Hi everyone, I'm an electronic music ghostproducer, I'm not very prominent in the industry (in fact not at all) my job is to provide quality music to my clients, many of them are emerging, in fact most of them are, I am an investment for them and I am very sorry when their failure does not depend on my inabilities but on something that I am unable to explain.
Recently there is a client who is making me more involved in his journey than others, we have noticed something, influencers, labels, and professionals snub my client despite by his own admission "our music is better"
Before giving rise to a misunderstanding, I want to clarify what is meant by "better"
We all know that music is subjective, but we have noticed labels asking us for specific things, things that we then did and then didn't sign, on the other hand (here we come to the heart of the matter) we see artists who are really very highly rated by labels and artists influencers but with music that is a little too repetitive and certainly not what the industry has asked of us so far, furthermore they are artists with very few followers (less than 5k) and yet they are acclaimed only and exclusively by professionals, they have no fans and no audience and the music, as I said, is very repetitive, unlike us.
I really want to help my client succeed, everyone tells us that the music we make is above average, so we are missing this piece, what makes these unknown artists with average music so appreciated by the industry? How can we move?
I sincerely thank everyone who has read this long message and I hope to have some feedback that helps me

CLBT reported a robust Q1 2024 with total revenue of $89.6 million, up 26% YoY, and EPS of $0.08, surpassing analysts' expectations.

Key Metrics

Revenue	$89.6M	26%
Gross Profit	$76.3M
	Operating Expenses	$67.1M
	Net Income	$16.9M
Earnings Per Share	$0.08
Cash and Cash Equivalents	$122.432M

Business Highlights

• ARR of $331.8 million, up 27% year-over-year
• Subscription revenue was $79.2 million, up 29% year-over-year
• Recurring revenue dollar-based net retention rate of 125%
• Launched the process to authorize its software-as-a-service offerings with the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP®)
• Introduced Cellebrite Endpoint Inspector SaaS, which offers public sector customers, enterprise customers and eDiscovery service providers next-generation digital forensic capabilities
• Appointed David Gee as Chief Marketing Officer

Guidance

• Revenue (full year): $$370 million - $380 millionM
• Revenue (next period): $$90 million - $94 millionM

Expectations: BEAT
CLBT's reported revenue of $89.6 million exceeded the average analyst estimate of $87.76 million for Q1 2024. The EPS of $0.08 also surpassed the average estimate of $0.05, indicating a strong financial performance. The company's guidance for the next quarter and full year remains stable, suggesting confidence in continued growth.

Have both schools as option for exchange! Am mostly excited about research opportunities in the US and intersection of environment and IR.

I'm buying a new property and have gone through exchange of contracts, with completion happening next week.
Due to unforeseen circumstances - details of which I won't go into - I will have a shortfall of money due at completion. This is simply a short-term cashflow timing issue, but I want to avoid delaying completion as I would incur penalties/fees (buying new build property).
I currently have a credit card with 0 balance, which offers money transfers at low rates.
Question: is there an issue with me requesting a money transfer from said credit card BEFORE completion next week? Credit limit is ~£20k so will have easy access to ~£18k which will solve my problem.
I understand I shouldn't apply for NEW credit before completion, but I've had this credit card for 8+ years and is currently sitting unused in my drawer with 0 balance on it. The lender is fully aware of its existence and it shows up on my credit report - I'm just unsure whether or not I'm technically "breaching" the terms of the mortgage offer by running up a large balance on it just before completion..
Again, this is just a temporary solution as I'm 100% confident I will have the funds to pay off this transfer in 2-3 weeks' time and bring balance back to 0.
Just looking for advice on whether this is against my mortgage offer terms (which I've read, and is not clear how existing credit products are treated) and whether it would put my mortgage offer in jeopardy.

I'm building a fantastical science fiction world based on the real world, where magic exists and is not yet fully understood by science. Part of my magic system is based on the Thaumcraft system, which has always been my favorite magic system.
In this world, crystals have been used for magical and healing purposes. However, for the most part, the use of mundane crystals for magical and healing purposes is considered a form of pseudomagic and pseudoscience, without any real or proven effects.
For example, ancient Egyptians buried lapis lazuli with the deceased to protect them in the afterlife. Egyptian amulets, worn as jewelry, ensured the well-being of the individual and benefited them in the afterlife, representing deities and their powers. In funerary practices, they used headrests to symbolize resurrection and rebirth. Ancient Greeks believed that clear quartz was permanently frozen water and used amethyst as an amulet against hangovers, as its name means "not intoxicated." Across cultures, crystals were considered objects with healing properties in lapidary medicine. The Hopi of Arizona used quartz crystals to diagnose illnesses, and in Europe, belief in the healing powers of crystals persisted into the Middle Ages, documented in texts called lapidaries. Rose quartz, for example, was believed in Egypt to prevent aging, the Romans used it as a seal of ownership, and in the Middle Ages, it was included in healing potions. Today, it is known as the "stone of love" and is used to balance emotions and heal anger and disappointment.
Although these practices reflect a belief in magical properties, in reality, the mentioned crystals do not possess real magical powers and are considered pseudomagic. However, there are truly magical crystals. These are called vis crystals.
Vis crystals consist of altered quartz crystals that have absorbed or generated, through interaction with ambient magic over millennia, large amounts of a specific type of primal aspect.

Primal Aspects

In my fantastical science fiction world, matter can be decomposed not only chemically but also aspectually. Aspects are actually emergent properties of matter that have been condensed and isolated.
There are 7 primal aspects, and hundreds of combinatory aspects. While in antiquity these primal aspects were associated with "elements of nature," it is now known that aspects are actually emergent properties of matter that have been condensed and isolated from their material base.
The 7 primal aspects of matter are as follows:
Aer (gases and volatility): Represents the essence of gases and volatility. It is used to manipulate properties of matter.
Aqua (liquids and dissolution): Controls the properties of liquids and their solvent capacity. It is used to manipulate properties of matter.
Ignis (heat and combustion): Associated with heat and combustion capacity, it allows for the generation of intense heat, manipulation of temperature, and generation of plasma.
Terra (solids and silicates): Represents solidity and earthy materials. It is used to manipulate properties of materials and transmute minerals.
Ordo (order and homogeneity): Controls periodic order and homogeneity in matter. It is used to produce ordered structures and stabilize materials and thaumic infusion processes.
Perditio (entropy and disorder): Represents entropy and disorder in matter. It is used to disintegrate materials into their aspectual essences.
Spatium (metamagic and space-time metrics): Associated with metamagic and altered space-time metrics, it allows for magic manipulation, construction of portals, and space distortion.
The existence of the Spatium aspect is known, but for most of history, it was completely unknown and sometimes misunderstood, due to its extremely scarce sources on the planet.
It wasn't until 2013 that its existence was theorized, and not until 2019 that it was correctly isolated and studied. A millivis (unit of aspect quantity) of Spatium can cost thousands of dollars.
The production and extraction of the Spatium aspect is a complex and costly process involving the crafting and concentration of the dangerous combinatory aspect "vitium," and the generation and cultivation of interplanar microwells with said aspect, from which the Spatium aspect is extracted

