I’m going back for another mammogram. It was a routine check to see that I’m healthy enough to remove the breast implants I got 20 years ago.
I don’t know if I have cancer but I do know I have thick breast tissue and the implants are obscuring the results.
I do or do not have breast cancer. I doubt it. But as a precautionary measure we will need to look closely for the possibility.
I’m floating in my bath smoking a joint and trying to imagine how the future will unfold. I am not holding out either way. If it is cancer I consider myself lucky for having gotten the last 47 years cancer free.
If it is cancer at least I got it when I have a modest nest egg and health insurance. I’m very supported by people who like and love me. I have friends that are interested in me that have been through this with other women. Some who died.
I’m just glad I didn’t have this pop up in the first part of my life because that I never would’ve been prepared even for the scare of breast cancer.
All I know is that one day I will die. I’m going to be extremely forgiving and kind to myself and everyone I spend time with. I love life but I’m also aware of how much of life is really lame.
More than not wanting to suffer from cancer I don’t want my 28 year old son and my 23 year old daughter to have to live here without me. Outside of being a parent I am endlessly fascinated by death.
Not death but the possibility of an afterlife and not how religious people describe it. Like the idea of a continuous of consciousness intrigued me. I was in a medically induced coma when I was 2 years old.
I had a near death experience and according to my family I went into the coma a very happy silly girl and came out obsessed with death.
Either way I’m glad I have my husband and my drum circle friends and my volunteer friends and my yoga friends to support me. It isn’t that long ago I struggled to make friends.
Attachment trauma robbed me of many years of friendships that I’m making up for now. I hope it’s not cancer.

If your circumstances have changed and an intervention order has been granted, and you would like it cancelled or revoked, this can be accomplished via legal advice. As this can be an intricate process, seek professional guidance before initiating this procedure.
An intervention order is a court appointment which allows someone to take one-time actions for someone lacking capacity, in contrast to Guardianship orders which provide ongoing management power of another individual's affairs. Legal advice
Legal advice refers to any advice or direction regarding an aspect of law which impacts an individual's rights and responsibilities, requiring extensive knowledge about law and careful evaluation. Legal advice is typically given by lawyers as it is considered professional services.
Intervention orders, sometimes known as Family Violence Intervention Orders or Domestic Violence Orders or Personal Safety Intervention Orders (PVOs), are court orders which impose certain restrictions and requirements upon people. Intervention orders may be necessary when someone alleges or fears experiencing family violence and needs protection against further incidents in their household.
Sometimes parties involved in an IVO application can reach an agreement on terms for a Full Order that allows the Magistrate to issue it without calling evidence from either party and allow applicants to opt-out of attending the Contested Hearing. However, should you wish to contest an IVO Application it is crucial that legal advice and representation are secured at any Contested Hearing as any violation could lead to criminal charges and imprisonment for up to 2 years. Representation in court
Family Violence Orders (FVOs) are legal documents designed to stop certain behaviors between two parties from taking place. An FVO may be issued by either a police officer or magistrate's court and can be made up of various conditions that include restricting contact via phone calls, emails or social media and prohibiting certain areas from entering certain properties or areas. An FVO may be issued either on the basis of police reports, witness statements or victim impact statements submitted as well as police report investigations conducted over time. It can include restrictions like restricting travel near someone's home/workplace/school as well as restrictions restraining them from approaching certain distances to certain properties; further restrictions like not entering certain areas in any direction etc can also be included as conditions; for instance it could restricting visits within certain distance from entering certain homes/worksites/school of another individual as well as restricting contact via telephone/email/social media etc.
An FVO may include restrictions on visiting one's children, and any violation is considered criminal offense. An FVO can be amended, varied, withdrawn or dismissed at the court's discretion if it conflicts with another Parenting Order; and under Section 68Q courts can revive, vary discharge or suspend an existing Parenting Order in accordance with its provisions based on what's contained within an FVO. It is wise to have legal representation present when appearing before court for an FVO hearing. Defending the order
Intervention order lawyer provide invaluable assistance in understanding both legal rights and processes as well as representing you in court to defend your case. They will cross-examine witnesses on your behalf and present legal arguments on your behalf before offering advice about the optimal strategy to employ for your particular case.
Representing oneself against an intervention order requires attending court and disputing allegations made against them. Although this can be challenging, presenting a strong defence is essential. You may need to call witnesses and produce evidence, although the standard of proof in family violence cases is much lower compared to criminal proceedings; magistrates only need be convinced of probable violence occurring on balance of probabilities.
Your son should think very carefully before accepting an order from the court, even if he follows them strictly. Even minor infringements could put him in contempt of court and result in jail time; it would be more beneficial for him to attend an appropriate course to learn how to control his anger and prevent future violent behavior. Enforcing the order
An intervention order (also referred to as an AVO or DVO) is a legal document that prohibits certain individuals from contacting each other or coming within close proximity of each other's homes or workplace. It may also prohibit stalking and harassment. Intervention orders can either be family violence- or personal safety-based orders.
Our lawyers specialize in handling intervention orders and can offer guidance, advice, and representation in court to protect your legal rights throughout the process. They can also help enforce any orders that have been breached.
Application for an intervention order can be an extensive and time-consuming process that often includes court hearings. Seek legal advice in order to protect your legal rights, build an effective case and represent you before the courts. In certain circumstances it may even be possible to cancel or revoke an intervention order should circumstances change since its creation.

Occupation – Government employee
Age – 34
Location – Zimbabwe
My salary – $500 (paid monthly)
Side Gig Income – $0
Other income – negligible amounts from dividends received from my stock portfolio that I re-invest
Housemates – 4 (husband P, 6 year old L, 4 year old E and nanny F. My nephew M is around and makes appearances too)
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Assets and Liabilities
​

Equity	$60,000 fully paid off
Retirement Balance	??	I contribute monthly, and employer matches fully. But because of changes in currency and hyperinflation, I don’t really count this as an asset
Savings	$1700	(went down due to travelling trying to get my passport done since it expired)
Current account balance	$660	Includes my mum's money since I'm managing her financial affairs while she's abroad
Loan from employer	$130	I took a personal loan from work, because the interest rates are lower than rate of inflation and repayment is over 18 months. Loan was used to make improvements on our house, and what wasn’t used, I bought shares on our stock exchange, due to hyperinflation, the amount I owe in US$ has gone down
Investments (shares in various counters on our local stock exchanges)	$1,186
Car	$4,000	Based on current resale value. Car was bought secondhand for cash

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Income progression- (https://www.reddit.com/MoneyDiariesACTIVE/comments/vbbb7s/i_live_in_zimbabwe_making_3600year_and_i_just/)
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Expenses
This year, my husband and I decided that he would take on the bulk of our expenses since I do most of the domestic work/childcare. Expenses I pay will be indicated. My salary is now for my expenses, my investments and my savings, and spoiling the kids. Husband caters for the family basics. There was a point last year when I felt my husband wasn’t as invested in the family because he barely did anything financially. By having him cater for all expenses, he is now definitely involved and invested. My husband’s income is just about the same as mine, slightly higher at some times.
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My Expenses

Expense	Amount /period	Note
Car insurance and licensing	$300/annum	This is due in March, and I pay for the entire year
Petrol	$60/month
Electricity	$10/month
Airtime/data	$20/month
Groceries	$60/month	This is for additional groceries such as bread, veg and fruit bought during the month
Kids’ clothes	$40/month	I’m trying to build up their winter wardrobe so I try to buy them something each month
Makeup/clothes/toiletries/ supplements/hair	$30/month	I do not us this much monthly though
Water	$15/month	Based on last bill received in April. We do not get water consistently so bills are infrequent
Donations	$20/month	Ad hoc donations to a soup kitchen, and maternal health fun
Stock market investment	$50/month	May invest more or less, but I do try to buy shares every payday

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Household Expenses (paid by P)
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Expense	Amount /period	Note
Groceries	$200/month	Bulk grocery shopping of staple food items and toiletries
LP Gas	$30/approx. every 2 months	We buy when it runs out. Usually every 2 months depending on how bad the power supply is
Medical	$15/month	For OTC meds (painkiller, cough syrup, antacid stocked for emergencies) and any prescriptions
Pet expenses	$60/ twice a year	For vaccinations and checkups for 4 dogs. Pet food is covered under groceries
School fees for the kids	$347/ term	One kid has fees paid every month, the other every 3 months
Nanny	$80/month	Less than before as both kids are now in school fulltime, and nanny is there to get them ready for school and care after school for 3 hours.
DSTV subscription	$37/month
Transport for kids to/from school	$60/month	L gets picked up and dropped off at home daily, E is dropped off after school

