Also what I have for sale: • .50Cal Junkie's/50 more close DMG/ADS Speed • .50Cal Junkie's/25 ADS DMG • Overeaters Raider Left Arm/5 AP/Junk 20% less • Assault Rifle Quad/50% Crit DMG/Reload resist • LMG Vampire/50 Crit/90 Weight • Radium rifle Mutant's/25 Weapon Speed/90 Weight • Plan: Radioactive barrel • Plan: Ogua backpack

I wanted to do a unique marketing site, and I was really into the neo-brutalist theme (like Gumroad, etc) and I found a cool template and chopped it up and used it.
But now that I'm launched and marketing more, it's starting to bother me. Maybe it's just too crazy. Maybe that's why my conversion rate is 0.13% (But I'm still getting sales, like $2k to $3k a month, but that's mostly from people I've talked to before they buy)
I connected with a CRO guy on twitter this morning and was talking to him, and it made me doubt my site further (he didn't even critique it, it just spurred my own thoughts) and right after that I had a call that is going to do some marketing for me, and he said "honestly you need an entire revamp", and he wasn't even selling me on a revamp service or anything, he just thought it needed to be done to make his own marketing efforts for me more fruitful.
I have a million other things to get done, so focusing on a site revamp wasn't something I wanted to do anytime soon, but if it helps my conversion, I'll make time somehow.
What are y'all's thoughts? Is my marketing site too insane? https://www.saasydb.com

For Sale: Norwegian Cruise Line $700,000 Poker Tournament Entry ticket
For Sale: Norwegian Cruise Line $700,000 Poker Tournament Entry ticket
I won this entry in a satellite tournament but unfortunately I can not make it. Details are as follows…
$700,000 NORWEGIAN POKER CHALLENGE
October 27th, 2024 - November 3rd, 2024 7-Day Cruise Onboard Norwegian Jade
Package includes Poker Tournament Entry and $1,250 voyage fare credit (used towards stateroom purchase)
Stateroom must be booked by May 31st, 2024. I have the Transfer Certificate (valid for one transfer)
More info here: https://www.ncl.com/pokerchallenge
$1,250 OBO.
Please reach out if you’re interested. Thanks!

