Background and context:
I had a mentor who was a boss of mine until a month or so ago. I asked how he could help me about two years ago get into and start building a portfolio of assets. We started an LLC together and here are the order of events so far since inception (July 2021):
1.) Started an entity
2.) Middle of 2022 found a deal to purchase two Salt Water Disposal Wells in Texas. Around the same time I put some capital down for an oil brokerage deal through him. You buy from some crude hauling company and sell to another and take the arbitrage. We're also working towards being an LP in a trucking company with $0 capital down. The way we're doing $0 down is basically helping the purchaser structure the deal, who isn't financially savvy but knows how to run and operate a company like this.
3.) He convinced me that we should form an operating company and operate the wells. I suggested that we just hire a third party operator since we aren't PE's but he insisted on this being the way since he's done this in the past. We did this through the RRC of Texas and had a P5 operating number to manage the wells. Through this we needed an operating agreement so we got that signed. When he signed it looks like he crossed out every sections header. I didn't notice because he was the second signature and the one who shared it with the bank.
4.) I invest in a brokerage deal with him where the capital was supposed to return in 4 months.
4.) After a month or so, I wanted to ensure we were properly documenting all of the documents across the business, crossing our t's and dotting our i's per se. I did this and found 6 wells I had never heard of under our operating entity. I brought this up with documentation to him, he profusely apologized because it was just supposed to be a placeholder.
5.) I accepted his apology and the workaround was to get me off of the LLC, co-own a "parent" entity which owns 50% of the "operating" entity. So this way I had no liability in the operating entity but financial upside in the deal. Again, acting as a 'mentor' this is what we came to a conclusion of. It seemed fair to both parties due to the mishap.
6.) Around the end of last year he was threatened by the company that sold us the wells that they would take back the wells along with up to 1mm of damages done to the mismanagement of the property. They sent and addressed this to him since he's on file as the sole operator of the entity that operates the wells. I saw the letter because it came to our shared mailbox. Their claim was we didn't transfer the pit permit of which I had no clue needed to be done, and of which he didn't know because he doesn't know as much as he leads on to. Had we just contract operated this deal none of this would be an issue, but he doesn't give credence to that fact, just carries on as if the company that's threatening to sue knows nothing and that it would all be fine.
7.) He "handles it" and meets with the team who threatened that and talked them off the ledge. Or so he tells me. This has been where we've left that hiccup since.
It's important to note at this point which was 2 months ago I'm thinking about how can I separate myself completely from this deal. I don't think I have risk the way it's structured but I don't really know for sure.
8.) As. all of this is coming to a head, the purchase of the trucking business is potentially happening. Somehow the loan to purchase the business is trying to get us to sign a personal guarantee, I decline, instead my "mentor", the guy who's going to own the majority of the trucking business sign a PG. They send me the docs after signing, but the way he signed was as the entity that we own through our parent org and him as the managing member, so our entity and really him personally have a recourse loan.
9.) When I'm looking at the loan after the fact, the thing is almost predatory. Pre-payment penalty is the full interest and principal of the loan plus the maximum allowable pre-payment penalty. Not to get into it but this was not the structure we needed based on what we were trying to do. I call them out but they already signed it.
10.) I quit my job. I don't want to work with the guy anymore. Reminder is that I worked with him at our a day jobs and this was just side income opportunities.
11.) As all of this is coming to a head it dawns on me that I just want out and don't know how to. Is the best way to just approach him in our meeting tomorrow and say I want a $0 buyout, he can have the assets (or in my opinion the liability) that he has taken on, and I just want off of the entities?
12.) As I'm strategizing the exit plan conversation with him, I'm having trouble getting him in person to talk through how I'd like to be out of the business.
Long story short I need to solve for 3 things:
1.) Understand my liability with this loan that I did not sign a PG for but the entity that we are listed as owners of did (with he as a managing member)
2.) Understand my liability with the two SWD assets that the group threatened to sue him / the operating entity on.
3.) What should I do to separate myself from this completely, and as quickly as possible

