So I'm with Metro and I had a shitty phone, Wiko Voix, but i really liked it for its basic functionality and speed and display and ease of use
About a two months ago the touch screen started being glitchy and I thought it's because of water damage
I ended up filing an insurance claim with Assurant, saying the screen was malfunctioning, in hopes of getting a brand new Wiko Voix
I ended up getting a different replacement phone instead, which was set up in store for me, rendering my Wiko Voix locked
The phone I got was pretty terrible so I tried buying a new phone yesterday and spent 200, which I also don't really like
At this point, I really want my Wiko Voix back and I have it physically because I didn't mail it back to the insurance company
Since I've stopped using it so much, the screen barely glitches, and I think I've learned my lesson about abusing the insurance claim form.
Is there any way I can get my Wiko Voix unlocked?

I stumbled upon this article, California as Island on Maps Mistake claiming that California being shown as an Island was jus a mistake made for HUNDREDS of years. This is not correct at all. As you'll see In this thread, i give an accurate historical account, and the actual Seal of the Island of California. California you can see that all across the planet it was known & acknowledged. Look at rhe maps, whats called California today isn't the same piece of land, one was submerged.
Coin from i600s(1600s) Understand that alot of the dates have been changed, and 1000yr was added to our timeline. I'll show you.
Early maps, coins, buildings, gravestones et a; ALL have a certain dating system that is a clue to the added 1000 years to out time-line. This map is dated by the maker as such, i450 The 'I' was used upto the j550s [1550s] when the letter 'j' was invented so..The 'I' stands for Iesus The 'j' stands for Jesus....You would read the date as such: Iesus the year of our lord 450
Heres a text from a few centuries back showing many Examples of this. There are 1000s of examples of this across time. It is a hint to the transition. Here are the signatures of the great writers, painters and engravers. J 573, Aº j 647, i 666, Ao j 679, Anno J 669,etc
Notice European writers who discuss California as an island, talk about its bein connected to the terrestrial paradise. As i said, America is the true old world. You can see in other threads that there were 7 Kingdoms in the Grand Canyon area & the West coast was called "Granada Land". Remember these were Moors(Ma Ur- Egyptian anu high priest) hence the sophisticated architecture.
In Cali & Mexico is Baja. Or Punta Baja (Bahia) in North Mexico. Theres also a Baja in Brazil. Punta Baja is also a coastal city. Baja is Bahia.Bahia’s capital is the city of Salvador (formerly known as “Cidade do São Salvador da Bahia de Todos os Santos”, literally “City of the Saint Savior of the Bay of All the Saints”) Punt was known as land of the gods by Egyptians right?
Bahia is bordered on the east by the Atlantic Ocean, which was originally called the Ethiopian Ocean (see map below). Ethiopia wasnt jus 1 area in Africa, it was once what ALL of Africa, the Atlantic Ocean , and South America were called. Greek writers tell you they were the most civilized nation & recieved the gods from them.(Zues Aethiops-burnt faced) Interestingly, Bahia literally means Bay, which is just code for Bey. Bey is a Moorish/Turkish surname that means lord, governor, and/or Chieftain. You can see on most maps all the way up til the 1600s. Map 1600s from French textbook 'Description de I’Univers. Vol V,” in 1683.
Elongation In Utero .... As you can see here The earliest inhabitants of the Americas were naturally Dolicocephalic . Huari monuments are called Huanca or Huari. This is almost the same sound as Harari, a name for one of the Semitic speaking tribes of Ethiopia. The forefathers of the Huari are only known from legend as a bearded people. Near the town of Palpa, 12 miles north east of Nazca, Peru there are inscriptions, that can be be read using the Ge’ez language of Ethiopia.

more info here
https://www.reddit.com/DebtAdvice/comments/17kyud9/should_i_let_my_debt_go_through_into_collection/
but essentially got smthn stuck in my ear for 2 weeks despite preferrign to go deaf over fear of going in debt. (Money's tight, even now and i was/am still 9000 dollars in debt from a recent at the time car accident, as a freelance artist who spends all the time at home carrying for my sick and elderly father)
was encouraged to get it removed, so i double checked everywhere the insurance, the insurance to find a place in network, and even the clinic itself to ASSURE it was covered. i expressed this an asked everyone a billion times if it was covered.
it was!
i pay 20 for the cleaning
a few months later, it wasn't! I'm now an extra 315 in debt and basically "dine and dashed"
i ring up the clinic, the insurance, the billing department and everyone inbetween to figure out what happened. their response?
"Idk but you gotta pay."
didn't have it all at the time so i entered a payment plan which i paid monthly til the final time. The final time for some reason their number changed to uber support and basically had to call hop to find the billing departments new number since no one in the company new.
when time to pay, they said they didn't have to pay and did it automatically, only needing my verbal consent cause my card was already in the system. something that NEVER happened before. For example this IS a process i do with my car accident debt. Difference is theres only ever been one specific person i call who deals with all this stuff, she has a name and gives out a receipt once the process is complete. Very normal and professional.
My luck is so shit i'm insanely angry and paranoid deep down about everything and am usually right, so i found that suspicous and asked if i could just pay again anyways just to be sure?
"No."
that makes sense! tbh
can i get a name of the guy issuing this or some kind of record that this event took place to cover my ass?
"No :)"
who can i call to just check in to make sure it went through/how will i know it went through?
"you did everything on your part, theres nothing more you need to do, bye!"
fast forward to now and i got a letter in the mail of an overpayment existing on the account. i'm told please find a refund check in the amount of the overpayment.
I'm asking here first before jsut calling them because obviously i'm at my wits end with these people and hardly trust them. Since day 1 anytime i've been told that they'll handle the rest and leave them to their buisness, nothing gets done and go worse for me if i don't do my own sleuthing. So what am i supposed to do?
TL;DR
despite attempting to pay off a debt after a payment plan months ago, for the first time ever, the company said they had my card info and just needed the confirmation from me and everything would go through. Weirdly no way to record its an event that took place tho
low and behold, got a letter in the mail about an overpayment on the account
Do i pay? do they pay? How do i get them to pay? Even so, while i probably have the money, i DEFINITELY had it THEN, hence why i wanted to pay while i had the extra income. Now other unrelated shit money is tight and ot the wire and i desprately need for the doctors and to get medicine i literally need to live. So i can't so easily just give out on a whim. And with a company so sketchy and mismanged it's hard to guage if that would even end things for me or not at this point.

more info here
https://www.reddit.com/DebtAdvice/comments/17kyud9/should_i_let_my_debt_go_through_into_collection/
but essentially got smthn stuck in my ear for 2 weeks despite preferrign to go deaf over fear of going in debt. (Money's tight, even now and i was/am still 9000 dollars in debt from a recent at the time car accident, as a freelance artist who spends all the time at home carrying for my sick and elderly father)
was encouraged to get it removed, so i double checked everywhere the insurance, the insurance to find a place in network, and even the clinic itself to ASSURE it was covered. i expressed this an asked everyone a billion times if it was covered.
it was!
i pay 20 for the cleaning
a few months later, it wasn't! I'm now an extra 315 in debt and basically "dine and dashed"
i ring up the clinic, the insurance, the billing department and everyone inbetween to figure out what happened. their response?
"Idk but you gotta pay."
didn't have it all at the time so i entered a payment plan which i paid monthly til the final time. The final time for some reason their number changed to uber support and basically had to call hop to find the billing departments new number since no one in the company new.
when time to pay, they said they didn't have to pay and did it automatically, only needing my verbal consent cause my card was already in the system. something that NEVER happened before. For example this IS a process i do with my car accident debt. Difference is theres only ever been one specific person i call who deals with all this stuff, she has a name and gives out a receipt once the process is complete. Very normal and professional.
My luck is so shit i'm insanely angry and paranoid deep down about everything and am usually right, so i found that suspicous and asked if i could just pay again anyways just to be sure?
"No."
that makes sense! tbh
can i get a name of the guy issuing this or some kind of record that this event took place to cover my ass?
"No :)"
who can i call to just check in to make sure it went through/how will i know it went through?
"you did everything on your part, theres nothing more you need to do, bye!"
fast forward to now and i got a letter in the mail of an overpayment existing on the account. i'm told please find a refund check in the amount of the overpayment.
I'm asking here first before jsut calling them because obviously i'm at my wits end with these people and hardly trust them. Since day 1 anytime i've been told that they'll handle the rest and leave them to their buisness, nothing gets done and go worse for me if i don't do my own sleuthing. So what am i supposed to do?
TL;DR
despite attempting to pay off a debt after a payment plan months ago, for the first time ever, the company said they had my card info and just needed the confirmation from me and everything would go through. Weirdly no way to record its an event that took place tho
low and behold, got a letter in the mail about an overpayment on the account
Do i pay? do they pay? How do i get them to pay? Even so, while i probably have the money, i DEFINITELY had it THEN, hence why i wanted to pay while i had the extra income. Now other unrelated shit money is tight and ot the wire and i desprately need for the doctors and to get medicine i literally need to live. So i can't so easily just give out on a whim. And with a company so sketchy and mismanged it's hard to guage if that would even end things for me or not at this point.

