So Saturday was a fight night at the bar restaurant I worked at. A semi new manager was giving me lots to do and cover while my Co-server was on lunch. Lady who looks about late 20s/early 30s comes in and asks for a seat. Something seemed a little off about her because when I told her any spot to choose from she kept choosing like the 2 tables I didn't get to clean yet (just me while my co-worker was on break and our host wasn't scheduled yet). I get to serving her after a couple minutes and give her the standard spiel (how was your day, deals etc) She's looking at the happy hour menu and I feel bad because it is at a different time on the weekends. I ask her anything to drink and she says a Stella and something under her breath that I couldn't catch. I at this moment was trying to understand if she's just weird or if she added another food or appetizer so I repeated Stella back to her and asked what size. She said regular. Now during this interaction I'm in my early 20s and am confused by her. I thought she may have been hitting on me and like I said earlier she looked late 20s but more likely early 30s. I had a phone ringing 10 feet behind me and she said that was all for now. So I planned on waiting to ask for ID til I rung in the drink and could get back to her table, after checking everyone else as well. Once I turned around and made a beeline for the phone I saw her stand up and follow me and reach for her purse. She pulled a red card and I immediately told her I was going to ask her for her ID before I set the drink down for her. So she got my managers name and whatnot. She's new so she steps into the office to call my GM.
My coworker was in the back eating and while talking with him I explained I was going to ask for her ID and I didn't know the policy changed. I swear my previous managers and GM told me it was fine as long as I asked for ID before I set the drinks down. He tells me apparently the policy changed a few weeks back about the timeline allowed to ask. I was never notified about this change which sucks. My manager comes out saying I'm suspended til further notice and my GM will call me in a few days. I explained to her what I always knew and she said she doesn't know how long I've been here (longer than her) but the new site for training goes over that and was clear.
Now I haven't heard back from my GM yet but all of this sucks. I'm about to graduate college and planned on working a lot over the summer before leaving to who knows where so it's not like I'm utterly distraught. I also get it "You should just immediately ask for ID" I KNOW theirs always a general guideline. I was just busy and was trying to optimize my time. I never was NOT going to ask for her ID which is the worst because I know I was going to ask I just didn't know the policy changed. I was trying to stay in the policy to most optimize the chaotic environment I was in at the moment. Now I'm gonna lose my job for ,not even, serving a legal adult.

Hello everyone.
For nearly 6 months, we've been developing a blog and actively publishing for 2 months now.
No AI and No backlinks, we're 100% white hat!
I am well-familiar with the recent Google update, and the uncertainty that comes with it. However, we really want to give it a shot, and we're now generating approximatey 100 visitors a day from organic traffic, Google's SERP.
We know that those are rookie numbers, but the revenue from AdSense is more than disappointing. We've got about 100 articles published, 75% of them now ranked high in search results. Yet, we can't even afford paying our monthly hosting.
We are a newbies in the industry, but our content is very high-qualily (I am a technical writer with 5+ years of experience). As owners we spent a lot of time into the articles, in fact, much more than a hired writer would do for a client. This makes our content better than the most competitors, but the low authority doesn't give us a chance.
The path infornt of us is misty.
We came to realize that our primary target shouldn't be monetization, rather being helpful to our readers. Currently our main priority is building authority, and I can see us grow in the upcoming months and years.
However, I might need a bit moral support, if you will.
We've been hearing the word "affiliate" left and right, but we have no idea where to begin. Our target is small, we really want to make a living out of our blog and efforts, and turn it into a full-time job. We aim nothing more than $2000 monthly, and we really have the patience, effort and capabilities to achieve it. However, as I mentioned, we have no idea how to monetize it effectively.
We can exclude the $5 monthly from AdSense, as apparently you need to be a giant in the industry to generate from there.
I would love to build connections with some of you veterans, to share some insights, tips, affiliate providers and ways to start earning, at least something conciderable.
So, please, any critics, suggestions and tips for our blog are welcome!
Let us know our next steps! What would you do with 100-150 visitors a day and maybe more as we go on?
Sorry for the long post, and thanks in advance!
P.S. Please don't discourage us!

We are Asgardians
A friendly community welcome to players from all timezones, we have build up strong, long-lasting friendships throughout the years. Are you looking for a chill and laid back clan without silly demands and expectations? We might be the place for you!
Currently we are looking to boost up the activity and expand our family by welcoming new members!
We offer a wide range of Events and Competitions, and do all sorts of PVM.
We have a decent amount of raiders running CoX, ToB & ToA! We also have a few mentors around who are willing to teach those wanting to learn. (always looking for more mentors and/or helpful raiders)
That being said, we are by far not a super-sweaty nor toxic clan, our main goal is creating a fun environment for our members and ourserves to learn and improve in without pressure.
If this sounds like something you are looking for, feel free to join us!
A small example of the events we run are:

• Bi-weekly Skill competitions
• Bi-weekly Boss competitions
• Various sorts of Bingo boards
• Various sorts of PvM events

That being said, we are by far not a super-sweaty nor toxic clan, our main goal is creating a fun environment for our members and ourserves to learn and improve in without pressure.
If this sounds like something you are looking for, feel free to join us!
Requirements to join our clan:

• total lvl 1750+
• combat lvl 100+
• questpoints 150+

Basic rules:

• Willing to go through a short application process on Discord (if you want to become a ranked Asgardians member)
• Being mature and respectful torwards each other
• All unique raids items (except for Arcane and Onyx at Cox) are evenly split among your raid team, unless specified elsewise before the raid started.
• Ironmen should specify before the raid if they split or ffa, or which specific drops they ffa on and can't split.

Cc name in-game: Asgardians - You can apply through a short form on discord and join the cc as a guest untill someone has reviewed your application.
Homeworld: 375, 521
Discord invite link: https://discord.gg/TjbwEgTRv8 Any information on how to apply will be received upon joining our server, if there is anything else you may need help with, just let us know!

