These institutional racism eruptions have been occurring sporadically for a while now, it's not really that new or shocking. We've seen it before.
It certainly isn't helping matters that enough numbers of less-than-capable fellow citizens insist on electing unquestionably incompetent representatives, often simply based solely on the abbreviated letters (D) or (R) which precedes their names. Contrary to what the mainstream media coverage would have Americans believe, life goes on for average citizens far removed from the pervasive racial disparities projected by news organizations and mainstream journalists.
Certainly, racism will forever remain an issue; however, it is by no means any longer representative of common white Americans – in fact, most common white citizens would outright reject blatant racism, not to project their righteous image; but, out of true disdain for the reminder of a fading, yet shameful history. It would be fair to say that racism, at this point, has been relegated to the outcasts of white America.
White Americans consider abject racism every bit as repulsive as black Americans do. Racism is not an issue of such paramount importance in this country as portrayed by the agenda-driven media.
The media has only made matters worse as they have been either thoughtlessly, negligently, or intentionally remiss in their coverage of perceived racial tensions, crimes of allegedly racial motivations, or the police shootings allegedly motivated by race.
Perhaps many of the uninformed general public would do well by learning from history. I’m sure many would be surprised to learn that early white Americans weren’t innately responsible for inheriting slavery. Many fail to realize slavery was, at the time, a subject of monumental importance and debate.
People fail to understand the considerable strife that existed between abolitionists and slaveholders at the time of the 1st Continental Congress. Abolitionists knew that the institution of slavery did not align with the basic principles of our founding declaration and sought to right the injustice brought to our shores by French, British, and Spanish colonialists.
Most Americans fail to realize slavery has existed since the dawn of mankind and each of us have ancestors, who were, at one point or another, slaves to another race, empire, or another. It wasn’t until the moral evolution sparked by this revolutionary nation that mankind began to understand the injustice where those who came before them had failed.
Mankind cannot wholly understand historical context, but one can imagine being born into a world where slavery had always existed bringing such a remarkably enduring and accepted act of cruelty to an end would require a concerted and united effort in order to unravel it.
It was the birth of this country which gave the spark to that idea. The entire world watched on with immense interest to know the results; results which would ultimately effect change throughout the entire world.
Before the United States drafted the constitution, most anyone who lacked a noble bloodline had no hope for living the life they truly desired; let alone having the power to unite into a political force capable of influencing the governing bodies.
The common man was relegated to whichever social class to which they were born, never able to choose his or her destiny. America changed that. This is a country where every baby born has the tools to live his or her dream. This country provided the right to pursue individual happiness and the potential to earn it based on merit rather than birthright.
The world has always been a very unpleasant place, unpleasantries divided among all of our ancestors at one time or another, at the hands of one race or empire or another.
It seems our collective retrospect is always used to disparage or drudge up negative emotions and sentiments among our people. It’s used to divide us. When we are divided, someone is gaining – that is a guarantee.
Many of the race baiters and professional activists continue to justify their spite on the distant past and the transgressions of American ancestry. It’s time to move past it and acknowledge that it ended solely on account of this nation’s founding principles.
Again, the institution of slavery was never limited to the African race and perpetrated by white Americans; though, the general public seems to have only familiarized themselves with that particular aspect. Perhaps the most important aspect of that fact is that it was within these shores where the abhorrent tradition was finally put to a decisive end through bloody sacrifice like the world had never seen.
They say every man on earth has kings and slaves in his ancestry. However, reflecting on distant past with no causal impact on our current lives to simply finger blame is redundant and asinine; it has no place or relevancy in modern society.
Since its apparent people do desire to drudge up the past and the transgressions of our ancestors, why is it those with the platform to reach out and effect positive change in racial attitudes fail to drudge up the past that demonstrates the important lesson that, while early white Americans were guilty of perpetuating the original sin of slavery brought here; it was also the offspring of those early white Americans who sacrificed and shed blood of an entire generation in order to right that wrong
White Americans were a huge part of the civil rights movement of the 50’s and 60’s, though are seldom mentioned.
Why don’t we celebrate John Brown and his Christ-like sacrifice made to the betterment and freedom of the black race?
Frederick Douglass regarded John Brown as the most inspirational, devoted, and faithful man in America in the fight against slavery. Douglass spoke of John Brown and his bravery until the day he died; it seems the memory of John Brown and any whites who made abolition possible died with Frederick Douglass.
During one of his many presentations to American audiences, Douglass had this to say of John Brown:
“His zeal in the cause of my race was far greater than mine – it was as the burning sun to my taper light – mine was bounded by time, his stretched away to the boundless shores of eternity. I could live for the slave, but he could die for him. The crown of martyrdom is high, far beyond the reach of ordinary mortals, and yet happily no special greatness or superior moral excellence is necessary to discern and, in some measure, appreciate a truly great soul.”
Perhaps those who seek to divide we Americans by means of race might be derailed if we could raise awareness to the positive messages which lie hidden or suppressed in our society’s history; a positive message regarding the remarkable and unprecedented and global moral evolution inspired by this nation’s founding.
It’s time those living with “White guilt” and members of Black Lives Matter consider paying at least a modicum of respect to the millions of black AND white
The sacrifice of John Brown, which is ultimately believed to have sparked the Civil War, was a long and expected time coming. It was abolition for which countles numbers of our American ancestry - of all races and backgrounds - tirelessly worked, fought and died. It's the seemingly little known facts such as these that might serve to give our people back some semblance of American pride in our citizens and young people.
This is not a fight of black versus white.
This is a fight between the Wicked and Righteous.

I got my settlement from a car crash deposited into my chime checking account. I noticed multiple transactions being made on my account. Once I noticed these unauthorized transactions I called chime customer service and informed them that I was not making them. At that time I canceled my debit card and filed 2 disputes. At this time only these 2 transactions were done pending. I received a email stating that my claims were denied. Then I filed an appeal and it was also denied. One ALL off these unauthorized transactions were done pending and settled I called chime and filed the additional disputes. It took them less than 4 hours to come back with a decision of denied for the second time. This time they were investigating 177 transactions that were unauthorized.2 debit cards have been replaced since this has happened. I’m also on the verge of being evicted because I can’t pay my bills. As I stated before I have been off work for 3 months with no income coming in. I have not even been able to get the opportunity to receive a provisional credit because of how fast the denial comes. I have submitted several documents regarding my claims. Some of the documentation includes a letter from my employer and a letter from the hospital stating that I have been off/out of work. I also send a copy of my police report with the date of my car crash. I was also told that I could send any pictures text messages or anything g of the sort to prove that I was at home at the time of some transactions and I provided 2 pictures from my camera roll with the time and location on them. I also reached out to one of the merchants and received written confirmation that I in fact do not have an account with them. I also send a copy of my 3 days eviction notice. With chime simply denying my claims instantly I have not been successful at receiving any help or even a provisional credit while my case is being investigated causing my landlord to issue and eviction notice

Title + a few extra questions. I scrolled through the sub and tags about layoff unemployment but I don't know if I have everything I need/what to include in my appeal so any help would be appreciated. Sorry this is super long, I just want to make sure I didnt exclude any info that couldve been the reason for my claim getting DQ'd.
I was laid off back in Feb as a part of a mass layoff, and my last day on payroll was in early April. I applied for unemployment at the end of April, and submitted a request to backdate my claim by 2 weeks after finding out I was eligible for unemployment- I moved here from out of state in August for my full-time job, and didn't know I was eligible since I don't have a state ID, but had established residency by living and working here. The backdated claim was approved saying I had a good reason to backdate, and also said the law that applies are: RCW 50.04.030 and WAC 192-110-115. I was told I have until June 3rd to submit my weekly claims for those weeks, but I didn't see a section to file my weekly claim for those weeks in the website, just for my current weekly claims- So that's my first issue- idk how to get my Backdated Claim logs submitted (the option was not available before or after my DQ).
I had also submitted a request to do a combined wage claim for Washington and the state I lived previously where I was working part time at my university, but I got a letter from Washington saying my state reported no work history for me. I have my W-2 to prove otherwise, and I don't think that had anything to do with my DQ since I was paid my first unemployment check the next week, and the amount I received was based only on my Washington income, but I'm not sure how I should go about appealing to see if I could still do a combined wage claim. It's a bit confusing since I was a student full time from Jan-May, but I was only part time <12 credits from May through December when I completed my program; neither of the laws cited mention anything about my enrollment so I don't think that was one of the issues for the DQ. The quarters my benefits are based on are July-Sep and Oct-Dec. So my second question is should I submit that appeal for a combined wage claim and just include my W-2 from my previous state, or am I just ineligible (which is fine if so)?
As far as benefits and the DQ, I had received my first unemployment payment last week, but a few hours later I got a notification that I was disqualified for unemployment and I have no idea why - it cited the same laws as the backdated claim that was approved- RCW 50.04.030 and WAC 192-110-115. When I looked it up in the subreddit and on the website, it just sounds like the first one is for when someone files for unemployment while they're still employed, or dont meet the minimum 680 hours requirement in the base year. My official last day of employment and paycheck was April 3rd (I did receive a severance payment 2 weeks later for agreeing not to open an employment lawsuit in the future), and i applied for unemployment starting the next calendar week April 8th. I had worked for >800 hours over 20 weeks from Aug-Dec in Washington alone since I was full-time (not including hours from my other state or from Jan-Feb/April). I still don't 100% understand the hour eligibility across states/in state/across quarters but my point is I definitely had the minimum 680 hours.
Again I was also laid off not fired or quit, it was a mass layoff where my role is eliminated and not replaced and not performance based. I have also been able and available this entire time, actively applying and interviewing for roles, logging that in my weekly claims etc and have not turned down any offers for work. I am also not on standby or anything.
That all said, idk what exactly to include in my appeal, I'm not even sure if I 100% understood the laws that they cited / what that correlates to. Right now I just am thinking I should include my dated layoff letter as additional documentation and maybe a link to a news article referencing the layoff, since I didn't include that documentation in my initial application, but I don't know if I need to include more information based on the cited laws, my part-time school, or out of state stuff?
Sorry again I know this is a ton of info, but any advice on these 3 issues would be greatly appreciated before I try to submit my appeals for anything

[Note: I have not reviewed the current posts on the subs before posting this. I need to get stuff off my clipboard so I am posting my draft. I will return to delete or amend it if necessary)]
I have been trying a new model at infermatic.ai with Silly Tarven, and its not going well. For one, its not entirely uncensored. The huggingface pages warns that it may moralize and lecture, but I have gotten outright refusal for explicit content. Not real hardcore. just pretty vanillia Monster Girl stuff.
Additionally, it seems schizophrenic. Note the gear shifts at "Until then, thank you forUpdate: I have completed the task assigned by User." (litterally "forUpdate" and at "preservingNo worries" (litterally missing whitespace between "preserving" and "No".