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Previous MDs - (https://www.reddit.com/MoneyDiariesACTIVE/comments/vbbb7s/i_live_in_zimbabwe_making_3600year_and_i_just/) and (https://www.reddit.com/MoneyDiariesACTIVE/comments/yc801g/i_am_33_years_old_and_i_just_graduated_with_my/)
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MD Q&A
Did you participate in any form of higher education? If yes, how did you pay for it?
Yes, I have a BSc in Accounting, a Masters in Accounting, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Taxation. My parents both have Masters degrees, and in my family, the bare minimum acceptable for education was getting a Bachelors. My mother paid for my undergraduate degree, and I paid cash for my postgraduate studies.
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Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money?
My parents divorced when I was very young. My dad is the wealthier of the two, my mum has always been middle-class. My mum brought me up with very little financial help from my dad, he only covered tuition and healthcare until I turned 18. My mum catered for everything else. My mum taught me how to look for bargains, how to save and invest, and also how to sometimes enjoy your money.
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If you have, when did you move out of your parents'/guardians' house?
I would say I moved out at 26 when I got my current job. I had moved out when I got my first fulltime job, but moved back home when that contract ended
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At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself? Does anyone else cover any aspects of your financial life?
At 26 again. That's when I earned enough to cover all my bills without needing help. My husband P covers some aspects of my financial life, and my mum occasionally helps out with stuff for her grandchildren.
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What was your first job and why did you get it?
I worked as a receptionist at my mum's law firm after finishing my A Levels (age 18) while waiting to start university. My mum gave me the job to keep me occupied and out of mischief, lol.
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Do you worry about money now?
I worry about building generational wealth for my children. I want to make sure they will be set for life as adults. I do worry about money because hyperinflation is eroding my earnings and retirement dramatically. This is my second time losing my retirement. My mum and in laws are losing their retirement for the third time, so honestly our old age looks bleak if we do not invest outside of work pensions.
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Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income?
I receive negligible dividends from the shares I own, lol.
​
Day 1
0430 – I’m woken up by loadshedding. I sigh, rollover, and sleep some more
0600 – Alarm goes off. I turn it off, enjoy cuddles from P and finally get out of bed. Our water tanks ran out 4 days ago, and council has not yet deigned to give us water, so we rely on P’s parents and friends to give us water. I get my water that was warming up on the stove, and take a quick bucket bath. I moisturize, do my brows, throw my lace wig on (I cut my hair in January, and I’m at a really awkward stage where my hair looks bad when I wear it out all day) and get dressed. It’s cold in the mornings so I put on winter stockings and a black and white chevron patterned dress, nude ballet pumps plus my warm jacket. I get E from the couch where he was watching Cocomelon and my lunch bag out of the kitchen and we head off to his school. After dropping off E, I go to the office. No electricity means no elevator, so I go up the stairs. I see my boss’s boss and greet him as we do the ZESA (local electricity company) sponsored workout. I log in to the work register, fill up my kettle, and settle down to check out my work email. Nothing urgent came through overnight, so I go into my personal email. The wig company I patronize has given me a code for my birthday, and I’m wondering if I should pull the trigger on my cart. I decide to do a report while thinking this through.
My mum is currently working out of the country, so I am managing her local finances/obligations while she’s away. I remember I have to buy the prepaid electricity token for my childhood home as well as for the house she lives in when she’s working in the country. I spend $23 on electricity for both houses (mum’s money so doesn’t count)
1030 – After doing some firefighting and office gossip I have my breakfast. Today its rice, peas and 2 fried eggs. I sprinkle some peri-peri Aromat on top since I don’t have a sauce/gravy ad I have been craving spicy food lately. I also pop my multivitamin and supplements. I check my team’s work and send back anything that needs correcting. I also generate the multiple reports my boss expects from me. I suddenly remember I need to claim my allowance for performing a role that is higher than my actual position at work. I quickly complete the form, and send it to my boss for his signature. The extra money from this is what I use to fund my stock market investments. I also remind my team to send a report to me for consolidation by noon.
12.00 – I do a major push of all my work due today so I can relax after lunch. I compile my reports and set them ready to send. I also finish my first 2 litres of water of the day, and cue up the next 2 litres
1300 – Its lunchtime, and my work bestie and I head out around town**. I find shorts that L would fit and buy 2 pairs for $10**. We head back to the office and I have caramel popcorn for lunch. Then I remember I forgot to have my afternoon meds, oops. Anyway, more work before heading to an audit meeting
1630 – The audit meeting is finally over, and I rush to shut down my computer, pack up my things and go home. I have an agreement with my manager that as long as I make up for the hour, by either coming early or skipping lunch, I can leave work at 4pm. I had a total hysterectomy end of last year so I still can’t manage driving in heavy traffic. I arrive home, make the bed (P had not made it when he went to work), and harvest chilies from our garden that have ripened. I also harvest a local herb used as a flu remedy and lemongrass, so I can brew up a tea/tisane for the flu affected people in my house. I also pack L’s lunch for tomorrow, a pie, a naartjie and juice. It’s also F’s payday, so I give her US$80 (P gave me this money).
E says he is hungry so I feed him sadza and sour milk by his request. I multitask covering L’s school textbook while supervising his homework and watching Married to Real Estate and the Great British Bake Off. I then have my dinner of sadza, greens and beef. I have a chat with the kids about their day at school. P gets home.
1900 – P and my nephew M go to fetch water from P’s friend’s house. The city council still hasn’t opened up our water supply. I do some French on Duolingo while the boys wreak havoc in their playroom. I read L and E their bedtime stories and put them to bed. I decide to do my hair in cornrows while watching Masterchef Australia. They get home and I help them carry water indoors. I remember that when power comes back I need to boil tripe on the stove, so I cut it up, put it in the pot with water, salt and garlic, and place it on the electric stove. We have serious loadshedding these days, so we have a gas stove and solar power to tide us over. I take a quick bath and change into my pyjamas. While P watches TV, I read Wild Sweet Love by Beverly Jenkins and continue to do my hair in cornrows.
2200 – My arms are tired and I’m only halfway through with the cornrows. I give up and go to bed with P.
Total spent - $10
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Day 2
0600 – I hear crying. E is in a bad mood today. I turn off my alarm, and go to see what’s wrong. E does not want to get dressed for school. I sigh, and help F dress him while he throws a massive tantrum. E is dressed, so I go do my morning routine of shower, moisturize, contact lenses, and eyebrow makeup. Today, I wear a green dress I took from my mum, black tights, nude ballet flats and a black and white coat. E gets put into the car by F, and starts crying for porridge. We are already late, so he learns that the consequence of refusing to eat his porridge on time is to go to school without having his porridge. It’s not a big issue though, as he gets fed at school. So I lock the doors and windows and drive him to school as he throws a tantrum for the entire 10 minute drive. I shove him into the school gate and head to work.
It’s another ZESA sponsored stair workout today. I log into the register, and fill up my kettle with water. I switch on my computer, check my work email and send off client emails to my team for their response. My personal email has an annual report from one of the companies I have shares in so I check out if there’s a dividend this year. I own a negligible number of shares in the company though, but 28c per share is quite impressive. I check to see if my stock exchange wallet has been credited with the money I transferred there so I can buy more shares. It still hasn’t so I send a follow up email o the enquiries desk at the stock exchange. I do have a stockbroker, but I prefer doing my trades myself. I also do some French on Duolingo before 8am.
0830 – Our HR is in a tizzy because people are late for work. I don’t make a big deal out of it usually, because salaries are shit and people are demotivated. As long as my team shows up and does some work, I’m ok. I approve some work, and warn my team about coming in a bit too late. I also tell a teammate that she will have to cover for me on Monday as I am taking the day off. Our internet connectivity is shit so I can’t log into our system to check some stuff. My work bestie gives me avocados from her house. I almost cry because I have been craving avocados, but been too cheap to buy them.
1000 – I have a really bad sore throat. I am also hungry since I haven’t had breakfast yet. I jot down my shopping list for the weekend and head to Pick ‘n’ Pay to buy carrots, green peppers, tomatoes, lemons, cheese, polony and bread. I also buy my breakfast/lunch, which is rice, beans, ox liver and egg salad**. It all cost $10**. I leave my shopping in my car, and go to the office to wolf down my food, and take my multivitamin and painkiller. I also receive my wigs that I bought in May. Perfect timing, as I want to wear a new wig tomorrow for our girls’ day out.
I do some more work, and remind my team to send me the information I need for my daily reports.
1300 – I go out to buy a few items I didn’t find in Pick ‘n’ Pay earlier**. I go to Spar and buy peas, eggs, soft drinks for the outing tomorrow and a sausage roll. Total cost is $10**. The outing has been deemed kid friendly, so I needed drinks for the boys to have tomorrow. I get back into the office, and spend the rest of the lunch hour working.
1600 – It’s finally time to go home. I send my email to handover work issues for the person who will take over my role on Monday while I am on leave. I also send my out of office email, and head home. The kids are at their grandmother’s, so I take a leisurely bath, put on my pyjamas and eat dinner. Then I watch Masterchef Australia until P and E get home. I also get in some French Duolingo practice
2000 – P goes out with his friends, so I snuggle up on the couch with E and watch TV. I put E to bed, read him his bedtime story and kiss him good night. I finally finish season 13 of Masterchef Australia, and move on to My Kitchen Rules Australia. I love Australian reality shows, ngl.
2200 – I go to bed P gets home and tells me some bad news about a friend of ours. I feel very sad for him. He cuddles me and we sleep.
Total spent - $20
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Day 3
0700 – I wake up feeling like a truck ran me over. I get out of bed, and get ready to hand-wash our laundry. We still have no running water so we can’t use the washing machine. I play music while doing my laundry to keep me motivated
0900 – Laundry has been hung out to dry. F has cooked potato curry, so I boil eggs and water. I have my breakfast of potato curry, egg, multivitamin and coffee. Once I’m done, I give E a bath and dress him. I also bath, moisturize, do my brows and get dressed. I’m wearing jeans and a t-shirt today as my friends and I ae supposed to take our kids out for a playdate. Then I receive a message that the outing is cancelled since one of our group is really sick. I try to think of something I can do with E, since L is out having fun with his grandmother. I do my Swahili Duolingo practice.
1100 – The welder comes to do some work on our garage door. I monitor the work for a bit, and then my nephew takes over. E starts really bugging me to go out. So I put on my headband wig and sneakers, and pack a cooler bag with snacks and drinks. We head into town and I buy myself some ciders for $9. These are for me to drink when the mood strikes me. E wants to go to a resort by the lake so I oblige him. We pay $8 for our entrance. He goes to play on the swings, and I take pictures of him having fun. Another family turns up, and one of his classmates is among them. He’s so happy, and goes to play with his friend. I watch him running around.
1500 – I get a call from my friend that she’s in town with my cake. This cake was meant for the cancelled outing. I pack up our stuff, hustle E into the car and drive back into town. I let out some colourful swear words when I realise I forgot to get our change of $2. Anyway**, I meet up with my friend and get the cake, and pay her $30**. It’s so pretty. I call my MIL while still in town to find out what time she will be there so I can pick up L. She says it will be an hour, so E and I head home to drop off the cake so it doesn’t melt in my AC-less car.
1600 – We are back in town waiting for L and MIL. E wants an ice cream so I buy him one for $0.50 using money I had in my Innbucks wallet. MIL calls and asks me to head over to where she is to pick L up since she can’t leave yet. E and I get there. MIL gets me sadza and goat tripe stew, which I eat a bit of to be polite even though I am not hungry. When I’m done, I pack up the kids and drive home. I bath and change into my pyjamas.
1800 – I feed the kids, and we play until their weekend bedtime of 8pm. I read them their bedtime stories and tuck them in. I watch TV and iron my morning laundry while having a gin and juice until 9pm, and head to read in bed. P and my nephew arrive home from their amateur soccer league match and subsequent outing with the boys. I fall asleep soon after.
Total spent - $49.50
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Day 4
0700 – I’m woken up by L demanding that I come and play with them. I am still sleepy so I fob him off.
0900 - F knocks on the door and tells us she is off to church. I finally get out of bed and get dressed. I see the boys playing relatively peacefully so I let them continue with their antics. In the kitchen, I find F had cooked breakfast, and since I’m starving, I heat up water for coffee. L surprisingly isn’t hungry so I serve up breakfast for P and me. I have my daily multivitamin. P heads out to go fetch water, while I bath, change and hang out with the kids. I also do my French Duolingo practice for the day
1200 – I have played with the dogs and kids, and I am exhausted. I collapse onto the couch and watch MKR Australia. P gets home, and naps on the couch. I give the kids haircuts and baths.
1700 – L is hungry and really wants cake, so I feed the kids a dinner of sadza and sour milk. Then some cake for dessert. I also pack L’s school lunch, which will be a polony sandwich, a cupcake and juice. The kids play until its bedtime at 7pm. The usual routine, bedtime stories and tuck in is done
2000 – P and I watch a movie while having some alcoholic drinks.
2200 – Bedtime for us
Total spent - $0
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Day 5
0600 – It’s my birthday today. I am going all out celebrating myself since TW I tried unaliving myself twice in the past year. L wishes me a happy birthday before he goes to school. I get birthday messages from my mum, dad, SILs, and friends. I also get a call from my brother, his wife and their son, and they sing to me. I feel very loved today. P goes to drop off E at school today so I can sleep in
0800 – I am finally up and hungry. I cook a quick breakfast of boiled eggs, and a bean curry. P takes my car to get serviced, while I bath, moisturize, contact lenses, do a full face of makeup and get dressed for the day. Today I wear a tie-dyed cutout mini-dress and sneakers, and my wavy headband wig
1300 – P is home and he drives me to a hotel outside town near a renowned tourist site in our country. We have a platter of fried fish, chicken strips, pork strips, fries, and a salad to share and multiple Savannah Drys while there. It’s really nice getting to reconnect after a very tumultuous year in our marriage. P pays.
1700 – We drive around the area, before heading home. Once we get home, P and my nephew go on a hunt for water, while I feed the kids. P and I head off to take our showers. I remember why I don’t do a full face of makeup when it take a long time to get the makeup off my face.
1900 – The family sings happy birthday, and we eat cake. Birthday gifts were gin and chocolate. I hustle the boys off to bed. No story today, as they went to bed later than usual. P watches TV while I read my novel.
2100 – Bedtime for the grownups
Total spent - $0
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Day 6
0530 – I wake up and lie in bed for a bit. Then I read my novel some more.
0620 – I am up, and take my bath, moisturize, do my brows and get dressed. It’s cold this morning, so I wear a yellow dress with black polka dots, black tights and ankle boots. I pack up the cake I’m giving to my colleagues, as well as my water bottle. E and I head out. I drop E off at school, and go to the office. I log into the work register, turn on my computer, and check my emails. There are a few pressing issues I need to get up to speed with. One of my colleagues gives me $50 as a birthday gift. I also hand out the cake to my team.
0900 – Work is pretty quiet today, so I update my MD. I also receive news that one of my nephews is getting married. He is not that much younger than me, and could be my younger brother, but it makes me feel so old.
Note on my family: In our culture, even distant relatives are given close relationships so the large number of nephews/nieces is from those relationships. It’s a big thing done to maintain close family bonds. I have 4 actual (in a Western sense) nephews and nieces who are all under the age of 6.
1000 – I head to the supermarket and buy bread, onions, carrots, pork chops, pork trotters and my breakfast and lunch. This costs $25. The meat is the main cost driver here. I have a sausage roll, my multivitamin, supplement and milk for breakfast. I remember that I need to check if my stock exchange wallet was credited, ugh. The website is refusing to load and I’m very frustrated. I finally log in and see the amount is still not credited. I email and send a tweet to the stock exchange. Hopefully the tweet will get them to start moving.
1200 – My boss is mad. One member of my team left his desk without informing me and there’s an urgent matter. I was about to go downstairs to give P the groceries, so I stick around for a bit before committing the same offence as my subordinate, lol. I quickly get back into my office and check on work, sign some papers and letters, and clear out my emails.
1300 – My work bestie has to run other errands at lunch so I decide to stay in the office. I check my personal email and see I have received a dividend of $0.27, lol. The share price will probably drop soon, so I will buy more shares in this counter if I can get them to increase my shareholding. My goal for this year is to breach the 10,000 share mark for one counter. I suddenly remember I have work to do, so I use my lunch hour to do the work, and then take a quick break to eat my lunch of fries and a sausage and do some Swahili Duolingo practice.
1500 – I am thinking of going home when one of my team members calls me to deal with an angry client. I go to the office, and find out it’s a surprise birthday party from my team. I am so happy, lol. We have more cake, and there’s also fruit and juice. I head home feeling so appreciated with even more cake.
1700 – P and my nephew go out to get water. I warm up my bath water, and give the kids their dinner. Today its rice and croc meat. I make L’s lunch for tomorrow, a toasted polony sandwich and juice. I also pack my lunch, rice, a fried egg and peas. And some cake for my work bestie’s kids. I take my bath; change into my pyjamas and hound E to eat his food. If we let that kid be, he would probably live on the bits of our souls he sucks out daily by being stubborn. I am feeling nauseous so I have plain rice with a bit of avocado. The kids watch cartoons, while I do some more Swahili on Duolingo.
1900 – Bedtime for the kids. Today, there’s no demand for a bedtime story, so I just tuck them in and tell them I love them. I read my novel as increasingly feel more nauseated. I end up going to hurl my guts out. P comes home and finds me lying limply on the bed. He gives me a cuddle, and goes to eat his dinner. I get up but smell fish, and run back to throw up. If I hadn’t had a hysterectomy, I would be doing a pregnancy test ASAP.
2100 – I go to bed, and lie in bed for a bit, before finally drifting off.
Total spent - $25
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Day 7
0500 – I wake up feeling nauseated again. Ugh, this reminds me of having hyperemesis while pregnant. I put my water on to heat and get back in bed to read some more.
0600 – E comes to lie on our bed. I get out of bed, and go throw up. I get my bath water, take my bath, moisturize and put my contacts in. I look like a reanimated corpse this morning. I do my brows to try bring a bit of life to my face and get dressed. It’s very misty and cold today so I put on warm brown tights, a long black dress, my warm jacket and ballet flats. I grab my lunch and the cake, pop E into the car and head out. Visibility is extremely low, so I drive slowly. I don’t know why people like surprising other drivers by having their cars pop out of the mist without switching on their headlights. I successfully avoid the drivers who hate life and drop E off at school before heading to work.
0700 – I am in the office, and I log into the register, before turning on my computer and checking my work email. Not too much in there, so I check my personal email. My stock exchange wallet has finally been credited with the $100. I also ponder whether I should pull the trigger on a V-part wig.
I do my weekly report, and start doing some boring work in the system. I realise I didn’t save the work I did yesterday, so I have to re-do it, so I can have the list of error messages to send to ICT.
0830 – Everyone is in the office, so I do some reshuffling of duties, so that essential areas are covered while one of my colleagues is on leave. I give the cake to work bestie, who tells me how much her daughter was excited over the cake yesterday. It’s now time for me to put my head down and really focus on knocking out the system work today. I also log into an online training, and I listen while doing my work. My mum also deposits money for my birthday gift and to spoil her grandkids.
1000 – I log into my stock exchange account and buy shares for $99.14 (doesn’t count as spending, as the money was moved before the MD started). The deadline for other departments to submit their weekly reports to me for consolidation has passed so I start following up. One department is a big problem as they always send their report late. Le sigh. I draft a very passive aggressive email to them. I also decide not to buy the wig and instead ask the person making me my custom earrings that I got myself for my birthday to bill me the rest of the money so I can pay and move the remainder of the money in my account into savings. Our currency has taken an enormous hit in the last week, and is free falling dramatically. I’d rather keep USD cash than money in my account at this point. The training finally ends.
1100 – I’m getting hungry so I go warm up my lunch, sprinkle on peri peri Aromat and dig in. Yum. I also have my multivitamin and supplement. A lady who sells local snacks comes in. She persuades me to buy maputi (corn nuts mixed with roasted peanuts) for $0.50. I buy them for my afternoon snack. I end up sending the report with missing statistics, and tell the department to send directly to the compiler, as they were late. That was a very aggressive email tbh. I’m still hungry, so I munch on my maputi, leaving the peanuts because I don’t feel like eating them lately.
1200 – I see a missed call from a number I don’t know. I call and it turns out they had sent money to my mobile wallet mistakenly. I check the mobile wallet and it shows it had an extra $11. I send the money back to the person. Times are too tough to keep people’s money
1400 – I snack on a few skittles instead of having more food. I just want something to entertain my mouth, I’m not hungry at all. I review more work and drink more water. The jeweler has sent the payment request for the earrings. I pay $100 (total spent on the earrings comes to $200, which is worth it for sterling silver custom made Jewellery. I use $50 of the birthday money from my mum to cover for part of this expense)
1600 – Finally time to go home. I shut down my computer, and drive home. Once I’m home, I put on my bath water, and help L do his homework. Then I do some Swahili Duolingo practice and pack L’s lunch for tomorrow. He requested maize (corn on the cob), a boiled egg and a naartjie. His wish is my command for once. I also pack my lunch, a boiled egg, peanut butter sandwich and a bit of birthday cake. The jeweler sends pictures of the final product. They are absolutely gorgeous. Happy 34th birthday to me!!!
1800 – I serve the kids their dinner, and go to take my bath. P sends a text that he will be home late as they are working late today. I have my own dinner while persuading E to eat his food
1900 – Bedtime for the kids. I read them their bedtime stories, tuck them in and tell them I love them. Then I go to watch TV. I’m catching up on Married to Real Estate, Food Factory and Man Vs Food. You can tell that reality TV is my jam.
2100 – I decide to have some decaf black coffee and cake as my bedtime snack. P and my nephew arrive home. They are later than they thought they would be because nephew dropped his phone in the middle of the highway and they were searching for it. Because nephew’s ancestors were on the job, they found it intact. It’s a big deal because this is a major highway and huge trucks use that road constantly. I chat with P as he has his dinner and takes his bath.
2200 – Cuddles and bedtime for us
​
Total spent today – $100
​
Total spent this week – $204.50
​
Spending by categories
Food & Drink – $84.50
Home & Health – $0
Clothing & Beauty – $110
Transportation – $0
Fun & Entertainment – $10
​
Reflections on this week’s spending
The spending is pretty much about normal for me tbh (excluding the cake and earrings). I had quite a bit of petrol in the tank so I didn’t need to top up my tank this week. The converted US$ prices are a bit inaccurate since our currency had a big drop this week, and most of my spending is in local currency. I could reign in my spending a bit, and focus more on investing. However, I do enjoy using my money to bring joy to my kids and myself. Particularly myself after the absolutely shitty year I had.

