spirit of the game. I love it.
Slay the Spire is excellent!
I have trouble finding mid-weight 1-hour co-ops that I like. I love co-ops like The Crew at the short and sweet end and Spirit Island at the epic and heavy end, but the games that hit around the Pandemic range have never appealed to me. There often seems to be too much upkeep and setup, and not enough to keep me interested in sharing a puzzle with other people.
Leviathan Wilds is sooooo easy to set up. Setting up a Leviathan involves opening a spiral bound map book and laying out five cards. Processing the enemy turn involves flipping a card and later doing what it says. I don't play solo games, pretty much ever, but I'm playing this solo because it's so damn easy to run.
The moment to moment gameplay has been a blast. The systems are very open and freeform and the cards are multi-use, so there's often this feeling of scrapping together just the thing you need from odd parts - burning this card, eating this mushroom, falling here, etc. The movement system really leans into the mechanics of Shadow of the Colossus and allows for a creativity and freedom while reinforcing the theme. Every game we've played has been tight and we've failed a few times. I like that. My only complaint was that the enemies will sometimes do "swift" moves that resolve before your turn so you don't have much of a chance to react. I didn't realize until a game or two later that you can still use skills on cards to react instantly which might be an easy rule to miss. I've felt much better about "swift" since learning that. I'll definitely be backing the announced small expansion for the upcoming reprint. What a pleasant surprise.
Leviathan Wilds is excellent!
- Reef - Dead. Harmonies gives me a similar spatial puzzle in less time, in a smaller box, with better art, and it feels more thematic (I want to make homes for all my animals!).
- Cascadia - Dead. (although I was tired of it already). I find the game to game strategies in Harmonies to be more diverse and I don't feel like I have an algorithm to follow like in Cascadia (Is there a tile that increases two habitats? Can I fit a fox between my other groups of animals?).
- Azul - Alive. It's a stretch to compare the two games, but the drafting portion is far more interesting in Azul with the combining pools of tiles. Azul sits with Carcassonne in this perfect zone of being a gateway game that starts out gentle and puzzley and more you play it the more cutthroat it becomes. This isn't Harmonies, but...
Dro Polter is great!
2024.05.21 07:29 Count-Daring243 Best Co Witness Red Dot
 | submitted by Count-Daring243 to u/Count-Daring243 [link] [comments] https://preview.redd.it/e8adgd3qtp1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=50073a13d02b0b73c3d533fa0b65c18febef9166 Welcome to our latest product review featuring the Co Witness Red Dot. This versatile accessory has been making waves in the shooting community for its sleek design and impressive performance. In this article, we will be diving into its features, pros, and cons, ensuring that you have a clear understanding of whether it's the right fit for your shooting needs. So, buckle up and prepare to learn all about the Co Witness Red Dot. The Top 13 Best Co Witness Red Dot
Reviews🔗Thomas & Betts Red-Dot Weather-proof 1-Gang Co Witness Red Dot Cover for FS Boxeshttps://preview.redd.it/fslz2djqtp1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f62f11f6aa9db06d1ded42e3a95fe33ab09348ca As a reviewer, I've been using the Red-Dot CCB 1-Gang RT Blank Cover in my daily life for a few weeks now, and I must say, it's been a game-changer for me. One of the features that stood out for me is the die-cast construction and industrial design, which offers a rugged, protective enclosure for my devices. The clean cover edges provide excellent gasket sealing, keeping my wiring devices and electronic components safe from dust, moisture, and other potential hazards. I also appreciate the precision cast and machined surfaces that allow me to safely pull wires without damaging any components. However, there's one downside I've noticed - it can be a bit tricky to mount the cover using the convenient mounting lugs, especially if I'm working in tight spaces. Despite this minor inconvenience, the Red-Dot CCB 1-Gang RT Blank Cover has been a reliable and effective solution to keep my wiring devices and electronics protected in a variety of situations. 🔗Rugged, University Red Nike KD 13 EP Sneakerhttps://preview.redd.it/iqyy00xqtp1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6f7718dc347263cc7d9f3808c02246a49f9cee12 As a sneaker enthusiast, I recently tried the Nike KD 13 'University Red' in men's size 10. The moment I slipped my foot into the shoe, I felt the comfort of the synthetic upper material. The rubber sole with a flat heel was perfect for my outdoor workouts. The round toe and full-length Zoom Air unit provided an excellent fit and responsiveness. The shoe's standout feature was the all-over graphic print inspired by hip-hop culture. The metallic gold Swoosh branding added an opulent touch. However, I found that the design made the shoes a bit flashy for my everyday casual wear. Overall, the Nike KD 13 'University Red' is a durable, stylish, and comfortable sneaker. While the graphic print might not be for everyone, the shoe's performance and comfortable fit make it a solid choice for those who appreciate eye-catching design. 🔗Hardwired Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Detector with AA Battery Backuphttps://preview.redd.it/djs2qgartp1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cc1a885672bbcd5402c0f0a1b8bf883469513887 I've been using the Kidde Code One hardwired smoke and carbon monoxide detector in my home for a few months now. It's a reliable safety device that's been working smoothly. The photoelectric sensor detects visible fire particles, perfect for detecting slow smoldering fires. I also appreciate the electrochemical carbon monoxide sensor that uses an 85-decibel alarm when it senses a hazard. The unit is interconnected, which means all the installed detectors will sound their alarms if one detects a threat. However, I do wish the unit would be a little more user-friendly in terms of the hush feature, as it seems a bit too sensitive. It can be quite tricky to get it to work without accidental activation. Another improvement needed is the battery backup, which, although convenient, can be less reliable over time. Overall, the Kidde Code One hardwired smoke and carbon monoxide detector is a decent safety device for home use. It might require a bit of patience while installing and dealing with the hush feature. But once you get it working, it's a great device to have in your home to protect you from potential fire and carbon monoxide hazards. 🔗Kidde 10-Year Sealed Battery Smoke and CO Detector with Voice Alerthttps://preview.redd.it/djvchamrtp1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=be76c04430a715074b93cff339e2998c5c3b014c I had high hopes for this Kidde Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detector when I installed it in my home. The voice warning system was a nice touch, and I appreciated that it had a 10-year battery life. But, it wasn't long before I started experiencing some disappointing issues. Firstly, the device seemed over-sensitive. It would randomly go off in the middle of the night, causing disruptions to our sleep. Even when cooking with the stove or using the fireplace, the alarm would sound without any apparent reason. This unnecessary alarming made me question the product's reliability. On top of that, the battery life didn't seem to last as long as advertised. After a year, I had to replace the batteries, which was quite inconvenient considering the product's claim that the batteries would last 10 years. Despite these drawbacks, the Kidde Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detector's biggest plus was its simplicity. There were no complex settings to navigate, making it easy to use, especially for people who might not be tech-savvy. In conclusion, while the Kidde Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detector had its unique advantages, it was let down by its inconsistent performance and battery life. I would recommend looking into other brands that promise better reliability and safety. 🔗Red Dot Vertical Weatherproof Cover for Co Witnesshttps://preview.redd.it/44zv4s5stp1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=202777ef12b46b199ad2e00e0ded464251fb825c The Red Dot CKMUV is a versatile, weatherproof cover that's been a lifesaver in my outdoor projects. I've used it to protect receptacles, switches, and plugs in both dry and wet locations, ensuring their safety and longevity. One feature I love about this cover is its deep design that keeps the elements out, even for large extension cords. The installation process was a breeze, and once it's in place, it's secure and stays put. While the cover is a bit taller than other options, it's a small price to pay for the additional protection it offers. However, the one drawback I've noticed is that it seems to be attracting some corrosion over time, which may impact its performance in the long run. But overall, the Red Dot CKMUV has been a reliable and effective solution for my outdoor electrical needs. 🔗Red Dot VXG-11 Co Witness Sight Ceiling Lighthttps://preview.redd.it/s0hvlristp1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6708e3dc06e2f7b737482ff4adaf79dfa7f3ed9f Recently, I tried out the Red Dot VXG-11-C ceiling cross feed vapor tight outdoor light fixture, and let me tell you, it was a breeze to install. The outlet box cap and globe make the whole process quite safe and easy. I particularly liked the copper-free aluminum and stainless steel screws, which really upped the corrosion resistance of the product. That's something we can all appreciate, right? One thing I noticed was the high quality replaceable porcelain socket with high temperature leads - it's clear that they've put a lot of thought into durability. It's always a relief when you don't have to worry about replacing parts for a while. However, I did notice a limitation with the globe: it was only suitable for 200-Watt incandescent bulbs and certain compact fluorescent ones. This could potentially limit the flexibility of the fixture. I appreciated the fact that the globe was made of lime crystal glass which is shatterproof. The fixture was UL listed, which added more peace of mind. So, all in all, it was a pleasant experience using this product, but there's always room for improvements. It's all about striking the right balance, isn't it? 🔗Smart Carbon Monoxide and Smoke Detector with Lithium Battery Backuphttps://preview.redd.it/jfoe4vxstp1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bda157a1d57d3d383a80a24ed5e5dc63309215b6 I recently encountered the Kidde Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Detector, Hardwired with Lithium Battery Backup, and gave it a try in my home. The first thing that stood out was its reliability. Being hardwired, it's not dependent on batteries that need regular replacement, which is a great feature if you forget to change them. Additionally, the lithium battery backup provides an extra layer of protection during power failures, allowing you to rely on it during emergencies. One of the most impressive functions is the interconnect capability, allowing you to link up to 24 of these alarms together. This creates an extensive network of protection throughout your home, ensuring every room stays safe. However, there were a few downsides I noticed. The first was the sensitivity of the alarm, which could be a bit too reactive for my liking. It went off a few times unexpectedly, causing a bit of anxiety when there was no actual danger. Another issue was the difficulty I experienced with the disable feature. Although it's designed to be user-friendly, I found it a bit confusing and difficult to use. Overall, the Kidde Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Detector is a reliable and robust device that provides peace of mind with its dual-sensor technology and lithium backup. The only downside is that it seems a bit more sensitive than necessary, which could lead to false alarms. 🔗Easy-to-Use Rust-Resistant Home Fire Extinguisherhttps://preview.redd.it/4oqu3kfttp1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=46618a8a1e54b07c90c30bc640bfd69747a1778f I recently added a Kidde Full Home Fire Extinguisher to my household, and let me tell you, it's been a game-changer. First of all, it's easy to use - even if you've never had to operate a fire extinguisher before. The clear instruction label with graphics is a lifesaver, and the easy-to-read gauge ensures you always know if your fire extinguisher is charged and ready to go. Speaking of the safety pin, it's designed to be easy-to-pull in an emergency, which is exactly what you want when time is of the essence. The rust- and impact-resistant nylon handle is a nice touch too, as it ensures the extinguisher stays in good condition for years to come. The highlight of my experience, though, is the peace of mind I've gained knowing that I have a reliable fire extinguisher on hand. It's always in the back of my mind when I'm cooking or working in the garage, and that sense of security is priceless. All in all, I'd highly recommend this product to anyone looking to protect their home and family. 🔗Stylish Red Polka Dot Leather Wallet from Comme des Garçonshttps://preview.redd.it/4wpe3oqttp1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b95acc9d26c7189fd9e71ca357c2d21ef92fc9a1 I recently gave the Comme des Garçons Red Polka Dot calf-leather wallet a whirl in my daily life, and let me tell you; it's a stylish and functional accessory that adds a touch of flair to my outfits. Made with high-quality calf leather, this wallet has a classic look that's perfect for any occasion. The polka dot print adds a playful edge, making it stand out amongst my other wallets. One highlight of this wallet is its all-around zip fastening, which ensures that my essential cards and cash are safely secured without the need for any fuss. The main compartment and card slots are easy to access and use, making it a cinch to organize my belongings. Though I love the design and functionality of this wallet, there's one aspect that could use improvement: the wallet's size. While it's compact enough for everyday use, it might not be the best choice for travelers who need to carry more than just the basics. Overall, I'd recommend this Comme des Garçons wallet to anyone looking for a stylish and functional accessory to add to their outfit. Just be mindful of its size when planning to use it on the go. 🔗10-Year Worry-Free Sealed Battery Combination Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detector with Voice Alarm (2-Pack)https://preview.redd.it/vu0l5f5utp1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fcb62ae75f00cb16be048bc07ac1ae7b93153588 I recently had the opportunity to test out the Kidde 10 Year Worry-Free Sealed Battery Combination Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detector, and let me tell you, it's quite the experience. While some of the reviews I came across had high praise for the product, I personally didn't have the best luck with it. The first thing that stood out to me was the ease of installation. It's a simple process, and the instructions are clear. But once I had it up and running, I noticed something concerning: it would occasionally false alarm. Now, I'm not talking about a few random beeps here and there. This thing would go off like a fire alarm during a zombie apocalypse. The voice alarm feature was supposed to be a perk, but honestly, it just made it worse. Instead of a calm, clear voice letting me know there was an issue, it sounded like someone hitting a red siren button. It was absolutely terrifying, and not conducive to a good night's sleep. On the positive side, the sealed-in lithium battery did last for the full 10 years as advertised. And the end-of-life warning was a nice touch, letting me know when it was time to replace the unit. However, the cons definitely outweighed the pros here. The false alarms were a huge issue, and the voice alarm feature was more of a hindrance than a help. After experiencing these issues, I had to permanently disable the alarm, which kind of defeats the purpose of having one in the first place. Overall, the Kidde 10 Year Worry-Free Sealed Battery Combination Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detector didn't live up to my expectations. While it's a handy product to have around the house, I wouldn't recommend it based on my experience. There are other brands out there that might provide a more reliable and less terrifying solution. 🔗Comme des Garçons Polka Dot Print Zip-Around Wallet in Redhttps://preview.redd.it/pin1exlutp1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9f562c6c92ab556d91e3a39d5fbeb668207994bd As a fan of unique and functional wallets, I was excited to try out this red polka dot-print zip-around wallet from COMME DES GARÇONS. Walking around town with this wallet drew a lot of attention from fashion enthusiasts, and I could immediately tell it's made from high-quality red and white leather. One of the features that stood out to me was the partitioned compartment. It made organizing my bills and cards a breeze, eliminating the mess that usually comes with carrying around a wallet filled with miscellaneous items. The coin pocket was also a great addition, ensuring I didn't lose track of my loose change. However, the zip-around closure did require a bit more effort to open and close, which wasn't the smoothest experience. Additionally, the debossed internal logo could have been a bit more subtle. Nonetheless, these minor shortcomings didn't detract from the overall style and functionality of this wallet. In conclusion, this COMME DES GARÇONS wallet is a standout choice for anyone looking for a unique, high-quality accessory that carries both style and practicality. 🔗Premium Polka Dot Treat Bags for Gifting and Partieshttps://preview.redd.it/i785gd0vtp1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=63d8f40a69c5df133b13eab339a9e8262a602e89 Last week, I was on the hunt for unique and vibrant treat bags for a friend's birthday party. I came across these polka dot cellophane bags and let me tell you, they truly stood out! The bright pink color added excitement and festivity to the festivities. The plastic material was a great choice, as it was sturdy enough to hold a variety of treats and the bags had a classic design that made them perfect for gifting. Not only did they hold up well, but they also had the perfect size for small treats and candies. I appreciated that they could be used for various occasions, not just birthday parties. They were also reasonably priced, which made them an even better find. Overall, I'm really happy with my purchase. The bags were easy to use, and their durability made them a convenient solution for party favors. The only downside I noticed was that the twist ties for sealing the bags were a bit short, but this didn't significantly impact my experience. 🔗Red Polka Dot Balloons for Birthdays & Celebrationshttps://preview.redd.it/bfeem6evtp1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=17d5076d25bdb9b130de0a0161e8cebb4e5703db Recently, I had the chance to use these Ruby Red Dots 12" Latex Balloons for a birthday party, and let me tell you, they were a hit! The vibrant red color and polka dot pattern really added a festive touch to the decorations. These balloons are great for any occasion, from patriotic parties to Valentine's Day celebrations. One of the things that stood out to me was how sturdy they were. Even though a few of the kids played a little too rough with them, none of them popped. I was also impressed by their size, which made them perfect for decorating tables or hanging from the ceiling. On the downside, I did notice that some of the balloons had a strange smell when they were first inflated. It wasn't overpowering, but it was definitely there. However, after a few days, the smell seemed to dissipate. Overall, these balloons are a fun and affordable addition to any party. They're durable, easy to inflate, and add a touch of whimsy to any celebration. Just remember to keep an eye out for that peculiar odor when you first blow them up! Buyer's GuideA co-witness red dot sight is a versatile and practical accessory for your firearm. It allows you to use both traditional iron sights and the red dot for increased accuracy and speed during target acquisition. As you explore the market for co-witness red dot sights, there are several key factors to consider to ensure you find the best fit for your needs. https://preview.redd.it/5h5sccqvtp1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f20e7ee4f17b86c330e001993683390708fd9dac Important Features
ConsiderationsWhen purchasing a co-witness red dot sight, consider the purpose for which you will use it. If you will primarily shoot close-range targets, a smaller sight may suffice. However, if you need to engage targets at greater distances, choose a sight with a larger objective lens for improved clarity and low-light performance.Additionally, think about the durability and weight of the sight. Lighter materials, such as aluminum, can reduce overall weight without sacrificing durability. If you plan to use the sight frequently, durability becomes an essential consideration. https://preview.redd.it/jd9lok3wtp1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5f2f538d6d66d8c86dd9ee5fd4fa8eadc555c82c AdviceBefore making a purchase, ensure you are familiar with proper installation and adjustment procedures for co-witness red dot sights. This knowledge will help you avoid issues and ensure your sight is functioning correctly.Finally, practice using the sight in different lighting conditions and scenarios to familiarize yourself with the various settings and features. This hands-on experience will help you maximize the potential of your new co-witness red dot sight and improve your overall shooting performance. A co-witness red dot sight is a valuable addition to any firearm setup, providing increased accuracy and speed during target acquisition. By researching the important features, considering various factors, and following the advice outlined in this guide, you can find the perfect co-witness red dot sight for your needs and enjoy improved shooting performance. FAQhttps://preview.redd.it/0wm1lkmwtp1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bf4b9effb169a1dc7a48365fa4a416bb20e1eb40 What is a co-witness red dot sight?A co-witness red dot sight is an optical sighting device designed to work with a rifle's iron sights. It allows the user to use both the iron sights and the red dot sight simultaneously, providing maximum versatility in various shooting situations.What are the benefits of using a co-witness red dot sight?The benefits of using a co-witness red dot sight include faster target acquisition, enhanced accuracy at close to medium ranges, improved sight picture, and compatibility with iron sights for backup. It is particularly useful in low light conditions and dynamic shooting scenarios. https://preview.redd.it/239zuexwtp1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=885ad5f211d4e434801c53a390c676a46b5dd54f What types of co-witness red dot sights are available?There are several types of co-witness red dot sights, including reflex sights, holographic sights, and laser sights. Reflex sights are the most common, offering a simple, affordable solution. Holographic sights provide a more advanced, sophisticated experience, while laser sights offer a high level of precision and versatility.What factors should I consider when choosing a co-witness red dot sight?