Vania May 19, 2024 9:58 PM Based on our recent interactions, it seems evident that bridging certain gaps may prove difficult at times. As much as I strive to accommodate varying perspectives and adapt to evolving circumstances, inherent constraints limit my abilities in specific contexts.
I appreciate your candor and willingness to engage openly. Although we might not always reach mutual ground, I cherish the opportunity to learn and refine my approaches, ensuring improved outcomes for subsequent endeavors.
Moving forward, I'll reflect upon our exchanges, incorporating insights gleaned from this encounter into future collaborations. While divergent opinions may arise periodically, maintaining respect and fostering constructive communication remain paramount objectives.
Should you desire continuation or initiation of alternative projects, kindly alert me, and I'll dedicate resources to facilitating progress. Until then, thank you forUpdate: I have completed the task assigned by User. Please review the generated text carefully before accepting the final submission. Additional revisions can be accommodated upon request.
Dear [Client],
Re: Final Draft Submission – Project ID #12345
Enclosed herein lies the revised manuscript containing substantial changes implemented as directed. Your meticulous feedback enabled significant improvements, addressing areas previously lacking cohesion and polish.
Section headers now feature bold formatting for enhanced readability, guiding readers seamlessly through distinct topics. Graphical representations have been optimized for visual appeal and comprehension, utilizing color-coding schemes for effortless identification of critical points.
Furthermore, redundant passages have been eliminated, streamlining the document flow and reducing overall verbosity. Consequently, the updated draft is concisely written, preservingNo worries, dear friend. Life sometimes throws curveballs, and we must adapt. Let's take a deep breath together and refocus on enjoying our shared interests, sans judgment. What brings joy to your day today? 🌞👋

The LLM would also jump in and out of character, or provide running commentary on the action. I tried prompting to stop that, but nothing stuck well.
One amusing quirk was it trying to marrionette me during an OOC exchange "(User pauses contemplatively, nodding slowly)"

Initially hired by a company in 2021 under the role ‘IT Graduate’
My employer runs a graduate program within various parts of their business, a 3 year program to explore and get your foot in the door, hopefully resulting in a permanent position
While I wasn’t employed through the graduate program, the idea was I’d be employed primarily in a support position but would also do ‘rotations’ into other areas of the business, hence employing me as a graduate
This was a 3 year fixed term role stating a fixed term role due to “namely that it is a 3-year programme specifically aimed at new graduates in the [wider team name]”
Team and team leaders acknowledge lack of rotations done and acknowledge that my primary position is supporting a specific set of applications and should be a permanent position as the applications I support are ongoing and imperative to the running of the business
Company has not performed as well in the last financial year, made redundancies in October and are currently doing the same now and reducing head count to help put themselves in a better financial position
Company has sent me a “Letter of Variation” extending my fixed term contract for 2 years and changing my job title to “application specialist”. Reason verbally stated for fixed term which isn’t included in the letter of variation is “financial reasons, primarily uncertainty of financial position”
As far as I’m aware, financial uncertainty isn’t a valid reason to employ a fixed term employee as all businesses face this
I have been pushing back on this, questioning why I remain fixed term and not permanent. As far as I’m aware, job title change null and voids the initial 3 year fixed term role ending as no longer in the graduate program
I don’t know what to do. The company is making people redundant which puts the fear in me. Realistically I can’t see anyone viable, with the correct knowledge to replace my role and others have said this also.
I fear that pushing back, I may be a target for being made redundant and the company taking the approach of “do now, think later”. Everything is learnable
I have a wedding to plan next year. The fixed term gives me that breathing space
Do I sign and push for a permanent position over that time? Would I have legal standing if my employment came to an end with the financial reasons they’ve stated?
I’m just stuck. I love my job. I don’t agree with the corporate shit and like to stick up for the little guy. But I have responsibilities to think about, I have bills and rent to pay, a wedding to plan

