Dish: Byzantine Sinic Noodle Salad
Ingredients: - 1 lb (450g) Byzantine Sinic-inspired noodles (such as lo mein or chow mein) - 2 cups (500ml) cherry tomatoes, halved - 1 cup (250ml) pitted Kalamata olives, sliced - 1 cup (250ml) pickled vegetables, finely chopped - 1 lb (450g) roasted lamb, shredded - 1 cup (250ml) crumbled feta cheese - 1/2 cup (125ml) extra-virgin olive oil - 1/4 cup (60ml) balsamic vinegar - 2 tablespoons (30ml) honey - 2 cloves of garlic, minced - 1 teaspoon (5ml) chili oil - Fresh mint leaves, for garnish
Ingredients for Lo Mein: - 8 oz (225g) lo mein noodles - 2 tablespoons (30ml) vegetable oil - 2 cloves of garlic, minced - 1 teaspoon (5g) grated ginger - 1 cup (150g) sliced mushrooms - 1 cup (150g) sliced bell peppers - 1 cup (150g) sliced carrots - 1 cup (150g) snow peas - 1 cup (150g) bean sprouts - 1/4 cup (60ml) soy sauce - 2 tablespoons (30ml) oyster sauce - 1 tablespoon (15ml) sesame oil - 1/2 teaspoon (2.5ml) sriracha sauce (optional) - Salt and pepper to taste - Sliced green onions, for garnish
Instructions:

1. Cook the Noodles according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain the noodles, rinse them under cold water, and set them aside, or use this recipe. (Follow 2-8 for Instructions on how to cook Lo Mein:
   
2. Cook the lo mein noodles according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
   
3. Heat the vegetable oil in a large pan or wok over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and grated ginger, and sauté for about 1 minute until fragrant.
   
4. Add the sliced mushrooms, bell peppers, carrots, snow peas, and bean sprouts to the pan. Stir-fry for about 3-4 minutes until the vegetables are slightly tender but still crisp.
   
5. In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and sriracha sauce (if using). Pour the sauce over the vegetables in the pan and toss to coat evenly.
   
6. Add the cooked lo mein noodles to the pan and toss everything together, ensuring the noodles are well coated with the sauce. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes to heat through.
   
7. Season with salt and pepper to taste, adjusting the flavors as needed.
   
8. Set off to the side)
   
9. In a large mixing bowl, combine the halved cherry tomatoes, sliced Kalamata olives, finely chopped pickled vegetables, and shredded roasted lamb.
   
10. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, minced garlic, and chili oil to create a flavorful dressing.
    
11. Pour the dressing over the tomato, olive, vegetable, and lamb mixture. Toss gently to coat all the ingredients evenly.
    
12. Add the cooked and cooled Byzantine Sinic-inspired noodles to the mixing bowl and toss them together with the other ingredients until well combined.
    
13. Sprinkle the crumbled feta cheese over the noodle salad and gently fold it in to incorporate it throughout the dish.
    
14. Allow the flavors to blend together for about 10 minutes at room temperature, or refrigerate the salad for a couple of hours if desired.
    
15. Just before serving, garnish the Byzantine Sinic Noodle Salad with fresh mint leaves for a vibrant touch.
    

Indulge in the exquisite blend of Byzantine and Sinic influences with the Byzantine Sinic Noodle Salad.
Story: In 1453, when the city was besieged by Ottoman forces, the Roman leaders, led by Emperor Constantine XI, recognized that their very survival hinged upon a bold and audacious escape from Constantinople.
Taking advantage of their formidable naval fleet, the Romans meticulously prepared for their exodus. Under the cover of darkness on the night of May 29, 1453, they embarked on a treacherous journey through the tumultuous waters of the Mediterranean, navigating past Ottoman patrols and treacherous rocky coasts. Led by their seasoned admirals, such as Andreas Palaiologos and Loukas Notaras, and military strategists like John Grant, the Roman fleet skillfully evaded detection, employing various decoy tactics to confuse and mislead the enemy.
Throughout their harrowing journey, the Roman ships faced numerous challenges, including storms, resource shortages, and the constant threat of attack. However, their collective resolve and unwavering faith in their cause propelled them forward. The fleet consisted of a mix of warships, merchant vessels, and transport ships, commanded by skilled naval officers such as Admiral Romanos Laskaris and Admiral Michael Sphrantzes.
The Romans meticulously planned their escape route, avoiding major Ottoman strongholds and utilizing their knowledge of the Mediterranean's hidden coves and safe harbors. Their objective was to reach the port city of Trebizond, which had long been a stronghold of the Roman Empire. Along the way, they evaded Ottoman naval forces led by renowned Ottoman admiral Baltaoğlu, who tirelessly pursued the fleeing Roman fleet.
As they sailed through the treacherous Bosporus Strait, the Romans encountered fierce Ottoman resistance. The Ottoman navy, aware of the Roman escape attempt, fiercely contested their passage, engaging in naval battles that showcased the Roman fleet's resilience and superior naval tactics. Admirals such as Baltaoğlu, Hamza Bey, and Kemal Reis led the Ottoman naval forces in a desperate attempt to thwart the Roman escape.
In a daring maneuver, the Roman fleet managed to break through the Ottoman blockade, seizing the opportunity provided by a momentary distraction within the enemy ranks. Capitalizing on their naval supremacy, the Romans swiftly sailed across the Black Sea, leaving the Ottoman pursuers behind. The successful escape was attributed to the strategic brilliance of commanders like Admiral Andreas Palaiologos, who orchestrated the decisive victory against the Ottoman fleet.
After a challenging voyage, the Eastern Roman Empire fleet finally arrived in the port of Trebizond. Exhausted but elated, the Romans celebrated their successful escape from the clutches of the Ottomans. They regrouped, repaired their ships, and assessed their resources, knowing that their journey was far from over.
Realizing that the Mediterranean was no longer a safe haven, the Roman leaders devised a bold plan to seek refuge and establish a new home far away from the reach of the Ottoman Empire. Rumors and legends of a distant land called Cathay (China) reached their ears, captivating their imagination and offering the possibility of a fresh start.
With a renewed sense of purpose, the Eastern Roman Empire set sail once again, this time embarking on a voyage of epic proportions. Navigating through uncharted waters and braving the unpredictable nature of the sea, they ventured into the vast expanse of the Indian Ocean.
Their journey led them through treacherous storms, encounters with pirates, and challenges they had never anticipated. Yet, the Roman fleet persevered, driven by their unwavering determination and the hope of finding a new homeland.
After enduring months of challenging navigation, the Roman ships finally caught sight of distant shores in Guangdong in the year 1454, a moment that would be etched as a pivotal juncture in history. Guided by Emperor Constantine XI Palaiologos, the Romans deftly employed diplomacy and a substantial silver payment to negotiate an agreement with the Ming dynasty. Drawing upon the historical friendship between the Roman Empire and China, they attempted to convince Emperor Yingzong (also known as Zhu Qizhen) and his court officials authorize their settlement and the establishment of a semi-autonomous nation within the confines of Zhejiang.
The Ming government, impressed by the Eastern Roman Empire's technological advancements, administrative expertise, and cultural heritage, agreed to the proposal. The Romans, grateful for the opportunity, established their new capital city, Néos Cōnstantīnopolis (Formerly Hangzhou), which became a vibrant center of trade, culture, and innovation.
Under the leadership of Emperor Constantine XI Palaiologos, the Eastern Roman Empire quickly adapted to its new surroundings, absorbing elements of Chinese culture while preserving its distinct Byzantine identity. The Romans integrated themselves into Chinese society, embracing local customs and traditions, while simultaneously sharing their own rich heritage with their Chinese neighbors.
Amidst the establishment of this autonomous realm, a beautiful fusion of Roman and Chinese cultures unfolded, not only in politics and architecture but also in the realm of culinary arts. This cultural amalgamation gave rise to an exceptional dish known as the Byzantine-Sinic Noodle Salad, which encapsulates the harmonious blend of Roman and Chinese ingredients along with newly discovered ingredients from the new world. Within this remarkable creation, Byzantine-inspired noodles like lo mein or chow mein intertwine with distinct flavors derived from Chinese and Roman culinary influences.
The Eastern Roman Empire faced a significant turning point in its history once again. A unforseen chain of events started many years prior during the crisis of the Tumu Fortress in 1449 had left the Ming dynasty vulnerable, along with internal rebellions, inter-ethnic conflicts, and financial crises plaguing the empire, and a ever advancing Manchu military, the Eastern Roman Empire started sensing an opportunity, the opportunistic Romans struck a weakened Ming dynasty, led by Emperor Constantine XV Doukas, crushing many rebellions and advancing northward to confront the Manchu military.
Through a combination of superior military tactics, technological advancements, and the rallying cry of reclaiming the ancient glory of Rome, the Eastern Roman Empire emerged victorious. They conquered Beijing, claiming the mandate of heaven, and renamed the city Néa Rhṓmē (New Rome). In a symbolic gesture, they also renamed China as Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn, or more commonly known as The Byzantine Sinic.
The Eastern Roman Empire's conquest of Beijing and the establishment of Néa Rhṓmē as its new capital marked the beginning of a new era. The Romans implemented administrative reforms, blending Roman administrative practices with Chinese governance systems, under the guidance of notable figures like Strategos Alexios Strategopoulos and Logothetes John Kananos, creating a unique blend of Eastern and Western governmental structures.
In the midst of the tumultuous 20th century, the Byzantine Sinic found itself once again embroiled in conflict. During World War II, Emperor Constantine XXVII Komnenos led the empire's valiant resistance against Japanese aggression, facing off against the Japanese puppet state of Great Manchuria. Notable battles such as Neo Trebizond and Wuhan-Thessalonica showcased the empire's unwavering determination, with General Alexios Doukas leading the defense. The Battle of Guangnicomedia, under the command of General Irene Palaiologina, saw the Byzantine Sinic forces courageously fighting against overwhelming odds.
However, a turning point came when the Soviet forces, led by Stalin, entered the scene, shattering Japanese and Manchu strongholds and offering a glimmer of hope to the Byzantine Sinic Empire. At the same time, the American intervention concluded with the historic atomic bombings that ultimately brought the war to its fateful end. During the conclusion of World War II on the second of September 1945, an extraordinary moment unfolded as Emperor Constantine XXVII Komnenos of Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn (Byzantine Sinic), alongside the renowned General Douglas MacArthur, played a pivotal role in keeping a watchful gaze over Emperor Hirohito as he wrote his signature to the instrument of surrender.
Amidst the devastation and turmoil that engulfed the warring nations, Emperor Constantine XXVII Komnenos, as a symbol of resilience and determination, stood side by side with General MacArthur, the Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers in the Pacific. Together, they orchestrated the historic event that would bring an end to Japan's aggressive ambitions.
The end of World War II marked the transformation of the Roman Empire into a Republic, and the beginning of a perpetual Cold War between the Byzantine Sinic Republic and the Soviet Union. The Byzantine Sinic Republic's victory over Maozimus and his rebellion solidified its anti-communist stance, viewing communism as a threat to its independence and sovereignty. On November 6, 1954, the leader of the rebellion, General Maozimus Ziming, was shot down by a brave Roman loyalist. Any remaining Maozist or survivors of the "Transfertus Magnus" flead to Mongolia.
The Byzantine Sinic Republic's staunch opposition to communism and its alliance with Japan and NATO further strained relations with communist nations. Communist Mongolia, led by General Borjigin Khaan, with support from the Soviet Union, became an arch-rival of the Byzantine Sinic Republic. Mongolia sought to dismantle the Byzantine Sinic Republic and establish its own Roman communist regime.
The standoff between the Byzantine Sinic Republic and Mongolia escalated into a series of border conflicts and proxy wars. Notable Byzantine military leaders, such as General Leo Palaiologos and Admiral Anastasios Kantakouzenos, successfully defended the nation's borders and thwarted multiple Mongolian incursions. These clashes, known as the "Byzantine-Mongolian Border Wars," lasted for several decades and shaped the geopolitical landscape of the region.
Throughout the Cold War era, the Byzantine Sinic Republic flourished as a bastion of democracy and economic prosperity. Under the guidance of influential political figures like Prime Minister Theodora Komnena and President Justinian Kontostephanos, the nation implemented progressive policies that fostered innovation, education, and cultural exchange.
The Byzantine Sinic Republic's cultural renaissance brought together renowned scholars, artists, and philosophers from both Byzantine and Chinese traditions. Intellectual luminaries such as Philosopher Eudokia Pallas and Historian Nikephoros Bessarion contributed to the fusion of Eastern and Western philosophies, enriching the intellectual landscape of the nation.
In the late 20th century, the Byzantine Sinic Republic underwent a peaceful transition of power, marking a significant milestone in its democratic development. Prominent political figures like Prime Minister Anna Lascaris and President Andreas Dukas spearheaded the democratic reforms, ensuring a smooth transition of leadership and upholding the principles of freedom and equality.
In recent times, the Byzantine Sinic Republic has solidified its position as a regional powerhouse, harnessing its technological advancements, strong economy, and cultural diversity. The nation continues to play a crucial role in international affairs, fostering diplomatic relations with countries across the globe.
The legacy of the Eastern Roman Empire's escape from Constantinople in 1453 and subsequent establishment in China resonates to this day. It stands as a testament to the indomitable spirit and resilience of the Byzantine people, who overcame seemingly insurmountable odds to forge a new destiny.

