#they can live in the smaller accessible house/flat instead of their larger and less manageable house

[trans-cuchulainn]

i just booked to view two flats (to buy) (i'm probably not going to buy them) (i would only be co-buying them even if i did bc i can't afford a mortgage) (they're in a good location though it would be way nearer to useful things even if there's still no bus) and they asked me no questions beyond contact details when i called them about a viewing. is that normal. shouldn't they have tried to check i'm serious. i had all my answers prepared re: the finances and they didn't care

[irigoddess]

Incomplete Kyuzo/Phatrong Masterpost

Apparently this post didn’t work once I changed URLs so... yeah. Here you go. 

Kyuzoni biology:

The Kyuzo are an omnivorous reptilian species; while they are reptilian, they are warm blooded and do not lay eggs. They evolved this way because of the sometimes violent weather on Phatrong. It turned out that the weather was not suitable for eggs - thus they evolved to give birth…even if the process is awkward and painful.

Kyuzo skin is rough, but not scaly like Trandoshans. Skin colors can range anywhere from green, to yellow, to blue and in between. However, those who are purely yellow or blue have a common pigmentation disorder. Their health is not negatively affected because of this, although people might treat them differently depending on where they live.

All Phatrongi Kyuzo are born with honeycomb eyes, that can be any color. Their eyes tend to glow in the dark, and they can see in the dark better than most humanoids. (I’ll be honest, I’m not really sure where that one writer was going with when he said most Kyuzo had poor eye sight. I tend to ignore it.)

Other than having slightly wider hips, cis females are very similar to cis males. They do not have breasts or any noticeable secondary sex traits. While cis males tend to be a bit taller and wider framed, its not uncommon for cis females to have those traits, and vice versa. Intersex Kyuzo are common. Gender is very fluid among the Kyuzo, as parents tend to raise their children without a defined gender; when the child is of age, they get to decided what their gender is. Thus, being trans or nonbinary is prevalent.

The Kyuzo can be up to 7′6″ tall, with most falling in the 6′ to 6′6″ range. They tend to be a little larger than humans, body wise, but are considerably more agile.

The weakest part of the Kyuzo is their lungs; if there is too much moisture in the air, they can easily contract pneumonia. Too much oxygen in the air and they’ll suffocate. Thus the reason they wear masks off planet.  (Those who were involved with making Constable Zuvio also said that they wear bandages over their mouths but I’m still trying to figure out…..how that works exactly…)

Kyuzo, beyond that, are an incredibly hearty species that can live upward of three hundred years. After reaching sexual maturity at around young adulthood, their aging slows down. Whatever kills them before old age is usually attributed to their lungs or more physical means. They can contract other diseases, but they are usually nonfatal. Usually.

They have an amazing amount of stamina and can run at speeds that are hard for most humanoids to attain. They, unfortunately, have high pain tolerances and a hard time receiving fatigue messages to the brain, and this generally spells out problems. Kyuzos have been known to run themselves to death - literally. It’s not uncommon for families to find the bodies of missing members hundreds of miles away from where they were last seen. They have to make a very conscious effort to stop, or they won’t.

Kyuzo are much stronger than humanoids, and can jump higher. Most outsiders confuse them as force sensitives for this reason. Though Kyuzo are commonly Force-sensitive, they fight tooth and nail to keep their kids from the Jedi.

Culture:

Clothing:

Most feminine presenting Kyuzo wear headwraps/headdresses. Other than displaying wealth and covering cold heads, there isn’t much of a reason that they wear the headdresses. It’s not required, but most feminine presenting people wear them because they grew up seeing other feminine presenting people wearing them. If one is wealthy, their headdresses will tend to be large and elaborate; it’s not uncommon for one to wear a headdress that is pounds upon pounds of metals, jewels, and cloth. Poorer feminine presenting people generally just wear cloth, or nothing at all.

Kyuzoni clothing is colorful and flowy; people wear very similar clothing, no matter what gender they are. Dresses and skirts are very common, and people will generally go topless. While most colors are okay to use, there are certain colors that are not used in everyday clothing, such as purple, light blue, gold, and white; the Kyuzo place sacred meaning in some colors, so they are only supposed to be used for special events.

Phatrong’s army/police force wear loose, non-restricting clothing with a leather-like armor covering their chests. Their family’s crest is painted upon the armor, in case that the warrior is killed in action. Their clothing is trimmed in gold, which represents bravery and wisdom.

Light blue cloth, specifically headwraps or shirts, signify that a wedding is approaching. Purple is a wedding color, as it signifies prosperity and commitment; wedding clothes are trimmed with silver. White is only used for funerals or births, as it signifies both death and the innocence of new life.

Music/Art:

Music on Phatrong generally revolves around stringed instruments and percussion instruments; they don’t generally listen to music for leisure. Music is only played at festivals, and generally tells the stories of ancient heroes and gods. The Kyuzo also create dances to these story-songs, to make things more dramatic.