Vis Crystals

As previously explained, vis crystals are altered quartz crystals (usually) with high concentrations of one of the 7 primal essences, which can be naturally generated through the interaction between ambient magic and the minerals of the environment.
These crystals have been used in antiquity in many transmutation and aspectual manufacturing processes, in runic infusion altars and arcane stills, and also to craft artifacts such as scepters and power amulets, and magical weapons and ammunition (swords and arrows and, later, pistols and bullets) with arcane qualities.
Below are detailed properties of each of the 7 quartz-based vis crystals, which are the most common:
Ignis Crystals: Take tetrahedral forms with reddish hues. They are warm to the touch and flammable when exposed to flame. When burning, they are impossible to extinguish until consumed, leaving quartz sand as residue. Upon receiving strong impacts, they can detonate violently. When dissolved in strong acids, they form a highly reactive superacid.
Terra Crystals: Adopt cubic forms with greenish hues. They have greater hardness and resistance compared to ordinary quartz crystals. Otherwise, they do not exhibit significant additional properties beyond the realms of alchemy and thaumaturgy.
Aer Crystals: Take octahedral forms with yellowish hues. They have a very low density, close to that of air, and can float on very dense gases. When compressed, their volume decreases up to a certain limit. When subjected to vacuum, they expand. They are volatile and lose aer aspect over time in the absence of sufficient concentrations of ambient vis, degrading into quartz sand. Volatility decreases with higher pressure and lower temperature.
Quasicrystals of Aqua: Adopt icosahedral forms with bluish hues. They are softer than quartz. When exposed to flame, they generate a mixture of simple polar liquids (mostly water) as they degrade into quartz sand. When exposed to salts and other desiccants, they generate the same mixture of liquids as they degrade into quartz sand.
Quasicrystals of Spatium: Take dodecahedral forms with silvery hues (later discovered to absorb light in the ultraviolet range, so polymorphic mages with avian and reptilian eyes can easily recognize it under a color they call "ultraplusian", which is sometimes described by them as a kind of pure spectral purplish magenta distinct from magentas and purples obtained from mixing red and blue). They react to large amounts of directed vis (magic), generating kos (metamagic). When destroyed, they explode, generating a metric pulse that can disintegrate materials and bend light, and can be detected by gravitational wave sensors used to detect black hole collisions, leaving quartz sand as residue.
Ordor Crystals: Adopt stacked laminar forms with weak aggregation, similar to mica and graphite, but with white hues. It is a very soft and fragile material, but each individual lamina is extremely resistant and tenacious. When exposed to large concentrations of directed vis, it tends to slowly and progressively rearrange and crystallize surrounding materials.
Perditio Glass: Adopts an amorphous structure similar to glass or obsidian and has translucent black hues. When exposed to large concentrations of vis, it alters surrounding materials by slowly mixing them.
The interaction between ordor crystals and perditio glass under the effects of high concentrations of vis is complex and produces permutation cycles on adjacent materials.

Vis Crystals and Platonic Solids

Plato attempted to correlate the primary aspects with Platonic polyhedra, even before the Spatium aspect was fully understood, confusing it with the natural element aether, later recognized as a condensed Gauge boson carrier of magic and constituted by praecantatio aspect.
Plato correlated the tetrahedron with the fire element and the ignis aspect. The cube with the earth element and the terra aspect. The octahedron with the air element and the aer aspect. The icosahedron with the water element and the aqua aspect. And the dodecahedron with the aether element and the lux aspect by confusion.
At that time, the ordor and perditio aspects were unknown, which would later be discovered in the Middle Ages and correlated with order and chaos. The Spatium aspect would not be discovered until around 2300 years later..

Environmental Role of Vis Crystals

In ancient times and the Middle Ages, vis crystals played a central role in a variety of magical and alchemical practices. These crystals, imbued with the primal essences, were considered vehicles of power and wisdom, used by thaumaturges and alchemists to channel and manipulate the magical energy of the universe.
In transmutation and aspectual manufacturing processes, vis crystals were key ingredients. Alchemists used them in runic infusion altars and arcane stills to distill and purify the aspectual essences, transforming them into more concentrated and potent forms. These rituals and processes were essential for creating elixirs, potions, and magically potent objects.
Vis crystals were also employed in the crafting of magical artifacts, such as scepters and power amulets. These objects were used to produce damage and harmful effects in directed energy attacks. Expert alchemists and artisans spent long hours carving and setting the crystals into these artifacts, endowing them with unmatched beauty and power.
Magical swords and arrows imbued with the aspectual essences of these crystals had arcane qualities that made them extremely effective against supernatural creatures and magical beings. Later, with the advancement of technology, magical pistols and bullets were developed, maintaining the tradition of using vis crystals as a power source on the battlefield.
However, their rampant exploitation during the 17th to 20th centuries left an indelible mark on ecosystems, triggering the destruction of natural habitats and leading to the extinction of numerous species of magical animals, fungi, and plants.
The fervor for vis crystals unleashed an extraction frenzy that knew no bounds, leading to the overexploitation of natural resources and unprecedented magical and ecological imbalance. Enchanted forests were decimated, mana rivers were contaminated, and magical biodiversity suffered a devastating blow. This dark period in magical history left deep scars in the very fabric of the natural world.
Over time, awareness of the importance of conserving magical ecosystems rose, and the harmful effects of uncontrolled extraction of vis crystals were recognized. International treaties were established to protect these resources and regulate their use, prohibiting their extraction in many places around the world. Although the demand for these crystals still exists, it has been significantly reduced, paving the way for synthesis methods that allow for their artificial production.
Today, synthesis methods have gained ground, offering more sustainable and ethical alternatives to meet the needs of modern thaumaturgy. Fluid essences and synthetic aspectual ethers have emerged as effective substitutes for vis crystals, being purer, more reactive, and most importantly, less harmful to the magical environment. Although vis crystals are still valued for their connection to ancestral tradition and by mineral collectors, their extraction has been relegated to a marginal level in order to preserve magical ecosystems and their unique biodiversity.