The Meeting With the Contact
In one of Unity’s darker and less maintained districts, several miles down an unassuming maintenance tunnel, Aster knocked on a rusty steel hatch. The moment her knuckles finished rapping on the metal door hidden mechanisms squeaked as an internal bolt was undone and the door swung open. She heard the soft ween of servos as they struggled against the bulk of the door.
Without a moment of hesitation Astarte strode through the door knowing full well that the dark corners of the room could have held a waiting ambush. It did not do to show any fear when dealing with the mysterious shadow league. She had heard from Greyson how the contacts valued confidence above everything else. She wasn’t sure why, but had followed the advice anyway.
The contacts never worked through proxies. They had no known dead drops. And were notorious for handling everything in person.
It was a strange practice since logic dictated that information brokers as influential as the Shadow league should act with much more caution. But that same flaunting disregard for common convention was the trait that unnerved Astarte the most.
It unnerved her because it proved that the powerful brokers had nothing to fear.
Maybe it was arrogance, but her instincts said otherwise.
The door closed behind her, the harsh clunk telling her that she was now locked in. Soft lights in the room flicked of a slowly grew brighter to a level comfortable to human eyes. Aster’s cybernetic eye went red and flickered through several different spectrums of light as it scanned the room.
“An interesting piece of hardware.” A soft murmuring voice said from behind the desk in the center.
Astarte momentarily ignored the voice as she finished her scan. Her eye picked out only a single camera behind a fake patch of wall that looked completely normal from the outside. She focused on the camera, telling the rooms only other occupant that she was fully aware of the device.
Her scan complete she turned her head to focus of the short fuchsia froglike person within a bubble-like excursion suit. No word in the Union’s common tongue, or her own could pronounce the name of the person before her. Instead the Union had simply labeled them as Toxoid amphibians. A rather cold, but concise name.
There were many defense mechanisms used by prey species to ward off predators. Some opted to be big, strong, and move in large herds like the Trikes. Some just flew away. Others hid. But very few instead went for the survival strategy of being very visible and toxic as hell.
The creature before Astarte was one of only three Toxoid species in the Union. While safe to members of their own species, their skin could instantly paralyzed and kill any non-deathworld species on Femeri. And if Astarte had touched that bright purple skin she would be instantly floored with the worst pain imaginable. Not dead, but really wishing she was.
The Union definition of Toxoid was any highly toxic species, regardless of the atmospheric conditions. Though this particular species did in fact come from a world with high methane and ammonia content, less then Venus, but still deadly to Terrans. The only reason they weren’t classified as deathworlders was because the low gravity and gentle nature of their star made the claim seem a little absurd compared to your average Deathworlder.
The Toxoid met her gaze and held it without fear. Knowing that Astarte wouldn’t/couldn’t do anything to harm them. There face was pulled into a constant smile. Though this was a factor of their facial structure and not any sort of actual pleasure. This, matched with their small colorful appearance gave off the vibes of something small and harmless. An instinct she would have to actively suppress.
“Surprising, most of your kind are overwhelmed with nurturing instincts upon first seeing me. Especially females of your age.” The creature commented. The internal translator of her suit taking the creature’s hypersonic humming and giving it a squeaky, almost cartoonish, tone in galactic common.
“I’ve encountered your kind before, and the pain I felt that day from just one touch is enough to wipe away any cute impressions.”
The creature made a sounding like birds chirping “So its true, humans really can touch us without dying?”
Astarte grimaced at the memory “Yeah, but I sure wished I was dead. Only touched them with my hand, but in seconds my whole body was wracked with the worst pain my nerves could conjure. Couldn’t black out either.”
The Contact looked amused “And yet you survived.” They said pointedly. “We are in our own ways more dangerous than deathworlders. Even the Kruhur leave our few ships alone. As do most pirates. So why would you attack that particular merchant ship six of your Terran years ago?”
Aster wasn’t surprised by their knowledge, the sources of the shadow league stretched far and wide. “They had something I wanted, so I took it.”
The big eyelids of the Toxoid closed slowly. “Yes, weapons grade plutonium. I heard you made good use of it. Such inventive weapons too. Most think fusion weapons are pointless in space compared to pulse cannons and conventional missiles. Leave it to a human to find a way to make good use of an underutilized weapon.”
Astarte kept her face placid, but on the inside she was roiling at the knowledge that the Shadow League knew about the shield breaker cannon.
“You needn’t worry” the Contact continued “the Union doesn’t know, and even if we stole the plans we would be troubled to find crews with the nerve to detonate a super critical mass of plutonium within their own ship. My kind are quite cowardly compared to your people.”
“Fools rush in where angles fear to tread.” Astarte remarked absently. Downplaying their achievements.
The Toxoid leaned forward “and yet those who dare to fail miserably can achieve greatly.”
This time Astarte couldn’t hide her surprise. “Kennedy? Really?”
More bird chirps “Yes, I am quite amused by human history and the words of your past leaders. Your people strove for the stars long before they had the proper technology to reach them like every other species, on a high gravity world no less. And despite these hurdles you made it to your moon in record time, had stable colonies on a barren world like Mars, and launched one of the most interesting if a bit crude ships. A ship you recently purchased. Had you not met the Union so soon then I believe your people would have continued to shock the galaxy. In some ways your people were cut short, and yet in other ways they were given the opportunity to leap into the future. You are most intriguing, and it would be folly to not keep an eye on you. The Union believes your people to be on the decline, soon to be no longer a threat to their might. I am of a different opinion.”
It was surprising to meet a person who had her completely figured out. From just the subtext Astarte was sure this contact knew all her plans and secrets, or had at least a few very good guesses. And seemed to want to help her out.
Astarte gave the Contact a shrewd glare. “What are you playing at?”
Their heavy eyelids dropped into a lazy half blink before opening back up. She thought the gesture was either one of annoyance or amusement. “A favor, given to the right person, can pay dividends in the future.”
“And what kind of returns are you looking for?”
Another half blink. It probably meant amusement. “That isn’t for me to say. You’ve had a very positive relationship with our agents in Femeri, or Orion as you Terrans call it. it is the League desire to continue nourishing that relationship.”
Suspicious, but one didn’t deal with the galaxy’s most powerful info brokers without some ominous undertones. “Then I take it you know why I’m here.”
Another long blink, this time fully closing their lids. “Yes.”
“Can you tell us where it is?”
“No. Amaterasu was thorough in covering their trail. I can only say that its still on Unity.”
Fuck. Why can’t things ever be easy? “Can you narrow down our search?” Astarte asked changing directions.
“Yes. Property info, delivery schedules, informant reports. And much more. It’ll take time to narrow things down.”
“I’m not short on manpower. Or patience.”
“Good. Now there is just the matter of the price.”
“I get the sinking feeling that you’re not talking credits.” Astarte stated dryly.
“An accurate feeling.” The Contact retorted. “We are an organization of information brokers and middle men, but even we need our own middle men. We cast a wide net to pull in much, but sometimes our needs require a more direct approach.”
“Spies?” Astarte guessed.
“Yes, or simple muscle to get what we need. Lately that muscle has been disappearing, I’m sure you noticed the aggressive way the Station Security treats your kind.”
“Yeah, the charges they tried to stick my men with were downright asinine, never would have stuck.”
Another long blink. “Yes, but the Union doesn’t need to make them stick. You more than most should know that the Union will imprison individuals on suspect of a crime before an investigation can be done to assure innocence.”
Astarte almost heard a click in her head as she connected the dots. The charges had seemed absurd and unfounded, and she had wondered why they bothered. But the Union could, in cases of an extreme crime, arrest and imprison without a trial or evidence. It was one of the major ways the Unions legal system differed from the local laws of the Sol system.
Guilty until proven innocent. It was the precedent that had gotten her mother imprisoned when Aster was four. While they had arrested a terrorist responsible for thousands of deaths and billions in property damage, they didn’t actually have the evidence. And once the lack of evidence had been undeniably proven in a court room Lucile’s sentence was ended and her record expunged of the black mark after spending ten months in the prison on Parox.
Asters throat was tight “How many have been…”
“Thousands. Tens of thousands. I would like to give you a better number, but someone has done a remarkable job at obfuscating that information. People are arrested on petty misdemeanors, if any, and then prosecutors from the central office apply some grander crime. They’re taken to a holding facility, where they stay for a short time before a ship comes to take them to parts unknown.”
“And no one’s done anything about this?”
“Oh, no. There were plenty of riots. But shouting, screaming Deathworlders committing acts of arson and clashing Station Security did little to sway the public. And after the ADCU was born things got even worse for the Terrans.”
“Motherfuckers” Astarte growled through her teeth. She didn’t know where all those people went, but everything so far pointed to some sort of genocide. Unity was purging itself of its Deathworlder nuisance.
“Yes, as effective as the ADCU has been at rooting out actual criminal organizations they have also been a highly effective at smother discontent.”
“And what do you want me to do about it.”
Their head tilted to the side. “You already have an in road with one of their top Officers, one who is the personal protégé of Chief Gin.”
“Do you want me to see where they’re taking people, or figure out why?”
“Both if possible. This has all the odious whiffs of politics, and the League needs to know why the Union is making such bold moves. Any and all information you dig up will be appreciated.”
Astarte drummed her fingers on the desk as she worked through the problems. Something dangerous was happening in the heart of the Union. Something that threatened her own plans. She had idly wondered why Amaterasu had been so bold in making their terraforming equipment disappear, why openly slaughter an entire office of insurance investigators? But now she saw it was par for the course her, and she was only now noticing the rot.
The contacts request was also in her own best interest. She needed to know where this all led.
But you never took the first offer. That was just good business. “It seems to me that our own investigations might help you in yours. I don’t see why we can’t do both at once.”
Another long blink. “You won’t be overextending yourself?”
Aster scoffed “of course not.”
The amphibian’s permanent smile became a little wider, “good. Its always a pleasure working with a professional.”
The contact then reached under their desk to retrieve a small flash drive, preloaded with all the info Aster needed.
“Just a heads up” Aster said as she retrieved the flash drive. “Our plans usually end in chaos and bloodshed.”
“Oh, I know. I’m looking forward to it.” the contact said with a self-amused giggle like gurgling water.
Their business concluded Astarte stood to leave. But the door she entered through didn’t unlock itself. Instead a hidden panel Astarte hadn’t noticed during her scan slid open and revealed a hidden stairway.
Astarte blinked in surprise before shaking her head. never underestimate the Shadow League.
She walked through the door, and ascended several flight of stairs until she exited into the reception room of a small law firm. The Drohodron attendant nodded their furry rabbit like head and gestured towards the exit.
The ride home was mostly uneventful. A group of SS tried to tail her, but some speed walking and a sudden turn down an alley was all it took to shake them.
She left the tram station and entered the industrial district where her ship was moored. She had been so relaxed on her walk back that she even began to whistle a jaunty little tune. She almost mixed the gentle thump behind and slight rush of wind as a blade swept from behind her, nearly taking her head off.
She had only an instant to lean forward to avoid the strike. With the strike barely avoided she took one step forward before drawing Tenken in swinging overhead chop.
Two green tinted blades strapped to her attackers wrists rose into a crossed guard to catch her sword the two of them struggled against each other’s strength. Aster was surprised at the strength the assassin possessed.
They struggled for a few seconds before breaking apart just as swiftly as they had met.
They both took several steps back and began to size each other up.
The assassin was short, standing at maybe 160cm. Their tight-fitting clothes marked the assassin as both human and female. Two curved blades were attached to the assassins wrists, looking like the curved pincers of a praying mantis, which matched the mantis-like mask she wore.
The assassin despite her failed sneak attack, and their inconclusive clash, had the gall to look smug. “Glad to see you haven’t grown weak in our time apart, Daisey.” The assassin gurgled through a heavy voice filter.
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The stream will be 30 minutes later tonight than usual. Thursday I will go back to 7:00 ET and continue with chemistry. Please share information about the stream with other premeds! Soon we will be getting into the more complex content like solubility, acids/bases, thermochem, etc.
Stream link: https://www.twitch.tv/ancientbrainstutoring

Welcome to the UniUK meta post of the year. Every year, we go through a cycle of certain questions, from "which uni is best" in summer, to "can I complete my dissertation" in Spring. Every year they get the same answers.
Clearly this is opinion so your mileage may vary.

Can I complete X word dissertaion in N hours

If you're asking this question, you've probably screwed up already. Stop posting on Reddit, get a pen and paper and get writing. 1000 words is better than 0. If you fail, you may have to retake the year. Don't leave it to the last minute this time, and contact your student wellbeing service if you need it, and for most people it sounds like you do.

