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2024.05.14 13:51 SharkEva [Final Update] - AITAH for passing out during a family gathering meant to introduce our new baby?
I am not the OOP. The OOP is u/user posting in AITAH
Concluded as per OOP
1 update - Medium
Original - 5th May 2024
Update - 6th May 2024
1 New Update
Thanks to u/Small-Bodybuilder160 for finding the update
Final Update - 10th May 2024
AITAH for passing out during a family gathering meant to introduce our new baby?
So, recently I(27F) had a beautiful baby girl with my husband(29M). She's my pride and joy, I love her more than I love myself. But, taking care of her has taken its toll on me. My husband promised the work would be 50/50 when we agreed we wanted children, but I don't feel that's being reflected by his actions this past month.
It's gotten to the point where I can't even ask him to wash her up without him saying something along the lines of, "My paternity leave is short, I want to make the most of it by relaxing a bit. I'll help you out later." And I get it. His paternity leave is only 6 weeks while mine is 16 weeks, but my nether regions hurt like a bitch for a better part of two weeks after the birth and all he could do for me was occasionally burp her.
Now, my baby girl has gotten to a phase where she doesn't want to sleep. She'll sleep for an hour, but then she's up and back to crying and I have to get up and try to soothe her. It's been happening for a week now and I've gotten so little sleep that I'm nodding off while eating or doing tge laundry and stuff. Saturday was the month anniversary of my daughter's birth, so I decided to gather both sides of the family to meet her. (They hadn't met her prior because a)I wanted to rest as much as I could and b)I heard somewhere that you shouldn't be taking babies out and about when they're fresh out the womb cause they're more prone to illness then).
So, we had this gathering at my mother's house and all was well. Everyone was cooing over our baby, there was food, people were catching up or meeting for the 1st time. It was nice. But, I had gotten about 3 hours(generous estimate) of sleep in total the past week and I was starting to feel the effects of it. I was feeling lightheaded and clammy, but I didn't wanna make a scene so I tried to go to a bedroom to lie down. I didn't take 10 steps before my vision completely blacked out.
I wasn't down for long, but I had fallen over which drew some attention. I explained to everyone who was concerned that I was fine and that I was just not getting enough sleep and I could see my husband visibly frown at that. They gave me some of the dessert my aunt made to get my sugar up and the party continued. I felt embarrassed about the whole thing, especially since everyone was still looking over me til we left, but it's whatever
What bothered me is my husband's reaction. When we got home, he started going off on me about how I "made him look bad" and like "he wasn't taking care of me". I was confused on how tf me passing out made HIM look bad, but he refused to explain himself and had a pity party for himself in the kitchen.
I was still feeling bad, so I decided to leave him alone and just to go sleep, but he seems to have taken that as a sign that I don't care about his feelings. He's in my ear this morning about how I just ignored him to go sleep last night and how I didn't even put the baby to sleep before leaving. Is he right? AITAH here?
Update: So I've tried talking with him, but he's been ignoring me and the baby the last three hours. I'd usually wait longer, but I'm just too tired to deal with this right now. You guys were right, I do need help with this, and he's made it very clear he's not ready to help me yet, so I'm just going to go to my mom's place. I'm currently packing. I'm so done.
Comments
sophie_Mal
NTA and I can’t call your husband the names I want to because my comment will be deleted.
Paternity leave isn’t a time to relax, it’s a time you’re helping raise the baby and spending time together as a family. CLEARLY he is not doing either of these things as A. You’d be better rested and B. He’d have noticed you’re exhausted.
You passing out made him look bad because it was clear to everyone that you’re being left to raising your baby alone. It’s clearly not a partnership and the AH you’re married to is turning it onto you to shift responsibility and blame.
You need to seriously reconsider the relationships future and bring this up with him as it all comes down to him and his behaviour. If he gets his shit together, then things will be much better. But if he doesn’t, you and your daughter deserve so much better.
awaythrowers97
He doesn't know what "paternity leave" is and doesn't really want to take care of his family. Sadly, you can't seem to shake that loser.
ArticleOld598
This deadbeat of a father and husband is using his 6 weeks to laze around instead of using it taking care of his wife & child.
OP you said you love your baby more than yourself, would you want to let her grow up and think that it's normal for wives to push themselves while they're sleepless and in pain until they faint & husbands to berate them instead of worrying & taking care of them?
Tell your parents that your husband doesn't help you at all & blamed you for "making him look bad". You know what else makes him look bad? Being a deadbeat father and partner.
**Judgement - NTA*\*
Update - 1 day later
Hi all, your comments were really helpful, so thank you!
Yesterday, before I could Uber to my mom's house, my sister offered to help me, so I'm staying with her instead. She's taking PTA to help me out with my girl, which I'm very grateful for. She also gave me sleep medicine that knocked me out for hours (I'm not sure if that was a good idea or not, but I slept long and well so I don't care.)
I woke up a few hours ago to tons, and I mean TONS, of messages from my husband. Like, the little app icon had 99+ on it. Here are some of the things he said(copy pasted):
I would screenshot, but it says this community doesnt allow attachments, so i can't. And I know it's a bit weird to tell yall what he's been texting me, but I'm mad right now and this feels therapeutic lol. I already sent the screenshots to his mom though!
As for my baby, I have an appointment to a paediatrician for Wednesday, but for now she's on formula since my breast milk quality isn't the best for understandable reasons. My sister said she wasn't as fussy as I described, so I really think the problem is with my milk. That or my sister wanted to make me feel better for sleeping, who knows. I'll wait for the doctor's opinion.
I'm not feeling 100% but I feel a whole lot more better than before. Thank you to everyone who showed concern! I think this will be the last update since I wanna not think too much about my husband rn.
Comments
ZombieJoesBasement
I am sooo glad you left and got some help and rest. You definitely need and deserve it.
I still can't get over your husband's mental gymnastics here. He hasn't been a parent, hasn't helped you at all, and hasn't really spent any time caring for his daughter and only cares about what other people (besides you) think, but "misses his baby girl" and wants you to come back "so we can go back to being happy"?! Sounds like the only person who was happy was him--he got a 6 week vacation and didn't have to lift a finger. Let me guess-you were doing all the cooking and cleaning on top of caring for the baby? From what he is texting you, he thinks he did nothing wrong. He is being deliberately obtuse.
To add insult to injury he calls you a bitch and threatens you with the cops. Lovely. He is a real peach.
I really want to know what his mom has to say. Does she know he was mad at you for passing out?
Efficient-Cupcake247
Because it isn't about love. It is about control and image. Please keep strong. You have done a fabulous job doing what you need to for you and baby. Best wishes
blehguardian
To be clear, kidnapping is not involved. Until a custody agreement is submitted to the court, either married parent is legally permitted to take their child for any reason.
Aggravating-Pipe-903
Damn, this dude is crazy. Hopefully next update it’ll be ex-husband
**New Updates*\*
AITAH for passing out during a family gathering meant to introduce our new baby? LAST UPDATE - 4 days later
For all of you who wanted to know what his mother's reaction was, she yelled at him and he made that my problem. The things he's messaged me are vile. And even though MIL was mad at him and KNOWS what he's been saying to me, she still insisted that I go visit him face to face so we can work things out.
I don't really blame her. He's her son, of course she'd still want to help him, but still....With all the ways he's been threatening me and cussing me out, I really didnt want to see him, but I decided to go. Mostly because I needed the stuff that I left at our house.
I went with my sister for safety, obviously. We got there and he played with our baby, he offered to feed her (she wasn't hungry), just acting completely different from the man texting me about how much of a "heartless bitch" I am. I didn't really feel comfortable having him near me or the baby with how violent his texts were, but she's still his baby. I don't think the courts would favour him after I show his texts, but I thought I should rather be safe and allow him some form of contact before going to court. This was a mistake.
At the end of the visit, I decided I should go pack my stuff, since that was one of the only reason I agreed to come. But, I didn't feel comfortable not being there while he had my baby. Yeah, my sister was there and I trust her, but I'd rather watch her with my own eyes. So, my sister went upstairs to pack for me. As soon as she was gone, he started talking about "See? I'm good now I can take care of her." And other stuff but that wasn't the problem. Even if he became super dad, I wouldn't be able to see him the same. Not after all those messages he sent me.
I told him that and he got pissed at me. I was getting worried since my daughter was still in his arms, so I tried to deescalate his feelings. It didn't work and he started yelling at me for "being heartless" and "stubborn" and whatnot. I wasn't really focused on what he was saying, I was focused on my baby. I tried to reach out for her and he shoved me hard enough to fall back. My sister came down and tried to help, but he shoved her away too and ran to the guest room and locked himself and MY BABY in there. He refused to come out unless my sister left and i stayed behind. I can't tell y'all how scary it is to not know what's happening to your child.
It took officers almost 30 minutes to get him out, which pissed me off. Like I know they were probably trying to assess the danger or whatever but I just wanted my baby. In that 30 minute window he could've shaken her or threw her out the window or something and they were there asking him to come out like he was a child and not breaking down the door. She was fine, though, so I can't be too mad.
They didn't arrest him since "no harm was done" even though my sister and I have bruises to prove otherwise, but they held him outside while I packed my stuff. It actually bothers me that they didn't at least detain him, but there's not much I can do about it now. I don't think I'm going to go near him again. Not with my baby. I'm thinking of going to apply for that emergency custody thing yall were talking about.
This happened on Wednesday and I'm still shaken. It's really depressing, for a lack of better word, seeing how much he's changed. I really loved him and I felt he loved me too. How he's acting is crushing me. I feel deflated. My baby girl and my sister are really the only things keeping me going right now.
I'm sorry for the wall of text, it's just that texting this all out helps me feel better. But, I don't think I want to continue updating. Just know that we're splitting up. Thank you all for your support!!
Extra: after visiting the doctor, I've decided to just skip the hassle and formula feed. She seems happier with formula anyways.
Comments
JanetInSpain
OMG document everything. Take pictures of the bruises. Go see a doctor and tell the doctor you just need things documented to protect yourself and your baby. File a police report for assault and both you and your sister write detailed statements of everything that happened. Then apply for emergency custody.
georgiajl38
Go to the police station and file a report for assault. Screw those cops. They didn't have to take him but the assault report should have definitely been filed. Get in front of a magistrate asap!!!
I am not the OOP. Please do not harass the OOP.
Please remember the No Brigading Rule and to be civil in the comments
submitted by SharkEva to BORUpdates [link] [comments]
Concluded as per OOP
1 update - Medium
Original - 5th May 2024
Update - 6th May 2024
1 New Update
Thanks to u/Small-Bodybuilder160 for finding the update
Final Update - 10th May 2024
AITAH for passing out during a family gathering meant to introduce our new baby?
So, recently I(27F) had a beautiful baby girl with my husband(29M). She's my pride and joy, I love her more than I love myself. But, taking care of her has taken its toll on me. My husband promised the work would be 50/50 when we agreed we wanted children, but I don't feel that's being reflected by his actions this past month.
It's gotten to the point where I can't even ask him to wash her up without him saying something along the lines of, "My paternity leave is short, I want to make the most of it by relaxing a bit. I'll help you out later." And I get it. His paternity leave is only 6 weeks while mine is 16 weeks, but my nether regions hurt like a bitch for a better part of two weeks after the birth and all he could do for me was occasionally burp her.
Now, my baby girl has gotten to a phase where she doesn't want to sleep. She'll sleep for an hour, but then she's up and back to crying and I have to get up and try to soothe her. It's been happening for a week now and I've gotten so little sleep that I'm nodding off while eating or doing tge laundry and stuff. Saturday was the month anniversary of my daughter's birth, so I decided to gather both sides of the family to meet her. (They hadn't met her prior because a)I wanted to rest as much as I could and b)I heard somewhere that you shouldn't be taking babies out and about when they're fresh out the womb cause they're more prone to illness then).
So, we had this gathering at my mother's house and all was well. Everyone was cooing over our baby, there was food, people were catching up or meeting for the 1st time. It was nice. But, I had gotten about 3 hours(generous estimate) of sleep in total the past week and I was starting to feel the effects of it. I was feeling lightheaded and clammy, but I didn't wanna make a scene so I tried to go to a bedroom to lie down. I didn't take 10 steps before my vision completely blacked out.
I wasn't down for long, but I had fallen over which drew some attention. I explained to everyone who was concerned that I was fine and that I was just not getting enough sleep and I could see my husband visibly frown at that. They gave me some of the dessert my aunt made to get my sugar up and the party continued. I felt embarrassed about the whole thing, especially since everyone was still looking over me til we left, but it's whatever
What bothered me is my husband's reaction. When we got home, he started going off on me about how I "made him look bad" and like "he wasn't taking care of me". I was confused on how tf me passing out made HIM look bad, but he refused to explain himself and had a pity party for himself in the kitchen.
I was still feeling bad, so I decided to leave him alone and just to go sleep, but he seems to have taken that as a sign that I don't care about his feelings. He's in my ear this morning about how I just ignored him to go sleep last night and how I didn't even put the baby to sleep before leaving. Is he right? AITAH here?
Update: So I've tried talking with him, but he's been ignoring me and the baby the last three hours. I'd usually wait longer, but I'm just too tired to deal with this right now. You guys were right, I do need help with this, and he's made it very clear he's not ready to help me yet, so I'm just going to go to my mom's place. I'm currently packing. I'm so done.
Comments
sophie_Mal
NTA and I can’t call your husband the names I want to because my comment will be deleted.
Paternity leave isn’t a time to relax, it’s a time you’re helping raise the baby and spending time together as a family. CLEARLY he is not doing either of these things as A. You’d be better rested and B. He’d have noticed you’re exhausted.
You passing out made him look bad because it was clear to everyone that you’re being left to raising your baby alone. It’s clearly not a partnership and the AH you’re married to is turning it onto you to shift responsibility and blame.
You need to seriously reconsider the relationships future and bring this up with him as it all comes down to him and his behaviour. If he gets his shit together, then things will be much better. But if he doesn’t, you and your daughter deserve so much better.
awaythrowers97
He doesn't know what "paternity leave" is and doesn't really want to take care of his family. Sadly, you can't seem to shake that loser.
ArticleOld598
This deadbeat of a father and husband is using his 6 weeks to laze around instead of using it taking care of his wife & child.
OP you said you love your baby more than yourself, would you want to let her grow up and think that it's normal for wives to push themselves while they're sleepless and in pain until they faint & husbands to berate them instead of worrying & taking care of them?
Tell your parents that your husband doesn't help you at all & blamed you for "making him look bad". You know what else makes him look bad? Being a deadbeat father and partner.
**Judgement - NTA*\*
Update - 1 day later
Hi all, your comments were really helpful, so thank you!
Yesterday, before I could Uber to my mom's house, my sister offered to help me, so I'm staying with her instead. She's taking PTA to help me out with my girl, which I'm very grateful for. She also gave me sleep medicine that knocked me out for hours (I'm not sure if that was a good idea or not, but I slept long and well so I don't care.)
I woke up a few hours ago to tons, and I mean TONS, of messages from my husband. Like, the little app icon had 99+ on it. Here are some of the things he said(copy pasted):
- You cant just up and fucking leve with my baby
- Come back now pls let's talk abt it
- Your actually so fuvking immature wth is wrong with you we have one argument and you fucking pretend like I've been beating you why the hell did you leave????
- We can work this out like adults yet your choosing to be difficult like a little bitch
- Pls just come back we will talk and sort this out and we can go back to being happy so come back
- I miss my baby girl you can't just take her away
- What if I call the police for kidnapping??? Would that teach you wat your doing is wrong???
I would screenshot, but it says this community doesnt allow attachments, so i can't. And I know it's a bit weird to tell yall what he's been texting me, but I'm mad right now and this feels therapeutic lol. I already sent the screenshots to his mom though!
As for my baby, I have an appointment to a paediatrician for Wednesday, but for now she's on formula since my breast milk quality isn't the best for understandable reasons. My sister said she wasn't as fussy as I described, so I really think the problem is with my milk. That or my sister wanted to make me feel better for sleeping, who knows. I'll wait for the doctor's opinion.
I'm not feeling 100% but I feel a whole lot more better than before. Thank you to everyone who showed concern! I think this will be the last update since I wanna not think too much about my husband rn.
Comments
ZombieJoesBasement
I am sooo glad you left and got some help and rest. You definitely need and deserve it.
I still can't get over your husband's mental gymnastics here. He hasn't been a parent, hasn't helped you at all, and hasn't really spent any time caring for his daughter and only cares about what other people (besides you) think, but "misses his baby girl" and wants you to come back "so we can go back to being happy"?! Sounds like the only person who was happy was him--he got a 6 week vacation and didn't have to lift a finger. Let me guess-you were doing all the cooking and cleaning on top of caring for the baby? From what he is texting you, he thinks he did nothing wrong. He is being deliberately obtuse.
To add insult to injury he calls you a bitch and threatens you with the cops. Lovely. He is a real peach.
I really want to know what his mom has to say. Does she know he was mad at you for passing out?
Efficient-Cupcake247
Because it isn't about love. It is about control and image. Please keep strong. You have done a fabulous job doing what you need to for you and baby. Best wishes
blehguardian
To be clear, kidnapping is not involved. Until a custody agreement is submitted to the court, either married parent is legally permitted to take their child for any reason.
Aggravating-Pipe-903
Damn, this dude is crazy. Hopefully next update it’ll be ex-husband
**New Updates*\*
AITAH for passing out during a family gathering meant to introduce our new baby? LAST UPDATE - 4 days later
For all of you who wanted to know what his mother's reaction was, she yelled at him and he made that my problem. The things he's messaged me are vile. And even though MIL was mad at him and KNOWS what he's been saying to me, she still insisted that I go visit him face to face so we can work things out.
I don't really blame her. He's her son, of course she'd still want to help him, but still....With all the ways he's been threatening me and cussing me out, I really didnt want to see him, but I decided to go. Mostly because I needed the stuff that I left at our house.
I went with my sister for safety, obviously. We got there and he played with our baby, he offered to feed her (she wasn't hungry), just acting completely different from the man texting me about how much of a "heartless bitch" I am. I didn't really feel comfortable having him near me or the baby with how violent his texts were, but she's still his baby. I don't think the courts would favour him after I show his texts, but I thought I should rather be safe and allow him some form of contact before going to court. This was a mistake.
At the end of the visit, I decided I should go pack my stuff, since that was one of the only reason I agreed to come. But, I didn't feel comfortable not being there while he had my baby. Yeah, my sister was there and I trust her, but I'd rather watch her with my own eyes. So, my sister went upstairs to pack for me. As soon as she was gone, he started talking about "See? I'm good now I can take care of her." And other stuff but that wasn't the problem. Even if he became super dad, I wouldn't be able to see him the same. Not after all those messages he sent me.
I told him that and he got pissed at me. I was getting worried since my daughter was still in his arms, so I tried to deescalate his feelings. It didn't work and he started yelling at me for "being heartless" and "stubborn" and whatnot. I wasn't really focused on what he was saying, I was focused on my baby. I tried to reach out for her and he shoved me hard enough to fall back. My sister came down and tried to help, but he shoved her away too and ran to the guest room and locked himself and MY BABY in there. He refused to come out unless my sister left and i stayed behind. I can't tell y'all how scary it is to not know what's happening to your child.
