On Thursday, April 25, Bogdan Syrotiuk—a socialist opponent of the fascistic Zelensky regime and the NATO-instigated Ukraine-Russia war—was arrested by the Security Service of Ukraine, the SBU, in his hometown of Pervomaisk in southern Ukraine.
Bogdan, who is 25 years old and in poor health, is being held in a prison in Nikolaev under atrocious conditions on fraudulent charges of undermining the territorial integrity of Ukraine and serving the interests of Russia. If found guilty by a kangaroo court of these charges, Bogdan is threatened with a prison sentence of 15 years to life, which is the equivalent of a death sentence.
The arrest of Bogdan is the latest example of the Zelensky regime’s brutal repression of left-wing movements, whose opposition to the war is finding a growing response within the Ukrainian working class.
SBU agents ransacked Bogdan’s apartment and the office that he has used to conduct political and educational activities. The World Socialist Web Site has been informed that the SBU is claiming that it found a Russian military coat, a backpack with the letter “Z”—a symbol associated with Russian military chauvinism—and a gas mask in the office. Only dull-witted fascist police will expect people to believe that such items will be found in an office that prominently displays a photo of Leon Trotsky and offers a wide selection of Marxist-Trotskyist literature.
If such items were “found” in Bogdan’s office, it is because they were planted there by the SBU, whose unscrupulous and Gestapo-like methods are common knowledge in Ukraine.
Attempts to portray Bogdan as a supporter of the Putin regime and its invasion of Ukraine are politically preposterous. Comrade Syrotiuk is a leading member of the Young Guard of Bolshevik-Leninists (YGBL), a Trotskyist youth organization active in Ukraine and throughout the former Soviet Union.
In political solidarity with the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI), the YGBL opposes the oligarchic capitalist governments in both Ukraine and Russia. In numerous articles posted on the World Socialist Web Site and in speeches delivered at events sponsored by the ICFI, Bogdan has unequivocally condemned the war and called for the unity of the Ukrainian and Russian working class against the reactionary national-chauvinist regimes headquartered in Kiev and Moscow. His comrades in Russia unequivocally oppose the capitalist restorationist regime of Putin and its delusional glorification of neo-tsarist Russian nationalism.
In a speech written three days before his arrest, which he planned to deliver at the International Committee’s upcoming celebration of May Day, Comrade Bogdan states:

On the day of international solidarity of the working class, we, members of the Ukrainian branch of the Young Guard of Bolshevik-Leninists, and the entire YGBL call for the unification of the Ukrainian and Russian proletariat with the proletariat in the imperialist countries to end this war!

The arrest of Comrade Bogdan Syrotiuk, part of a pattern of brutal repressive measures by the Zelensky regime against opponents of the war and the entire working class, exposes the lying claim that the US-NATO war against Russia is being waged in defense of democracy. Ukraine is a police state. Its population is subjected to martial law. Elections have been cancelled and Zelensky rules as a dictator, subject only to the dictates of his NATO sponsors, the financial interests of the billionaire oligarchs, and the neo-Nazi gangs upon whom he relies to intimidate the Ukrainian people.
In fact, the US State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor acknowledges in its latest report, issued earlier this month, the Ukrainian regime’s brutally repressive character. Among the grave “human rights issues” cited by the report are:

enforced disappearance; torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment; harsh and life-threatening prison conditions; arbitrary arrest or detention; serious problems with the independence of the judiciary; restrictions on freedom of expression, including for members of the media, including violence or threats of violence against journalists, unjustified arrests or prosecutions of journalists, and censorship; serious restrictions on internet freedom; substantial interference with the freedoms of peaceful assembly and association; restrictions on freedom of movement; serious government corruption; extensive gender-based violence; systematic restrictions on workers’ freedom of association; and the existence of the worst forms of child labor. Some of these human rights issues stemmed from martial law, which continued to curtail democratic freedoms, including freedom of movement, freedom of the press, freedom of peaceful assembly, and legal protections.

Under these conditions of vicious repression, the life of Bogdan Syrotiuk is in immediate danger. Within the prisons, the inmates are subject to the violent regime instituted by an administration saturated with Ukrainian fascists. The State Department report further states:

Although the constitution and law prohibited torture and other cruel and unusual punishment, there were reports law enforcement authorities engaged in such abuse. Under normal circumstances, courts could not legally use confessions and statements made under duress to police by persons in custody as evidence in court proceedings, but the institution of martial law since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion permitted this.

Particularly ominous, given the attempt of the SBU to frame up Bogdan as an agent of the Russian military, is the State Department’s finding that:

There were reports law enforcement and military officials abused and, at times, tortured persons in custody to obtain confessions, usually related to alleged collaboration with Russia.

The Kiev regime, which is responsible for these atrocities is being showered with billions of dollars and armed with the most advanced weaponry by the United States and its NATO allies. The arrest of Bogdan occurred just as the US Congress voted to allocate another $60 billion to a war that has already cost the lives of approximately 500,000 Ukrainian soldiers. The Biden administration and its counterparts in London, Paris, Berlin, Rome and the other capitals involved in the direction of the proxy war are no less responsible for the fate of Bogdan Syrotiuk than their agents in Kiev.
The working class and youth throughout the world are justly outraged by the criminal war being waged by Israel, with the support of the Biden administration and NATO, against the people of Gaza. But it must be understood that the same governments that are collaborating in the Gaza genocide are sponsoring the proxy war in Ukraine. The violence in Gaza and Ukraine are interconnected fronts in a global escalation of military conflicts that threaten humanity with a nuclear catastrophe.
The fight for Bogdan’s freedom and for an end to the proxy war must be seen as an essential component of the struggle against imperialism, genocide, and fascism.
The International Committee of the Fourth International and the World Socialist Web Site call for a global campaign to demand the immediate release of Bogdan Syrotiuk.
The international working class and student youth throughout the world must be informed of the seizure of Bogdan and mobilized in his defense.
We call for the widest circulation of this statement on all available social media. An online petition calling for the freedom of Bogdan has been established at Change.org. We urge you to sign the petition and post a statement on the site amplifying your call for his freedom. Bring this campaign to the attention of your co-workers and fellow students. For more information on how you can become involved in the fight for Bogdan’s release from prison, contact the World Socialist Web Site at this address.
Bogdan Syrotiuk must be freed!

Long story long, about a month and a half ago a processor came to my door, handed me a writ of summons, told me I was being served and walked away. I assumed it was a scam and put it aside (my mistake). Last week, my intuition told me to look into it, so I read through it, called the courthouse listed on the summons and confirmed that it is a legit case. Right off the bat, two things strike me as odd. The courthouse is in a different state than where I live and there are 17 other names and addresses on this summons all living in various States. The allegations for all 17 of us are very similar, mostly it's the state and names that have been changed as well as the dollar amounts and maybe one or two details (I've also found at least one typo). The company that is suing is located in the same state as me, but the courthouse is in another state where this summons was filed. The company that's suing is claiming that I used to be a client of theirs (Nope!) and I entered an agreement with them (again nope!). I've never heard of this company. I googled them and they do show up, but there isn't a lot of information available on them. Additionally, in the summons, they claim that they provided me with proprietary sports wagering strategies and funds to carry out these said strategies (I have never gambled in my life!). Anyway, they claim that I took this money, deposited it in my sportsbook account and then used the funds to place certain wagers in said sportbook (If I had received the money they're claiming they gave me, the first thing I would have done was bought groceries and diapers!). Continuing on, they are claiming that I (and 17 other people) became completely unresponsive after winning some wagers and are now suing me (and 17 other people) for an ungodly amount of money. I have my financial statement showing that I never received nor deposited the amount of money they said that they gave me. I also have written confirmation from the sports betting company that I do not have an account with them after I provided them verifying information (It's a reputable sports betting company, and they handled my inquiry quickly and professionally). I then pulled my credit report from all three credit bureaus and didn't find anything wrong on any of them. I put a fraud alert on my credit reports so that if anyone tries to do anything, the transaction will automatically get denied and one of the credit bureaus will call me. I changed my passwords on anything and everything I could think of. I filed a police report but they're claiming that because it's just my name and address (which are public record) that have been used, no actual monetary funds have been given to or taken from me, there's nothing out of place on my credit reports, I have proof that I never received these funds nor did anything with them and I don't have an account with this sports betting company that there isn't much they can do. Today, I wrote and mailed a letter (signature requested) to the opposing attorney listed on this summons explaining that they have served the wrong individual, requesting that I be removed from the court case, stating that I have never been a client, and provided them with the information showing I never received nor spent any funds in the month and year that they are claiming I did and that I also don't have an account with this sports betting company. I don't know if it's going to do anything. The summon says there are 60 days to respond because I'm in a different state and that day is next Tuesday. I don't know which filing form I'm supposed to fill out. I can't find a form that says that "I'm the wrong person on this summons". I have been sick to my stomach for weeks about this and I need it to go away. It's affecting my mental well-being and it's taking a toll on me and my kids. I'm worried that my record (or whatever) is now going to be tarnished for forever and this is never going to go away because some scammer is trying to pull a fast one. I don't understand how and why they chose my name along with these other 17 people. Why would somebody do this? All I want to do is sleep because when I'm sleeping I'm not thinking about it, but I'm a single mom and my kids need me. Has anyone had a similar experience like this? Should I skip paying a few bills this month and try to file something with the court? It appears that the filing fee to file anything with this court is a few hundred dollars. I'm terrified that I'll file the wrong thing and now I'll be behind on bills and out the money that I spent on filing.