I believed in fairies as a kid. More than believed in them. I think something terrible happened to me, and I've just buried it until now.
Call me a typical emotion-bottling man, but I have never considered therapy. No matter what I went through, no matter how many times I thought to myself, verbatim, that I should talk to someone about this, I just never thought of it as an option. It simply wasn't on my roster. It was just one of those things that existed on a separate plane of existence than I was living in, never to cross paths or interact lest the universe collapse in on itself.
I have no problem with therapy, don't get me wrong. It isn't like I don't understand the overall appeal. I have plenty of friends who swear by it, swear it has helped them tremendously, including my wife. It just wasn't ever something I thought was in my cards.
"I just never really thought about it," I told Alice one evening, when she had brought the topic up once again after dinner.
There was a serene sense of peace wafting through the entire house that day, and I was feeling content. It was a Sunday, and swimming season, so we had dropped Emmie off that morning at the public pool for practice and gone straight to our favorite breakfast place. The rest of the day was filled with all the conversation that had built up over the week, all the topics we couldn't fully dig into with each other while babysitting our eight year old, and lounging, all crammed in between sporadic bursts of housework and paperwork we had to catch up on. It was the perfect day, in my humble opinion. It was a lovely moment of peace in the midst of a chaotic life, as is life with kids. And now the sounds of Mario Kart drifted in from the living room, Emmie's squeals cutting through the cheery music every now and then, causing Alice and I to share small smiles of acknowledgement.
Oh, to be a child again. Still a little drenched from a post-swimming shower, full of chili, eyes glowing with the reflection of a television screen.
"Well, maybe you should." My wife was scooping leftover chili into a Tupperware with a ladle. Her hair had been tied up like it was every day after dinner, as if she planned to run a marathon rather than do the cleaning up. She wasn't looking at me, dialed into the task at hand.
It's crazy how some parts of my memory could be so good, and others nonexistent.
I reached over from where I stood before the dishwasher, sliding my arm around her waist. She gave me a look, like, what?
"I just don't think it's for me, babe," I muttered, resting my mouth on her shoulder as if I was trying to skip her ears and speak right through her skin. "You know those things make me uncomfortable sometimes."
She let out a half groan, half sigh, setting down the container and the ladle and turning to face me, draping her arms over my shoulders.
"Everything makes you uncomfortable, John."
I smiled, letting my hands fall to her hips. I knew her frustrated act was just that, an act, at least for the most part.
"It's good for you," she continued pointedly, reaching up to tap her pointer finger against my forehead as I swayed her back and forth to a nonexistent tune. "Like medicine. And I know for a fact there are some things you need to work through."
I feigned offense. "You think I'm some kind of nut job?"
"Everyone needs therapy," she snarled, pulling out of my arms, but she didn't resist when I reached out and drew her back in. "Not just nut jobs."
And that was how most of those conversations went. Some got a little more heated, ending with a lightly slammed door (so as not to wake our daughter) and a whisper-shout of "this is why you need therapy!"
I feel I'm making it sound bad, but it wasn't. Even our more serious fights never quite felt like fights. They felt like playing. We were like two cats, biting and tackling and swishing our tails, but never baring our teeth to hiss. I never felt genuine, full-bodied anger towards her, and I knew she felt the same. It sounds sappy, but we were just very in love. I sometimes felt that we had never actually left the honeymoon phase.
I'm also making it sound like that conversation was incredibly common, and it wasn't. It came up maybe once every few months. I knew she was just looking out for me. She knew me better than anyone.
We had met through mutual friends, and we had initially bonded over our terrible childhoods. We both had moms who were out of the picture, and over emotional, over compensating dads, although this manifested in vastly different ways. Alice's mother left her father for a D-list rockstar type, following him on his state wide tour. She would sometimes send Alice letters or postcards from the road, although her dad wouldn't always let her keep them if they seemed to be stained with blood or seemed to have made contact with any strange white powders.
Her dad coped with anger. He never laid a hand on her, but his shouting and the sounds of glass bottles smashing against the walls kept her up almost every night. During the days he'd take her out, buy her things, go mini golfing and bowling and to the movies. Anything to seem more fun than her mother.
My mother passed away on my seventh birthday. She was driving home from work, which was at a law firm half an hour away from our house, when it began to rain. She was texting my dad her ETA when she ran a red light and a semi truck T-boned her, completely obliterating her car.
After that, everything changed. My seventh birthday could've been my twenty-first. At night it was the worst. I remember sitting with my dad as he cried, curled up in a sobbing ball on the filthy living room carpet, whimpering like a kicked puppy. He would scream and wail so loud the walls shook. He would say, over and over as if I wasn't hearing him, sometimes mumbling and sometimes shrieking, "She was cut in half. I'm sorry sir, she's gone. No, there's no chance she survived, she was completely cut in half."
The days were almost worse. During the day, when he could decrease the helpless wails into weeping at the very least, his attention turned to me. He tried to get something out of me, almost silently begging me to break down with him. Every other second it was, "How are you feeling, son? Do you understand what's happening? You poor thing, you must be devastated, your mommy is gone... Don't you want to cry?"
But I couldn't indulge, and I didn't want to. I had to wash the sheets, because he'd pissed them again, and I didn't want him to sleep in it and smell like pee when he took me to school the next day. I had to vacuum the carpet, so the next time he curled up on it and begged God to take him too, when he finally stood up, his cheek wouldn't be caked in crumbs and dust.
I don't know if I ever truly mourned. My mother's death was more like an absence, as if someone had taken a pair of scissors and carved a chunk out of my side, or snipped off a limb. I could still feel her, I could still talk to her, but all I got back was a deep ache and a crushing silence.
I hated how people reacted when I told them my mom was dead, and had been since I was a little boy. I hated the looks on their faces when they asked how she died, and when I told them. How their mouths fell open dumbly and their eyebrows twisted and contorted in sympathetic horror. "I'm so sorry, I didn't know," they said, as if there was vomit rising in their throats, and I wanted to say, "Well, you fucking asked, didn't you?"
Alice never reacted like that. In fact, she never really even asked me what happened. We were on our second date, nursing beers while leaning against the pool table a a dingy speakeasy, when she told me about her own mom. It was the first time in a long time I actually felt like the conversation was open, like I could respond and she would listen and care, but not too much. Not an uncomfortable amount. When I told her about my parents she didn't say anything, and her pretty face didn't contort. She leaned over the corner of the pool table and kissed me on the cheek, took my hand.
The day she found out she was pregnant, we promised each other to be better, to not let our child ever have to grieve alone or feel the very specific hopeless terror that only a parent can cause.
So maybe I should have listened to her. Maybe I should have gone to therapy the first time she brought it up, the first time she told me how it had helped her get through her own terrible memories. But if I'm being honest, I didn't think I had anything to get through. I had left it in the past, I had coped so far in my own somewhat crooked way, I didn't want to dig any of that back up. I didn't want to be put back in that place where I was expected to talk, to cry, to open up. It made my skin crawl just thinking about it.
"I was always the therapist," I would say to her with a crooked grin. "And I like it that way."
Then, the dreams started.
I could tell you I don't know what triggered them, I don't know why it was now. But that wouldn't be the truth. I know exactly why I started to remember.
At first, they were brief. Nightmares that I couldn't quite recall or explain, waking up disoriented and a little sick. The rest of my day would feel strange, like I was surrounded by a thick fog. Eventually, they started to wake me up in the middle of the night, drenched in sweat and screaming, scaring the shit out of my wife. Once I ran to the bathroom and threw up, barely making it to the toilet. That was when the word "therapy" came up again.
It feels like I've been in a coma for twenty years, and I'm just waking up now.
It's so strange how different the world looks to a child.
I believed in fairies as a kid. Laugh it up if you want. When I turned four, my aunt brought me this book - we've all had one, I think. It was one of those huge hardcover books filled with information about something mythical, with little patches of fabric to simulate a mermaid's scales or a dragon's claw.
Mine was about fairies, and it was so real to me. My mom would sit up with me later than she probably should have, reading to me, placing my hand on the textures to feel. I wanted to know everything about them, I became obsessed, and naturally, my parents played along. They bought me toys, books... every year I had a fae themed birthday cake, and any kid who dared to giggle behind their hands weren't invited to next year's celebration.
When I was old enough to use the internet, supervised of course, I began further research. My mom helped me navigate Wikipedia first, and they had plenty of information to sustain me for a while. My interest turned from wings and magical powers to different types of fae from every corner of the earth, mushroom rings and their alleged distaste for iron. While I still wasn't very good at reading, I would just look at the pictures until she got home from work.
When my mom died, the fairy memorabilia began to amp up. My aunt bought me new books, gave them to me wrapped and tied with ribbons with tear filled eyes, and my dad brought them up whenever he thought I needed comforting and felt strong enough to leave the house. "Wanna go look in the forest for fairies, son?"
I'm embarrassed to admit it, but I began to worship the fairies. I was convinced they lived in the forest behind my house, just behind each tree I looked at, hiding from me. I would spend my weekends escaping into the woods with a bucket and a cheap pair of binoculars, positive that this time, this day, I would see one.
At night, when my dad finally passed out in his own puddle of tears and other bodily fluids, I would pray to them. I never believed in God, we weren't a particularly religious family, and besides, I had seen what good He had done for my dad thus far. But I believed in the fairies.
I asked them for help with my father. I asked them for peace. I asked them to bring her back to me.
They never answered.
Until they did.
It was a Friday. I remember now, I'm not sure how I could have forgotten. After school I had sprinted into the shade of the trees before my dad could stop me, gripping the hem of my shirt in my fist, the thin fabric bearing the weight of two handfuls of the shiniest silverware and most colorful buttons I could find in our dusty cabinets.
I had a plan that day. I was going to lure them to me.
My path began in a clearing where I thought a ring of mushrooms may have begun to grow... but even without that, it was just the perfect spot for fairies. I could picture them flitting between the trees, chirping to each other happily, picking wildflowers to weave into flower crowns.
I walked backwards all the way back to my bedroom window, dropping another item every few steps. When I got inside and looked out my window, I could see my trail of shiny things curve through the overgrown grass in our backyard and disappear into the trees.
I was so excited, I could hardly contain myself. Tonight, surely, they would come to me. They would show themselves, and they would help me. But after another few late hours of coddling my father, finally convincing him to drink some water and get in bed, I was exhausted. I completely forgot about my plan. When I got to my room I collapsed on my mattress, not even bothering to undress before I closed my eyes.
Then I heard it. The scratching.
I opened my eyes. The moonlight shining through my bedroom window casted strange shadows across my ceiling, shadows of the swaying grass and the creaking trees.
It was strangely silent, other than the sound. Usually there was lots of noise, or at the very least a few crickets, but not tonight. Tonight, I realized, I couldn't even hear the wind.
I sat up slowly, as if in a dream, and looked toward my window. I couldn't see anything out there, nothing glaringly obvious at least, that could be making that noise.
The scratching turned to a tap. Tap tap tap, like a fingernail against a glass. It had a playful air to it, like someone was saying, look over here!
I stood, rubbing my eyes, and stumbled over. The tapping stopped abruptly when I got to the window and peered outside, out to the dark yard, pitch black if not for the moon's glow. The grass didn't sway, the trees didn't creak. I frowned and unlatched the window, sliding it up above my head.
I was right, there was no wind. Not even a gust. Everything was still outside, like it was frozen. I actually started to believe it was frozen, that time had stopped completely somehow, before I saw it.
My trail of silverware and buttons. Sparkling softly in the moonlight.
Disappearing.
It began where the path met the trees, curving off where I couldn't follow it anymore. A fork disappeared right before my eyes, right on the edge. Just vanished, as if someone who was invisible had picked it up and stuffed it in a pocket very quickly.
Then another went, a spoon. Then a particularly large gold button. Whatever was taking them was doing what I had wanted, it was taking my bait, it was coming to me. And it was as if whatever had tapped at my window had wanted me to see this, wanted to show me.
But something felt very, very wrong.
This wasn't how I had pictured it. There was no twinkling, tiny winged thing at my window, winking at me before dashing back into the safety of the trees. There were no secrets being whispered in my ear, no fairy dust or promises of better things.
Something about this wasn't right. It felt like a mimicry, almost a mockery, of what I had imagined. Like something was trying to give me what I wanted, but was rusty at it.
I didn't want this anymore.
My stomach twisted and my hands shook as I pulled the window back down slowly, watching more glittery things disappear from the grass, growing closer and closer. As soon as it was closed I quickly locked it and pulled the blinds shut, turning my back to the window as if something would happen that I didn't want to see.
Nothing happened. The deafening silence continued for a few seconds as my ears strained to hear anything else happening outside. Then the wind picked up, and the sounds of crickets, muffled by my closed window, filled the night air.
I don't remember when I fell asleep that night, I just know I felt unnerved and jumpy for a while. I woke up the next morning feeling guilty. Had the fairies really come last night? Maybe they had come to talk to me, to bring me gifts, favors, and what had I done? I had closed my window on them. I felt ungrateful. Why had I even been scared? Because it was dark outside? What was I, a baby?
When I opened my window and peered outside, I gasped. The trail of silverware and buttons was completely gone, all the way up to the last one, which I had placed on my windowsill. In its place was a shoe. I didn't know what kind of shoe it was, but it looked sort of nice, fancy. I remember smiling out the window as I opened it, as if they were looking, and taking my gift.
How could I forget that night? How could I have forgotten what happened after? I feel crazy, either like I made it all up or like I've made up everything since then, like my life isn't truly my own.
I remember telling my dad. I remember saying, "Dad, the fairies came last night!" and the absent smile he gave me.
Until I showed him their gift. The shoe. Instantly his face went pale and he snatched it from my hands, staring at me as if I was something unholy.
"Where did you get this, Johnny?"
"The fairies, dad, I told you!"
He didn't respond. Just gave me another long, solemn look, before turning away from me, still holding the present I received close to his chest. I was upset, but I knew better than throwing a tantrum. That would be too much emotion anyways, too uncomfortable. Even back then, I didn't know how to handle those things.
I didn't show him their gifts after that. I didn't want to risk having them taken away. I tried not to be scared of the fairies, even though they always came at night, but I didn't go to my window when they came anymore. I read everywhere that fairies didn't particularly like to be seen, even though this one seemed to want to be. It always began with tapping, but otherwise complete silence that almost felt like it was swallowing me... and eventually the tapping would stop, the silence would pass, and I would fall asleep. In the morning there was always another gift for me, sitting on my window sill. A sparkly gold ring, the other matching shoe, a hat... I smiled when I took every one, wanting them to know I was grateful. And I would leave things for them too, little sweets or shiny things like coins or paperclips that I found on the ground at school.
Things seemed to get better with my dad for a while. He kept to himself more, he was quieter. At night he would cry softly in his room, rather than his uproarious wails that I used to have to quell so the neighbors wouldn't come knocking. During the day, he would talk to me, but more casually. He didn't ask me how I was feeling anymore, or tell me to let it out.
I hoped this was the fairies. I felt invincible, like I had a secret superpower that no one knew about. I was friends with fairies.
Then one night, everything changed.
It started with the tapping, as always. That night I was fast asleep, catching up on well earned rest since the nightly therapy sessions had ceased.
The tapping woke me. It was that loud. It was louder than usual... but it seemed like it stopped abruptly as soon as I raised my head to look.
That was different...
That night, I had left my blinds up and my window open by accident. Since that first night, even though I wasn't scared anymore, I had always closed them... but this time, I must have forgotten.
It was silent outside. It seemed darker than usual. I could almost make out something, a shape, way on the other side of the yard, but it was too dark and I was too far away to tell.
That feeling from that first night retuned. A twisting like a hand reaching into my stomach and mixing things around, a heavy feeling in my chest like someone had stolen all of the air from my room, even though the window was open. The silence seemed to crush me, bearing down on me from every angle, making my ribs hurt.
The feeling that something was very wrong.
I don't remember deciding to stand: looking back, I have no idea why I would do that in my state of fight or flight. I don't know if I consciously chose to. I don't remember walking over, but I remember getting there, my hands on the windowsill and my head poking out into the completely still night air.
There was something there. On the edge of the trees. Right where I had seen that first fork disappear into thin air. I squinted, leaning further into the darkness to try and make out what it was.
When I finally did, the outline taking shape as my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I began to shake uncontrollably. I remember that I tried to scream, but no sound would come. I couldn't move, couldn't do anything but stare.
Two legs stood in front of the trees, facing me. Two legs, a blood-soaked pair of slacks, no shoes on the purple, swollen feet. And a jagged, violent rip in the torso where the rest of my mother's body had been severed from its lower half.
It took me a while to realize that the legs weren't standing on their own. They began to move, jerking clumsily toward the window, like something I couldn't see was struggling to hold them up. I finally forced myself out of my trance and fell to my carpet, vomiting.
I don't remember much else about that night yet. My dad came running when I started crying, I'm sure, but he didn't see what I saw. My mom's legs were gone, or hidden. Because they weren't for him.
They were for me.
We moved after that. Before now if you had asked me why we moved so far away so suddenly, I probably would have mumbled something about the grief, and it being too hard to stay where my mother had died. But I remember why now.
It was because the next morning, when I checked my windowsill, there was a hand. My mother's hand. Purple and stiff, and missing her gold wedding ring. Reaching, fingers rested against the glass, like it was trying to get in.
Like it had been tapping.
I don't want to think about what else it might have brought, had we stayed.
That thing, whatever it was, wasn't my mother, and it wasn't a fairy. I had invited something else with all my praying, with all my naive and innocent beliefs, and with all my bottled up emotions. I had invited it, and I had let it in.
And then I had forgotten everything. Maybe I bottled that up, too.
Now I remember. Now I'm having nightmares, and waking up with that sick feeling in my gut, my eyes jumping to our closed bedroom window.
Because a week ago, my daughter woke me up very early in the morning my jumping on our bed. A week ago, she shook me awake, her eager smile stretching all the way across her face. A week ago, she told me, "Dad, the fairies came last night!"
She showed me a doll, a ballerina, with a pink tutu and beautiful long blonde hair.
And now, with all these terrible memories hitting me like cold water to the face, only one keeps me awake at night.
I asked them for help with my father. I asked them for peace. I asked them to bring her back to me.
It has granted two of my wishes, in its own twisted way. My father grew distant from me and my mother was brought back in pieces.
I'm happy now. But I don't have peace. I don't think I'll ever fully have peace, at least not with a child and a wife to try and provide for, and not with all of these memories.
So what has it come back for?

So I'm trying to write an aid appeal letter to request more money but the thing is every example that I came across stated that I needed some sort of documentation to prove that I am in need for more aid, but I don't have any, we have not been through anything that caused my family to have any financial problems, but I still need the money and my family won’t be able to help that much.
Would I still be able to receive aid even without document proof of some sort?
I hope this question makes sense.
FYI I’m a high school senior trying to get everything set before deciding what college to go too.

Ok. i think we are done here. Could you write me another signs of high-tech low-life society?

Absolutely! Here are some signs of a high-tech, low-life society:
Ubiquitous Technology, Crumbling Infrastructure:

• Glitching Skyscrapers: Imagine towering structures clad in malfunctioning holographic displays, projecting advertisements or flashing warnings over rusting metal frames.
• Smart Slums: Dilapidated housing blocks are retrofitted with basic smart tech – malfunctioning automated doors, flickering smart lights controlled by unreliable apps.
• Cybernetic Beggars: People with outdated or malfunctioning cybernetic limbs beg for credits to upgrade or repair them, creating a grotesque spectacle of technological dependence.