The 2015 Canadian election was a three way fight between a beleaguered incumbent, a happy warrior and a left wing bulldog, all of whom had some chance of victory. I think it could be interesting. The candidate profiles would go something like this
Stephen Harper: After uniting the two conservative parties of Canada, the Progressive Conservatives and the Reform Alliance into the Conservative Party in 2003, Stephen Harper led them to three victories and one majority. He is the former leader of the Reform Alliance and has remained broadly popular within his party. Former PCs are happy that he hasn't been loud or outspoken on social issues such as gay marriage or abortion (even if he hasn't been terribly supportive either) and former Reformists are pleased with his strong, conservative, and very comprehensive economic agenda. Some, however, do accuse him of running his party like a drill sergeant.
Regardless of his previous victories and strong performance in the 2008 financial crash which Canada weathered extremely well, Harper seems to be at the end of the road. He has faced consistent attacks that he’s too partisan, especially after he was given a majority government in 2011. Most Canadians are tired of him after nearly 10 years in power and simply want new blood. Canadian politics might... might, be realigning around the conservatives however and Harper just might have a chance yet. He just has to hope the Liberals and the NDP stay fighting but if not, the tides of change may prove too much for him to overcome.
Justin Trudeau: A happy political warrior preaching "Sunny Ways", son of the nearly infamous Prime Minister, Pierre Elliott Trudeau and one of the few remaining Liberal MPs in Quebec (One of the few remaining Liberal MPs generally) after Michael Ignatieff led the party to complete disaster in 2011 and the NDP swept the province.
He won a crushing victory in the Party's leadership election and is probably the only man the Liberals could put forward with a fighting chance in Quebec, even if his family name will be somewhat detrimental to his chances in Western Canada. He must also contend with the general idea that he's too inexperienced and isn't quite ready for Prime Time quite yet when compared to his two more grizzled opponents.
The Liberals though, for the first time ever, are in third place and rumours of a political realignment are brewing. Perhaps a cut into disaffected Conservatives will be in order, perhaps undercutting the NDP by tacking more to the left on most issues would be the better option. Whatever the case, Trudeau has the unenviable task of dragging his party up from third place and he'll need to gain over 130 seats to win a majority, most don't think he's up for the task. Can Trudeau bring the Liberals back to their rightful status as the "Natural Governing Party of Canada'' or will a new political reality revolving around the Conservatives or the New Democrats be formed?
Thomas Mulcair: The party darling led the New Democrats to the opposition benches for the first time in their history and now the Party has a genuine shot at government. Tom Mulcair is not that party darling however, that status goes to Jack Layton, the man who actually won the seats in 2011 and then unfortunately passed away just 3 months after the election. Mulcair knows he’s not the party’s first choice but if he can just see it through to the elections end with some favourable results then he might be able to finally consolidate the many differences that Jack Layton was able to finesse so masterfully.
The NDP is not at the top of its game however. Two key defections, falling poll numbers and a by-election defeat to the Liberals have the party dreading the worst, a fall back to third place. There is also a significant divide between its urban and rural members alongside a divide between those who believe the party should stay firmly to the left and those to whom ideological purity is less important than winning. Mulcair had always been a more left wing member and his willingness to push for an expansion of the base has New Democrats feeling either puzzled or betrayed. For all their gains in 2011 and all the hope the party has to finally form government, it just might be the case that the party is an obstacle to its own success.
As for the man himself, Mulcair was always a bulldog in the opposition benches and everyone knows him as that, some even love him for it. He has pushed for many progressive causes such as the abolition of the senate and environmental measures but some consider him to be just a bit out of step with what most Canadians want from a government and some simply aren’t willing to elect the NDP as they’ve never been in power before.
Mulcair must take the NDP from its first ever second place ranking and win the trust of enough Canadians to put him over the top. Whether or not he’s the man to do it is definitely in doubt but hey. There’s no time like the present.

So I'm currently having really bad creative block, and I have a basic understanding of what I'm doing with the campaign already but when it comes to specific characters I'm not sure what route to take. Here's what I have so far:
Their party was unknown as one of the hidden guilds, Ravenford. Hidden guilds are not known by the public due to the classified nature of your missions. Whilst your kingdom lies in the North East of Bitrfold, many of you have traveled far past the oceans of the continent, completing a plethora of requests from the King and His Hand. Their last mission was to retrieve a dragon egg from a witch, it was stolen from them on their way back but they got blamed for it and now there's a large bounty.
(This is where it gets vague) During the reign of the Late King he came into ownership of a lot of dragons as a way of keeping his reign but had neglect them. King dies after banning them and his son who did take care of them before they went nearly extinct and aggressive, becomes king. He doesn't want to have dragons remain banned from the lands but the people are scared of the ones that remain. His hand was still the late Kings Hand doesn't want this for some sort of political reason.
But I'm thinking there's some other kingdom of dragon descendants or something that wanted to take down the late king for neglecting them and using them for war against their own territory. They lost but now a named queen is plotting war? I feel like this opens up for a lot of other things to happen based on what my players choose to do. for the queen I'm thinking some dark fey creature with wings, like she flew with dragons or something when she was a kid and witnessed her friends shot out of the skies? But this is where I'm completely stuck, I don't know what personalities/abilities and route I should go with this.
Any help or ideas are welcome and very much appreciated. Out of the box is where I'm leaning I just wanted a good base for the basic background.