Business
GO Digit Insurance started in 2017 as a full stack digital insurance company with GWP ( Gross Written premium) of Rs 7240cr in FY23 ( GWP growth of 49% CAGR between FY21 to FY23). Go Digit offers motor insurance, health insurance, travel insurance, property insurance, marine insurance, liability insurance.
As of Dec '23, there were 4.33 crore customers who availed insurance at Go Digit since the inception in 2017. Go Digit is focused on simplifying insurance documentation with aim to ensure that the language of the insurance contract is understandable to all, including a 15 year old.
According to RedSeer report, Go Digit constitute 82.1%of the GWP written by digital full stack insurance players ( others Acko , Navi) making them the largest digital full stack insurance player in India. Go digit has 3.3% market share in FY23 in non- life GWP across all non- life insurers, and 6% market share among the motor insurers. Go Digit grew 37.5% in FY23 while the private non-life insurers (excluding standalone health insurers) overall grew by approximately 20.1% during the same period.
Product mix (in terms of GWP- FY23)
Motor 62.5% Health 10.5% Property & engineering 10.4% Liability 9.2% Personal accident 2.4% Others 5%
Go Digit has 6% market share in motor insurance, which is 6th largest motor insurer. Competitors New India has 12.2%, ICICI Lombard has 10.1%, Tata AIG 8.1%, United 7.3%, Bajaj Allianz 6.4%
https://preview.redd.it/5w4rz4jvql0d1.png?width=496&format=png&auto=webp&s=757a7d308eee61090f740997e4f50eec32156172
https://preview.redd.it/kxxtrmu0rl0d1.png?width=796&format=png&auto=webp&s=014b67866ad33890b8b4497260dd44f0f44f0152
Go Digit is present in 24 states , has relationships with 61,972 Key Distribution Partners, including approximately 58,532 POSPs ( point of sale persons- selling insurance of multiple insurance cos. ), as well as individual agents( tied to single insurance co.), corporate agents, brokers and others. Go Digit has 74 products in total.
The traditional manual underwriting processes are being disrupted by AI/ML-based risk modelling and predictive underwriting. The use of IoT and telematics is making risk analysis more efficient with the use of large data packets that can tailor personalized insurance products at flexible pricing to customers. Using AI systems that assess an application profile against large number of data points accrued from multiple sources, underwriters can gain visibility into the most relevant risk factors. Using predictive ML solutions, Go Digit is able to roll out fairly-priced quotes quickly and achieve higher profitability through their pricing strategy. Thus, AI/ ML based underwriting helps improve underwriting efficiency compared to manual traditional underwriting
Digital full stack insurance companies have been progressively gaining market share from incumbents. Go Digit GWP grew by approximately 37.5% while the private non-life insurers (excluding standalone health insurers) overall grew by 20.1% in FY23. Go Digit caters for approximately 82.1% of the GWP of the digital full stack insurance players in FY23. ( Go Digit, Acko, Navi)
Industry overview
Insurance industry
80cr Indians have access to internet, 65cr are smartphone users, 45 cr are online transactors. According to IBEF, Life insurance industry is 7,32,000 cr ( F22) in terms of GWP ( Gross Written Premium) and non-life insurance industry ( health, motor, fire, marine, others) is 2,73,060 cr (FY23), out of which health GWP is Rs 92840cr , Motor GWP is Rs 84650cr. Non- life insurance is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 15-16% till 2028. Life insurance penetration in India is 3.2% ( Japan 5.8%) and non-life penetration is 1% ( China 1.9%). Non- life insurance density (total GDPI on a per capita basis) in India is 23, for China it is 234.
Distribution mix looks like this
https://preview.redd.it/thyjaomfrl0d1.png?width=313&format=png&auto=webp&s=59d41ce433d742a95b60f2f30ce1ea38b99730c2
https://preview.redd.it/69melijhrl0d1.png?width=744&format=png&auto=webp&s=e312809d6f2dedf35637fd4a6b2ac8554d9567d8
https://preview.redd.it/gm41lerirl0d1.png?width=713&format=png&auto=webp&s=3e45d1d9564f7cda1c004eb776b1475e6d867db9
Motor insurance
The 4 Public sector insurers account for 30.2% of the Motor insurance market in Financial Year 2023 with the rest fragmented among the Private players. Among Private players, Go Digit accounted for a GWP market share of 6% FY23. In motor, competitors New India has 12.2%, ICICI Lombard has 10.1%, Tata AIG 8.1%, United 7.3%, Bajaj Allianz 6.4%
In FY23, as per Government sources, 54% of total vehicles plying on the Indian roads were estimated to be uninsured, indicating that the motor insurance market is still highly under-penetrated in India, figure for US is 14%
Health Insurance
In health, govt. players (New india, Oriental, United, National) control 48% of market, then Star health 14%. Private non-life insurers control 63.4% of the overall market share, rest 36.6% by public health insurers.
Operating Metrics
Distribution mix (count of each channel in graphic below)
Brokers & Web Aggregators 66% This channel includes retail brokers, corporate brokers and web aggregators.
Individual Agents and POSPs 13% This includes business written through insurance agency partners and POSP.
Corporate Agents 1% We also have partnerships with corporations, such as financial institutions and NBFCs
Motor Insurance Service Providers 1.1% partnerships with auto dealers that establish a point of sale presence for personal and commercial vehicle
Direct to Consumer 18.9% Customers looking to purchase insurance can do so directly from Go Digit website or through web aggregators.
Investment portfolio
Total AUM stands at Rs12670cr as on FY23 with an yield of 6.3% ( vs 7.1% of ICICI Lombard). AUM increased by 2.67 times from FY21 to FY23. As of FY23, Go Digit had invested in securities issued by the Indian government (which constituted 68.5% total investments), corporate bonds issued by corporates (which constituted 24.7% ), Additional Tier 1 bonds (which constituted 3.3% ), money market, AIF and mutual funds (which constituted 2.3%) and equity issued by corporates (which constituted 1.2%). 97% of assets in govt bonds or corporate bonds,with 72% of corporate bonds AAA rated.
https://preview.redd.it/j1doibnorl0d1.png?width=793&format=png&auto=webp&s=a0fec228ac389054c3f8f17ee93bae9f169c99dd
Combined ratio of GoDigit stands at 107.4% ( ICICI Lombard 103.2%, HDFC Ergo 121.2%) Combined ratio of public cos stands at 129.1%, private insurers at 105.9% Expense ratio of Go Digit stands at 40.2% ( that of ICICI Lombard at 32.1%, HDFC Ergo at 23.7%.). Loss ratio of FY23 is 67.2% vs 74% in FY21. Solvency ratio stands at 1.78 (ICICI 2.51, HDFC Ergo 1.81)
https://preview.redd.it/8hvhtslrrl0d1.png?width=648&format=png&auto=webp&s=6a5bc34442c8d91ea60c84a541c0de9eaadd2b97
ROA stands at 1.5% ( ICICI Lombard at 17%, HDFC Ergo 18.1%) Operating profit ratio stands at -1.3% ( vs 16% of ICICI Lombard, 8.4% of HDFC Ergo).
Total investment AUM growth of 50.5% from FY21 to FY23 to 12670cr. Gross Written Premium of Rs 7240cr, with 49.4% CAGR from FY21 to FY23.
Financials
https://preview.redd.it/6ld853cxrl0d1.png?width=609&format=png&auto=webp&s=ef59a75744b9b526494e72bc3ee35c1133f5017e
Underwriting loss of 66cr in FY23, reduced to 10cr as on 9M FY24. Investment income of 105cr in FY23. Profit after tax of 39cr in FY23, that of 130cr in 9M FY24. Branding/ ad expenses for FY23 account for Rs 11480cr ( 15% of GWP)
Points to consider
As per 9M FY24 PAT, P/E ratio comes at 145 as per price of Rs 272 per share, whereas P/E ratio for ICICI Lombard is at 41, Star health insurance at 37.
Dependence on motor insurance is 62.5% of GWP, which is little skewed towards one segment.
Operating losses / underwriting losses amount to Rs 66 cr for FY23, making Go Digit dependent on solely investment profits, which is the case for some players in the industry.
Combined ratio stands at 107.4%, tad higher than average of private insurers figures of 105%
AUM CAGR of 50.5% from FY21 to FY23 , which is commendable. GWP CAGR of 49.4% between FY21 and FY23. Co is growing real fast.
ROA stands at 1.5% as still in nascent stage vs ICICI Lombard of 17%
Despite being a newer player, Go Digit has garnered 6% market share in motor insurance, which makes them 6th largest motor insurer. ( ICICI Lombard at 10% ms stands 2nd)
Go Digit is a full stack digital insurance player, using AI/ ML to automate most of the insurance customers onboarded and claims underwritten, giving them cost advantage once they achieve considerable scale.

You've heard of selling ice to eskimos, but how about peddling humble cookies for $140 a pop? Sounds like a total pipe dream, right? Well, meet the cookie kingpins at Last Crumb - the cheeky LA upstarts who've done exactly that, building a multi-million dollar luxury brand around...baked goods.
I know, I know. When you first hear that premise, it's one of those things that makes you spit out your drink in disbelief. $140 for a box of 12 cookies?! What sort of Willy Wonka shit is this? These guys must be hopped up on something strong to think they can rebrand grandma's classic chocolate chips into objet d'art territory.
Except here's the kicker - their delightfully insane idea worked. By meticulously studying the playbooks of streetwear drops and luxury fashion houses, Last Crumb cracked the code on transforming an everyday grocery item into a covetable status symbol.
Their whole approach is basically an elaborate Jedi mind trick designed to short-circuit our perceptions around what "luxury" even means in 2023. You've got the minimalist, fashion-forward branding that oozes expensive European boutique vibes. The wildly overengineered unboxing experience that turns opening a cookie box into an ASMR-laced treasure hunt. The vegaspilled copywriting that stops just short of suggesting you might actually be eating edible gold flakes or something.
But the real stroke of genius? How they gamified the entire Last Crumb experience to manufacture scarcity and prompt that delicious social media fear-of-missing-out. Their cookies get released in these hyped, limited "drops" just like a new Yeezy sneaker. You've got to black Friday stampede for a spot on their waitlist, then pray you can snag one of the precious few boxes before they sell out in minutes. Which they always do, because these savants have turned getting a Last Crumb delivery into the bakery equivalent of scoring courtside seats.
By piggybacking on all the artificial scarcity and tribal signaling motivators that drive the resale sneaker economy, Last Crumb kicked off this crazy word-of-mouth cyclone. Now their cookies are like the new Birkins - if you can cop a box for yourself or bae, you've gotta 'gram those things to flex that you're an official member of the cookie club.
It's honestly just tremendous amplified marketing jujitsu, repackaging a familiar grocery staple into the ultimate guilty pleasure indulgence. They've essentially made eating cookies an illicit thrill again, like you're cheating on your diet with some wild truffled tobacco creations from the back alley of a Parisian patisserie.
Are the cookies themselves really worth $12 a pop? Probably not - they're just extremely well-executed, premium baked goods at the end of the day. But by cribbing from the basic supply/demand mechanics that drive the luxury x streetwear universe, Last Crumb created both the ultimate grocery store heist story and a new benchmark for disruptive food marketing.
So while it's still undeniably goofy watching people plunk down generational wealth on some cookies, you've got to take your hat off to these guys. They didn't just sell us cookies - they hawked the escapist dream of sugary opulence itself. And at the end of the day, that's one luxury more of us should be willing to indulge.
Key Learnings:

1. Positioning and Branding

• Positioned themselves as a luxury brand with a chic, minimalist visual identity inspired by high-fashion brands.
• Used aspirational copywriting that invited customers into the "Last Crumb Experience" rather than just selling cookies.

1. Premium Packaging Experience

• Custom packaging designed for the ultimate unboxing experience, with cookies presented at precise angles and in matte-coated bags.
• Included a magazine with each box to add storytelling and depth to the product.

1. Exclusivity and Scarcity

• Adopted the streetwear "drop" model, releasing limited cookie collections exclusively to those on the waitlist.
• Created artificial scarcity by ensuring inventory sold out within minutes of each drop.

1. Gamified Experience

• Made customers join a waitlist and countdown to each drop, building anticipation.
• The scramble to secure a box before it sold out created a feverish fear of missing out.

1. Social Currency

• The exclusivity and luxury positioning turned getting a Last Crumb box into a status symbol to show off.
• Encouraged customers to share unboxing videos and show off their rare cookies on social media.

1. Creative Brief for Customers

• Designed a unique cookie tasting ritual that gave customers something novel to talk about.
• Turned customers into brand ambassadors by giving them an experience worth sharing.

But I don’t care. I love making these RCAs. Music and art are my medication. I’m not going anywhere. Sales or slow, I’ve got a bunch of RCAs in the pipeline and I promise to step it up and challenge myself on each piece.
Thank you all for the support, and please feel encouraged to take the leap and create. Whatever it is.
We all have mental health issues, I don’t know how anyone could be sane and healthy in this world. But we use the pain and make it beauty. That to me is art.
Share your pain, make it beauty.
NV

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So I’m not positive what type of corvid I observed this morning. It probably a common raven, but it could have been a common crow or a fish crow with where I live. So for the description I’m just using corvid to keep it simple.
This morning when taking out my recycling I heard a LOT of angry bird noises. I look over to see a bunch of little sparrows mobbing a corvid.
Upon closer observation, the mobbed corvid had a sparrow in their beak. It was still moving a bit, and from how far away I was it was unclear if it was an adult or a nestling.
Another corvid flew over, possibly trying to take corvid number one’s prey. Or trying to break up the mob to allow corvid one to escape. It was hard to tell with my amateur eye.
Either way, the end result was that the mobbing sparrows had to split their effort between the two predators. Once the mob split up, corvid one escaped with their breakfast. The mob dispersed, and corvid two flew in opposite direction one.
Either way, it was very cool to see an active hunt this morning! After writing out I think it was more likely I observed a raven, but either way. It was very interesting sting to observe!

People think they're amazing at Elden Ring, yet use things like spirit ashes and summons constantly.
Here's an obvious list of things in the game that cheapen the experience, and don't make you some Elden Ring god.

• Spirit Ashes: This is essentially having another player carry the fights for you. They take a lot of aggro away and do a lot of damage to boot.
• Summons: Summoning another person to do fights for you...self explanatory.
• Shields: Obvious crutch since this discourages players from learning different combat mechanics like dodging, parrying, and timing of certain attacks.
• Buffs: Golden Vow, Flame Grant Me Strength, Black Flame's Protection, etc. bloats your stats, damage negation, and damage output, creating a reliance on buffs to pull through encounters.
• Consumables: See above on buffs. Rune arcs included.
• Flask of Wondrous Physick: This can straight up nullify certain game mechanics, like FP consumption, Mohg's curse, or losing runes. Ruptured crystal tears aren't acceptable either since this can insta-kill opponents.
• Stealth / Backstabs: This bypasses the intended challenge of engaging enemies head-on and usually insta-kills mobs.
• Certain Sorceries: Comet Azur, Terra Magica, Adula's Moonblade, Carian Slicer, Loretta's Greatbow, Loretta's Mastery, Ranni's Dark Moon, Rennala's Full Moon, Ancient Death Rancor, Rancorcall, and Rock Sling are the obvious ones.
• Certain Incantations: Ekzycke's Decay, Placidusax's Ruin, Golden Vow, Flame Grant Me Strength, Black Flame's Protection, Black Flame, Black Blade, and Fortissax's Lightning Spear are the most egregious.
• Certain Ashes of War: Lion's Claw, Giant Hunt, Seppuku, Black Flame Tornado, Repeating Thrust, Bloodhound's Step, Quick Step, Hoarfrost Stomp, Golden Vow, and All shield AOW's (you shouldn't be using shields anyway).
• Certain Weapons: Sword of Night and Flame, Blasphemous Blade, Dark Moon Greatsword, Starscourge Greatsword, Maliketh's Black Blade, Rivers of Blood, Moonveil, Meteoric Ore Blade, Hand of Malenia, Eleonora's Poleblade, Godskin Peeler, Ringed Finger, Envoy's Long Horn, All colossal weapons, Cross-Naginata, Lance, Mohgwyn's Sacred Spear, Commander's Standard, Pulley Crossbow, and Lusat's Glintstone Staff.

