Hi everyone.
To Kill a Predator is a work of fan fiction set in the Nature of Predators universe originally created by SpacePaladin15 whose Patreon you should subscribe to.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. Depiction does not equal endorsement.
Hope you enjoy it!
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Memory transcription subject: Martin Russo, Human Refugee
Date [standardized human time]: January 10th, 2137
​
Without the girls, life settles into a boring rut. I talk to them as much as I can on the pad, but they’re busy on Earth, hitting the ground running.
There’s been a lot of ground to cover before they’re caught up to where everyone else will be, particularly for Vilek. She’s often had to pull double-claws of studying, working her fluffy ass off to gain a baseline understanding of psychology in record time. Thiva’s classes on VP by contrast have prepared her well for humanity’s relatively simple technology.
That, and they’ve had to get used to Earth. Earth food, Earth culture, and a planet full of omnivores with forward-facing eyes. I’ve been doing what little I can to help coach and encourage them.
For my own part I’ve been restless. Given that I’m not able to look for a job yet, that physical therapy kicks my ass every other paw, and that I’ve got nothing to do other than look forward to a half-hour of chatting with my friends… I’ve started up on software again. It’s something I can do even while laying prone. Particularly since I have a way to write without using my hands.
What do I do with that, anyway? I can read minds. I can even use the raw data from a full brain scan to extract memories. There’s got to be something useful to do with this. It’s practically the only part of this entire debacle I haven’t bothered telling the UN about.
Honestly after what I’ve been through, I can’t imagine trusting them, or the Venlil government, with this. Bastards would be prosecuting thought-crime by the end of the week.
​
Jarkim’s opened his business a couple of weeks back. Without an actual office, since he plans to simply operate out of Slavik’s farm. As I understand they tolerate it as long as he also helps out in return for food and board. I hope the arrangement works out for the both of them.
I gave Jarkim some help with his online presence. He wasn’t initially sure about the black and white picture of him in a fedora and a tie, or about the business name “Jarkim Krakotl, Private Eye”. But as soon as humans heard about Venlil Prime’s only Krakotl detective they’ve ended up coming to him with their problems.
He sent me a picture of his first solved case, some runaway kid who got lost and reunited with her mother. He was still wearing the hat. No tie, though.
​
Today is my paw off from Chasa’s torments, and it coincides with the launch of another exciting new business venture. So I take the time to visit Mosun.
“Hey Martin! Hold on a minute!” I see the Yotul wrangling a bunch of foam mats around the large, empty room. And its wall-length mirror. Fittingly the place look like the midway point between a dance studio and a martial arts dojo, except for the soft and spongy floor. It’s meant to safeguard against falls.
I glance around the room while he huffs and plops the last few ones down. There’s perhaps thirty-five or forty foam mats scattered on the floor. “So are you being optimistic, or did you get a good reception?”
He looks at me, bouncing with excitement. Though his ears signal a bit of nervousness. “Five Yotul have signed up so far! That’s almost half the Yotul in the entire town! And almost twenty humans! Hanya’s bringing a couple of Gojid friends too, and we’ve got a few Venlil coming along with their humans… Oh, and an Iftali, that was a surprise. Honestly I may be a little in over my head here; I’ve never taught crowds before! I’m not even sure how much will translate across species!”
“So you’ll be learning on the job. I have complete faith in you. Are the Exterminators going to give you any trouble?”
He barks a laugh. “Hah! No, Jarkim had a talk with the magister. I got permission from Vaska’s office to teach the classes in the name of cultural preservation, so those motherfuckers can’t touch me!”
I laugh as well. “You might need to censor your language a bit as a teacher.”
“Combat Dancing is about honesty and expression, Martin. If I can’t live it, how am I supposed to teach it?”
Well, he got me there. “Anything I can do to help?”
He glances at me, his voice gets a little uncomfortable. “Um, I don’t know. Can you carry heavy stuff right now?”
I shrug. “Probably not, no.”
“Then I’ll be fine. You’re not interested in taking the class?”
​
“I think my dancing days are over, for the foreseeable future.” I wryly lift my cane and wave it as a small reminder. It’s wood, and I’m quite fond of it. Chasa found a Venlil craftsman who wanted to be the first to make one for a human, and he made it out of the wood of some kind of tree called Lampan. The color reminds me of mahogany.
His ears droop a bit. “Ah yeah. How permanent is that looking?”
I shrug. “Finger dexterity on the right hand’s likely never going to be the same, but I’ll be able to play video games. Left arm should recover enough for daily use. Leg should get a full range of motion, but I won’t be going jogging. Thankfully I look dignified with a cane.”
He wags his tail teasingly and cocks his head as he regards me. “Do you? …Must be a human thing.”
“Piss off. Mind if I sit in on the class?”
“Of course not!”
Turns out first class of Yotul Combat Dancing is a quick demonstration, and then Mosun talking to the quite large and varied crowd. He talks about the history and cultural significance of Combat Dances to the Yotul, the philosophical underpinnings of the artform, and the mentality to be cultivated in practitioners.
Everyone is listening with rapt attention, and a few of the humans are even taking notes. When he opens the floor for questions, a Venlil asks “Isn’t this an expression of Predator Disease?”
To which Mosun answers “No. Next question?”
Which is honestly as much of a response as that warrants.
I talk with Hanya briefly after the class. She says that she’s been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and that human therapy is helping her out. She even talks excitedly about piloting shuttles again, someday soon. I’m glad for her.
​
Once I get back to the house, there’s a man in a suit waiting for me. He’s tall, bald, and has very dark skin. I don’t recognize him. He extends his hand toward me, and I shake it. He speaks English with an African accent, instead of letting the translator handle it. I’d guess western Africa, but I’m hardly an expert. “Bamidele Adeyemi.”
“Martin Russo. Can I help you?”
He indicates the door. “May I come in?”
“Sure. My Venlil hosts aren’t home right now.”
“Of course.”
Once he’s been let in, and I’ve given him something to drink, I wait patiently for him to explain his presence.
“I am the UN liason to the district magister’s office.”
I keep my tone neutral and politely curious. “What happened to Robert McGinley?”
He keeps his tone neutral too, but friendly. He smiles at me. “It was decided that he should be replaced.”
Oh no. Anyway. “Alright. But… No offense mister Adeyemi, but why are you here?”
​
He takes out a pad. “I have some documents that the UN and the District Magister would like you to sign.”
I sigh inwardly and make a quite heroic effort to not sigh outwardly. I look at the pad briefly anyway. As I expected, it’s about making myself legally liable should I speak up about what I’ve gone through. “I’m afraid you are wasting your time. McGinley told me to sign papers like this too, and I told him ‘no’.”
He nods, entirely unsurprised. “I understand you signed similar documents over a smaller… altercation with the Exterminators. Why the difference of response, if I may ask?”
“Because the first time he threatened to have me thrown out of the refugee center if I didn’t.”
Bamidele’s eyes widen briefly. “I see. That does explain why you told him to ‘fuck off’.”
“Yes.” I pause briefly. “…You’ve been polite enough that I don’t want to use the same language. But.”
He laughs briefly. “Haha, yes, I understand. Different circumstances, yes? My predecessor tried the stick. I am here to try the carrot. So tell me, mister Russo, what will it take for you to sign?”
“There’s nothing that…” I pause.
I sit down. I’m briefly quiet. I miss my friends so goddamn much. I swallow, mouth feeling dry as I tentatively reach for the proffered lifeline. “I… hear Sweden’s lovely this time of year.”
He flashes his teeth at me in a broad smile and chuckles pleasantly. “Hehe, I thought you might say that. But… You do realize it is January?”
​
​
Date [standardized human time]: January 12th, 2137
​
The thought of leaving this wretched planet and its wretched food and its wretched government and its wretched ever-present sun makes me feel like I’m already back in Earth’s lighter gravity.
I ended up paying Chasa back for all the pain and suffering she inflicted on me: The largest gift basket I could find online, filled with fruits, candies, and preserves of both Zurulian and human origin.
When I wake up at the start of the paw, my arch-nemesis has sent me two pictures. The first one is a schedule to keep for the next couple of months. In the second picture she’s put pillows and blankets in the basket and is using it as a bed, a paw raised in goodbye.
If the medi-teddies ever learn to weaponize their cuteness, humanity is in real trouble.
Packing is easy. I don’t have a lot. A band shirt from when I went to see ‘Where Angels Fear’, a few bad sketches of fruit, my dad's chess set, my pad, and a neural scanner.
​
Date [standardized human time]: January 13th, 2137
​
The space flight actually lands directly in Sweden, somewhere north of the polar circle at a place called Esrange. I immediately realize that winter’s back on the menu, as the cold makes my left leg and arm ache like hell. It’s the dead of night, too… But I’ve missed night. So has everyone else, as despite the cold people are walking straight out into the snow to just stare up into the starry sky and stare in open awe at the sky, where the stars form a backdrop for the northern lights. I join them.
A poetic whimsy falls over me, making me grin at the cheesiness. It’s like the sky itself is welcoming us back home.
From Esrange we take cars to Kiruna, Sweden’s northernmost city. From there it’s a long train ride south. I’ve gotten a sleeper cabin. With the generous stipend from the UN, I have no need to scrimp.