Should I report X cheating

Maybe. You're well within your rights to report a cheater, it doesn't make you a snitch or a kill-joy, but you might be caring a little too much. Most of the time it won't affect you directly, but bear in mind that it can lead to moderation issues and generally hurt the reputation of your degree if it is widespread. Also, in my experience most people who openly cheat are just absolute kn*bs so I wouldn't be too worried about reporting them.
For me it would really depend on how egregious the chesting is. If somebody googled the answers to a 5% qualitative assessment then idgaf. If somebody used an essay writing service or a family member for their dissertation or individual project, I would personally be a bit outraged and wouldn't want to graduate alongside that person.

Turnitin says I cheated

If you didn't cheat, it doesn't matter. Turnitin is a guide only. AI checkers aren't accurate and won't be relied upon by lecturers. If you're flagged, you'll have a meeting where you discuss your work in which you should be completely truthful. If they detect a hint of lying, you'll be in trouble. Otherwise, it's completely fine. Talk to your tutor about next steps if a marker relies on an AI checker.

Can I use ChatGPT to do X

Yeah yeah ignore the edgy folk claiming we're being "left behind", and that its "going to be standard in 2 years" and "we need to jump aboard the OpenAI hypetrain". Maybe, maybe not. Regardless, they sound like the cryptojocks of 5 years ago. Unless your university has said otherwise, use of AI can be considered a breach of academic integrity. Many companies (including my own) have banned employees from using any 3rd party AI-driven tools because of originality, copyright and licensing issues. There's no reason to expect your university's stance to differ unless they explicitly tell you otherwise.
For the time being, pretend ChatGPT is another person. If that person helped you structure and check grammar, then it's probably fine as long as you acknowledge them. If that person helped you research, then again you should acknowledge that. If that person wrote your conclusion and you just reworded it, then you've clearly plagiarised. Whatever you do, you must acknowledge it's use or it may be a breach of academic integrity by default, even if it's not directly plagiarism. You can't guarantee that the uni won't be able to detect use of AI (rewording isn't necessarily enough), and you shouldn't risk your degree on that. You should probably discuss with your tutor either way.

Which of these N unis is best

Everyone's experience is subjective. Rankings are pretty useless. It depends on the subject. Nobody but you can really answer this question. Anyone who claims to have an answer is probably biased or just looked at the rankings.
The most important statistics for degrees are going to be employability and links to industry. Student satisfaction is generally not accurate - people generally favour unis worse if it was their backup or clearing, as well as the universities reputation - the grass is greener effect. Some students will take better to different styles of teaching, so the student support statistics / lecturer-student ratio is pretty subjective too. Personally, I was fine with not a lot of engagement as long as all of the content was covered in lectures.

Which degree pays best

Nobody can answer this, unless the answer is already obvious.

Should I go on to do a master's

Really depends on the field. Some pathways are locked behind master's/doctorates. Some doctorates will require a master's since they are so competitive. Sometimes you need accreditation which isn't included on your Bachelor's.
Are you going to pursue a career in that subject? Did you enjoy university education. Probably yes. Master's tend to open a lot of doors, just make sure it's accredited if applicable.
If you don't see yourself in that field long term, but enjoyed education and want a professional job, consider a conversion degree instead.
If you like the field but not education, look into training programmes instead.
If you didn't like the field or education, time to consider other pathways, like apprenticeships.
If you choose to do a Master's, bear in mind that you only receive ~12k, 9k of which goes on your degree leaving 3k. You will likely need 4-6k in savings, or work 8-12 hours per week alongside your degree. Often, people will spend a year or two in industry whilst saving for a master's.

Can I report my flatmate for X

Probably. Should you? Probably not. Have an adult conversation with them. 90% of these questions are asked by closeted individuals who refuse to just talk to the person. 90% are solved by talking to the offender. University is about learning to cope with other people. You're going to have to have difficult conversations sometimes.
If they're actually abusive, then obviously report them and get them moved out. But don't go reporting your flatmates for shagging too loud or leaving cups in the sink.

Student loans are crippling!

US Centrism in a nutshell. Suggest you watch Martin Lewis' take on the graduate tax system which makes university is accessible to everyone from all backgrounds. If you want to go to university, go to university.
Now I'm no fan of the current system because it punishes middle earners (like me!) the most, and the terms did just get a lot worse. But it's certainly not a bust as the 9% marginal tax you will pay will almost always be trumped by your glass ceiling being 2-3x as high. Of course, depends on the degree.

Group projects are so unfair!

Yep. Welcome to the real world, where your own ability is judged by the ability of those you work with!
Unis are aware of the issues surrounding GDPs, so will tend to mark you primarily on individual content. For me, it was weighted around 80-20. That's why you should maintain (and normally present) a diary of work and responsibilities, and make sure you can evidence this. This may be important later if somebody claims credit for your work or you need to appeal the grade.
If somebody does not do any work and won't engage, report them immediately. Normally this will be a mitigating factor which is considered in your mark. as long as you get ahead of it.
What happens a lot of the time is people kick the can down the road, thinking "well this person's responsibility is X, if they don't do that, that's not my fault". If that person is not engaging, then unfortunately it is up to you to make sure that work still gets done. Simply ignoring the problem is what will lead to a deduction. Talking to the module leader about it is a good start, to try and tighten the scope of the project so that the group can take on that additional work.

Can I still get a first?

Read your regs. A lot of people are quick to point out the common averaging methods of 1:2 or 1:2:2 for Bachelor's/Master's respectively and decide it's not possible.
What they forget is many universities have specific alternative criteria. Some universities will not include your worst module from each year. Some universities will round up from 65-68 if the majority of your modules are 70+. Some universities can base your grade solely on your final year. Sometimes, if your individual project or dissertation is particularly poor, you cannot get a first regardless of your other module grades.
If in doubt, email your tutor and ask them to go through your grades so far and figure out what you need to be achieving.
Hope that's informative. Have I missed any?

For decades the US government has been working on technology to allow them to beam thoughts into people’s heads.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_harassment
https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/10/AR2007011001399_pf.html
There’s even concern that the technology exists and has been used against Americans.
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/jun/02/microwave-weapons-havana-syndrome-experts
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/all/havana-syndrome-likely-caused-microwave-energy-government-study-finds-n1250094
Some of the research into Havana Syndrome showed that the symptoms ultimately overlapped with anomalous structures inside the brains of people who report “anomalous intuition” (psi):

Although Nolan is quick to say that he isn’t a brain expert by training, occasionally his biological research does involve such studies. Several years ago, at the request of members of the intelligence community, he began looking into unusual health conditions afflicting several military and other government personnel. This led Nolan to the discovery of unique features in a particular region of the brain—the caudate putamen—that appeared in the MRI scans of some of these individuals.
It had been the caudate putamen connection, Nolan says, that led to some of the earliest detections of anomalous health incidents that are now popularly known as Havana Syndrome. However, that hadn’t been all that interested Nolan about this research.
“It’s actually a perfect example of the unexpected finding leading to something interesting, even if it wasn’t necessarily where you were headed in the first place,” Nolan says.
“Yet it still circles back to things like remote viewing and perception, consciousness, all of these things,” Nolan says, adding that he hopes to gather enough data to be able to apply it toward furthering our understanding of such purported phenomena.

https://thedebrief.org/garry-nolan-a-stanford-professors-quest-to-resolve-unidentified-anomalous-phenomena/
https://nypost.com/2021/12/12/the-brains-of-people-who-say-theyve-had-a-ufo-encounte
Here’s a paper co-written by one of the more respected UAP researchers, Dr. Jacques Vallée, co-written by Dr. Eric Davis: https://www.jacquesvallee.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Incommensurability_Orthodoxy_and_the_Phy.pdf

Science fiction has familiarized us with the concept of machines (or beings) projecting an image of themselves that systematically confuses observers. One could imagine that UAP represent physical craft equipped with the means to interact both with the surrounding atmosphere and with the senses of observers in such a way as to convey a false image of their real nature. One could argue that such an object could use microwave devices to create perceptual hallucinations in the witnesses (including messages that are heard by a single individual in a group).