Things up for debate: Using heavy armor, ranged weapons and spells, use of most talismans, bleed builds.
Things absolutely encouraged: No armor, no weapon or un-upgraded weapons, Daedicar's Woe and Shabriri's Woe talismans, and gesturing during boss fights and PvP to flex.
/s

On May 3rd I picked up a NuCamp Tab 400 and it feels like an endless set of problems (it's not really).
I took it in for warranty work on the 8th, because the door would not properly latch. It latched fine when I did the walk through. I had a solution I could do myself, but I wanted it documented as a problem incase the problem continued. The dealer "fixed" the problem and when I left the dealer I thought it was fixed. It's already broken again.
Yesterday I started de-winterizing for the first trip. The hot water pressure release valve is broken, any attempt to run the water pump causes all the water to dump out of the release valve drain, so we don't have any water in the camper. I haven't even been able to properly de-winterize, I still have anti-freeze in some of the lines. The dealer can't look at it until next week.
Of course one of the drawers was not properly fastened to the drawer slides, so it flew out on the drive home from the dealer. It damaged the floor, the drawer, and the cabinet across from it. I fixed the drawer with some wood glue and clamps.
While none of this is major and everyone is being very helpful, it puts a big damper on an expensive purchase. It's also limiting our ability to use the trailer. I guess it's par for the course, all new trailers have problems, but with a busy summer it feels like we are not going to be able to use the trailer at all due to having to get work done. The only two trips before July just got canceled because of the water problem, I'm worried that other problems might cancel any July trips.
Anyway, just ranting, I'm sure once all the problems are worked out we will be happy with the purchase. At this point I'm just thinking I should list it for sale, take the loss, and just give up on camping (wife won't tent camp anymore).

I have been playing for 57 days and been offered two 20% platinum discounts, which I rejected as I've heard there are 50% and 75% discounts too. I'd love to throw $20-50+ at this game right now and probably more later, but just seeing what a terrible value the lower-tier packages are in comparison to the gold/silvebronze packs and knowing that they'll eventually be on sale has me reluctant to spend any money because it could feel like a complete waste tomorrow, a week from now, or whenever I eventually get a better discount. Relic farming 25p/hr (which is about what I get at my level, if that) feels like a waste of my limited gameplay time.
At this point I'm just accumulating weapons and warframes in my foundry but never actually getting to play them. The irony of the situation is that the game is now slowly boring me since I just use the same loadout all the time, so DE runs the risk of getting no money from me at all by trying to game my spending habits instead of just letting me pay them money.
Personally I like when games simply have a consistent price for their microtransactions so I never feel bad about spending money. A regular holiday discount or something is fine since it's predictable and if you feel like waiting a whole year to save a couple bucks then more power to you, but randomly spitting out individualized discounts ranging wildly in value is just annoying. I am looking forward to Soulframe and hope they have a better model.