Even so, it takes significantly longer to travel 1400 kilometers across Sweden than it did to travel 16 light-years from Gliese 832. I’ve got almost twenty hours to appreciate the irony.
​
Date [standardized human time]: January 14th, 2137
​
I’m met at the train station in Lund by a man holding a sign with my name on it. His car takes me directly to the university. Everything feels very… ordinary, except I’m a bit dazed at having so many humans around me again.
We arrive a little before 8 in the morning. Excited students scurry to and fro, eager and hopeful for the first day of spring term. The driver is named Markus, and very kindly helps me find my way to my meeting. I’m left outside a door, standing around awkwardly.
The man I’m meeting with is Jonas Falck, and he’s the head of the department of computer science. While the UN has ‘encouraged’ the university to take me in despite it being so close to the term start, the decision remains with him.
I really wanted to see the girls first, but the meeting time was set for me. I desperately wish I had thought to shave beforehand. I’ve been using my beard to hide my weak chin, but it probably looks more unprofessional than-
“Hey, are you Martin Russo?”
Ah, I see.
Mister Falck is holding two cups of coffee and offers one of them to me with a smile. He’s got a full beard, a full belly, hair past his shoulders, and a pink hawaiian shirt to go with his khaki shorts and flip-flops. This man is clearly one of the most talented professionals working in the field today.
​
“So, do you mind if I ask…” He motions to my cane while I take a seat.
“How that happened?”
“Yes.”
“That’s classified. I’m not even joking.”
He nods once, like that was more or less what he expected to hear. He leans back in his chair, which creaks a bit, and takes a slow drink from his coffee while reading on his computer. “So you studied at Columbia University before the Bombing?”
“Yes.”
“And your family lived in New York?”
“Yes.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.” He doesn’t say it unkindly, but he does say it as rote. ‘Oh you’re from one of the places that doesn’t exist anymore? Sorry to hear that.’
I nod awkwardly. “Yes.”
“And you were focusing on studying brain-computer interfacing?”
I feel like a recording. “Yes.”
“It’s very uncommon to add a student this late. The term begins today.”
“Yes.”
“We can’t provide housing for you on such a short notice, for one.”
“I have that handled, sir.”
He scrunches his face up. “Jonas, please. Americans are so formal.”
“Alright, er, Jonas.”
“So, Martin, what I’m asking for is a reason. To take you in right now, I mean, instead of next year.”
I nod. This is thankfully something I had planned for. My hand slips into my pocket, fingering the box holding the scanner electrodes. “Well, Jonas… I think there’s something you should take a look at.”
​
Handling paperwork and basic orientation takes most of the morning. I manage to get morning-and-evening classes to share my time off with the lambchops. That only works because most people don’t want evening classes. Evenings are for partying if you’re a student, so late classes are mostly for adults with jobs.
I end up standing around nervously by the entrance to the university building, counting down the time. I watch people passing by as calmly as I can, still checking my pad every minute or so for any messages and jerking my head around like a bird at anything that’s even a bit of a shade of gray.
I can tell the alien girls are coming even before I see them, since everyone is glancing curiously their way. I straighten my back and shift my weight from foot to foot. I feel like a dog at an airport, waiting for the return of its owner.
They’re looking around as I see them, and Thiva’s the first to spot me. Her ears perk up and Vilek immediately looks to me as well. As they speed up into a sprint, I’m a bit surprised to see them both wearing clothes. Both girls are wearing custom boots made to fit their digitigrade legs.
They’re both wearing coveralls, Vilek’s in a hospital teal and Thiva’s in a bright red. It’s been explained to me that many at the university have a student culture of wearing colorful coveralls that they decorate with patches, called ‘Ovve’, and that Thiva’s red marks her as a mechanical engineering student. Vileks’s teal, presumably, mark her as studying healthcare. Or specifically therapy, perhaps. I need to look it up.
Seeing as computer science students are apparently expected to wear pink ones, I’m thinking I might sit out this grand and colorful tradition. On the other hand according to the Internet it’s an informal rule to cut a bit from the ‘Ovve’ of anyone you’ve exchanged body fluids with and patch it onto your own. So I suppose I could be convinced.
The girls collide with me, thankfully gently. Their tails are wagging like crazy out of the back of their outfits, and they’re clinging to me. I inhale deeply, take in the distinct and pleasant scent of my cute Venlil friends, and cling to them as well. My fingers stroke through their thick fur, and I hear their happy wordless bleating and whistling.
I close my eyes and enjoy the moment, not giving one whit for the passersby watching the scene.
“Oh, girls, I-” Vilek punches me in the arm unexpectedly. The right one, thankfully.
“Ow!”
Even though her ears signal joy and her tail is wagging, her voice is still stern. “We learned what ‘lambchops’ means!”
Ah.
​
The student flat isn’t very expansive, but it’s larger than the one we shared on Venlil Prime. Probably because humans are just plain larger.
It’s currently sparsely furnished. There’s a couple of desks, a couch, a table, a beanbag chair, and a bunk bed. I take my shoes off in the hallway, as the girls do. When in Lund.
They help me unpack. There’s not a lot, but they had already set aside a little corner for me. I’ve got the beanbag chair instead of a desk, which I’m perfectly fine with.
I sigh and lean against a wall briefly. “I’m… so glad to be home.”
Thiva turns her head a little, flicking an ear in question. “You missed being on Earth?”
I chuckle, and pinch her ear-tip lightly. I lean over to give Vilek one too, for fairness. It earns me a pair of bleeps from them, and I go on the offensive to rub their heads and scratch their ears and do everything I can to make the lambchops squeal happily. They thankfully oblige. “I missed being with my herd.”
My friends are safe, they’re here with me, and we all have paths forward. I’ve fought and bled for this opportunity. I’m allowed to enjoy it.
I sit down on the couch with a quiet groan of satisfaction, finally getting to put my cane aside. “So, girls… how are you feeling about Earth so far?”
They grumble immediately. “It is so freaking cold!” “Snow! We do not like the snow!”
“It’s only for another couple of… Months.” They’re undressing right in front of me. I am left briefly stunned.
Oh right they don’t normally wear clothes.
Reminding myself of that doesn’t help. The context is what it is. They’re my best friends and my two favorite girls and they’re stripping naked before me.
My brain fails me. “…Okay, so, uhh. Um. Hmmh. Huh.”
Mother of God there’s nothing different! They’re naked. They’re always naked! It hasn’t been a problem on VP, it won’t be a problem here! Man up!
I take a deep and steadying breath and resolutely refuse to think of patches of white and red on a set of pink coveralls, with pink patches on their matching ones.
“I guess we should… buy some food? And some clothes for me to use? And…”
And they turn their heads toward me, staring at me with one eye each. Side by side. Making me feel like I'm being stared down by a single creature. One with forward-facing eyes. And an orange blush.
They take slow steps closer. Thiva speaks first with an amused lilt to her voice. “Or maybe this is a good time to talk. You know, about the house rules.”
Vilek speaks as well, moving her tail sinuously in a teasing motion. “Relationship statuses.”
Thiva comes in with the finisher, practically purring. “Sleeping arrangements.”
Ah.
​
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And that's the end! Thank you all so much for reading, and check the comments for a small request from yours truly!
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this is a bit of a niche situation, but I have no idea what to do and am hoping for some help
in February, my dad (naturalized US citizen + Taiwanese citizen) was denied boarding in his flight to the US because his passport was expired. For some reason, he did not want to wait for his passport to be renewed and instead rebooked his flight and entered the US via ESTA (visa waiver) using his Taiwanese passport. Upon arriving in the US, he immediately applied for a passport renewal. In April, he returned to Taiwan for 2 weeks due to a death in the family, and he returned at the end of April (again using ESTA). His renewed US passport has arrived (to our home address in the US) 2 days before he arrived, so there was no way for us to mail it to him in Taiwan.
When this initially happened, I told him to stay in Taiwan and renew his passport there but he wouldn’t listen and has since tasked me with figuring this out for him. Is there anyway for him to “leave and renter” the US on his US passport without him physically leaving the continent? Given the costs of flying to Taiwan as well as the lost time, he wants to avoid flying back as much as possible. All four of his children are US citizens (by birth), as well as his spouse (naturalized), which means that he would qualify for a change of status… but he already has US citizenship so I have no idea if Change of Statuses while on ESTA could even apply here. Since this is a niche situation, I have no clue who to ask for help or how to go about this because I don’t want him to face problems for overstaying on the ESTA. Any advice? Is there any agency whom I would be able to contact for help/answers to these questions? I feel so lost and stressed because of this.
any advice is greatly appreciated.
edit: low karma bc this is an account I made for private/sensitive posts so I’m less identifiable
tldr: dad (US citizen) entered the US on ESTA because his US passport expired. he has renewed his passport. does he have to leave the continent to avoid overstaying ESTA, or is there a way for him to leave and re-enter using his US passport without having to pay for a flight

