January last year (2022) my grandmother had a major stroke. She was transported to a Brisbane hospital for a craniotomy to relieve pressure on the brain and later transported to another hospital to recover. She ended up contracting C0VID at that facility and refused to eat so she was provided with peg feeding. After, she was sent to the hospital closest to home which is rural. It has been backwards and forwards of her being transported to a care facility and the hospital, which the most likely cause is her vaccine she received, much to our dismay.
Despite this knowledge, my grandfather continues to authorise giving her boosters as he is next of kin and can make medical decisions for her as she is deemed unable to make decisions for herself, so he now makes them on her behalf. Within about 6 hours of one of her boosters and the flu vaccine, she went downhill very quickly where we had to drive out at 1am for hours to see her as we were told to come say our goodbyes. From there she still made it through and was transported back to the care facility but a doctor made the decision to put her on end of life, which was authorised by my grandfather. From here, we watched her slowly wilt away and she went 10 days without water or food. She said she wanted water and was thirsty, which after my uncle began feeding her, a nurse was witness to her wanting to eat and drink where the decision was then reversed by a higher up.
I quote my grandfather 'Why is she back on food?' and when told why, he sighed and was quite angry. About 4 days in to her being refused food or water, my grandfather had withdrawn around 7k of her money and let my dad know that 'I don't have to but I'm just being courteous, I removed the money for funeral expenses', since both my father and grandfather were appointed to manage her monetary assets by QCAT.
We have seen paperwork that states she is receiving rehabilitation and physiotherapy but we have video proof of her stating this is not actually happening. We get excuses like 'C0VID was on the ward so we couldn't have any physiotherapists come in' but even after the facility is clear, she still is not getting the care she needs.
She states she wants to leave and hates it there, wants to get out of bed and walk, etc. Which is all documented in video, as well as the documents of her care plan stated above. They have said last August that they were going to begin feeding her by mouth and begin speech therapy, which has only happened in the last week or so.
We have attempted to contact them via email and phone to no avail. We ask a lot of questions when we are there personally and the only time we ever see the nurses is to come in and peg feed her, which sometimes it bubbles out and they don't clean up, leaving it sitting in her bed. She's always unbathed and she complained the other day her nails were disgusting and apologised if her breath stank. The place is not exactly the most sanitary. She's absolutely bored out of her mind since she's unable to speak properly so we provided her a radio which is only ever turned on when we visit, despite asking nurses to please turn it on for her.
Just last week (Monday) we were desperate to get her out and transport her to a facility closer to Brisbane so she has access to the care she needs, so we initiated Ryan's Rule. After a week of no contact despite saying they'd get back to us within 72 hours, dad called once again today for answers which they stated that since decisions are made by her GP and not a hospital doctor, there is nothing we can do.
Overall, we want to move her as it's been over 12 months and she has no use of her left arm or both legs but since my grandfather is next of kin, there's nothing we can do to override his decisions which we think are not the best for her. As it is, he is skinny and bruised as well as allegedly no longer taking his diabetes medication. We just want any advice for legal avenues or any other direction we can take to have her transported to a different facility, as well as wondering if this would entirely be medical negligence?

Trigger warning - mentioning death. Details of death. I understand some may find this confronting so it’s okay if you don’t read it.
Alcoholism / Addiction is something that’s impacted my family on both my parents side. However, it’s worse on my Dads side. Almost every man on my Dads side of the father has been an addict or an alcoholic.
My uncle went to hospital a little over a month ago after his liver failing caused some rupture. He basically drank himself to death. He lived an isolated life on the other side of the country with no children or wife so we had no idea he was struggling with this. The medical certificate states he developed hepatitis C (most likely from needle sharing when he was in his 20s), he continued to inject speed and drink excessively which led to liver cirrhosis which then led to cancer. He died 4 weeks after of the rupture. He lost 25kgs in 2 weeks after the rupture. The medical staff said they didn’t understand how he was still alive when he came into the hospital. He was only 54.
He also died on my dad’s 57th birthday. My dad is already the most negative person you could ever meet. He takes everything as a personal attack on him. My uncle dying on his birthday is one of them. His mother dying from cancer, his father dying from a heart attack. He believes everyone is going to die around him while he suffers. He himself wants to die.
My uncle and my dad are / were very similar. Stubborn middle aged men who are in denial about their alcoholism. My uncle and father both told me 9 years ago that an “alcoholic” is someone who doesn’t work and drinks from morning to night. I’m assuming this is what their father told them. Well now, 9 years later, 1 is now dead from liver failure and the other has emphysema and heart failure.
My dad isn’t a bad drunk. He doesn’t yell. He’s never been violent. I have vague memories of him being so drunk he’s fallen over a couple times which frightened me as a child. I was not in any physical danger from his drinking. His drinking caused a lot of problems between my mother and him. Neither of them changed anything so the cycle continued. It’s the every day sad cycle that breaks my heart.
It’s the isolation that is worrying to me as well. Every day seems like ground hog day. He’s so miserable in the mornings. He seems like he hates his life, his 6 hours of beer and video games is his favourite part of the day. Today he even said that he has basically nothing to live for anymore after my uncle died. There’s arguments every day, this environment brings out the worst in all of us.
I worry about my father. We didn’t know how much pain my uncle would of been in due to his addictions and loneliness of having no wife or children. My dad is pushing my mother and us children away. In a way I think he wants us all to give up on him so he can drink himself to death too without any regrets. It’s so frustrating that he doesn’t acknowledge and accept that everything that’s gone wrong in his life has been because of alcoholism.
And now I feel so awful because I have so much resentment towards my father. This morning I got very angry at him. We are all grieving the loss of my uncle and my dad continuing to drink made me so angry. This man died from alcoholism - this has traumatised me into never wanting to drink again and I only drink a handful of times a year. Ironically, I study drug and alcohol counselling. I take this stuff extremely seriously but it’s always going to break my heart that I can’t save my father and probably won’t save him at all in his lifetime.
But the things I said were really horrible. Gosh I regret them. I told him I wish I never met him. That I hate how he allowed alcohol to destroy all our lives. That I just needed a father to love me in my childhood. I needed a father that was present. I told him I won’t be at his funeral if he chooses the same path as my uncle. I told him my uncle had no children in his life who love him so deeply and it’s a joke my dad takes his own kids for granted. I said I’ve already mentally prepared to have my brother walk me down the isle because I don’t believe my Dad will be alive by the time I get married. I even said I just don’t know who he is. I struggle to have a relationship with him. He’s never happy. He always disagrees with whatever I say. I could say the grass is green and he will disagree. He’s lived in the house my whole life but I don’t know him. We never hung out. The only time we were somewhat close is when I lived out of home and was an addict myself so I enabled his addiction/ behaviour. I feel bad for doing this. I just felt so stressed and traumatised. Where’s my Dad from when I was little? We have photos of us when I was a toddler, we were happy. I want that! I guess it’s easier to fake happiness with kids than it is with adults.
I just want him to beat addiction. I too was a drug addict so I understand completely how it feels, how addiction grabs you and it feels like there’s no end to it. But I’ve beaten it. I’m so much happier now after beating it. I just wish he could experience these feelings I feel. I wish he would love his life. He has 2 smart, kind, strong children. He has a wife that’s been there for him. Cooked for him, cleaned for him, financially supported him when his business has failed. I just really wish he would see how lucky he has it. Some people don’t have children or family in general.

The example of those who spend their wealth in the cause of Allah is that of a grain that sprouts into seven ears, each bearing one hundred grains. And Allah multiplies The reward even more’ to whoever He wills. For Allah is All-Bountiful, All-Knowing. 2:261

This verse praises the act of sincere charity with the metaphor of a corn crop which multiplies by ears and grains of corn. There are multiple interpretations for this metaphor. Some say it refers to the multiplicity/infinity of the heavenly rewards and the power that charity has or that of a simple charity act being multiplied in good deeds and significance. Another view is that it describes the ripple effect and power that a small act of charity can have that multiplies and benefits much more people that can be intended. An example of donating a water well which could benefit tons of people for years yet seems such a small act. And some see this verse as karmic to say that charity multiples and will benefit the giver materially as well. There are some nde stories in which a person is shown a small charitable act (watering a plant or feeding a bird) which we would consider insignificant yet this act is praised and loved by all beings in the realms for the love that goes into it.

And by the soul and ˹the One˺ Who fashioned it, then with ˹the knowledge of˺ right and wrong inspired it! Successful indeed is the one who purifies their soul 91:7-9

This verse speaks to the concept of objective morality and human intuition towards right and wrong. The successful are those who hone their intuition towards the good. To purify the soul is to develop virtue and cleanse the ego. To control the lower self of its demons like extravagance, greed, arrogance etc . These are very difficult and take years to control. I am also reminded about the levels of being in sufism and opening of chakras.

Worship God; join nothing with Him. Be good to your parents, to relatives, to orphans, to the needy, to neighbours near and far, to travellers in need, and to your slaves. God does not like arrogant, boastful people 4:36

This verse I like as it envisions warmth, hospitality and altruism to all beings, whether you know them or not. It envisions the famous African philosophy of Ubuntu which says "I am as you are" In its ideal form you would offer strangers and travellers food and stay, you would help others if you had the means as if they are your own family, going out of your way for them. To do this you need to humble and quiet the ego as the more arrogant are more likely to disregard kindness to strangers.

I did not create jinn and humans except to worship me. I seek no provision from them, nor do I need them to feed Me. 51:56-57

This verse is often criticized as being egotistic but the next verse to it forces us to think deeper about what this service to God really is. If God has no need for human worship. In fact verse 56 and 57 seem to oppose each other as a paradox. Some attempt to solve this by appealing to the concept of ibadah (service/worship) as being a multi level concept where worship is not merely a state of singing hymms and prayers all day long but as seeing all types of good deeds and deeds that fit into the attributes of God. For example the good, the true and the beautiful. For example charity, prayer, seeking wisdom, knowledge, creating art, providing for others etc are all thus acts manifesting the attributes of God.

That is why We ordained for the Children of Israel that whoever takes a life—unless as a punishment for murder or mischief in the land—it will be as if they killed all of humanity; and whoever saves a life, it will be as if they saved all of humanity 5:32

The sacredness of human life and intrinsic value is highlighted here as the verse shows the greatness of saving a life of somebody as well as the consequences of taking someones life without a just cause. To save a life through whatever means such as taking a bullet, defending people, donating an organ etc are all very noble acts reminiscent of a martyr and are in some metaphysical sense the worth of saving the world.

The Day when neither wealth nor children will be of any benefit. except to him who will come to God with a sound heart. 26:89

A sound heart is the sincere heart free of hypocrisy. Something we all fall prey to.

This worldly life is no more than play and amusement. But the Hereafter is indeed the real life, if only they knew. 29:64

From the higher world perspective this world is seen as simply a simulation, a dream or game which people take so seriously as if it is the only world there is. From the human POV this world is all we ever know and is thus the most important & real thing to pay attention to. The material achievements of this world are seen as most important. However this verse reverses the human view in stating that the hereafter is the real life worth much more which we cannot conceive of. Imagine if we had access to this hereafter life and witnessed for ourselves the joy this life has to offer. How would this impact the way we see this life. This is food for thought.

Know that this worldly life is no more than play, amusement, luxury, mutual boasting, and competition in wealth and children. This is like rain that causes plants to grow, to the delight of the planters. But later the plants dry up and you see them wither, then they are reduced to chaff. And in the Hereafter there will be either severe punishment or forgiveness and pleasure of Allah, whereas the life of this world is no more than the delusion of enjoyment. 57:20

This verse sums up the nature of the world as capitalistic societies that endlessly run like a perpetual motor through time. We often live pretence filled lives in endlessly competing with each other in money, prestige and importance. At the social level between families and individuals and at the macro level of politics and organisations. This ego pumping competition is good for a while but it cannot give us peace. There is something very illusory and pretentious about this false world of materialism that takes a spiritual awakening to perceive. The verse conveys a Buddhist vibe of the material desires as illusory.

And give them a parable of this worldly life. ˹It is˺ like the plants of the earth, thriving when sustained by the rain We send down from the sky. Then they ˹soon˺ turn into chaff scattered by the wind. And Allah is fully capable of ˹doing˺ all things. 18:45

This parable speaks alot to the nature of earthly happiness. It speaks of the diminishing law of returns whereby most things that we consider good eventually loses its appeal. Anticipation of the thing is always greater than the gaining of a thing. There are many examples in psychological studies that show pain in life overwhelm lifes pleasures for example, losses in life hurt more than gains feel good, losing a friend hurts more than gaining a new friend. Bad life events impact us emotionally more than good life events do. We judge people more on their bad than their good. Many more examples.

He will ask 'them', “How many years did you remain on earth?” They will reply, “We remained 'only' a day or part of a day. But ask those who kept count.” . He will say, “You only remained for a little while, if only you knew. Did you then think that We had created you without purpose, and that you would never be returned to Us?” 23:112-115

The nature of this world as waking up from a dream is fascinating to behold. From our perspective this world has so much power on us and we perceive time so strongly. To perceive a whole lifetime as simply a day blip is incredible to behold. Time is a force which has so much power on us. We are always stuck in the present moment unable to access the past and our perception of time can be warped by many factors. This passage makes the world and this life seem so irrelevant

Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. His lights is like a niche in which there is a lamp, the lamp is in a crystal, the crystal is like a shining star, lit from 'the oil of’ a blessed olive tree, 'located' neither to the east nor the westj7^] whose oil would almost glow, even without being touched by fire. Light upon light! Allah guides whoever He wills to His light. And Allah sets forth parables for humanity. For Allah has 'perfect’ knowledge of all things. 24:35

Another very mystical verse with multiple interpretations each one as interesting as the next. Light is a attribute of God, literally and metaphorically. It represents the idea of enlightenment and inner aliveness. One view sees the parable of light as a spiritual light within a persons heart. God as light is the source of truth and and the locus which brings out the good. Each object here represents layers of light. Light in all aspects of the soul conveys the ideal of perfection. The light of morality, intellect, heart, vision, knowledge, wisdom etc.