Here once again we see the idea of microwaves being used to alter people’s thoughts. Now it’s important to keep in mind that both Vallée and Davis have held security clearances in the past and have been heavily involved in doing UAP research for the USG for decades.
So, we have many different sources that support the idea that UAP can make people see things that aren’t real. This goes from a simple UAP sighting all the way up to people claiming they’ve been abducted by mantis beings (yours truly).
But that doesn’t account for the physical component of UAP, and we know there is one. The objects have been photographed and caught on video. There are physical traces after purported landings. The same Eric Davis that co-wrote the paper with Vallée is acknowledged by many to be one of the recent whistleblowers to testify before Congress about UAP crash retrievals. It’s not the first time he’s done so: https://www.nationalreview.com/news/pentagon-consultant-briefed-senators-on-discovery-of-off-world-vehicles-not-made-on-this-earth/
You can’t retrieve craft that don’t exist. So they have the ability to make people see things that aren’t there, changing the way the real objects may appear. Their true nature can be masked. But what if it’s more complicated than that?
Here’s an excerpt from the conclusion from “Passport to Magonia,” Vallée’s seminal work:

There exists a natural phenomenon whose manifestations border on both the physical and the mental. There is a medium in which human dreams can be implemented, and this is the mechanism by which UFO events are generated, needing no superior intelligence to trigger them. This would explain the fugitivity of UFO manifestations, the alleged contact with friendly occupants, and the fact that the objects appear to keep pace with human technology and to use current symbols. The theory explains the behavior of the “visitors”: aggressive in Latin America, “Cartesian” in France, “alien monsters” in the United States, etc. It also, naturally, explains the totality of religious miracles as well as ghosts and other so-called supernatural phenomena.

It’s very well-known among contact/abduction researchers that there’s a very strong link between the subconscious of the experiencer and the things they report experiencing during these encounters. The concept of “manifesting dreams” is apt, but keep in mind that many cases happen while the person is wide awake, sometimes with co-witnesses who share the experience.
This is one reason why Vallée and Davis proposed in their paper that our reality may not be structured the way we think it is. That there exists an ability to physically manifest psychical objects. In other words, the beings behind the UAP phenomenon may not just have the ability to project visions into people’s heads, or read their thoughts, but to then take that information and generate real, physical experiences with it.
There’s a well-known case of a farmer, Joseph Simonton, who claimed he had contact with aliens and they gave him three pancakes, one of which he ate: https://chasingufosblog.com/2020/02/19/joe-simonton-and-the-pancakes-from-another-planet/
His case was heavily investigated and everyone agreed that Simonton was sincere in his report—he believed what he experienced. The ludicrous nature of it is perfectly in keeping with what Experiencers frequently report. And yet there was physical evidence of the encounter, although it didn’t show anything exotic (and this kind of trace evidence almost never does).
There is a well-known list of people who have been involved in UAP research for the government, a few being Jacques Vallée, Eric Davis, Garry Nolan, Hal Puthoff, Lue Elizondo, Jay Stratton, and Colm Kelleher. Many of them have given interviews on these subjects and they are unanimous in their beliefs that there is something to “the woo.” The idea that our understanding of the physical world as defined by materialism is wrong, or at least incomplete.
There’s also what’s called the “Invisible College,” which is a group of influential thinkers who meet in private to discuss these ideas and related topics. Many of them claim to be Experiencers themselves, according to Diana Pasulka in her book “American Cosmic”:

There are public ufologists who are known for their work, there are a few academics who write about the topic, and then there is an “Invisible College,” as Allen Hynek called it and of which Jacques Vallee wrote—a group of scientists, academics, and others who will never make their work public, or at least not for a long time, although the results of their investigations impact society in many ways.

She goes into great detail about the views of these members, many of which are completely outside of the materialist paradigm. In other words, 100% “woo.”
In Lue Elizondo's redacted IG complaint he alleged that during a meeting within the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense and Intelligence back in 2009 it was said to him that all investigations and research into the phenomenon should end immediately because UAP have "supernatural origins not consistent with certain religious views of specific senior leadership."
Note that: Senior Leadership in government believe that UAP are supernatural. It’s not a fringe position, it’s a primary position. It’s been stated over and over again by nearly all the people involved involved.
The argument the skeptics propose against this is that there’s “no evidence” for it. It’s patently untrue. There’s hundreds of thousands of pages of UAP reports that support it. The best scientists working on the subject have effectively unanimously agreed on it, and scientists work entirely off evidence. The argument is primarily specious because it is based on the false belief that the public would have access to any of the evidence on UAP, ignoring the well-accepted fact that the government collects any such evidence and threatens or intimidates eyewitnesses.
The projects are also so highly classified that even the government oversight committees don’t know what’s going on: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11996773/amp/Six-whistleblowers-spill-UFO-secrets-congress.html
(It’s true that the Daily Mail has a bad reputation for journalism, but in this article they are simply quoting people who have gone on the record publicly with these statements elsewhere, so those concerns don’t apply.)
So the idea that the general public will have access to any of this is information is ridiculous. But there is a group of people in the public who do have knowledge—the same group that was studied to obtain much of the information the government had been working off of, namely Experiencers themselves.
A single account from a random person is an anecdote. It has little evidentiary value. An account from someone with higher credibility or expertise is considered testimony, and it has higher evidentiary value. When you get many such accounts they become data used to form a scientific hypothesis. This is well accepted in scientific circles, but is once again being erroneously used by the skeptics to dismiss the evidence.
The data from Experiencers supports the claims of the experts. That’s not surprising because they’re fundamentally working from the same data set, although the experts also have access to the best (classified) evidence. So when people say “we have no knowledge of the truth regarding UAP” it’s another specious claim. The collated reports from Experiencers give a pretty strong picture of the phenomenon. This is why they are being invited to participate in research being done both inside and outside the government.
https://silvarecord.com/2019/01/09/experiencers-unique-intuition-and-biomarkers/
https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/grant-cameron5/episodes/A-Hint-at-What-the-government-might-know-about-UFOs-and-UFO-experiencers-etri40
The non-materialist aspects (the woo) of UAP are not a subset, a side branch, a false lead, or anything other than the primary data surrounding UAP. Arthur C. Clarke famously stated “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” That’s all the woo is—future science.
It’s time for people to let go of their biases and start actually listening to the experts on these subjects. Start with the scientists who have been studying it and had access to the classified data. Then research the concepts they are discussing, many of which have empirical evidence to support them. If you want to peek behind the curtain at what might be going on beyond just the nuts and bolts, read the books by scientists like John Mack who studied the firsthand accounts. What you shouldn’t waste your time on is the anti-intellectuals who believe that they consistently know better than the experts.
The nuts and bolts of UAP is just the starting line, but the finish line is in sight, and there’s no good reason to not move forward with our discussions and expectations of what’s to come.

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Don't exercise your (long) options for stock! Exercising throws away extrinsic value that selling retrieves. Simply sell your (long) options, to close the position, to harvest value, for a gain or loss. Your break-even is the cost of your option when you are selling. If exercising (a call), your breakeven is the strike price plus the debit cost to enter the position. Further reading: Monday School: Exercise and Expiration are not what you think they are.
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So trying to get update on my last extension. Drs done her part so now I wait 😑

estimate using Pauling's rule the pKa1 values ​​of the following acids:
i) Si(OH) 4
ii) SO 4 H 2
iii) SeO 3 H 2
The experimental pKa1 values ​​Si(OH)4, SO4H2, SeO3H2 are (10, -1.9 and 2.6 respectively).
Draw the Lewis structures of acids and give justification for deviations between the calculated (according to Pauling's rule) and measured values.
​
https://preview.redd.it/yy8sv61lc20b1.jpg?width=835&format=pjpg&auto=webp&v=enabled&s=cd56acf6ceb872ca9a35e392ad9bdfd3fa847a34
​
Is this correctly done?