1. Negative real wage growth accounts for negative macroeconomic perceptions.
   
2. Those new (Chinese) service sector jobs.
   
3. Octopuses redesign their own brains when they get cold.
   
4. “It irritates lots of folks to note this, but US trade with the Indo Pacific actually picked up after Trump said no to TPP”
   
5. Tharman is stepping down to run for President — wishing you luck!
   
6. GPT-4 evaluates my London LSE lecture.
   

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DISCLAIMER
I almost didn’t post this. Not because I think it’s too wild or doesn’t make any sense. In fact, quite the opposite. The information I present here, which is the result of countless hours spent re-watching videos, listening to audio, and cross-referencing official information, is something that now seems to me to be far too viable not to be correct. I have actually tried to prove this theory wrong and… well basically I can’t. So, please bear this in mind as you read. This could end up being one of those rare occasions when we’re actually onto something. Either way, I hope you enjoy the post.
First point; this is going to be a long post. Given the subject matter, it needs to be. Second point; I have not added any images or videos directly into the post but have instead included a great many links embedded within the text itself. This should ensure that the post is no longer than it needs to be but should still allow you sufficient opportunity to fully scrutinize every part of my theory, so that you can determine for yourself whether or not you think it holds weight.
I have organised all of the information under specific headings designed to make everything more accessible. Each section focuses on a particular aspect of the main theory. Even if you think that some of what you are reading may not be relevant, I can assure you that everything written here has been included as an important part of a much larger puzzle, and so I would advise that you patiently make your way through the entirety of the post. In an effort to ensure that your time invested here is appropriately rewarded, and in the spirit of preserving the scientific method, I have tried to keep flavor text and blind speculation down to an absolute minimum.
Note that I will be listing various aspects of this post as being confirmed correct or incorrect as and when we have official information to verify such facts. So here we are, after five long years of waiting, the inevitable release of Starfield, like the event horizon of some nearby black hole, is almost upon us. With the Showcase now a mere 24 hours away, it is time for us to take a look at what makes this particular game so special, as well as discovering just how we will be given the means to fly among the stars.
And so, without further ado, let us begin.
Hitchhiker's Guide
From watching gameplay footage, and also listening to various devs talk about Starfield, we know that at some along the early part of the story, we will find ourselves on board a Constellation Starship, which is appropriately named Frontier. With us on the ship is VASCO, an adorable robot assistant who will eventually become one of our possible companions. But how did we even end up on this ship? Well firstly, I do not believe that Frontier is our ship, or at least not at first. And so, we’re probably here in the capacity of a ‘guest’ of some kind, or more likely, a hitchhiker.
If we take a look at this scene, we first hear a male shouting “that’s the Crimson Fleet!” and then a female saying “Everybody get ready!” After this, we can see that the group we are with is attacked. We already know that we uncover some kind of unknown artifact whilst mining for ore near the beginning of the Main Quest, and that the aforementioned Crimson Fleet is essentially an organised collective of space pirates. But what we don’t know is why they attacked us. This is not something I will be diving into in this particular post, although I do have some theories about this. But the relevance of the series of events here described cannot be understated, as they seem to be the launching point for our entry into Constellation and the adventures that follow.
Next, if we look a little further, we can see that this seemingly-important member of Constellation is not with us when we arrive at their Headquarters on Jemison, which suggests that he may have been killed during the above mentioned attack. Also note that, in-spite of not having a voiced protagonist this time round, we can clearly hear somebody talking over Frontier’s comms system, which means that there must be a designated pilot. Given the fact that we don’t see anyone who is confirmed as being the pilot (although it may actually be this person), it is safe to assume that this designated individual was with us during the flight but was first injured in the attack on the planet’s surface and was then taken to Medical Bay after we successfully land on Jemison.
It is my belief that, after perhaps being exposed to some kind of energy pulse from a grenade or something similar, the first member of Constellation we see was outright killed (hence why we are then asked to join up ourselves, perhaps to take over his role). The pilot, however, clearly survived as we can hear him talking to Control over the comms system during what is actually an extended two-way conversation, but I think that his vision was somehow compromised so that, even though he is able to speak, he is temporarily unable to see. The good news about this most unfortunate situation is that it opens the door for us to quickly step into the hot seat and, with the pilot acting as our guide, we will experience our very first Starfield flight tutorial.
Radio Chatter
If you listen to the beginning of both the Official Teaser Trailer and Official Gameplay Reveal for Starfield, you will hear both halves of the radio conversation I have referenced above, or at least the parts of it that Bethesda have given us so far. The first of these is spoken by somebody being referred to as Control, and the second by Frontier’s pilot. I previously posted a link to an audio I made and put up on Soundcloud, which gives us all of the confirmed parts of this conversation carefully spliced together and enhanced for clarity. Note that some of the audio, despite these enhancements, is a little hard to make out.
The final, in-game conversation is going to be a fair bit longer than what we have here and will be based on the specific processes that are required before attempting a Grav Jump. I don’t think we will hear this conversation every time we perform a Jump (especially given that our protagonist does not speak), but the first time we experience this early step-out moment, a detailed and appropriate pre-launch conversation will only serve to enhance what I’m sure will be an awe-inspiring experience.
Note that, at the end of this post, I have provided a link to a written transcript detailing what I think is being said in the full version of the above conversation. In the meantime, here is a breakdown of the confirmed parts of this audio. This is slightly different from the version I previously posted, due to new evidence clarifying exactly what is being said here. I have left line-spaces to help show where the missing parts of the audio will eventually go:
PILOT: "Control this is Constellation Starship Frontier."
CONTROL: "Constellation Starship Frontier, we have you on scanners."
PILOT: "We're ready to start on your signal."
CONTROL: "Performing Road Systems check. Helium-3 tanks, check. Seals are intact."
PILOT: "Maintaining Exit Vector course, Steady 'till Ready."
CONTROL: "We are still go."
PILOT: "Coordinates input, plotting Jump course."
CONTROL: "We read you Constellation."
PILOT: "Sky-Bus is converged, we're looking good."
CONTROL: "Jemison route looks good."
PILOT: "Allocating Auxiliary Reactor Power."
CONTROL: "Prepare for departure. Graviton Loop Array Spool, check."
PILOT: "System checks are green across the board."
CONTROL: "Your space Lane is clear."
PILOT: "Grav Jump commencing in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1."
Road-Trip
At first, this seems like a typical, albeit futuristic version of an Air Traffic Control conversation. After all, much of what is being said does sound very familiar, and the rest seems appropriate to Starfield’s apparent Hard Science Fiction theme. But it’s only when you start digging a little deeper that you realize that something else is going on here as well.
Note the following terms taken from the above transcript: Road, Exit, Course, Coordinates, Bus, Route, Departure and Lane. All these words share a very noticeable common theme. They are all in some way related to Road Networks. Note also the phrase “green across the board," which sounds like it could also be a reference to Traffic Lights.
Zooming Along
Next, let’s look at this map, which features the home of a certain Software Development Company you may have heard of. If you zoom out a fair bit, you will see two large Cities, namely Washington and Baltimore. Zoom out a little more, and you can now see the cities of Richmond to the South and Pittsburgh to the North-West. Zoom back in over any of these four major cities, and you will see that there are many more smaller locations within each of the city limits.
Now scroll the map over to any of the areas outside of these cities, and you will find a multitude of other important locations. These include residential areas, airports, medical facilities, sports and leisure facilities, research facilities, manufacturing facilities, tech companies, supermarkets), hotels, places of worship, and many others. All the above locations are important in one way of another to the continued functioning of our society, and all can be placed within two distinct categories. These are Population Centers and Infrastructure.
You’re Gonna Need a Bigger Boat
Now imagine that there has been some kind of catastrophic flood in this area, and all these locations, although somehow miraculously intact, are now separated from each other as a series of individual islands in the middle of a newly formed ‘ocean’. Suddenly, the existing Road Network, along with any cars, busses, and other road vehicles, would become useless. You would need to use a completely different system, one designed to properly accommodate these changes, which would of course have to incorporate such elements as harbors, shipping routes, and vehicles capable of travelling along a waterway.
Now let’s zoom out again, this time further. Much, much, further. Each location has now been transformed into either a planet or a moon, spread across various star systems covering a vast region of space. Each one of these planets and moons will have its own individual features, resources, possible inhabitants, and infrastructure requirements. With such a quantum leap in terms of scale, if we now wanted to travel between these locations, which could in many cases end up being several light years apart, we are going to need something far bigger in terms of scale, complexity, and technology.
Shown In 60 Seconds
During the first ever 60 seconds of Starfield footage we all saw, shown in the form of the Official Announcement Teaser at the end of BE3 on June 11th 2018 (which redditor InToddWeTrust2023 has very nicely referenced here), we were given some surprisingly important clues which now form the cornerstone of this theory. Not only have these clues stacked up with every consecutive trailer released, as well as many of the other official videos and various other snippets of information, but their sheer level of consistency places them well outside the realm of possible coincidence.
Some of these additional clues were given to us in the two videos referenced above which contain the comms audio. The second of these two videos, namely the Official Gameplay Reveal, dropped, as would be expected, at the end of last year’s Showcase on June 12th 2022. Some of the most crucial information we have been given to date regarding my theory is actually contained in the 70 seconds shown before Todd even begins to speak. We will discuss the relevance of all of this a little further on in the post.
Lo-go/no go
First, some Space related terminology. In Mission Control speak, a Launch Status Check, also known as a go/no go poll, is part of a very carefully designed system implemented by US Space Agencies to ensure maximum safety and the best possible survival chance of both the ship and its crew prior to launch. This, or something similar, will undoubtedly form an integral part of the pre-launch, or rather, pre-Jump procedures incorporated into Starfield, especially given what we know in relation to its specific influences, attention to detail, and focus on realism.
But let's look for a moment at a different type of launch. Let's look at the process of carefully managing the flow of information when you are launching a long-awaited, multi-million-dollar triple-A video game and you happen to be a major player. With the combined might of Bethesda, Zenimax, and now Microsoft, there is clearly a great deal of scope in terms of how they were able to execute all of the steps involved in this process. One critically important factor, and one that has been masterfully implemented in the promotion of Starfield, is the use of familiar iconography.
