So I bought a 2018 BMW 330i from CarMax about a month ago. I ended up adding the MaxCare to be smart which adds on like $90 bucks to my monthly payment. However after having the car I am really looking to mod it. I have an intake on it right now and I am looking to add a high flow catted downpipe which I ordered and a tune. I am seeing things about the JB4 being a good route since it is a piggy back tune and not as easily detectable as Bootmod3. I’d rather have BM3 as it’s better when paired with a downpipe and way more customizable. However I don’t want to go for the JB4 then have it void my warranty and now I have the worse one of the two tunes. Should I try to work my way around the warranty by going with the JB4 in hopes of it not voiding it or just cancel my warranty and get BM3. The car only has 26k miles on it so I think I could mod it without having to worry about problems occurring as long as I take care of it and do basic maintenance obviously. ’m kinda leaning towards just canceling it because I’d like to do exhaust modifications like a different muffler and a resonator delete which aren’t easily reversible if I wanted to bring the car in. Let me know what you guys think. Much appreciated.

So I bought a 2018 BMW 330i from CarMax about a month ago. I ended up adding the MaxCare to be smart which adds on like $90 bucks to my monthly payment. However after having the car I am really looking to mod it. I have an intake on it right now and I am looking to add a high flow catted downpipe which I ordered and a tune. I am seeing things about the JB4 being a good route since it is a piggy back tune and not as easily detectable as Bootmod3. I’d rather have BM3 as it’s better when paired with a downpipe and way more customizable. However I don’t want to go for the JB4 then have it void my warranty and now I have the worse one of the two tunes. Should I try to work my way around the warranty by going with the JB4 in hopes of it not voiding it or just cancel my warranty and get BM3. The car only has 26k miles on it so I think I could mod it without having to worry about problems occurring as long as I take care of it and do basic maintenance obviously. ’m kinda leaning towards just canceling it because I’d like to do exhaust modifications like a different muffler and a resonator delete which aren’t easily reversible if I wanted to bring the car in. Let me know what you guys think. Much appreciated.

“We’re a meat family,” my dad would proudly tell strangers. He’d wait for the quizzical look, then launch into detail, starting with how many freezers we had, how long we could sustain ourselves on the contents. It was just his way of starting a conversation, which made sense when you considered that raising and home-killing animals for food was, for want of a better term, his life-long hobby. His prize possession was one of those industrial-sized vacuum sealers: you could put half a pig inside and wrap it in plastic so tightly that every wrinkle and skin fold waxed unreal with shiny detail.
If we hadn’t lived in a rural area, albeit semi-urbanised, I guess it would have been pretty weird. But the mostly farming-stock locals only found his extra enthusiasm a little bit odd.
When he wasn’t being a bit embarrassing talking about it, I never really paid much heed to his hobby. I had a child’s vaguely grateful awareness that though our family went through some lean financial times, our stomachs never suffered like some of the families around us. All the beef, pork, ham and bacon in those big old chest freezers passed down from his dad really could have fed us for years.
I should preface all this by saying that I wasn’t a particularly bright kid, though neither was I dumb. I didn’t fail badly at anything in school, I just never achieved beyond a pass. I didn’t know it yet back then, still quietly dreaming about being a ballet star or a dressage champion, but mediocrity was my destiny. And I think that’s why I got on so well with my Aunt Liz.
Liz was my dad’s live-in youngest sister. She was one of those women who get described as ‘bubbly’ — not really pretty, not really smart, not a lot going on besides just being… well, all Liz. But she was salt of the earth; kind, caring, and great with kids. She was the only person who would willingly mind my two older brothers, who fought like hellcats and caused more trouble than the whole last generation of my family combined. People would privately lament to my parents that it was a shame Liz didn’t have kids of her own, but dad would just shake his head and say Liz liked it that way – that all the fun of looking after kids is being able to give them back to their parents.
I guess she was like me; nice, but mediocre. Lovely, but somehow forgettable when she wasn’t doing something for you.
But when Liz left us, I couldn’t forget her.
In hindsight, it was pretty weird timing that we had a big fortieth birthday party for Liz right before she disappeared. She was radiant that night; she’d hired a local girl to do her hair and makeup, and it was honestly the first time I’d ever seen her look pretty. She’d even worn a push-up bra under a tight red dress, which flattered her very plump curves well enough that the neighbour’s farmhand was spotted disappearing into the woolshed with her for a snog. In my dawning awareness, that gave a plain girl hope: if Aunty Liz could get a guy at forty, maybe things would turn out okay for me.
Anyway, I couldn’t forget how her pink cheeks, her eyes, her whole self, glowed that night before Liz went to bed. She said it was the best birthday ever, and that she was very much looking forward to the next stage of her life.
Would I have done anything different, if I had known? If I had realised what, exactly, that next stage was?
The week after the party, Aunt Liz said she was going on a little holiday up north, to visit some old school friends. She packed her things – she didn’t honestly have that many – and drove her little orange mini out onto the main road. And with a wave of one fleshy hand, she was gone. Nobody really thought much of it when she didn’t call, because nobody rural had cellphones back then. And Liz was, as I said, somehow kinda forgettable when she wasn’t right in front of you.
When we hadn’t had contact for six weeks, Dad tracked down the land line numbers for their old school buddies. They were surprised to hear from him — Liz had never arrived, so they had just assumed she’d cancelled her visit. No-one had thought to check. I eavesdropped on the conversation, and it sounded for all the world like *they* had forgotten about Aunt Liz, too.
From there it became a missing person case. The local cops came and talked to all of us; the farmhand who’d been seen snogging her was briefly detained, then let go, dad got grilled at length, even my hellion brothers were questioned thoroughly to see if this was one of their wild and dangerous pranks gone wrong.
But everything was a dead end. Nobody knew where Liz was, or what had happened to her.
The remains of her old mini were found halfway across the country, burned out on a beach, on a derelict stretch of ragged, rocky coastline. The police assumed murder and combed the area for remains. But even the most expert divers couldn’t conquer the incredible undertow and fast-shifting seabed of that coastline to look for evidence, so none was forthcoming.
Eventually the cops collectively shrugged and said that there was really nothing more they could do unless more information suddenly came to light. The locals knew nothing, no witnesses had come forward, and the trail was cold. As far as anyone knew, poor aunt Liz had been murdered on some desolate beach, far away from her home.
It didn’t feel fair to me. She’d once mentioned wanting her remains buried on our farm, in the graveyard plot beside grandma and grandad.
So, in my grief, I went into her room to look for something of hers to bury beside them.
Like I said, Liz didn’t have many things. Her room was pretty spartan, and her wardrobe was mostly sensible farm stuff. There was one exception: she, like me, did like to read, and she had a pretty good collection of well-thumbed books. I think it’s the escapism – even the most mediocre girl can lose herself in the plot of some trashy romance novel, imagine there’s still hope of being swept off her feet by that handsome stableboy, his inexplicable yearning for chubby plain girls.
So I set myself the task of going through the books, to find the right one to bury in the graveyard plot.
Most of them were exactly what you’d expect, but some of them were racier than I was used to. I felt various parts of my body flushing and tingling, as I read breathless prose about calloused hands touching the softest flesh of the protagonist. Okay, if I’m honest with myself, I might have got a little *too* invested in my project at that point. But that was also why I persisted going through her entire collection, until I found the ragged paperback from 1970, entitled Tawny Sands. And inside that trashy cardboard romance cover, I discovered not the tale of Tawny Sands, but some carefully hand-cut, stitched-in pages. A handwritten story in my Aunt’s rounded penmanship: Memoirs of a Long Pig.
I read her story twice in a row, utterly gripped.
Aunt Liz was no Stephen King – heck, she wasn’t even the Goosebumps guy – but her story was gripping and compelling, and I couldn’t put it down. Even if I hadn’t known her, I think that would have been true.
The gist of it was that Liz, when she was sixteen, had discovered that our family had a very long history of eating what she described as ‘Long Pork’. It’s an antipodean term, anglicised from the Pacific Islands: human meat.
Like me, young Liz still had some hopes and dreams. In one of her many failed attempts to find a special talent, she’d taken up cooking as a hobby. Naturally, with our family’s overabundance of meat, she’d scoured the freezers in the shed for ingredients: the racks of ribs and stacks of pork chops, butcher-paper wrappings all neatly labelled with the first letter of the name of the animal they came from.
She found familiar meat from Rodney, one of the pigs that had been recently slaughtered, emblazoned with an ‘R’ in her father’s strong, blocky lettering. There were cutlets labelled ‘M’ for Mary, from one of the lambs she’d hand-reared, and ‘F’ for Ferdinand, the steer they’d killed the month before. But she couldn’t explain the many, many curious parcels of meat on one side of the huge freezer, all labelled ‘J’ – at least, not until she took it all out and assembled it as well as she could on the scoured concrete floor of the killing shed. A big, frozen jigsaw puzzle without the box, her best attempt to discover what kind of beast the pieces had come from.
The animal, she quickly realised, was a Long Pig. Her own Aunt Jenny, who had died the month before – just after her fortieth birthday.
Fortunately, or perhaps not, for Liz, her father entered the shed right at that moment and realised his daughter had discovered the family secret. He sat down calmly on the lid of the freezer, and explained to her that this was a long-running family tradition, dating back to at least before his grandfather had been born.
“There are always people in life, Liz,” he’d said, “who won’t really amount to much. They want to be useful, want to be more. They strive and they strive, trying job after job, hobby after hobby, trying to hit on something they’re really good at. Something that makes them special. Those people can waste their whole lives, chasing dreams that never come true. Eventually they die unfulfilled, knowing that all their time has been wasted. That what they leave behind will fade quickly.”
His voice was oddly gentle as he leaned down and patted one of the neatly wrapped cuts of Aunt Jenny, still sitting frozen on the shed floor.
“Your Aunt Jenny was one of those people. So was my Aunt Irene.” He paused to gaze at his daughter, his next words peppered with emphasis. “But you see, my sweet Liz, they did find a purpose in life. They did find a way to be special, and they left this world utterly certain of their gift.” He stood up, stretched his back. “Let me show you.”
Liz waited while my grandad meticulously stacked the meat back into the freezer, all but one J-marked parcel that looked for all the world like a thick venison steak. He took her back to the farmhouse, and reverently unwrapped the deep red, heavily marbled meat to let it thaw. Then he laid it in the family’s ancient, cast-iron pan, basting it with butter and rosemary until a heavenly scent filled the kitchen, and Aunt Liz couldn’t stop her mouth from watering.
“Just try it. Let her show you. You’ll see exactly what I’m talking about.”
Even though she knew it was her aunt, Liz couldn’t stop herself from taking that first bite. There was something transcendent about the smell, overriding her natural revulsion that this was human meat, not one of their farm animals. For the first time, she truly realised it: we’re just another kind of animal. And weren’t her memories of Mary the lamb almost as fond as her memories of Aunt Jenny?
Liz explained then, in her curly handwriting, the explosion of taste that had assaulted her when she tried the steak. It was tender, it was succulent, it was rich beyond imagining. The fats melted on her tongue, lingering somewhere between pork and beef, but oddly neither. The flavour of the meat defied identification; something familiar, yet not.
But one thing she couldn’t deny; it was the most delicious thing she had ever eaten. Tears dripped onto her plate, mingled with the juice, the grease — not grief, but a pure, real, giddy delight.
“You’re tasting your aunt’s love for this family,” my grandad explained. “Her entire life was carefully curated, to eventually make unforgettable moments for us, just like this. This was her way of being special. This was the greatest gift she could possibly bring to our world – and because she realised that, she died with not a single regret. She knew her life had purpose. She was perfectly, completely fulfilled.”
I felt those words. I felt them lodge in my own belly, settling uncomfortably deep. I knew Aunt Liz, probably better than anyone else in the family. I’d seen how fucking happy she’d been on her fortieth, how goddamn fulfilled she was, despite apparently being a *nobody* and achieving *nothing*. Somehow, in the space of a single day, she had gone from being a forgettable background character to becoming the *main character*, immortalising herself in our family’s history with her sacrifice. Quite literally becoming part of all of us, forever.
I went to the killing shed after I finished with the book. I looked inside the freezers.
But there were no vacuum-sealed packages labelled ‘L’, no matter how deep I dug into the frozen stacks of plastic-wrapped flesh. Panicked now, not sure if I wanted to connect all the dots or unconnect them, I tried to think back over the last few months, recall any meals that had been unusually good. A few Sundays ago, we’d had a stew that really hit the spot and left me craving more. And I realised that the family had a really good night that night; my brothers behaved themselves, my parents didn’t fight, and grandma and grandad had been there. Hadn’t they looked far more… expectant than they should have?
I strained my brain, trying to recall if I’d seen the homekill bag on the kitchen bench – if I’d registered what letter it was. I knew it wasn’t an L. I would have remembered if it was an L.
And then it hit me, the memory, the connection, sizzling as if branded with a hot iron.
It had been an ‘E’.
E for Elizabeth. Not for Edward the pig.
I snorted at my own stupidity – of *course* Liz was short for Elizabeth – and as I comprehended my lack of smarts, I felt something give inside me.
I wasn’t clever, and nothing, nothing would ever make me smart. I had no big talents. I wasn’t beautiful, or even cute – and even if I had a million plastic surgeries, it still wouldn’t fulfill me. It wouldn’t be real.
I was a Liz.
I was a Jenny.
I was whoever the first aunt had been, the aunt who had dedicated her life to making her flesh as delicious as possible, who had worked every damn minute to be the best Long Pig she could ever be.
I wondered how many magical family evenings had been spent eating Aunt Jenny. How many glorious, satisfying, memorable dishes had been made out of her.
And… I wanted that. I wanted to finally know I had a *purpose* in life. One so simple, and so easy to achieve.
I wanted what Aunt Liz had.
***
It's my fortieth birthday today and I’m so fucking excited. For the last twenty-four years, I’ve dedicated myself to this moment; I’ve eaten exactly what I needed to, I’ve exercised just enough, but not too much, to maintain that perfect balance of marbling vs tenderness. I’ve relaxed and meditated to keep all those amazing flavours inside of me. I’ve researched all the greatest meats in the world, from prime Angus beef to A5 Wagyu. I really think I may have outdone myself.
I’m having my hair and makeup done at the local salon this afternoon, and I’m going to look so pretty; all prize piggy on show at the fair. I’m even going to have a big red ribbon in my hair, in memory of Aunt Liz.
Maybe there’ll be a cute boy I can snog in the wool shed, maybe there won’t – I don’t really care; because the most important, most certain thing is that I’m going to be the most delicious Long Pig in the history of our entire family.
I’m going to make everyone so damn happy, and I’m just so glad I can share my story with you all, instead of hiding it in a grubby book like poor Aunt Liz.
My only real disappointment? That you won’t get to taste me.
Reader, I have loved, loved my life. My Long Pork will be out of this world: once tasted, never, ever forgotten.