It took officers almost 30 minutes to get him out, which pissed me off. Like I know they were probably trying to assess the danger or whatever but I just wanted my baby. In that 30 minute window he could've shaken her or threw her out the window or something and they were there asking him to come out like he was a child and not breaking down the door. She was fine, though, so I can't be too mad.
They didn't arrest him since "no harm was done" even though my sister and I have bruises to prove otherwise, but they held him outside while I packed my stuff. It actually bothers me that they didn't at least detain him, but there's not much I can do about it now. I don't think I'm going to go near him again. Not with my baby. I'm thinking of going to apply for that emergency custody thing yall were talking about.
This happened on Wednesday and I'm still shaken. It's really depressing, for a lack of better word, seeing how much he's changed. I really loved him and I felt he loved me too. How he's acting is crushing me. I feel deflated. My baby girl and my sister are really the only things keeping me going right now.
I'm sorry for the wall of text, it's just that texting this all out helps me feel better. But, I don't think I want to continue updating. Just know that we're splitting up. Thank you all for your support!!
Extra: after visiting the doctor, I've decided to just skip the hassle and formula feed. She seems happier with formula anyways.
Comments
JanetInSpain
OMG document everything. Take pictures of the bruises. Go see a doctor and tell the doctor you just need things documented to protect yourself and your baby. File a police report for assault and both you and your sister write detailed statements of everything that happened. Then apply for emergency custody.
georgiajl38
Go to the police station and file a report for assault. Screw those cops. They didn't have to take him but the assault report should have definitely been filed. Get in front of a magistrate asap!!!
I am not the OOP. Please do not harass the OOP.
Please remember the No Brigading Rule and to be civil in the comments
2024.05.14 13:49 gatsbied Seeing people again for the first time since quitting…how did you cope?
I guess I don’t really know where to begin.
I’ve been “a drinker” as one friend put it for several years. I’ve gone through periods where I stop altogether, and periods where I drink excessively every night. I’ve used alcohol as a method to cope with social situations, so a lot of times my more casual acquaintances only see me in settings where I’ve had a drink or two. Contextually it’s been okay because they were in settings where everyone was drinking: live music events at bars or big concert venues.
I’m guessing people knew I had a problem with excessive drinking. Even though I wouldn’t go so far I couldn’t remember the entire evening, you’re never hiding it as well as you think. So while I’d been drinking around these people, I at least kept it well enough together to get myself home.
That changed a few months ago where I found myself in a setting where some people were drinking at a house party. I decided to join them and have a few drinks, but after doing so the people I was drinking with left. I don’t remember the context of why they left, I think someone had to go home and it just kind of went from there. We couldn’t leave because my husband was still actively engaged in the game they were playing. I didn’t push the matter at all, he wasn’t at fault. But essentially I became the drunk one in a sea of sober people. My memory of what happened next is fuzzy, which really sucks. I started an SSRI not too long before this party, and as such was cutting back on my drinking. My tolerance wasn’t what it was, and I pretty much blacked out. My husband assures me I just fell asleep on the couch and everything was fine. He claims if I’d done something, or someone had a problem with me, I would have known about it by now.
But just the shame of waking up the next day…I’ve done some pretty dumb things while drinking before but I’ve never been the only drunk person in a room of sober people. It’s especially not a good look for someone well past their college years…to pass out in a room full of sober people. At the time it felt like I outed myself as an alcoholic. Not a light casual drinker but someone with a more serious problem. I know one night doesn’t make or break you, but like I said a few of these friends hadn’t really spent time around me sober so kind of feels like confirmation bias for them if that makes sense.
I think a lot of this stems from me apologizing for being drunk, and someone making a snide comment about me never being sober. All good and well that person was being a jerk, but it really affected me. I think it made me reflect on myself and my behavior over the years, and how much it sucked that he was right.
Since that time I made the resolution to stop drinking. It’s been 5 weeks now and suddenly I find myself in a position where I’m going to see several of these friends for the first time since that night. We’re all going to dinner for a friend’s birthday that my husband found out about last minute. It would normally be something I’m looking forward to, but like I said I haven’t spoken to a lot of these people since the ill-fated night and I’m honestly so scared. I’m worried something I don’t remember from that night will come up, or peoples’ perception of me will have changed because they saw a different side of me.
I’m posting this here because I was hoping anyone had advice for how to approach the situation. My internalized guilt, embarrassment, etc. are making me panic ahead of this social outing. Normally I’d use alcohol to cope but as I’ve said I’m pretty new to sobriety so that’s not an option.
For context these are my husband’s friends from as far back as high school. He sees them pretty regularly but I don’t given work/life/school/etc. Honestly I’ve been avoiding them but in this case it would be noticeable if I didn’t come to dinner. It’s time to rip the band aid off and go be social again, but I wanted to comiserate and hear from others who’ve been in my shoes.
submitted by gatsbied to alcoholism [link] [comments]
I’ve been “a drinker” as one friend put it for several years. I’ve gone through periods where I stop altogether, and periods where I drink excessively every night. I’ve used alcohol as a method to cope with social situations, so a lot of times my more casual acquaintances only see me in settings where I’ve had a drink or two. Contextually it’s been okay because they were in settings where everyone was drinking: live music events at bars or big concert venues.
I’m guessing people knew I had a problem with excessive drinking. Even though I wouldn’t go so far I couldn’t remember the entire evening, you’re never hiding it as well as you think. So while I’d been drinking around these people, I at least kept it well enough together to get myself home.
That changed a few months ago where I found myself in a setting where some people were drinking at a house party. I decided to join them and have a few drinks, but after doing so the people I was drinking with left. I don’t remember the context of why they left, I think someone had to go home and it just kind of went from there. We couldn’t leave because my husband was still actively engaged in the game they were playing. I didn’t push the matter at all, he wasn’t at fault. But essentially I became the drunk one in a sea of sober people. My memory of what happened next is fuzzy, which really sucks. I started an SSRI not too long before this party, and as such was cutting back on my drinking. My tolerance wasn’t what it was, and I pretty much blacked out. My husband assures me I just fell asleep on the couch and everything was fine. He claims if I’d done something, or someone had a problem with me, I would have known about it by now.
But just the shame of waking up the next day…I’ve done some pretty dumb things while drinking before but I’ve never been the only drunk person in a room of sober people. It’s especially not a good look for someone well past their college years…to pass out in a room full of sober people. At the time it felt like I outed myself as an alcoholic. Not a light casual drinker but someone with a more serious problem. I know one night doesn’t make or break you, but like I said a few of these friends hadn’t really spent time around me sober so kind of feels like confirmation bias for them if that makes sense.
I think a lot of this stems from me apologizing for being drunk, and someone making a snide comment about me never being sober. All good and well that person was being a jerk, but it really affected me. I think it made me reflect on myself and my behavior over the years, and how much it sucked that he was right.
Since that time I made the resolution to stop drinking. It’s been 5 weeks now and suddenly I find myself in a position where I’m going to see several of these friends for the first time since that night. We’re all going to dinner for a friend’s birthday that my husband found out about last minute. It would normally be something I’m looking forward to, but like I said I haven’t spoken to a lot of these people since the ill-fated night and I’m honestly so scared. I’m worried something I don’t remember from that night will come up, or peoples’ perception of me will have changed because they saw a different side of me.
I’m posting this here because I was hoping anyone had advice for how to approach the situation. My internalized guilt, embarrassment, etc. are making me panic ahead of this social outing. Normally I’d use alcohol to cope but as I’ve said I’m pretty new to sobriety so that’s not an option.
For context these are my husband’s friends from as far back as high school. He sees them pretty regularly but I don’t given work/life/school/etc. Honestly I’ve been avoiding them but in this case it would be noticeable if I didn’t come to dinner. It’s time to rip the band aid off and go be social again, but I wanted to comiserate and hear from others who’ve been in my shoes.
2024.05.14 13:47 B33YF AITA for not telling my boyfriend about a drive with a mechanic?
My boyfriend has no trust in me and I honestly think it’s highly irrational. I don’t have any guy friends, don’t go anywhere without him knowing, and don’t even have any girl friends either. In the past I hid a xxx toy from him and when he asked about it I did lie straight to his face(said there wasn’t any) because it was so embarrassing. Since then I’ve apologized for the situation and my actions but he still distrusts me. We’ve been together for 8 years and we’re 23 now. The current problem is as follows: my car has been having problems I told my uncle to see if he could have the neighbor who is a mechanic take a look at it and run the machine. Recently my boyfriend got me an Apple Watch but I’m not used to using it. My phone had died so I went into our bedroom (where he was) and put it to charge then went back to cleaning the bathroom. My uncle told me the mechanic was here all of a sudden so I left everything (without telling my boyfriend cause i forgot) and went to grab my keys and go out to the car. Guy was the mechanic‘s son (learned everything from his dad). He put the machine thingy to the car and then he asked about going on a quick drive to see what the issue was. I drove with him as the passenger for maybe a total of 2 minutes. Drove down a road made a u turn and drove back home. I forgot that I could’ve texted my boyfriend from my watch and it was a quick thing so I didn’t think it would be such a big deal. When I got back inside the house, I promptly told him the situation and he was very upset. He says he’s not going to let me play him like a fool. That I’ve already hidden things from him and you just have to put both situations together to see I’m fully capable of cheating. I apologized for not realizing the situation would’ve hurt him and for not telling him I was going through my Apple Watch and explained since he got it for me recently I honestly forgot and didn’t think about texting him from the watch. He’s been cold to me ever since and whenever I try to hug him or anything he refuses. He’ll start yelling at me how he’s not going to be played like a fool, that he’s not like his friends ( a friend got cheated on by his best friend and wife), and that we both need to think because he doesn’t want to be in a relationship where he resents me and he doesn’t feel like he can trust me and I need to think about my actions.
I find his reaction highly extreme and it’s honestly shocking he thinks I would cheat on him because I haven’t ever given him a REAL reason to think so. It seemed irrational. Like I said. I don’t even have friends. I’m getting tired of being treated like a cheater and someone untrustworthy. Anyways, please tell me your honest opinions on the situation! Am I the a- hole?
submitted by B33YF to AITAH [link] [comments]
I find his reaction highly extreme and it’s honestly shocking he thinks I would cheat on him because I haven’t ever given him a REAL reason to think so. It seemed irrational. Like I said. I don’t even have friends. I’m getting tired of being treated like a cheater and someone untrustworthy. Anyways, please tell me your honest opinions on the situation! Am I the a- hole?
2024.05.14 13:45 DescendantOfShiva Never trust anyone
I am currently stunned while I am sharing this incident. This incident proves not to trust/ believe on someone. Since we would be facing the world now in the college, it's better to be prepared for all type of people. (I will try to keep it short).
The story is about a Student (Let's call him "X") in my coaching (Aakash institute). It was just the beginning of class 11th. Many students were serious aspirant, and could be easily distinguished. But "X" didn't looked like a typical JEE aspirant, as he looked like a foreigner and had an unusual voice. He was dumb in studies and his presence was negligible in the batch. Within 1-2 months, many students left the coaching as they were didn't find the coaching helpful. During the same time even "X" left the coaching.
Now straight forward to the Class 12th Boards, I found that he (X) was sitting just next to me (in the left) in the Board exams. In my mind, I had an image of him as a below average student. After the exam was over, I (for no reason) talked to him and asked how did it went. He said it was good, he left 2-3 questions, else it went well. I didn't expected that but ok. Just English.
Now in the Chemistry exam, again his test went excellent, and he said that he would easily score 63/80. I was shocked. I discussed some of the MCQs with him, and he was able to answer them. I assumed that he would be focusing only on boards.
In physics, although the exam was quiet difficult, but he said that he would hardly lose 5 marks. Again shocking.
And same went for other tests as well.
A few days later, after the JEE Mains exam, I got to know from my friend that X's JEE exam went well, and he is expecting CSE in NIT Delhi (weird no?). I also got to know that after he left the coaching, he joined Allen's online coaching. From there he studied.
I was disappointed by this. He was a dumb and a below average child, and now, nothing to say. I wished if would also have left the coaching, saved my money and instead bought an online course of PW or Allen.
But the twist and the most shocking part is that what I saw today. I can't believe my eyes. I confirmed his name by many of my friend. I got to know that X Failed in board exams, he got compartment in Maths, and barely passed in another tests. How is this even possible. Maybe this is just the beginning of the toxic world which we will have to in the college.
submitted by DescendantOfShiva to JEENEETards [link] [comments]
The story is about a Student (Let's call him "X") in my coaching (Aakash institute). It was just the beginning of class 11th. Many students were serious aspirant, and could be easily distinguished. But "X" didn't looked like a typical JEE aspirant, as he looked like a foreigner and had an unusual voice. He was dumb in studies and his presence was negligible in the batch. Within 1-2 months, many students left the coaching as they were didn't find the coaching helpful. During the same time even "X" left the coaching.
Now straight forward to the Class 12th Boards, I found that he (X) was sitting just next to me (in the left) in the Board exams. In my mind, I had an image of him as a below average student. After the exam was over, I (for no reason) talked to him and asked how did it went. He said it was good, he left 2-3 questions, else it went well. I didn't expected that but ok. Just English.
Now in the Chemistry exam, again his test went excellent, and he said that he would easily score 63/80. I was shocked. I discussed some of the MCQs with him, and he was able to answer them. I assumed that he would be focusing only on boards.
In physics, although the exam was quiet difficult, but he said that he would hardly lose 5 marks. Again shocking.
And same went for other tests as well.
A few days later, after the JEE Mains exam, I got to know from my friend that X's JEE exam went well, and he is expecting CSE in NIT Delhi (weird no?). I also got to know that after he left the coaching, he joined Allen's online coaching. From there he studied.
I was disappointed by this. He was a dumb and a below average child, and now, nothing to say. I wished if would also have left the coaching, saved my money and instead bought an online course of PW or Allen.
But the twist and the most shocking part is that what I saw today. I can't believe my eyes. I confirmed his name by many of my friend. I got to know that X Failed in board exams, he got compartment in Maths, and barely passed in another tests. How is this even possible. Maybe this is just the beginning of the toxic world which we will have to in the college.
2024.05.14 13:45 catface156 When will I stop needing to increase my dose?
I was diagnosed with ADHD in my 30s, about 5 years ago. I tried a few medications and couldn’t sleep well (doctor and I realized I clear medicines EXTREMELY slow so moved to instant release and it was much better) but soon after that I was trying to get pregnant at the time so I stopped taking meds.
Fast forward to a few months ago, my kid is 3 and I was having a really hard time with focus. I decided to try medication again.
I began with 5mg IR adderall (I split the dose into 2) and even on the first day it was completely life changing. My brain stopped doing a million things at once. Sleep was hard at first but that side effect passed.
I also have terrible IBS which is better and my mood felt more even and balanced.
However, 5mg stopped working pretty quickly and didn’t last long enough. So I went to 10mg.
Now all the above positive effects and I was sleeping better and it was lasting most of the work day if I divided up my doses right.
But then I felt like 10mg wasn’t quite working the same and I am now on 15mg
I’m just feeling worried I’m developing tolerance but maybe this is normal? I began medication early March of this year.
It’s been so life changing in so many positive ways I really want this to keep working.
submitted by catface156 to ADHD [link] [comments]
Fast forward to a few months ago, my kid is 3 and I was having a really hard time with focus. I decided to try medication again.
I began with 5mg IR adderall (I split the dose into 2) and even on the first day it was completely life changing. My brain stopped doing a million things at once. Sleep was hard at first but that side effect passed.
I also have terrible IBS which is better and my mood felt more even and balanced.
However, 5mg stopped working pretty quickly and didn’t last long enough. So I went to 10mg.
Now all the above positive effects and I was sleeping better and it was lasting most of the work day if I divided up my doses right.
But then I felt like 10mg wasn’t quite working the same and I am now on 15mg
I’m just feeling worried I’m developing tolerance but maybe this is normal? I began medication early March of this year.
It’s been so life changing in so many positive ways I really want this to keep working.
2024.05.14 13:44 Obscure_Sketcher Should I convince my brother to call off his engagement, because his fiance is bullying him into throwing a big lavish wedding despite agreeing to a small intimate ceremony when he proposed?
Some background: we do not live in the USA, so there are different traditions and customs at play here. Basically, my brother and his now fiance had been dating long distance for a couple of years, with multiple phone and video calls throughout the day every single day. And I know this, because he lives with me (mooching roommate).
There have been a few concerns I had about their relationship, the incessant phone calls being one of them (she has a tendency to call every 20 - 60 minutes), even while both of them are at work and I always had the impression that she was keeping "tabs" on him, as I'd often happen to be in the room when he'd receive a call and every conversation would essentially start with her asking where he was, what he was doing and who he was with - despite again, having asked him those same questions the last time she called (potentially all of 20 to 60 minutes ago).
She and her family also hail from a part of the country that is considered dangerous for foreigners, which is relevant as my brother and I are of mixed heritage and look foreign and some of her relatives have been openly hostile and/or disapproving of their relationship.
Also, my brother almost never refers to her by her name and I had no idea what it was until she actually came to visit us earlier this year. He almost always refers to her as his "girlfriend" and as of the engagement his "fiance". I also found it weird that he never thought to introduce her to me or to our mother prior to the visit. Given he decided to marry her, he could have easily set up a video call for us to have a chat long distance to get to know her a little bit. As it stands, we know almost nothing about her other than what we have observed or my brother has told us (and what we have unintentionally eavesdropped as she speaks very loudly on the phone).
Neither her nor our family is particularly well off, which leads to the next issue.
My brother proposed using a family ring - this was not out of tradition, but because he couldn't afford to buy an engagement ring and lacks both the patience and willpower to save/budget his expenses.
During the proposal they sat down to discuss some important details, mainly 1) the fact that neither of them have a lot of money 2) their respective families live in completely different parts of the country.
My brother tried to compromise by suggesting a location that was more of less "in the middle" of our country so that neither of our families would have to travel ridiculously far. She shot this down rather insistently, that it had to under no circumstances take place in or around her home town - meaning none of my brother's family would be able to attend his big day as it would essentially become a destination wedding none of us would be able to afford.
He gave in to her demand, but was able to get her to reluctantly agree to at least opt for a small intimate ceremony of no more than 20 people in order to keep costs down so they could put more savings towards buying a house.
Fast forward to months later and she's become increasingly pushy/demanding. While my brother isn't a prize by any means, she has started demanding huge quantities of money from him completely out of the blue for non-vital/non-emergency reasons (such as an alleged distant relative of hers refusing to get a job and her insisting on financing their lazy lifestyle).
She has also decided to break her agreement about the small ceremony and she now wants a big lavish wedding with a guest list of at least 100 of her family and friends only. Not a single friend or family member from my brother's side. Given the location, catering...etc. that she wants on top of that, the cost of the wedding is going to balloon to at least 9000 USD, which might not seem like much, but is a crazy amount in the local currency here. And she is demanding that my brother pay 70% of it, if not all of it.