So when I have fashioned him and had a spirit of My Own 'creation I breathed into him, fall down in prostration to him.” 15:29

This verse reminds me of the eastern concept of cosmic consciousness and humans as being a drop returning to the ocean. In some sense a divine aspect has been given from god to humanity. Some translators try to avoid translating it as breathed into adam of MY spirit to avoid similarities to pantheism and panentheism.

They ask you 'O Prophet’ about the spirit. Say, “Its nature is known only to my Lord, and you 'O humanity’ have been given but little knowledge.” 17:85

Consiousness remains an elusive mystery, one which baffles all people.

Remember' when your Lord said to the angels, “I am going to place a successive 'human' authority on earth.” They asked 'Allah', “Will You place in it someone who will spread corruption there and shed blood while we glorify Your praises and proclaim Your holiness?” Allah responded, “I know what you do not know.” He taught Adam the names of all things, then He presented them to the angels and said, “Tell Me the names of these, if what you say is true? 2:30

This verse is famous for implying adam as being some successor to previous beings on the earth and is famous for demonstrating the Angel's shock at the evil in the world something we humans can relate to greatly. It also speaks to the origin of language. If such high pure beings such as angels can become appalled at the evil of the world, how much more appalled and troubled are we mere mortals.

Indeed, We offered the trust to the heavens and the earth and the mountains, but they 'all' declined to bear it, being fearful of it. But humanity assumed it, 'for' they are truly wrongful 'to themselves' and ignorant 'of the consequences' 33:72 & 41:12

This verse is unique when comparing to the Bible & rings similar to a concept found in some ndes of people choosing to incarnate on earth for some spiritual growth or to gain the reward. It also gives an impression of the cosmos being sentient something also found in the Psalms & in NDE anecdotes. In some anecdotes people report feeling the happiness of the plants and sensing the environment as being alive.

Never take those killed in the way of Allah as dead. Rather, they are alive with their Lord, well-provided rejoicing in Allah’s bounties and being delighted for those yet to join them. There will be no fear for them, nor will they grieve. 3:169-170

This verse is interesting and speaks to some conscious state after death whereby these martyrs are happy and thriving. It is often asked what happens after death to people. Are they simply asleep waiting to resurrect or are they conscious in some other realm. This verse would also correspond to NDEs in which dead people are conscious in some realm where space-time works differently.

God takes the souls of the dead and the souls of the living while they sleep- He keeps hold of those whose death He has ordained and sends the others back until their appointed time- there truly are signs in this for those who reflect. 39:42

This suggests some soul journey, in other words at sleep the consciousness of a person travels to some other realm. Its interesting that some believe that certain dreams are unconsious astral travelling to other realms & lucid dreaming is part of the astral realm. Dreams & the subconscious still remain a mystery.

Exalted in Rank, Lord of the Throne: He causes the spirit to descend on whomsoever of His servants He pleases so as to warn them of the Day of Encounter 40:15

I am often reminded by this verse of Christians who say they are filled with the holy spirit. It signifies some sort of spiritual awakening. In this verse a similar idea exists. Some interpret this spirit to be the holy spirit ie Gabriel but others see it as the spirit of inspiration or revelation.

Whoever does good, it is to their own benefit. And whoever does evil, it is to their own loss. Then to your Lord you will 'all' be returned. 45:15

These are very karmic thinking with all good leading to good karma and bad leading to bad karma. In some nde stories people have life reviews in which they can feel the good done to others and the bad done to others as if it's their own.

The seven heavens, the earth, and all those in them glorify Him. There is not a single thing that does not glorify His praises—but you ˹simply˺ cannot comprehend their glorification. He is indeed Most Forbearing, All-Forgiving. 17:44

This speaks to some sort of metaphysical glorification whereby everything of nature and the cosmos is a manifestation of divine spirit. The animals, the oceans, land and celestial bodies all are in their natural path each with their own system resonating a mystical awe of the creator.

Had We sent down this Quran upon a mountain, you would have certainly seen it humbled and torn apart in awe of Allah. We set forth such comparisons for people, ˹so˺ perhaps they may reflect 59:21

This metaphor is an intriguing way of describing the majestic nature of what would be called the speech of the creator. It conveys the awesomeness of the divine speech.

Say, 'O Prophet,’ “If the ocean were ink for 'writing’ the Words of my Lord, it would certainly run out before the Words of my Lord were finished, even if We refilled it with its equal.” 18:109

This metaphor uses the imagery of oceans to illustrate the omniscience and omnipotence of God. If we were to take this verse literally it would of course imply that the creators power is limited to an ocean or two. The ocean is thus used as an image to show that the knowledge of God cannot be contained in a finite book. Some food for thought are the concepts of omni knowledge & power. Its is inconceivable for finite beings like ourselves to fathom what it could mean to be an omnibeing. Would the creator have knowledge of a finite or infinite amount of things. Would he be able to create an infinite amount of different colors, foods or sounds. These are mysteries of the infinite which we cannot comprehend.

This is truly a glorious Quran. ˹recorded˺ in a Preserved Tablet. 85:21-22
No! Indeed, the record of the righteous is in ʿilliyyūn. And what can make you know what is ʿilliyyūn? A written record, witnessed by those nearest ˹to Allah˺. 83:18-21
Each person has guardian angels before him and behind, watching over him by God’s command 13:11

Who these beings are, where are they with you and what purpose do they serve are indeed good questions. Do they literally guard or is this a metaphor for guidance

Indeed, Allah is the Knower of the unseen of the heavens and the earth. He surely knows best what is ˹hidden˺ in the heart. 35 38

To best know what is in the heart is to have the capacity to experience the consciousness of another in perfect empathy. This concept of omni subjectivity is considered a necessity of omniscience. To be able to not only know the suffering a person goes through but to actually be able to experience it as they do. To be able to feel the grief of losing someone, of being depressed, of cramps, of every teardrop.

But the Lord of Mercy will give love to those who believe and do righteous deeds 19:96

Love is a complex idea that occurs in multiple forms. The love of unity, of attachment, of compassion, passion, friendship, romantic etc. Divine love could be considered the combination of all these forms. Some beautiful descriptions exist in nde anecdotes. One person reports a feeling of waves and waves of cleansing white love soaking them as if they were under a waterfall. Another describes feeling as if they were the last and most important baby to exist. Another describes the feeling of being touched by something amazing, a piece of music for example and the feeling being multiplied millions of times.

And He is the Most-Forgiving, the Most-Loving, 85:14
But My mercy encompasses all things 7:156
Indeed, We granted David a ˹great˺ privilege from Us, ˹commanding:˺ “O mountains! Echo his hymns! And the birds as well.” We made iron mouldable for him. 34:10

Music & poetry is the one thing on earth that has the ability to convey subtle & complex emotions that language has no words for. It can inspire & invigorate. The sound of birds singing remind us of a peaceful melodious state in nature. Certain music pieces can bring about feelings of spiritual awe, feeding the soul taking you beyond the mundane into a mystical state. A good melody can illuminate and a good harmony of melodies transports you to other realms. Likewise the melodic singing of the creators word can inspire feelings of awe.

No soul can imagine what joys are kept in store for them as a reward for what they used to do

32:17 - This verse speaks to the heavenly realms having happiness that is unable to be put in words and unable to be conceived by people in their normal waking life. It may refer to pleasures that are beyond what the physical world can offer or to the intensity of joy which cannot be imagined and quantified. It's also interesting to note that in some ndes people report hearing music that no earthly music could compare to and to seeing colors that dont exist in this world at all. What other surprises could exist in such a realm is a mystery to be very curious of.

We are your supporters in this worldly life and in the Hereafter. There you will have whatever your souls desire, and there you will have whatever you ask for. An accommodation from the All-Forgiving, Most Merciful 'Lord’.” 41:31

This one in particular is interesting as it seems repetitive but it is mentioning two different things ie having all the desires you ask for but also all the subconscious hidden desires of the soul that remain buried deep within us we dont even know it. There are different types of desires. There are desires by word (can be put into words), desire by mind (can imagine but hard to put into words), desire by heart (have an intuition but is hard to put in words and to imagine) and desire by unseen (those only an omniscient being could know of). Cognitive science talks of the self, the ego and persona which are separated by filters which filter out subconscious feelings.

The description of the Paradise promised to the righteous is that in it are rivers of fresh water, rivers of milk that never changes in taste, rivers of wine delicious to drink, and rivers of pure honey. There they will ˹also˺ have all kinds of fruit, and forgiveness from their Lord. 47:15

This is often seen as a reason to consider the hell and heaven descriptions as mainly metaphors over being literal. One sufi view sees these four drinks as symbols for differing things. The water signifies divine clarity and purity which refreshes & cleanses the soul with vitality, the milk signifies the strength, knowledge ,enlightenment and growth that nourishes the soul. The wine signifies divine bliss and a state of ecstasy. The honey signifies the sweetness of divine love which is the golden essence of mystical union. The fruits signify all the attributes of God.

Enter it in peace. This is the Day of eternal life!” There they will have whatever they desire, and with Us is ˹even˺ more. 50:34-35

This verse represents the hidden desires of the unseen which the limited brain of the material world cannot comprehend. Some interpret this as the beatific vision and others as things that no eye has seen, no ear has heard and no heart has imagined.

And hasten to forgiveness from your Lord and a paradise as wide as the heavens and earth, prepared for the righteous 3:133

This verse conveys the grandeur and sheer size of the paradisal realms. Of course space and time could work completely differently in another realm and the concept of more space would be a meaningless concept. The verse should rather be taken as a metaphor to mean that an abundance of space is always available as needed.

And whoever will come to Him as believer, having done righteous deeds, for such people there are the highest ranks. The Gardens of Eternity, under which rivers flow, where they will stay forever. That is the reward of those who purify themselves. 20:75-76

Water is the source of life, soothing and purification. It signifies the feeling of peace through the sound, texture and coolness of water. Forests, waterfalls, gardens and fountains are universal symbols of peace & symbolize the primordial connection to nature a time when man is able to feel awe much more than a mechanised industrialised world. In Celtic culture and inspired stories such as the Lord of the Rings we see places like Rivendell a lofty dwelling upon a mountain with waterfalls and streams and the Shire a place of gardens & lush vegetation, places people would love to see one day.

And if you looked around, you would see ˹indescribable˺ bliss and a magnificent kingdom 76:20

One view is that this bliss is comparable to a heavenly ambience, one which is of an intoxicating nature in which a persons consiousness vibrates at a higher level of being becoming one with the place. Certain drugs aim to to mimic this intoxicating, peaceful and loving ambience such as cannabis and ecstacy. In some ndes people will report feeling the vibration of the place, the plants, the water. They feel it as if they are one with the textures and it is in them. Another view is that the kingdom of heaven is a vast realm aesthetically pleasing in which one sees all types of blissful things. Poetic verses such as these propel the mind to envision otherworldly realms.

The world is a prison for the believer and a paradise for the unbeliever.” Sahih Muslim 2956

This is an interesting parable with the world being compared to a prison. A prison stifles you, limits you and does not make you feel at home. Some struggle to see the world as a prison but the awakened one sees the world for what it is. They see how limited we are by time, how we cannot access the past, change it or go back to a good time. We are boxed into this world and dealt the cards we got. The world stifles you in being unable to reach your full potential or acheive self actualization. It restricts your passions and achievements and leaves you questioning the meaning behind this life. The awakened one sees how limited happiness is for we can never grasp it. They see that surely there must be more to the world than this mundane life.

And indeed, We adorned the lowest heaven with ˹stars like˺ lamps, and made them ˹as missiles˺ for stoning ˹eavesdropping˺ devils, for whom We have also prepared the torment of the Blaze. 67:5

The idea of the seven heavens is an interesting one with many trying to decipher it. Some have said it refers to atmosphere layers due to 71:15 and 67:3 saying layers whilst some associate it with 7 celestial objects of the moon, sun and solar system planets. One specific person says the lowest heaven is the solar system and the 7th heaven being the multiverse. The lowest heaven has stars or planets which some say is the cosmos as we know it full of stars and planets. Lowest Heaven (Samaa Ad Dunya) may also refer to the worldly life (physical material realm). Some also say the seven heavens are a metaphor for multiple heavens. What these 2nd, 3rd, 7th etc heavens are remain a mystery. There are much similarities with Sumerian & Babylonian cosmology.

Indeed, We have adorned the lowest heaven with the stars for decoration and made them a safeguard against every rebellious devil, they cannot eavesdrop on the Higher Assembly––pelted from every side. Repelled; and for them is a constant punishment. But whoever manages to stealthily eavesdrop is ˹instantly˺ pursued by a piercing flare. 37:6-10

This connects to 67:5 and 41:12. It deals with the concept of the lowest heaven and further it mentions some sort of higher realm or meeting. Where exactly this higher assembly is remains ambiguous. It does hint that beyond the first heaven into the 2nd heaven which may imply the heavens are mystical realms rather than cosmological. This passage has always been controversial with some calling it unscientific whilst others say its supernatural not scientific. Some interpret this pelting of devils as solar flares from stars, rather than shooting stars.

You were heedless of this. Now We have removed your veil from you; so your sight today is sharp. 50:22

This often reminds me of the filter theory of consciousness. The idea that our brain filters out anything supernatural or mystical and focuses on the material. It seems to say that humanity cannot perceive much of the unseen but on that day all filters will be removed and people perceive with absolute clarity the divine realms as real. Reduced brain activity in NDEs and psychedelic experiences is also associated with higher states of conscious awareness.