"Why Did Jesus Die on the Cross?"

The main reason Jesus died on the cross was to defeat Satan and set us free from his oppressive rule. Everything else that Jesus accomplished was to be understood as an aspect and consequence of this victory (e.g., Recapitulation, Moral Influence, etc.).
This understanding of why Jesus had to die is called the Christus Victor (Latin for “Christ is Victorious”) view of the atonement. But, what exactly was Christ victorious from, and why? To find out the answers to these questions, we have to turn to the Old Testament, as that's what the apostles would often allude to in order to properly teach their audience the message they were trying to convey (Rom. 15:4).
The OT is full of conflict between the Father (YHVH) and false gods, between YHVH and cosmic forces of chaos. The Psalms speak of this conflict between YHVH and water monsters of the deeps (an ancient image for chaos) (Psa. 29:3-4; 74:10-14; 77:16, 19; 89:9-10; 104:2-9, etc).
The liberation of Israel from Egypt wasn’t just a conflict between Pharaoh and Moses. It was really between YHVH and the false gods of Egypt.
Regardless of whether you think the aforementioned descriptions are literal or metaphorical, the reality that the Old Testament describes is that humanity lived in a “cosmic war zone.”
The Christus Victor motif is about Christ reigning victorious over wicked principalities and Satan's kingdom, and is strongly emphasized throughout the New Testament. Scripture declares that Jesus came to drive out "the prince of this world” (John 12:31), to “destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8), to “destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil” (Heb. 2:14) and to “put all enemies under his feet” (1 Cor 15:25). Jesus came to overpower the “strong man” (Satan) who held the world in bondage and worked with his Church to plunder his "palace" (Luke 11:21-22). He came to end the reign of the cosmic “thief” who seized the world to “steal, and to kill, and to destroy” the life YHVH intended for us (John 10:10). Jesus came and died on the cross to disarm “the principalities and powers” and make a “shew of them openly [i.e., public spectacle]” by “triumphing over them in [the cross]” (Col. 2:15).
Beyond these explicit statements, there are many other passages that express the Christus Victor motif as well. For example, the first prophecy in the Bible foretells that a descendent of Eve (Jesus) would crush the head of the serpent (Gen. 3:15). The first Christian sermon ever preached proclaimed that Jesus in principle conquered all YHVH's enemies (Acts 2:32-36). And the single most frequently quoted Old Testament passage by New Testament authors is Psalm 110:1 which predicts that Christ would conquer all YHVH’s opponents. (Psalm 110 is quoted or alluded to in Matthew 22:41-45; 26:64, Mark 12:35-37; 14:62, Luke 20:41-44; 22:69, Acts 5:31; 7:55-56, Romans 8:34, 1st Corinthians 15:22-25, Ephesians 1:20, Hebrews 1:3; 1:13; 5:6, 10; 6:20; 7:11, 15, 17, 21; 8:1; 10:12-13, 1st Peter 3:22, and Revelation 3:21.) According to New Testament scholar Oscar Cullman, the frequency with which New Testament authors cite this Psalm is the greatest proof that Christ’s “victory over the angel powers stands at the very center of early Christian thought.”
Because of man's rebellion, the Messiah's coming involved a rescue mission that included a strategy for vanquishing the powers of darkness.
Since YHVH is a God of love who gives genuine “say-so” to both angels and humans, YHVH rarely accomplishes His providential plans through coercion. YHVH relies on His infinite wisdom to achieve His goals. Nowhere is YHVH's wisdom put more on display than in the manner in which He outsmarted Satan and the powers of evil, using their own evil to bring about their defeat.
Most readers probably know the famous story from ancient Greece about the Trojan Horse. To recap the story, Troy and Greece had been locked in a ten-year-long vicious war when, according to Homer and Virgil, the Greeks came up with a brilliant idea. They built an enormous wooden horse, hid soldiers inside and offered it to the Trojans as a gift, claiming they were conceding defeat and going home. The delighted Trojans accepted the gift and proceeded to celebrate by drinking themselves into a drunken stupor. When night came and the Trojan warriors were too wasted to fight, the Greeks exited the horse, unlocked the city gates to quietly let all their compatriots in, and easily conquered the city, thus winning the war.
Historians debate whether any of this actually happened. But either way, as military strategies go, it’s brilliant.
Now, there are five clues in the New Testament that suggest YHVH was using something like this Trojan Horse strategy against the powers when he sent Jesus into the world:
1) The Bible tells us that YHVH's victory over the powers of darkness was achieved by the employment of YHVH’s wisdom, and was centered on that wisdom having become reality in Jesus Christ (Rom. 16:25, 1 Cor. 2:7, Eph. 3:9-10, Col. 1:26). It also tells us that, for some reason, this Christ-centered wisdom was kept “secret and hidden” throughout the ages. It’s clear from this that YHVH's strategy was to outsmart and surprise the powers by sending Jesus.
2) While humans don’t generally know Jesus’ true identity during his ministry, demons do. They recognize Jesus as the Son of God, the Messiah, but, interestingly enough, they have no idea what he’s doing (Mark 1:24; 3:11; 5:7, Luke 8:21). Again, the wisdom of YHVH in sending Jesus was hidden from them.
3) We’re told that, while humans certainly share in the responsibility for the crucifixion, Satan and the powers were working behind the scenes to bring it about (John 13:27 cf. 1 Cor. 2:6-8). These forces of evil helped orchestrate the crucifixion.
4) We’re taught that if the “princes of this world [age]” had understood the secret wisdom of YHVH, “they would not have crucified the Lord of glory” (1 Cor 2:8 cf. vss 6-7). Apparently, Satan and the powers regretted orchestrating Christ’s crucifixion once they learned of the wisdom of YHVH that was behind it.
5) Finally, we can begin to understand why the powers came to regret crucifying “the Lord of glory” when we read that it was by means of the crucifixion that the “handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us [i.e., the charge of our legal indebtedness]” was “[taken] out of the way [i.e., canceled]” as the powers were disarmed. In this way Christ “triumph[ed] over” the powers by "his cross” and even “made a shew of them openly” (Col. 2:14-15). Through Christ’s death and resurrection YHVH's enemies were vanquished and placed under his Messiah's feet, and ultimately His own in the end (1 Cor. 15:23-28).
Putting these five clues together, we can discern YHVH's Trojan Horse strategy in sending Jesus.
The powers couldn’t discern why Jesus came because YHVH's wisdom was hidden from them. YHVH's wisdom was motivated by unfathomable love, and since Satan and the other powers were evil, they lacked the capacity to understand it. Their evil hearts prevented them from suspecting what YHVH was up to.
What the powers did understand was that Jesus was mortal. This meant he was killable. Lacking the capacity to understand that this was the means by which YHVH would ultimately bring about the defeat of death (and thus, pave the road for the resurrection itself), they never suspected that making Jesus vulnerable to their evil might actually be part of YHVH's infinitely wise plan.
And so they took the bait (or "ransom"; Matt. 20:28, Mark 10:45, 1 Tim. 2:5-6). Utilizing Judas and other willing human agents, the powers played right into YHVH’s secret plan and orchestrated the crucifixion of the Messiah (Acts 2:22-23; 4:28). YHVH thus brilliantly used the self-inflicted incapacity of evil to understand love against itself. And, like light dispelling darkness, the unfathomably beautiful act of YHVH's love in sending the willing Messiah as a "ransom" to these blood-thirsty powers defeated them. The whole creation was in principle freed and reconciled to YHVH, while everything written against us humans was nailed to the cross, thus robbing the powers of the only legal claim they had on us. They were “spoiled [i.e., disempowered]” (Col. 2:14-15).
As happened to the Trojans in accepting the gift from the Greeks, in seizing on Christ’s vulnerability and orchestrating his crucifixion, the powers unwittingly cooperated with YHVH to unleash the one power in the world that dispels all evil and sets captives free. It’s the power of self-sacrificial love.