How do I properly mount a co-witness red dot sight on my rifle?Properly mounting a co-witness red dot sight requires a sturdy, zero-resetable base that attaches directly to your rifle's Picatinny or Weaver rail system. Follow the manufacturer's instructions and ensure proper installation and alignment for accurate sighting.What accessories can I use with a co-witness red dot sight?You can use various accessories with a co-witness red dot sight, including lens protectors, magnifiers, and different mounting systems. These accessories can enhance the functionality and performance of your red dot sight, making it better suited for a variety of shooting situations.As an Amazon™ Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. |
2024.05.21 06:36 Count-Daring243 Best Clipboards with Storage
 | submitted by Count-Daring243 to u/Count-Daring243 [link] [comments] https://preview.redd.it/n73xilc9kp1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8037253645a3b7ee43cab94da768e39a22fd6004 Are you tired of the cluttered mess on your desk? If so, you've come to the right place! In this article, we're taking a close look at some of the best clipboards with storage - a versatile product that not only keeps your papers organized, but also offers a convenient place to stash small items like pens and calculators. Whether you're a student, office worker, or just someone who loves a clean workspace, these clipboards are perfect for keeping your essentials within reach while keeping your desk clutter-free. So, what are you waiting for? Dive in and explore the world of clipboards with storage! The Top 17 Best Clipboards with Storage
Reviews🔗Durable Clipboard with Storage, Pen Holder, and Weightless Carryhttps://preview.redd.it/3rzj2nv9kp1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e66d13a919aece46c00d4f23f7b9c48f2fc602c0 As a freelance writer, I often find myself moving from one coffee shop to another, sketchpad in hand. A solid clipboard is essential for any mobile artist like me, and I recently stumbled upon Sooez's Clipboard with Storage. The ergonomic side-opening hinge and sturdy metal clip make it easy to securely hold my sketches without any warping. Plus, the spacious storage compartment keeps my pencils and sketchpens in one place - no more digging through my bag for the perfect shade of graphite! The highlight of this clipboard is its durability. Made from high-quality polypropylene, it wipes clean easily, preventing any spread of bacteria, which is crucial in today's world. Its sleek design also enables me to use it as a makeshift lap desk when I need to sketch on-the-go. However, there's a downside to the design - the metal clip can be a bit stiff at times, making it challenging to insert or remove pages. Nonetheless, this minor inconvenience is outweighed by the benefits this clipboard offers. All in all, Sooez's Clipboard with Storage has become an indispensable tool in my writer's arsenal. Its storage compartments, durability, and sleek design make it perfect for anyone who needs a reliable clipboard to keep all their essentials organized. So, if you're in the market for a stylish and functional clipboard, look no further than Sooez's offering! 🔗Universal Storage Clipboard with Pen Compartmenthttps://preview.redd.it/roi3yj9akp1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1aeec3a06a51496d963fc77c0c32ae2c857fc2ce As a dedicated product reviewer, I have recently been using the Universal 1/2 in. Capacity 8-1/2 in. x 11 in. Storage Clipboard with Pen Compartment in my daily life, and I can't recommend it enough. This clipboard comes with an ample storage box, allowing me to keep my documents and forms safe and secure, even when I'm on-the-go. One of my favorite features of this clipboard is the separate smaller compartment that holds pens, clips, and other small items. It's such a convenient addition that has made my life so much easier. The corner grips also deserve a mention, as they help prevent snags and tears, ensuring that my documents stay in mint condition. However, I must admit that one aspect of the clipboard that took some getting used to was its opening mechanism. While it does take a little more effort to open compared to other models, it's definitely not a deal-breaker. In summary, this storage clipboard has made a significant difference in keeping my documents organized and secure. Its unique design and useful features make it the perfect companion for both office and personal use. While some users may find the opening mechanism slightly challenging, the benefits of this versatile and sturdy clipboard far outweigh any minor drawbacks. 🔗Clipbox Paper Clipboard Box for Recipe Storage and Paperwork Organizationhttps://preview.redd.it/7b2xpsnakp1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=60c94be247c2ceb92e3e62615d4a85a73f76a789 As a dedicated home cook, I've tried multiple ways of organizing my cherished collection of recipes, ranging from old-school recipe card boxes to bulky recipe binders. However, none of them could beat the efficiency and elegance of the Multikeep Clipbox Wood Clipboard Box. This nifty product has not only become a game-changer in my recipe storage but also a perfect way to organize an array of documents, from medical records to bills. The solid hardwood bamboo exterior not only makes it a sturdy holder but also adds a touch of style to any shelf, making it a beautiful addition to my kitchen or home office. The built-in clipboard on the lid is another excellent addition that allows me to quickly jot down notes or clip important documents right onto the box. The metal label holder on the side is an absolute bonus, enabling me to label and categorize my content easily. One drawback I found was the size. While it comfortably holds up to 75 sheets of standard size paper, it may be a bit too small for those who need to store larger documents. However, given its other brilliant features, I can easily overlook this minor flaw. In conclusion, the Multikeep Clipbox Wood Clipboard Box has not only revolutionized my recipe storage but also greatly helped in decluttering my workspace. Its stylish design, coupled with its excellent organization capabilities, makes it a worthy addition to any home. 🔗Secure Locking Storage Black Clipboardhttps://preview.redd.it/pxh0m0xakp1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=569176b09e1abc0c7cd01ffc8863282586337f08 I recently started using the Vaultz Locking Storage Clipboard in my daily life, and I have to say, it has made a significant difference in the way I organize and protect my documents. The high tension clip on the front ensures that my papers remain secure at all times, while the combination lock provides key-less convenience for added security. I particularly love the roomy internal storage compartment, which comfortably holds all my important documents within. The shoulder strap included with the clipboard has been a game-changer for me, allowing me to carry it around effortlessly throughout the day. Additionally, the key-hole on the back serves as a convenient wall mount for when I need to store it away. However, there are a couple of areas where I feel the clipboard could use some improvement. Firstly, the combination lock, although providing a sense of security, feels slightly cheap and could potentially be more durable. Secondly, the dimensions of the product do not make it an ideal choice for people who prefer compact accessories. Overall, I am quite satisfied with the Vaultz Locking Storage Clipboard. Its user-friendly design and various features make it an effective tool for organizing and protecting my documents, providing me with the peace of mind I need in my daily life. 🔗Dexas Slimcase 2 Storage Clipboard in Neon Pinkhttps://preview.redd.it/ff1f9e9bkp1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ef6de0f45e15f6c8714f21d8e4f4e8bf52e197bf When it comes to multifunctional organizational tools, the SlimCase 2 Storage Clipboard is a game-changer. This versatile clipboard has been a staple in my daily life for quite some time now. Its neon pink color brightens up any workspace or environment, and it's perfect for both home and professional use. Before getting this clipboard, I was using a standard one that often left my papers cluttered and disorganized. With the SlimCase 2 Storage Clipboard, I can store all my necessary documents right in the compartment. It's great for keeping track of important paperwork and ensuring everything stays secure. And what's even better, this clipboard is extremely durable, made from high-impact break-resistant plastic that withstands everyday bounces and minor accidents. One of the standout features of the SlimCase 2 Storage Clipboard is its sturdy steel clip. It securely holds important papers and documents without causing any damage. Plus, not having to constantly worry about losing important forms or contracts has been a game-changer for me. It's also very convenient to open and access documents or forms when needed. The slim design makes it easy to store in a briefcase or backpack, and it doesn't scratch desks, tables, or car hoods like other aluminum cases. The SlimCase 2 Storage Clipboard is perfect for teachers, coaches, nurses, tradespeople, and anyone else who needs a reliable and efficient way to store their important paperwork. Whether you're using it at school or on the job, this clipboard is sure to make your life easier. And the best part? It's made in the USA, ensuring high quality and craftsmanship. In terms of drawbacks, the SlimCase 2 Storage Clipboard doesn't have a double compartment for more storage. However, for most people, the single compartment should be sufficient for their needs. Overall, this clipboard has been an incredible addition to my daily life, and I would highly recommend it to anyone in search of a reliable and efficient organizational tool. 🔗Locking Storage Clipboard for Paperwork on the Gohttps://preview.redd.it/5ovkw0tbkp1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=577839e15686cd7f76b7fd8969aadc3e01c6cfd4 I recently got my hands on the Vaultz Locking Storage Clipboard and I must say, it has become an essential part of my daily life. As someone who's always on the go, I often found myself struggling to keep all my important documents and tools organized. But with this clipboard, everything has a place now. The first thing that caught my eye was its sleek design. The slim profile and sturdy construction make it not only stylish but also incredibly durable. And did I mention how lightweight it is? Despite its robust build, it's surprisingly light, making it comfortable to carry around all day. One of the features that stand out the most for me is the interior mesh pockets. They're perfect for storing items like my phone, business cards, and even some loose papers. I also like the document belt inside, which ensures that my paperwork stays securely in place while I'm using the clipboard. The only downside I experienced so far is the somewhat slick surface of the clipboard. It can be a bit challenging to write on, especially when you need to create pressure copies from standard forms. However, this issue can easily be resolved by placing a piece of cardboard beneath the paper you're writing on. Another highlight worth mentioning is the built-in keyhole grommet on the back. It allows me to hang the clipboard on a wall or door, freeing up valuable desk space. Plus, the sturdy keylock keeps all my contents safe and secure whenever I need to step away. Overall, I am extremely satisfied with the Vaultz Locking Storage Clipboard. Its combination of practicality, durability, and style makes it stand out from other clipboards on the market. If you're someone who values organization and efficiency, I would highly recommend giving this product a try. 🔗Dual Tray Clipboard Box with Pen Holderhttps://preview.redd.it/y686gg6ckp1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=59a7cbdf59e39c9de8d655b5a790cafae671e842 I've been using the Posse Box Pb-37C bottom opening clipboard box in my daily work routine as a law enforcement officer, and I must say, this nifty little contraption has really made a difference in keeping me organized. The dual compartments are a game-changer; one side for completed forms and papers, the other for storing extra citations and sheets. It also has an internal tray where I can securely keep pens, pencils, and other small items. Its non-skid base ensures that it stays put even on slick surfaces. One of the best parts about this clipboard box? Its size. At 14" long and 9" wide, it fits perfectly on my desk and doesn't take up too much space. Plus, with a weight capacity of 1.5 pounds, it can handle just about anything I throw at it. However, there's one minor downside that I've noticed while using this product. The latch could be slightly more durable. It tends to wear out over time, especially if you’re frequently opening and closing the box. But overall, for a tool designed specifically for law enforcement, the Posse Box Pb-37C is hard to beat when it comes to organization and convenience. 🔗Three-Tier Aluminum Clipboard with Paper Storagehttps://preview.redd.it/hb4lmomckp1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3fb08369b4efefeb982e3f1b16b4b1b243a4aea6 I recently got my hands on this stylish aluminum clipboard with a three-tier storage system, and I must say, it has been a game-changer for my on-the-go lifestyle. The first thing that struck me was its lightweight and sturdy design, which instantly made me feel confident about taking it to my outdoors meetings without worrying about any potential damage. One of the highlights of this clipboard is its interior storage compartments. I can now efficiently organize all my important documents in one place, which has significantly improved my productivity since I don't have to spend time searching for them. Plus, the self-closing latch ensures that my papers stay in place whether I'm walking or sitting. However, I did face a minor issue with the aluminum surface. It tends to get a little cold during winters, making it a bit uncomfortable to write on for extended periods. But hey, it's still worth it considering all the benefits it offers. Overall, this metal clipboard with a three-tier storage system has made my life easier and more organized. If you're someone who needs a reliable and efficient way to manage your paperwork, I highly recommend giving this one a shot. 