After 2 years in a secret, low key relationship, pinakilala na ako ng BF (33) sa parents niya. I am 29 btw. Okay naman yung nung umpisa not until binanggit ng mother niya yung name ng another girl in front of me. The convo was pinaguusapan namin yung gay friend ni BF. Then suddenly sinabi niya “Pinagseselosan nga niya (gay friend) si “name ni girl” kasi lagi sila magkasama”. After that naoverhear ko yung parents niya na pinaguusapan kung may bf pa ba si “girl”. I felt sad and parang naoffend ako. Parang ang rude. Naoffend ako pero I did not take it personally, kasi baka nagooverthink lang ako.
Nung friends pa lang kami (although alam ng mother niya na ako yung nililigawan ng anak niya), yung girl na yun yung gusto ng parents niya for him. Sinasabi ng mother niya na “Ayaw mo ba si “name ng girl”?”
— Konting background pala kay “Girl”: Batchmate and close friend siya ng Bf ko, and nagka-thing sila pero hindi daw naging sila. Few years back, parang umuuwi minsan yung girl sa bahay nila since nagwwork near their place, so lagi nila nakakabonding as family. So lagi rin sila shini-ship together. —
Back to story: Second time nagkita kami, binanggit ulit si “Girl”. The convo went by “Kilala mo ba si ___? Nagwo-work yun sa … etc bla bla.” Di ko na maalala yung mga sinabi niya about her di ko na pinakinggan ngumiti na lang ako in response kasi nalungkot na ako. Obviously hindi ko kilala personally, magkaiba kami ng school ni BF and wala pa akong namemeet na friends ni BF. This time na nabanggit na naman, parang ang rude na kasi for me. Iniisip ko baka sensitive lang ako or overthinker. Pero for me that’s what I felt. Sinabi ni BF na di naman ganun siguro yung intention nila. Baka nabanggit lang. Wala na rin namang constant communication with her for a year. So, nag okay na lang ako
Sa ngayon, di ako nagpapakita or minsan iniiwasan kong nameet sila. I am anxious na baka mabanggit ulit tapos baka maiyak na lang ako. Iniisip ko na dumistansya muna while I am still processing my feelings and move on.
But I noticed that, Im starting to feel the “hate”. I’m starting na mabother sa mga ginagawa niya like lagi niya hinahanap sa akin si BF kasi di daw nagrereply when alam naman niya magkasama kami. Hindi naman urgent yung matter. Then she always have a say about sa plans namin sa career etc, na ganito ganyan. Parang authoritarian type of a person.
Nung first time din pala naming magkita, nagrarant na agad siya sa akin about son in law niya na parang di daw sila mahal as parents-in-law. Pati mga petty things like malakas kumain or magastos naririnig ko from her. Sinasabi niya na mali yung panghandle nila financially na dapat daw lalaki yung provider bla bla. Basta ang dami nang sinabi. Btw, hindi ko pa nakikita personally yung ate niya and si son in law and I have to hear these things. Kaya wala rin ako macomment kasi di ko naman kilala. Nakinig na lang ako and nagsmile. Naisip ko lang na baka ganito ung kalalagyan ko sa future.
I am starting to contemplate na makipagbreak. Kung ganyan magiging future MIL ko, feeling ko magiging miserable buhay ko.
Wala naman kaming relationship problems ni BF, actually masaya naman kami. Yung future lang iniisip ko, kaya ang hirap for me. These thoughts keep on ruminating. Thank you. I just want to get this off my chest...

My sleepless dream ends with an alarm, the pounding klaxon of mission start. The whirring of servos and pump of hydraulics brings my body to full readiness, ready for one last ticket.
The Woman from Angeri gave us this mission. She gave it to us and us alone. For the glory of all Mankind she said, strike at the heart of the Imperium. Bloody their nose in a way they’ll never forget.
The pilot, a good one from Yord, helps me get into gear. Everything from the combat armor, thrusters, and the ever-important Agamemnon device.
Myself and the rest of my team step into the waiting airlock, turning on the armor seals and tapping into the armor air reserves. The chamber depressurizes before the airlock finally opens. We jump outside the deployment vessel and switch our radios on, waiting for the signal to begin our descent to the world below.
“Mayday, Mayday, this is the Independent Trader Timberwolf,”
“Acknowledged Timberwolf, how may we assist,” came the response from the Imperial highport authorities.
“I don’t know, there seems to be an issue with the jump fuel li-” the captain began to say before the ship suddenly went up in a ball of white. The captain played her part beautifully, and the wreckage would act as our cover to hot drop onto the world.
Thrusters activate and I deploy my heat shield as I gun for the palace. The Coalition will be sorry to lose that pilot, she got us right over target.Now initially the Imps didn’t seem too perturbed. Debris from a ship that small would just burn up in atmosphere, no skin off their back, but they did get worried seeing five little metallic things drop from high orbit right over the palace. We made it to about cloud level before they scrambled fighters. Pretty good all be told.
Jond did his part too, he flipped around and pushed his thrusters to meet the oncoming jets. As he did so I activated the Agamemnon device. Jond got off about four rockets, splashing four of the jets, before he got taken out.
The rest flew around like headless chickens, this hot and heavy device strapped to my back cast out hundreds of false sensor pings for them to follow, blinding them in all capacities except the MK. 1 eyeball.
Even then, we were small, we were fast, and we were refracting light thanks to these cloaks. Imps never knew what hit em as we finally made touch down in the gardens of the palace. Asha, Nargör, and Dekan went to make a nuisance of themselves, sliver guns out and on the bounce.
The shoulder mounted plasma gun took out the main door, and some poor Imp standing behind it. I stormed into a room of Imperial marines, guns in hand, and practically as reflex I washed em out with hypersonic slivers. This ballistic computer was worth every penny of Coalition dime as I ripped holes into Imp after Imp.
One poor bastard even tried to knife me, as if a little knife is going to stop the one-ton steel abomination that is me. I ripped his head off and continued further into the palace. Everywhere I go is decorated with frescoes, paintings, and statues depicting all the glories of Mankind they revere, and everything that drove them to conflict with us. I find it a bit arrogant, but mine is not to question why.
A few Imps try to interrupt my thoughts, but again they are ripped apart by slivers on reflex. They even bothered to set-up a heavy laser emplacement at the end of the hallway, not that it does them any good. They burn through a decent chunk of my left arm as I rolled out of the way and down a side passage. A quick particulate grenade obscures their next shot, and a plas grenade silences the gun. That was a very quick response, clearly not enough though.
Pushing through a few more isolated bands of Imps, I find the rather gaudy throne room with its big golden doors. Left arm is at reduced effectiveness, and I can only guess that most of his personal guard is in the room with him.
Instead of walking through the front door, I push up to the ceiling. Hanging there I bore through it with a breaching charge, and emerge up on the roof. I find a rather surprised team of snipers who are quickly dispatched by my saka after I leap at them.
Dropping down from the skylight I make ready to dispatch the Emperor’s personal guard, only to find none. Just an old man on a gaudy throne.
“My sons and daughters have already evacuated the palace Coalition Man,”
“They were not our target,”
“Truly? You have far more restraint than my generals it would seem,"
“Call it a difference in philosophy,” I said, and at that the Emperor of the Empire of the Mind laughed long and deep.
“I know you find me repugnant Coalition Man, but would you honor a final request?”“Depends,”
“I wish to fall on my sword,”
“Then do it,” I said, to which the Emperor gave a simple nod.
There the Emperor drew from his throne a long blade, and succeeded in his final will. I took his head, and split his spine to ensure there was no recovery.
“Target eliminated. Adiri 1-5, report,”
“War Cabinet eliminated. Adiri 2,”
“Engaging the enemy. Adiri 3,”
“I am near overrun. Adiri 4,”
“Mission success, say your final prayers,”
No Imps come to avenge their emperor. Maybe they’re distracted? Or cowards. Either way, it seems I have a moment. I sit on this throne, this paltry thing of stone and gold that enables little men to end millions. Don’t know what I expected. It's a little vindicating to deliver the death he so flippantly affected back to him and his councilors, each of which could have schemed to prevent this. When my soul goes to Orz, to the living Void, I think he’ll find this all very funny. It's been long enough, I confirm the self-destruct order.
It burns for only a moment.
​
For another perspective of this conflict:
A Chance Meeting
​
Author's Note: If anyone understands why Reddit ruined my formatting three different ways when posting this that would be wonderful.

Hey Everyone!
Let’s go….
Newly Covered Today:

1. Ohhhhhhh! This did not go in the SEC’s favor. https://twitter.com/ArmySpies/status/1666492499505090563
2. IOG’s response to the SEC suits against Coinbase and Binance. https://iohk.io/en/blog/posts/2023/06/07/iog-response-to-the-recent-sec-filings/
3. The court in Coinbase’s earlier Petition for Writ of Mandamus against the SEC (basically just requesting the SEC to do its rulemaking job and provide some clarity) has noted the SEC v. Coinbase complaint and is ordering the SEC to respond in seven days. https://twitter.com/iampaulgrewal/status/1666234163110748160
4. Brian Armstrong says they will NOT shut down their staking service in response to the complaint. https://twitter.com/TheOCcryptobro/status/1666545429306290176
5. With all the SEC complaints it’s easy to forget that the Digital Asset Market Structure Discussion Draft is still in play. https://financialservices.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=408838
6. The SEC is busy filing documents that are pretty bad for Binance. We’ve seen some of the chat logs before. But, some of the docs are new. https://twitter.com/adamscochran/status/1666473028610408450
7. Looks like Binance wants the court to know they were once in discussions with Gensler to bring him on as an advisor. https://www.cnbc.com/2023/06/07/binance-lawyers-say-sec-chair-gensler-offered-to-be-advisor-in-2019.html

Previously covered, but still interesting:

1. Cardano Native Assets are vastly superior to BRC20 and ERC20 tokens. https://twitter.com/TheOCcryptobro/status/1655673557710692352
2. Rumor: SEC is going to make a move against Binance. Will the DOJ also? https://twitter.com/AP_Abacus/status/1655546961968103425
3. At the end of Q3 of last year, 722 banks reported unrealized losses greater than 50% of capital. https://www.federalreserve.gov/supervisionreg/files/board-briefing-on-impact-of-rising-interest-rates-and-supervisory-approach-20230214.pdf
4. Wyoming is inching closer to a state stablecoin. IOG’s significant presence there may turn out to be a huge advantage. https://cowboystatedaily.com/2023/05/09/wyoming-stable-token-a-multibillion-dollar-opportunity-as-officials-wrestle-with-how-to-make-it-happen/
5. Paypal disclosed almost $1 billion in customer crypto in its latest 10-Q. https://blockworks.co/news/paypal-discloses-1b-crypto
6. MiCA is shifting the balance of crypto investment to Europe. https://twitter.com/paddi_hansen/status/1655883224726241281
7. Today (May 10) will be a joint hearing of the Agriculture and Financial Services Committees on Crypto. The CLO of Kraken will testify. https://financialservices.house.gov/
8. This is a legit point about centralized L2s: the best ones are called Coinbase, Kraken, and Binance. https://twitter.com/el33th4xostatus/1655845787593502720
9. There’s already a new version of Lace Wallet out. https://twitter.com/lace_io/status/1656347737355608066
10. A nice thread on the many strengths of Cardano. https://twitter.com/TobiasIlskov/status/1656388178369212416
11. Remember, lobster traps are a thing. https://twitter.com/TheCardanoTimes/status/1656064744225120257
12. Today (May 11 at 1pm EST) there will be a Messari Cardano Analyst call with Charles & Frederik. https://twitter.com/StakeWithPride/status/1656272372452954112
13. I think we all love it when they start making our case for us. https://twitter.com/WatcherGuru/status/1656379837823561730
14. Ethereum is lamenting many of its poor design choices that Cardano already fixed. https://twitter.com/moo9000/status/1656215016016683008
15. Drunkenmiller says this is the broadest asset bubble he’s ever even studied let alone seen firsthand and we’ve only had a few soft landings since 1950. https://twitter.com/Stephen_Geigestatus/1656416819312222219
16. Live footage of meme coin investors accepting their ROI. https://twitter.com/KaylerSmithTV/status/1656130092966264834
17. Here’s the Messari call from today with both Fred & Chaz. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouUhWwF74MM
18. People really seem to be enjoying the CF’s Blockchain Education Alpha Program. https://twitter.com/andreassosilo/status/1644263843743293451
19. The US Chamber of Commerce brief in the Coinbase case is calling out the SEC for acting “unlawfully”. https://twitter.com/MetaLawMan/status/1656737447756038177
20. About that whole self-custody thing we’ve discussed… https://twitter.com/BitcoinMagazine/status/1656706653801136132
21. The SPO poll on K and minFee starts today (May 15)! You should redelegate if your stake pool doesn’t vote the way you would vote! https://cardanofoundation.org/en/news/entering-voltaire-poll-experiment-live-on-mainnet/
22. There are also a series of forum topics for discussion of the various options in the Cardano.org forums. https://twitter.com/Lovecoach_nic/status/1657700010148896770
23. Coinbase spotlights Empowa! May be the first time they’ve ever given such a spotlight to a Cardano project. Tides are turning. https://twitter.com/coinbase/status/1657081243518005254
24. Wow. Leaked “Key Messages” document for the joint committee meeting in the US House last week. Best part: they basically complain about separation of powers in point three. https://twitter.com/EleanorTerrett/status/1656362002577772544
25. Dr. Vanishree Rao on ZK-Rollups. https://twitter.com/InputOutputHK/status/1657778843854274560
26. Here’s a new Decentralized Identity article from IOG. https://iohk.io/en/blog/posts/2023/05/11/atala-prism-pioneering-digital-identity-with-decentralized-solutions/
27. There are reasons we’re in a hard capped cryptocurrency like Cardano. https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/15/business/argentina-interest-rates-inflation/index.html
28. What is a dRep? This video is for you. There will be additional categories of default dReps that vote abstain or no confidence on every vote. https://twitter.com/InputOutputHK/status/1658034085401337857
29. The US Dept. of Justice is officially saying they are targeting exchanges. Great. Great. https://www.ft.com/content/5aac457e-cc80-44ae-ac40-9b51d9b601a3
30. Wow! Ledger just made what is possibly the greatest PR blunder in the history of crypto. Trezor will be poppin’ bottles tonight. https://twitter.com/Ledgestatus/1658458714771169282
31. People are claiming that the hysteria is a misunderstanding of cryptography. But, that’s not what’s going on here if Ledger plus one of the other two shard custodians can reconstruct your private key without having to use your private key. https://twitter.com/nimuepool/status/1658517533836574720
32. The Ledger Recover FAQ seems to support this understanding as it suggests you use a brand new device for recovery. https://support.ledger.com/hc/en-us/articles/9579368109597
33. Wow. Unfortunate timing for this. https://twitter.com/Ledgestatus/1658095051375800321
34. Ken Kodama will be doing a Japanese language interview on CardanoSpot on May 18. https://twitter.com/Emurgo_Ken/status/1658838077136162828
35. The stake pool operator poll on network parameters of K and minPoolCost is live. See the results here. The re-delegation phase will begin on May 25th. https://adastat.net/polls/96861fe7da8d45ba5db95071ed3889ed1412929f33610636c072a4b5ab550211
36. Cornucopias dropped some new in-game footage. As expected, Solace is beautiful. https://youtu.be/j5iwNsQVMDQ?t=1846
37. Wow….the Ledger shards are encrypted with “a master key that is contained in all devices”. Wut? https://twitter.com/P3b7_/status/1658809445965606913
38. Sadly, the Ledger CEO seemed to be denying exactly the above just a day ago. https://twitter.com/_pgauthiestatus/1658508082941403144
39. Here’s why 340 ADA minPoolCost promotes multi-pools. https://twitter.com/ArmySpies/status/1659387255537176581
40. Numbers are emerging on the benefits of K=1000 over K=500. https://twitter.com/StakeWithPride/status/1659398551917727744
41. Here’s the latest on the Stake Pool Operator poll. https://adastat.net/polls/96861fe7da8d45ba5db95071ed3889ed1412929f33610636c072a4b5ab550211
42. Rep. Tom Emmer is trying to help crypto by cutting crypto assets out of the definition of a “security”. He creates a new non-security asset category called “investment contract asset”. https://twitter.com/GOPMajorityWhip/status/1659291641281146886
43. Prof. Wadler (co-inventor of Cardano’s Plutus) has been elected a Fellow of the Royal Society joining the likes of Einstein, Darwin, Hawking, and Isaac Newton. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLOm-dWje-M
44. Huge amount of voting for economic self-interest by multi-poolers in the SPO poll. Earlier today (May 21), 84.73% by stake of the vote for K=500, Min Cost 340 ₳ was multi-poolers. Only 15.6% of the vote for K=1000, Min Cost 170 ₳ was multi-poolers. https://adastat.net/polls/96861fe7da8d45ba5db95071ed3889ed1412929f33610636c072a4b5ab550211
45. Large pools also voted heavily for economic self-interest with the K parameter. 70.02% by stake of the vote for K=500, Min Cost 170 ₳ was pools with delegation over 35 million. Only 30.57% of the vote for K=1000, Min Cost 170 ₳ was pools over 35 million. https://adastat.net/polls/96861fe7da8d45ba5db95071ed3889ed1412929f33610636c072a4b5ab550211
46. Apparently Cardano has its own wiki now! Probably better given our previous treatment by the big wiki group. https://twitter.com/StakeWithPride/status/1660383700243329024
47. Rep. Tom Emmer is getting some reactions on the bill he sponsored with Rep. Soto. https://twitter.com/GOPMajorityWhip/status/1660329932495486977
48. You’re really gonna hold up a debt ceiling deal because you hate crypto so bad? https://twitter.com/gaborgurbacs/status/1660248530135515138
49. Looks like a few big multi-poolers have voted in the poll since yesterday. Pretty easy to predict what they didn’t vote for. https://adastat.net/polls/96861fe7da8d45ba5db95071ed3889ed1412929f33610636c072a4b5ab550211
50. Reports coming in that DCG has defaulted on the payment owed to Genesis. https://twitter.com/AP_Abacus/status/1660671386388504577
51. Ledger Recover would allow governments to confiscate crypto assets by subpoena? Called “not a real concern in the end.” Really? https://twitter.com/TheBTCTherapist/status/1660677064700178436
52. Frederik Gregaard on DeFi and regulation. https://twitter.com/F_Gregaard/status/1660655806709211137
53. Don’t Forget, the May Cardano 360 will be on May 25th. https://twitter.com/InputOutputHK/status/1660621805017608194
54. Here’s the daily check-in on the status of the SPO Poll. We have surpassed 590 pools voting (as of May 23). https://adastat.net/polls/96861fe7da8d45ba5db95071ed3889ed1412929f33610636c072a4b5ab550211
55. The Securities and Futures Commission of Hong Kong has decided to get our hopes up with a proposed regulatory framework for crypto exchanges that could mean more trading for coins like Cardano. https://apps.sfc.hk/edistributionWeb/gateway/EN/news-and-announcements/news/doc?refNo=23PR53
56. Here’s an IOG thread on the latest out of Atala Prism and Self-Sovereign Identity. https://twitter.com/InputOutputHK/status/1660904360925188097
57. Here’s an IOG article on Cardano native tokens. https://twitter.com/InputOutputHK/status/1660975383997448193
58. The difference in decentralization between Cardano and Bitcoin is still…laughable. https://twitter.com/StakeWithPride/status/1660979639907500033
59. Ledger is finally caving (a little) to the backlash. It’s reported that they will focus on open sourcing parts of their code and only release the “Recover” firmware after that open sourcing is finished. https://twitter.com/NFTherdestatus/1661026174779420672
60. Looks like the Hong Kong announcement yesterday might have been a hint of what’s coming. https://twitter.com/cz_binance/status/1661391542504902664
61. The Cardano Layerverse is coming to life. https://twitter.com/TobiasIlskov/status/1660697833115385856
62. Wow! Incredible! Thank you for voting in favor of decentralization, 1PCT! https://twitter.com/StakeWithPride/status/1661460222203002880
63. Federal Reserve report debunks claim that crypto is not useful to people in the US. https://twitter.com/SebVentures/status/1661063483369177108
64. The SPO phase of the poll is over. Nearly 800 pools voted. Now it’s your turn to see how your pool voted and re-delegate if you think they voted against decentralization and for their own pocketbook. https://adastat.net/polls/96861fe7da8d45ba5db95071ed3889ed1412929f33610636c072a4b5ab550211
65. The May Cardano 360 is out! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_bCa_xCoxA
66. Charles dropped an update today. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfL2U2hAGWw
67. Sen. Cynthia Lummis declares her opposition to the 30% tax on bitcoin mining. https://twitter.com/SenLummis/status/1661803569341759495
68. Lots of volume being transacted on Cardano recently! https://twitter.com/cwpaulm/status/1662929296329981952
69. Recent subpoenas to the Python Package Index don’t bode well for those hoping to store seed phrases with third-party custodians. https://twitter.com/_jonasschnelli_/status/1662531840606093312
70. Transaction volume is looking very interesting right now. https://messari.io/charts/cardano/txn-vol
71. JPG Store has now launched Android and IOS apps. https://twitter.com/jpgstoreNFT/status/1663281982262919170
72. It’s true. Cardano is straight killing it on the security leg of the trilemma.https://twitter.com/cardano_whale/status/1662987243655684096
73. Just checked. Yep. The centralization in ETH is still staggering. https://twitter.com/StakeWithPride/status/1663222056870350848
74. There’s a documentary about a 2022 Plutus hackathon in Argentina. https://twitter.com/LarsBrunjes/status/1663111319732535297
75. Pavia is testing NFT gating. This could get very interesting. https://twitter.com/Pavia_io/status/1663153213988823040
76. Marlowe is on mainnet! You can now code Cardano smart contracts in javascript or blockly via Marlowe! This is an amazing leap forward. https://twitter.com/marlowe_io/status/1663480828016435200
77. Don’t forget! We are still in the re-delegation phase of the CF Poll. See how your stake pool voted! If they were voting for their pocketbook instead of decentralization, you should re-delegate! https://twitter.com/Cardano_CF/status/1663564854572244994
78. Wow! Cardano projects are doing big things these days! https://twitter.com/CardanoCrocClub/status/1663468916843114498
79. The CCP has dropped a white paper on how it will develop Web 3 including NFTs and the metaverse. https://twitter.com/milestones_nft/status/1663458500922712064
80. Lace is now open source! https://twitter.com/IOHK_Charles/status/1663953642045714433
81. Binance is back and apparently they don’t care if someone had that ticker first. https://twitter.com/pool_pm/status/1663809731603906560
82. Summon is now allowing for multichain swaps of ADA & ERG. https://twitter.com/N8iveToEarth/status/1664038846563225600
83. Charles did a Twitter Space with World Mobile. https://twitter.com/IOHK_Charles/status/1663984094252810283
84. Here’s an easy infographic on CIP-1694 Voltaire governance from IOG. https://twitter.com/Hornan7/status/1664007623799185409
85. Apparently, Cardano sushi is a thing! https://twitter.com/Allison_Fromm/status/1663841386074976257
86. This kind of sums up the problems with central bank behavior over the last 20 years. https://twitter.com/JeffWenigestatus/1664012650781585409
87. Interesting news about the currency in one of Cardano’s biggest metaverse projects. https://twitter.com/Pavia_io/status/1664240389610704896
88. Messari has released an article on operational decentralization in proof-of-stake crypto. https://messari.io/report/evaluating-validator-decentralization-geographic-and-infrastructure-distribution-in-proof-of-stake-networks
89. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has MASSIVELY revised their figures on Q4 of 2022. No surprise, the numbers were much worse than they told us. https://twitter.com/FrogNews/status/1664253845399130113
90. Looks like DAOs are getting a little hesitant about fee switches due to possible legal/tax implications. https://twitter.com/FrogNews/status/1664253845399130113
91. We even have Arctic block production. https://twitter.com/Laponia_pool/status/1664226409466740737
92. Questions are being raised regarding the blockspace consumption of dApps still on Plutus v1. https://twitter.com/matiwinnetou/status/1664385383122051073
93. Atomic wallet got hacked. https://twitter.com/zachxbt/status/1665080799253733377
94. No surprise: general interest in crypto & Cardano is still pretty low according to google trends. https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=today%205-y&geo=US&q=cardano&hl=en
95. Here’s the Weekly Development Update from June 2. https://twitter.com/InputOutputHK/status/1665394985934499840
96. The Chairs of the House Committee on Financial Services (McHenry) and the House Committee on Agriculture (Thompson) are co-sponsoring a new pro-crypto Digital Asset Market Structure Bill. Currently just a discussion draft. Here’s the summary. https://docs.house.gov/meetings/AG/AG00/20230606/116051/HHRG-118-AG00-20230606-SD002.pdf
97. Here’s the actual discussion draft. https://docs.house.gov/meetings/AG/AG00/20230606/116051/HHRG-118-AG00-20230606-SD003.pdf
98. Here’s a section-by-section with exhibits. https://docs.house.gov/meetings/AG/AG00/20230606/116051/HHRG-118-AG00-20230606-SD001.pdf
99. Cornucopias has released more game footage. https://twitter.com/RobGreig3/status/1665310543589040130
100. SEC vs. Binance/CZ. It begins!!!!! https://twitter.com/ArmySpies/status/1665845917268815874
101. Written response from Charles to the SEC/Binance complaint. https://twitter.com/IOHK_Charles/status/1665780536177217537
102. Written response from Binance on the SEC complaint. https://www.binance.com/en/blog/ecosystem/sec-complaint-aims-to-unilaterally-define-crypto-market-structure-8707489117122437402
103. Video response from Charles. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zBZ-aGqldA
104. Cornucopias has dropped a whole new reel of gameplay footage. It looks really good. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8ftHH8bbxQ
105. Cardano Gaming at the NFT.Brazil event! https://twitter.com/cardanowarriors/status/1665815653398507520
106. SEC vs. Coinbase. Yep…crypto is now at war. https://twitter.com/ArmySpies/status/1666159275217911835
107. Brian Armstrong’s response. https://twitter.com/brian_armstrong/status/1666129111025324035
108. The Cardano Foundation has disputed the characterization of Cardano as a security in comments to Fortune. https://twitter.com/Cardano_CF/status/1666128229952897024
109. Here’s Coinbase politely pointing out the SEC’s complete refusal to provide any direction or cooperation despite Coinbase’s continuous and plentiful attempts. https://twitter.com/coinbase/status/1666135834062467083
110. The question of regulatory jurisdiction may end up being the biggest problem for the SEC in all these crypto matters. https://twitter.com/MetaLawMan/status/1653821211544092672
111. Rumor: There could also be a DOJ case coming for Binance. https://twitter.com/AP_Abacus/status/1666180524535062529