First Previous
Memory Transcription Subject: Vani, Venlil Surgeon
Date [Standard Human Reckoning]: 2136-10-22
Secluded in the comfort of our cabin, I found myself savoring the rare moments of peace with Johan. The bustling camp did not afford us the luxury of privacy, and this precious pocket of calmness felt like a gift. Lying on the bed together, we did not feel the need to fill the silence with words or engage in any couple of activities. I felt an inherent satisfaction in just lying there together.
"Vani," Johan's voice filled the quiet cabin.
"Johan."
"I'm... I'm afraid of going back," he confessed.
I considered his words before asking, "Do you have many friends back in Jakarta?"
His gaze stayed on the ceiling as he replied, "Other than Snop... not. I guess, in a twisted way, that's a kind of luck?"
I watched as he rolled onto his side to face me, his eyes searching mine. "I count myself beyond fortunate to have met you." His fingers stroked my mane. His light touch felt heavy and comforting. "Even if we were in Jakarta when they implemented the quota they would have let me evacuate with you."
For a while, we just lay there, appreciating each other, our silent exchanges speaking volumes.
When we arrived at the ship, it was still the second or third hour of the day. I forgot when I fell asleep, but Johan's alarm woke us up the same. When we stepped out of our cabin, we found Tresn and the siblings lounging in the common area. Tresn now had the prostheses in his paws. The device twitched every now and there. Meanwhile, the siblings were engrossed in their thoughts or busy with their pads.
In the common area, we had our first meal aboard the vessel. We sat near the window, our portal to the world outside. Through the clear pane, the black water merged with the black sky, and I felt like being suspended in a void. Yet, despite this sense of absolute stillness, the ship flew above the water at a speed above fifty meters per second. Sometime after we had cleared our plates, our surrounding transformed. The sun, breaking the confines of the horizon, began its ascent. Although we were facing away from this bright ball in the sky, its effect was no less mesmerizing. Dawn overtook the black sky. First, the once pitch-black sky took on a shade of deep purple. A transition to an intense, deep red followed it soon after.
Perhaps two or three hours after the sunrise, the coastline of Cirebon began to emerge, peeking out from the edge of the horizon. Its unblemished skyline shone in stark contrast to the devastation reported in Jakarta.
Elangkasa joined us in the common area before we landed.
"Hi folks." They greeted me. "So, I might have forgotten to tell you all that you'll go to Purwakarta Sector 12 as volunteers."
"We don't mind." Said Johan. "I'm glad if I can be of help."
Elangkasa then briefed us on our job in Purwakarta Sector 12, Bolad and I would join the health workers. Johan and Cynthio had put aside their differences, nodding in agreement when Elangkasa assigned them to service and maintain the drones for rescue. Snop agreed when they asked her for help in construction with her skills in operating machining tools.
The armed forces had commandeered this once bustling commercial hub and had transformed it into a temporary base and staging area just like in Banjarmasin. Once we disembarked, Bolad and I joined Johan in his van again. A map of the region appeared on the dashboard. A red pinpoint marked the ovation where the bomb fell and a circle around it, the area of effect.
My classes both in Venlil Prime and Earth did not teach me about orbital bombardment and here I learned that one needs to get into a bunker in times like this. Because, for tens of kilometers, the bomb would heat the air to the point of causing tissue damage. The map showed a region where you will face severe burn injury if you stayed outside when the explosion happened. Amid the circle depicting the zones of devastation, one stark red marker pulsated with disconcerting energy. It lay within the severe heat zone. Its constant glow commanded my immediate attention.
"Johan," I ventured, pointing at the glaring red marker that almost seemed to taunt us, "That red marker there is your home, is it not?"
His eyes shifted from the barren road to the display, taking in the red beacon that represented his home. "Yeah…" He let out a sigh, heavy with desolation within the confines of the vehicle. "I wonder what's left of that house now."
As we drew nearer to the affected area, I steeled myself for the scenes of destruction. However, the buildings seemed to have withstood the assault better than I expected. Of course, we could see the scars of the attack, the shockwave shattered windows and some structures had superficial cracks. A general sense of disarray permeated our surroundings, but the core structures stood against the odds.
Cities and towns dotting the outskirts of the Greater Jakarta Province had been retrofitted with camps to accommodate the droves of displaced people emerging from the ruins of the once-thriving metropolis. In recent days, the tide has started to turn. Able-bodied survivors moved back towards their shattered homes, driven by the urge to reclaim and restore what they could salvage from the debris.
Our journey led us to the city of Purwakarta, a place I remembered from a past excursion with Johan. We had once visited the city's reservoir, taking in the tranquil beauty of the idyllic landscape. The city has changed now. A bustling hive of activity transformed the city as it took refuge for those fleeing the destruction.
Because of the scale of the destruction, we didn't have a single "camp" as we had for the gojids. The refugee districts were divided into Sectors. We pulled into sector twelve as the midday sun reached its zenith, casting almost no shadow on the ground. Prefabricated buildings of varying sizes formed an ordered chaos across the city's outskirts.
Everywhere we looked, people occupied themselves in a frenzy of activity. Here, soldiers oversaw the transport of food and materials. There, health workers moved to check from the habitation unit to the habitation unit. Engineers collaborate with helper and builder drones to perform maintenance and construction. All around, people took on roles they never imagined they would, united by the common goal of survival and restoration.
Despite the dire circumstances, the humans put on determined faces. Humans made the majority of camp inhabitants, but I spotted two arxurs here, their imposing presence always accompanied by a human minder. Both of them shot a look in disgust at Tresn, while humans looked at the defector with an equal part of concern and curiosity.
Elangkasa led us through the camp. First, we passed the engineering quarter where my human and the siblings parted from us. Another trip led us to the medical complex, where we saw medical personnel moving with well-practiced efficiency to care for the injured. A conglomeration of tents and prefabricated buildings all bearing the red crystal symbol made up the hospital. The bustle here felt different, it had an undercurrent of urgency threaded through the ordered chaos.
At the entrance of the hospital's administration building a zurulian had waited for us. Her short stature did not deter us. Upon noticing us, however, her expression turned sour.
"I have a feeling I'm not supposed to be here." Said Tresn. "Maybe... I can get to the habitation unit?"
"You need some help with physiotherapy. Can you bring him there, Elangkasa?" said Bolad.
"Yeah, take that to a human health worker. I'm not going to treat it." The zurulian said with a huff.
"I am Bolad, and this is Vani." The gojid introduced ourselves.
"I'm Rawan, the medical Coordinator for Sector Twelve, Shift Two."
My stomach rumbled, a reminder that it was midday, mealtime according to Earth's cycle.
Sensing my discomfort, Rawan commented. "Hungry already? Well, we are on a lunch break right now. Follow me," leading us away from the hospital administration.
According to the map, there exist two dining areas, located far from each other. The one Rawan brought us to, served plant-based meals for species with a herbivorous diet, the other was where arxurs and their human minders feast.
Stepping into the hall felt comforting. It felt as if an invisible barrier dampened the harsh sounds of the bustling camp outside, replaced by the familiar din of a busy dining hall. Members of Federation species, like us, gathered here. I saw zurulians, colleagues of Dr. Rawan, along with several gojids who had responded to the call for assistance in the rescue, relief, and rebuilding efforts.
The dining procedure here was not like what we had at the camp. Instead of autonomous carts coming around to deliver our meals, we had to stand in line. Humans manned the serving counters, dishing out meals onto trays as we moved along. The menu today consists of a stir-fried noodle and rice combination, named "Nasi Mawut".
After getting our portions, we selected an empty table, the tantalizing taste in the air from our tray deepened my hunger and anticipation. We set down our trays, and with a collective eagerness, took our seats.
"To be honest," Rawan began, her gaze sweeping over the crowded dining hall before returning to her meal, "This is often the highlight of my day here." She gestured towards her plate and scoffed, "Imagine that, I, a zurulian, looking forward to a predator's meal."
"To be fair," I retorted, "this meal is not prepared from ingredients they acquired from hunting."