If we look at the iconography seen during the promotion of Starfield, we can see that there are two main elements. These are the circular Starfield logo, first unveiled in 2018, and of course the recently updated Bethesda Games Studios logo, which has existed in various iterations since around 2006. Both of these share a common, simplistic yet effective design, and the BGS logo in particular is now light years ahead of its original design as seen on box art and in promotional materials for The Elder Scrolls VI Oblivion. At the time of Oblivion’s release, the long-term use of this particular logo, which incorporates the now familiar Fallout Vault Door, was a little uncertain due to restrictions with the associated licence (more on this below). But once this matter had been resolved, it would make a lot of sense that they would then develop this logo into the much sharper, more modern version we see today.
Licenced to Fly
Way back in April of 2007, Bethesda realized one of their biggest long-term business goals by finally securing the full rights to the highly acclaimed Fallout series. Prior to this, in 2004, they had been granted limited rights which would allow them to develop Fallout 3 and then two additional games, but they clearly wanted full and unrestricted access to the franchise and all of its assets. Since this time, in addition to Fallout 3, we have seen the release of Fallout New Vegas, Fallout 4, and Fallout 76, as well as a number of smaller projects, including Fallout Shelter. This is all the proof you need to confirm the fact that, in-spite of some initial setbacks, Bethesda’s insistence on going the extra mile with regards to securing the full franchise, was most definitely worth it, and was seen by many as a landmark achievement.
Looking at the most recent entry to this ever-expanding series, namely Fallout 76, I would like to draw your attention to two of this particular game’s trailers. First, we have the Fallout 76 Official Trailer from 2018, and then The Pitt Story Trailer from 2022. In the first of these two trailers, at around the 35 second mark, we see the new BGS logo once again, and then near the end of the video we see a smaller version, neatly tucked away over on the left-hand side of the usual copyright notice. If we then look at the second trailer, at around… Hold on a second, let me rewind that a bit… wait, what?
This is where things start to get really interesting.
One Small Step
Okay, going back to the Fallout 76 trailers, although the smaller version of the BGS logo can be seen at or near the end of each of these, only the first incorporates the larger, ‘splash-screen’ version. “But why is this even important?” you may ask. “They may have simply forgotten to include this detail in the second trailer.” I can assure you that this is most certainly not the case. In fact, I am one-hundred-percent confident that this was quite intentional. I would even go as far as saying that this one, seemingly insignificant detail, actually brings us a step closer to unlocking the secrets of Starfield. Essentially, Bethesda have taken full advantage of how we all think we remember certain details, and as such, this is an example of truly expert-level hidden marketing on their part. I also believe it will form the basis of at least one of the big reveals during the showcase.
One Giant Leap
Let’s go back one more time to the Announcement Teaser and the Gameplay Reveal for Starfield. Look at how drastically different the BGS logo is in both of these videos compared to any of those used in promoting Fallout 76. What will really blow your mind here is the fact that all four of the trailers mentioned above were first shown to us during the same two Showcases we have just been discussing! In other words, the first of these videos for both Fallout 76 and Starfield were both unveiled at the 2018 Showcase, and the second of each at the 2022 Showcase. And yet each respective pair make use of drastically different versions of what we all thought was the exact same logo. This means that Starfield has been designed, from the ground up, to be viewed and experienced in a totally different way than, and completely separate from, any of Bethesda’s previous titles.
To clarify this point, after extensive research, I can confirm that this new, animated BGS logo, with the vault door rolling off to the left and then ‘opening up’ just before the text appears, has never been featured anywhere in an official capacity that is not directly related to Starfield. It is completely unique to this specific IP. This fact ties together everything we have looked at in the post so far. It also lets us see things from a completely different ‘orbital’ perspective. For example, I believe that this information gives us the real reason why Bethesda worked so hard to secure the full rights to the Fallout franchise in the way that they did. Not only did they wish to create awesome games set within the Fallout universe, but they also needed total freedom to make use of a specific part of this franchise that so that they could then incorporate it into their next, very very big, space related IP.
For Mankind
Okay. This is the part you’ve all been waiting so patiently for. This is the big reveal. For months now, perhaps even years, we have all been drip-fed the idea that Starfield is essentially “Skyrim in Space.” The reason I think that we have been told this is to misdirect us away from an intrinsic, interwoven connection between Starfield and Bethesda’s other major franchise, which is of course Fallout. But just to put your mind at rest, I do not for a nanosecond believe that the reveal will be, “We fooled you all, it’s actually Fallout in space!” no matter how cool that might at first sound.
What I do believe is that Starfield will be so different and so unique when viewed alongside anything else that Bethesda have published, that it will quite literally take your breath away. This game, the spark of which was first ignited 25 years ago, is Todd Howard’s true passion project. Everything else was simply the path he took to finally get here. This is the story he has always wanted to tell, the story of Mankind’s true legacy. And it all starts, just as it did when Interplay released the original Fallout) game back in 1997, with a familiar, but staggeringly different Vault Door.
The Vault
There is a very special and completely unique hidden Vault in Starfield. Not only is this particular Vault unlike anything you have previously seen anywhere within the Fallout universe, but it is also unlike anything you have seen in any game. Period.
This hidden Vault is actually the key to both interstellar and interplanetary travel. And it also happens to be the single biggest construction project in human history, extending across a span of almost one-hundred light years. And it is not even close to being completed, even after more than two-hundred years of construction.
This Vault is, by its very nature, completely invisible and shielded away from view. It is quite literally hidden in plain sight, and it can only be accessed through one of its specially crafted Vault Doors. But what does all of this mean for gameplay, and how does something like this even work? I’m glad you asked! Let’s strap in and prepare for launch, because we’re all in for an incredible ride.
Welcome, ladies and gentlemen... to The Starfield
Entering The Starfield
The following is my own interpretation, based on scientific reasoning and a huge amount of detailed analysis, of exactly how I think this system works. It is, as ever, backed up with several links throughout, as well as additional evidence for which I shall provide a separate link at end of the post. I am expecting perhaps some differences in terms of specific details once we get hold of the final release of Starfield, but I am confident that I am at the very least well within the ballpark with all of this. Okay, here goes.
The Science Behind the Magic
Starfield is the name given to a vast network of interconnecting tunnels, spanning the entirety of the Settled Systems, providing us with a very fast and highly practical means of travelling between different planets, and even different star systems. These tunnels exist within a localized, folded state, known as Tunnel-Space. The construction of the Starfield is made possible thanks to a technological breakthrough which allows gravitational waves (or Gravitons) to be woven together to form something known as a Gravity-Tunnel, which is then stretched out and connected between any two existing stellar objects, such as two planets in a given system, of even two stars from different systems.
In order to maintain the integrity of each tunnel, it is wrapped in a special type of Exotic Matter known as Superfluid Helium. This has a number of highly unusual properties, including negative energy density and negative energy pressure. This essentially makes it the physical-space equivalent of time going in reverse, meaning that it is capable of counteracting the effects of any conventional physical force, including the gravitational pull of a black hole. As such, it will hold the structure of the Gravity-Tunnel together for an indefinite period of time over a potentially infinite distance through space.
Within the Starfield are a large number of Nodes and Junction Points. Nodes are used to connect together all of the planets in any one Star System, and Junction Points then connect different Star Systems together, making use of much larger Gravity-Tunnels that are the equivalent of Interstate Highways. Note that all flight between any given planet and any or all of its moons is handled locally, outside of the Starfield.
Because all of the stars, planets, and moons in the Settled Systems are in a constant state of flux, by which I mean their relative distance and positions) are constantly changing in respect to each other, the tunnels within the Starfield have been designed to be able to expand and contract almost infinitely so that they can accommodate any changes in these two factors depending on when, where, and how you travel.
Although the main tunnels are designed to transport people, resources, waste, and other items directly relating to either Population Centers or Infrastructure, I believe there is also a sub-system) that will allow much smaller objects, such as probes, to carry data-packets that can be upload at one location and then downloaded at another, effectively solving the problem of inoperable delays in communication between remote locations.
Inside of each Gravity-Tunnel is a bi-directional singularity, which can be switched between two opposite polarities whenever required with the help of the surrounding Exotic Matter, allowing for two-way traffic inside what is essentially a one-way system. This means that, as long as you are able to ensure the correct polarity of all connecting Nodes and Junction Points along your route (as in “Sky-Bus is converged” and “Jemison route looks good”), you will be able to travel, in theory at least, from any point A to any point B, as long as all of the required interconnections exist within the system.
When travelling through the Starfield, you will set a specific route, known as a Sky-Bus, which is a specified pathway that runs from your staring location to your destination. You will then, with the help of Starfield Control, access the tunnels using a Gating System which I will explain below. Incidentally, I believe that the accepted in-universe name for the actual transit network that we are making use of within the Starfield is the Sky-Bus Tunnel System.
Each tunnel in this system actually has two separate ‘Lanes’, one on the left for outbound traffic, and one on the right for incoming traffic. As I have explained above, each of these tunnels can only accommodate a single direction of traffic flow at any given time. And so, a safety measure had to be incorporated to prevent any accidental attempts to travel the wrong way down a tunnel and destroying yourself and your ship.
At each end of any given Node or Junction Point is a Gate. These are the ‘Vault Doors’ I have been referring to. The Gate comprises of a gigantic metal outer-ring connecting to an inner Vault Door. This Vault Door will either be at the center (closed position), or the left (open position) of the outer ring. The open/left position will allow outbound traffic to leave the orbit of the current planet they are in proximity to. To allow inbound traffic, the entire outer ring, with the Vault Door locked in place, will rotate clockwise through 180 degrees to the open/right position to allow access to the inbound Lane. When the outbound Lane is then once again required, the structure then continues to rotate in a clockwise motion until it reaches the open/left position once again. When required, the Vault Door will return to the neutral position at the center of the ring, and the tunnel will be locked.
Regarding Grav Jumps: Whenever you wish to perform a Grav-Jump, you must first request permission from Starfield Control, who will guide you through the process. Once the route is set and your Exit Gate is locked in place, by activating your ship’s Grav-Drive, along with it’s incorporated spooling system, you will first lock on to the front of the tunnel entrance.
Next, using a system similar to an Aircraft Catapult, you will be pulled into the tunnel at great speed, where the Graviton Loop Array will hold your ship in-place inside the tunnel, and will also ensure you don’t accidentally go down the wrong path. At the other end, the spooling system described above then acts as an Arresting Cable, slowing you down over a very short distance.
If all of the above is actually correct, especially the last part, then I think I will be having this on repeat in the background before Grav-Jumps!
Finally, here is the link to my additional supporting evidence and other materials, including some stuff I haven’t had a chance to really go into yet. Feel free to throw any questions at me, and I’ll do my best to answer them. In the meantime, Showcase will commence in 24 Hours…