Art varies around Phatrong. By the oceans, it’s mostly glass-work like beads and giant stained glass windows. Those Kyuzo that live by the rivers create pottery. Richer families will paint large murals that will cover the walls of their homes. These murals tell tales of their gods, but more often than not they are used almost like photographs that capture small moments in the lives of the family. Jewelry making is also common.

Religion:

The Kyuzo believe in a polytheistic system; the most prominent goddess is Vohaoya (Vo-ha-oy-ah), the mother of the gods and creator of worlds. She represents women, fertility, life, and nature; she is described as having a mostly Kyuzoni appearance, with three eyes and four arms. Often, she is shown in art or statues sitting cross-legged, cradling Phatrong in her lap; her arms are either pointing toward the sky, or she is making gestures with her hands. Her bottom arms are often portrayed as laying flat against her legs with palms upturned - this relays openness. Her left top arm is often resting on the planet, which portrays her protective nature. And her right top arm is often pointed upward, her pointer finger curling in toward her palm while the rest of her fingers are outstretched; this is a symbol of love for the Kyuzo. Her statues are mostly made out of gold, but are painted with the likeness of galaxies; some people swear that the stars shift in the right light.

Other more minor deities include Ixpi, the goddess of peace, and her brother Echting, the god of war. Because the Kyuzo like to believe that they are a peaceful race, Echting is often described as a villain. Ixpi is described as a small, rainbow-colored being that floats rather than walks; besides being the goddess of peace, she is also a patron of happiness, sunrise, and the LGBT community on Phatrong. Echting is also the god of destruction, mayhem, and storms; he is often described as a fiery being too bright to look at. He is surrounded by lightning and is easily angered.

The Kyuzo have many other gods, but they are not nearly as important as the three mentioned above.

Legend has it that Vohaoya created the Warriors of old to protect the gods from those that wished to harm them. They were created from the rich soil, and they were considered divine beings. In the modern era of Phatrong, it is still considered one of the highest honors to be a Warrior.

General cultural headcanons:

The Kyuzo tend to live in large villages or the few small cities around the planet; those who are born into the more obscure villages often never leave the villages.

Villages are generally comprised of thousands of people, all of which are extended family members. Separate families can have more than twenty-five members, all living in one house. Villagers take turns tending to the communal farm, which produces most of their food and fibers for clothing; to supplement the farm, they also forage, hunt, and fish.

Village born Kyuzo are very secluded, only working with neighboring villages to marry off their children. Because of their seclusion, they are the more suspicious and less educated than their city counterparts. Knowledge is passed down through the generations as those born in the villages don’t have access to teachers. At most, they know Kyuzoni and basic math: they are instead taught more practical skills, like sewing, cooking, cleaning, and animal husbandry.

There are two ‘real’ cities on Phatrong, Shutalo and Shouji; Shutalo (Shoo-tah-loh) is the capital city, to the north. Shouji (Show-zhee) is a large industrial city in the southern hemisphere. Any outside trade is limited to these two areas.

Kyuzo that live in the city tend to have smaller families, with about six members at the most. The Kyuzo in the cities have actual jobs, but they don’t make money; they are given items of use instead. (Think of bartering, almost. If they work at a textile store, they are given cloth, which can then be traded for food, etc.) Villages that have produced too much food or are in need of other items will sell food to the city folk.

City Kyuzo have better access to education, although it’s still not the best in the galaxy. Most city Kyuzo learn things like writing, higher levels of math, and an objective look on the planet’s history. Kyuzo that wish to learn beyond that must travel off planet.

It’s extremely difficult for Kyuzos to speak Basic, just because Kyuzoni and Basic are so different. It can take years and years just to get the verbal language down, and that doesn’t count how long it takes for them to learn to read Aurebesh. If the Kyuzo do manage to figure out how to speak Basic, they have thick accents that are often hard to understand, thus making them vulnerable to mockery.

Politics on Phatrong are strange as the government actually doesn’t do much. The senate, located in Shutalo, is a group of Kyuzo (and a few Kataline) from various villages and cities that are there to set basic laws so that they can have a seat in the Council of Neutral Systems. Really, the various villages will set their own rules, and as long as it doesn’t interfere with the senate, they’re generally alright with it. (A law would include: Murder is punishable by death. But their definition of murder is loose and up to interpretation.)

Kyuzo children (generally young men but it’s not limited to males) learn to fight from the moment they can understand. The Kyuzo, although a generally ‘peaceful’ race, train their children to become a quasi-army/police force. The most promising fighters are then shipped off to various academies around Phatrong to train with masters to hone their skills. Many children, as a result of poor quality of life at the academies and dangerous fighting practices, end up dying. It is rare that the academies are punished. The children that make it then must complete a three-year stint as an active warrior; those who passed but are not necessarily promising are sent to protect sacred temples. Those who show a certain level of finesse can continue to climb the ranks until they are high-ranking military officials. They act more like a police force than a military, but they have the training just in case.