more info here
https://www.reddit.com/DebtAdvice/comments/17kyud9/should_i_let_my_debt_go_through_into_collection/
but essentially got smthn stuck in my ear for 2 weeks despite preferrign to go deaf over fear of going in debt. (Money's tight, even now and i was/am still 9000 dollars in debt from a recent at the time car accident, as a freelance artist who spends all the time at home carrying for my sick and elderly father)
was encouraged to get it removed, so i double checked everywhere the insurance, the insurance to find a place in network, and even the clinic itself to ASSURE it was covered. i expressed this an asked everyone a billion times if it was covered.
it was!
i pay 20 for the cleaning
a few months later, it wasn't! I'm now an extra 315 in debt and basically "dine and dashed"
i ring up the clinic, the insurance, the billing department and everyone inbetween to figure out what happened. their response?
"Idk but you gotta pay."
didn't have it all at the time so i entered a payment plan which i paid monthly til the final time. The final time for some reason their number changed to uber support and basically had to call hop to find the billing departments new number since no one in the company new.
when time to pay, they said they didn't have to pay and did it automatically, only needing my verbal consent cause my card was already in the system. something that NEVER happened before. For example this IS a process i do with my car accident debt. Difference is theres only ever been one specific person i call who deals with all this stuff, she has a name and gives out a receipt once the process is complete. Very normal and professional.
My luck is so shit i'm insanely angry and paranoid deep down about everything and am usually right, so i found that suspicous and asked if i could just pay again anyways just to be sure?
"No."
that makes sense! tbh
can i get a name of the guy issuing this or some kind of record that this event took place to cover my ass?
"No :)"
who can i call to just check in to make sure it went through/how will i know it went through?
"you did everything on your part, theres nothing more you need to do, bye!"
fast forward to now and i got a letter in the mail of an overpayment existing on the account. i'm told please find a refund check in the amount of the overpayment.
I'm asking here first before jsut calling them because obviously i'm at my wits end with these people and hardly trust them. Since day 1 anytime i've been told that they'll handle the rest and leave them to their buisness, nothing gets done and go worse for me if i don't do my own sleuthing. So what am i supposed to do?
TL;DR
despite attempting to pay off a debt after a payment plan months ago, for the first time ever, the company said they had my card info and just needed the confirmation from me and everything would go through. Weirdly no way to record its an event that took place tho
low and behold, got a letter in the mail about an overpayment on the account
Do i pay? do they pay? How do i get them to pay? Even so, while i probably have the money, i DEFINITELY had it THEN, hence why i wanted to pay while i had the extra income. Now other unrelated shit money is tight and ot the wire and i desprately need for the doctors and to get medicine i literally need to live. So i can't so easily just give out on a whim. And with a company so sketchy and mismanged it's hard to guage if that would even end things for me or not at this point.

Working on a small ttrpg. Are there any examples you can think of where a game has player backstory generated? Stuff like when you start the game you might have a line like “last mission before retirement” or “you hate this other player” or “lied on resume”. Or maybe even player secrets. Something that is not mechanical so much as roleplay flavor.

I'm torn between keeping open the Amex Gold, which is my first credit card, or closing it and going with the CSP. The annual fee of $250, and probably increasing, does make me rethink it. Along with the CFU/ CSP duo I think it could work pretty well and I could keep with the hybrid cash back and some points. I plan on closing the VX in December because of many many issues with capital one in general along with not traveling enough. I am open to other recommendations as well. I do have way more general everyday spend than what is listed below.
CREDIT PROFILE:

• Chase Freedom Unlimited $6500 limit, 09/23
• C1 VX $20,000 limit, 12/23
• Amex Blue Cash Preferred $15000 limit, 08/22
• Amex Gold 11/21
• FICO Scores with source : Experian 721
• Oldest credit card account age with you as primary name on the account: 2 years 5 months
• Annual income $: $60000
• Inquiries: 0/6, 4/12
• * Number of personal credit cards approved for in the past 6 months: 0
• * Number of personal credit cards approved for in the past 12 months: 2
• * Number of personal credit cards approved for in the past 24 months: 2

CATEGORIES

• * OK with category-specific cards?: No
• * OK with rotating category cards?: No
• * Estimate average monthly spend in the categories below. Only include what you can pay by credit card.
  • * Dining $: 300
  • * Groceries $: 150
  • * Gas $: 200 plus
  • * Travel $: Tolls ($100) some hotel getaway's and maybe 1 flight a year.
  • * Do you plan on using this card abroad for a significant length of time (study abroad, digital nomad, expat, extended travel)?: No
  • * Any other categories (examples: phone/internet, insurance) or stores (example: Amazon) with significant, regular credit card spend (the more you specify, the better): $ storage unit that codes as travel ( on amex at least)