When he shot this down, arguing that he doesn't earn nearly enough to have that kind of money saved up for when she wants the wedding (she refuses to let him be involved in any of the planning) and that that wasn't what they'd agreed on, she threw a tantrum and snapped that they might as well not get married at all and just go back to being boyfriend and girlfriend, but it feels like a tactic to force him into giving in to her demands yet again.
Apparently, this is normal behavior for her. She does not like to compromise and pretty much always must have things her way and her way only.
My mother and I really have our doubts about whether my brother should still push through with the wedding. My instinct is to have him ask for the ring back as we have concerns that if they do marry she will force him to settle down in her part of the country and isolate him from his family and friends, where who knows what might happen to him. That being said, I'm not always the best at reading these types of situations, are my instincts right and are there several red flags that speak against this wedding/marriage from happening or have I misread the whole thing?
submitted by Obscure_Sketcher to bridezillas [link] [comments]
There have been a few concerns I had about their relationship, the incessant phone calls being one of them (she has a tendency to call every 20 - 60 minutes), even while both of them are at work and I always had the impression that she was keeping "tabs" on him, as I'd often happen to be in the room when he'd receive a call and every conversation would essentially start with her asking where he was, what he was doing and who he was with - despite again, having asked him those same questions the last time she called (potentially all of 20 to 60 minutes ago).
She and her family also hail from a part of the country that is considered dangerous for foreigners, which is relevant as my brother and I are of mixed heritage and look foreign and some of her relatives have been openly hostile and/or disapproving of their relationship.
Also, my brother almost never refers to her by her name and I had no idea what it was until she actually came to visit us earlier this year. He almost always refers to her as his "girlfriend" and as of the engagement his "fiance". I also found it weird that he never thought to introduce her to me or to our mother prior to the visit. Given he decided to marry her, he could have easily set up a video call for us to have a chat long distance to get to know her a little bit. As it stands, we know almost nothing about her other than what we have observed or my brother has told us (and what we have unintentionally eavesdropped as she speaks very loudly on the phone).
Neither her nor our family is particularly well off, which leads to the next issue.
My brother proposed using a family ring - this was not out of tradition, but because he couldn't afford to buy an engagement ring and lacks both the patience and willpower to save/budget his expenses.
During the proposal they sat down to discuss some important details, mainly 1) the fact that neither of them have a lot of money 2) their respective families live in completely different parts of the country.
My brother tried to compromise by suggesting a location that was more of less "in the middle" of our country so that neither of our families would have to travel ridiculously far. She shot this down rather insistently, that it had to under no circumstances take place in or around her home town - meaning none of my brother's family would be able to attend his big day as it would essentially become a destination wedding none of us would be able to afford.
He gave in to her demand, but was able to get her to reluctantly agree to at least opt for a small intimate ceremony of no more than 20 people in order to keep costs down so they could put more savings towards buying a house.
Fast forward to months later and she's become increasingly pushy/demanding. While my brother isn't a prize by any means, she has started demanding huge quantities of money from him completely out of the blue for non-vital/non-emergency reasons (such as an alleged distant relative of hers refusing to get a job and her insisting on financing their lazy lifestyle).
She has also decided to break her agreement about the small ceremony and she now wants a big lavish wedding with a guest list of at least 100 of her family and friends only. Not a single friend or family member from my brother's side. Given the location, catering...etc. that she wants on top of that, the cost of the wedding is going to balloon to at least 9000 USD, which might not seem like much, but is a crazy amount in the local currency here. And she is demanding that my brother pay 70% of it, if not all of it.
When he shot this down, arguing that he doesn't earn nearly enough to have that kind of money saved up for when she wants the wedding (she refuses to let him be involved in any of the planning) and that that wasn't what they'd agreed on, she threw a tantrum and snapped that they might as well not get married at all and just go back to being boyfriend and girlfriend, but it feels like a tactic to force him into giving in to her demands yet again.
Apparently, this is normal behavior for her. She does not like to compromise and pretty much always must have things her way and her way only.
My mother and I really have our doubts about whether my brother should still push through with the wedding. My instinct is to have him ask for the ring back as we have concerns that if they do marry she will force him to settle down in her part of the country and isolate him from his family and friends, where who knows what might happen to him. That being said, I'm not always the best at reading these types of situations, are my instincts right and are there several red flags that speak against this wedding/marriage from happening or have I misread the whole thing?
2024.05.14 13:42 VitaLoca8 Desperate for help
I’m at a loss and not sure what’s going on with me, I’ve felt alone on it for too long so was truthfully happy when I stumbled across y’all. It’s a long story and a lot but I’ll try not to make it too boring or too long but I apologize ahead of time- I’m 26 , almost a year ago now last summer in August 2023 I had a painful sensitive reaction to my clitoris. Started as one little painful “bump” that went away over night, & over the course of maybe 2 weeks turned to about 8 painful bumps that appeared and disappear, only on my clitoris. I was tested for everything & noticed after getting one of the bumps swabbed it had turned white before it went away (more on this later). About a week after these bumps, my whole clitoris had a reaction; it got swollen and lumpy and really sore. The reaction lasted for 2 days or so however the nerve pain/sensitivity it left is still something I’m dealing with. My clitoris burned and felt raw for months after this, like someone had literally taken sandpaper and rubbed my clit with it. I couldn’t wear legging or jeans for over 4 months and had trouble sitting down some days because any movement of my clitoris or the hood was too sensitive and kinda painful. It being about 9 months later and still having this sensitivity im being told it’s clitorodynia. A little medical background to the situation- First OBGYN saw me during the 3rd “bump” (almost a week after my first bump appeared and disappeared), told me it did not look like herpes and that it usually doesn’t go away overnight, swabbed that bump and blood tested me for everything and gave me a steroid cream to help if it was a cut- all tests came back negative for STDs. Second visit with OBGYN after my whole clitoris had that lumpy painful reaction, told her that after the swab the one “bump” had turned white and just gone away, she shrugged and told me the tests were fine so maybe its an allergic reaction and assured me the swab would’ve told me if it was herpes, put me on gabapentin for 2 weeks to try and help the pain plus a round of antibiotics (with fluconazole to avoid yeast infection). fast forward maybe 2 months, I was frustrated and went to a different OBGYN who tested and swabbed me again, this time again everything was negative however HHV6 had come up on the bloodwork. This newer OBGYN had no idea what that was but says “seems like herpes”, also told me I had PCOS and that whatever pain I still had lingering was considered vulvodynia, sent me home with a pain cream and oral medication for herpes. Frustrated with a sore clitoris and no answers, I went to a dermatologist. they saw my prior bloodwork and also confirmed from pictures it did not appear as herpes and told me the HHV6 on prior bloodwork was basically just chicken pox from when I was little. answer for my clitoris was fissures from a yeast infection, gave me nystatin. applied that for a few weeks but I couldn’t deal with it anymore and needed help, I went to a holistic doctor. holistic doctor went through all my history and said doesn’t appear as herpes but the nerve pain I still felt with no bumps anymore was interesting. mentioned possibly lichen sclerosis planus, sent me to get more labs done to help her understand and get answers (have not gotten these labs done yet due to finances and truthfully just being over the testing for this). spoke to a close family friend about it and mentioned the lasting nerve pain and HHV6, they mentioned it sounded like nerve pain they had when they went through shingles, recommended I start amino acids (noticed a difference in the nerve pain after maybe a month taking them). The last 3 months I was finally able to start wearing leggings and even jeans when I’m doing good, I still have this weird sensitivity to my clitoris. I haven’t been able to wipe after using the restroom since my first month, been having to pat dry. Last 2 weeks I was able to somewhat start accepting the answer being clitorodynia and maybe keratin pearls. However my worst nightmare occurred in the shower last night when I noticed a white “bump” on my clitoris and on my hood; looking just like the white bump did after the first gynecologist swabbed it. So now I’m alarmed, confused and concerned. I’m thanking God it doesn’t hurt like it did my first few months but can still tell it’s sensitive down there. I’ve been fighting as my own health advocate for almost a year now with this and I just want answers. I haven’t had sex with my boyfriend or even shaved down there since before this all happened even though I’ve been cleared by all doctors to shave or have sex. but because nobody knows what it is or what caused it I’m scared to do anything in fear that the initial pain and sensitivity I felt will come back. So I’ll be going back to get this swabbed and looked at again (swabbed as long as the bump is still there tomorrow) in addition to the holistic doctors bloodwork and I’m truly hoping to find answers this time. I feel like a fraction of the woman I was; I feel so alone in this. Please, if you have any advice I’m more than willing to listen.
submitted by VitaLoca8 to Healthyhooha [link] [comments]
2024.05.14 13:39 Aggravating_Star_373 Update 2
I’ve posted about my fiancée and his penile issue /peyronies. Well, he did get images done finally. How folks are able to get into urologists within a couple weeks and all that stuff is mind blowing considering it takes at least a few months here. Very jealous!
Urologist 1- Spent 5 mins barely doing anything and complained about previous patient the entire time. Didn’t do any exam and left. Most told was to come back 1 year after any pain subsided. He said it was peyronies. This felt super off to us. Which lead to seeking a second opinion.
Urologist 2- He had this appointment already set up when he saw the first doc however it wasn’t for like 6 months. Finally got in there. Fairly discrete, they had the male PA do the palpitating then the women doctor came in afterwards. She confirmed her colleague felt the scar tissue area and said it was peyronies, however given the description of the curvature warned some curves / twisting cannot be helped by injection. Told to have penetrative sex and scheduled an ultrasound.
Fast forward to imaging appt. He said again, they had a male tech do all the ‘embarrassing’ stuff. Then she came in, injected the viagra stuff in and told him the tech would be back in about 7 mins but to work up an erection in the meantime… as fiancée stated, this was a surprise to him and just freaky as hell. They put porn on and left him to get it up. As he said, no amount of viagra is going to help him in that situation.
By the time tech came back, he said between the needle site aching like crazy, the whole situation and the tech handling his semi erect member, he couldn’t maintain anything. I told him that tech also has a penis and has seen his fair share most likely. Not a great comfort to him, I guess.
Fast forward, after all done he went and waited in another room. Doctor comes in and tells him there was no curvature and that one of two tubes that carries blood into the shaft was damaged not holding blood in place and, as he said, there was a lot of jargon tossed about he didn’t quite understand and next thing he knew he was being scheduled for an inflatable penile implant surgery… he was very confused wth just happened.
And so, since that appointment, he has since called off the scheduled surgery as it didn’t make sense to him. He still gets and maintains erections like a teenager, he performs fine during sex, if not climax much faster than before all this began over a year again due to, as he said, it not feeling like his own penis. There’s just a large bite mark below the head and a twist/curve downward.
So, we discussed this and think a third opinion is justifiable since there’s two diagnosis, add in that the second doc is a surgeon so he’s not convinced she just wants to operate regardless.
Any advice?
It makes no sense to us the second appt they confirmed there was peyronie’s evidenced, however the twist and curve (via photo he showed) would make treatment difficult yet next appt for imagining claims there’s nothing there…
Edit: He is 46, taking 5mg of Taladafil nightly. He’s lost some girth mainly from the bite mark looking area under the head and it now twists to the right and down. Has used the stretchy contraption daily along with manually stretching with his hands throughout the day.
submitted by Aggravating_Star_373 to PeyroniesSupport [link] [comments]
Urologist 1- Spent 5 mins barely doing anything and complained about previous patient the entire time. Didn’t do any exam and left. Most told was to come back 1 year after any pain subsided. He said it was peyronies. This felt super off to us. Which lead to seeking a second opinion.
Urologist 2- He had this appointment already set up when he saw the first doc however it wasn’t for like 6 months. Finally got in there. Fairly discrete, they had the male PA do the palpitating then the women doctor came in afterwards. She confirmed her colleague felt the scar tissue area and said it was peyronies, however given the description of the curvature warned some curves / twisting cannot be helped by injection. Told to have penetrative sex and scheduled an ultrasound.
Fast forward to imaging appt. He said again, they had a male tech do all the ‘embarrassing’ stuff. Then she came in, injected the viagra stuff in and told him the tech would be back in about 7 mins but to work up an erection in the meantime… as fiancée stated, this was a surprise to him and just freaky as hell. They put porn on and left him to get it up. As he said, no amount of viagra is going to help him in that situation.
By the time tech came back, he said between the needle site aching like crazy, the whole situation and the tech handling his semi erect member, he couldn’t maintain anything. I told him that tech also has a penis and has seen his fair share most likely. Not a great comfort to him, I guess.
Fast forward, after all done he went and waited in another room. Doctor comes in and tells him there was no curvature and that one of two tubes that carries blood into the shaft was damaged not holding blood in place and, as he said, there was a lot of jargon tossed about he didn’t quite understand and next thing he knew he was being scheduled for an inflatable penile implant surgery… he was very confused wth just happened.
And so, since that appointment, he has since called off the scheduled surgery as it didn’t make sense to him. He still gets and maintains erections like a teenager, he performs fine during sex, if not climax much faster than before all this began over a year again due to, as he said, it not feeling like his own penis. There’s just a large bite mark below the head and a twist/curve downward.
So, we discussed this and think a third opinion is justifiable since there’s two diagnosis, add in that the second doc is a surgeon so he’s not convinced she just wants to operate regardless.
Any advice?
It makes no sense to us the second appt they confirmed there was peyronie’s evidenced, however the twist and curve (via photo he showed) would make treatment difficult yet next appt for imagining claims there’s nothing there…
Edit: He is 46, taking 5mg of Taladafil nightly. He’s lost some girth mainly from the bite mark looking area under the head and it now twists to the right and down. Has used the stretchy contraption daily along with manually stretching with his hands throughout the day.
2024.05.14 13:29 tarvolon Finding age/ability-appropriate discipline for early elementary child
Hi, everyone, new to the sub. I've done some searching for discipline-related posts, and it seems like plenty of them are of the form "my two year-old does not care even a little bit about what I tell them to do, please help?" Which I get, because I was there three years ago, and I still don't know that I have a good answer.
My kids are 8, 5, and 3, and the middle kid is autistic. He was diagnosed with medium support needs, but he blends pretty well at school, to the point that the school decided he doesn't need an IEP anymore. At home it's a bit of a different story. He doesn't seem to have an internal desire to please or to follow the rules, and this comes out most prominently in an extremely aggressive sweet tooth. Almost every day, sometimes multiple times a day, we'll find him hiding in the bathroom or closet with an entire bag/box/container of something sugary: candy, cookies, ice cream, nutella, semisweet baking chocolate, etc. He will usually also lie when we ask what he's doing.
Where my wife and I are struggling is trying to find an appropriate way to correct this behavior, and to discipline him more generally. The advice we've found on other autism parenting resources tend to fall into one of two categories:
3. Short/medium-term deprivation (aka "you're grounded"). As a consequence for sneaking candy, and/or lying about it, we've tried telling him he can't have any candy or screen time for next day. This was pretty motivating for about a week, and then he realized that he can just keep sneaking sweets or screen time while he's grounded, and all we'll do is ground him longer, and it makes no difference to him if he's grounded for a month if he can keep sneaking sweets every day anyways. We've tried adding in "we also won't take you to fun playgrounds or activities while you're grounded," but the allure of going to a special play area tomorrow just doesn't seem as strong as the allure of eating candy today (this also seems like a punishment for his siblings, who end up not getting to go fun places because their brother is grounded).
4. Short-term, parent-imposed punishment (aka "go to your room" or "write 'I will not sneak treats' five times"). These just become endless power struggles, which make life miserable for all involved. He hates them, he makes us hate them because he just fights us until we give up. I don't feel like the power struggle is helping our relationship with our kid, and I don't think it's really an effective deterrent for the bad actions anyways.
So yeah, sorry for the long post. We've tried many things! None of them work! My wife and I were both very "want to make parents happy" sort of kids, and our oldest (not autistic) also has some of that internal motivation and is also receptive to punishment. So this is all new with kid #2, and we've been fighting this battle since he was a toddler, and now that he's in kindergarten, he's beginning to understand cause and effect in such a way that I think it's appropriate to discipline in a way that's different than how you'd handle a toddler, I just. . . haven't found anything that's effective. The gentle stuff doesn't seem to make any difference, the natural consequences don't seem to make much difference, the stuff our parents did with us don't seem to make much difference, and I'm at a loss. We're still trying to more aggressively keep sweets behind locks, but it's an uphill battle, and I honestly think finding disciplinary strategies that are meaningful to our kid is something useful for general purposes, even if the sweets are the most common battleground right now. Ideas welcome.
submitted by tarvolon to Autism_Parenting [link] [comments]
My kids are 8, 5, and 3, and the middle kid is autistic. He was diagnosed with medium support needs, but he blends pretty well at school, to the point that the school decided he doesn't need an IEP anymore. At home it's a bit of a different story. He doesn't seem to have an internal desire to please or to follow the rules, and this comes out most prominently in an extremely aggressive sweet tooth. Almost every day, sometimes multiple times a day, we'll find him hiding in the bathroom or closet with an entire bag/box/container of something sugary: candy, cookies, ice cream, nutella, semisweet baking chocolate, etc. He will usually also lie when we ask what he's doing.
Where my wife and I are struggling is trying to find an appropriate way to correct this behavior, and to discipline him more generally. The advice we've found on other autism parenting resources tend to fall into one of two categories:
- Don't punish at all, try to understand the reasons he's acting this way and address the root. I. . . don't really see a way forward on this one. The root is that sugar tastes delicious and he has no impulse control. We can talk to him about food as fuel and growing big and strong and all that, but he still doesn't have impulse control. We can (and have, and continue to) try to restrict access to help manage that impulse control, but he's really good at finding things. We've put sweets behind a locked door, he's broken the lock. We've put them on top of high cabinets, he's constructed precarious towers to climb to get them. We've tried keeping all candy out of the house, but he gets into baking supplies. I have literally spent days camped out in the kitchen. But then I have to leave to change the baby's diaper, or give him a bath, or something else, and there he goes.
- Just use natural consequences. I don't see much way forward here either. The obvious natural consequences are a stomachache, but he will eat himself to sickness, mope around the house for two hours, and then binge eat sugar again. The stomachache is not a motivator. The other natural consequence is "if he eats it, we just don't have it anymore." But this one runs into problems with baking/cooking supplies, and also in that he'll raid his siblings' bedrooms and steal their candy, so it becomes a punishment for them.
3. Short/medium-term deprivation (aka "you're grounded"). As a consequence for sneaking candy, and/or lying about it, we've tried telling him he can't have any candy or screen time for next day. This was pretty motivating for about a week, and then he realized that he can just keep sneaking sweets or screen time while he's grounded, and all we'll do is ground him longer, and it makes no difference to him if he's grounded for a month if he can keep sneaking sweets every day anyways. We've tried adding in "we also won't take you to fun playgrounds or activities while you're grounded," but the allure of going to a special play area tomorrow just doesn't seem as strong as the allure of eating candy today (this also seems like a punishment for his siblings, who end up not getting to go fun places because their brother is grounded).
4. Short-term, parent-imposed punishment (aka "go to your room" or "write 'I will not sneak treats' five times"). These just become endless power struggles, which make life miserable for all involved. He hates them, he makes us hate them because he just fights us until we give up. I don't feel like the power struggle is helping our relationship with our kid, and I don't think it's really an effective deterrent for the bad actions anyways.