Taught to him by one intense in strength. One of great perfection. And he rose to his true form, while on the highest point above the horizon. Then he approached and descended. And was at a distance of two bow lengths or nearer. Then Allah revealed to His servant what He revealed ˹through Gabriel˺.The ˹Prophet’s˺ heart did not doubt what he saw. So will you dispute with him over what he saw? And he certainly saw him in another descent. At the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary Near it is the Garden of Refuge while the Lote Tree was overwhelmed with ˹heavenly˺ splendours. The ˹Prophet’s˺ sight never wandered, nor did it overreach. And he saw some of the greatest signs of his Lord. 53:5-18 He is the One Who created the heavens and the earth in six days and His Throne was upon the waters—in order to test which of you is best in deeds. 11:7

The throne is said to be beyond the seven heavens encompassing it in scale. In one hadith tradition it compares each heaven to being a ring in a desert. Beyond the seven heavens lies the lore tree boundary and beyond this is said to be one of the paradise realms. The paradise realm/s is itself considered to be as big or bigger than the heavens and the throne is said to be beyond these paradise realms. The throne is said to be upon the waters. This concept exists in Psalm 148 which speaks of some sort of waters above the heavens. In Sumerian cosmology there is also a similair concept of a primordial cosmic ocean that lies beyond the heavens.

It is not granted to any mortal that God should speak to him except through revelation or from behind a veil, or by sending a messenger to reveal by His command what He will: He is exalted and wise. 42:51

This verse ends with calling God wise. Perhaps this verse conveys the grandeur of the essence which the limited human brain cannot perceive or it portrays the destruction that the essence can create burning everything into oblivion.

To Allah belong the east and the west; wherever you turn, there is the Face of Allah. For Allah is All-Encompassing, All-Knowing. 2:115

Direction and location is irrelevant to the divine as this divine being transcends space and time. Wherever one is, the divine is there and one can communicate with God as if he is face to face with you. The face is the thing with which we identify a person and turn our attention to. Wherever we turn the we can turn to God for the divine knows all that can be known and encompasses all in his presence and knowledge. In another interpretation everything natural is like a manifestation of the divine which the divine encompasses as part of his being. Its common for people to feel spiritual awe and a desire to communicate with the divine when one gazes upon the oceans, mountains, volcanos, valleys & galaxies. All of these convey grandeur.

Vision perceives Him not, but He perceives all vision; and He is the Subtle, the Acquainted. 6:103

The divine cannot be reduced to light and sound waves for vision cannot perceive such grandeur of the divine. Abrahamic Theology has always spoken of the divine attributes and of the divine essence. To be subtle is to be nuanced, to see details that others dont see. It is to also be interacting in the world in ways we dont perceive. It is to be manifest in the world that cannot be seen.

When Moses came at the appointed time and his Lord spoke to him, he asked, “My Lord! Reveal Yourself to me so I may see You.” Allah answered, “You cannot see Me! But look at the mountain. If it remains firm in its place, only then will you see Me.” When his Lord appeared to the mountain, He levelled it to dust and Moses collapsed unconscious. When he recovered, he cried, “Glory be to You! I turn to You in repentance and I am the first of the believers.” 7:143, 2:253

These verses are fascinating to the sufi and mystic minded who are curious as to the actual essence of God and what it actually would be like to speak with God directly or witness the beatific vision. The verse highlights Moses burning desire to witness the creator in all their majesty. The mystery of the essence remains. It has been a topic discussed by great thinkers such as Al Ghazali, Ibn Sina & Thomas Aquinas. Its interesting in Exodus that Moses is shown the back of God but cannot bear to see the face of God.

He is the Lord of the heavens and the earth and everything in between, the Almighty, Most Forgiving. 38:66

A phrase which makes the curious person contemplate on the mysteries of existence. Are these other realms, dimensions, universes, realities, worlds. Are these spatial, temporal. Are they connected to the heavens.

He is the First and the Last, and the Manifest and the Hidden, and He is All-Knowing about every thing. 57:3

God is the first cause of reality, the source of all being and existence, the source from where all attributes comes from ie goodness, beauty, truth etc. He is the eternal mind not being caused or created in time nor does he end. The manifest and hidden or outward and inward represent a paradox. Perhaps God is manifest by the attributes that manifest through the world such as in nature, music and art. Perhaps this may explain the transcendental mystic feelings people may feel through certain music, art, psychedelics, meditation and other spiritual experiences. But on the other hand God is the subtle, hidden, one whose essence is unknown.

I will approach them from their front, their back, their right, their left, and then You will find most of them ungrateful.” 7:17

A good film that acts as a commentary to this verse is the film A devils advocate. This verse essentially speaks to the nature of cunning that this being uses to tempt men to corrupt their souls. This being can use multiple paths and strategies. From inciting the human ego, to using religious fanaticism, making injustice seem normal, using extremism & every other negative ism that can be used to manipulate humanity.

God said, ‘Iblis, what prevents you from bowing down to the man I have made with My own hands? Are you too high and mighty?’ 38:75

This verse has commonly been used by creationists to suggest that Adam was the first human created by God personally. You can imagine a humanoid figure being molded and formed. Interestingly another part of the quran says that God has created cattle with his own hands which goes against this creationist version. Non literalists and mystics often see human anthromorphisms to be metaphors used by God. The eye of god suggests God watching over and guarding. The face of god suggests the locus to which we identify God. The hands of God can refer to power, protection, guidance & specific interventions that other creations have not been given.

Also mention in the Book the case of Idris: He was a man of truth and sincerity, a prophet: And We raised him to an exalted place. 19:56-57

Idris here is associated with Enoch & Hermes Trismegistus. He represents the mystic seeker, the learned , wise and knowledgable. He is often associated with the study of philosophy, astronomy & mysticism. Enoch is said to have travelled through the 10 heavens.

What will explain to you what the Crusher is?It is God’s Fire, made to blaze, which rises over people’s hearts. It closes in on them in towering columns. 104:5-9

This passage fits the interpretation of hell as a purification process that may be painful, such as the use of mouthwash or antiseptic which burns a cleansed wound. The towering columns convey the idea of some sort of penance chamber.

From the evil of the retreating whisperer, who whispers into the hearts of mankind 114:4-5

A good example in pop culture is the one ring from the lord of the rings. It whispers and entices the inner temptations of the heart to corrupt them. The gollum represents a creature that has become overwhelmed by the rings influence such that he becomes subhuman looking. Another example is the black suit spiderman. The black suit influences and draws out the inner dark side of Spiderman making him arrogant, aggressive & violent. As a wise person once said we never lose our demons. We only learn to live above them.

My (17f) mother (50f) died 1 year ago due to cancer. It was shocking for my family but oh well death is inevitable it eventually happens to everyone. I didn't have the best relationship with my mother due to her mostly favoring my sister (19f) so I didn't really care when she died, it was like waking up to see that the person you see everyday no longer wants to see you.
Here's the issue. I don't like being around people that are constantly crying so I skipped most of my mother's funeral and went home to play some video games and take care of my cat. My sister is still mad about me skipping the funeral and hasn't let go of it yet. After the funeral she threw a fit at me and called me an emotionless bi word to leave her and my father alone with our other relatives asking where I was. I told her I didn't wanna stay and this is my way of grieving, she didn't buy that. I received many calls from my aunts and uncles asking why I was absent through out the funeral and I had to waste my time explaining this is my way of grieving.
Yesterday my sister decided to visit us and my father cooked her favourite dish. My sister got emotional on the table stating how she remembered mom used to cook this dish for her and it tastes the same. I told her that was incredibly nice but she should stop crying or else I will take her potatoes (I love potatoes). She got annoyed and told me something in the lines of she's just expressing her feelings and there's nothing wrong with it and I should express my emotions too and she knows how much I also miss mom. I told her I don't about someone's death and it happens to everyone eventually and I have more important things to worry about. She threw a fit on the table and started cussing at me but my father managed to calm her down. She didn't talk to me for the rest of the day and left early in the morning. My father told me my sister is just emotional and I should Atleast act like I'm sad about my mother's death around her. AITA?
Edit: someone said I should add that I am autistic so here I am.

• The episode title refers to the Commander Kruge’s B’Rel-class Bird-of-Prey, which Kirk and friends rechristined the HMS Bounty after commendering it in “Star Trek: The Search for Spock” and “Star Trek: The Voyage Home”.
  
  • There is also a second season ENT episode titled “Bounty”.
• The crew of the USS Titan A is dropping signal buoys to throw pursuers off the scent. We see some of those pursuing ships:
  
  • USS Trumbull NCC-72370 - Duderstadt-class; named for “Star Trek: The Motion Picture” visual effects director, Douglas Trumbull
  • USS Yorktown NCC-97422 - Echelon-class; the first ship of this class we’ve seen; SS Yorktown was Gene Roddenberry’s proposed original name for the ship that would be trekking the stars; there was a USS Yorktown disabled by the Whale Probe in “Star Trek: The Voyage Home”; Tuvok’s father was said implied to have served aboard a Yorktown at the same time he was assigned to the USS Excelsior; a USS Yorktown NCC-20045 was listed on displays in “The Measure of a Man” and “Whispers”; in the Kelvin timeline, Starbase Yorktown was introduced in “Star Trek Beyond”
  • USS Mestral NCC-42027 - Excelsior II-class; named for a Vulcan explorer who perished when his survey ship crashed to Earth in 1957
• At various points in the episode Frontier Day is stated to be 72 hours away, and less that 48 hours away, which means this episode would be taking place April 13 and 14, 2401.
  
• We see one of the Changelings aboard the Shrike execute another for speaking against Vadic, which would indicate that they’re well past the cultural taboo against Changelings harming one another, established in “The Die is Cast”.
  
• Doctor Crusher’s scans of Not David Marcus indicate that he has Irumodic Syndrome, a neurological condition that an alternate future version of Admiral Picard had developed in “All Good Things…” but which the Captain Picard of 2370 did not have any indication of beyond a small structural defect on his brain which might develop into Irumodic Syndrome later in life.
  
  • In season one of this series, it was vaguely implied that Irumodic Syndrome had developed, and Picard’s gallivanting could very well exacerbate it, but this is the first episode of the series where the condition is actually named again as opposed to gestured at, and it is confirmed that it is what killed his original body.
• ”And we retaliated with a Starfleet made virus.” The morphogenic virus used to infect the Founders was engineered by Section 31. This episode Worf states Section 31 is a “Critical division of Starfleet intelligence.”.
  
• After the away team beams aboard Daystrom Station, two Echelon-class ships arrive:
  
  • USS Sternbach NCC-92943; named for Rick Sternbach, production designer for “Star Trek: The Motion Picture”, TNG, DS9, and VOY
  • USS Cole NCC-97621; possibly named for Lee Cole, graphic on “Star Trek: Phase II”, “Star Trek: The Motion Picture”, and “Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan”
• Daystrom Station has a bunch of familiar items in storage. According to Worf it is *”Many of Section 31’s most nefarious table scraps.” Including:
  
  • A thalaron radiation device, like the one Shinzon used to assassinate the Romulan senate in “Star Trek Nemesis”
  • Xindi Kemocite containers, from “The Shipment”
  • A Genesis device, similar to the one seen in “Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan”
  • The remains of Captain James T. Kirk, or at least the part of him that lived on in the Nexus and abandoned Paradise to aid Picard in “Star Trek Generations”; according to text on display, his body was retrieved by something called ”Project Phoenix”; in “The Perfect Mate” Riker comms the bridge to inform them he’ll be in the holodeck after he turns down Kamala’s advances
  • A Borg vinculum, from “Infinite Regress”
  • A genetically modified tribble; this is the first time we’ve seen the underside of a tribble
  • A D’Arsay archive from “Masks”? An entire archive seems like it would be far too large considering, but the image on the display is shows just that
  • The android bodies developed to contain the consciousness of the Arretans in “Return to Tomorrow”
  • The rotating android duplication platform from "What Are Little Girls Made Of?"
• Riker’s image in his file seems to have been taken from around 2373, around the events of “Star Trek: First Contact”, which would mean it’s 28 years old at this point.
  
• Daystrom Android M-5-10 generates a holographic projection of a crow, in an attempt to communicate with Riker. In “Birthright, Part I” Data began to dream, of Doctor Noonian Soong forging a crow, and eventually telling him that ”[He] is the bird.”
  
  • When Riker claims that the crow is familiar, Raffi replies, “Yeah, right, like from my nightmares,” playing on the fact that it originated in Data’s dreams.
• Daystrom Android M-5-10 generates a holographic Moriarty, played by Daniel Davis, though this is not the same Moriarty whom Geordi accidentally caused to develop self-awareness in “Elementary, My Dear Data”, but a facsimile.
  
• The Fleet Museum was first mentioned in “Relics”
  
• Among the ships at the Fleet Museum we see:
  
  • USS Enterprise A - refit Constitution-class; ”I’m definitely a Constitution-class man.” Showrunner Terry Matalas has claimed the same thing of himself on social media
  • HMS Bounty - B'Rel-class Bird-of-Prey
  • K’t’inga-class battlecruiser
  • refit NX-class; first appearance of this iteration of the NX-class on screen, though a young Jean-Luc Picard had a model of the ship in “Hide and Seek”
  • Miranda-class
  • Nebula-class; this one specifically has the more triangular shaped modular pod introduced in “Redemption II”
  • USS Voyager - Intrepid-class; apparently the registry information has been scrubbed from the underside of the saucer
  • Excelsior-class
  • Akira-class
  • USS New Jersey NCC-1975 - Constitution-class; showrunner Terry Matalas was born in New Jersey in 1975; in “Relics” Picard told Scotty there was a Constitution-class ship at the fleet museum
  • Constellation-class
  • Romulan Bird-of-Prey; looks to be the digital model used in “Stardust City Rag”
  • USS Defiant NCC-75633 - Defiant-class; formally the USS Sao Paulo
  • Sabre-class
  • A second Akira-class
• It’s Geordi La Forge! From TNG! Geordi is played by Levar Burton.
  
• Alandra La Forge is played by Mica Burton, Levar Burton’s daughter.
  
• ”Every ship in this fleet is now fully integrated, which means they talk to each other.” In “Supernova, Part 1” Starfleet ships communicating autonomously caused a disaster as the Vau N’Akat living construct used that integration to override ship functions and have them destroy one another while sending out a distress call to lure more ships into the trap.
  
• Triggered by the sense memory of hearing “Pop Goes the Weasel” Riker flashes back to “Encounter at Farpoint” and his first encounter with Data aboard the holodeck. In “Shades of Grey” we also got to see several Riker flashbacks.
  