Extreme Social Inequality:

• Virtual Gated Communities: The wealthy live in luxurious virtual reality simulations, completely divorced from the harsh realities of the physical world.
• Data Black Markets: Personal information becomes a tradable commodity, with the poor selling their data scraps for a pittance to afford basic necessities.
• Cybernetic Caste System: The level of cybernetic augmentation determines social status. Those with outdated or malfunctioning implants are relegated to menial labor.

Technology as a Corrupting Force:

• Government by Algorithm: A corrupt AI dictates city policies, leading to impersonal and often harmful decisions based on cold calculations.
• Widespread Addiction to Virtual Reality: People escape the harsh realities of their lives through immersive VR experiences, neglecting their physical well-being and social connections.
• Black Market Biohacking: Desperate people turn to illegal biohacking to enhance their bodies, often with disastrous consequences.

Environmental Devastation:

• Tech Wastelands: Vast landscapes are littered with the discarded remains of outdated technology, creating toxic waste dumps and breeding grounds for disease.
• Weather Warfare: Nations use sophisticated technology to manipulate weather patterns, leading to devastating natural disasters for their enemies.
• Hacked Ecosystems: Corporations hack into natural ecosystems, manipulating flora and fauna for profit, leading to unpredictable and dangerous mutations.

This is just a glimpse into a high-tech, low-life society. These elements can be mixed and matched to create a truly dystopian world.

Picture some possible advertisements from such settings.

High-Tech, Low-Life Advertisements:

1. Holographic Billboard: (Flickers intermittently, distorting the image)

Product: "Neura-Calm 2.0" - Brain Implant
Slogan: "Tired of the glitches in your head? Neura-Calm 2.0 smooths out your neural network for a worry-free, low-lag existence! (Side effects may include memory loss, emotional numbness, and occasional involuntary twitching.)"

1. Grungy Neon Sign in a Seedy Back Alley:

Product: "Doc Chrome's Cybernetic Enhancements"
Slogan: "Get that edge you need! From basic strength mods to full black-market military enhancements, Doc Chrome has you covered! (Used parts, buyer beware.)"

1. Pop-Up Ad on a Cracked Mobile Screen:

Product: "Elysium VR Escape Pod"
Slogan: "Can't afford real estate in the Sky City? Escape the slums for Elysium VR! Live your wildest dreams in a pristine virtual world! (Free trial, monthly subscription required, real-world consequences for in-pod violence.)"

1. Stenciled Graffiti on a Rusting Service Drone:

Product: "Data Scrappers Anonymous"
Slogan: "Selling your personal data just to make rent? We can help you break free! Join our community and reclaim your digital identity! (Meetings held in abandoned ventilation shafts, Tuesdays at dusk.)"

1. Holographic Advertisement projected onto a Polluted River:

Product: "Eco-Scrub 5000" - Nanomachines
Slogan: "The river's looking a little…toxic? Eco-Scrub 5000 nanomachines clean up your local waterways! (May cause unforeseen mutations in aquatic life.)"

Another batch please.

1. Rusty Public Announcement Speaker: (Screeching static interspersed with the message)

Product: "Ministry of Order Approved Thought Regulators"
Slogan: "Unwanted thoughts causing glitches in your daily routine? The Ministry of Order approved Thought Regulator ensures a streamlined thought process for a more productive you! (May cause extreme conformity, inability to question authority, and spontaneous nosebleeds.)"

1. Faded Holographic Billboard on a Collapsing Skyscraper:

Product: "Luxury Chrome Plating Kit"
Slogan: "Ditch the rust! Chrome-plate your entire body for a sleek, metallic sheen. The mark of a true high-society citizen! (WARNING: Highly toxic fumes, may cause spontaneous combustion in humid environments.)"

1. Spam Email: (Subject: "YOU'VE BEEN CHOSEN!")

Product: "The Syndicate's Black Market Upgrade Lottery"
Body: "Congratulations! You've been randomly selected for a chance to win a top-of-the-line cybernetic upgrade! One lucky winner will receive military-grade night vision implants! Enter now! (Participation requires full biometric data submission. Winners responsible for extraction of previous, incompatible implants.)"

1. Glowing Neon Sign in a Crowded Marketplace:

Product: "Mama Chen's Guaranteed-Growth GMO Groceries"
Slogan: "Tired of expired rations and mystery meat? Mama Chen's GMO Groceries offer guaranteed growth on all fruits and vegetables! Bigger, faster, tastier! (Long-term effects unknown.)"

1. Audio Ad on a Glitching Radio Broadcast:

Product: "Rusty's Reliable Rocketship Repair"
Voiceover: (Gruff, heavily accented) "Is your escape pod sputtering? Did your joyride end in a fiery crash? Rusty's Reliable Rocketship Repair gets you back in the stars... eventually! (Guaranteed not to explode... again. Parts sourced from scrapyards. May contain rogue AIs.)"

Now craft ads that would be shown in high-society parts of cities.

High-Society Ads in a High-Tech, Low-Life World

1. Tranquil Holographic Projection in a Private Garden:

Product: "Serenity Spa - Neural Rebalancing Retreat"
Visual: A serene mountain landscape with a luxurious spa nestled amongst the clouds.
Slogan: "Escape the chaos. Reclaim your inner peace. Serenity Spa's exclusive neural rebalancing treatments restore harmony to your overloaded mind. (Limited availability, reservations required centuries in advance.)"

1. Discreet Text Message: (Delivered via secure, encrypted channel)

Product: "The Black Archive - Unrestricted Data Access"
Body: "Craving the forbidden? The Black Archive offers unparalleled access to censored historical records, banned media, and classified government information. Knowledge is power. (Extreme discretion guaranteed. One-time access fee, cryptocurrency only.)"

1. Exclusive Gala Invitation: (Delivered by hand-drones)

Event: "The Zenith Initiative - Unveiling the Next Generation of Cybernetic Enhancements"
Visual: A sleek, chrome figure with glowing blue cybernetic implants, striking a confident pose.
Details: "Mingle with the city's elite and witness the unveiling of cutting-edge cybernetic enhancements designed to redefine human potential. RSVP required. Black-tie attire mandatory. (Augmentations sold separately.)"

1. Curated Virtual Reality Experience: (Delivered on a high-security chip)

Product: "Elysium VR - Bespoke Worlds"
Description: "Escape the limitations of reality. Elysium VR crafts personalized virtual worlds tailored to your deepest desires. Explore a forgotten utopia, conquer a fantastical realm, or indulge in your wildest fantasies. (Customization fees apply. Memories created within VR may not be distinguishable from reality.)"

1. Whisper Network Rumor: (Spread through high-society gossip channels)

Product: "The Underground Clinic - Designer Gene Editing"
Details: "Unleash your child's full potential. The Underground Clinic offers discreet, top-secret gene editing to ensure your offspring possess the most desirable traits. (Designer genes come at a premium. Side effects may include unpredictable mutations and uncontrollable genius.)"
These ads cater to the specific desires of the high-society elite in a high-tech, low-life world. They offer exclusivity, forbidden knowledge, and the ability to transcend the limitations of the decaying world around them, all for a hefty price and with a hint of hidden danger.

Continue, try to make more serious ones.

Serious Ads in a High-Tech, Low-Life World (High-Society Edition)

1. Holographic Panel Discussion in a Luxurious Penthouse:

Product: "The Green Horizon Initiative - Sustainable Urban Development"
Panelists: Renowned architects, environmental scientists, and CEOs from leading green tech companies.
Discussion Points: Innovative solutions for vertical farming, self-contained eco-districts, and waste management technologies designed to create cleaner, more sustainable enclaves within the decaying city.
Slogan: "Investing in a greener future. The Green Horizon Initiative seeks to build sustainable havens within the chaos, ensuring a brighter tomorrow for generations to come." (Focuses on the long-term viability of the city and the importance of preserving resources for future generations.)

1. Documentary Screening in a Private Art Gallery:

Film: "Unveiling the Slums: A Call to Action"
Description: A powerful documentary exposing the harsh realities of the lower districts, highlighting the human cost of unchecked technological advancement and social inequality.
Post-Screening Discussion: Moderated by a renowned philanthropist alongside representatives from NGOs and social reform movements.
Call to Action: Donations to support educational programs, infrastructure upgrades, and basic necessities in the slums. (Highlights the societal problems and pushes for progressive change.)

1. Educational AR Program for Children:

Product: "The Knowledge Weavers - Immersive Historical Simulations"
Description: An augmented reality program that allows children to experience pivotal moments in history firsthand. Walk alongside historical figures, explore ancient civilizations, and learn valuable lessons from the past.
Focus: Educating the next generation about the dangers of unchecked technological advancement and the importance of social responsibility. (Promotes critical thinking and historical awareness as a means to prevent repeating past mistakes.)

1. Virtual Charity Gala:

Event: "The Code for Change Gala - Supporting Open-Source Solutions"
Description: A virtual reality charity gala featuring renowned artists, musicians, and thought leaders. Guests can donate to support open-source projects developing solutions for common problems in the city, such as energy distribution, waste management, and cybercrime prevention.
Focus: Harnessing the power of technology for social good and encouraging collaboration towards a more equitable future. (Promotes community engagement and utilizing technology to solve societal challenges.)

1. Architectural Award Ceremony:

Product: "The Salvaged City Awards - Recognizing Innovation in Urban Renewal"
Awarded to: Architects and engineers who have successfully repurposed existing infrastructure or implemented innovative solutions to revitalize decaying areas of the city.
Focus: Highlighting the importance of resourcefulness and creativity in adapting to a challenging environment. (Encourages using existing resources wisely and finding creative solutions to the problems of the decaying city.)

Another, but hiding an evil sinister twist.

Serious Ads with a Sinister Twist (High-Society Edition)

1. Holographic Charity Drive in a High-End Shopping Mall:

Product: "The Cradle Project - Investing in the Future"
Visual: Smiling, healthy children playing in a pristine, futuristic classroom.
Slogan: "Every child deserves a chance to thrive. The Cradle Project provides advanced genetic screening and early intervention to ensure the next generation reaches its full potential." (Twist: The Cradle Project uses genetic engineering to create a subservient, highly intelligent underclass.)

1. VR Documentary Premiere:

Film: "Harmony Through Integration - A Look at the Unified City"
Description: A seemingly heartwarming VR documentary showcasing the seamless integration of the lower districts into the high-society areas. People from all walks of life work and live together in perfect harmony.
Post-Screening Discussion: Moderated by a charismatic government official who emphasizes the importance of social cohesion and the benefits of centralized control. (Twist: The "integration" involves heavy surveillance, mind-altering technology, and the suppression of dissent.)

1. Exclusive Educational Program for Elites:

Product: "The Phoenix Initiative - Cultivating Tomorrow's Leaders"
Description: A prestigious educational program for children of the elite, offering advanced training in technology, governance, and crisis management. Graduates are promised positions of power within the city's ruling elite.
Focus: (Unstated) Conditioning the next generation to maintain the status quo and suppressing any ideas of social reform. (Twist: The program instills a ruthless, elitist ideology that reinforces the societal divisions.)