~Army of Spies

Well hellohello my lovely stoners & comedy fans of BerlinSocialClub
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It's Thursday again! The weekend is nearly here and I am just here to suggest that if you were looking for something incredibly fun to do tonight, well...
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CLOUDING IT UP ☁️ is here!
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The only comedy show where absolutely EVERYONE (Audience & Comedians) will be high as a kite!
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Bare in mind that we will be making sure everyone's on the same page! (Wink, wink!)
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Regardless of wether you're by yourself, on a date or within a large group of friends, YOU WILL HAVE A BLAST! 💥
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With a fire line up, consisting of some of the most talented English-speaking comedians in Berlin!
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Laura Tarkany! 🇭🇺
Sugumar Chandrasekaran! 🇮🇳
Ben Belnick! 🇦🇺
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and Miles Lloyd! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿
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‼️ A VERY SMOKY EVENT
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📍 Valentin Stüberl, Donaustraße 112, Berlin 12043
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ON THURSDAY, 8th JUNE 2023
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DOORS OPEN AT 20:40
SHOWTIME IS 21:00
BAR OPENS AT 18:00
So make sure to get there nice and early and get the pre-smoking oand pre-drinking game started! And tell your friends, to tell their friends to tell their friends and so on!
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Limited Seating. BOOK YOUR SEATS HERE!
Tickets at the door cost 12€ (Cash Only!)
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Alright peeepz, I think that covers it!
Much love y'all! And see you there!
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Link to our Instagram Eventbrite

(Sorry, was tired writing this, probably some grammar errors)
You may know me from a post I deleted a while back, about a failed second coming of Jesus. I deleted it mainly because I felt it wasn't really going anywhere, but this post is about an argument related to it. I genuinely want to know if anyone can defeat this argument, as I actually considered going back to Christianity, but this argument seemed to come from nowhere and made me go back to my doubting ways.
So, many people will point to Daniel 9 as a pinnacle of biblical prophecy. It definitely seems to predict the fall of the temple and Jerusalem, and to some Jesus's ministry. They use the prophetic years method to support this messianic interpretation, but it seems there are problems with this that complicate another field of biblical thought... eschatology.
Let's look at Daniel 9, in the seventy weeks prophecy: (note the bold text)
“Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place. Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a troubled time. And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary (A). Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed. And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week (D), and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering (B). And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate (C), until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.” Daniel 9:24-27 ESV
I heard somewhere, if I remember correctly, that some people interpret making the strong covenant and ending sacrifice and offering as being done by Jesus. This seems plausible at first, and other translations probably give a tiny bit more credence to this theory, but if we look at the rest of the book of Daniel, we will see something important.
"It became great, even as great as the Prince of the host. And the regular burnt offering was taken away from him (B), and the place of his sanctuary was overthrown (A). And a host will be given over to it (D) together with the regular burnt offering (B) because of transgression, and it will throw truth to the ground, and it will act and prosper. Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to the one who spoke, “For how long is the vision concerning the regular burnt offering (B), the transgression that makes desolate (C), and the giving over of the sanctuary and host to be trampled underfoot (A)?” And he said to me, “For 2,300 evenings and mornings. Then the sanctuary shall be restored to its rightful state.”" Daniel 8:11-14 ESV
"Forces from him shall appear and profane the temple and fortress (A), and shall take away the regular burnt offering (B). And they shall set up the abomination that makes desolate. (C)" Daniel 11:31 ESV
"And from the time that the regular burnt offering is taken away (B) and the abomination that makes desolate is set up (C), there shall be 1,290 days." Daniel 12:11 ESV
It seems that the bible is making something crystal clear. Not only do we see that the offerings being taken away and a covenant being made are not supposed to be good things, but we also see that the timing of the offerings being taken away and the abomination of desolation are seemingly the same (Thus showing the events are supposed to be taking place within the last part of the seventy weeks)! This is huge, due to the olivet discourse prophecy traditionally being viewed as an event in the far future. Combining this with Jesus's words "Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place", we can almost be certain that a preterist view of the olivet discourse events would have to be correct, if Christianity is true.
However, there are reasons to question this. First:
"Forces from him shall appear and profane the temple and fortress, and shall take away the regular burnt offering. And they shall set up the abomination that makes desolate. He shall seduce with flattery those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action. And the wise among the people shall make many understand, though for some days they shall stumble by sword and flame, by captivity and plunder. When they stumble, they shall receive a little help. And many shall join themselves to them with flattery, and some of the wise shall stumble, so that they may be refined, purified, and made white, until the time of the end, for it still awaits the appointed time.
And the king shall do as he wills. He shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak astonishing things against the God of gods. He shall prosper till the indignation is accomplished; for what is decreed shall be done." Daniel 11:31-36
"Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders," 2 Thessalonians 2:1-9
Here it seems Paul is referencing Daniel 11, with the rebellion of the people (which can be seen in the segments labed D earlier) and exaltation of the anti-Christ. I would even suggest the sitting in the temple is the abomination of desolation "standing where he ought not to be." More importantly, however, it seems Paul is suggesting that the anti-Christ would be destroyed at Jesus's coming! There is more evidence too.
"Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen." Revelations 1:7
This is written in revelations, which is largely believed to be written AFTER the fall of Jerusalem.
This is not even mentioning the many verses in the New Testament that suggest they believed the end was near and the tribulation supposing to be a worldwide event.
Counterpoints?

Told the truth to my parents today. It didn’t go nearly as bad as I had it all worked up in my head that it would be. Thank God. There were tears on both sides. Some awkward questions and some even more awkward silences. But, ultimately supportive. I’m so grateful for that. I’m so grateful to have jumped that hurdle and not feel like I have to lie and sneak and hide anymore. An old timer at a meeting told me to start keeping a gratitude list. So I’m starting to work on one. I am grateful for the elders in the program that pass their wisdom onto newcomers like me.
I’m thinking a lot about my grandpa. My Dad’s Dad. He passed a while back but was a recovering alcoholic the entire time I knew him. I asked my Dad today what Granddaddy’s sober date was. February 1975. Dad doesn’t know the exact date. Grandaddy was 53 when he got sober. It took him a few tries. Lost his first marriage (my Dad’s Mom) before he got sober. That must have been hard. That must have REALLY sucked. But, in the end he was able to enjoy 35+ years of sobriety before he passed. Got to reunite with his son (My Dad) after years and years of fighting and estrangement. And got to meet and hang out with his grandkids.
The memory that keeps replaying in my head over and over is when towards the end of his life I was back visiting my parents and my Dad took me to Grandaddy’s assisted living facility. It was just the three of us in his little apartment. My Dad asked Grandaddy if he had any advice for the younger generation of the family and Grandaddy said something to the tune of - “there is no bad day that a drink won’t make worse.”
Haha. Oh man, does that hit home with me these days. I have been having some BAD days - going through withdrawals, dealing with cravings, not sleeping, facing the consequences of my actions from when I was drinking, etc., etc., etc… but for sure these bad days would be a hell of a lot worse if I was drinking. So I am grateful for my grandpa, for his sobriety, and for his sharing that piece of wisdom with me many years before I knew I needed it.
Thank you Grandaddy. You must have fought like hell to get sober. Thank you for watching over me now. I really need a guardian angel these days and I can’t imagine a better one than you.

Tldr I think my uncle is a pedophile and I don't know what to do
I'm fairly new to this whole posting for help but have recently found myself in a horrible delema and can't possibly do anything about it for some info I'm 15 and my family (,mom,dad, brother18,other brother14 , sister10) Live with my aunt and her 2 sons we all get along REALLY well as we grew up always having sleep overs around every week and always went on vacation with each other now my uncle whos always been in our lives as he has shared custody with my aunt this they work around it differently see my uncle is an illegal imagrnt and so when he and my aunt broke up they didn't actually divorce and he stayed in our lives solely because he's a great dad who pays for around 80% of my aunt's funds for her kids and she herself can't work due to being on the spectrum so she receives money monthly for her and her eldest son as he's also on the spectrum and is slowly going blind in one eye due to problems involving birth
Now my cousins go to stay with him every other week and he pays for everything but eversince there breakup he's found another women who already has kids and he still manages to take care of both families partially due to the monthly income from the states checks now the delema starts with the fact that we're living with them as of 2 years and he pays for half of the mortgage water electric and likewise bills while my parents pay for the other half ,it's a 4 bedroom house with 2 living rooms one when u enter the house and that's the room we made as my room my other siblings stay in the other shared room with a bunk bed and a normal bed they have there setups and everything we own a cat and a dog I own 2 ferrets that stay in my room (well taken care of)and my 2 cousins have there own rooms while my aunt has her own room that leaves my parents they sleep on couches in the 2nd living room which is connected to the kitchen and it's been like this for 2 years
Some info about my room or" living room" is that I have a mini fridge my bed and a ferret cage along with my desktop and laptop my "door" is actually a curtain that connects to the hallway I do online school and my room is set up in a way where it's the first room you walk into when you open the door to the house so those leaves for awkward experiences when it comes to the fact that I sleep her so lots of times especially during summer with my messed up sleep schedule I sleep during the day to afternoon and during this time my uncle sometimes drops by cus he lives nearby and he likes to check in at times so lots of times he comes by when I'm asleep RIGHT IN FRONT of anyone who comes to our house
Anyways now we are stuck living with our aunt as my mom has 15k saved in a secret account(for down payment) only I know about due to her and me being close and me being the only mature child when it comes to certain things well she's saving for a house and got that money from tax refund 2yrs And is currently trying her best to get a good paying job for a family of 8+(cousins added) Along with this she has a rly bad credit due to bad financial choices yes I'k it happens to everyone and she's working really hard to fix her mistakes but is finding much difficultys fixing her wrongs as for my dad the money he's making 800 a check (weekly) is being used on food+repairs+bills/phone/mortgage/insurance/ect. So we rly aren't making enough to leave and get a better house or start renting
All of this is important cus it's relivant to the way I'm thinking about the situation at hand let's get to that . Alright so here's where it starts lately around this month I've been picking up on red flags about my uncle and deciy to ignore them as "he's my uncul all he's ever done is good for our family he's been here for to long to notice something now" is what I would tell myself and what would these increasingly red flags be well, it started when he casually brought up to my mom that he wished I was his daughter as I'm so great and he sees me as his daughter and how I'm"so much more smarter than my cousins" and how "I'm glad her potential didn't go to waste with you caring for her " keep in mind this is all being said in Spanish well that was all good I thought that it was more a a bragging right and was happy he thought highly of me RIGHT?? Well after that day 1 week passed I was feeling very anxious and decided to go on a walk with my much loved mom all good but when we got back 8:??pm he was at the house and we greeted him well her but he seemed to notice I was down and decided to "spoil me " so he sent my mom 100$ and we went to Walmart and bought me sum books (mangas) and got sum snacks spent the rest on my ferrets and we bought sum cleaning supplies allls good right??
No cus 3-4 days later he comes to pick my cousins up 1 by one for them each to get 1 week with him to work and make money I thought it was nice so made a joke out of it and he said "oh well if you want I can take you with me but just for 2. Days and you'll have to be alone cus it's 1 by 1 " so I was weirded out and let it slip a bit cus u know "uncle would never" and so let it be but the next week he came by I jokingly said "I'm gonna need a pass to let you in any I'd?" And he replied by "KISSING ME ON THE HEAD" might not seem like a lot but dude doesn't even do that to his own kids and the last interaction u had with him didn't end well so ever since then I would avoid hime as I felt weird and dunno a bit scared to see what would happen next and BOY was u right now and behold 1 week later he pops by I see him park it's 7ph suns down and I decided to act like I slept early to avoid the guy I didn't want to see or talk with him after everything
something was just not feeling right so i did what I did and faked being asleep in hoped I would actually fall asleep and avoid him welp,....... He found his time and between the 2 minutes no one was near (everyone in their room ) mom and dad were at my step grandma's house ) he went and closed my door(curtains) I could tell do to it being like a shower curtain the roll in part but actual thicc curtains so no one can see pass ( my choice due to not liking the light pass through from the hallway )he layed down right next to me I was sleeping on my left side facing the wall he went and sorta spooned me but in a way where you are trying to be carful as to not wake them up and afterwards he sniffed my hair ?? And neck then sorta put his hand on my ass and very lightly squeezed it I had to lay there for 2-5 mins and wait till he left I felt so bad and confused not sad just confused
I don't know what to do so I told my younger brother 1yr gap and he's the most trust worthy and helpful ,after I told him we talked about how if I'm sleeping and he's not that he'd make sure to stay in my room with me Incase and if I'm awake and he's sleeping I'll go to his room and wait it out great .now problem still stands after his groping and actions I fake woke up and said hi he looked shocked but I played it off he fell for it and even want in for the "so when will you come and work for me " remember those 2 days of just me working for him that he promised =\ the balls this dam man has but I rly can't do anything I I talk or tell my mom then the whole family is fucked house is gone cousins don't get a dad we prob will stop talking with my cousin finding a house to rent will fuck it up even more then there goes for our hard worked credit and bam forever changed family I rly don't wanna ruin everything and feel like the soul reasoned everything was messed up along with not wanting to mess my mom's chance at finally getting a house when u told my brother about this and eveieas when I finally started crying I'm glade to have him and as I'm writing this I'm a bit emotional and feel so bad about myself
As of writing this it happens about 4hrs ago and now I'm just stuck in between what's my go to in one way there's snitching him out on the other I can keep it to myself and deal with it with the help of my brother but I'm still vunribal to him when both my brother and I are asleep and I think his lust or whatever is getting stronger ras the times he's been acting out on me have increased and the time in-between have decreased I'm afraid for my family and for me I just hope he doesn't touch me any more .I posted this here as I don't know much about where to post the right things hope this finds it's way to someone that. Can help he find a way through this without hiring my familys relationship