  • The musical notation for “Pop Goes the Weasel” is featured in the closing credits.
• It’s Daystrom Android M-5-10! From this episode! Played by Brent Spiner!
  
  • Daystrom Android M-5-10 is apparently a hybrid of android and synthetic construction, created by Altan Inigo Soong, played by Brent Spiner.
  • Daystrom Android M-5-10 contains the personalities of Lal, B-4, Lore, Frank Hollander, A.I. Soong, and Data.
  • A.I. Soong claims that the Daystrom Android M-5-10 has “the wisdom, and the true human aesthetic of age.” “Inheritance” established that Data’s systems were already programmed to replicate the appearance of aging.
• The disassembled B-4 is also on Daystrom Station, apparently having been relocated since we last saw it in “Remembrance”.
  
  • You can tell B-4 was a prototype because his pelvis is as smooth as a Ken doll, whereas Data was “Fully functional, and programmed in multiple techniques.”
• “I thought Data died. Twice.” Three times if you want to count “Time’s Arrow, Part II”, “Star Trek Nemesis” and “Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 2”. Yet here he is again, his consciousness integrated into Daystrom Android M-5-10. In “Bar Association” it’s revealed that Rom gave himself an infection by performing too much self Oo-mox.
  
• Geordi denies his help to Picard and the Titan A. In “Maps and Legends” when Zhaban suggested Picard contact Riker, Worf, and Geordi, Picard claimed, “They would do it in a heartbeat, and that's precisely why I cannot ask them. They would put themselves at risk out of loyalty to me, and I do not want to have to go through that again.”
  
• The Klingon cloaking device is modeled off the design featured in the “Klingon Bird-of-Prey Owner’s Workshop Manual” published in 2012. It is distinctly different from the one Quark and Rom stole from the IKS Rotarran in “The Emperor’s New Cloak”.
  
• Seven states “If I’m correct, we’ll have to decloak in order to beam them up.” This specific cloaking device was active while Scotty beamed spock aboard the Bounty so Kirk could go on a date and Kirk after the date, while he beamed Uhura off the USS Enterprise CVN-65, Chekov out of an interrogation room, and while he beamed Doctor Taylor up from the park while she was making a scene, all in “Star Trek: The Voyage Home”.
  
• While Picard, Geordi, and Worf are questioning Daystrom Android M-5-10 exhibits Lore’s characteristic tick, as well as B-4’s simpler affect.
  
• Daystrom Android M-5-10 reveals that the weapon the Changelings stole and covered up with the theft of the portal weapon, is the human remains of Jean-Luc Picard, whose body died in “Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 2”. In “Mugato, Gumato” we see one mugato stroke its horn while watching two others mating.
  

A song for the current mood - ALL ABROAD THE CRAZY TRAIN!
Teams:

1. The Wizards are now on a 34-42.
2. The Wizards are currently 18-19 at home games & 16-23 at road games.
3. The Wizards are now 18-21 in the year 2023 (17W & 21 L) - from 16-21 to 3442.
4. The Wizards are now 6-12 since the All-Star break.
5. The Wizards are now 5-7 without Kyle Kuzma.
6. The Wizards are now 13-16 since the trade with Rui Hachimura (12 W & 16 L). Before the trade, the Wizards were 17-13 (17 W & 13 L) with him (in games he played), and 3-13 (3 W & 13 L) in games he wasn't playing. Overall, the Wizards were a 20-26 record before this trade.
7. It's the first time the Wizards won the Celtics this season
8. The season series between the two teams ended up: 2-1 for the Celtics.
9. Despite the win tonight, the Wizards lost 5 out of their last 7 games, and 8 losses out of their last 11 games.
10. It was the 120th time the Washington Wizards (throughout franchise history) won the Boston Celtics.
11. The historical head-to-head matchup during the regular season - Washington Wizards vs. the Boston Celtics: 120-198 to the Boston Celtics
12. The Wizards lost 121-130 last time, and tonight was 130-111 - 130 points were scored by a team in each of the last 2 games, in 2 successive games.
13. It's the highest win margin the Wizards had over the Celtics since November 9th, 2016 (OP's birthday xD), 118-93 win - 25 points win margin - Otto Porter Jr. masterclass of 34 points & 14 rebounds (14/19 FG).
14. The Wizards finally won the Celtics after 4 straight losses to them.
15. The Celtics' winning streak came to end after 3 straight wins.
16. In a coincidence, the Celtics still won 5 out of their last 7 - inverted to the Wizards' 5 losses in their last 7 games (despite the win tonight).
17. The Wizards' 50%+ from the field in 4 out of their last 5 games.
18. The Wizards never dropped the lead & the score was never tied since 6:15 in the 1st quarter, with Monte Morris' pull-up jump shot to make it 14-13.%20(Porzingis%201%20AST))
19. It's only the 4th time this season the Wizards scored 130+ points in a single game this season, and the Wizards are 4-0 in these situations. 2 of them came without Beal & Kuzma, and all of them were with Deni Avdija & Kristaps Porzingis in the starting lineup.
20. It was the first time this season that the Wizards scored exactly 130 points in a single game this season, and the first time the Celtics let their opponent score exactly 130 points in a single game this season.
21. It was the 6th time that an opponent scored 130+ points vs. the Celtics this season, and they are 1-5 in these situations.
22. The Celtics had their 4th worst shooting night from 3 this season, with 11/44 (25%) from 3PT tonight.
23. The Celtics had their 14th game of the season shooting below 30% from 3PT as well.
24. The Celtics took as many 3-pointers as the number of field goals they made tonight 44 3PA & 45 field goals made.
25. The Celtics came to this game after 4 straight games shooting 40.9% from 3PT, making exactly 18 3-pointers in each of their last 3 games, and taking exactly 44 3-pointer attempts in 2 out of these 4.
26. The Wizards scored exactly 99 points in the first 3 quarters, and in 2 out of their last 3 games (vs. the Spurs as well, which was funny - 33 in the 1st quarter, 33 2nd in the quarter & 33 in the 3rd quarter). Why do I mention that? The Wizards also took exactly 99 field goals attempt tonight as well.
27. Both teams took a low amount of free throws - the Celtics were 10/11 from FT (90.9%), and the Wizards 9/13 from FT (69.2%).
28. The Celtics scored 64 out of their 111 points (57.7%) in the paint, vs. 62 points in the paint by the Wizards (out of 130 points) - 47.7%.
29. The Celtics had 8 blocks tonight - tying their season's 2nd best.
30. The Wizards had 14 2nd chance points vs. 10 2nd chance points by the Celtics, the Wizards had 19 fastbreak points vs. 11 fastbreak points by the Celtics.

Players:

1. Bradley Beal missed his 26th game of the season after reaching his 50th game of the season a few days ago. Kyle Kuzma missed his 12th game of the season, including 11 out of his last 24 games. Both players missed together two consecutive games.
2. Delon started for the 11th time this season out of 46 GP (including tonight). Corey Kispert was in the starting lineup for the 39th time this season, while Deni Avdija had his 38th.
3. It's the first time that Monte Morris, Delon Wright, Corey Kispert & Deni Avdija are all together in the starting lineup. It's the 2nd time (in 2 straight games as well) that Delon Wright, Corey Kispert & Deni Avdija are in the starting lineup, together!
4. The Wizards are currently 6-5 - 5 wins & 5 losses when Delon Wright is in the starting lineup.
5. Kristaps Porzingis scored 20+ points in his last 6 games, he already had 20 points in the 1st half alone! He also scored 20+ points in 13 out of his last 15 games.
6. Kristaps Porzingis dominated the stats sheet tonight - among the Wizards' team, he had the most field goals made tonight (14), the most field goals attempted (21), tied for the most 3-pointers made (3), most rebounds (13), tied for the most offensive rebounds (2), the most defensive rebounds (11), the most points (32), and the best plus/minus in the team - +26 (morris with +25, kudos to him as well!). HE ALSO HAD 0 turnovers.
7. It's the first time this season that Kristaps Porzingis scored 25 points or more with only 1 free throw made (and he also attempted only one!)!
8. Kristaps Porzingis is now 30/31 (~96.8%) from the free throw line in his last 7 games.
9. Kristaps Porzingis with a career-high of 11 games with 5+ assists in a single season.
10. Kristaps Porzingis had his 14th 30+ points game of the season, his 4th 30+ points & 10+ rebounds game of the season, as well as his 2nd 30+ points, 10+ rebounds & 5+ assists game of the season. The Wizards are now 6-8 when KP scored 30+ points.
11. Kristaps Porzingis finally had 10+ rebounds after 10 straight games with 9 rebounds or lower (3 times 9 rebounds as well).
12. Kristaps Porzingis had his 46th game this season with 20+ points (65 GP) - a career-high (was 30 in the 2017-18 season & 2019-20 season), and his 63rd game this season with 10+ points as well (career-high - he had 59 games like it in the 2016-17 season).
13. Kristaps Porzingis scored his 1,480 points of the season - keeps on shattering his total points in a single season (which was 1,196 points in his sophomore year, in 66 GP). If he maintains this, he will also break his PPG record of 22.7 (48 GP), which currently stands at 23.2 PPG.
14. Jayson Tatum had 28+ points in 4 out of his last 5 games (3 times 34+ points - 34, 15, 36, and 34 that was before tonight).
15. Jayson Tatum had his 35th game with 9+ rebounds tonight - that's more than Kristaps Porzingis (33 games),
16. Jaylen Brown scored fewer than 20 points tonight (18 points) after 8 straight games scoring 24 points or more (anywhere between 24 to 43 points).
17. Marcus Smart had 4 3-pointers tonight, it's the first time the Celtics lose when he scores 4 3-pointers or more (he had once 6 3-pointers, and 6 times 4 3-pointers, including tonight) - 6-1 record for the Celtics when he gets that.
18. Monte Morris tied his season 2nd best of 19 points.
19. Monte Morris tied his 3rd best in assists tonight 9 assists.
20. Deni Avdija tied his career-high of 25 points on 10/16 FG (62.5%), 2/5 3PT (40%) & 3/5 FT (60%). He had 25 points career-high in the first game vs. the Spurs, on January 30th, 2023 - 127-106 W.
21. Deni Avdija in the last 5 games (over 7 days span!): 18.4 points (11.4 FGA) on 63.8% FG, 47.6% 3PT (4.2 3PA), 53.3% FT (3.0 FTA), 9.6 REBS (0.6 Off. Rebs), 5.4 AST, 3.4 TOV, 1.0 STL, 0 blocks, 2.0 PF, 3 double-doubles in points & rebounds, and a plus/minus of -4.4 in 34.0 minutes.
22. Deni had his 10th double-double of the season in points & rebounds, and the 11th double-double this season overall. Is a triple-double coming vs. the Magic next?
23. Corey Kispert scored three or more 3-pointers in each of his last 3 games - 14/26 (53.8%).
24. Corey Kispert scored 15+ points in his last 3 games.
25. Johnny Davis had 8 rebounds tonight - a career-high - shattering his previous career-high of 5 rebounds.
26. Corey Kispert scored 10+ points in 34 games this season - a career-high for 10+ points game for in a single season (He had 30 games like it last year in 77 GP). He was also more efficient at it - 34 10+ points games in 68 GP, so far.
27. Delon Wright hasn't scored more than 8 points in each of his last 8 out of the last 9 games (2,0,4, 4, 2, 7, 24, 5, & 8 points tonight).
28. Monte Morris had a season-high & tied his career-high of 2 blocks tonight.
29. Xabier Cooks scored his first NBA points - 2 points from the field - CONGRATULATIONS MATE!
30. Deni Avdija had his 28th & 29th dunks of the season - a career-high, shattering his career-high in dunks for a single season - he had 7 dunks in his rookie year (54 GP), and 11 dunks in his 2nd year (82 GP), and now he already got more than both of them, combined!!!! (11+7 = 18 <29).
31. Deni Avdija had 8+ rebounds in his last 5 games (9 rebounds tonight) and 15+ points & 8+ rebounds in his last 4 games.
32. Deni Avdija had 3+ assists in his last 7 games.
33. Deni Avdija had his 13th 15+ points game of the season, as well as his 32nd game with 10+ points this season.
34. Kendrick Nunn scored his first 10+ points (12 points tonight) since February 14th, 2023 - 126-101 W over the Portland Trail Blazers, which was during his 3 games streak of 10+ points (it was also the last time he scored 10+ points until tonight).
35. Kendrick Nunn played 17:15 minutes tonight, the most he had since February 13th, 126-135 L to the Golden State Warriors - he had 29:00 minutes back then (and hasn't played more than 15:11 minutes until tonight in that streak.
36. Johnny Davis played for 9 straight games - a career-high.
37. Out of 68 GP this season by Kispert, he was 0% from 3PT only 6 times, & 15 times between 0% to 20%, 8 times shooting 33% from 3PT out of 17 games shooting between 20%+ to 40% Overall, he has 38 games shooting 40% or higher this season, including tonight 3/6 (50.0%).
38. Johnny Davis scored a 3-pointer in 2 games straight is a career-high!
39. Johnny Davis scored in each of his last 8 games.
40. It's the 14th straight game of Deni Avdija without a single block.
41. Deni Avdija had only one block in his last 20 games. The last block was on March 2nd, 2023 - 119-108 W over the Raptors.
42. Deni Avdija had offensive rebounds only twice in his last 11 games (he had 3 offensive rebounds, twice, in each of these 2 games), accumulating in the process 68 defensive rebounds & 6 offensive rebounds.
43. It's the 2nd game straight that Deni missed 2 free throws in succession (going to the line for 2 free throws & missing both).
44. Deni Avdija had his 9th game this season with 4 turnovers (season-high of his), and 3 of them came in the last 5 games.
45. Anthony Gill scored in each of his last 6 games, including each of 13 out of the last 14 games - between 2 to 6 points.
46. Except for 2 points on 1/1 FG, Xabier Cooks had zeros in the rest of the stats except for a single turnover.
47. Xabier Crooks had no rebound tonight, after 3 straight games with 1 rebound in each of them.
48. Marcus Smart had his 4th game of the season with 0 rebounds, 3 of which came on this March (!!!), after having only a single game like it on November 11th, 2022 - 131-112 W over the Nuggets.
49. Robert Williams III had 0 points for the first time this season (32 GP), in 15:09 minutes tonight & 0 FGA & 0 FTA.
50. Derrick White scored only 7 points tonight, after 5 straight games scoring 10+ points, including twice 20+ points.
51. Al Horford scored 6 or 5 points in each of his last 3 games.
52. Al Horford had his worst game from beyond the arc when scoring 1 or more 3PT - he was 1/7 3PT tonight (14.3%). He also had 0/7 from 3PT this season as well, but that's without a 3PT made.
53. Luke Kornet didn't score more than 8 points in his last 5 games, including 17 out of his last 18 games & 2 out of his last 27 games.