[EU] The Crossroads Hotel universe.
You do not need to be familiar with the Crossroads universe to enjoy this short story. While it is set within the same universe, it stands alone as its own narrative.
***
A smash sounded a few yards away in the sundry shop and Nancy jumped, severely startled.
“Jesus Christ!” she exclaimed, losing the grip on her magazine, which went tumbling to the floor.
“What was that?” called a voice a moment later.
Nancy put her hand to her chest over her racing heart and took a deep breath before answering her boss, Marjorie, who was currently at the reception desk near the front of the hotel lobby. “Just a second,” she said. Picking up the magazine from the floor and putting it on the counter, she walked around some of the shelves and displays until she saw what had fallen. “Huh.”
If Nancy got a nickel every time she’d thought the phrase, “That’s new,” while working at the Crossroads Hotel, she would probably be able to retire. Being an ‘intersection’ of multiple dimensions occasionally made things appear out of nowhere, from objects to weird weather to even the occasional animal. The clatter had been from a ceramic potted plant shattering on the linoleum floor.
A moment later, Marjorie walked into the shop and where Nancy was standing, hands on her hips. “Don’t ask me,” Nancy said promptly. “I don’t know where it came from.”
“Where everything comes from,” the manager responded with a small smile. “Somewhere else. You got this?”
“Yeah, I got it,” she said with a dismissive hand wave. Marjorie nodded once before turning and walking back through the lobby.
Nancy took a look at the plant, unique as it was. It looked like the pot had been about six inches across, just the type of thing to put on a living room table as a centerpiece. The thick leaves were a gorgeous blue and purple color with white blotchy stripes, and there were deep purple flower blooms growing tall as well. Pursing her lips at the beautiful sight, Nancy couldn’t bring herself to sweep everything up and trash it, so instead, she just decided to only throw away the shattered pottery.
First, she went back to the counter and took a dustpan and brush from one of the drawers, as well as her small trash bin. After picking out the bigger pieces of the pot and putting them in the bin, Nancy picked up as much of the plant’s roots and dirt as she could, putting them aside, and then swept up the smaller pieces of shattered clay.
Once that was done, Nancy unlocked and went through the door marked Storage.
The storage area was her domain. As far as any of the employees knew, it was just storage, but they also knew it was so much more. If someone came to Nancy and requested any items, usually Marjorie or the chef Andrea on behalf of a guest or one of the guests themselves, Nancy would go fetch it. And by any items, that meant any items.
Shutting and locking the door behind her, Nancy went down the small hall to the storage room. The hallway had been purposefully added in, so no one could see into the room. Then she took out her wand, going over to her cauldron.
If she had any regrets about working here, it was that she wasn’t able to tell those she worked with that she retrieved the items they needed from a genuine large black cauldron in the middle of the room. She knew Marjorie in particular would get a kick out of it. But the fact was that it had been made from solid iron because it contained any magic that was done inside it, since iron repelled magic. It didn’t hold a stew, bubbling away like in movies. Instead, there was just a fine mist up to the rim, as if there was dry ice at the bottom.
The rest of the room was mostly empty. There was a long folding table against the wall to the right, for organization of any and all things she needed to give to those who’d requested them if there was a list. Then there were some shelving units that held boxes full of the sundry shop’s most popular items. Other than that, the room was empty.
The Crossroads Hotel was one of the rare places that had an artifact like the cauldron. Nancy had brought it with her when she’d started working there, and she knew without a doubt that the fact that she owned one was the reason she was hired.
Any witch could work at a sundry shop, and also it only took about a decade’s worth of training to properly use the cauldron. Aside from that, playing backup to the wizard who ran the hotel if the occasion presented itself was another thing on a resume that many witches out there had. But owning an artifact that could conjure items was extremely rare, and to be allowed to use them by the authorities was rarer. The witch had to be incredibly trustworthy, since only warded items were safe from its near-infinite reach.
Then there was also the door to her right, which lead to what could more properly be called Storage. It led to another location in a nearby city, a warehouse that stored any and all items that had been left by accident at the hotel. It was a warehouse because they kept things indefinitely, and the hotel had been open for over 150 years. That meant an absolute ton of items.
Nancy took out her wand, closing her eyes, and let herself slip into a calm and tranquil place. Then raising her wand, she spoke, “Afferte mihi ollam parvam plantae ex visu viso ubi multa sunt..” Roughly translated, it came out to, “Bring me a small pot for a plant from a sight unseen where they are plentiful.”
Her concentration on the direction and instruction of the spell was just as important as the words spoken and the power directed through her wand. It would take the item from somewhere on Earth where there were a lot of them and one wouldn’t be missed, for example a shelf at a closed Walmart, and teleport it to the cauldron. If it was longer than the cauldron was tall, it would allow the witch to pull it out, like a lamp from Mary Poppins’ purse. And it would work on any item as long as human eyes weren’t currently looking at it.
Once the spell had been cast, Nancy slowly drifted her wand around the top of the cauldron, murmuring, “Dissipare.” The smoke spread to the sides of the cauldron and dissipated into nothing, letting her lean down and pick up the small white ceramic pot that had appeared. Then, she walked back out to the sundry shop and knelt at the plant’s side. Sweeping together the dirt, she picked up it and the plant, carefully depositing it in the pot. Moving around and patting down the dirt, Nancy smiled in satisfaction.
After sweeping up the rest of the dirt into the dustpan and emptying it into the trash, she fetched a wet paper towel from the bathroom to get the last of it. Then she put it on the counter next to her cash register. Not long ago, they’d had a visit from some very special fae who’d been disappointed at the lack of live plants in the lobby. They’d remedied that, but Nancy figured they’d approve of any new live plant she added to the décor.
About two hours later, there was another noise, though this time it was a thump. Nancy’s attention was piqued and she stood up, walking out of the shop. It didn’t take much time to find the culprit: a cloth bag that looked like it held some kind of sand or dirt, probably about twenty pounds worth.
Marjorie was at her side a moment later. “What is going on?” she chuckled. “Do you think we could be getting presents from someone who thinks we need more plants?”
Nancy grinned. “That would be a nice surprise.”
At that, Nancy grabbed and hefted the bag up and onto her shoulder. She wasn’t buff by any stretch of the word, but she certainly had the strength to carry a bag of dirt. Returning to the shop, she dropped the bag with another thud behind the counter, near the wall. She knew it was likely that these items would end up in the Lost and Found warehouse, but she was still curious as to what might pop up next.
It was less than an hour later that Nancy was startled again with the thumps of no fewer than three medium-sized pots, probably ten inches across, appearing in the lobby. They were within eyeshot of her sitting on her stool and they looked like a relative of the first plant that had appeared, except orange and red. Putting down her magazine once more and wandering over, she remarked, “Well aren’t you pretty.”
“How long are we going to be receiving gifts from a garden store?” Marjorie asked with a dry grin, leaning over the counter so she could see the plants. I saw the assistant manager Josh behind her, leaning further forward so he could get a good view also. “If someone’s trying to give us a hint, they certainly have at this point.”
“No kidding,” Nancy chuckled. “At least they’re nice plants…”
Her voice trailed off as she felt a breeze start to pick up. There were no doors or windows open, though, so she had no idea from where the breeze was coming from. Doing a slow turn as the wind became strong enough to ruffle her gray hair, she saw Marjorie held down her own tight brown curls lest they become tangled. Then there was a blur in the air as the front doors slid open and the telltale mental fuzziness of something coming through from somewhere else.
It was a woman, wearing a dress that had clearly been worn for years of work in a garden, with faint imprints of dirt, worn from the sun, and having been washed many times. The woman herself was the most striking thing Nancy had seen in quite some time, as she had faintly purple skin. Instead of hair, she had leaves, a soft yellow that complemented her skin tone.
Nancy walked out from behind the desk and took a glance around. If anyone saw her, the woman’s appearance would have to be passed off as some sort of cosplay.
“Hello, I’m wondering if you could-” She let out a sigh, walking over to the plants that had just appeared. Carefully checking them over for any damage, she shook her head. “Here they are. You’re the Manager, aren’t you?” she asked, glancing to Marjorie. “This is the Crossroads Hotel?”
“I am and it is,” the young woman replied, walking over from the desk.
At that, the woman, who’d yet to give her name, Nancy noticed, gave a quick look around to make sure they were alone before waving her hand over the plants. They vanished in an indistinct blur.
“There’s also a bag of soil in the sundry shop, and a smaller plant,” Marjorie told her.
“Oh, good,” she said, turning and walking over, the two employees following her. “This pot…this is new. Did you replant it?”
Nancy nodded. “Yes, ma’am. It must have fallen from a good height because the pot smashed on the floor. I repotted it because it’s so beautiful. I couldn’t imagine putting it in the Lost and Found just to dry up and fade away.”
“That was so kind of you,” the woman sighed. “I just fixed the issue that was allowing this to happen, but then it was a matter of getting back what I lost. It’s my fault. I was doing some reworking of my wards and I made a mistake.”
“No problem at all,” Nancy replied.
“You know what? Keep the plant as a gift, an appreciation of my thanks for caring for it,” she said with a dimpled smile. “It will last for years and years and only needs watering once a week, but won’t get any bigger, so this is the perfect spot for it. And I’d be honored to have one of my plants at the Crossroads Hotel.”
Nancy blinked in surprise. “Well, that’s quite kind of you!”
“Think nothing of it. It’s my life’s work to find homes for all of my plants, and this one just managed to find a home all on its own. It’s a variety of pinguicula from where I live, and should flourish without much effort.” She walked around behind the desk and spotted the bag of dirt. With another wave of her hand, it vanished the same way. “Your hospitality is greatly appreciated,” she said, looking from Marjorie to Nancy. “I must be going.”
“It was nice to meet you,” Marjorie said. Nancy smiled, guessing that the Manager had just felt she needed to say something to wrap up the encounter.
“You as well.” With another thorough glance around the lobby for anyone who might see, the woman took a few steps through the air and disappeared.
Marjorie took a closer look at the plant, smiling at the flowers that bloomed a good six inches from the leaves. “It’s really pretty.”
“Yeah. I’ve got a hunch though, considering how high the flowers are,” Nancy said thoughtfully. She placed the tip of her pointer finger on the tip of one of the leaves, then found it difficult to pull it off of the sticky surface, removing it with a small snap from the adhesive. The leaf then curled up all the way to the base.
“Oh,” Marjorie stated. “Well. A carnivorous plant from an alternate dimension. Don’t see that every day.”
“I think I’ll give it to Andrea,” Nancy said with a satisfied smile, picking up the pot. “Nothing like a living insect trap to keep your kitchen free of flies.”
Marjorie grinned after Nancy as she went off to deliver the gift.