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Memory transcription subject: Herq, Tilfish Junior Exterminator
Date [standardized human time]: December 3rd, 2136
“Understood, on our way.” Frankie stuffed his radio away.
“W-What? More Arxur?” I shivered.
“Don’t think so. Hope not. We gotta go to the van.”
The human didn't give me time to reply as he stepped over the body like it wasn’t even there. Swallowing some bile, I took aimed steps around it. The smell of blood wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. It wasn’t any worse than burning flesh.
The stomps of Frankie’s boots down the stairs reminded me to keep moving. I scuttled down the stairs, turning the corner to see another body I was forced to step around. Two of them had come after us, two who were even more eager than the first group we encountered.
“Do you t-think it’s the same ones from before?” I asked.
The human grunted. “Hell if I know. But I wouldn’t doubt it one bit if it was. Guy got his ego hurt, and wanted some revenge. God knows if he was waiting there for an ambush.”
“They… couldn’t have known about the weapons, right?”
He shrugged. “Maybe. He at least knew we were stranded without a vehicle. Maybe put his bets on us getting some transport.”
I didn’t have much time to ponder it. Frankie was already peeking outside the building, shotgun raised. I came up behind him, checking behind as we scooted out of the building. Once he was confident, Frankie dashed towards the van.
We came upon it quickly. I was glad the Arxur he shot was on the other side to spare me from the gore. He turned around to the backside of the van, where his face contorted. “Holy shit.”
“What?” I asked, coming around next to him.
The scaly legs are the first thing I saw. They led up to its back, which looked like it had exploded. Blood was nearly everywhere around the gray, and I even thought I saw a piece of bone. My whole body begged me to run away from the gore, to find a corner to throw up in, but I couldn't look away. And that didn't even cover the Yotul.
The green-stained wraps around his legs were the first thing I noticed after the hulking mass of reptile. His right paw was a bleeding mess haphazardly wrapped in a loose bandage, and his other was curled around an Arxur gun—its gun, I realized. His face had speckles of red on it, much like the rest of the van. There was what could only be described as a huge gun beside him.
Relief washed over his features once he saw us, and he let the weapon clatter onto a bloody crate. “Where’s Luke?”
I watched Frankie for any signs of turning feral, despite the improbability of it ever happening. The copious amount of blood was more than enough to drive any predator into a crazed frenzy, but still Frankie showed enormous restraint. If anything, he almost looked… disgusted by it. I shouldn’t have been surprised.
He took a quick breath to steady himself. “Uh, Dusty took a few rounds, he’s patching her up. I see you can… handle yourself.”
“No,” the Yotul spat back. “It almost…” His voice broke, and he shook his head.
Frankie nodded. “Let’s get moving. I’ll… clear the way, if you could help him, Herq.” The human crouched down and gripped the monster's legs and gave a tug. He started sliding the body out of the way, a trail of blood marking every crate it was slumped over.
I took a step forward, suppressing a gag at the sights and smells. It was like walking into a predator’s den. Dark and damp and terrible, with evidence of what happened drowning my entire field of view. “W-What happened? It looks-”
“I shot the bastard.”
I twitched my antennae. “R-Right.” I took several breaths before finding the strength to proceed. I tried to ignore the blood marked across the walls and creeped in, though I couldn’t ignore the green smears that were on the crates. I did my best to avoid stepping on… anything, really.
The Yotul grabbed a red box full of first aid supplies and set it by his right side. He began to peel off the green-stained gauze on his paw. “I need an extra paw for this.”
“Of course. You’re Reno, right?” He ignored me. I felt a shiver spread through my carapace as he revealed the wound. “T-Those look like-”
“Yeah, I know.”
I gave him a flick of my antennae. He raised a bottle of what I assumed to be antibiotic solution, which I took. I gingerly uncapped the bottle and murmured, “This is going to sting.”
“Do you constantly state the obvious? Just get it over with.”
I took his paw in my feeler and generously poured it over the wound. He let out a small groan, but nothing more. I wiped it, then took some gauze and began wrapping it far better than he could with just a paw and a mouth. I tightened it, and sealed it with some adhesive.
“There. I-I think that’s good, but I don’t commonly work with other species.”
“I can tell.” The Yotul began to get up on their injured legs.
“A-Are you sure you should be walking?” He ignored me again. I stuck out an arm to help him. “Here, at least-”
“I don’t need your help,” he spat, slapping me away with annoyance. He shakily stood up, leaning precariously against the side of the van atop the crates.
I waved my antennae with concern. “I… Let me know if-”
“I won’t,” he coldly said, not giving me so much as a glance back as he hobbled out of the van.
I don’t blame him. The Arxur looked like he was inches away from tearing him apart. Not to mention the claw marks on his wrist… I can’t imagine what happened to him just moments ago.
I crawled out of the van after him, glad to be out, but probably not nearly as glad as him. Frankie came from around the van and dusted his hands.
“That was gross.” He turned to Reno. “You’re up already? Your legs are-”
“Worry about them when we’re in the truck. We need to get the fuck away from here.” He leaned against the van, catching his breath. He was clearly in pain, but didn’t want to show it.
“Gotcha. Luke should be—ah, right there.”
I followed his gaze, spotting the truck rolling towards us with its cracked windows and decorated doors. It stopped right beside the van. A human stepped out, the same one from the predator disease facility. He took one look at Reno, worry spreading across his face. “Holy shit.”
Reno grunted. “That’s what Frankie said.”
“I… We can talk in the truck,” Luke decided.
“Is my gun still in the building?”
“In the backseat.”
The Yotul lowered his head, letting out a breath of relief. I didn’t understand how much a simple firearm could possibly mean to him, but I wasn’t about to question him about it.
Lieutenant Holtas came to the other side of the van, whistling once he saw the crate. “Damn, this is… a lot.”
“Enough to turn the tide, I hope?” Frankie asked.
“There’s a chance it might be… If there’s anything left once we get back. Two of their bunkers are already swarming with Arxur.”
“T-Two?” I stammered. “Which ones?”
The predator shook his head dismissively. “Talk later.”
I shook my antennae in irritation, until another human then emerged from around the truck. It was the dark-skinned, dark-haired human from before as well, Dusty. Her vest had several lesions across it, far more than the few Frankie had received during his gutsiness. She wasn’t unscathed, however, as her left sleeve had been pulled up, revealing a stripe of bandaging. Her eyes regarded me with an expression I couldn't decipher, turning into a more shocked expression when they saw Reno. “...Damn.”
The Lieutenant turned to her. “Keep an eye out from where they came. Reno, do the same for the other side of the street. I’m not looking to get ambushed again.”
The two signaled their understanding. Luke’s gaze lingered a little longer on the wounded Yotul as he hobbled to retrieve his weapon from the truck.
Frankie grunted from behind me, picking up two big and bloodied crates. “Open the doors, would ya?”
I obliged, yanking open the hatches to the truck so the burly human could deposit the weapons. Luke walked past me, saw the mess in the back of the van, and shook his head while muttering something. Still, he crouched and grabbed two crates in each hand.
I couldn’t very well just stand around, so I begrudgingly walked over and picked the cleanest crates I could manage while repelling the numerous dry heaves my body wanted to conjure. I hefted them up, and followed the same path as Luke and Frankie.
I passed Dusty, who groaned, rubbing her left arm. “Why do these idiots use such a small caliber? You’d think they’d want to kill the people they’re shooting at.”
I nervously tilted my antennae. “You would… hope so.”
“They enjoy the thrill of the hunt,” Reno growled. “Use it to just incapacitate their prey. Dead ones don’t squirm while they’re eaten.”
An uncomfortable silence fell over the street. As we continued to load the human armaments into the truck, the two kept a cautious set of eyes out on either side of the street. Frankie managed to fit the big gun back into its respective crate while Luke stared at it, incredulously. Dusty glanced back with a similar look, which gave me the feeling the predators were all thinking the same thing. The only one who didn’t break his focus was Reno.
The van got emptier, the truck got fuller, and soon enough we were ready to leave this place for good. Luke gave us the clear and got into the driver seat. Frankie took the front passenger seat, leaving the three of us to squeeze into the back. The windshield left a lot to be desired, and I wondered if Luke would even be able to see through it.