So yeah, sorry for the long post. We've tried many things! None of them work! My wife and I were both very "want to make parents happy" sort of kids, and our oldest (not autistic) also has some of that internal motivation and is also receptive to punishment. So this is all new with kid #2, and we've been fighting this battle since he was a toddler, and now that he's in kindergarten, he's beginning to understand cause and effect in such a way that I think it's appropriate to discipline in a way that's different than how you'd handle a toddler, I just. . . haven't found anything that's effective. The gentle stuff doesn't seem to make any difference, the natural consequences don't seem to make much difference, the stuff our parents did with us don't seem to make much difference, and I'm at a loss. We're still trying to more aggressively keep sweets behind locks, but it's an uphill battle, and I honestly think finding disciplinary strategies that are meaningful to our kid is something useful for general purposes, even if the sweets are the most common battleground right now. Ideas welcome.
2024.05.14 13:29 blackjadensmith typing this at 3:30 AM because my neighbor keeps waking me up
at this point i’m almost upset at my parents for raising me to be a considerate person because i feel like i’m naturally always thinking about my impact on my neighbors and the favor is not returned.
my roommate and i moved into a 2 bed apartment a few months ago. it’s a duplex so we only share one wall with another unit. i chose the bedroom that shares the wall with the other unit. i am massively regretting that choice.
a few days ago, our neighbor who i will call maria, starts blasting music at 12 AM. my bedroom wall is vibrating. i myself had just gotten back from a night out and wasn’t really trying to sleep that instant so it was fine. but then 1:30 AM came around. then 2:30 AM. i went over to their side of the building and knocked on the door to ask them to either shut it off or take it to their living room. they don’t answer the door. i knock about 5 more times. made a point to knock when i heard music pause or switch over so i knew they could hear me. never got her to answer.
i had no choice but to text our landlord. weirdly he responded instantly even though it was almost 3AM. he called and texted her. he also told me to call the police which i really didn’t appreciate. it says explicitly in our lease that you can’t make a bunch of noise after 10PM so he had plenty of power to do something himself. anyway, the music did stop a few moments later. but maria continued to talk at a daytime/outside talking volume with her friend. they also facetimed multiple people and shot the shit with them as if it were 4 PM and not 4 AM. absolutely ridiculous knowing that they have a living room they can call people in, that does not share any walls with our unit. literally the one place in their apartment where they need to be neighborly, they are choosing to be un-neighborly in. it’s so frustrating because taking calls in another room is naturally what i would do, knowing how thin the walls are. i wouldn’t have to be told to do that.
the next day, she starts playing music again around noon. same absurd volume as it was the prior night. she’s also going live on instagram with several people at a time, arguing, joking, freestyle rapping with them all while her shitty ass music is blasting. its a good time to mention she also considers herself a musician so she makes beats and “raps” and sings over her stuff. i know all of this because 1) she’s always talking so fucking loud and 2) our walls are so thin that i can make out every word she says.
this goes on for 6 hours. it’s insane to me that someone who just got a noise complaint would continue the same behavior not even 12 hours later. daytime or not. i lost it and connected my own speaker to my laptop and start blasting a random playlist. my roommate wasn’t home, so i left my apartment for 2 hours with the speaker still going at full volume. by the time i came back she had stopped with her music.
i thought she might have gotten a hint but i was wrong. she came home that night at 2AM and started facetiming random people and talking/laughing/squealing at normal daytime volume. again, she can do this in her living room but doesn’t for some reason. i turn on my brown noise and try to get back to sleep.
next day (this past afternoon). she’s doing her instagram live thing again but her music is significantly quieter. so i guess she understands after my turn blasting music that i’m super fucking annoyed. but she still talks to random people on speaker phone for hours. i let it go and work from my living room during the day.
and finally, tonight. she comes home at 2am and starts facetiming/talking to people on speakerphone, laughing, stomping etc. this is the THIRD night she’s generally kept me from falling asleep, and the second night she’s specifically woken me up out of my sleep with her talking. literally zero consideration for the fact that its the middle of the night when she’s on the phone, slamming her drawers closed, stomping, dropping shit on her floor.
i was raised to be conscientious of how my behavior is affecting others. maybe my mom was a bit overboard but she even trained us not to slam doors/cabinets/toilet lids. my roommate is the same. so my neighbor gets to have roommates that never make a sound while they slam shit and laugh and make terrible music into oblivion.
also lastly i want to note how this behavior has sprung up out of nowhere. she has never woken me up out of my sleep or played music this loud and for this long before, let alone for 3 days in a row. a week ago i heard her screaming in their bathroom about a man not treating her right. so to jump to a conclusion with the little context i have, she’s going through some personal shit and making my life miserable in the process.
i just need to get this out there because it’s 4:30 AM, i was sound asleep until she woke me up at 2 and talked on the phone until 3:30. i haven’t been able to get back to sleep and i’m angry as fuck about it.
submitted by blackjadensmith to neighborsfromhell [link] [comments]
my roommate and i moved into a 2 bed apartment a few months ago. it’s a duplex so we only share one wall with another unit. i chose the bedroom that shares the wall with the other unit. i am massively regretting that choice.
a few days ago, our neighbor who i will call maria, starts blasting music at 12 AM. my bedroom wall is vibrating. i myself had just gotten back from a night out and wasn’t really trying to sleep that instant so it was fine. but then 1:30 AM came around. then 2:30 AM. i went over to their side of the building and knocked on the door to ask them to either shut it off or take it to their living room. they don’t answer the door. i knock about 5 more times. made a point to knock when i heard music pause or switch over so i knew they could hear me. never got her to answer.
i had no choice but to text our landlord. weirdly he responded instantly even though it was almost 3AM. he called and texted her. he also told me to call the police which i really didn’t appreciate. it says explicitly in our lease that you can’t make a bunch of noise after 10PM so he had plenty of power to do something himself. anyway, the music did stop a few moments later. but maria continued to talk at a daytime/outside talking volume with her friend. they also facetimed multiple people and shot the shit with them as if it were 4 PM and not 4 AM. absolutely ridiculous knowing that they have a living room they can call people in, that does not share any walls with our unit. literally the one place in their apartment where they need to be neighborly, they are choosing to be un-neighborly in. it’s so frustrating because taking calls in another room is naturally what i would do, knowing how thin the walls are. i wouldn’t have to be told to do that.
the next day, she starts playing music again around noon. same absurd volume as it was the prior night. she’s also going live on instagram with several people at a time, arguing, joking, freestyle rapping with them all while her shitty ass music is blasting. its a good time to mention she also considers herself a musician so she makes beats and “raps” and sings over her stuff. i know all of this because 1) she’s always talking so fucking loud and 2) our walls are so thin that i can make out every word she says.
this goes on for 6 hours. it’s insane to me that someone who just got a noise complaint would continue the same behavior not even 12 hours later. daytime or not. i lost it and connected my own speaker to my laptop and start blasting a random playlist. my roommate wasn’t home, so i left my apartment for 2 hours with the speaker still going at full volume. by the time i came back she had stopped with her music.
i thought she might have gotten a hint but i was wrong. she came home that night at 2AM and started facetiming random people and talking/laughing/squealing at normal daytime volume. again, she can do this in her living room but doesn’t for some reason. i turn on my brown noise and try to get back to sleep.
next day (this past afternoon). she’s doing her instagram live thing again but her music is significantly quieter. so i guess she understands after my turn blasting music that i’m super fucking annoyed. but she still talks to random people on speaker phone for hours. i let it go and work from my living room during the day.
and finally, tonight. she comes home at 2am and starts facetiming/talking to people on speakerphone, laughing, stomping etc. this is the THIRD night she’s generally kept me from falling asleep, and the second night she’s specifically woken me up out of my sleep with her talking. literally zero consideration for the fact that its the middle of the night when she’s on the phone, slamming her drawers closed, stomping, dropping shit on her floor.
i was raised to be conscientious of how my behavior is affecting others. maybe my mom was a bit overboard but she even trained us not to slam doors/cabinets/toilet lids. my roommate is the same. so my neighbor gets to have roommates that never make a sound while they slam shit and laugh and make terrible music into oblivion.
also lastly i want to note how this behavior has sprung up out of nowhere. she has never woken me up out of my sleep or played music this loud and for this long before, let alone for 3 days in a row. a week ago i heard her screaming in their bathroom about a man not treating her right. so to jump to a conclusion with the little context i have, she’s going through some personal shit and making my life miserable in the process.
i just need to get this out there because it’s 4:30 AM, i was sound asleep until she woke me up at 2 and talked on the phone until 3:30. i haven’t been able to get back to sleep and i’m angry as fuck about it.
2024.05.14 13:27 retrohoe123 Completely at a lost right now with credit bearing internship as a Y3 student
Hi guys I just need to say here because I'm feeling so anxious. Basically, in Year 2 summer I was unable to self-source my internship as credit bearing because the company was too young (was a start-up) and up till that point I really tried to apply and find internships but it was either a cold case or rejection. Fast forward now, I am literally ending my overseas exchange as a Y3. I have been applying since December all the way till now both on Inplace and self-sourcing but with no success again except for some really good ones but doesnt fulfill credit-bearing duration of 10 weeks. I have asked these organisations if they could extend but the program they offer is only for that set period. And with SSS (my school) constantly sending emails on securing credit bearing internships, of course I'm aware of that. But with the self-source form closing on 26th May, I really at a wit's end. Also because of the whole going on to Y4 and having to do FYP, I'm also confused about taking LOA (but I can't fulfill the credit bearing internship during LOA also), and I'm not really wanting to graduate later. Ughhh I know it's my fault but can anyone just advice me on what to do.
submitted by retrohoe123 to NTU [link] [comments]
2024.05.14 13:27 frozenmouth Is Premier Matchmaking a "idc result I play for fun" mode?
I'm a solo queue player. I have no friends playing CS2 so basically I am on my own. I have prime enabled. My rating is about 3000 right now.
Basically my Premier mm experience goes like this:
I haven't tried competitive MM ever since cs2 came out and as I have no friends or acquaintances, I'm not sure Faceit would work for me as well. Is there anything I can do to enhance my experience?
Thanks in advance guys, looking forward to read your tips and thoughts
submitted by frozenmouth to cs2 [link] [comments]
Basically my Premier mm experience goes like this:
- connects to the lobby, greets everyone. Gets no answer
- round start, ping my position. Go there, hear footsteps "guys, noise B apps". 5 guys jumping on me, I may kill one and damage another one. "Bomb's B guys" then camera panel flicks to my team mates holding lines on A or running loudly to the mid while looking at their feet
- round 3, someone buys scout. "Hey man, I'll smoke mid for you!" "ShAt Up MaZerFaKeR" I get in return
- round 7, everyone is dead but me. 1 vs 2 situation. "Guys, do you have any infos?" My team remains as silent as a tombstone. I shift my way in, kill one, try to hold a safe line, focus on the sound. I get killed off my POV
I haven't tried competitive MM ever since cs2 came out and as I have no friends or acquaintances, I'm not sure Faceit would work for me as well. Is there anything I can do to enhance my experience?
Thanks in advance guys, looking forward to read your tips and thoughts
2024.05.14 13:24 adulting4kids Befriend The Blank Page Part Three
Writer's Block? Befriend the Beast: Pro Tips to Turn Blockades into Bestsellers (With Prompts So Crazy They Might Work)
Ah, writer's block. That ever-present nemesis, the blank page's evil twin, the creativity-sucking gremlin that haunts every writer's dreams (or lack thereof). But what if I told you writer's block isn't your enemy, but a misunderstood ally? A twisted muse, a forced sabbatical from the mundane, a chance to shake things up and unleash your inner writing gremlin in the most productive way possible?Befriending the Block:
Professional authors know the struggle is real. Here's what they say about turning blockades into stepping stones:
- Embrace the Pause: Jodi Picoult: "Writer's block is a sign that something isn't working. Step away, recharge, and come back with fresh eyes."
- Declutter Your Mind: Neil Gaiman: "Sometimes you have to let go of an idea to make space for a better one."
- Experiment, Even If It's Weird: Haruki Murakami: "Don't be afraid to try something strange. The most original ideas often come from unexpected places."
1. Genre Blender: Combine two wildly different genres. Write a historical romance with zombies, a cyberpunk detective novel set in ancient Rome, or a space opera with a grumpy cat detective as the protagonist.
2. Alternate Reality: Imagine your story taking place in a world obsessed with something ridiculous. Think "everyone communicates only through emojis" or "unicorns are the primary mode of transportation."
3. Flash Forward, Way Forward: Skip to the very end of your story. Write the final scene, then work your way back, filling in the gaps with the most outrageous plot twists imaginable.
4. Dream Weaver: Describe a bizarre dream in excruciating detail. Then, analyze it like a cryptic message from your subconscious, using it as the foundation for your story.
5. Character Chaos: Write a scene where your characters are forced to switch bodies (think Freaky Friday, but with your characters). How does it change their perspectives? What hilarious misunderstandings ensue?
6. Found Object Frenzy: Grab the weirdest thing you can find (rusty spork, deflated balloon animal, taxidermied squirrel) and write a story centered around it. Bonus points for incorporating its bizarre history.
7. Unsolved Mystery: Choose a real-life unsolved mystery (Jack the Ripper, the Bermuda Triangle) and write a fictional account from the perspective of the perpetrator or a hidden witness.
8. Headline Hijinks: Rip a random headline from the news and turn it into the most outlandish story you can imagine. Aliens behind the stock market crash? Sentient self-driving cars waging war on pigeons? Go wild!
9. Animal Antics: Write your story entirely from the perspective of an animal character. A grumpy cat narrates a love triangle, a wise old owl dispenses philosophical advice, a hyperactive squirrel chronicles a daring heist.
10. Time Travel Tango: Send your characters on a time travel adventure with a twist. They can't change the past, but their actions have unforeseen consequences in the present. Think butterfly effect on steroids.
Remember, these prompts are just springboards. Let your imagination run wild, embrace the absurd, and don't be afraid to delve into the depths of your weirdness. You never know what hidden gem you might unearth from the rubble of writer's block. So, unleash your inner gremlin, write with abandon, and remember: sometimes, the best stories are born from the most unexpected places. Now get writing, you beautiful block-busting wordsmiths!
2024.05.14 13:23 digital_wiz How We Scaled a Hair Extension Brand using Facebook Ads and SEO to give $80,000 ROI in 6 Months (Detailed Breakdown)
Hello Redditors,
This is an incredible success story of how we helped a client achieve incredible results in just four months, generating an $80,000 return on investment (ROI) with a combination of SEO and Facebook Ads. We have completed many successful projects and there's a certain satisfaction in seeing our strategies translate to such tangible growth. I have tried to keep this post extremely detailed so that it can be beneficial for experienced marketers and newcomers alike.
The Client: Hair Extension E-commerce Brand
Revenue Split Between SEO and Fb ads: 3:2
Average Order Value: $350
Facebook Ads Spend(For 6 Months): $10,000
Total Revenue(6 months): $140,000
Other Expenses(6 months): Product Cost + Delivery cost + Team + Agency Fees + Website Optimization + Packaging: $50000
Basic Company Background:
The brand was being run by a Mother-Daughter duo for the past 3 months. They had a shopify website with average structure and were struggling with facebook ads themselves. Although they made few physical sales due to friends and relatives but were unable to utilize the digital potential of their business as such. After trying facebook ads for some time they wanted a reliable digital marketing team to work with and they were recommended to us by one of our other customers who has a service based business. Initially we connected majorly for facebook ads but after the initial discussion when were doing research from our side, we found that there is huge potential in SEO for this niche so we suggested that we should prepare a proper website on wordpress and focus on both SEO and Ads parallelly as, although Ads will give an initial boost to the business but SEO will bring some stability and help in building a sustainable business.
Facebook Ads Campaign Structure:
It's important to note that after deep research we could find that a major share our hair extensions customers are females aged between 21-45 so we did not actively position our brand as solving problems of low hair volume, but instead we focused on how the products ads style, gives a much better look and you can try new hairstyles and hair colors daily. Also since almost all the demographics in this age group are working, we tested a professional look angle as well which gave us decent results. In ad creatives as well as on the website we made the daughter as the face of the product as we want to slowly grow her instagram as well which can add another organic and sustainable stream of revenue. She shoots before and after transition videos, general product application videos and other videos for ads according to the target audience and brand positioning strategy we discussed earlier. Instead of making long videos focused on product details a lot, we made short but captivating videos which can appeal to the young audience’s fashion sense.
Key Takeaways from FB Ads:
Mostly Meta Ads or Any other marketing tactic is just a traffic source but conversion will basically happen by how well you are able to communicate your product to the audience through your website. Its is necessary to have a smooth user journey, attractive offers, crisp information and right brand positioning on the website.
It is extremely important to make data driven decisions and track customer journeys meticulously. Always rely on your own tracking or google analytics to avoid the potential unreliability of Facebook Ads Manager.
Seo Strategy
If you don’t already know this, SEO is all about how effectively you can strategize your content and technical efforts keeping a bigger picture in mind. After our initial keyword research we could find that the average Kd of the important keywords was low when it comes to commercial keywords which were directly related to the business.
It's important to note that since the website was being built after our onboarding only so it was easy for us to structure the website according to the SEO strategy that we prepared.
At every stage we had meetings with the developer to ensure that there are no technical issues that will hinder the SEO growth and future and also we structured the website to be SEO friendly. We built separate pages for all the product categories and after through keyword research we added content to those pages so that the pages itself can rank for commercial keywords.
After the website was ready we audited it for technical issues(Like mobile friendliness, H1 tags, canonical tags, etc) we started focusing on the content. We wanted to establish our website as a trusted authority in the hair extensions and hair care industry in general.
Since the website was completely new, initially we created blogs(2-3 times per week) around informational keywords with low KD purely for increasing our website authority and bringing the initial traffic on the website. We have seen that usually people start stressing about approaching big websites for guest postings since the first day itself but if your keyword research and content is solid, that is not required in the beginning. Initially we focused on profile creations, image submissions, pdf submissions, internal linking in the content, web 2.0 backlinks etc and this was more than enough for us to rank for low difficulty keywords and increase our DA to a decent level so that our category pages can rank for low difficulty keywords.
Here I would like to include a tip, many times people are worried that what if the backlink that they have created doesn't get indexed. In the initial phase we work really hard when it comes to what we call as maturing our backlinks as this is the major factor for ranking on low difficulty keywords. So basically what we do is, we make backlinks of our web 2.0 backlinks itself which helps the primary backlink in getting indexed which ultimately helps with our website DA.
Also many people have been asking us in our previous posts how we structure our blog since I talk a lot about content quality, see it's not as hard and it doesn't involve a lot of research at least in the initial phase when you just have to rank on low difficulty keywords. In this phase usually what we do is study the top 5 ranking blogs on the particular keyword and make sure that we include more content and more subheadings then them. Also we try to find opportunities to include tables or charts wherever possible, we include good quality images(original if possible) and at this stage internal linking is very very important so we focus on that as well. In later stages although the basic strategy for framing the blogs remains same, overall content strategy varies a lot from business to business and requires a lot of strategizing depending on the brand positioning goals.