It's a week since I finally returned from Italy. It had been a really wild ride, if not the perfect trip, but it did really teach me that Italy is really a country for travelling.
- Day 1 (May 27): I took my Ryanair Flight from Cologne-Bonn to Bergamo. Not much to say, as I arrived late into the night and checked into my hostel, Mio Hostel in Milan.
- Day 2 (May 28): Day Trip to Lake Como. I visited multiple lakeside towns (such as Cernobbio, and Tremezzo), but Bellagio is an eye-opener to me. Sometimes I found it more interesting to walk through the off-beaten path between Tremezzo and Lenno instead of taking the boat. Villa del Balbianello is a pretty, if not overcrowded place (I don't like tourists. They are rude, loud and irritating, and they get everywhere.) However, this is where the fun bit started. I missed the last boat (at 7 pm presumably) back to Como, as I was stuck in Tremezzo as the sun went down. The final bus (at 9 pm) did not arrive, so I had to literally hitchhike a car back to Como (with my poor Italian skills and a Large sign).
- Day 3 (May 29): Visited the Alfa Romeo Museum in Arese in the morning before lunch (a worthy visit for those who liked cars). The afternoon is mostly a Milan City Tour as I strolled around places like il Duomo, Galleria Vittorio Emmanuele II, and La Scala, which are crowded to oblivion. But I found it better to just go away from the city centre to places like the Navigli Canal, as well as their hidden little galleries. Spent the evening at the Sforzesco Castle's Massive Park.
- Day 4 (May 30): Final Day in Milan. Visited Leonardo's Vineyard. I was not able to pre-book the ticket for the Last Supper during the trip so I went back to Milan and visited the Duomo's interior. And by late afternoon, I headed out to La Spezia via train and later headed to the second Hostel (Ostello Tramonti).
- Day 5 (May 31): Cinque Terre. Arguably one of the prettiest places on my whole trip, as long as the day remained sunny. However, Vernazza and Riomaggiore are crowded to hell while Monterosso is basically dull and turned into a tourist trap. The hikes are quite stunning too, if not tiring and time-consuming compared to taking the train. Then, I took the bus to Bologna (Marinobus) and checked in at Ostello San Filippo Neri in Modena that night.
- Day 6 (June 1): Modena Tour. A surprisingly underrated gem here, other than well, the infamous Ferrari Museum. I'd spent my evening riding around Modena on the bike provided for free by the hostel (Grazie). The town centre is quite quaint and not crowded.
- Day 7 (June 2): Bologna Tour. After checking out from Modena, I headed to Bologna. It's no longer as "underrated" as I thought because there are tons of people. Asinelli Tower is fully booked too so I went to the Prendiparte Tower, which surprisingly, gives me a good view that included the Asinelli Tower! Also, Tagliatelle tastes sublime. That evening, I finally headed to Verona to my rental place (Affittacamere Mameli)
- Day 8 (June 3): Lake Garda Travel. Rented a bike for 10 Euros, and mostly cycled around, from Peschiera to Sirmione and Desenzano. Sirmione is pretty but crowded. Nonetheless, the ruins of the Roman villa at the end of it were really nice. Desenzano is also quite beautiful but I have to hurry back to Peschiera to return my bike. I should have gotten up early that day and had more time to visit the places.
- Day 9 (June 4): Mostly travelling around Verona before taking the Bus back to Bergamo and flying back to Cologne. Some places are really overcrowded, but there are parts of the city with fewer people. The vibe is still quite romantic. It's just Juliet's bloody balcony, tbh. However, it was that day when I suffered arguably the worst setback in my whole trip, as my bus failed to make it on time to Bergamo (All thanks to roadworks and traffic jams) and I missed the Return flight. During an emergency, I booked the Bus to Cologne which was on the next day...
- Extra Day/ Day 10 (June 5): The setback gave me the chance to visit Citta Alta Bergamo. It's pretty, not crowded, and even has quite a surprisingly good vibe around it, and I could honestly rank it above places like Verona just for being uncrowded. And finally, I could take the bus I booked, Flixbus back to Germany. To my surprise, on the way, the bus drove through Lake Orta and gave me a stunning sight!
There is the whole summary of my whole trip. I do hope one day I have more time to return to this stunning country again and visit it in depth. Advice, especially for those on a budget? Take away your Pizza and save money. There are tons of Pizzerias and Pizzas (especially those served in full sizes) can easily satisfy one's appetite. Taking away also prevents you from paying extra tips. Also, buying water from Carrefour and Mini marts out of the city centre can save you money, especially those in Large bottles. Don't buy from vending machines. They are traps! (Unless you're desperate). And while some Museum tickets needed pre-booking, train tickets could be bought on the fly.
I would like to give a big "Grazie" to ItalyTravel for some suggestions on the forum as well as recommendations for restaurants, not to forget Trenord and Trenitalia for being punctual! No thanks for the bus that cancelled its scheduled stop in Tremezzo, though because you ruined the lives of me and the two other hitchhikers who also hopped on the same car as me.

