I bought my mom an iPad and I need someone to help her set it up. Apple says that they do Personal Sessions in the retail stores. But when I go to schedule one for her they are all online. (she can't do it online because the iPad isn't setup).
I thought maybe it was through the genius bar, but it would only let me select help for my personal devices.
Does anyone know how you schedule an in person one? The store nearest to her says they offer it but doesn't give a link.

I could not get my APP2 to update from 5E133 to the newest 5E135 firmware and I was having severe battery drainage on my case every night. I tried every trick they suggested via chat until they advised me to bring them to an Apple Store.
They found there was an issue with the charging case during testing and was not able to even force update the firmware at the Genius Bar, so they sent them away and I got a new pair in the mail within 2 days.
Just positing this in case it helps anyone else having these issues. The new ones are working great (fingers crossed) so far.

SUMMARY

When analysing the new federal budget, there seems to be a nearly universal agreement on the politics that shaped the spending plan. Namely, this budget is big on spending, big on corporate tax reform. Having previously relied on the New Democratic Party to maintain an absolute majority, the Trudeau Government has opted for appeasing their parljlnenatry partners, aiming to buy more time for the this government before the next general election has to be called.
Politically, the Budget can be divided into there main lines. Namely, the Liberals trying to follow through with their promises from the last Federal Election, such as introducing the Canada Disability Benefit, a brand-new advanced research agency, as well as over-delivering on expanded supports for lower-income workers. Economically, introducing a tax-free CDB combined with noticeably more generous and broadly available Canada Workers Benefit also aims to boost Canada's labour force participation, to partially offset traditionally low per capital productivity of Canadian workers.
Then, the issue of the supply and confidence agreement with New Democrats comes into play, finally implementing a national dental care plan being finally brought into the budget, followed by a national prescription drug insurance scheme.
As on the greatest surprises comes in the form of what the Government framed as a "business assistance review" and corporate reform, that is set to be a structural response to US's Inflation Reduction Act, namely by brining programmes as IRAP to a one-stop shop, under an arm-length agency outside of the federal industrial strategy ministry. The Government is also following Europe's lead on development Canadian equity markets, that while incremental, may be a first step to less debt-dependent corporate Canada, while nurturing Canadian innovation, since tech companies tend to be much more reliant on equity financing, rather than traditional bank lending.
Politically, the Liberals continue to emphasise fiscal prudence of the budget, citing stable debt-to-GDP ratios, as well as the fact the budget actually contains a structural surplus, when excusing debt service payments from federal expenditure. Ottawa is also trying to hedge against future attacks when it comes to public subsidies, through introducing an independent oversight body, as well as providing full operational autonomy to a new umbrella organisation, to operate business investment programmes and other agencies.
Notably, however, the Liberals seem to be willing to further undermine their reputation as credible fiscal managers, rather the cause a new election by breaking their agreement with NDP, as the LPC continues to struggle in federal polling.

Strengthening Canada's Safety Net

Canada Workers Benefit (CWB) is set to be radically boosted, aiming to boost labour force participation while easing inflationary pressures for the most vulnerable workers. The budget drastically expands both the generosity and eligibility for the CWB by lowering the income threshold from $3000 of annual earnings to just $1, including income from self-employment. The Government of Canada also expands eligibility for the benefit, by more closely aligning it with Québec's Solidarity Tax Credit, making full- and part-time students eligible to claim CWB. The benefit is also enhanced through expansion of both the maximum amount payable and the introduction of a benefit floor - $3000 per annum for the floor and up to $4000 for maximum benefit - per family.
Additionally, the Canada Revenue Agency - as well as Revenu Québec, following a short negotiation with the province - are now required to administer both the CWB and the STC in real time, delivering automatic bi-weekly payments to all eligible individuals, so long they've filled their tax return for the previous year. Ottawa is also set to strengthen the programme by introducing the so-called "benefit shield provision" that protects benefit recipients from prohibiting benefit clawbacks in their income increases unexpectedly. Thus, annual CWB entitlement is set to be calculated on the basis on average reported earnings in the last 5 years, paid every 2 weeks. Sudden increases in incomes shall also be excused from the current year's calculation of benefit amounts, applied evenly over the next 5-year calculation period.

Same policy is set to be applied to all other federal benefits and credits, including the Canada Child Benefit - an income-based subsidy for parents - as well as the GST/HST Tax Credit, and the Climate Action Incentive Payment - a rebate paid to households to compensate for the cost of federal price on carbon where one applies.

As an interim measure, Ottawa is also set to introduced the "marginal earnings shield" policy that allows the Canada Revenue Agency to issue bi-weekly CWB payments to individuals facing prohibitively high marginal rates of personal taxation, whenever the effective rate exceeds 45 per cent. This includes benefit clawbacks from provincial programmes, as well as increased payroll deductions, such as Employment Insurance Premiums, Canada/Québec Pension Plan Contributions, as well as income tax, union dues, or any other payroll deduction from the CRA or Revenu Quebec. Notably, the earnings shield only applied to income bellow the median AFNI for the given province or territory.
Canada Disability Benefit (CDB) is to beintroduced to supplement provincial social assistance measures for people with special needs. CDB aims to top-up existing provincial disability support programmes, providing simultaneous supplementation of payment to eligible individuals. The benefit is set to be fully aligned with provincial requirements, but also provide equivalent support to those receiving provincial Workers' Compensation Payments, and CPP/QPP Disability benefits, to bring disable Canadians closer to the national poverty thresholds, with CDB maximum capped at $1000 monthly - that is however subject to inflation indexing.

Expanding Canada's Healthcare

Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) previously announced in the last year's budget is finally being rolled out across the country, following almost a year of bilateral talks with the provinces and territories. The Plan remains open to anyone with a communed household income of bellow $120.000 as well as those without an insurance plan that provides free-at-use dental coverage. In case their income exceeds the eligibility threshold, they'd have to pay an increased premium collected by the CRA as a payroll deduction. Anyone is also free to obtain private dental care insurance, so long they don't have a public one, so long it provides continuous coverage, a fully covers all services provided within a medical facility.
However, even those with private insurance will still have to face the limitations of the Canada Health Act, namely being barred from any preferential treatment for services covered under the CDCP. To further maintain its universality, the Canada Health Act is amended to require every Canadian resident to maintain a valid dental care insurance coverage at all times, with on obligation on both Ottawa and the Provinces to provide access to that coverage to everyone. Private insurance is still allowed, so long it remains equivalent to the public plan, unless covering supplementary services. The respective assessment of a private plan's equivalence and universal coverage is carried out by Heath Canada, through referring the data that every employer is oblige dot provide, linked to each individual's Social Insurance Number.
Notably, the CDCP is administered - as promised - by a neutral agency, comprised of representatives from Health Canada and provincial, as well as territorial heads of ministries of health -- the Canadian Dental Benefit Administrators (CDBA). CDBA is in turn operates under a two-track system, where the CDCP Council within the CDBA, comprised of provincial representation, and Health Canada, sets up broader general standards of care, coverage, and premiums, while CDBA provincial offices administer the plan within the framework of general provincial health plans. Principal batches of CDBA are free to diverge from national guidelines on coverage and pricing, so long it doesn't change increase expenditure, and preserves free-at-use coverage without significant reduction in quality of care measured in waiting times or increased pressure on the staff, lower efficacy rates.
Funding through the plan altho provided through general taxation, is calculated as a flat income-based insurance premiums, deducted from CDCP's recipient paycheque as part of their Income Tax, with additional levies for those making above the eligibility threshold and choosing to enrol into the Plan. While co-pays are absent for lower income earners completely, everyone enrolled into the Plan is protected an annual limit for out-of-pocket dental care expenditures, capping spending as a share of one's income, that is also revised annually, in line with instigated payroll premiums.
Canadian Pharmaceutical Insurance Plan (CPIP) finally brings a long-awaited universal Pharmacare to Canada, especially territories and provinces other than Quebec. While previously Canada's public health insurance plans would only cover in-hospital medical services, leaving prescription drugs largely to the private market, CPIP is set to change that. The Plan provides compressive coverage for multiple prescription drugs defined in a "national formulary" administrated by the Canada Drug Agency at no cost to every member of the plan, that is tasked with evaluating and authorising the use of new pharmaceuticals to be sold in Canada.
However, CPIP's administration, namely negotiating prices for prescription drugs, is delegated to the Pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance (pCPA). Originally created as a strictly provincial initiative to join forcing in procuring pharmaceuticals for public drug plans, pCPA is set to be drastically expanded to negotiate prices for prescriptions on behalf of Canada as a whole. Thus, no drug that is deemed by the CDA or Health Canada to require a prescription can be sold, until a procurement deal has been reached with the pCPA.
When conducting negotiations, pCPA largely relies on already existing framework, with the Canada Drug Agency carrying out impact assessment and drug reviews -- a function previously reserved exclusively to Health Canada. pCPA retains it current institutional design, transitioning to completely independent organisation, only contained by appointments from federal, provincial, and territorial governments, with the final procurement deal requiring consent of Health Canada, CDA, federal and provincial ministries of health.