Kyuzo children are often promised to each other at birth; throughout their childhoods, they get to meet and connect with their betrothed. They generally marry at eighteen, with a week-long festival preceding it. Wives are considered sacred embodiments of the Goddess Vohaoya, and are limited to bearing five children; superstition says that having too many children will thin out the wife’s existence. Daughters are vitally important to carry on their mother’s bloodline.

Because Kyuzo value large family, a husband will take a wetzandi as well; a wetzandi, or birth maid, is a younger woman who births the rest of a man’s children. A wetzandi is someone who is generally caught bedding out of wedlock, or has committed some other small crime against the goddesses. Unfortunately, they are not valued by most, and are treated as little more than breeding stock.

[prestiagecity]

10 Advantages Of Living In An Apartment

For Details Call: +917077097164

Apartments or flats are self-contained housing units made up of one or more rooms that occupy a portion of a building with many levels and floors. Apartments are becoming more popular in metropolitan areas as a result of their space efficiency. One of the numerous advantages of apartment living is the expanding population and rising property values.

Moving to a new home is a big life choice because it will be where you spend the majority of your time. A final choice of this magnitude needs a very clear vision as well as a thorough financial analysis.

We've compiled a list of ten benefits of living in an apartment for you to consider.

 Financial Advantage:

The primary benefit of living in an apartment is that the cost of living is significantly lower. When compared to a house, an apartment is far less expensive. In addition, due to the close-knit culture, overall monthly maintenance costs are reduced.

Amenities:

Apartments are communal complexes featuring various facilities such as gyms, playgrounds, pools, and convenience stores. Because the costs would be shared by all residents, these facilities will be available at an affordable cost. It might be a very handy living situation for you.

Secure housing:

All residents of apartments are protected by a secure security system. The neighbors are also nearby and can keep an eye on what's going on in and around your flat. For single women, children, the elderly, and families, multi-unit apartments are usually a safe living environment.

Maintenance:

As previously stated, you are not responsible for the upkeep of the surroundings around you; instead, the apartment committee will pay individuals to do so. You may enjoy all of the advantages of living in a self-contained home without having to spend time maintaining it.

Size:

Apartments are smaller than a standalone bungalow in terms of space. A typical mid-size apartment has two or three bedrooms, a living room, and a kitchen. The room isn't huge, but it's plenty for a family of four or six people. Small families will find it manageable to maintain and operate in their busy life.

Exceptional Location:

Apartments in good locations closer to the city center are more inexpensive due to their reduced expenses. You have the option of choosing an apartment that is closer to your employment or educational institutions.

Community:

An apartment complex is made up of several houses that are all connected. The social gatherings and relationships formed during the residence are a significant benefit. Humans are sociable creatures that like social interactions, and living life together increases the chances of forming enduring friendships.

Sellable:

When compared to the costs of independent houses, purchasing an apartment does not bind you to large obligations for a longer period. An apartment is easy to sell since it has a larger market than its equivalent.

Possibilities for Parking:

Your vehicle's parking space may be limited in some houses. Apartments, on the other hand, frequently feature big parking areas with enough space to store a second vehicle if necessary.

Accessibility:

One of the nicest aspects of living in an apartment complex is how close everything you need is. The general demography of a neighborhood usually determines the placement of a shopping complex. Shopkeepers tend to open stores for basics near these premises as a result of the bigger population residing in one spot.

Conclusion

Choosing an apartment may be a challenging task. These advantages of picking an apartment as your home, on the other hand, might provide you with a clear picture of this bargain. For cheap houses in amazing settings, check out The Prestige City at Sarjapur Road in Bangalore by The Prestige Group.

[coopdigitalnewsletter]

8 May 2019: Net zero by 2050. Unstaffed shops. The shop in your car. Food delivery.

Hello, this is the Co-op Digital newsletter - it looks at what's happening in the internet/digital world and how it's relevant to the Co-op, to retail businesses, and most importantly to people, communities and society. Thank you for reading - send ideas and feedback to @rod on Twitter. Please tell a friend about it!

[Image: Climate Change Committee.]

Net zero by 2050

MPs passed a motion making the UK parliament the first in the world to declare an “environment and climate emergency”.

The UK could end its contribution to global warming within 30 years by setting an ambitious new target to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050, says the Committee on Climate Change. The report says that we could achieve 0% for the same cost as an 80% reduction was anticipated in the Climate Change Act 2008. Critically, the required technology is fairly well understood, so there’s no magic wanding in the report. What’s needed is policy and legislation. A good summary and commentary. Box 4 on page 25 of the report is a useful checklist of things people can do individually. (Related: your food choices and climate change.)