The food tonight was Michelin star worthy!
Peace.

Nepal is rich in culture and nature. There are ten natural and cultural heritage sites listed by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites in Nepal. According to the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, a UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place of cultural or natural importance. As a UNESCO World Heritage Site, each of these places has interesting cultural treasures, history, or just pure natural beauty and diversity to offer. Let's take a closer look at the landmarks, monuments, and magnificence that have created these places as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Below are the top UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Nepal.
1. Pashupatinath Temple
One of the holiest Hindu temples in the world, Pashupatinath is a thousand-year-old temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. It has a double roof and four silver doors. Devotees from all over the world come here to pay homage to Lord Shiva. The temple consists of a large temple and grounds, surrounded by various smaller temples, ashrams, and sculptures, and is situated on the banks of the holy Bagmati River on the eastern side. Watching various ceremonies, and funerals is also a new experience for tourists. Evidence of the importance of this temple is the number of pilgrims it attracts, especially during a holy occasions like Teej and Shivaratri when visitors reach hundreds of thousands on that day. In 1997 Pashupatinath Temple is designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
2. Boudhanath Stupa
If Pashupatinath is the holiest Hindu temple in Kathmandu, then Boudhanath Stupa is the counterpart for Buddhist. There are many Newar and Tibetan Buddhist legends surrounding this amazing place, while some records show that it was built by the Licchavi King Man Dev in the 5th century A.D. Today, it is one of the largest Buddhist stupas in the world and the entire surrounding area is home to Buddhists with more than 40 monasteries nearby. A large number of tourists, pilgrims, and locals visit the Stupa every day, each for their own different reason. Chanting monks, spinning prayer wheels, pigeons, and incense burners are just a few of the things that add to the special atmosphere here. It is one of the main sites for pilgrims and tourists in the country.
3. Swayambhunath Stupa
Swayambhunath Stupa is one of the oldest stupas in Nepal. It is located three kilometers west of Kathmandu. Swayambhunath, which literally means self-suspension, is said to have originated after the lake drained and created the present valley. It is said that there are 365 steps in the staircase leading to Swayambhunath. This is a holy place for Buddhists. After the Mughal invasion, it was damaged and rebuilt in the 14th century. King Pratap Malla in the 17th century improved the architecture and added steps to reach the stupa. Meanwhile, the stupa is a solid structure of brick and clay, supporting a tall conical spire with gilded copper and the eyes of Lord Buddha adorning the four corners of the spire's head. Swayambhunath also offers a magnificent view of the entire Kathmandu Valley.
4. Kathmandu Durbar Square
Kathmandu Durbar Square palace was built in the 15th century, with buildings and other monuments added over time. Hindu legend boasts that if one deciphers the 17th-century inscriptions written in 15 different languages ​​on the walls of Hanuman Dhoka Palace, milk will immediately flow from the walls. The royal family lived in Hanuman Dhoka Palace until 1886 and then moved to Narayanhiti Palace. The new king was crowned in the palace. The palace commemorates the history of the royal family, culture, and religion of Nepal. The museum inside the palace provides an opportunity to explore the culture, religion, tradition, culture, architecture, history of the palace, etc. An entrance fee is charged to enter the museum. The museum is open 7 days a week except for Tuesday from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. in winter and from 10:30 to 4 pm in summer. On Friday, you will visit the museum from 10:30 am to 2 pm.
5. Patan Durbar Square
Like the Kathmandu Durbar Square, the Patan Durbar Square is located in Patan/Lalitpur. People believe that the name of the city is King Yalamber, as Patan translates it to Yala. It is located about 8km southeast of central Kathmandu. Here you can see beautiful Newari art and culture. As well as here are a number of Hindu and Buddhist monuments. Historical records have shown that Emperor Ashoka built part of this square in the third century BCE. Famous places in Patan Durbar Square include Mahaboudha Temple, Kumbeshwor Temple, Krishna Temple, Golden Temple, Jagat Narayan Temple, Hari Shanker Temple, Vishwanath Temple, Bhimsen Temple and Rato Temple Machhendra, among others.
6. Bhaktapur Durbar Square
Bhaktapur is located on the eastern side of the Kathmandu Valley. Also known as Bhadgaon or Khwopa, Bhaktapur is home to ancient Nepalese culture, tradition, and beautiful arts and crafts. Each historical monument represents the ancient tradition, religion, and culture of Nepal. Bhaktapur was mainly ruled by the Newari people. Bhaktapur is the only place untouched by western culture in Nepal. Lion Gate, Golden Gate, Art Gallery, King Bhupatindra Statue, Nyatapola Temple, and Fifty-Five Windows Malla Palace are the living pride of Bhaktapur. The place is home to the best hotels and restaurants to meet the needs and demands of travelers.
7. Changu Narayan Temple
Changu Narayan is a Hindu temple of Lord Vishnu. It is 15 kilometers away from Kathmandu valley. The stone inscriptions of 464 A.D. and other architectural structures displayed in the temple reflect the ancient history of Nepal. The temple offers a spectacular view of the Manohara River.
8. Lumbini
Lumbini is located about 300 kilometers southwest of Kathmandu in the Terai region, Lumbini is a religious pilgrimage site steeped in history. It is the last of the 4 sites in Nepal to be designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site (1997). Lumbini is also known as the birthplace of Gautama Buddha. Also known as Siddhartha Gautama or Shakyamuni. Buddha was a 3-4th century who spent decades in self-imposed exile and eventually attained enlightenment to become a Buddha. His teachings became known as Buddhism and spread throughout the world over the years. As such, Lumbini is a very important religious place for Buddhists. Major monuments and landmarks to explore here include Maya Devi Temple, Sacred Garden, World Peace Pagoda, Chinese Temple, Thai Monastery, Burmese (Myanmar) Temple, Nepalese Buddhist Temple, Buddhist Monastery Buddhist Dharmaswami at Tilaurkot Palace.
9. Chitwan National Park
Chitwan National Park is also known as Royal Chitwan National Park. This national park is established in 1973 first national park in Nepal. The park covers an area of 952 m². km and has many exciting activities to choose from including rafting, boating, elephant bathing, and of course, Jungle Safari. Jungle Safari in Chitwan is a popular tour package in this park. It is a sanctuary for more than 700 species of animals, from mammals and reptiles to rare species of birds. The Royal Bengal Tiger and the Asiatic Horned Rhinoceros are the two iconic animals of Chitwan National Park. In addition to these, black leopards, Sloth Bears, Striped Hyenas, Golden Jackals, Gaurs, Antelopes, Bengal Floricans, Oriental Darters, Kingfishers, Spotted Eagles, King Cobra, the rock python, gharials, crocodiles make up the most famous species. While staying at one of the resorts in the park, you will be taken on a cultural tour of the Chitwan way of life.
10. Sagarmatha National Park
The last place on our list is Sagarmatha National Park, which is the second national park of Nepal, which was established in 1976. After 3 years of its establishment, it was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, due to its large culture and wealth of nature. The most recognizable part of Sagarmatha National Park has to be Sagarmatha, or Mount Everest, which is the highest peak in the world at 8,848m. Besides Everest, the region is also home to some of the highest mountains in the world, as well as beautiful glaciers, valleys, rivers, and mountains. The park itself covers an area of ​​1,148 km2. It is home to a variety of Himalayan flora and fauna including rhododendrons, blue pine, silver fir, and birch. While exploring the Sagarmatha National Park, it is possible to see rare animals such as snow leopards, pandas, lynx, snow cock, pheasants, snow pigeons, etc. There are many popular hiking and climbing trails within this national park. Everest Base Camp Trek and Mount Everest Expedition is the most amazing trek in the world.

HMS Celtic

• Super Heal
• Improved AP
• Radar Cruiser

USS Rochester (CA-124)

• Smoke Cruiser
• Excellent AA Suite
• Strong AP

Scope

These ships were given to me by Wargaming for review.
Welcome back. Sure, it does seem rather apt to jump into the first published review in sometime with the addition of two new Baltimores…well, one Oregon-City Cruiser, and another Baltimore. With both ships being so closely related, it seems fitting to tag them both together here. Per the norm, there will be lots of pretty charts, and a comprehensive breakdown of both ships; with the added benefit of showing exactly where these two wrap up into the bigger picture.
All stats are current to the best of my knowledge as of v5.1. Stats are subject to change in the future, and this review may not reflect those changes.
Celtic is a GREAT ship, with a MODERATE Skill Floor and a HIGH Skill Ceiling.
Rochester is an AVERAGE ship, with a LOW Skill Floor and a MODERATE Skill Ceiling.
Quite obviously, this review is going to be mostly centered on Celtic, with some Rochester slapped in there to show exactly how she stacks up to the competition. 2 for 1, or a freebie, you decide.
Nothing could honestly make me happier than to be able to bring reviews and writing to you all full-time. If this interests you and you enjoy reading my work, please support me if you can, as every little bit helps. My goal is to keep my reviews free and public for all to read; and by supporting my Patreon you can help keep me at my desk.

Matrix Rating

• [BAD, WEAK, AVERAGE, GOOD, GREAT]
• {LOW, MODERATE, HIGH, EXTREME}

History

The design was first commissioned in the late 1930's, which adapted lessons learned from the preceding Wichita-Class and the currently under construction, lighter Cleveland Class. Baltimore's design featured an orthodox A-B-X configuration of 3 triple turrets of (8") 203mm guns. Fast and well-armed for the era, the fate of the project ended by cancelling later ships construction in favor of the Cleveland Class which were both faster, lighter, and quicker to build which meant more ships out at sea protecting US Navy Carriers. Baltimore Class Cruisers were built from 1941-1945 with some serving in various sub-classes until the 1970's.
With 14 completed ships of the class, the Baltimore-Class had the most constructed heavy cruisers built of any one class from nation during the war-time period. Generally considered a success, the class was preceded by the USS Wichita, and succeeded by the Oregon-City Class. With attached sub-classes, the Boston Class featuring the world's first Guided Missile Cruiser in the early 1950's USS Boston (CAG-1) and Flagship variations. The design was most notable for incorporation of surveillance radar, gun control fire systems which allowed for calculation beyond the horizon, 5'' Anti-Air, and 8'' Main Battery. This design was focused in on the ships ability to be a Carrier Fleet Escort Ship, capable of both Anti-Air Screening, Shore Bombardment, eventually being modified to serve as the world's first guided missile cruiser.
USS Baltimore (CA-68) herself was laid down in 1941, by Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation at the Fore River Shipyard in Quincy, Massachusetts. The ship was launched in 1942 and served until 1956 when she was decommissioned, and eventually scrapped in 1971. The ship served primarily in the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign, earning 9 battle stars.
HMS Celtic is a made-up ship that never actually existed but rests on the concept that would have been if the Baltimore Class had been sent to the Royal Navy. This was not an entirely foreign concept of the era either, with the two allied nations cooperating heavily with some ships being used by the other’s navy. It would be this cooperation that ultimately played a decisive role in every major theatre of World War 2.
USS Rochester (CA-124) was laid down in the same shipyard as her predecessor, in May 1944. She would be launched in August the following year, then commissioned into the US Navy in 1946. Succeeding the Baltimore Class, the Oregon City Class featured many similarities, with changes to her exhaust, superstructure and Anti-Air Suite. Rochester would serve throughout Korea and Vietnam, being decommissioned in the 1960s, and scrapped in the 1970s. 10 Oregon City Cruisers were planned, with only 4 completed.

Strengths: Celtic

• 9.9km Radar
• Royal Navy Super Heal
• Solid Anti-Air
• Sonar
• Improved AP Ricochet Angles

Weaknesses: Celtic

• Poor Fire Chance
• Short Duration Radar
• Lacks SHAP
• Low Base HP

Strengths: Rochester

• Smoke Generator
• Excellent AA Suite
• Improved AP Angles with SHAP

Weaknesses: Rochester

• Poor Smoke Fire Concealment
• Radar-Less
• Heal-less with Smoke Generator

The Basics

A Baltimore with a Super Heal and longer-range radar? Sign me up. Baltimore on her own is already one of the stronger ships in the game and in terms of utility, one of the stronger team players. Celtic takes an interesting concept and adds a new flair to an older line. She has her own strengths and weaknesses, all of which will be identified, some of which are likely to be seemingly splitting the finest of hairs. This ship has a bit less of a grudge against controlling caps than the traditional Baltimore but should be readily found in the same niche doing the same things, just slightly different. Radar support, anti-destroyer, area control are all tags that apply. Celtic is strong, strong enough to be thrown in with the likes of AL Baltimore, Mainz CE and Wichita CE.
Trashchester is tough. I’ll honestly do my best to not shred this ship into a bajillion pieces while pouring out the salt, but I’m only human. She was painful on release, and since she’s had work done, fitting for her review to be finally finished and published for you all to use as a dash of seasoning for dinner. On release, Rochester had a smoke fire concealment on par with her sister’s base concealment, meaning, her smoke was essentially pointless and served only to blind herself, and not her opponents. Lacking radar, Rochester presented as a clumsy self-blinding target unable to deal the things that engage her. What’s worse, Rochester trades her heal for her smoke, meaning, players are left purchasing a regular old Baltimore, with some fancy AA, or a deaf-mute without a heal. Yes. She was that painful; a concept that bumps in the worst of ways, both theoretically and in practice. While her concealment has been buffed, it’s still an awful kit as her smoke fire concealment is still too weak to present much of a force upon the caps. If we’re stuck to smoke firing spam, there are better ships than Rochester; even making good old Belfast 43 seem like a knight in shining armor.
Both of these ships do sport improved AP performance, in the shape of improved ricochet angles. We’ll tear this apart in the ballistic section, as per the norm. Baltimore’s ballistic performance has been studied quite extensively in the past, which has set up an excellent point of comparison.