Like title says, I was stupid and didn't do my own research. Instead of first submitting my TBWD before, I requested Remote Court Appearance via Zoom and scheduled my date for 3 days from now. Is it still possible for me to make a TBD request to the solicitor or clerk's office? Fwiw the court is Solano County in California.
EDIT: I have read the 12 step guide thoroughly. Really wish I'd read it before responding to my ticket :/
EDIT2: link to my ticket: https://imgur.com/a/MVZvzFE

Payment method - PayPal
1.- 3 From Hell 4K (iTunes only): $4
2.- Arrival from 2016 HD (Vudu only - split): $3
3.- Apes 4K trilogy Rise/Dawn/War (iTunes redeem, will port in 4K): $10
4.- Baywatch from 2017 HD (Vudu only - split): $3
5.- Boyhood HD (Vudu only - split): $3
6.- Carol ‘15 HD (Vudu only): $3
7.- Crawl HD (Vudu only - split): $3
8.- Deepwater Horizon 4K (iTunes only): $3
9.- Doctor Strange from 2016 + Multiverse of Madness HD (Google Play splits - will port): $6
10.- Frozen HD (Google Play split - will port): $3
11.- Ghost in the Shell live action 4K (iTunes only): $4
12.- I, Frankenstein HD (Vudu or iTunes only): $3
13.- Indiana Jones 1-4 collection 4K (iTunes only): $20
14.- Jaws 4K (MA): $6
15.- John Wick 1/2/3 4K (iTunes only): $12
16.- Kung Fu Panda trilogy HD (MA): $10
17.- Lady and the Tramp HD (MA - split): $5
18.- Lilo & Stitch 1 + 2 HD (MA - splits): $10
19.- Love & Mercy HD (Vudu only): $4
20.- Lucy HD (MA): $3
21.- Maleficent 1 + 2 HD (Google Play splits - will port): $6
22.- Minions ‘15 HD (MA): $3
23.- Mission: Impossible 5 - Rogue Nation 4K (Vudu or iTunes only): $5
24.- Mission: Impossible 6 - Fallout 4K (Vudu or iTunes only): $5
25.- Noah ‘14 HD (Vudu only - split): $3
26.- Pet Sematary remake HD (Vudu only - split): $3
27.- Reservoir Dogs 4K (Vudu or iTunes only): $6
28.- R.I.P.D. ‘13 HD (MA): $3
29.- Shrek 1-4 HD (MA): $12
30.- Silent Night, Deadly Night 3-Film Collection HD (Vudu only): $9
31.- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs HD (Google Play split - will port): $5
32.- Star Wars Force Awakens + Last Jedi + Rise Skywalker sequel trilogy 4K (iTunes split - will port in 4K): $12
33.- Star Wars Rogue One HD (Google Play split - will port): $3
34.- Stillwater ‘21 HD (MA): $5
35.- Suburbicon ‘17 HD (Vudu only - split): $3
36.- Thor: Love & Thunder HD (Google Play split - will port): $3
37.- Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets HD (Vudu only): $3
38.- Zootopia 4K (MA split - Disney points included): $6

Just hit 1463 in VUDU. Hit me with lists. Have like 8 June Universal Codes.
New titles: 007: Daniel Craig 1,2,3 Movie Collection HD VUDU Big Lebowski, The 4K iTunes Dictator, The (Unsure if Unrated) HD VUDU Dictator, The (Unsure if Unrated) HD iTunes Hot Fuzz HD MA Hot Fuzz 4K iTunes How to Be a Latin Lover HD iTunes In the Heights (WB EXPIRES 9/30) 4K MA King Kong (Theatrical) 4K MA Lion King 1½ HD MA Lion King 1½ HD Google-Play Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life HD VUDU Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life HD iTunes Mulan (Animated) 4K MA Mulan (Animated) HD GP Night at the Museum 3: Secret of the Tomb 4K-iTunes/HD-MA Playing with Fire 4K iTunes Playing with Fire HD VUDU Raya and the Last Dragon HD GP Shaun of the Dead HD MA Shaun of the Dead 4K iTunes The World's End 4K iTunes Think Like a Man SD MA Yesterday 4K MA

Def	Movie Title (all codes split, no points)	Retailer	MA?
HD	007: Daniel Craig 1,2,3 Movie Collection	VUDU	No
HD	13 Hours	iTunes	No
HD	13 Hours	VUDU	No
HD	Aftermath	VUDU	No
HD	Age of Adaline	iTunes	No
4K	Aladdin (Live Action)	4K-iTunes/HD-MA	Yes
HD	Aladdin (Live Action)	Google-Play	Yes
HD	Aladdin (Live Action)	Google-Play	Yes
HD	Alexander and the Bad Day	Google-Play	Yes
4K	Alien: Covenant	4K-iTunes/HD-MA	Yes
4K	Alien: Covenant	4K-iTunes/HD-MA	Yes
HD	All Eyez On Me	iTunes	No
HD	American Girl: Lea to the Rescue	iTunes	Yes
HD	American Made	MA	Yes
HD	Anchorman 2	iTunes	No
HD	Anchorman 2	iTunes	No
HD	Anchorman 2	VUDU	No
4K	Annihilation	iTunes	No
HD	Annihilation	VUDU	No
4K	Assassin's Creed	4K-iTunes/HD-MA	Yes
4K	Assassin's Creed	4K-iTunes/HD-MA	Yes
4K	Assassin's Creed	4K-iTunes/HD-MA	Yes
HD	Assassination Nation	MA	Yes
HD	Atomic Blonde	MA	Yes
4K	Avengers: Age of Ultron	4K-iTunes/HD-MA	Yes
HD	Avengers: Age of Ultron	Google-Play	Yes
4K	Avengers: Endgame	MA	Yes
HD	Avengers: Endgame	Google-Play	Yes
HD	Avengers: Endgame	Google-Play	Yes
HD	Avengers: Endgame	Google-Play	Yes
4K	Avengers: Infinity War	MA	Yes
HD	Avengers: Infinity War	Google-Play	Yes
4K	Back to the Future Trilogy	iTunes	Yes
HD	Back to the Future Trilogy	MA	Yes
HD	Bad Moms	iTunes	Yes
HD	Baggage Claim	MA	Yes
HD	Barbie in Princess Power	MA	Yes
4K	Baywatch	iTunes	No
4K	Baywatch	iTunes	No
HD	Beauty And The Beast (Live Action)	Google-Play	Yes
4K	Big Hero 6	4K-iTunes/HD-MA	Yes
HD	Big Hero 6	Google-Play	Yes
HD	Big Hero 6	Google-Play	Yes
HD	Big Hero 6	Google-Play	Yes
HD	Big Hero 6 (CANADA)	Google-Play	IDK
HD	Big Hero 6 (CANADA) (might be 4K iTunes?)	iTunes	IDK
4K	Big Lebowski, The	iTunes	Yes
4K	Black Panther	iTunes	Yes
4K	Black Panther	iTunes	Yes
HD	Black Panther	Google-Play	Yes
HD	Black Panther	Google-Play	Yes
HD	Black Panther	Google-Play	Yes
HD	Black Panther	Google-Play	Yes
HD	Black Panther	MA	Yes
HD	Black Panther	MA	Yes
HD	Black Panther	MA	Yes
HD	Black Panther	MA	Yes
HD	Black Widow	MA	Yes
HD	BOO! A Madea Halloween	iTunes/VUDU	No
4K	Book Club	iTunes	No
HD	Boss Baby	MA	Yes
4K	Bourne Legacy	iTunes	Yes
SD	Brave	iTunes	Yes
SD	Broken City	iTunes	Yes
4K	Bumblebee	iTunes	No
4K	Bumblebee	iTunes	No
HD	Captain Underpants	MA	Yes
HD	Captain Underpants (Australia)	Google-Play	IDK
HD	Cars 3	Google-Play	Yes
HD	Chappie	MA	Yes
HD	Cinderella	Google-Play	Yes
HD	Coco	Google-Play	Yes
HD	Colombiana	MA	Yes
HD	Croods, The	MA	Yes
HD	Croods, The	MA	Yes
SD	Croods, The	iTunes	Yes
SD	Croods, The	iTunes	Yes
HD	Darkest Hour (2017)	MA	Yes
HD	Dead in Tombstone (Unrated)	MA	Yes
4K	Deadpool	4K-iTunes/HD-MA	Yes
4K	Deadpool	4K-iTunes/HD-MA	Yes
4K	Deadpool	4K-iTunes/HD-MA	Yes
4K	Deadpool	4K-iTunes/HD-MA	Yes
4K	Deadpool	4K-iTunes/HD-MA	Yes
4K	Deadpool	4K-iTunes/HD-MA	Yes
4K	Deadpool	4K-iTunes/HD-MA	Yes
4K	Deadpool	4K-iTunes/HD-MA	Yes
4K	Deadpool	4K-iTunes/HD-MA	Yes
HD	Deadpool 2	MA	Yes
HD	Deliver Us From Evil (2014)	MA	Yes
HD	Den of Thieves	iTunes	No
SD	Despicable Me	iTunes	Yes
4K	Despicable Me 3	iTunes	Yes
4K	Despicable Me 3	iTunes	Yes
HD	Despicable Me 3	MA	Yes
HD	Diary of a Wimpy Kid 3: Dog Days	MA	Yes
SD	Diary of a Wimpy Kid 3: Dog Days	iTunes	Yes
SD	Diary of a Wimpy Kid 3: Dog Days	iTunes	Yes
HD	Dictator, The (Unsure if Unrated)	VUDU	No
HD	Dictator, The (Unsure if Unrated)	iTunes	No
SD	Die Hard 5: A Good Day To Die Hard (Ext)	iTunes	Yes
HD	Disneynature: Bears	Google-Play	Yes
4K	Divergent	iTunes	No
HD	Divergent	VUDU	No
4K	Divergent: Allegiant	iTunes	No
HD	Divergent: Allegiant	VUDU	No
HD	Divergent: Insurgent	VUDU	No
HD	Django Unchained	VUDU	No
HD	Dr. Seuss' The Lorax	iTunes	Yes
HD	Dr. Seuss' The Lorax	MA	Yes
HD	Dracula Untold	MA	Yes
4K	Dracula Untold	iTunes	Yes
HD	Edward Scissorhands	MA	Yes
HD	Edward Scissorhands	MA	Yes
4K	Ender's Game	ITunes	No
4K	Ender's Game	ITunes	No
4K	Escape Plan	iTunes	No
4K	Escape Plan	ITunes	No
HD	Escape Plan	VUDU	No
4K	Expendables 3 (Theatrical)	iTunes	No
HD	Expendables 3 (Unrated)	iTunes	No
HD	Fault In Our Stars	MA	Yes
HD	Fifty Shades 1,2,3 (UR+Theatrical) 6 Titles	MA	Yes
HD	Fifty Shades 1(UR), 2(UR), 3(Theat.)	MA	Yes
4K	Finding Dory	4K-iTunes/HD-MA	Yes
4K	Finding Dory	4K-iTunes/HD-MA	Yes
4K	Finding Dory	4K-iTunes/HD-MA	Yes
4K	Finding Dory	4K-iTunes/HD-MA	Yes
4K	Finding Dory	4K-iTunes/HD-MA	Yes
4K	Finding Dory	4K-iTunes/HD-MA	Yes
4K	Finding Dory	4K-iTunes/HD-MA	Yes
4K	Finding Dory	iTunes	Yes
HD	Finding Dory	Google-Play	Yes
HD	Finding Dory	Google-Play	Yes
HD	Finding Dory	Google-Play	Yes
HD	Finding Dory	Google-Play	Yes
HD	Finding Dory	Google-Play	Yes
HD	Finding Dory	Google-Play	Yes
HD	Finding Dory	Google-Play	Yes
HD	Finding Dory	Google-Play	Yes
HD	Finding Dory	Google-Play	Yes
HD	Flight	iTunes	No
HD	Fox and the Hound 2	Google-Play	Yes
HD	Frozen	MA	Yes
4K	Frozen	4K-iTunes/HD-MA	Yes
HD	Frozen	Google-Play	Yes
HD	Frozen	Google-Play	Yes
4K	Furious 7	iTunes	Yes
HD	Gambler, The	iTunes	No
4K	Ghost in the Shell (2017 Live Action)	iTunes	No
HD	Ghost Team One	iTunes	No
HD	Ghostbusters (2016) Theatrical+Extended	MA	Yes
HD	Ghostbusters (2016) Theatrical+Extended	MA	Yes
HD	Ghostbusters (2016) Theatrical+Extended	MA	Yes
HD	Ghostbusters & Ghostbusters 2	MA	Yes
HD	Girls Trip	iTunes	Yes
HD	Good Dinosaur	Google-Play	Yes
HD	Grey, The	MA	Yes
HD	Grey, The	iTunes	Yes
HD	Grey, The	iTunes	Yes
HD	Guardians of the Galaxy	MA	Yes
4K	Guardians of the Galaxy	4K-iTunes/HD-MA	Yes
4K	Guardians of the Galaxy	4K-iTunes/HD-MA	Yes
HD	Guardians of the Galaxy	Google-Play	Yes
HD	Guardians of the Galaxy	Google-Play	Yes
HD	Guardians of the Galaxy	Google-Play	Yes
4K	Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2	4K-iTunes/HD-MA	Yes
HD	Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2	Google-Play	Yes
HD	Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2	Google-Play	Yes
HD	Guilt Trip, The	iTunes	No
HD	Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (Unrated)	iTunes	No
HD	Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (Unrated)	iTunes	No
HD	Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (Unrated)	VUDU	No
HD	Hardcore Henry	iTunes	Yes
HD	Hardcore Henry	iTunes	Yes
HD	Hateful Eight (DOESN'T PORT TO MA)	VUDU	No
HD	Hateful Eight, The	VUDU	No
HD	Heat, The	MA	Yes
HD	Heat, The	MA	Yes
HD	Heat, The	MA	Yes
SD	Heat, The	iTunes	Yes
SD	Heat, The	iTunes	Yes
SD	Heat, The	iTunes	Yes
HD	Heat, The	iTunes	Yes
HD	Hereditary	VUDU	No
HD	Hobbs & Shaw	MA	Yes
HD	Homefront	iTunes	Yes
HD	Hop	MA	Yes
HD	Hop	iTunes	Yes
4K	Hot Fuzz	iTunes	Yes
HD	Hot Fuzz	MA	Yes
HD	How to Be a Latin Lover	iTunes	No
4K	Hunger Games 1	iTunes	No
HD	Hunger Games 1	VUDU	No
4K	Hunger Games 2: Catching Fire	iTunes	No
HD	Hunger Games 2: Catching Fire	VUDU	No
4K	Hunger Games 3: Mockingjay Part 1	iTunes	No
4K	Hunger Games 3: Mockingjay Part 1	VUDU	No
4K	Hunger Games 4: Mockingjay Part 2	iTunes	No
HD	Hunger Games 4: Mockingjay Part 2	VUDU	No
SD	Ice Age Dawn of the Dinosaurs	iTunes	Yes
4K	In the Heights (WB EXPIRES 9/30)	MA	Yes
HD	Incredibles 2	Google-Play	Yes
HD	Inferno (2016)	MA	Yes
4K	Inside Out	4K-iTunes/HD-MA	Yes
4K	Inside Out	4K-iTunes/HD-MA	Yes
HD	Inside Out	Google-Play	Yes
HD	Inside Out	Google-Play	Yes
HD	Inside Out	Google-Play	Yes
4K	Interstellar	iTunes	No
4K	Interstellar	iTunes	No
4K	Interstellar	iTunes	No
HD	Interstellar	VUDU	No
HD	Into the Woods	Google-Play	Yes
HD	Into the Woods	MA	Yes
HD	Into the Woods	MA	Yes
HD	Into the Woods	Google-Play	Yes
HD	Iron Man 3	Google-Play	Yes
4K	Jack Reacher	iTunes	No
4K	Jack Reacher	iTunes	No
HD	Jack Reacher	VUDU	No
HD	Jackass 3	VUDU	No
HD	Jarhead 2: Field of Fire (Not sure if theat. or UR)	iTunes	Yes
HD	Jason Bourne	MA	Yes
4K	John Wick	iTunes	No
4K	John Wick	iTunes	No
4K	John Wick	VUDU	No
HD	John Wick	VUDU	No
4K	John Wick (SD VUDU)	4K-iTunes/SD-VUDU	No
4K	John Wick: Chapter 2	iTunes	No
4K	John Wick: Chapter 2	VUDU	No
4K	John Wick: Chapter 3	4K-iTunes/HD-VUDU	No
HD	Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle	MA	Yes
HD	Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle	MA	Yes
HD	Jurassic Park	MA	Yes
HD	Jurassic Park	MA	Yes
4K	Jurassic Park	iTunes	Yes
4K	Jurassic Park	iTunes	Yes
4K	Jurassic Park	ITunes	Yes
4K	Jurassic Park 2: Lost World	iTunes	Yes
HD	Jurassic Park 2: Lost World	MA	Yes
4K	Jurassic World	iTunes	Yes
HD	Jurassic World	MA	Yes
HD	Jurassic World	MA	Yes
HD	Jurassic World	MA	Yes
HD	Jurassic World	MA	Yes
HD	Jurassic World	MA	Yes
HD	Jurassic World	MA	Yes
HD	Jurassic World	MA	Yes
HD	Jurassic World	MA	Yes
HD	Jurassic World	MA	Yes
4K	Jurassic World	iTunes	Yes
4K	Jurassic World	iTunes	Yes
4K	Jurassic World	iTunes	Yes
4K	Jurassic World	iTunes	Yes
4K	Jurassic World	iTunes	Yes
4K	Jurassic World	iTunes	Yes
4K	Jurassic World	iTunes	Yes
4K	Jurassic World	iTunes	Yes
4K	King Kong (2005) (Theatrical)	MA	Yes
4K	Kingsman 1: The Secret Service	4K-iTunes/HD-MA	Yes
HD	Last Stand, The	iTunes	No
SD	Last Stand, The (may give HD?)	VUDU	No
4K	Last Witch Hunter	iTunes	No
4K	Legend of Hercules	iTunes	No
HD	Les Miserables	iTunes	Yes
HD	Lion King (1994)	Google-Play	Yes
4K	Lion King (Live Action)	4K-iTunes/HD-MA	Yes
HD	Lion King (Live Action)	Google-Play	Yes
HD	Lion King (Live Action)	Google-Play	Yes
HD	Lion King 1½	MA	Yes
HD	Lion King 1½	Google-Play	Yes
HD	Little Mermaid	Google-Play	Yes
4K	Logan	4K-iTunes/HD-MA	Yes
4K	Logan	4K-iTunes/HD-MA	Yes
HD	Lone Survivor	MA	Yes
HD	Luca	Google-Play	Yes
4K	Lucy	iTunes	Yes
4K	Lucy	iTunes	Yes
4K	Lucy	iTunes	Yes
HD	Lucy	MA	Yes
HD	Lucy	MA	Yes
HD	Lucy	MA	Yes
HD	Lucy	MA	Yes
SD	Machete	iTunes	Yes
SD	Machete	iTunes	Yes
SD	Machete	iTunes	Yes
SD	Machete	iTunes	Yes
HD	Maleficent	Google-Play	Yes
HD	Mamma Mia ! 2-Movie Collection	MA	Yes
HD	Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh	Google-Play	Yes
HD	Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life	iTunes	No
HD	Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life	VUDU	No
HD	Minions	MA	Yes
HD	Minions	MA	Yes
HD	Minions	MA	Yes
HD	Minions	MA	Yes
4K	Minions	iTunes	Yes
4K	Minions	iTunes	Yes
4K	Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children	4K-iTunes/HD-MA	Yes
HD	Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children	4K-iTunes/HD-MA	Yes
4K	Mission Impossible: Fallout	iTunes	No
HD	Mission Impossible: Fallout	VUDU	No
4K	Moana	4K-iTunes/HD-MA	Yes
4K	Moana	4K-iTunes/HD-MA	Yes
HD	Moana	Google-Play	Yes
HD	Moana	Google-Play	Yes
HD	Moana	Google-Play	Yes
4K	Monster Trucks	iTunes	No
4K	Monster Trucks	iTunes	No
HD	Monster Trucks	VUDU	No
HD	Mr. Peabody and Sherman	MA	Yes
HD	Mr. Peabody and Sherman	MA	Yes
HD	Mr. Peabody and Sherman	MA	Yes
4K	Mulan (Animated)	MA	Yes
HD	Mulan (Animated)	Google-Play	Yes
HD	Mulan (Live Action)	Google-Play	Yes
HD	Neighbors	iTunes	Yes
4K/HD	Night at the Museum 1(HD),2(HD),3(4KiT)	MA/MA/4K-iTunes/HD-MA	Yes
4K	Night at the Museum 3: Secret of the Tomb	4K-iTunes/HD-MA	Yes
4K	Night at the Museum 3: Secret of the Tomb	4K-iTunes/HD-MA	Yes
HD	Noah	iTunes	No
HD	Norm of the North	iTunes	No
HD	Norm of the North	iTunes	No
HD	Norm of the North	VUDU	No
4K	Now You See Me	iTunes	No
4K	Oblivion	iTunes	Yes
4K	Oblivion	iTunes	Yes
4K	Office Christmas Party	iTunes	No
HD	Once Upon a Time in Hollywood	MA	Yes
HD	Open Road	MA	Yes
SD	Oranges, The	iTunes	Yes
HD	Other Woman, The	MA	Yes
HD	Overdrive	iTunes	No
4K	Overlord	iTunes	No
HD	Overlord	VUDU	No
HD	Paranormal Activity 4 (Extended?)	iTunes	No
HD	Paranorman	iTunes	Yes**
HD	Paranorman	iTunes	Yes**
HD	Paranorman	iTunes	Yes**
SD	Parental Guidance	iTunes	Yes
SD	Parental Guidance	iTunes	Yes
4K	Peanuts Movie	4K-iTunes/HD-MA	Yes
SD	Percy Jackson Sea of Monsters	iTunes	Yes
4K	Pet Sematary (2019)	iTunes	No
4K	Pet Sematary (2019)	iTunes	No
HD	Pete's Dragon	Google-Play	Yes
HD	Pirate Fairy	Google-Play	Yes
4K	Pitch Perfect 1	iTunes	Yes
HD	Pitch Perfect 1	MA	Yes
HD	Pitch Perfect 1	MA	Yes
HD	Pitch Perfect 1	MA	Yes
HD	Pitch Perfect 2	MA	Yes
HD	Pitch Perfect 2	MA	Yes
HD	Pitch Perfect 2	MA	Yes
4K	Pitch Perfect 2	iTunes	Yes
4K	Pitch Perfect 2	iTunes	Yes
4K	Pitch Perfect 2	iTunes	Yes
HD	Planes	Google-Play	Yes
HD	Planes	Google-Play	Yes
HD	Planes	MA	Yes
HD	Planes	MA	Yes
HD	Planes	MA	Yes
HD	Planes	Google-Play	Yes
HD	Planes	Google-Play	Yes
4K	Playing with Fire	iTunes	No
4K	Playing with Fire	iTunes	No
HD	Playing with Fire	VUDU	No
SD	Predators	iTunes	Yes
HD	Prometheus	MA	Yes
HD	Quantum of Solace	VUDU	No
4K	Raya and the Last Dragon	MA	Yes
HD	Raya and the Last Dragon	Google-Play	Yes
HD	Raya and the Last Dragon	Google-Play	Yes
4K	Red 2	iTunes	No
4K	Red 2	iTunes	No
HD	Red 2	VUDU	No
SD	Red 2	VUDU	No
HD	Red Dawn	iTunes	No
HD	Resident Evil: Retribution	MA	Yes
HD	Resident Evil: Retribution	MA	Yes
HD	Riddick	iTunes	Yes
HD	Rio	MA	Yes
HD	Robocop (2014)	VUDU	No
HD	Robocop (2014)	VUDU	No
HD	Ron's Gone Wrong	Google-Play	Yes
HD	Russell Madness	MA	Yes
HD	Safe House	iTunes	Yes
4K	Secret Life of Pets	iTunes	Yes
4K	Secret Life of Pets	iTunes	Yes
4K	Secret Life of Pets	iTunes	Yes
4K	Secret Life of Pets	iTunes	Yes
HD	Secret Life of Pets	MA	Yes
HD	Secret Life of Pets	MA	Yes
HD	Secret Life of Pets	MA	Yes
HD	Secret Life of Pets	MA	Yes
4K	Selma	iTunes	No
4K	Serenity (2005)	iTunes	Yes
4K	Serenity (2005)	MA	Yes
HD	Shack, The	iTunes	No
HD	Shack, The	iTunes	No
HD	Shang Chi	Google-Play	Yes
4K	Shaun of the Dead	iTunes	Yes
HD	Shaun of the Dead	MA	Yes
4K	Sicario	iTunes/VUDU	No
HD	Sing!	MA	Yes
HD	Skyfall	VUDU	No
HD	Skyfall	VUDU	No
HD	Skyfall	VUDU	No
SD	Skyfall	iTunes	No
HD	Smurfs 2, The	MA	Yes
4K	Snake Eyes: GI Joe Origins	iTunes/VUDU	No
4K	Snitch	iTunes	No
4K	Spectre	4K-iTunes/HD-VUDU	No
HD	Spider-Man (2002)	MA	Yes
HD	Spider-Man: Far From Home	MA	Yes
HD	Spider-Man: Homecoming	MA	Yes
HD	Spies in Disguise	MA	Yes
HD	Spies in Disguise	Google-Play	Yes
HD	Spongebob Movie: Sponge Out Of Water	iTunes	No
HD	Spongebob Movie: Sponge Out Of Water	VUDU	No
4K	Star Trek: Beyond	iTunes	No
HD	Star Trek: Beyond	VUDU	No
4K	Star Trek: Into Darkness	iTunes	No
HD	Star Trek: Into Darkness	VUDU	No
4K	Star Wars: Force Awakens	4K-iTunes/HD-MA	Yes
4K	Star Wars: Force Awakens	4K-iTunes/HD-MA	Yes
4K	Star Wars: Force Awakens	4K-iTunes/HD-MA	Yes
HD	Star Wars: Force Awakens	Google-Play	Yes
HD	Star Wars: Force Awakens	Google-Play	Yes
HD	Star Wars: Force Awakens	Google-Play	Yes
HD	Star Wars: Force Awakens	Google-Play	Yes
4K	Star Wars: Last Jedi	4K-iTunes/HD-MA	Yes
4K	Star Wars: Rogue One	4K-iTunes/HD-MA	Yes
4K	Star Wars: Rogue One	4K-iTunes/HD-MA	Yes
4K	Star Wars: Rogue One	4K-iTunes/HD-MA	Yes
HD	Star Wars: Rogue One	Google-Play	Yes
HD	Star Wars: Rogue One	Google-Play	Yes
HD	Star Wars: Rogue One	Google-Play	Yes
HD	Star Wars: Rogue One	Google-Play	Yes
4K	Star Wars: The Force Awakens	4K-iTunes/HD-MA	Yes
4K	Star Wars: The Force Awakens	4K-iTunes/HD-MA	Yes
HD	Star Wars: The Force Awakens	Google-Play	Yes
HD	Star Wars: The Force Awakens	Google-Play	Yes
SD	Taken 2	iTunes	Yes
4K	Terminator 2: Judgment Day	iTunes/VUDU	No
4K	The World's End	iTunes	Yes
HD	Thing, The (2011)	iTunes	Yes
HD	Think Like a Man	MA	Yes
SD	Think Like a Man	MA	Yes
HD	This is 40	iTunes	Yes
4K	Thor: Ragnarok	4K-iTunes/HD-MA	Yes
4K	Thor: Ragnarok	4K-iTunes/HD-MA	Yes
HD	Thor: Ragnarok	Google-Play	Yes
HD	Thor: Ragnarok	Google-Play	Yes
HD	Thor: Ragnarok	Google-Play	Yes
HD	Toy Story 4	Google-Play	Yes
HD	Trainwreck	iTunes	Yes
HD	Trolls	MA	Yes
HD	Trolls	MA	Yes
SD	Turbo	iTunes	Yes
HD	Unbroken	iTunes	Yes
HD	Venom	MA	Yes
HD	Vow, The	MA	Yes
4K	War for the Planet of the Apes	4K-iTunes/HD-MA	Yes
4K	Warcraft	iTunes	Yes
4K	Warcraft	iTunes	Yes
HD	Warcraft	MA	Yes
HD	Warcraft	MA	Yes
HD	Warcraft	MA	Yes
4K	Warm Bodies	iTunes	No
4K	Warm Bodies	iTunes	No
HD	Warm Bodies	VUDU	No
HD	Warm Bodies	VUDU	No
HD	Winnie the Pooh: Springtime with Roo	Google-Play	Yes
HD	Wolf of Wall Street	VUDU	Yes
HD	Wolf of Wall Street	VUDU	Yes
SD	Wolverine, The	iTunes	Yes
SD	Wolverine, The	iTunes	Yes
SD	Wolverine, The	iTunes	Yes
SD	Wolverine, The	iTunes	Yes
HD	Wolverine, The (Extended Cut)	MA	Yes
HD	Wolverine, The (Extended Cut)	MA	Yes
HD	Woodlawn	iTunes	Yes
HD	X-Men 2 Pack: First Class & Days of Future Past	MA	Yes
4K	X-Men: Apocalypse	4K-iTunes/HD-MA	Yes
4K	X-Men: Apocalypse	4K-iTunes/HD-MA	Yes
4K	X-Men: Days of Future Past	4K-iTunes/HD-MA	Yes
4K	X-Men: Days of Future Past	4K-iTunes/HD-MA	Yes
4K	Yesterday	MA	Yes
4K	Zootopia	iTunes	Yes