It was cramped, to say the least. I was forced into the side, with the Yotul in the middle, while Dusty filled in the remaining seat. From someone looking in from outside, it would be a very strange sight to behold.
She slammed the door shut. “Tight fuckin’ fit. Hope we have enough fuel.”
“Won’t be an issue,” Luke said, sending the engine revving as we began to accelerate.
Thank Formi we’re finally leaving. How long have I been awake for? How long have the Arxur been in Tepisil? And how are the exterminators from the human camp doing? There’s far too much to worry about.
I hoped Tealk was fine in the hatchery’s bunker. That is, if it wasn’t already compromised. Tepisil was given the tiny mercy of just a small warning prior to any bombs dropping. The shelters were likely packed to the brim. Just waiting for the Arxur to come.
“Frankie, give me some light, would ya?” Dusty ordered. She had pulled Reno’s hindlegs on her lap, and was now inspecting them with the help of Frankie’s flashlight. I could see the green blood that had leaked down his legs from the wounds, along with pieces of black debris.
Reno had no choice but to let Dusty tend to him. I tried my best to ignore the blood she was forcing out by ripping through the bandages, though I gagged upon seeing her dig into his flesh with a pair of tweezers, pulling out a small bullet while he hissed in pain. Those were the only noises for a time while the human used a strange syringe to push some sort of foam into the wound, then tightly wrapping his legs.
She did a better job than I ever could’ve. At this point, it shouldn’t have impressed me that the predators had a concept of medicine or even treatment for the wounded, rather than just leaving the weak for dead. The amount of care she put into someone from another species spoke volumes to the humans’ empathetic capacity.
The streetlights of the city finally receded from us. I could almost feel the weighty air in the truck lighten, like a part of the despair had been left behind in Dirlsil. It wouldn’t last for long.
At some point in the middle of all the crop fields, Frankie cleared his throat. “Can I be the one to break the silence? ‘Cause Reno shot that gray with a whole bloody anti-materiel rifle.”
“God, I’m glad somebody finally fucking said it. Point blank, too,” Dusty said.
The Yotul didn’t offer a response, only stared off into the distance. I felt nothing but sympathy for him. They meant well, but I suspected they did more harm than good. The humans clearly had no idea what he’d just gone through; the fear, the uncertainty, the possibility of being eaten alive. I had a feeling the only reason he was alive was because of his quick thinking, the Arxur’s cockiness, and luck.
Luke cleared his throat. “Uh, how did you fare, Frankie? I saw the marks on your vest.”
My human grunted. “Barely even felt them hit me. Once the shooting started we dove back into the toy shop. Arxur are damn cocky bastards, but I don’t reckon they’re used to whatever they’re chasing fighting back so hard. Shot one, ran up the stairs, shot the other. Easy as that.”
It was not, in fact, as easy as that. I was terrified the entire time. It was Frankie who did everything, and even then, he screamed and shouted during the entire encounter. He was fearless in the face of fear while I had been useless. Again. My only saving grace was that I didn’t freeze like I did at the PD facility, even if that meant I merely ran instead. I felt a stab of anger mixed with regret, an entirely unwelcome feeling that I decidedly earned.
I can’t rely on the Terrans forever. At some point, my uncontrollable fear is going to cost lives. I… I can’t let fear be the driver.
“We had four of the fuckers on us,” Dusty said. “Retreated into the store opposite yours. We were doing just fine ‘till one of them tossed a grenade.”
I felt Reno tense up to me. He had a thousand-lightyear stare.
“Then they came in after us, separated us from Reno. They were fucking relentless, didn’t give us a chance to fight. Forced us all the way back into the stockroom, then kept pushing their luck. Finally had a corner, then the bastards leapt forward rather than being smart, getting me tagged. Hurts like hell just thinking about flexing the muscle.”
“God, can we change the subject? I regret asking,” Lieutenant Holtas said, shifting uncomfortably. “Frankie, you want to try again with the UN? And Herq, now that you’re with us, can you contact Von and inform him of what happened?”
I almost flinched when he said my name. “Y-Yeah, of course.” I started to pull out my holopad. I hovered over Tealk’s contact before moving to Von’s. I tapped the icon, and it rang for only a second before he picked up.
“Herq?”
I pulled the pad closer, overhearing Frankie start his own call to the UN. “Yes, it’s me. We made it out of Dirlsil with the weapons, and we’re in one piece.”
“Formi is that good to hear. I won't sugarcoat it, things have gotten much worse. You may have heard it from the humans, but cattle shuttles just landed around Bunker Four… which has no one to defend it. Bunker Six had contact and they are at a stalemate, but won't stay that way. I… sincerely hope you brought lots of ammo.”
I swallowed a lump in my throat. “I can’t say for certain what the predators brought with us… We’re driving as fast as we can, we expect to be there in forty minutes.”
“Too long… The grays are already going into buildings, trying to flush them out. We don’t have the firepower.”
“I… We need a rally point in order to distribute them as fast as possible.”
“One advantage is that they aren’t using their numbers prowling the empty buildings on the outskirts… Shit, Polle is calling me… It’s about Bunker Six. Listen, I’ll send you more information when I can. Call me ten minutes before you reach the city.”
“Yes, of course. Please, stay safe.”
“We both know that isn’t going to happen. Hurry.”
A tone signified he hung up the call. I tentatively swirled my antennae, seeing my company look away. “I-I’m guessing everyone heard that?”
Reno flicked his ears, and the humans nodded from the front seats. A steady silence came over us. It was probably well into the early hours of the morning at this point. My body was tired, and my mind more so. I knew well that I should have been more scared or worried, but I simply didn’t have the energy. It was like Frankie said earlier.
“Who wants a granola bar?” Frankie abruptly barked.
Luke shrugged. “I mean…”
The two humans accepted his offer, not like they had much choice since they were already being distributed. A bar was put into Reno’s paws, and suddenly, I was holding one too.
“It… doesn’t have meat, does it?” I asked.
“No, you idiot. I don’t eat meat,” Reno hissed, unwrapping his food.
“Sorry… I just wanted-”
“It’s just a bar of sugary grain. You’d think you would know by now that humans aren’t going to hurt you, or do anything else ‘predatory.’” He said the last word with distaste, like it personally offended him. He was clearly more used to the primates than I was, or ever could be. I knew they wouldn’t mean me any harm, but it was hard to shake off the thoughts that always lingered in my mind when around predators.
I thought his behavior was simply fried nerves from his close call with the Arxur, but there was something more to it, something bitter in his tone that hinted at more than just the last encounter. It reminded me of hearing about his outburst at my sister, Tealk, back at the hatchery. It didn’t sit right with me, but I wasn’t in any position to ask him about it, especially not at that moment.
Dusty was already stuffing the bar into her mouth, not much caring for how revolting I found it. I’d gotten used to their toothy smiles, but seeing her take a bite, just like she would chow down on a piece of bloody meat… If I wasn’t so hungry after so many hours, I would’ve lost my appetite.
Reno bit into the bar, and I carefully unwrapped mine, ignoring the female’s sickening mouth movements. I gave a cautionary sniff before taking a small nibble. It was acceptable, even good considering I hadn’t eaten for so long. I took another bite, then another, and then I noticed Dusty looking at me.
I couldn’t help the way my muscles tensed in agitation. She was instinctively sizing me up, now that food was on her mind. “W-What is it?” I stuttered.
She raised her eyebrows, glancing away. “Nothing. Just the way you move your hands, er… tarsals? Tarsals, across your mandibles when you eat. It’s… nevermind.”
My… tarsals? I flexed a feeler, inspecting it like something was wrong with it. I looked back at the predator, who was now looking out the window. At least she wasn’t… staring at me anymore. Humans got stranger every moment I spent with them. I thought there was a glimmer of hope that they wouldn’t all be as strange as Frankie, but that clearly had yet to be proven.
I took another small bite. Before I knew it, I had eaten the whole thing and had nothing left to occupy the time. There were only dark crop fields outside our truck, and predators or the predator-diseased inside. Nothing to distract me from the knowledge that Sillis was going to fall. Nothing to distract me from the thoughts telling me to give up, to run away, like a coward.
A muted atmosphere of haunting tranquility came over our vehicle, one that everyone silently and willfully acknowledged. We all knew what we were driving towards.
—
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Thanks to u/WCR_706 for proofreading. And, of course, thanks to SpacePaladin15 for the wonderful universe.