Hi!
I posted this on mentalhealth already but id also like to get some more insight.
It's the end of the semester. It was going well. I've had my bumps but compared to the semester where I got a gpa of 1.6 (3 Ds) I'm doing much better. For context, I'm a chemical engineering student. I got a C+ in my Thermo class, A in my History class, A in my art class, B- in my cheme Lab. I ended up having to withdraw from Clac 3 as I tried different ways to get through but the homeworks was too different from the exams. Im not the only one struggling, a lot of people withdraw or retake the class. I don't mind failing and I'm used to it. I've gotten through it before, however this time I don't think I can. I've had good progress in my continuum class over the past semester. Had rocky midterms but I worked to do better. I have high 90s in the homework and the projects but exams are 60%. 3 exams including the final 20 points each.
I have really bad test anxiety. It was pretty bad in highschool but I figured out ways to recover and push through. During covid that all fell apart and I couldn't function any more. I was a 2020 Highschool graduate and went straight to college. I have severe ADHD and I'm on the spectrum. I didn't really want that to define or stop me but over these past 4 years I can't even see myself as human. Sometimes I wish I could rip out my brain. Right now I just dont think I can live with it anymore. I had my continuum final today. I prepared for it, maybe I should have done more but I understood the equations and could at least display my work. I completely fell apart. I tried to do as much as I could but it didn't go well. I had been pretty good about my last couple tests as well. No breakdowns however I think from exhaustion, burnout and depression I couldn't keep myself in check mentally. Whenever this happens I start to think about how if i fail ill need to kill myself. This has been an issue for years. I always cry on exams but again I learned how to deal. The images have gotten a lot more realistic though.
I can see my own blood, feel my back hit the water, imagine the way the wind would feel on top of the bridge. It's not even just images anymore but more like a memory. Like it's already happened. Today was especially bad. It feels like it's supposed to happen. I don't want to die. I kept chanting that to myself on the exam (I was in a private room). But whenever I take those exams it's like russian roulette. Will this be the one to finally push me over? I'm pretty sure this exam had a bullet in it.
I feel like this final wouldn't have such a large effect if I didn't feel so cornered. My department doesn't like me. And I don't mean the students or professors but more specifically my advisor. I feel like she's tired of me. Im sure they want to get rid of me but I love this degree. I don't want to quit. I have a co-op lined up and it's my dream co-op as well. It's really my fault for being a bad student but I've been struggling to live. Really I've just been surviving. I'm trying to get better and take care of myself but it takes time and I don't think my degree has that time. I got kicked out when I got a 1.6 but I went into a College restoration program and got straight A's. I met my department's demands, even exceeded them but they still didn't want me back. They wanted to see how I did in community college classes first. The only reason they let me back is because I was taking a LOA this past fall and I needed a program to return to (I couldn't take my cheme classes till this spring). I've been working with my old Restoration mentor this semester and I've seen myself improve. I'm finally talking to my classmates and Despite all this progress it's going to go down the drain with one exam.
I know my department is going to kick me out. I'm going to lose everything. My apartment, the friendships I made, the progress, everything. I really wanted to live. I wanted a future even though most of the futures I thought of were me committing suicide I thought maybe I could make it to my 30s. My parents have put so much money into me and they remind me over and over again how expensive it is. I'm a really expensive mistake. I don't think I could face them. They've already been so gracious with my past. I really wanted to do well but it's unrealistic to think I could suddenly be a B and A student right off the bat. The College restoration program wasn't even a full course load; it was 9 credits with some 0 credit help classes. Im taking 18 credits this semester. And it's difficult but I was managing and improving again. All I needed was a 70 on this final really.
I know it's sudden to start to think about suicide when I havent even seen the exam grade but I know Im going to fail. I'll probably end up with a D in the class but my degree only accepts Cs and that's only occasionally. You need to be a B, A student. If I somehow make it through and they keep me I wont kill myself but if they kick me out I dont think I can continue. I enjoy learning so much but I struggle so much in an exam based system. I try different ways to succeed and some work but im always using at least 20% of my focus during an exam trying to keep myself mentally stable. To not overthink, obsess about small details, to not let intrusive thoughts and to not break down. And yes I take meds and they do help but that can only go so far. It's exhausting. Even though I do well in the other aspects of the class, the exams will always be the deciding factor.
I'm sorry this is such a long post. It's my fault I failed the exam and I should just take it but I'm tired. I really am. I love learning so much but I hate that whenever I'm learning I'm thinking about points and how to prove myself to my department. I'm no longer here for myself but to try to satisfy my department. Im going to talk to my proffesor. Hes really nice and Iappreciate him but I dont think theres much he can do. Ill even try talking to my department. Ill fight but If I lose thats it. And honestly my chances seem slim.
There's a cemetery in my city that I'd always drive to. It looks over one of the towns on the skirts of the city. It's really pretty in the morning and at sunset. When the fog is low to the ground, if you go up there it'll look like a river or ocean in between the hills(mountains?). The lights from the town at night make it look like a river of pinks, yellows, purples and blues. It's really pretty. I'd like to rest there.

SLASHFILM: "In 2014, StarTrek.com unearthed a rare audio interview with Kelley taken on the set of "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home" in 1986. In that interview, Kelley was frank about how "Star Trek" brought him into the public eye, but also that it kind of damaged his career. He was grateful, of course, and Kelley wanted to stress that intense gratitude, but he also noted that playing Dr. McCoy was like being caught in a trap.
The interviewer noted that Kelley spent a large portion of his career playing tough guys and villains. Kelley retorted that studios are uncreative places when it comes to casting and that many actors are pigeonholed and typecast very quickly. "Hollywood," he said, "has an unhappy faculty for putting someone in a slot." He said that no casting agent was able to take his whole career into perspective, noting that he was capable of a lot more than villains. Later, people would forget that he was capable of a lot more than playing Dr. McCoy.
He also assumed that "Star Trek" wouldn't be an opportunity to be typecast because his two co-leads, William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy, played such fantastical outsize characters. Compared to them, McCoy was "plain." In short, he felt they would draw attention away from him. The actor said:

"[...] McCoy was most-human character in the whole group. I did not feel that way about Bill or Leonard. The captain, you think about 'Flash Gordon' or that sort of thing. And when I saw Leonard with his makeup, with the ears, I thought, 'Well, he's had it.' I thought, 'McCoy is still kind of an ordinary human being walking around out there and I don't think there will be any problems at all.' I was the most surprised man in the world when I was caught right in the same trap ... if you can call it a trap."

[...]
As mentioned, though, Kelley wanted to communicate that he appreciated the fame "Star Trek" brought him and that he was able to play one character for many, many years. He said:

"It's been a mixed blessing. I've enjoyed the role tremendously and, as the years have gone by, I have considered myself very fortunate to be a part of this show, which has become the phenomenon that it has. Many actors never get the opportunity to even be in a successful series, and here I have had the opportunity to be a part of what has become something most unusual in this country. So I have to look at it with all gratefulness."

Kelley then admitted that his unvaried, post-"Star Trek" career was partially his own doing. " I'm not the most driven actor in the world," he said. "I'm a lazy actor." He said he was perfectly content to take the gigs he landed and rarely fretted about his career beyond. What's more, "Star Trek" likely made him wealthy, through residuals as well as a long string of convention appearances.
[...]"
Link (SlashFilm):
https://www.slashfilm.com/1573332/star-trek-deforest-kelley-mixed-blessing/
Link (StarTrek. com, 2014 article):
https://www.startrek.com/en-un/news/star-trek-archive-deforest-kelley-star-trek-iv-interview

Kia ora everyone, I'm a student just finishing up a BSc in ecology in New Zealand. I'm a dual US/NZ citizen, though I've never lived in the States, so I'm wondering what my chances are like getting in to some good grad schools in the USA.
I've got a NZ GPA of 8.5 (out of 9), which, when I convert to US grades using WES (World Education Services) is equivalent to a 3.95/4. I've got fairly good extracurriculars, including Co-president of the university ecological society, two paid internships (one at the environmental regulator, one doing research at another uni), an overseas exchange, volunteering at conferences, other general environmental volunteering and research work, though notably no sport, which I understand is a big point of consideration in the US. I also missed about 7 years of school due to chronic illness (although I've been fully recovered for about 5 years) , and sit on the committee of a local charity supporting those with this illness.
I'm aiming to eventually enter a US PhD programme, and I think I'll be a fairly strong candidate, but I'm wondering whether I'm likely to be dismissed outright due to the fact that my degree (as with most degrees in NZ) is only three years, rather than four. Is this something that varies between universities, or that a good record of extracurriculars and academics can make up for? My degree finishes with about two papers worth of designing and carrying out a field research study, including writing up the results, but I could choose to postpone applications for PhDs until I've finished an honours degree here in NZ, which is an extra year of papers + dissertation. I'm not sure which option would be better in the long term.
Also, where should I be applying? I understand it's common to have a few aspirational picks, and then some safety options, but I'm quite lost as someone from overseas. Would I have a shot at some of the places with the very strongest environment science programmes, i.e. Harvard and Berkeley, or should I aim a bit lower?

Hi all! Small Q:
I'm a JET heading back home at the end of this contract year and I'm looking into the flights home. I'm still waiting on some details from my CO about how to go about it, but it's potentially looking like I will likely have to book the flights myself and be reimbursed later. If anyone has gone through this already in previous years, roughly how long did it take before you received your flight reimbursement? I do imagine it'll vary a lot depending on placement, but I was just curious to see what other people had experienced! Thanks for any answers :)

At the recently concluded HICSA 2024 in Bengaluru, the spotlight was on the owners. In an interactive session “Solving for Owner Challenges” a group of over 120 owners shared their insights on the present state of the hospitality industry in India and their desired areas of improvement.
Below are some of the key points overheard at the Owners Only Workshop and Hotelivate’s Take on each of the key points. The points below are random in order and should be read as such.
In an interactive session “Solving for Owner Challenges” a group of over 120 owners shared their insights on the present state of the hospitality industry in India and their desired areas of improvement including Brand Standards, F&B Profitability, Incentive Fees, Opacity in Operators’ Fees, Performance Tests, Brand Technical Services, Need for a Hotel Owners Association and the Talent Crunch.
Brand Standards
The Owners’ Opinion: Brand standards are a contentious issue between owners and operators, marked by a lack of flexibility. Owners find the rigidity troubling, considering the significant capital expenditure involved to meet the brand standards. Many international brand standards don’t align practically with the Indian market context, failing to reflect the local milieu. There’s a need for adaptability in brand standards to suit specific markets. On a contrasting note, despite this rigidity, brand standards are often conveniently bent or altered when it benefits the operator. This inconsistency highlights a misalignment of interests between the two parties. Practical discussions and greater adaptability in brand standards are necessary to resolve this issue.
Hotelivate’s Take: Most brands do need to give this critical issue a serious thought. Either brand standards are sacrosanct, or they are adaptable and flexible. The brands cannot have the best of both worlds, as and when it suits their interests. The present environment does leave a bad taste in the mouths of owners when they witness this opportunistic attitude of many-a-brand. In our opinion, the so-called PIP is badly handled, and some level of practicality needs to be brought in.
Over the past few years and going forward, there will be a lot of conversion opportunities and if brands need to grow, they will need to show greater flexibility. To give credit, IHCL as an Indian brand and Radisson as an international brand have shown this flexibility by creating newer sub-brands and have adopted this approach successfully to be able to convert hotels fast and give that benefit to the owner.