New Orleans, LA: 6/10
My birthplace. The city is teeming with culture and history that spans over 300 years. Most of the touristy parts of the city are pretty walkable, with added street cars. The French Quarter is full of tourists, but fun, and Uptown, and the Marigny is more laid back, truly something for everyone. The food is amazing and having Mardi Gras off is always a bonus. On the flip side, the crime. It’s never been good but since 2020 it’s been really fucking bad. Carjackings and homicide make the nightly news every day. The streets are also always buckled or full of potholes on account of the city being below sea level. Also the city sits in one of the most hurricane vulnerable areas in existence. Katrina displaced us for a year, and every time we’re in the cone for a storm, everyone that remembers Katrina has PTSD flashbacks.
Gulfport/Biloxi, MS: 7.5/10
This is the closest metro area to New Orleans on the gulf. A lot of people from NOLA have beach houses here, especially in Bay St. Louis and Pass Christian. It’s much more laid back than NOLA and everything here revolves around the water: Fishing, boating, sailing, seafood, etc. Biloxi also has the most casinos between Vegas and Atlantic City. Mardi Gras is a thing here too. The beaches on the mainland are alright, (free, parking everywhere). The water is kinda murky, but there are undeveloped barrier islands 10-ish miles offshore that you can get to by ferry or private boat (which most people here have) and the water there rivals Florida’s. Hurricanes are a problem here too. Katrina absolutely fucked this area up, like worse than New Orleans.
Mobile, AL: 4.5/10
Where I go to college. The city is a big port destination. The downtown area is reminiscent of New Orleans but not nearly as cool. They claim to be home to the oldest Mardi Gras Parade, but it’s much more low budget and less fun than NOLA’s. Local cuisine is good. Crime is pretty bad but could be worse. Outside of the downtown core is basic American suburban hell. Terrible traffic, 6 lane roads lined with strip malls, fast food, and storage facilities. The city is not walkable whatsoever. I got hit on my bike here. Pretty good beaches are an hour away in Gulf Shores with a shit ton of touristy things to do.
Jackson, MS 2/10
This city is basically the Detroit of the South. It’s basically New Orleans if you took everything away except crime and rap music. There’s nothing to do here. The city is economically crippled bc all the white flight gravitated investment to the suburbs, which are a world difference from the city itself. You always play Russian roulette when showering, washing dishes, or drinking tap water bc you never know if it’s contaminated. From 2010 to 2020 the city shrunk more than anywhere else in America with a population over 100k. Nothing redeemable about Jackson.
Atlanta, GA: 5/10
I don’t personally like Atlanta as a sports city that much being a Saints fan an everything, but there’s a shit ton of things to do here. Six flags, aquarium, coke world, Stone Mountain, sports games, you name it. The city does not deserve to be called southern though. Nothing about this city is southern. It’s full of northern liberals that know nothing about Georgia outside of their little bubble. There’s also some pretty rough ghettos on the south side of town too. Traffic is abysmal at best, and stuck for days in the snow on the interstate at the worst. It takes 2 hours to cross the city. Atlanta is close to the mountains though, which is pretty nice.
Nashville, TN: 7/10
I haven’t been to Nashville in a while but I can’t remember a bad trip any time I’ve visited. The downtown is pretty hip. If you like country music, this is Mecca for you. The Cumberland River runs right through the heart of the city, which I’ve rowed with my crew team. Nissan Stadium, where the Titans play, is right across the river from Broadway and is connected by a pedestrian bridge. Outside of the city there’s a lot of lakes and low mountains to explore, but it’s being ever encroached by suburban sprawl.
Baton Rouge, LA: 4/10
I lived in BTR for a year after Katrina. The only things to do here revolve around LSU. No disrespect to LSU tho, games in Tiger Stadium are electric. Joe Burrow is basically Jesus here. There’s a crime problem here but not the same level as NOLA. There’s also a lot of chemical plants around, being on the Mississippi River and all. Traffic is really fucking bad since there’s only one bridge crossing the river so it all gets bottlenecked at rush hour. The city is 90 minutes from NOLA if you get too bored, which you will eventually.
I might do more cities outside of the south, idk yet.