[EU] The Crossroads Hotel universe. You do not need to be familiar with the Crossroads universe to enjoy this short story. While it is set within the same universe, it stands alone as its own narrative.
***
A smash sounded a few yards away in the sundry shop and Nancy jumped, severely startled.
“Jesus Christ!” she exclaimed, losing the grip on her magazine, which went tumbling to the floor.
“What was that?” called a voice a moment later.
Nancy put her hand to her chest over her racing heart and took a deep breath before answering her boss, Marjorie, who was currently at the reception desk near the front of the hotel lobby. “Just a second,” she said. Picking up the magazine from the floor and putting it on the counter, she walked around some of the shelves and displays until she saw what had fallen. “Huh.”
If Nancy got a nickel every time she’d thought the phrase, “That’s new,” while working at the Crossroads Hotel, she would probably be able to retire. Being an ‘intersection’ of multiple dimensions occasionally made things appear out of nowhere, from objects to weird weather to even the occasional animal. The clatter had been from a ceramic potted plant shattering on the linoleum floor.
A moment later, Marjorie walked into the shop and where Nancy was standing, hands on her hips. “Don’t ask me,” Nancy said promptly. “I don’t know where it came from.”
“Where everything comes from,” the manager responded with a small smile. “Somewhere else. You got this?”
“Yeah, I got it,” she said with a dismissive hand wave. Marjorie nodded once before turning and walking back through the lobby.
Nancy took a look at the plant, unique as it was. It looked like the pot had been about six inches across, just the type of thing to put on a living room table as a centerpiece. The thick leaves were a gorgeous blue and purple color with white blotchy stripes, and there were deep purple flower blooms growing tall as well. Pursing her lips at the beautiful sight, Nancy couldn’t bring herself to sweep everything up and trash it, so instead, she just decided to only throw away the shattered pottery.
First, she went back to the counter and took a dustpan and brush from one of the drawers, as well as her small trash bin. After picking out the bigger pieces of the pot and putting them in the bin, Nancy picked up as much of the plant’s roots and dirt as she could, putting them aside, and then swept up the smaller pieces of shattered clay.
Once that was done, Nancy unlocked and went through the door marked Storage.
The storage area was her domain. As far as any of the employees knew, it was just storage, but they also knew it was so much more. If someone came to Nancy and requested any items, usually Marjorie or the chef Andrea on behalf of a guest or one of the guests themselves, Nancy would go fetch it. And by any items, that meant any items.
Shutting and locking the door behind her, Nancy went down the small hall to the storage room. The hallway had been purposefully added in, so no one could see into the room. Then she took out her wand, going over to her cauldron.
If she had any regrets about working here, it was that she wasn’t able to tell those she worked with that she retrieved the items they needed from a genuine large black cauldron in the middle of the room. She knew Marjorie in particular would get a kick out of it. But the fact was that it had been made from solid iron because it contained any magic that was done inside it, since iron repelled magic. It didn’t hold a stew, bubbling away like in movies. Instead, there was just a fine mist up to the rim, as if there was dry ice at the bottom.
The rest of the room was mostly empty. There was a long folding table against the wall to the right, for organization of any and all things she needed to give to those who’d requested them if there was a list. Then there were some shelving units that held boxes full of the sundry shop’s most popular items. Other than that, the room was empty.
The Crossroads Hotel was one of the rare places that had an artifact like the cauldron. Nancy had brought it with her when she’d started working there, and she knew without a doubt that the fact that she owned one was the reason she was hired.
Any witch could work at a sundry shop, and also it only took about a decade’s worth of training to properly use the cauldron. Aside from that, playing backup to the wizard who ran the hotel if the occasion presented itself was another thing on a resume that many witches out there had. But owning an artifact that could conjure items was extremely rare, and to be allowed to use them by the authorities was rarer. The witch had to be incredibly trustworthy, since only warded items were safe from its near-infinite reach.
Then there was also the door to her right, which lead to what could more properly be called Storage. It led to another location in a nearby city, a warehouse that stored any and all items that had been left by accident at the hotel. It was a warehouse because they kept things indefinitely, and the hotel had been open for over 150 years. That meant an absolute ton of items.
Nancy took out her wand, closing her eyes, and let herself slip into a calm and tranquil place. Then raising her wand, she spoke, “Afferte mihi ollam parvam plantae ex visu viso ubi multa sunt..” Roughly translated, it came out to, “Bring me a small pot for a plant from a sight unseen where they are plentiful.”
Her concentration on the direction and instruction of the spell was just as important as the words spoken and the power directed through her wand. It would take the item from somewhere on Earth where there were a lot of them and one wouldn’t be missed, for example a shelf at a closed Walmart, and teleport it to the cauldron. If it was longer than the cauldron was tall, it would allow the witch to pull it out, like a lamp from Mary Poppins’ purse. And it would work on any item as long as human eyes weren’t currently looking at it.
Once the spell had been cast, Nancy slowly drifted her wand around the top of the cauldron, murmuring, “Dissipare.” The smoke spread to the sides of the cauldron and dissipated into nothing, letting her lean down and pick up the small white ceramic pot that had appeared. Then, she walked back out to the sundry shop and knelt at the plant’s side. Sweeping together the dirt, she picked up it and the plant, carefully depositing it in the pot. Moving around and patting down the dirt, Nancy smiled in satisfaction.
After sweeping up the rest of the dirt into the dustpan and emptying it into the trash, she fetched a wet paper towel from the bathroom to get the last of it. Then she put it on the counter next to her cash register. Not long ago, they’d had a visit from some very special fae who’d been disappointed at the lack of live plants in the lobby. They’d remedied that, but Nancy figured they’d approve of any new live plant she added to the décor.
About two hours later, there was another noise, though this time it was a thump. Nancy’s attention was piqued and she stood up, walking out of the shop. It didn’t take much time to find the culprit: a cloth bag that looked like it held some kind of sand or dirt, probably about twenty pounds worth.
Marjorie was at her side a moment later. “What is going on?” she chuckled. “Do you think we could be getting presents from someone who thinks we need more plants?”
Nancy grinned. “That would be a nice surprise.”
At that, Nancy grabbed and hefted the bag up and onto her shoulder. She wasn’t buff by any stretch of the word, but she certainly had the strength to carry a bag of dirt. Returning to the shop, she dropped the bag with another thud behind the counter, near the wall. She knew it was likely that these items would end up in the Lost and Found warehouse, but she was still curious as to what might pop up next.
It was less than an hour later that Nancy was startled again with the thumps of no fewer than three medium-sized pots, probably ten inches across, appearing in the lobby. They were within eyeshot of her sitting on her stool and they looked like a relative of the first plant that had appeared, except orange and red. Putting down her magazine once more and wandering over, she remarked, “Well aren’t you pretty.”
“How long are we going to be receiving gifts from a garden store?” Marjorie asked with a dry grin, leaning over the counter so she could see the plants. I saw the assistant manager Josh behind her, leaning further forward so he could get a good view also. “If someone’s trying to give us a hint, they certainly have at this point.”
“No kidding,” Nancy chuckled. “At least they’re nice plants…”
Her voice trailed off as she felt a breeze start to pick up. There were no doors or windows open, though, so she had no idea from where the breeze was coming from. Doing a slow turn as the wind became strong enough to ruffle her gray hair, she saw Marjorie held down her own tight brown curls lest they become tangled. Then there was a blur in the air as the front doors slid open and the telltale mental fuzziness of something coming through from somewhere else.
It was a woman, wearing a dress that had clearly been worn for years of work in a garden, with faint imprints of dirt, worn from the sun, and having been washed many times. The woman herself was the most striking thing Nancy had seen in quite some time, as she had faintly purple skin. Instead of hair, she had leaves, a soft yellow that complemented her skin tone.
Nancy walked out from behind the desk and took a glance around. If anyone saw her, the woman’s appearance would have to be passed off as some sort of cosplay.
“Hello, I’m wondering if you could-” She let out a sigh, walking over to the plants that had just appeared. Carefully checking them over for any damage, she shook her head. “Here they are. You’re the Manager, aren’t you?” she asked, glancing to Marjorie. “This is the Crossroads Hotel?”
“I am and it is,” the young woman replied, walking over from the desk.
At that, the woman, who’d yet to give her name, Nancy noticed, gave a quick look around to make sure they were alone before waving her hand over the plants. They vanished in an indistinct blur.
“There’s also a bag of soil in the sundry shop, and a smaller plant,” Marjorie told her.
“Oh, good,” she said, turning and walking over, the two employees following her. “This pot…this is new. Did you replant it?”
Nancy nodded. “Yes, ma’am. It must have fallen from a good height because the pot smashed on the floor. I repotted it because it’s so beautiful. I couldn’t imagine putting it in the Lost and Found just to dry up and fade away.”
“That was so kind of you,” the woman sighed. “I just fixed the issue that was allowing this to happen, but then it was a matter of getting back what I lost. It’s my fault. I was doing some reworking of my wards and I made a mistake.”
“No problem at all,” Nancy replied.
“You know what? Keep the plant as a gift, an appreciation of my thanks for caring for it,” she said with a dimpled smile. “It will last for years and years and only needs watering once a week, but won’t get any bigger, so this is the perfect spot for it. And I’d be honored to have one of my plants at the Crossroads Hotel.”
Nancy blinked in surprise. “Well, that’s quite kind of you!”
“Think nothing of it. It’s my life’s work to find homes for all of my plants, and this one just managed to find a home all on its own. It’s a variety of pinguicula from where I live, and should flourish without much effort.” She walked around behind the desk and spotted the bag of dirt. With another wave of her hand, it vanished the same way. “Your hospitality is greatly appreciated,” she said, looking from Marjorie to Nancy. “I must be going.”
“It was nice to meet you,” Marjorie said. Nancy smiled, guessing that the Manager had just felt she needed to say something to wrap up the encounter.
“You as well.” With another thorough glance around the lobby for anyone who might see, the woman took a few steps through the air and disappeared.
Marjorie took a closer look at the plant, smiling at the flowers that bloomed a good six inches from the leaves. “It’s really pretty.”
“Yeah. I’ve got a hunch though, considering how high the flowers are,” Nancy said thoughtfully. She placed the tip of her pointer finger on the tip of one of the leaves, then found it difficult to pull it off of the sticky surface, removing it with a small snap from the adhesive. The leaf then curled up all the way to the base.
“Oh,” Marjorie stated. “Well. A carnivorous plant from an alternate dimension. Don’t see that every day.”
“I think I’ll give it to Andrea,” Nancy said with a satisfied smile, picking up the pot. “Nothing like a living insect trap to keep your kitchen free of flies.”
Marjorie grinned after Nancy as she went off to deliver the gift.
***
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/storiesbykaren