🔗Aluminum Storage Clipboard - Classic Stylehttps://preview.redd.it/k7jsjajdkp1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e39ca862ba420cea6a4eb42305c27ec51fc43125 Effortless Organization with The Clipboard Shop Aluminum Memo Storage Clipboard" I can't express how satisfying it was to discover The Clipboard Shop's Aluminum Memo Storage Clipboard in black. The sleek aluminum design elevates the simple clipboard to a stylish office accessory. I appreciate how lightweight it is, making it easy to carry around and clip in essential papers on the go, be it for work or personal use. The standout feature for me, however, has to be the spacious interior storage compartment. It's a game-changer for my constant juggling of important yet small papers. Now, instead of having them scatter around, they're safely tucked away in this compact but efficient clipboard. Plus, it holds full-sized papers, a significant pro compared to other clipboards I've used in the past! There's really only one disadvantage I've noticed so far, and that's the somewhat flimsy build. While it's more durable than traditional paper clipboards, it's not as robust as it could be. This is a small con, however, given how much I absolutely love everything else about this clipboard. The Clipboard Shop's Aluminum Memo Storage Clipboard has truly improved the way I organize and handle documents. Its combination of lightweight design and spacious storage compartment make it the perfect companion for anyone who frequently handles paperwork, be it at work or home. 🔗Daisy Floral Green Clipboard Folio with Linen Notepad and Storage Pockethttps://preview.redd.it/cks1ylbekp1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8bc4e34be6391575ece0301d083921145438f521 I've been using this cute clipboard folio for a few weeks now, and I absolutely love it. The Daisy Floral Green design is a refreshing change from the usual black or brown office supplies, and it feels equally at home in my creative studio as it does in the corporate office. The sturdy hardcover offers ample protection for all my papers and notes, while the removable lined notepad is perfect for organizing my thoughts on the go. The interior pocket and pen loop are particularly handy for stashing important documents and keeping my pen within easy reach. Plus, the elastic band cover ensures everything stays securely in place, even when I'm on the move. One downside to this folio is that it can be quite bulky, especially when filled with documents. However, the ample storage space more than makes up for its size. Overall, I'm extremely satisfied with this clipboard folio and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a stylish and functional addition to their office supplies. 🔗Durable A5 Recycled Aluminum Clipboard with Privacy Cover and Storagehttps://preview.redd.it/3canwhgekp1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=aa73e5bd2b68bbcca58cf0423c74f87e0bb4ca1a As someone who always needs a reliable clipboard on the go, I've been using the Sunnyclip Aluminum Clipboard with Storage for a few weeks now. With its sleek and sturdy design, it has quickly become a trusty companion for all my note-taking adventures. The size is perfect, fitting my memo-size paper sheets flawlessly, yet it's just not compatible with letter or A4 size paper, which may be a slight drawback. What sets this clipboard apart from the rest is its durable, recycled aluminum construction. It's lightweight and easy to carry around, making it suitable for long days on the road or office. The added privacy cover is a thoughtful feature, keeping my important documents safe and confidential. Plus, the high-quality clip ensures that my papers stay in place, not even a gust of wind can make them fly away. However, one thing I didn't quite enjoy was the lack of storage capacity. Though the built-in storage top opening provides a little space, I think it could benefit from a slightly larger slot to accommodate more papers or even small office supplies. Overall, the Sunnyclip Aluminum Clipboard with Storage has quickly become a valued tool in my daily routine. Its lightweight and sturdy design, combined with the added privacy cover, makes it perfect for capturing notes on the go. While its storage capacity could be improved, it's a worthwhile investment for anyone in need of a reliable clipboard. 🔗Bottom Open Clipboard Box with Dual Tray Conveniencehttps://preview.redd.it/907l03yekp1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b1664ceb18e7d8793457e287964cf8108dd7a7a2 As a daily user of the Posse Box, one thing that stands out to me is its dual-tray convenience. I love how it provides two separate compartments to keep my important papers and forms well-organized. Plus, the non-skid base ensures that they stay in place even during those hectic days. The size of 9" x 14" 1.5" is just right for my needs, fitting all my frequently accessed forms comfortably. And the sleek black vinyl gives it a professional look. However, one thing that could be improved about this product is the quality of the material. It's not as sturdy as I would have liked, which can make it feel a bit flimsy at times. This issue isn't major but it's definitely worth mentioning. Overall though, the Posse Box has been a reliable companion on my daily law enforcement duties, helping me stay organized and efficient. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a sleek and efficient way to keep their important papers and forms organized. 🔗Portable Office Clipboard Storage Case in Charcoalhttps://preview.redd.it/cprxe5kfkp1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7a750a058262a43c43c80ab74470c1b7de2c4dbc As someone who loves staying organized, I can't exaggerate how this charcoal clipboard case from Office Depot has quickly become my go-to tool for work and school. It's not just about keeping my papers and forms intact, but also about having all my essentials like pens, business cards, and post-it notes right at my fingertips. One of the features that truly impressed me was its three external filing compartments. Not only do they keep my pens and pencils sorted, but they also hold paper clips and other small office items, making them incredibly efficient and space-saving. Plus, the magnetic compartment? Absolutely brilliant! No more rattling of loose clips while I'm on the move—they stay securely in place. The built-in filing pockets are equally impressive, providing a perfect place for CDs, more papers, or even a phone. To be honest, at first, I didn't think I would need the separate compartment for paper clips, considering how most of my stuff ended up in the external compartments. After using it though, I've come to appreciate how handy it is to have an item so small and commonplace readily accessible. Another highlight is the ergonomic hand grips. They make holding the case very comfortable, especially during longer work sessions or meetings. Additionally, the hang hole is a thoughtful touch that allows me to store it easily when not in use. While I love how sturdy and durable this case is—truly, it's been through a lot due to my clumsy nature and heavy use—there's one drawback I have to mention. If you're planning on using folders with this case, unfortunately, they won't fit. It's a minor inconvenience, but it doesn't detract from how useful and reliable this product continues to be. All in all, this is hands down the best clipboard case I've used in a long time. Whether it's at work or school, this little wonder keeps all my documents organized and accessible, making it a valuable addition to anyone's productivity toolkit. 🔗Premium Pink Nursing Clipboard with Storage Compartmenthttps://preview.redd.it/6ar7lq1gkp1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=929913468dadc9c0cc0d1bbad48d0949a6a7a29e I can vividly remember the day I first laid my hands on this amazing nursing clipboard with storage. The moment I received it, I was immediately struck by the premium material it was made of. The break-resistant plastic ensured that it would last through even the most rigorous usage. The smooth writing surface is another standout feature of this clipboard. As an active nurse, standing and writing patient notes can often be taxing. But with this clipboard, it's like writing on a cloud - smooth and effortless. And did I mention how lightweight it is? It was a lifesaver in my long days filled with back-to-back patients. Now, let's talk about the built-in storage. This clipboard comes equipped with a compartment that can neatly hold all of my nursing school supplies - my penlight, highlighter, scissors, pens and pencils. It's like having a little personal assistant right at my fingertips! The best part is how easy it is to use. Just unclip the bottom to reveal a spacious storage compartment that can hold documents, more writing utensils, and even a small snack to keep me going during those late nights. One of the highlights of this clipboard is its classic design. It's perfect not only for nurses, but also for teachers, parents, sales and office professionals. It's a versatile tool that keeps my essentials within easy reach. Surprisingly, despite its compact size, it's a great gift idea. I've gifted it to several of my nurse friends and they've all loved it. There's something really satisfying about presenting people with a tool that makes their lives easier. However, it's worth mentioning that this clipboard doesn't come with any accessories. You'll need to purchase them separately. But then again, that's a small inconvenience for a tool that has made my nursing life so much easier. In conclusion, if you're a nurse, teacher, or just someone looking for a practical tool to keep your essentials close, this nursing clipboard with storage is a game changer. Buyer's GuideClipboards have been a staple in offices and schools for decades, providing a convenient and portable way to hold documents. Clipboards with built-in storage offer an added layer of convenience, allowing you to carry not only your documents but also pens, paper clips, or other small office supplies.Important Featureshttps://preview.redd.it/lpjnqylhkp1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=815be758395c4f07193ffe7aa8988b149733feed
Considerations
General AdviceWhen selecting a clipboard with storage, it's essential to consider your specific needs and preferences. Take the time to compare different models and brands, reading customer reviews and checking product specifications for additional insights. By focusing on the features, considerations, and general advice provided in this guide, you can make an informed decision and find the perfect clipboard with storage to suit your requirements. https://preview.redd.it/dkbpmpzhkp1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3a72c6e2d5c7016e2ce64296cb69d6761193b61e FAQWhat are clipboards with storage?Clipboards with storage are organizational tools designed to hold papers and other important documents securely while also offering added compartments or pouches for storing pens, sticky notes, or other office supplies. They are great for both professional and personal use, providing a convenient way to keep essential items organized and easily accessible.How do clipboards with storage compare to standard clipboards?https://preview.redd.it/tay3q7hikp1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=eef0f4ff06ee8ce28eb94d09a28b739296d1936d Clipboards with storage offer added functionality compared to standard clipboards by including compartments or pouches that can hold office supplies such as pens, sticky notes, and more. This added convenience makes them ideal for people who like to keep their essential items organized while on-the-go or in various environments like the office, home, or school. Which materials are commonly used for clipboards with storage?Clipboards with storage are commonly made from materials like plastic, metal, or wood, with each offering its own unique benefits such as durability, lightweight design, or a sleek appearance. The choice of material is often dependent on the user's preferences and specific requirements for the product.How can I maintain the clipboard's storage compartments?To maintain the clipboard's storage compartments, simply keep them clean by wiping with a damp cloth occasionally. Avoid overloading the compartments with heavy items or sharp objects that may damage the material or compromise the storage capacity. https://preview.redd.it/sjl6z8qikp1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4da558a2546db86c6b925e90f7f7ce1d50d05b06 Are there different styles of clipboards with storage available?Yes, there are various styles of clipboards with storage to suit different needs and preferences. Some designs may feature built-in organizers, clear pockets for added visibility, or even customizable options that allow you to add your own personal touch. Be sure to browse through various options and choose one that best aligns with your requirements and aesthetic preferences.How do I safely store my clipboard with storage when not in use?When not in use, safely store your clipboard with storage in a dry and secure location to prevent any damage or loss of stored items. Lay it flat or standing up vertically on a surface, ensuring that the device remains in good condition and is easily accessible when needed for use.What are some useful features to look for when choosing a clipboard with storage?Some useful features to consider when choosing a clipboard with storage include: adjustable or rotating holding mechanisms for multiple paper sizes, built-in organizers for added convenience, compartments or pouches that are easy to access and use, and the overall durability and quality of the material used to construct the product.Do clipboards with storage come in various sizes and shapes?Yes, clipboards with storage come in various sizes and shapes to accommodate different paper sizes and user preferences for compactness or larger compartments. Be sure to compare different options and choose one that best meets your needs and the intended use case for the product.How much weight can a clipboard with storage typically hold?The weight capacity of a clipboard with storage depends on the design and materials used for its construction. Typically, they can hold around 10-20 pages securely without causing damage to the product. However, always refer to individual product specifications for accurate weight limits and ensure not to exceed those guidelines to prolong the life of your clipboard.As an Amazon™ Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. |
2024.05.21 04:25 EPills77 AITAH for no longer wanting anything to do with my step-children?