Rawan chuckled a high-keening sound that made her sound like she was in distress. "Sometimes," she mused, her eyes thoughtful as she poked at her food, "I do wonder why they feel the need to consume flesh when they can subsist on meals such as these."
Not wanting to engage in a sensitive debate with a superior officer we had just met, I opted for silence, focusing instead on the pleasant taste of the Nasi Mawut before us.
A voice broke the quiet chatter around us. A gojid, appearing youthful by their standards, made his way toward our table with a casual gait. A broad smile adorned his face as he acknowledged us. "Hey, doctors! Fancy seeing you here again."
"Greetings," Bolad replied with a courteous nod. "I hope the presence of arxurs has not caused you undue distress?"
I looked at the gojid's hip and saw a familiar scar. I recognized him as the one gored by the sheep back at the camp.
A robust laugh escaped from the gojid, his face brightening up. He waved off Bolad's concerns, "No worries, Doc. We've got a human minder assigned to us to keep those predators in check. And we also have a buddy system, safety in numbers, you know."
"That is good to hear," Bolad responded. Although my facial annotator had learned a lot about gojids' gestures and expressions, it kept interpreting Bolad's emotion as a blank.
A small device strapped to the gojid's wrist chirped. The gojid glanced at it before looking back up to us with a swift nod. "Ah, duty calls. Well, it was nice chatting with you, Doc!" With that, he swung around, his round figure merging with the crowd as he strode towards the exit.
Once the gojid departed, Rawan, Bolad, and I continued to sit and chat over the remains of our meal. Bolad and I shared stories about our experiences in the gojid camp in Kalimantan. The pervasive sound of a resounding announcement filled the hall, halting our exchange. An impersonal voice echoed from the overhead speakers.
"Shift Two! Your break time will be over in ten minutes. I repeat. Shift Two! Your break time will be over in ten minutes." The forceful announcement marked the conclusion of our pause, a reminder of the tasks that awaited us.
"Well, that's our cue," the medical coordinator announced, getting up from her seat. Her hands reached for her tray but having to maneuver in bipedal mode made the action seem awkward.
"Allow me," I offered, reaching for her tray to assist. "I'll carry it to the collection point."
"Thank you," she responded.
As I made my way to the collection point, Bolad engaged Rawan in a conversation. "How many shifts are there in a day?" he queried.
Rawan turned to Bolad. "We work with a four-shift rotation. The humans initially wanted three, due to their unusual stamina," she explained.
Once we discarded the tray Rawan led us back to the medical complex of Sector Twelve.
"Our main goal here is to offer immediate care to the injured and aid in their recovery." She started when we passed the gate of the medical complex.
Rawan gestured towards a cluster of tents assembled off to the side. A perpetual flurry of activity surrounded them as people carried patients in and out on stretchers. "These are our triage tents," Rawan explained. "New patients are first brought here for evaluation. Depending on the severity of their injuries, they are then dispatched to the appropriate sections for treatment. Bolad, you'll be stationed here. Your expertise in general medicine will be invaluable in assessing patients."
Our tour continued, taking us through the maze of the field hospital. We walked past prefabricated structures, erected with solid synthetic materials.
"These," Rawan proclaimed, her paw sweeping towards the buildings, "are our operating theaters. We haven't been able to install remote surgical facilities. Though, given your preference, that shouldn't be an issue..."
"I do favor direct surgery," I confessed, revealing a bit of my past.
Rawan halted, her sharp gaze taking both of us in. Her snout was positioned between Bolad and me looking at us from her peripheral vision. "I've reviewed both of your files," she said, focusing her attention on me. "I've worked with your kind before. You have your use in times and places like this."
Neither Bolad nor I questioned her use of the term "your kind", but we all know what she implied here.
"Now, it's time for you to report to your stations," Rawan instructed us, her tone leaving no room for debate. "The human health workers already in the field will brief you on the specific protocols we've established here."
The moment I crossed the threshold into the operating theater, I was confronted with an open fracture. The sterile operating rooms of the past, where I donned a vacuum suit to prevent my fur from contaminating the environment, seemed a world away. Here, a disposable robe was all that separated me from my patient. I plunged into hours of repairing human bodies, and I feel more useful than I had ever felt before. As valuable as my previous role of determining causes of death was, I feel a satisfying gratification in saving lives.
As I immersed myself in the demanding tasks of the medical field, my mind sometimes drifted toward Bolad. While my duties were straightforward, applying proven techniques and procedures, Bolad grappled with the daunting responsibility of determining the course of our patient's treatment. His role dictated the trajectory of their recovery or, in the worst cases, their demise. The magnitude of such a responsibility could be soul-crushing, and I wished that it did not burden him.
Before I knew it, a new team arrived ready for me to hand over my job to them. The end of our shift brought us to a prefabricated habitation unit, a space similar to our quarters in the camp. Due to spatial constraints, the unit contained three bunk beds instead of the usual row of mattresses.
When Bolad and I arrived at our living quarters, we found Johan, the siblings, and Tresn already present. They all gathered around a table, engrossed in a spirited card game.
"Vani! Bolad!" Johan looked up from his hand of cards, a warm smile spreading across his face. "How was your day?"
Bolad answered before I could. "I had to watch people die."
A stark silence filled the air. Johan's smile faltered as he bit his lip.
"Bolad was assigned to the triage area," I clarified, stepping in to defuse the tension.
"But you can request a rotation if the stress becomes too much," I offered, directing my words at Bolad as I hoisted myself onto an unoccupied chair. "What about you two?" I inquired, shifting the focus onto Johan and his siblings.
"We had to program the drones and-" Johan began, but Cynthio interrupted his explanation.
"They removed all the restrictions," Cynthio said. "We got to work with unrestricted synthetic intelligence! What we had to do felt less like programming and more like... talking with them." The joy and excitement on Cynthio's face were obvious even without my facial annotator.
Tresn placed a card onto the pile in the middle of the table, interjecting a question that caught us off guard. "By the way… how difficult is it to get to Sector Ten?"
"You could walk there if you wanted. Why do you ask?" Johan responded, curious about the sudden interest in another sector.
"There's someone I want to meet," Tresn admitted, a hint of hesitation in his voice.
"Hmm…" Snop considered, tilting her head. "We have about two or three hours before the breaking of the fast. How did you come to know this person?"
"The Internet," Tresn replied.
"Oh…" Snop replied, her face attempting to maintain neutrality and almost failing.
Intrigued by Tresn's unexpected online connection, we decided to accompany him on the short journey to Sector Ten. Leaving our habitation unit, we found ourselves navigating the ad hoc alleyways of Camp Sectors. Humans of all ages hustled past us, their faces a mosaic of determination and sorrow, each one bearing the weight of rebuilding amidst the ruins.
The further we ventured towards Sector Ten, the more conspicuous the increase in the arxurs' presence became. Given their nocturnal tendencies, I surmised that most Arxurs preferred anything but the second shifts.
Upon reaching the main plaza of Sector Ten, Tresn pulled out his pad, fingers dancing over the screen to access a social media site. I saw intensity in his actions, as he engaged in a private chat with a rapid succession of texts. He scanned his surrounding and his instinctive predatory gaze locked onto a specific figure in the bustling crowd, a human who was also looking around. An arxur shadowed him, their movements synchronized as if orchestrated by a shared rhythm.
Tresn wheeled first and we followed him toward the pair, our formation taking on a semi-circular shape around them. The human had close-cropped curly hair and his upper revealed his arm. A band covered his right arm and there was something off about the rest of that limb. The skin looked too smooth.
"Wait…" Snop, ever the observant one, pointed a finger toward the human, her voice laced with recognition. "I think… I know you."
The human responded by pointing back at Snop. "Aren't you Snowpaws?"
She nodded in affirmation. "Yeah, and you're… Jagomerah?"
A smile of confirmation danced on the human's lips. "Yeah."
Johan, who had been watching the interaction unfold, broke into a musing grin, "Jagomerah… that has to be a screen name," he remarked, shifting his gaze toward Tresn.
"Tresn," Johan began, an amused undertone in his voice, "You have been chatting with furries haven't you?"
"Scallies." Both Snop and Jagomerah corrected.