The headline aim is big and far off. Assuming that this gets translated into legislation and policy, it would be good to see many smaller milestones as the targets. Otherwise it will be just too easy to gradually fall into a “well, we knew we weren’t going to make it, shrug” trap. The Scottish gov responded immediately, committing to carbon neutral by 2040 and zero emissions by 2045.

Unstaffed shops: scan and bag as you go

Ringing changes: UK's first till-free grocery shop opens in London. Sainsbury’s sensibly picked a store opposite head office and which already had a high percentage of contactless payments. It has been remodelled to remove checkouts, and the range modified to streamline the transaction process (eg no products requiring age verification). This builds on Sainsbury’s 2018 trial of app payments in a handful of London convenience stores.

The service presents customers with some barriers at the moment: you need to know your Nectar account’s login details in order to sign into the app. (That piece thinks that a larger amount of customer data is being collected, and makes the related point that cash payments are under threat on high streets. You could imagine a supermarket leading with a strong privacy story and guaranteed free cashpoints.)

The shop or the warehouse in your car

Ford joins GM and Volvo in allowing Amazon deliver to your car. The idea is that you can get things securely delivered to your car while you’re at work or out shopping. Perhaps it’s a less alarming idea for shoppers than the prospect of delivery right into their kitchen.

Another way to see this is that the retailer is getting you to do the last X miles of delivery to your home - you might think of it as a halfway house between retail and delivery. But if you need to drive somewhere in a hurry while a delivery to your car is scheduled, can the delivery still happen? Would an Amazon delivery van chase your car around town? The other thing in that story is car manufacturers integrating apps into their in-car services: you’ll be able to buy car washes from some Fords.

So you could imagine a couple of directions from here:

The car becomes a local warehouse: Amazon delivers goods to your car and you get discounts, Prime points or cash money if you provide the last-five-mile delivery service for others who live near you.

The car becomes a shop: and where the cars aren’t owned by you, the in-car app experiences become a way of paying for the ride.

Related: McDonald’s is streamlining menus to reduce operational complexity and speed up drive through times.

Food delivery

The future of food delivery - an interesting deck, a bit US- and Uber-centric, written by a former Uber Eats data scientist. Notable: DashPass uses an Amazon Prime-like flat monthly fee to cut out delivery fees - they’re growing fast. His conclusion is that the US (and presumably other territories) will eventually see delivery services that bundle many deliverable services into one app like Meituan’s, or at least into an operational back end - Amazon, Uber maybe?

But food delivery is an expensive business. What’s a supermarket with many locations to do? Perhaps look at the opposite: instead of adding delivery-to-home, have everything come to the supermarket. Make it possible and inviting for shoppers to get *everything* they buy delivered to the supermarket? Supermarkets would need more lockers or an Argos- or post office-like back stage area for storage.

Crypto corner

Bitcoin ownership among 18-35s is not far off stock ownership. “To help put the millennial proclivity to Bitcoin in perspective: Only 37% of people under 35 are invested in the stock market  -  so the data point that 20% of those in the same group own Bitcoin is particularly surprising.” If that survey is representative, either cryptos are going to do pretty well in the next 20 years, or people currently under 35 may face disappointingly mathemythical retirements.

Amazon has opened up access to its Managed Blockchain service - "It appears AWS is targeting businesses dealing with finance, logistics, retail, and energy management for the service, highlighting they can rely on it to keep an immutable record of their transactions without the need of a trusted authority." Though there is a central authority of sorts, Amazon.

Ordinarily there would be no need to read a long piece about cryptofans having a conference on a cruise ship, but this one is good.

Other news

Walgreens Boots is spending $300m “digitalising” its business, and hopes to save $5-600m yearly in IT costs. The spend is going on partners (eg Microsoft Azure) and internal programmes.

“Acting ethically is hard. We face constant countervailing pressures, and there is always the risk we’ll get it wrong. Unless we acknowledge that, we leave room for the tech industry to turn ethics into “ethics theater”—the vague checklists and principles, powerless ethics officers, and toothless advisory boards, designed to save face, avoid change, and evade liability.”

Four things we’ve learned about government payments platforms - Public Digital.

Co-op Digital news

Data ethics canvas: helping us make good data decisions from the start - “The canvas allows teams to design with data in mind [and helps] teams move forward quickly and autonomously and feel confident that they’re doing the right thing for our members, colleagues and communities.”

Events

Public events:

Cloud Native Manchester - Wed 8 May 6.30pm at Federation House.

Manchester Word Press user group - Wed 15 May 6.30pm at Federation House.

User Research North: An evening with Jared Spool - Tue 28 May 6.30pm at BookingGo, 35 Fountain Street M2 2AN.

Internal events:

Co-operate show & tell - Wed 8 May 10am at Federation House 6th floor.

OIS May showcase - Wed 8 May 10am at Miller House 5th floor.

Data management show & tell - Thu 9 May 3pm at Angel Square 13th floor.

Membership show & tell - Fri 10 May 3pm at Fed House 6th floor.