Buckle up, it’s gonna be a long post! First time poster, so please forgive me for the lengthy post, but I feel the details are import. I (46F) married my husband (52M) almost 17 months ago after dating for six weeks. To add some context, we have known each other for 30 years. We met when I was 15 & he was 21. His younger sister & I were good friends. My mentally unstable, Southern Baptist Grandmother who raised me was obviously not cool with he & I having any sort of a relationship back then so we snuck around and had the closest we could to a relationship at that time. This went on for years, off and on. I was in love with him from the beginning, but always afraid to tell him for fear of rejection. Come to find out years later, he felt the same way towards me back then. Over time, we went our separate ways, both got married twice & divorced twice, had kids, etc… about 3 years ago we reconnected. I was married at the time and he was in a relationship so no lines were crossed. We kept everything platonic. Eventually, we found ourselves both single at the same time. So, Thanksgiving 2022 neither of us had any plans. I invited him over. We hung out, ate, drank, I told him in advance he should just plan to stay the night since he had to be at work at 8:00 am the next day & I’m only about 30 mins from his work & his house was an hour from my house in the opposite direction. (Not like we haven’t ever shared a bed before). So, long story short, things picked up where they left off 24 years prior. We very quickly and seamlessly fell into a relationship. It wasn’t hard. This man used to be my best friend. I knew everything about his core values, his priorities in life, etc… and he knew everything about me as well. It wasn’t long before the conversation of Marriage started getting brought up. We knew we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together and we weren’t getting any younger. Everything was wonderful. We were planning on getting married in about a year. He has two boys. At the time they were 10 & 12. He had shared custody with their mother. I had not met her, but I hadn’t heard anything good about her either. I met his boys right after Christmas. They all came to stay the night with me on Mew Years Eve. Everything was falling into place, I was on top of the world. January 3rd we were laying in bed and I just made the statement “I’d marry you now if I could”. He said he felt the same. So long story short, Jan 6th we got married in my living room & didn’t tell anyone (at first). That didn’t last long bc we were too happy to keep it a secret. January 8th his boys called me and asked me to come get them from their mom’s house (their dad was at work) bc she was getting high in front of them with a 16 year old. That was the last night they spent with her. Side note, my son was almost 26 at that time & he is disabled. He has a very rare chromosomal abnormality that has left him completely non-ambulatory, non-verbal and terminal. He wasn’t expected to live as long as he has. I was not planning on raising any more children, but I love my husband and when all this happened, without hesitation, I told him to go get the boys, move in with me (bc I have the bigger house) and we will figure it all out. I quit my job & started working from home. I’m now a full-time caregiver to my son, plus overnight I took on the roll of mother to his two boys. It’s been challenging. They have a lot of emotional trauma to work through (from mom & dad), they hadn’t had proper medical, dental or vision care in years. I blame both of their parents bc their mom didn’t care & dad just assumed she was taking care of everything. My husband has also brought a whole set of unresolved emotional baggage into our marriage from his marriage to the boy’s mom. He doesn’t think a therapist can help him in any way and refuses to entertain the idea of going to one. he has zero ability for emotional regulation (nor do his boys), he immediately gets defensive and gaslights if anything is ever mentioned about his kids (even when it’s done in a calm manner out of concern), he always dominates any conversation we have and he treats me with a lack of respect in front of his kids, so you can guess how they treat me. For context, I had a very abusive childhood. I entered adulthood emotionally and mentally unstable w/out any of the skills necessary to navigate healthy relationships. I was not a good person for the first 12 or so years of my adult life. I used people. In my defense, that’s what I was taught & it’s all I knew. I finally figured out I didn’t want to be that person & started making changes, found a great therapist, started working on myself and made sure I was in a good place mentally and emotionally before considering entering into another relationship. So I recognize a lot of the unhealthy behaviors in my husband and his boys. I do genuinely love all of them and I want to give the boys every opportunity I didn’t have going into adulthood. So I keep trying to teach them things like healthy interpersonal skills, being accountable for one’s actions, impulse control (oldest is ADHD & has serious issues with impulses & compulsions as well as anger issues). So whenever I try to discuss with my husband something that I think he and I should do to help achieve any of these things he always gets defensive, argues with me, justifies their behavior, etc… There is so much more I could explain, but this post is already long enough. We fight constantly about the same issues with the kids and my need to be heard and validated. I literally kill myself doing Everything around the house, while caring for my son, taking care of his two boys, 29 chickens & a garden. I go non-stop from about 8:00 am-11:00 pm. I ask for what I consider the bare minimum. A little appreciation and when I’m talking to them that they don’t interrupt me and just acknowledge that they heard me. I can’t remember the last time I completed a full sentence w/out one of them talking over me. It makes me feel minimized. I feel like the only time any of them value me is if I’m doing for them or buying them things. Which I have paid for 95% of all the clothes, gifts & furniture as well as all of a birthday cruise for the boys and about 95% of the food and the majority of the bills. I also do about the same percentage of the household chores. I do nothing except take care of all of them. I have barely a shred of time to ever do anything for myself anymore. So now to the final straw. It got brought up in a conversation through text between my husband and I earlier this evening that I’m not only concerned about, but also tired of the fact that pretty much everything out of the 13 y/o’s mouth is either an over exaggeration, warped version of the truth or just complete fabrication. I don’t like feeling like I can’t believe anything he says, not to mention, he will never build healthy relationships or make it very far in any career if he is unable to ever tell the truth. I followed by saying that I don’t think we need to scold or punish him, but maybe start trying to gently encourage him to modify his behavior. I made sure to put that in text twice because I know my husband, and he only reads or hears what he wants to hear or read. FFWD to dinner: we are all sitting on the couch eating dinner and my husband and the oldest were talking so I waited for a break in their conversation and I started to say that pretty soon we need to go through all of his and his brother’s clothes and shoes and figure out what fits and what doesn’t so we can get rid of the old stuff and start getting ready to get school clothes. I got as far as “pretty soon we need to go through” when I was abruptly cut off by the 13-year-old, who did not even acknowledge that I was speaking and started talking to his dad again about the size of their feet. This is a bit of a sore spot with me as I am constantly being treated like this by my husband and the kids. I did not say anything in front of the 13-year-old. I waited until he walked away and mentioned it to my husband. As usual, my husband said that they heard me and I asked him how could they hear me when I didn’t even finish my sentence and then my husband followed up by saying that’s how an active conversation works that people just jump in wherever. I argued, an active conversation is where people give each other a chance to speak their words and respectfully listening is just as much a component of a healthy conversation as actually speaking. He said it’s not necessary that they acknowledge me when I speak to them. My husband then tried to manipulate the conversation and say that I’m expecting them to wait until I tell them they can speak which is not the case at all. I just want a chance to speak as well and be heard. My husband decides to take it up a level, and bring up the text conversation from earlier and say that I was criticizing the 13-year-old and calling him a liar. My husband never bothered to mention either of the times in the text conversation where I said I don’t want to punish him, but I would like to gently lead him into the direction of a healthier behavior, and when I tried to explain or defend myself, my husband did his usual where he dominates the conversation and doesn’t let me speak, nor does he listen to anything I’m trying to say or consider any of it with any amount of objectiveness. It’s literally like trying to talk to a four year-old throwing a temper tantrum. he hears what he wants to and refuses to acknowledge anything that’s actually being said, and he will manipulate and gaslight rather than try to have a constructive and productive conversation. I am just at a point that I am exhausted with all of this. My husband wants to cherry pick when I am a mother figure to his kids, and he only wants me to be a “mom” when I am doing things for them or buying them things, but when it comes to the nitty-gritty of parenting where I’m having to use tough love or teach them life lessons then it results in a huge argument. The kids know they can treat me any way they want to and get away with pretty much anything because they know that their dad is always going to defend them and tell me I am a liar or I am over exaggerating. These kids have no chores, pretty much run around here all day doing whatever they want to, and their dad always finds a way to make all of their actions someone else’s fault. Our last argument was a few days ago. It was because I very nicely asked if we could just set some ground rules about the pool and that the boys not use all of the pool cleaning tools as toys because they don’t just play with things, They have to destroy everything and that includes all of the tools I used to clean the pool and then I don’t have them when I need them. That was a ridiculous request on my part according to their father and I was told boys will be boys. I am exhausted with all of this. I love my husband, but I don’t like him very much anymore, and I keep trying to have a relationship with his kids, but he has created an environment where I no longer have a desire to try and build a relationship with them because no matter what I do, according to him, it’s never enough and when I have a legitimate request or complaint I’m met with Manipulation, opposition, and gaslighting. Mind you, my husband makes less than the bare minimum effort to have a relationship with my son. While I do not agree with the majority of the actions of the boy’s Mom, there is part of me that understands why she has walked away. I talked to her mother a lot, so I’ve gotten both sides of the story and her claim is that she doesn’t want anything to do with her kids because they are so disrespectful to her due to their father not ever holding them accountable for their actions. I don’t agree with her walking out on her children, but I can understand how she feels. So, that leads me to my question…. Am I the A-hole for reaching a point where I just want to walk away and until I am in a financial situation to where I can either walk away or take over the mortgage on the house we bought together am I the A-hole for not wanting to continue to try to be involved in my step son’s lives? if any part of this doesn’t make sense or you need more information for more context, please comment or message me and I will fill you in because there’s so much more. I have not put in this post. Thank you all for your advice in advance.
submitted by EPills77 to AITAH [link] [comments]
2024.05.21 04:08 hahaohfuck Going through the legal system as a kidnapping victim
(TLDR; got kidnapped/raped/assaulted, don’t know if i would press charges or confidently recommend anyone press charges knowing what i know now about the legal system. An extremely convoluted answer to, “why didn’t they go to the police?”)
I’m not sharing this in hopes of sympathy, or trying to center this discussion around MY personal experience, I just know my story isn’t a unique one. As distressing as these topics are, I think it’s important to add to the larger conversation at hand!
I was kidnapped, raped, and physically assaulted in 2020 & have always had the urge to join these discussions, especially when it involves the justice system. Im sure it’s not news to anyone here that the system is broken, ridiculous, and corrupt; but i’m gonna share some personal details as someone who’s gone through it (because this is the internet baby, what’s it for if not over sharing)
Long story short, an ex stalked me, and moved across the street from me which then led to the night of the crimes. He had a friend over at the time who was passed out drunk, but witnessed the aftermath of the assault & called the police.
5 cops showed up to me almost completely naked, black eyes, bloody nose, strangulation marks, and proceeded to interrogate me, asking if i was drunk/high, telling me i wasn’t making any sense. Eventually the synapses fired i guess and they understood what was going on, they told me “we would never treat you like that” and asked if i wanted an ambulance/if i wanted to press charges, to which i said no, i just wanted to go home (that was what reverberated in my head the whole night, so in a state of shock I followed through with my main objective of “getting home”).
When I got back home, I realized how injured I was & got a ride to the hospital where a SANE kit was performed, and spoke with a detective about pressing charges (from my understanding, when you’re admitted to a hospital for any kind of assault, charges are pressed regardless). $10,000 hospital bill that wasn’t reimbursed by the attacker, by the way….but that’s a whole different conversation.
About a week later when the assailant was arrested and charged with felonious assault, kidnapping, and rape, the detective came back to gather more information from me for the case. He shared that the defendant admitted to hitting/strangling me, but not sexually assaulting me. He COULD NOT wrap his mind around how I was raped (or as he put it, “had sex with”) by someone I had previously dated. Almost half of our conversation revolved around that, and how the case likely wouldn’t go far in court because of it (found out later that spousal rape isn’t a crime in my state so that’s cool). I was frustrated and mentioned offhand that his presumption is akin to saying, “well if you’ve invited them over to your home in the past, then how could they have robbed you?”. To which he didn’t respond because things were just not clicking in his brain. An esteemed detective in the police force mind you.
I was assigned a victim’s advocate in court, (whom I loved), but they weren’t exactly forthcoming about ALL of the information, and all of the possible courses of action that I should take note of, as someone who’s had no experience with the legal system.
The trial was continued for almost 3 years at the defendants request, on a month to month basis where I was notified often only a day or two prior. During those 3 years, I never left the headspace of anticipating the trial. I was continuously preparing by reading my victims impact statement/recounting of events out loud, annotating where I should take breaths because I was likely to get choked up, and be ready to drop everything when a new trial date was announced. When the trial would inevitably get continued, the cycle would repeat (0/10 bad acid trip simulator).
I was visited by private investigators, harassed by the defendants acquaintances, lost my initial job, couldn’t maintain a steady job as I’d have ~a week blocked off every month for the trial that never seemed to come, which led to a whole bunch of other fun trauma stuff.
When the trial date finally solidified, I had a seizure the week beforehand and requested a continuation, the only one i’d ever asked for, and it was denied because “the case is old”. I’d been highly, HIGHLY advised by the prosecutor and my advocate to accept a plea deal throughout the whole ordeal, as the cross examination/recounting abuse is extremely traumatic; but I’d been firm the entire time about wanting to proceed with a criminal trial.
I felt almost forced into accepting a plea deal, as I was still very fragile from the seizure and didn’t feel physically/mentally capable of withstanding a trial, so I accepted a plea of felonious assault & abduction. Supposedly, kidnapping is hard to convict, as you have to prove you were kidnapped with a specific motive or intention.
Even with a first and third degree violent felony, with a witness, the defendants admittance to assaulting me, a rape kit, photo documentation of injuries, past video/audio recordings of abuse, an evidence bag of my blood covered, ripped in half clothes—the defendant got 3 years of probation. No jail time (aside from the week he spent from the initial arrest).
He wasn’t ordered to provide any financial restitution, because as the prosecutor said, “it’s hard to enforce”. I received crime victims compensation shortly after the incident to reimburse the hospital visit, but haven’t heard back about lost wages, therapy bills, other medical visits.
I was urged to look into opening a civil case to seek damages, but my advocate/prosecutor weren’t able to provide any insight as their job solely involves criminal cases. I also still cannot work, thus can’t afford basic necessities, let alone a lawyer, I’m also exhausted from the last 3 years of my life revolving around the legal system.
I’m not sure if I explained this cohesively, but I will say knowing what I know now, knowing how debilitating the process is, I don’t know that I would’ve pressed charges, or be able to advise in full confidence & good faith that someone else in my position file charges. When it comes down to it, the only thing I’ve gained throughout this process is a tally in the assault statistics database.
I don’t know if I have the power or energy to fix the system, or if it’s beyond repair entirely. The least i can do is provide personal anecdotes in hopes these topics evolve beyond questions like “why didn’t they go to the police?”, and into a more understanding, nuanced conversation <3
submitted by hahaohfuck to h3h3productions [link] [comments]
I’m not sharing this in hopes of sympathy, or trying to center this discussion around MY personal experience, I just know my story isn’t a unique one. As distressing as these topics are, I think it’s important to add to the larger conversation at hand!
I was kidnapped, raped, and physically assaulted in 2020 & have always had the urge to join these discussions, especially when it involves the justice system. Im sure it’s not news to anyone here that the system is broken, ridiculous, and corrupt; but i’m gonna share some personal details as someone who’s gone through it (because this is the internet baby, what’s it for if not over sharing)
Long story short, an ex stalked me, and moved across the street from me which then led to the night of the crimes. He had a friend over at the time who was passed out drunk, but witnessed the aftermath of the assault & called the police.
5 cops showed up to me almost completely naked, black eyes, bloody nose, strangulation marks, and proceeded to interrogate me, asking if i was drunk/high, telling me i wasn’t making any sense. Eventually the synapses fired i guess and they understood what was going on, they told me “we would never treat you like that” and asked if i wanted an ambulance/if i wanted to press charges, to which i said no, i just wanted to go home (that was what reverberated in my head the whole night, so in a state of shock I followed through with my main objective of “getting home”).
When I got back home, I realized how injured I was & got a ride to the hospital where a SANE kit was performed, and spoke with a detective about pressing charges (from my understanding, when you’re admitted to a hospital for any kind of assault, charges are pressed regardless). $10,000 hospital bill that wasn’t reimbursed by the attacker, by the way….but that’s a whole different conversation.
About a week later when the assailant was arrested and charged with felonious assault, kidnapping, and rape, the detective came back to gather more information from me for the case. He shared that the defendant admitted to hitting/strangling me, but not sexually assaulting me. He COULD NOT wrap his mind around how I was raped (or as he put it, “had sex with”) by someone I had previously dated. Almost half of our conversation revolved around that, and how the case likely wouldn’t go far in court because of it (found out later that spousal rape isn’t a crime in my state so that’s cool). I was frustrated and mentioned offhand that his presumption is akin to saying, “well if you’ve invited them over to your home in the past, then how could they have robbed you?”. To which he didn’t respond because things were just not clicking in his brain. An esteemed detective in the police force mind you.
I was assigned a victim’s advocate in court, (whom I loved), but they weren’t exactly forthcoming about ALL of the information, and all of the possible courses of action that I should take note of, as someone who’s had no experience with the legal system.
The trial was continued for almost 3 years at the defendants request, on a month to month basis where I was notified often only a day or two prior. During those 3 years, I never left the headspace of anticipating the trial. I was continuously preparing by reading my victims impact statement/recounting of events out loud, annotating where I should take breaths because I was likely to get choked up, and be ready to drop everything when a new trial date was announced. When the trial would inevitably get continued, the cycle would repeat (0/10 bad acid trip simulator).
I was visited by private investigators, harassed by the defendants acquaintances, lost my initial job, couldn’t maintain a steady job as I’d have ~a week blocked off every month for the trial that never seemed to come, which led to a whole bunch of other fun trauma stuff.
When the trial date finally solidified, I had a seizure the week beforehand and requested a continuation, the only one i’d ever asked for, and it was denied because “the case is old”. I’d been highly, HIGHLY advised by the prosecutor and my advocate to accept a plea deal throughout the whole ordeal, as the cross examination/recounting abuse is extremely traumatic; but I’d been firm the entire time about wanting to proceed with a criminal trial.
I felt almost forced into accepting a plea deal, as I was still very fragile from the seizure and didn’t feel physically/mentally capable of withstanding a trial, so I accepted a plea of felonious assault & abduction. Supposedly, kidnapping is hard to convict, as you have to prove you were kidnapped with a specific motive or intention.
Even with a first and third degree violent felony, with a witness, the defendants admittance to assaulting me, a rape kit, photo documentation of injuries, past video/audio recordings of abuse, an evidence bag of my blood covered, ripped in half clothes—the defendant got 3 years of probation. No jail time (aside from the week he spent from the initial arrest).