So I recently started with the rebuilds because I craved more eva content....
EVANGELION 1.11
I don't have much to say about this except for the fact that they made Operation Yashima even better than the original....
EVANGELION 2.22

• So, movie starts with some unknown character...Unfortunately I already know this is Mari.
• The fight seemed quite fun to watch but this got me concerned about the direction and atmosphere that this is going for because this is too much badassery without anything that makes Evangelion, Evangelion.
• So...they are doing the grave scene this early? OK. There doesnt seem to be much of a difference from the OG.
• Unit 02 jumps in unlike the OG anime and the battles again seem much too badassery with little emotional value. Still, although it isnt like the original anime I am enjoying every moment of this. Especially this battle kinda does a nice job setting up her character.
• So...they gonna introduce Asuka like that here. I won't say its bad but episode 8 did a much much better job setting up her character as well as her thoughts on the other characters while also being quite funny.
• Why the name change though?
• I actually like most of the changes made, they are not directly better than NGE but quite different and very good in their own sense.
• Pen-Pen causes lewd comedy yet again.
• The scene with Asuka and the doll is kinda good ngl.
• Another very beautiful scene of the buildings.
• They made Asuka even more of a gamer here.
• Kaworu here is kinda....odd.
• More happy comedy stuff in the Sanctuary.
• They have given a lot of attention to Rei in the rebuilds to be honest and most of it is well done too.
• Asuka just casually roasts every vegan in existence, Good Job.
• More philosophy with Fuyutsuki and Gendo, and this portrayal of the second impact is fuckin beautiful as expected.
• The way the second Impact Flashback was animated was so good along with the masterful scoring.
• The Sahaquiel fight is fuckin awesome and also does some good character development. I think it is as good as NGE if not better tbh.
• They changed the infamous scene of Asuka sleeping in Shinjis room. This is way too different to the original to compare but after watching the tragedy EoE and NGE this kinda wholesome alternate interaction between them feels good to watch.
• So...here Rei seems to actually be able to care about others....nice.
• Mari's introduction and the character herself is as annoying as watching someone mount a red dot sight on a Thompson. She is a totally unneccessary character with unneccessary fanservice and no depth or logic outside the typical anime *I LIKE FIGHTING CUZ ITS FUN* stuff which shouldnt be in eva.
• Asuka and Shinji seem to be getting alone much better than NGE. She's even cookin for him. This will surely not catalyse my sorrow in a later part of the movie...
• Rei's meal party is quite an interesting way to strengthen the emotions conveyed by the plot.
• The elevator scene is nice, but not as uncomfortable as the OG.
• The small part where Asuka is in a car going towards Unit 03 has so much depth to it I can't even begin to analyze it all in this post. The color grading perfectly symbolises the emotions given off here. Knowing the fate of Unit 03 and still being helpless feels like (DDLC SPOILERS AHEAD) >! watching all the ddlc characters die and always knowing their fate but being able to do nothing about it. !
• Also the fact that Asuka probably did it so that Rei could continue with the dinner party feels so heartbreaking knowing what happens to Unit 02
• That little heart to heart with Misato is what made me feel even sadder. Soryu could never open up and the only time she ever managed to feel properly happy in EoE we all know what happened. Shikinami manages to pave a small part of the path to getting better, which all the NGE fans wanted to see for Soryu, and then when she actually does something for others all that happens is she gets put into Unit 03 and faces Unit 03's fate.
• I absolutely don't like the plugsuit used for Unit 03, I would not complain this much for fanservice but it was completely unneccessary to use in such an emotional moment and should not have been done.
• The entire battle of Unit 01with the Unit 03 is even more heartbreaking here, because in NGE despite being a quite well developed character, Toji was comparatively underdeveloped and didnt get the audience attached as much, at least for me it was so. However, here Shikinami's character development was spot-on and watching this happen to Asuka and making Shinji do it feels even more heartbreaking because after watching NGE we all felt bad for her and seeing her in this rebuild, where she hopes to just continue normally after piloting Unit 03, also getting along with Shinji well and helping Rei, just makes this scene 10 times more heartbreaking. Also after watching EoE seeing her get mangled yet again was also painful to watch. The most heartbreaking thing was that she had a clearly happier and better future than Soryu, and seeing that future get crushed feels bad especially moreso after NGE and EoE. Also the song makes it so much more tragic.
• That train scene from Shinji's mind is rather early here.
• Bardiel seems much too different here to compare, however im loving every moment of it.
• Mari is still annoying and how tf did she get the Unit 02.
• The entire sequence where Unit 01 goes berserk and tries to save Rei with all that abstract art like flashing light stuff. This part is just the return of peak Anno direction. Also the way of playing a song with a ironic mood is just like kom susser tod, just not as good.
• So...Second Impact so soon?

Final Thoughts- Absolutely loved the movie, hated Mari, left emotionally crushed by seeing Asuka get mangled in her happiest moments yet again.

Album Cover
xooos - Made In Heart (1st EP)
Release Date: May 30, 2023

Track	Lyrics by	Composed by	Arranged by
01. Joy	xooos, Milena	xooos, Milena, Han Sung Jun	Milena, Han Sung Jun
02. Fabricated Love	Milena	Milena, plan8	Milena, plan8, Snozern, Jeon Seunghyun, KUK
03. Bad At Us / Audio	Milena, Ryan S. Jhun, Gil Lewis, Hannah Jane Lewis, Mali-Koa	Ryan S. Jhun, Gil Lewis, Hannah Jane Lewis	Milena, Ryan S. Jhun, Gil Lewis
04. Lavender	Ryan S. Jhun, Emile Ghantous, Leslie Johnson, Megan Elizabeth Donnelly, Sofia Quinn	Ryan S. Jhun, Emile Ghantous, Leslie Johnson, Megan Elizabeth Donnelly, Sofia Quinn	Ryan S. Jhun, Emile Ghantous
05. There There	xooos, Milena	xooos, Milena, basecamp	basecamp, Milena