Why Penal Substitution Is Unbiblical

For the sake of keeping this already lengthy post as short as possible I'm not going to spend too much time on why exactly PSA (Penal Substitutionary Atonement) is inconsistent with Scripture, but I'll go ahead and point out the main reasons why I believe this is so, and let the reader look further into this subject by themselves, being that there are many resources out there which have devoted much more time than I ever could here in supporting this premise.

"Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:"-1 Corinthians 5:7

The Passover is one of the two most prominent images in the New Testament given as a comparison to Christ's atonement and what it accomplished, (the other most common image being the Day of Atonement sacrifice).
In the Passover, the blood of the lamb on the door posts of the Hebrews in the book of Exodus was meant to mark out those who were YHVH's, not be a symbol of PSA, as the lamb itself was not being punished by God in place of the Hebrews, but rather the kingdom of Egypt (and thus, allegorically speaking, the kingdom of darkness which opposed YHVH) was what was being judged and punished, because those who were not "covered" by the blood of the lamb could be easily identified as not part of God's kingdom/covenant and liberated people.
Looking at the Day of Atonement sacrifice (which, again, Christ's death is repeatedly compared to throughout the New Testament), this ritual required a ram, a bull, and two goats (Lev. 16:3-5). The ram was for a burnt offering intended to please God (Lev. 16:3-4). The bull served as a sin offering for Aaron, the high priest, and his family. In this case, the sin offering restored the priest to ritual purity, allowing him to occupy sacred space and be near YHVH’s presence. Two goats taken from "the congregation” were needed for the single sin offering for the people (Lev. 16:5). So why two goats?
The high priest would cast lots over the two goats, with one chosen as a sacrifice “for the Lord” (Lev. 16:8). The blood of that goat would purify the people. The second goat was not sacrificed or designated “for the Lord.” On the contrary, this goat—the one that symbolically carried the sins away from the camp of Israel into the wilderness—was “for Azazel” (Lev. 16:8-10).
What—or who—is Azazel?
The Hebrew term azazel (עזאזל) occurs four times in Leviticus 16 but nowhere else in most people's canon of the Bible, (and I say "most people's canon," because some people do include 1 Enoch in their canon of Scripture, which of course goes into great detail about this "Azazel" figure). Many translations prefer to translate the term as a phrase, “the goat that goes away,” which is the same idea conveyed in the King James Version’s “scapegoat.” Other translations treat the word as a name: Azazel. The “scapegoat” option is possible, but since the phrase “for Azazel” parallels the phrase “for YHVH” (“for the Lord”), the wording suggests that two divine figures are being contrasted by the two goats.
A strong case can be made for translating the term as the name Azazel. Ancient Jewish texts show that Azazel was understood as a demonic figure associated with the wilderness. The Mishnah (ca. AD 200; Yoma 6:6) records that the goat for Azazel was led to a cliff and pushed over, ensuring it would not return with its death. This association of the wilderness with evil is also evident in the New Testament, as this was where Jesus met the devil (Matt. 4:1). Also, in Leviticus 17:1-7 we learn that some Israelites had been accustomed to sacrificing offerings to "devils" (alternatively translated as “goat demons”). The Day of Atonement replaced this illegitimate practice.
The second goat was not sent into the wilderness as a sacrifice to a foreign god or demon. The act of sending the live goat out into the wilderness, which was unholy ground, was to send the sins of the people where they belonged—to the demonic domain. With one goat sacrificed to bring purification and access to YHVH and one goat sent to carry the people’s sins to the demonic domain, this annual ritual reinforced the identity of the true God and His mercy and holiness.
When Jesus died on the cross for all of humanity’s sins, he was crucified outside the city, paralleling the sins of the people being cast to the wilderness via the goat to Azazel. Jesus died once for all sinners, negating the need for this ritual.
As previously stated, the goat which had all the sin put on it was sent alive off to the wilderness, while the blood of the goat which was blameless was used to purify the temple and the people. Penal substitution would necessitate the killing of the goat which had the sin put on it.
Mind you, this is the only sacrificial ritual of any kind in the Torah in which sins are placed on an animal. The only time it happens is this, and that animal is not sacrificed. Most PSA proponents unwittingly point to this ritual as evidence of their view, despite it actually serving as evidence to the contrary, because most people don't read their Old Testament and don't familiarize themselves with the "boring parts" like Leviticus (when it's actually rather important to do so, since that book explains how exactly animal offerings were to be carried out and why they were done in the first place).
In the New Testament, Christ's blood was not only meant to mark out those who were his, but also expel the presence of sin and ritual uncleanness so as to make the presence of YHVH manifest in the believer's life. Notice how God's wrath isn't poured out on Christ in our stead on this view, but rather His wrath was poured out on those who weren't covered, and the presence of sin and evil were merely removed by that which is pure and blameless (Christ's blood) for the believer.
All this is the difference between expiation and propitiation.

The Content of Paul's Gospel Message

When the New Testament writers talked about “the gospel,” they referred not to the Protestant doctrine of justification sola fide–the proposition that if we will stop trying to win God’s favor and only just believe that God has exchanged our sin for Christ’s perfect righteousness, then in God’s eyes we will have the perfect righteousness required both for salvation and for assuaging our guilty consciences–but rather they referred to the simple but explosive proposition Kyrios Christos, “Christ is Lord.” That is to say, the gospel was, properly speaking, the royal announcement that Jesus of Nazareth was the God of Israel’s promised Messiah, the King of kings and Lord of lords.
The New Testament writers were not writing in a cultural or linguistic vacuum and their language of euangelion (good news) and euangelizomai would have been understood by their audience in fairly specific ways. Namely, in the Greco-Roman world for which the New Testament authors wrote, euangelion/euangelizomai language typically had to do with either A) the announcement of the accession of a ruler, or B) the announcement of a victory in battle, and would probably have been understood along those lines.
Let’s take the announcements of a new ruler first. The classic example of such a language is the Priene Calendar Inscription, dating to circa 9 BC, which celebrates the rule (and birthday) of Caesar Augustus as follows:
"It was seeming to the Greeks in Asia, in the opinion of the high priest Apollonius of Menophilus Azanitus: Since Providence, which has ordered all things of our life and is very much interested in our life, has ordered things in sending Augustus, whom she filled with virtue for the benefit of men, sending him as a savior [soter] both for us and for those after us, him who would end war and order all things, and since Caesar by his appearance [epiphanein] surpassed the hopes of all those who received the good tidings [euangelia], not only those who were benefactors before him, but even the hope among those who will be left afterward, and the birthday of the god [he genethlios tou theou] was for the world the beginning of the good tidings [euangelion] through him; and Asia resolved it in Smyrna."
The association of the term euangelion with the announcement of Augustus’ rule is clear enough and is typical of how this language is used elsewhere. To give another example, Josephus records that at the news of the accession of the new emperor Vespasian (69 AD) “every city kept festival for the good news (euangelia) and offered sacrifices on his behalf.” (The Jewish War, IV.618). Finally, a papyrus dating to ca. 498 AD begins:
"Since I have become aware of the good news (euangeliou) about the proclamation as Caesar (of Gaius Julius Verus Maximus Augustus)…"
This usage occurs also in the Septuagint, the Greek translations of the Jewish Scriptures. For instance LXX Isaiah 52:7 reads, “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news (euangelizomenou), who publishes peace, who brings good news (euangelizomenos) of salvation, who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns.'" Similarly, LXX Isaiah 40:9-10 reads:

"…Go up on a high mountain, you who bring good tidings (ho euangelizomenos) to Sion; lift up your voice with strength, you who bring good tidings (ho euangelizomenos); lift it up, do not fear; say to the cities of Ioudas, “See your God!” Behold, the Lord comes with strength, and his arm with authority (kyrieias)…."-NETS, Esaias 40:9-10

This consistent close connection between euangelion/euangelizomai language and announcements of rule strongly suggests that many of the initial hearers/readers of the early Christians’ evangelical language would likely have understood that language as the announcement of a new ruler (see, e.g., Acts 17:7), and, unless there is strong NT evidence to the contrary, we should presume that the NT writers probably intended their language to be so understood.
However, the other main way in which euangelion/euangelizomai language was used in the Greco-Roman world was with reference to battle reports, announcements of victory in war. A classic example of this sort of usage can be found in LXX 2 Samuel 18:19ff, where David receives word that his traitorous son, Absalom, has been defeated in battle. Euangelion/euangelizomai is used throughout the passage for the communications from the front.
As already shown throughout this post, the NT speaks of Jesus’s death and resurrection as a great victory over the powers that existed at that time and, most importantly, over death itself. Jesus’ conquest of the principalities and powers was the establishment of his rule and comprehensive authority over heaven and earth, that is, of his Lordship over all things (again, at that time).
This was the content of Paul's gospel message...

Justification, and the "New" Perspective on Paul

The following quotation is from The Gospel Coalition, and I believe it to be a decently accurate summary of the NPP (New Perspective on Paul), despite it being from a source which is in opposition to it:

The New Perspective on Paul, a major scholarly shift that began in the 1980s, argues that the Jewish context of the New Testament has been wrongly understood and that this misunderstand[ing] has led to errors in the traditional-Protestant understanding of justification. According to the New Perspective, the Jewish systems of salvation were not based on works-righteousness but rather on covenantal nomism, the belief that one enters the people of God by grace and stays in through obedience to the covenant. This means that Paul could not have been referring to works-righteousness by his phrase “works of the law”; instead, he was referring to Jewish boundary markers that made clear who was or was not within the people of God. For the New Perspective, this is the issue that Paul opposes in the NT. Thus, justification takes on two aspects for the New Perspective rather than one; initial justification is by faith (grace) and recognizes covenant status (ecclesiology), while final justification is partially by works, albeit works produced by the Spirit.

I believe what's called the "new perspective" is actually rather old, and that the Reformers' view of Paul is what is truly new, being that the Lutheran understanding of Paul is simply not Biblical.
The Reformation perspective understands Paul to be arguing against a legalistic Jewish culture that seeks to earn their salvation through works. However, supporters of the NPP argue that Paul has been misread. We contend he was actually combating Jews who were boasting because they were God's people, the "elect" or the "chosen ones." Their "works," so to speak, were done to show they were God's covenant people and not to earn their salvation.
The key questions involve Paul’s view(s) of the law and the meaning of the controversy in which Paul was engaged. Paul strongly argued that we are “justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law” (Gal. 2:16b). Since the time of Martin Luther, this has been understood as an indictment of legalistic efforts to merit favor before God. Judaism was cast in the role of the medieval "church," and so Paul’s protests became very Lutheran, with traditional-Protestant theology reinforced in all its particulars (along with its limitations) as a result. In hermeneutical terms, then, the historical context of Paul’s debate will answer the questions we have about what exactly the apostle meant by the phrase "works of the law," along with other phrases often used as support by the Reformers for their doctrine of Sola Fide (justification by faith alone), like when Paul mentions "the righteousness of God."
Obviously an in-depth analysis of the Pauline corpus and its place in the context of first-century Judaism would take us far beyond the scope of this brief post. We can, however, quickly survey the topography of Paul’s thought in context, particularly as it has emerged through the efforts of recent scholarship, and note some salient points which may be used as the basis of a refurbished soteriology.
[Note: The more popular scholars associated with the NPP are E.P. Sanders, James Dunn, and N.T. Wright. Dunn was the first to coin the term "The New Perspective" in a 1983 Manson Memorial Lecture, The New Perspective on Paul and the Law.]
Varying authors since the early 1900's have brought up the charge that Paul was misread by those in the tradition of Martin Luther and other Protestant Reformers. Yet, it wasn't until E.P. Sanders' 1977 book, Paul and Palestinian Judaism, that scholars began to pay much attention to the issue. In his book, Sanders argues that the Judaism of Paul's day has been wrongly criticized as a religion of "works-salvation" by those in the Protestant tradition.
A fundamental premise in the NPP is that Judaism was actually a religion of grace. Sander's puts it clearly:
"On the point at which many have found the decisive contrast between Paul and Judaism - grace and works - Paul is in agreement with Palestinian Judaism... Salvation is by grace but judgment is according to works'...God saves by grace, but... within the framework established by grace he rewards good deeds and punishes transgression." (Paul and Palestinian Judaism, p. 543)
N.T. Wright adds that, "we have misjudged early Judaism, especially Pharisaism, if we have thought of it as an early version of Pelagianism," (Wright, What Saint Paul Really Said, p. 32).
Sanders has coined a now well-known phrase to describe the character of first-century Palestinian Judaism: “covenantal nomism.” The meaning of “covenantal nomism” is that human obedience is not construed as the means of entering into God’s covenant. That cannot be earned; inclusion within the covenant body is by the grace of God. Rather, obedience is the means of maintaining one’s status within the covenant. And with its emphasis on divine grace and forgiveness, Judaism was never a religion of legalism.
If covenantal nomism was operating as the primary category under which Jews understood the Law, then when Jews spoke of obeying commandments, or when they required strict obedience of themselves and fellow Jews, it was because they were "keeping the covenant," rather than out of legalism.
More recently, N.T. Wright has made a significant contribution in his little book, What Saint Paul Really Said. Wright’s focus is the gospel and the doctrine of justification. With incisive clarity he demonstrates that the core of Paul’s gospel was not justification by faith, but the death and resurrection of Christ and his exaltation as Lord. The proclamation of the gospel was the proclamation of Jesus as Lord, the Messiah who fulfilled Israel’s expectations. Romans 1:3-4, not 1:16-17, is the gospel, contrary to traditional thinking. Justification is not the center of Paul’s thought, but an outworking of it:
"[T]he doctrine of justification by faith is not what Paul means by ‘the gospel’. It is implied by the gospel; when the gospel is proclaimed, people come to faith and so are regarded by God as members of his people. But ‘the gospel’ is not an account of how people get saved. It is, as we saw in an earlier chapter, the proclamation of the lordship of Jesus Christ….Let us be quite clear. ‘The gospel’ is the announcement of Jesus’ lordship, which works with power to bring people into the family of Abraham, now redefined around Jesus Christ and characterized solely by faith in him. ‘Justification’ is the doctrine which insists that all those who have this faith belong as full members of this family, on this basis and no other." (pp. 132, 133)
Wright brings us to this point by showing what “justification” would have meant in Paul’s Jewish context, bound up as it was in law-court terminology, eschatology, and God’s faithfulness to God’s covenant.
Specifically, Wright explodes the myth that the pre-Christian Saul was a pious, proto-Pelagian moralist seeking to earn his individual passage into heaven. Wright capitalizes on Paul’s autobiographical confessions to paint rather a picture of a zealous Jewish nationalist whose driving concern was to cleanse Israel of Gentiles as well as Jews who had lax attitudes toward the Torah. Running the risk of anachronism, Wright points to a contemporary version of the pre-Christian Saul: Yigal Amir, the zealous Torah-loyal Jew who assassinated Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin for exchanging Israel’s land for peace. Wright writes:
"Jews like Saul of Tarsus were not interested in an abstract, ahistorical system of salvation... They were interested in the salvation which, they believed, the one true God had promised to his people Israel." (pp. 32, 33)
Wright maintains that as a Christian, Paul continued to challenge paganism by taking the moral high ground of the creational monotheist. The doctrine of justification was not what Paul preached to the Gentiles as the main thrust of his gospel message; it was rather “the thing his converts most needed to know in order to be assured that they really were part of God’s people” after they had responded to the gospel message.
Even while taking the gospel to the Gentiles, however, Paul continued to criticize Judaism “from within” even as he had as a zealous Pharisee. But whereas his mission before was to root out those with lax attitudes toward the Torah, now his mission was to demonstrate that God’s covenant faithfulness (righteousness) has already been revealed in Jesus Christ.
At this point Wright carefully documents Paul’s use of the controversial phrase “God’s righteousness” and draws out the implications of his meaning against the background of a Jewish concept of justification. The righteousness of God and the righteousness of the party who is “justified” cannot be confused because the term bears different connotations for the judge than for the plaintiff or defendant. The judge is “righteous” if his or her judgment is fair and impartial; the plaintiff or defendant is “righteous” if the judge rules in his or her favor. Hence:
"If we use the language of the law court, it makes no sense whatsoever to say that the judge imputes, imparts, bequeaths, conveys or otherwise transfers his righteousness to either the plaintiff or the defendant. Righteousness is not an object, a substance or a gas which can be passed across the courtroom. For the judge to be righteous does not mean that the court has found in his favor. For the plaintiff or defendant to be righteous does not mean that he or she has tried the case properly or impartially. To imagine the defendant somehow receiving the judge’s righteousness is simply a category mistake. That is not how the language works." (p. 98)
However, Wright makes the important observation that even with the forensic metaphor, Paul’s theology is not so much about the courtroom as it is about God’s love.
Righteousness is not an impersonal, abstract standard, a measuring-stick or a balancing scale. That was, and still is, a Greek view. Righteousness, Biblically speaking, grows out of covenant relationship. We forgive because we have been forgiven (Matt. 18:21-35); “we love" because God “first loved us” (1 John 4:19). Love is the fulfillment of the law (Rom. 13:8, 10, Gal 5:14, Jam. 2:8). Paul even looked forward to a day when “we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad” (2 Cor. 5:10), and he acknowledged that his clear conscience did not necessarily ensure this verdict (1 Cor. 4:4), but he was confident nevertheless. Paul did in fact testify of his clear conscience: “For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation [i.e., behavior] in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward” (2 Cor. 1:12). He was aware that he had not yet “attained” (Phil. 3:12-14), that he still struggled with the flesh, yet he was confident of the value of his performance (1 Cor. 9:27). These are hardly the convictions of someone who intends to rest entirely on the merits of an alien righteousness imputed to his or her account.
Wright went on to flesh out the doctrine of justification in Galatians, Philippians, and Romans. The “works of the law” are not proto-Pelagian efforts to earn salvation, but rather “sabbath [keeping], food-laws, circumcision” (p. 132). Considering the controversy in Galatia, Wright writes:
"Despite a long tradition to the contrary, the problem Paul addresses in Galatians is not the question of how precisely someone becomes a Christian, or attains to a relationship with God….The problem he addresses is: should his ex-pagan converts be circumcised or not? Now this question is by no means obviously to do with the questions faced by Augustine and Pelagius, or by Luther and Erasmus. On anyone’s reading, but especially within its first-century context, it has to do quite obviously with the question of how you define the people of God: are they to be defined by the badges of Jewish race, or in some other way? Circumcision is not a ‘moral’ issue; it does not have to do with moral effort, or earning salvation by good deeds. Nor can we simply treat it as a religious ritual, then designate all religious ritual as crypto-Pelagian good works, and so smuggle Pelagius into Galatia as the arch-opponent after all. First-century thought, both Jewish and Christian, simply doesn’t work like that…. [T]he polemic against the Torah in Galatians simply will not work if we ‘translate’ it into polemic either against straightforward self-help moralism or against the more subtle snare of ‘legalism’, as some have suggested. The passages about the law only work — and by ‘work’ I mean they will only make full sense in their contexts, which is what counts in the last analysis — when we take them as references to the Jewish law, the Torah, seen as the national charter of the Jewish race." (pp. 120-122)
The debate about justification, then, “wasn’t so much about soteriology as about ecclesiology; not so much about salvation as about the church.” (p. 119)
To summarize the theology of Paul in his epistles, the apostle mainly spent time arguing to those whom he were sending letters that salvation in Christ was available to all men without distinction. Jews and Gentiles alike may accept the free gift; it was not limited to any one group. Paul was vehement about this, especially in his letter to the Romans. As such, I will finish this post off by summarizing the letter itself, so as to provide Biblical support for the premises of the NPP and for what the scholars I referenced have thus far argued.
After his introduction in the epistle to an already believing and mostly Gentile audience (who would've already been familiar with the gospel proclaimed in verses 3-4), Paul makes a thematic statement in 1:16: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” This statement is just one of many key statements littered throughout the book of Romans that give us proper understanding of the point Paul wished to make to the interlocutors of his day, namely, salvation is available to all, whether Jew or Gentile.
In 1:16 Paul sets out a basic theme of his message in the letter to the Romans. All who believed, whether they be Jew or Gentile, were saved by the power of the gospel. The universal nature of salvation was explicitly stated. The gospel saved all without distinction, whether Jew or Greek; salvation was through the gospel of Jesus Christ. Immediately after this thematic declaration, Paul undertakes to show the universal nature of sin and guilt. In 1:18-32 Paul shows how the Gentile is guilty before God. Despite evidence of God and his attributes, which is readily available to all, they have failed to honor YHVH as God and have exchanged His glory for idolatrous worship and self-promotion. As a consequence, God handed them over in judgment (1:18-32). Paul moves to denunciation of those who would judge others while themselves being guilty of the very same offenses (2:1-5) and argues that all will be judged according to their deeds (2:6). This judgment applies to all, namely, Jew and Greek (2:9-10). This section serves as somewhat of a transition in Paul’s argument. He has highlighted the guilt of the Gentiles (1:18ff) and will shortly outline the guilt of the Jew (2:17-24). The universal statement of 2:1-11 sets the stage for Paul’s rebuke of Jewish presumption. It was not possession of the Law which delivered; it was faithful obedience. It is better to have no Law and yet to obey the essence of the Law (2:12-16) than to have the Law and not obey (2:17-3:4). Paul then defends the justice of God’s judgment (3:5-8), which leads to the conclusion that all (Jew and Gentile) are guilty before God (3:9).
Paul argues that it was a mistaken notion to think that salvation was the prerogative of the Jew only. This presumption is wrong for two reasons. First, it leads to the mistaken assumption that only Jews were eligible for this vindication (Paul deals with this misunderstanding in chapter 4 where he demonstrates that Abraham was justified by faith independently of the Law and is therefore the father of all who believe, Jew and Gentile alike). Second, it leads to the equally mistaken conclusion that all who were Jews are guaranteed of vindication. Paul demonstrates how this perspective, which would call God’s integrity into question since Paul was assuming many Jews would not experience this vindication, was misguided. He did this by demonstrating that it was never the case that all physical descendants of Israel (Jacob) were likewise recipients of the promise. In the past (9:6-33) as in the present (at that time; 11:1-10), only a remnant was preserved and only a remnant would experience vindication. Paul also argued that the unbelief of national Israel (the non-remnant) had the purpose of extending the compass of salvation. The unbelief of one group made the universal scope of the gospel possible. This universalism was itself intended to bring about the vindication of the unbelieving group (11:11-16). As a result of faith, all (Jew and Gentile) could be branches of the olive tree (11:17-24). Since faith in Christ was necessary to remain grafted into the tree, no one could boast of his position. All, Jew and Gentile alike, were dependent upon the mercy and grace of God. As a result of God’s mysterious plan, He would bring about the vindication of His people (11:25-27). [Note: It is this author's belief that this vindication occurred around 66-70 AD, with the Parousia of Christ's Church; this author is Full-Preterist in their Eschatology.]