I just learned that there is an ancient antenna modeling tool called NEC or Numerical Electromagnetics Tool that I am still not sure where to get or get resources about or if it is free or cost a fortune (any input about that would be great). The thing that screams at you that all the website I found say is that it is HARD and harder than any human brain can handle.
Something else I found which looks like NEC without that HARD warning and probably with a nice GUI is EZNEC (the first two letters are pronounced EASY as opposed to HARD) and you can download it and look at the fancy, yet very primitive (look like visual basic 5.0) windows and get the free hundreds of pages manual, but I had the feeling that this was some kind of trial version and that the real deal costs hundreds and thousands. Again any info about this would be great.
Lastly, and this is me thinking, does MATLAB have any part of it that helps with antenna simulation?
​

One of my neighbors has been living in my apartment complex for the last 8 months and in those 8 months there have been several instances where his car is partially on my spot. One time he straight up parked in my spot. He has two SUVs in the two spots next to mine which get wedged in between a fence.
The parking is tight for them considering a fence is in the way so because of that they occasionally move over into my spot. If it was anywhere else I wouldn’t really care about the partial parking in my spot since at the most they’re about a foot and a half into it but the entrance into the lot is narrow where only one car can pass through at a time and we’re right in front of where it opens up a bit. It’s a very small lot, so when I leave I have to maneuver in between their car and the corner of the building and then through the narrow part. When they’re parked normally it’s pretty easy to get through but when they’re more in my spot the window of maneuvering is much smaller. So in this case every bit counts.
I keep asking them to stop and they always say it’ll never happen again but two weeks later it’s the same story. Today the guy got defensive about it saying that they have small spaces and startled rambling about how they can barely get in their car and his wife only has one leg and can’t drive well and a bunch more justifications and also mockingly told me that I have a high horse for being so picky about the parking and even said stuff about him being a bus driver and pulling off tighter spots and that my car can easily fit in there. When they’re over in my spot I can barely get in my own car and I have to pull like a 4 or 5 point maneuver to squeeze out of the lot as opposed to simply swerving around their car and the building. I know my car can squeeze through with a bit of focus but it’s just inconvenient when they’re the ones taking up my spot too.
I was upset today and kept debating him but now I’m feeling bad for their situation and even wrote them a letter to apologize and say I can scoot over a bit but after reading it I just imply that I’m okay with them continuing to make their “mistakes” and only sacrificing my convenience for them to keep taking up part of my space. He mocks me for asking him to “conform to my high tower standards” when he doesn’t realize he wants me to conform to his convenience too. Am I too attached to my spot?

Dear, Agent.
I'm writing to you seeking representation for CHAOTIC FLAME OF THE MAGIC FORCE. It’s an epic fantasy novel complete at 99,000 words. The intriguing magic system will remind readers of Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn series as well as appeal to adult readers who are fascinated by the grim, layered world of John Gwynne’s The Shadow of the God. This is a standalone novel with series potential.
Aetoria Borne, a noblewoman of House Borne, has always been belittled throughout her life for being born as an illegitimate child with serpent-like eyes. She intends to bring glory to her family by becoming a messianic shifter and earning her first nobility medals that’ll hopefully grant her acceptance from all nobles of House Borne, something she crucially desires. She’s also eligible to become the next ruler of House Borne.
Until a member of her family is assassinated by the Coffin Hand, a notorious group of assassins. Accused of murder and fearing a rigged trial, Aetoria and her friends flee to the east side of the Emblem Wall, a place known to be riddled with corruption, poverty, and crime. To prove her innocence, she’ll have to capture a member of the Coffin Hands in hopes of revealing who hired them.
With a high bounty placed on her—dead or alive—Aetoria doubts she’ll succeed. Worse, she’s being pursued by Dragonspawns, a race of dragonriders. Unsure of their intentions, she does her best to avoid them. Amidst the escalating unrest of rich citizens, known as Opulous and poverty-stricken commoners. Tensions boil over between these two classes. Aetoria finds herself on opposing sides of a brewing conflict over clashing ideals. She’ll need every edge of her wits to see the next sunrise.
[BIO]
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Note. I've had my mentor who's a traditionally published author critique my entire book, query letter and synopsis, but more feedback would be gladly appreciated. Not used to sharing information about my story so openly with others like this so a tad-bit nervous.

Twenty six years after the Demon lord was defeated. The hero's now split up and the world safe. You sadly are not them, you were a bastard child, never knowing your father, how your life was is up to you, however, whether a bastard ostracized by society or raised by a village and content with your life. After the Bard of the party died and a national day of mourning across the world you receive a letter. Informing you that the Bard was your father and the rest of your siblings and you are invited to his manor to deal out your inheritance. You are given a stipend of gold to arrive to the manor as well as gear yourself up. What awaits you is anyone's guess. This game isn't going to be a "The world is ending and the party must stop it." kind of campaign, rather it's going to be more of an adventure and see the world kind of adventure where the party is adventuring for the sake of adventure as opposed to needing to stop a great threat. If I had to pick a music to theme the campaign around it'd be something like Lofi. Just chill good hearted adventures. About me Welcome and hello, I'm Kyo, long time DM and occasional dabbler of homebrew of near twelve years now and one full year of time in nothing but roll20 either prepping, GMing or playing. This is a homebrew campaign that I came up with because of a deep need to prep and the idea was enjoyable enough for me to write. About the campaign The campaign will be using the alternate rule set for pathfinder 1e called Final fantasy D20. It will be from level 3-20 depending on how long the group wishes to play. Sessions will be 1-4 hours, usually about 3-4 hours. Sessions will be a mix of combat or RP, by the nature of late game sometimes encounters may take large portions of combat once we hit a certain level. To balance such things out there will be occasionally just RP sessions. There will still be rolls, but it will largely be social focused. The difficultly level of the campaign will be pretty middle of the road, as I'd rather focus on the theme of the campaign rather than "lets kill god!" levels of power. So if you want to min-max and go balls to the walls, this campaign is probably not the one for you. Some of the things to expect from the campaign. -Session 0 -Stories based around your backstory and taken Campaign trait. -Lots of Down time -Lot's of travel -Low tech (No guns at the start) -Kingdom Building Lite -Survival rules (You'll be traveling a lot so you'll need to be ready to make camp and deal with food and the like.) -Final Fantasy -Adventure theme's (You'll be making a guild and setting off in adventure at the start, you won't be chosen ones or anything like that.)
Apply to the game here: https://app.roll20.net/lfg/listing/397743/bardlings