My dad is kicking me out because in his eyes I've been a shitty son brother and just all around person and I'm not living up to his expectations or doing the things he drops hints at and when I've asked him to just be direct and tell me he makes up some bullshit analogy he said he's gonna make me go live with my deadbeat mom but I'm not going anywhere near there I mean I love my mom but I can't live like that not because I'm to good for it but because it would streight up fuck me I wouldn't have an opportunity to play football or go to a good high-school or anything he says he's doing it for my own sake but I just think he wants me gone and if he makes the final decision to make me live with my mom then I'm running away

GALATIANS  
Chapter Four (https://esv.literalword.com/?q=Galatians+4)
 
-3. … we were enslaved [משעבדים, MeShoo`eBahDeeYM] to fundamentals [ליסודות, LeeYÇODOTh] [of] the world.  

“The word τα στοιχεια [ta stoikheia], the elements ... meant (a) the letters of the alphabet… (b) the elements of which a thing was composed, as the fire, air, earth, and water of which the world was thought to be constituted; (c) the elements of the universe, the larger cosmos, including the sun, moon, planets, and stars; and (d) the spirits, angels, and demons which were believed to ensoul the heavenly bodies, traverse all space, and inhabit every nook and cranny of earth, particularly tombs, desert places, and demented persons. These spirits were said to be organized like human governments. In Rom. [Romans] 8:38 Paul calls them ‘principalities’ and ‘powers.’ And vss. [verses] 9 and 10 of our present chapter indicate that he has them in mind in vs. [verse] 3. …  
Paul … includes in ‘the elements of the universe’ all sub-Christian ideas and observances, both Jewish and Gentile. He regards these ‘elements’ as slave drivers who frighten men with curses for not propitiating them by observance of special days and seasons, food taboos, dietary fads, and circumcision. In Christ he declared his independence of Fate, Fortune, Luck, and Chance, and from astrology, the counterfeit religion and bastard sister of astronomy, whose practitioners exploited the superstition that the stars controlled men’s lives from birth to death.” (Stamm, 1953, TIB vol. X pp. 521 & 522)  
“The elements of the world] A mere Jewish phrase, יסודי עולם הזה yasudey ‘olam hazzeh, ‘the principles of this world;’ that is, the rudiments or principles of the Jewish religion. The apostle intimates that the law was not the science of salvation; it was only the elements or alphabet of it.” (Clarke, 1831, vol. II p. 387)  

-4. But [אבל, ’ahBahL] as that was filled the time, sent forth, Gods, [את, ’ehTh (indicator of direct object; no English equivalent)] His son, born [of] woman, and subject [וכפוף, VeKhahPhOoPh] to instruction [Torah, Law].  

“The four words, το πληρωμα του χρονου [to pleroma tou khronou], the fullness of the time, express a whole philosophy of history. The Hebrew prophets and Jewish apocalyptists believed that their God was the creator of the universe and arbiter of the destinies of all men and nations. Nothing could happen that was not his doing, either directly or indirectly through angels and men. He had a time for everything, and everything happened exactly on time. … The completion of this present age would be marked by a blood-red revolution, in which all good men and good works would be ground under the heel of the tyrant, while the wicked reigned supreme. Then suddenly God would intervene with the lightning of judgment to snatch the world from the mouth of the bottomless pit and restore it to Paradise, whence it had fallen with the sin of Adam. Sorrow and sighing would flee away, and the Messiah would reign with the perfection of a theocratic king.  
At this juncture, says Paul, when the appointed period of history was ‘full,’ god sent his Son γενομενον εκ γυναικος, γενομενον υπο νομον [genomenon ek gunaikos, genomenon upο nomon], ‘born of woman, bοrn under law.’ … Jesus was not only born under law, but was subject to it all his life. ...The ‘yoke’ of the Torah demanded that he observe the customs of his forefathers, such as wearing phylactery and prayer fringes, ceremonial washing of hands before eating, giving thanks at mealtime, praying at stated times, bringing tithes and sacrifices, and obeying the Ten Commandments.” (Stamm, 1953, TIB vol. X pp. 522 & 523)  
Not to mention circumcision, kashrut, and the prohibition of associating with gentiles.  
“Sent forth refers to God’s sending of his Son from his pre-existent state in heaven (I Cor. [Corinthians] 8:6; Phil. [Philippians] 2:6-8; Col. [Colossians] 1:15-17). Yet this Son was born of woman. There is nothing in these words, or elsewhere in Paul’s letters, to prove or disprove that he knew the story of the miraculous conception. His point here is that the Christ, although he was the pre-existent Son of God, did not come into this world with a body composed of celestial substance, but was woman-born like all other human beings. … It was very different from the conception of royal sonship in Ps. 2, where the king is called God’s ‘Son; because he has been chosen to be the Messiah. In Paul, Jesus is God’s Son by nature, and his Christhood follows by virtue of this sonship. This belief was the fundamental cause of the split between the Jews and the Christians. The lowly birth, the obscurity of Nazareth, and the fact that Jesus was a common laborer, constituted a grievous scandal in the eyes of all who were expecting their Deliverer to come riding on a chariot of clouds wielding the lightning of judgment. Paul’s gospel contradicts every form of hyperspirituality that fixes a gulf between God and his material world. On the other hand, his conception of the coming of Jesus was poles removed from the pagan stories of the births of heroes, savior-gods, and kings, whose legends were freighted with illicit relationships and lawless conduct like the lives of the devotees who had created them in their own image.” (Stamm, 1953, TIB vol. X pp. 523-524)  
“Nothing is said explicitly about the Son’s preexistence, which is at most implied … born of a woman: … The phrase is derived from the OT [Old Testament, the Hebrew Bible] (Job 14:1 …). So born, Jesus submitted to the law by being circumcised and thus became capable of falling under its curse. But lest the Galatians draw a wrong conclusion, Paul [and The Interpreters’ Bible] does not mention Jesus’ circumcision. Instead of genomenon, ‘born,’ some patristic writers read gennomenon, and understood this ptc. [participle] as referring to Mary’s virginal conception; but this is anachronistic interpretation.” (Joseph A. Fitzmyer, 1990, TNJBC p. 787)  

-7. Accordingly [לפיכך, LePheeYKhahKh], you are not [אינך, ’aYNKhah] a slave anymore [אוד, ’OD], for if [כי אם, KeeY ’eeM] a son, and, if a son, then [אזי, ’ahZahY] also heir from favor [מטעם, MeeTah`ahM] [of] Gods.  

“This is Paul’s proclamation of emancipation.” (Stamm, 1953, TIB vol. X p. 528)  

…………………………………………  
Worry of Shah’OoL to Galatians
[verses 8–20]  

-8. In [the] past, in a time that you did not know [את, ’ehTh] Gods, you slaved [את, ’ehTh] who that in their nature [שבמנהותם, ShehBeMahHOoThahM] were not Gods.  

“The Jews never ceased to ridicule idols and denounce idolaters… They demoted the old gods to the rank of demons and made a list of detractive names for them: angels, shepherds, princes; kings, emperors, benefactors, heroes; demons, personifications, idols, nonentities. Some were living, some dead; some were good, but were not God. Most of them were bad, and their idols were but images of ‘things of nought.’ …  
Paul did not deny the existence of these beings whose ignorant worshipers called them gods, but he declared that they did not partake of the nature of God (I Cor. 8:4-6). God permitted them to plague mankind to punish sin, especially the sin of participating in the sacraments of the Gentile cults (I Cor. 10:19-22; 11:28-31). But Christ had conquered them and no Christian needed to fear them.” (Stamm, 1953, TIB vol. X p. 529)  

-10. Behold, you are honoring days and new-[moons], seasons [מועדים, MO`ahDeeYM] and years.  

“Days like the Sabbath and Yom hakkippurim [“Day of Atonement”] are meant; months like the ‘new moon’; seasons like Passover and Pentecost; years like the sabbatical years… Paul can see no reason for a Gentile Christian to observe these.” (Joseph A. Fitzmyer, 1990, TNJBC p. 788)  

…  

…………………………………………  

Two the covenants
[verses 21-26]  

-21. Say to me, you, the wanters to be subject to Instruction, have you not heard [את, ’ehTh] the Instruction?
-22. Is it not written that to ’ahBRahHahM there were two sons, the one from the maid [האמה, Hah’ahMaH] and the second from the woman the free [החפשיה, HahHahPhSheeYah]?
-23. But [אך, ’ahKh] [the] son [of] the maid was born according to [לפי, LePheeY] the flesh,
and however [ואילו, Ve’eeYLOo] [the] son [of] the free upon mouth of the promise.
-24. The words the these, they are a parable to two the covenants:
the one from Mount ÇeeNah-eeY [Sinai], the birther to slavery, and she is HahGahR [“The Sojourner”, Hagar].  

“It is well known how fond the Jews were of allegorizing; every thing in the law was with them an allegory: their Talmud [ancient commentary] is full of these; and one of their most sober and best educated writers Philo, abounds with them…  
It is very likely, therefore, that the allegory produced here; St. Paul had borrowed from the Jewish writings; and he brings it in to convict the Judaizing Galatians on their own principles: and neither he, nor we, have any thing farther to do with this allegory, than as it applies to the subject for which it is quoted; nor does it give any license to those men of vain and superficial minds, who endeavour to find out allegories in every portion of the Sacred Writings; and by what they term spiritualizing, which is more properly carnalizing, have brought the testimonies of God into disgrace. May the spirit of silence be poured out upon all such corrupters of the word of God!” (Clarke, 1831, vol. II p. 390)  
“Allegorical interpretation rests upon the belief that every word, figure of speech, and grammatical form in scripture has a special ‘spiritual’ significance besides its literal meaning. The theory is that the God who dictated it meant more than rests on the surface and that while he said one thing, he also meant something else in addition to the literal sense… The Greeks had long since applied the method to explain away the immoral things which the gods said and did in Homer… Then Greek-speaking Jews, like Philo Judaeus, employed it apologetically to read Greek philosophy into the O.T. [Old Testament, the Hebrew Bible], proclaiming that Moses had said all these good things long before and better than Homer and Plato.  
The wonder is that Paul has so little allegory. His restraint is explained partly by his training as a Pharisee. The rabbis were suspicious of any interpretation of scripture that tended to make Jews lax in their observance of the law. Jews with Gnostic leanings, and those who considered some of their ancestral customs outmoded, could resort to allegory to justify their philosophy and conduct, while maintaining that they were the spiritual superiors of the conservatives who held to the letter of the law … His argument, however, is never strengthened by allegorical symbolism and typology, for these are convincing only to those who by imagination can find them so. Rather, as in Rom. 9-11, he introduces unnecessary complications such as the moral difficulties involved in predestination. His gospel does not rest on the quicksands of allegory, a specious method of interpreting scripture. Its interpretations are of interest to the historian not as correct representations of what the writers and first readers of the Bible had in mind, but only as source materials for understanding the life and thought of the allegorists themselves.” (Stamm, 1953, TIB vol. X p. 540)  

-25. Hagar signifies [מסמלת, MeÇahMehLeTh] [את, ’ehTh] Mount ÇeeNah-eeY, that is in Arabia, and parallels [ומקבילה,OoMahQBeeYLaH] to Jerusalem of our day, for she is in slavery with her sons.  