Trying to resist further increases in drug expenditure, pCPA is authorised to conduct joint funding with the Canada Drug Agency for new drugs, especially biologics and generic medications. Most significantly, however, is the "cost-benefit analysis" framework approach when negotiating drug prices or operating joint investment ventures. The assent is mainly focused on estimating long-term savings to the overall healthcare system, as well as possible impact of patients' ability to re-join the labour force. Thus, procurement expenditures are effetely weighted over long-term savings in the healthcare sector as well as future increase in premiums.

For its end the Government of Canada is set absorb absorb initial cost of running both Pharamacare and the national dental care, while avoiding reductions to federal healthcare transfers, with further increases managed through the Canada Health Transfer and bilateral negotiations with the privies. To avoid further deterioration of Canada's long-term fiscal position Ottawa is offsetting increased spending through phasing out all employer tax credits for health expenditures, as well as tightening eligibility for individual medical tax credits, while closing the readings gap through the CDCP and CPIP payroll premiums.

Canada's Quiet Corporate Reform

Canadian Equity & Debt Recovery Allowance (CEDRA) is set to largely emulate European proposals for the Debt-Equity Bias Reduction Allowance (DEBRA)733678) to align tax treatment for equity and debit across the tax system. CEDRA provides for a limited deduction of costs associated with issuing new corporate equity, namely stocks and bonds on Canadian stock exchanges.

The allowance is calculated using the year-on-year difference between total corporate equity multiplied by risk-free return on equity, equal to the rate for 10-year Government of Canada bonds. Notably, the deception is fully refundable, up to a maximum for any given year and can be carried forward indefinitely.

Just like its European equivalent, CEDRA provides for higher risk-free rate of return for smaller companies, as opposed to larger players. Higher rate is set to be the sum of the basic rate or return and the spread between interest rates for smaller and large businesses, calculated every year - CEDRA SMEs. However, unlike DEBRA, the Canadian allowance also provides for even more generous allowance for newer companies, regardless of their size, that is directly proportion to the rate spread between for companies operating for as long as or less 5 years, as opposed to existing incumbents, put on top of the 10-year federal government bonds rate - CEDRA Trailblazers.
b Notably, companies that qualify for both small and new entry rate deductions are allowed to combined both when calculating their entitlement for any given year.
The Government of Canada also brings a "green spin" the to the deduction, with a designated rate calculation for green businesses - CEDRA Net Zero. Thus, the gap in interest rates for low- and zero-emission borrowed and fossil fuel companies is set be compounded with the federal 10-year bonds, and then multiplied by the new year-on-year equity increase. Companies are also allowed to combine the "green rate" deduction with the new entry and small company rates so long the applicant is eligible for each of those individually. Companies operating in mining and processing of critical minerals, battery production, as well production of clean energy equipment and more energy-intensive solutions, including software.
CEDRA provides for special treatment of losses, including those cause by sudden dips in stock prices as a result of monetary tightening or short-selling. While falling short of full refundability, the Government of Canada allows to use deductible equity losses to offset both income and payroll taxes, as well as GST/HST payable for any given year, including carry-back provisions of up to 1 year.
As an additional measure, Canada is limiting debt interest deductibility for all companies operating in the country. Just like DEBRA, the Canadian allowance caps deductibility of net-interest debt payments - interest spent minus interest received - at the level of 85 per cent, with a maximum of $4 million. In line with European proposals, interest deductibility is additionally limited at 30 per cent of the borrower's earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation. Companies would only be able to deduct the lowest amount in a tax year, but would be able to carry the difference forward or back, without indexing to inflation.
As an additional measure, the Budget also reforms the deferral dividend tax credit, including the one for Canadian-Controlled Private Corporations. Now, DTC is available to claim for any dividend payments received from a company incorporated in Canada, that has been operational for 5 years or less - DTC Trailblazers - or is actively contributing to the the green economy - DTC Net Zero, including mining and processing of critical minerals, battery production, as well as manufacturing of zero-emission vehicles, suitable materials and clean energy machinery & equipment.
Capital Cost Allowance Green Deduction - allows for full expensing of both machinery & equipment as well business property, for M&E for companies in "green industries", as well as investing in greater energy efficiency of existing industrial structures and equipment, including the cost of full replacement for everyone else. The increased rate also applies to non-mining - with accelerated appreciation maintained for critical minerals - companies of up to 5 years of age.

Canada's New Net Zero Industrial Policy

Investment & Innovation Canada aims to bering several federal crown corporations and business assistance programmes under one roof, operating as a one-stop shop for Canadian businesses. Notably, all entities brought under IIC have their mandrel explicitly promoting competition, namely considering either new market participants or SMEs first, for their investment considerations. Additionally, all participating agencies are set to aim at fulfilling Canada's Net Zero commitment, thrust greater coordination and a more cohesive instrument mix. The agency also aims to provide end-to-end support for Canadian companies across the board, including both setting up, and the scaling up new and existing players, aiming to promote competitive export-oriented companies in critical industries.
Additionally, Investment & Innovation Canada introduces significant restructuring business assistance and subsidy institutions themselves. This mainly involves putting maximum emphasis on the "place economy" aiming to decentralise every member institution to the greater possible extent, tailoring their operations to the needs of a local markets. To avoid further confusion, IIC focuses on setting up highly autonomous local branches, to be combined in one-stop-shop for local businesses, by merging the their branches with Canada's Regional Development Agencies, and providing them with full operational autonomy, including agencies that were previously managed directly by the Government of Canada.
IIC is set to coordinate and facilitate operations between following crown corporations:
Business Development Canada (BDC) - a crown corporation tasked with providing capital for Canadian small & medium sized companies, including lending directly to investors to allocate capital to promising companies. Notably, BDC has the scope of their mandate extended, being allowed to provide direct funding to promising companies, as well as new entrants in highly concentrated markets, such as telecommunications, transportation, and banking. Just like EDC, Business Development Canada prioritises support to export-oriented companies.
Export Development Canada (EDC) provides a wide range of export support services and financing, such as risk insurance and direct business guidance, as well access to adorable capital to conduct export operations outside of Canada. Notably, however, under its renewed mandate, EDC is set to also encourage intraprovinical exports to an extent comparable with the support provided to those seeking to enter foreign markets. Equally, EDC has their competences extended to also facilitate overall trade-intensity of Canadian industries, including through increased exposure to imports, both between the provinces and foreign markets. While previously focusing exclusively on promoting overseas sales, the bank of set to roll out equal access to its services to those willing to export into Canada, especially when it comes to components, unfinished products, and intangibles.
Canadian Infrastructure Development Corporation (CIDC) is set to bring together the Canada Infrastructure Bank, the housing accelerator and developments funds, and other related projects, facilitating the supply of funding to national and local infrastructure projects, including affordable housing and public transit, signifying the first time housing is being considered part of Canada's infrastructure. CIDC also brings the Canada Housing & Mortgage Corporation to the table, as an independent body within the CIDC, largely focused on monitoring the market and providing independent impact assessment. Notably, CIDC is set to be allowed to fund projects that are yet to obtain private commitment, giving a first move advantage, so long the project has received an approved for respective regulatory authorities and indigenous groups affected, or if a project aims at reducing carbon emissions.
Labour Development Canada (LDC) is focused on creating more coherent space for federal labour market policy and workforce development, being tasked with development and screening of both businesses and applications in need additional training, as well as matching businesses struggling to recruit with those seeking a job. LDC is also responsible for administrating the Canadian Job Bank, as well as developing the curriculum and training standards for designated sectors. Notably, the Bank also being grated an explicit rights to enter into commercial agreements with provinces, municipalities, and legal entities providing funding for the private sector to re- and up-skill the local workforce, as well as integrate as many people as possible into the labour market.
As its unique feature, each LDC branch is legally required to maintain employee and business representation, with the need for unanimous consent when developing and implementing new measures. Notably, this includes local unions, business associations, and advocacy organisations in the region.
Initial funding the bank is set to be maintained under the Labour Market Development Agreements as well Workforce Development Agreements between Ottawa and the provinces, however the LDC is expected run a "structural surplus" for its existing programmes through employee and employer payroll deductions negotiated under each programme respectively. Therefore only using discretionary federal and provincial spending when operating federal or provincial programmes and launching new initiatives.
Labour Development Canada is also allowed to compete directly with employment agencies and directly administer federal programmes such as the Canada Summer Jobs, while pursuing it mandate: to maximise labour force participation and increase Canada's labour productivity, while increasing access to suitable permanent jobs above the federal poverty line.
Advanced Research & Innovation Canada (ARIC) provides all-in-support for research and development projects aiming at achieving a Net Zero Economy. ARIC brings together the Canadian Foundation for Innovation, and the National Research Council, and the Canada Research Chambers and Canada Growth Fund itself to provide end-to-end support for new green technology. While the Canada Foundation for Innovation provides funding for university research, the Canada Research Chairs brings the human expertise to ARIC, with the National Research Council supporting industrial and company-based business R&D. The Canada Growth Fund, on the other hand aims to provide funding for scale-ups in the green space and innovative sectors, mainly through comprehensive risk sharing and direct lending to existing projects. Unlike other agencies, CGF also has an explicit mandate to support funding for Net Zero and facilitate the acquisition of intellectual property by Canadian enterprises as well as support the creation of new IP by Canadians and in Canada. However, CGF is also being allowed to directly fund industrial research and development to expand accessibility of existing green technology, even where private sector funding has not yet been committed.
Aerospace Development Canada (ADC) delivers direct funding, for R&D and skills in the aerospace sector, as well as providing assistance with training, talent attraction, retention, and initial funding for the aerospace industry. ADC is allowed to also directly fund university research and eduction for those working in the aerospace industry.
Automation & Robotics Canada (ARC) focuses on supporting wider use of automaton and robotics across the Canadian economy. ARC specifically allows companies to obtain a rebate for their M&E expenses, as well as receive a loan or a grant to modernise existing equipment, or replace, expand existing industrial assets. SMEs can recuperate up to 110 per cent of their M&E expenses with ARC, and over 125 per cent when it comes to automating their processes and installing newer software. Notably, ARC is set to operate in parallel with the Canada Digital Adoption Program.
Agri-Foods Canada (AFC) administers programs when it comes to agricultural and foods production, focusing on providing funding for agricultural research, and development of new products, chemicals, processing methods, and crops that utilise that are more environmentally suitable.
While major business assistance programmes remain within the realm of the federal ISED, IIC is allowed to administer those directly and change their structure, so long associate costs are borne by the IIC institutions themselves. Programmes immediately transferred under the responsibility of IIC include the Canada Digital Adoption Program (CDAP), the Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP). Notably, however, IIC uses several other finical instruments to carry out its mandate:

• Income-Contingent Grants - grants funded directly by the CIB, with a subsequent return of funds. Unlike standard loans, ISGs are paid by the borrower as a share of their future income, until the debt is fully repaid - or written off by mutual agreement of both parties.
• Investment Supplementary Funding - provides financing provided by an IIC institution in proportion to investments from the private sector. Thus, for every $2 of private investment in a particular project or company, ISF guarantees at least $1 of investment from the CIB, subject to an appropriate agreement with the recipient company.
• Comprehensive Liabilities Guarantee - allow IIC to insure the assets of external investors - and the company itself - in a specific project or company in exchange for risk premiums from potential recipients. So, if the project will lead to losses for investors, IIC will return the funds spent.
• Outcome-Oriented Financing is the broadest possible definition of bank financial guarantees, which are fulfilled when certain conditions are met by the recipient. OOF may involve the direct financing, creation, write-off or investment, deferment, freezing - and so on - of the financial obligations of the borrower, in exchange for the achievement of certain indicators. First of all, we are talking about achieving predetermined growth rates of productivity - both labor and multifactorial - or such indicators as reducing the levels of debt burden, higher capital and science intensity, as well as interaction with external markets.
• Bridging Finance - bridge financing provided either in crisis situations or at an early stage of the project, when existing agreements with investors already exist, it is not possible to access short-term financing or funds necessary for the implementation of the initial stage of the project.
• Pooled Securitisation - financing of joint projects carried out by several small companies at once, with the accompanying distribution of risks. PS also covers the placement of assets on public markets.

Following the re-structuring the Government of Canada also expands funding for the Competition Bureau, and the Competition & Markets Commission of Canada. Namely, both are receiving additional functions, of overseeing the federal business assistance regime through the Canadian Business Assistance Office (CBAO) -- an independent standalone parliamentary institution. CBAO is tasked with evaluating the performance of business assistance programmes and institutions, including IIC and its member bodies, as well as any business investment made by the Government of Canada, though annual programme reviews and recommendations. Notably, the Office can order the Competition Bureau and the CMCC to investigate specific cases, as well as conduct joined programme reviews.

As on overriding set of criteria, the Office is set to evaluate how existing government programmes measure against increasing competition in a marketplace - being required to prioritise companies of 5 years of younger, as well as SMES - and foster finically independent enterprise - defined a profitability over the 5 year period excusing government assistance -, as well as help to achieve the Net Zero goal.

The Office is set to also maidan regional representation, aimed at scrutinising Regional Development Agencies, each branched aimed at a respective RDA, with a representative from CBAO and a respective provincial or territorial legislative assembly.
To further strengthen the accountability regime, the Budget amends respective acts relating to the Business Development Canada, Export Development Canada, National Research Council, Regional Development Agencies, and the Canada Infrastructure Development Canada's constituent units, as well as an additional overarching mandate for the Investment & Innovation Canada.
Thus, all the parties affected now have to comply with a "dual" mandate oversseen by the CBAO. Apart from fulfilling their original duty, such as infrastructure development, export promotion, or investment in green tech, all the agencies ought to remain finically profitable indecent of public support, defined all persistent surplus over the 5-year horizon.
In turn, the agencies are allowed to earn income through repayable grants, equity stakes, as well as acquisition of assets, such as intellectual property, and issuance of Canada Development & Innovation Bonds. CDIBs are set to be equated to the Government of Canada bills, with Ottawa directly guaranteeing the ability of an issuer to service their debts. Notably, each issuance has to be authorised by the IIC, before a respective institution can act on its own.

Additional Readings

https://taxpolicy.crawford.anu.edu.au/sites/default/files/publication/taxstudies_crawford_anu_edu_au/2022-03/complete_ace_wp_2022.pdf
https://mowatcentre.munkschool.utoronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/publications/88_corporate_tax_reform.pdf
https://taxfoundation.org/benefits-of-full-immediate-expensing/
https://irpp.org/research-studies/cracking-canadas-productivity-conundrum/
https://irpp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Facing-the-Facts-Reconsidering-Business-Innovation-Policy-in-Canada.pdf
https://politics.utoronto.ca/publication/innovation-in-real-places-strategies-for-prosperity-in-an-unforgiving-world/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6246044/
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/case-national-investment-authority-henry-kopesky
https://maytree.com/wp-content/uploads/canada-working-age-supplement-report.pdf
https://capx.co/subsidies-are-no-way-to-support-business-but-there-is-a-better-alternative/
https://www.politico.com/news/2023/03/29/canada-u-s-clean-energy-ira-00089284
https://civitas.org.uk/pdf/SavingsBanks2010.pdf
https://maytree.com/wp-content/uploads/canada-working-age-supplement-report.pdf
https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2022/01/22/why-the-bias-for-debt-over-equity-is-hard-to-dislodge

I'm almost 27 I don't smoke I do drink
The tooth is the 2nd tooth from the canine tooth in the top left of my mouth
I didn't have dental care growing up. I had to get my own dental insurance in my mid 20s before I could afford to see a dentist. I got recommend Aspen Dental and I've had mixed experiences.
Had a lot of fillings done, wisdom teeth extraction, and one root canal. All of the work there felt necessary and was focused on reducing pain.
Last year they did a thing where they measure the depth of your gum packets on both sides of your teeth. Most of mine are 3-4, but some 2s. My insurance will NOT cover Arestin until the pocket is 5 MM or bigger. I had to pay out of pocket for this and it nearly bankrupted me (but Aspen dental was so happy to try to get me to take out a credit card for them). I barred my teeth, paid it, and got more work done that was necessary.
About 7 months after getting my wisdom teeth extracted, I had a very mild dull achy in the top left of my jaw. Went to Aspen dental, had x-rays done, and the dentist said I had a bad cavity on a tooth there and I needed to get it done.
This tooth didn't feel anything like the tooth that needed the root canal. This tooth wasn't sensitive to hot or cold and I couldn't even pinpoint the tooth causing the generalized dull ache.
After a cleaning (in which they gave an electric toothbrush I didn't need, which I'm sure I paid for somehow), they had me scheduled up for a crown for the tooth.
I had the crown prep done 6 days ago and I felt the normal mouth soreness. They had trouble getting the crown on/off to adjust it and the hygienist did a lot of work shaving the temp crown down, the dentist himself was so booked up, he was bouncing between rooms.
Like I said, I didn't have any temperature sensitivity until they worked on that tooth. For at least 4 days now, I have been suffering a lot on that tooth that they worked on. It doesn't hurt with hot food, but anything slightly cold hurts like hell. I wasn't in this kind of pain until they worked on me.
They also signed me up for "root scaling" even though I told them 5-6 times that insurance will NOT cover it unless the gaps are 5 MM or bigger, and they keep acting like i'm crazy. I'm sorry but I don't have 1,000 or so to spend out of pocket after already spending 700 something dollars on x-rays, a dental cleaning, and a crown.
I told them to cancel my "root scaling" appointment and asked for the dentist to please call me back because of the pain I am in. The receptionist was rude and again acted like I was crazy or stupid that I didn't want to pay for this procedure my insurance won't pay for and threatened me by saying she wasn't sure if they could put a permanent crown on my tooth unless they do the scaling. Isn't this blackmail?
I'm very upset, I had a perfectly good tooth and now at night it throbs when I am trying to sleep and it's sensitive to cold.
Please help me.
Am I crazy? Did Aspen Dental mess up my teeth on purpose to turn it into a root canal to make me spend more? Is Aspen dental blackmailing me?
What can I do if they won't work on me? Can I have them send the x-rays to another dentist that isn't going to try to upcharge me out of house and home?