Sorry for bad punctuation and grammar, typing on phone!
This happened in 2022, not long found out about it as trying to boost credit score!
I used to be with vodaphone, on pay monthly, paid everything on time not one slip up, got a new phone and sim with vodaphone, I had a phone call with vodaphone to cancel the old sim and they said they would cancel it but never did, few months later I get a letter from (Zinc credit management) demanding I pay £100.10 before a certain date or it would go into default and affect my credit, so as soon as I got the letter I paid the debt. Even tho it’s not my mistake and have even asked vodaphone for the phone call when discussing canceling my old sim but they wouldn’t send it over.
I paid the debt in full to zinc 25 July 2022 and a default was added to my credit on 1 December 2022 still saying I owe the debt!
What can I do and how can I protest this? Thank you in advance and sorry for bad grammar

Link to Part 1!
Hello! I am back with an update for my fellow Aussies on my experience with Astrohuas as an Australian. My Freewrite Smart Typewrite Gen 3 Ink Edition arrived today, Tuesday 21st of May. It has been quite the saga, one that makes me all the more determined to share my experience on this sub.
The last time I left you, my Ink was winging it's way from the offices of shipping forwarder service US to Oz in Oregon to me in Australia courtesy of FedEx International Priority. Some time on Friday, I got what appeared to be a phishing scam text. The text was supposedly from 'FedEx-Exp' and contained my full name, FedEx delivery/order number, a link to a payment service called BPoint and two customer service phone numbers for FedEx. What was this payment link for, you may ask? It was my customs duties and taxes bill, for roughly $247 AUD. I clicked through the link, despite my initial reservations. But the field that contained my name was my first name only, and it was half in caps and half in lower case. Too uneasy to continue, I closed down the web page and deleted the text, sure that it was some sort of particularly sophisticated scam. On Sunday, I received a random called from a landline in Victoria. As I do not know the number (and get more scam calls and texts than I care to discuss) I let the call go.
To my surprise, they left a voicemail. It was a very soft (almost inaudible) female voice once again giving my FedEx order number, the exact contents of my order and the same amount owing for customs duties and taxes. I use Google to track down FedEx's customer support line in Australia (it's 13 26 10 BTW), but of course it's a Sunday and nobody is there to answer my call. I resolve to call FedEx myself after work on Monday.
Thankfully, US to Oz came to the rescue once more. In the early hours of Monday morning, I get an email from Justin at US to Oz, telling me he needs a confirmed phone number for me as Australian customs are trying to get a hold of me. He informed me that we had just a few days to resolve the duties & taxes issue before the charming (not) Australian Border Force/Customs charged him as the sender the full shipping fee for returning my order to the US if the fees and duties were not paid. I promptly confirmed my phone number and emailed Justin a screenshot of the second 'payment' text I had received on Sunday, and he confirmed it was legitimate and not a scam. I paid via credit card through the secure portal/web page in the text and emailed Justin to confirm that I had paid. It is worth noting that duties and taxes are calculated including the cost of shipping, not just the value of the items in the order. The rest of the process was fairly easy, but as I only paid my duties in the early hours of Monday morning my shipment was delayed by a day, finally arriving today on Tuesday afternoon.
Only one question remains -
What the ACTUAL FUCK FedEx? My tracking emails from FedEx contained no reference to or mention of the customs duties & taxes payment process. It looked so much like a scam I almost lost my order altogether. I knew I would have to pay them, but the scam-adjacent texts and anonymous voicemails from someone who is barely audible and does not even identify where the call is coming from (yes, really) is absolutely ridiculous.
Anyway - moving on. I had already ordered a set of 90's themed keycaps and a portable lap desk thingy for my Ink, which arrived ahead of the device itself. My first order of business was connecting the Ink to wifi, which was very easy after the Ink booted up for the first time. Setting up Postbox was easy enough (done from the device rather than online) and getting it to sync to my Google Drive was super easy. I did a test document, tested the shredding function from Postbox and all was working seamlessly. I then set about installing two firmware updates and one software update (easily done if you consult the start up manual). The firmware updates you can control from the device, but the software updates seem more random. I then set about changing the lettered keys in the centre of the keyboard for the 90's themed keycaps I purchased - this was done pretty easily with the puller included with keycap kit. I may restore the original black keycaps if I get to the point where I am confidently touch typing on the new keyboard, otherwise they are definitely hard to see in anything but absolutely ideal lighting conditions.
I am now leaving it to charge overnight as the battery was only half charged upon arrival. All in all I am extremely happy with my purchase so far (FedEx & customs drama aside). For those readers keeping score at home, the initial order from Astrohaus was $865USD/ $1373 AUD, shipping to Australia was $238 USD/ $362 AUD and customs duties and taxes was approx $250 AUD after credit card surcharges. That's a total of $1985 AUD for the Freewrite Smart Typewriter 3rd Gen (Ink Special Edition) plus the felt and leather sleeve and the 2 year extended warranty. Is it worth it? Only time will tell. I would also highly recommend Justin and his team at US to Oz for the excellent and speedy service and all the help he was able to offer throughout the purchasing process.