Flux Crystals

In contrast to vis crystals, there exist flux crystals, mostly of anthropogenic origin. These "crystals" are not actually crystals but fractals, although they are generally referred to as crystals.
These fractals are generated when concentrations of flux in a particular area are high, and they serve as both an indicator and a health risk.
Flux is a corrupt and residual form of magic generated in failed thaumaturgic processes (usually), and is known for its harmful effects on health and the environment (at low concentrations), its mutagenic and carcinogenic potential, and its supernatural danger (at high concentrations), which can open breaches in space to other planes, called seeds of corruption.
Flux is not persistent and dissipates over time. There are very few uses for its aspect, vitium, which is not a primal aspect (unlike ignis, aer, aqua, terra, ordor, perditio, and spatium) but a combinatory aspect, so its incidental production is not usual. Similarly, flux fractals or flux crystals also have limited utility, and their main demand comes from mineral collectors, despite their slight hazardousness similar to that of radioactive materials.
Flux fractals adopt mixtures of organic forms, sharp and acute shapes, with purple hues. When exposed to flux, they grow. When exposed to high concentrations of vis, they slowly transform it into flux. Exposure of living organisms to flux fractals has toxic and potentially mutagenic effects. Regardless of their storage conditions, flux fractals degrade into quartz sand slowly, dissipating flux into the environment. Their renewal and growth rate is usually lower than their degradation rate.
This is all for today.

Me and my boyfriend have been together for awhile now (5 months) and we both sulk from each other a lot. We usually don’t when we’re together in real life, but since its summer, I live far away, so we’re dealing with a long distanced relationship. We always sulk with each other because of the reasons we wanna be shown love and attention, but sometimes one of us sulks because the other is sulking. After awhile we would return with short words such as “ you don’t love me anymore hmp” “hmp”. Our sulkings we’re never serious, they’re just random sulkings because we crave for love from each other. After the short return of words, we would talk it out and be normal again, say I love you, apologize, and laugh with each other. After awhile from the short exchange of words, we would also own up to our mistakes with long messages explaining. Are we in a healthy or unhealthy relationship?

Hi! We are in the process of buying a house, FTB no chain in the UK. Everything was going very smoothly and progressing quickly until we received survey results yesterday.
Our surveyor found several issues with the roof and chimney stack. Other issues too but these are the main ones we want rectifying.
Are we reasonable to have asked the seller to find quotes and repair at a cost to them as we cannot proceed to exchange otherwise? We don’t have the money to do a repair like this ourselves, even if they knock money off so the best solution for us is for seller to resolve. Property was on the market for a while too due to the area.
Issues include the below -
Chimney stack needs rebuilding at top section and re-pointing
Replacement of the flaunting
Flashing requires pointing repair is recommended
A number of loose and broken slates, repair is needed. Says that the roof has likely never been replaced (over 100 years old) and is past its lifespan
No felt to the underside of slates
Thank you for any advice or guidance

The tax on trading in France varies depending on the type of asset being traded and the individual's tax status. For trading cryptocurrencies, France considers them as movable property for tax purposes. Therefore, capital gains made from cryptocurrency trading are subject to taxation. The tax rate on cryptocurrency gains in France can range from 19% to 45%, depending on the amount of profit and the individual's total income. Additionally, there is a flat tax of 30% on all capital gains from cryptocurrency trading, which includes a 17.2% social security contribution.
For other types of trading, such as stocks or forex, France applies a different tax regime. Capital gains from trading stocks are subject to a flat tax rate of 30%, which includes a 12.8% income tax and a 17.2% social security contribution. However, individuals who are considered professional traders may be subject to different tax rules.
It's important for traders in France to keep detailed records of their trades and profits to accurately calculate their tax liabilities. Additionally, seeking advice from a tax professional can help ensure compliance with French tax laws and optimize tax obligations.
JOIN THE BEST CRYPTO EXCHANGE

Basically what the title says, but I'll put a little more here.
The relationship has been red flags to me since the beginning - my sister was always very into music and artsy, loved makeup and hair, but stopped wearing her style of clothes/all makeup due to the boyfriend's accusations of her doing this to garner male attention. She also stopped going to concerts because he would accuse her of having 'date night' and 'cheating' with her colleagues/friends that she was attending the concert with. So then I find out that the man was actually still married to another woman since the start of their relationship (he told my sister they were separated). Obviously the emotional abuse infuriated me - here he is being accusatory about every aspect of my sister's life but he has a whole ass WIFE? I asked what was going on with that?! My sister said that he was still married because the wife was on disability and had significant health problems (lupus) and needed to be on his insurance plan. I still don't understand why the wife can't be on Medicaid?
Fast forward about a year and a half and my sister calls me to tell me that she's pregnant. This was a bit of a shock because she was always adamant that she never wanted kids. But I understand things change, and we are both over the moon with that little girl and so glad that she exists! However, the pregnancy wasn't easy for her because, throughout it, he would state that he wasn't sure that the baby was his.
My sister was working full time before the birth, but took 2 months off after the birth. During that time, her and the baby were on state insurance. They were having all sorts of issues with getting the baby the right help while on state insurance. My question was - why wasn't my niece on the father's health insurance plan? My sister said it was because his wife still needed to be on it. Sooo state insurance isn't good enough his your wife but it's good enough for his daughter?
Nine months later, when we knew that the eye color was blue, he AGAIN accused her of cheating and suspected he wasn't the father. He had it in his head his eyes were brown, and that brown eyes are dominant, so that they baby should have brown eyes. Since they were blue - the baby must not be his. My sister has blue eyes and his sisters have blue eyes. Most of us who had middle school science and have used punnett squares understand that means the baby had just as good of a chance of having blue eyes as brown.
I thought he dropped it, but about 6 months ago (so when their daughter was 2.5 years old) my sister tells me that he had a paternity test done for 'inheritance reasons', so that 'no one' could battle her inheritance of his IRA with the argument that the child wasn't his. Sir, who is battling with that assumption besides you? I know I've never taken a DNA test to be listed as a beneficiary on any family member's retirement account. But whatever gives him peace of mind, I guess?
My sister makes significantly more than the child's father, and from the details I have gathered during our conversations, it would appear she is footing the bills. This week, they decided to buy a house. I am excited for her and this opportunity, but based on the details in the next paragraphs - I'm worried. I know that my sister doesn't have good credit. I am guessing the loan was approved in his name. He put the down payment on the house (took out some from his retirement to do it). I am quite worried though that he will only have his name on the title, and that my sister will be paying his mortgage for him. And that, as emotionally abusive as he's been in the past, he will hold the house over her head in many ways.
So the real concern for me came to play when my parents mentioned that they are moving the ''nanny'' into the house with them. I thought - hold up - what? I was told that the nanny (babysitter) was a woman in their townhouse complex that was home alone all day and liked the company of a child. So who is this nanny that my sister is paying her 17 dollars an hour (yes, my sister, the child's father isn't paying anything because he has a fraction of the income) to watch my niece and why is my sister so willing to MOVE A NEIGHBOR INTO THEIR HOUSE WITH THEM?
I didn't say anything to my parents, and I won't because I don't want to create more issues in my sister's life, but I dug a little on the internet. It wasn't easy to find because neither the baby's father nor his wife have much of an internet footprint, but I found what I was scared of finding - the wife has had the same address as my sister's family for about 2 years. The wife is my niece's nanny. The wife is the woman who is home all day (apparently IN my sister's home, LIVING THERE!) watching my niece. My sister is paying the child's father's wife 17 dollars an hour to spend more time with her daughter than she gets to spend with her. And now they are moving the wife into their new home to continue being the nanny? My mind is blown.
I asked her about it yesterday. After circling around with her answers, she basically confirmed that his (ex?) wife is the child's nanny, lives with them currently (due to an abusive ex?), and will be moving into their house with them. I say 'ex' because my sister claims they are divorced, but I don't see any evidence of it in any way, shape or form, and I do not see any public records in the state of CA for it. Speaking of which, they currently live in the Midwest, but he has been trying to get my sister to move to with their child to CA for years (where the wife's family is from, not his nor my sisters!).
I don't know what to do here. Am I over-stepping my boundaries? I am so worried about my sister's situation. She is no sister wife, I can tell you that. The only thing I can think is that she is just so head over heals for this man that she is accepting a lot of bullshit. My mind is running - I am worried that now she will be paying down a mortgage for him and his wife and paying his wife 17 dollars an hour to watch their child while she slaves away at work. The wife has more time with my niece than my own sister does. My mind is just blown. What do I do? Can I do anything? Do I just stand by and watch this all happen? Maybe I've watched too many crime documentaries, but what if this is all a scheme? What if the wife could never have a child and they essentially used my sister? What if they intend on taking an insurance policy out on her and harming her? What if this whole thing was a way for them to get a life they couldn't have before? Am I thinking too much? Am I being crazy??