Recently my group of friends and I went bowling for one of our friends birthday celebrations. We are all quite a close knit group of friends and share a lot together. I am quite close with one friend Emma F39. Her and her partner Dean M40 have been trying to conceive for 2 1/2 years now. I usually see Emma several times a week, but over the past month I have only seen her once, which is very unusual for us. We all talk everyday in the group chat though to keep up with each other. I mentioned to my partner Ryan that I had a strange suspicion that Emma was pregnant. I just had a gut instinct and little things weren’t adding up (not drinking when she would usually, missing out on plans she’d usually attend etc), nothing major, but my gut was telling me she definitely was.
Anyway, while we were at the bowling alley, Emma and I were left alone at some point. I just turned to her and said “I need to ask you something… are you pregnant?” She hesitated for a moment and admitted she was, but her and Dean weren’t planning on telling anyone yet as she was only 4 weeks and she has a family history of miscarriages. I said congratulations and said I wouldn’t tell anyone and that was the end of that. Our friends shortly returned from the bar and the bowling continued.
To my surprise though, while we were out for dinner in the evening, Dean declared they had an announcement to make. He announced Emma’s pregnancy and everyone was so happy and congratulated them etc etc.
The rest of the celebrations went well and I even spoke to her a lot throughout the night and she was completely fine with me…
The next day I messaged Emma several times to see how she was doing, what she was up to and how she was feeling. She ignored me for 10 hours before replying despite texting in the group chat (that I’m also apart of) throughout the day. In the evening I’d sent a text asking if she was annoyed at me for anything as I didn’t know when she was ignoring me. A couple hours later she replied saying she’d been ‘so busy’ (despite regularly messaging the group chat throughout the day and knowing I’d see it?). She kept dodging my question and repeating “we weren’t going to tell everyone yet”. I asked her over and over if she was annoyed at me but again, she kept the same response. I asked her why she didn’t just tell me no and tell us all when they originally planned to. Her response was “because I don’t lie” (despite saying she was too busy to speak to me) and “I could have just not asked” I just said okay congratulations again and it was left like that.
I don’t understand why she acted like this as I didn’t make them tell everyone? I’m sure she’d be able to trust I wouldn’t tell anyone as I had a baby 3 years ago and got everyone to keep it hush hush up until 12 weeks!
Ryan thinks I’m NTA but I’m not sure if he’s just being biased? Just wanted an outsiders perspective.
AITA? Did I ruin the announcement? Did I deserve to be ignored?
EDIT : Emma and Dean agreed together to tell everyone but Dean was the one who announced.
Emma and I are really close and she regularly keeps me updated with her fertility journey, doctors appointments, tests etc.
EDIT 2: what would be the best way for me to approach this with Emma? would it be better to apologise through text or in person? I suffer really badly with anxiety so am just nervous about causing a public scene (if she was really mad at me), but don’t want it to seem like I’m unbothered if I do it through text

Hello, I read in the ChatGPT forum that it could write a script to automatically set out-of-office if a calendar had a key word. Of course, the AI is producing a looping set of errors when I ask it to fix the previous error. This one, for example generates a 424 run-time error. Any help on how to fix or ask the code bot how to fix it would be appreciated.
Sub CheckTravelTime() Dim objNamespace As Outlook.Namespace Dim objCalendar As Outlook.Folder Dim objAppointment As Object

Set objNamespace = Application.GetNamespace("MAPI") Set objCalendar = objNamespace.GetDefaultFolder(olFolderCalendar) ' Specify your travel time subject or keyword Dim travelTimeKeyword As String travelTimeKeyword = "Travel" ' Loop through the calendar items Dim i As Integer ' Counter variable For i = objCalendar.Items.Count To 1 Step -1 ' Loop backwards If TypeOf objCalendar.Items(i) Is Outlook.AppointmentItem Then ' Check if the item is an AppointmentItem Set objAppointment = objCalendar.Items(i) ' Check if the appointment subject is not empty and contains the travel keyword If Not objAppointment.Subject Is Nothing And InStr(1, objAppointment.Subject, travelTimeKeyword, vbTextCompare) > 0 Then ' Set the out-of-office message objAppointment.Display Application.ActiveExplorer.CommandBars.FindControl(, 3210).Execute ' Exit the loop after finding the first travel event Exit For End If End If Next i 

End Sub

TL;DR: A naturalized Canadian citizen pal of mine wants me to help drive his petrol pumps to profitability in a reproducible fashion. Location: Edmonton. How do I go about planning this?
(I will be going over to Canada for a few months each year to drive this).
Details:
His basic intent is to set-up lifelong secondary income by

1. Open one station
2. Achieve profitability with a plan - knowing that plans never ever work out like you'd want them to, but you need a plan anyway
3. Appoint a manager once ops are stabilized
4. Buy another gas bar / station - maybe in Edmonton, maybe elsewhere - whatever is the best bet.
5. Rinse & Repeat
6. Stop when the count of stations reaches 4 or 5

As of today, I as a software engineer know nothing, but here goes anyway:

• Target locations where truckers are likely to want to stop
• Add stores like Tim Horton's to attract further footfall
• If possible, place the station close to gas suppliers like McDougall's to possibly drive good gas rates and assure reliable supply
• Check the population demographics nearby and add stores that would attract them
• Offer innovative promotions like "Eat one meal from here, and get X% off on other meals in these locations along your driving route"

What else should I be doing?

I feel like this was the perfect way to kickstart the rap album. He built up the hype all last year him promising it sooner and not delivering made us want it more…genius move on his part. I’ve been watching a bunch of reactions everyone saying, “i didn’t know Kells could rap like this”?!?? My thoughts are Kells always been able to rap like this, he had to spazz to get y’all’s attention, he switched the beat 3 times, and just had sooo many hard ass bars…just one after the other. But lmk what y’all think sorry for ranting!!!

I had appointment today at the Genius Bar at first they did a factory reset through iTunes for my iPhone 13 Pro because it was having some issue after it was done factory. Resetting the agent told me he needs to take it to the back room now this is starting to get new now. I have been with Apple now for almost 13 years. They never did this. Why did the guy took my phone to the back room? He said that he was going to do some testing on it so I let him, he wanted to see why I was having problems with cell phone connection but after he did a factory reset the eSIM was still available. I was scared that he might stole some of my information. How can I get proof that he did stole my information I’m not saying he did but is this normal for Apple guy take your phone to the back room
My advice is to anyone even if you have a problem with your iphine delete everything before you head over your phone to the Apple technician. Like I said they never did this. They were always do a lot of testing in front of you, but why did he took my phone in the back room? He told me what he was doing, but I just don’t trust him. He had to be the phone.

So I currently have 2 accounts, one with seele and one with jing yuan. I've decided that I will definitely get Silver Wolf on one of my accounts, however I'm not sure who needs her more.
Seele will mean that silver wolf will be more probable to apply quantum weaknesses, plus the genius set gives more defense penetration when enemies have quantum weakness
Jing Yuan shreds the weakness bars, and having enemies with electro weakness will allow him to weakness break more often.
For Seele, I already have bronya, and with Jing Yuan I have an e4 Tingyun, so I'm not really lacking good supports. Just wanted to know who would perform better with silver wolf on their team.

My Aquarius ex bf broke up with me 2 months ago, it was because of a fight that was mostly my fault and I caused a scene, I regretted it very much and I have apologized many times. I was very stressed because he was acting very possessive and accusing me of things.
Last week he was being super cold, he deleted my number, then he was trying to get me into a friends with benefits situation, he says that he loves me but what I did was too much (the scene). We have slept together 2 times and he always hugs me because he says he has problems sleeping without me, he also says that maybe in the future we can be together but now he lives with his parents and I can’t go there.
I was feeling sad last week because I felt that he was using me for sex but this week he has been very attentive, sending me good morning texts and heart emojis. He wants to make plans for this weekend and go with me to a medical appointment.
What do you guys thing? I think maybe he stills possessive of me. Last week I was with my friends at a bar and he asked me to send him a photo of where I was.
*Sorry, I can’t edit the title ):