August Maniaci Link: https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=95092#relPageId=11&search=caminiti_rockford)
History of the Milwaukee Outfit
-Al Capone was a camorrista and an associate of Masseria and Capone had a large scale gambling and bootlegging operation
-Joe Aiello would gamble at Capone's places, but when he would lose, he would have the gambling operation raided and Aiello's men would take much more money than was lost
-Capone was paying protection to Masseria
-A dispute arose between Masseria and Aiello and Masseria than brought Capone in and made him a capodecina and told Capone to kill Aiello
-In 1926 or 1927, there was a "Appalachian type meeting" (Generale assemblea?) in Pewaukee, Wisconsin. The meetings purpose was to make peace in Chicago, but other families attended
-Tough Tony Capesio was one of the shooters in the St. Valentine's day massacre
-Jack Zutta, a Jewish Aiello associate, was murdered by Capone's gang
-The Milwaukee mafia banned people from helping Aiello.
-Sam Aiello, Joe Caminiti, and Migele Mineo were former Aiello members who fled Chicago to join the Milwaukee family
-Sam Aiello wasn't sympathetic about his brother. Sam returned to Chicago later and was in Jim DiGeorge's crew
-Carl Caputa left Chicago and went to Madison where he became boss. Joe "Joe Pizza Pie" Aiello (unspecified relation to the Joe Capone wared with) went with Caputa to Madison
-Milwaukee didn't try to extort any gamblers until Sam Ferrara
-Al Capone was Neopolitan, the next boss was Tony Accardo who was "Thelast Sicilian to be an important boss," Accardo was succeeded by a Neopolotan Sam Giancana (Pretty sure this info is wrong)
-Chicago outfit was a "Money grabbing operation" where only a few leaders profit "at the expense of the general membership" this had an effect on Milwaukee
-Chicago took over Milwaukee in 1952
-Sam Ferrara wanted to have a piece of the Ogden social club which was a gambling place that Frank Balistrieri had a piece on and Balistieri was Son-In-Law to John Alioto. Balistrieri said no to Ferrara and then Ferrara shelved Balistrieri. Milwaukee then asked Chicago to help them with all the trouble.
-A general meeting was held in 1952; Tony Accardo, Rocco Fischetti, and Sam Giancana attended. Sam Ferrara was taken down as boss and replaced by John Alioto
-Alioto reinstated Balistrieri and made him a capodecina
-While Alioto was boss, no gamblers or businessmen were extorted
-John DiTrapani was a capodecina who didn't like Alioto, so he said he would spend $90,000 and even was willing to finance some murders
-One of DiTrapani's friends "Pasternak" lost a lot of money gambling with the outfit and DiTrapani made it known he was very upset
-Furthermore, Alioto heard about Ditrapani's plans to become boss and this sealed DiTrapani's fate
-Chicago were the ones who ordered DiTrapani's murder, not Alioto
-DiTrapani and Frank LaGalbo (a member and DiTrapani associate) were called to a meeting by the Chicago outfit. The meeting was going to be in Milwaukee though.
-LaGalbo warned DiTrapani not to go. LaGabo himself wasn't going to go.
-DiTrapani went anyway and on March 16, 1954 he was murdered. the following day he was found shot in his car
-LaGalbo was very well connected to Chicago and he set up a transfer where he would be in the Chicago family in the decina of Frank LaPorte
-LaPorte was centered in Chicago Heights
-Jack Enea was also apart of the faction that wanted Alioto taken down as boss. he wasn't killed until November, 1954 (Chicago authorized it)
-In January of 1962, Joe Alioto retired and Frank P. Balistrieri took over, Alioto was upset about this. Alioto apparently felt it should've gone to an older man
-furthermore, Alioto was upset that Balistrieri had an affair with his wife's cousin
-Balistrieri began shaking down gamblers and businessmen
-Balistrieri was collecting $500-$600 from Bruno Ramazini and John Volpe who ran the Holiday House
-Despite not collecting from Frank and Jimmy Fazio who ran restaurants, there was an incident where a bomb went off. After this, Balistrieri went to Florida and when he came back he said that they had a piece of Jimmy Fazio's place in Fort Lauderdale
-Balistrieri was not liked by older members because he never consulted with anyone before making decisions and Maniaci even said it would not surprise him if Balistrieri was murdered. Maniaci said if anyone were to kill Balistrieri, it would be the outfit
II. Organization and Leadership -The 1957 Apalachin meeting was due to Albert Anastasia taking forcible action which affected other bosses without telling them.
-Anastasia was killed due to the disappearance of two unnamed men
-John Alioto and Frank Balistrieri were going to go to Apalachin but didnt at the last moment. Also, attendance was not mandatory at Apalachin
-Maniaci didn't know too much about the commission or its structure, but he said it had around 7 members and though he doesn't know if there is a "boss of bosses," if anyone was it would be Giancana (clearly shows his midwest bias)
-Giancana had control over Madison, Rockford, and Springfield
-Balistrieri went to Chicago periodically for meetings with Giancana, Battaglia, or capodecina Felix "Milwaukee Phil" Alderisio. These meeting were at the underboss Sam Battaglia's farm
-occassionally, Balistrieri would meet with Alderisio, Battaglia, and Marshal Caifano in a Milwaukee hotel
-Ralph Capone of Mercer, Wisconsin isn't connected with Milwaukee or Chicago
-At one point, the Pfister hotel manager Marvin Billet made a deal and Kansas City member Sebastian "Buster" Balestrere (who was "imported" to Milwaukee along with Joseph Gurera for the purpose of shaking bookmakers and businessmen down) found out and this led to Balestrere having leverage over Billet. Eventually, the Fox Head Brewery bought a hotel in Jamiaca and Buster made Billet manager. Balistrieri asked Giancana if he wanted to "take over a large gambling casino in the hotel." Billet lost the managorial position and their plan didn't work.
-Balistrieri is involved in the Continental Music Company.
-The chicago outfit may have 500 members (this is wrong as they may not have had 100 at their peak, though it shows how the smaller families saw them)
-Sam Giancana is the boss, Sam "Teets" Battaglia is the underboss, and the following are capodecina: Felix Alderisio, Marshal Caifano, Frank LaPorte, Tony Maccalucci (ph), and Ross Prio
-Ross Prio is a north side leader who was originally in Jim DiGeorge's crew
-Maniaci heard complaints that people are upset in Chicago that only a few are making money. Also, they are upset that Sam Giancana "is too much of a playboy." CI also advised that John Cerone may be Giancana's successor. Cerone is very close to Tony Accardo
-Frank Balistrieri is related to former Kansas City boss James "Big Jim" Balistrieri (It appears his real last name was Balestrere, though his fathers last name was Balistrieri)
-Joseph Cusimano and Joe Jellosa (or Jealouso) are two Kansas City members who have visited Milwaukee in the past
-The Kansas City import Joseph Gurera was said to have killed two politicians (clearly referring to the infamous hit that left Charles Binaggio and Charles Gargotta dead)
-Balistrieri made Gurera a capodecina and Buster Balestrere worked under him. Both members went back to Kansas City in 1963 after pressure was put on Milwaukee for Anthony Biernat's murder
-On April 18, 1964 Peter Balistrieri's (Frank's brother) daughter married Leonard Drewek, a non-Italian. John Molle, Buster Balestrere, and Jim Balestrere (Not made) all went to the wedding
-Peter Balistrieri is a capodecina
-Rockford's boss is Joseph Zummutto, the underboss is Frank Bucemi, and the consigliere is Joseph Zitto. (FNU) Caltegerone is a member who's old and used to be close to Milwaukee capodecina Pasquale Migliaccio. Caltergerone may be a reference to Carl "Charlie Vince" Caltegerone
-Madison, Wisconsin has 10-15 members. The boss is Carl Caputo and Joseph "Joe Pizza Pie" Aiello is a member. Both are wealthy with real estate investments.
-Benny DeSalvo was a capodecina in Madison, but died in February of 1964 at 84 years old. He was buried in Chicago
-The following is the boss succession of Milwaukee: Vito Guardalabene (Nicola Gentile reported Joseph Vallone was the underboss in 1915) Peter Guardalabene (Son of Vito) Joseph "Big Joe" Amato Joseph Vallone (Boss from mid 1920's-mid 1930's) Joseph Gumina was the underboss to Vallone (also says Gumina was capodecina, maybe he controlled a crew along with being consigliere) Charles Zarcone was the consigliere Pasquale Migliaccio was a capodecina Migele Mineo was a capodecina Tom Lucua (ph) was a capodecina Sam Ferrara (Mid 1930's-1952) Joe Gumina was the underboss (again lists him as capo too) Charles Zarcone is listed as consigliere Pasquale Migliaccio was a capodecina Migele Mineo was a capodecina Joseph Caminiti is also a captain (may have been captain under Vallone as well) John Alioto (1952-1962) Joe Gumina was the underboss (again lists him as capo too) Migele Mineo was a capodecina John DiTrapani was a capodecina until his murder in 1954 Pasquale Migliaccio was a capodecina Frank Balistrieri was a capodecina as well Frank Balistrieri (1962-time document was typed) appears he had no underboss Charles Zarcone would be consigliere if Balistrieri had one, Maniaci doesn't know if he actually was though John Alioto was a capodecina and had the older members in his crew Peter Balistrieri was a capodecina "who has active members under his direction" -Older members are displeased with Balistrieri for not consulting any members and making Joseph Gurera (Kansas City) a capodecina instead of a local member
-Older members blame Balistrieri for the publicity LCN is getting due to Anthony Biernat's murder also there's resentment because no one is making money
-Maniaci said he wouldn't be surprised if they killed Balistrieri one day
-On January 4th, 14th, and the 31st Balistrieri held parties at Gallagher's restaurant in an attempt to get the opposite faction to like him. He planned to have another similar meeting a month later. He also assured the members that jobs would soon open up and he gave Vito Aiello, John Aiello, and Maniaci himself jobs at gambling places.
-Balistrieri is very cautious in regards to his personal movements
-Another CI reported the meeting at Gallagher's was to fix the bad feelings between Myron Jennaro and Paul Bogosian who are both associates of the Milwaukee family
-the following is the structure according to Maniaci: capo: boss sottocapo: Italian not Sicilian term for underboss "consuleri": (see previous comment about spelling) the consigliere is the counselor who is usually an older member capodecina: heads a crew, means "head of ten", but members sometimes have 50 members in their crew (or in some cases zero members) No mention of soldiers
-the following are popular terms used by members: Amico Nostro: friend of ours; used by fellow members to indicate someones a member avugad: means lawyer, Maniaci said there's no significance as a term in Milwaukee, but it probably was just not for low level members. Normally the avugad is a representative on the commission. for example, Milwaukee's avugad would've been Chicago's boss cumpare: means godfather; used to show closeness to someone don: Italian term of respect, not a mafia term onorata: means honor, Maniaci said he's never heard the mafia called onorata society which many sources have reported omerta: Maniaci said it's to express any qualities in the word "manly" sagia: "chair, committee of boss, underboss, consuleri [sic], and capodecina [sic] Tourna: general meeting where all members attend; for an important reason
-the following are members of Milwaukee identified by Maniaci: John Aiello: made under Ferrara Vito Aiello: Made under Ferrara John Alioto: Made under Guardalabene, was boss then capodecina Albert Albana: Suspect in Biernat's murder and was made a month after in January 1963 Mike Albano: Runs Angelo's Pizzaria, long time member
III. Membership -John Alioto did not make any members, but Vallone, Ferrara, and Balistrieri did. (which must've happened when the books were closed either suggesting the midwest didn't follow this or he did it on the sly)
-To be made originally, you had to be Sicilian, but they switched it to just be full Italian
-Members don't have to kill, but this has been a rule in the past, to be made
-Associates are proposed by a made member who knows the associates potential. In the past, the name would go around to all members and if they objected, he couldn't be made
-the associate could cooperate with law enforcement to be made
-in the past, all members had to be present at the initiation ceremonies (Maniaci calls them "tourna" meaning a general membership meeting). They no longer do that though
-The Biernat murderers were alleged to be Steve DeSalvo, Dominic Principe, and Albert Albana. DeSalvo contacted Biernat before the killing
-during the making ceremony, both the proposed member and his sponser's fingers are pricked and their blood is mixed. Then everyone present joins hands and a picture of a saint is burned (presumably in the proposed members hand) and the proposed member takes an oath in Italian to put the organization over everything including family and religion
-Members must obey all orders under threat of death
-No members can deal drugs or they will be killed
-Members need permission before engaging in something that may affect another member
-In the past disputes between members were taken before the "Sagia" (This is also called the Seggia, consiglio, or the Sicilian term consignu)
-The "Sagia'' was composed of a boss, underboss, "consuleri", and the capodecina (the term "consuleri" suggests multiple consigliere, but the document has used the singular and plural terms interchangeably. traditionally, the consiglio had multiple consigliere though. Also "capodecina" suggests one captain, which wouldn't really make sense in the context so it can be assumed they mean all capidecina in the family)
-Balistrieri no longer consults anyone except Chicago and only for big issues
-Maniaci named the following as members of the LCN family in Milwaukee (these are just from memory): John Aiello: Made under Ferrara Vito Aiello: Made under Ferrara; John Aiello's brother John Alioto: Made under Vito Guardalabene; capodecina Albert Albana: Made in early 1964, after the murder of Anthony Biernat Mike Albano: Runs Angelo's Pizzaria; long time member Tony Albano: Mike's uncle; retired Frank Balistrieri: boss; made with John DiTrapani; in Joe Ferrara's crew?; Made capodecina under John Alioto Joseph Balistrieri: Frank's dad; longtime member Peter Balistrieri: Frank's brother; capodecina Joseph Caminiti: Secretary treasurer of Local 257; made in Chicago under Joe Aiello; came to Milwaukee during Aiello-Capone war; bootlegger during prohibition; capodeinca under Vallone and Ferrara; Balistrieri's closest confidant even closer to Frank than Peter; Married to John Alioto's daughter Harry DeAngelo: Ferrara didn't like him; made in 1963; works sanitation or garbage department; 55 years old Carl Di Maggio: long time soldier Salvatore DiMaggio: Carlo's son; burglar eith extesnive record; made under Ferrara Benny DeSalvo: Made in 1963; nephew of old Madison boss Benny DeSalvo who died in 1964; lived in New York for a while but moved back to Milwaukee and went into construction Steve DeSalvo: Close to Balistrieri; primary suspect in Biernat murder; made one month after the murder Sam Ferrara: former boss; operates liquor store; inactive Joseph Gumina; underboss and capodecina under Vallone, Ferrara, and Alioto; he was a boxer after coming to America; bootlegger and then worked at A.O. Smith corp.; capable of murder; his son married Ferrara's daughter August Maniaci: Long time soldier Santo Marino: Brother-in-law to Ferrara; not active; operates tevern Migele "Mike" Mineo: Made in chicago; came to Milwaukee during Aiello-Capone war; capodecina under Vallone, Ferrara, and Alioto; employed by Schlitz Brewery John Pernice: former bootlegger; unemployed; not known to hold leadership position Dominic Principe: Another Biernat murder suspect; made following murder; lives in Illinois Joe Rizzo: inactive; worked as bartender in multiple places Vito Seidita: inactive; 55 years old; works for city of Milwaukee, maybe in street department Joseph Spero: inactive; works for city of Milwaukee, maybe in garbage department Charles Zarcone: consigliere during Vallone, Ferrara, and Alioto; may be consigliere under Balistrieri, but Maniaci doesnt know
Maniaci also listed the following as members affiliated with other families that live in Milwaukee: Frank LaGalbo: runs Chico's restaurant; was supposed to be killed along with DiTrapani; transfered to Chicago under Frank LaPorte John DiBella: member from Italy; close to Joe Bonanno; head of Grande Cheese Company Ralph "bottles" Capone: Chicago member; no importance in the underworld James DiGeorge: operates stock farm; owns land in Adams county, Wisconsin; former capodecina of North Chicago; years ago he was supposed to be killed, but got a pass; lives in exile in Wisconsin (likely shelved)
-Maniaci said that even your immidiate family may not know your made and it's typical for people to keep their sons out of the mafia
Maniaci named the following as people not members of Milwaukee, but closely associated with Milwaukee: Walter "Walter Blackie" Brocca: worked forvarious businesses on behalf of Frank Balistrieri Tony Bruno: No member of Bruno's family has ever been a member Sam Cefalu: gambler; lives at 1606 North Jackson; employed by Balistrieri Sam Cefalu: lives at 3461 North Cramer; not related to the other Sam Cefalu; worked for Balistrieri in a gambling office Anthony "Sheriff Cefalu" Cefalu: Brother of Sam (doesnt say which one); employed as gambler Gus Chiaverotti: Working for Frank Balistrieri in Continental Music Co.; closely associates with Balistrieri Sam DaQuista: No other DaQuista family member has been connected Joe Dentice: No Dentice has been a member Dominic Frinzi: Lawyer for Milwaukee mafia Nick Fugarino: closely associates with LCN Ted Gagliano: Gambler Nick Gentile (Doesnt specify if its Nicola Gentile, the one who wrote a book): not a member, but associates with LCN Joseph Guarniere: not a member Dr. Vito Guardalabene: Son of former boss Pete; no living Guardalabene is a member of mafia Danny Lampone: No Lampones are made Tony LaRosa: associated with LCN, not member Sam Librizzi: Gambling LCN associate Tony and Tom Machi: gamblers John Mandella: not a member Vincent Mercurio: not a member John Percurio: creditor to Frank Balistrieri who he's related to Tom Piscitello: not a member John and Joe Piscuine: Gamblers; no Piscuine's have been members Bruno Ramazini: former operator of Holiday House Frank "Big foot Hogan" Sansone: gambler; runs a restaurant Joe Sardino: no other Sardino's are connected with LCN Tom Sorce: Gambler Frank Stelloh: Close to Frank Balistrieri and Steve DeSalvo; non Italian, so couldn't be made Nick Tarantino: "very close" and trusted by Frank Balistrieri; couldn't be made because he helped police in a burglary investigation, this was well known to LCN John Triliegi: LCN associate Sam Vermiglio: former head of a counterfeit cigarette stamp ring; deals drugs; murdered John Volpe: runs the Holiday house
-An informant, possibly Maniaci, advised in 1964 tht Frank Balistrieri has a share in William Covelli's gambling operation (CI doesnt say, but Covelli may have been made)
-Aforementioned informant said Balistrieri also has a share in John Rizzo's bookmaking operation. Al Albana is the one who brings the money from Rizzo and Covelli to Balistrieri
-Both Maniaci and another CI reported that Balistrieri, Rizzo, and Covelli thought about buting a Key Club in Park City, Illinois. Maniaci said that if Balistrieri was serious, he would have to talk to Chicago first since its their terretory
-On April 5, 1964 CI (aforementioned informant, probably not Maniaci) advised that he expected Buster Balestrere and Joe Gurera were expected to come back to Milwaukee before June of 1964. They are coming back to act as hosts in a big crap game. Nick Tarantino would be a treasurer in the game. Frank Balistrieri will own the game and Buster Balestrere will be pit boss and host. The reasoning for starting the game was it would make a lot of money and wouldn't violate a federal law.
-Sam Cefalu and Sam Librizzi run a gambling office recieving a line from out of state, this is the only out of state line. Sam Dentice is a runner for the operation. Anthony "Sheriff Cefalu" Cefalu used to be involved, but is inactive
-a CI advised that 70% of gamblers are represented by Dominic Frinzi. Frinzi has represented Anthony Cefalu, Charles Piscuine, Robert Pick, William Cole, Steve Halmo, and Harvey Wach
-A CI advised on March 7, 1964 members of "Chicago and Miami outfits" (maybe meaning Tampa) were trying to build a motel in the bahamas. Balistrieri was going to have a 5% interest in it
-A different CI advised that Giancana was interested in a casino at Cat Cay in the Bahamas.
-Ben Novac owned the Fountainbleu Hotel in Miami and was a close associate of Chicago and New York LCN. He applied for a license to operate a casino in the Bahamas in April of 1964 and was denied due to his financial ties to gangsters
-a CI (probably Maniaci) reported on April 3, 1964 that Balistrieri and former capodecina, but current soldier Joe Caminiti had a meeting where they discussed the Milwaukee Police Department (MPD). Balistrieri said he helped get cheif of police Harold Breter into office. Blaistrieri said he felt the MPD was trying to put heat on him by arresting young people who frequented Gallagher's restaurant and they surveilled LCN members. Balistrieri met with inspector Kremsreiter who was the number 3 man in the MPD. Kremsreiter and Balistrieri met at Fazio's and had lunch. At lunch, Balistrieri suggested that the MPD should stay away from his kind and that there are not enough police to be just focusing on him. Balistrieri told Caminiti that he was happy with how it went.
-Frank Ranney is a secretary-treasurer of Teamsters local 200 and is very close to Balistrieri even working together at Atomic Industries, a bubble gum company
-An informant advised on March 24, 1964 that Balistrieri, Frank Ranney, and Joe Caminiti met at Fazio's. The informant said Balistrieri had "some form of domination over Ranney"
-One CI stated that Balistrieri is connected to Jimmy Hoffa and could get a multi-million dollar loan to build a motel in Milwaukee.
-Tony Volpe is connected with Chicago and has access to the money from the welfare and pension fund of the teamster union in Chicago and that many Las Vegas casinos have been financed with the money.
-On April 3, 1964, a CI (or wiretap) reported that Joe Caminiti and Frank Balistrieri had a meeting where they discussed "the disposition of money supplied by the Teamsters to Frank Balistrieri for distribution to some of the candidates for Alderman in the City of Milwaukee." Caminiti told Balistrieri he'll advise the candidates that they are backed by the teamsters.
-During the same meeting Caminiti insuled Robert Kennedy saying he operated a gestapo. They also talked about a speech Congressman Alvin O'Konski gave talking good about Jimmy Hoffa. The Teamsters gave money to O'Konski and Senator Morse (ph) for political purposes
-Caminiti said Robert Kennedy infringes on civil liberties, this was after O'Konski told him about an investigation coming by the DOJ
-Caminiti also said that the Teamsters had trouble getting the poney to pay for Jimmy Hoffa's legal expenses. Out of 35 locals in Wisconsin, 20 wouldn't pass anything in support of paying. Because of this, they decided they would take the money out of the joint counsil, meaning every member will pay .05-.10 cents
-Joe Caminiti told Frank Balistrieri that Frank Ranney said to be careful giving money to Alderman Allen L. Calhoun. This was due to when Calhoun once moved districts, he came into conflict with Al Hass who was close to the Milwaukee LCN. Balistrieri already knew and met with Calhoun and told him that Hass is who they're most loyal too, but they will support whoever won. Balistrieri gave cash to Calhoun as an unreported donation
-Balistrieri gave a donation to Art Else, who's opponent was Henry Maier. Balistrieri gave Else the donation at Gallagher's restaurant.
-Angelo Provinzano was a member of the city service commission who was mobbed up. Balistrieri gave money to Provinzano who then donated money to mob backed candidates. Provinzano donated $995 to mayor Henry Maier. Provinzano also was used in the past to get Italians in positions in the city government and police department. Informant said Provinzano wasn't made
-On April 17, 1964, Dominic Frinzi (mob attorney) was going to run for governor and the mafia backed him. Frinzi himself wasn't confident he could win, but it would give him publicity which he could later use to become a judge
-Anthony Biernat was found buried in a cellar of an abandoned farm sprinkled with lime, but it wasn't the right kind which would disintegrate a body
-Frank Balistrieri partly owns The Pitch Specialty Co. Balistrieri's relative Peter Picciuro operated the business. His father John Picciuro also has a piece or co-owns it.
-Carl Dentice has a jukebox operation in his name for Frank Balistrieri
-Sam Dentice got a jukebox license under his name for Balistrieri
-Peter Sciotino's bakery was targeted in a bombing because of Balistrieri's shakedown campaign. Sciortino was personally connected to Joe Bonanno in some way and ended up not having to pay. Sciortino himself wasn't a LCN member
-Balistrieri's shakedown campaign began in the summer of 1962 with Joseph Gurera and Buster Balestrere shaking businessmen and gamblers down. Some people did resist so Balistrieri wanted to send a message. They were going to kill either Bill Cole or Bobby Pick, but when LE found out they stopped trying.
-An informant though Tony LaRosa might be killed because it was said the Milwaukee family heard he gave information to LE
-In may of 1964, an informant said that Steve DeSalvo and Frank Stelloh now operated as musclemen for Balistrieri. They even planned to murder someone who the informant didn't know.
-The informant thought the murder target may have been Izzy Tocco who was a booker for Sam Cefalu and got in trouble, but the informant thought that this would be too little a reason to murder someone
-A different informant supplied information suggesting the murder target may be Joe Beck. Beck was making complaints against the Continental Sales Co. Balistrieri made comments to the acting manager Gus Chiaverotti where he expressed his anger against Beck.
-An informant advised on April 10, 1964 that he heard a story about a Milwaukee gangster being offered $5,000 by the Chicago LCN "to make a hit" on a prominent businessman who was made. The reasoning was because the man owed the Chicago family between $18,000-$20,000. The man either stole the money or bet and lost the outfit's money