He wasn’t ordered to provide any financial restitution, because as the prosecutor said, “it’s hard to enforce”. I received crime victims compensation shortly after the incident to reimburse the hospital visit, but haven’t heard back about lost wages, therapy bills, other medical visits.
I was urged to look into opening a civil case to seek damages, but my advocate/prosecutor weren’t able to provide any insight as their job solely involves criminal cases. I also still cannot work, thus can’t afford basic necessities, let alone a lawyer, I’m also exhausted from the last 3 years of my life revolving around the legal system.
I’m not sure if I explained this cohesively, but I will say knowing what I know now, knowing how debilitating the process is, I don’t know that I would’ve pressed charges, or be able to advise in full confidence & good faith that someone else in my position file charges. When it comes down to it, the only thing I’ve gained throughout this process is a tally in the assault statistics database.
I don’t know if I have the power or energy to fix the system, or if it’s beyond repair entirely. The least i can do is provide personal anecdotes in hopes these topics evolve beyond questions like “why didn’t they go to the police?”, and into a more understanding, nuanced conversation <3
2024.05.21 03:23 QuintessenceofDust42 Can I sue my landlord for harassing me out of the shared house?
Last October, my roommates and I moved. I had lived with them for 4 years, so I thought we were very compatible. They decided to buy a house, and I was their tenant, I had my own bedroom, and we shared the kitchen/living room/bathroom/basement. I expected to live there for many years based on the norms we had established living together for so long. I even trusted them enough to pay a years’ rent (nearly 10k) in advance so they could afford the downpayment. We agreed to split the utilities 3 ways between us.
However, my roommate acted very differently now that she was my landlord. She had a new boyfriend, and wanted to have him over all the time. She’s poly, so her husband slept in the bedroom, and when her new boyfriend spent the night, they would sleep on the living room floor. I don’t think they were having sex in the living room, but they were always cuddling/kissing and one time I saw that they were practicing bondage rope work and she was partially tied up. I was very uncomfortable with all of this. Having them sleeping in the living made it uncomfortable to use the rest of the house, but I didn’t say anything for several months because everything was pretty stressful and chaotic. I barely knew this guy, so having him around was a source of constant anxiety, and I never knew whether or not he’d be there. He was always there at least 2 nights a week, but sometimes he would spend an entire weekend as well, for a total of up to 5 nights/week, he never contributed to rent or utilities. When he spent the night my car was blocked in, sometimes without any warning. I ended up walking to work in the rain several times because I was unexpectedly parked in.
I hated living there, but I had already paid a years’ rent in advance, so I felt trapped and I was worried that bringing up my discomfort would sour the relationship and make living there even worse. I was still expected to pay ⅓ of the utilities, even though there was a 4th person living there part time without my consent.
In January, I finally talked to them and asked them to find a different sleeping arrangement and parking situation. They reluctantly agreed, but said they needed more time and they were angry that I even brought it up, there was a lot of gaslighting and guilt tripping in that conversation. Nothing changed, except that they started shunning me–they avoided interacting with me and didn’t enter the room if I was present.
February 7th I sent them a detailed email and made it explicitly clear that her boyfriend could no longer sleep in the living room. Again, nothing changed. February 10th, we had a discussion–they told me that if I was uncomfortable, I should move out. I found a new apartment, gave them a notice over text on February 15th, and moved out by March 3rd. Since my lease started on the 1st of the month, I was required to pay rent until March 31st.
There was a lot of email communication–they insisted that I keep paying ⅓ of the utilities until March 15th. I asked that we talk to a mediator and they refused. They told me that they were starting “repairs” on my room March 7th (there were some renovations they wanted to do), and I know they had a new tenant April 1st. I think the boyfriend is the new tenant and I suspect that he moved in earlier than April 1st–he was already sleeping in the living room after all. I can’t prove when he moved into my room.
They repaid the remaining months of my rent prepayment, but now they’re threatening to sue me for some unpaid utilities. I didn’t pay the last utilities bill because after how much they took advantage of me over the last 5 months, I didn’t want to give them another cent. I wanted to move on, but since they’re threatening legal action, do I have grounds for a countersuit?
Here is what I think could be grounds for a countersuit:
-I paid ⅓ of the utilities, but with 4 adults living there, I should have only paid ¼ of it. I should be reimbursed for the difference.
-My lease included a shared living room–they violated the lease by regularly using it as a bedroom. These could be grounds for harassment charges as well since they engaged in sex-adjacent activities.
-They knowingly ignored my boundaries by allowing a near-stranger to sleep in my house against my wishes.
-The reclaimed my room for renovations before my lease was up.
-I moved in with the good-faith understanding that we would continue to operate under the norms we had lived with for 4 years. They did not so the lease is void.
-there was a huge rodent problem when we moved in. I found stashes of nuts and mouse poop on November 19th and notified them immediately, but they did not get appropriate traps and started dealing with them until January 6th. During that time, some of my clothes and other belongings were damaged or ruined by mice. I know that Massachusetts law allows the tenant to withhold rent if there is a health code violation. I paid rent in advance, so I could not withhold rent when there was a mouse infestation and it took them over a month to address it, but could I sue them for reimbursement of the rent?
I know that some of these are a stretch, and I doubt I have enough documentation to prove much of it. I’m really not interested in winning money, but if I can put together a decent case against them, maybe they’ll get off my back. At a minimum, I think I shouldn’t be held responsible for the remaining utilities. If I'm really petty and ambitious, I think I should be reimbursed for the difference in utility bills split 4 ways, and 3 months of rent (1 for the mice issue, and 2 for the boyfriend sleeping over in spite of my objections).
submitted by QuintessenceofDust42 to legaladvice [link] [comments]
However, my roommate acted very differently now that she was my landlord. She had a new boyfriend, and wanted to have him over all the time. She’s poly, so her husband slept in the bedroom, and when her new boyfriend spent the night, they would sleep on the living room floor. I don’t think they were having sex in the living room, but they were always cuddling/kissing and one time I saw that they were practicing bondage rope work and she was partially tied up. I was very uncomfortable with all of this. Having them sleeping in the living made it uncomfortable to use the rest of the house, but I didn’t say anything for several months because everything was pretty stressful and chaotic. I barely knew this guy, so having him around was a source of constant anxiety, and I never knew whether or not he’d be there. He was always there at least 2 nights a week, but sometimes he would spend an entire weekend as well, for a total of up to 5 nights/week, he never contributed to rent or utilities. When he spent the night my car was blocked in, sometimes without any warning. I ended up walking to work in the rain several times because I was unexpectedly parked in.
I hated living there, but I had already paid a years’ rent in advance, so I felt trapped and I was worried that bringing up my discomfort would sour the relationship and make living there even worse. I was still expected to pay ⅓ of the utilities, even though there was a 4th person living there part time without my consent.
In January, I finally talked to them and asked them to find a different sleeping arrangement and parking situation. They reluctantly agreed, but said they needed more time and they were angry that I even brought it up, there was a lot of gaslighting and guilt tripping in that conversation. Nothing changed, except that they started shunning me–they avoided interacting with me and didn’t enter the room if I was present.
February 7th I sent them a detailed email and made it explicitly clear that her boyfriend could no longer sleep in the living room. Again, nothing changed. February 10th, we had a discussion–they told me that if I was uncomfortable, I should move out. I found a new apartment, gave them a notice over text on February 15th, and moved out by March 3rd. Since my lease started on the 1st of the month, I was required to pay rent until March 31st.
There was a lot of email communication–they insisted that I keep paying ⅓ of the utilities until March 15th. I asked that we talk to a mediator and they refused. They told me that they were starting “repairs” on my room March 7th (there were some renovations they wanted to do), and I know they had a new tenant April 1st. I think the boyfriend is the new tenant and I suspect that he moved in earlier than April 1st–he was already sleeping in the living room after all. I can’t prove when he moved into my room.
They repaid the remaining months of my rent prepayment, but now they’re threatening to sue me for some unpaid utilities. I didn’t pay the last utilities bill because after how much they took advantage of me over the last 5 months, I didn’t want to give them another cent. I wanted to move on, but since they’re threatening legal action, do I have grounds for a countersuit?
Here is what I think could be grounds for a countersuit:
-I paid ⅓ of the utilities, but with 4 adults living there, I should have only paid ¼ of it. I should be reimbursed for the difference.
-My lease included a shared living room–they violated the lease by regularly using it as a bedroom. These could be grounds for harassment charges as well since they engaged in sex-adjacent activities.
-They knowingly ignored my boundaries by allowing a near-stranger to sleep in my house against my wishes.
-The reclaimed my room for renovations before my lease was up.
-I moved in with the good-faith understanding that we would continue to operate under the norms we had lived with for 4 years. They did not so the lease is void.
-there was a huge rodent problem when we moved in. I found stashes of nuts and mouse poop on November 19th and notified them immediately, but they did not get appropriate traps and started dealing with them until January 6th. During that time, some of my clothes and other belongings were damaged or ruined by mice. I know that Massachusetts law allows the tenant to withhold rent if there is a health code violation. I paid rent in advance, so I could not withhold rent when there was a mouse infestation and it took them over a month to address it, but could I sue them for reimbursement of the rent?
I know that some of these are a stretch, and I doubt I have enough documentation to prove much of it. I’m really not interested in winning money, but if I can put together a decent case against them, maybe they’ll get off my back. At a minimum, I think I shouldn’t be held responsible for the remaining utilities. If I'm really petty and ambitious, I think I should be reimbursed for the difference in utility bills split 4 ways, and 3 months of rent (1 for the mice issue, and 2 for the boyfriend sleeping over in spite of my objections).
2024.05.21 02:59 regedit2023 Take action for Complete Streets: Tell your state Senator to vote YES on SB 960
 | CalBike is a co-sponsor of the Complete Streets Bill of 2024, SB 960, authored by state Senator Scott Wiener. The bill requires Caltrans to set objective goals and “to prioritize the implementation of comfortable, convenient, and connected facilities for pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit users on all projects in the [SHOPP funding] program, where applicable.” submitted by regedit2023 to CarIndependentLA [link] [comments] |
2024.05.21 02:30 Level_Improvement677 AITAH for telling my mom she is part of the reason my son won't be potty trained.
Me and my kids are staying with my mom temporarily, I have a 4 year old son who showed very little interest in using the bathroom other then in a pull up. He starts kindergarten next year and won't be able to attend unless he is fully potty trained, which is understandable. So I made the decision to not put a pull up on him during the day, and only use one at night which also means I'm no longer buying the boxes just small packs, which is a savings. When I had told my mom my plan she did not object to it but just said ok. She does watch him while I work but anytime she takes him out she puts a pull up on him instead of him telling her he has to go to the bathroom. When I take him out I do not put one on him and he does just fine without. I do know this is not her responsibility to potty train him but it has gotten to the point he screams for a pull up. Quite frankly I am tired of buying them as they are extremely expensive, even the cheapest ones I can find.
I had posted something to specify some things in the comments so I'm just going to post it here and add some things... So to specify some things, I did not just start potty training him I introduced him to the potty at 1 I bought him his own potty to get him use to sitting on it. At 2 was when I started to potty train full time with him wearing pull ups a timer set for every 30 mins and I would have him sit on it, and he hated it, would sit there crying and screaming only actually going in it a few times. So yes I did back off a little bit I didn't want to traumatize him.
While I don't pay her directly for babysitting I do pay for the groceries, do the grocery shopping, put gas in her car and pay whatever bills she wants me to pay for that month, I also do all the cleaning. Yes I know I should be paying some bills since me and my kids do live there i do not have a problem with that.
I do have other kids but they are not younger they are older, he is the youngest. I did not have any problems with them potty training so this is a first for me.
Me and their father are not together, he is not able to watch him while I work, for various reasons.
I have tried to find other childcare, there is a wait list which he is on several of them. I did not just expect my mom to watch him just because I am staying there.
submitted by Level_Improvement677 to AmItheAsshole [link] [comments]
I had posted something to specify some things in the comments so I'm just going to post it here and add some things... So to specify some things, I did not just start potty training him I introduced him to the potty at 1 I bought him his own potty to get him use to sitting on it. At 2 was when I started to potty train full time with him wearing pull ups a timer set for every 30 mins and I would have him sit on it, and he hated it, would sit there crying and screaming only actually going in it a few times. So yes I did back off a little bit I didn't want to traumatize him.
While I don't pay her directly for babysitting I do pay for the groceries, do the grocery shopping, put gas in her car and pay whatever bills she wants me to pay for that month, I also do all the cleaning. Yes I know I should be paying some bills since me and my kids do live there i do not have a problem with that.
I do have other kids but they are not younger they are older, he is the youngest. I did not have any problems with them potty training so this is a first for me.
Me and their father are not together, he is not able to watch him while I work, for various reasons.
I have tried to find other childcare, there is a wait list which he is on several of them. I did not just expect my mom to watch him just because I am staying there.
2024.05.21 02:26 SuccessfulAct9249 Help me please
(*FIXED* It was TechGuns, libvulpes[I Didn't have AR], and NEI)
I made a modpack for just me i haven't played in a bit and it wont load and gives me this wall of text. Im running 1.7.10 on forge 10.13.4.1614 any thing will help. Edit Im sorry for the wall of text i don`t know how to make it shorter. ---- Minecraft Crash Report ----
// I bet Cylons wouldn't have this problem.
Time: 5/20/24 8:02 PM
Description: There was a severe problem during mod loading that has caused the game to fail
cpw.mods.fml.common.LoaderException: java.lang.ExceptionInInitializerError
-- System Details --
Details:
submitted by SuccessfulAct9249 to feedthebeast [link] [comments]
I made a modpack for just me i haven't played in a bit and it wont load and gives me this wall of text. Im running 1.7.10 on forge 10.13.4.1614 any thing will help. Edit Im sorry for the wall of text i don`t know how to make it shorter. ---- Minecraft Crash Report ----
// I bet Cylons wouldn't have this problem.