Children quarrel with each other in other DWJ books, often for comedic effect. Fire and Hemlock shows how unchecked immaturity can play out to a devastating degree. It’s not as fanciful as Gwendolyn burning her little brother’s lives away or Christopher disappearing into another universe in a huff. These events are grounded in reality, in a way that could easily happen to you or the children in your life.
These stupid, avoidable, painful interactions felt so real. Feelling Polly’s hurt and wondering what was going to go wrong next was an absolutely grippping reading experience.
The very first page introduces us to the frenemy-ship between Polly and Nina. They start out in an innocent, idyllic way: relying on each other; loving each other; going on imaginative whimsical adventures; which to fight and quick to forgive. Polly admires Nina so much, and Nina seems to make every situation more colorful and exciting.
Then comes the ugly process of growing apart. Their friendship breaks and comes together several times, weaker every time. Nina, probably jealous of Polly, tries to knock her down a peg by telling everyone in the school that Polly comes from a broken home. The betrayal! Polly’s pridefullness never lets her show how Nina has hurt her or make a sincere move to reconcile.
When Polly wants to slip into that comfortable, familiar friendship again, she just acts like she isn’t mad or that the quarrel never happened. Buried hatchets are still sharp! Perhaps if Polly had confronted Nina with her heart in her sleeve, Nina would have given a genuine apology, and the girls could have grown truly close again, instead of just being “thrown upon each other’s company in the absence of better options.”
Meanwhile, as the girls’ personalities develop, Nina grows into someone that Polly no longer admires or even respects. The Reader painfully experiences the death of this friendship alongside Polly. The girls really loved each other at one time, and it fell apart—what a shame!
And what can I say about put the total failure to parent in this book? I’ll start with Polly’s father. He slinks around, acting afraid of every woman in his life, “standing for nothing, falling for everything” as they say. He disappears from Polly’s life without communicating why he has gone. Polly worries that he has died! He half-heartedly sent letters, but when he got no answers, he didn’t seriously try to visit his daughter, check on her, or reassure her. Truthfully, he was sniffing after another woman, his wife found out, and she threw him out. He made many half-hearted attempts to get back together with his wife and blustered about his “rights as a father,” but he never did the work to assert those rights. He never prepared a home for Polly or legally pursued 50/50 guardianship. Like so many divorced dads, he sang the song of “My ex is keeping my kid from me!” when “I aimlessly wandered away from my kid” is closer to the truth. It was easier for him to pursue a new life, moving into Johanna’s home in far-off Brighton, than to rent a flat closer to Polly.
Her dad’s lack-of-fucks-to-give are not clear to Polly until her mother throws her out. She sends her to live with her father. Communication fails again when Polly doesn’t at first know whether her father has been informed that this is forever, not just a visit. Too scared to ask directly, she says “What school shall I be going to in Brighton?” and he answers, “We’ll see about all that later,” evading the question, but showing he understands the situation.
Johanna makes it clear that Polly’s visit is a burden—her home is fastidiously clean, she refers to children as “almost as messy as pets,” and she refuses to let Polly help with the washing up. She asks Polly over their second dinner, “When are you going home?” Polly looks furtively at her shame-faced father and realizes that he has not discussed the situation with Johanna at all. He has not advocated for Johanna to open her home to Polly. Instead, he passively hoped that things would work out. Polly is so ashamed and let down, she tries the ol “you can’t fire me, I quit” defense. She says she’s going home in the morning, and her father has the gall to look relieved! He does not question her or support her at all! He doesn’t even help her buy a train ticket home or contact anyone to pick her up. He just lets his young daughter walk off: stranded, phoneless and penniless in an unfamiliar city.
The immaturity of Polly’s father is rivaled by that of her mother. If you’ll excuse my very 2020’s reading of an old story, Ivy acts like she has Borderline Personality Disorder. She runs hot and cold with every important person in her life. She adores her husband until his betrayal, then she hates him implacably. She repeats this pattern with a string of romantic interests, eventually turning on each of them when she suspects (rationally or irrationally) that they have betrayed her. I found it particularly relatable when Ivy chided her daughter for not buying “the lodger” (Ivy’s boyfriend) a Christmas present. She had never communicated with her daughter that she was dating the lodger—only indirectly showing it by lavishing him with huge meals and presents, while neglecting her daughter’s basic needs. How was Polly to know the new pecking order and the new expectations? Once Polly does warm up to the lodger, as it seemed Ivy wanted her to, Ivy flew into a rage and accused the two of them of conspiring against her. She even implied the man and child were sleeping together. Ivy’s implacable side was turned on Polly then, and the girl was thrown out.
With casual cruelty, Ivy made it clear every day that Polly was not a priority. She didn’t lock Polly in a tower, she just took away her bedroom so she could rent it out. She didn’t tear up her clothes like Cinderella’s evil stepsisters, she just passively never checked if Polly had outgrown something or needed replacements. When Polly asked her to attend school events, Ivy would express frankly that they were boring. She described the Christmas play as a punishment for her ex-husband “For if I have to attend, he should have to suffer there as well.” Polly asked her a few times over several months about attending a later theater performance, and several times Ivy evaded the question. Polly did not take the hint until her mother exploded with anger. She declared she’d done more than her part by attending when Polly was in juniors, and now she was done attending forever.
Ivy always had something to say about her personal suffering and would wax poetic about her “happiness” and how “everyone has a right to their happiness.” Yet she was quite blind to anyone’s needs but her own. She deprived her daughter of her room, of well-fitting clothes, of an emotional connection, of her father (to a point), and ultimately of physical safety.
When her child was grown, Ivy seemed only more comfortable heaping verbal abuse on her, yet she could not understand why Polly did not eagerly spend time with her. “You make it hard for anyone to feel sorry for you,” Polly finally surmised.
This book was a lesson about the pitfalls of living a life without maturity. Communication, sincerity, introspection, kindness, anger management, and decisiveness would have made all the difference here!

I'm taking Rickon out of the picture for a while. He is at most 5 years old.
I don't think Arya would be a good ruler of Winterfell. I know that nowadays people want that and use the fact that she is good at math and has kind of commanded her little friends. But I don't know... I can't see her as a queen or warrior lady commanding Winterfell at a good time. Maybe in a time of war, as is the case in the next book, yes. Although I guess there must be better commanders than an 11 year old girl. But a lot of people say that Sansa picked up Arya's plot in the series, in terms of ruling Winterfell, I don't see that.
I know Sansa isn't perfect, and I currently believe she might not return to Winterfell anytime soon, but I don't think she would make a terrible lady or queen, as people say. She knows how to enchant people within books with an interesting soft power. And I think strategically, to help Winterfell, she's going to stay in the Vale and send supplies after the war. Perhaps she will become Lady of the Vale, or of the Vale and Winterfell, as Littlefinger wants. Or the Vale, Winterfell and riverlands, no one knows. Perhaps as the "savior" of Westeros after all the wars... Littlefinger is good at thriving in chaos.
But I can't see the indicators that Arya would be a better ruler than Sansa because of math. Or that people and lords, in general, would prefer Arya over Sansa. I even see them preferring Jon more than Arya (and Sansa), not just because of Robb's letter, but because he commanded the patrol in an interesting way. But I see him and Arya having problems communicating their ideas to people with opposing thoughts.
I don't know, I think Jon and Sansa (or Jon and Dany) would complete each other as rulers, I'm not talking about as lovers. But I don't think Arya and Jon would complete each other in that way, although I'm sure she would support him.
I can see more possibilities in Bran, he was a good "Stark in Winterfell" in the war of the five kings. But I think his future is bigger than Winterfell. For good or for bad...
I know the North appreciates strength, but I can't see Arya becoming a good ruler, especially after her last few chapters. Maybe in a war, she would be a good commander who would not be afraid to do what is necessary... But I do not know. Will her knowledge of poisons, face swapping and math be enough?
I know that in the end, whoever survives will remain on the "throne". It won't have so much to do with capacity. But I can't see when people say that Arya would be a better ruler than Sansa, or that Arya will kill "Alayne", or that Arya will not die because she is one of the "main five", even though Martin has already said that he said something stupid at the time and changed things a lot, or Bran just being lord of Winterfell at the end.
Why do people find it so difficult to see Sansa or Jon as rulers of Winterfell? Even just as the face of the Northern "resistance", as Robert was of the rebellion, Sansa and Jon would fit in, especially after the revelation of the "fake Arya".
What do you think? Bran, Rickon, Sansa, Arya or Jon? AND, Why?
Ps: I not trying to diminish the importance of Arya, Rickon or Bram.
I don't speak English, I'm translating via Google, but you can understand

Sent my letter. Copied below in case anyone wants to use similar language in their own. Probably does zero good on it's own, but multiple voices carry weight:
to: nonmanagementdirectors@paramount.com, jaime.morris@paramount.com
cc: George.Cheeks@paramount.com, Chris.McCarthy@paramount.com, Brian.Robbins@paramount.com, jessica.toonkel@wsj.com, benjamin.mullin@nytimes.com, meg.james@latimes.com, samantha.masunaga@latimes.com, chuston@thr.com
Dear Members of the Board and Office of the CEO,
I am writing to you as a concerned shareholder regarding the recent discussions in the media about a deeply dilutive merger between Paramount Global and Skydance Media.
My understanding from these reports is that Shari Redstone will be paid a premium for her shares, while minority shareholders will receive either nothing in return or a paltry premium above the current severely depressed stock price. David Ellison will then force a merger of Skydance by diluting Paramount and handing newly minted shares over to Skydance in exchange for the benefit of absorbing that company - which, media reports, is absurdly valued at $5B despite publicly available information indicating that Skydance earned a mere $1B in revenue and just $25M in EBITDA in 2023.
Paramount, meanwhile, is a healthy company with over $30B in revenue, an improving balance sheet, improving cash flow, and a DTC transition that is in the nascent stages of success as it turns the corner from investment to growth and profit. It is well-known that Paramount has content and assets worth well over $30B, and as you are also well aware, Apollo Global Management recently offered $26B in cash to take Paramount private. Meanwhile, we hear that David Ellison is offering 10% of that - at best - in exchange for diluting the company with more shares and force a merger with a company that is less than 1/10th the size while gaining a 50% stake. This is neither a reasonable nor fair offering. Anything less than $26B for the entirety of the company should be rejected outright.
On top of all of this is the recent sacking of CEO Bob Bakish - the key driver of this transition & growth story. This is deeply discouraging and troubling, especially when it seems that the only reason for his termination is that he stood between Shari and her corrupt plan to sell out and dilute Paramount shareholders. With various board members having already announced resignations (some of whom we understand are on the special committee) and the firing of the CEO by Shari, it is clear Shari is manipulating the situation in an attempt to execute a dramatic breach of fiduciary responsibility.
You, the Board, the Office of the CEO, and those on the special committee must exercise your own fiduciary responsibility and oppose this deal with Skydance and David Ellison through every means possible. I urge you to consider the long-term, legal and reputational implications of such a merger upon not only the company but upon yourselves as well. Shareholders will not go quietly into the night as they are robbed of their fair equity. We invested in the vision of Paramount as a major DTC player and content distribution - not as a merger victim of Skydance and David Ellison.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. I trust that you will make a decision that aligns with the best interests of Paramount Global and its shareholders.