I know it seems odd to say that, because in theory more powerful hardware only has benefits, I don't actually think that's the case in application. It is has long been true that limitations can lead to beautiful ideas and spark creativity that might not otherwise have been found without them, but that's not entirely what I'm talking about. The Switch is actually plenty powerful and compared to the past, this makes it less of an issue than say the DS or the Gameboy before it, but it still does prompt some of that beautiful creativity. In a holistic lens, the amount of power this handheld can input in terms of game potential is insane and it only ever looks bad in comparison to newer technology.
The bigger problem as I see it is that the Switch's market is fantastic for people like me who are not attached at the hip to the AAA hyped games with hundreds or even thousands of developers working on them. People call the games in this market niche, but I don't think it's necessarily that. Mario Party, Ring Fit Adventure, Cuphead, Dead Cells, Stardew Valley, Nier Automata, Persona 5, these types of games have sold well enough that they're way past niche. I feel like there's bad tendency to say things are either mainstream or niche and there's no middle ground. I like to play a variety of games that range from super low budget indies to mid-sized games with modest budgets, like Atelier Ryza, Daemon x Machina, Yokai Watch or AI: The Somnium Files.
I really missed the days of the PS2 and Gamecube where there were plenty of packaged titles that weren't huge mass market blockbusters, but provided a great variety of experiences that didn't conform to the standards of those mass market super hits. The Nightmare of Druaga was one of my favorite PlayStation 2 RPGs, a brutal roguelike that wasn't nearly as beautiful or epic as Dragon Quest VIII, but just as memorable. I remember playing great games like I-Ninja and Metal Arms alongside the Metroid Primes and Ratchet and Clanks.
The Switch has brought back success for publishers who are pursuing this mid-sized market, whereas in Japan at least, that was completely stamped out by Sony's insistence on pushing high fidelity games the PS4 and PS5. The difference is stark. You see third party success with smaller titles all the time now on the Switch that hasn't been seen since the earlier 2000s. My favorite baseball series, Powerful Pro is back because it's so much easier to satisfy and compete with the market on the Switch and sales rose exponentially for Konami culminating in one of the best games ever released for the long-running 30+ year series where before they didn't even bother with releases anymore because it was seen as not worth it. (In the ultimate irony, the more realistic Konami baseball series now prioritizes releases on the Switch despite its appeal of realistic graphics being closer to the PlayStation's strengths.) It may not be important to you, but it's important to me and you probably have something you love on the Switch that's prospered that I don't even know about.
The second reason the Switch's lack of power doesn't bother me is the huge resurgence in retro game popularity. It may just be a sign of the times that the Switch was able to capitalize on, but seeing as how many developers target the Switch with their releases and how Nintendo's legacy brings with it familiarity with retro back catalogs and how Switch Online subscriptions introduce people to games they might not have tried otherwise, I think it's obvious the Switch has this market really well cornered. I can't believe how many things I never thought would be revived that somehow have gotten revived. Live a Live was obviously a huge surprise and success story that was impacted by Octopath Traveler and the HD-2D engine's success.
But there are tiny, super niche examples that have me overjoyed. G-Mode releases ports of feature phone games from before smartphones became popular and it's amazing. It's the only way to play the Legendary Heracles III on a modern platform with all the horrible bullshit from the Super Famicom version cut out. If you like Earthbound, Sepas Channel is incredible. The Kibukawa Ryosuke Detective File Series are extremely charming, well-written mystery games that scratch on itch for anyone who likes detective games and particularly the fun banter of the Phoenix Wright series investigation sequences. There's an insanely well done puzzle game about poking the air out of bubble wrap!
There's this old Japanese PC game called Demon Castle that got ported to the Switch with a little guide to help people because the original game has old retro puzzle bullshit like "stand here for 60 seconds to get the sword you need to win the game," and when you modernize enough to alleviate those annoyances, the base game is so much fun. It was so successful that they ported the sequel and then a brand new game, 30 years later, based on how well the ports did, that massively expanded the ideas. The whole saga has been one of my treats throughout the Switch's life span.
For many reasons, these just don't get the attention on Sony's platform or on Steam that they do on the Switch. It's possible Nintendo will find a way to cultivate a good balance in the market, but I'm going to be sad if future Nintendo platforms emphasize power to the extent their competitors do and leave behind these kinds of games in the dust. It happened after Sony didn't have to hustle anymore from trying to make the PS3 more successful than its awful launch and the PSP compete with the DS. They completely gave up on the Wild Arms, Loco Rocos, Patapons, Yuusha no Kuse ni Namaika das, Intelligent Qubes, Arc the Lads, Jumping Flashes, Sly Coopers and so on. Nintendo still has those quirkier titles coming out regularly and fosters them, whereas I get the sense that Sony would feel embarrassed marketing their own Japanese-made RPG again, which is disappointing. Fire Emblem Engage is my most played game this year so far with over 150 hours in it and I get the sense Sony doesn't think games like that are premium enough for the PS5 to fund and market them anymore. Keep in mind, I'm not trying to say the PS5 is awful or anything, just that I can see why people find more value in gaming on the Switch despite the power difference. It's obvious that Nintendo helps market indie titles because they support their platform a lot. Would Nintendo do that anymore without the power gap, just like Sony stopped doing? They're certainly not doing it out of a sense of charity.
It's also nice because some of the more modern games that never come to the Switch are also some of the biggest failures and I'm glad I never got a chance to play Mass Effect Andromeda, the new Saint's Row or Fallout 76 before they blew up into buyer beware butt cakes. The Switch's lack of power has ironically also been a shield from modern bullshit to a certain extent. And while of course it would be nice to play the Resident Evil remakes in a non-cloud version or the new Star Ocean, the nice thing about that is if they eventually come to the Switch's successor they probably will include all the stuff you had to pay or wait for before as additional downloadables in the base game, much like The Ezio Collection (the first time I played Assassin's Creed) included everything you'd want in the Switch version. So platforms like the Switch are great for patient gamers too. (Though no amount of porting will ever convince me to play Skyrim.)
The last aspect are mobile ports. I know this isn't very popular overseas, but since my second most played platform are smartphone games and I and other Japanese players play a lot of them, this is really helpful. Porting mobile games to the Switch often completely removes a lot of worse parts of the monetization and leaves behind a better game. I tend to play mobile game while I listen to podcasts, audio books or YouTube videos and Gems of War, Guardian Tales and Dragon Quest Rivals ACE are probably my three most played Switch games. I can't even spend money on Gems of War if I wanted to because my region isn't supported, so score! Kairosoft's cute little pixel art simulation games are completely removed of all of their mobile monetization leaving only an addictive simulation game behind. Five-BN is a tiny Ukrainian studio who makes adventure games that look like they were made for PCs in the late 90s, but that's right up my groove and you get a lot of bang for your buck with each title. It scratches the exact itch I've wanted scratched by other modern adventure games that are more concerned with aping old LucasArts than old Sierra, the latter of which I personally liked much better. I can't accurately convey how impressed I was that they made better and more fun puzzles and more enchanting worlds than many of their competitors on their tiny mobile game budget. Imagine how surprised that their translations into Japanese are also better than larger publishers. That's just sad. (It's also quite refreshing to play games that seem to be designed for middle-aged women. That's not a market you see catered to very often and makes for a nice change of pace.)
Unreal Life is one of the greatest experiences I've ever had in my years of gaming and it was a mobile port. Also Various Daylife is an awesome, awesome game and it's unfortunate that it gets dismissed for being a departure from traditional RPG gameplay that people are looking for, because like a SaGa game, it's full of great ideas to come together to make a unique game. There's no way the platform would have gotten this many mobile ports if it weren't a Japanese handheld hybrid with an easy to use touchscreen and so the very fact Nintendo sacrificed power to make it portable brought games to me I would not have noticed or played that much otherwise.
I know that people dislike the performance issues they see on the Switch, but it often doesn't bother me, as I don't really pay attention to frame rate issues unless they're so dire that it's obviously hurting the game's playability. I never even noticed any drops in Tears of the Kingdom and to me plenty of Switch games are beautiful and I don't really care if they had higher resolution or better textures. It's just not a priority for me or something I look for in games. I'm aware enough to know that I'm an outlier in that respect on Reddit, but I don't think I am in the wider gaming community offline. Bright Memory, Sifu and King's Bounty 2 played just fine in the Switch versions for me.
And of course it goes without saying that I dearly hope the Switch is not the last hurrah for this type of platform, because I can't remember another platform that had this good of a balance of success for all types of publishers and developers. And I know it can't last forever. It's sad the way Octopath Traveler II didn't get the attention the first one did, despite being improved every way, but even on the Switch not everything can be successful. I wonder when the point comes where the saturation is so high on the platform that it can't go on any longer. I don't imagine that even with this type of momentum that the Switch is just going to keel over in a couple of months once the successor is released, so long live the Switch!