Hi everyone, this is probably gonna be a slightly longer read.. so get some popcorn maybe.
I am currently 24 and live in Germany, have never ridden a bike before but always wanted to (Parents wouldn't let me as long as I was living under their roof, the usual). My plan is to now save up money to buy some gear, pay for the license and save up to buy a brand new motorcycle, all sometime next year (probably around april - may). Now I know a lot of people would suggest to get a used bike, however I don't want to. I want to get it new, it's just what I prefer and how I want it (I had some not so great experience with used cars and would simply prefer the safety of knowing it's new and any Factory issues would be fixed under the warranty).
I have watched many videos and read a lot about what would make the perfect beginner bike. I have done a lot of research on the different kind of bikes and I got somewhat of an idea of what kind of bike I would like. I would definitely prefer something sportier (a naked bike or a sport bike).
Now here is the following Information: As I said I live in Germany, meaning that at my age (currently 24 at, the time I get my license and bike I will be 25) I can get the A license, meaning no restrictions, can ride any bike with it.
I don't know exactly how things work in the US or Canada or anywhere other than Germany (tho I assume most Europe is similar if not same), but here I gotta first pass the theoretical driving test, after that I can start with the driving lessons.
In Germany there is a minimum of 12 Lessons on the road (5 in town, 4 on the Highway, 3 at night, or something like that), for someone like me who has never ridden before and hasn't had any of the former licenses (A1, A2) I am sure I will need more of the basic stuff, probably in some parking lot with the instructor, just getting used to the bike. Apparently for people in my situation it usually takes about 10 + the 12 mandatory lessons to be ready and then do the final, practical exam and get the license.
Now since I am doing the A license, I will also be learning on a A level bike (after a bit of looking, seems like the most driving schools in my area use either the mt07 or sv650 as learner bikes, just to make it clear you don't need to have your own bike to learn, the driving school will provide you with theirs).
Since that is the case, I believe I could go for a beginner+ level bike. It seemed to me like the Ninja 400 would be perfect for me, but since I am learning on a bigger bike, it would feel like a bit of a downgrade maybe (going from a 70ish hp bike to 45hp). I do still like the bike, mainly the looks, price, according to the many videos I watched its a comfortable bike as well, but I will get back to the 400 later.
I will give you a list of bikes I looked at, that I think would fit me, that I like (some more some less).
Before I share my list of bikes, let's take a second to talk about financials. As I said it just has to be a new bike! In Germany you must have full gear to do the lessons and you must do the lessons (the gear has to also be of a certain quality/safety rating, helmets gotta be at least ECE 22.05 I believe).
I intend on spending about 1000 euros for the gear, for the License itself and everything you need for it (first aid certificate, eye test...) I planned about 2500 euros for (I live in a bigger place so tends to be more expensive) and that should be the maximum (I expect it to be more around 2000ish, but another 500 to be on the safe side). And now the Bike itself. I would be willing to spend up to 10 000 euros for the bike, that's the max and honestly would prefer to stay under for my first bike, but still, I could do the 10k.
With that out of the way, here are the Bikes I am considering (with their price in Germany):

• mt07 (8374€)
  
• sv650 (6850€)
  
• cb650r (8790€)
  
• duke 790 (8999€)
  
• xsr700 (8874€)
  
• trident 660 (8795€)
  
• r7 (10345€)
  
• zx4rr (9985€)
  
• ninja 400 (7095€)
  