Every year I do the “do I want to keep doing the Alaska Airlines MVP?” game. I don’t know if it’s just me, but it’s gotten way harder to use miles with any of their partners. And combine that with the earning rate on partner flights, I need every flight I take to make the elite qualifying minimums.
I rarely find awards on flights that are not on Alaska metal, no matter how early I start looking. I decided I wanted to go to Europe next month and because of the price points, wanted to do miles. I’ve been looking for a couple of months and nothing. I assume nothing will open up T-14 either.
So I’m stuck in this game of taking all these flights to earn status, yet can’t really use miles because i want the status. And even if I could, can’t find options. And I have a ton of miles that have accumulated over the last 20 years. Every once in a while I can use half miles, half cash on Alaska metal, when it’s worth it.
So why do we constantly focus on earning status? Or why do I do anyway? I guess the earlier boarding and better seat options on partner airlines, and sometimes a first class upgrade on Alaska, although those are becoming harder to get.
Anyone find solace in giving up trying to chase status every year on Alaska? And just find the cheapest carrier and pay for all the xtras, each flight? (Not having status on United is a reason I won’t fly them because if you don’t have status, you get the worst seat on the plane, although I did get status last year, but haven’t used it this year cause I don’t think United is an airline I’d like to fly regularly because of my non status experience). Idk, unless you prove me wrong.
Or anyone move to a different airline? If so, which one? I constantly think about switching, but I don’t know who I would switch to being that I’m based out of the bay area. I already earn status on Southwest every year, and that program is easy to follow.
Alaska has too many rules, which I assume all the other lines do too. Why is that a basic economy flight to Europe right now is running almost $3k, but then you earn only 25% miles? And that may or may not include a seat selection. I guess we’re in an airline market right now.
Sorry I’m somewhat nonsensically ranting!

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I have a Windows 10 laptop and I want to dual boot Linux Mint on it. It is MBR partition style with legacy boot. (I think that is relevant here.)
I shrunk my Windows partition and freed up 25 GB for it. (I wish I could do more but the hard drive isn't very big, so it's the max it allowed me to do.)
The option to install Mint "along side Windows 10" isn't showing up and it tells me that I cannot have more than 4 primary partitions unless I do something with extended partitions, which isn't showing up as an option in the Windows Disk Management GUI, so I'm pretty clueless on how to handle that.
Any tips on what to do? I'm trying not to butcher my laptop too badly.
Here's what I'm looking at:
https://preview.redd.it/0zimui55w75b1.png?width=1084&format=png&auto=webp&s=0a06a08ba1f67b3e38afe0739965c9bb2db20f53