Hello, I could use some advice. I purchased an Acty with AC, under 100k kms from CFJ recently, and after payment, the seller was getting the Acty ready. It was overheating and the mechanic told them:
"There was less water in the engine and if he put water at proper level, water leaks from manifold and he has to replace it, but unfortunately the part is no longer available so he cannot fix it. Also he suggested us to give up the truck because even we fix it, it was overheated many times in the past and engine was damaged allover. Also A/C is not working.
We have decided we cannot send this truck because we know you will have trouble."
I bought this Acty because I live in a hot climate, need AC, and wanted lower mileage. They offered me a replacement option that had door rust and asked me to accept it, saying they'd paint it. It had a lot more kms and i ultimately declined and asked for a refund. The seller is stating, ok, we'll just send you the bad one.
My question: is there really nothing I can do here? I feel the condition violates the terms of CFJ on the invoice:

1. CAR FROM JAPAN presents information about the condition and function of vehicle(s) accurately, to the best of its ability and knowledge. By purchasing vehicle(s) from CAR FROM JAPAN, the Buyer understands and agrees that the vehicle(s) might be an USED one, the conditions are described as honestly as possible, and vehicle(s) are not guaranteed to be same as the image the Buyer might have about the vehicle(s). The Buyer cannot put forth a claim on the vehicle(s) condition upon delivery.
   • An Acty that doesn't drive without overheating, and doesn't have working AC doesn't fit an honest description of the vehicle, IMO
2. After CAR FROM JAPAN have received the payment of invoiced amount within deadline, if CAR FROM JAPAN cancels the deal for unavoidable reasons (for example, natural disaster, the product has been damaged or not available), CAR FROM JAPAN will refund the Buyer 100% of the amount received, and CAR FROM JAPAN will bear the bank cost for the refund.
   • Their "decision" to not send the truck because they know its trash seems to fit the product being damaged.

I'm still waiting on CFJ to respond as I asked them directly, rather than working with the sales rep I'm assigned for this vehicle. Just thought I'd ask the community for any ideas or recommendations.

purchased this a few years back at a garage sale on Long Island, NY. The owner said they don't know anything about it except they think it was their grandmother's. My first attempt at identifying it. - it's about 3 x 5.25 in without the frame (5 x 7 in with frame) - it appears to be hand painted - the material it's painted on seems like some sort of ceramic, or plaster? (I am way out of my element here) - frame is wood, looks hand carved but there is a CHINA imprint in the back - very possible frame is not original, no idea.
Any ideas? Any other info that could be helpful?
EDIT: had a lot of issues hosting the photos in this post and on Ingur for some reason so used ImageBB:
https://ibb.co/nR0ctgF
https://ibb.co/NYKnPXq
https://ibb.co/WD5VsNc
https://ibb.co/FzCXQH5
https://ibb.co/RysB893
https://ibb.co/chPcqwF
https://ibb.co/HTjYqS5

I work for a relatively small business, there's only about 50 of us, and I've been working here for about three years. The owner of the business I know has been stressed out over the financials for the last 6 months, we've gone from fairly profitable to slightly unprofitable since December. Since I've worked here, I can think of one 2 month span of time that the business hasn't been profitable, but even then we were only down a couple thousand dollars total on that second month.
Back in January, we had our worst month since I've worked here and it only improved slightly in February. The credit cards on my credit report were opened in February and looked to have been maxed out by March.
Fast forward to last week and my boss, the owner of the company, is out of the office for a day and a coworker grabbed the mail. It had a Discover bill with my name on it. She gave it to me and I was extremely confused, it was definitely my name but the company's address WITH the suite designated solely for the boss. Open it up and I found out "I" owed more than $10,000 and "my" payment was 2 months late.
I called Discover and they emailed me a description of the charges. About a dozen of them all with the heading of my company. It was clear someone ordered a card in my name and literally "paid" my company about $10,000 from it back in early March. Of course I was livid and immediately disputed all of the charges. I checked my credit report and there was another card which seemed to have been open about the same time with more than a $5000 balance. I called that bank and they sent me the transaction list, same thing.
At this point I was pretty sure it was my boss as I know he has access to my social security number from my hiring paperwork and the address to both cards was his suite in the building. As I'm talking with my workgroup about it, someone else said they had their identity stolen in January but they got it taken care of through Transunion. They said the charges went to a supplier of ours. Turns out, there was a third employee in our workgroup of 5 who had their credit stolen at the start of the year when they checked their credit after hearing us talk about it. For whatever reason, they are having that credit card company send them a statement as they couldn't email them the information.
Last Wednesday, I confronted my boss about the credit cards and he denied everything. He said whoever it was probably just used the work address because they may have found it through my LinkedIn. He also said to wait 120 days before disputing anything, which I found to be extremely weird, but that the credit card companies would take care of everything.
I decided not to take his advice and disputed everything on the credit websites that day. Monday comes along and he calls me in asking if there was anything new on my credit since the other two talked to him about their issues as well. I told him I disputed everything and he got pretty pissed. He was enraged that I disputed it so soon and said something that caught my attention: "So it was you who caused the holds!". I later found out the company's credit card merchant account is now on hold for fraud. This morning, I get called in again and was given a written reprimand for "unsatisfactory performance" due to my lower sales numbers for last month (I've never gotten a written reprimand ever at this job) and a separate one for "unsatisfactory performance" for a recurring customer canceling their subscription because they went out of business.
I guess my question is where do I go from here? I feel a constructive dismissal coming on, if the company doesn't go out of business first. I'm also concerned about the credit card accounts as I haven't heard anything back yet when I disputed them.

Asking $350 - I'm selling my Gen 2 Starlink Kit which was used for the last 8 months at my home in Vermont. I've since moved to fiber, so no longer using the service. Everything in this kit works 100% and is ready for transfer.
Local pick-up in central NJ (Somerset/Hunterdon County) or near Middlebury, VT. I travel regularly between these two areas. I'm also open to shipping, but would need to quote you based on location.
Included in the sale:

• Gen2 Dish
  
• Starlink router
  
• "X" stand
  
• 150' Gen2 cables
  
• Standard wall mount
  
• Starlink Ethernet adapter
  

I don't have the original boxes that kit came in however, I can provide you the dish serial number for transferring the kit. DM for details.