So after we were able to rank for low difficulty informational keywords and our Website DA reached a decent level due to our backlinking efforts, we started writing content around the fashion advice and common problems which people face related to hair in general. But as discussed earlier, we wanted to keep our brand positioning fashion centric, so even while writing about common problems we applied a positive and solution centric approach. We strategically placed internal links to our product pages in the content and tested popups with offers as well. Apart from this, we started guest posting as well at this stage. For finding websites for guest posting we used SEMrush’s backlink gap analysis tool and created a segregated list of blogs that we can reach out to based on their content quality and DA. By this time the store started generating decent revenue from ads and SEO so the client was completely onboard with reaching out to blogs for guest posting. Guest posting and overall strategic SEO application started generating a good amount of traffic for us and in 3-4 months the revenue generated due to SEO surpassed our Ads revenue as well.
Advantages of Combining SEO and Paid Ads
While Facebook Ads played a crucial role in launching the brand and driving initial traffic, SEO has emerged as the primary driver of sustainable growth. This approach allowed us to:
Thankyou For Reading!
submitted by digital_wiz to SideProject [link] [comments]
This is an incredible success story of how we helped a client achieve incredible results in just four months, generating an $80,000 return on investment (ROI) with a combination of SEO and Facebook Ads. We have completed many successful projects and there's a certain satisfaction in seeing our strategies translate to such tangible growth. I have tried to keep this post extremely detailed so that it can be beneficial for experienced marketers and newcomers alike.
The Client: Hair Extension E-commerce Brand
Revenue Split Between SEO and Fb ads: 3:2
Average Order Value: $350
Facebook Ads Spend(For 6 Months): $10,000
Total Revenue(6 months): $140,000
Other Expenses(6 months): Product Cost + Delivery cost + Team + Agency Fees + Website Optimization + Packaging: $50000
Basic Company Background:
The brand was being run by a Mother-Daughter duo for the past 3 months. They had a shopify website with average structure and were struggling with facebook ads themselves. Although they made few physical sales due to friends and relatives but were unable to utilize the digital potential of their business as such. After trying facebook ads for some time they wanted a reliable digital marketing team to work with and they were recommended to us by one of our other customers who has a service based business. Initially we connected majorly for facebook ads but after the initial discussion when were doing research from our side, we found that there is huge potential in SEO for this niche so we suggested that we should prepare a proper website on wordpress and focus on both SEO and Ads parallelly as, although Ads will give an initial boost to the business but SEO will bring some stability and help in building a sustainable business.
Facebook Ads Campaign Structure:
- Our campaign housed multiple ad sets targeting users who are interested in fashion products and we also targeted audiences of some big and costly fashion companies. We were mostly targeting females aged 25-45 with good income source to have optimal conversions in the beginning, with our Seo efforts we planned to target a slightly younger audience as well which is going steadily as of now.
- We ran occasional promotions like "Buy x get x free" to boost AOV.
- Due to the high AOV and especially the product niche sometimes it is necessary to build trust so we used retargeting to build trust and showcase benefits, not just push for immediate conversions. Ads focused on comparison(Before & Afters), Customer Reviews, Hassle free product application and natural look, stylish look.
It's important to note that after deep research we could find that a major share our hair extensions customers are females aged between 21-45 so we did not actively position our brand as solving problems of low hair volume, but instead we focused on how the products ads style, gives a much better look and you can try new hairstyles and hair colors daily. Also since almost all the demographics in this age group are working, we tested a professional look angle as well which gave us decent results. In ad creatives as well as on the website we made the daughter as the face of the product as we want to slowly grow her instagram as well which can add another organic and sustainable stream of revenue. She shoots before and after transition videos, general product application videos and other videos for ads according to the target audience and brand positioning strategy we discussed earlier. Instead of making long videos focused on product details a lot, we made short but captivating videos which can appeal to the young audience’s fashion sense.
Key Takeaways from FB Ads:
Mostly Meta Ads or Any other marketing tactic is just a traffic source but conversion will basically happen by how well you are able to communicate your product to the audience through your website. Its is necessary to have a smooth user journey, attractive offers, crisp information and right brand positioning on the website.
It is extremely important to make data driven decisions and track customer journeys meticulously. Always rely on your own tracking or google analytics to avoid the potential unreliability of Facebook Ads Manager.
Seo Strategy
If you don’t already know this, SEO is all about how effectively you can strategize your content and technical efforts keeping a bigger picture in mind. After our initial keyword research we could find that the average Kd of the important keywords was low when it comes to commercial keywords which were directly related to the business.
It's important to note that since the website was being built after our onboarding only so it was easy for us to structure the website according to the SEO strategy that we prepared.
At every stage we had meetings with the developer to ensure that there are no technical issues that will hinder the SEO growth and future and also we structured the website to be SEO friendly. We built separate pages for all the product categories and after through keyword research we added content to those pages so that the pages itself can rank for commercial keywords.
After the website was ready we audited it for technical issues(Like mobile friendliness, H1 tags, canonical tags, etc) we started focusing on the content. We wanted to establish our website as a trusted authority in the hair extensions and hair care industry in general.
Since the website was completely new, initially we created blogs(2-3 times per week) around informational keywords with low KD purely for increasing our website authority and bringing the initial traffic on the website. We have seen that usually people start stressing about approaching big websites for guest postings since the first day itself but if your keyword research and content is solid, that is not required in the beginning. Initially we focused on profile creations, image submissions, pdf submissions, internal linking in the content, web 2.0 backlinks etc and this was more than enough for us to rank for low difficulty keywords and increase our DA to a decent level so that our category pages can rank for low difficulty keywords.
Here I would like to include a tip, many times people are worried that what if the backlink that they have created doesn't get indexed. In the initial phase we work really hard when it comes to what we call as maturing our backlinks as this is the major factor for ranking on low difficulty keywords. So basically what we do is, we make backlinks of our web 2.0 backlinks itself which helps the primary backlink in getting indexed which ultimately helps with our website DA.
Also many people have been asking us in our previous posts how we structure our blog since I talk a lot about content quality, see it's not as hard and it doesn't involve a lot of research at least in the initial phase when you just have to rank on low difficulty keywords. In this phase usually what we do is study the top 5 ranking blogs on the particular keyword and make sure that we include more content and more subheadings then them. Also we try to find opportunities to include tables or charts wherever possible, we include good quality images(original if possible) and at this stage internal linking is very very important so we focus on that as well. In later stages although the basic strategy for framing the blogs remains same, overall content strategy varies a lot from business to business and requires a lot of strategizing depending on the brand positioning goals.
So after we were able to rank for low difficulty informational keywords and our Website DA reached a decent level due to our backlinking efforts, we started writing content around the fashion advice and common problems which people face related to hair in general. But as discussed earlier, we wanted to keep our brand positioning fashion centric, so even while writing about common problems we applied a positive and solution centric approach. We strategically placed internal links to our product pages in the content and tested popups with offers as well. Apart from this, we started guest posting as well at this stage. For finding websites for guest posting we used SEMrush’s backlink gap analysis tool and created a segregated list of blogs that we can reach out to based on their content quality and DA. By this time the store started generating decent revenue from ads and SEO so the client was completely onboard with reaching out to blogs for guest posting. Guest posting and overall strategic SEO application started generating a good amount of traffic for us and in 3-4 months the revenue generated due to SEO surpassed our Ads revenue as well.
Advantages of Combining SEO and Paid Ads
While Facebook Ads played a crucial role in launching the brand and driving initial traffic, SEO has emerged as the primary driver of sustainable growth. This approach allowed us to:
- Reduce Reliance on Paid Advertising: As our SEO efforts matured, we were able to gradually decrease our Facebook ad spend, resulting in cost savings and improved return on investment.
- Build Brand Authority: Our SEO strategy has positioned our website as a trusted authority in the hair extensions industry. This fosters brand recognition and trust, leading to organic customer acquisition.
- Scale Traffic and Revenue: Organic traffic growth has been exponential, leading to a significant and sustainable increase in website revenue generated through SEO.
Thankyou For Reading!
2024.05.14 13:20 daswef2 [RATE ANNOUNCEMENT] Brazil Rate
Hello, welcome to the Brazilian Classics Rate! This rate covers five albums released between the years 1968 and 1974, exploring the likes of Tropicália, MPB, Samba, and more. We are excited to enjoy this music with both long time fans, and also welcome newcomers to experience these all-time favorites for the first time.
Note: I am not Brazilian and am not a Portuguese writer / speaker. My apologies if anything is lost in translation through this process.
Hold on: What’s a rate?
About once a month, this subreddit holds games called “rates” where a host selects a collection of songs and people score each song on a scale of 1-10 (with a single 11 & a 0 available as well). Ballots of these scores are submitted, and then over “reveal” weekend, the host takes the averages of the songs and eliminates them from worst to best, giving one song out of all the albums the top spot, the crown, & bragging rights forever.
Our sister subreddit popheads has a Guide to Rates Video that can give you a broad overview of rates (please note our reveal process is thread-based instead of video chatrooms). And here's recent examples of a rate announcement and a rate reveal.
BALLOT Due Date - June 21st, 2024
Reveal Weekend - June 28-30, 2024
Submit Ballot Here
Spotify Playlist
Youtube Playlist
Os Mutantes - Os Mutantes (1968)
Os Mutantes was made up of Rita Lee, and the brothers Arnaldo Baptista and Sérgio Dias. In 1968 Os Mutantes released their debut album, were featured on the Tropicália Ou Panis Et Circenses compilation, and performed as the backing band for Gilberto Gil's self-titled second album. The Tropicália movement embraced taking international ideas and re-interpreting them, combining them to create something Brazilian. Os Mutantes will likely be a favorite for those who love psychedelic rock.
Another featured artist from the Tropicália Ou Panis Et Circenses compilation, Gal Costa released her debut album in 1967, and her follow-up self titled album in 1969. Gal Costa was close friends with both Gilberto Gil and Caetano Veloso as well as their spouses, and Gal Costa's bossa nova debut Domingo was a close collaboration with Veloso. By the release of Gal Costa we hear more of the impact of Tropicália and psychedelia on her sound. This self titled album features more songs from writers besides Veloso, including songs written by Gilberto Gil, Rosil Cavalcanti, Tom Zé, Roberto Carlos, Erasmo Carlos, Jorge Ben, and Torquato Neto.
The Clube Da Esquina name (Corner Club) refers to a corner of the street where Lô Borges used to live, and Borges and Milton Nascimento played for fun in the 1960s.
“I hope our young people don’t allow themselves to be swept up in this dictatorship business, because they don’t understand what it was like,” said [Milton Nascimento] who was stalked by agents from the notorious department of political and social order as his career took off in the 1960s. “Whenever we were going to release a song we had to send it to them for them to censor.” Eventually, Nascimento’s manager rented an isolated beach house where the musicians were free to compose the record of their lives. “It was wonderful … just us and the waves rolling up to our front door,” said Borges. “We weren’t thinking about selling millions of records or being the next big summer hit. We just wanted to make art.” Nascimento smiled as he recalled how that legendary album was conceived half a century ago, far from the prying eyes of the dictatorship. “It was a record made just by friends … We’d spend all day composing, from the moment we awoke with the fishermen bringing in their nets to the moment we went to bed.”
The cover of the album features a picture of two boys playing in rural Rio de Janeiro by the photographer Carlos da Silva Assunção Filho (also known as Cafi).
By popular demand, Novos Baianos has been added to the rate mix! As suggested by their name, Novos Baianos were founded in the state of Bahia in 1969. During the making of Acabou Chorare, they were mentored by the "Father of Bossa Nova", João Gilberto. The album's title (translated as No More Crying) also came from a story about Gilberto's daughter.
Note: the album has two versions of Preta Pretinha, track 2 which is the full version and track 10 which seems to have been a radio edit. We are only rating the full version of the song.
"I’m not in any movement, no. I think movements adopted me."
Jorge Ben Jor is the first recorded artist of the five here, but A Tábua De Esmeralda is chronologically our latest recorded album of the rate. This one is arguably a concept album; influenced by the Hermetic text "The Emerald Tablet" as well as Jorge's interest in alchemy, and features songs focused on Afro-Brazilian identity such as "Zumbi".
Rules - PLEASE READ ALL OF THESE BEFORE SUBMITTING YOUR SCORES
Listen to each song and assign each a score between 1 and 10. Decimals are fine, but please refrain from giving decimal scores with more than 1 spot. This is because I'm using a computer program to parse the votes and print everything out (more on that later).
You have to listen to and score every song in the main rate. Otherwise, I will not accept your ballot as it will crash the program (more on that later).
Your scores should NOT be considered confidential as they aren’t. Feel free to shitpost about them in the general discussion threads whenever you feel like it - users over at popheads usually just talk about their averages of the albums and what 11 and 0 they gave (which I will explain on the next bullet point!)
You may give ONE song a 0 and ONE song an 11 in the main rate. Please reserve these for your least favorite and most favorite tracks; excessive sabotage ruins rate results and generally makes things less fun.
You can change your scores at any time! Feel free to PM me at any point after submission before the deadline and I'll be happy to revise them for you.
I am using a computer program that fellow rater letsallpoo designed in order to parse these votes! While this will make things a lot more efficient and reduces errors on my part, this does mean that scores need to be sent in a very specific way. The easiest way to make sure your scores follow the necessary format is to use the pre-prepared link at the top & bottom of this post. PLEASE USE THAT. You can copy and paste it to a notepad file or something and fill in your scores there, but PLEASE use that format to send in your scores.
DO NOT SABOTAGE the rate by giving outrageously low/high scores for the sole purpose of skewing the results, we reserve the right to exclude any ballot we suspect of this. If you're worried your scores could be mistakenly perceived as such, all you need to do is leave comments explaining the reasoning behind them.
Did a lot of copy and pasting here (including the following list of users), so thank you to all the raters of old: vapourlomo; roseisonlineagain; DolphLundgrensArms; R_E_S_I_G_N_E_D; stansymash; ClocktowerMaria; aerocom; themilkeyedmender; greencaptain; Crankeedoo; dirdbub; ThatParanoidPenguin; tedcruzcontrol; kappyko; FuckUpSomeCommasYeah; LazyDayLullaby; SRTViper; Whatsanillinois; NFLFreak98; freav; freeofblasphemy; kvothetyron, RatesNorman; aPenumbra; idontreallycare4; p-u-n-k_girl; luigijon3; WaneLietoc; dream_fighter2018; darjeelingdarkroast; smuckles; PiperIBarelyKnowHer; welcome2thejam; imrlynotonreddit; kvothetyrion; thedoctordances1940; b_o_g_o (of the BogoLomo Rate Collective); MCK_OH; TiltControls; u/chug-a-lug-donna; u/TakeOnMeByA-ha; u/indie_fan_; u/bilbodabag, zenits, saison_Marguerite, and tons of people on popheads.
Formatting
Songs - This is correct (single space after colon):
Brother: 7
You may also and are generally encouraged to leave comments with your scores!
This is correct (single space after score):
Brother: 7 I am having fun listening to this song!
These are incorrect:
Brother7 I am having fun listening to this song!
Brother: 7: I am having fun listening to this song!
Brother: (7) I am having fun listening to this song!
Brother: I am having fun listening to this song! 7
Brother - 7 I am having fun listening to this song!
Albums: You can also comment on the complete albums by adding a colon after the album name and then your comment, like so:
Album: Acabou Chorare I am having fun listening to this album!
Looking forward to all of your submissions!
submitted by daswef2 to indieheads [link] [comments]
Note: I am not Brazilian and am not a Portuguese writer / speaker. My apologies if anything is lost in translation through this process.
About once a month, this subreddit holds games called “rates” where a host selects a collection of songs and people score each song on a scale of 1-10 (with a single 11 & a 0 available as well). Ballots of these scores are submitted, and then over “reveal” weekend, the host takes the averages of the songs and eliminates them from worst to best, giving one song out of all the albums the top spot, the crown, & bragging rights forever.
Our sister subreddit popheads has a Guide to Rates Video that can give you a broad overview of rates (please note our reveal process is thread-based instead of video chatrooms). And here's recent examples of a rate announcement and a rate reveal.
Reveal Weekend - June 28-30, 2024
Submit Ballot Here
Spotify Playlist
Youtube Playlist
Os Mutantes was made up of Rita Lee, and the brothers Arnaldo Baptista and Sérgio Dias. In 1968 Os Mutantes released their debut album, were featured on the Tropicália Ou Panis Et Circenses compilation, and performed as the backing band for Gilberto Gil's self-titled second album. The Tropicália movement embraced taking international ideas and re-interpreting them, combining them to create something Brazilian. Os Mutantes will likely be a favorite for those who love psychedelic rock.
- Panis et Circenses
- A Minha Menina
- O Relógio
- Adeus, Maria Fulô
- Baby
- Senhor F
- Bat Macumba
- Le premier bonheur du jour
- Trem Fantasma
- Tempo no Tempo
- Ave Gengis Khan
Another featured artist from the Tropicália Ou Panis Et Circenses compilation, Gal Costa released her debut album in 1967, and her follow-up self titled album in 1969. Gal Costa was close friends with both Gilberto Gil and Caetano Veloso as well as their spouses, and Gal Costa's bossa nova debut Domingo was a close collaboration with Veloso. By the release of Gal Costa we hear more of the impact of Tropicália and psychedelia on her sound. This self titled album features more songs from writers besides Veloso, including songs written by Gilberto Gil, Rosil Cavalcanti, Tom Zé, Roberto Carlos, Erasmo Carlos, Jorge Ben, and Torquato Neto.
- Não Identificado
- Sebastiana
- Lost in the Paradise
- Namorinho de Portão
- Saudosismo
- Se Você Pensa
- Vou Recomeçar
- Divino, Maravilhoso
- Que Pena (Ele Já Não Gosta Mais de Mim)
- Baby
- A Coisa Mais Linda Que Existe
- Deus é o Amor
The Clube Da Esquina name (Corner Club) refers to a corner of the street where Lô Borges used to live, and Borges and Milton Nascimento played for fun in the 1960s.
“I hope our young people don’t allow themselves to be swept up in this dictatorship business, because they don’t understand what it was like,” said [Milton Nascimento] who was stalked by agents from the notorious department of political and social order as his career took off in the 1960s. “Whenever we were going to release a song we had to send it to them for them to censor.” Eventually, Nascimento’s manager rented an isolated beach house where the musicians were free to compose the record of their lives. “It was wonderful … just us and the waves rolling up to our front door,” said Borges. “We weren’t thinking about selling millions of records or being the next big summer hit. We just wanted to make art.” Nascimento smiled as he recalled how that legendary album was conceived half a century ago, far from the prying eyes of the dictatorship. “It was a record made just by friends … We’d spend all day composing, from the moment we awoke with the fishermen bringing in their nets to the moment we went to bed.”
The cover of the album features a picture of two boys playing in rural Rio de Janeiro by the photographer Carlos da Silva Assunção Filho (also known as Cafi).