F&B Profitability

The Owners’ Opinion: There’s a noticeable lack of focus on the profitability of F&B operations within hotels. If F&B outlets were viewed as standalone profit centres, with a portion of overhead costs allocated accordingly, many existing outlets would fail to demonstrate profits. Despite brands advocating for multiple outlets within properties, there is limited attention given to ensuring their profitability and crafting unique dining experiences. Instead, these outlets often function as cost centres, diminishing the overall profitability of hotels.
Several solutions are available for brands to address this issue including:

• Implementing centralised kitchens or clustered operations for outlets within a property, or in some cases, outlets across properties in a region, thereby enhancing operational efficiency.
• Outsourcing remains an attractive option for hotels, promoting both unique dining experiences and reducing cost.

Additionally, it is imperative for restaurant managers and general managers to treat outlets independent P&Ls from the hotel itself. These outlets should be branded and marketed distinctly, with their own identities in the market, to drive profitability.
Hotelivate’s Take: The suggestions being proposed are not untested, as several successful markets across the globe already adopt these strategies. It is about time all of these strategies were deployed by owners, with the help of their brand partners. In fact, to solve the long-term problem of F&B in hotels, it is recommended that right at the inception stage when hotels are being designed by the architect and the technical services team of hotels, there needs to be careful thought given to see if multiple restaurants are even required. Right now, the base fee and incentive fee are being paid on total revenue and GOP of a hotel, respectively. So basically, the rooms revenues are subsidising the operating losses of these units, as many hotels F&B outlets are failing to drive profitability in these restaurants, Maybe the food for thought here is that should it be separated?
📷
Snippets from HICSA 2024

Incentive Fees

The Owners’ Opinion: Incentive fees in India’s Hotel Management Agreements no longer align with their intended purpose. The fee structure’s low thresholds allow operators to earn fees even in cases of poor profitability. Consequently, in many instances, operator fees surpass the owner’s return, which is counterintuitive as the owner assumes most of the business risk and thus deserves a proportional return. To address this issue, a proposed solution involves calculating an acceptable minimum threshold as follows:
Owners’ IRR+ Cost of Debt = Minimum Threshold for Incentive Fee
Beyond this threshold, a cascading structure of incentive fees should be implemented, perhaps even allowing for large payouts in instances of high profitability. This ensures that owners receive a return sufficient to cover their needs and have a sufficient DSCR before operators receive any performance-based incentives, thereby also safeguarding owners’ interests.
Hotelivate’s Take: While the operators may argue that the owners’ costs below the GOP line are not their concern, it is important for them to realise that while they needn’t be accountable for such owner liabilities, however, they do need to pay heed to them. A win-win solution is a must for healthy owner-operator relationships. To that end, adopting the structure proposed above (or something similar) would be a prudent and progressive step forward. While this suggestion was brought forward by one of the participants in the audience, it did strongly resonate with the larger owner community. In recent time, Hotelivate has come across a few brands willing to drop incentive fees to zero or very close to zero below a certain GOP margin. So, in the above scenario if the potential IRR is 16% and the cost of debt is 10% — then the hotel owner should be looking at zero incentive fees being paid below 26% GOP. To be fair to brands, this should come into effect post assumed stabilisation.

Opacity in Operators’ Fees

The Owners’ Opinion: Brand fees for services like systems, IT, and photography encounter challenges of opacity. Owners are mandated to use operators’ recommended vendors for these services, often at exorbitant prices. Owners advocate for capping these fees at certain levels to safeguard their interests. To combat these challenges, these fees should offer transparency, and rely on clear calculations.
Hotelivate’s Take: One of the most frequently heard concerns is indeed the opacity of ‘central services fees’, ‘bundled charges’, ‘hidden costs’, etc. Almost no operator in India offers full clarity and comfort in this regard. Operators would be well advised to give this portion of fees and costs a serious relook, and our suggestion is not as much about reducing these expenses, as it is for providing transparent and upfront clarity on them to the owners.

Performance Test

The Owners’ Opinion: Internationally, the performance test serves as a tool for owners to set stringent benchmarks for operators to meet. However, in South Asia, the Middle East and most of Southeast Asia, there is an evident power imbalance in favour of the operators leading to the performance test metrics to be more lenient and leaving the owner with minimal input. There is a pressing need for a stronger performance test clause in Hotel Management Agreements. Moreover, globally, advanced performance test metrics are either rare or entirely absent in HMAs in these markets. Thus, incorporating metrics like a Co-Variance test alongside the conventional GOPPAR and RevPAR tests is essential for a comprehensive evaluation of the operator’s performance.
Hotelivate’s Take: We have long argued that the performance-test lacks teeth in the context of hotel management contracts across brands in the region. A fair, robust, and truly utilisable test is warranted. Moreover, operators who are willing to not just offer a quality performance test, but also show openness to concepts such as ‘right of termination upon sale’ or ‘right of termination at cost, at will’ are likely to win more contracts in the years to come. Such concepts are common in the western world and should find their way into contracts in developing markets as well.
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Snippets from HICSA 2024

Brand Technical Services

The Owners’ Opinion: In theory, operators’ technical services are meant to assist owners in maintaining brand standards by providing expert supervision. However, in practice, these services are often limited to a cursory review during the construction and pre-opening phases. There’s a need to overhaul technical services to encourage greater collaboration between operators and owners. This would involve experts from the operator’s side working closely with the hotel owner’s team. Operators possess valuable knowledge and experience gained from working across various hotels, which is especially beneficial for first-time owners.
Hotelivate’s Take: Technical services are certainly in need of a relook. Their contribution to the owner’s construction process does remain rather limited, especially given the large amount of fees that the brands seek for this service. There exists a view that the technical services fees are being used to pay the cost of the development teams as opposed to necessarily provide the right guidance. Perhaps the need of the hour is to give the tech services offering a detailed overhaul. Proving guidance to the architect, interior design consultant, all the other technical consultants, etc. should be an active part of deliverables. Moreover, the tech services team should be helping the hotel developer with a granular assessment of project cost rather than having them rely on their PMC or Architect. A proactive, more involved and hands-on approach is needed.

Hotel Owners Association

The Owners’ Opinion: The consistency in clauses across operator contracts is striking, with various operators making unreasonable demands of owners. This leaves owners with little choice but to accept these terms, as alternatives are scarce. It highlights the necessity for greater collaboration among owners to align their interests and demands when dealing with operators.
Establishing a hotel owners association would enable owners to present a unified front against unreasonable demands from operators. Moreover, it would foster innovation and provide solutions to common challenges faced by owners. Such collaboration would empower first-time and non-institutional owners, enhancing their leverage in negotiations with operators and promoting a more equal balance of power.
Hotelivate’s Take: While the idea of creating an owner’s association is interesting and the thought behind it is fair, Hotelivate believes that creating such a body may not be entirely practical. For instance, how do organisations such as IHCL, EIH, Leela Hotels (owned by Brookfield), etc get addressed? They are both, owners and operators of brands. Excluding them from this association may not be fair and including them in it may dilute some of the intended purposes of the body. Overall, while there is merit to creating a body that voices the opinion of hotel owners, a formal association that exerts influence may be a far reach.
Globally this situation is not a big issue as hotel brands typically do not own hotel assets. Back in the day, Marriott and Marriott Host split up. While it was not because of similar issues, it did provide for two separate companies looking after their own interests. In Hotelivate’s opinion, in the long run there will be conflicts between owned assets by brands and the hotels they manage. There will need to be greater transparency on how issues are handled. Perhaps a system of strong independent asset managers who do not report to COOs as that itself is a conflict. We, however, do not agree necessarily that a formal owners association needs to be formed or if it would resolve anything.