Delivery community of practice meet-up - Mon 13 May 1.30pm at Fed House.

Shifts show & tell - Tue 14 May 10am at Fed House 6th floor.

What has the web team been up to playback - Tue 14 May 1pm at Fed House 5th floor.

Food ecommerce show & tell - Tue 14 May 1.30pm at Fed House 5th floor.

Line managers' drop-in clinic - Tue 14 May 2pm at Fed House 5th floor.

Health team show & tell - Tue 14 May 2.30pm at Fed House 5th floor.

Data ecosystem show & tell - Wed 15 May 3pm at Angel Square 13th floor.

More events at Federation House - and you can contact the events team at  federation.events@coopdigital.co.uk. And TechNW has a useful calendar of events happening in the North West.

Thank you for reading

Thank you, clever and considerate readers and contributors. Please continue to send ideas, questions, corrections, improvements, etc to the newsletterbot’s flunky @rod on Twitter. If you have enjoyed reading, please tell a friend!

If you want to find out more about Co-op Digital, follow us @CoopDigital on Twitter and read the Co-op Digital Blog.

[ahnsael]

Last night was a much smoother night than the night before. No ambulance calls...there were a LOT of dirty ashtrays, but it was party day (first Saturday of every month is party day were we have giveaways and such) so that was to be expected.

The only hiccup -- during the party, three of our four cash-out kiosks (where people put in their cash-out vouchers and the cash they won -- or had left when they gave up on winning -- is automatically dispensed to them) ran low enough on money that they all shut down. One was working when I got there, but it also ran too low on funds about an hour later and also shut down (and I’m not someone with access to refill them, at least so far).

So I had to cash everybody out myself (not a HUGE deal -- it’s a pretty simple process to scan the voucher and verify that it’s legit, and then pay the person, then put a line through the bar code and write “PAID” on it, then run a report at the end of the shift of every voucher I ran, with the voucher itself as supporting paperwork to show that I did indeed pay it, and didn’t just hand out money for no reason).

But...it was a lot of vouchers.

Well, maybe not that many. I think I paid 13 all night (plus two hand pays, where the machine wasn’t communicating with our voucher system for a short time and wouldn’t print one for them at all, so I had to do different, somewhat more complicated paperwork, and then pay them after I had all four required signatures to verify that I had paid this “mystery money” for a legitimate reason).

But all in all, I paid out over $3,000.  If someone would have hit one of our larger jackpots (or even two of our smaller ones), I would have had to get creative. Granted, if “getting creative” is factored in, I could have paid probably three large jackpots or six smaller ones, but nobody hit one. And while I’ve paid multiple jackpots in a single shift, it’s pretty rare.

We have a couple of jackpots that are due to hit any day now, if my gut feeling/past history is any indication (there is one that I was SURE was going to pay yesterday between my shifts, but apparently four people who all knew each other played all four of those machines, at 1¢/spin -- so it didn’t even go up much; it went up more during my shift last night than it did between the shift I left yesterday morning and the shift I started last night). It didn’t.

I chased it for a little bit this morning (I didn’t hit it, but my $100 investment turned into $300 and I chose to cash out rather than keep chasing the $1,050 jackpot -- which is supposed to pay by $1,199). It may still be there when I get to work tonight.

I did have a few players there last night -- and they were all nice people, and I would have loved to pay them. Especially since that jackpot is designed to not HAVE to be paid by a casino attendant, because it maxes out at $1199.99 and taxable jackpots are $1,200 or more.

If it’s still there when I get off work tomorrow, I may spend a little too much money chasing it. But that would be okay if I hit it. But that all depends on how close it is to its maximum. Because when it is hit, it has a random number generator which tells it, “when the jackpot hits this particular amount, pay it.” And whoever places the bet that increases the jackpot to that amount, is the one who wins it.

If it’s still over $100 away, I won’t spend more than $20 chasing it. But if it’s at something like $1,195, I’m gonna chase it until it pays -- because that would happen before I lost more than I would win (I love being the shift that tracks our progressive jackpots and knows all this -- but is also allowed to gamble at the casino, including on the very same progressive jackpots that I track).

I may have had to pay someone in all $20s instead of our usual $100s if multiple people had hit last night (our policy is to pay in the biggest bills possible unless requested otherwise, because if someone hits $4,000 -- which I’ve seen happen several times now; that’s a Royal Flush betting five $1 credits -- and we pay them $3,600 in $100 bills and the rest in $20s, that looks like we’re “fishing for tips,” which is a thing our company is against (and I’m 100% okay with this policy -- while tips are wonderful, and I love getting them [managers on my shift are the only ones in the company allowed to even get them, though I usually leave them to my staff unless we get enough that, even splitting it evenly, all of us can have a nice chunk of change]).