Offense

• Celtic: GOOD
• Rochester: AVERAGE

Let’s start with the prodigal child and then work towards the bought rented mule. Celtic does well here, in terms of heavy cruisers (203mm) she sits nearer the top of the lists dropping more midfield when included with the rest of the pack. Apart from some of those silly DPM small caliber ships, Celtic packs a noteworthy punch. Rochester starts more midfield and holds her placing through the pack. For a 203mm cruiser, a 2s difference in reload is often enough to bump a ship up or down a rank, entirely. This translates to roughly 20k between the two, and about a full salvo difference.

	HE Alpha	HE DPM
AL Chapayev	2850	256 500
Cleveland	2300	254 769
Weimar	1700	244 800
Suzuya	2700	243 000
AL Montpelier	2300	220 800
Bayard	2200	221 200
Belfast 43	2450	207 529
Harbin	1900	207 273
Chapayev	2300	207 000
Mainz CE	1700	204 000
Kutuzov	2200	198 000
Mainz	1600	192 000
Ochakov	2200	182 069
Charles Martel	2800	151 200
Wichita CE	2800	151 200
Celtic	2700	145 800
Albemarle	3300	142 560
Wichita	2600	140 400
AL Baltimore	2800	137 454
Mogami	3300	132 000
Baltimore	2800	126 000
Rochester	2800	126 000
Atago	3300	123 750
Pyotr Bagration	2500	122 727
Azuma	5100	114 750
Hipper	2700	112 696
Riga	3050	106 625
Amalfi	3100	104 625
Prinz Eugen	2500	92 308
Sigfried	4400	60 923
Edinburgh	-	-
Perfect 10	-	-
Plymouth	-	-

In terms of alpha punch, Celtic and Rochester are somewhat similar separated by the performance of firing different shells off different reloads from the same gunnery.

	AP Alpha	AP DPM
Weimar	3750	540 000
Mainz	3900	468 000
Mainz CE	3900	468 000
Plymouth	3100	457 846
Cleveland	3300	365 538
Perfect 10	2800	358 400
Bayard	3300	316 800
AL Montpelier	3200	307 200
Chapayev	3400	306 000
Edinburgh	3100	297 600
Kutuzov	3300	297 000
Suzuya	3300	297 000
AL Chapayev	3100	279 000
Ochakov	3300	273 103
Harbin	2500	272 727
Charles Martel	4900	264 600
Belfast 43	3100	282 570
Hipper	6000	250 435
AL Baltimore	5000	245 454
Celtic	4500	243 000
Wichita CE	4200	226 800
Baltimore	5000	225 000
Rochester	5000	225 000
Pyotr Bagration	4550	223 364
Prinz Eugen	5900	217 846
Wichita	4000	216 000
Riga	5750	200 323
Azuma	8650	194 625
Albemarle	4500	194 400
Mogami	4700	188 000
Atago	4700	176 250
Amalfi	5100	172 125
Sigfried	11 600	160 615

Celtic has among the better AP DPM values for a 203mm armed cruiser, only being outclassed by ships with meatier AP. In terms of overall, Celtic sits more midfield. Her overall AP ballistic performance allows her to unlock more of this actual number than many of her counterparts.

	Range (Km)	Reload (s)
Weimar	15.3	5.0
Harbin	14.5	5.5
Ochakov	15.5	5.8
Mainz	15.8	6.0
Mainz CE	15.8	6.0
Plymouth	15.2	6.5
Cleveland	15.3	6.5
AL Montpelier	13.9	7.5
Perfect 10	15.2	7.5
Edinburgh	15.3	7.5
Bayard	15.8	7.5
Kutuzov	16.0	8.0
AL Chapayev	16.0	8.0
Chapayev	16.0	8.0
Belfast 43	15.3	8.5
Celtic	15.5	10.0
Suzuya	15.3	10.0
Charles Martel	15.8	10.0
Wichita	15.5	10.0
Wichita CE	15.5	10.0
Pytor Bagration	16.0	11.0
AL Baltimore	15.5	11.0
Hipper	15.8	11.5
Baltimore	15.5	12.0
Rochester	15.4	12.0
Albemarle	15.5	12.5
Prinz Eugen	15.8	13.0
Mogami	15.3	15.0
Riga	16.1	15.5
Amalfi	15.4	16.0
Atago	14.7	16.0
Azuma	15.8	24.0
Sigfried	16.2	26.0

Overall, there’s not all that much to crow about here. Rochester sits a bit lower on the charts than Celtic due to reload. Both have improved ballistics to offer compensation for a lack of torpedoes. The DPM numbers are at their worst, workable, and at best, functional, neither being awful nor spectacular. Celtic takes the edge due to better numbers overall.

Ballistics

• Rochester: GREAT
• Celtic: GREAT

The tell-all ballistic chart. Royal Navy Cruisers and US Navy Cruisers sport among the best AP performance in their respective classes and tiers. Celtic has among the best HE DPM numbers of the Baltimores, but takes a hit on her fire chance percentage. Rochester SHAP hits like a truck, along with her Baltimore cousins. Things get interesting here the more you study this chart, captains. Celtic has arguably better HE, but worse AP. Rochester has SHAP and excellent AP performance, but poor shell count. AL Baltimore once again takes the cake with the best “happy medium” of the bunch, sporting a decent shell count, SHAP with excellent penetration and a lower muzzle velocity introducing slightly higher arcs yielding much more forgiving angles on the receiving end…
What I can say definitively, is Baltimore SHAP has much greater penetration than the standard AP. Wichita leans on HE at range, and she has the numbers to back it up, Baltimore hardly ever shoots HE in practice which is backed up by her AP performance and penetration values. Captains, it would not be entirely erroneous in terms of gunnery to compare Stock Baltimore to Celtic and Wichita or Elite Baltimore to Rochester and AL Baltimore.

	Ricochet (o)	Fuse Time (s)	Sigma	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile
Albemarle	45/60	0.033	2.0	814	AP
AL Baltimore	60/67.5	0.033	1.8	762	SHAP
Balti-Stock	60/67.5	0.033	1.9	853	AP
Balti-Elite	60/67.5	0.033	1.9	782	SHAP
Celtic	60/67.5	0.033	2.0	853	AP
Rochester	60/67.5	0.033	2.0	762	SHAP
Wichita	60/67.5	0.033	1.8	853	AP
Wichita CE	60/75	0.01	2.0	853	AP

The major and palpable difference in performance here is between Celtic and the native Baltimores, is that Celtic lacks SHAP. This means Celtic’s AP shells weigh less, which translates to depleting velocity and thus penetration values faster than the Baltimores heavier shells. Fortunately, Baltimore has some of the best AP penetration in her class which means that Celtic can afford to lose some raw penetration value before she begins to suffer. Rochester wins the AP argument here, while Celtic takes the HE side. It’s almost literally splitting hairs, and Baltimore Mains will feel right at home in either ship.

	Fire Chance %	HE Pen (mm)	Shell Count	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile
Albemarle	17	33	43	814	HE
AL Baltimore	14	33	49	823	HE
Baltimore	14	33	45	823	HE
Celtic	10	33	54	823	HE
Rochester	14	33	45	823	HE
Wichita	14	33	54	823	HE
Wichita CE	14	33	54	823	HE

If you’re looking to start fires, grab Albemarle. However, this is about the only such category she takes. Celtic manages better with access to a shorter reload and better overall ballistic properties. Shell by shell, edge Rochester, overall, solidly in Celtic’s favor by a full 9 shells.

Torpedoes

• Torpedo-less

Neither of these ships sport torpedoes, so this section is predicably blank.

Defense

• Celtic: GREAT
• Rochester: AVERAGE

Let’s jump into the major category of defense. Celtic arguably may be one of the best, Rochester, rather mediocre. From the top.
Celtic has among the best effective health pools, just edging out Edinburgh with a chunky 66k. It’s worth pointing out Albemarle tops both with a mighty 78k, though most Albemarle tend to be much more passive alluding to a different playstyle entirely. Baltimore is considered “tanky” at 56k, and Celtic adds in a super-heal. I wouldn’t chance to say Albemarle is particularly tanky, but she can heal quite well. A Baltimore is tanky enough to access that 66k EHP and is a scary thought. Baltimore can take a punch, where Edinburgh relies on defense by trickery, clever armor schemes and angling, Albemarle by range and angle. It’s also quite worth mentioning that Celtic rests with 36,7k base HP, meaning on par with most Cruiser Lights. Captains, you will feel getting hit in Celtic. Kit with 9.9km radar, sonar, a super heal, decent armor, excellent AA and workable concealment…captains, this is a literal no-brainer. Celtic is a slightly different twist off some of the most competitive ships in the game.
Rochester is rather tanky like most of her preceding Baltimore cousins. She has the same armor scheme essentially, and similar HP/EHP values. While this would normally be good on its own, Rochester has an Achilles’ Heel. Rochester must choose between having smoke or having a heal, and outright lacks Radar. While she has defensive AA, this is mostly a living meme rather than consistently as effective in combat as Radar. As said before, in terms of smoke cruisers there are just better options some of which don’t involve sacrificing your heal, or even radar. This relegates Rochester to just being a rather average 203mm CA, with very slightly better AA and decent enough armor.
The ranking seems a bit harsh, but that’s generally the difference between the hunter (Celtic), and the hunted (Rochester). Rochester initially will feel getting hit less, due to a larger health pool however, the table quickly swings in favor of Celtic, which gets most of it back.
​

	Health	Effective Health
Azuma	52 500	78 960
Albemarle	43 800	78 840
Sigfried	55 000	70 400
Celtic	36 700	66 020
Edinburgh	36 400	65 520
Hipper	43 800	58 517
Plymouth	41 000	58 220
Prinz Eugen	45 000	57 600
AL Baltimore	42 400	56 646
Baltimore	42 400	56 646
Mainz	44 000	56 320
Riga	42 000	56 112
Rochester	41 900	55 978
Amalfi	42 800	54 784
Mainz CE	42 500	54 400
Kutuzov	40 700	54 364
Pytor Bagration	42 000	53 760
Atago	40 100	53 574
Mogami	39 100	52 238
Perfect 10	36 500	51 788
AL Chapayev	37 000	51 504
Chapayev	37 000	51 504
Belfast 43	38 400	51 302
Suzuya	38 000	50 786
Wichita	37 900	50 634
Wichita CE	37 900	50 634
Charles Martel	38 000	48 640
AL Montpelier	36 900	47 232
Cleveland	36 900	47 232
Ochakov	34 750	46 426
Weimar	32 000	42 752
Bayard	34 700	-
Harbin	26 500	33 892

Armor

• Celtic: GOOD
• Rochester: GOOD

This chart below sticks to the USN and RN CA/CLs for now... At some point, this chart will include overmatch and juicy other details for all the cruisers, but for now, it is simple enough to get the point across. Most Cruisers have their critical spaces directly abutting the hull, others don’t. Cruiser armor varies widely and is worth looking at because there are absolutely ships with specific advantages worth exploring and exploiting. For now, let’s keep it simple.
As summarized before, the Baltimore Class has relatively good armor, while it has its weaknesses, is generally functional enough to get by. They are neither needlessly weighed down by their armor, nor under-armored. It’s worth saying Rochester and Celtic have vaguely the same armor lay out and will handle 380mm Battleships.

	Extremity Plating (mm)	Belt Armor (mm)
Albemarle	25	152
AL Baltimore	27	152
AL Montpelier	25	127
Baltimore	27	152
Belfast 43	16	114
Celtic	27	152
Cleveland	25	127
Edinburgh	30	114
Perfect 10	16	114
Plymouth	16	114
Rochester	27	152
Wichita	27	152
Wichita CE	27	152

Anti-Air Suite

• Rochester: BEST
• Celtic: GREAT

Rochester takes the cake here, with better and larger AA guns she’s rather resistant to airborne pests. Celtic ties in with the close second, along with her sisters. The truly beautiful thing about either ship is that captains will not need to waste any energy into building this into making this sector a functional kit. Captains, you can save some defensive energy by focusing into Celtic’s Radar and by leaving Rochester in port. The magic number here is being north of that 350/s line, Azuma scrapes by with a bit of focus, where pretty much all the USN ships will laugh off aircraft. A major point of contention that is worth noting; Rochester is immune, Celtic is quite resistant to CVs, where Albemarle gets by here, and Edinburgh is rather hindered. I suspect this will be massively impactful for competitive players.

	Range (Km)	DPS
Rochester	5.0	370
AL Baltimore	5.0	365
Baltimore	5.0	365
Celtic	5.0	365
AL Montpelier	5.0	363
Cleveland	5.0	363
Mainz	5.0	357
Mainz CE	5.0	357
Sigfried	5.2	354
Azuma	5.0	342
Hipper	4.5	288
Pyotr Bagration	5.0	280
Prinz Eugen	4.5	279
Plymouth	5.0	276
Perfect 10	5.0	276
Albemarle	5.0	272
Kutuzov	5.0	264
Amalfi	4.0	225
Wichita	5.0	217
Wichita CE	5.0	217
Bayard	5.0	212
Belfast 43	5.0	207
Al Chapayev	5.0	207
Chapayev	5.0	207
Charles Martel	5.0	204
Ochakov	5.0	196
Riga	5.2	188
Weimar	4.5	181
Edinburgh	5.0	175
Harbin	5.2	170
Mogami	5.0	127
Atago	5.0	90
Suzuya	5.0	67

Rochester takes the cake here, because everyone deserves to be really good at something. However, with CVs it’s important to remember everything is relative.