Dear Reddit Community,
I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing to you because I am in a challenging situation and need some financial assistance. I am the primary caregiver for my 73-year-old mother-in-law, who has significant health needs. Caring for her has been a labor of love, but it has also come with many sacrifices, especially financially.
Recently, our only vehicle, a Jeep, broke down, and the cost to repair it is $9,000. Unfortunately, our warranty does not cover these repairs, and this has left us without a reliable means of transportation. This vehicle is crucial for us, not just for daily errands but more importantly for taking my mother-in-law to her medical appointments.
The breakdown has hit us hard financially. We have maxed out our credit cards just trying to keep up with everyday expenses, accumulating $2,000 in debt. On top of this, we are now behind on our vehicle payments by another $2,000. The stress from these mounting debts has been overwhelming and, as a result, I have lost my job. This has only added to our financial strain and made it increasingly difficult to make ends meet.
Despite our best efforts to manage these challenges, we are now in a situation where we simply cannot keep up. The cost of the vehicle repairs and the overdue payments are beyond what we can handle. Without the Jeep, it is almost impossible to provide my mother-in-law with the care she needs. And without my job, our financial stability has been severely compromised.
I am reaching out in the hope that you might be able to help us during this difficult time. Specifically, we need assistance with the repair costs for the Jeep, catching up on the overdue payments, and managing the credit card debt that has accumulated. Any help you can provide would be incredibly appreciated and would make a significant difference in our lives.
We have always strived to be self-sufficient and take care of our own needs, but this series of unfortunate events has left us in a vulnerable position.
Thank you so much for considering my request.
With sincere gratitude,
Christoher Roccaforte
paypal.me/CRocca40

Hi,
I'm currently applying to jobs in the Bay Area, CA and I've learned that it's a highly competitive area in terms of new grad nurse positions. I personally have 2-years of medical experience as an EMT/EDT, RN license, volunteer regularly as an EMT instructor & RockMed, and have a competitive GPA from nursing school. I have great letter of recommendations from my clinical instructors and professors. I normally wouldn't expose any of this information but I want to give context when I say that even with this background I cannot land a single job in the Bay Area, CA. I've had multiple interviews over the course of 5 months, but no offers yet.
I've had my suspicions after meeting other applicants from different nursing schools, and hearing that they were able to have preceptorships. My school ended up cancelling it's preceptorship program the year before I applied, and didn't bother updating their information so my cohort basically found out halfway in the program. In many of my interviews, the interviewer would ask if I had a preceptorship and where. I had to explain my situation and state that I tried really hard to make up for it in my clinicals. With such a competitive applicant pool, I can't imagine they would give me the job over the other applicants who have a similar background in addition to their preceptorship. I recently saw John Muir opened up it's application for it's new grad nurse program, and they're asking for a letter of recommendation from our preceptor.
I've been told that preceptorships don't affect our chances of landing a job, but my experiences so far in applying to jobs is pointing to the contrary. Do preceptorships have an impact in highly competitive nurse job markets like the Bay Area, CA?
I've since expanded my applications to outside the Bay Area, CA. like central California (i.e. Fresno, Visalia, etc.)

I (f19) went to celebrate my birthday with my two friends Annie and Lia (fake names, both f19). It was originally supposed to be three friends but one (Emily, f19) canceled on the day of.
For context: we’ve been celebrating our birthdays together since we all became friends. Normally we go to dinner, everyone pays for the birthday girl, and we give her gifts. The gifts I gave (other than paying for 30-40 dinners) have been handmade cards/letters with their favorite candy. The only person who I didn’t get a gift for was Annie because we met after her birthday. However, I bought her a half-birthday gift to make up for it. I gave that to her at my birthday celebration.
On my birthday: after Emily canceled, Annie and Lia were late and didn’t seem too excited to be there. Or at least not as excited as they’d been on everyone else’s birthday. Nobody got me a gift or card. Ironically, the only gift given was the one I bought for Annie. Because they were late, I bought the Uber so we wouldn’t miss our reservation at the karaoke spot we were going to. Neither of them offered to chip in for the reservation, so I ended up paying for them. The only thing I didn’t buy was the Uber back because Lia bought it while I was using the restroom. The second we got back to our dorm building they said bye and left me to go to their dorm (they're roommates), and I’ve barely talked to them since (it’s been like 2-3 weeks; at most, we’ve made small talk when we see each other on campus). The last part is especially hurtful because I’ve tried planning for us to spend time with each other before school ends, but they all said they were busy with finals (despite me seeing them with other friends).
Honestly, I’m really sad nobody got me a gift or paid for me. I’m not somebody who needs expensive gifts. I would’ve loved handmade cards or smth. And if we all hadn’t spent upwards of 30-40 dollars on everybody else’s birthdays, I wouldn’t have even batted an eye at me paying for karaoke and the Uber there. The part that makes me sad is that I’m the ONLY one being treated differently.
Honestly, the only reason I’m not taking all of this as a sign to find a new friend group is because I’m going to be roommates with Emily next year. Plus, I don’t have any friends in college other than these 3. It's important to note I'm probably not the most objective OP, but I tried giving all the necessary context. Part of me is worried I’m being dramatic because I have a fearful avoidant attachment style and past traumas with loved ones/friends. My birthday was the only one right before finals, so this could also explain their behavior.
Am I being dramatic? If not, what should I do after we all reconnect next semester? Will it be too late if I bring it up after 2 months? Despite a shitty birthday and the low-key ghosting, I do want these friendships to work out, because for the most part, my friendships with these 3 have been some of the best I’ve ever had. I just don't want this type of stuff to start repeating. It just sucks feeling like nobody cares and that our friendships are one-sided.

Dear Community,
I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing to you because I am in a challenging situation and need some financial assistance. I am the primary caregiver for my 73-year-old mother-in-law, who has significant health needs. Caring for her has been a labor of love, but it has also come with many sacrifices, especially financially.
Recently, our only vehicle, a Jeep, broke down, and the cost to repair it is $9,000. Unfortunately, our warranty does not cover these repairs, and this has left us without a reliable means of transportation. This vehicle is crucial for us, not just for daily errands but more importantly for taking my mother-in-law to her medical appointments.
The breakdown has hit us hard financially. We have maxed out our credit cards just trying to keep up with everyday expenses, accumulating $2,000 in debt. On top of this, we are now behind on our vehicle payments by another $2,000. The stress from these mounting debts has been overwhelming and, as a result, I have lost my job. This has only added to our financial strain and made it increasingly difficult to make ends meet.
Despite our best efforts to manage these challenges, we are now in a situation where we simply cannot keep up. The cost of the vehicle repairs and the overdue payments are beyond what we can handle. Without the Jeep, it is almost impossible to provide my mother-in-law with the care she needs. And without my job, our financial stability has been severely compromised.
I am reaching out in the hope that you might be able to help us during this difficult time. Specifically, we need assistance with the repair costs for the Jeep, catching up on the overdue payments, and managing the credit card debt that has accumulated. Any help you can provide would be incredibly appreciated and would make a significant difference in our lives.
We have always strived to be self-sufficient and take care of our own needs, but this series of unfortunate events has left us in a vulnerable position.
Thank you so much for considering my request.
With sincere gratitude,
Christoher Roccaforte
paypal.me/CRocca40

Exterior LED signage has become an essential component of modern-day advertising for businesses. It is a form of digital display that incorporates LED lighting, which can be programmed to show different messages and graphics. This type of signage is a powerful branding and marketing tool that helps businesses grab the attention of potential customers and promote their products or services.
The purpose of this blog is to provide readers with a brief explanation of exterior LED signage and its importance for businesses. Additionally, it aims to highlight the benefits of using this type of signage for advertising and branding purposes. By reading this blog, the reader will gain an understanding of the features and benefits of exterior LED signage and how it can help their business grow.
Exterior LED signage is an effective way to promote a business as it provides a dynamic and eye-catching display that can be easily customized to suit different marketing messages. It is ideal for displaying key information such as opening hours, special promotions, and important announcements. Moreover, LED signage is energy-efficient and low-maintenance, which makes it a cost-effective choice for businesses of all sizes.

Benefits of Exterior LED Signage

Exterior LED signage is a great investment for businesses looking to enhance their brand visibility and advertising efforts. LED signage is becoming increasingly popular among businesses due to its numerous benefits, including energy efficiency, durability, and vibrancy.
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Some successful businesses that have used exterior LED signage to their advantage include McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, and Nike. These companies have used LED signs to enhance their brand image and increase their visibility, leading to increased sales and customer engagement.
If you’re a small business owner looking for affordable LED signage options, there are many companies that specialize in creating custom outdoor LED signs. These signs are weatherproof, energy-efficient, and low-maintenance, making them a great investment for any small business.