I'll be honest, I had Andrew Jackson as a bottom 10 president for a long time but after considering his impact it makes me consider otherwise. I'm going to list his pros and cons, and say issues that can be interpreted as either. I don't like Jackson so I'm biased, but if there's anything that I am wrong about in the recall of events please say so. And you're not a bad person for thinking he was a good president

Pros:

• Jacksonian Democracy

First of all Jackson was the first "common man" president which was absolutely huge in the American public identifying themselves with political figures and participating in it. America in the beginning was an oligarchy where white men with property could vote but the Jacksonian era was a major push to include all white males 21 and up which included millions of people
You can argue that it led to increased white supremacy in the states (which I believe was going to persist anyway), it was a massive push for democracy. I would say this is his biggest accomplishment

• Nullification crisis

Despite Jackson being pro-states rights on a lot of things, the South Carolina dispute showed that the States can't override (nullify) federal law which likely prevented major conflict or the union dissolving much sooner. Was it a push towards civil war? Sure but I think the conflict was inevitable

• Lowered Tariff of Abomination (1828) rates

I don't know a whole lot about tariffs or how it affected the 19th century economy but from my understanding it was a good thing

• Improved British relations with the US

Jackson was the first to secure treaties and trade status with the country and the British West Indies territories which helped in the economic boom in the 1830s. US ports became open to British vessels too

• Out of the first seven presidents he spent the most money on infrastructure by far

Which is kind of weird considering he was generally against big government but a lot of the actions were politically motivated, like vetoing Henry Clay's Maysville Road

• Jackson was one of the most effective presidents of all time

Whether or not you like all of the policies (which I certainly don't), you can give credit to a guy who does what he says he is going to do
Not really a pro but personality wise he was a badass and an insane person. Probably the craziest president as he had a strong bloodlust, and he survived a duel where he allowed the opponent to shoot him first, then Jackson shoots back to kill him.

Cons:

• Trail of Tears and Indian Removal Acts

Pretty obvious one there, thousands of Cherokees dead and tens of thousands forcibly displaced. And it's not like he reluctantly signed it or it was overwhelmingly supported by congress, he was all for Indian removal and went against Supreme Court who said that the government doesn't have the right to possession of Indian lands, for this Jackson said "Let's see them enforce it" (Worcester vs Georgia). This also supports the idea that Jackson was a tyrant

• Paying off the national debt

It's frequently said to be a good thing but it wasn't, not only did it directly lead to the Panic of 1837 and the inflation of paper money, but the surplus money was distributed corruptly amongst state pet banks who weren't Whig. I wont say that Jackson directly caused the economic depression to happen but it solidified it because the banks didn't have enough hard currency after paying off Federal lands. The British were also prepared to have American credit too
You can argue that Jackson getting Roger Taney to remove BOTUS II funds to pay off government bills, or to distribute them into state banks during Senate Recess was illegal, as it caused Jackson to get censured and was the only president in history to undergo it.

• Spoils system

Jackson wanted to get rid of federal officials who were allegedly corrupt in previous administrations and to avoid a meritocracy. While previous presidents had involved some form of patronage in their administrations, Jackson was the biggest one who got rid of nearly 1000 officials which set a precent to devolve civil service into cronyism. Leading to corruption down the road to be eventually reformed by gilded age Republican presidents
EDIT: Oh shit I forgot about slavery lol, there's that too. And I'm pretty sure Jackson was just like "why do we need to talk about that?". I think the slaveowner thing with presidents is kind of tired, like yes absolutely terrible, one of the worst things that America stood for and we get it. But it's still worth mentioning for cons

Debatable Issues:

• Being opposed to the Second Bank of the United States

Honestly I don't know enough about econ to say whether its good or bad but my general impression was that Jackson had a point in how the government was handling BOTUS II in which it was benefitting rich people only, but how he handled the dismantling of the bank was bad. But if you know more about it, definitely weigh in on it

• Being the face of the Democratic Party

I would argue the Democrats being bad throughout the 19th century as they were pro slavery/pro Jim Crow racists. But we would have modern politics without Andrew Jackson, and the Whigs were created because of their opposition to Jackson
So what's your take on Jackson? Does his accomplishments lift him out of the bottom 10 through sheer impact or does he belong amongst the worst?

PC

Character Name and House: Perianne "Peri" Darry
Age: 21
Appearance: Perianne's ingenue appearance - with her round freckled cheeks and soft blue eyes, the wispy fly-aways of her red hair and her tender smile - give the impression of a lady as mild as milk. In truth, her features bely a mind as caustic as lye and a tongue which can be as sharp as the crack of a whip.
Gift: Gossiper
Skills: Cautious (E), Espionage, Subtle, Assassin
Talent(s): Dancing, Embroidery, Mummery
Starting Title(s): Heir to Darry, if only because her lord brother has not had any children yet.
Starting Location: King's Landing

Timeline

182 - Mortymer Darry is born, firstborn son and heir to Lord Dalton Darry and his wife.
186-189 - Perianne Darry is born, secondborn child and first daughter to Lord Dalton Darry and his wife. Her birth is fraught with complications - namely, she is premature. For the first few years of her life, she is quick to come down with cough and fever. Her fretful, anxious parents coddle her greatly.
190 - Darlessa Darry is born, thirdborn child and second daughter of Lord Dalton Darry and his wife. She is a healthy, boisterous babe, much like her brother. By virtue of being an infant, she demands more care than her elder sister, who finds herself suddenly bereft of the attention she once took for granted. Neither do the servants pay her attention; it is well known among them that Perianne was not spoiled sweet, and is in fact a massive brat.
195 - Darlessa passes away at the age of 5 in an unexpected accident, when trying to mount a pony. It is an open secret that Perianne is at fault for the incident - unprompted and unsupervised, she attempted to give Darlessa her first riding lesson. Despite Perianne's protests, the unkind rumor persists among castle inhabitants that Darlessa's accident was no accident at all. Lord and Lady Darry have no further children.
197 - Among family, there are always those who get along like oil and water. Damon Darry, Perianne's eldest cousin, taunts her with the aforementioned rumor in the way children do - poking at a sore spot because it gets a reaction. And then he does it again. And again. Look, ma, Peri's face gets as red as her hair!
198 - Perianne takes shears to Damon's hair in a most unladylike fashion and is sent away to become Lady in Waiting to Lady Piper, since she clearly is not learning grace at home. She questionably gains the ability to keep a lid on her temper.
203 - Lord Dalton Darry dies in the bandit ambush outside of Oldstones, along with several other prominent Riverlanders. Mortymer ascends to lordship, and Perianne returns home to aid her brother in his new duties.

AC

Character Name and House: Mortymer "Morty" Darry
Age: 25
Appearance: The hairline to his short brown hair is already beginning to recede, though that doesn't seem to bother him any. Portly and personable, with a perpetual ruddy flush to his face and warm brown eyes, Morty is the opposite to his sister in most ways. For one, he's no delicate lady, and certainly no dashing, handsome knight. But his open smile is a genuine one, without guile or pretense.
Gift: Diplomat
Skills: Courtly, Architect, Strategist
Flaws: Obese, Cowardly
Talent(s): Singing, Debate, being a soft boi
Starting Title(s): Lord of Darry. he's single laaadieeees
Starting Location: King's Landing
Family Tree:

• Lord Dalton Darry
  [m]. Lady Darry
  
  • Lord Mortymer Darry
  • Perianne Darry
  • Darlessa Darry
• Emmet Darry, younger brother to Dalton
  [m]. Amarei Frey
  
  • Damon Darry
  • Danelle Darry
  • two other kids I haven't named yet
• Adeline Darry, younger sister to Dalton
  [m]. Lord Paege
  