Nelson: goes after gig workers’ pay while making a buttload of $ selling Fremont Brewing
Cathy “arrest those individuals” Moore
Kettle: tries to torpedo a pedestrian Pike Place in the face of 15,000 opposition letters while letting a Hellcat terrorize his district for months
Woo: she lost but she’s somehow still on council?
Strauss: poison pills Morales’ affordable housing bill this week
Saka: heads transportation committee while openly opposing traffic safety measures like street design and enforcement
Rivera: blames library closures on union wages while giving police a 23% raise
Hollingsworth: has been less vocal but has been in lockstep with the votes of the aforementioned CMs
Morales seems to be on her own as the dissenting voice.

I’m a first year associate and have a client being sued by a pro se plaintiff. The plaintiff has no legal training clearly and is out of the statute of limitations (even if they weren’t my client did nothing wrong). I filed an awesome motion to dismiss, they opposed and submitted a motion to amend their complaint because my motion to dismiss pointed out everything they did wrong. I had a family emergency (death in my family) and we requested a week extension for our reply and opp and they refused so I’m already peeved. The court didn’t give them leave to amend their complaint (in my state after a certain amount of time you have to get the courts okay plus our motion to dismiss is still pending). Well these pro se aholes served my clients once already with the amended complaint, I filed a notice of rejection. TODAY MY CLIENT GOT SERVED WITH ANOTHER AMENDED COMPLAINT. I haven’t compared the newest complaint to the older two. Part of this is venting but I would love some input on the best way to handle this. I want to write a letter to the judge (I have no idea if this is okay) and say this is an abuse of process, it’s frivolous, and costing my client more and more money. Any thoughts? Co-defendant’s counsel floated the idea of a counter claim.

Welcome to Reading The Big Book of Cyberpunk!
Each week we (u/FarragutCircle and u/fanny_bertram) will be reading 5-ish stories from Jared Shurin’s The Big Book of Cyberpunk, which includes a curated selection of cyberpunk stories written from 1950 to 2022! We’ll include synopses of the stories along with links to any legally available online versions we can find. Feel free to read along with us or just stop by and hear our thoughts about some cyberpunk stories to decide if any of them sound interesting to you.
Every once in a while, we reach out to people who have more insight, due to being fans of the author or have some additional context for the story. (Or we just tricked them into it.) So please welcome u/Dianthaa who will be sharing their thoughts on "Alligator Heap" by E. J. Swift!
“Alligator Heap” by E. J. Swift (published 2016; available as “A Handful of Rubies” as part of the STRATA digital project, only available on mobile here; also comes paired with a nonfiction essay about the future of food)
Rich restaurant magnate who literally lives at the top of society is reluctant to transfer his consciousness to a new body while nurse Tarek struggles “downstairs.”

• Special Guest Dianthaa: I read the story and I felt mostly confused, like I couldn’t tell what it wanted from me and where it was going (also looked at the pages wrong and thought it would be twice as long). I settled on feeling disgusted at the rich dude, empathy towards the nurse and his more down-to-earth problems, and cheering on Louse for her strong survival spirit. But then Farragut found the essay linked to the story in the Strata project [see link above], and that cleared things up for me. When I focussed less on the characters and more on the world, I realised I’d just accepted it all as a perfectly realistic world: a stratified society in which the rich have access to high quality food and healthcare, while those that work for them struggle to make ends meet and have to settle for lower quality food and healthcare, while the people who have nothing are often ignored, except when their stories are useful for some other purpose, it all doesn’t seem like a far-flung sci-fi scenario. (Side rant: As opposed to The Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov that I recently read, where people mostly act like good little drones, and the human instincts for exploration, loving nature, or rebellion have all vanished, made no sense to me.)
• I do still have a couple of questions I haven’t come up with a good answer to in the story, what was Polyakov’s plan, I can’t see what the gain would’ve been if Vardimon were insane. What purpose did Louse serve for Tarek? I can see how Vardimon got thrills from her story, but why did Tarek make her up in the first place?
  
• Farragut’s thoughts: Swift is a British writer whose most recent book is eco-fiction The Coral Bones, which was nominated for several awards. This story (as “A Handful of Rubies”) was originally published as part of a shared setting/digital project called STRATA, which I’ve linked in a convoluted way above. I thought this one was very interesting, though Tarek’s story about the “new woman” at the bottom of the heap felt a little jarring from the rest of the story, even with its effect on Vardimon. Like, what’s going on here?
  
• fanny’s thoughts: I really liked this story. Tarek as a nurse trying to help another rich person manipulate a different rich person was very reflective of issues. This society is very striated and the incredibly wealthy are completely different from the nurse and his problems. The Louse story within the story further illustrated it, though Louse also seemed to be an evolved species. I don't know entirely what I read, but it was engaging and interesting. (I did not read the Strata article so I may have missed everything in the story.)
  

“Glitterati” by Oliver Langmead (2017; also available in the anthology 2084 edited by George Sandison & later expanded into a novel of the same name)
Simone, one of the glitterati, accidentally wears the wrong outfit, which spirals to a stunning conclusion.

• Farragut: Langmead is a Scottish writer who later expanded this story into a novel. This was hilarious. Simone’s life is utterly ridiculous with his concerns about fashion and avoiding doing any work other than looking fashionable. After some surprising success, Langmead ups the ante by a factor of a thousand, leading to the most ridiculous climax. I’m rather curious to see how Langmead can reimagine this story for a full-length novel.
  
• fanny: I found this story so ridiculous and funny. Simone’s problems are all fashion related and everything is driven by that. It spirals very quickly after Simone wears the wrong outfit and suddenly thinks he is an icon. Simone makes insane choices driven by fashion. I absolutely loved how they do no work, but have to be fashionable. Simone takes 3 hours to get ready to roll into work at 3 pm to look amazing. The stakes take a drastic turn in the end, but it's all surreal and in the name of fashion.
  

“Rain, Streaming” by Omar Robert Hamilton (2019; also available in the anthology The Outcast Hours edited by Mahvesh Murad and Jared Shurin)
Val and his AI assistant Val participate in the VR Patriot Games to achieve a chance at interacting with a Britney Spears music video.

• Farragut: Hamilton is award-winning filmmaker and writer and lives in both Cairo and New York. This is a reread for me, having read it in Shurin’s earlier anthology, and it’s incredibly hyperactive. It’s another future corporate future with ads running constantly and Val almost barely able to hold a coherent straight thought, other than his focus on winning the reward of being inserted into Britney Spears’s “Oops!…I Did It Again” music video, but it ends poorly for Val due to a hasty decision (and a crappy AI).
  
• fanny: Val’s goal is to be the first person to get to interact in a Britney music video, which I can respect. The future depicted here is entirely interactive and simulated. The AI Val keeps inserting ads because Val is in ad-supported software all the time. It is hyper commercialized and just psychedelic. Val makes a rash decision out of annoyance and ends up in a bad situation.
  

“Found Earworms” by M. Lopes da Silva (2019; also available in the anthology A Punk Rock Future edited by Steven Zisson)
In a post-apocalyptic setting, Lopes is one of the underclass and while creating art, strikes a blow against the normies.

• Farragut: Lopes da Silva writes queer California horror. The epistolary format (technically just diary entries, not letters) works to good effect here, painting quite a picture of Lopes’s life just hanging with their friends. The conflict with the normies and access to medicine create the conditions for the climax, and to the bittersweet ending. I did like their attempts at writing songs, though.
  
• fanny: I really like the epistolary format. I usually do in books and was surprised how well it worked in a short story format. The attempts at writing music are great and the writing also has a very good rhythm to it. There is a lot of social pressures packed into this short sorry, specific around access to medicine. The ending is poignant, but not exactly hopeful.
  

“Electric Tea” by Marie Vibbert (2019; also available in the anthology A Punk Rock Future edited by Steve Zisson)
Struggling young artist Tsui tries to get some artificial inspiration in the form of “electric tea.”

• Farragut: Vibbert wrote a space motorcycle book called Galactic Hellcats, which is just the best title. Tsui is one of three “starving artists” shacking up together, and after admiring an anonymous street artist making fire graffiti (literally), decides to indulge in “electric tea” (the tea is normal, it’s just cups that send special brain waves out). I liked the discussion of art and effort, and Tsui’s self-reflection that she just isn’t good enough yet.
  