- Tudo Que Você Podia Ser
- Cais
- O Trem Azul
- Saídas e Bandeiras Nº 1
- Nuvem Cigana
- Cravo e Canela
- Dos Cruces
- Um Girassol Da Cor De Seu Cabelo
- San Vicente
- Estrelas
- Clube da Esquina Nº 2
- Paisagem Da Janela
- Me Deixa Em Paz
- Os Povos
- Saídas e Bandeiras Nº 2
- Um Gosto De Sol
- Pelo Amor De Deus
- Lilia
- Trem De Doido
- Nada Será Como Antes
- Ao Que Vai Nascer
By popular demand, Novos Baianos has been added to the rate mix! As suggested by their name, Novos Baianos were founded in the state of Bahia in 1969. During the making of Acabou Chorare, they were mentored by the "Father of Bossa Nova", João Gilberto. The album's title (translated as No More Crying) also came from a story about Gilberto's daughter.
Note: the album has two versions of Preta Pretinha, track 2 which is the full version and track 10 which seems to have been a radio edit. We are only rating the full version of the song.
- Brasil Pandeiro
- Preta Pretinha
- Tinindo, Trincando
- Swing de Campo Grande
- Acabou Chorare
- Mistério do Planeta
- A Menina Dança
- Besta É Tu
- Um Bilhete Pra Didi
"I’m not in any movement, no. I think movements adopted me."
Jorge Ben Jor is the first recorded artist of the five here, but A Tábua De Esmeralda is chronologically our latest recorded album of the rate. This one is arguably a concept album; influenced by the Hermetic text "The Emerald Tablet" as well as Jorge's interest in alchemy, and features songs focused on Afro-Brazilian identity such as "Zumbi".
- Os alquimistas estão chegando os alquimistas
- O homem da gravata florida
- Errare humanum est
- Menina mulher da pele preta
- Eu vou torcer
- Magnólia
- Minha teimosia, uma arma pra te conquistar
- Zumbi
- Brother
- O namorado da viúva
- Hermes Trismegisto e sua celeste tábua de esmeralda
- Cinco minutos
Listen to each song and assign each a score between 1 and 10. Decimals are fine, but please refrain from giving decimal scores with more than 1 spot. This is because I'm using a computer program to parse the votes and print everything out (more on that later).
You have to listen to and score every song in the main rate. Otherwise, I will not accept your ballot as it will crash the program (more on that later).
Your scores should NOT be considered confidential as they aren’t. Feel free to shitpost about them in the general discussion threads whenever you feel like it - users over at popheads usually just talk about their averages of the albums and what 11 and 0 they gave (which I will explain on the next bullet point!)
You may give ONE song a 0 and ONE song an 11 in the main rate. Please reserve these for your least favorite and most favorite tracks; excessive sabotage ruins rate results and generally makes things less fun.
You can change your scores at any time! Feel free to PM me at any point after submission before the deadline and I'll be happy to revise them for you.
I am using a computer program that fellow rater letsallpoo designed in order to parse these votes! While this will make things a lot more efficient and reduces errors on my part, this does mean that scores need to be sent in a very specific way. The easiest way to make sure your scores follow the necessary format is to use the pre-prepared link at the top & bottom of this post. PLEASE USE THAT. You can copy and paste it to a notepad file or something and fill in your scores there, but PLEASE use that format to send in your scores.
DO NOT SABOTAGE the rate by giving outrageously low/high scores for the sole purpose of skewing the results, we reserve the right to exclude any ballot we suspect of this. If you're worried your scores could be mistakenly perceived as such, all you need to do is leave comments explaining the reasoning behind them.
Did a lot of copy and pasting here (including the following list of users), so thank you to all the raters of old: vapourlomo; roseisonlineagain; DolphLundgrensArms; R_E_S_I_G_N_E_D; stansymash; ClocktowerMaria; aerocom; themilkeyedmender; greencaptain; Crankeedoo; dirdbub; ThatParanoidPenguin; tedcruzcontrol; kappyko; FuckUpSomeCommasYeah; LazyDayLullaby; SRTViper; Whatsanillinois; NFLFreak98; freav; freeofblasphemy; kvothetyron, RatesNorman; aPenumbra; idontreallycare4; p-u-n-k_girl; luigijon3; WaneLietoc; dream_fighter2018; darjeelingdarkroast; smuckles; PiperIBarelyKnowHer; welcome2thejam; imrlynotonreddit; kvothetyrion; thedoctordances1940; b_o_g_o (of the BogoLomo Rate Collective); MCK_OH; TiltControls; u/chug-a-lug-donna; u/TakeOnMeByA-ha; u/indie_fan_; u/bilbodabag, zenits, saison_Marguerite, and tons of people on popheads.
Songs - This is correct (single space after colon):
Brother: 7
You may also and are generally encouraged to leave comments with your scores!
This is correct (single space after score):
Brother: 7 I am having fun listening to this song!
These are incorrect:
Brother7 I am having fun listening to this song!
Brother: 7: I am having fun listening to this song!
Brother: (7) I am having fun listening to this song!
Brother: I am having fun listening to this song! 7
Brother - 7 I am having fun listening to this song!
Albums: You can also comment on the complete albums by adding a colon after the album name and then your comment, like so:
Album: Acabou Chorare I am having fun listening to this album!
Looking forward to all of your submissions!
2024.05.14 13:18 ireallydon_tknowwhat How do we go from here?
This is a long story, so bear with me please. English is not my native language, so sorry for any mistakes. I don't by any means want to point a finger to anyone, just want to explain the background of our relationship.
I am together with my BS for 5,5 years. We know each other for 6.5 years. Our relationship started rather rocky. BS has commitment issues and didn't want a relationship at first. This has led them to cheating (kissing only) on me four times (that I know of). Three times during clubbing and under influence and one time while they were on vacation with family. This was during our first 1.5 year together. I found out and they confessed. They texted with some people and one of them was one who BS cheated on me with.
During our relationship they had a friendship with one of their coworkers. They told me them was interested in BS, but BS not in them. They had been friends before BS and I knew each other. During New Years Eve 2022 they said under influence: 'I met with coworker two times behind your back'. They said that I was too fragile and wouldn't understand them meeting with coworker, because I voiced that I was a bit intimidated with their relationship (they would spend long evenings together at each others house while being drunk and sometimes driving with their car). They met with coworker some other times and eventually I didn't hear anything from coworker again. I only met coworker once, they were drunk, but friendly. I went to a psychologist several times to discuss everything what happened.
Fast forward to New Year's eve 2024. I was clubbing with my BS, and two friends. There was someone who wanted my friends instagram, but my friend didn't give it to them. So I took their phone and entered my friends name. BS saw this and thought I was giving my instagram. I tried to explain what happened, but they wouldn't listen. They pushed me away so I went upstairs with said friend. The day after they barely remembered anything. I let them know that if this would happen again, I would leave (this wasn't the first time BS was acting not okay while drunk).
Fast forward to January 2024. We went on a ski vacation with friends. I had a really good connection with one of BS friends (AP). I have known AP for more than 4 years. We always had a good friendship, but it developed even more during the vacation. AP was very kind, caring and helpful. AP is in a relationship of 10 years, their partner was also there on the vacation.
Me and BS met a few times again with AP after the vacation, nothing happened. AP texted me beginning of March saying they would like to meet with me. I didn't say this to BS. We went for a run and had a very good talk about our relationships. They expressed their doubts about their relationship. AP texted me some time after again to go for a run. This time there was more tension in the air and they kissed me. We met five times in total and had foreplay once and sex once. I didn't know how to tell my BS, even though I should have told BS immediately. I made an appointment with my psychologist mid April to help me approach the situation. But on the 24th of april, AP's parner called my BS and told them they found evidence that we cheated on them. My BS' world collapsed. They would have never imagined I would do something like that and I completely understand BS. This is so out of character for me (I don't want to minimize what I have done, but when I go out there are people who will flirt with me, but normally I am very good at maintaining boundaries).
BS first wanted me to move out and didn't want to talk to me. But in the meantime we have met four time. The first two times were pretty heavy. BS was angry (understandable of course), sad and everything in between. BS was very harsh to me and told me I was a psychopath. Of course I understand that they were filled with anger. BS doubted everything about me and that I could lie so good. BS is also very angry that I, BS and AP met occasionally while the affair was happening.
AP and I cut off contact immediately.
I showed BS the mail I send to the psychologist that I made an appointment before it came out, but I don't think that it made any difference (understandable again).
The third time we met, we talked about the situation and how this could have happened. I had a meeting with the psychologist the day before and told BS about our conversation. I told BS about our sex life that was rather dead (I tried to work and discuss it several times before, but nothing changed), I told BS about our future perspective and that I was the one who always had to initiate talking about buying a home together (I lived in an appartment BS bought) and lastly our communication pattern. BS bottles a lot up and when BS finally says what bothers them, it comes out rather harsh. Because of that, I am hurt and it makes it difficult for BS to discuss something again.
We have met yesterday again. I was there for like nine hours. We discussed the situation again. BS had some questions and I answered them truthfully. BS says that I deal very well with the situation and that they see that I do my best. BS said that they feel 50/50 about our relationship. BS said that they don't know if they sees a future with me. BS says that I had the right reaction to see my psychologist again. BS, unfortunately, doesn't want to do counseling. BS says that they can block what happened sometimes, because the pain is too much. Other times BS let the pain come. BS said they miss me and still love me. I asked if I have to move within a certain period. BS said 'no'. I asked if they want me to move away and BS said 'I think it is better that you do.'
After the serious talk, we watched two episodes of a series and played some boardgames. I told BS that if they want me to go away or if it is too much, they need to tell me. But BS said that it was a fun day. I told BS that I am scared that we would rug sweep to much and don't talk about the elephant in the room. I also told BS that I am aware that BS can decide anytime not to talk to me again and that I know that one good day doesn't make everything right. BS said that they can see that I know that. I asked BS if they want to work on our relationship together, but I think this question was too early because BS deflected this question. I said I want to do everything in my power to make it work and even want to go to couple counseling.
When I left, BS gave me a big hug and we cried a lot together. They said 'maybe we can meet again this week.' BS asked me if I got home safe.
I really don't know where to go from here. I have hope that we can work on this together, but it is such a rollercoaster that I caused. Do you have any advice for me? Do I approach this the right way or not? Thank you so much in advance!
submitted by ireallydon_tknowwhat to SupportforWaywards [link] [comments]
I am together with my BS for 5,5 years. We know each other for 6.5 years. Our relationship started rather rocky. BS has commitment issues and didn't want a relationship at first. This has led them to cheating (kissing only) on me four times (that I know of). Three times during clubbing and under influence and one time while they were on vacation with family. This was during our first 1.5 year together. I found out and they confessed. They texted with some people and one of them was one who BS cheated on me with.
During our relationship they had a friendship with one of their coworkers. They told me them was interested in BS, but BS not in them. They had been friends before BS and I knew each other. During New Years Eve 2022 they said under influence: 'I met with coworker two times behind your back'. They said that I was too fragile and wouldn't understand them meeting with coworker, because I voiced that I was a bit intimidated with their relationship (they would spend long evenings together at each others house while being drunk and sometimes driving with their car). They met with coworker some other times and eventually I didn't hear anything from coworker again. I only met coworker once, they were drunk, but friendly. I went to a psychologist several times to discuss everything what happened.
Fast forward to New Year's eve 2024. I was clubbing with my BS, and two friends. There was someone who wanted my friends instagram, but my friend didn't give it to them. So I took their phone and entered my friends name. BS saw this and thought I was giving my instagram. I tried to explain what happened, but they wouldn't listen. They pushed me away so I went upstairs with said friend. The day after they barely remembered anything. I let them know that if this would happen again, I would leave (this wasn't the first time BS was acting not okay while drunk).
Fast forward to January 2024. We went on a ski vacation with friends. I had a really good connection with one of BS friends (AP). I have known AP for more than 4 years. We always had a good friendship, but it developed even more during the vacation. AP was very kind, caring and helpful. AP is in a relationship of 10 years, their partner was also there on the vacation.
Me and BS met a few times again with AP after the vacation, nothing happened. AP texted me beginning of March saying they would like to meet with me. I didn't say this to BS. We went for a run and had a very good talk about our relationships. They expressed their doubts about their relationship. AP texted me some time after again to go for a run. This time there was more tension in the air and they kissed me. We met five times in total and had foreplay once and sex once. I didn't know how to tell my BS, even though I should have told BS immediately. I made an appointment with my psychologist mid April to help me approach the situation. But on the 24th of april, AP's parner called my BS and told them they found evidence that we cheated on them. My BS' world collapsed. They would have never imagined I would do something like that and I completely understand BS. This is so out of character for me (I don't want to minimize what I have done, but when I go out there are people who will flirt with me, but normally I am very good at maintaining boundaries).
BS first wanted me to move out and didn't want to talk to me. But in the meantime we have met four time. The first two times were pretty heavy. BS was angry (understandable of course), sad and everything in between. BS was very harsh to me and told me I was a psychopath. Of course I understand that they were filled with anger. BS doubted everything about me and that I could lie so good. BS is also very angry that I, BS and AP met occasionally while the affair was happening.
AP and I cut off contact immediately.
I showed BS the mail I send to the psychologist that I made an appointment before it came out, but I don't think that it made any difference (understandable again).
The third time we met, we talked about the situation and how this could have happened. I had a meeting with the psychologist the day before and told BS about our conversation. I told BS about our sex life that was rather dead (I tried to work and discuss it several times before, but nothing changed), I told BS about our future perspective and that I was the one who always had to initiate talking about buying a home together (I lived in an appartment BS bought) and lastly our communication pattern. BS bottles a lot up and when BS finally says what bothers them, it comes out rather harsh. Because of that, I am hurt and it makes it difficult for BS to discuss something again.
We have met yesterday again. I was there for like nine hours. We discussed the situation again. BS had some questions and I answered them truthfully. BS says that I deal very well with the situation and that they see that I do my best. BS said that they feel 50/50 about our relationship. BS said that they don't know if they sees a future with me. BS says that I had the right reaction to see my psychologist again. BS, unfortunately, doesn't want to do counseling. BS says that they can block what happened sometimes, because the pain is too much. Other times BS let the pain come. BS said they miss me and still love me. I asked if I have to move within a certain period. BS said 'no'. I asked if they want me to move away and BS said 'I think it is better that you do.'
After the serious talk, we watched two episodes of a series and played some boardgames. I told BS that if they want me to go away or if it is too much, they need to tell me. But BS said that it was a fun day. I told BS that I am scared that we would rug sweep to much and don't talk about the elephant in the room. I also told BS that I am aware that BS can decide anytime not to talk to me again and that I know that one good day doesn't make everything right. BS said that they can see that I know that. I asked BS if they want to work on our relationship together, but I think this question was too early because BS deflected this question. I said I want to do everything in my power to make it work and even want to go to couple counseling.
When I left, BS gave me a big hug and we cried a lot together. They said 'maybe we can meet again this week.' BS asked me if I got home safe.
I really don't know where to go from here. I have hope that we can work on this together, but it is such a rollercoaster that I caused. Do you have any advice for me? Do I approach this the right way or not? Thank you so much in advance!
2024.05.14 13:16 JimJam21 Escape comparison and thoughts after 20+ escapes [SPOILERS]
Progress so far
Thought it would be fun to plot a comparison of my escape attempts. Hades 1 was unlike anything I'd played before, so I've got the advantage of experience under my belt coming into 2. I made it to Chronos on the 6th run and then proceeded to really struggle, actually dying most of the time in the first phase. My first escape was 37 minutes and I'm now down to just under 20, though I’ve only gone up to 8 heat at the moment. I'm really looking forward to how that scales as they new options could make things a lot more challenging with lower heats!https://preview.redd.it/t04noqt29d0d1.png?width=665&format=png&auto=webp&s=37b0fa6b5d5af27fdbf8676397875553a5a82331
Difficulty
After 20+ escapes both above and below, I think 2 is definitely easier than 1. You're a lot more of a glass cannon. While you're winning, you're really winning, but if you don't get a good DPS build going into the 2nd boss then everything turns into a massive time sink, which just increases the likelihood of making a mistake. I think the sprint and how much bigger the rooms feel on average, gives you so much capability to evade and take your time that your main limitation is how quickly you can take enemies out.With the new card system being as adaptable and upgradable as it is, I think when people start reaching endgame we'll see some ludicrous damage numbers and combinations coming up.
Weapons & Boons
Love the new weapons though I feel the torches could use some love, they're the only thing I can't seem to get going well no matter what I do. I also don't do very well with the axe, but I was never very good with the aspect of Arthur either, so I think that's my problem. It's interesting how some of the play styles are mirrored in both games. The shield power dash into cast from hades 1 is now the argent skull power special into triple attack. It's so similar the muscle memory just took over when I realised what was going on, even to the extent that you pick the casts back up! Even the aspect of Chiron(?) bow with the seeking special is the same with the seeking knives aspect.Ω moves are great, but to the point where the regular attacks and specials just don’t seem worth it. The most foolproof way of progressing with any weapon seems to be to increase your available Magick total and more importantly restoration rate by any means necessary, then spam Ω casts and whatever is best out of your Ω attack or Ω special. The new cast is SO powerful. Especially the Ω cast. Freezing any enemy, even bosses, and then inevitably piling damage on them (looking at you Zeus / Apollo) is great, especially with the amount of support for increasing damage and crit to enemies inside the cast. Big fan.
On the whole for boons, I agree with what someone said here the other day, that the boons really don’t seem to synergise with each other very well. It seems to be a case of just picking boons that are powerful enough in their own right. I hope that’s just because I’m unfamiliar with them at the moment, but it’s causing another problem that the progression and dependency of boons seems obfuscated. Being able to have more than 3 cast boons is great, but I also don’t feel I’m choosing boons which progress and naturally towards a complete build.
Single Dash
Perversely, I think one of the best changes the made was getting rid of the double dash. It's sort of like how they got rid of Juggernog back in the days of COD zombies and everyone complained, but actually by getting rid of it they've alleviated the burden of having to go for it all the time. I know for myself, double dash was one of the only things I literally never got rid of in 1, it just became a necessary pick. In 1, it seemed the go-to play style was to just hack and slash, dodging whenever an attack came your way, then dodging over to the next enemy (Or more commonly with Eris, just special then attack/dash spamming until it died...).I will say that while the new visuals make the whole game feel more fluid than 1, the dash does feel a bit sluggish at first, especially considering the small wind up at first. It probably makes you invulnerable just as quickly after pressing dash and I think Mel's dash actually takes you further than Zag's. Zag's dash feels like you're already half way through the dash when you press the button.
The undisputable
Hephaestus dash is the most overpowered boon in the history of either game. It's a hill I'll die on. 10 Magick for a minimum 200dmg AOE attack? With no cooldown? That's better than most calls or hexes.This is an amazing game. Massive well done to the devs and thank you so much for feeding my addiction! Can't wait to see what Charon looks like when he's in the hot tub.
2024.05.14 13:13 Blackleafly Deciding On a New Mouse for Fingertip - Not Used to Small Mouse
Hey all, coming from a wired G502 Hero that I've been using for multiple years it's time to upgrade to a new and wireless mouse. My hand size is 20x10cm and I use fingertip grip where my palm is anchored.