Unpacking the Light Police. Light Pollution News.
Show Link: https://lightpollutionnews.com/podcast/unpacking-the-light-police/
Subscribe: Apple Podcast Spotify Google Podcast
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Guests:
John Barentine of Dark Sky Consulting, LLC.
Kaitlyn Evans, Conservationist.
Show:
I was busted by the light police. They had a point, Dana Milbank of the Washington Post.
Dana Milbank purchased a home in, soon to be not, rural Virginia. At night he kept the formerly vacant property lit to the degree that spurned one commentator to call it “spaceship lighting.”
Milbank recaps being visited by the “light police,” a group of concerned citizens who help educate neighbors and instill a sense of pride in the brilliance of their starry night skies.
At first, he was taken aback, but later, not only did he appreciate their efforts, but he also converted his blinding always on, white light flood lights to warm 2700 Kelvin motion sensing lights.
Per Ruskin Hartley, executive director of the International Dark Sky Association, “for 4.5 billion years there was no artificial light at night. It’s really only in the last five human generations that we transformed that. It’s one of the most profound transformations of our environment.”
Many of you may recall an earlier story, way back in our Hormone of Darkness episode, showcasing concerns by local residents prior to a 760 house (now 761) plus town center development moving into the Culpepper County, VA area. Per the Rappahannock News, this development features “a resort style swimming pool, clubhouse, tot lot, and multiple sports fields and sports courts, all connected by a network of biking and walking trails.”
The forgotten medieval habit of ‘two sleeps’ by Zaria Gorvett of the BBC.
Gorvett opened my eyes to something I never knew about, the medieval custom of two sleeps. For those of you unaware, two sleeps are exactly what it sounds like.
Folks would partake in a communal nap, complete with rigid sleeping arrangement conventions, between 9 – 11pm, then awaken for a few hours to do everything from hang out to brew beer! In fact, the idea of multiple sleeps crossed cultures and was found in places as far from Europe as indigenous South America.
How can one’s circadian rhythm make sense of all of this?!
Well, for starters, until the invention of the alarm clock, which humorously was invented by a clocks salesman so he could wake up and sell more clocks, people had no firm way to wake up at a consistent time. The industrial revolution enforced a new circadian standard.
And there’s some science behind this! In the 1992 study, In Short Photoperiods, human sleep is biphasic, researcher Thomas Wehr found that after four weeks of 10 hour days, his subjects began to engage in this two sleep cycle, involving a one to three hour period for which they became awake and engaged in between.
Want to Learn About Light Pollution? There’s a mini-course for that!, Jennifer Sensiba of Clean Technica.
Quoting Sensiba, “As I got older, I traveled a lot more and saw the problem more for what it is. Not only did I see that in many places there is no refuge from it, but I also saw that it was slowly growing worse. Places that had been dark 30 years ago had more and more light creeping upon the horizon.”
If you’re interested in learning more, or more importantly, know someone who might benefit from learning more, Sensiba links up to an International Dark Sky Mini-Course on light pollution, call it Light Pollution 101!
There’s a Play Date at the National Museum of Natural History: Lights Out exhibit!
But unfortunately, by the time you listen to this, and hell, by the time we talk about this, it has passed.
Ann Arbor named best place for sunrises, sunsets in Michigan. Sarah Parlette for Click on Detroit.
Evidently gambling websites have decided to honor April’s International Dark Sky week in a strange new content marketing campaign, which was to rank the best places in each state to see sunrises and sunsets. My favorite one, “Ann Arbor named best place for sunrises, sunsets in Michigan,” comes from Click on Detroit, whereby a quote “study” examined Michigan’s most populated cities.”
According to Click on Detroit, “to celebrate International Astrology Day on Saturday, staff at Great Lake Stakes, a Michigan online gambling news site, looked at light pollution in the five most populated cities around the Mitten state to determine which offers the best views every morning and evening.”
Star bathing is the new outdoor travel trend we should all be trying for Summer 2023, according to Amy Beecham at Stylist.
Evidently, as an attempt to destress and promote mindfulness, romanticism about sleeping under the stars has birthed a 70% increase in searches for the term ‘star bathing’ on Hipcamp. And to be sure, “Hipcamp recommends checking a stargazing calendar which outlines major astrological events – like supermoons, pink moons, and star showers.”
“Industry Must Face an Inconvenient Truth — Most LED Lights at Night are Unhealthy”
Dr. Martin Moore-Ede, a circadian clock expert, recently published an article in LEDs Magazine chastising the lighting industry for not recognizing and reigning in the negative externalities of its products. Per the piece, such effects are, obesity, diabetes, depression, cancer, and more.
He cites three categories of industry responses, making the correlation that long term Denial or outright Ignorance of the Facts, may result in “asbestos-scale liabilities or draconian regulations.”
Per the piece, a recent survey by the Circadian Light Research Center of 2,697 peer reviewed scientific articles confirmed that human circadian clocks are highly sensitive to blue wavelengths, and that exposure to such wavelengths leads to major health disorders.
Moore-Ede calls for the industry to harvest the “commercial opportunity” to greatly limit future liability by creating and managing its own standards for circadian modulated lighting.
Unpacking the Wallpack, by Dan Weissman in LD+A Magazine.
Weissman, who recently purchased a telescope for his family in Cambridge, MA, discovered that the scope could only afford him views of some solar system objects and a few brightly burning stars.
The ire of Weissman’s pen takes the shape of a rectangular fixtures, be it box like or simply a panel these days, that typically hang off the side of an exterior wall or above an exterior door. “Devoid of aesthetic value” this light is often put up under the “pretense of security and safety” by “recommended practices and adopted municipal codes.”
Weissman recognizes labels that often accompany, what he calls, “Glare bombs,” including “contractor-select,” “energy efficient,” or “light pollution friendly.”
Further, per an earlier LD+A article, such lighting driven by its extreme contrasts is exceedingly common in minority communities where light is weaponized as a tool of power. It becomes a “device of alienation, creating a zone of control and separation.”
Weissman recognizes that the true reason such fixtures are selected often comes down to cost. He recognizes that it may take equally as much cost to persuade building and homeowners away from such lighting into the realm of more responsible, lower lumen, shielded lighting.
Weissman calls for producers of these glare bombs to be labeled as polluters, putting them in line with fossil fuel manufacturers and PFAS makers.
Songbirds, dusk and clear skies: Scientists explore migratory flights, by Erin Blakemore.
Bird migration season is ending here in the Mid-Atlantic. I was lucky enough to catch several Baltimore Orioles and Indigo Buntings last week. Researchers looked at 400 songbirds from 9 major species, “including the yellow-rump warbler, American redstart and Bicknell’s thrush.”
The question they hoped to answer was how are these birds so darn precise in identifying the best time to take off for their nightly migration? Scientists found that 90% of the migrating birds in the study took off within 69 minutes of dusk. A “much narrower takeoff window,” that even shocked the research team!
Per the study, taking off at night is all about maximum flight time. In addition to being able to precisely schedule their take offs, a feat that every airline I’ve flown with over the past few years has proven inept at, birds also are apparently good meteorologists! They often depart when the atmospheric pressure rises over a day’s span. Other factors also trigger migration, including sex, age, and celestial cues.
‘Lights Out’ initiative appears to be saving birds from crashing into Philly buildings by Sophia Schmidt.
Preliminary results indicate that bird death counts are down 70% at one Market Street tower, since it began its participation in Lights Out. As we spoke about on a previous show, birds utilize the stars to navigate, but city lights can disorient the birds. Combine the lights with reflective or transparent glass, and that spells fatal trouble for our migrating warblers!
Per Keith Russell, a program manager for urban conservation with Audubon Mid-Atlantic, “We’ve lost almost a third of our birds – and [collisions] contributing to that. If we’re going to want to preserve the bird populations here in North America, we have to look at these types of problems. And this is a preventable one.”
The Knoxville, TN Zoo is offering up what they call “Twilight Tours” per WVLT 8. Each event will feature a guide to showcase nocturnal critters.
I did something similar in Singapore years ago. The zoo had very dim lights in the exhibits – and they kept those lights dim as you walked so that you didn’t lose your night vision. It was a very different and, might I say, peaceful experience than the typically chaotic daytime zoo.
Flashlights posing major threat to nesting sea turtles. Fox35 Orlando
Apparently, a single flashlight can deter female sea turtles from coming onto a beach and nesting. Florida, as I did not know, is home to 90% of the sea turtle nests across the world, so losing sea turtles can affect the global ecosystem.
One visitor to Cocoa Beach stated, “Just leave them alone. Stand back and look. You don’t need a flashlight.”
Another, “It’s not super surprising because more buildings go up, more technology. As it increases, nature and stuff like that decreases,” said Zoe Jovaag, whose grandfather used to take her on walks to see sea turtles.
Capture the Dark 2023 officially is under way!
The International Dark Sky Association opens up its annual photo contest complete with prizes across eight categories and an additional People’s Choice category. Voting begins on July 3rd, entries must be received by June 30th.
City Tests Traffic Light That Only Turns Green for Drivers Who Obey the Speed Limit. Erin Marquis for Jalopnik.
And hey, you better not speed in Brossard, Quebec….otherwise you may be waiting around for a while. Brossard is testing out a new traffic light that will stay red until it senses oncoming traffic. However, it will only change to green if the car is going the speed limit. Per the Jalopnik article, “FRED [the French acronym for “educational traffic calming light] forces fast drivers to stop and gives them a chance to reconsider their life choices.” Such lights are already used in Europe, but this will be the first for the Great White North.
Why the Greatest Threat to Star-Gazing Isn’t Light Pollution, and this comes to us from Dorin Elin Urrutia at Inverse.
Elin Urrutia writes, in her compelling piece, that the greatest threat to star-gazing is actually the weather. Citing notable examples of the Mount Stromlo Observatory in Australia (which burnt down due to bushfires) and the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico (which sustained structural damage following the winds of Hurricane Maria).
While the threat of human-caused climate change has presented new challenges, Elin Urrutia references proactive burns that saved Los Angeles’ Mount Wilson Observatory from flames in 2020.
On a similar note, ABC News (the Australian Broadcasting Company, not to be confused with the American Broadcasting Company), brings us “A World Without Darkness Could Be a Reality within a Few Years.”
Per Carol Redford of Astrotourism Western Australia, “There are some people in the world now who don’t actually experience darkness anymore. They’re in a city like Beijing, Toyoko, or London. In all those big cities, it’s never dark, it’s always light. During the day of course with the sun, but then during the night with all of the artificial light. They’re not experiencing darkness, and definitely not seeing those beautiful stars…”
In the 66 years since the implementation of the UN Convention on the Peaceful Use of Outerspace, around 11,000 satellites orbit the Earth. But it’s about to get wayyy busier. Driven by innovations that have led to dramatic reductions in costs, over the next ten years, Per attorney Steven Freeland, it’s anticipated that somewhere between 100,000 to 500,000 objects will be sent up. Let me pause on that for a second.
On the travel front, we stay in the land down under, “Aussie region determined to keep its darkness is a stargazer’s dream” by Chantelle Francis of News.com.AU.
The town of Swam Reach, population 270, resides in a 3200sq km region of Southern Australia that received its International Dark Sky Reserve status over three years ago. On a scale of darkness between 0 – 22, the River Murray Dark Sky Reserve at Swam Reach, measures in at a whopping 21.9!
Tourism has become a growing business. The reserve hosts numerous telescope pads and offers tours of the night sky. There’s hope that an observatory and/or planetarium may also arrive in due course.
Best smart lights for outdoors in 2023, Brittney Vincent of CBS Essentials.
Oh there’s a lot not to love here, but it does fall in line with last month’s ‘Lumens are Coming’ article.
For those of you who feel the need to light your trees, because for some reason they need light at night I guess…I’ll try and pretend it’s not solely for ostentatious and narcissistic reasons. By the way, does anyone remember when those were negative characteristics?
The article features spotlights that can be programmed to over 16 MILLION colors including…lucky for us, ALL shades of white….which you can also do for a 500 lumen flood light set.
And hey, Ring now has solar path lighting. Don’t worry though, the fixtures themselves put out up to 80 lumens of sideways light.
You know, it’s astounding when you look at some of these pictures. The amount of redundant lighting. It honestly makes no sense to me. You have a porch light, which lights up the path. Path lighting, which lights up the path. And, in the one picture, god awful frontward facing flood lights, which also light up the path. How bright do you need these paths!? I digress. But the lumens are indeed coming.
LDS Church will get to light up its Heber Valley Temple after all, but the faith didn’t get everything it wanted, Blake Apgar of the Salt Lake Tribune.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints fought hard to rid itself of any nighttime lighting responsibility by pressuring Wasatch County, Utah officials to approve new lighting rules that would enable the church to light a proposed new temple the same way it does for every other temple.
The Church received permission to uplight the temple, enabling an exception to be made in Wasatch’s rather stringent nighttime lighting rulebook. However, the temple will be restricted by the level of lumens it can use, and it must have exterior lighting turned off an hour after sunset or an hour after normal business hours.
Smart Street Lights Market is Expected to Hit USD 14,751.1 million at a 23.4% CAGR by 2030, Market Research Future Press Release
The pandemic is officially over, smart street lighting is about to boom. Combine the rush to LED fixtures with the Internet of Things, and expect to see street lights moonlighting as traffic and parking monitors, air quality meters, and more. Not to mention, “it is anticipated that camera-connected smart street lighting will increase road safety by lowering the likelihood of accidents and criminality.”
Texas now has 7 dark sky communities for spectacular star gazing, Sana Ameer, MRT.
Let’s cheer on the city of Bee Cave, everyone! Bee Cave joins a growing list of dark sky places already in the Lone Star State, including 2 Dark Sky Sanctuaries, 5 Dark Sky Parks, and 1 Dark Sky Reserve. Nighttime is alive and well in some parts of Texas!
Our Afraid of the Dark article is a bit scary! Hilton Head’s dark roads and pedestrians are deadly combo. What the town is doing about it, Blake Douglas at The Island Packet.
Per the article, 9 pedestrian and cyclist fatalities occurred since 2018, with five occurring after dark. Prior to that period, there were 28 recorded deaths from 2000 – 2016, with 20 of them taking place after dark.
In 2018, an 11 year old resident was struck and killed while walking her dog across an intersection one night. Lighting advocates began taking shape in what otherwise is a very conservation focused island. Hilton Head, SC has a limited number of street lights, priding itself on “avoiding light pollution and blending nature with construction.”
Lighting advocates appear to be, at the very least, asking for flashing crosswalk lights on the island to indicate when an individual is crossing.
It should be noted that the article shows a chart of 9 after-dark-deaths since 2014, only two of them occurred at crosswalks. In fact, during the same time frame, 6 additional deaths occurred at crosswalks during the daytime.
As a whole, the National Safety Council reports that 74.5% of pedestrian deaths occurred at night, whereby 39.1% took place in lit areas and 35.38% took place in unlit areas.
Bryan Bloch, an auto safety expert, surmises that car companies bear some of the blame – producing cheap or ineffectual headlight fixtures, and drivers themselves, who don’t realize that they need to regularly clean their headlight lenses.
Despite opposition from residents, it appears that Hilton Head will be receiving lights at two new intersections and possibly more depending on engineering studies currently in progress.
Is lighting the key variable here? Is more light going to solve pedestrian deaths?
Our featured research article of the month comes to us from Animal Conservation, “Manipulating spectra of artificial light affects movement patterns of bats along ecological corridors.”
Bats are already known to have a wide range of responses to artificial light at night (also known as ALAN). Fast flying species tend to be more opportunistic in the presence of ALAN while slower ones tend to be more light averse. We know that “long wavelengths and reduced intensity” can minimize their environmental effects on bats. It’s not unheard of for bats to travel upwards of “tens of km per night.” Furthermore, bats are very dependent on the landscape and the structures within those landscapes.
Despite the nuances between species, the consensus is that ALAN, especially high intensity ALAN, negatively affects bats. This study attempted to answer what exactly bats do when they encounter ALAN – how do they react depending on different types of ALAN.
The study used three different light fixtures – one green, one red, and one white. The control was devoid of light fixtures. The researchers attempted to ascertain the behavior of bats as they encountered lights adjacent to woody areas. The researchers looked at three different bat groupings based on their foraging-echo location behavior, that being one of open field foraging, forest edge foraging, and narrow space – or more aptly forest foragers.
Researchers found that open and edge foraging bats increased their activity close to white and green lights, and to a lesser extent red lights. However, narrow space bats were more likely to veer away from all colors of lighting. Edge foragers were also less likely to cross a white light.
The positive effects of white and green light on open and edge foraging bats appear to be attributed to the accumulation of insects around light sources containing more blue light.
The nighttime sky over Oahu will be lit up with green lasers in the coming days. Here’s why. Hawaii News Now
Before we close up today, do you live in Hawaii? I know I wish I did!
If so, do you recall seeing green lasers streak across the night sky? Well, the Army Corps of Engineers was using lidar at night to complete a coastal mapping survey.
Why did they survey at night? Specifically, why did they do this between midnight to 5am? Simply b/c the airspace is so busy, that time was the only chance they had to complete the survey. The remaining survey was completed during daytime hours.

I call this concept for saints and sinners chapter 3: The souls of the Damned
The plot: a year later after new orleans is fully safe [a chapter 2 DLC where the tourist completes new orleans and makes a community there might happen] the Tourist heads up to Lafayette, Louisiana in hopes of making it a safer place just like new orleans. When the tourist arrives they find an area to stay at similar to the resting place near Freetown- Port Rico. [This game will have cutscenes and be more interactive, it could also have you choose your character model for the tourist] Once you travel to a location (the traveling still works the same except the tourist has a Car) A cutscene will play out revealing a new Communist-like Group called "The Damned" will be waiting there for the tourist, in the cutscene the tourist ends up getting wounded and passing out, Only to wake up [Cutscenes will most likely be in first person type style] and when the tourist wakes up several people will be at their side with masks on and all sound will be muffled. Then the tourist will go back to sleep and wake up with a bandage on and in a hospital like area, where it is revealed they were saved by a Faction caller "The liberators" after they explain a few things the cutscenes will end and it will be free roam again except your health and stamina will be 50% because the tourist isn't fully healed. Anyway the story consists of different features but to make it short, the tourist teams up with the liberators and its up to them to make The Damned into something better and less communistic. There will be several different endings and the opportunity to end it off in many different ways. [Tell me if you want me to dive deeper into the story and plot]