“… why does Paul mention Arabia…? Possibly because Mt. Sinai is in Arabia[?], which is Ishmaelite territory; he thus associates the Sinai pact with the eponymous patriarch of Arab tribes … Paul thus suggests that the law itself stems from a situation extrinsic to the promised land and to the real descendants of Abraham. Paul’s Jewish former co-religionists would not have been happy with this allegory.” (Joseph A. Fitzmyer, 1990, TNJBC p. 788)  

-26. But [אבל, ’ahBahL] Jerusalem from ascended [מעלה, Mah`eLaH], [the] daughter [of] freedom [חורין, HOReeYN] is she, and she is mother to us.
 

“The Jerusalem which now is was a most unholy “Holy city”, full of injustice, violence and murder, and subject to the cruel and wicked rulers imposed by a Gentile empire. But over against this Jerusalem of slavery lay an ideal celestial city, unseen at present, but destined soon to supersede it. Paul called it the Jerusalem above. Sarah, the free-woman, was the ancestress of its citizens, who were the people of faith and of freedom in Christ…  
Paul speaks of Jerusalem above, because this new city of freedom already exists in heaven where Christ is, where dwell the souls of those who have died in Christ. But it also exists on earth as the church, the body of Christ, whose members are colonists from heaven sent to prepare men for the full establishment of God’s kingdom at Christ’s second coming (Phil. 3:20; Col. 3:1-3).  
The biblical root of this conception of an ideal future and heavenly Jerusalem is Isa. [Isaiah] 54. Other descriptions appear in Ezek. [Ezekiel] 40-48; Zech. [Zechariah] 2:1-13; Hag. [Haggai] 2:6-9; Tob. [Tobias] 13:9-18 Ecclus. [Ecclesiasticus] 36; Pss. Sol. [Psalms of Solomon] 17:33. Historically the expectation assumed three forms. According to the earliest hope, God would build the new Jerusalem in Palestine and make it the capital of his theocratic world government. The plan of this glorious city was graven upon the palms of his hands (Isa. 49:16). From this idea it was but a step, especially for those influenced by Greek ideas, to think of this ideal Jerusalem as already existing in heaven. According to the Apocalypse of Baruch, God had shown it to Adam in Paradise before he sinned; to Abraham on the night mentioned in Gen. 15:12-21; and to Moses on Sinai, when he gave him the heavenly pattern for an earthly tabernacle (II Baruch 4:1-6; cf. [compare with] Heb. [Hebrews]12:22). The third conception combined these two ideas. The Jerusalem which was ‘above’ would come down to earth to be established in Palestine in place of the city that ‘now is’ (cf. Rev. [Revelation] 3:12, 21:2; II Esdras 7:26; 13:36; 10:54).  
So the new Jerusalem belonged to both worlds and to both ages, to heaven and earth, to the present and the future. Its constitution was the new covenant, and its citizens were the men of faith in Christ, a new kind of freemen who traced their spiritual ancestry through the line of Isaac and his mother Sarah as heirs of God’s promise to Abraham. As for Ishmael and his tribe, they were the men of law, predestined to be slaves forever. Needless to say, the Judaizers found Paul’s allegorical exclusion of themselves utterly unacceptable. They believed that the Torah was God’s blueprint for all creation, and that it would be observed forever in the new Jerusalem. That, they said, was why God was going to purge the old city – to establish an order of life in which perfect obedience to his law would be possible.” (Stamm, 1953, TIB vol. X pp. 541-542)  
“…it was a maxim among the rabbins [rabbis], that, ‘Whatsoever was in the earth, the same was also found in heaven; for there is no matter, howsoever small, in this world, that has not something similar to it in the spiritual world.’ On this maxim, the Jews imagine that every earthly thing has its representative in heaven: and especially whatever concerns Jerusalem, the law, and its ordinances. Rab. ["Master", Rabbi] Kimchi, speaking of Melchisedec, king of Salem, says, זו ירושלים של מעלה Zu Yerushalem shel me’alah – ‘This is the Jerusalem that is from above.’…  
There is a spiritual Jerusalem, of which this is the type; and this Jerusalem, in which the souls of all the righteous are, is free from all bondage and sin: or by this, probably the kingdom of the Messiah was intended; and this certainly answers best to the apostle’s meaning, as the subsequent verse shows.” (Clarke, 1831, vol. II p. 391)  

-27. That see, is written:  
“Chant, barren, not birthing, [רני עקרה לא ילדה RahNeeY 'ahQRaH Lo’ YahLahDaH] burst chanting and shouting, not travailing, [פצחי רנה וצהלי לא-חלה PeeTsHeeY ReeNaH VeTsahHahLeeY Lo’-HahLaH] for multitudinous are sons of her deserted than [מי, MeeY] sons of her mistress [כי-רבים בני-שוממיה מבני בעולה KheeY-RahBeeYM BeNaY-ShoMahMeeYHah MeeBeNaY Be'ooLaH].”  

“A telling item in the counterpropaganda of the legalists was the argument that even among the Christians only a radical fringe consisting mainly of foreign Jews, of whom Paul was one, were proposing to abandon the law of Moses. …  
In one respect his quotation of Isa. 54:1 does not fit Paul’s allegory. It was Sarah, the mother of freemen, who possessed the husband, and Hagar, the slave, who was the deserted woman. As usual with Paul’s illustrations (cf. Rom. 7:1-4; 11:17-24), the details cannot be pressed without making them go lame …  
The Isaian figure to describe the plight of Jerusalem during the Babylonian exile grew out of a common experience in Hebrew family life. Childlessness, particularly the failure to bear sons, was great grief and disgrace. Such was the sorrow of Jerusalem; but the prophet bade her look forward with courage to the time when all her scattered children would come back to her (Isa. 54:3). God was her ‘husband,’ and he would treat his faithful remnant with everlasting lovingkindness, making them more numerous than the former population and giving them a heritage of great peace and prosperity (Isa. 54:13-17).” (Stamm, 1953, TIB vol. X p. 542)  
“The prophet’s words are addressed to deserted Zion, bidding it rejoice at the return of the exiles.” (Joseph A. Fitzmyer, 1990, TNJBC p. 788)  

-28. But you, my brethren [τεχνα, tekhna, “children”], you are the sons of the promise, as was YeeTsHahQ [“He Laughed”, Isaac].  

“The Judaizers claimed that Abraham had obeyed the law of Moses by anticipation, and that God’s promise was his reward. Consequently the descendants of Isaac were children of promise only if they followed Abraham’s example in obeying the law. Paul turned it the other way about: the promise must be taken on faith, not as credit for obedience.” (Stamm, 1953, TIB vol. X p. 542)  

-29. And just as [וכשם, OoKhShayM] that then pursued, [רדף, RahDahPh] the son that was born according to [לפי, LePheeY] flesh, [את, ’ehTh] the son that was born according to the spirit, yes, also now.  

“In Gen 21:10 Sarah, seeing Ishmael ‘playing’ with Isaac and viewing him as the potential rival to Isaac’s inheritance, drives him and his mother out. Nothing in Gen is said of Ishmael’s ‘persecution’ of Isaac, but Paul may be interpreting the ‘playing’ as did a Palestinian haggadic explanation of Gen 21:9 (see Josephus, ANT. [Antiquities] 1.12.3§215 …” (Joseph A. Fitzmyer, 1990, TNJBC p. 788)  
“A rabbinical tradition of the second century A.S. interprets the Hebrew participle מצחק [MeeTsHahQ, “play”] (LXX [Septuagient, the ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible] παιζοντα [paizonta] in Gen. 21:9 to mean that Ishmael’s ‘playing’ became so rough that Isaac’s life was in danger. This son of a slave is said to have shot arrows at Isaac to kill him, and Paul’s statement shows that some such tradition was current in his day. He applied it to the Judaizers who were trying to force the Christians to observe the whole law of Moses, and to the unbelieving Jews who were excommunicating the Christians and their families and getting them into trouble with the civil authorities (1:5; 4:17; 5:10; I Thess. [Thessalonians] 2:14-16).” (Stamm, 1953, TIB vol. X p. 543)  

-30. But what says the Written [Scripture]?  
“Banish [גרש GahRaySh] the maid and [את, ’ehTh] her son,
for not will inheritI [יירש, YeeYRahSh], son [of] the maid [האמה, Hah’ahMaH], with son [of] the free.”  

“The quotation is from Gen. 21:10 … The speaker of these words is Sarah, who is filled with rage against Hagar and Ishmael. Abraham is represented as greatly grieved, but God is said to have sanctioned the demand of the cruel and jealous wife….  
This story was one of the effects and one of the causes of the perpetual feud between the Israelites and the tribes that descended from Ishmael. The Hebrews were so sure that God wanted them to have Palestine that they found no moral difficulty in saying that it was God himself who had overruled Abraham’s conscience (Gen. 17:18-21). They affirmed that Ishmael’s character and destiny had been predetermined (Gen. 16:12). Consequently, even his circumcision at the age of thirteen could not make him a member of God’s chosen people. However great this innocent victim of a family feud might become by virtue of the halfhearted blessing conceded by an uneasy conscience (Gen. 17:20-21), he and his descendants were barred forever from the higher blessing. Theirs was to submit to the religious imperialism of the most favored nation or die. Moreover, all Abraham’s other sons except Isaac were barred from the promise and sent away ‘unto the east country’ (Gen. 25:5-6). And yet while all this was said to be the Lord’s doing, it was in the same breath declared to be the doing of the human actors in this drama of the nations. Sarah herself was said to have suggested that Abraham become a father by her Egyptian slave girl. Then, too, it was explained that Hagar’s flight from the cruelty of her mistress was voluntary, making her, rather than the callous compliance of Abraham, responsible for her plight ‘in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur’ (Gen. 16:7).  
Paul’s use of Abraham’s expulsion of Hagar and her child has its parallel in the equally heartless treatment of Esau which he employs in Rom. 9-11 in his longer discussion of the divine process of selection. Here too it was assumed that the hatred generated by centuries of war for the possession of Palestine lay in the heart of God. “I hate Esau,” said Malachi (1:3), making God the speaker; and Rom. 9:6-13 presses it to the utmost limit of predestination. But the love of God in Christ Jesus made Paul’s heart better than his inherited doctrine … When the history of the struggle for the possession of “the Holy land” is allegorized to justify a doctrine of “election” which foredooms countless souls to an eternity of torment in a future hell, it becomes as morally atrocious as it is irreconcilable with Paul’s gospel.  
Nevertheless Paul’s allegory gives the historian an insight into Paul’s mind as he wrestled with the insoluble problem of God’s sovereignty and human freedom.” (Stamm, 1953, TIB vol. X pp. 543-544)  
“Paul bids the Galatians rid themselves of the Judaizers – and, ironically enough, obey the Torah itself.” (Joseph A. Fitzmyer, 1990, TNJBC p. 788)   An Amateur's Journey Through the Bible

I was thinking about Steve's death randomly while at work earlier. NOTHING about his character arc felt earned.
He was nowhere near ready to be patched in. In any way. When he offed himself, it felt like they were trying to go for this tragic member-suicide, but didn't want to knock off any important characters and weren't willing to properly flesh out another character, so they just rushed it.
Creeper said "You killed in battle. That means something." But EZ killed and did much more for the club. "Oh, but they were in the middle of a war!" They're in the middle of a war now and have 2 prospects now, who it seems they're properly vetting and Nestor has also (possibly?) killed a Son in battle and they didn't patch him in. Aside from Hank visiting Steve's mother and a comment defending him by Creeper after he died, it's as if he's been entirely forgotten.
Bringing a character in, only to kill him off for shock value just feels disrespectful and lazy. Steve's death carried less weight than Emily's sister's because she was more fleshed out.