• fanny: So tea in special cups gives you some special brain waves, which is a very fun concept. The story focuses on three artists living together and trying to find inspiration/jobs/stability. Tsui is searching for a mystery artist that made impressive graffiti and Tsui cannot figure it out. Eventually we learn about the tea and the mystery, but ultimately this is a fun tale focused on art and self-reflection. I really liked it, even if I didn't understand it.
  

That’s it for this week! Check back the same time next week where we’ll be reading and discussing "Exopunk's Not Dead" by Corey J. White, "Études" by Lavanya Lakshminarayan, "Apocalypse Playlist" by Beth Cato, "Act of Providence" by Erica Satifka, and "Feral Arcade Children of the American Northeast" by Sam J. Miller.
Also posted on Bochord Online.

I'm currently a sophomore studying pure mathematics, and hoping to go to grad school in a couple years.
I'm considering studying abroad next spring and I'm looking into the Budapest Semester in Mathematics. I'm weighing between the advantage of studying abroad at a program like this, as opposed to staying at my home institution and taking some extra graduate courses in Algebra and Analysis. I'm also wondering which looks better for graduate school applications.
On one hand, staying at my home institution would let me get closer with faculty at my school, and go more in depth into our course offerings, which aren't as robust as in Budapest, but count as grad courses. It could also make for better letters of recommendation from my home professors if I take more classes with them.
On the other, Budapest obviously has a great program, and will allow me to take more exotic and interesting courses. But is the really much value outside that in terms of graduate admissions? I don't have any requirements left to be concerned about, by the way.
I'm sure this is a common dilemma for math students, and so I'm wondering what y'all think of this.

Hello all! It's been a long damn road to get here but after court today my disability claim has been fully and unanimously approved by all involved parties. The verbiage the judge used for the reason was "Severe Disablement from Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC)." I was absolutely blown away to see that in legal writing after all of these years fighting to have my condition recognized. I asked around with my study group and the doctors and students running the study at my local medical hospital. NONE of them had heard of the courts actually recognizing a person with COVID as disabled, let alone granting it directly by name.
Hopefully hearing this will give some of you a little more hope if you are fighting this same legal battle or are on the edge of making the decision to start down this road yourself. It won't be easy and it will be an emotional rollercoaster that gets easily overwhelming but it can be done, we can be recognized.
If you want to avoid a wall of text, feel free to stop here because I'm going to be writing specifically about my LONG story about this legal battle. I will not be going into detail about my condition nor do I have any advice to give regarding recovery. Thank you kindly for reading and I hope for the best for you.
I had initially filed my claim for disability back in November 2021. I've been hauling since September 2020, but I tried returning to work after a 3 month recovery break. It did not work very well. I couldn't do half of the things I needed to for my job since I could no longer walk unassisted, and the other half was my desk duties which quickly became overwhelming. I couldn't concentrate, I fell behind quickly and my work was unsatisfactory to say the least. I was often out sick for days to weeks at a time, and forcing myself to push through it built up more and more symptom problems. It came to a head in late November 2021 when it became apparent that my symptoms and crashes were too much for me to continue working in any capacity. On top of that my request for additional time off was denied and I was "let go" because of it.
When I filed my claim, I spoke to Social security about a week later to verify some info and answer some questions they had. After that they didn't make any contact with me until around the end of June or the beginning of July 2022. It was a letter saying that a claim specialist was assigned to my claim and I would be contacted if additional info would be needed.
I was thankfully able to connect with a good group of social workers who helped me a lot with the disability process and got me onto my state sponsored health insurance and food stamps. With the help of my disability benefits rep we provided the claim specialist with medical records throughout the entirety of my haul from infection forward and from beforehand as well. We even emailed the claim specialist after every doctors appointment and prescription change and I had my primary physician write a letter detailing my condition. I got my next letter from Social Security in October 2022, saying that my claim was denied citing lack of evidence of a disabling condition.
I next step i had to do was to file an appeal to the decision, which once again had me waiting in limbo. As bad as that was alone the stress of it all caused my wife to file for a divorce and have me removed from the home. I fought in court against the removal, but since we were living in my in-laws home so I had no legal rights to remain in the residence according to that judge. Unable to work and with no money left to my name I became homeless, which I still am, I've been bouncing between living in my car and in cheap motel rooms when my elderly father can afford to put me up.
My disability benefits rep helped me to file a "dire needs" claim to try and speed up the appeal process, and it technically did. Social Security got back to me again in February 2023, 4 months as opposed to 6 or 7 is technically faster. Not good in the practical sense, but yeah... "faster."
It was again a letter saying that a claim specialist was assigned to review my claim. I was asked to once again provide the same sorts of information I previously sent them as well as any new information I had. I called the claim specialist every 2 weeks that I hadn't heard from them because I know things take time to processand whatnot. Never once did I ever get anything more than a few rings and their voice-mail, no call backs either. The next time I was contacted was by letter in August 2023. The letter stated my appeal was denied citing lack of evidence of a disabling condition and inability to get information from a doctor I never heard of at a hospital I've never heard of or had been to.
The denial stated that any further appeals must be made to a Social Security judge in the Social Security court system. This period of time was when I hit my lowest point through the whole ordeal. Now I had to get a lawyer to represent me while having no home, income, or any sort of savings. I also wound up getting COVID again that same month which knocked me on my ass and slid me down a hill symptom-wise. Through my social workers I was able to get in contact with a lawyer to represent me with payment to come out of my claim backpay at a relatively low rate. Not ideal but none of this could even be described in the same book as the word ideal.
The court appeal was filed in September 2023, and we were scheduled for a virtual hearing in the middle of December 2023. I met with the lawyer a few times before the court date to go over the court process and to once again gather all of the documents I have had to repeatedly provide. My mind is shot, so thankfully I had my father keeping all of the documents I have and get organized in a portfolio thing so they were easily available in one place. We submit it all to the court well before whatever the date was the court required them by.
Fast forward to court in December 2023. I was at my lawyers office for the virtual hearing, and it mostly was the court verifying all of the documentation was in place and scheduling an in-person court date for today, April 29th 2024. I met with the lawyer another time or two to prep for this next court date. He prepared me for the likelihood of this not being the final court date for the claim too, so there were more than a few nerve wracking days and nights.
Today we went into the court and there was myself, my lawyer, the judge, a stenographer, a Department of Workforce Development representative, and like 5 other people I don't remember what they were. My lawyer did his statement and they took my testimony as well. The judge and the DWD rep asked me a bunch of questions and verified the info that they had. After some questions back and forth with the judge and the DWD and other people he announced that he would be approving my claim as of today and I am thus eligible to receive full SSI and SSDI benefits for my disability. I thanked the judge like 30 times, and my lawyer congratulated me and was surprised it was all able to be buttoned up today. Obviously there is a little bit of time still while the stuff gets set up before I get to see any of these benefits, judge said 2-4ish weeks, but there is actually a finish line in sight after 2 and a half years of seeing no end whatsoever.
I can only thank my incessant need to keep notes on as much as I can to be able to even describe this whole ordeal. Outside of today and my last meeting with my lawyer last week I'm very fuzzy on the details unless I refresh myself on them. Now that I've spent... 5 hours writing this I'm going to celebrate my victory by laying down in a dark room for probably 2-4 days because I'm overexerted way behind my limits lol.
To those of you who made it through this story, I thank you kindly for taking the time to hear my story. I still believe in time I will recover far more than the little I have, and I hope you all can do the same. Thank You!

I know there is going to be favoritism of some form of in every field. How common is it in the legal field? Will the judge side with a party because they have a relationship with a certain attorney or owe them a favor? Or a more extreme example, will an attorney throw a case as a favor to another attorney? The reason I ask is because I recently had an attorney that I had a consultation with a while back get pissed because of a bad review I left him, contact me and threatening to ruin my case and talk to all the attorneys and judge on my case. Even mentioned opposing counsel by name. At first, I thought it was just an angry attorney and unlikely to have any impact on my case. Then, I had a hearing and it went really bad. My attorney who has over 50 5 star reviews on avvo and not a single review less than that, was embarrassed by opposing counsel and the judge sided with her literally every single time. I was not even allowed to testify at the hearing and opposing counsel objected to every question my attorney asked me before I could get the first word out and the judge sided with her for every objection. Additionally, on Friday I received a letter from my attorney advising there is a concern opposing counsel will get my modification to parental timesharing dismissed because the judge might decide my situation does not show a substantial change to circumstances(required in Florida to modify timesharing). However, this is the first time he has ever expressed any concern or doubt in the petition to modify since I hired him in early November. Nothing has changed in regards to my situation, the hearing was unrelated to the petition to modify so I don't know what's going on. I filed a complaint with the Florida Bar association and I am wondering if that just added fuel to the fire and now that attorney has it out for me even more.
Any current or former attorneys or paralegals or others in the legal field have any input?