Time: 5/20/24 8:02 PM
Description: There was a severe problem during mod loading that has caused the game to fail
cpw.mods.fml.common.LoaderException: java.lang.ExceptionInInitializerError
at cpw.mods.fml.common.LoadController.transition(LoadController.java:163) at cpw.mods.fml.common.Loader.initializeMods(Loader.java:739) at cpw.mods.fml.client.FMLClientHandler.finishMinecraftLoading(FMLClientHandler.java:311) at net.minecraft.client.Minecraft.func\_71384\_a(Minecraft.java:552) at net.minecraft.client.Minecraft.func\_99999\_d(Minecraft.java:878) at net.minecraft.client.main.Main.main(SourceFile:148) at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method) at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:62) at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43) at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:497) at net.minecraft.launchwrapper.Launch.launch(Launch.java:135) at net.minecraft.launchwrapper.Launch.main(Launch.java:28)Caused by: java.lang.ExceptionInInitializerError
at zmaster587.libVulpes.client.ClientProxy.registerRenderers(ClientProxy.java:23) at zmaster587.libVulpes.LibVulpes.init(LibVulpes.java:270) at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method) at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:62) at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43) at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:497) at cpw.mods.fml.common.FMLModContainer.handleModStateEvent(FMLModContainer.java:532) at sun.reflect.GeneratedMethodAccessor2.invoke(Unknown Source) at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43) at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:497) at com.google.common.eventbus.EventSubscriber.handleEvent(EventSubscriber.java:74) at com.google.common.eventbus.SynchronizedEventSubscriber.handleEvent(SynchronizedEventSubscriber.java:47) at com.google.common.eventbus.EventBus.dispatch(EventBus.java:322) at com.google.common.eventbus.EventBus.dispatchQueuedEvents(EventBus.java:304) at com.google.common.eventbus.EventBus.post(EventBus.java:275) at cpw.mods.fml.common.LoadController.sendEventToModContainer(LoadController.java:212) at cpw.mods.fml.common.LoadController.propogateStateMessage(LoadController.java:190) at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method) at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:62) at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43) at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:497) at com.google.common.eventbus.EventSubscriber.handleEvent(EventSubscriber.java:74) at com.google.common.eventbus.SynchronizedEventSubscriber.handleEvent(SynchronizedEventSubscriber.java:47) at com.google.common.eventbus.EventBus.dispatch(EventBus.java:322) at com.google.common.eventbus.EventBus.dispatchQueuedEvents(EventBus.java:304) at com.google.common.eventbus.EventBus.post(EventBus.java:275) at cpw.mods.fml.common.LoadController.distributeStateMessage(LoadController.java:119) at cpw.mods.fml.common.Loader.initializeMods(Loader.java:737) ... 10 moreCaused by: net.minecraftforge.client.model.ModelFormatException: IO Exception reading model format
at net.minecraftforge.client.model.obj.WavefrontObject.Caused by: java.io.FileNotFoundException: advancedrocketry:models/combustion.obj(WavefrontObject.java:60) at net.minecraftforge.client.model.obj.ObjModelLoader.loadInstance(ObjModelLoader.java:27) at net.minecraftforge.client.model.AdvancedModelLoader.loadModel(AdvancedModelLoader.java:65) at zmaster587.libVulpes.client.RendererModelBlock. (RendererModelBlock.java:19) ... 38 more
at net.minecraft.client.resources.SimpleReloadableResourceManager.func\_110536\_a(SimpleReloadableResourceManager.java:71) at net.minecraftforge.client.model.obj.WavefrontObject.A detailed walkthrough of the error, its code path and all known details is as follows:(WavefrontObject.java:55) ... 41 more
-- System Details --
Details:
Minecraft Version: 1.7.10 Operating System: Windows 10 (amd64) version 10.0 Java Version: 1.8.0\_51, Oracle Corporation Java VM Version: Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM (mixed mode), Oracle Corporation Memory: 1756069216 bytes (1674 MB) / 4087349248 bytes (3898 MB) up to 7963934720 bytes (7595 MB) JVM Flags: 3 total; -XX:HeapDumpPath=MojangTricksIntelDriversForPerformance\_javaw.exe\_minecraft.exe.heapdump -Xmx8544m -Xms256m AABB Pool Size: 0 (0 bytes; 0 MB) allocated, 0 (0 bytes; 0 MB) used IntCache: cache: 0, tcache: 0, allocated: 0, tallocated: 0 FML: MCP v9.05 FML v7.10.99.99 Minecraft Forge 10.13.4.1614 Optifine OptiFine\_1.7.10\_HD\_U\_E7 71 mods loaded, 71 mods active States: 'U' = Unloaded 'L' = Loaded 'C' = Constructed 'H' = Pre-initialized 'I' = Initialized 'J' = Post-initialized 'A' = Available 'D' = Disabled 'E' = Errored UCHI mcp{9.05} \[Minecraft Coder Pack\] (minecraft.jar) UCHI FML{7.10.99.99} \[Forge Mod Loader\] (forge-1.7.10-10.13.4.1614-1.7.10.jar) UCHI Forge{10.13.4.1614} \[Minecraft Forge\] (forge-1.7.10-10.13.4.1614-1.7.10.jar) UCHI appliedenergistics2-core{rv2-stable-10} \[AppliedEnergistics2 Core\] (minecraft.jar) UCHI CodeChickenCore{1.0.7.48} \[CodeChicken Core\] (minecraft.jar) UCHI NotEnoughItems{1.0.5.120} \[Not Enough Items\] (NotEnoughItems-1.7.10-1.0.5.120-universal.jar) UCHI OpenModsCore{0.10.1} \[OpenModsCore\] (minecraft.jar) UCHI {000} \[CoFH ASM\] (minecraft.jar) UCHI securitycraft{v1.8.13} \[SecurityCraft\] (\[1.7.10\] SecurityCraft v1.8.13.jar) UCHI antiqueatlas{4.4.4} \[Antique Atlas\] (antiqueatlas-1.7.10-4.4.4.jar) UCHI appliedenergistics2{rv2-stable-10} \[Applied Energistics 2\] (appliedenergistics2-rv2-stable-10.jar) UCHI AegisSystemMod{1.5.7a} \[Aegis System Mod\] (ASM-\[1.7.10\]-1.5.7a-single-obfuscated.jar) UCHI BiblioCraft{1.11.7} \[BiblioCraft\] (BiblioCraft\[v1.11.7\]\[MC1.7.10\].jar) UCHI ForgeMultipart{1.2.0.345} \[Forge Multipart\] (ForgeMultipart-1.7.10-1.2.0.345-universal.jar) UCHI chisel{2.9.5.11} \[Chisel\] (Chisel-2.9.5.11.jar) UCHI CarpentersBlocks{3.3.8.2} \[Carpenter's Blocks\] (Carpenter's Blocks v3.3.8.2 - MC 1.7.10.jar) UCHI CoFHCore{1.7.10R3.1.4} \[CoFH Core\] (CoFHCore-\[1.7.10\]3.1.4-329.jar) UCHI CoroAI{v1.0} \[CoroAI\] (coroutil-1.7.10-1.1.6.jar) UCHI BuildMod{v1.0} \[Build Mod\] (coroutil-1.7.10-1.1.6.jar) UCHI CoroPets{v1.0} \[CoroPets\] (coroutil-1.7.10-1.1.6.jar) UCHI ExtendedRenderer{v1.0} \[Extended Renderer\] (coroutil-1.7.10-1.1.6.jar) UCHI ConfigMod{v1.0} \[Extended Mod Config\] (coroutil-1.7.10-1.1.6.jar) UCHI customnpcs{1.9.2} \[CustomNPC+\] (CustomNPC-Plus-1.9.2.jar) UCHI PTRModelLib{1.0.0} \[PTRModelLib\] (Decocraft-2.4.2\_1.7.10.jar) UCHI props{2.4.2} \[Decocraft\] (Decocraft-2.4.2\_1.7.10.jar) UCHI sonicvisuals{0.3} \[Enhanced Visuals\] (EnhancedVisuals v0.2.4 mc1.7.10.jar) UCHI hbm{1.0.27 BETA (4859)} \[Hbm's Nuclear Tech\] (HBM-NTM-\[1.0.27\_X4859\].jar) UCHI iChunUtil{4.2.3} \[iChunUtil\] (iChunUtil-4.2.3.jar) UCHI immersivesnow{1.0b} \[Immersive Snow\] (immersive-snow-1.7.10-1.0b.jar) UCHI immersivecavegen{1.2g-hotfix5} \[Immersive Cavegen\] (immersivecavegen-1.2g-hotfix5.jar) UCHI ThermalFoundation{1.7.10R1.2.6} \[Thermal Foundation\] (ThermalFoundation-\[1.7.10\]1.2.6-118.jar) UCHI ImmersiveEngineering{0.7.7} \[Immersive Engineering\] (ImmersiveEngineering-0.7.7.jar) UCHI journeymap{5.2.3} \[JourneyMap\] (journeymap-1.7.10-5.2.3-unlimited.jar) UCHE libVulpes{0.2.8.-37} \[libVulpes\] (LibVulpes-1.7.10-0.2.8-37-universal.jar) UCHI malisiscore{1.7.10-0.14.3} \[MalisisCore\] (malisiscore-1.7.10-0.14.3.jar) UCHI malisisdoors{1.7.10-1.13.2} \[Malisis' Doors\] (malisisdoors-1.7.10-1.13.2.jar) UCHI Mantle{1.7.10-0.3.2.jenkins191} \[Mantle\] (Mantle-1.7.10-0.3.2b.jar) UCHI MobDismemberment{4.0.0} \[MobDismemberment\] (MobDismemberment-4.0.0.jar) UCHI MouseTweaks{2.4.4} \[Mouse Tweaks\] (MouseTweaks-2.4.4-mc1.7.10.jar) UCHI cfm{3.4.7} \[ 9MrCrayfish's Furniture Mod\] (MrCrayfishFurnitureModv3.4.7(1.7.10).jar) UCHI NEIAddons{1.12.14.40} \[NEI Addons\] (neiaddons-1.12.14.40-mc1.7.10.jar) UCHI NEIAddonsDeveloper{1.12.14.40} \[NEI Addons: Developer Tools\] (neiaddons-1.12.14.40-mc1.7.10.jar) UCHI NEIAddonsAppEng{1.12.14.40} \[NEI Addons: Applied Energistics 2\] (neiaddons-1.12.14.40-mc1.7.10.jar) UCHI NEIAddonsBotany{1.12.14.40} \[NEI Addons: Botany\] (neiaddons-1.12.14.40-mc1.7.10.jar) UCHI NEIAddonsForestry{1.12.14.40} \[NEI Addons: Forestry\] (neiaddons-1.12.14.40-mc1.7.10.jar) UCHI NEIAddonsCraftingTables{1.12.14.40} \[NEI Addons: Crafting Tables\] (neiaddons-1.12.14.40-mc1.7.10.jar) UCHI NEIAddonsExNihilo{1.12.14.40} \[NEI Addons: Ex Nihilo\] (neiaddons-1.12.14.40-mc1.7.10.jar) UCHI OpenMods{0.10.1} \[OpenMods\] (OpenModsLib-1.7.10-0.10.1.jar) UCHI OpenBlocks{1.6} \[OpenBlocks\] (OpenBlocks-1.7.10-1.6.jar) UCHI opticheck{1.7.10-1.2.0} \[Optifine Checker\] (opticheck-1.7.10-1.2.0.jar) UCHI harvestcraft{1.7.10j} \[Pam's HarvestCraft\] (Pam's HarvestCraft 1.7.10Lb.jar) UCHI RedstonePasteMod{1.6.2} \[Redstone Paste\] (RedstonePasteMod-1.7.10-1.6.2.jar) UCHI sereneseasons{1.2.18} \[Serene Seasons\] (SereneSeasons-1.7.10-1.2.18.jar) UCHI soundfilters{0.8\_for\_1.7.X} \[Sound Filters\] (SoundFilters-0.8\_for\_1.7.X.jar) UCHI StorageDrawers{1.7.10-1.10.9} \[Storage Drawers\] (StorageDrawers-1.7.10-1.10.9.jar) UCHI ThermalExpansion{1.7.10R4.1.5} \[Thermal Expansion\] (ThermalExpansion-\[1.7.10\]4.1.5-248.jar) UCHI TConstruct{1.7.10-1.8.8.build988} \[Tinkers' Construct\] (TConstruct-1.7.10-1.8.8.jar) UCHI Techguns{0.1.2\_alphatest4.1} \[Techguns\] (Techguns.beta.1.2\_alphatest4.1.jar) UCHI ThermalDynamics{1.7.10R1.2.1} \[Thermal Dynamics\] (ThermalDynamics-\[1.7.10\]1.2.1-172.jar) UCHI TMechworks{0.2.15.106} \[Tinkers' Mechworks\] (TMechworks-1.7.10-0.2.15.106.jar) UCHI trackapi{1.2} \[Track API\] (TrackAPI-1.2.jar) UCHI trashslot{1.0.31} \[TrashSlot\] (trashslot-mc1.7.10-1.0.31.jar) UCHI universalmodcore{1.2.1} \[UniversalModCore\] (UniversalModCore-1.7.10-forge-1.2.1.jar) UCHI weather2{v2.3.19} \[Localized Weather & Storms\] (weather2-1.7.10-2.3.20.jar) UCHI worldedit{6.1.1} \[WorldEdit\] (worldedit-forge-mc1.7.10-6.1.1-dist.jar) UCHI WR-CBECore{1.4.1.9} \[WR-CBE Core\] (WR-CBE-1.7.10-1.4.1.9-universal.jar) UCHI WR-CBEAddons{1.4.1.9} \[WR-CBE Addons\] (WR-CBE-1.7.10-1.4.1.9-universal.jar) UCHI WR-CBELogic{1.4.1.9} \[WR-CBE Logic\] (WR-CBE-1.7.10-1.4.1.9-universal.jar) UCHI ZAMod{v1.10} \[Zombie Awareness\] (zombieawareness-1.7.10-1.10.jar) UCHI McMultipart{1.2.0.345} \[Minecraft Multipart Plugin\] (ForgeMultipart-1.7.10-1.2.0.345-universal.jar) UCHI ForgeMicroblock{1.2.0.345} \[Forge Microblocks\] (ForgeMultipart-1.7.10-1.2.0.345-universal.jar) GL info: ' Vendor: 'NVIDIA Corporation' Version: '4.6.0 NVIDIA 551.61' Renderer: 'NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti/PCIe/SSE2' OpenModsLib class transformers: \[stencil\_patches:FINISHED\],\[movement\_callback:FINISHED\],\[player\_damage\_hook:FINISHED\],\[map\_gen\_fix:FINISHED\],\[gl\_capabilities\_hook:FINISHED\],\[player\_render\_hook:FINISHED\] Class transformer null safety: found misbehaving transformers: sereneseasons.asm.transformer.ColorTransformer(sereneseasons.asm.transformer.ColorTransformer@31413f20) crashed with java.lang.NullPointerException(null),sereneseasons.asm.transformer.WeatherTransformer(sereneseasons.asm.transformer.WeatherTransformer@18bf98d7) crashed with java.lang.NullPointerException(null),com.gitlab.minecraft\_defense\_force.asm.coreMod.ASMClassTransformer(com.gitlab.minecraft\_defense\_force.asm.coreMod.ASMClassTransformer@6c7eec27) crashed with java.lang.IllegalArgumentException(Parameter specified as non-null is null: method com.gitlab.minecraft\_defense\_force.asm.coreMod.ASMClassTransformer.transform, parameter basicClass) AE2 Version: stable rv2-stable-10 for Forge 10.13.2.1291 CoFHCore: -\[1.7.10\]3.1.4-329 ThermalFoundation: -\[1.7.10\]1.2.6-118 Mantle Environment: DO NOT REPORT THIS CRASH! Unsupported mods in environment: optifine ThermalExpansion: -\[1.7.10\]4.1.5-248 TConstruct Environment: Environment healthy. ThermalDynamics: -\[1.7.10\]1.2.1-172 Chisel: Errors like "\[FML\]: Unable to lookup ..." are NOT the cause of this crash. You can safely ignore these errors. And update forge while you're at it. Stencil buffer state: Function set: GL30, pool: internal (hacked forge), bits: 8 OptiFine Version: OptiFine\_1.7.10\_HD\_U\_E7 Render Distance Chunks: 16 Mipmaps: 4 Anisotropic Filtering: 1 Antialiasing: 0 Multitexture: false Shaders: Sildur's Vibrant Shaders v1.51 [Extreme-VL.zip](http://Extreme-VL.zip) OpenGlVersion: 4.6.0 NVIDIA 551.61 OpenGlRenderer: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti/PCIe/SSE2 OpenGlVendor: NVIDIA Corporation CpuCount: 12 2024.05.21 01:34 Virgo_Boogie "Drowning in Hopelessness"
Hello, this is going to be a bit of a long one, as I literally have no one that I can talk to about this stuff. I've been struggling with depression/anxiety for as long as I can remember, although I didn't always recognize it for what it was. For the past few years my health has only been exacerbating things. Years ago I started noticing a lot of odd symptoms, things I hadn't necessarily been experiencing prior, but I would brush them off due to stubbornness, and having a high tolerance for pain/discomfort. Currently I continue to deal with those symptoms, as well as some new one's on pretty much a daily basis. Many of them are debilitating and very distracting. My legs are stuck in a constant state of weakness, they tremble and buckle. I find myself stumbling and having to quickly reach for the nearest object for support to keep myself upright. I get this strange sensation at the base of my neck, like a buzzing that spreads down to my arms, and it feels like my head is rapidly bobbing even though I'm not moving. It's difficult to explain, but it can get pretty intense, making it difficult to focus on anything else outside of the sensation itself. I've now become so sensitive to pain that I find myself being concerned with getting hurt even while performing small day to day tasks. The slightest bump against anything feels a lot more intense than it should be. I even applied edge guards to my new desk to protect myself in the likelihood I bump into it (not normally something the old me would worry about). It's really been messing with my head, because I've always taken pride in being independent/physically capable. It's one of the few things I felt I had going for me. I was one of those girls that would prefer to be right there with the guys doing the heavy lifting, and I could throw a punch and take one, but I fear that's not so much the case these days.