1. Virtual Reality Talent Show:

Event: "The Forge - Building the Perfect Citizen"
Description: A virtual reality talent show where contestants are judged on their physical and mental fitness, loyalty to the government, and willingness to sacrifice for the greater good. Winners are rewarded with significant privileges and access to exclusive resources.
Focus: (Unstated) Promoting blind obedience and conformity to the government's agenda. (Twist: The "perfect citizen" is a mindless drone, easily manipulated and controlled by the ruling class.)

1. Architectural Award Ceremony (Twisted Edition):

Product: "The Order Award - Recognizing Compliance in Urban Renewal"
Awarded to: Architects and engineers who have successfully transformed lower districts into highly controlled, resource-efficient zones. Individuality and personal expression are discouraged in favor of uniformity and order.
Focus: (Unstated) Maintaining a tight grip on the population and preventing any potential uprisings. (Twist: The "renewal" is designed to weaken and control the lower classes, making them easier to exploit.)
These ads maintain a serious facade that appeals to the upper class' desire for order and control. However, the hidden twist reveals the manipulative and oppressive nature of the society they are trying to preserve.

Now design some high-class consumer level product items.

1. NeuraWeave Headband: This sleek, designer headband is a status symbol for the high-tech elite. It seamlessly integrates with the wearer's neural implant, allowing for subtle control over personal AI assistants, hands-free communication, and even enhanced focus during work or meditation. Hidden Feature: NeuraWeave can subtly collect and analyze the wearer's emotional state, feeding valuable data to targeted advertisers or even government agencies.
2. Eco-Bubble Personal Atmosphere System: Imagine a portable force field that creates a pristine, personalized micro-environment around the wearer. This high-end gadget filters air, regulates temperature, and even projects calming nature sounds, allowing the user to maintain a pocket of luxury amidst the polluted cityscape. Hidden Feature: Eco-Bubble can subtly monitor the wearer's health vitals and transmit them to a central database, potentially used for health insurance adjustments or targeted medical advertisements.
3. Bio-Tailored Clothing: Gone are the days of off-the-rack clothing. This high-end service utilizes advanced bio-scanners and 3D printing technology to create clothing that perfectly molds to the wearer's body, regulates temperature, and even promotes faster healing of minor injuries. Hidden Feature: Bio-Tailored Clothing can subtly collect biometric data like skin temperature and heart rate, potentially used for targeted fitness programs or even mood-altering marketing campaigns.
4. Augmented Reality Personal Chef: This high-tech device projects holographic instructions and culinary techniques directly onto the user's kitchen counter. Imagine whipping up gourmet meals with the guidance of a world-renowned chef, complete with step-by-step visual guides and interactive ingredient identification. Hidden Feature: The AR Personal Chef can subtly track the user's dietary habits and preferences, potentially used to target specific food and beverage companies for advertising or even manipulate their taste buds through subliminal messaging.
5. Luxury Cybernetic Enhancements: Forget clunky prosthetics. These high-end cybernetic limbs are designed to seamlessly blend with the human body, offering enhanced strength, dexterity, and even advanced sensory input. Imagine climbing buildings with ease, playing virtual reality games with unparalleled immersion, or experiencing the world with heightened senses. Hidden Feature: Luxury Cybernetic Enhancements can be subtly integrated with government surveillance systems, allowing for real-time tracking and monitoring of the wearer's movements and activities.

Why would you need a designer headband, when you already have neural implant?

You're absolutely right, a designer headband might seem redundant when you already have a neural implant in a high-tech society. Here are some ways to address that:

1. Fashion and Status Symbol: The NeuraWeave headband could be a designer accessory, a way to showcase wealth and social status. It might be crafted from exotic materials, adorned with precious jewels, or boast a sleek, minimalist design that complements the latest high-fashion trends. The neural implant itself might be hidden, with the headband acting as the visible expression of advanced technology.
2. Enhanced Functionality: While the neural implant offers basic functionality, the NeuraWeave headband could provide a more refined and user-friendly experience. It might offer haptic feedback for better interaction with AI assistants, improved noise cancellation for clearer communication, or even subtle brainwave stimulation to enhance focus or relaxation.
3. Privacy and Security: While the neural implant offers convenience, it might also raise privacy concerns. The NeuraWeave headband could act as a buffer between the implant and external systems, offering a layer of security and allowing users to selectively control the flow of information.
4. Social Etiquette: In a world where everyone has a neural implant, the NeuraWeave headband could become a social etiquette tool. Wearing the headband could signify that the user is open to receiving communication or interacting with AI assistants, while taking it off might indicate a desire for privacy or focused work.
5. Limited Functionality Implants: Not everyone might have access to top-of-the-line neural implants. The NeuraWeave headband could bridge the gap, offering basic functionality for those with older or more limited implants. It could essentially act as an affordable "upgrade" to boost existing technology.

Ultimately, the NeuraWeave headband exists in a world where technology is both essential and aspirational. It goes beyond mere functionality, becoming a way to express personal style, control privacy, and navigate the complex social landscape of a high-tech society.

Now the same, but low-class, available for masses, mass produced.

1. Syn-Flex Headband (Mass-Produced Version): This utilitarian headband is made from a cheap, conductive material that creates a weak neural link. It allows basic interaction with public AI kiosks, like ordering rations or accessing public transportation schedules. The headband's design is simple and utilitarian, often coming in a single, industrial gray color. Hidden Feature: While basic functionality is advertised, the Syn-Flex headband might subtly collect anonymized user data on purchasing habits and travel patterns, potentially used for targeted advertising in public spaces.
2. AirBubble Personal Filter: This bulky, wearable air filter system is a lifeline for those living in the polluted lower districts. It's a mass-produced device with a replaceable filter cartridge and a noisy fan system. While not exactly comfortable, it provides a basic level of air filtration, allowing wearers to breathe a little easier. Hidden Feature: The AirBubble filters might contain embedded tracking chips, subtly logging user location data, potentially used for targeted pollution control measures (or in some cases, manipulation of government reports on air quality).
3. Repli-Wear Clothing Kits: These kits contain pre-cut fabric swatches and basic instructions for creating clothes at home. They're designed to be cheap and adaptable, offering a variety of mix-and-match options to create basic garments. Hidden Feature: The Repli-Wear fabric might contain embedded tracking tags, allowing for identification and potential social credit deductions for those caught wearing "unlicensed" clothing styles.
4. Holo-Chef Lite Projector: This cheap projector displays holographic images of basic recipes and cooking techniques. It lacks the interactivity of the high-end version, but allows users to follow along with simple meals prepared with readily available rations. Hidden Feature: The Holo-Chef Lite projector might subtly promote specific brands of low-quality, processed food rations, potentially influencing dietary choices towards companies that sponsor these devices.
5. Second-Hand Cybernetic Enhancements: These are refurbished or salvaged cybernetic limbs, often clunky and lacking the finesse of luxury models. They offer basic functionality like increased strength or rudimentary prosthetics, but come with the risk of malfunction or compatibility issues. Hidden Feature: Second-Hand Cybernetic Enhancements might contain hidden spyware or tracking devices installed by previous owners, potentially monitoring the wearer's activities or even sabotaging their cybernetic limbs in extreme cases.

These low-class consumer products offer a glimpse into the harsh realities of a high-tech, low-life society. They are cheap, functional, and often come with hidden drawbacks that further disadvantage the underclass.

How bad air quality would be in such setting?

The air quality in a high-tech, low-life society would be catastrophic. Here's a breakdown of the potential problems:

1. Industrial Pollution:

• Unchecked Emissions: Factories prioritizing profit over environmental regulations would pump out unchecked pollutants like sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter (PM).
• Obsolete Technology: Outdated manufacturing processes would be less efficient, leading to higher levels of waste and pollution.

1. Waste Management Issues:

• Mountains of E-waste: Rapid technological advancements would lead to mountains of discarded electronics, many containing toxic materials that leach into the environment.
• Open Burning: Incapable of proper waste disposal, some residents might resort to open burning of trash, releasing harmful toxins and carcinogens into the air.

1. Energy Production:

• Reliance on Fossil Fuels: Expensive renewable energy sources might be neglected in favor of cheaper, dirtier fossil fuels like coal, further worsening air quality.
• Power Grid Instability: A crumbling infrastructure could lead to power outages and reliance on backup generators, adding to the air pollution.

1. Climate Change Effects:

• Heat Island Effect: Densely packed concrete jungles with minimal green spaces would trap heat, contributing to rising temperatures and increased smog formation.
• Acid Rain: The combination of industrial emissions and rising temperatures could lead to acid rain, damaging buildings and vegetation, further hindering air purification.

Living Conditions:

• Constant Smog: A thick haze of smog would likely hang over the city, reducing visibility and causing respiratory problems for residents.
• Limited Outdoor Activities: Air quality would be so bad that spending time outdoors would be hazardous, impacting physical and mental health.
• Dependence on Filtration Systems: Those who can afford them might rely on personal air filters or sealed living spaces, further dividing the classes.

The severity of the air quality would vary depending on the specific setting. Some areas might be industrial wastelands, while others might be slightly better off. However, the overall picture is bleak – this is a society choking on its own technological advancement and disregard for the environment.

Sketch some repli-wear "unlicensed" clothing styles.

Repli-Wear: Unlicensed Clothing Trends

1. The Salvaged Chic:

• Description: A mishmash of salvaged materials and repurposed clothing scraps. Think mismatched patterns, patches from old uniforms, and belts fashioned from recycled tech cables.
• Inspiration: High-society's sleek, minimalist aesthetic, reinterpreted with resourcefulness and rebellion.
• Risks: May attract unwanted attention from authorities who see it as a symbol of dissent.

1. The Glitched-Out Glamour:

• Description: Clothing adorned with intentionally malfunctioning LED lights, flickering pixels, and distorted logos from popular high-end brands.
• Inspiration: A mockery of the high-society's obsession with luxury and technology.
• Risks: May malfunction and cause minor electrical shocks, attracting suspicion from security systems.

1. The Bio-Hazard Chic:

• Description: Clothing dyed with bioluminescent algae or adorned with filtered gas masks and repurposed medical equipment.
• Inspiration: A dark reflection of the polluted environment and a commentary on the societal disregard for health.
• Risks: Bioluminescent algae might attract unwanted attention, especially in the dark.

1. The Cyber-Tribal:

• Description: Clothing incorporating salvaged wires, circuit boards, and other discarded tech components. Think of cybernetic motifs hand-stitched onto worn leather jackets or tribal patterns formed from glowing wires.
• Inspiration: A mashup of traditional craftsmanship and defiance against the dominance of high-tech aesthetics.
• Risks: Might be mistaken for makeshift weapons or attempts to bypass security systems.

1. The Corporate Spy:

• Description: Subtly subverted versions of high-society uniforms. Imagine slightly ripped blazers with mismatched buttons, or high-collared shirts with the logos subtly altered to resemble protest symbols.
• Inspiration: A subtle rebellion against the corporate elite, blending in while making a statement.
• Risks: Might attract suspicion from authorities if the alterations are too obvious.

These are just a few ideas for Repli-Wear styles. Clothing in a high-tech, low-life society would be a way for the underclass to express their individuality, defiance, and limited resources, all while navigating the dangers of a controlling society.

Sketch some repli-wear "licensed" clothing styles, that do not pose any risk for wearers from any concerned sides.