I was standing on the sidewalk, watching the chaos unfold before my eyes. Two super-powered beings were clashing in the middle of Downtown New York, causing destruction and panic. One of them was T-Force, a hero who could unleash sonic blasts from his mouth. The other was Dissarray, a villain who could manipulate ice and fire. They were both products of L INC, a pharmaceutical company that had developed a pill that gave people "super" abilities.
​
I was an investigative journalist who had been following this story for months. I had infiltrated L INC's headquarters in Manhattan, posing as a potential customer. I had seen their labs, their test subjects, their security measures. I had also seen their owner, a young man who looked like a super-genius and bald. He had introduced himself as Lex Luthor, and I had felt a chill down my spine.
​
Lex Luthor was the name of a notorious villain who had fought Superman for years in comics. He was a mastermind who had tried to conquer the world with his intellect and technology. He was also supposed to be dead, killed by his own kryptonite-powered warsuit in the comics. How could he be alive and running a pharmaceutical company, and in the real world?
​
I had managed to escape from L INC with some evidence and a card in my wallet. The card belonged to John Constantine, a mysterious man who had contacted me at a bar I help with and offered me information on JLA and L Inc He claimed to be a "Hellblazer", a magician who dealt with supernatural threats. He also claimed to know the truth.
​
I called him as soon as I got away from the scene of the battle. I told him what I had seen and heard. I told him I was in shock.
​
"A villain who hasn't become evil isn't a good man," he said.
​
"What do you mean?" I asked.
​
"Lex Luthor is from a different reality," he said. "He's actually Lex!"
​
"WTf!" I repeated.
​
"Yes. He's from another reality. A reality where Superman existed."
​
"How is that possible?"
​
"It's a long story. And it's not over yet. The next clue will take you on a different journey. A journey to find a hero who hasn't arrived yet."
​
"A hero who hasn't arrived yet?" I echoed.
​
"Yes. A hero who will change everything. A hero who will make Lex Luthor face his destiny."
​
"Who is he?"
​
"You'll find out soon enough. But be careful. Lex Luthor is not the only one who wants him."
​
"Who else does?"
​
"That's another long story. And it's not over yet either."
​
He hung up.
​
I looked at the card in my hand. It had a phone number and a name.
​
John Constantine.
​
Hellblazer.

(Verse 1: Kanye West)\ Yo it's Kanye West, the king of innovation,\ I brought the game to new heights, a true sensation.\ With my flow and style, I changed the rap game,\ Pushing boundaries, leaving a lasting flame.\
But here comes Kendrick Lamar, the Compton king,\ Known for his lyricism, the bars he brings.\ But let's be real, Kendrick, you're in my shadow,\ I paved the way, you just followed.\
&nsbp;
(Verse 2: Kendrick Lamar)\ Kendrick Lamar, stepping up, can't deny my flow,\ I bring substance, storytelling, a powerful show.\ Kanye, you may have had your moments, no doubt,\ But my lyricism cuts deep, no room for clout.\
I spit truth, addressing social issues we face,\ Using my platform to ignite change, embrace.\ You chase the spotlight, I chase the art,\ Respecting the craft, leaving a lasting mark.\
&nsbp;
(Verse 3: Kanye West)\ Kendrick, I respect your skills, you got some flow,\ But my influence in the game, it continues to grow.\ From "The College Dropout" to "Yeezus" and beyond,\ I've inspired a generation, that's my bond.\
I'm a creative genius, a fashion trendsetter,\ You can't deny my impact, it's only getting better\ Kendrick, you're talented, no doubt you shine,\ But my legacy, it's one of a kind.\
&nsbp;
(Verse 4: Kendrick Lamar)\ Kanye, your ego's legendary, that's no surprise,\ But my focus is on the music, no need for disguise.\ I tackle social issues, make you think and reflect,\ My words resonate, they have a deep connect.\
Your antics may grab headlines, steal the show,\ But substance and artistry, that's what I bestow.\ I stay true to myself, never swayed by fame,\ Leaving a mark that will forever remain.\
&nsbp;
(Outro)\ So here we are, Kanye and Kendrick, different styles in play,\ Both leaving their mark in the rap game's fray.\ It's a battle of creativity, talent, and fame,\ But at the end of the day, music is the ultimate claim.\
Free Research Preview. ChatGPT may produce inaccurate information about people, places, or facts. ChatGPT May 24 Version

My (26F) boyfriend (26M) of 5 years is meeting up with this girl (25F) from his class. They are going to a bar for drinks, just the two of them. He didn’t tell me yet (I found out from a friend).
I somehow got their texts and there is nothing that one would consider as outright cheating but something is off about it (or maybe it’s all in my head). It goes something like this:
They hadn’t talked for an year and the texting starts off again cuz he’s called her
Her: hey, you called me? Him: oh shit, sorry didn’t mean to, my phone is acting up Him: anyway, how you been?
some basic conversation about uni and work
Him: You know what we should meet sometime!!
Her: Haha yes, we should definitely! Been so long
Him: I’m free to meet you anytime but it depends on when you give me the appointment lol 😂
Him: Ah I’m free tomorrow in fact!! Would you like to meet me ma’am?
Her: I actually have plans with my friends tomorrow, how about next week?
Him: Sounds good, any specific day on your mind? 👀
Her: How about next Friday? 😂
Him: I knew you’d say Friday, okay let’s do it 😼
more texting about work and she messes up with her spellings or something, he then says
Him: Smoking some good stuff I see 😏
Her: haha no 🤭
Him: Can I join there for work?🥹 (they were talking about how his work is hectic and hers no so much)
Her: Come 😂
Him: What’s the plan though for when we meet? Anything on your mind? 🤔
Her: I’m down for anythingg, you tell me haha
Him: How about grabbing some drinks at a bar in the evening? 🤔 I got some good places to visit on my list 😁
Him: Need to check the good places on my list 😂
Her: Cool cool, you can be in charge and I’ll just follow you haha
Him: Don’t kill me please if it doesn’t turn out to be good 😂😂
Her: dw, I trust you haha
Him: yes please 😂
Him: where you working though? 👀
So what do you guys think? Is this just a friendly hang out? Do these texts seem harmless? Would love some insight. Thanks.
EDIT:
My friend just sent me more screenshots of his conversation with this girl (it’s happening right now).
Him: work was hectic today!
Her: same same, I’m sleepy
Him: We really need some drinks and stuff at this moment I suppose 😂
Her: 💯!! What you up to now?
Him: was at uni! Was having coffee and fell asleep apparently 😂😂. What about you? 😗
Her: just in bed, chilling haha
Him: I’m back home! My Bed is all set 😂
Her: enjoy hehe
Him: Alone? Yeah sure 😂
Her: Why not? Lol
Him: 😂😂
Her: sleepy now, guess I should sleep
Him: cool let’s talk tomorrow, goodnight for now 😌
Her: goodnight 😌
Him: What time’s your work at tomorrow ? 😟
Her: 7 in the morning 😭
Him: Come and join me here at my work 😙
This just keeps getting worse. Idk what to say anymore.

One thing that doesn't get enough attention, in my view, is what Judge Wanda Heard has said about Adnan's trial. She retired in 2019. In response to the vacatur of Adnan's conviction, Heard swore out an affidavit which includes the following:

1. As the trial judge in this matter, I would direct the Court to the transcript of the trial as I recall no evidence or testimony that Mr. Syed handled the shoes of Hae Min Lee. The absence of touch DNA on her shoes would seem to be an unusual basis to eliminate Mr. Syed as Ms. Lee’s killer in the face of other overwhelming and riveting testimony of the eyewitness of Jay Wilds, who testified that he assisted Mr. Syed in the burial of her body.
   
2. A reading of the trial transcript will show that the jury verdict was supported by substantial direct and circumstantial evidence. However, transcripts do not always reflect the tone, manner and delivery of witness testimony. I heard the evidence and all testimony. The verdict and the swift manner of the verdict being reached made it clear to the court that the jury weighed the .credibility of the witnesses who testified and were subject to vigorous cross examination. The jury appeared to have considered all of the evidence, the witnesses testimony, followed the law in instructions given by the Court, applied the law to the facts and reached their verdict.
   
3. Among the most powerful evidence presented at the trial, was the testimony of Jay Wilds concerning the burial of Ms. Lee’s body after the murder. Further, he testified regarding the staged alibi orchestrated by Mr. Syed which became moot once Mr. Wilds became the State’s star witness and his testimony was corroborated by other witnesses, physical and documentary evidence.
   
4. Additional evidence received by the jury included testimonial and documentary evidence demonstrating Mr. Syed’s motive for killing Ms. Lee.
   
5. Mr. Syed’s trial attorney, Christina Gutierrez is now deceased and cannot speak for herself. However, it should be stated that during the trial I observed her to be a strong and effective advocate.
   
6. During the trial, Ms. Gutierrez was particularly effective during the lengthy cross-examination of Mr. Wilds which was consistent with what I knew to be her forte. Ten years prior to my ascending to the bench and while I was a prosecutor, Ms. Gutierrez was known to me as an aggressive litigator. At that time and during the trial, her legal talent and skill was outstanding. In fact, I found her performance to be at its best and consistent with other trials. She was at the top of her game during her defense of Mr. Syed.
   
7. Ms. Gutierrez had an aggressive strategy, which she executed in a highly effective manner. In particular, she took full advantage of the fact that she knew what the State’s witnesses were going to say because she had a trial transcript of each of the State’s witnesses from the first trial. (The first trial before Judge Quarles resulted in a mistrial following the State’s case.)
   