The Talent Crunch

The Owners’ Opinion: The hospitality industry grapples with a well-known talent shortage, with hiring and retention posing significant hurdles. Despite this, a substantial portion of expenditure continues to be allocated to operator fees across different areas. Owners believe that addressing this talent crunch and positioning themselves for growth requires a strategic shift. They propose reallocating investments from operator fees towards efforts aimed at finding and retaining the right talent, thus effectively solving this challenge.
Hotelivate’s Take: While the owners have posed an interesting suggestion, we are of the view that ‘borrowing from Peter to pay Paul’ may not be the path forward. A concerted and serious effort needs to be made to enable fair and equitable compensation for the employees of our industry. However, we do not feel that asking the operators to take lower fees and transposing those savings to employee salaries may be the solution for this. The fact is that we are simply not paying enough at starting salary levels and treat youngsters coming out hotel schools as cheap labour as opposed to opportunities to train them. We particularly feel that international brands are more at fault in this area. For them, training is often happening through videos and other tech devices whereby we live in a service world that requires a lot more in-person training.
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Snippets from HICSA 2024
For more information, please email us on [contact@hotelivate.com](mailto:contact@hotelivate.com)

Hello, at start I would like to add that I'm still learning linux arch and could not find a solution on my own. I would be glad for help.
Description of things that happened:
First I set up my linux arch (clean install) to have LUKS on a partition with TPM2 and Secure Boot by this guide: Arch Install with Secure Boot, btrfs, TPM2 LUKS encryption, Unified Kernel Images. (walian.co.uk). When I did so, I saved the recovery key. Everything worked fine until I left my laptop for some time and forget user password that I used to log in. After looking, I found the root password and was able to change the user password but before I do so, I mess with bios.
Things I did: Turn off and on Secure Boot, Clear All Secure Boot Keys and Reset to Setup Mode, Turn off and on Security Chip. Now every time I restart, it asks me before I login for recovery key (it's long and have to be written in time, so it makes unusable on daily basis). Other than that, system works fine, working on this problem I even was able to add more recovery keys that work but I'm unable on my own to make it work as before (login with just user credentials). I'm also not sure is solution exist or how my problem is correctly named, so would be glad even for help with naming so I can better look for soultion. Thanks in advance for Your help.

Last Event recap:
Alexandre Pantoja (c) def. Steve Erceg
José Aldo def. Jonathan Martinez
Anthony Smith def. Vitor Petrino
Michel Pereira def. Ihor Potieria
Caio Borralho def. Paul Craig
Joanderson Brito def. Jack Shore
Iasmin Lucindo def. Karolina Kowalkiewicz
Myktybek Orolbai def. Elves Brener
Drakkar Klose def. Joaquim Silva
Maurício Ruffy def. Jamie Mullarkey
Dione Barbosa def. Ernesta Kareckaitė
Ismael Bonfim def. Vinc Pichel
Alessandro Costa def. Kevin Borjas

Betting record 2024: 102-65
Prediction record 2024: 118-68
Words cannot describe how much I hate Anthony Smith. This bald fraud’s upset win prevented me from securing a perfect card (even though it’s well deserved). Otherwise, this was an amazing weekend for me and definitely my best performance so far this year. I finished 9^th place overall this week on Tapology as well which was the icing on top. In addition, I was spot on regarding the main event. It doesn’t matter whether you think Erceg or Pantoja won the fight. I knew Erceg had no chance of winning a decision in Brazil if the fight is close because that’s just the nature of this business. Obrigado Brazil!
Moving on, next week UFC fight night is coming to St Louis and this is a very tricky card to bet on as there are a lot of matchups that should be competitive. I am expecting quite a number of underdogs to prevail in this card.

UFC on ESPN: Lewis vs. Nascimento

Main Card Predictions:
Heavyweight: Derrick Lewis vs. Rodrigo Nascimento
We know what Derrick Lewis can do and cannot do at this point. He is the classic one dimensional swanging and banging fighter who hold the most knockout victories in UFC history. He is a crowd favourite and it makes sense for him to headline this card in his hometown St Louis despite having lost 5 out of his last 7 fights. Lewis is renowned for his devastating knockout power, with the ability to end a fight at any moment but struggles with takedown defense and grappling against high-level wrestlers, as seen in recent losses where opponents took advantage of these weaknesses.At first glance, Rodrigo Nascimento is one of those skilled grapplers with the skillset to take advantage of Lewis’ weakness and control him on the ground. His ability to pressure opponents into uncomfortable positions gives him a strategic edge on paper as I would liken him to a poor man Jailton Almeida and expect him to employ the same strategy for this fight.
Now in theory Nascimento can do what Almeida did to Lewis for 5 straight rounds and lay on him to neutralize his threats but I am picking Lewis in this fight and the main reason why is that there are levels to this and Nascimento is simply not the same calibre of a grappler as Almeida in the heavyweight division. Nascimento is not as roided up and has struggled even to win his fights against mediocre heavyweights. His striking is not a threat as he has never knocked out anyone in the UFC. What stood out to me in the Almeida fight is that Lewis did not get submitted despite his opponent’s domination on the ground for 5 rounds and I am confident that the poor man version will not be able to accomplish that feat. So basically every round the fight will start standing and Lewis will get 5 chances to knock Nascimento out who has the monumental task of bringing Lewis to the ground and laying on him for 25 minutes. In my view, the UFC set this matchup well to get the Lewis signature knockout finish in front of the delighted crowd in his hometown St Louis.
Prediction: Derrick Lewis to win.
Method of Victory: Knockout

Welterweight: Joaquin Buckley vs. Nursulton Ruziboev
Joaquin Buckley ask Dana to be on in this card and the UFC granted his wish to be in the co-main event of the card. Joaquin Buckley is known for his explosive striking and knockout power, often ending fights with a single decisive blow. His aggressive fighting style and athleticism make him dangerous in stand-up exchanges, and his improved grappling defense as shown by his previous fight against Luque provides added dimension to his game. However, his overzealous approach can leave him open to counterattacks and he has been knocked out quite a few times before in this career.
The UFC did grant Buckley his wish but they gave him a dangerous opponent in Nursulton Ruziboev, a well-rounded fighter with a versatile skill set and knockout power. Nursulton Ruziboev’s record is an interesting one. He has 8 losses in the regional scene but his last loss came in 2019 and he has handled 2 of his opponents since coming to the UFC with relative ease in the first round. I am not sure how he has lost 8 times in his career so far yet looks impressive since coming on to the UFC. Ruziboev is going to present a tough matchup for Buckley as he is taller and has solid grappling game. We have seen Buckley struggles against opponents bigger and lengthier than him before. Part of me wonders if this is an example of being careful what you wish for and if the UFC is pairing him up against a fighter that’s a tough matchup for Buckley as a punishment for lobbying to be in this main event.
At first, I was leaning towards picking Buckley but after further analysis, I believe Nursulton Ruziboev is the kind of fighter that Buckley struggles with and the latter might be biting off more than he can chew here by asking to be in this main event. Sure Buckley got his wish to be in this card but can he end this on a high by getting the win as well?
Prediction: Nursulton Ruziboev to win.
Light Heavyweight: Alonzo Menifield vs. Carlos Ulberg
Alonzo Menifield is a power striker with solid knockout power and despite his age, proved that he is still a dangerous fighter to be reckoned with as shown by his latest win against Dustin Jacoby. His aggressive style can overwhelm opponents early with his athleticism and strength. Carlos Ulberg, known for his kickboxing background, uses his reach and precise striking to maintain range, allowing him to control the pace of the fight. He mixes his attacks well, combining kicks and punches to keep opponents off balance.
This is going to be an interesting striking battle between the brute force of Menifield against the technique and precision of Ulberg. Honestly this is a hard fight to predict since Ulberg is likely to land more strikes than Menifield but the latter needs only one or two strikes to swing the balance of the fight just like in his previous fight against Jacoby. I do think Ulberg is a step up in competition and a level above Jacoby though so I think Ulberg is going to be able to maintain distance and withstand Menifield’s early onslaught. I am picking Ulberg to win here as I think he is capable of outpointing Menifield without getting dropped.
Prediction: Carlos Ulberg to win.