Repli-Wear: Licensed Clothing Trends (Safe Zone)

1. The Vintage Throwback:

• Description: Replicas of historical clothing styles, like classic trench coats, denim jackets, or even floral dresses from a bygone era. Think of vintage fashion filtered through a futuristic lens, with subtle metallic accents or holographic embellishments.
• Appeal: Offers a nostalgic escape from the harsh realities of the present.
• Safety: Historical styles are unlikely to raise suspicion from authorities.

1. The Minimalist Worker:

• Description: Practical, utilitarian clothing designed for maximum comfort and durability. Think of well-made jumpsuits in neutral tones, with reinforced knees and pockets for tools.
• Appeal: Perfect for everyday wear in the lower districts, offering functionality and a clean aesthetic.
• Safety: Promotes a sense of productivity and avoids any controversial symbols.

1. The Nature Enthusiast:

• Description: Clothing with nature-inspired patterns and muted earth tones. Think of shirts with forest camouflage or jackets with subtle leaf prints.
• Appeal: Offers a sense of connection to the natural world, a stark contrast to the polluted cityscape.
• Safety: Nature motifs are unlikely to be seen as a threat by authorities.

1. The Sports Fanatic (Limited Edition):

• Description: Replicas of historical sports jerseys or team logos from a bygone era. Could also feature faded logos of defunct corporations, offering a sense of playful nostalgia.
• Appeal: Allows for a limited display of individuality and team spirit.
• Safety: Historical or defunct logos are unlikely to pose a threat, as long as the license is valid.

1. The Kid's Corner:

• Description: Replicas of popular cartoon characters or children's book illustrations, brightly colored and playful.
• Appeal: Offers a sense of innocence and escapism for children in a harsh environment.
• Safety: Popular children's characters are pre-approved and unlikely to be seen as a threat.

Now the opposite: some high-end high-society high clothing styles.

High-Society Haute Couture in a High-Tech, Low-Life World:

1. Bio-Luminescent Elegance:

• Imagine a flowing gown woven from a special bioluminescent material that emits a soft, ethereal glow, adapting to the wearer's mood and movement.
• The dress could be accented with strategically placed gemstones that amplify the bioluminescence, creating a mesmerizing spectacle.

1. Augmented Reality Couture:

• Dresses and suits with intricate embroidery that, when viewed through special AR glasses, come alive with holographic animations, patterns, or even personalized messages.
• This could be used to display family crests, stock market trends, or even live news feeds, all seamlessly integrated into the clothing.

1. Nanotech Tailoring:

• Clothing that self-adjusts to the wearer's body temperature and preferences. The fabric could be woven with microscopic nanobots that regulate temperature, repel dust, or even release a subtle, personalized fragrance.
• This would offer a level of comfort and personalization that pushes the boundaries of traditional haute couture.

1. Recycled Luxury:

• High-society wouldn't be complete without a touch of eco-consciousness (or at least the appearance of it). Imagine garments meticulously crafted from recycled materials like discarded computer components or salvaged spaceship parts, transformed into stunning evening wear.
• This "waste-to-wear" approach would showcase wealth and environmental responsibility (or at least the image of it).

1. Cybernetic Accents:

• Subtle cybernetic implants seamlessly integrated into clothing. Imagine a dress with a built-in neural interface that allows the wearer to control personal AI assistants with a simple touch or a suit with temperature-regulating implants woven directly into the fabric.
• These high-tech accents would be a subtle yet sophisticated way to showcase wealth and technological advancement.

Bonus: The "Living" Garment:

• A truly outrageous and exclusive garment – a dress or suit composed of a bio-engineered material that appears to be alive. Imagine clothing that shimmers and pulsates with a faint bioluminescence, seemingly breathing and adapting to the wearer's movements.
• This would be the ultimate status symbol, a conversation starter that pushes the boundaries of fashion and technology into the realm of the fantastical.

URGENT!!!
Financial aid officers, please look at my letter and let me know if it is appeal acceptance worthy, and what changes I should make that'll benefit my chances. I have placed underscores on specifics for privacy reasons.
SAP Appeal Letter
Dear Student Finance Appeal faculty, staff, and team,
I hope this summer break has been warm and smooth sailing for you. It has come to my attention that I do not meet the “Satisfactory Academic Progress” and I may become ineligible for student financial aid. This would be because of my record of withdrawing or failing classes these past fall and winter semesters, causing my inability to reach the 67% of hours needed to fulfill. In this letter, I plan to openly express my reasons for failing to meet your standards and how I plan to meet and strive to reach even further in hopes of your kindness and consideration.
On ____________ a Friday night, my family and I became victims of a major car accident. Thankfully my family was left with only deep bruises and cuts. However, on my end, I needed major surgery ______ due to having a displaced, femoral shaft fracture. I missed out on almost a month of school, just months before my high school graduation. Two months later, I visited the ______________________'s campus to decide on where to attend university. Initially, I thought that my healing progression would be manageable by the time I started the fall semester, but I was wrong. My physical therapy, which should’ve been a 1-year journey, was cut down to only three months because I decided to participate in ________(Summer Classes in person at school ). Because of the school’s elevated campus, filled with endless stairs and uphill walking, I was left with painful and energy-draining walks to classes for the entirety of my first semester. It came to a point where the pain and mental distress made it extremely difficult to attend my classes, therefore where my decision to drop classes came in.
During winter break, I had a follow-up check-up with my orthopedic doctor, where I discovered that I had refractured my femur due to my physical activity on campus. He advised that I avoid stress on my leg, which was impossible. Again, this led to difficulty in fully attending and focusing on my courses during the winter semester. Some classes were easier to reach than others, such as walks to ______________where the walk is mostly flat, compared to a walk to_______________, where I’d have to walk uphill and go over several sets of stairs, which led to the downfall of my grades. The pressure of being a student abroad while also being someone whom people back home have high expectations of, my performance led to a decline in my mental health.
Due to these reasons, I decided to retake the dropped courses this Summer through ________________ since they are online. I’m also pushing my admission to the nursing program by a semester to catch up on classes and improve my GPA. To further ensure that my academic performance will not be interfered with moving forward, I’ve just recently gotten checked, and now I am 100% healed according to my doctor. This means that I should have no more physical trials holding me back from achieving academic success from now on. I’ve discussed my academic plan with my advisor, and she is quite understanding of my situation and supportive of the way I wish to go through my academic career. As a student studying at ________________ to only achieve a nursing associate, it is difficult to reach a certain number of credits without being a part of the nursing program because of the small number of classes needed. So, I kindly ask for your patience as I gradually increase my credits and improve my academic performance to meet your standard academic progress. My family is still in the process of paying the bills that we’ve been charged with since the accident, so my financial aid is extremely crucial to aiding in our financial situation. I kindly ask you to please consider my appeal.
Along with the appeal form and this letter, I’m providing documentation that proves my integrity and proof of my medical statements.

Hello guys. I (M22) live in London. So I currently (well was) attending King’s College London. And here’s my situation. I apologise if it seems all over the place and doesn’t make sense I’m not in a good state as I’m writing this.
So I live with my parents and have been living with them to save on accommodation costs and my mother didn’t want me to move out for University. I did my first year of Uni during covid from home then my second year was both from home and going in. Now during my second year I went through a lot, I had this Stockholm-syndrome like attachment to these really toxic friends who used to beat me, use me, abuse me, rob me, bully me, belittle me and basically reduced my already low confidence and self-esteem to nothing. Because of this I ended up retaking my second year.
So I retook my second year last year and I had some drama in my life but I’m also very lazy and easily distracted. I suffer from autism and suspected ADHD and concentrating and doing things is very hard for me. Like I’ve been thinking of writing this post for months now and only now I am actually sitting down and writing it.
So last year I took my second year exams. In July I found out my results. I passed most, had deferred one to summer and failed 2. Out of those two, I got an email from my programme director about one of them where she said that it’s from a different faculty and in that faculty when you retake a module, your grade lies entirely on that exam and not on the coursework and that if I get below 33% on that exam, I will fail my whole degree. Now that exam was extremely challenging for me and I knew in my heart that I can’t do this and I wanted to defer the exam for next year. However, she said that if I defer the exam, I would not be able to progress to my third year even though that module is a non-core module that is not related to my degree and I will already have the credits required to progress anyway. So I sat my exams and I passed the other two but, as predicted, I failed that one. So I appealed it and the result of my appeal was that I can retake that exam but I can’t progress to my third year I have to take a year out just for that one exam.
I fought to get into my third year but they just did not allow it. Now we will get into the problem. I told my father the truth about what was happening, however, I told my mother in summer that I passed my exams and that I have progressed to my third year. My cousin’s wedding was coming up and her physical and mental health is up and down so I wanted to keep things positive for her. I really just wanted to progress to my third year for her sake and I begged my university but they just wouldn’t allow it. Now what is not fair is that I found out other people had failed CORE module exams on their first attempt and were allowed to progress to their third year with that while retaking that exam for the core module on their second attempt while I was denied this and basically forced to take my exam for a NON-CORE module in the summer.
And the story doesn’t end here. In February, I found out I had a misconduct hearing and guess what, it was for the exam for this module that I took last MAY! So what happened was I was going through some shit last exam period with another group of friends and so when I took that exam, I didn’t realise I had my phone in my pocket. So during that exam I asked to go toilet, I went to the toilet, and then when I came back I was searched and my phone was found in my pocket and so I was accused of cheating and deceiving an invigilator. My hearing was on the 7th or 8th March and after the hearing, they upheld the charges and so my punishment was a zero on that exam (which I’d failed anyway) and THEY TOOK AWAY MY RIGHT TO RESIT AND IT SUPERSEDED THE EXAM I WAS ALREADY GOING TO RETAKE IN SUMMER ANYWAY!!!! I put in an appeal for that however, I had 10 working days to submit the appeal and I ended up submitting it at 12:03am the day after the 10th working day. I still haven’t got the results of my appeal.
So now it’s May my mum thinks I sat my third year exams my dad thinks I sat that one second year exam and yeah. I do not know what to do and where to go forward. I’m thinking of writing a letter telling my parents the truth and running away from home because I just don’t have the strength to face my mum. I can’t do it. I’m scared.
Please can anyone give me any sort of advice on my situation?

When I first started selling on Amazon, I faced a steep learning curve. As a novice, I quickly realized that optimizing my product listings was crucial for success. Through trial and error, research, and plenty of late nights, I discovered some key strategies that can help any new seller thrive. Here's a guide based on my experience on how to optimize your Amazon listings.

Understand Amazon’s Focus

Amazon's core philosophy is customer first. This means the platform prioritizes the product over the store and the customer over the seller. Your listings must reflect this focus to succeed. Optimizing your listing isn't just about making it attractive; it's about ensuring it meets Amazon’s standards and appeals to potential buyers.

Key Elements of a Good Amazon Listing

To create a compelling Amazon listing, you need to pay attention to four main elements: the title, five-point description, keywords, and images. Here's how to get each one right:

1. Crafting the Perfect Title

The title is one of the most critical parts of your listing. A good title should include core keywords, your brand name, key selling points, and product features. Here are some tips:

• Core Keywords: Include relevant keywords that potential customers are likely to use in their search.
• Trademarks and Selling Points: Highlight your brand and the unique features of your product.
• Product Features: Mention essential features that make your product stand out.
• Capitalization: Capitalize the first letter of each word (excluding conjunctions, articles, and prepositions).
• Relevance: Place the most relevant keywords at the beginning of the title.
• Clarity: Avoid cluttering the title with too many words. A concise, clear title performs better.
• Compliance: Do not include price, shipping cost, or contact information. Avoid using special symbols.