I don’t do what I do for tips, and I want to provide the same level of service to a non-tipper as I do to someone who tips us out -- this is my record -- $140 to each person who is working if they hit a jackpot (there were three of us). That person literally tipped out over 20% of her win, when I include the bartender (who doesn’t split tips with the rest of us unless they choose to -- and they never do, naturally, but they tipped him on top of the tip they gave the rest of us).

But it’s not a requirement, and we’re not supposed to even DISCUSS tips on the casino floor lest we end up pressuring someone into thinking they have to tip us (that’s a company rule I’m still trying to pound into my employees’ heads because some get really upset if someone doesn’t tip on a jackpot but we don’t know if they just came out WAY ahead or whether they have already put in MUCH more than what they just won -- even on a $4,000 jackpot sometimes that person may be $5,000 in on that machine and now they’re at least in better shape but they could still be down a grand) so it’s not our place, policy-wise or Kenny-wise, to question the lack of a tip.

So for you occasional Vegas (or other gambling destination) visitors: I can’t speak to policies at other companies or as to whether you are treated well if you don’t tip on a big win. Or even for a drink. I still have to remind my bartenders that they should provide the same service/drinks to a non-tipper as to a good tipper.

You are not required to tip.

If you do, that’s fantastic. From someone who has made it to my next paycheck simply because of tips, I can tell you with 100% certainty that any tips you give are appreciated. I personally tip when I can -- usually $2 per drink (it used to be $1, but one of my favorite players at MY Casino always tips $2, and I no emulate her in that -- and it seems to make me VERY welcome at other casinos, as opposed to just being “tolerated”).

And yesterday, I had a VERY good day. I gambled too much this week, and as a result lost too much money. But yesterday, I got a few VERY nice wins -- which got me my entire paycheck back and then some (you should NEVER count on this, and I still shouldn’t have gambled as much as I did, but at least the $20 I put in yesterday turned into -- very literally -- $700 by the time I left). I tipped my cocktail waitress/slot attendant (the same person; they do both) $20. I tipped one of the porters (that’s “custodian” to those of you who don’t know the term “porter,” as I did not before I was in the business) $20. I even went to the bartender and handed him $20 (even though I’m pretty sure he splits the tips that the server gets). That was on top of my regular $2/drink tip.

I don’t say this to say “this is how you do it.” How you do it is completely up to you. I’m just saying that we appreciate tips. But, unlike most food servers at restaurants who are paid less-than-minimum wage, we aren’t (or at least should be) relying on them. Granted, in our company, most employees DO start at less-than-minimum wage (Nevada has a silly law that, if you work for a company that offers health insurance -- which is expensive and not that good, though we’re hoping [and working] to change that -- then that company can pay you $1 less per hour than minimum wage. And we do. And I’d be willing to bet that other casinos in Nevada do the same.

What it all boils down to: tip if you want to. If you don’t want to, don’t tip. For me, personally, I’ll treat you the same way no matter what, but I can’t promise the same from other casino employees (especially if it’s a different company than the one for which I work, where I’m at least TRYING to get the employees on the same page as me -- but since they make a bit less than I do [I’m not exactly getting a living wage but I definitely get by], it’s a hard sell).

If someone is a server (full disclosure: I know from my time in Washington state that there is a state law there that requires servers to get at least minimum wage as opposed to something like $5-$6 less because they’re traditionally tipped -- but not ALWAYS tipped), please tip them. If they’re a casino employee in Nevada, they may be making $1 less than minimum, so tip if you please.

But if you’re ever in MY casino, I’m gonna flat out tell you that while I appreciate any tip(s) you give, whether it’s enough for me to take a cut or not without feeling like a heel (I had two different people tip me $10 each last night -- one of which said “you’re the only cool manager here, so this is for you” -- but I gave both of those tips away because my staff makes less than me and even with an even split as policy says, I would have felt bad taking some of that), they are not necessary.

My industry, and even my company within this industry, is different than most (which is part of what I LOVE about my job). So while this is my point of view on the subject, I cannot promise that every other company in the industry (or other people in that company) will agree with this little rant.

But personally, I’m just happy that you’re in my casino. After all -- you may win or you may lose, but the house ALWAYS has the advantage. So even if you win, someone else will lose. And that’s my job security, right there.

It’s when there’s nobody in my casino at all (tipping or not) that I start worrying about my livelihood. But I’m pretty sure we’re gonna be okay. Even if our head-count goes down to zero sometimes on my graveyard shift, we have a lot of people come in during the day. And even on graveyard, I see more losers than I do winners (I mean that in a “did-they-win-or-did-they-lose” sense, not a “these people are just losers” sense).

Granted, last night we had more winners than losers, it seemed...but that’s great, because they can tell their friends, who will come in and play with us -- and again, while some people will win, and win BIG, in the short term, in the long term the house ALWAYS has the advantage. People can and DO win -- sometimes life-changing amounts of money. But in the long run, I know my paycheck is secure.