The Good:
Boothill is a great character, I love his censored swears and overall demeanor in the story, and its super nice to have a more direct character, rather than one that just spouts philosophy
Everything with Misha/Mikhail is well set-up and executed, making a story that was guessable from 2.0 but not exactly completely predictable (I think most people expected Misha to have a connection to Mikhail, just not in that way)
All the usual HSR polish, cutscenes look great and new environments fit the needed mood of the story excellently.
All three old nameless members getting properly fleshed out stories was really nice, especially Tiernan, whose story I didn't predict and was a really nice surprise.
"Raiden Bosenmori Mei." Enough said you know why this is badass. And it didn't overstay its welcome like the conversation between Acheron and Welt last patch.
Literally any time Robin sings, her songs are absolute bangers.
Gallagher being played by Penacony in the credits because he's a follower of enigmata is such a perfect bait. It's great and was pretty funny when I figured it out.
The Order being the villain was a good, if predictable twist and Sunday fits the role of heartless leader perfectly.
Minor Nitpicks:
WHERE THE FUCK WAS AVENTURINE? Shouldn't he have been in dreamflux reef? Welt has his token and it serves zero story purpose, he does not appear properly until the very end? I'm guessing they will tell us next patch but if they don't istg
Muted Argenti + apparently he was working with Aventurine? despite him appearing one time in the story, his role just feels undercooked.
Sparkle Buttons? They never get used I think? So her giving them out was pointless?
The whole competition that you enter with March, Firefly and Himeko just feels like its filling for time, they could've just made it one round and got on with it, especially in a quest this long.
Actual Complaints/Confusions (This part is longer cause I got explaining to do, I give my final thoughts at the end):
Sunday really likes to yap, and especially when he repeats the same order > harmony spiel multiple times in the quest it just feels like a bit much.
Sunday mentions the Dreammaster doesn't manipulate the Dreamscape with the Stellaron? Who tf does? Sunday? How would he not know he's doing it himself? Or is it Ena revived or smth idk?
And why is the dreammaster listed as Sunday's Servant in the credits? I thought the Dreammaster was ranked above Sunday? Because his puppets fell under Ena's dream?
When recounting the story, Black Swan says
"When the clock turned back, the express started a warp jump"
SO WHAT THERE'S TIME TRAVEL NOW?
What does she mean by the clock turned back?
The rules of Ena's dream need to be more clearly explained. I understand that Sunday can basically control the intensity of the dream which he does during the fake-out boss with him
But this is also not explained in game afaik and I got this information from a reddit post so this confused me for a long time how the express crew lost the battle since in both instances we see a battle against sunday we see a victory occur
but it seems there was a third instance we don't see after sunday strengthens Ena's dream as we fight him where we lose.
Acheron says the dreams eventually became indistinguishable from reality? At what point did this occur?
Was it already complete before we arrived on Penacony, which makes sense because seeing Misha was an early event?
Or is there some timey wimey shit where that was like a memory or smth and didn't actually happen but we did actually go through the events that occurred while not dreaming/dreaming inside the regular dreamscape.
Black Swan says that what we experienced in the dream was real.
This just doesn't make any sense to me.
It would mean we were all experiencing a collective dream.
If it wasn't a collective dream, how on earth did those events actually occur? Because we would've essentially been speaking to puppets of the characters rather than the actual people, meaning the actual people would have had different experiences?
Did we individually have dreams but like connected them somehow which is never talked about but idk maybe? But this contradicts how it is explained in the story
Also if the dream was a collective dream, but was supposed to show everyone the best case scenario like in the fake-out ending, what happens when two people have conflicting interests? It can't make both come true.
We even see this where Topaz and Aventurine just give up on claiming back Penacony in the fake ending, but this doesn't align with their goals and motivations???
After we meet up with Robin in the weird between dream and reality space, Acheron says "Let me introduce you to Robin" like its the first time we meet her.
This would make sense if the events in Ena's dream were not real. But Black Swan stated earlier that they were, so this just feels like a contradiction.
After that we see a rehashed version of the Robin-Sunday Bird story where Sunday doesn't the bird in a cage and wants it fly free which is why robin broke free from Ena's dream.
However this means that Robin was dreaming about a very different time period to us, so again if the events in ena's dream are real, how did we interact with robin?
Unless this was current time period robin remembering a memory, but that would mean ena's dream can now change memories from before the dream was entered, which is never discussed in any way in the story.
After Dan Heng and Boothill show up, Acheron even says there is only one dream encompassing the entire system. But if there is only one dream, how was the trailblazer and robin dreaming about completely different periods in time?
There is absolutely no overlap between the time of the dreams.
Robin's second step in the plan is poorly explained.
What does fine-tuning the slumbering souls with the song of the harmony and interrupting them with trailblaze mean? Like what does she actually do and how is she able to do that? (We see it later but thats a whole other can of worms)
This is where Acheron discusses what Firefly did.
She awakens from the dream early, presumably when she leaves us while we ascend to the theater.
She then 'discovers the express'
What does that entail? Why does the express need discovering? As far as I'm aware its not hidden?
How tf does Acheron just take us to the horizon of existence? For Aventurine to get her he had to be killed.
The trailblazer being killed being acheron is never shown or discussed, but neither is any other way of getting there.
So is it something acheron can just do through mind power or something?
This is the part that annoyed me the most so yeah warning I get quite frustrated here:
So Acheron/Boothill complete their steps of the plan by summoning galaxy ranger and acheron doing her nihility emanator slash
And then we are magically teleported with the entire express crew to fight Sunday??????
LITERALLY HOW DOES THIS HAPPEN?
HOW TF DO WE GET MAGICALLY TELEPORTED WITH THE ENTIRE EXPRESS CREW BUT NO-ONE ELSE INFRONT OF SUNDAY?
IS SUNDAY NOT SURPRISED OR SHOCKED WE MANAGED TO DO THIS? ALL HE SAYS IS HAVE YOU BROKEN FREE FROM THE DREAM OF ORDER AND THEN WE FIGHT LIKE WTF?
HOW DID EVERYONE ELSE GET HERE OR EVEN KNOW WHAT THE PLAN WAS (Except Dan Heng cause he was there when the plan was made)?
So then Robin does her thing AND SOMEHOW SUMMONS A FUCKING ASTRAL EXPRESS
HOW DOES SHE DO THIS? THIS POWER IS NEVER EXPLAINED AT ALL?????
So she sings with the power of harmony and trailblaze or smth and gets that power? Again not explained at all what the powers and restrictions of this are. It's just kinda a well its cool so it can happen thing.
Like I don't need a in-depth explanation just like belobog example. Cocolia has ordinary human powers but she gets a new form because of stellaron corruption and is therefore stronger and can use ice and imaginary powers. BUT ROBIN JUST DOES THINGS AS NEEDED LIKE THERES NO RESTRICTION TO WHAT SHE CAN OR CANT DO. EVEN ACHERON ITS LIKE SHE HAS POWER OF AN EMANATOR AND THAT IS ABOUT THE POWER LEVEL OF OTHER EMANATORS, A POWER THAT IS TAPPED INTO WHEN IN HER RED AND WHITE FORM TO DO THE BIG NIHILITY HIT
BUT ALL WE KNEW ABOUT ROBIN BEFORE THIS IS SHES A SINGER THAT CAN CONNECT WITH HARMONY. LITERALLY NO CONNECTION TO TRAILBLAZE OR REASON FOR HER TO GET SOME RANDOM ASTRAL EXPRESS POWER.
This just killed any and all hype the final boss would've had for me because it didn't feel earned at all.
It just feels like they decided what would be the coolest thing we could do but then forgot it should make sense.
Comparing this to the Jarilo-IV climax, which imo is still the strongest part of the game storywise, even if penacony overall is slightly better, everything is explained and earned there.
Cocolia is built up as being controlled by the stellaron from basically the start, we gather our important allies and climb up the peak to fight, we fight and lose, but catch qlipoth's gaze and return with new powers.
Then we fight cocolia who is succumbing to stellaron corruption, and with the power of preservation and slight aid of himeko and welt on the express we win the fight and cocolia dies.
Maybe it's because Jarilo-IV is more of a fantasy-esque story than a Sci-Fi one, and is obviously less complicated but I find this story climax to be wayyy better written.
Overall Penacony Story:
I'd give maybe a 7-7.5/10.
It's not bad by any means but I do think it could be a lot better and less confusing for the audience bearing in mind I went back and rewatched the last hour of so of the quest to try and make sure I understood it as well as I could.
Also could be a lot shorter, I don't mind a long quest, but stuff like the competition is just filler in an already long story.
Feel free to let me know if there was anything I missed to make the story make more sense. But I've spent quite some time already sifting through explainer videos of the story etc and this is the conclusion I'm at.
Although if there is some new information presented I'm very open to changing this opinion as a lot of people seem to love this story while I'm more on the fence about it.