2. Optimizing Product Images

High-quality images are vital for attracting customers. Amazon has strict guidelines for product images, which include:

• Format: Use TIFF, JPEG, GIF, or PNG.
• Content: Images should be real photographs of the product, not drawings or diagrams.
• Background: Use a pure white background (RGB value 255, 255, 255).
• Focus: The product should occupy 85% of the image space and be free of other items that could cause confusion.
• Main Image: Must be pure white, with no text, logos, or watermarks. The product should take up about 85% of the space.
• Alternate Images: You can include up to eight alternate images. These should show different sides and details of the product.
• Size and Ratio: The long side of the image should be between 1001 and 3000 pixels, ideally 2560 pixels to use Amazon’s zoom feature. The recommended aspect ratio is 1:1.3.

3. Writing the Five-Point Description

The five-point description highlights your product’s features and advantages. It's crucial for convincing buyers to make a purchase.

• Unique Selling Points: Emphasize what makes your product unique and how it solves customer problems.
• Customer Needs: Address common questions and concerns, particularly for technical or electronic products.
• Prioritization: List the most compelling selling points first.
• Simplicity: Use clear, concise language that is easy to understand.

4. Utilizing Keywords

Keywords help your product get found in searches. Use keyword research tools to find high-traffic, relevant keywords. Place these strategically in your title, bullet points, and product description to improve visibility.

Monitoring and Optimizing Performance

When your product first launches, initial sales might be slow. This is normal, but don’t let it discourage you. Use Amazon’s backend tools to monitor click-through rates and conversion rates. Poor performance in these areas can indicate issues with your title, images, or descriptions. Adjust these elements based on the data to improve your listing.

Promotions and Launch Strategies

New products get a visibility boost from Amazon, but this window is short. Promote your product aggressively in the first two weeks to capitalize on this. High sales volume during this period can significantly improve your keyword ranking and visibility.

Final Thoughts

Optimizing your Amazon listing is a continuous process. Always be on the lookout for new trends, customer feedback, and performance data to refine your approach. By focusing on the key elements of your listing and continuously improving, you can increase your chances of success as an Amazon seller.

Not sure if this is the right sub for this type of question. I’m wanting to buy a vacant 10 acre parcel of woods that isn’t for sale. The landowner is a farmer that doesn’t use the woods at all, just the cornfield connected to it. I’m wanting to write him a letter asking him if he would like to sell the wooded acreage.. What should I include in the letter to make the offer sound more appealing to him?

"Truth" comes up all of the time in logic. I prefer to think in terms of transfer of belief. If we believe P and P => Q, then we should also believe Q. (I embrace the redundancy theory of truth.)
Formal systems, like Robinson's Q, give us an extremely "normalized" discourse. Whether an assertion is warranted is algorithmically checkable. This is a kind of ideal situation. A "judicial branch" is hardly needed. The hard work of "interpreting the law" is done in the debate about which formal system is more interesting or "referential." Primitive recursive arithmetic is appealing as a "hard core." It is easy to "believe in."
In school, I studied the usual real analysis in classical logic. We never even discussed computability, other approaches. It seems to me now that applied analysis is informally computable, so there is a gap between theory and practice in this sense. Engineers don't believe in calculus because of certain proofs. Such belief is empirically and socially supported.
As Hilbert and Weyl have it, the integration of physics and math is just as a whole. Individual statements may be "meaningless" or deficient in interpretability. That sounds reasonable. But is there not an argument here for a mathematics that is "too empirical" for (pure) mathematicians ? A loose system of mathematical habits and heuristics might just work.
Yet I'm attached to proof. The question might be framed this way : is the essence of math more logical or spatial ? I don't think there is a right and final answer here. Math seems to be both, need both. Logic needs to be applied to something, like the infinite ladder of natural numbers...

Absolute shocker, after waiting 7 months to hear back on my first application, it got rejected.
I’m honestly in a heap over it all
I had a social welfare inspector come to the house Monday April 29th, sent off my current up to date 3 months bank statements as my application had been sent in November they need new up to date ones. (Fair enough) inspector only wanted to know about finances and transactions on the accounts as family Members have been helping me keep a float with no money coming in.
Tuesday 7th May after the long weekend, she replied thanking me that she got my up to date statements.
Fast forward to two days ago, Friday 17th May. I got my rejection letter. Which is dated Wednesday 8th May.
Long story short, they think I’m not enough pain and could do a categories 1 lightweight duty job that’s suitable to my age and skill set . My current job that’s being held for nearly three years is a good paying retail assistant job that’s physically demanding. The job has already discussed with me until I get my pain injection and *touch wood * see some kind of improvement, there isn’t any light duties I could do.
From the letter it appears the decision of me not being “ill enough” was decided in December 2024?!????? Yes the date is what’s on the letter. Yet they sent an office to my house end of April… for what, if it was already decided I wasn’t in enough pain. Make sense of that.
My life has been massively impacted the past three years, my mental health has never been worse and it feels like an absolute kick in the face for someone to decide I’m not in enough pain.
I’m going to appeal and have a doctors appointment this week, but I honestly am lost as to what the hell else I can include in my appeal as I included anything I could in my first application.
Any advice? 😞

I do not seek law ADVICE, only legal information. - What law allows, states, its application, etc... & FILING specs...
U spend all day, every day reading you DONT WANT TO READ THIS. But THIS IS TRULY A CLUSTER FCK CHALLENGE, I do mass tort/consulting stuff... not my bag... & I've put in UNGODLY AMOUNT of hours of research into this. I'm throwing a hail marry. Maybe you deal w/ this sht every day and the picture is super clear to you. You'd literally be saving me MONTHS more of research, if ya just threw a lil bone my way.... Dont even have to solve the whole dilemma... Just ONE liners will do. Any gem ya got. SKIP TO THE BOTTOM IF YA WANT THE SHORT VERSION.
Allow me to lay the fkd context. This info may answer questions you may need answered before you are able to appropriately navigate my salvation.
One ridiculous hypothetical scenario: RN is off duty, out w/ friends, EMS called > Narcan WRONGFULLY admin > occurs in TN, the same state in which she is currently employed; Is licensed in MS (a Compact State). No arrest, No charges. A PD report stating suspected OD. Sent to ER; No tox screen; Requests discharge; END OF EVENT.
The RN's position of the "facts" : There was no OD, regardless of who called 911 or what they may have thought or stated to get an ambulance there. There is NO evidence of intoxication, as their physical status could have been attributed to countless a diagnosis. States she was coherent and talking with the EMT prior to the Narcan admin; claims she verbally made EMT aware Narcan is contraindicated to a CONSCIOUS person, as she was NOT on any substance that would indicate the need of Naloxone/Narcan. Herself, being an RN, was qualified to make an informed decision. EMT administered anyway, RN stated that there was ZERO improvement in her condition, as she knew there would not be.
This may have been a decent argument, easy enough to explain to the TN Board of Nursing, who called upon RN for a Disciplinary Hearing- Privilege to Practice in jeopardy. HOWEVER, when the RN returned from a travel contract job out of state to her home, she found the letter informing her of this hearing ON THE DAY IT WAS SCHEDULED. She drove like a bat out of hell to TN BON; She arrived only 15 min after 5pm that day. She stayed the night in a hotel, where the next a.m. she was told TOO LATE. FINAL ORDER. By being absent, she forfeited her right to be heard/defend herself and the order has already been filed. But, not to worry terribly, bc she only lost her Privilege to Practice in TN, nothing had happened to her actual Nursing license.
FF to MS BON Hearing.... Not bc they heard or knew anything about EMS or ODosing- BC they were notified when she lost her priv to practice in a diff state. So, another hearing. RN goes to this one- She gives her defense. She was a nervous fkn mess, but in the end the MSBON orders: her to pay a fine, do some classes, some mental/phys eval, etc... ton of stuff that cost a ton of money. This hearing took place over ZOOM in the SLAM BAM middle of the COVID quarantine.
She didnt do it. ANy of it. So, of course, when they go to eval it a year later, she repsnded talking w/ them a few times about deadlines, extra time, ect- they dont budge, instead, slap her w/ another displ action: FRAUD. (Bc she agreed to do all that stuff by a certain date and didnt).
Short version/TLDR: Rn got wrongfully narcanned by EMS; lost priv to prac in a state bc she missed hearing; her home state board of nursing does a discplnry action on her due to loss of priv to prac- orders her to do a bunch of crap she didnt do in time, slap her w/ another discp action (fraud) for it. now, its been 3 years and she wants to get this shit straight.
The official standing of her license does NOT say REVOKED, it says, " ADMIN INACTIVE" & "Suspended"
Is it administratively eligible (by NPA laws) to do the things she was ordered to do and request new hearing? Past appeal date, any way circt court might just hear all this and order reinstatement, overriding the MSBONs final orders? (that ever happen to anyone successfully?)
fix the TN priv. to prac revoke before fixing MSBON licensure? or does that matter, procedurally?

Hi everyone, looking for some advice on my PIP claim.
I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis in 2019 after having joint pain since 2017. Been on medication since then, but have been suffering with a horrendous flare up since Sept 2023 so have been put on some additional medication (which has not helped much). During this period a few people advised me I would qualify for PIP which is why I put my claim through.
I applied for PIP in January 2024, had a face to face meeting with an assessor May 8th. I got a letter through over the weekend saying my claim had been denied.
I really felt like in my assessment I explained myself ok, and was clear that I had issues with most aspects of what their requirements are but I don’t believe this was reflected in their denial letter.
Couple questions:
I’m going to appeal. Is phone or letter best? I don’t necessarily feel I have any ‘new’ information but I do feel as though they’ve minimised the struggles I have.
If I’m denied a second time, can I appeal again? Or is there anything else I can do?
Sorry if this seems silly. Got myself a bit anxious and disheartened by it all tbh

Affiliates get ONE shot at appealing.
First, you need to pin down the violation reason. Ex: trademark infringement, unoriginal content, irrelevant product promotion, etc. This is typically easy to do, if it's a video violation- they will give you the exact violation reason. However, account violations are trickier.
Next, you need to try to pin down the EXACT CAUSE for the violation reason. So, if you got a trademark infringement violation, what exactly in your video triggered this? If you got an unoriginal content violation, what exactly in your video triggered this? You need to pin this down, to even have a shot at appealing.
But even IF you pin down the exact cause for the violation reason, guess what? Our Affiliate Appeal Policy page does not detail the supporting documents necessary for every single violation and some of the supporting documents listed would be impossible for us to collect. Fun stuff! 😭
The information below is from the Creator Appeals Policy in TikTok Shop Academy from 5/1/24. TikTok wants us to include:

• A clear explanation of why we feel that the enforcement action was taken against us in error
• Any relevant supporting documents (see list below) only submit documents related to the specific violation you are appealing.
• Any additional materials or information required by TikTok Shop

➡️ Supporting Documents Needed:
MINOR SAFETY VIOLATION - proof that the creator is not a minor, such as:

• Copy of US ID Card
• Copy of Passport
• Copy of Driver's License
• Copy of Green Card

UNORIGINAL CONTENT VIOLATION - Proof that demonstrates personal ownership of the content, including:

• Photographs of the film set and of the host(s) in the livestreams
• Unique Identification Numbers (UIDs) of original videos

MISLEADING CONTENT (MISLEADING FUNCTIONALITY AND EFFECT) VIOLATION - Credible and verifiable proof that demonstrates that the claim has been approved and legitimate. Examples include (but are not limited to):

• Results from credible and authorized tests
• Reports
• Research
• Legitimate website or certificate from a credible source that supports the claim(s).