Lightweight: Carlos Diego Ferreira vs. Mateusz Rębecki
Carlos Diego Ferreira is a seasoned lightweight with a strong grappling background and dangerous Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. His ground game is exceptional, often overwhelming opponents with control and submission threats. He also possesses solid striking, though it often complements his grappling. But this guy is also 39 years old and has lost 3 out of his last 4 fights with his only win coming against Michael Johnson.
Mateusz Rębecki is a hyped prospect as a versatile fighter with a well-rounded skill set who combines relentless pressure with a balanced attack of striking and grappling. His aggressive approach can put opponents on the back foot quickly. He is relatively untested against higher-level competition, which could be a tricky challenge against an experienced fighter like Ferreira but I think Ferreira is at that age where he is just too old and so far from his prime that I doubt he could handle the pressure Rębecki brings. So I am going with Mateusz Rębecki in this fight as I expect him to pass this test against the veteran.
Prediction: Mateusz Rębecki to win.
Featherweight: Alex Caceres vs. Sean Woodson
Alex Caceres is an established veteran in the UFC, having made his debut in 2011! Wow now I feel old just saying that. I remembered this guy long ago when I was just a casual fan of MMA because of his distinct kung fu inspired style that stands out among the other fighters. No doubt he has accomplished a lot in the UFC, fighting for 13 years in the promotion while only having been knocked out once in his UFC career which is a testament of his durability. At this point in his career though, I think he has lost some of his speed that enables him to evade and strike his opponent like water.
He faces Sean Woodson who is a tall, rangy striker who knows how to use his reach to his advantage. He excels in striking exchanges, particularly with his jab and long-range kicks. As this fight is likely going to be a striking battle, Woodson’s reach might be the key in this fight. In his last fight Caceres had a difficulty facing a similar rangy opponent in Giga Chikadze who picked his spot in landing his strikes against Caceres. That is the blueprint to handling Caceres’s unorthodox fighting style and I think Sean Woodson will employ a similar strategy here to outstrike his opponent and get the win.
Prediction: Sean Woodson to win.

Heavyweight: Waldo Cortes-Acosta vs. Robelis Despaigne
Robelis Despaigne has entered the UFC with much hype around him as this gigantic Taekwando practitioner who has knocked out all his opponent in the first round in his MMA career. He won the bronze medal in Taekwando in the 2012 Olympics which is a bit ironic once you see that he finished his opponents in MMA using punches instead of kicks. One thing is for sure, Despaigne’s ability as a striker is elite as he combines devastating power and technique in his strikes.
His opponent Waldo Cortes-Acosta is also a striker, with 4 wins out of 5 in his UFC career but all of his wins came by decision and it doesn’t seem that he has the knockout power even for a heavyweight. Looking at his physique, Cortes-Acosta is one of those fat out of shape heavyweights that are unfortunately common in the UFC. This is a fight that Despaigne should have no trouble winning as the UFC has given him a favorable matchup against an out of shape striker with no finishing power here. He has the advantage in reach as well and should have no problems finding the target. I do think that Despaigne will be exposed once he face a really good grappler in this division but for now, the UFC is trying to build him up as an exciting prospect in the division.
Prediction: Robelis Despaigne to win.
Method of Victory: Knockout

Preliminary Card Predictions:
Lightweight: Chase Hooper vs. Viacheslav Borshchev
Now this is an extreme grappler vs striking matchup between a fighter with excellent grappling but poor striking and a ferocious striker with a terrible ground game. Chase Hooper is a grappling specialist known for his aggressive ground game, submissions, and relentless pursuit of taking fights to the mat. He is a really dangerous fighter on the ground as he can find his submissions quickly as seen by his latest 1^st round victory against Jordan Leavitt who is a decent fighter. However, his striking defense has notable gaps, often absorbing significant damage in striking exchanges. His stand-up game has been a primary vulnerability, and strong strikers have capitalized on this weakness in the past.
Viacheslav Borshchev is primarily a kickboxer who excels at using his striking and movement to control the fight. He employs effective combinations and precise targeting, showcasing his technical prowess on the feet. Despite his strong stand-up skills, Borshchev struggles against grapplers who can keep him on the ground and nullify his striking. His takedown defense is terrible there is no other way sugarcoat it.
This is the perfect example of a coin clip fight but one that can make fight predictors look like a genius or foolish since the fight will likely end up being one sided. Probably the hardest fight to predict in this card and I went back and forth with who I was going to pick until I finally decided to pick Chase Hooper and here’s why: Hooper is still a young fighter with lots of room to improve and I think he has made improvements since his last loss 2 years ago. I expect Hooper to show the urgency of getting Borshchev immediately as soon as the fight begin and go for the kill right away because if he doesn’t he is going to get hurt really badly in this fight. Also, since it’s a coin flip I might as well take the underdog to get the better odds.
Prediction: Chase Hooper to win.

Lightweight: Terrance McKinney vs. Esteban Ribovics
Terrance McKinney is a dynamic and explosive lightweight known for his finishing ability. His striking is powerful, with many early first-round knockouts to his name, and he complements this with strong wrestling skills from his collegiate wrestling background. While his opponent Esteban Ribovics is a prospect who excels in striking as well and has many knockout victories on the regional scene.
Just looking at the odds, I do not understand how Terrance McKinney is an underdog here. Sure he could be inconsistent as a fighter as he is a feast or famine type of fighter, either finishing his fights in the first round or getting finished early. But he has victories against good fighters like Fares Ziam and Matt Frevola. Mckinney has power behind his punches and he is a decent grappler as a former NCAA division II wrestler.
In contrast, Ribovics only had 2 fights in the UFC, with a win over Kamuela Kirk who may not even be UFC level and a loss to Loik Radzhabov. Most of his wins comes against jobbers on the regional scene and I do not see what he has accomplished to warrant being the favourite in this matchup. I am picking McKinney here and he is the most confident underdog pick I have for this card. I think McKinney will use his reach advantage to land one of his devastating punches on Ribovics and find the knockout once again in the first round.
Prediction: Terrance McKinney to win.
Method of Victory: Knockout

Women's Strawweight: Tabatha Ricci vs. Tecía Pennigton
Tabatha Ricci is a well-rounded fighter with a strong grappling background, particularly in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. She excels at taking opponents to the ground and controlling them with dominant top positions. Her striking is steadily improving, but her main advantage lies in her ability to grapple and pressure her opponents effectively. She has performed well in her UFC career so far as her loss has come against good fighters in Loopy Godinez and Manon Fiorot who is now a contender for the title in the division.
Tenía Pennigton, on the other hand, is a versatile fighter with solid striking skills. She uses her footwork and technical striking to control the pace of her fights. She has been in the UFC since 2015 and seems to have found her ceiling as she struggles to defeat the elite fighters in her division. Her ability to maintain distance and fend off Ricci’s takedown attempts will be crucial in this bout. Tabatha Ricci is my pick in this fight as I think her grappling ability will be too much for Pennington to overcome and Ricci should have no problem controlling her opponent on the ground.
Prediction: Tabatha Ricci to win.

Welterweight: Billy Goff vs. Trey Waters
Billy Goff is a plucky underdog and he does have good striking techniques as well as a strong wrestling base. Goff shows his heart and resilience against Yusaku Kinoshita in his previous fight, weathering the storm before landing a powerful liver punch to down his opponent. Trey Waters is a long, rangy striker with a preference for maintaining distance and using his reach advantage to outpoint opponents. His striking is technical, and he has shown the ability to handle opponents on the ground. Goff tends to eat a lot of shots in his fights and Waters should have no problem landing his strikes from a distance against his opponent without engaging in a brawl which would favour Goff. This may not be a good matchup for Billy Goff as Waters is a durable, resilient fighter and his length should give him the advantage in the striking department.
Prediction: Trey Waters to win.

Flyweight: Charles Johnson vs. Jake Hadley
Ok this is the kind of matchup I hater the most besides having 2 debutants fight each other. It’s a matchup of 2 extremely mediocre fighters who are barely hanging on in the UFC. Charles Johnson narrowly avoided getting cut from the UFC with a gutsy performance against Azat Maksum while Jake Hadley is a decent grappler but is a mediocre fighter with a 2-2 record in the UFC. I have nothing else good to say about these 2 fighters and I am just going to pick Charles Johnson out of this 2 because he is fighting in his hometown and the crowd will be behind him so I hope he will show extra motivation for this fight.
Prediction: Charles Johnson to win.