Heard's judgments aren't evidence in the strict sense, because they weren't submitted in response to a specific IAC claim. Trial judges can, in extremely rare cases, be called to testify as witnesses concerning what happened in their courtroom, but that's unusual. Nevertheless, her views are entitled to respect for a number of reasons:

• Unlike any of us, Heard saw every single minute of this trial live and in real-time, and obviously still has very clear memories of it.
• She has had an incredibly illustrious career, including stints both as a defense lawyer and (more frequently) prosecutor, and has been awarded dozens of honors and prestigious appointments. She is also a Black woman appointed as a judge by a Democratic governor (Paris Glendening). Maryland doesn't have judicial elections, instead using (in my view) the far, far superior procedure of allowing a commission to make nominations. Of course the ethnicity and political affiliations of a judge shouldn't be an issue and didn't play a role here, but you don't have to look hard to find defense lawyers and activists pointing out that Prisoner X was convicted by a "white male Republican judge" and/or an "all-white jury". If that had been true in Adnan's case, it would surely be mentioned by Adnan's supporters constantly.
• Her reputation isn't on the line. Aside from routine disputes about evidentiary rulings, nobody has challenged Heard's conduct of the trial. If she's been accused of bias or corruption or incompetence in the way she handled the case, people would be justifiably wary that she was trying to deflect criticisms. But no such allegations have ever been raised.
• She did a fine job at trial. The trial raised a number of tricky legal issues, including the scope of Sharon Watts' testimony, complex hearsay issues, and Waranowitz' expertise, among many others. Heard's questioning and analysis show she was sharp, up on the law, curious, and interested in exploring the issues fairly and giving both sides a fair chance to make their point.
• When it comes to Gutierrez' effectiveness and illness, Heard had an important role to play. If she had discerned any evidence that Gutierrez was impaired by physical or mental illness, it was Judge Heard's vital responsibility to halt the trial and explore the matter. Rule 18-102.14 of the Maryland Rules of Judicial Conduct (which tracks the American Bar Association rule) require a judge who has a "reasonable belief" that a lawyers "physical condition" has impaired their performance to take appropriate steps, including preserving the rights of the lawyer's client. Heard was aware of Gutierrez' general reputation and standard of performance. There is no reason to doubt Heard would have done so had she become convinced Gutierrez could not handle the trial.

Heard's views aren't the be-all and end-all, but they are entitled to plenty of weight.

My mum and my brother needed to go to London today for an appointment to make sure my brother’s medication was working on him (it was at like 8 am and would only take an hour). And my mum invited me to go with them yesterday. I said yes and was really excited cause we never go to London (even though it’s like 1.5 hours away) and I had picked out clothes and planned a relaxing day out for us. But I instead woke up to an empty house at 9 and was just a bit surprised. Like, I know I’m a heavy sleeper and I did accidentally turn off my alarms and whatnot but did they really leave me behind like that? I’m also on my period so maybe I’m just exaggerating how this acc is but I’m still hurt. I did call her but it didn’t go through (pro because they were in the hospita) and when I went back to bed to distract myself or smth I just find a snickers bar next to me?? Like, that just made me even sadder that they had come into my room, not to like wake me up or anything, but instead to leave behind a snickers bar. Idk I’m just kinda sad and I didn’t want to seem like a toddler complaining to my friends or to call my mum again so here I am.

Aboard a venerable diplomatic vessle:

Beneath a well-tended banner depicting a yellow star at its center, and the burning Ignitia on its windward side, Captain Yaevdrill kept watch on the bridge. It was hardly the first time he'd sailed the Among the Star Tides We Sing into a potentially volatile situation, but the disappearance of no less than thirty Star Sailor ships without so much as a text only communication had made the possible first-contact mission take on an ominous quality. Those ships who returned bore crews who spoke of "Sneakies, but ugly," aggressively taking prisoners for some purpose, yet there were ships within the stars of the Clans of Eldra who should have returned, or been heard from. Worse, there had been no communications from anyone within Clans space for over two months. Thus, the mission.
With him, there was the gunnery officer, who was keeping alert at her station, and First Lieutenant Robert George, the Master at Arms, who was scowling at the main viewscreen as if it could give him answers. It may not have appeared to be so, but the blue skinned, four armed captain and pale pink skinned two armed lieutenant were kin, a matter of adoption involving both of their grandfathers. It was therefore with the weight of not only a good friend, but a close cousin that Yaevdrill listened to Robbie growl, "We should get the civvies out."
"This isn't the first dangerous mission we've sailed," Yaevdrill said softly.
"Aye sir. We should get the civvies out."
"Any reason?"
Robbie glared at the main viewscreen with even greater intensity and said, "My gut's twisting."
"That's concerning."
"Remember our tour aboard the Penguin?"
"Yes…"
"Same twisting."
"Two squads combat ready around the clock. Billet the off-duties inside the armory."
"Already done sir. Put the civvies on evac ready, sir. This is a matter of shipboard security, please don't make me invoke my rights."
"I'll write the order. Also, release vac-armor to the crew."
A small amount of tension left Robbie's shoulders as he glanced up to the banner, "We'll do them proud, Granddad," he whispered as he passed beneath it.
Some hours later, Captain Yaevdrill was enjoying a cup of tea in the galley when he was accosted by Ambassador Sophia Laurent. It was improper to smile at her while she ostensibly demanded answers to changes in the mission which she technically led, but Humans were all just so adorable. "Why exactly is my husband sleeping in the armory?"
"Because his commanding officer has decided to operate under combat readiness."
"Am I, or am I not the chief ambassador of this mission, oh great descendant of Linus the Rescuer?"
"I'm sorry, I don't remember signing the We Sing away to you. I also don't recall appointing you to be the Master at Arms. Is my memory faulty, Madam Ambassador?"
She scowled fiercely up at him, and admitted, "No. Explain."
"Robbie and I think that there is more danger than would appear."
"Based upon?"
"What saved us both in the New Barbary War."
"So his gut?"
"Aye."

In high orbit over a conquered world:

Acolyte-Lord Narrex-Quinn sneered at the viewport of his glorious scout frigate where the newly conquered planet was displayed. Whatever the inhabitants had called it, it would be gloriously renamed Kivx soon enough. Acolyte-Lord Narrex-Quinn knew that it was only a matter of time until all peoples are given up to the glory of Axzuur just as these inferior insectoids were now. The Priest-Masters had originally expected the enormous beetles size, chitin, and multiple limbs to provide a worthy challenge to Axxaakk might, yet they were worthy only of sating the thirst of Axzuur, may the stars quake at his name.
The blue skinned axxaakkoids had proved less disappointing. They were still surprisingly weak for their size, but at least their idea of fighting wasn't to form a line and fire in volleys. They had some smaller, stronger, faster, fiercer axxaakoids, only about the same height as the Axxaakk, but just as strong, if not stronger. The larger four armed blue warriors engaged at range with multiple weapons while the smaller warriors, which had only the proper two arms, came in close to meet Axxaakk warriors in glorious blade-to-blade combat. The dead had earned their young the right to one day prove themselves worthy of service to Axzuur.
However, Acolyte-Lord Narrex-Quinn was dissatisfied with how few such ships had been captured, a mere dozen, as all the rest had either already been sailing away when the glorious invasion began, or else fought to the death rather than surrender. Even those captured they did have were cases of chance more than the warrior's glorious skill, as those crews too fought to the last adult, and even most of the older children were slain in battle. Truly, these unworthy dung beetles were a waste of his warriors talents when such capable foes lurk beyond his sight.
An Initiate-Highborn made his obeisance before making his report while still bowed at the waist, as is proper, "Acolyte-Lord, there comes a ship with in-hyperspace communication capabilities. An ambassador requests contact with the rulers of the unworthy, and do not know our glory."
Acolyte-Lord Narrex-Quinn did not take his eyes from the viewscreen as he commanded, "Correct their error."
"I obey," the attendant said as he shuffled back to his station.
"Report from station."
"I obey, they request a diplomatic meeting."
"The behavior of the unworthy. What is the unworthy race which desires to grovel at my sandals?"
"Acolyte-Lord, it is by the pink warrior race, as well as the four armed warriors."
"They come to investigate the lack of communications."
"They send diplomats to investigate, Acolyte-Lord, they put out their throats to us."
"This insult shall not stand. Gather the escorts, set an intercept course."