After doing some research I've gathered quite some information and it seems most people that use a fingertip grip are leaning towards very small mice. I see why as their palm doesn't touch the mouse anyway so why have the bigger body. However coming from the G502 Hero which is quite large it seems like a big step to go to such small size mice for me. I worry it will feel too small when I switch and it will be a steep adjustment.
I've been looking at and comparing different models and sizes and would like to hear from you guys what your experience is, perhaps someone made a similar switch.
Models I have in mind:
Any thoughts on how the experience would be and which of the above would make the transition the most pleasant? Any other models I could potentially look at? I mainly play FPS and MMORPG's, occasionally some photo or video editing as well.
Looking forward to hearing your guys input!
submitted by Blackleafly to MouseReview [link] [comments]
After doing some research I've gathered quite some information and it seems most people that use a fingertip grip are leaning towards very small mice. I see why as their palm doesn't touch the mouse anyway so why have the bigger body. However coming from the G502 Hero which is quite large it seems like a big step to go to such small size mice for me. I worry it will feel too small when I switch and it will be a steep adjustment.
I've been looking at and comparing different models and sizes and would like to hear from you guys what your experience is, perhaps someone made a similar switch.
Models I have in mind:
- Pulsar X2V2 Mini / X2V2 / Xlite V3 S3
- Razer Deathadder V3 Pro
- Razer Viper V2 Pro
Any thoughts on how the experience would be and which of the above would make the transition the most pleasant? Any other models I could potentially look at? I mainly play FPS and MMORPG's, occasionally some photo or video editing as well.
Looking forward to hearing your guys input!
2024.05.14 13:12 digital_wiz How We Scaled a Hair Extension Brand using Facebook Ads and SEO to give $80,000 ROI in 6 Months (Detailed Breakdown)
Hello Redditors,
This is an incredible success story of how we helped a client achieve incredible results in just four months, generating an $80,000 return on investment (ROI) with a combination of SEO and Facebook Ads. We have completed many successful projects and there's a certain satisfaction in seeing our strategies translate to such tangible growth. I have tried to keep this post extremely detailed so that it can be beneficial for experienced marketers and newcomers alike.
The Client: Hair Extension E-commerce Brand
Revenue Split Between SEO and Fb ads: 3:2
Average Order Value: $350
Facebook Ads Spend(For 6 Months): $10,000
Total Revenue(6 months): $140,000
Other Expenses(6 months): Product Cost + Delivery cost + Team + Agency Fees + Website Optimization + Packaging: $50000
Basic Company Background:
The brand was being run by a Mother-Daughter duo for the past 3 months. They had a shopify website with average structure and were struggling with facebook ads themselves. Although they made few physical sales due to friends and relatives but were unable to utilize the digital potential of their business as such. After trying facebook ads for some time they wanted a reliable digital marketing team to work with and they were recommended to us by one of our other customers who has a service based business. Initially we connected majorly for facebook ads but after the initial discussion when were doing research from our side, we found that there is huge potential in SEO for this niche so we suggested that we should prepare a proper website on wordpress and focus on both SEO and Ads parallelly as, although Ads will give an initial boost to the business but SEO will bring some stability and help in building a sustainable business.
Facebook Ads Campaign Structure:
It's important to note that after deep research we could find that a major share our hair extensions customers are females aged between 21-45 so we did not actively position our brand as solving problems of low hair volume, but instead we focused on how the products ads style, gives a much better look and you can try new hairstyles and hair colors daily. Also since almost all the demographics in this age group are working, we tested a professional look angle as well which gave us decent results. In ad creatives as well as on the website we made the daughter as the face of the product as we want to slowly grow her instagram as well which can add another organic and sustainable stream of revenue. She shoots before and after transition videos, general product application videos and other videos for ads according to the target audience and brand positioning strategy we discussed earlier. Instead of making long videos focused on product details a lot, we made short but captivating videos which can appeal to the young audience’s fashion sense.
Key Takeaways from FB Ads:
Mostly Meta Ads or Any other marketing tactic is just a traffic source but conversion will basically happen by how well you are able to communicate your product to the audience through your website. Its is necessary to have a smooth user journey, attractive offers, crisp information and right brand positioning on the website.
It is extremely important to make data driven decisions and track customer journeys meticulously. Always rely on your own tracking or google analytics to avoid the potential unreliability of Facebook Ads Manager.
Seo Strategy
If you don’t already know this, SEO is all about how effectively you can strategize your content and technical efforts keeping a bigger picture in mind. After our initial keyword research we could find that the average Kd of the important keywords was low when it comes to commercial keywords which were directly related to the business.
It's important to note that since the website was being built after our onboarding only so it was easy for us to structure the website according to the SEO strategy that we prepared.
At every stage we had meetings with the developer to ensure that there are no technical issues that will hinder the SEO growth and future and also we structured the website to be SEO friendly. We built separate pages for all the product categories and after through keyword research we added content to those pages so that the pages itself can rank for commercial keywords.
After the website was ready we audited it for technical issues(Like mobile friendliness, H1 tags, canonical tags, etc) we started focusing on the content. We wanted to establish our website as a trusted authority in the hair extensions and hair care industry in general.
Since the website was completely new, initially we created blogs(2-3 times per week) around informational keywords with low KD purely for increasing our website authority and bringing the initial traffic on the website. We have seen that usually people start stressing about approaching big websites for guest postings since the first day itself but if your keyword research and content is solid, that is not required in the beginning. Initially we focused on profile creations, image submissions, pdf submissions, internal linking in the content, web 2.0 backlinks etc and this was more than enough for us to rank for low difficulty keywords and increase our DA to a decent level so that our category pages can rank for low difficulty keywords.
Here I would like to include a tip, many times people are worried that what if the backlink that they have created doesn't get indexed. In the initial phase we work really hard when it comes to what we call as maturing our backlinks as this is the major factor for ranking on low difficulty keywords. So basically what we do is, we make backlinks of our web 2.0 backlinks itself which helps the primary backlink in getting indexed which ultimately helps with our website DA.
Also many people have been asking us in our previous posts how we structure our blog since I talk a lot about content quality, see it's not as hard and it doesn't involve a lot of research at least in the initial phase when you just have to rank on low difficulty keywords. In this phase usually what we do is study the top 5 ranking blogs on the particular keyword and make sure that we include more content and more subheadings then them. Also we try to find opportunities to include tables or charts wherever possible, we include good quality images(original if possible) and at this stage internal linking is very very important so we focus on that as well. In later stages although the basic strategy for framing the blogs remains same, overall content strategy varies a lot from business to business and requires a lot of strategizing depending on the brand positioning goals.
So after we were able to rank for low difficulty informational keywords and our Website DA reached a decent level due to our backlinking efforts, we started writing content around the fashion advice and common problems which people face related to hair in general. But as discussed earlier, we wanted to keep our brand positioning fashion centric, so even while writing about common problems we applied a positive and solution centric approach. We strategically placed internal links to our product pages in the content and tested popups with offers as well. Apart from this, we started guest posting as well at this stage. For finding websites for guest posting we used SEMrush’s backlink gap analysis tool and created a segregated list of blogs that we can reach out to based on their content quality and DA. By this time the store started generating decent revenue from ads and SEO so the client was completely onboard with reaching out to blogs for guest posting. Guest posting and overall strategic SEO application started generating a good amount of traffic for us and in 3-4 months the revenue generated due to SEO surpassed our Ads revenue as well.
Advantages of Combining SEO and Paid Ads
While Facebook Ads played a crucial role in launching the brand and driving initial traffic, SEO has emerged as the primary driver of sustainable growth. This approach allowed us to:
Thankyou For Reading!
submitted by digital_wiz to advancedentrepreneur [link] [comments]
This is an incredible success story of how we helped a client achieve incredible results in just four months, generating an $80,000 return on investment (ROI) with a combination of SEO and Facebook Ads. We have completed many successful projects and there's a certain satisfaction in seeing our strategies translate to such tangible growth. I have tried to keep this post extremely detailed so that it can be beneficial for experienced marketers and newcomers alike.
The Client: Hair Extension E-commerce Brand
Revenue Split Between SEO and Fb ads: 3:2
Average Order Value: $350
Facebook Ads Spend(For 6 Months): $10,000
Total Revenue(6 months): $140,000
Other Expenses(6 months): Product Cost + Delivery cost + Team + Agency Fees + Website Optimization + Packaging: $50000
Basic Company Background:
The brand was being run by a Mother-Daughter duo for the past 3 months. They had a shopify website with average structure and were struggling with facebook ads themselves. Although they made few physical sales due to friends and relatives but were unable to utilize the digital potential of their business as such. After trying facebook ads for some time they wanted a reliable digital marketing team to work with and they were recommended to us by one of our other customers who has a service based business. Initially we connected majorly for facebook ads but after the initial discussion when were doing research from our side, we found that there is huge potential in SEO for this niche so we suggested that we should prepare a proper website on wordpress and focus on both SEO and Ads parallelly as, although Ads will give an initial boost to the business but SEO will bring some stability and help in building a sustainable business.
Facebook Ads Campaign Structure:
- Our campaign housed multiple ad sets targeting users who are interested in fashion products and we also targeted audiences of some big and costly fashion companies. We were mostly targeting females aged 25-45 with good income source to have optimal conversions in the beginning, with our Seo efforts we planned to target a slightly younger audience as well which is going steadily as of now.
- We ran occasional promotions like "Buy x get x free" to boost AOV.
- Due to the high AOV and especially the product niche sometimes it is necessary to build trust so we used retargeting to build trust and showcase benefits, not just push for immediate conversions. Ads focused on comparison(Before & Afters), Customer Reviews, Hassle free product application and natural look, stylish look.
It's important to note that after deep research we could find that a major share our hair extensions customers are females aged between 21-45 so we did not actively position our brand as solving problems of low hair volume, but instead we focused on how the products ads style, gives a much better look and you can try new hairstyles and hair colors daily. Also since almost all the demographics in this age group are working, we tested a professional look angle as well which gave us decent results. In ad creatives as well as on the website we made the daughter as the face of the product as we want to slowly grow her instagram as well which can add another organic and sustainable stream of revenue. She shoots before and after transition videos, general product application videos and other videos for ads according to the target audience and brand positioning strategy we discussed earlier. Instead of making long videos focused on product details a lot, we made short but captivating videos which can appeal to the young audience’s fashion sense.
Key Takeaways from FB Ads:
Mostly Meta Ads or Any other marketing tactic is just a traffic source but conversion will basically happen by how well you are able to communicate your product to the audience through your website. Its is necessary to have a smooth user journey, attractive offers, crisp information and right brand positioning on the website.
It is extremely important to make data driven decisions and track customer journeys meticulously. Always rely on your own tracking or google analytics to avoid the potential unreliability of Facebook Ads Manager.
Seo Strategy
If you don’t already know this, SEO is all about how effectively you can strategize your content and technical efforts keeping a bigger picture in mind. After our initial keyword research we could find that the average Kd of the important keywords was low when it comes to commercial keywords which were directly related to the business.
It's important to note that since the website was being built after our onboarding only so it was easy for us to structure the website according to the SEO strategy that we prepared.
At every stage we had meetings with the developer to ensure that there are no technical issues that will hinder the SEO growth and future and also we structured the website to be SEO friendly. We built separate pages for all the product categories and after through keyword research we added content to those pages so that the pages itself can rank for commercial keywords.
After the website was ready we audited it for technical issues(Like mobile friendliness, H1 tags, canonical tags, etc) we started focusing on the content. We wanted to establish our website as a trusted authority in the hair extensions and hair care industry in general.
Since the website was completely new, initially we created blogs(2-3 times per week) around informational keywords with low KD purely for increasing our website authority and bringing the initial traffic on the website. We have seen that usually people start stressing about approaching big websites for guest postings since the first day itself but if your keyword research and content is solid, that is not required in the beginning. Initially we focused on profile creations, image submissions, pdf submissions, internal linking in the content, web 2.0 backlinks etc and this was more than enough for us to rank for low difficulty keywords and increase our DA to a decent level so that our category pages can rank for low difficulty keywords.
Here I would like to include a tip, many times people are worried that what if the backlink that they have created doesn't get indexed. In the initial phase we work really hard when it comes to what we call as maturing our backlinks as this is the major factor for ranking on low difficulty keywords. So basically what we do is, we make backlinks of our web 2.0 backlinks itself which helps the primary backlink in getting indexed which ultimately helps with our website DA.
Also many people have been asking us in our previous posts how we structure our blog since I talk a lot about content quality, see it's not as hard and it doesn't involve a lot of research at least in the initial phase when you just have to rank on low difficulty keywords. In this phase usually what we do is study the top 5 ranking blogs on the particular keyword and make sure that we include more content and more subheadings then them. Also we try to find opportunities to include tables or charts wherever possible, we include good quality images(original if possible) and at this stage internal linking is very very important so we focus on that as well. In later stages although the basic strategy for framing the blogs remains same, overall content strategy varies a lot from business to business and requires a lot of strategizing depending on the brand positioning goals.
So after we were able to rank for low difficulty informational keywords and our Website DA reached a decent level due to our backlinking efforts, we started writing content around the fashion advice and common problems which people face related to hair in general. But as discussed earlier, we wanted to keep our brand positioning fashion centric, so even while writing about common problems we applied a positive and solution centric approach. We strategically placed internal links to our product pages in the content and tested popups with offers as well. Apart from this, we started guest posting as well at this stage. For finding websites for guest posting we used SEMrush’s backlink gap analysis tool and created a segregated list of blogs that we can reach out to based on their content quality and DA. By this time the store started generating decent revenue from ads and SEO so the client was completely onboard with reaching out to blogs for guest posting. Guest posting and overall strategic SEO application started generating a good amount of traffic for us and in 3-4 months the revenue generated due to SEO surpassed our Ads revenue as well.
Advantages of Combining SEO and Paid Ads
While Facebook Ads played a crucial role in launching the brand and driving initial traffic, SEO has emerged as the primary driver of sustainable growth. This approach allowed us to:
- Reduce Reliance on Paid Advertising: As our SEO efforts matured, we were able to gradually decrease our Facebook ad spend, resulting in cost savings and improved return on investment.
- Build Brand Authority: Our SEO strategy has positioned our website as a trusted authority in the hair extensions industry. This fosters brand recognition and trust, leading to organic customer acquisition.
- Scale Traffic and Revenue: Organic traffic growth has been exponential, leading to a significant and sustainable increase in website revenue generated through SEO.
Thankyou For Reading!
2024.05.14 13:09 Teaside Some (...maybe lots of..) gentle hints please! :') Endgame spoilers!
Hello! I feel like I might be reaching my limits with this game - would really appreciate some gentle hints! I want to keep trying but I'm just completely stuck now..! 😭
I've just finished collecting all the eggs without hints today, proud of that :D But the rest escapes me... I've had just a glance at the posts here and HELLO? There's so much more I'm still missing - like what on earth is that neon paint I've seen in some posts... This is why I'm here, I don't wanna spoil too much for myself by just browsing so I'd rather ask..!
PLEASE don't give me direct answers, hints are so much better! :')
Endgame spoilers below! I kept any pictures further down in the thread but beware - couldn't figure out how to spoilertag pictures.
I have: Beat the boss manticore, got the multi-bubble wand, got the remote, hamster wheel, bouncy ball, (among all the easy to find things like frisbee, slinky etc.) and found 2 secret rabbits - the one disguised as a duck with the flute code, and the one at the beginning of the map, on the ledge. I've also check-marked every single room in the map that I could access, after trying my best to thoroughly check if there's anything at all that stands out to me..! These are the things I've found but can't understand:
no remote tower in this room (left)
wall in this one, but has remote tower (right)
THANKS IN ADVANCE! ♥
submitted by Teaside to animalWell [link] [comments]
I've just finished collecting all the eggs without hints today, proud of that :D But the rest escapes me... I've had just a glance at the posts here and HELLO? There's so much more I'm still missing - like what on earth is that neon paint I've seen in some posts... This is why I'm here, I don't wanna spoil too much for myself by just browsing so I'd rather ask..!
PLEASE don't give me direct answers, hints are so much better! :')
Endgame spoilers below! I kept any pictures further down in the thread but beware - couldn't figure out how to spoilertag pictures.
I have: Beat the boss manticore, got the multi-bubble wand, got the remote, hamster wheel, bouncy ball, (among all the easy to find things like frisbee, slinky etc.) and found 2 secret rabbits - the one disguised as a duck with the flute code, and the one at the beginning of the map, on the ledge. I've also check-marked every single room in the map that I could access, after trying my best to thoroughly check if there's anything at all that stands out to me..! These are the things I've found but can't understand:
- I've put the 65th egg in the incubator - needless to say the manticore respawning is not the reward I wanted or expected, not the horrors again!! 😭 I can't save with phones while it's following me, so it must be that I have to take it somewhere... But I can't figure out where. I tried the big 3d ring thing behind my house. I've tried the dog/wolf spirit to see if they'll fight each other. Tried the cave bear, tried the big bat (later realised I can scare it off with multiple firecrackers, that took me way too long lol), I've also noticed the manticore-coded chained boxes (like the dog and mouse ones) in that final stretch of the map, the hidden ones behind some breakable tiles? But the hamster wheel platform next to them let me move them, so I assumed it's a metaphor that I'm the manticore..? Idk. (I've seen the me/seedling-coded boxes too, I think that's where one of the secret rabbits was, which is why the manticore-coded boxes are throwing me off...) Couldn't do anything there with the manticore though... I've also taken it to the flower I/my little guy/the seedling (idk what it is tbh) was born from, the lynx/cat mama, the eggs bird... No clue what else to try 😭
- There's a circular recess I couldn't figure out - I understood the kangaroo one, it has firecracker flowers growing next to it, but what do I do with the fish one? All I can see is fish pointing up with sparkly eyes. I've tried giving the bubble fish the ball to play with, I've tried figuring out if that dolphin(?) is giving me some sort of flute code but it didn't look like it, didn't seem like I could use anything for the seahorse either, really no clue where to get the key for the fish circular recess.
- I was given a stopwatch after the first manticore, but I can't see it in my inventory and have no idea what it's for... Is this something I shouldn't worry about for now?
- I've noticed the stone pillars? Runestones? Those little stone thingies in the backgrounds all over the map that have a symbol from the map-markers at the top, and 1-5 dots at the bottom. I've been noting them down, but please tell me if I'm on the right track - does the game expect me to use the correct map-marker icons for each stone I found and mark them on the map with that specific symbol, 5 of each? I've only used flame icons to mark them initially cause I was using other symbols for other things, but now with most of the map filled out I could make do without them. But I don't want to walk around the whole map again marking them off if I'm completely off-base here. Not a clue what they're for.
- Is there a point to putting the M. disc back down below? I'm surprised I can take it out of the shrine and re-summon the dog/wolf spirit, that's sus. Can it be taken anywhere else? I thought this would have been the circular recess thing but nope :/ Now it's just sitting in the bottom shrine.
- Is the monkey with baby monkey throwing rocks at me just a decoration/flavour? Suspicious!
- That bear that retreats to the cave - decoration, or something? I've tried using everything in my inventory on it... Suspicious!