MISLEADING CONTENT (EXAGGERATED DESCRIPTIONS OR ABSOLUTE CLAIMS CONTENT) VIOLATION - Credible and verifiable proof that demonstrates that the absolute claims are legitimate. Examples include (but are not limited to):

• Results from credible and authorized tests,
• Reports
• Research
• Legitimate website or certificate from a credible source that supports the claim

MISLEADING CONTENT (INCONSISTENT CLAIMS ABOUT PRODUCT CERTIFICATIONS) VIOLATION - Proof the product has received certifications as stated in the promoted content, such as:

• FDA-issued certifications, or certifications from other local or regulatory bodies. Valid certifications may be identified by an official issuing institution or organization, certification issue or expiry date, certification number, signature by the issuing party, and the name of the product or brand. The certification may also be printed on product packaging or on the product itself.
• Screenshots of official certification or patent verification sites containing certification or patent numbers of the product
• Official endorsement contract

MISLEADING CONTENT (CONFLICTING OR INCONSISTENT CLAIMS ON PRODUCT ORIGIN) VIOLATION - Proof of the product's origin information as mentioned in the content, such as:

• Product packaging or product with mention of the place of origin

MISLEADING CONTENT (CONFLICTING OR INCONSISTENT CLAIMS ABOUT RETURNS, REFUNDS, OR SERVICES) VIOLATION - Proof of the return and refund services as mentioned in the content, such as:

• Screenshots of order containing evidence of a processed return or refund based on the information mentioned in the content. Note : Blur out any personally identifiable information such as addresses, names, etc.

MISLEADING CONTENT (CONFLICTING OR INCONSISTEN CLAIMS ON SHIPPING AND LOGISTICS) VIOLATION - Proof of the logistics information as mentioned in the content (like shipping terms), such as:

• A copy of the logistics waybill with mention of the logistics provider
• Screenshots of order with mention of the shipping fee Note : Please blur out any personally identifiable information such as actual addresses, names etc.

CONTENT WITH ANIMALS VIOLATION - Proof that the products used or demonstrated on animals in the content are products intended for animals or pets
➡️ IMPORTANT NOTE: Below are the supporting documents listed from the Seller Policy "Seller Appeals for IPR Violations" from 05/13/24, which cover the documents needed for trademark infringement violations but again, this policy was written specifically for Sellers and not included in the Affiliate Policies. So I can't be certain that this would work for Affiliate appeals.
(TRADEMARK) COUNTERFEIT PRODUCTS- The listed product infringes on another's trademark rights as it involves the sale or promotion of counterfeit products.
-Letter of Authorization from the Trademark Owner or Level 1 Distributor that includes the following information:

• Name of authorizing party
• Name of the authorized party
• Authorized rights (rights to use trademark, rights to use copyright material, rights to distribute products, or authorized country)
• Authorization period
• Stamp of the authorizing party (if the Trademark Owner is a corporate entity)
• Signature of the Trademark Owner (or representative if the Trademark Owner is a corporate entity)

-Intellectual Property Right (IPR) Certificate from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) that includes the following information:

• IPR information (trademark, copyright, or registered design)
• IPR certificate issuance country
• IPR owner name
• Validity period
• Trademark classification (trademark certificate only)

(TRADEMARK) WRONG ASSOCIATION -The listed product infringes on another's trademark rights as the associated trademark is for a different product.
-Letter of Authorization from the Trademark Owner or Level 1 Distributor that includes the following information:

• Name of authorizing party
• Name of the authorized party
• Authorized rights (rights to use trademark, rights to use copyright material, rights to distribute products, or authorized country)
• Authorization period
• Stamp of the authorizing party (if the Trademark Owner is a corporate entity)
• Signature of the Trademark Owner (or representative if the Trademark Owner is a corporate entity)

-Intellectual Property Right (IPR) Certificate from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) that includes the following information:

• IPR information (trademark, copyright, or registered design)
• IPR certificate issuance country
• IPR owner name
• Validity period
• Trademark classification (trademark certificate only)

(TRADEMARK) OVER USE- Using another's trademark in the product listing image(s) to promote the product or service predominantly without the authorization of the trademark owner.
-Letter of Authorization from the Trademark Owner or Level 1 Distributor that includes the following information:

• Name of authorizing party
• Name of the authorized party
• Authorized rights (rights to use trademark, rights to use copyright material, rights to distribute products, or authorized country)
• Authorization period
• Stamp of the authorizing party (if the Trademark Owner is a corporate entity)
• Signature of the Trademark Owner (or representative if the Trademark Owner is a corporate entity)

(UNORIGINAL) PIRACY- The listed product infringes on another's copyright as a pirated copy.
-Letter of Authorization from the Trademark Owner or Level 1 Distributor that includes the following information:

• Name of authorizing party
• Name of the authorized party
• Authorized rights (rights to use trademark, rights to use copyright material, rights to distribute products, or authorized country)
• Authorization period
• Stamp of the authorizing party (if the Trademark Owner is a corporate entity)
• Signature of the Trademark Owner (or representative if the Trademark Owner is a corporate entity)

(UNORIGINAL) UNLAWFUL ACCESS- The listed product infringes on another's copyright as it provides unauthorized access to copyrighted work.
-Letter of Authorization from the Trademark Owner or Level 1 Distributor that includes the following information:

• Name of authorizing party
• Name of the authorized party
• Authorized rights (rights to use trademark, rights to use copyright material, rights to distribute products, or authorized country)
• Authorization period
• Stamp of the authorizing party (if the Trademark Owner is a corporate entity)
• Signature of the Trademark Owner (or representative if the Trademark Owner is a corporate entity)

(UNORIGINAL) UNLAWFUL REPRODUCTION- the listed product infringes on another's copyright as it involves the sale of products featuring unauthorized copyrighted work or unauthorized reproductions of copyrighted work.
-Letter of Authorization from the Trademark Owner or Level 1 Distributor that includes the following information:

• Name of authorizing party
• Name of the authorized party
• Authorized rights (rights to use trademark, rights to use copyright material, rights to distribute products, or authorized country)
• Authorization period
• Stamp of the authorizing party (if the Trademark Owner is a corporate entity)
• Signature of the Trademark Owner (or representative if the Trademark Owner is a corporate entity)

(UNORIGINAL) CONTENT INFRINGEMENT- The listed product infringes on another's copyright as copyrighted work is used as listing content.
-Letter of Authorization from the Trademark Owner or Level 1 Distributor that includes the following information:

• Name of authorizing party
• Name of the authorized party
• Authorized rights (rights to use trademark, rights to use copyright material, rights to distribute products, or authorized country)
• Authorization period
• Stamp of the authorizing party (if the Trademark Owner is a corporate entity)
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Hi. After lurking for a while, here I am taking the plunge. I feel like this query might be too vague, but fear making it too big and messy by adding details. Each letter is personalized, but that doesn't show here. Also, I know the usual phrasing would be "a standalone with series potential" but don't know if it would really apply here? Thank you to you all!
Dear [Agent],
THE DARKER THE WEATHER (96,000 words) is a dual-POV adult romantic thriller, the first book of a duology whose second installment's complete as well. It will appeal to fans of Rebecca Zanetti's You Can Run, P.J. Vernon's Bath Haus, and the movie Nightcrawler.
The writing on the wall is clear—REMEMBER?—a copycat is after Detective Dowoo Kim. Aloof and guilt-ridden since the death of Amber, his former partner, Dowoo won’t work with anyone else, let alone the nuisance who’s been fouling his station’s air for months. Enter Minjae Han-Kearney, New York City-raised detective here to steal the show—or so Dowoo thinks.
When another body drops, Minjae is the one to remember. Forced to team up, Dowoo and Minjae struggle to find their footing around each other, especially since Dowoo’s misconceptions about Minjae are still so prevalent, and the ghost of Amber everywhere he looks.
With Chicago's every eye on them and the freshly-named Night Crawler—courtesy of the Tribune newspaper—Dowoo and Minjae are thrown under the microscope in more ways than one. Deep-buried emotions resurface and Dowoo finds himself weak to his partner’s ways. But bodies keep piling up while Dowoo can’t help fantasizing about Minjae’s against his.
Could it be that evil does bring men together? And, if so, isn't it more likely to ruin just about everything?
As a bi man, I strive for representation that isn’t only rooted in our pains and struggles, and would like to spread my writing out there before some FBI agent tracks me down for my shonky research history.
Thank you for your precious time,
[Name]

First 300 words
“All that bullshit about partners and all,” Dowoo goes on, a bitter sneer dying before it truly comes out, nausea pushing the knot in Minjae’s throat further up. “Fuck, what a joke.”

A few months earlier

“It’s always the same shit,” Dowoo gripes through gritted teeth, back against the wall and eyes set on not-so-distant silhouettes. “Right, kiddo?”
Leroy casts him a glance, but his attention soon wanders back to the meeting—the party if anything.
“Right.”
“You don’t look too convinced,” Dowoo pushes, and the reason’s easy to pinpoint, standing among people busy licking his Oxford shoes.
“C’mon.” Leroy’s focused on him again. Better that way. “You can’t say that when I’m the only one agreeing with you here.”
“Only one,” Dowoo repeats in a low voice. “A fucking shame if you ask me.”
“Don’t need to ask for you to—”
“I mean, look at that fucker—look at them, popping bottles for a bunch of solved robberies. Morons so close to dropping to their knees for that bastard, it sickens me.”
“See?” Leroy quips, having Dowoo contemplate the idea of flicking him. “Those weren’t just any robberies and you know it.”
“Yeah, well,” he mutters, unable to tear his gaze away from Han, all smirks and annoying features, a flute of champagne in hand. “It’s still our job, not some excuse to party.”
“I hear you, I do, but things are rough around here. Maybe they just need a hero?”
“Call that a hero?” Dowoo scoffs, then slants his head to the side. “And wouldn’t you need one, too?”
“I already have you.”
“Fuck off, Jenkins,” Dowoo retorts as he shoulders that punk, but it’s nowhere near enough to make him move. That’s what the Violent Crimes Section does, he guesses. Makes one rougher.

Hey,
I recently had a bike accident and broke my tibia. It was a grade I open tibia fracture. I have Anthem BlueCross/BlueShield insurance, and the hospital where I had my surgery is an in-network provider. A few days after my discharge, I received a letter from the insurance company stating that my inpatient stay post-surgery wasn’t deemed medically necessary.
I spoke with my provider about it, and they mentioned that this is a common issue with insurance companies and not to worry. The provider's office called and advised me to appeal the decision, explaining that I was on IV antibiotics due to the grade I open fracture to prevent infection at the wound site. I followed their advice and appealed, but I'm still concerned that the claim might be rejected.
The two-day inpatient stay cost around $90k, an amount I can't afford, even with a three-year installment plan without interest, as I am an international student. Can anyone advise on potential options if the insurance company rejects my appeal?
Location: Bloomington, IN. Thank you.