I recently got into a car accident without insurance. A car in front of me brake without warning which caused me to delay and slam on my brakes. Ultimately causing me to hit the back of his truck. My front bumper was damaged, but there wasn’t damaged to his truck. Even though he claimed the left side was caused by me which it doesn’t seem possible due to his truck having a rear tow medal hitch that should prevents me from causing any damaged, instead damage to my front bumper. Anyway cops came and it ended with the cop Giving me a citation (have to pay 169) basically giving me a break saying he won’t charge me for driving without insurance since it can get me 3 points and my license suspended, but urge me to get insurance immediately. After this accident what to expect after this in your opinion to make my mistake right even though I have a good idea, but advice is welcome. Thank you

Let me preface this by saying I love the ISE major here. It's far preferable to the CSE major in terms of difficulty and subject matter, at least for my purposes (respect to those who not only got into CSE but managed to stick it out to the end tho.) That being said, there are some select classes that were just awful this time around, and I happened to take all of them at the same time this semester. Now that it's over, I just want to whine and cope about it.
CSE/ISE 337 - Abid Malik

Boring, unengaging lecturer. Not the worst thing since that's most professors here, but still.
Inconsistent Homework - We had five homework assignments this semester, and each assignment was made up of 2-5 coding problems. The TAs came up with the problems, then wrote instructions for them that were often vague, inconsistent, and unrealistic. In CSE 214 with Ahmad Esmaili, he wrote his homework assignments and spent a lot of time outlining every detail, what classes he wanted you to create, what they should be named, what methods they'd need to include, what function they needed to serve, and what the output should look like. The TAs in this class basically said "Here's a challenge I pulled from CodeWars. Just kinda figure it out I guess." (Which, by the way, is super weird for a class centered around learning different scripting languages. This isn't a software programming class, and the purpose wasn't to invent and engineer new creative ways to solve coding problems. The point is to learn the syntax and rules of the language.) Students didn't even know if they were supposed to submit a class, method, or just raw code that solved whatever nebulous problem was assigned, because the TAs often didn't bother to specify that. We had no way of knowing how they wanted us to go about these problems. When this issue was raised with Malik during his office hours, he kinda just laughed and seemed exasperated, then changed the subject.
Inconsistent Grading Criteria - This one was really bad for a lot of students. In the beginning of the semester, the grading criteria gave the two midterms 15% weight each, making a total of 30% for them, then 35% weight for the final. Then, halfway through the semester and after the first midterm (like February 5th), Malik abruptly decided to change the weighting so that midterms were now 20% each, a total of 40%, and the final would be 25%. This seriously screwed over a lot of students, because a few days later we had our second midterm, which many failed. I still don't know why he did this, it basically destroyed any chances of students having a comeback for the final if they did well on the homeworks and not as well on the midterms. Very weird.
Disconnect with TAs - This connects back to the homework issue before, but it deserves a section of its own. Malik clearly didn't regulate the homework problems his TAs wrote, and worse than that, he can't even get them to remember the most basic of instructions when he does decide to get involved. There was a student who he'd approved to submit an assignment late without a penalty, and he claimed to have told the TA grading them not to take off points. Well, the TA still took them off, and that had to be remedied, but you know what the worst part is? When that student got their grade updated from the penalized one, they did the math and found out the TA took off roughly 30 fucking points. 30 points off for being late, and I don't even think they were a full day late at that. We also heard that another student submitted his assignment 10 minutes late, but because he hadn't been pre-approved by the professor, he got a 0. I shit you not. Malik looked this man in the eyes, shrugged his shoulders and destroyed his whole career. Homeworks are 30% of the grade (unless Malik changed it to like 50% while my back was turned writing this.) That man is cooked.
Piazza - Hoooly shit the Piazza showed Malik's most negligent and careless sides. For our upcoming final in a couple days, a student recently asked, "Can we get practice questions for Part 1.b everything’s after midterm 2?" Malik responded "yes". A day passed, and another person followed up on the post with "Are they posted?" and Malik deadass said "Practice the questions from the lecture slides. There are lots of short questions. Part 1.b will be from these questions." He's referring to the lecture slides we went over several weeks ago. Y'know, when someone asks "Can we get practice questions?" and you answer "Yes," typically that implies that there will be new questions you are providing to them. This wouldn't even be that bad if he had originally responded with "No practice questions needed, just reference the ones from the slides," but instead he let this student think that he was going to post new material to practice with. This isn't even that bad, just really comical. Another student said, "It seems like an impossibly large amount of information we need to remember. Are there going to be practice problems so we can get a sense of how much to study for each topic?" and Malik responded with the good old reliable, "practice the problems in the lecture slides." Another student even called him out on his misleading statement earlier, saying, "So practice problems for the midterm review won't be posted? I thought in [post number] you mentioned you would be posting short question practice for the new material." Malik kinda just shrugged his shoulders again here and went, "short questions + coding questions will be from lecture slides+jupyter files examples. Practice them" Again, not even that bad, but would it kill him to be upfront to begin with? Pretty much all the posts in the Piazza go this way. A student asks for a practice test, some questions, anything, and Malik tells them to fuck off back to the slides (there are almost 600 lecture slides, so this is pretty time consuming and inefficient.)
Overall: Weirdly brutal TAs that can't communicate their expectations, inconsistent grading criteria, and shitty professor that doesn't care. Plus a shit ton of students failed both midterms, so very stressful for an elective. Probably skip this class.

ISE/POL 369 - Robert Kelly and Shawn Kim

Brother is genuinely named R Kelly
Anyway, this class suffered the most from a lack of organization and communication. Kelly especially seemed confused, as was his TA.
Late Homework Grades: There were only 2 homework assignments, and to this day neither of them have been graded, despite them having been weeks apart (and the more recent one being due a couple weeks ago now.) They weren't very difficult at all, and they seem like they'd be very easy to grade, and there's only fucking two of them. Without homework grading, it's really hard to gauge how you're doing in this class before quizzes and exams hit.
Sporadic Quizzes: We had quizzes every other week or so in the class. I say "or so" because you never actually knew when you'd have a quiz-- they weren't pop quizzes, it's just that Kelly never bothered to put together a quiz schedule even when asked for one. His excuse was that he didn't know when quizzes would be since they depended on how fast we got through certain units. That would be a valid reason if his quizzes actually aligned with the units we were in at the time, but more than once the quizzes would be on something from over a week ago after we just got finished studying the most recent lectures, so it's kinda bullshit. Students basically found out about upcoming quizzes through word of mouth and if the professors decided to warn us in class with some vague statement like, "Well I don't know when the next quiz will be.... No sooner than Thursday maybe?"
Confused TAs: I only know of one TA in the class, and my first time hearing about him was when the other professor, Kim, was telling us, "Yeah, I know quiz grades aren't posted yet but you SHOULD get them back in class today... if the TA shows up..." The TA didn't show up. I am convinced Kelly hates that TA by the way, because more than once he would appear exasperated with him, accuse him of being on his phone, and appear annoyed that he hadn't submitted grades. They seem to be perfectly matched in their confusion and incompetence. That TA still needs to grade my fucking homework dude.
Lack of Midterm Info: We never got any practice tests/problems, study guides or even a basic bullet point list of topics for the midterm. At least on the Piazza, he said the final exam would be cumulative with a focus on topics after the midterm (bare minimum for the win!)
Professor Kim: Cool dude. He was doing his best in this mess of a class.
Overall: None of the topics were difficult, and the actual lecture slide contents were interesting, so this could've been a fun easy-A elective. Kelly's inability to hold his TA(s?) accountable or have any organization made this class more of an annoyance than anything else.