Soooo..
Let's start with the duke 790. I personally really like the look of it, I don't know why but I just do. However, the duke is the one with the most power on this list (95hp) and this might not make it a great beginner bike. Also people shit a lot on KTM for their reliability (don't think it's as bad as it sounds since people make it sound as if it's a 50/50 on weather you will be able to enjoy riding or have to wait for something to be fixed). As I said I live in Germany and KTM is an Austrian Company so I imagine should something happen, I wouldn't have to wait for weeks for any parts to come.
However I also don't want to be spending time working on the bike, but rather riding it.
The sv650 has existed for a 1000 years, is cheap and it's the best beginner.... yeye I heard all that, but honestly nothing about this bike personally excites me. And personally I care more about having fun riding around on the bike than if this bike has 3 more hp and weighs 2,64 lbs less or any of that.
So ye another important thing for me, or rather what isn't that important to me is the numbers, what I am looking for is a bike that will look good and will be fun to ride on the weekends, I will not go to work on it. I would like to 'hit the track' with it (after all I am only 2 hours away from the Nürburgring). I don't intend on touring either but I would prefer something a bit more comfortable, something I could ride for 2 - 3 hours even.
Similar with the Trident 660. Cool bike, but personally, not that into it, it looks good don't get me wrong, but it just don't give me the butterflies, Ya mean!? Also some people say it's got a bit much power for a first bike (81hp).
The r7 would technically be a bit out of budget and they seem to be rare af here, but there is another year until I actually get the bike and I wanted to include it anyways, looks real nice, supposedly a very fun bike, but maybe not the most comfortable for longer rides. This one may be giving me a butterfly or two.
The cb650r, another very nice looking bike, a bit more power than some of the others (82ish hp I believe). To be honest haven't done that much looking into it just yet but seems like a nice bike. 1 butterfly perhaps.
The mt07 and XSR700, more or less the same bike with different looks, they seem to be very fun, I like them, price-wise on the lower end (me likey, 0_0), I do worry about the suspension tho, it's kind of the only thing people seem to complain about. Now consider that I am 6'1 (186cm) and 200lbs (solid muscle of course). I worry that I might be a bit too tall and too heavy for the 2. Not too tall in the sense that I would be uncomfortable, but I don't want the bikes to look small under me. The whole size thing is really not a big deal, but the suspension and my weight does worry me.
That's another thing, I don't want to have to do any major upgrades (by major I mean pricey and timely). I want to get a bike I can ride and not have to worry about.
Now the zx4rr, probably my Favourite, a thousand butterflies. I love pretty much everything about this bike. It looks beautiful, it's 400cc In-Line Four, supposed to be very comfortable as well (not as committed of a ridding position as the r7), in Europe it comes with all it's 77 horses without having to flash it...
To cut it short, love everything, only 2 things about it tho, price-wise it's on the higher end, however still within budget and that in combination with it being so nice, makes me worry I might be overly cautious with it, which could slow down the learning since I might worry too much about dropping or crashing it. That would hurt o_O. And I want to get better at riding, I think I would really enjoy track days, but since I have never ridden before I might end up realizing I would prefer a different kind of riding (don't think so tho, I feel like I could enjoy any kind of ridding, also I play ride 4 like 4 times a day). I don't think it's that probable that I would be to anxious to push myself on it, but however small it might be, it's a possibility. And with that price tag it's a bit of a commitment.
Lastly the Ninja 400. As I said at the beginning, I like this bike a lot, kinda like the small brother to the zx4rr. Only thing is, it's a A2 level bike. In a way it would be a downgrade since I would learn to ride on something like a mt07 (30ish more horses and more torque). However I still feel like it would be a great choice. I don't imagine I would spend too much time on the highway, not really that interested in going high speed in a straight line, personally more into Twisties.
I feel like the Ninja 400 would still be a pretty great choice considering the price is good (some of the bikes have this promotion deal, where if it's the first bike you are getting after getting your license, you get an extra discount which would apply in my case, usually around 500 euros cheaper), it's a good looking bike, still has enough power to be plenty fun.
One thing people might say about it is, that I will outgrow it in a couple months. I always thought that is ridiculous. You don't outgrow a bike that quickly no matter how much or rather how little power it has.
Sure you get used to the power, but thats not the same. If you are just chasing the feel of fear when you twist the throttle, you will either reach a 1000cc pretty quick or the Hospital even quicker. My point being you get used to the power sure, but outgrowing any bike as a beginner after just a few months is ridiculous (in my opinion).
I guess it's a lot of ego, maybe peer pressure in some cases. Even in my case if I got the 400 I don't think I would outgrow it that quickly, and even if in a year or two I want to upgrade... so what.
I save a bit more money in this time, sell the 400 and get something else, now as an experienced rider (at least somewhat).
Imagine having the Ninja 400 for 3 Months and selling it to get like a 600cc In-Line 4 because now you are 'a experienced rider' xdddddd, only to then be lapped by someone on the 400 xdddddd.
So all in all that's it. I will go to a local dealership here tomorrow just to see and hopefully sit and get a feeling for some of these bikes.
If you actually read all this and care to share your opinion, please do and I thank you <3
Any bikes I haven't considered that you would advise me to look into? Any of you had any of these and would recommend or recommend not to get.
Let me know!
xoxo
Gossip Girl

Hi! We are in the process of buying a house, FTB no chain in the UK. Everything was going very smoothly and progressing quickly until we received survey results yesterday.
Our surveyor found several issues with the roof and chimney stack. Other issues too but these are the main ones we want rectifying.
Are we reasonable to have asked the seller to find quotes and repair at a cost to them as we cannot proceed to exchange otherwise? We don’t have the money to do a repair like this ourselves, even if they knock money off so the best solution for us is for seller to resolve. Property was on the market for a while too due to the area.
Issues include the below -
Chimney stack needs rebuilding at top section and re-pointing
Replacement of the flaunting
Flashing requires pointing repair is recommended
A number of loose and broken slates, repair is needed. Says that the roof has likely never been replaced (over 100 years old) and is past its lifespan
No felt to the underside of slates
Thank you for any advice or guidance