Welterweight: Jared Gooden vs. Kevin Jousset
This should be an interesting striking matchup. Jared Gooden is a powerful striker indeed and often marches forward to overwhelm opponents with heavy strikes. But he is very hittable as his aggressiveness exposes him defensively.Kevin Jousset, on the other hand, is a more measured and technical striker who uses range effectively. He is another product from City Kickboxing who has produced quite a number of good strikers in the UFC. Jousset also has a solid grappling base, preferring to mix takedowns and striking to maintain control over opponents. His defense may be lacking though as shown in his previous fight with Kenan Song.
Now in terms of skills, Jousset is definitely the better fighter here as Gooden can be sloppy and mostly relies on his power. So I expect him to outland more strikes than Gooden although he needs to tighten up his striking defense as Gooden can really hurt him with one good devastating punch. Jousset should win this fight as he should be able to keep Gooden at bay and exploit his defensive lapses. I expect his team to come up with the better gameplan although he needs to approach this fight with caution.
Prediction: Kevin Jousset to win.

Women's Flyweight: JJ Aldrich vs. Verónica Hardy
I don’t think JJ Aldrich should be an underdog in this fight. JJ Aldrich is a well-rounded fighter known for her technical striking and disciplined approach. On the ground, Aldrich displays sound defensive grappling and enough takedown defense to keep the fight standing. Aldrich has been in the UFC since 2016 and have a good record while beating decent opponents.
Verónica Hardy meanwhile is a decent grappler with ok ground game but she has a 3-4 record in the UFC which is not an impressive record. I don’t understand why she is the favorite here. Is it because she is married to Dan Hardy? Her record and abilities doesn’t suggest she is anything more than an average fighter in her division. Macedo’s striking is unpredictable and sometimes leaves her vulnerable to counters which Aldrich can exploit. I am picking JJ Aldrich here as I think she is just the better all-around fighter and she should be the favourite in this bout.
Prediction: JJ Aldrich to win.

I’ve been a McLaren fan since 2000, but also very fond of Williams. The acquisition from the family was a bleak moment for me as an F1 fan. McLaren has seen some dark times, too, but nothing of this depth and duration. I can appreciate that if you love the sport, you shouldn’t only be interested in the top battles - I was crossing my fingers for the 4th in the WCC not so long ago, earning any points was a good day. And there was 2015 as well. But still, rooting for a single point grab is on a different level. How do you keep your loyalty to the team? How do you see it developing in the near future?

Hello all,
I've been trying to look for people that love to have a casual and chill gaming session after work. I really don't mind what your gender is or your orientation as long as you are chill.
I also watch anime but dont read manga - watched moat mainstream stuff
Not really looking to join a discord server
Games:

• Overwatch
• FFXIV (Tank main - I'm fairly rusty after many months of not having played solo but have a house I wanna keep and wanna get back into it )
• BG3
• CoD Zombies (MW3 until the next BO comes out)
• Tekken 8

Those should do for now. I have more games in my library but someone interested in playing at least 3/5 of those games should reach out :)

We are in the UK, for 8 years we have never needed a court order ect.
My ex use to have our son 3 days a week, he then got a new job and the arrangement changed to every other weekend. I told my ex 4 days a month isn't enough and he wasn't happy in his job so he went back to his old job. He told me he wasn't happy not seeing his son as much (the relationship is now strained with my son and his dad).
Co parent told me he wants to ease back into work before having our son more which I agreed.. this was back in November and he still only has our child every other weekend.
For context, my ex finishes work at 1pm and he lives 5 minutes away from me, has every Wednesday and Saturday off work. Son finishes school at 3pm. I have pushed for a long time for him to see our kid more, ex MIL and BIL have stepped up and see child more and ex MIL has spoken to dad multiple times but nothing changes.
My question is, do I just keep going with the arrangement? Our son has said to dad that he's more than happy to only see him once every few months (ouch!) But they use to be really close and I'm worried my son will eventually just not want to see him anymore. I have 2 other children with a different dad and they see their dad 2 days every week and eldest has started to make comments to them such as 'yeah well my dad is better because xyz' and its very obvious that he has negative feelings towards his dad and is trying to make the younger two jealous (example, younger kids dad doesn't drive so doesn't take them out) and it's almost like he's trying to say 'yeah my dad doesn't want to see me but atleast he takes me out'
Any advice would be appreciated ❤️

Source Wikipedia. The Kaimingjie germ weapon attack was a secret biological warfare launched by Japan in October 1940 against the Kaiming Street area of Ningbo, Zhejiang, China.[1] A joint operation of the Imperial Japanese Army's Unit 731 and Unit 1644,[1] this attack was operated by military planes taking off from Jianqiao Airport in Hangzhou,[2]: 89 which airdropped wheat, corn, cotton scraps, and sand infected with plague fleas to target locations.[1] From September 1940, Ningbo, Quzhou, and other places were subjected to various forms of biological warfares until the end of October 1940, when the attacks triggered a plague epidemic in Ningbo. After the outbreak of the plague, the city authorities in Ningbo built a 4.3-meter-high isolation wall around the epidemic area, segregating patients and suspected cases, and eventually burned down the Kaiming Street area to eradicate the disease.[4] Until the 1960s, this burned area was still referred to as the "plague field".[5] According to the doctoral thesis of Junichi Kaneko, a military doctor of Unit 731, on October 27, 1940, Unit 731 spread 2 kilograms of plague bacteria over Ningbo, Zhejiang, using aircraft, resulting in a total of 1554 deaths from the first- and second-round infections. Here are some more facts about Unit 731.
According to American historian Sheldon H. Harris:

The Togo Unit employed gruesome tactics to secure specimens of select body organs. If Ishii or one of his co-workers wished to do research on the human brain, then they would order the guards to find them a useful sample. A prisoner would be taken from his cell. Guards would hold him while another guard would smash the victim's head open with an ax. His brain would be extracted off to the pathologist, and then to the crematorium for the usual disposal. Prisoners were injected with diseases, disguised as vaccinations,[32] to study their effects. To study the effects of untreated venereal diseases, male and female prisoners were deliberately infected with syphilis and gonorrhea, then studied. Prisoners were also repeatedly subjected to rape by guards. A special project, codenamed Maruta, used human beings for experiments. Test subjects were gathered from the surrounding population and sometimes euphemistically referred to as "logs" (丸太, maruta), used in such contexts as "How many logs fell?" This term originated as a joke on the part of the staff because the official cover story for the facility given to local authorities was that it was a lumber mill. According to a junior uniformed civilian employee of the Imperial Japanese Army working in Unit 731, the project was internally called "Holzklotz", German for log.[34] In a further parallel, the corpses of "sacrificed" subjects were disposed of by incineration.[35] Researchers in Unit 731 also published some of their results in peer-reviewed journals, writing as though the research had been conducted on nonhuman primates called "Manchurian monkeys" or "long-tailed monkeys."[36]. Thousands of men, women, children, and infants interned at prisoner of war camps were subjected to vivisection, often performed without anesthesia and usually lethal.[37][38] In a video interview, former Unit 731 member Okawa Fukumatsu admitted to having vivisected a pregnant woman.[39] Vivisections were performed on prisoners after infecting them with various diseases. Researchers performed invasive surgery on prisoners, removing organs to study the effects of disease on the human body. Prisoners had limbs amputated in order to study blood loss. Limbs removed were sometimes reattached to the opposite side of victims' bodies. Some prisoners had their stomachs surgically removed and their esophagus reattached to the intestines. Parts of organs, such as the brain, lungs, and liver, were removed from others.[38] Imperial Japanese Army surgeon Ken Yuasa said that practising vivisection on human subjects was widespread even outside Unit 731,[41] estimating that at least 1,000 Japanese personnel were involved in the practice in mainland China.[42] Yuasa said that when he performed vivisections on captives, they were "all for practice rather than for research," and that such practises were "routine" among Japanese doctors stationed in China during the war. Other sources provided information on usual practice in the Unit for surgeons to stuff a rag (or medical gauze) into the mouth of prisoners before commencing vivisection in order to stifle any screaming.