Types of Exterior LED Signage

Exterior LED signage is an excellent marketing tool for businesses. There are many different types of exterior LED signs available on the market today, each with its own unique advantages and features. In this section, we will provide an overview of the different types of exterior LED signage available for businesses and explain how each type can be used effectively.
Digital Display Signs
Digital display signs are a popular choice for businesses looking to showcase their products and services. These signs use LED technology to display high-quality images and videos, making them an effective tool for marketing and advertising. Digital display signs can be used in a variety of settings, including storefronts, trade shows, and events.
Illuminated Signs
Illuminated signs use LED lights to illuminate the sign, making it visible even in low-light conditions. These signs are ideal for businesses that operate during the evening hours or in areas with limited natural light. Illuminated signs can also be used to create a focal point for your business, drawing attention to your storefront and increasing visibility.
LED Message Signs
LED message signs are a versatile option that can be used to display a wide range of messages, including advertisements, specials, and promotions. These signs are typically programmable, allowing businesses to update their message as needed. LED message signs are commonly used in storefronts, gas stations, and other businesses that want to attract attention and provide useful information to their customers.
Custom LED Signs
Custom LED signs are a great option for businesses that want to create a unique and eye-catching sign that reflects their brand and personality. These signs can be designed to incorporate your business logo, colors, and messaging, making them a great branding tool. Custom LED signs are typically used in storefronts, restaurants, and other businesses that want to create a memorable impression on their customers.
Outdoor Digital Signage
Outdoor digital signage is designed to withstand harsh weather conditions and can be used to display a wide range of messages and advertisements. These signs are typically larger than indoor digital displays and are commonly used in outdoor settings such as parks, stadiums, and shopping centers. Outdoor digital signage can also be used to display wayfinding information and other useful information for visitors.

Designing Effective Exterior LED Signage

As a business owner, you know the importance of making a great first impression. One way to do this is through effective exterior LED signage. LED signs are an excellent choice for businesses because they are energy-efficient, durable, and attention-grabbing. In this section, we will discuss tips and best practices for designing an effective LED sign that will stand out and grab attention.
When designing your LED sign, it is crucial to consider the following factors:

1. Message — Your message should be clear, concise, and easy to read. Use bold and simple fonts to ensure that your sign is legible from a distance. Consider using contrasting colors to make your message pop.
2. Location — The location of your LED sign is critical. It should be visible from a distance and strategically placed to maximize visibility. Consider the height and angle of your sign and ensure that it is facing the direction of traffic.
3. Size — The size of your LED sign should be appropriate for the location and message. A sign that is too small may go unnoticed, while a sign that is too large can be overwhelming and distracting.
4. Content — Your LED sign content should be engaging and relevant to your target audience. Use images and videos to convey your message and make it more memorable. Incorporate branding and marketing elements to enhance your message and increase brand recognition.
5. Lighting — The lighting of your LED sign is critical to its effectiveness. Use LED lighting to ensure that your sign is visible day and night. Consider using programmable LED signs to display different messages and images throughout the day.

By considering these factors, you can design an effective LED sign that will grab attention and make a great first impression. Additionally, by using energy-efficient LED signage, you can save money on your electricity bill while still creating a visually stunning sign.

Installing Exterior LED Signage

Exterior LED signage is a critical component of branding, marketing, and advertising for businesses. These signs are used to display information about the business, including its name, logo, and services. In this section, we’ll discuss the installation process for LED signage, as well as how to ensure the sign is installed correctly and safely.
The installation process for exterior LED signage varies depending on the specific sign and the location where it will be installed. However, the following steps generally apply:

1. Site survey: The first step in the installation process is to conduct a site survey. This involves assessing the location where the sign will be installed, including the surrounding environment and any potential obstacles.
2. Design and engineering: Once the site survey is complete, the sign will be designed and engineered to meet the specific requirements of the location and the business.
3. Permits and approvals: Before installation can begin, the necessary permits and approvals must be obtained from the relevant authorities.
4. Installation: Once all the necessary approvals are obtained, the sign can be installed. This typically involves the use of cranes, cherry pickers, or other equipment to lift the sign into place.

Safety Tips for Exterior LED Signage Installation

Safety is a critical consideration when installing exterior LED signage. The following tips can help ensure that the sign is installed safely:

1. Hire a professional: It’s essential to hire a professional sign installer to handle the installation process. This will help ensure that the sign is installed correctly and safely.
2. Use proper equipment: The installation process requires specialized equipment, including cranes, cherry pickers, and other tools. It’s crucial to use the proper equipment to prevent accidents and injuries.
3. Secure the sign: The sign must be securely fastened to the building or structure where it will be installed. This will help prevent the sign from falling or becoming dislodged in high winds or other extreme weather conditions.
4. Follow safety guidelines: The installation process should follow all relevant safety guidelines, including those set forth by OSHA and other regulatory bodies.

Maintenance and Repair of Exterior LED Signage

Exterior LED signage is an important investment for any business that wants to attract more customers and promote their brand. To ensure that your signage stays in good condition and is able to serve its purpose, it is crucial to properly maintain and repair it as needed. In this section, we will provide tips on how to maintain and repair exterior LED signage, as well as how to extend its lifespan and minimize repair costs.

Maintenance of Exterior LED Signage

Regular maintenance is important to keep your exterior LED signage in good condition. Some tips for proper maintenance include:

• Cleaning the sign regularly with mild soap and water to remove any dirt or debris that may accumulate over time. This can help to prevent any damage to the sign and ensure that it stays looking clean and bright.
• Inspecting the sign periodically for any signs of wear and tear, such as cracks or fading. This can help to catch any problems early on before they become more serious and expensive to repair.
• Checking the electrical components of the sign to make sure that they are functioning properly. This can include checking the wiring, the power supply, and any other components that may be necessary for the sign to function.

Repair of Exterior LED Signage

If your exterior LED signage does require repair, it is important to take action as soon as possible to prevent any further damage. Some tips for proper repair include:

• Assessing the damage to the sign and determining the best course of action. This may involve repairing any cracks or replacing any broken components.
• Contacting a professional for assistance if necessary. Some repairs may require the assistance of a professional to ensure that they are done properly and safely.
• Checking the warranty on the sign to determine if any repairs are covered. This can help to minimize the cost of repairs and ensure that the sign is restored to its original condition.

Tips for Extending the Lifespan of Exterior LED Signage

Proper maintenance and care can help to extend the lifespan of your exterior LED signage. Some tips for extending its lifespan include:

• Choosing high-quality components and materials that are designed to last. This can help to prevent any problems from arising in the first place and ensure that the sign stays in good condition.
• Using energy-efficient LED lighting to minimize the amount of energy required to power the sign. This can help to save money on energy costs and reduce the impact on the environment.
• Taking steps to protect the sign from the elements, such as installing it in a location that is sheltered from wind and rain. This can help to prevent any damage from occurring due to exposure to the elements.

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I (f19) went to celebrate my birthday with my two friends Annie and Lia (fake names, both f19). It was originally supposed to be three friends but one (Emily, f19) canceled on the day of.
For context: we’ve been celebrating our birthdays together since we all became friends. Normally we go to dinner, everyone pays for the birthday girl, and we give her gifts. The gifts I gave (other than paying for 30-40 dinners) have been handmade cards/letters with their favorite candy. The only person who I didn’t get a gift for was Annie because we met after her birthday. However, I bought her a half-birthday gift to make up for it. I gave that to her at my birthday celebration.
On my birthday: after Emily canceled, Annie and Lia were late and didn’t seem too excited to be there. Or at least not as excited as they’d been on everyone else’s birthday. Nobody got me a gift or card. Ironically, the only gift given was the one I bought for Annie. Because they were late, I bought the Uber so we wouldn’t miss our reservation at the karaoke spot we were going to. Neither of them offered to chip in for the reservation, so I ended up paying for them. The only thing I didn’t buy was the Uber back because Lia bought it while I was using the restroom. The second we got back to our dorm building they said bye and left me to go to their dorm (they're roommates), and I’ve barely talked to them since (it’s been like 2 weeks; at most, we’ve made small talk when we see each other on campus). The last part is especially hurtful because I’ve tried planning for us to spend time with each other before school ends, but they all said they were busy with finals (despite me seeing them with other friends).
Honestly, I’m really sad nobody got me a gift or paid for me. I’m not somebody who needs expensive gifts. I would’ve loved handmade cards or smth. And if we all hadn’t spent upwards of 30-40 dollars on everybody else’s birthdays, I wouldn’t have even batted an eye at me paying for karaoke and the Uber there. The part that makes me sad is that I’m the ONLY one being treated differently.
Honestly, the only reason I’m not taking all of this as a sign to find a new friend group is because I’m going to be roommates with Emily next year. Plus, I don’t have any friends in college other than these 3. It's important to note I'm probably not the most objective OP, but I tried giving all the necessary context. Part of me is worried I’m being dramatic because I have a fearful avoidant attachment style and past traumas with loved ones/friends. My birthday was the only one right before finals, so this could also explain their behavior.
Am I being dramatic? If not, what should I do after we all reconnect next semester? Will it be too late if I bring it up after 2 months? Despite a shitty birthday and the low-key ghosting, I do want these friendships to work out, because for the most part, my friendships with these 3 have been some of the best I’ve ever had. I just don't want this type of stuff to start repeating. It just sucks feeling like nobody cares and that our friendships are one-sided.