We know T1 is coming to 4K for its 40th anniversary. There was a month of August stated, but I'm not sure if that's true. In order for it to be a fully fledged love letter for T1 fans and not another lazy rehash these are the must-haves
-Trailers/TV spots. Why not? They're always nice
-Photo gallery from behind-the-scenes and promotional material. Same reason, really, plus it's immersive to see what it was like making the movie
-Commentary. Include the Making Of, and add a whole new commentary over the movie by James Cameron or whoever worked on it who's willing if he for whatever reason isn't (unless the prior releases have one already and I forgot, I'm pretty sure he never did tho)
-Maybe add the missing NBC TV edit? It sure would be neat. There's not much to the TV version besides being a censored cut, but it would be fascinating to view the altered lines/shots and have a new way to experience the movie. As far as I know that version is lost to time
-MONO. AUDIO. I BEG YOU. BRING THE MONO AUDIO BACK AND ENHANCE IT WITH BLU RAY/4K SOUND. You could literally NOT DO everything else I listed and only restore the mono mix and I and many others will be satisfied. That's ALL I WANT. It NEVER should have been buried and there's no reason to exclude it, it is vastly superior to the 5.1 mix by most opinions. Seriously if it doesn't include this I'll be livid
-Balanced color. I never dug the later blu rays' "green tint". It just makes the movie look washed out. More natural colors are easier to pay attention to. I'm not crazy about DNR, personally I feel if the movie is intended to look sleeker like it was made today then I don't mind AI cleaning out grain, but at the same time yeah I don't want people looking like plastic so not too much
-Create an "extended cut" that splices in cleaned up restorations of the deleted scenes that were added as special features in later releases. I mean that would be GREAT? As far as I'm aware this wouldn't be too hard to do? I know this might sound like I'm "expecting too much", but first of all if James Cameron actually valued this movie and the fans that prefer it to T2 he'd do what he did for T2 (preferably a bit less DNR and upgraded deleted scenes) and recently Aliens and provide every available experience of the film. If he can provide every version of Aliens and a boatload of special features to that movie's 4K there is NO REASON he can't give T1 the full treatment. He shouldn't give the bare minimum just because he allegedly associates T1 with the cringe he feels at his low budget days. He shouldn't feel in any way ashamed of this film or neglect its potential at all because there are many things that make it stand on its own and arguably better than T2 like it being horror-driven as opposed to action. Second, I'd be good with just the mono mix, all these other things I listed are recommendations because they would make T1's 4K the best it can be.