- WHERE IS THE LAST MATCH STICK!!! I get a feeling that I should be able to finally get through glass if I light the last candle, but I haven't been able to find the last match stick! 😭 I have some areas with no other access than through glass marked off to visit, I just know it'll let me go through glass at some point and I'm heavily leaning towards candle completion... But WHERE IS THAT DAMN MATCH STICK 😭
- Giraffe statue right before the room with a couple of guards... Is it anything? Seems like a big and significant statue for just flavour, but I haven't even seen giraffes in the game... Suspicious!
- Statue of three green penguins just before the water domain - anything there? Suspicious!
- Another thing I saw in someone else's post was warp codes...plural?? I immediately got the home warp code which takes you where all the teleports are, from the fish "singing" below, that felt great and reminded me of my fav game, Tunic ;W; 💖 But where on earth are people getting the other ones from??
- There's a room full of crows not far from where the duck-secret-rabbit faces flute code is. Initially I actually thought the code was for them because of the bird in the picture next to the face codes... What do I do with those crows, if anything? There's a lot of them sitting on 4 separate branches/shelves - I've tried playing multiple versions of flute notes, like how many crows are on each branch, didn't get anywhere.
- There's a tiny grid hidden under the LED bunny neon sign area... A 4x4 grid with 1-4 dots on each side. Absolutely not a clue what this is, man, not even a single thought.
- Is this anything? I noticed the other savegame icons have slightly different seeds, like these, but... surely I'm not expected to make more savegames?
- The skull pile blocking a chest, where the faces flute code is explained. Threw everything I had at it. Tried playing flute notes depending on which way the skulls are facing. Nada. That chest is taunting me.
- There are two remote-controllable walls in this spot, but no remote control tower... It's in the other room, but that's not helpful. I can't access it from that room on the right either cause it's just a wall. How do I get in there??
no remote tower in this room (left)
wall in this one, but has remote tower (right)
- Two questions about the below: is the big garden pot just a decoration? And what I've circled in particular - I noticed the exact same thing next to the duck-secret-rabbit... Am I looking into it too much? It feels like nothing in this game is accidental, so I'm always sus... :')
- Are the pillars here a flute code? Same for the ones in the turtle room - initially I started playing the flute to play numbers corresponding to how tall each pillar is, but the turtles just came out as soon as I started playing, and didn't seem to react to me playing anything specific. What about here? Do I need to write down a sequence of them from the leftmost shore and play the full thing?
- I have some sort of a key in my bag. Can't remember where I got it... No clue what it's for, or if I've used it before..!
- I'm sure the huge clock behind my house is meant to do something, it has doors and all... But no clue. I was there on the hour and just saw the little bird come out, (feels like there's some sort of purpose to time, but I haven't picked up on anything yet, initially thought that's when the kangaroo switches areas...) and I can see there's a few "000"s above the doors... That's about it... The only thought so far is that maybe characters from other savegames can come through here, but that seems VERY far-fetched, and not sure what purpose that would have... I also feel like I'm too early to figure out the clock, and the big 3d ring, before figuring out the rest. Should I not worry about it for now?
THANKS IN ADVANCE! ♥
2024.05.14 13:09 Potnoodle2785 'Jonathan Bailey doesn’t like to bare it all. But vulnerability fueled his best performance yet' - Jonny interview with the LA Times
 | https://preview.redd.it/xys855b7jd0d1.jpg?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c081d23cc4646d0f54d974aa14e34306180e5eb0 submitted by Potnoodle2785 to jonathanbailey [link] [comments] “This is where all the cruising happened.” Jonathan Bailey and I are standing in Pershing Square on a bright, blustery spring afternoon, nearing the end of a homemade queer history tour of downtown L.A.: One Magazine, Cooper Do-Nuts/Nancy Valverde Square, the Dover bathhouse, the Biltmore Hotel and this, the city’s former Central Park, a haven, since before World War I, for “fairies” and “sissy boys,” servicemen on leave and beatniks on the road. “Is it still happening now?” he asks. “Probably not as much,” I venture. “Well, you let me know if it’s happening,” he teases, a mischievous smile lighting up his face. Bailey understands the uses of the charm offensive. As Sam, the handsome Lothario of Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s delightful pre-”Fleabag” curio, “Crashing”; Anthony, the romantic hero of “Bridgerton’s” second season; and John, the jerk of a protagonist in Mike Bartlett’s love triangle play “Cock,” the English actor, 36, has swaggered up to the precipice of superstardom. With roles in such studio tentpoles as “Wicked” and “Jurassic World” on the horizon, he may just break through. Yet he delivers career-best work in Showtime’s queer melodrama “Fellow Travelers,” as anti-Communist crusader-turned-gay rights activist Tim Laughlin, by leaving behind the self-assured rakes and tapping a new wellspring: soft power. Tim may be, as Bailey puts it, “an open nerve,” but as it turns out, the devout Catholic and political naïf — who falls for suave State Department operative Hawkins “Hawk” Fuller (Matt Bomer) just as Sen. Joseph McCarthy tries to purge the federal government of LGBTQ people — is formidable indeed. Stretching from the Lavender Scare to the depths of the AIDS crisis, in scenes of tenderness, cruelty and toe-curling sex, Bailey’s performance communicates that little-spoken truth of relationships: It takes more strength to submit than it does to control. The former demands discipline, courage, trust; the latter requires only force. “In ‘Bridgerton,’ [Bailey] is like a Hawkins Fuller character — he is very sexy and has lots of power, has that kind of confident charisma that absolutely is not Tim at all,” says “Fellow Travelers” creator Ron Nyswaner. But any doubt about Bailey’s ability to mesh with Bomer, who boarded the project early in development, was put to bed with the actors’ virtual rehearsal of a meeting on a park bench in the pilot. “‘Well, that’s a first,’” Nyswaner recalls an executive texting him. “I cried in a chemistry read.” ‘Am I inviting people in?’ Bailey grew up in a musical family in the Oxfordshire countryside outside London, and this, coupled with an appreciation for the morning prayers, choir practice and Mass he attended as a scholarship student at the local Catholic school, fed his precocious talents. (“I loved the performance of it,” he laughs. “Not to diminish the celebration of religious process, but I did love the idea of wearing a gown.”) By age 10, he’d appeared in the West End, playing Gavroche in a production of “Les Misérables,” an experience he now recognizes as an encounter with a queer found family — albeit one shadowed by the toll of the AIDS crisis, which peaked in the U.K. in the mid-1990s. “When I’m asked about my childhood, there’s so much I don’t remember, and I think that’s true of anyone who’s been in fight or flight for 20 years,” he says. “I would have been in a cast of people whose friends would have died in the last seven years. I think of where I was seven years ago. I had all my gay friends then. It’s only retrospectively that I can retrofit a real gay community around me [in the theater], that I just wasn’t aware of [then].” During the late 1990s and early 2000s, American and British culture presented queer adolescents with a bewildering array of mixed signals. As beloved celebrities came out in growing numbers, and the battle for marriage equality became a central locus of LGBTQ political organizing, the media continued to propagate harmful stereotypes of gay men as miserable, lonely, perverted or worse — and, Bailey remembers, callously turned George Michael, arrested on suspicion of cruising in a Beverly Hills restroom in 1998, and Irish pop star Stephen Gately, who revealed his sexuality in 1999, fearful he was about to be outed, into tabloid spectacles. No wonder Bailey, like many LGBTQ people of his generation, should feel the “chemical” thrill of “validation and acceptance” during London Pride at age 18, then embark on a two-year relationship with a woman in his 20s. “Dangerously, if you’re not exposed to people who can show you other examples of happiness, you think that’s the easiest way to live,” Bailey says. “It’s funny. You look back and you can tell the story in one way, which is that I always knew who I was and my sexuality and my identity within that. But obviously at times, it was really tough. I compromised my own happiness, for sure. And compromised other people’s happiness.” https://preview.redd.it/9q0vkj3djd0d1.jpg?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6c631452122b5fb2c401e95352dcc0c21d54d0d7 Disclosures about his personal life have become particularly thorny for the actor since the premiere of “Bridgerton,” the blockbuster bodice-ripper from executive producer Shonda Rhimes. “The Netflix effect does knock you off center completely,” he says, recalling the experience of finding a paparazzo waiting outside his new flat before he’d even moved in. “Suddenly, you do start having nightmares about people climbing in your windows... Even now, talking about it makes me feel like, ‘Am I inviting people in?’” He is also critical of the media for churning out headlines about the smallest details of celebrities’ private lives, often detached from their original context. In an interview with the London Evening Standard published in December, Bailey described a harrowing encounter in a Washington, D.C., coffee shop in which a man threatened his life for being queer — and, in recounting the experience, offhandedly mentioned the “lovely man” he’d called, shaken, after it happened. Although Bailey acknowledges that the original story handled the subject with aplomb, he felt dismayed that more attention wasn’t paid to the intended warning about rising anti-LGBTQ sentiment: “The only thing that got syndicated from that story was that I had a boyfriend, and it wasn’t true,” he sighs. “It was kind of depressing, if I’m honest.” Still, Bailey, who once turned down a role in a queer-themed TV series because it would have required him to speed along revelations about his personal life he wasn’t ready to make, is prepared to embrace the power of vulnerability when it feeds the work. Although a member of his inner circle expressed doubts about “Fellow Travelers’” steamy sex scenes, for instance, the actor intuited that they were what made the project worth doing: “I was like, ‘I’m telling you, they are the reason why this is going to be brilliant.’” ‘He’s changed my trajectory in my own life’ To those who would complain about the state of sex in film and TV, “Fellow Travelers” is the perfect riposte. All of it matters, from Tim’s first flirtation with Hawk to the finale’s closing minutes, because the series, at its core, is about the importance of soft power: the strength required to bend, but not break; to adapt, but not abandon oneself; to survive without shrinking to nothing in the process. And depicting that through sex, specifically gay sex, makes “Fellow Travelers” radical indeed. Bailey understands that baring so much comes with certain risks. When I tell him that research for the story has filled my algorithmic “For You” feed on X (formerly Twitter) with speculation that his onscreen relationship with Bomer has a real-life element, he notes that “shipping” fictional couples and costars alike has long been part of Hollywood fantasy. But he bristles at the implication that he and Bomer are anything but skilled actors at work. “I would love for people to know that the success of our chemistry isn’t based on us f—. It’s actually about us leaning into the craft,” he says. “It’s a vulnerable situation to be in, talking about it on record. I don’t want to rob people of their thoughts. But I do have a set of values, and as an artist, you don’t need to be f— to tell that love story.” Underlying that craft, Bailey adds, is the confidence to speak up, as with one scene in “Fellow Travelers” that was adjusted because he said, “I don’t want to be naked today.” He learned to use his voice the hard way: In his early 20s, he recalls, he was once “bullied” on set when “someone was threatened” by him and vowed to himself, “I’m never going to do that to someone. I’m never going to allow that to happen." https://preview.redd.it/4qwts4jrjd0d1.jpg?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2b9be4bb693aa886389f599b4e82c0f6a520be45 This impulse to direct his influence in support of others has blossomed further with “Fellow Travelers.” On the day of our interview, Bailey enthuses about an upcoming meeting with legendary gay rights activist Cleve Jones and shares his idea for a docuseries recording the stories of elders in the LGBTQ+ community while they are still here to tell them. He describes lying in a hospital bed on set on World AIDS Day, in character as Tim, surrounded by gay men who had lost friends and lovers during the crisis, and finding himself thinking, “What do I want to leave behind?” “I think he’s changed my trajectory in my own life,” Bailey says. This is, perhaps, the most common reaction I know to diving deep into queer history — the understanding that we, like our forerunners, are responsible for shaping the queer future, whether in politics, society or art. No one is going to do it on our behalf. As we stand on the nondescript corner now named for her, I relate the story of the late queer activist Nancy Valverde, who was arrested repeatedly while a barber school student in the 1950s on suspicion of “masquerading” because of her preference for short hair and men’s clothing, and later successfully challenged her harassment by the police in court. “What a hero!” Bailey exclaims, wondering at Valverde’s bravery. “The thing that’s so interesting with power battles is, ultimately, identity is the thing that gives you the most strength and power in your life, isn’t it? “Because that’s one thing people can’t take away from you: who you are and how you express yourself." |
2024.05.14 13:07 Content_Call5083 NSB (Straud Legacy) Gen 9 Ep. 71: Fear and Fire
 | The Story of a Family submitted by Content_Call5083 to LetsPlayStories [link] [comments] https://preview.redd.it/gkfn9qvuhd0d1.png?width=876&format=png&auto=webp&s=819a56b9b24440dac7c1c1c2519c50e34cbc1821 Luigi had rarely been happier to get home than he was as he returned from the gym. He limped up the steps on his sore ankle, looking forward to dropping into bed with an ice pack, a nice mixed drink, and that sci-fi novel Noemi couldn’t stop raving about. Seeing Noemi had been the only bright spot in this absolutely cursed day, and the universe had even had to go and try to ruin that! He couldn’t wait for today to be over – surely tomorrow would be better, it had to be! https://preview.redd.it/5tpumpa5id0d1.png?width=1226&format=png&auto=webp&s=1b37c0335939d15ccff6b59a8604a26526667c98 https://preview.redd.it/zxix5goxhd0d1.png?width=876&format=png&auto=webp&s=095541243e4398560c40ac2c65ea6bba0f183a1f Entering the downstairs foyer the first thing he heard was Chubbs, meowing plaintively. Had he forgotten to feed her? Glancing up the steps Luigi did a double take. Smoke was pouring out from under the door of his bedroom, his cat standing nearby doing her best to alert someone to the problem. Ignoring the pain Luigi bolted up the stairs, nearly falling headfirst into his room when his ankle buckled underneath him. Catching himself on the doorframe, he continued inside to find the table on which rested Papa Jack’s urn, and the candle from Beau he’d forgotten to extinguish, ablaze. https://preview.redd.it/kas5n2o9id0d1.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=2da1b224abeea1f580f65a1d8af61c06fb6c5759 https://preview.redd.it/d0xm9f20id0d1.png?width=876&format=png&auto=webp&s=9a3e73603d28582e71458209386af771813a1261 Luigi’s heart jumped into his throat as she saw the flames engulfing Papa Jack’s remains. Without thinking he started to reach forward to grab the urn out of harm’s way but was stopped short by the intense heat radiating from the fire. Instead, he ran back out to grab the fire extinguisher hanging in the hallway, planting his feet and venting his fear and frustration in a primal scream as he sprayed the foam in a wide arc across the blaze. https://preview.redd.it/0whmrkqiid0d1.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=d4704254b6b002b43afc02df98d9c77df230f283 https://preview.redd.it/0n3yqp40id0d1.png?width=876&format=png&auto=webp&s=a42642821f35c9055fc09522e72a72a71fa68c97 Once the fire was extinguished Luigi was left with the charred remains of ruined furniture and his papa's urn, standing like a sentinel in the middle of it all. It looked OK, but he had no way of knowing if Papa Jack's connection to the physical world had remained intact. Luigi started to cry then, giant choking sobs that racked his entire body. He gasped out a plea to his papa, to the watcher, to anyone who could hear him to please let it be OK, to give him a sign. He didn't know how he'd live with himself if he’d destroyed his papa’s only link to the mortal realm. https://preview.redd.it/lq557c3pid0d1.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=302a42860672977bf55709f0cf09e15008774825 https://preview.redd.it/54h9lw70id0d1.png?width=876&format=png&auto=webp&s=bf8d4bc919010d34b57348dcd45796ea813b60a4 Suddenly he felt a pair of strong arms wrapped around him, heard Papa Jack whisper in his ear that he was here, everything was OK. For a long while all he could do to return the hug as if his life depended on it, his Papa rubbing his back like he used to do when Luigi was a child. Big fat tears cascaded down his cheeks as he told Papa Jack that he was so sorry, so stupid, and promised never to let anything like that happen again. When his tears were finally spent Jack invited him to sit down and tell him everything. Luigi offloaded his tale of woe and apologized again, thanking him for coming. Papa replied that honestly, he hadn’t gotten a choice! He’d intended to visit as soon as he could when he heard Luigi’s sobs, but he’d found himself physically pulled across the barrier separating the worlds, unceremoniously deposited in the hallway of the boarding house. https://preview.redd.it/k8jfqoqtid0d1.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=c4ab88853256332e5ad8de25c898c70bb51086f7 https://preview.redd.it/qx6yrw81id0d1.png?width=876&format=png&auto=webp&s=fd17c1dbbea58e408453ed875afdb89a924d3e36 After that Jack went downstairs himself to get his son that drink and the ice pack he needed more than ever after his terror fueled run. Luigi downed his glass of nectar and strapped the pack to his burning ankle but decided not to risk falling asleep on his papa. Instead, using the wall for support, he hopped to the chess table just outside his door, settling in for a relaxing game while they chatted. “I’ve been very proud of your recent accomplishments” Jack began. “Tell me the latest on your lovely ladies so I don’t offer you bad advice when this fine juice loosens my tongue later.” Luigi smiled, always happy to discuss his favorite sims. https://preview.redd.it/mzb7rxrwid0d1.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=9255578043c8dfd5a01b0b14470ef699c2bcc677 https://preview.redd.it/nfb0o4a1id0d1.png?width=876&format=png&auto=webp&s=b0ac0e92c39bb3700b2053b2a3edf240c5ca824d Luigi told Papa Jack all about his latest dates with Amaya and Noemi, not sure how much had come across in his nightly updates to the urn. Jack was quiet at first, lost in thought. Finally, he told his boy “I’d say you’re incredibly lucky and unlucky. Both your girls sound great, but you’re not going to be able to keep the two of them fully satisfied indefinitely. Sooner or later, you’ll need to make a choice”. Amaya was clearly a lot of fun, but it seemed to Jack that she and Luigi didn't "click" as well as he and Noemi. However, his responsibilities as a legacy heir meant he had to have a child. Was he prepared to do that on his own if he wanted to stay with Noemi and she refused to come out of "hiding"? https://preview.redd.it/rcrnkcosjd0d1.png?width=1222&format=png&auto=webp&s=460f72c8215fd1d716f8ba31ab57be91037e3eda https://preview.redd.it/mx2hccb1id0d1.png?width=876&format=png&auto=webp&s=89d053fca21010cf7f57a3b9ffa34443823b4a2d Jack went on “You have time son, but your next birthday is closer than you might realize. I suggest you put some thought towards your future.” Luigi frowned slightly as he processed his papa's advice. Being in college it sometimes felt like he was suspended in a bubble, not as "grown-up" as his cousins with their full-time jobs and "adult" responsibilities, but that wasn't true. Time marched on, and his university days would soon be over. He thanked his papa and pondered his next move on the board. Gazing contentedly at the ghost sitting across from him, he reflected that maybe it hadn't been that terrible of a day after all. https://preview.redd.it/gn5a66f3jd0d1.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=b35b1e4b65d34eeecc1d6980d1d58e30eb53f7cf https://preview.redd.it/pjslpfc1id0d1.png?width=876&format=png&auto=webp&s=d22f169bfcd0574ab7daa998420085c5df7de5f6 View The Full Story of My Not So Berry Challenge Here |