Basically what the title says, but I'll put a little more here.
The relationship has been red flags to me since the beginning - my sister was always very into music and artsy, loved makeup and hair, but stopped wearing her style of clothes/all makeup due to the boyfriend's accusations of her doing this to garner male attention. She also stopped going to concerts because he would accuse her of having 'date night' and 'cheating' with her colleagues/friends that she was attending the concert with. So then I find out that the man was actually still married to another woman since the start of their relationship (he told my sister they were separated). Obviously the emotional abuse infuriated me - here he is being accusatory about every aspect of my sister's life but he has a whole ass WIFE? I asked what was going on with that?! My sister said that he was still married because the wife was on disability and had significant health problems (lupus) and needed to be on his insurance plan. I still don't understand why the wife can't be on Medicaid?
Fast forward about a year and a half and my sister calls me to tell me that she's pregnant. This was a bit of a shock because she was always adamant that she never wanted kids. But I understand things change, and we are both over the moon with that little girl and so glad that she exists! However, the pregnancy wasn't easy for her because, throughout it, he would state that he wasn't sure that the baby was his.
My sister was working full time before the birth, but took 2 months off after the birth. During that time, her and the baby were on state insurance. They were having all sorts of issues with getting the baby the right help while on state insurance. My question was - why wasn't my niece on the father's health insurance plan? My sister said it was because his wife still needed to be on it. Sooo state insurance isn't good enough his your wife but it's good enough for his daughter?
Nine months later, when we knew that the eye color was blue, he AGAIN accused her of cheating and suspected he wasn't the father. He had it in his head his eyes were brown, and that brown eyes are dominant, so that they baby should have brown eyes. Since they were blue - the baby must not be his. My sister has blue eyes and his sisters have blue eyes. Most of us who had middle school science and have used punnett squares understand that means the baby had just as good of a chance of having blue eyes as brown.
I thought he dropped it, but about 6 months ago (so when their daughter was 2.5 years old) my sister tells me that he had a paternity test done for 'inheritance reasons', so that 'no one' could battle her inheritance of his IRA with the argument that the child wasn't his. Sir, who is battling with that assumption besides you? I know I've never taken a DNA test to be listed as a beneficiary on any family member's retirement account. But whatever gives him peace of mind, I guess?
My sister makes significantly more than the child's father, and from the details I have gathered during our conversations, it would appear she is footing the bills. This week, they decided to buy a house. I am excited for her and this opportunity, but based on the details in the next paragraphs - I'm worried. I know that my sister doesn't have good credit. I am guessing the loan was approved in his name. He put the down payment on the house (took out some from his retirement to do it). I am quite worried though that he will only have his name on the title, and that my sister will be paying his mortgage for him. And that, as emotionally abusive as he's been in the past, he will hold the house over her head in many ways.
So the real concern for me came to play when my parents mentioned that they are moving the ''nanny'' into the house with them. I thought - hold up - what? I was told that the nanny (babysitter) was a woman in their townhouse complex that was home alone all day and liked the company of a child. So who is this nanny that my sister is paying her 17 dollars an hour (yes, my sister, the child's father isn't paying anything because he has a fraction of the income) to watch my niece and why is my sister so willing to MOVE A NEIGHBOR INTO THEIR HOUSE WITH THEM?
I didn't say anything to my parents, and I won't because I don't want to create more issues in my sister's life, but I dug a little on the internet. It wasn't easy to find because neither the baby's father nor his wife have much of an internet footprint, but I found what I was scared of finding - the wife has had the same address as my sister's family for about 2 years. The wife is my niece's nanny. The wife is the woman who is home all day (apparently IN my sister's home, LIVING THERE!) watching my niece. My sister is paying the child's father's wife 17 dollars an hour to spend more time with her daughter than she gets to spend with her. And now they are moving the wife into their new home to continue being the nanny? My mind is blown.
I asked her about it yesterday. After circling around with her answers, she basically confirmed that his (ex?) wife is the child's nanny, lives with them currently (due to an abusive ex?), and will be moving into their house with them. I say 'ex' because my sister claims they are divorced, but I don't see any evidence of it in any way, shape or form, and I do not see any public records in the state of CA for it. Speaking of which, they currently live in the Midwest, but he has been trying to get my sister to move to with their child to CA for years (where the wife's family is from, not his nor my sisters!).
I don't know what to do here. Am I over-stepping my boundaries? I am so worried about my sister's situation. She is no sister wife, I can tell you that. The only thing I can think is that she is just so head over heals for this man that she is accepting a lot of bullshit. My mind is running - I am worried that now she will be paying down a mortgage for him and his wife and paying his wife 17 dollars an hour to watch their child while she slaves away at work. The wife has more time with my niece than my own sister does. My mind is just blown. What do I do? Can I do anything? Do I just stand by and watch this all happen? Maybe I've watched too many crime documentaries, but what if this is all a scheme? What if the wife could never have a child and they essentially used my sister? What if they intend on taking an insurance policy out on her and harming her? What if this whole thing was a way for them to get a life they couldn't have before? Am I thinking too much? Am I being crazy??

After the events that unfolded in Michael's most recent meltdown stream, I am convinced Stain, his "loyal" mod whom he seeks guidance from, might be the one pulling Michael's strings.
It's clear the pair have some kind of rapport, but is it authentic from Stain's side? I'm skeptical. What I believe, is that Stain might be a wolf in sheep's clothing, who spins yarns and lies to Michael about his viewers. But for what purpose you might ask?
It's simple, Stain wants to see Michael fail like the rest of us.
He played the long con until he gained Michael's trust and after accomplishing that, Stain singlehandedly brainwashed Michael into alienating the channel's remaining audience thanks to the lies he fed him.
And whatever those lies are, they worked. Michael's channel is on the ropes, bleeding viewers at an alarming rate and he's never been this unhinged. Meanwhile, users here claim Stain is leaking information in other communities as he continues pulling Michael's strings.
It seems that thanks to Stain's toil behind the scenes, Michael is the closest he's ever been to the precipice of full blown insanity and it's only a matter of time until he finally falls.
Should that be the case, Stain might be the most intelligent troll Michael has ever come across and I applaud him for playing that cock-eyed imbecile like a fiddle.

Hello everyone,
Hoping you could give me some advice. I am meeting with a financial advisor next week but just looking for some opinions until then. I 27F have recently gained $900k US dollars, in alimony from my divorce. I was married for 5 years to my husband living in Abu Dhabi, I did not work in this time as he wanted me to be a sahw and I never did a degree unfortunately. He divorced me to marry a Saudi woman back home. I’m originally from the UK but I don’t want to go back there as I’m not very close to my family and don’t really have anything left for me back there, I’m sure my money can go further somewhere else. I’m looking for a fresh start somewhere new, I have British citizenship and PR in Dubai but don’t want to live in these places. I can’t do anything including interest also due to religious reasons. I need the money to work for me so that I could live off the income without having to work, because I’m not qualified and haven’t worked in so long it will be hard for me to find a job. I’m thinking the best thing to do is buy a few properties and live off rental income, but in which countries? I’d rather buy in the emirates than the UK due to much lower property tax. Once I can make a monthly income to sustain myself I plan to enroll in university in Europe, Australia or Canada and get a degree so I can work.

My fiancé and I recently adopted two "American Short Hair" kittens. I'm suspicious that at least one of them, maybe both, might be a much rarer breed. I'm not an expert. But from what I've read, and how they look/act. I think at least Alice [the Grey one] Is a Kurillian Bobtail, I'm not as sure about chimera [black] but any advice would be appreciated.
They're both incredibly affectionate, Alice lies on my stomach any time I'm laying down, and late at night if I run to the kitchen to make some green tea, or get a snack, she'll tippy tap her little feet into the kitchen with me. And meow at me until either A. I pick her up and give her kisses. Or B. Get back into bed where she'll hop back up on my chest or stomach and lick my fingers and give me little love nips. Chimera does much the same. He's just a little more shy.
I feel INCREDIBLY lucky. Because the affection these kittens show is doing WONDERS for the two of us, as we've been stressed beyond reason with our current work and financial situation.
The only other clue we have. Which I've never seen any cat. Let alone a kitten do. Is wag her tail. She shakes that little nub on her butt anytime she's excited.
No matter what breed they are we'll love them just as much as we do now. But as a fan of rare and unique things I'd love to brag to my friends. We've had them for just 2 days. And I don't think we could love them any more than we do now.
Here's a few pics to aid in the deduction. We'll probably end up doing a DNA test anyway but if any experts could save us x amount of dollars. That'd be awesome. Because I'm trying to get us both out of the city. Sorry the only full body shot of Alice was her on my fiancé's laptop while she was watching YouTube. But the videos I have are too high res to upload to imgur.
https://imgur.com/gallery/NVCnEW9