Preface: this interpretation relies on Vedic sidereal astrology
In Vedic astrology, the ninth Rashi Sagittarius has long been intertwined with the revelation of divine qualities in all facets of creation, both animate and inanimate. Throughout the natural course of manifestation, the life force becomes deeply enmeshed with materiality, often leading humanity astray from the laws of nature. Yet, through a series of reincarnations, individuals gradually come to apprehend life's true purpose and strive to retrace their path. Along this journey, they seize control of their destiny, forsaking aimless wandering for purposeful navigation towards the ultimate destination. Mastery over natural rhythms leads to the attainment of perfection, wherein one aligns with their innate dharma, the sacred duty for which they have been bestowed life.
Sagittarius heralds a stage of spiritual evolution wherein the individual, while retaining vestiges of their primal nature, directs their gaze skyward under the auspices of divine guidance. In mythological lore, Sagittarius is epitomized by the Centaur, a hybrid creature with a human torso astride a horse, poised to release an arrow to the sky. This arrow, wielded by the centaur, represents the quest for higher knowledge, spiritual enlightenment, and transcending earthly limitations. It symbolizes the Sagittarian's innate drive for exploration, both externally in the physical world and internally in the realm of philosophy and spirituality. This awakening, synonymous with the initiation into occult mysteries, marks a commencement for the seeker. Yet, the embrace of divine purpose does not guarantee a life of ease, as Sagittarius-born individuals are destined for a journey paved by divine discontent rather than material comfort. Following these initiations, wherein inner dynamism eclipses outward appearances of contentment, there emerges a period of significance with which milestones are met with jubilation in sustaining the natural order.
As previously asserted, the journey towards spiritual enlightenment demands an inner purification, a washing of one's feet in the blood of their heart, purging attachments. This is a truism we all must recognize. It is through traversing tempestuous trials that one ultimately attains serenity. Often, the storms of adversity and the calm of enlightenment unfold within the same lifetime, within the same astrological sign. Having absorbed the occult wisdom imparted by Scorpio, the seeker's ego now embarks upon the Path, initiating a karmic settling of scores. The 9th house, symbolizing the fruits of past actions (Punya of the Poorva Karma), manifests the repercussions of prior deeds in the present existence. With Sagittarius Lagna, the soul invokes the Lords of Karma, beseeching release from past debts—a plea met with opportunities for redemption. Liberation ensues only upon the complete settlement of karmic dues. The Sagittarius-born thus encounter a procession of unmerited rewards, unwarranted trials, and inexplicable circumstances, each serving to unshackle them from the burdens of their past. These complexities inject into their lives a sense of fullness, as they emerge as protagonists in the narratives of their autobiographies, yet remain bound by the tension of their spiritual quest. And this is a tension likened to the tautness of a bowstring, driven by the inexorable urge to heed the inner voice, commune with nature, and attain divinity.
When bestowed with the grace of the divine, the course of an individual's life is far from simple, tranquil, or untroubled. Rather, under the divine influence, internal metamorphoses commence, often rendering adaptation to external circumstances extremely challenging. While God's love draws the individual closer, the ascent is fraught with obstacles. Through Sagittarius courses the divine grace, promising metamorphosis for those upon whom it descends. It is a transformation that gives to them great significance for their existence, yet never promises an existence devoid of hardship or adversity.
In Sanskrit, Sagittarius is known as Dhanvin (the archer), Chapam (the bow), and Sharasanam (the arrow shooter), with Dhanvin also serving as an epithet for Arjun. The significance of this Rashi lies in its correlation with Arjun, the renowned archer revered in Indian scriptures as a symbol of humanity's aspiration towards divinity, amidst the perplexities and allurements of the material realm. Arjun shares a unique bond with Lord Krishna, who assumes the roles of family member, friend, and spiritual mentor. Sagittarius, therefore, is a stage of evolution or consciousness wherein the Inner Voice guiding of Logos commences its tutelage of the human spirit in its quest for its divine heritage of immortality. The Sagittarius individual eagerly embraces divine guidance, striving to triumph in the pursuit of enlightenment and perfection, inherent to their birthright. At this juncture, the Monad endeavors to merge with the Logos, prompting an inner conflict between material enticements and spiritual enlightenment, which the individual must resolve independently. Sagittarius encapsulates this fervent desire to transcend material constraints in the pursuit of spiritual realization. Consequently, such individuals grapple with myriad forces, with their inner consciousness attuning to the inner observer, while their outer awareness remains veiled and ensnared by worldly turmoil.
Make this sound more archaic and professionally written. Archaic does not mean adding a bunch of fluff though. Keep it straightforward:
The ninth sign of the zodiac representing Dharma of the Cosmic Universal man-Kala Purush-has been mysteriously and inextricably related to that basic nature of manifestation which enablesunfoldment of the diving quality, the pure essenceof things, in every form of creation, animate and inanimate. In the natural process of manifestation, life-force gets immersed in matter to such an extent that in man it often exhibits a will ofitsowntransgressingalllawsofnature.Butgraduallyafteraseries of reincarnations the individual understandsthe purpose oflife and begins endeavouring to follow the path of return. On this path, he takes his life in his hands. He no longer drifts, but swims to the goal. When he is able to copy nature, he attains perfection. In that conformity with nature, he performs his dharma, the purpose for which he is born.
ChatGPT The ninth celestial sign, emblematic of the Cosmic Universal man-Kala Purush, has long been enigmatically intertwined with the fundamental essence of manifestation, facilitating the revelation of divine qualities in all facets of creation, both animate and inanimate. Throughout the natural course of manifestation, the vital life force becomes deeply enmeshed with materiality, often leading humanity astray from the laws of nature. Yet, through a series of reincarnations, individuals gradually come to apprehend life's true purpose and strive to retrace their path. Along this journey, they seize control of their destiny, forsaking aimless wandering for purposeful navigation towards the ultimate destination. Mastery over natural rhythms leads to the attainment of perfection, wherein one aligns with their innate dharma, the sacred duty for which they have been bestowed life.
Good, how this (try not to leave anything out):
The stage of evolution at which the individual turns his gaze heavenward though the animal in him still remains alive while its action is being controlled and guided by divine purpose, that stage of evolution is representedby Sagittarius. Mythologically, Sagittarius is a Centaur, a horse with a human upper body shooting an arrow; symbolically, it is the arrow pointing heavenward. Dawn of this divine urge which unfolds the great expansion of consciousness considered as Initiation in occult mysteries is really a new beginning for the individual. Mention of such Initiations has been made in the Eleusian Mysteries, Chaldean scriptures andEgyptian ceremonies.EventheBuddhistshadinitiations intheInner mysteries of life. At these Initiations, life assumesa new meaning, and the man begins a new life. But to expect that such individuals would be bestowed with life of comfort, pleasure, wealth and affluence may be erroneous. The Sagittarius-born individuals would never have a life of ease.Divine discontent howsoever laudable is not synonymous with comfortable living. After these Initiations which make the life of the individual very dynamic inwardly though outwardly it may appear as divine discontent, there is a period of great significance to the individual: hejoins the Adept Brotherhood. He becomesa member of the Great Occult Hierarchy. At that time there is a great rejoicing in Nature. The fairies begin dancing, the birds sing a new symphony and the deep blue sky radiates a new power of strength for the orphan humanity. No wonder the sagesrevere the persons born under this constellation !
ChatGPT Sagittarius heralds a pivotal stage of evolution wherein the individual, while retaining vestiges of their primal nature, directs their gaze skyward under the auspices of divine guidance. In mythological lore, Sagittarius is epitomized by the Centaur, a hybrid creature with a human torso astride a horse, poised to release an arrow heavenward—a potent symbol of aspiration towards the celestial realms. This awakening, synonymous with the initiation into occult mysteries, marks a profound commencement for the seeker. References to such initiatory rites abound in ancient traditions, including the Eleusinian Mysteries, Chaldean scriptures, and Egyptian rituals, with even Buddhism espousing inner initiations. Yet, the embrace of divine purpose does not guarantee a life of ease, as Sagittarius-born individuals are destined for a journey marked by divine discontent rather than material comfort. Following these initiations, wherein inner dynamism eclipses outward appearances of contentment, there emerges a period of profound significance: entry into the Adept Brotherhood and membership within the exalted ranks of the Great Occult Hierarchy. Such milestones are met with jubilation in the natural order, with fairies frolicking, birds serenading, and the heavens imbued with newfound vigor—a testament to the reverence accorded to those born under this celestial constellation by sages of yore.
Now this:
As mentioned before, one’s feet must be washed in the blood of their heart before they are to reach spiritual enlightenment, free from attachment. This is a truism we all must acknowledge. One must passthrough the stormy weather before attaining tranquillity. Sagittariusisthattranquillity which follows thetropical monsoon.Usually the storm and the tranquillity both take place during the same sign, in the samelife. Scorpio hasalready imparted the occult knowledge to the divine child and now the ego has decided to tread the Path. Now the past karma begins operating; the individual begins paying off his past debts. Whatever has been in store for the individual, the good or the bad, now begins appearing before him. That indeed is the function of the 9th house, signifying Punya of the Poorva Karma, the actions done in the past, the meritorious deeds of the past. It means that the past deeds would find their fruitions in the present life. When Sagittarius becomesthe ascendant, it signifies that the soul of the man has decided to invoke the Lords of the Karma to free him from the past debts. And when the Lord has responded to the prayer, opportunities for clearing the debtsaregranted. The shackles of karma would now ceaseand the individual would gain liberation. This can however happen only when the past debts have been completely paid. Unmerited reward, undeservedtribulations aswell asunexplained opportunities and misfortunes often come one after another in the life of the Sagittarius born. They come to free him from the shackles of his past. Such circumstances often complicate the life of the Sagittarius people in such a way that they feel as ifthey have had a full life; they will be heroes oftheir autobiographies, but the urge to follow the Inner Voice, to follow Nature or to attain Divinity would have made the life of such individuals tense like the chord of the bow.
ChatGPT As previously asserted, the journey towards spiritual enlightenment demands a profound inner purification, akin to washing one's feet in the blood of their heart, purging attachments along the way—an immutable truth we must all recognize. It is through traversing tempestuous trials that one ultimately attains serenity, akin to the tranquil aftermath of a tropical monsoon—a metaphor embodied by Sagittarius. Often, the storms of adversity and the calm of enlightenment unfold within the same lifetime, within the same astrological sign. Having absorbed the occult wisdom imparted by Scorpio, the seeker's ego now embarks upon the Path, initiating a karmic settling of scores. The 9th house, symbolizing the fruits of past actions (Punya of the Poorva Karma), manifests the repercussions of prior deeds in the present existence. With Sagittarius rising, the soul invokes the Lords of Karma, beseeching release from past debts—a plea met with opportunities for redemption. Liberation ensues only upon the complete settlement of karmic dues. The Sagittarius-born thus encounter a procession of unmerited rewards, unwarranted trials, and inexplicable circumstances, each serving to unshackle them from the burdens of their past. These complexities imbue their lives with a sense of fullness, as they emerge as protagonists in the narratives of their autobiographies, yet remain bound by the tension of their spiritual quest—a tension likened to the tautness of a bowstring, driven by the inexorable urge to heed the Inner Voice, commune with Nature, and attain Divinity.
Now this:
When God's grace descendsupon the individual, his life doesnot remain simple, peaceful and smooth. In fact, under the divine impact internal changes begin taking place which often make adjustments with the external circumstances very difficult. When God loves, He draws the individual nearer; but this uphill journey is full of difficulties. Through Sagittarius flows the Divine Grace, and naturally to those on whom it descends,a radical transformation begins taking place which makes every event of their life meaningful, but in no case, it signifies an easy life.