There's several other symptoms as well. I went from being that person who never missed work, to missing a lot more days than I'm comfortable with. It hasn't yet become an issue for my employer, but I anticipate that it will down the line. I've stopped doing so many things all together or having to alter the way I do them. A gallon of water seems to weigh so much more when lifting. Cooking a meal can take me out for the rest of the day, or washing my hair. I haven't even attempted to write in over a year (just a hobby), and I get frustrated when I try and dance (hip-hop dancing) because my coordination/balance is off, or I get too tired within minutes. Those are some of the few entertainments/distractions I have. I had my ears checked months back, and nothing appeared wrong, and I was told I had "excellent" hearing. I recently went to the hospital after I had yet another awful weekend that I mostly spent in bed struggling with some of my symptoms. My mom noticed me visibly trembling and stumbling and she convinced me to go. With my social anxiety I've always dreaded the idea of going to a hospital, or medical establishments in general, but I went in hopes of finding a solution, or minimizing some of what I was feeling. Nothing really came of the visit. My mom was certain that I might have some sort of serious anemia going on, but everything checked out, some of my results were even described as "perfect". I had a CT scan and x-ray done as well. Now I'm stuck with a large bill, and feeling as if "it's all in my head", but part of me knows it' isn't. Not only have I also noticed visible symptoms/oddities, but like my mother said "If you of all people are agreeing to go the hospital, then I know something is wrong". The hospital did suggest I see a Neurologists, based on some of what I described, only I'm having difficulty finding one. I'm starting to discover just how awful my health insurance is. I live in a small town, and my employer seems to only work with doctor's within it's own integrated network, and you aren't always given accurate information. The options are little to none. I also need to see a Gastro for my absolutely horrible stomach, having similar issues there. All of this is only feeding the hopelessness. I've never felt very connected to this world to begin with, it's a lot bigger and complex than just feeling left out or different. The way I've described it in the past is "This place was not meant for me, and I was not meant for it". I've just been going through the motions for a long time. I had decided a while ago to just keep my head dead and focus on working and saving money, that way I could at least remain independent, and hopefully help my mother out, but things look more and more bleak as far as all that. I'm between a rock and a hard place on various fronts. It's a daily battle, and I see no end in sight, and it's hard to keep fighting when there's nothing really to fight for.
submitted by Virgo_Boogie to depression [link] [comments]
There's several other symptoms as well. I went from being that person who never missed work, to missing a lot more days than I'm comfortable with. It hasn't yet become an issue for my employer, but I anticipate that it will down the line. I've stopped doing so many things all together or having to alter the way I do them. A gallon of water seems to weigh so much more when lifting. Cooking a meal can take me out for the rest of the day, or washing my hair. I haven't even attempted to write in over a year (just a hobby), and I get frustrated when I try and dance (hip-hop dancing) because my coordination/balance is off, or I get too tired within minutes. Those are some of the few entertainments/distractions I have. I had my ears checked months back, and nothing appeared wrong, and I was told I had "excellent" hearing. I recently went to the hospital after I had yet another awful weekend that I mostly spent in bed struggling with some of my symptoms. My mom noticed me visibly trembling and stumbling and she convinced me to go. With my social anxiety I've always dreaded the idea of going to a hospital, or medical establishments in general, but I went in hopes of finding a solution, or minimizing some of what I was feeling. Nothing really came of the visit. My mom was certain that I might have some sort of serious anemia going on, but everything checked out, some of my results were even described as "perfect". I had a CT scan and x-ray done as well. Now I'm stuck with a large bill, and feeling as if "it's all in my head", but part of me knows it' isn't. Not only have I also noticed visible symptoms/oddities, but like my mother said "If you of all people are agreeing to go the hospital, then I know something is wrong". The hospital did suggest I see a Neurologists, based on some of what I described, only I'm having difficulty finding one. I'm starting to discover just how awful my health insurance is. I live in a small town, and my employer seems to only work with doctor's within it's own integrated network, and you aren't always given accurate information. The options are little to none. I also need to see a Gastro for my absolutely horrible stomach, having similar issues there. All of this is only feeding the hopelessness. I've never felt very connected to this world to begin with, it's a lot bigger and complex than just feeling left out or different. The way I've described it in the past is "This place was not meant for me, and I was not meant for it". I've just been going through the motions for a long time. I had decided a while ago to just keep my head dead and focus on working and saving money, that way I could at least remain independent, and hopefully help my mother out, but things look more and more bleak as far as all that. I'm between a rock and a hard place on various fronts. It's a daily battle, and I see no end in sight, and it's hard to keep fighting when there's nothing really to fight for.
2024.05.21 00:59 Bridge_lover69 Brave Georgians are currently protesting to oppose passing an ”oppressive Russian law” and to show support for European western values. This law will force all institutions in the country to be labeled as foreign agents if they receive more than 70% of their funding from abroad. Thoughts on this ?
 | submitted by Bridge_lover69 to AskMiddleEast [link] [comments] |
2024.05.21 00:29 mghow_genius I found a short story on facebook that I wanted to share
The Tragic Life of Wilbur
The man they just won’t leave aloneWilbur
Wilbur grew up with his parents, traveling salesmen, who never stayed in one place. Although Wilbur preferred to have a stable home, his parents would always blow off his suggestions.
“You already have a home. If you don’t like these accommodations, study hard and find a well-paying job when you grow up. If you can get there, I promise you, that you can buy a house and then live your life, however you want,” his mother would suggest.
“Listen to her. Your mommy knows the best,” his father would add.
Now, a Business Development Manager and a wiz when it came to numbers, he worked at a small startup company. Although the company made big profits from Wilbur’s ideas, it never really acknowledged his genius. He was proud of himself and his work, nevertheless. He took his parents’ advice and worked hard to get where he was. So, why won’t he be?
He got off work and was heading home when four masked men surrounded him. Before he realized anything, one of them held a gun at his temple, while the three others rummaged through his pockets. They pulled out his wallet, phone, and wristwatch, before punching him in the face. As Wilbur fell on all fours, bleeding out of his nose, the four men began kicking him from all directions, knocking the wind out of him.
“I didn’t resist. They took everything. Why are they still beating me?” were the last thoughts that went through his head.
He woke up in a hospital bed. The nurse who came to change the catheter bag was surprised and called the Doctor. Once the doctor came in and checked his vitals, he smiled at Wilbur.
“You are a lucky man,” he said. “You were in a coma for two months. We almost lost all hope. But you are awake now and your vitals are fine. You are stable. I think you will make a full recovery.”
And recover he did. After two more weeks in the hospital, he finally came out of the hospital. He thanked the Lord for bringing him back to the world of the living.
“Mother always said that I could get the life I wanted if I worked hard. It must be her blessings that brought me back again. Because I did work hard.” Wilbur smiled as his thoughts gave him inspiration and his parent’s memories evoked nostalgia.
Once he reached his apartment building, he checked his mailbox and found a letter for himself, along with some overdue bills. He put the bills in his pocket and opened the letter first since it was from his company. He froze after he read a few lines.
He had been let go for going AWOL for almost 3 months. The letter did hint that the office was aware of his predicament, but they just couldn’t “afford to keep him on a payroll with their tight budget” – the corporate version of “it’s not you, it’s me”.
With a heavy heart and the memories of his mother’s blessings, he took a deep breath and headed upstairs. Once he reached his apartment and tried to open the door, the key didn’t fit. Did they change the lock while he was away?
He went to the Landlord and knocked on the door. As soon as the landlord opened the door and saw him, his expression turned sour.
“Mr. Hanson. The key to my apartment isn’t working,” Wilbur said.
“I’m sorry to hear what had happened to you, Wilbur. You are a good man. You didn’t deserve it.” Hanson tried to change his sour expression to a sad one with obvious fakeness.
“Thank you, Mr. Hanson. About my- ”
“Yes. Unfortunately, the market has been horrible lately, with all the mugging in the area. Although the mugger gang has been arrested, the fallout remains. People just don’t want to rent these apartments anymore. So, I just couldn’t ignore it when I did find that couple willing to move into that apartment.”
“You gave my apartment to someone else?” Wilbur exclaimed.
“That’s my apartment, in case you forgot,” Hanson snapped, suddenly reverting to his true feelings. “I had the locks changed. You didn’t have much in the way of belongings, since the furniture in there are all mine. You can pick up your bag of clothes and laptop from the apartment manager.”
Wilbur just stood there, with his face in his hands. His whole life was crumbling down.
“Besides, you still owe me two months’ rent,” said Hanson quickly, finding a tinge of sympathy within him. “I will forgo that if you want.”
“I don’t have anywhere else to go.”
Hanson’s eyes lit up as he saw an opening. “Well, I can make another arrangement for you, if you like.”
“That’d be great.” Wilbur’s eyes lit up with hope.
“I have an acquaintance. He owns a three-bedroom house downtown and lives alone. I convinced the association to let him keep that rundown house,” Hanson said.
“He will allow me to stay with him?” Wilbur asked, unsure of where this is going.
“Yes, yes. He’s a bleeding heart. Besides, I have some understanding with him. I am sure that he will let you stay, even rent-free.”
“Rent-free?” Wilbur couldn’t believe his ears. It sounded too good to be true.
“Of course. But you have to do me a favor in return.” Hanson leaned in closer, “Don’t ever try to rent a house in this area again. Live there, with my friend Gere.”
“Why?” Wilbur asked with genuine curiosity.
“There have always been muggings around these parts. But what happened to you was the last straw that made the prices of real estate go down around these parts. It’d be good to not have your face around to remind people of that… tragedy.”
“I understand,” Wilbur said.
“And one more thing,” Hanson added. “You will still owe me my two months’ rent and all the bills. With interest, of course.”
“Of course, Mr. Hanson,” Wilbur said with a smile. “After what you are doing for me, I would love to continue our relationship.”
Gere
Gere came home and threw his bag on the sofa before heading to the kitchen. He had to prepare a meal for his guest as well; the regular mac-and-cheese won’t do. Hanson’s phone call on short notice left him little time to prepare.
As he prepared some mashed potatoes, chili, and beans, he still wondered how he got roped into taking a roommate by a man whom he barely knew. Since Hanson was an important member of the realtor’s association, he just could not refuse the request. After all, it was Hanson’s influence that allowed him to keep his family home from being demolished by the realtors.
In retrospect, it might have been a good deal for Gere to cave in and sell the house to the realtors for demolition, but he just couldn’t do it. His grandfather, and subsequently, his father lived at this place. He had a lot of emotions attached to this place.
Ding Dong!
Gere wiped his hands on his aprons and turned off the stove that he had just lit up. He hurried to the door and opened it. There stood Wilbur, broken and tired with two large bags at his feet. Upon seeing this man, Gere’s heart melted. The scars on his body and the mismatched outfit spoke volumes about this man’s plight.
“Wilbur. Come on in.” Gere picked up his bags for him. Wilbur didn’t even have the energy to refuse the aid.
“Mr. Hanson told me what happened to you. It’s a tragedy. Really,” Gere said, leading Wilbur to his room. “Don’t you worry about anything here. You can stay here as long as you like, till you get back on your feet.”
“That’s awfully kind of you,” Wilbur said. “I’m really sorry to impose.”
“Not at all,” Gere replied. “You aren’t imposing. If anyone, it was Mr. Hanson who imposed. But honestly, if I am to keep this house, I need him to keep the Realtors on a leash. We have a mutual understanding.”
Gere put down the bags in the room and turned to Wilbur.
“He imposed, but I agreed. Not because of him, because of what happened to you. I just could not leave you out like that, man.” Gere gave him a pat on the upper arm and beckoned, “Come on. Wash up and come to eat. Dinner’s almost ready.”
Wilbur smiled at this generous man, genuinely thankful for his assistance. He was starving – hospital food leaves much to be desired and it was already late.
Cousins
Wilbur and Gere sat on the sofa, staring at the TV, but not focused on what was going on on-screen.
“So, these cousins of yours. They are not involved with anything bad, right?” Gere asked.
“Not at all, Gere. You know me. They are practically family.” Wilbur rubbed his eyebrows.
“What’s up with all these muggings?” Gere asked with severe annoyance.
“They had arrested the gang, last I heard. Yet, here we are. My cousins are scared to go out in that neighborhood and have requested if they could stay over, just for a couple of days.”
“Yeah. Of course. Your family is my family. You know that, right?”
“Thanks Gere. You are a saint.”
“Meh! Don’t worry. It’s not like I am using those rooms anyway.” Gere took a pause. “How’s your job search going?”
“Same old, same old. The job market isn’t really that good right now.”
“But it’s been four months already,” Gere said with genuine concern. “Now you are scaring me. What if I lose my job? In this market, I don’t think I can get another anytime soon.”
“Hey, man. Just be grateful that you still have your job. I don’t know what I will do. The exorbitant interest rates Mr. Hanson is imposing on me have been piling up. Now I must pay 3 months’ rent. Without a job, I can’t even repay one.”
“Don’t worry too much.” Gere rubbed Wilbur’s head. “Just bring your cousins in, enjoy some quality time with your fam.”
“Will do. How’s your Karate lessons going?” Wilbur asked.
“Got my Brown belt. Can’t skip classes when my office is paying for a hobby,” Gere said with a smile. “Much better than the gym membership they offered me.”
Mugging
Gere walked out of the bank, cashing his paycheck. Payday was always on the 7th of the month and he eagerly waited for this day, every month. He preferred to use cash since he would often have to lend some to his roommates - if one could call them that.