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I came across a big similarity when reading up about several ancient unconnected cultures and their mythologies. A general story that seems to be an allegory for an old divination technique known as the geomantic act. It seems as if several of these stories about the creation of the first temples/sacred structures/the world are describing a localized version of the same story. I wanted to know some professional opinions on it because personally it think it has finally made sense of these strange mythologies.
I did not write this it was taken from an article I have been reading on an unrelated subject.
"So if all these distant civilizations shared the same ancient culture or started out from the same sort of mother culture then surely there would be some evidence left of it right? I thought so too so I spent a considerable amount of time looking for connections that would be too specific to ignore or pass off as coincidence. Finally after years of searching I found them.
The main one, and what this section is about is a shared cultural art between ancient China, South America and Ancient Egypt. This art is known as geomancy and in China it is known as Feng Shui, each one of these places I just mentioned contain huge pyramids within their borders and both Egypt and the south American cultures have a very similar story of creation that seems to be an allegory for what they call the "geomantic act". A divination technique used to build temples and buildings in the exact right spot (according to the practitioners of it).
This section from the following book details exactly what that is.
Secret Games of the Gods pages: https://imgur.com/gallery/R3EdoJk
I will summarize it but you should actually take the time to read it as it is only a few pages.
The actual geomantic act is divining a place using the four directions to pick the right location, then once found stabbing a sword, stake or metal wedge into the ground at the exact center of the planned building, usually there is something done to consecrate this center which they call the navel of the structure. Another way to view it (like the above book says) is a hero slaying a dragon or serpent with the aid of four warriors/weapons/deities then building a holy structure on the place the monster was killed. This is how they represent the act in allegorical form in the European version of it.
For the Egyptian mythology I have posted a scan of a very rare book that details the first published translations of the Edfu Temple in Egypt. As the title indicates it details the mythological origin of the first temple that appeared on earth according to the oldest Egyptian records we had found as of 1969 (when the book was published). The very borders of Prehistory.
You can download it here - https://archive.org/details/0_20220129_202201
or read it here.
https://unifyingtheory.blogspot.com/2022/01/the-mythological-origin-of-egyptian.html
The objective story the Aztec/Olmec/Mayan/Inca (I am unsure who originated them, I am not a historian) and Egyptian creation myth (according to the Edfu Texts) begin with a world of darkness with no land, only sky and water and a god who lives there, then the god one way or another creates the first world/land which is an island, and the first people, eventually fighting ensues, then because of the fighting the earth is engulfed by water or the island disappears (same thing when you are the only land). Then from this water the new world rises and is rebuilt in the old worlds image from the "bones" of the old world.
Now that story could be shrugged off as mere coincidence I suppose, However...Later in these stories of creation another identical event happens. In the Egyptian and Aztec myths a hero or creator god and group of 4 gods, protectors or warriors represented by four animals and four directions. Do battle with a serpent type monster that always represents chaos. They win this fight and slay the monster and then on the spot it was slain build a sacred temple.
What I just described to you seems to be another allegory used in other cultures for what they call the geomantic act, a local adaptation of it.
The following are pages from the Edfu translation book I linked:
-Page 35 in the book is the summery of the fight. A fight between a serpent and a hawk and his four protectors who represent the four directions. Just as the book "Secret Games of the Gods" described the geomantic act, using the four directions the "hero" would slay the "dragon" and build on the spot it was slayed.
-Page 196 details it. It should also be noted that Tanen became Ptah-Tatenen who was the god of creation and temple building. The page below also clarifies that the sacred place would be built where the snake enemy was slayed.
-Page 324 is the overall summery of the book and outlines the new world made from the bones of a dead god.
Here is the link to those pages: https://imgur.com/gallery/06dMHH1
-Page 297 states the earth god which is found to actually represent earth said to have a “Ka” (spirit) and the earths “Ka” being present was the perquisite for building these temples. So the earths energy had to be present at these sites for building and then once the temple was made it had to be activated by joining with the earths Ka.
Also of note these 4 animals from the Edfu texts also turn up in the book “The Secret Teachings of All Ages” written in 1923 a few decades before the Edfu texts were even translated.
Page 296 and the pages from "the secret teachings of all ages": https://imgur.com/gallery/Wydaz6m
This fits the geomantic act because it also is using natural energy to pick a location for a sacred building (according to the practitioners of it).
A good summery but I recommend reading the entire book because it has many details not covered in the summery. Now there are several creation myths from the Aztecs but we are only going to go over the relevant one.
You can read more about them here:
https://aztec-religion-ee.weebly.com/creation-myth.html
This story of creations shares many similarities with the story laid out in the Edfu temple and seems to also be an allegory for the geomantic act.
"In the beginning was the void. It was at some ancient time in the Aztec creation story that the dual god, Ometecuhtli/Omecihuatl, created itself. (Looking back, of course, the Aztecs believed that the many opposites that they saw in the world would have to somehow unite in the origin of the world.) This god was good and bad, chaos and order, male and female. Being male and female, it was able to have children. It had four, which came to represent the four directions of north, south, east and west. The gods were Huizilopochtli (south), Quetzalcoatl (east), Tezcatlipoca (west), and Xipe Totec (north).
The directions were very important to the Aztecs, since their great empire was believed to be at the very center of the universe (remember what I mentioned about the Aztec creation story being political?).
These four gods began to create. They created water, and other gods, and the sea monster Cipactli. Cipactli was part fish and part crocodile, a massive creature as big as all things that now are. This was a consuming monster, a jaw at every joint. Cipactli was to become the source of the cosmos in a strange way.
As the gods continued to create, they had a problem — their creations would fall into the water and be eaten by the dreadful Cipactli. So it was time for war — the four gods attacked the sea monster, pulling her in four directions. She fought back, biting Tezcatlipoca and tearing off his foot. But at last Cipactli was destroyed.
From this enormous creature the universe was created (in some traditions this happened between the last two suns). All the 13 heavens stretch into her head. The earth was created in the middle, and her tail reaches down to the underworld (Mictlán) (nine underworlds, to be exact).
You could say that in the Aztec creation story the world is on the back of this sea monster, floating in the water of space (reminiscent of the Iroquois belief that the world rests on the back of a turtle).”
http://www.aztec-history.com/aztec-creation-story.html
So according to the above story of creation the Aztecs thought that their land was on the back of a serpent type dragon monster that was killed by four gods by stretching it in the four directions. It actually had many similarities with the geomantic act and its purpose laid out in Secret Games of the Gods. That book also said the purpose of the act was to control the "serpent" in the earth and stop its chaos from destroying the building.
Now its pretty hard to dismiss those stories as mere coincidence, those stories are seemingly localized versions of what is known as the “serpent slaying myth” in indo-european culture. A story that is told and was told in cultures the world over in various localized versions in a time when they had no communication or even knew each other existed. As we saw in the Edfu temple book even the ancient Egyptians had this myth and practice of geomancy.
The following article covers this myth pretty well but as always do your own research and dig deeper and look for more credible sources.
https://shivnu.blogspot.com/2023/02/the-proto-indo-european-serpent-slaying.html
Later in these stories of creation identical events happen. In the Egyptian and Aztec myths a group of 4 gods or protectors, warriors or gods represented by 4 animals and also the 4 directions. Do battle with a serpent type monster that represents chaos in all the stories. They win this fight and slay the monster and then on the spot it was slain build a sacred temple.
These animals are in the Edfu myth Snake, Lion, Bull and hawk. They are the 4 guardians that protect “The Falcon” in its fight against a great “snake”.
in the Aztec myth this scenario also plays out but they are gods who animal incarnations or representations are “plummed serpent” (implying a feathered or flying snake), Jaguar, hummingbird, and a god that has no definite form and takes many forms and is the god of warfare.
in the Aztec myth the gods also represent directions. The 4 Aztec directional gods have aspects of the 4 guardian animals. Not the exact same animals mind you but the overall same animals (snake, bird, big cat, formless/unsure)
(I should note that I was unable to narrow down if these are the actual directions they represent because I came across several conflicting sources. However its the overall general story that is important and not the specifics as they would be adapted anyway)
-Huitzilopochtli (pron. Huit-zi-lo-pocht-li) or ‘Hummingbird of the South’ or ‘Blue Hummingbird (bird)
https://www.worldhistory.org/Huitzilopochtli/
-Quetzalcóatl (pron. Quet-zal-co-at) or 'Plumed Serpent' (snake or dragon)
https://www.worldhistory.org/Quetzalcoatl/
-Tezcatlipoca’s nagual, or animal disguise, was the jaguar, the spotted skin of which was compared to the starry sky. A creator god, Tezcatlipoca ruled over Ocelotonatiuh (“Jaguar-Sun”), the first of the four worlds that were created and destroyed before the present universe. (Cat)
https://www.worldhistory.org/Tezcatlipoca/
-Xipe Totec has a controversial history, some people think that the god replaced an earlier god from the story, I could find no credible source about his animal form or direction (though only north is left) however, He is the inventor of war according to the Aztec mythology so that lines up with the Chinese feng shui direction (we will get to this in a moment) of north being the tortoise or "black warrior" (Warrior)
https://www.worldhistory.org/Xipe_Totec/
In the Aztec myth the 4 gods do battle with a "serpent/fish", they slay it by ripping it apart in the 4 directions then build from its body on the spot it was slain their world/empire. That is objectively the same story from the book I linked with 3 out of the 4 animal guardians being the same.
Now these animals turn up in one other place with pyramids within its borders. China and Taoism, specifically the 4 animals that represent the 4 directions often associated with the ancient art of Feng Shui which in actuality is the Chinese art of geomancy.
In feng shui the four directions are represented by 3 out of the 4 are the same kind of animals. The entire art of it is about choosing the right location to build things using divination.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Symbols
“The Four Symbols (Chinese: 四象; pinyin: Sì Xiàng, literally meaning “four images”), are four mythological creatures appearing among the Chinese constellations along the ecliptic, and viewed as the guardians of the four cardinal directions. These four creatures are also referred to by a variety of other names, including “Four Guardians”, “Four Gods”, and “Four Auspicious Beasts”. They are the Azure Dragon of the East, the Vermilion Bird of the South, the White Tiger of the West, and the Black Tortoise (also called “Black Warrior”) of the North. Each of the creatures is most closely associated with a cardinal direction and a color, but also additionally represents other aspects, including a season of the year, an emotion, virtue, and one of the Chinese “five elements” (wood, fire, earth, metal, and water). Each has been given its own individual traits, origin story and a reason for being. Symbolically, and as part of spiritual and religious belief and meaning, these creatures have been culturally important across countries in the East Asian cultural sphere.”
Not only that but the directions in Aztec mythology are represented by the same color pallet as the Chinese four guardians Black, white, blue and red. Only north and west line up with being the same color and same direction but all the colors are the same.
“The god could be depicted in different colours depending on which cardinal point he was representing — black for north, blue for south, red for east and white for west.”
3 out of 4 creatures match the Aztec and Egyptian mythology and they are all referred to as guardians or gods. The one odd guardian/direction out is the tortoise replacing the bull but interestingly enough the tortoise is also called the black warrior and Xipe Toltec (formless/many formed god) the Aztec god of the north is also the god of warfare. They are also the only animal/god/directions with unsure names or forms which in itself is a link in common all three versions have. Perhaps it was called a different name in the past.
The “plummed serpent” sounds like a spot on interpretation of a Chinese dragon, depicted as flying snakes often with feathers.
Explanation: https://wallpaperaccess.com/ancient-chinese-dragon
Also worth mentioning is the calendar similarities between some of these cultures. The following is a fantastic outline and demonstration of the similarities.
https://mormonuniversalism.com/11680/the-aztec-mayan-calendar-its-similarities-to-the-hebrew-biblical-calendar-and-book-of-mormon-dates/
There is undoubtedly a connection here. The beginning of the earth from the various cultures being the same objective story could easily be dismissed as coincidence. The same 4 animals representing in some cases the same directions and originating from the same scenario which is then used to pick the spot to build a holy place or building however cannot be dismissed so easily and I think is incredible evidence that a shared or "mother" culture existed between them. That all three cultures would also contain within their territory pyramids is also to hard to dismiss as a coincidence with all of this evidence laid out.

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