I (f19) went to celebrate my birthday with my two friends Annie and Lia (fake names, both f19). It was originally supposed to be three friends but one (Emily, f19) canceled on the day of.
For context: we’ve been celebrating our birthdays together since we all became friends. Normally we go to dinner, everyone pays for the birthday girl, and we give her gifts. The gifts I gave (other than paying for 30-40 dinners) have been handmade cards/letters with their favorite candy. The only person who I didn’t get a gift for was Annie because we met after her birthday. However, I bought her a half-birthday gift to make up for it. I gave that to her at my birthday celebration.
On my birthday: after Emily canceled, Annie and Lia were late and didn’t seem too excited to be there. Or at least not as excited as they’d been on everyone else’s birthday. Nobody got me a gift or card. Ironically, the only gift given was the one I bought for Annie. Because they were late, I bought the Uber so we wouldn’t miss our reservation at the karaoke spot we were going to. Neither of them offered to chip in for the reservation, so I ended up paying for them. The only thing I didn’t buy was the Uber back because Lia bought it while I was using the restroom. The second we got back to our dorm building they said bye and left me to go to their dorm (they're roommates), and I’ve barely talked to them since (it’s been like 2-3 weeks; at most, we’ve made small talk when we see each other on campus). The last part is especially hurtful because I’ve tried planning for us to spend time with each other before school ends, but they all said they were busy with finals (despite me seeing them with other friends).
Honestly, I’m really sad nobody got me a gift or paid for me. I’m not somebody who needs expensive gifts. I would’ve loved handmade cards or smth. And if we all hadn’t spent upwards of 30-40 dollars on everybody else’s birthdays, I wouldn’t have even batted an eye at me paying for karaoke and the Uber there. The part that makes me sad is that I’m the ONLY one being treated differently.
Honestly, the only reason I’m not taking all of this as a sign to find a new friend group is because I’m going to be roommates with Emily next year. Plus, I don’t have any friends in college other than these 3. It's important to note I'm probably not the most objective OP, but I tried giving all the necessary context. Part of me is worried I’m being dramatic because I have a fearful avoidant attachment style and past traumas with loved ones/friends. My birthday was the only one right before finals, so this could also explain their behavior.
Am I being dramatic? If not, what should I do after we all reconnect next semester? Will it be too late if I bring it up after 2 months? Despite a shitty birthday and the low-key ghosting, I do want these friendships to work out, because for the most part, my friendships with these 3 have been some of the best I’ve ever had. I just don't want this type of stuff to start repeating. It just sucks feeling like nobody cares and that our friendships are one-sided.

I have been offered a new-grad FM position at FQHC in California. HCOL. I was offered salary $140K. Eligible for NHSC award (~$120K tax free distributed over three years) which I received. Sign-on bonus $10K annually for up to five years. 4% match on 403b. Typical malpractice and tail coverage. PTO 160 hours per year, 3 days paid sick time, ~11.5 paid holidays. One week paid CME time off. $2000 CME. Several good health coverage options to choose from. Vision and dental insurance basically covered by employer. Flexible schedule involves 36 pt contact hours M-F. Pt load will start at one per hour then increase to ~20/day.
One PA who started two years ago was also offered $140K. He has not received a raise for the past two years. When discussing raises with HR, they said they offer raises “equitably“ so that all staff receive them simultaneously. Thus, they haven’t been able to sustainably five everyone raises in the past year. Meanwhile, the company’s public finances online seem to show that those in leadership have received raises…
Another PA who has worked there for decades emphasized that I should ask for more money.
I really want this job. I’d take it as is. The original listing showed salary range 130-160K. I’d to negotiate. While I’d like to show them other offer letters to use as leverage, I’ve canceled other interviews because I’m preparing for PANCE next week. I’m considering asking for salary of $150K or $155K. How would others proceed? I could emphasize my experience in community medicine, my English/Spanish bilingualism (the patients at the clinic mostly speak Spanish)? Would others negotiate by email or over phone? With HR director Or CMO?

Hey all! Before I get into the meat of what exactly is going on, I'm going to provide some background. My wife and I are raising money for a family via GoFundMe. We are sending large sums via Western Union.
A few weeks ago (May 7th) a got a phone call from a 202 number (Washington DC) and just ignored it figuring it was a scam call. Just now listened to the voice mail they left. I'll try to transcribe it best I can:

Hi this message is for [my name], my name is officer [Scotch/Scott SpringeStringer]. I'm an investigator working for the crime complaint center department at Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. The purpose of my call: I'm calling you upon an open case we have under your name and address where your name is implied in fradulent activity. This was considered a federal offence. We did recieve a report from a third party money wire transfer service company [like Western Union money grants _____]. You were trying to send a substantial amount of fund to an [reciever's name], sorry for the mispronounciation. You can call me back at your earliest convenience. My number is [202 number]. My number is [202 number]. My name is officer [Scotch/Scott SpringeStringer]. I will be expecting a callback at your earliest convenience. If you cannot get through, you can leave your name, last name and phone number, and I will be returning back your call. You have a great day.

The person we attempted to send to, didnt even go through because WU marked it themselves and cancelled the transfer. I have not gotten any letters in the mail or any other calls from this number since that one and only May 7th call
So, my hunch is that this is a scam. I have already sent an inquiry to the FinCEN to double check as well. Now I'm wanting other opinions to see if I'm able to sleep tonight. Thanks in advance all!
Edit: Not sure if this is relevent information, but we did end up getting the money to the person who the money was for through one of their family members via WU.

Hey all! Before I get into the meat of what exactly is going on, I'm going to provide some background. My wife and I are raising money for a family via GoFundMe. We are sending large sums via Western Union.
A few weeks ago (May 7th) a got a phone call from a 202 number (Washington DC) and just ignored it figuring it was a scam call. Just now listened to the voice mail they left. I'll try to transcribe it best I can:

Hi this message is for [my name], my name is officer [Scotch/Scott SpringeStringer]. I'm an investigator working for the crime complaint center department at Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. The purpose of my call: I'm calling you upon an open case we have under your name and address where your name is implied in fradulent activity. This was considered a federal offence. We did recieve a report from a third party money wire transfer service company [like Western Union money grants _____]. You were trying to send a substantial amount of fund to an [reciever's name], sorry for the mispronounciation. You can call me back at your earliest convenience. My number is [202 number]. My number is [202 number]. My name is officer [Scotch/Scott SpringeStringer]. I will be expecting a callback at your earliest convenience. If you cannot get through, you can leave your name, last name and phone number, and I will be returning back your call. You have a great day.

The person we attempted to send to, didnt even go through because WU marked it themselves and cancelled the transfer. I have not gotten any letters in the mail or any other calls from this number since that one and only May 7th call
So, my hunch is that this is a scam. I have already sent an inquiry to the FinCEN to double check as well. Now I'm wanting other opinions to see if I'm able to sleep tonight. Thanks in advance all!
Edit: Not sure if this is relevent information, but we did end up getting the money to the person who the money was for through one of their family members via WU.

After a LONG 4 months my time has finally came. This post will be a bit long because i want to provide as much details and information as possible . i will answer questions as well. I filed 1/12 , got accepted 1/19. 2/8 called to see what was going on found out had to verify my identity and my refund federal and state ( i’m in CA). 2/23 completed ID verification for state and federal. 3/8 got 60 day notice for review from irs . called the state and was informed my refund was cancelled and id have to refile by paper or amend. 3/12 contacted the irs explained i was facing a hardship and would like to request a advocate. The rep put in the referral and told me it can take 4 weeks or longer to hear back i said okay. After that i contacted my congressman explaining everything. then called tax advocate and intake rep told me i had to wait until June to receive one and that she can see my account was under additional review and the irs would resolve without an advocate. 4/12 my congressman got back to me requesting documents. i fax and emailed the documents 4/12 he contacted me a few hours later and let me know he sent everything to my case worker. 4/20 i just filed the amendment. 4/24 my transcripts updated showing the amendment. Wmar also reflected as well. 4/29 called the irs on what was going on , the rep told me they couldn’t speak to me about anything anymore because i been assigned a advocate so i’ll have to go through them to get information. i was confused because i had received a letter earlier stating they wasn’t taking my case because they believe that the irs can resolve it. Called the advocate line after that she confirmed i had an advocate provided me her info and supervisor info and an access code to provide was i got transferred. i got transferred and nobody picked up. so i emailed the supervisor and my advocate with the documents and info. the supervisor emailed me back about 30 mins after stating my advocate has a contact date for me 5/29. after that my advocate called informed me my amended return was processed that day and the person who had my case was just making sure everything on the amended return was correct and matched . she informed me she gave them 3 weeks to resolve it. after that my congressman emailed me letting me know the same information my advocate told me a few mins prior and that he was the one who had her assigned to me and that i should have an update by 5/29 but i could take longer because they were back logged. from 4/24- 5/15 i had no updates transcripts looked the same. i said okay whatever. 5/16 at 11pm i checked my transcripts saw my ddd for 5/22. checked wmar it still showed my return was still being processed. wmr still showed delayed. 5/17 i checked wmr it showed my return approved and scheduled to be deposited on 5/22. 🥰 As for state it moved faster i had faxed them all my documents and my son birth certificate. they let me know i should be getting it any time soon💕
also i want to note . i had code 570 after code 768. when my transcripts updated i didn’t receive 571 stating the issue was resolved i just got 971 stating a notice been issued and 846. stating my refund been issued . 💕 im sprinkling positive vibes to everyone still waiting .💕🫶🏽💘

Hello everyone,
My mother received CalFresh (formerly known as Food Stamps) around 4-5 years ago for some time and got around ~$600 per month. We received a letter in the mail dated for May 15th from Alameda County Auditor’s Agency claiming that she is liable for an unpaid balance resulting from overissued CalFresh benefits for around $700.
We are not sure why this is the case, or if this notice is even legitimate. The Auditor’s Agency phone # is legitimate and can be found online, but my mom’s food stamps were cancelled for some reason on behalf of the county years ago (I believe she failed to renew), and we have never received any notice of anything like this until now.
The statement says that the county will submit her debt to the US Department of the Treasury and the Treasury Offset Program (TOP) for collection, and that the TOP will withhold federal income tax refund (among other things) to offset this debt. According to the notice, we may inspect a copy of county records related to debt, request a review of the county’s determination that she owes this debt, and that we may enter into some sort of repayment agreement.
Does anyone have any experience with this? I am not sure how to go about this process, because the only thing given to us is a phone number which directs us to the collection agency who say they cannot help with anything but paying off the debt; I’m not sure how to go about getting county records related to the debt, amongst other things.