Concealment

• Rochester: GOOD
• Celtic: GOOD

Technically these are the same values while stock, and their rating is the same. However, this is quite deceiving. Rochester is GOOD leaning on GREAT where Celtic is GOOD leaning on AVERAGE. The reason for this follows their available commanders, which Shelly Beapley offers a unique 4th row concealment skill unavailable to any other commander, or nation. The result of this, Rochester, like her cousins sits at a comfortable 9.3km, where Celtic sits at 9.9km. Rochester can do almost nothing with this concealment, as she lacks radar, and her smoke fire window is just a pale 1.7km below her surface concealment. However, that .6km is a palpable difference and can open huge strategic windows; particularly once south of that magic 10km line.
The obvious connotation here is that hiding a radar cruiser inside 10km is far scarier than hiding a smoke cruiser inside 9.5, provocatively when that same smoke cruiser can be spotted inside her smoke at 7.6km. Captains, this 7.6km is on par with her sisters, however, this is a very narrow margin even for a support cruiser. Smoke is infinitely easier to use than radar, however, infinitely less forgiving.

	Stock Concealment
Amalfi	11.4
Atago	11.7
Harbi	11.8
Belfast 43	11.9
Plymouth	12.0
Edinburgh	12.0
Albemarle	12.1
Mogami	12.3
Suzuya	12.3
Cleveland	12.5
AL Montpelier	12.5
Celtic	12.6
AL Baltimore	12.6
Baltimore	12.6
Rochester	12.6
Wichita	12.6
Azuma	12.7
Weimar	13.0
Sigfried	13.0
Perfect 10	13.2
Bayard	13.2
Pyotr Bagration	13.3
Charles Martel	13.4
Hipper	13.5
Prinz Eugen	13.6
Mainz	13.7
Mainz CE	13.7
Kutuzov	13.8
Ochakov	13.8
Riga	14.2
AL Chapayev	14.3
Chapayev	14.3

Maneuverability

• Celtic: GOOD
• Rochester: WEAK

Celtic sits almost smack dab of the upper midfield pack of heavy cruisers where Rochester sits more towards the end of the pack. Rochester feels clunky and handles like it, where Celtic feels more “native” to her respective class sharing the same stats. While this is rated good overall, its more average in the face of Lighter Cruisers, representing more of a bang-for-the-buck scenario.

	Rudder Shift (s)	Turn Radius (m)
Weimar	6.4	660
AL Montpelier	6.9	660
Harbin	7.2	660
Cleveland	6.0	680
Wichita	6.0	680
Wichita CE	6.0	680
Perfect 10	8.0	680
Edinburgh	8.6	680
Belfast 43	9.9	680
Plymouth	10.1	680
Amalfi	11.0	680
Charles Martel	8.9	690
Mainz	10.5	720
Mainz CE	10.5	720
Albemarle	10.7	720
AL Baltimore	7.0	730
Baltimore	7.0	730
Celtic	7.0	730
Bayard	9.3	730
Hipper	9.7	740
Suzuya	5.6	750
Mogami	6.4	750
Ochakov	7.4	750
Rochester	10.5	750
Kutuzov	6.5	760
Prinz Eugen	9.8	770
Atago	8.1	790
Sigfried	14.0	880
AL Chapayev	8.7	890
Chapayev	8.7	890
Pyotr Bagration	10.5	890
Azuma	12.3	920
Riga	11.5	920

Commanders

Celtic:
Celtic essentially has one commander that is head and shoulders ahead of the rest, while the rest kind of just work. HotRod offers the best fit here inarguably, along with Radar Edinburgh and Radar Minotaur. This sets Celtic up to be a near par build with the USN CA Queen Shelly Beapley. While her 4th row skill’s absence here is certainly felt and results in a 9.9km concealment, the build is largely similar and works well for any radar focused cruiser. While there are other builds out there, this is the gem of the lot and helps unlock that sacred mantra of utility that surrounds the Baltimore Class. Inspirations should focus on concealment, Mikawa and Swirski, to bring Celtic’s detection to pair with her Radar.
HotRod

• Cognizant: -10% Radar Cooldown Time
• Ingenious: -7% Incoming Splash Damage, +1.6o/s Gun Traverse
• Full Speed Ahead: +5% Speed, -10% Rudder Shift
• Prescience: -20% Air Detection, +10% Radar Duration
• Acoustic Chamber: -25% Sonar Cooldown, +5% Sonar Duration, +1 Sonar Charge
• Fully Packed: -5% Consumable Reload, +1 Consumable Charge

Rochester:
Nothing can be easy with Rochester, and naturally, building her was to the same effect. Essentially there are two trains of thought for this ship, build into dispersion or build into utility.
AL Montpelier seemed to mesh the best, which then turns Rochester into a little flamethrower capable of merging all her shells into a single pixel. However, this build is rather finicky to use and has a fair number of weaknesses. The build heavily relies on team spotting and is itself a second-line cruiser. Something like a 19-20% fire chance and a nasty dispersion circle. Rochester already has excellent gunnery performance as discussed; Montpelier really sharpens the sword. Pair with AL Scharnhorst and Scott to reduce dispersion and sigma, respectively, even further.
AL Montpelier

• Anti-Air Mode: +10% AA Range
• Burn it Down XXL: +2% Fire Chance
• Igniter: +3% Fire Chance
• All-Out Assault: +4% Sigma, +10% Incoming Fire Dispersion, +5% Incoming Damage
• Fixated: +5% Sigma, -5% Dispersion
• Fully Packed: -5% Consumable Reload, +1 Consumable Charge

It's a rare day when Shelly gets sat down in favor of another commander in the USN CA tree, but I kept falling into the same pitfalls using the same build for similar ships often being able to use radar. Shelly will help bring out Rochester’s utility, but she’s arguably not as well fit in on Rochester as AL Montpelier is. Pair Beapley with concealment inspirations from Mikawa and Swirski and enjoy a very beautiful 9.3km concealment. Rochester has SHAP and excellent penetration values, meaning she can readily ambush and critically strike ships quite larger than her, all without torpedoes.
Shelly Beapley

• Refractory: -8% Chance of catching fire
• Ingenious: -7% Incoming Splash Damage, +1.6o/s Gun Traverse
• Full Speed Ahead: +5% Speed, -10% Rudder Shift
• Velocious: +5% Speed
• Private Zone: -8% Detectability
• Fully Packed: -5% Consumable Reload, +1 Consumable Charge

Consumables

Ok, rather than spell out everything, everywhere, all at once; I’m going to keep it simple here.
Celtic:

1. Damage Control: Standard, unlimited uses. 60s cooldown.
2. Sonar: 3km Torp, 4.2km Ship detection. Lasts around 98s when kit with Hot Rod and reloads in 132.
3. Radar: 9.9km range and lasts about 28s when built.
4. Heal: 733/s over 20s. Yep, that’s over 14k HP. Reloads in less than a minute too.

Celtic has a near ideal consumable suite. There are some differences off the mainstream, such as slightly less sonar range or shorter radar duration. Glossing over the minor differences, the bigger picture reveals something better. Built, Celtic can regenerate a LOT of health.
Rochester:

1. Damage Control: Standard, unlimited. 60s cooldown.
2. Defensive AA: +200% average AA damage. This is memes, it's sort of like a bug zapper for planes.
3. Sonar: Standard 3.3km/4.4km detection over 96s. The average sonar found on everything.
4. Smoke/Heal: 30s duration, 104s dissipation time for the smoke. 251/s over 28s for the heal.

Rochester is rather standard in her access to her consumables, with the killer choice between smoke or a heal. I’ve gone back and forth, generally landing on the heal. Rochester is essentially a decent cruiser hampered by her rather average consumable suite.

Modifications

1. Aiming Systems Mod 1: -7% Dispersion
2. Steering Gears Mod 2: -20% Rudder Shift
3. Concealment Mod 1: -10% Detectability
4. Main Battery Mod 3: -15% Gun Reload

Ok, so the modifications section is super easy because both ships share the same builds. Aiming Systems mod 1 for the dispersion, player’s choice on slot 2 with either propulsion mod 2 or steering gears mod 2. Concealment Mod 1 for slot 3 and finishing off slot 4 by increasing DPM with main battery mod 3.

Upgrades

• Both Celtic and Rochester are premium ships without any researchable upgrades.

Research

• Neither of these ships are currently used in Research Projects. Look out though, one of those random reward or anniversary projects in the future might literally scream having one of these two tucked inside.

Summary

• Celtic: GREAT
• Rochester: AVERAGE

Celtic is a joy. Rochester is work.
I can see Celtic becoming a popular contestant in competitive play with the access to that 9.9km radar and her super heal. I rather lamented her HE performance, more due to her lower fire chance then her DPM or ballistic performance. While it would be nice to see her have ¼ pen HE, she doesn’t need it. I find her nicely balanced and well measured to take on Tier 7. She is just unique enough to warrant her own review, whilst similar enough to stay nearer the beaten path. While she may not comfortably and outright usurp Wichita CE and AL Baltimore from their spots, she’s worth mentioning with the group. That’s saying something.
Rochester, well, let’s just say that not everyone can be the best. This ship is tough but can be rewarding in a sense of overcoming the demands of a challenging ships. My issue with Rochester is 2-fold, her smoke and her heal. She ideally needs both to function in this current meta, and running the ship’s gimmick leaves her with abysmal EHP in a plummet from pretty good to 3rd worst overall, which only trumps Harbin and Bayard while being out-healed by Weimar. With a smoke-fire penalty in the mid 7’s km, smoke is hard to use effectively that is not relegated to back line, HE spam. As said before, if we’re really going to be stuck to this, there are ships which do this better. While I love the perspective of a USN CA without radar just to offer something more unique, a USN CA without Radar is like a cart without a horse. Hilariously enough, Rochester seems to avoid CV games like the actual plague, so I suppose that’s one strong point. Otherwise, and largely, captains are left with a rather average 203mm CA.

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• Inspirational Credit to LittleWhiteMouse

Written By: Capt Thatch

So, I’ just finished an apprenticeship in IT support a few months back and I’m currently 20 and got a new job at a law firm as a first line engineer. Now, the issue is… it’s shift work so every two weeks I’ll know my shift for the next two weeks. It could be 8-4 9-5 10-6 Or 12-8 For the whole week . I don’t at all like the shift work especially 12-8 as I have no time to do anything in my day. And also the worst part about all this is that they do not let you work from home unless you’re I’ll your unable to get to work for some reason. Al though they give u one full week of working from home every 5 weeks. I want to leave but I’m being told that I should stay there at least 6 months so interviewers don’t ask me why I left so early. What would be your advice here? Baring in mind I live in the UK if that makes a difference and I can’t stand going into the office 5 days a week. I get way less distracted working from home too. I can’t ask my manager to let me off the hook when it comes to going in office everyday FYI

While they were chillin’, I was watching patients I’d known for years deteriorate. People who’d been contact-guard assist went to bedridden and hallucinating in a matter of weeks.
I was doing CPR by myself, praying the EMTs would come soon. And when they did, they had to break it to me that there was no hospital able to take the patient; they were all full.
I was bathing and dressing and styling the hair of deceased patients, trying to give them a little dignity before the funeral home people came.
I was hiding an extension cord beneath the passenger seat of my car, in case I just couldn’t face another day and needed to unalive myself in the parking lot.
A coworker reached out to me and said she’s unable to work and seeking disability due to Long COVID now. I had dropped off the face of the earth and she wanted to know if the same thing happened to me too. Not exactly the same, I guess.
Therapy hasn’t been helpful. It seems like nobody understands how hopeless and scary it was for me. I’m trying to move forward, but whenever the memories come back, I break down.

The average cost of a funeral in Blacktown, a suburb of Sydney, Australia, can vary depending on several factors. According to the latest data from the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), the average funeral cost in Australia is around $7,000 to $9,000. However, the cost of a funeral in Blacktown may be higher or lower than this national average depending on individual requirements and choices.
One of the significant factors affecting the cost of a funeral in Blacktown is the type of funeral service chosen. There are several types of funeral services available, including cremation, burial, and memorial services. The cost of each service varies, with cremation being typically cheaper than a traditional burial service. A traditional burial service may include additional expenses such as the cost of a casket, burial plot, headstone, and other fees associated with the cemetery.
Another factor that can affect the cost of a funeral in Blacktown is the location and facilities used. The cost of hiring a funeral home or chapel, for instance, may vary depending on the location and size of the venue. Other expenses such as flowers, transport, catering, and the type of casket or urn selected can also impact the overall cost of the funeral.
It is worth noting that there are ways to keep funeral costs down in Blacktown without compromising on quality or honouring the memory of a loved one. Many funeral homes offer affordable options such as basic cremation or direct burial services, which can help to reduce the cost of a funeral. It is also worth considering a pre-paid funeral plan, which allows you to pay for the funeral in advance and lock in current prices, funeral planning in Blacktown potentially saves you money in the long run.
It is essential to understand the options available and what is included in each service to make an informed decision about funeral costs. Comparing quotes from different funeral homes in Blacktown can also help to ensure that you are getting a fair price. Additionally, it may be worthwhile to check if you are eligible for any government assistance, such as the bereavement allowance or funeral benefit, which can help to cover some of the costs associated with a funeral.
In conclusion, the cost of a funeral in Blacktown can vary depending on several factors, including the type of service, location, and additional expenses. However, there are ways to manage funeral costs without sacrificing quality or dignity. Understanding the options available and seeking advice from a reputable funeral director can help to ensure that you make an informed decision and honour your loved one's memory in the most appropriate and respectful way.