Hi all,
Since TOTS Attacker plus came out a couple days ago, I tried to submit my 85 evo Noni Madueke (Budding Starlet) into the evo which would become 93 rated card that'd fit nicely into my Chelsea team. However, it could not be submitted into the evo on both Webapp and console. it said that I already have an evolution version of this card or something like that.
As I was so desperate to get him for my Chelsea team, I tried to quicksell and recover him in hope that it would fix the bug. However, once I recovered my 85 evo Noni Madueke card it became duplicate. So now, 1. I cannot evo the card that fit into the requirement 2. My card became duplicate for no reason and 3. I cannot access store to keep grinding during TOTS.
In order to fix this, I tried many ways to access the EA support live chat, it took me a day to finally got there and I had to be on the waiting queue for about 30 mins.
Below are the conversation between me and the support in the live chat. Hope this help anyone trying to cope with this problem. (the transcript actually cut short cause the support just left the chat at the end so I couldnot download the full transcript). Also, sorry for my English skill.
Harsh (5/7/2024, 12:02:45 AM):
By continuing, you consent to the monitoring and storing of this conversation, including with an EA vendor, subject to the terms of EA’s User Agreement [https://www.ea.com/legal/user-agreement ] and Privacy and Cookie Policy [https://www.ea.com/legal/privacy-and-cookie-policy ].
Thank you for contacting EA HELP, my name is Harsh, may I start with your first name please?
Me (5/7/2024, 12:03:03 AM):
Hi I'm Mike
Harsh (5/7/2024, 12:03:10 AM):
Hello, nice to meet you Mike, hope you're doing well. How may I help you today?
Me (5/7/2024, 12:03:33 AM):
I have a problem with one particular card
it was my 85 Noni Madueke (Budding Starlet Evolution)
I tried to submit the card into the TOTS Attacker Plus yesterday, but it said that I already have an evolution version of this player
However, I have only put common gold Noni Madueke into one Evolution and completed the evo.
Harsh (5/7/2024, 12:05:30 AM):
Alright, as I can see your concern is regarding Error When Attempting To Start New Evolutions, Is this correct?
Me (5/7/2024, 12:06:07 AM):
Then, I quicksold the card as I saw on the internet that it might help if I quicksold and recovered it
Though, once I recovered the card, it became duplicate and I cannot store it into my club
so, in conclusion, my problems are 1 I cannot out a card into evo 2 the card then became duplicate after recovered 3. now I cannot access the store and open any pack
I only play the Chelsea team and I have kept this particular cards for months in hope of further evo it
Please help me fix this
As I have not violated any rules or exploited any glitches
Harsh (5/7/2024, 12:09:02 AM):
Alright, as I can see your concern is regarding Error When Attempting To Start New Evolutions, Is this correct?
Me (5/7/2024, 12:09:13 AM):
one of my problem yes
Harsh (5/7/2024, 12:09:37 AM):
No worries, I will certainly look into this and do my best to help you with your concern.
May I know the email registered with your EA account?
Me (5/7/2024, 12:09:52 AM):
[censored email]
thank you so much in advance
do you know how long the process would take
and also how could you keep me posted on this matter
Harsh (5/7/2024, 12:15:59 AM):
Thanks for the emal.
Me (5/7/2024, 12:17:32 AM):
By the last sentence, I meant could you tell me the process that would keep me updated on this matter
Harsh (5/7/2024, 12:17:43 AM):
I just consulted your case with our team regarding your issue. Please first of all, accept my apology for the inconvenience caused.
I have checked the details the issue that you are facing is something which we're already aware of. We're receiving similar reports from other players around the globe.
Me (5/7/2024, 12:17:46 AM):
sorry for my English
Harsh (5/7/2024, 12:17:48 AM):
Good thing is that this has been brought into the notice of our game team and they are diligently working to fix it as soon as possible.
Me (5/7/2024, 12:18:12 AM):
there is no specific timeframe yet?
Harsh (5/7/2024, 12:18:21 AM):
But there some potential solution available is try to use a different Player item for Evolution for now.
Me (5/7/2024, 12:18:47 AM):
How could I access the store in the meantime? or do I need to quicksell the card again?
Harsh (5/7/2024, 12:21:30 AM):
I have shared the solution which might help but I am unable to commit that.
Me (5/7/2024, 12:21:52 AM):
which solution?
Harsh (5/7/2024, 12:22:16 AM):
try to use a different Player item for Evolution for now.
Me (5/7/2024, 12:22:48 AM):
I already noted to you that "so, in conclusion, my problems are 1 I cannot out a card into evo 2 the card then became duplicate after recovered 3. now I cannot access the store and open any pack"
trying to use different one is not the solution
also it would not fix my 2nd and 3rd problems
Harsh (5/7/2024, 12:23:27 AM):
Many players are facing this issue not only you
It will be resolved ASAP! No worries. Meanwhile I would request you to wait.
Me (5/7/2024, 12:23:54 AM):
so I have to wait if I want this card
or quicksell it and move on
if that what you suggested?
Harsh (5/7/2024, 12:24:51 AM):
Yes
This is on going issue currently with the server and team is working on this.
Me (5/7/2024, 12:25:12 AM):
but these problems had been reported for months
and there is still no fix?
it has been MONTHS?
since December last year probably
are you certain that they are working on these problems?
or it was swept under the rug?
Harsh (5/7/2024, 12:27:01 AM):
This should automatically fixed as soon as possible. So I humbly request you to wait for sometime and this will surely get fixed, we just need your co-operation here.
Me (5/7/2024, 12:27:22 AM):
it has been months
are you aware of that?
these problems have been frequently posted on the EA SPORTS FC 24 Community on the site for months
and there are still no fix
I just need an honest answer
Harsh (5/7/2024, 12:28:48 AM):
I understand that as well, we have pushing our game team for this as we are also feeling bad. For now can only request you to wait as this issue is under investigation.
Me (5/7/2024, 12:29:45 AM):
Can I ask you "how long have these issues been under investigation?"
Harsh (5/7/2024, 12:30:31 AM):
I would not like to speculate a wrong time frame and give you any more hassle. The team is online and I am trying to get this done as early as we can.
Me (5/7/2024, 12:30:52 AM):
so no answer no fix
suggestion was to move on as I'm not the only one having this problem
is that right?
Harsh (5/7/2024, 12:32:55 AM):
Yes, many players are facing this issue.
Me (5/7/2024, 12:33:16 AM):
but it has been months
any error concerning FC points would be fixed within 48 hrs
would you agree with that?
Harsh (5/7/2024, 12:34:10 AM):
No.
We can't commit any timeline for that same.
Me (5/7/2024, 12:35:24 AM):
How would you keep me updated on this?
would I be notified if my problems are fixed?
Harsh (5/7/2024, 12:35:45 AM):
Also I recommend you to keep checking our twitter page regarding more updates about the issue you are facing and other known issue which are under investigation.
Me (5/7/2024, 12:36:10 AM):
So I would not get any reply or notification following this chat?