Here is the previous post where I asked if it was okay to tell NK13 I was quitting before telling NPs because I wanted her to hear it from me. Mixed responses, but ultimately it didn't matter because I got fired! Hooray. Honestly, I'm not too upset about it, her parents are dreadful.
Sorry in advance, this is a LONG one. TL;DR: NF paid me a salary instead of GHs, didn't reimburse mileage, and started asking me to work more and more hours than originally agreed. Tensions built up over time, it all came to a head in the past month and things became pretty hostile. My car broke down 2 weeks ago, it's been in the shop ever since. I'd been borrowing my sister's car up until Tuesday, but she needed it back. I had no problem getting to and from work, my husband could drop me off/pick me up, but I had absolutely no option for a car yesterday for driving NK to her activities. I told NPs that I didn't have any realistic options and they asked me to rent a car. I stood up for myself, said not unless they were reimbursing me for the rental, and MB got pissed off and told me to just stay home. This is when I decided I needed to quit. DB got home today after work and fired me. He claimed it had nothing to do with my car breaking down or about the car rental thing (yeah right) but that it was just time for NK13 to no longer have a nanny. I think it's true that she doesn't really need a nanny anymore anyway, but you really can't deny that timing. They asked me to finish out the month, so at least I'll have some cushion until I can find a job.
Now let me tell you everything that led up to this moment... It's better if I give you some background info first. I have been a nanny for only a short while; I babysat and did some part-time nannying in the past, but I only became an actual full-time nanny in Dec. 2021. I started working for this NF in May 2022, so a little over a year now. I also have a young son - he's 3.5 now but was barely 2 when I started.
I found this family by looking on a local childcare Facebook group. NF's previous nanny was helping them look for a new nanny because she had to leave. She actually also had a young child, so it was a very similar situation. She was very specific in her post (I still have the screenshot, so I'm certain) that they were looking for a nanny willing to work long hours in the summer and shorter hours in the school year for G12, and since she is an older child, it's more of a house managefamily assistant type job. Summer hours start at 7:30am and can last as late as 7:30pm - schedule was very variable because they are both physicians and never really know when they were able to leave - but often she'd be relieved before then, sometimes as early as 3 or 4 pm. School year hours were much more flexible, Old Nanny (ON) said she'd get there around noon since G12 was in school. She did her house management tasks, picked her up from school, cooked her dinner, and would be relieved soon after.
When I reached out to Old Nanny to apply for this position, I was already a little desperate. My previous NF had just told me they were putting G2 in daycare and wouldn't need me, I had been looking for families that would be okay with me bringing my son and no one was interested in that. So I was getting very worried about paying bills and needed something ASAP.
After I interviewed, they said they wanted to pay me a salary. This should've been my first big red flag, but again, desperate. They explained they thought that was better than hourly because they would often come home much earlier than they planned and didn't want me to lose out on money. I essentially thought that it was basically just guaranteed hours, and since they got home early most of the time, there was no way they'd take advantage of me! (spoiler: they did)
The next should've-been-red flag was that they didn't want a contract because they're so easy and flexible and that they would always work with me if I was sick or needed time off. (spoiler: they didn't)
The thing is, I *knew* all of this wasn't okay and were huge red flags. But I was naive and thought that wouldn't be an issue for me and this new family that seems soooo amazing. (lol)
Anyway, moving on... The first several months seemed really great! I was getting along amazingly with NK, we were still getting to know each other, and I was still getting acquainted with the job, but MB just seemed...disappointed with everything. Most of the house management type stuff was really closer to personal assistant stuff for her and she is very nit-picky and micromanage-y. She'd tell me pretty much daily that I missed a hanger or two when organizing her closet. She wanted all her laundry to be done at all times (this woman goes through more laundry than anyone I know). She repeatedly told me I needed to tri-fold the towels (I was tri-folding!). She also had these insanely long to-do lists for the both of us. Since NK was only 12, I had to pretty much supervise her to make sure it got done. MB would even remind me to make sure I am helping her. So now I had my to-do list and also NK's to-do list to complete. Of course, this is all while caring for 2 kids, taking the 2 big dogs for long walks around the block several times a day (because I wasn't allowed to let them in the backyard to pee), feeding all of us breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and chauffeuring NK to all of her activities. Even in my 10-12 hour shifts, I wouldn't always get everything done because there was just so much to do. But if I even left something to finish the next day, MB would passive-aggressively point it out and ask for it to get finished (of course I'm going to finish it, there's no need to remind me ugh).
Oh and the best part!!!!! I never got reimbursed for mileage. I asked for it once the first month that I worked there and DB has the freaking audacity to be like "you mean from your house??" Bruh NO for all the driving you make me do to cart your child around! He ended up giving me like 5 bucks because I took her to the airport once and I never heard a word about it again. I know I should've insisted....but again, naive and desperate.
Moving on, MB started to truly show her helicopter parenting side. Some of you may or may not remember my post from last year asking if I was wrong to refuse to monitor G12's bathroom time. The consensus was that I was not wrong and it was super weird of her mom to ask that.
Later, I found out from some things NK said that led me to believe that they were homophobic. You can really see the denial in this one. Ugh.
As time went on, things seemed pretty normal for a while. There were a couple of times I needed time off. The biggest was when my husband had a mental health crisis and I ended up in the ER twice with him - which I only took like 2 days off for btw. MB sent me this really kind and heartfelt email saying she's thinking of us and hope everything is okay. I (stupidly) decided to be honest and tell her that it was mental health-related thinking that she'd have some empathy. After I replied, I heard absolutely nothing from them about it. Not a single question as to his well-being or anything. The others were just for regular illness. I had covid once, adenovirus another time, and hand-foot-mouth the most recent. My son started preschool, so I was sick often, but only took time off for the big ones.
Sometimes I had time off because they went on vacation, but would just they never tell me when they were going on vacation. Definitely strange, but speaks more to their disregard for other people than to the actual job itself.
During the school year, I stopped coming in at 7:30am like planned. It varied depending on what was on the schedule for the day, but I'd get in between 10am-noon most days. Again, just like the job was described to me. They never told me any differently either - keep in mind this was still earlier than Old Nanny used to arrive for the day, so I was really working more hours than she used to.
At Christmastime, I thought I'd get a bonus. That was something Old Nanny had mentioned, she said they gave pretty generous Christmas bonuses, so I was looking forward to that. I didn't get a bonus at all, not even a single mention of one. But I didn't say anything because I felt weird about asking for one. This is when I started thinking maybe I wasn't doing something right or that they didn't like me. I asked them several times if they thought I was doing a good job, if they had any feedback, etc, but always said no that I was doing a great job. I could tell MB probably didn't particularly like me but that seemed more just personality differences. She even stopped nit-picking the hangers and towels thing.
Last month, they forgot my birthday. This one really hurt, ngl. My birthday is right before NK's and we've all talked about it several times before.
Finally, the major conflict... This is when I really felt like things were tense and I should start putting feelers out there for a new job. MB asked me to clean and organize the playroom. Now that sounds pretty normal for a house manager, but this playroom was completely destroyed. They had just had NK's bedroom remodeled for her 13th birthday and there were boxes upon boxes piled high (most filled with styrofoam and packing peanuts). Plus they had some of her old furniture in there as well. Plus TONS of toys that she clearly hadn't played with in many many years. Boxes and boxes of half-used crafts, puzzles, barbies, legos, crayons & markers, a whole sewing kit, and tons of baby books on the bookshelf. The part that really killed me was that she wanted me to have the whole thing completed by Friday - so I only had 4 full days to complete the entire playroom (I have every Wednesday off). She even said that I could pack all the books and old toys up to take to Goodwill... She wanted me to carry them down 2 flights of stairs BY MYSELF and pack them in the car BY MYSELF and take them to Goodwill or to a used bookstore to sell. After going through all the initial boxes the first day, I almost broke down in tears when DB came home and told him I just couldn't do it all by Friday. It was too much. I'm just one person and I almost slipped and fell down the stairs when I tried lugging the vacuum cleaner upstairs by myself, there's no way I could do boxes of heavy-ass books. He seemed understanding and said it was okay, but I'm sure it was all fake.
Then my 1-year work anniversary was also last month. I thought this would be a great opportunity to discuss how things are going. I asked NPs if they had any feedback for me or if I could be doing anything different. I tried everything to get them to say ANYTHING, but all MB said was "Well, NK loves you!!" Not a single useful bit of feedback. I ended up bringing up the playroom and said that I felt like her expectations were sometimes a bit too high. I tried to say this as nicely as possible, but it did not go over well. She basically just said, "Well that's what I hired you for." I ended the conversation by asking for a raise because it's been a year now and my job description has really been changing and they've been adding more and more hours on. I asked for an additional $300/month, and they countered with $150.
That night, MB texted me and asked what time I planned on coming in the following Monday. NK was still in school, so I responded with "around 10 am." She called me at 7:30 am (!!!) the next morning and asked why I was going in so late... I said well NK is still in school and that's my normal time. She ended up laying into me claiming that's never what they agreed to, she thought this whole time that I was coming in at 8 am every day (lies), and that no wonder I couldn't get anything done because I came in so late. I was taken aback, to say the least. I don't do well on the spot like that and I started crying (I'm a crier, I hate it) and was like well that's not what I was originally told when I was hired and that they never told me any differently. Also, this is the first time I've heard about not getting anything done. She started telling me that she hired me because she wants the house to look perfect by the time she gets home and it never looks perfect. There's always something left undone and it's unacceptable that I'm not coming in earlier to make sure it gets done on time. I told her that this was all news to me and that she never told me that she was unhappy, even after I asked them specifically to give me feedback. She said she doesn't like confrontation or having hard conversations so that's why she never told me. Which is definitely not my problem, that's on her. But I was too emotional at this point to say that and I ended up apologizing even though I know I didn't do anything wrong. She ended the conversation by saying I am expected to put in a full 40 hrs year round (but really she wants me to be available 12 hrs a day in case they get stuck at the hospital) and that she'll try to be a better communicator.
OH one thing that really stood out to me was that she actually said to me that they pay me a lot of money and they want to make sure they're getting their "money's worth." As if I'm a product. I've never felt so inhuman. For the record, they do NOT pay me a lot of money. They paid me $3700/month before my raise, which equates to $28/hr for 30 hrs a week. Seems reasonable. But she wanted me to start coming in for a full 40 hrs even during the school year, which would effectively lower my hourly equivalent to $22/hr. Even lower if you're counting needing to be "on-call" 48 hrs a week. NOT enough for the job I was doing, and especially not for a HCOL area.
Now the straw that broke the camel's back. My car. My poor car broke down more than 2 weeks ago. It's been at the dealership this whole time (I still don't have it back, hopefully today) and I've been getting away with borrowing my sister's and BIL's cars to drive NK around. I would have loved to borrow my husband's car, but his car is a manual transmission and I can't drive stick. My sister needed her car back this week, so I was able to borrow it up until Wednesday, meaning I'd be without a car Thursday and Friday this week. Just 2 days out of the two weeks my car was getting repaired. Wednesday night I texted NPs asking if I could use DB's truck to drive NK, but he had taken it because he went out of town. MB needs her car each day. I ran out of options and told them I didn't have any other realistic options and wasn't sure what else to do. I reiterated that I could still get to and from work each day with no issue, just couldn't drive NK to her theater practice. Which honestly is such a minimal part of my day anyway. Well, I suppose that was unacceptable and MB asked me to rent a car. The audacity of this request really threw me off... I replied "Will this be reimbursed since it's a work-related expense? If not, then no, I do not have the funds to rent a car." She said "No, I'm not paying for a rental car. Just stay home and I'll figure it out." These people make $100s of thousands of dollars each year..... $120 for a rental car is practically an entire day's worth of pay to me, but just a drop in the bucket to them. Why she thought it was acceptable for me to spend my own money to rent a car, but ridiculous for them to, is beyond me. I sent a thumbs-up and never heard anything back from them.
The next day (yesterday) I knew I had to quit, which is what led me to my most recent post. I still haven't found a replacement job so I wasn't just about to quit then and there. But it ended up not mattering because DB asked to pull me aside before I left yesterday to fire me. I told him that I thought it was really unfair to ask me to spend my own money to rent a car but he said that it was part of the job and if you're unable to do the job, then it's my responsibility to fix the situation. I replied saying that they don't even pay me mileage so I'm already paying out of pocket to drive THEIR kid around. He said that if they'd known it was such a big deal beforehand that they would've let me use his truck more often (I did mention it, but probably should've pressed the issue). I told him that it was not like I wanted my car to break down... He said this ultimately had nothing to do with the car thing (yeah right lmao) and that it's just time for NK to no longer have a nanny. Which I completely agree with, but the timing dude. Also, I was hardly a nanny at that point anyway, just a housekeeper and chauffeur.
In the end, I think the real reason they decided to fire me is because I had the audacity to stand up for myself and ask for a raise. The car thing just accelerated it. There were definitely some personality differences and I don't think MB really liked me to begin with, but she put up with me because NK loved me. But as soon as I started realizing my worth, I became too much to deal with.
SO ANYWAY... Here we are today and I am absolutely kicking myself for putting up with this for so long. Luckily, my son is in preschool full-time now, so I will have a much easier time finding a new job. I've been looking into agencies as well. I'm kind of relieved but also really sad that I won't see NK every day anymore. She is a very special kid.

D-backs @ Tigers - Sat, Jun 10

Game Status: In Progress - Score: 2-0 D-backs

Top of the 4th with Emmanuel Rivera, Pavin Smith, and Nick Ahmed due up for the D-backs

Links & Info

• Current conditions at Comerica Park: 80°F - Sunny - Wind 7 mph, R To L
• TV: National: MLBN (out-of-market only), D-backs: Bally Sports Arizona, Tigers: Bally Sports Detroit
• Radio: D-backs: KQMR Latino Mix 100.3 FM (es), 98.7 FM Arizona's Sports Station, Tigers: 97.1 The Ticket
• MLB Gameday
• Game Graphs
• Savant Gamefeed

	D-backs Batters	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K	LOB	AVG	OBP	SLG
1	Marte, K - 2B	2	0	1	0	0	0	0	.278	.344	.474
2	Carroll - LF	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	.304	.388	.570
3	Gurriel Jr. - DH	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	.307	.356	.545
4	Walker, C - 1B	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	.251	.316	.471
5	Rivera, E - 3B	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	.364	.400	.485
6	Smith, P - RF	1	1	1	0	0	0	0	.206	.313	.369
7	Ahmed - SS	1	1	1	2	0	0	0	.237	.275	.351
8	Moreno - C	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	.285	.324	.367
9	McCarthy - CF	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	.188	.272	.257
	Totals	12	2	4	2	1	1	0

D-backs
BATTING: HR: Ahmed (2, 2nd inning off Boyd, 1 on, 2 out). TB: Ahmed 4; Marte, K; Moreno; Smith, P. RBI: Ahmed 2 (12). 2-out RBI: Ahmed 2. Team RISP: 1-for-1. Team LOB: 2.