ISE/CSE 300

Please grade my assignments Marciano please please please please please please I still have shit from January that hasn't been returned please please please please please
Random group project for no reason
Overall: I just want my grades back. please

ISE/CSE 312

Random group project for no reason

BUS 340

This one technically doesn't count since it just filled a requirement for the ISE major (which they're also changing after this semester) but I just wanted to say
Random group project for no reason
PLUS 2 midterms and a final exam in addition to the group project?? I was expecting a coloring book for our final assignment, I was ready to color within the lines and everything

With all of that said, none of these classes would be that bad on their own (except 337. Holy shit dude how do you fuck it up that bad,) but the fact that I had all of them together this semester meant that every day was a tedious slog through various poorly-managed classes that I had to physically attend the lectures for due to their various attendance-taking methods (also applied inconsistently, like everything else) and it fried my brain. There isn't a single class I took this semester that I enjoyed. However, the semester before had a lot of enjoyable ISE classes, and I'm still looking forward to the coming semester. I just really enjoy making lists and being a hater so I needed to write this all out.

Application Process:
Research and Shortlist Universities:

• Begin by identifying universities that offer graduate programs aligning with your interests and career goals.
• Consider factors like program curriculum, faculty expertise, campus location, and funding opportunities.
• Utilize university websites, educational forums, and alumni networks for research.

Prepare Application Materials:

• Statement of Purpose (SoP): Craft a compelling SoP detailing your academic background, research interests, career goals, and why you're choosing the specific program.
• Letters of Recommendation (LoR): Obtain LoRs from academic or professional references who can vouch for your abilities and potential.
• CV/Resume: Update your CV to highlight relevant academic achievements, research experience, publications, and any professional experience.
• Academic Transcripts: Ensure you have official transcripts from your undergraduate (and, if applicable, graduate) institutions.

Standardized Tests:

• GRE/GMAT: Depending on your field, you may need to take the GRE (most fields) or GMAT (business-related fields). Prepare and schedule these tests well in advance.
• TOEFL/IELTS: For non-native English speakers, these tests assess your English proficiency. Universities often have minimum score requirements.

Submit Applications:

• Complete each application form with accuracy. Ensure you tailor your SoP to each university's program.
• Pay attention to details such as essay requirements, additional questions, and submission formats.
• Pay application fees, if applicable. You can apply for a waiver, either through the formal process that the program provides or by contacting the program coordinator or director directly requesting the fee waiver.

Interviews and Follow-ups:

• Some programs might invite you for interviews, which could be in-person, by phone, or via video call. Prepare by reviewing your application and practicing responses to potential questions.
• After submitting applications, periodically check your email for updates or requests for additional information.

Decision and Acceptance:

• Evaluate admission offers based on factors like program quality, financial aid, location, and personal preferences.
• Notify the chosen university of your acceptance before the deadline. For other offers, send polite declination emails.

Visa Application:

• After accepting an offer, you'll receive an I-20 form from the university. Use this to apply for an F-1 student visa.
• Prepare for the visa interview, ensuring you have all necessary documentation, including proof of financial support and ties to your home country.

Preparation for Relocation:

• Once your visa is approved, start planning for your move. This includes arranging housing, understanding health insurance requirements, and familiarizing yourself with the local area and university resources. Most of these topics are covered in this guide.

Found a space I like in a good walkable artsy tourist town. I've scoped it out for traffic 3 different times now on my own and once with the property manager, and obsessively charted its history on google maps. Today I sent a message saying i was interested proceeding with the application process.
I am not familiar with the process or requirements for commercial leasing, and I felt kinda dumb talking to the property manager the other day, like I should have had better questions. They seeemed to like me and my vision for my shop (neighborhood toy store), but I am pretty sure they would have been able to tell I was new at the whole business owner gig even if i hadn't straight up told them.
I have over 2 decades of experience in retail, toys specifically, sales, inventory, and management. I am just a little lost on these other business aspects like leasing and being any type of "professional" haha.
I know of course they will want financial info, but I am not sure what that includes. They will want to see proof of funding for some amount of time, Iguess.
I have a detailed business plan, and an up to date resume. I already have a million dollar business insurance policy and workers comp policy because I had a pop up shop up til a couple weeks ago that ran for about 2 months.
So, what is in store for me? How long does the application process typically take? Do they do a background check (nothing to worry about, just curious). What reasons would have been inclined to deny my application (I don't have bad credit and i think my funding will be sufficient)?
Do i need a lawyer right now? I have worked with one before, and would use them again. Is negotiating the terms of the lease common or do most people take them mostly as they are?
Would it be weird to ask if they have other people interested or applying?
When I met the porperty manager should I have given him any type of physical info about me/my biz other than a business card?
Would the property manager be a good one to ask for recs on painters/contractors or would thst look bad?
The property manager is local and had looked after this building for about 30 years and has other long term tenants, some of whom i met, and they rave about him. He seems like a kindly soul and seemed to want me to succeed in the space. We chatted for about a half hour about toys, me, retail, the town, all kinds of things. I asked a fair number of questions myself.
The interior has been redone and is basically retail ready. I'd paint and put up some slatwall pretty much.
Any help on any of these questions and concerns would be so very appreciated. Thank you!
Edit to add: This is the 2nd location I have seen with a realtor or property manager, and is one of a dozen i have scoped out in person on my own from the outside.

I'm guessing you all mostly know this. Atom store items are completely misleading. Any reputable company would only show items YOU'RE ACTUALLY GETTING. They would at least put a disclaimer on an image "Other items include yadda yadda yadda from sets blah blah blah" and make it easy to distinguish what is what.
Descriptions aren't even accurate either. And not to mention the fact that a lot of paid items are basically reskinned minor changes of free in-game items. You'd not know that as a new player though until long after you've wasted your money.
Atom Store updates aren't even accurate either. Those sale prices never happened for example on the Concrete Truck. I wonder how many people funded their accounts based on what they claimed would happen?
And get this, if they make a mistake like they did on the fire bundle where they claim you'll get the floors as well and then you point it out in a support ticket they answer 7 days later, they'll tell you too bad. I got offered a refund in ATOMS if I wasn't happy with the set after I proved to them with a screenshot they claimed I'd get the floor, lets be clear, I paid in cash for those Atoms.
Three Dollars USD. That's what the floors cost. That is what the refused to give me even though I paid for it. Now they won't get another dime, not a montlhy subscription from me either.
I've been enjoying this game, first Fallout game I liked, in the last few weeks I spent roughly $200 and had no plans to stop buying stuff I wanted even if it IS very often WAY overpriced.
However, fking me over 3 bucks really pisses me off.
No brick and mortor mom and pop shop would ever, EVER screw anyone over like this. I know I'm ranting but man am I sick and tired of large corporations with millionaires and billonaires at the top being complete sociopaths and ripping off everyone for every knickle and dime they can.
*lvl 3 Fireproof equiped*