[irigoddess]

Kyuzo/Phatrong Headcanon Masterpost

Wowzers, this is a lot of information. It doesn’t cover everything so if there are any questions just ask!

Kyuzoni biology:

The Kyuzo are an omnivorous reptilian species; while they are reptilian, they are warm blooded and do not lay eggs. They evolved this way because of the sometimes violent weather on Phatrong. It turned out that the weather was not suitable for eggs, either - thus they evolved to give birth...even if the process is awkward and painful.

Kyuzo skin is rough, but not scaly like Trandoshans. Skin colors can range anywhere from green, to yellow, to blue and in between. However, those who are purely yellow or blue have a common pigmentation disorder. Their health is not negatively affected because of this, although people might treat them differently depending on where they live.

All Phatrongi Kyuzo are born with honeycomb eyes, that can be any color. Their eyes tend to glow in the dark, and they can see in the dark better than most humanoids. (I’ll be honest, I’m not really sure where that one writer was going with when he said most Kyuzo had poor eye sight. I tend to ignore it.)

Other than having slightly wider hips, cis females are very similar to cis males. They do not have breasts or any noticeable secondary sex traits. While cis males tend to be a bit taller and wider framed, its not uncommon for cis females to have those traits, and vice versa. Intersex Kyuzo are common. Gender is very fluid among the Kyuzo, as parents tend to raise their children without a defined gender; when the child is of age, they get to decided what their gender is. Thus, being trans or nonbinary is prevalent.

The Kyuzo can be up to 7′6″ tall, with most falling in the 6′ to 6′6″ range. They tend to be a little larger than humans, body wise, but are considerably more agile.

The weakest part of the Kyuzo is their lungs; if there is too much moisture in the air, they can easily contract pneumonia. Too much oxygen in the air and they’ll suffocate. Thus the reason they wear masks off planet.  (Those who were involved with making Constable Zuvio also said that they wear bandages over their mouths but I’m still trying to figure out…..how that works exactly…)

Kyuzo, beyond that, are an incredibly hearty species that can live upward of three hundred years. After reaching sexual maturity at around young adulthood, their aging slows down. Whatever kills them before old age is usually attributed to their lungs or more physical means. They can contract other diseases, but they are usually nonfatal. Usually. 

They have an amazing amount of stamina and can run at speeds that are hard for most humanoids to attain. They, unfortunately, have high pain tolerances and a hard time receiving fatigue messages to the brain, and this generally spells out problems. Kyuzos have been known to run themselves to death - literally. It’s not uncommon for families to find the bodies of missing members hundreds of miles away from where they were last seen. They have to make a very conscious effort to stop, or they won’t.

Kyuzo are much stronger than humanoids, and can jump higher. Most outsiders confuse them as force sensitives for this reason.

Culture:

Clothing:

Most feminine presenting Kyuzo wear headwraps/headdresses. Other than displaying wealth and covering cold heads, there isn’t much of a reason that they wear the headdresses. It’s not required, but most feminine presenting people wear them because they grew up seeing other feminine presenting people wearing them. If one is wealthy, their headdresses will tend to be large and elaborate; it’s not uncommon for one to wear a headdress that is pounds upon pounds of metals, jewels, and cloth. Poorer feminine presenting people generally just wear cloth, or nothing at all.

Kyuzoni clothing is colorful and flowy; people wear very similar clothing, no matter what gender they are. Dresses and skirts are very common, and people will generally go topless. While most colors are okay to use, there are certain colors that are not used in everyday clothing, such as purple, light blue, gold, and white; the Kyuzo place sacred meaning in some colors, so they are only supposed to be used for special events.

Phatrong’s army/police force wear loose, non-restricting clothing with a leather-like armor covering their chests. Their family’s crest is painted upon the armor, in case that the warrior is killed in action. Their clothing is trimmed in gold, which represents bravery and wisdom.

Light blue cloth, specifically headwraps or shirts, signify that a wedding is approaching. Purple is a wedding color, as it signifies prosperity and commitment; wedding clothes are trimmed with silver. White is only used for funerals or births, as it signifies both death and the innocence of new life.

Music/Art:

Music on Phatrong generally revolves around stringed instruments and percussion instruments; they don’t generally listen to music for leisure. Music is only played at festivals, and generally tells the stories of ancient heroes and gods. The Kyuzo also create dances to these story-songs, to make things more dramatic.

Art varies around Phatrong. By the oceans, it’s mostly glass-work like beads and giant stained glass windows. Those Kyuzo that live by the rivers create pottery. Richer families will paint large murals that will cover the walls of their homes. These murals tell tales of their gods, but more often than not they are used almost like photographs that capture small moments in the lives of the family. Jewelry making is also common.