I have a life and a death from crows. It all started with the one in the yard. My older brother was going to shoot it with his BB gun. I took pity on it and took a BB into my right hand that is still in there. It aches when there is a mist.
I awoke to the soothing clicks and hushes of sprinklers and the warmth of a summer afternoon pouring through an open window. Dreaming of the eyes of crows; I'd grown so fast I'd forgotten everything else. I'd learned to call them to my windowsill and I fed them there. Then the three crows would leave.
I could call the ones at the seafood restaurant where I work to give them food. Once, there was one in the trash, and someone had dropped the lid, trapping it. The others were all around and calling to me crazily. I opened the lid and it flew out and they all flew away.
Later, on my car, there were several gifts. Two pennies, a carwash token, some jacket stuffing, a yellow wire and a green pebble. I accepted the stuff on top of my car, noticing that the crows were watching to see what I would do.
Years later, I was in the park with my nephews. We saw a crow and two falcons. I said the crow would drive them off and it did. A few weeks later I saw a crow driving a bald eagle. In the air, the crows outmaneuver the larger birds and spook them from above. This is due to the crow's intelligence. It knows the eagle or hawk could destroy it. The crow is relentless and smart. It knows how to take the giant down. I realized I'd seen all of this before, crows driving squirrels, rabbits and even cats. It was no surprise that they went after other birds.
I'd once seen the crows, at the seafood restaurant I worked at, surround and harass a seagull to keep it from getting into the trash. They had learned the hard way that seagulls scattered trash and then the lid got left shut. So seagulls got banned by the crows. This one seagull wasn't getting the message until finally another crow showed up. As if they were waiting for this particular crow to arrive and swoop at the gull, they all did in unison, and the seagull suddenly figured out it wasn't welcome.
"And thus I tell thee of their ways, so that thou may kin mine, for these are the same. Together now, listen and I shall explain." I whispered my own words. Then I said what I wanted to explain: "Together I am yours and thou art mine. For mine eyes see as yours, and you heed my call. This I know and the secrets of your unhatched ones. The wisdom of the older and more gentle world, covered now in a layer of Man."
They didn't care about my words, it seemed. They had their own language, much older and wiser. I wanted to go with them and learn their stories. This was not the love that was meant to be. The worst of my days had yet to dawn.
In my heart I carried their shadows everywhere. It was a song I could always hear, their distant calls. Under each sound they made was a deeper meaning, esoteric and vast at once. Theirs was the whole world without time and they cast their shadows over Man since the beginning. They wished to show me some paths, I knew not why.
Here I would find a bush of strange berries. I ate them and became very sick. Then I could hear their music. It was upon the breeze, as I lay in my vomit, barely conscious. I could hear the world: I could hear the sound of violins in the grass, an orchestra of crickets, and the diva was the mother of my crow. She sang and I understood the emotion of the song: it was mourning.
I got up and continued to dig and accept money in the name of Man, as life demands. Each job was less beautiful and paid better. The crows applauded my masquerade with laughter and roasts of great merriment. I even took a woman, but it lasted only a few nights before I was tired of her words. I told her to go and she begged to stay. I could not abide her pleas nor her presence. She ended up staying and I left.
Just as well. My real friends were on the move. Something down on the port had drawn them by the thousands at eventide. I tread the path they showed me, and alighted upon my way, they danced with their wingtips. I saw then what this was to them.
Four crows stood in a cross upon the ground of the parking lot in the center of the white lightshaft. This cathedral they made; some court of maybe a thousand crows sitting and watching in silence. I alone witnessed this; that was not of the corvin bloodstock.
The female among the four hopped forward and then back and flapped her wings, scattering from the other three. Then the two crows left facing each other did fight. I had never seen two crows fight each other. It had rules; unlike the savage disciplines they admonished upon greater birds and beasts. They were fencing and sometimes they would stop and admire each other.
Finally the one was struck down. The matter was settled and all the birds took off. They did so just as the one that had stood before the two fighters gave one loud and shrill call. The air was battered by their wings and a passing bat panicked in their downdraft. Only the wounded fighter and his mother remained.
She hopped past him, tilting her head, and then she left him there. I can tell by their manners what their relationships are, sometimes. This was an obviously matriarchal approach. If I misunderstood it, then their was an added complexity to her abandonment of the fallen bird.
I lifted him from the ground. I took him with me.
Each day I tended to his needs. I practiced my crow noises on him and he made no response. One day he flew around my room so I opened my window and he flew out. He came back.
From then on he was imprinted on me and we went everywhere. He couldn't fly well anymore, they had clipped his wings during the trial-by-combat ritual I had witnessed. No crows spoke to him or to me when I carried him upon my shoulder.
I went on walks and he would open his wings to the breeze, as if pretending to soar. I had to get a staff to protect him from other animals, as our walks became our way. I quit my job and just lived off the money I had hoarded.
As we went I tried to speak to him with the words I knew in corvin, but he refused to know his own language for me. So I resorted to speaking to him in my own words: sounding as much like his own language as I could. This he liked and finally he made noises back.
As we walked I narrated the world around us and he would repeat, sometimes adding details. Some of his details were abstract; at first I did not know what he meant. Then I realized he was telling me about stories he knew about our world.
So I shared my own stories. I talked about my life and the things I had done. When he grasped the game, he told me his own life, using the language we had made to explain. His imagination was limited, he only ever spoke of places where we were. So to hear new stories I had to take him to new places.
That was easy, he guided me onto trails and paths where men had seldom, if ever, gone before. I saw springs and rocks that were from the dawn of the world and still held some magic where they stood in holy shade.
"Do not look, my Lord." Cory suddenly warned me. I did not heed him, and woe that I did not. For it was his words that might have spared me to know of one place and its denizen that has brought my heart to such pain.
She made me look by calling to me with melodious laughter from the branches and twigs that were too thick for me to penetrate. I saw her large brown eyes and her dark lips and the speckled light on her freckled cheeks. And then the dancing one was gone, silently across the leaves like a deer. I should have known fear, for such a thing to be, and to be near it.
"Must go now." Cory urged me. This time I listened, sensing that somehow I was in-danger.
Sometime later I saw a man walking with her. She had disguised herself to look like a woman, wearing clothing and speaking to him. Only her laughter was the same. Although I knew she was sincerely delighted by him, her sinister intentions were a secret I had to know.
At the edge of her ancient glade, surrounded on all sides by apartments, she stopped him. He stood in a trance and she shifted her form to her true shape as she fed. I watched as she extended her taproot to his heart, through his mouth. Her nourishment was the love he had to offer and it was her justice to have it. Mankind had destroyed her world and then forgotten her. She had done nothing to deserve this, she had given Man wisdom over the forest long ago. Forgetful Man had cut down her forests. She had a right to survive and she took no more than she needed.
When he had no more love to give her she found another. She discovered I was watching her and she changed her path. Then one day Cory warned me:
"This is too far, we have seen." Cory warned me carefully, in our hybrid language.
I was confronted by the creature. She stood in the early morning, barring my path with a sage smile, her eyes tilted down on me. I knew that to see her true countenance was both an honor and a threat. She was capable of defending herself and I knew her way. She would cloud my mind and take my love from within my heart. Yet she was not doing that. This was a parley.
"Stay away. I know your kind too, and it is not fair that you seek me." She spoke slowly and with a gentleness I was not expecting.
I felt sorry for her and agreed to stay away from her. She darted into some trees; the mists she disturbed, with her sweatpants worn over faun legs, made my hand ache.
"What is it?" Cory knew I was in pain.
"My hand hurts from the mist." I complained.
"The Martyr." Cory said strangely.
"What have you said? I don't know that word." I carefully asked.
"One who dies for another." Cory spoke in reverence. "He was around in the early dawn. The mist came and took his breath. He held her hand and froze that way, but her life was spared. She will always remember The Martyr she said again and again. That is her. Now we are in real danger." Cory told one of his stories. It was among the more comprehensible ones.
"I remind her of someone?" I asked, trying to be certain I was getting the point.
"I will always remember you." Cory agreed.
"What will happen?" I asked.
"Death will always happen." Cory told his favorite joke. Then he added thoughtfully: "Except when my Lord reaches down from the light and fixes the broken one's wing. That was a funny day."
"Indeed it was." I smiled.
"She will not forget." Cory decided to answer my question, in his own way. "She will remember."
"Some paths are best left unexplored." I realized. Had I not met her, I would not know the dull horror I felt. I knew that her world was not meant to be mortal, and yet now it was. In her shade she was waiting to die with her sisters, every forest that was gone. A timeless creature that had learned about time. She had taught Man how to love the living world, sharing her gentle wisdom long ago with an innocent species. Man, in return, had taught her about death.
She had told me it was unfair. I understood this, in my own way. I did not want the knowledge I had. It raged a kind of self-loathing in me, a kind of fear of The Other, and of discovering there wasn't one. Just me, I was the face of this animal she had fled from and fed on.
"What is her name?" I asked Cory, dreading that I should know the name of something as old as time.
"Khurl." Cory knew the names of all things. It was a specialty of his.
"Is she the only one?" I wondered.
"I don't know that." Cory knew something though and said: "There must be a death."
"How do you know that?" I wondered.
"Always when this is known, there must be a death. You know, now a death must be." Cory had a tone that was like 'of-course it's like this'.
We sat by the trail leading to her woods, when one of the men we had seen her with, was walking by us. He had a camera and a knife.
"My Lord, he was kissed by Khurl." Cory told me.
"I know." I got up and we followed him, Cory upon my shoulder.
We stalked him as he stalked Khurl. I had the advantage in the forest. My bird would go to the branches with his limited flight. I could track him with ease without giving myself away, by watching him with my spy.
...
I'm not proud of what I did to him, but it was necessary. The appalling facts of what I did and how I accomplished it are no longer important. His death was my fault and something that haunted me and plagued me from that day forward.
Indeed, if I had not become a murderer, the darkness would be our world, rather than my soul. The story of how the world changed anyway, and how my involvement was destiny, is what is important. I am sorry that I have omitted the details of that day, but I assure you that it is the consequences that matter, and not the events of that day.
And so, with a strange elation and the first pains of a heavy heart, Cory and I set upon the path of mysteries and horrors, darkness and redemption.

Hello, I filed a writ of garnishment for an old roommate who owes utility bills of around $1k after doing all of the other small claims mumbo jumbo and reaching a default judgement. Here’s the current status, and I had some questions about moving forward from here.
The workplace of ex roommate has been served and they have sent it to the payroll department. The payroll department filed a garnishee response saying that there is no Social Security number listed, but I am not legally required to supply it. The company put the ex roommates employee ID number, and all of the other information for this person that I have including name dob address phone number etc on the writ of garnishment which has been sent to the payroll department.
My question is how do I then collect the garnished wages from payroll? I sent them an email before the weekend but know it takes them time to get to it. Since they have my address will they mail me a check? Do they send the payment to the court? Alight Solutions is handling it.
I have done some research and asked court clerks but am at a dead end and would love anybody with information to chime in. TIA.

it's been a bit since i've been on here. this is a bit of a weird request i know, but in a weird way it's related to my personal recovery so please hear me out on this.
i've never liked my birth name and i have sort of a traumatic history behind it (thanks mom!). i'm not going to get into that though. the point is, i'm planning on legally changing my name. hopefully within this year. and oh boy am i terrified. not only am i scared of the backlash from my family - i'm just scared of the process in general. i know i have to get a copy of my birth certificate, my ssn and proof that i live in the county i'm in and whatnot and i know i have to get a petition from a probate court to do it obviously, and then get it notarized somehow. but i've read that the state i'm in also requires me to get a background check before i can get it done and like how does that work?? do i just automatically get the check done when i hand the petition over? or do i have to like to a police station and request a background check myself? and how do i even even ask for a petition like that? do i just go up to a clerk and ask for one? how does that even work? i feel so stupid for even asking this
and then there comes the issue of my family. honestly i didn't even want them to know that i was going to change my name at first, but now i'm getting pretty desperate to just get it done already so i won't have to worry about it ever again. i don't even know how i'll approach them with this conversation.
it would be nice to hear from someone who's been homeschooled like i was and has successfully done something like this. because even though i know it will help me mentally in the long run, oh my god am i terrified of actually starting this process 💀

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/05/us/oklahoma-first-religious-charter-school-in-the-us.html
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By Sarah Mervosh
June 5, 2023, 4:09 p.m. ET
The nation’s first religious charter school was approved in Oklahoma on Monday, handing a victory to Christian conservatives, but opening the door to a constitutional battle over whether taxpayer dollars can directly fund religious schools.
The online school, St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School, would be run by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and the Diocese of Tulsa, with religious teachings embedded in the curriculum, including in math and reading. Yet as a charter school — a type of public school that is independently managed — it would be funded by taxpayer dollars.
After a nearly three-hour meeting, and despite concerns raised by its legal counsel, the Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School Board approved the school in a 3-to-2 vote, including a “yes” vote from a new member who was appointed on Friday.
The relatively obscure board is made up of appointees by Gov. Kevin Stitt, a Republican who supports religious charter schools, and leaders of the Republican-controlled State Legislature.
The approval — which is almost certain to be challenged in court — comes amid a broader conservative push to allow taxpayer dollars to go toward religious schools, including in the form of universal school vouchers, which have been approved in five states in the last year. The movement has been bolstered by recent rulings by the U.S. Supreme Court, which has increasingly signaled its support for directing taxpayer money to religious schools.
The decision in Oklahoma sets the stage for a high-profile legal fight that could have wide-ranging implications for charter schools, which make up 8 percent of public schools in the United States.
Opponents had lined up against the proposal, arguing that it was a brazen and messy melding of church and state, and one that ran afoul of the public nature of charter schools.
St. Isidore’s organizers hope any legal challenge will press the courts to definitively answer whether government money can be directly spent on religious schools.
“We invite the challenge, for the sake of the country and answering that question,” said Brett Farley, executive director of the Catholic Conference of Oklahoma, which represents the Catholic Church on policy issues and is behind the proposal.
In Supreme Court rulings in 2020 and 2022, the court ruled that religious schools could not be excluded from state programs that allowed parents to send their children to private schools using government-financed scholarship or tuition programs. Chief Justice G. Roberts Jr. wrote that while states were not required to support religious education, if a state chooses to subsidize any private schools, it may not discriminate against religious ones.
Supporters in Oklahoma applied similar arguments to St. Isidore, contending that excluding religious schools from charter funding is a violation of the First Amendment’s prohibition of religious freedom.
“Not only may a charter school in Oklahoma be religious but indeed it would be unlawful to prohibit the operation of such a school,” the school’s organizers wrote in its application.
The move for a religious charter school was opposed by a range of groups, including pastors and religious leaders in Oklahoma, who feared a blurring of the separation of church and state. Leaders in the charter school movement were also opposed.
“Charter schools were conceived as, and have always been, innovative public schools,” Nina Rees, president and chief executive of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, said in April. She added that, as public schools, charters cannot teach religious instruction.
A key legal question is whether charter schools are “state actors,” representing the government, or “private actors,” more like a government contractor. That question is central to another case, out of North Carolina, which the Supreme Court is weighing whether to take up.
In Oklahoma, the state board that oversees virtual charter schools had been under intense political pressure, with top state Republicans disagreeing over whether a religious charter school was allowable.
At a board meeting in April, board members debated the matter extensively and fretted whether they could face personal legal challenges over their decision.
With its application approved, St. Isidore, named after the patron saint of the internet, is one step closer to opening.
It would open no sooner than fall 2024, offering online classes to about 500 students in kindergarten through 12th grade.

And I go through so much, as the anti-christs hates me. Puts false images and writings in front of me. And me not the wiser, not raised within the church unable to decipher.
Tests me, causes me to stumble and fall. Write wrongness against my own church. They are fools of the world and will die like men. Those who try to get in my mind thinking they are God.
I do not believe I have divinity. I not believe I am infallible. Not only that, but I do notice I am king. And what is that? In this modern world of lost tradition. Catholics only baptized, not studying.
It will be many years before I am truly a Saint and the Catholic Church confirms it with confidence. I do not believe I will become that from studies on the internet, just it is my only sources. I am not proud of how little books I finished reading. And I have to use English.
Boarders existed with great meaning before. That in one country the source was of one dialect, one language, translated as best as possible, but by man. And what is man and women but stepped down from G-d. Though the Divinity of Christ was both. Man and G-d. Born of no sexual relations of the Emaculate Maria, a woman born of no sin, and a perpetual Virgin.
In Honour, I'm a Saint. I must pray more, I must find more to find answers in my life. If not only for me, and my salvation, but the salvation of the mothers of my children and the children themselves.
A life task to fulfil, and they take the joy away from me. Doubts there will be doubts. There will questions I can't answer, there will be trouble. There will be debts to me unpaid. What happens more and more as I can't handle those who do not believe in Christ looking me in the eyes. For they do not trust in Jesus. And with their distrust comes problems that take away Joy.
Where is my wife to hug me and give me affection, and leave me not alone, why are people so evil to not pay me Dept so that I can buy her. Cruelty of Vienna. They know exactly how much they owe me. And give me no way to withdraw it. It is not a selling of the soul, for proof of what happened to someone illegally and court done without you. No one can decide my life task. Except for myself. There is no soul mate for me. I would choose my own wife. But instead they take joy away from me. To be more easily used and abused.