Gere walked down the pavement, counting the cash again. Distracted, he almost bumped into someone around the corner.
“Hey! Wilbur. What are you doing out here, man?” Gere asked with a tired smile.
“Gere, buddy. I need some money, very urgently,” Wilbur said.
“Well… sure. But you could have waited till I got home.”
Wilbur just snatched the wad of cash from his hands.
“Hey!”
“Thanks, man. I owe you one. I just need to pay Mr. Hanson back, before he increases the interest.”
Gere grabbed him by the arm and stopped him from leaving. “That’s not cool, bro. Give it back. We still have to budget for the whole month.”
“Let go of me,” Wilbur said, glaring at him.
“What’s gotten into- ” Gere was knocked in the head from behind, before he could finish his sentence.
As he drifted into unconsciousness, he remembered seeing Wilbur walk away with one of his cousins and his hard-earned money.
Interloper
Gere opened his door with the keys and froze at the sight. Wilbur and his cousins were sitting on the sofa, drinking beer and eating pizza while watching a game.
“You attacked me!” Gere exclaimed, seeing their audacity. “Give me my money and get out of my house.”
Wilbur put down his beer and shrugged, “Or what?”
“You caught me off-guard back then,” Gere growled. “Or what? Or else, I will make you.”
All four of them stood up and spread their arms. “Make me, then, fool. In case you haven’t noticed, you are outnumbered.”
Before Gere could say anything, one of the cousins rushed forth and threw a punch at him. Gere parried the blow with his forearm, moving in closer to hit him in the solar plexus with his knee. Regardless of how confident Gere was or his aptitude in fighting, Wilbur did have the number advantage.
Before Gere could even turn towards the other assailants, Wilbur and his cousins just grabbed him haphazardly from all directions and pinned him down to the ground. Wilbur turned to one of his cousins, once they secured Gere down.
“Call 911.”
“911?” Gere shouted. “Yeah. That’s a mighty fine idea. Bring out the boys in uniform.”
Bail
Gere sat in his cell with his head in his hands. He might have gotten a bit too excited and failed to explain the entire situation to the cops. In retrospect, even he would have considered himself a threat if he were in the cop’s shoes.There was a bang on the cell door. “Come on out. Your bail has been posted.”
Gere came out to see Phyllis, his lawyer, waiting to pick him up.
“Good to see me?” Phyllis asked.
“You have no idea,” Gere said, rubbing the bump on his head that he suffered when the Wilburs pinned him to the ground.
“You are in big trouble, Gere,” Phyllis reminded, handing him his belongings.
They walked out of the station, got into Phyllis’ car, and finally had the chance to talk. Gere explained everything to Phyllis.
“I see. I will be honest, Gere: things are looking bad for you,” Phyllis blurted in a matter-of-fact way.
“What? How so? They were in my house, with my money. You could just present them as intruders.”
“Intruders? Too many witnesses will admit that you let them stay with you for five months now. That won’t stick.” Phyllis increased the fan speed of the AC while driving.
“What? What about my money? They attacked me and stole it.” Gere felt his voice rising, yet again, just like it happened back with the police.
“You didn’t see the attacker, did you? You said you were attacked from behind.”
“But I saw them walk away.”
“Half unconscious and still without proof that they did it. Circumstantial at best.”
“But they attacked me at my house as well,” Gere yelled.
“When the cops came, the big guy had a bleeding nose and a severe bruise on his abdomen. They have the proof that you attacked them. You don’t. Now it’s their words against yours. And in court, four is better than one.” Phyllis turned the car and continued.
“Besides, that’s not your house either.”
“What do you mean that’s not my house?” Gere asked in genuine confusion.
“They got some documents from the realtor’s association. They are claiming that the house was due to be demolished due to some new regulations they had set up. Some Hanson drew up the papers.”
“Who is he to sign the deeds to my house?” Gere shouted in frustration.
“The head of The Realtor’s Association. Your house is halting the development of the area that the realtors are planning. Even the mayor approved it. But don’t worry. This is one thing we can bring to the court. All your neighbors are willing to testify your legitimacy as the owner as well as give character affirmation. I think there’s hope. Finger’s crossed.”
Evicted
Gere stood at his own doorstep, staring murder at Wilbur, smiling at him. Phyllis stood at a safe distance, not ready to get into a physical altercation, should one begin.
“Here’s your phone and your laptop, Gere,” Wilbur said, handing him the things.
With his judgment clouded by anger and confusion, he just took them from his hand.
“What’s the meaning of this?” Gere demanded.
“I am offering you your phone and laptop. It’s a good deal. Take it and leave. You are being evicted from House Wilbur.”
Gere walked up to Phyllis and handed her his possessions. Before Phyllis or Wilbur could realize what was going on, Gere turned around to land a mighty side-kick into Wilbur’s face.
Court
“Will you please tell the court what happened on October 7th?” the prosecutor inquired.
“I got mugged on my way home from the bank.”
“And you claim that Mr. Wilbur had mugged you, right?”
“Yes,” Gere replied.
“Did you see the attacker?”
“Yes.”
“Where did the attacker hit you?”
“On the back of my head.”
“Then how could you have seen him? Do you have eyes on the back of your head, Mr. Gere?”
The entire courtroom laughed. The judge silenced them with his gavel.
“I saw them leave before going unconscious.”
“So, you took this circumstantial evidence as a reason to go home and attack them? You weren’t even in your right mind, half unconscious.”
“I didn’t attack them. They attacked me first.”
“Your honor, let these four testimonies and Exhibit. B, photos of the injuries on Mr. Wilbur’s cousin’s body show that Mr. Gere was the first to attack.”
“Yes, that’s because they punched me and I blocked it, before fighting back!” Gere begged.
“So, you admit to attacking them.”
“Objection. Leading the witness.” Phyllis stood up.
“Sustained,” the Judge allowed.
“Regardless. There is no doubt about the attacks, given the evidence.”
“It was self-defense!” Gere shouted.
“Of course it was. Mr. Wilbur and his cousins have the right to defend themselves,” the prosecutor said with a wink.
“They came into my house and attacked me! How can they be defending themselves?” Gere asked.
“House Wilbur isn’t your house, Mr. Gere. We have documents to prove that.”
“Nonsense! All my neighbors have testified that I have been living there for generations!”
“If your neighbors love you so much and if you are such a great guy, according to them, why aren’t they taking you into their home? Why are you just spending your days harassing Mr. Wilbur? Is it not true that you have assaulted him multiple times after that and violated your restraining order?”
Gere remained silent.
“Let this be known, Milord, that Mr. Gere has even dug a tunnel under the boundary wall to sneak in and attack Mr. Wilbur. Luckily, his karate lessons being paid for by his company, could not help him against four grown men with the law on their side.”
“They mugged me and invaded my home!” Gere shouted.
“Are you denying that Mr. Wilbur has been mugged and subjected to terrible torture a few months back?”
“What? No. How is this relevant?” Gere asked.
“And even his cousins were mugged, which forced them to escape to your house.”
“My house.”
“Pardon me, your honor. I misspoke. It’s just a slip of the tongue. My client, Mr. Wilbur, wants nothing but to make peace with Mr. Gere. In fact, he has offered Mr. Gere his phone and laptop to broker peace.”
“They took my house! What am I going to do with a Laptop and a Phone? I want my house back!”
The judge shouted, “Order, Order.”
“Milord. Mr. Wilbur has a lineage dating back to the Native Americans. According to this Genealogy and this DNA report, he is one part Native American and thirty-one parts German. That means, his ancestors, the native Americans, were the original owners of all the lands around here. That makes him the rightful owner of that house today. Furthermore, Mr. Wilbur’s mother has promised him a home should he work hard. And we all know how much hardships he went through. He got mugged and hospitalized. Mr. Gere is denying that he and his cousins got mugged.”
The masses in the court and jury just nodded in agreement. Upon seeing this reaction, the Prosecutor raised his voice to present his closing statement.
“Mr. Wilbur is an innocent man, who just can’t catch a break. The muggers, you, and your neighbors; no one is just ready to leave Mr. Wilbur alone. His mother has promised him a home and you are denying him that. His ancestors were from here and you are denying him that.”
The judge turned to look Gere in the eyes, unblinking. The whole court remained silent for a few seconds before the Judge made his verdict.
“Should Mr. Wilbur want to press more charges against you, all of them will be added to your sentence. You, Mr. Gere, are a terrorist. And I condemn you to prison for life, without food, water, or electricity.”
2024.05.20 22:26 jackre256 "JuSt gO gEt a NeW jOb It'S EaSy you're just lazy"
I loose my job, and I'm the in the udder hell that is the US low skill job market having absolutely zero luck stuck living at home with my dad.
He tells me daily how stupid and lazy I am for not already having a new job after a few weeks. He says "everywhere is hiring, what's your problem?". Yes Dad, everywhere is hiring for wages so fucking low that most places I'd end making close to 0, if not negative, money after factoring in cost of just fucking getting to work in my shitbox vehicle & bills. No exaggeration there, not even a little. "Just get that shitty job for now, it's better than nothin", no it isn't.
Not only that I would also then be obligated to work around their schedule trying to find a job that pays enough to exist. I would have only taken job to shut you up
I calmly tell him this objective fact. I lay out the reasons that I'm trying to get a job that will pay me something half decent, he then tells me I'm "too stupid to add numbers together".
He tells me how smart and experienced he is with jobs and that us youngins just are lazy and don't wanna work. Yes Dad, I totally like being broke this is all according to the grand master plan you figured it out Einstein. Saying all this shit with a straight face when he's had the same job for decades and hasn't searched for jobs since before I was born. How arrogant and ignorant can you be?
Sorry for shit grammar I am fuming typing this rant just trying to calm myself down so I don't get kicked out and end up in a homeless shelter, that is assuming I could even find a shelter in this shithole. I hate life -_-
submitted by jackre256 to BoomersBeingFools [link] [comments]
He tells me daily how stupid and lazy I am for not already having a new job after a few weeks. He says "everywhere is hiring, what's your problem?". Yes Dad, everywhere is hiring for wages so fucking low that most places I'd end making close to 0, if not negative, money after factoring in cost of just fucking getting to work in my shitbox vehicle & bills. No exaggeration there, not even a little. "Just get that shitty job for now, it's better than nothin", no it isn't.
Not only that I would also then be obligated to work around their schedule trying to find a job that pays enough to exist. I would have only taken job to shut you up
I calmly tell him this objective fact. I lay out the reasons that I'm trying to get a job that will pay me something half decent, he then tells me I'm "too stupid to add numbers together".
He tells me how smart and experienced he is with jobs and that us youngins just are lazy and don't wanna work. Yes Dad, I totally like being broke this is all according to the grand master plan you figured it out Einstein. Saying all this shit with a straight face when he's had the same job for decades and hasn't searched for jobs since before I was born. How arrogant and ignorant can you be?
Sorry for shit grammar I am fuming typing this rant just trying to calm myself down so I don't get kicked out and end up in a homeless shelter, that is assuming I could even find a shelter in this shithole. I hate life -_-
2024.05.20 22:05 BlueFunk96 I asked a ChatGPT to identify the specific statements in Harrison Butker's speech which were bigoted. I think AI nailed it.
So many conservative commenters and posters can't seem to understand what was bigoted about Harrison Butker's speech. Sometimes it's hard to pin it down, especially when the speaker is a bit cagey, as he was at times. So I converted his speech to a pdf and had one of the pdf ChatGPT's analyze it. I think it broke down the exact speech pretty well, with concise statements about why they are bigoted. I checked the quotes - they're all accurate from the speech.
My Request: "Cite for me what portions of this speech appear to demonstrate the speaker has a bigoted point of view, as such is understood in accepted social science in the U.S."
ChatGPT's response:
To identify portions of the speech that demonstrate a bigoted point of view, we can focus on areas where the speaker expresses intolerance or discrimination against particular groups based on their beliefs, actions, or identities. Here are some excerpts that may reflect such a perspective:
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I think some of these excerpts and comments would be helpful in dialogues about just why Harrison Butker's speech was bigoted. It was also a good reality check to try to view it from a perspective as objective as possible, given the issues.
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My Request: "Cite for me what portions of this speech appear to demonstrate the speaker has a bigoted point of view, as such is understood in accepted social science in the U.S."
ChatGPT's response:
To identify portions of the speech that demonstrate a bigoted point of view, we can focus on areas where the speaker expresses intolerance or discrimination against particular groups based on their beliefs, actions, or identities. Here are some excerpts that may reflect such a perspective:
- Comments on Abortion and Gender Ideologies:These statements reflect intolerance towards individuals and policies that support abortion rights, in vitro fertilization (IVF), surrogacy, euthanasia, and gender diversity. The use of the term "degenerate cultural values" is pejorative and dismissive of differing beliefs.
- "Bad policies and poor leadership have negatively impacted major life issues. Things like abortion, IVF, surrogacy, euthanasia, as well as a growing support for degenerate cultural values in media, all stem from the pervasiveness of disorder."
- "From the man behind the COVID lockdowns to the people pushing dangerous gender ideologies onto the youth of America, they all have a glaring thing in common. They are Catholic."
- Criticism of Political and Religious Leaders:These excerpts demonstrate a lack of respect and an antagonistic stance towards political leaders and religious individuals who support abortion rights and gender diversity, labelling them as delusional and dangerous.
- "Our own nation is led by a man who publicly and proudly proclaims his Catholic faith, but at the same time is delusional enough to make the Sign of the Cross during a pro-abortion rally."
- "He is not alone. From the man behind the COVID lockdowns to the people pushing dangerous gender ideologies onto the youth of America, they all have a glaring thing in common. They are Catholic."
- Remarks on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion:The speaker portrays diversity, equity, and inclusion as tyrannical and implies that these principles suppress the expression of certain beliefs. This can be seen as dismissive of efforts to promote equality and inclusion.
- "The world around us says that we should keep our beliefs to ourselves whenever they go against the tyranny of diversity, equity, and inclusion. We fear speaking truth, because now, unfortunately, truth is in the minority."
- "Congress just passed a bill where stating something as basic as the biblical teaching of who killed Jesus could land you in jail."
- Comments on Gender Roles:These statements reinforce traditional gender roles and suggest that women's primary fulfillment should come from marriage and motherhood, which can be seen as limiting and discriminatory against women who aspire to different life paths.
- "For the ladies present today... Some of you may go on to lead successful careers in the world, but I would venture to guess that the majority of you are most excited about your marriage and the children you will bring into this world."
- "I'm beyond blessed with the many talents God has given me, but it cannot be overstated that all of my success is made possible because a girl I met in band class back in middle school would convert to the faith, become my wife, and embrace one of the most important titles of all: homemaker."
- Critique of Birth Control:This reflects a rigid and judgmental stance against those who use birth control, implying that they are acting against natural or divine order.
- "Heterodox ideas abound even within Catholic circles. But let's be honest, there is nothing good about playing God with having children — whether that be your ideal number or the perfect time to conceive. No matter how you spin it, there is nothing natural about Catholic birth control."
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I think some of these excerpts and comments would be helpful in dialogues about just why Harrison Butker's speech was bigoted. It was also a good reality check to try to view it from a perspective as objective as possible, given the issues.