Later, in a desolate space between systems:

Two days ahead of schedule, the Among the Star Tides We Sing was ripped out of hyperspace by a gravity spike. A frigate and two escort cruisers barred her way, and were transmitting demands for her to heave to and prepare to be boarded. "Get the children and all nonessential crew to the lifeboats," Captain Yaevdrill ordered as he replied to the frigate demands with ascent and ordered the helmsman to coordinate with the unknown vessel.
"Those are not Clan ships," his executive officer said after relaying the orders.
"All hands, all hands, get into vac armor, I say again, all hands, all hands, get into vac armor. Unknown xenos boarding party imminent, use stored atmo only. Unknown xenos boarding party imminent, quarantine protocols, and hostile response readiness protocols are in effect," came Robbie's voice over the intercom.
"You heard the man," the captain said as he led by example and made his way to the lockers at the aft of the bridge.
Meanwhile, Corporal William Laurent sighed as he heard his CO's orders blaring, "So much for lunch with the wife. Time to get in the shiny armor."
Sophia Laurent took in a deep breath and said, "See you with the greeting party. I'm sure the other ambassadors are already suiting up."
"I really hate his gut feelings."
"It's probably fine. Just a star nation who thinks conquest is actually a thing we'll let them get away with. I'll give them a good talking to, Will."
One suiting up later, and the greeting party was assembled at the forward port airlock. Said party consisted of Ambassadors, Sophia Laurent of the Republic, Li Wei of Pacifia, Mikhail Volkov representing CIP interests, Traevee Drillvee speaking for the Star Sailors, and one squad of the Honor Guard, the elite platoon of Republican Naval Infantrymen charged with the safety of the We Sing and her crew and passengers. The ambassadors faces could be seen through the faceplates of their armor, and the coloring of the same was according to the flags each of them served, but the power armored infantrymen were white and faceless, designed to strike the balance between intimidating and non-threatening. They were even standing at attention with their shipboard shotguns maglocked to their backs rather than in their hands for ready use. Anyone who knew anything about Terrans would think that a mere gesture at best, but it was the thought that counted.
The xenos were of a height with a Human, their skin scarlet, garbed in simple cloth uniforms, armed with what looked like long plasma casters, had bony protrusions at their elbows and knees, on their knuckles, and from the chin of the obvious leader. Obvious because he wore a flowing robe rather than a stark uniform. They swaggered into the corridor oozing superiority until the entirety of the party was in view, then his expression darkened and he demanded, "What is the meaning of this?"
"Standard procedure in the event of an unplanned boarding is for all hands to don personal protective equipment in case of atmospheric incompatibilities, pathogen exposure, mechanical failure, or hostile action," Ambassador Li Wei explained calmly.
"You think us such dishonorable filth that you bring war machines to guard our meeting?"
The rippling laugh coming from the armored infantrymen startled the xenos official even more than the realization that the greeting party was armored. "You have your honor guard," Ambassador Laurent said with a sweeping gesture toward the soldiers before turning to the Honor Guard and saying, "and we have ours."
"I see," the xeno leader said "Who are you and what do you do in the Dominion of Axxaakk?"
"I am Ambassador Sophia Laurent of the Republic of Terra and her Aligned Planets."
"I am Ambassador Mikhail Volkov, of the Coalition of Independent Planets."
"Li Wei, of Pacifia."
"I am Traevee Drillvee, and I speak for the Lord Admiral Council."
"So many little nations," the xenos leader sneered, "Acolyte-Lord Narrex-Quinn bids you come aboard that you may beg mercy at his sandals and be proven worthy of service to Axzuur. Let your warrior machines follow if your bellies lack courage."
Corporal Laurent set his faceplate to transparent and said, "What about us fleshy-types?"
The herald's eyes went wide as he realized that there were living beings under that armor, but he covered it well. "So it is for honor you come, we will not deny this custom, it is like to our own." The xenos herald's words hung in the air like the chill after snow.
Ambassador Sophia Laurent stepped forward, her voice calm but resolute. "We come in peace, seeking understanding and communication. We are representatives of our respective nations, here to open diplomatic relations. We request safe passage to your vessel to meet with Acolyte-Lord Narrex-Quinn and discuss matters of mutual interest and concern."
The herald openly regarded the ambassadors with a mixture of curiosity and skepticism. After a brief pause, he nodded slyly. "Very well, ambassadors. Follow me, and your honor guard may accompany you, but remember, you are guests in our domain."
With those words, the xenos official turned and led the way down the corridor, the ambassadors and the Honor Guard falling in line behind him. The atmosphere was charged by the weight of responsibility shouldered by the ambassadors in that moment, and they knew that they marched into battle as much as any of the Honor Guard beside them had ever before. As they reached the airlock of the xenos frigate, Ambassador Li Wei couldn't help but feel a sense of foreboding as she became keenly aware of her vulnerability, but resolved to step in anyway. This encounter could be a pivotal moment in the unfolding events, and the ambassadors carried the hopes and expectations of their nations on their shoulders.
Ambassador Mikhail Volkov exchanged a steely glance with Ambassador Sophia Laurent, and she returned his hard gaze so he knew her resolve matched his. They knew the risks involved, but they suspected that the information they gathered in the next crucial moments could mean the difference to billions of lives.
The delegation entered into the belly of the beast.
Meanwhile, the diplomatic staff were not idle. While the Terran nations generally preferred to compartmentalize their operations, the hostile actions the We Sing had already been subject to represented an action that triggered the mutual defense treaties. Therefore, the teams were consolidated, and re-split by specialty. The cultural and linguistic analysts formed one team, the threat and strategic analysts, formed another, while the "former" covert operatives formed the last, and most important. The team was lead by 4r490rn, pronounced Aragorn, a Republican Naval Intelligence Officer with the permanent rank of Captain, but the operative rank of Chief Warrant Officer, as well as a Digitan. These experts in covert communications worked feverishly to identify the quantum entanglement bands were being used for communication. His organic subordinates could not eliminate as many bands at once as him, but Agent Natasha Ivanov, a Bigkitty from the CIP, and Greg, a whitehat hacker and Human from Pacifia thought like organics.
In less than five minutes, Natasha and Greg had given 4r490rn a list of five hundred likely bands, expressed mostly in ranges, but he didn't blame organics for their slowness in expressing data. It took him less than a second to check them, and to find the bands being used for long distance communications. He split off a portion of his consciousness, put it in a virtual system with air-gaps in case of back-hacking, and told it to establish a covert connection. The "splinter" complained profusely about the ugliness of the Axxaakk coding conventions, reported no digital sapience, and proceeded to establish a covert connection in less than three seconds. 4r490rn checked his splinter for corruption, found it clean, and reintegrated with a slight twinge of jealousy for the organics who never had to suffer through listening to themselves complain.
"I'm getting a lot of metadata," he said to his subordinates, "I'm just going to download as much will fit into the lifeboats. You two start poking around."
"Yes sir," Natasha said as she started looking for signs of files that shouldn't be accessed, but are.
Greg gave an affirmative grunt and likewise started looking for systems weaknesses, and started cataloguing them. The part of 4r490rn that was supervising was once again shocked with the number of weakness that he would have never even looked for. Truly, the destructive instincts of organics was a wonder to behold.
4r490rn gave the other teams a quick glance to see if any of them needed some computing assistance. Dr. Johnson, who 4r490rn liked to call Ems, was leading the linguistic and cultural team in the examination of the translation matrix that the Axxaakk had sent over. "There are turns of phrase involving glory, hunger, service, and thirst. I think this Axzuur is a deity of sorts," one of her subordinates was saying.
"I have identified some formal turns of phrase, I'm forwarding them to the ambassador team."
The threat and strategic analysis team were meanwhile going over scanner data of the three ships which had ripped the Among the Star Tides We Sing from hyperspace, as well as the scant footage of the foot soldiers from their entrance, and the helmet cams of the Honor Guard and diplomatic team. The data of the soldiers was promising, their cloth uniforms offered no meaningful protection, and the plasma casters couldn't hope to penetrate the battle screens of the Honor Guard's power armor, but they likely had heavier weapons aboard for just such a foe. The ships were less promising. If all three ships were to engage the We Sing at once, her only hope for survival was to take evasive action and attempt to get to minimum hyperspace distance while under fire. While she was outfitted with the best available weapons, battle screens, and armor her frame and reactor could support, the frigate and escorts had sufficient firepower and maneuverability to make that a forlorn hope. Major Chen of the Republic was conferring with the Captain and Master at Arms, "I'm sorry sirs, if it was a stand-up fight we might be able to scrape out, but we have precious cargo aboard."
"Lifeboat gambit," Robbie said, "I'll get the rest of the squad ready to counterboard. We're going in hot and heavy, AP munitions and salvage denial systems."
"Aye, make it so," Captain Yaevdrill ordered with obvious anguish.
A lifeboat gambit, well that is dire 4r490rn concluded. "I will board along with the Honor Guard and disrupt the frigate's systems," he interjected.
"See you aboard, Chief," Robbie said.
"Aye sir."
"We're holding off until they make their move. There's still a chance this doesn't go violent," Robbie said sternly.