Religion:

The Kyuzo believe in a polytheistic system; the most prominent goddess is Vohaoya (Vo-ha-oy-ah), the mother of the gods and creator of worlds. She represents women, fertility, life, and nature; she is described as having a mostly Kyuzoni appearance, with three eyes and four arms. Often, she is shown in art or statues sitting cross-legged, cradling Phatrong in her lap; her arms are either pointing toward the sky, or she is making gestures with her hands. Her bottom arms are often portrayed as laying flat against her legs with palms upturned - this relays openness. Her left top arm is often resting on the planet, which portrays her protective nature. And her right top arm is often pointed upward, her pointer finger curling in toward her palm while the rest of her fingers are outstretched; this is a symbol of love for the Kyuzo. Her statues are mostly made out of gold, but are painted with the likeness of galaxies; some people swear that the stars shift in the right light.

Other more minor deities include Ixpi, the goddess of peace, and her brother Echting, the god of war. Because the Kyuzo like to believe that they are a peaceful race, Echting is often described as a villain. Ixpi is described as a small, rainbow-colored being that floats rather than walks; besides being the goddess of peace, she is also a patron of happiness, sunrise, and the LGBT community on Phatrong. Echting is also the god of destruction, mayhem, and storms; he is often described as a fiery being too bright to look at. He is surrounded by lightning and is easily angered.

The Kyuzo have many other gods, but they are not nearly as important as the three mentioned above.

Legend has it that Vohaoya created the Warriors of old to protect the gods from those that wished to harm them. They were created from the rich soil, and they were considered divine beings. In the modern era of Phatrong, it is still considered one of the highest honors to be a Warrior.

General cultural headcanons:

The Kyuzo tend to live in large villages or the few small cities around the planet; those who are born into the more obscure villages often never leave the villages. 

Villages are generally comprised of thousands of people, all of which are extended family members. Separate families can have more than twenty-five members, all living in one house. Villagers take turns tending to the communal farm, which produces most of their food and fibers for clothing; to supplement the farm, they also forage, hunt, and fish.

Village born Kyuzo are very secluded, only working with neighboring villages to marry off their children. Because of their seclusion, they are the more suspicious and less educated than their city counterparts. Knowledge is passed down through the generations as those born in the villages don’t have access to teachers. At most, they know Kyuzoni and basic math: they are instead taught more practical skills, like sewing, cooking, cleaning, and animal husbandry.

There are two ‘real’ cities on Phatrong, Shutalo and Shouji; Shutalo (Shoo-tah-loh) is the capital city, to the north. Shouji (Show-zhee) is a large industrial city in the southern hemisphere. Any outside trade is limited to these two areas.

Kyuzo that live in the city tend to have smaller families, with about six members at the most. The Kyuzo in the cities have actual jobs, but they don’t make money; they are given items of use instead. (Think of bartering, almost. If they work at a textile store, they are given cloth, which can then be traded for food, etc.) Villages that have produced too much food or are in need of other items will sell food to the city folk.

City Kyuzo have better access to education, although it’s still not the best in the galaxy. Most city Kyuzo learn things like writing, higher levels of math, and an objective look on the planet’s history. Kyuzo that wish to learn beyond that must travel off planet.

It’s extremely difficult for Kyuzos to speak Basic, just because Kyuzoni and Basic are so different. It can take years and years just to get the verbal language down, and that doesn’t count how long it takes for them to learn to read Aurebesh. If the Kyuzo do manage to figure out how to speak Basic, they have thick accents that are often hard to understand, thus making them vulnerable to mockery.

Politics on Phatrong are strange as the government actually doesn’t do much. The senate, located in Shutalo, is a group of Kyuzo (and a few Kataline) from various villages and cities that are there to set basic laws so that they can have a seat in the Council of Neutral Systems. Really, the various villages will set their own rules, and as long as it doesn’t interfere with the senate, they’re generally alright with it. (A law would include: Murder is punishable by death. But their definition of murder is loose and up to interpretation.)

Kyuzo children (generally young men but it’s not limited to males) learn to fight from the moment they can understand. The Kyuzo, although a generally ‘peaceful’ race, train their children to become a quasi army/police force. The most promising fighters are then shipped off to various academies around Phatrong to train with masters to hone their skills. Many children, as a result of poor quality of life at the academies and dangerous fighting practices, end up dying. It is rare that the academies are punished. The children that make it then must complete a three-year stint as an active warrior; those who passed but are not necessarily promising are sent to protect sacred temples. Those who show a certain level of finesse can continue to climb the ranks until they are high-ranking military officials. They act more like a police force than a military, but they have the training just in case.

Kyuzo children are often promised to each other at birth; throughout their childhoods, they get to meet and connect with their betrothed. They generally marry at eighteen, with a week-long festival preceding it. In many Kyuzo marriages, one spouse is actually in love with someone else. Many people end up unhappy, especially if they are denied the chance to marry the gender of their preference. It’s not completely uncommon for parents to change betrothals at the child’s request, but the idea of couples getting a divorce is fairly rare. Extramarital affairs are, unfortunately, common. But, so is polyamory.