I (40F) have a group of girlfriends that I treasure: Anna, Sarah and Victoria (names changed). We are 4 moms around same age all having kids similar age, live relatively close to each other (within 30min drive), and we are pretty much in the same stage of our lives. Work, home, kids keep us busy on daily bases so we meet up maybe once a month, but we chat every day using a group communicator. Each of us is different and has different career (we are all working moms) but we have a common understanding. We talk about everything, our kids, jobs, husbands, problems. We support each other, joke together, help out. We are aware of our differences but respect them and usually take them into account when interacting. Or so I thought. Anna is a rather neurotic person. Very empathic and will be the first one to help. But alongside, she will criticize and give unsolicited advice whenever she sees fit. I got used to that and wasn't much bothered by it, however, recently her unthoughtful remarks intensified. It worried us. We tried to gently tell her that it was no fun, but she would always brush it off. She would then either minimize it ("I am only sharing my opinion, I don't want to insult anyone"), or twist it ("you misunderstood, I meant something else"), or make a victim of herself ("you never let me say what I think, all the blame is always on me"). This was going on for months, half a year, maybe a year. It started to really bother Sarah to the point, that she stopped sharing a lot of info in the group. She would rather talk to me in private messages not feeling like being judged and remarked. She would regularly say "look, Anna again picked on me for this or that, she said this and that". So, I started noticing this, too, more and more. And it started getting on my nerves, too. Telling Anna was pointless. For her, she was exercising her freedom of speech and not hurting us. We would vent with Sarah to one another about those unpleasant comments. Not really talking bad, no gossip, no nasty words, just getting out our feelings whenever we would feel hurt by Anna. Then, we would go back to the common chat and go further about our days.
For context, I will give you a couple of examples of Anna's comments: when I tried a new soup recipe and shared some photos and my happiness how delicious the dish turned out, the only comment Anna gave was "I can already see an extra fat roll on your belly from all that grease" (I am overweight and she knows very well that I am trying to loose some weight). Or when we proposed to go together to spa and wellness to celebrate Victoria's birthday, she kept complaining how expensive that gift would be (about 10 euros per person + her own entrance 30 euros) and that she doesn't have money, just to then 2 weeks later search for a trip abroad. Eventually, she concluded she needs some relax and... went to spa alone cause we could not join (she chose a working day and we could not take a day off). She also had a disagreement with a bigger group of friends. She then made me believe they had mistreated her, while I learnt later on that she completely exaggerated the situation and actually was in fault herself. She had a fight with my sister-in-law, too, who offered to take care of her house, cat and chickens while Anna was away in exchange for letting my sis stay at her countryside homestead. However, when my sis was already there Anna moved in two other men and told my sis that her help wasn't needed and she can move out if she has a problem staying with strangers. Instead of supporting exhausted Vic, Anna would regularly bush her for putting in her kids' lunch boxes cookies, chips and some other unhealthy stuff (next to homemade goodies) while Victoria had 3 under 5 (infant included) and worked full time, and was so tired she was forgetting her own name sometimes. Yeah. This sort of comments.
To the point: one day I posted to the group chat a movie of a beautiful train diorama my father-in-law built (took him several years) and my kids going crazy playing with it. The other girls were really amazed, while all Anna said was "impressive, but my kids would not even look at that for longer than one minute, for them even a wet trampoline would be more interesting than this thing". Now, I had a really crappy day that day. I haven't slept well, I was in my period and sick, so her words annoyed the heck out of me. I really needed to vent that annoyance but I knew Anna would not understand. She would immediately go into defence mode "I was only talking about my kids, what, I can't do that?". I'm sure. We tried multiply times in the past. So I decided to vent to Sarah in private. I wrote to her:

"My kids wouldn't even look at that", awesome comment.
Anna is again fu**ing up with me.
She had a fight with half of her acquaintances, she had a fight with my sis-in-low. Now this.

And that was when I realised that I clicked the wrong window and I was sending these messages right to Anna, instead of Sarah... Autch. In all honesty I added "sorry, that was meant for Sarah" but that only made things worse. Anna went all ballistic how ugly we are, how we all talk behind her back, how she was only mentioning the interests of her kids and I made a mountain out of a molehill. And that I "misclicked" the widow on purpose to pour dirt on her (I did not). She just as much blamed the other girls for my words, said that now she knows the truth what I really think of her etc etc. I stopped responding in text and asked if I could call or if we could meet. I wanted to apologize and explain in person that it was only venting just like she always vents about her husband (she does that a lot), but she refused to listen to any explanation, she said we betrayed her. Anna left our group chat and did not speak to me for a month. She returned to the group after 2 months but ever since is rather reserved, and still doesn't want to meet nor talk about what happened. We all feel this gigant elephant in the room.
I don't want to loose a friend but I also don't know what to do if she is refusing to talk. Yes, I did criticised Anna's behaviour (with a strong word included), yes, I admit it was not nice, and I apologized multiple times to her for it. But on the other hand I feel that I have a right to talk to a friend about something that really hurt me and is not understood by the person who did that. So, IATA for venting about my friend's behaviour behind her back?

If you are in the position to support my work, I have a patreon, venmo, and a paypal set up. Just three dollars a month makes a huge difference! No pressure though, I will keep posting these pieces publicly no matter what - paywalls suck.
You can signup to receive a monthly email with links to my posts or subscribe to Keep Track’s Substack (RSS link).

Arizona

Supporters of an abortion rights initiative in Arizona have reportedly obtained enough signatures to appear on the November ballot, though it still needs to be verified by the secretary of state this summer. Abortion is currently legal during the first 15 weeks of pregnancy. The proposed ballot measure would amend the Arizona Constitution to establish a fundamental right to abortion before the point of fetal viability (generally around the 24th week of pregnancy).

• The initiative gained steam after the Arizona Supreme Court ruled last month that an 1864 territorial ban on abortions is enforceable. Following several attempts by Republicans to block the bill, a coalition of Democrats and several conservatives passed a repeal of the 160-year-old ban earlier this month, reinstating the state’s previous 15-week limit on abortions.

Now, Republican legislators are trying to limit future ballot initiatives—like the one aiming to enshrine abortion rights—with a measure of their own. If passed, the Arizona Signature Distribution Requirement for Initiatives Amendment would change the threshold for petitioners to get a measure on the ballot: instead of requiring 10-15% of all votes cast in the most recent governor’s race (a statewide threshold), the proposed change would force citizen-led efforts to collect 10-15% from each of the state’s 30 legislative districts.

This would require tremendous logistical feats from any citizen-led effort. Canvassers would need to dramatically scale up their presence in the most remote parts of Arizona, unable to rely on high-traffic areas and denser population centers.
Arizonans who have experience working on signature-gathering told Bolts that this requirement could prove insurmountable to them given the resources and capacity it would call for. “This is nothing but a backdoor way to shut down the initiative process,” said Jim Barton, an election law attorney who has been involved in numerous legal fights over the rules of initiatives in Arizona.