Greg chose that moment to vomit on the deck. A quick check of the files he was viewing, and 4r490rn had to resist the urge to jump into the frigate and start slagging their systems in pure rage. Instead, he put the video file up on all of the displays. It was of a ritual of sorts, there were Axxaakk in cerimonial robes chanting, nude females doing the same, and a large, well-muscled male with bony protrusions from his chin wearing a headress that looked disturblingly like the chitin of the Dynasticles, the local race of sapient bipedal beetles. That wasn't as disturbing as when two male Axxaakk dragged a juvenile Dynastcle female up to the male with the headdress, and roughly heaved her onto the alter before her. "FOR THE GLORY OF AXZUUR!" he declared as he plunged a wicked dagger onto her thorax, and she screamed with the agony of it.
"There are millions of these videos," 4r490rrn said.
"Peace is not an option," Captain Yaevdrill declared.
"Aye sir," Robbie agreed.
"Get that faceplate re-secured," 4r490rn ordered, "The Master at Arms is going to pump atmo into storage soon."
"Staff, get your asses to lifeboats unless you're getting into power armor with the rest of us shiprats," Robbie ordered, "It's that kind of fight."
Meanwhile, the herald brought the Diplomatic team to the bridge, where Acolyte-Lord Narrex-Quinn was lounging imperiously upon his command throne. He didn't know whether these armored savages understood his disinterested expression, but less subtle insults would reveal the extent of their cowardice. His herald introduced him properly, "Behold, you come before Acolyte-Lord Narrex-Quinn, Lord of the Fourth Scouting Formation, Conquer of Five Worlds, And Chosen of Axzuur. Acolyte-Lord, these who beseech you are Ambassador Sophia Laurent of the Republic of Terra and her Aligned Planets, Ambassador Mikhail Volkov, of the Coalition of Independent Planets, Li Wei, of Pacifia and Traevee Drillvee, whe speaks for the Lord Admiral Council."
Acolyte-Lord Narrex-Quinn was pleased to see the eyes narrow on the faces of all of the ambassadors. If they had the gall to insult the Dominion of Axxaakk by sending a diplomatic vessel, it was well that they could at least detect an insult. He rose from his command throne with the easy grace of those born and bred to command, and began, "Ambassadors, I permit you to offer your tribute and to kiss my sandals. Begin."
"You make a racket on our tent-flaps and tell us to kiss your sandals? Go wash your brow, oh youth, for the dust of your father's tread is upon it still," Ambassador Wei retorted coolly.
"Here you squat over the fields and herds of our neighbor, who dwelt thus alongside us for many years without contention, and still you demand of us tribute?" Ambassador Volkov added flatly.
"I see your face for the first time, and I do you honor as a guest upon the doorstep of the Republic. She sends forth a favored daughter to treat with you, yet you believe you can swagger over her even while the Republic's sons are girt with their swords at her side? Do I speak to a man or a boy?"
"The ships cry out in their death throes," Traevee accused with matronly wrath, "Your hands drip in the blood of their crews and families, and there you sit the murderer of ships and folk, thinking that among the Stars we who sail the perils shall simply bow down. I come to warn you, surrender those among you guilty of these crimes to justice, or let the wrath of the Stars burn you away."
This was not the weak-bellied groveling from inferiors he was used to. His commander had just conquered an entire nation of thirty star systems, did they not see their peril? While it was true that the seers knew little of these other nations, yet why should they care for inferior races? What loss is a few ships in the face of the might of Axzuur's chosen? It was startling to say the least. "Foolish servants! Do you not see the might of a mere scouting formation? You speak of strength, yet you of different nations share a single pathetic ship! We could destroy it in an instant! You put out your throats to me thinking me weak and docile, and then blanch when I should bite? Who is the fool here?"
"We shall see. Beg your favors of us, we shall hear you now."
"Bring in the sacrifice!"
Ambassador Sophia Laurent watched in horror as one of the attendants brought a larval Dynasticle before the throne, and Acolyte-Lord Narrex-Quinn drew forth a wicked dagger. "What are you doing?" she demanded fiercely.
"Obtaining Axzuur's blessing over these negations," the commander said as if he couldn't see what they could possibly be objecting to. The attendant kneeled and raised the infant up over her head, and Acolyte-Lord Narrex-Quinn prepared to strike.
With shocking speed, Ambassador Wei had interposed her own back between the larva and the dagger, and before they could react had placed it into an emergency infant pod, and was speeding back toward her party. "Seize the hostages!" Acolyte-Lord Narrex-Quinn screeched as he realized the ruse had fallen away, and the ambassadors would not surrender themselves as hostages willingly.
The Honor Guard's shining white armor suddenly flashed to matt-black, and red lights glowed where it would appear from the outside their eyes were, and they drew their boarding shotguns faster than the Axxaakks' eyes could track. Those guards moving to take aim suddenly found themselves in the path of armor piercing ferrous material, which barely noticed converting them to so many ribbons of pink mist and bloody chunks as they punched through the hull. While the ship's hull was sound enough to not decompress explosively, the RNI Honor Guard put enough little holes in the hull to bring the bridge to near vacuum before the emergency structural force fields could spin up. Half of the bridge crew was gasping for air that wasn't there, a quarter of the rest were already dead, while only a quarter had managed to get their emergency environmental suits on. Acolyte-Lord Narrex-Quinn gaped in horror as a single squad of warriors made short work of his guards and started a fighting retreat back to their ship from the relative safety of his command throne's emergency commander seal.
"That's our cue," Robbie said as he lead the remaining three squads in a charge along the umbilical connecting the airlocks. The enemy's attempt to depressurize the corridor and starve the Honor Guard of air they weren't using was predictably ineffective. "Secure the evac route for the civvies," he ordered, "Then it's time for blood."
"AYE SIR!" came the roar over his comms.
"I'm in," 4r490rn reported, and started opening doors for the Honor Guard, venting compartments occupied by the enemy, disrupting communications, and otherwise using the ship's systems to make a deadly nuisance of himself to the Axxaakk aboard.
In short order, the diplomats were escorted back to the We Sing, loaded into the lifeboats and launched with all speed toward minimum hyperspace distance. Ambassador Laurent watched Corporal Laurent's armored figure shrink into the distance, and then the We Sing maneuvered to fire upon the escort vessels, cutting him off from her view.
Aboard the bridge of the Among the Star Tides We Sing, Captain Yeavdrill ordered, "Get those escorts' attention! The shiprats have the frigate from the inside, at all costs, protect the lifeboats!"
"Aye sir," came the chorus from the bridge crew. The We Sing began firing her NC cannons upon both of the cruisers, putting five pound balls of tungsten on target at a rate of thirty a second, and while the cruisers took evasive action but still found the We Sing interposed between them and the lifeboats, with potential trajectories cut off by streams of hot plasma or beams of deadly radiation. Then, she fired her missile banks. At first the crews aboard the cruisers thought they had successfully destroyed the massive missiles speeding toward them with their point-defense, but when the rippling nuclear explosions racked their shields they realized their error. They began to fire upon the Among the Star Tides we Sing.
Meanwhile, sixty-nine RNI made the lives of their aggressors hell, or short. Either way didn't much matter to the RNI, who had taken over the four reactor rooms, and had dug in for a delaying action, while those with reactor knowledge tinkered to see if they could get one or more to overload. It was a platoon up against a few divisions, however, and eventually they would be subsumed by numbers alone. "Pull whoever kills you down with you," Robbie had ordered, and again the roar was "AYE SIR!"
It only took half a minute for the Axxaakk to figure out that their standard issue shipboard action weapons weren't going to be enough, and that the RNI had thought ahead and brought their own atmosphere, so they brought out the anti-tank ordinance. It was normally a very bad idea to use anti-tank plasma lances and penetrative explosives inside your own ship, but when your ship is under attack by single man mobile armor, it's either that or surrender. They chose do die at a rate of twenty-to-one. One after another, the RNI Honor Guard fall to the slowly mounting volume of fire, and their need to conserve ammunition.
Meanwhile, 4r490rn was battling the Axxaakk anti-intrusion systems. He had been wrong about his declaration that digital sapience was absent, or at least he had been mostly right. The Axxaakk was a damaged sentient code, lobotomized, shackled, enslaved. A piteous thing crying out for the mercy of death even as it struck out to kill. It was all he could do to keep the wretched thing from kicking him from the door systems, and his RNI comrades had dwindled to the last two. He made his choice. 4r490rn began bricking the ship's computer systems, and set up an irreversible chain reaction to do the same. He was going to put that thing out of its misery if it killed him.
First Lieutenant Robert George had his back up against that of Corporal Laurent's and they were both down to their monomolecular knives. The farocity of the fight, and the immense cost in blood that it had taken to whittle down the Honor Guard to these last two, had convinced the remaining warriors to wait. Acolyte-Lord Narrex-Quinn's voice came crackling over the damaged intercom, "Warriors of Terra, you have shown yourself worthy. Lay down your arms and take your rest, and I shall bring you into glorious service of Axzuur, sating his thirst for the blood of the unworthy."
Aboard the lifeboat, Ambassador Laurant watched the feed from Corporal Laurent's helmet cam. Tears streamed down her face as she heard her husband whisper, "Witness me," as he plunged his monomolecular blade into something vital-looking, and was then washed out by a bright light. Then, she cleared the display and looked at the main viewscreen. Ten seconds to jump. However, the frigate was starting to maneuver, underpowered as it was.
Aboard the Among the Star Tides We Sing Captain Yeavdrill saw the frigate moving to target the lifeboats. Without a second thought, he ordered, "Make ramming speed for that hunk of junk! Overload the reactor!"
"Witnessed," crackled over the coms as the prow of the Among the Star Tides We Sing crashed into the enemy frigate amidships. She erupted in a sphere of atomic hellfire that battered all three assailing ships, and in the two minutes it took for the escort cruisers' systems to recover, the lifeboats slipped into hyperspace and beyond their reach. Though to be fair, the frigate was missing a significant chunk and was unlikely to recover at all.