So I moved into a neighborhood in AZ of nearly all LDS members about a year ago. When approached by some missionaries I welcomed them into my home and over the course of the next 10 months, I met with them every 2 weeks. During this time I spent hundreds of hours investigating the faith from information on their own website and apologist websites that defend the faith as well as probably a thousand more hours listening to podcasts regarding the faith (I'd usually research or listen to something about the church for ~3 hours a day during this time). After all of that, I honestly feel that anyone that truly investigates the faith can find enough evidence to prove that the religion is not true.
In my 10 months of meeting with them, which was probably about 22 or so meetings, I met about 24 missionaries (some I wasn't sure if they were recently returned missionaries from my area so plus or minus a few) along with a stake president, a mission president and many other members in the church. Every time they came after the first couple meetings (when there were only 2 missionaries), they would bring someone else more experienced like the stake president with them. I was very surprised at how often the missionaries got moved around. Nearly every meeting there was someone new if not multiple new missionaries. This made it very difficult to make progress in our discussions since there was a feeling of 'starting from scratch' many meetings. Maybe this is part of their strategy but I find it hard to build relationships with people with so much movement constantly.
I was also surprised at how little the missionaries and even most of the 'higher ups' knew about their own faith. I'd bring up all kinds of things about the history of the church or how the different scriptures were translated or a variety of other topics from their own website and try to figure how they justify or reconcile different issues I found regarding the faith. Most issues were addressed with blank stares and then almost robotic suggestions to 'read the book of Mormon and you'll have an experience that will change you, after all the Moroni Promise is...etc'. And this would happen over and over and over and over again. Like they had no rebuttal for any issue within their faith. It was as if they had never investigated anything. Had they grown up being told the same things over and over again and were forced to repeat everything as kids and now they were 18-20 year old men that didn't have a faith of their own? Their testimonies were all almost identical. Seriously, like robots. They were all holding on to one or two emotional or life changing moments that supposedly proved to them that the church was true (and I'm pretty positive most of these had surely been exaggerated over the years). And why the need to repeat 'the church is true' over and over again? Does repeating it make it more true to you? Listen, I didn't grow up in the church having things repeated to me over and over again...can you please make an educated argument for your faith? Can you defend these obvious, glaring issues with the church and it's history?
As I dove deeper, I started reading the stats on the decline of the church, the low percentage of kids that stay in the faith, the decline of men of age going on missions and the high percentage of those that do go that return home early. It's not surprising to me. I feel like anyone that is willing to take some time to truly investigate the LDS faith will find that they have only been taught what the church wants you to know. They'd be incredibly surprised at all the things the church has buried on their website. And the crazier thing to me is that it seems that none of the members actually investigate any of it. Like when is the last time they had a lesson on how the faith emerged from the treasure digging era that it did? Or how the Book of Abraham papyrus fragments have no mention of Abraham and are simply funeral rites written thousands of years after Abraham ever lived? Or how many of Joseph Smiths wives were married to other men at the time they married Joseph Smith?
Listen, I'm not an LDS hater...I really respect that these missionaries take 2 years of their life to learn a language and go teach what they think is the correct faith. I respect the community built in the areas the church exists. Which is why I wanted to investigate what they believe. But man, it's so wrong and I feel bad that so many people have been seemingly brainwashed or programmed to think a certain way and not truly investigate their faith and hold on to some emotional experience the rest of their lives as evidence that this faith is real. I also understand that any religion requires a level of faith to believe and you can't 'prove' to anyone that a faith is real. But there are some religions that you can prove are false and this is one of them.
I started to get in the habit of asking the missionaries...'if your religion isn't true, would you even want to know'? And this is when I would start to feel really bad for them. Most would give the answer that they knew 1000% it was true, etc but some would think for awhile and a few honest ones mentioned how their entire lives revolved around the church. Their families, friends, everything they knew was tied to the church. So at the same time that I really respect what the members have built in terms of community and family structure...I eventually found that these were the chains that seemingly bound the members to the church. If you ever left the faith, you'd lose everything you knew. Your family would be looked down upon since you had a black sheep in the family, etc. It's really really sad. I can't help but feeling that all these people that have been led astray are victims.
At a meeting about 2 months ago they told me that it was clear that I wouldn't be converted and they'd stop meeting with me. This happened as I started to become more clear with showing them evidences that the faith is provably untrue to try to save some of them from living an entire life under this lie. So at this point we've stopped meeting, which is fine, although I really would like to help in some way. I don't know how to help them but I wanted to come on here to share my experience, my thoughts and my feelings after spending the past year really diving into the faith and putting many hours into meetings and research.

Waiting on the funeral home to come get him.

Doha, the capital of Qatar, is home to some of the best obstetric and gynecology clinics in the region. These clinics offer a wide range of services, including prenatal care, postpartum care, family planning, gynecological check-ups, and more. Here are some of the best obstetric and gynecology clinics in Doha , Qatar.

1. Doha Clinic Hospital Doha Clinic Hospital is a top-rated hospital in Doha that offers a wide range of medical services, including obstetrics and gynecology. The hospital has a team of highly skilled and experienced obstetricians and gynecologists who offer personalized and compassionate care to their patients. They provide a full range of services, including prenatal care, postpartum care, gynecological exams, and family planning. The hospital is equipped with the latest technology and facilities, ensuring that patients receive the best possible care.
2. Al Emadi Hospital Al Emadi Hospital is a leading healthcare facility in Doha that provides comprehensive medical services, including obstetrics and gynecology. The hospital has a team of highly qualified and experienced obstetricians and gynecologists who offer personalized care to their patients. They provide a full range of services, including prenatal care, postpartum care, gynecological exams, and family planning. The hospital is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities and technology, ensuring that patients receive the best possible care.
3. Al Ahli Hospital Al Ahli Hospital is a leading healthcare facility in Doha that offers a wide range of medical services, including obstetrics and gynecology. The hospital has a team of highly skilled and experienced obstetricians and gynecologists who provide personalized and compassionate care to their patients. They provide a full range of services, including prenatal care, postpartum care, gynecological exams, and family planning. The hospital is equipped with the latest technology and facilities, ensuring that patients receive the best possible care.
4. Sidra Medicine Sidra Medicine is a state-of-the-art hospital in Doha that provides comprehensive medical services, including obstetrics and gynecology. The hospital has a team of highly qualified and experienced obstetricians and gynecologists who offer personalized care to their patients. They provide a full range of services, including prenatal care, postpartum care, gynecological exams, and family planning. The hospital is equipped with advanced facilities and technology, ensuring that patients receive the best possible care.
5. Qatar Medical Center Qatar Medical Center is a well-known healthcare facility in Doha that provides a wide range of medical services, including obstetrics and gynecology. The center has a team of highly skilled and experienced obstetricians and gynecologists who provide personalized care to their patients. They offer a full range of services, including prenatal care, postpartum care, gynecological exams, and family planning. The center is equipped with modern facilities and technology, ensuring that patients receive the best possible care.

In conclusion, Doha is home to some of the best obstetric and gynecology clinics in the region. These clinics offer a wide range of services and are staffed by highly qualified and experienced obstetricians and gynecologists. Patients can be assured of receiving personalized and compassionate care at any of these clinics.
Aster Clinic
One of the top hospitals in Qatar for obstetrics and gynaecology is Aster Hospital. Obstetricians and gynaecologists in the hospital work as a team to give their patients with sensitive care. They provide a wide range of services, such as gynaecological operations, infertility therapy, and prenatal care.
Modern medical facilities and technology are available at Aster Hospital, ensuring that patients receive the best care possible. They also provide individualised care and treatment programmes made to meet the particular medical requirements of each patient.

Back in July, my old D&D group got together for one last game with all of us together.
We hadn't seen each other since college ended, although we had gamed weekly while we got our bachelors and masters degrees. A great group of friends, but as usual, we moved on from our college days; and the emails grew less frequent, the calls stopped, and our lives separated. It's the way of things, really. Shared experiences are what make friends. Child or adult, once you stop having shared experiences, you start to grow apart. Everybody promises to keep in touch, and we do for a time, but then it stops.
In our case, one of our group was diagnosed with terminal cancer, and he wanted one last game together with all of us, just as we used to do back in the day. So we all got together and spent a weekend - laughing, telling stories, rolling dice, arguing rules, and all the things that keep us coming back to this silly game. And if Jeff (not his real name) fell asleep every hour or two, or needed to take his meds, we didn't mention it. We were all together one last time, and that was enough.
I just got back from Jeff's funeral. Our game was at the end of July, and he moved into hospice in mid-September. His family brought him home just before Christmas, and he never left his room after that. I talked to him over the phone in January and we promised to talk again, but circumstances didn't permit. His wife told me that his last few days were peaceful. Morphine is a hell of a drug.
I don't really have anything to say in this post. Just... treasure your friends, and cherish your time together. Try to keep in touch.
Life is what happens while you're making plans, and too soon, it's over. Hopefully, later rather than sooner, but you never know. I wish I had picked up the phone more over the last 40 years. I wish we had thought to have annual games or gotten together occasionally. I wish we'd all stayed in touch.
We all showed up for Jeff's funeral, and we all promised to get together every year from now on. I hope we do.
o7

Hiya, dear Indie Frag hags. (w/♡ ofc :’D)
I am here once again. Which means more FS’, (added Astrid, Arcana Craves, Death and Floral, S92 + AM sample bundle, & lowered some prices on the ones that haven’t sold in the past few weeks.) it may take me about a week to ship, shipping is $5, and I often reuse packaging. (let me know if that’s a problem.) from a pet friendly, smoke free home; perfumes stored in a dark, wooden chest.
listed are full size perfumes, ranging from about 3-5ml (AM saltwater taffy due to me decanting from it) and two 8ML. Plus samples. Feel free to ask for photos for fill lines. Due to the new addition of samples/bundles offers, I’m going to have to ask ya peeps to try to stick to a $4 minimum, if possible.
*Let the list ‘o smellies commence !
Arcana Craves partials- priced separately, but feel free to ask me about bundle Deals on any of the following
ARCANA

• Pumpkins Crave Vampire Squid: Richly spiced pumpkin with black squid ink accord, Transylvanian amber, black leather, dry woods, and a drop of motor oil. $14 Fill to just above TOL RIS oil
  
• Pumpkins Crave Terror: (burning frankincense, sandalwood, deep myrrh, and dusty beeswax candles) with glowing pumpkin and a small dash of pie spices. $12 ~70% fill RIS Oil
  
• Pumpkin Milkshake LN (label has some discoloration.) - 60% $8 RIS oil (Also open to swapping for partials of Arcana’s: whipped cream, cardamom, glittering white, VC Aphrodite, Holy Terror, Haint, Tart, Trust, Frigg, Nott, and Sjöfn, etc.)
  

ASTRID FS

• Extinguish: Smokey woods, vanilla, tonka bean, patchouli, and amber. $20 97% fill can send with box, but box has some wear and tear. RIS Oil

Butter Toki (perfume house closed)
Let ‘em eat cake! - Tokyo Milk Dupe. notes on Parfumo.net: sugar, milk, buttermilk, vanilla orchid, white musk. ~90-95% fill $8 RIS Oil
DEATH AND FLORAL FS
Two cups of Tea, a Summer Monsoon, and Me and You: Rain on cracked soil, wet creosote, a swelling monsoon, desert cedar, black tea. 80%, RIS, $11 oil Half Hoping to be Eaten by a Bear: woody, sweet bare skin; the lingering scent of dry leaves on a cold morning. Square bottle w/ screw top about 97% full. $8
Take Both D&F for $17
Hexennacht
Samhain (perfume name label wore off) - pumpkin pie cream puffs drizzled with honey. 90-95% $13 OR Swap RIS Extrait
Hex full dram sample $4 - Moon in the 12th House - prickly pear, white sage, black sage, red musk, cedarwood, sandalwood, amber, ozone, hot sand, pink pepper, jammy fir balsam

• I’d likely swap for Witchboard, Gold Skulltulla, Black Mass, Baltic Amber, Red musk superior, Amber D’or, Black Vanilla (extrait or oil)- but try me on most dark, vanilla, and resinous scents. Would also swap for or buy Hex Le chat Noir decant or partial. Would buy Witchboard FS or partial outright.

Alphamusk samples -

• EGGSHELLS (about 60% full chonk; $3) a pinch of pale tender lilac, warm soft ambers wrap around the smell of milky sweetened egg yolks, touch of smooth creamy sandal, orris as dry as the outer shell, dry smooth texture evoked in an atomspheric iso mist, animalistic vanilla musk.
• COZY BEAR (Slink ~60%; $1.50): a furry musk, with some of that animal skank but it’s softer and creamier. It’s something that brings you close in to yourself and cuddly with that vanilla, woods and incense. Just a touch of bergamot keeps things more interesting and the notes more alluring.
• Velveteen Vulture:: red musk sup., black amber resin, incense ash, a shiver of dry black oud, black fur musk, blood covered feathers, dry bones. 85% fill $2)
• DADA BITCH: Sculptures set on fire, soot, cheap whiskey, mint musk faux fur, wilted funeral arrangements. (~80% full $2)
• all oils Take all AM samples for $7 ***note: I know I have a Mostly full sample of Fuzzy lychee drops around somewhere, if anyone is interested pending my finding it.)

S92 samples $3 each (tall slinks) or take all 3 for $8 (all around 70% full, if not more.)

• Time After Time: watermelon lip gloss, Peony blossom, new roller skates, vanilla musk, sugar musk.
  
• Vulpecula: rainwater, soaked petals, tomato leaf, decaying tree bark, wild brambles, dusty fur.
  
• This is my Costume: An autumnal cornucopia of sugar pumpkin, smoked vanilla, maple sap, honeycrisp apple, coffee liqueur, and blackened marshmallow.
  

Solstice Scents sample bundle - $3/6 (tell me your likes and dislikes.) I will also throw in 1-2 sample freebies, depending on your purchase.
Also.. Still looking for a sample, or decant of Hex *Le Chat Noir, Dark Shadows, Amber d’or, Baltic amber, and black vanilla. Also Poesie Forest Cat, Tempus Fugit, Enchanted Forest decants. (May consider a partial, or as part of a swap)

• FYI items have been cross-posted; will consider reasonable offers :) thank you for looking, and mad props if ya managed to read this far! 😅