In my little hunt for the deer, i got the little bunny! She's very adorable, and the perfect size for a new-born. Plus a bonus picture of the lps that will be using her lily of the valley stand :)

General FHA loan requirements include:

• The loan must be for a property used for your primary residence.
• The property must be appraised by an FHA-approved appraiser.
• The property must be safe, sound and secure, in compliance with minimum property standards as defined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, or HUD.
• You must have a valid Social Security number and be a legal resident of the U.S.
• You must have a minimum credit score of 580 with a down payment of at least 3.5 percent, or a minimum credit score of 500 with a down payment of at least 10 percent.
• You may not have delinquent federal debt or judgments, or debt associated with past FHA loans.
• You must have steady employment history.
• You must make a down payment of at least 3.5 percent of the purchase price. If the down payment was gifted by a family member, documentation is required.
• You must have a DTI ratio that does not exceed limits.
• Any judgments or collections on the credit report must be resolved or satisfactorily explained.
• Any required waiting period has passed, as follows:

EventWaiting periodWaiting period with extenuating circumstances (nonrecurring events beyond your control that result in sudden, significant, prolonged reduction in income or a catastrophic increase in financial obligations) Chapter 7 or 11 bankruptcyFour yearsTwo years Chapter 13 bankruptcyTwo years from discharge, orfour years from dismissalTwo years Multiple bankruptciesFive years if more than one filing in last seven years. Most recent bankruptcy must have been caused by extenuating circumstances.Three years from most recent discharge or dismissal ForeclosureSeven yearsThree years, with additional requirements after three years up to seven years:90 percent maximum loan-to-value purchase, principal residence, limited cash-out refinance Deed-in-lieu of foreclosure, preforeclosure sale (short-sale), or charge-off of mortgage accountFour yearsTwo years

General FHA loan requirements include:

• The loan must be for a property used for your primary residence.
• The property must be appraised by an FHA-approved appraiser.
• The property must be safe, sound and secure, in compliance with minimum property standards as defined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, or HUD.
• You must have a valid Social Security number and be a legal resident of the U.S.
• You must have a minimum credit score of 580 with a down payment of at least 3.5 percent, or a minimum credit score of 500 with a down payment of at least 10 percent.
• You may not have delinquent federal debt or judgments, or debt associated with past FHA loans.
• You must have steady employment history.
• You must make a down payment of at least 3.5 percent of the purchase price. If the down payment was gifted by a family member, documentation is required.
• You must have a DTI ratio that does not exceed limits.
• Any judgments or collections on the credit report must be resolved or satisfactorily explained.
• Any required waiting period has passed, as follows:

EventWaiting periodWaiting period with extenuating circumstances (nonrecurring events beyond your control that result in sudden, significant, prolonged reduction in income or a catastrophic increase in financial obligations) Chapter 7 or 11 bankruptcyFour yearsTwo years Chapter 13 bankruptcyTwo years from discharge, orfour years from dismissalTwo years Multiple bankruptciesFive years if more than one filing in last seven years. Most recent bankruptcy must have been caused by extenuating circumstances.Three years from most recent discharge or dismissal ForeclosureSeven yearsThree years, with additional requirements after three years up to seven years:90 percent maximum loan-to-value purchase, principal residence, limited cash-out refinance Deed-in-lieu of foreclosure, preforeclosure sale (short-sale), or charge-off of mortgage accountFour yearsTwo years

Debt-to-Income Ratio Limits

Two DTI ratio figures are calculated when considering an FHA mortgage. The front-end DTI ratio is your total monthly housing expense, which includes the mortgage principal and interest, mortgage insurance, homeowners insurance, property taxes and applicable homeowners association fees, divided by your total monthly income. The back-end DTI ratio is your total monthly debt obligation, including housing, minimum credit card payments, auto loans, student loans and any other required monthly debt payment, divided by your total monthly income.Standard FHA front- and back-end DTI limits are 31 percent and 43 percent, respectively. If you earn $3,500 per month, your front-end DTI cannot exceed $1,085 and the sum of all your monthly debt obligations cannot exceed $1,505. f Applications for borrowers with lower salaries and higher DTIs are manually underwritten. Manual underwriting means that your lender assigns a person to review your loan application and documents, versus running your information through an automated underwriting system. Manually underwritten FHA loans allow for front- and back-end DTI ratios of up to 40 percent and 50 percent, respectively. To qualify for these higher DTI limits, you will need to meet other requirements.

General FHA loan requirements include:

• The loan must be for a property used for your primary residence.
• The property must be appraised by an FHA-approved appraiser.
• The property must be safe, sound and secure, in compliance with minimum property standards as defined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, or HUD.
• You must have a valid Social Security number and be a legal resident of the U.S.
• You must have a minimum credit score of 580 with a down payment of at least 3.5 percent, or a minimum credit score of 500 with a down payment of at least 10 percent.
• You may not have delinquent federal debt or judgments, or debt associated with past FHA loans.
• You must have steady employment history.
• You must make a down payment of at least 3.5 percent of the purchase price. If the down payment was gifted by a family member, documentation is required.
• You must have a DTI ratio that does not exceed limits.
• Any judgments or collections on the credit report must be resolved or satisfactorily explained.
• Any required waiting period has passed, as follows:

EventWaiting periodWaiting period with extenuating circumstances (nonrecurring events beyond your control that result in sudden, significant, prolonged reduction in income or a catastrophic increase in financial obligations) Chapter 7 or 11 bankruptcyFour yearsTwo years Chapter 13 bankruptcyTwo years from discharge, orfour years from dismissalTwo years Multiple bankruptciesFive years if more than one filing in last seven years. Most recent bankruptcy must have been caused by extenuating circumstances.Three years from most recent discharge or dismissal ForeclosureSeven yearsThree years, with additional requirements after three years up to seven years:90 percent maximum loan-to-value purchase, principal residence, limited cash-out refinance Deed-in-lieu of foreclosure, preforeclosure sale (short-sale), or charge-off of mortgage accountFour yearsTwo years