If voters approve the Signature Distribution measure, citizens will be left without a valuable tool to affect change in a state whose legislature has been controlled by Republicans for several decades. Arizonans used the ballot initiative process to enact important policies in recent years, including raising the minimum wage in 2016, legalizing marijuana in 2020, and requiring campaign donor transparency in 2022.

Mississippi

Meanwhile, Republicans in Mississippi again rejected legislation to restore citizens’ ability to put measures on the ballot three years after a court ruling took away that right. According to a provision of the state’s constitution written in 1992, a proposed constitutional amendment may be approved to appear on the ballot if organizers gather one-fifth of their signatures from each of the state’s five congressional districts. However, in the 2000 reapportionment process, Mississippi lost one congressional seat due to a decrease in population.
Two decades and numerous ballot initiatives later, a medical marijuana group collected enough signatures to appear on the 2020 ballot. Voters approved the measure with an overwhelming 74% majority, allowing people with debilitating conditions like cancer, PTSD, epilepsy, and Parkinson’s disease to access medical marijuana. Mary Hawkins Butler, the Republican mayor of Madison (a suburb of Jackson), sued to block the initiative, arguing that organizers did not meet the signature requirement: instead of collecting an equal number of signatures from the mandatory five congressional districts, they could only collect signatures from four, because Mississippi has only had four since 2001.
The state Supreme Court ruled in Mayor Butler’s favor in 2021, voiding not just the medical marijuana initiative but also the state’s entire citizen-led ballot initiative process unless and until the legislature amended the relevant provision of the constitution. Justice Josiah Coleman, writing for the six justice majority, said, “the loss of congressional districts did, indeed, break (the ballot initiative provision) so that, absent amendment, it no longer functions.”
Every year since, the Republican-controlled legislature has killed bills to reinstate voters’ right to place measures on the ballot. The most recent bills, crafted by Republicans themselves, were extremely favorable to the legislature and introduced new barriers to citizen initiatives—and still did not receive consideration.

Missouri

Democrats in Missouri successfully filibustered a bill that would make it harder to pass citizen-led ballot initiatives ahead of a potential measure to enshrine a right to abortion prior to viability. Under current law, a proposed constitutional amendment must be approved by a simple majority of votes cast statewide. The Republican-backed bill, SJR 74, would require proposed amendments to receive a majority of the votes cast statewide as well as a majority of the votes cast in at least a majority of the Congressional districts. Not only would the change institute additional onerous steps for organizers, but it would virtually ensure only conservative amendments succeed due to Missouri’s partisan gerrymandered districts.
In order to entice voters to support their amendment limiting direct democracy, the state GOP attempted to insert what opponents call “ballot candy”: unrelated and superfluous content intended to trick people into voting for a measure they would otherwise oppose. In this case, the ballot candy was a provision banning non-citizens from voting on constitutional amendments and another prohibiting foreign governments from sponsoring initiatives—both of which are already illegal in the state.
Democrats twice filibustered the bill, forcing the Republican supermajority to abandon the measure during the final day of session last week.

Louisiana

Louisiana legislators advanced a proposal (HB 800), backed by Gov. Jeff Landry (R), earlier this month to call a convention to change the state’s 50-year-old constitution. The document is roughly 35,000 words longer than the average state constitution and has been amended more than 200 times. Most people would agree it could be trimmed and streamlined. However, the governor and his Republican allies are pursuing a rewrite for political purposes with little oversight.
First, the timeline: The legislature intends to convene a convention in the next three months, with a two week deadline and no time for public input. The 1973 convention, by contrast, held a series of public meetings across the state for an entire year before writing the state constitution.
Second, the participants: The 1973 convention was composed of elected delegates, many of them average citizens who took an interest in crafting their state’s charter. Landry’s planned convention would be limited to current lawmakers and delegates chosen by Landry himself.
Third, the guidelines: While HB 800 states that delegates cannot change the meaning of certain sections, like retirement benefits for public employees and pay for sheriffs, it lacks any other controls on what they can edit. Furthermore, experts question whether the limits in HB 800 would even be legally binding.

It’s not clear legislators even have the ability to restrict what is discussed during a constitutional convention. Legal experts have said once a convention is called, the entire document can be opened up and altered, regardless of what limitations the lawmakers place on it ahead of time.

Landry and his allies claim they do not have any immediate changes planned and would simply like to move portions of the constitution into the legal code as statutes. However, this would make it easier for the Legislature to change provisions it doesn’t like because of the lower threshold to edit a law versus the constitution. Rep. Beau Beaullieu (R), the author of HB 800, said last week that the provisions he wants to remove from the constitution include sales tax breaks for residential utilities, prescription drugs, and food purchased for home consumption.

“I think all of those tax items should be in statute,” he said. “If there is a better way to bring in revenue for the state, we need to be able to have that on the table.” …The sales tax breaks on food, residential utilities and prescription drugs could be more easily repealed if those provisions were shifted from the constitution into regular law as Beaullieu and Tucker suggested…
[S]ome conservatives in the Legislature want to expand the state sales tax base in exchange for lowering or eliminating the income tax… Advocates for low-income people have opposed proposals to swap out the income tax for broader sales taxes. Wealthy people and businesses pay the state income tax, but poor people do not. People who are struggling would carry a larger share of the financial burden of a sales tax on essentials like food, utilities and prescription drugs, according to the advocates.

One provision Beaullieu has committed to retaining untouched in the constitution: The “Defense of Marriage” section, defining marriage as between a man and woman, would be retained in case the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Obergefell v. Hodges, making same-sex marriage immediately unlawful again in Louisiana.
If HB 800 passes the Senate, and the convention successfully creates a new constitution, voters will be able to approve or reject the revised document in November.

In France, taxes on forex trading are subject to various regulations and depend on the individual's tax residency status, the type of trading activity, and the profits earned. Forex trading falls under the category of speculative activity for tax purposes.
For individual traders who are residents of France, profits generated from forex trading are generally taxed as capital gains. Capital gains tax rates vary depending on the holding period of the asset and the total amount of capital gains realized during the tax year. Short-term capital gains (assets held for less than two years) are typically taxed at higher rates compared to long-term capital gains.
Additionally, individuals engaged in forex trading may also be subject to social contributions (prélèvements sociaux) in France. These contributions are applied to investment income, including capital gains, interest, and dividends. The current rate of social contributions is generally around 17.2%.
It's important for forex traders in France to keep detailed records of their trading activity, including profits and losses, as accurate reporting is essential for tax compliance. Failure to comply with tax obligations can result in penalties and fines.
Overall, individuals trading forex in France should consult with a tax advisor or financial professional to ensure compliance with applicable tax laws and regulations.
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