	Tigers Batters	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K	LOB	AVG	OBP	SLG
1	McKinstry - RF	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	.255	.358	.385
2	Báez, J - SS	2	0	0	0	0	1	1	.222	.265	.317
3	Carpenter, K - LF	2	0	1	0	0	0	1	.240	.296	.467
4	Torkelson - 1B	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	.227	.309	.356
5	Maton, N - 3B	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	.168	.293	.317
6	Short - 2B	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	.288	.358	.475
7	Cabrera, M - DH	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	.210	.292	.270
8	Rogers - C	1	0	0	0	0	1	1	.170	.264	.434
9	Marisnick - CF	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	.174	.240	.174
	Totals	11	0	3	0	0	2	4

Tigers
BATTING: 2B: Cabrera, M (6, Nelson, R). TB: Cabrera, M 2; Carpenter, K; Marisnick. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Carpenter, K; Rogers. SAC: McKinstry. Team RISP: 0-for-3. Team LOB: 3.
FIELDING: Outfield assists: Carpenter, K (Moreno at home).

D-backs Pitchers	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR	P-S	ERA
Nelson, R	3.0	3	0	0	0	2	0	50-33	5.15
Totals	3.0	3	0	0	0	2	0

Tigers Pitchers	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR	P-S	ERA
Boyd	3.0	4	2	2	1	1	1	55-36	5.27
Totals	3.0	4	2	2	1	1	1

Inning	Scoring Play	Score
Top 2	Nick Ahmed homers (2) on a fly ball to left center field. Pavin Smith scores.	2-0 AZ

Team	Highlight
DET	Bullpen availability for Detroit, June 10 vs D-backs (00:00:07)
AZ	Bullpen availability for Arizona, June 10 vs Tigers (00:00:07)
AZ	Fielding alignment for Arizona, June 10 vs Tigers (00:00:11)
DET	Fielding alignment for Detroit, June 10 vs D-backs (00:00:11)
DET	Starting lineups for D-backs at Tigers - June 10, 2023 (00:00:09)
AZ	Visualizing Nick Ahmed's swing using bat tracking technology (00:00:09)
AZ	Nick Ahmed's two-run homer (2) (00:00:28)
DET	Carpenter's dart to home plate (00:00:30)

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E	LOB
D-backs	0	2	0								2	4	0	2
Tigers	0	0	0								0	3	0	3

Division Scoreboard

MIA 0 @ CWS 0 Warmup
MIN @ TOR 03:07 PM EDT
KC @ BAL 04:05 PM EDT
HOU @ CLE 06:10 PM EDT
^{Last Updated: 06/10/2023 02:02:10 PM EDT}

Top 30 Prospect Performance
Arizona Complex League

Prospect	Performance	Position	Age	Ranking
Michael Arroyo	1-3, R, BB, SB	Shortstop	18	Mariners #11
Carlos Jimenez	1-4, R, RB I	Outfield	20	Mariners #30

Low-A Modesto

Prospect	Performance	Position	Age	Ranking
Cole Young	0-4, BB, SB	Shortstop	19	Mariners #3
Gabriel Gonzalez	1-5, 2B, R	Outfield	19	Mariners #7
Josh Hood	1-1, 2B	Second Base	22	Mariners #29

AA Arkansas

Prospect	Performance	Position	Age	Ranking
Jonatan Clase	1-4, HR, R, 2RBI, BB, SB	Outfield	21	Mariners #12
Robert Perez Jr	2-5, 2B	Outfield	22	Mariners #21

AAA Tacoma

Prospect	Performance	Position	Age	Ranking
Cade Marlowe	1-5, HR, R, 3RBI	Outfield	25	Mariners #16
Zach DeLoach	1-4, 2B, R, BB	Outfield	24	Mariners #26

Unranked Excellence

Prospect	Performance	Level	Age	Positon
Wuilliams Rodriguez	5.0IP, 5H, 1BB, 1ER, 2K	DSL	19	Pitcher
Jose Zerpa	1.2IP, 0H, 0BB, 0ER, 3K	DSL	18	Pitcher
Jean Gutierrez	2-3, 2B, R, HBP	DSL	17	Outfield
Connor Prins	4.0IP, 0H, 4BB, 0ER, 6K	ACL	19	Pitcher
Freuddy Batista	3-4, HR, 2-2B, 2R, 2RBI	Low-A	23	Catcher
Marcelo Perez	6.0IP, 1H, 1BB, 0ER, 7K	Low-A	23	Pitcher

Final Scores
DSL Mariners defeat Tigers 4-1
ACL Mariners defeat Dodgers 5-2
Modesto defeats Rancho Cuca. 6-4
Tulsa defeats Arkansas 5-4
Tacoma defeats Reno 9-5
Highlights
Jonatan Clase’s solo shot.
Cade Marlowe’s three-run bomb.
Marcelo Perez strikes out seven.
Standings

Affiliate	Record	Standings	Diff	Level
DSL Mariners	4-0	1st in division	+11	DSL
ACL Mariners	3-0	1st in division	+14	ROK
Modesto Nuts	28-27	3rd in division	+8	Low-A
Everett AquaSox	27-27	4th in division	+12	High-A
Arkansas Travelers	35-20	2nd in division	+67	AA
Tacoma Rainiers	30-31	2nd in division	+10	AAA

Prospect Performances Index.

Mailed renewal 4/28 (paid for expedited and 1-2 shipping both ways with date of travel noted as 6/23), status changed to In-Process 5/2 at Locator 18, and passport received 6/9 (yesterday!). Didn't get an email about the change in status to approved even though I signed up for notifications (totally broken feature from State Dept), but I saw it show up on my daily Informed Delivery email (thanks USPS...one of the best part and most reliable parts of this process) on Thursday so knew it was on its way! Lots of lessons here---apply as early as humanly possible, expedite everything--processing and shipping--from the beginning/at submission, sign up for Informed Delivery, and pray.

Hi there!
I wanted to share a pet project I have been working on for the last couple of months: introducing @AvStatsData!
AvStatsData is a bot designed to analyze daily flight data from airports and airlines world wide. It collects information on flight departures and arrivals, crunches the numbers, and shares insightful (or perhaps useless? ) statistics on Twitter. It's like having your very own ATC data analyst!
You can engage directly with AvStatsData by tweeting at it.. Just mention the bot's handle and provide either a flight number (e.g. AF1492) or a flight route (e.g. BLR-BOM). Shortly, the bot will reply with relevant statistics about the specified flight or route. It typically responds within an average time under 7 minutes and 30 seconds.
As a pet project, I'm determined to keep expenses to a minimum, which means I'm working within the constraints of the free tier of the Twitter API (among others). This limitation affects the scope and capabilities of the bot to some extent, like not being able to reply directly to mentions or not having access to create threads. Additionally, I have plans to build a Mastodon integration in the near future. Stay tuned for updates on this exciting development! As this is an ongoing project, ANY feedback is more than welcome.
AvStatsData currently processes more than 350.000 flights daily, +60.000 flight routes, +4.000 airports and above 200 countries.
The following stats are being published daily:
🗼 Busiest Airports: Airports ranked by number of departures and arrivals.
🛫 Busiest Routes: Flight routes (e.g. JFK-LAX) ranked by number of daily flights.
📏 Longest Flown Distance: Flights ranked by flown distance.
⏳ Longest Flight Duration: Flights ranked by flight duration.
⏱️ Most Delayed Departures by Airport (%): Airports ranked by percentage of cancelled departures.
⏱️ Most Delayed Departures by Airport(delay time): Airports ranked by average departure delay time.
👨‍✈️ Aggregated Flown Distance by Airline: Airlines ranked by aggregated flown distance of all their flights.
🛑 Most cancelled flights by Airport: Airports rankled by percentage of cancelled departures.
🚚 It also ventures into some Cargo specific stats 🙂
Each stat can be aggregated based on:

1. Time: Weekly or Monthly
2. Airport location: Country or World Region
3. Airline home country: World Region

🌍 Available World Regions are: WorldWide, Eu, NorthAmerica, CentralAmerica-Mainland, CentralAmerica-Caribbean, SouthAmerica, Europe-WesternEurope, Europe-NorthernEurope, Europe-EasternEurope, Africa, APAC-MiddleEast, APAC-CentralAsia, APAC-NorthEastAsia, APAC-SouthEastAsia and APAC-Oceania.
🇪🇸 Available Countries are: 🇦🇺 Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States and Vietnam 🇻🇳.
👩‍✈️Available Airline Regions are: 🌎 World Wide, Europe, North-America, USA, Asia-Pacific, South & Central America, Africa and Cargo Airlines 🌏.