MASSACHUSETTS NUMEROLOGY DECODE

Interestingly enough, we don't hear much about this state. It's almost easy to overlook or straight up forget unless you are looking at a map. We are going to decode this state using Numerology and point out the reasons/indications that point towards it being such a silent city or at least not popular and frequented like other places. This will get very informative so enjoy the read.
We will now begin decoding each letter in detail.
M - This is The 13th letter of the alphabet Making this letter vibrate at the energy of 4. The energy of four represents privacy and caution. When it comes to 13 and the energy of 4, you have a person or an energy where it's more focused on self rather than connecting with others. So, like I mentioned, 4 is about privacy, caution, and withholding. 4 is pretty restrictive so when a person or place has this name, that you know these are very cautious people or you know that these are not people that take action without thinking. 4 is a very organized type of energy. As a state, this can translate to being a very restrictive state or a state that has particular rules in place. People who live in this state can even have some of these traits. This isn't the type of place to move to unless you want some type of restriction or a relaxed type of energy in your life. M is the strongest energy of this state since it is the first letter of the state's name. So, that alone can start speaking to why this isn't a state that is talked about as much as, let's say, New York or Florida.
A - This is the letter that represents number one as it is the first letter of the alphabet which lets you know that this is about initiation or fresh starts. When it comes to people, this speaks to having that focus on self or being self-motivated.
S - As the 19th letter of the alphabet, this letter vibrates at the energy of one, but it is from a place of being in power or being extremely independent. As a state, that's why the state can seem alone or like a stand alone and not really talked about because we already have a lot of indications that talk about being too self absorbed or too withheld.
S - As the 19th letter of the alphabet, this letter vibrates at the energy of one, but it is from a place of being in power or being extremely independent. As a state, that's why the state can seem alone or like a stand alone and not really talked about because we already have a lot of indications that talk about being too self absorbed or too withheld.
A - This is the letter that represents number one as it is the first letter of the alphabet which lets you know that this is about initiation or fresh starts. When it comes to people, this speaks to having that focus on self or being self-motivated. This is the second time we got this letter and energy.
C - 3rd letter of the alphabet which can represent communication and creativity
H - 8th letter of the alphabet which talks about structure, pressure, seriousness, and mastery.
U - 21st letter of the alphabet which vibrates at the energy of 3. This shows compassion, especially when an individual has this in their name. This also can add more creative juices to a person or the state.
S - As mentioned above, this is the 19th letter of the alphabet and vibrates at the energy of 1.
E - 5th letter of the alphabet which points to combat, creativity, romance, joy, change, and events.
T - 20th letter of the alphabet which vibrates at the energy of 2 which can point to cooperation, stability, comfort, and proactivity. This is a money number just like the number 8, but 2 represents more frequency.
T - 20th letter of the alphabet which vibrates at the energy of 2 which can point to cooperation, stability, comfort, and proactivity. This is a money number just like the number 8, but 2 represents more frequency.
S - As mentioned above, this is the 19th letter of the alphabet and vibrates at the energy of 1.
As you can see, Massachusetts has 6 letters that vibrate at the energy of 1 which equals 6. 6 is about comfort, family, beauty, and discipline. We can see that this may be a state that values discipline which goes well with the fact that it starts with M which is similar to discipline because 4 energy is responsible and even family oriented. We can assume that this state operates from a place of balance and fairness. They may not tolerate what a lot of other states tolerate. Jobs could possibly be a little easier to get here just based on how a lot of the numeric values barely get to the number 9. 1 is the main number that stands out within this state which can point to them doing their own thing and not wanting to identify with how other states do things.
Very individualistic type of energy. People that live in this state could either be workaholics, dogmatic, serious, responsible, controlling, family oriented, shy, or even mean. Routine could be a big thing here. Some or a lot of the residents could even be big on being business owners. This could even be a state where couponing is or can be a big deal. This state may not have too many outside visitors like Florida or Nevada does and the residents could have been there for a long time.
This is a good place to live if you plan on settling down with your own family or partner, if you want a simple and quiet life, if it's just you and only you, if you want to downsize, etc. You get the point. The energy of Massachusetts is very much on the personal and private side.
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The issue started in the late 1940s, when Taiwan claimed and occupied Itu Aba. The Philippines did similar during the 1950s, then in the 1970s, together with Vietnam, and then with China in the 1980s, and Malaysia in the 1990s.
Meanwhile, the U.S. was engaged in containment of Communism using hundreds of military bases worldwide coupled with its military industrial complex (which consists of collusion between arms manufacturers, the military, and Congress, and support of various regimes via military aid, etc., in exchange for supporting the U.S.). That's why the U.S. supported the Marcos, Sr. regime, and then the Cory regime. (Summary executions and attacks on Communists, using even right-wing vigilante groups, grew that time.)
After the Cold War, the U.S. switched from containment to encirclement, and not of Communism but of its rivals, namely Russia and China. The three areas of contention were Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. The U.S. concentrated on the latter with Obama's pivot to Asia, but it was too late, because all of the claimants above had already been building military installations in the WPS to thwart any future economic blockade from the U.S. (The country with the most installations in the WPS isn't China but Vietnam.)
That time was also weird because it led to the first confrontation between China and the Philippines. Two Philippine military vessels tried to shoo off Chinese fishermen from one shoal, who returned with armed big brothers. A standoff ensued, after which for some weird reason the Philippine vessels took off, later claiming that they were running out of fuel (but they were not moving, and could have been supplied easily!) and that a storm was arriving (it was far away!). As a result of that, the Chinese vessels took control of the shoal.
It got even weirder after that: some Philippine officials tried to negotiate with Chinese counterparts in Washington with one U.S. official observing, while another official who was not a diplomat and could not even speak Mandarin tried to engage in backdoor negotiations with China in the mainland. Both negotiations did not succeed, and the U.S. later argued that it did not advise the Philippines to negotiate.
After that, the Philippines sued, again based on advice from the U.S. The ruling was that no claims are valid because there are no land masses in the disputed area and no one can claim that fish belongs to him because fish swim around. China, which didn't participate, rejected the ruling. So did Taiwan, which wasn't a party in arbitration but was only mentioned. Both Malaysia and Vietnam supported the ruling but are not withdrawing their claims to the WPS.
The Philippines and even the U.S. got into the game late. Decades of politicking via liberal democracy and bureaucracy (the U.S. has very high approval ratings in the Philippines; the latter wants to be like the U.S.; China and Communism have very low approval ratings) had led to one of the weakest economies, and thus military forces, in the region. The Philippines and the U.S. were aware of the China and Vietnam fighting over parts of the WPS back in the late 1980s, of Chinese incursions in the Kalayaan area during the mid-1990s, of Malaysia building up in the late 1990s, and so on, but did not act.
When Duterte became President, he thought that he could negotiate with China and thus receive alarmed reaction from the U.S. It didn't happen because the President that time was Trump, and Trump wanted the opposite: decrease military exposure and make those who need help pay.
Later, Duterte switched to the U.S. because he realized that Biden would become President, and Biden is like every U.S. President before him except for Trump: support the military industrial complex to "save" poor countries like the Philippines against tyranny. Duterte agreed to renew the VFA but demanded $16 billion for the last decade. Why? Because that's what U.S. allies like Pakistan received from the U.S.
Marcos, Jr., continued what Duterte did, but it didn't work because the U.S. was also forced to provide aid to Taiwan, Ukraine, and Israel to deal with rising conflict in Asia plus an on-going one in Eastern Europe. Also, the U.S. knows that the Philippines has no one else to turn to--not even itself because of politicking and a weak economy--so it gave only $500 million. Taiwan, which is even richer than the Philippines, got $8 billion.
The Philippines has no one to turn to because it's like a poor version of the U.S. and tied to other countries. For example, it's heavily dependent on exporting laborers to other countries and receiving remittances, and it's main source of that is the U.S. Its main investors are Britain, the Netherlands, and Singapore. Its main donor is Japan. Its main trading partners include the U.S. and China.
Finally, the U.S. has also been manipulating other countries, including those claiming parts of the West Philippine Sea. For example, it sells arms to Vietnam, which has the most installations in the WPS. One of the military allies of Vietnam is Russia. The country that mainly bullies Vietnam is China, but China is also its partner in oil exploration and other deals. And the country that bullied Vietnam in the past, leading to two million dead, is the U.S. Here's the punchline: the U.S. has the second-highest approval rating in the region in Vietnam, which is a Communist country.
Another example: Taiwan claims most of the West Philippine Sea (in fact, the "dash" claim by China actually came from the Koumintang). The main ally and arms supplier of Taiwan is the U.S., which is supposed to be an ally of the Philippines. But Taiwan has both the U.S. and China as major trading partners, and the U.S. won't recognize Taiwanese independence because it doesn't want to anger China, which is also a major trading partner.
It gets even better: allies like the U.S. are dependent even on countries like China for munitions needed for ammo, and even on countries like Russia for things like uranium.
Anyway, this is something to think about anytime we try to attack China over the U.S., or the other way round, or argue that the Philippines should be independent, or that Duterte is at fault, or Marcos, Jr., or Noynoy, and so on. Chances are, even what we mean by negotiating and coming up with an "independent" foreign policy will be hard to explain if the U.S., China, Vietnam, Taiwan, and others know everything I just pointed out above.

I have another question about my Aries best friend. One I’ve pondered on for awhile. I’ve asked him for clarification but his explanation made no sense. So I figured I’d search for an outside opinion.
My Aries best friend M29 has a baby mother. Through majority of their relationship he in my opinion has treated her less than human. For example, he told her several times that he didn’t want to be in a relationship yet kept sleeping with her and got her pregnant three times. She had two abortions but stuck her foot down on the last pregnancy and was blessed with a child. He had expressed to her several times he didn’t want a child but they still had the baby. When the child was born they tried to be monogamous. Throughout the child’s life they have been in many physical and verbal arguments. He’s cheated on her several times with multiple women. Her sister pepper sprayed him in her presence. She had a threesome with him and his best friend and ended up sleeping with his best friend behind his back. There’s even claims she had sexually visually in front of her son with the best friend while he was still young. Currently the child is a lot older and they both claim to be single, but still sleep with each other, even after she kicked him out of the house he bought for her and got him jumped in front of his child. I’ve never understood why they do this to each other and their child.
Is love with an Aries normally this toxic? I don’t know too many Aries men but he’s said numerous times he loves her and doesn’t want to stop having sex with her but it’s just so hard to understand that type of love.