ChatGPT When bestowed with the grace of the Divine, the course of an individual's life is far from simple, tranquil, or untroubled. Rather, under the divine influence, internal metamorphoses commence, often rendering adaptation to external circumstances profoundly challenging. While God's love draws the individual closer, the ascent is fraught with obstacles. Through Sagittarius courses the Divine Grace, heralding a profound metamorphosis for those upon whom it descends—a transformation that imbues every facet of existence with significance, yet never promises an existence devoid of hardship or adversity.
Now this:
The Sanskrit namesof Sagittarius are Dhanvin (an archer), Chapam (a bow) and Sharasanam (an arrow shooter). Dhanvin is also an epithet of Arjun. The true significance of this zodiac lies in its resemblance to Arjun, the archer, who has been considered in Indian scriptures an embodiment of humanity endeavouring to raise itself to Divinity, but still feeling the confusion and temptations of the material world. Arjun stands in special relationship with Lord Krishna, who has been his family relation, friend and guide. Sagittarius in a way symbolises that stage of evolution or that state of consciousnesswhen the Inner Voice, the Inner Ruler Immortal, the Logos, has begun guiding and inspiring the human individual fighting for his divine inheritance. The Sagittarius individual has been eager to listen to the divine guidance with a view to struggling successfully in his fight to attain light and perfection which is his birthright. At this stage the Monad is trying to become or merge into Logos. The conflict between material temptations and spiritual enlightenment at this stage must be resolved by the individual himself. And Sagittarius is essentially this desire to succeed in the realm of spirit despite material limitations. Evidently, in such an individual there would be interaction of innumerable forces; his inner consciousness has begun recognising the Inner Ruler Immortal, has begun listening to His dictates but the outer consciousnessis still clouded and caught in the turmoil.
ChatGPT In Sanskrit, Sagittarius is known as Dhanvin (the archer), Chapam (the bow), and Sharasanam (the arrow shooter), with Dhanvin also serving as an epithet for Arjun. The profound significance of this zodiacal sign lies in its correlation with Arjun, the renowned archer revered in Indian scriptures as a symbol of humanity's aspiration towards Divinity, amidst the perplexities and allurements of the material realm. Arjun shares a unique bond with Lord Krishna, who assumes the roles of family member, friend, and spiritual mentor. Sagittarius, therefore, epitomizes a stage of evolution or consciousness wherein the Inner Voice—the immortal guide, the Logos—commences its tutelage of the human spirit in its quest for divine heritage. The Sagittarius individual eagerly embraces divine guidance, striving to triumph in the pursuit of enlightenment and perfection, inherent to their birthright. At this juncture, the Monad endeavors to merge with the Logos, prompting an inner conflict between material enticements and spiritual enlightenment, which the individual must resolve independently. Sagittarius encapsulates this fervent desire to transcend material constraints in the pursuit of spiritual realization. Consequently, such individuals grapple with myriad forces, with their inner consciousness attuning to the Inner Ruler Immortal, while their outer awareness remains veiled and ensnared by worldly turmoil.
Now this:
Truly, in the long journey of the soul, there comes a stage when one is bewildered and is totally confused as to which path to follow. Arjun did not lack knowledge, he was well versed in all the scriptures andethics.Hehadsufficient strengthtofollow whateverpathhedecided to tread. But the conflict was supreme in him as to which path to tread. While standing on the ground he looked for the star; while still on the material plane, the arrow of divine discontent was eagerly waiting on the bow to shoot out. That has been the situation of Arjun. Similarly, the Sagittarius ascendantsdo not lack knowledge or skill about spirituality. But they are tom between materialism and spiritualism. This conflict is often very acute, so intense that they are misunderstood. The Sagittarius people are well versed in ethical knowledge, they can very well moralise and lecture on morality, spirituality and on religious matters but what they lack is courage to follow the arduous path of occultism. More than courage it is the determination to decide once for all--that is what they lack. For that they need their Lord Krishna. Without the enlightenment and guidance from their Lord they may be seen indulging in unethical practices and in antisocial activities. The main characteristic of Sagittarius in the present age is not necessarily living a moral life, but the acceptance of that way asthe right goal of life.
Indeed, in the soul's extensive journey, there arrives a juncture where bewilderment reigns supreme, and one grapples with hopeless confusion regarding the path ahead. Arjun, despite his vast knowledge and ethical acumen, found himself in a quandary—adept on all fronts yet torn between divergent paths. Should he really kill his family and friends? Grounded in the material realm, yet poised for spiritual ascent, he epitomized the struggle between duty and divine yearning. Similarly, those born under the sign of Sagittarius are not without spiritual knowledge or prowess. However, they find themselves embroiled in a relentless tug-of-war between materialism and spiritual aspiration, and this is conflict often so intense as to breed misunderstanding. While Sagittarians excel in ethical discourse and possess a deep understanding of spirituality, they falter when it comes to mustering the courage and determination to traverse the arduous path of occultism. What they lack, more than courage, is the resolute resolve to make a definitive choice; they must make a decision by themselves. Without divine illumination given to them, Sagittarius-born individuals may unwittingly stray into unethical conduct and antisocial pursuits. Thus, the hallmark of Sagittarius in this era lies not solely in leading a morally upright existence, but in the unwavering commitment to perceive such a path as the ultimate goal of life.
Sagittarius’s symbol of the Centaur, a mythological figure associated with the struggle between civilization and barbarism, can come to aptly represent the character of those born under Sagittarius. Among them, one may encounter individuals driven by both passionate desire and those endowed with wisdom and proficiency in the healing arts, often assuming roles as educators. Internally, they embody a dual polarity not unlike their opposing sign Gemini. The lower half of the centaur, symbolizing primal instincts and sexual fervor, such as that of a horse, contrasts with the human aspect above, denoting purposefulness, wisdom, and erudition. A harmoniously balanced Sagittarius-born individual will fit into the ideal human archetype. However, ensnared in psychological complexities, they risk devolving into distortions of character, becoming societal nuisances capable of undermining the very fabric of their community. While aspiring toward goodness, spirituality, and perfection, they remain susceptible to lingering animalistic impulses. Despite their noble aspirations, they may struggle to acknowledge personal flaws such as pettiness or pompousness, their desire for self-improvement sometimes eclipsing introspection and self-awareness.
Sagittarius signifies a pivotal shift in the soul's odyssey—a moment when the Prodigal Son, awakened to the loss of his celestial abode, the divine sanctuary of all souls, finds himself adrift in a sea of bewilderment. Struggling to attain inner serenity, he metaphorically launches his arrow of aspiration toward peace and tranquility of spirit. Yet, amidst this existential journey, a sense of isolation descends upon him. Disillusioned by worldly attachments, betrayed by companions, abandoned by kin, and unfulfilled by material wealth and carnal indulgence despite how easily it may come to him, he stands solitary, compelled to tread the path unaccompanied through a period marked by spiritual guardianship. He becomes a sacrifice—an evolved soul forced to uplift those less evolved. Though yearning to reunite with his spiritual father, he remains ensconced in earthly entanglements, gazing skyward while tethered to terrestrial concerns. Nevertheless, a newfound sense of purpose pervades his being as he discerns the ultimate objective of his voyage to Earth. This is what inevitably ends up leading to the forecoming trials housed in Capricorn and Aquarius. Can you go beyond materialism? How much do you really seek to be liberated when it means being a sacrifice bereft of tangible enjoyment?
Enlightenment graces the Sagittarius ascendants, yet expecting a careless life of comfort, ease, and opulence for them proves unrealistic. God's grace manifests by compelling the individual towards the center of existence, that being the nothingness of it all. Prior to this divine descent, the human ego is propelled by centrifugal instincts, embroiled in material pursuits. However, upon beholding divine splendor and recognizing its celestial abode, the ego retreats, embarking upon the Path of Return, the Nvritti Marg, shown by a shift in aspirations. Elevated ideals, spiritual yearning, godly attributes, disciplined pursuits (eventually evolving into austerity), and a radical transformation of thought characterize this stage of development. Along this path, individuals fulfill familial and societal obligations while steadily progressing towards their spiritual sanctuary.
The transition from primal instinct to emerging humanity within Sagittarians signifies a remarkable expansion of consciousness. In mundane affairs, this evolution manifests as religiosity, initially centered on societal and familial bonds, then progressing to spiritual observances and religious rites. While some may find solace in external religious practices, mature souls embark on initiatory journeys of occult processes catalyzing consciousness expansion, ultimately leading to inclusion within the adept spiritualists. Regardless of individual variations, Sagittarians universally experience significant consciousness expansion at each stage of growth. Notably, Sagittarius, the southernmost constellation of the Zodiac, occupies a celestial region teeming with celestial wonders. Bright areas of the Milky Way intersect with darker patches within the constellation, while its core lies in the direction of our galactic system, approximately 30,000 light years from the Sun. Just as the constellation embodies contrasting celestial phenomena, so too do Sagittarian individuals navigate a life of both luminosity and shadow, propelled by the Sattvic influence emanating from their innermost core. Ancient sages depict Sagittarius as masculine, fiery, philosophical, philanthropic, and of golden hue, affiliated with the Kshatriya caste and symbolizing the eastern direction—the locus of new beginnings. This symbolism shows Sagittarians' inherent potential for spiritual and occult advancement, as they harness energies conducive to progress on the metaphysical path. However, formidable obstacles litter the path of these individuals, exemplified by Sagittarius's proximity to Scorpio and Capricorn, presided over by Mars and Saturn respectively. Mars fuels spiritual vigor and fortitude for uphill journeys, while Saturn subjects Sagittarians to rigorous tests at every turn. Each day presents trials, tests, and opportunities for benevolent expression, as Sagittarians navigate the arduous landscape of spiritual evolution with resilience and compassion.
The life journey of Sagittarius ascendants is fraught with struggle, as evidenced by the nature of their ascendant lord, Jupiter—the supreme benefic planet. Despite its auspicious status, Jupiter's ownership of the Kendras (Angles) bestows mixed blessings, with few houses offering untainted benefits except the 9th and 11th. In the 1st and 4th houses, Jupiter's beneficence is tempered, while in the 2nd, 3rd, 7th, and 10th houses, it encounters adversity due to its placement in enemy territory. Even in the 5th house, associated with progeny, Jupiter's influence may be unfavorable. Positioned in the 6th, Jupiter intensifies adversaries, while in the 8th, despite its exaltation, it may bring hardship to both mother and self. The 12th house similarly fails to offer worldly benefits, and even in the 11th, Jupiter resides in an enemy's sign. Thus, unless individuals fervently engage in religious and social endeavors—activities associated with the 9th house—they encounter significant obstacles to their growth. Sagittarians must navigate their path with utmost care, striving for righteousness (as Sagittarius symbolizes the 9th house of the Cosmic Universal man-Kala Purusha), while relinquishing attachment to outcomes. By sowing seeds of virtuous actions, they pave the way for future fruition, even if they themselves may not witness the results in this incarnation.
For Sagittarius ascendants, fulfillment lies not in personal pleasures, but in fulfilling their myriad personal, familial, and societal obligations—a destiny ingrained within their cosmic blueprint. Jupiter, their ascendant lord, shares significant relationships with Mars, governing the 5th and 12th houses, and the Sun, ruling over the 9th house—houses traditionally deemed most auspicious. These alignments underscore the importance of aligning one's personality with present endeavors, past conditioning, and social engagements. Armed with courage and aspiration for divine unity or universal brotherhood, Sagittarians must emulate philosophers, endeavoring to temper their baser instincts with wisdom and understanding. Conversely, Saturn, Venus, and the Moon—rulers of the 2nd/3rd, 6th/11th, and 8th houses respectively—suggest that emotionalism, pleasure, and familial support may elude Sagittarians. Laden with responsibilities and obligations, they must shoulder life's burdens without respite or assistance. Successful navigation of these challenges hinges upon harmonizing Jupiter, governing the self and emotions, with Mercury, overseeing partnerships and profession. This harmony requires a balance between intellect (embodied by golden-hued Jupiter) and the universal principle of sympathy (personified by green-hued Mercury), ensuring joyous existence for spiritually evolved Sagittarians, while the prevalence of self-centered materialism creates sorrow.