*Long Read, Sorry*
So a guy I work with likes to text me when he's drunk all the time. This started a year or so ago, back before I was his direct boss and has always been something that pops it's head up time and again, usually with him feeling shame and being apologetic after the fact.
Now it's been about 6 months since I've been his direct boss and the first time he texted me while hammered after that fact, I informed him the next day to put a stop to it since as his boss I had to take what he said seriously. The reason for this was because his texts are always hyper-focused on work, usually issues with co-workers and when he talks about work/co-workers while hammered drunk, he says things that can be downright fire-able if said in the context of actual work. Given that he is a hard worker and displayed none of his drunk characteristics while sober at work (he's actually an incredible team player), it was easy to want to give him a pass before I was his boss, but after I was, it was becoming sad and concerning to the point where I told him to please approach me while sober with his work frustrations if he had any and that I would not respond to any text he sent after 11:00pm due to him having burned that bridge with too many drunk texts in the past.
Now before I was his boss he would do this as well, usually bitching and moaning about someone at work or the management structure of the company being sub-par, always after midnight, and always when he's clearly hammered drunk. He has telltale signs when he's drunk, the main one being that he will send 20-40 texts in a row over the course of 30 minutes without a single response being made by me. The texts always read like the inner-monologue of a drunk man, so angry at everybody and everything, talking as though he had the remedy for all the issues at work if people would only listen to him.
So much did he do this before I became his boss that I learned to just completely not engage with/respond anything until either the next morning when he was likely sober, or the next work day. If I responded with anything while he was having his drunk episode, it would usually make it so I got another 40 texts in a row since he knew I had seen what he already sent. It's literally as crazy as it sounds, a grown man drunk texting non-stop without receiving any responses and literally having a rage-session with himself about work....always about work. And sometimes I would get burned and respond at what seemed like an early enough time for him to be sober, only to realize I fucked up and responded while he was drunk making it so the texts just kept flowing.
Now initially in the days when I was just getting to know him and before I was his boss, this seemed like kind of funny drunk behavior. It was only as it continued consistently every other Friday/Saturday night that it became clear that this guy had a problem with both drinking heavily, and not being able to leave work at work since that is all he wanted to drunk text about. I tried telling him that eventually he's going to say the wrong thing to the wrong person while drunk and it was going to bite him in the ass, that he needed to get to the point where he just stops texting while he was drunk, but still the man couldn't help himself.
It got to the point where I informed my boss about it, letting him know that this guy had issues with drinking & texting about work, informing him that one day he's going to text the wrong person and that even after scolding the guy in question about it that I was still finding myself waking up on a Saturday to 20-30 texts from the night before, always about some angry work topic. I did not disclose all the awful contents of all of the texts I had received to my boss, but I certainly gave him a good idea of what they were about and how it was drunk nonsense. It got to the point where this guy once texted on a weekend that he was quitting, only to take it back the next week when I pulled him in to talk about it with me and my boss, apologizing that he was drunk.
Then there came another time a few weeks ago, where on a Tuesday night he got on another bender and started blowing my phone up, saying he didn't care any more, had no more motivation, and was going to call in the next day because this place sucks, etc... I actually saw this as he was sending it to me but didn't respond since it was clear he was drunk. When I came in the next day to find he did actually call in, I assumed he was priming us for another round of maybe finding another job due to the nature of the texts, and informed my boss about them - describing in detail what had been sent to me. At this point I had told this guy so many times to stop drunk texting me that I stopped caring and just reported the texts like I was reading a news article to my boss.
Somehow or another this guy learned that I spoke with my boss about his texts to me from that Tuesday night, and last weekend he changed up and began drunk texting another one of my co-workers, bitching and moaning about how I sucked, was a rat, betrayed his trust, etc.. and then he also added in that he wanted to kill me. Adding in that if I didn't keep my mouth shut about things going forward then he would take some people to my town to find me and take care of me.
This guy, who drinks and chooses to text his boss about work while drunk at the late hours of the night without any response, wants to kill me because I, as his boss brought it up to my boss what had transpired the night before he called in since it appeared he was clearly unhappy with the place and was maybe on the outs again.
Now, I guess I'm not entirely sure how to handle this. He didn't threaten me directly, he just said he wanted to kill me when texting my co-worker, who let me know today when he saw me since he didn't feel comfortable about it after he received a text about how this guy wanted to kill me. I've spoken to plenty of friends/family about it for the time being so that they are aware, but haven't yet gone to the police. Since I work an off-shift, I wasn't able to directly speak with my boss about it today as he leaves shortly after I arrive and currently the guy who threatened me isn't working my hours since he's being trained in a new department. I do have a sit down scheduled with my boss tomorrow about it though, and will hopefully figure out something.
I don't know what to do about it exactly as I'm 100% sure he was hammered when he said it and that he probably doesn't mean it, but at the same time I don't think it's something that I can just brush off either. If we bring it to his attention that I'm aware of what he said, then he'll know that the co-worker he sent it to would have been the one who told me, and he might also view that as a betrayal of trust and want violence on him as well. If my boss confronts him about it he will know I told him about it and may want to make serious on his threat to bring a few guys to my town to take care of me. I worry if I get the police involved that I will escalate the situation even worse, making him more enraged and wanting to seek vengeance. To my knowledge this guy doesn't know where I live, but my town isn't all that big either.
As of right now, I will speak with my boss about it tomorrow, but I was hoping I could get some advice from this sub as well. I know it's a long ass post, but I felt the context was necessary and clearly this is something serious that I was hoping to get some help with.

I really need some advice so bare with me while I explain —My mother left my father for domestic abuse when I was young. He was extremely abusive to her physically, psychologically, and emotionally. She left once she realized how negatively it was affecting me and my sisters. My sisters are my half sisters (& 7/9 years older) and so I would/ I do go back to my fathers house alone (+my stepmom). My sisters never believe me when I reach out because I was never physically beaten like they were and they think I’m being dramatic.
Most of the time when I’m with my dad he’s screaming at me for some dumb thing or degrading me about how I’m not good enough for him. He’s always upset about something and takes it out on me. He used to shove me and lock me in closets but that stopped after CPS started calling more frequently (about a year and a half ago). I’ve been hospitalized twice in the past two years but struggled with mental health issues for a long time. I’ve been professionally diagnosed with depression and anxiety and an unspecified trauma disorder. The hospitals I’ve gone to have repeatedly called CPS on my father and so have my past schools. My stepmom condones what he does and encourages him. She’ll go to him and make him mad whenever I don’t listen to her (for the SMALLEST stuff too). Anytime we’re in-front of other people though he and my stepmom put on a mask, acting like the perfect parents.
My mom on the other hand I have taken care of since I was a kid. I have always comforted her and doing been tasks I should not be doing for my mom. She comes to me crying about my siblings, bills, or even court stuff with my father (just in general inappropriate things to tell your kid). —Even now we have a very co-dependent relationship (which I have recently realized) and anytime I or other family members confront her about it she gets really upset and offended. She used to be very understanding and kind but she hasn’t been for awhile. She still swears she’s there for me and will support me no matter what but anytime I open up she gets offended and we end up fighting. She turns me into the bad guy and twists my words. She’s also always complaining to her siblings and my grandmother about how lazy I am and don’t help her ever. Even they ask me about why she says all that because it’s not true.
I’ve been in therapy on and off for awhile and I’ve been doing family counseling with my father but no matter what I do things don’t get better. I try to work things out with my mom but she refuses to see my perspective.. No one believes me when I tell them what my parents do. My friends somewhat do but there’s really not much that they can do. —I have a best-friend whose family I’ve known for years thats offered to take me in in the past, but I’m not sure due to legality of it. I doubt my parents would voluntarily let me live with them. I have my sisters who are living in an apartment together but they’re mid-college and I don’t want to be a burden.. (Plus I don’t think they’d even help me) What do I do?

I was at a division of a company for a short time that went belly-up and we all got laid off. Which included Betty, a secretary to one of the big executives.
Betty was nice, but awkward. She was about 10-15 years older than me and was a Jehovah's Witness. She loved talking comic book movies, so I was friendly and chatted with her about them from time to time.
She was also pretty obviously flirty, like she loved to touch my arm and just her general mannerisms when she talked to me, but I brushed it off. Aside from being co-workers who I at least never flirt with, she was super-religious while I wasn't at all (which I implied) and there was the age gap. I also wasn't attracted to her myself, so I'm sure I never subconsciously sent any signals her way.
When we all got laid off, Betty's boss actually stayed but used this mass layoff as a way of getting rid of her, again, because she was pretty awkward.
A month or two after the layoff, Betty had been messaging me, mainly asking about how my job search was going. She asked if I wanted to go to lunch with her and I was like "Sure!" because I had nothing better to do. She lived two towns over and picked out a restaurant in her town.
The busses where I live don't go many places conveniently, but it just so happened that one went right from the street that I live to the restaurant, so I took it.
I got to the restaurant, wearing something like jeans, sneakers, and an unbuttoned flannel with a t-shirt. And Betty showed up wearing evening dress. We got into the place and she had made a reservation. I look around and holy crap... this is like super-high end steak house, dim lighting and all. I was oblivious in the moment, but I later realized just how much of a date spot this was.
Our lunch conversation was very basic, no romantic implications, but Betty kept leaning in and touching my arm which was becoming a little awkward. She offered to pay for (pretty pricey) meal as well, but threw down some cash after she put her card on the tray.
We went outside to the parking lot after and that's where it hit me just how out of place her wearing an evening dress really was. Plus she had on more makeup that I've ever seen her wear at the office.
I let her know I took the bus and she immediately said "What? You didn't drive? Let me drive you home!" which would have taken about 20 minutes, away from where she lived about a mile away from the restaurant. I said "No, it's okay, the bus should be coming in 20 minutes and I'll kill some time," and she offered to bring me back to her place to wait.
That's where it really hit me. I smiled and just kept insisting I'd wait at the bus stop.
She contacted me a few more times, but I only replied intermittently, I was always "busy." At first I'd wonder why me, someone so much younger and someone who shared none of the religious values she had, but I realized that she was just probably really lonely. My casual conversations with her in the office and afterwards was all surface-level stuff, but maybe to her that was more than she had had in a really long time.